#Natters and Nibbles

[neo-natters]

So I decided to get in on the favourite character bingo thing; can you tell that I'm So Normal (lies)

[ase-trollplays]

I thought Varoll was my only troll with biting as a love language, but something about Thrixe makes Karell go

"I'ma put my teeth on that"

[rreskk]

Can you write a HEAVY smut abt Trevor and fem! reader doing it in the bathroom? (I'm sorry if tooo heavy)

BATHROOM BREAK

Summary: Based on 2003, you were a "training" gunner for the crew. While competing one of your first heists, Trevor took you aside to work on your "skills."

TW: Smut

Pairings: Fem!reader/ Trevor Philips

Word count: 1378

Michael��s eyes lingered the room which all hostages were cowardly cornered by Brad’s booming body — entrapping their ability to run as he spent a few seconds counting the crew, only to find two missing from the action. This made it extremely harder for them to gather the money and handle the witnesses; his heart thumping and hands gripping the gun. He found it restricting to breathe from under his mask.

“Where the fuck is T?” Mike shouted towards Brad who seemed equally as stressed.

The man shrugged in response and attempted to hush the crowd of hostages who were in hysterics. Both of them felt the anger bubble to surface at Trevor’s absent placement. Then noticing your truancy as well, being the newest member — the “trainee,” as they’d call you.

Michael gritted his teeth and cursed your name as he could only imagine where you are.

-

“Oh- oh… fuck.” You grabbed the back of his neck after being pressed against the bathroom wall, his finger mercilessly confiscating your panties that fell around your thighs, then ankles.

Trevor’s mask was thrown on the floor beside the door, his hair nattered in all directions, the grease slicking it back and forwards; the ruggedness increasing by the aggression of your hands which migrated up his neck and onto his roots. Whenever you tugged, he grunted lowly and slid his finger between your opening, warming you up with his forehead nuzzled against your jaw, his breath causing you to exhale sharply.

“Trev, we gotta… we gotta wait.” You murmured despite enjoying his affections.

He scoffed in return and gently nibbled the surface of your neck before inserting a finger inside, changing your mind almost instantly as you demanded a closer contact, pulling his chest closer to yours. Making him grin.

“I can’t concentrate when I see a woman like you know her way around a gun.” He teased in your ear, his finger pumping in and out. “It gets me excited, sugar.”

He stole all your words away in an instance and your body crumbled into his arms. He worked as a foundation and kept you against the wall before feeling you grow wetter by moment. A small growl left his lips then he leaned close, kissing your lips harshly, removing his fingers one by one

“Fuck…” you sighed, leaning your head back and staring as he unbuckles the belt around his hips. Trevor still had his coat on but you still managed to see him tug out his boner that sat in his gloved hand. He really couldn’t help himself, resulting in quickies like this.

“Keep looking at me.” Trevor muttered under his breath while adjusting himself close, his hand spreading your legs more to make it easier for him as you are both standing up. The distressing restriction of flexibility was difficult until he grabbed onto your shoulders and pushed himself into you, whimpering and placing his lips against your forehead to control his heart rate.

It was hard to define how hot it was. You gasped for your life and grasped his broad shoulders when he entered, his cock buzzing with anticipation, roaming until his full length was buried – then pulling out to repeat the cycle. In and out, in and out, your back grinding against the cold wall; Trevor holding you with his arms and ensuring his cock stayed inside before proceeding forward. He also made sure you were looking at him, following his words.

The bathroom warmed up at the sound of skin-to-skin roughness and heavy breaths. Usually he was more vocal but the bathroom was settled near the main room where the crew were based. You could hear the background of yelling and shots being fired but that didn’t distract you from Trevor’s cock that sloppily thrusted into your pussy recklessly – like he had no worries nor consequences when approaching the spot that made your toes curl and mouth open with desire.

“Oh, God…” You whispered and felt him hold you closer.

“That’s right, baby,” Trevor moaned, “I’ll make you feel so fuckin’ good.”

Like he wasn’t already, your hips were toyed with and he helped you grind into him. Hearing him moan encouraged you to loosen up. Yet your ears were still listening out for the crew who were working against the clock. It made you feel bad, Trevor noticing by the stiffness of your hips before he grabbed your face with one hand and caressed your cheek with his thumb.

“Concentrate on me. Not them turds.” His voice cracked due to the arousal hitting him high.

“Uhuh…” You nodded your head hesitantly.

“Your pussy feels so good. How could I stay away?”

This made you smirk; his dirty words distracting you from the heist taking place.

He saw your reaction and pecked the nuzzle of your jaw again, ushering, “That’s my girl.”

After exchanging a saying, Trevor focused back onto the feeling and pierced his lower lip with his teeth, striving towards a comfortable pace that made you both groan with pleasure. He was known for coming quick so you were wary of how intense he was getting by the expression depicted from his face. And you saw his brows cross together, his eyes closed, meaning he was finding it difficult to hold back.

Nonetheless, you were already soaked enough beforehand that one touch made you grow butterflies – let alone his actual cock further tormenting your sex. If he was approaching fast, it made your mind speed-race into imagining the closeness and intimacy, craving his mood afterwards where he’d collapse and melt. You wanted him to come just for the taste of his exhaustion and vulnerability. The thought of it made you arch your back and softly moan, soon to be joining him as the feelings grew heavier.

“Ngh!” Trevor grunted and squeezed his eyes shut to embrace the excitement.

Moments were quicker than expected. You grabbed onto his coat and exhausted a moan as you felt him push back inside, at the same time coming, his face utterly painted with mania.

“Oh, fucking fuck!” He cried out. His legs shook and hands falling onto your forearms for support. Due to the haze of his orgasm, something else trickled down your legs and soon realised you had came previously as well. Your cum trickled across your thighs while Trevor panted heavily. His mullet was not recognisable anymore since it was coated with sweat and grease, slicked back and barely holding his crazed personality. It made him look ruined and pathetic – to your likeness.

He slowly pulled out and sighed at the state of himself; his trousers were ruffled with cum stains on them, and not to mention his coat with sweat dropping onto the fabric from his hair. This was no stranger to his usual mannerism but it would be obvious to the rest. Especially the red cheeks and his manic eyes.

Trevor kissed the corner of your mouth and then grabbed his hat.

You took this a sign to get yourself together, taking a deep breath and proceeding the formality of your appearance.

-

“Are we all set?” Michael called out after collecting his stack of cash. Once he received a nod, they returned to the main room and waited for any signs of cops.

Brad was checking the cameras outside until a door opened. All hostages were held in a locker room so this was completely out of their plans.

They all gushed around and aimed up their guns before seeing Trevor walk in with a smug grin, his hands raised.

“Woah. Hey, hey.” He purred in an idiotic sing-song voice.

Mikey’s face dropped into a snarl and he caught a glimpse of you standing behind Trevor. He began to understand what exactly happened, glaring towards his so-called best friend and shook his head. “You gotta lot of audacity, man.”

Trevor raised an eyebrow, “I ain’t hurting no one? We’re right on time.”

“Where the fuck were you?”

“I needed a one to one with our trainee here. Working on her aim and… Delivering.” He said in the most perverted mutter.

“By the looks of it.” Michael commented about his appearance before turning his back. “Don’t slack around anymore, T. We only just made it.”

“On it, Sargent.” Trevor grabbed onto your wrist and tugged you against him as they all exited the doors. Being sore and freshly used, it was difficult to catch up, but he’d look back with a small grin, offering you support when running towards the getaway car.

[syrma-sensei]

→ Broken Vows.

gif credit

pairing: kuchiki byakuya x wife!reader

rating: angst (they're at war) fluff.

setting: canonverse.

word count: 1k.

Silence, tension, and anxiousness has been reigning the Seireitei since Lieutenant Sasakibe Chōjirō's demise. Death reeked of the Soul Society, and its shadows are looming over the the three worlds.

In the grandeur yard of the Kuchiki Manor, you sit at the rim of the large pond of Koi fish, your feet are faintly in the water where the elegant fish are nibbling on your toes. Their slight kisses tickle your skin, giving you an odd feeling of comfort. For a moment, you wish to jump into the water and play with them, just you and some Koi fish under the silver glimmer of the moon. A silly giggle escapes your mouth when you imagine what your husband's reaction might be, to see his reverend lady wife messing around with his precious Koi fish. The Kuchikis take pride in breeding such rare species of fish, and Byakuya was greatly annoyed when their numbers decreased noticeably for unknown reasons. The ghost of Kuchiki Manor did it. That was the rumour among the staff, the one you personally spreaded it to cover for a certain little pink-haired troublemaker.

You bring your knees up to your chest, hugging yourself, eyes are still watching the fish sway and swim in the water.

Heaving a sigh, you shake your head forlornly. They were good days, good memories you're going to forever cherish them, for you know, nothing will be the same soon. You already miss the days when your biggest problem —and delight— was facing your husband's rage. The only one who could bring the best and the worst of him, his beloved wife.

You sigh again; when was the last time you saw him?

Given the current situation, every captain is to stay alert at their squad barracks, readying their forces to any surprise assault.

The Sixth Squad quarters aren't far from here. It wouldn't be much of a bother to pay your old home a visit, it crossed your mind plenty of times to go there. But no, you didn't, because your husband had practically forbidden you to visit the quarters after the Quincies declared the war. Idiot, you think. As though you'd listen to him. No, not anymore; you're not one of his subordinates any longer but his damn wife. It surely doesn't make you his equal, but still.

However, being married to one of the Great Noble Clans heads threw a handful of responsibilities upon your back; one of which is to stay strong, and act in his stead as the family head in his absence. And gods, you hate it. Teasing and defying the elders is one thing, and sitting at the same table with them and hear them nattering absolute nonsense is another whole thing. You wonder how Byakuya does it easily.

“Watching the Koi swim is more interesting than sitting with the elders, I suppose.”

A wide smile creeps into your mouth as you hear your husband's poised voice.

“Byakuya!” You stand on your feet and stroll down to him. “Missed you so much, baby!”

You don't miss the way he still cringes at the endearment you called him with. His ears haven't accustomed to it yet, a modern word from the World of the Living.

“I've missed you too, my love.” He says quietly, with that baritone voice of his, taking your hands in his. He squeezes your hands gently, brushing his thumbs to your skin.

You notice that he's still in his haori and full attire, you furrow your eyebrows. “Is everything alright back there, Byakuya?”

“Yes.” He answers, “Everything is conducting well, darling, worry not.”

“Any sign of the enemy?” You ask again.

“Not as of yet.” He says, “We do not think the enemy would stand by their words, however.”

“They could attack at any moment.” You mumble.

“Precisely.”

Gazing up at his smoky-grey eyes, you bring your hands up to his chest. “You know I still have the will to fight by your side like the old days, husband.” You say, “I can be more useful on the battlefield than behind these walls.”

Byakuya's face remains expressionless, his hands covering yours. “If you're asking me to join the troops again, the answer remains no.”

Your lips pucker up, your fists wring his fancy haori, “Then promise me you'd come back to me alive.”

Your husband falls silent.

“Swear it to me.” Your lean forward, eyes locking, “Now.”

“I'm afraid I can't.” He puts ice in his words, your eyes widen.

“Why so?” You fume.

“I've taken many vows upon myself, and I broke most of them. I cannot do it, not to you.”

He leaves you speechless, your hands let go of his fancy haori. You tear your face to the side for a moment before you face him again.

“Very well then,” You say stoically, your tone is peculiarly akin to his now, “Kuchiki Byakuya, my beloved husband, I forbid you from dying on the battlefield, and I bid you to come back to me alive and in one piece, and I swear, by all spirits, I shall unsheathe my zanpaktō and step into the fight if I sense you're in need of help.”

Your husband doesn't say anything. However, a very small grin slip into his pretty lips, and you give him a smile of your own.

They vanish, nevertheless, when you hear the alarm blaring throughout the Seireitei, announcing the arrival of the enemy, and you feel your heart drop to the tips of your toes.

“I must go.” Your husband states.

You rush before he shinpōes elsewher, and hug him tightly, shaky hands cupping his cheeks. “I swear it, I swear it, I swear it.” Tears pour down your cheeks, “You hear me?” Byakuya kisses your lips through your tears before his reiatsu disappears from around you.

After hours, flash-stepping among the bloodied corpses of your husband's soldiers, and in attempt to maintain your oath, you reach the spot his fading reiatsu led you to, to find yourself too late. Another broken promise; your husband is no different than the bodies surrounding him.

→ Bleach Masterlist

→ ao3

[numberplates4u-blog]

A Classic Day Out

Sunday 11th June 2017 is our 3rd Classic Cars Cake & Coffee date  Sunday 11th June 2017 This coming Sunday, the 11th June is our third coffee morning date of 2017. A huge thank you to everyone who supported our April and May gatherings. We have had a phenomenal number of classic cars turning up and your response has been so positive and uplifting. As we say the natters and nibbles is only a success because you come!! We provide the venue and the refreshments but it’s you that makes it a hit. We provide the venue and refreshments and our guests create the atmosphere Enjoy our refreshments and make a small contribution to our 2017 charities. Maybe meet up with some friends, make some new acquaintances and share stories, tips and tales. It also gives you a chance to have a chat with our team, look at what we do and maybe find the answer to something that has been troubling you regarding your vehicle. What are our 2017 Charities? Collecting for our chosen charities The Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice – Having had a fair few friends and family members requiring the excellent services and support that this hospice provides to our community we felt that anything we can collect will be so gratefully received. For over 35 years the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice has been caring and supporting patients, families and friends who have been given the worst possible news. The hospice needs over £20,000.00 a day to be able to give such an exceptional standard of clinical care and support. We agree with the Hospice strap line……Because everyday is precious. Alton, Petersfield & District Multiple Sclerosis Society – last year we raised over £900 for this charity. It has been chosen because Bill’s sister, Angie, has Multiple Sclerosis and we have witnessed the life limiting effects this illness causes. Thank you to everyone who helped raised over £900 at our 2016 events The Treloar School for Disabled Children  – This is a local school for young people with disabilities. The Treloar Trust provides education, care, therapy, medical support and independence training to young people with physical disabilities from all over the UK and overseas. Our eldest sons girlfriend, Beth, is a teacher at this college. We know the dedication, skills and patience that are required to enable these young people to reach their full potential and of course this all comes with a cost.   Billy Monger crowd funding – A fellow Ginetta Junior Racer with Jack Rawles who on Sunday 16th April 2017 suffered life changing injuries in an F4 car at Donington Park, after being involved in one of the most horrific crashes Motorsport has seen.   Make it a Classic Day Out To make it a day out in your classic car, after your stop off at Bill Rawles Classic Cars, Cakes & Coffee you could go on to enjoy the rest of the day in our surrounding area. The area has a lot to offer from walks in the beautiful countryside; refreshments in pubs, tea rooms and restaurants; tickle your cultural side with museums, national trust houses and the Watercress Steam railway line. On Sunday 11th June 2017 there are several events you may like to join in with. Chawton Open Gardens Sunday 11th June 2017 2017 marks the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s Death, and Hampshire Cultural Trust is working with Jane Austen House Museum and many other partners across the country to celebrate Jane’s creativity and talent. Jane Austen spent most of her life in the historic and beautiful county of Hampshire. Its houses, countryside and people provided the inspiration for many of her novels. On Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th June, take a walk in the footsteps of Jane Austen as her beloved village and home, opens its gardens. The grounds of both Chawton House Library and Jane Austen’s House Museum will open, as well as many other charming gardens around the village. Visitors to this beautiful part of the county will also be able to take a walk from Chawton to Farringdon, a walk that Jane is certain to have taken on a regular basis. Ropley Open Gardens Sunday 11th June 2017   On Sunday 11th June 2017 eleven gardens in the centre of Ropley are opening to the public to help raise funds for the rebuilding of the fire damaged St Peter’s Church and for The Rosemary Foundation, a local hospice at home service. Tickets cost £5 for entry to the gardens and can be bought on the day from the Parish Hall in Vicarage Lane, Ropley (sat nav info SO24 0DU) or in advance from The Courtyard Shop Enjoy the gardens and then have tea and cakes in the Hall or a glass of Pimms in one of the gardens. Plants will be available for sale in some of the gardens.  War on the line Sunday 11th June 2017     Why not come along to our coffee morning and take advantage of our offer for you to leave your classic car in the workshop car park and wander up to the Medstead & Four Marks railway station. The Mid Hants Watercress Railway website invites you to “transport yourself back in time to the 1940s, against the backdrop of a Second World War railway, to experience the ‘Blitz Spirirt’. An Adult all day fare of £18 gives you unlimited train travel, allowing you to hop off at each station to explore period displays, music, dancing, vintage vehicles and stalls selling retro wares. War on the line is as much about reliving this period as enjoying the rush of the steam train  Lots of places to visit on our doorstep Hinton Ampner There are many places you can drive on to after being at our coffee morning. Why not explore our surrounding Hampshire countryside, offering great views and iconic country lanes meandering through fields and taking in the South Downs National Park. For a longer trip the New Forest and South Coast are only a stones throw away. The list of things to do is endless but here are just a few ideas to extend your day out in a classic – please feel free to suggest any ideas in our comments box too:- Hinton Ampner The Vyne Uppark House and Garden Gilbert White’s House and The Oates Collection Afternoon tea at Avington Park Tylney Hall Hotel and Gardens The Alresford Millenium Trail Selborne Common, The Zig-Zag and the Lythe butterfly walk The South Downs National Park West Wittering Beach Goodwood Brooklands Milestones Museum The stunning gardens at West Dean Weald & Downland living Museum West Wittering Beach is only a beautiful drive away  Where to eat? If your day out in a classic car involves finding somewhere to eat here are a few local pub recommendations:-   The Bush Inn, Ovington – SO24 0RE – Situated on the banks of the River Itchen – A fabulous walk along the river which runs behind the pub gardens. The Woolpack Inn, Totford – SO24 9TJ – A country Inn nestling in the picturesque Candover Valley. The Hinton Arms, Cheriton – SO24 0NH – A reputation for fine food, fresh fish, superb daily specials, great service and expertly kept real ales. The Tichborne Arms, – SO24 0NA – A quiet thatched rural pub, set in the South Downs National Park, known for its real ales and good food. The Flower Pots, Cheriton – SO24 0QQ – The Flower Pots Brewery is just across the pub car park and supplies its full range of specially brewed beers to the Flower Pot Inn. The Globe, Alresford – SO24 9DB – Sit in the pub garden and enjoy the array of wildlife habitating Alresford Pond. The Thomas Lord, West Meon – GU32 1LN – Described as a great place to eat, drink and relax. A beautifully restored traditional village pub, close to the historic market town of Petersfield. It offers an excellent range of real ales and a menu of mouth watering meals. The Yew Tree, Lower Wield – SO24 9RX – This pub is situated 5 minutes from the workshop. Set in the glorious Hampshire countryside, opposite a charming, chocolate-box pretty cricket pitch. The pub serves good food, good wine and an interesting range of ales. The Sun Inn, Bentworth – GU34 5JT – This pub is hidden away down a country lane. A very pretty, flower adorned and unspoilt rural free-house, dating back to the 16th Century.       The Grey Friar and Cassandras Tea Cup, Chawton, – GU34 1SB – This pub and tea room are situated right opposite to Jane Austens House. A 16th Century pub where you can while away the hours with a great pint and a good homemade meal. Cassandras Cup is a typical English tea room, with traditional and speciality teas, coffees, scones, cakes, light snacks and hearty homemade meals. The Selborne Arms, Selborne – GU34 3JR – Set in the same village as Gilbert White’s House. A perfect location for a meal, a drink and a walk up Gilbert White’s Zig Zag path and onwards over the Hangers Way. The menu is said to offer traditional and innovative dishes. The Horse and Groom, Alresford – SO24 9AQ – This Grade II listed building lies at the heart of Alresford town centre. As long ago as 1550 locals piled into this pub to discuss equestrian matters. Recently refurbished, this historic old building is smart and welcoming. Alresford is one of the UK’s finest spots for a weekend stroll. Ye Olde George Inn, East Meon – GU32 1NH – Another delightful 15th Century coach inn. A beautiful historic building with the River Meon running by the side. From this pub there are delightful walks along the South Downs Way. The Chestnut Horse, Easton – SO21 1EG – This pub has a warm, welcoming, relaxing atmosphere. A real country feel, with beams and a log fire. The food is locally sourced and the staff are very friendly. Sit in the rear garden amongst the flower beds and enjoy the tranquillity of the Itchen Valley                 The post A Classic Day Out appeared first on Bill Rawles Classic Cars.

https://www.rawlesclassiccars.co.uk/blog/a-classic-day-out/

[tjada-works-the-nightshift]

A little interlude

Fandom: Fallen London

Pairing: Unnamed player character x Mr. Fires

Warnings: Uhhh blood, injuries caused by Mr. Fires, unhealthy relationship, implication of having sex with Mr. Fires, kind of disassociation, able-bodied but otherwise not described PC, probably ooc Fires

Tbh it's fairly tame. Way less injury and horror when FL usually dishes out to us. Enjoy.

You had been listening to Mr. Fires complain of the other Masters for a while now before it gestured at you to rise and accompany it to the bedroom. You had nibbled on your food and made appropriate noises when it paused while it aired its grievances. Tonight its main victim was Spices. You were glad it wasn’t Wines. The Wines tirades tended to last the entire visit. However long that was.

Now Mr. Fires opened up buttons and ties from your clothes to release you from their hold. You were guided onto its bed, now only clad in a dark green robe, loosely tied in the front, and reclined into the many coloured pillows. 

“And are you?” You blinked. Obviously, you had missed a large part of its nattering and now watchful eyes looked at you from a densely furred face. In another life you might have found it cute. If it had fewer teeth and eyes that didn’t glow like embers. 

You were curious what it saw in you.

“Am I what?” You haphazardly kicked off one of the many decorative pillows to stretch out your legs more comfortably. The first time you had entered its chambers you had been surprised by the gigantic bed with the many red pillows and blankets. Then again, it might be a decoy after all. An attempt at a normal, or at least slightly more normal to the average Londoner, bedroom. You hadn’t seen it sleep before. 

“Happy of course,” came the answer and you had to suppress a cynical laugh. You had the sudden urge to throw a pillow at it. You weren’t sure what would happen if you did. 

“What a peculiar thing to ask,” you ran your hand over the silky blanket next to your head and closed your eyes to the murky light in the Master's bedroom, “is anyone ever truly happy down here?” 

You did miss the sun. But only sometimes. 

“Yes,” you felt a great shape move closer to the bed, “I have seen it quite often to be truthful.” The tip of a sharp claw traced the arch of your foot, circling once around your ankle and you had to suppress any sudden movement so it wouldn't slice open your flesh. It seemed to adore the areas of your body where the skin was stretched thinly over bones. It had once spent an entire night playing with your fingers, watching the ways your Metacarpals shifted under your skin when it bent them. The intense way it had gazed at the ripples of moving skin had scared you. How easy it was for a being of Fires’ size to snap your fragile bones had involuntarily entered your mind. Still, human anatomy seemed to fascinate it- in the privacy of its chambers only of course. 

“It seems the entire population of London released a great sigh of relief when they arrived here.” The claw wandered up your calf, all the while tracing symbols and shapes onto your skin. You would have to pick up new honey soon. Maybe you could do that before you went to the ginger-haired fellow’s address. You had a feeling your endeavour to find your missing contact might turn out to be more complex than you anticipated. Then again, when have things ever been easy in London? 

“A sigh of relief?” You laid the back of your hand over your eyes and tried to drown out the sensation. Blue and red fireworks danced over the inside of your eyelids while you awaited the Master's answer. You relished in their colour. Maybe you would pop into your laboratory on the way home. You had entertained the thought of investing in the great railway company and apparently, despite the builders having just started, they had already run low on supplies. Although why anyone would want to travel into the hinterlands was beyond you. But then again, you hadn’t actually been before- maybe great opportunities waited for those brave enough to leave their home.

You had never left the city before. You didn’t know if you wanted to.

“Why of course! Relieved of death. The greatest enemy of all lovers... and sinners.” You discretely rolled your eyes and moved your body to the side to face the creature. Glowing eyes roamed over your figure. 

“Yes, I suppose I am relieved of that fear of separation at least.” Most of your family was on the Surface anyway. You doubted you would ever see them again if they didn’t venture down. And you were quite satisfied with that too. At this stage, you wouldn’t even know what to do with them. You didn’t have much room in your lodgings too. Now that your plant had started to inhabit the entire drawing room at least. 

“See, aren’t you glad you have all the time in the world for your little projects? Aren't you profiting from the freedom we gave you?” You wouldn’t have put Mr. Fires as an advocate for freedom but you did have to concede that it somehow managed to only call on you when you weren’t exceptionally busy. The same couldn’t be said for its workers. So far you had steadfastly avoided being employed by it. You even refused its gifts. No one could accuse you of receiving favours. Although you sometimes wondered about the easy way shopkeepers conceded to your haggling in the sidestreets of the Bazaar. 

You were fairly sure that you’d never been in love. You were sure that you never wanted to be. 

“Let us not pretend that you brought London down for its citizens' benefit.” You had seen traces of the other fallen cities at the edge of London. You wondered what happened to its citizens. You wondered if there ever was someone before you laying next to this being and questioning their presence. You wondered if they managed to leave before they were crushed.

“The ungratefulness of you Londoners! The end result is the same, no matter what motives we had. I am happy with you here in my lair. In my bed. Happy with this sparkling city.” One of its massive paws now rested on your side and you could feel little needle points of pain where the claws dug into your skin with only the slightest bit of pressure. You ignored the pain.

“If you say so. I don’t think you and I have the same understanding of love and happiness.” It pressed down harder and you felt your flesh give in. The brilliant green robe would now not only have holes but also stains from your blood. You already missed it, even though it would be replaced immediately after you left.

“Well, pet, who said anything of love?” You winced but held its stare.

“You did. With your constant excuses to bother me when I already refused to work for you. When you compared me to your oh-so-beloved London.” You couldn’t interpret the expression it made now but you only recently learned to recognise the signs of true anger on its face. They weren’t there now. 

This wasn’t love. Was it?

“Sweetling, you are without doubt one of the most magnificent jewels in London's crown. Without you, the heavens would miss its moon.” It tried to play off your accusation with coy sweetness. It wasn’t suited to playing coy. Or sweetness.

“There is no moon down here.” You replied in a neutral voice. It finally let up and began to slide the robe off your shoulder. Your side burned but you weren’t about to complain. You were just happy that there weren’t any harsher repercussions. 

“Truly you are in an abysmal mood today. Let me see if I can change that.” It made the strange purring sound you had come to know so well. You were turned onto your back. You ran your hand over the silky blanket next to your head once again and closed your eyes to the murky light in the Master's bedroom. 

You did miss the Surface. But only sometimes.

[imagintheworldaway]

Together

Anonymous asked: Hello! Can you do a Harryxfem! Reader where people see how Harry looks at the reader (calorie challenge- rematch (time stamp 27:17)) and the reader is so oblivious to Harry’s feeling for her because he broke up with his long-term ex last fall and she doesn’t want to read deep into it and just keeps telling people that they’re just friends even though everyone can see past the bull crap and keeps shipping them because they’re very similar and meant to be and after months of Harry pinning after her he tries to move on and go on dates (which fails but she doesn’t know that it’s not working out for him ) so she starts seeing someone and magically somehow end up together and become the “it” couple because of how blunt and honest they are. Sorry that was long! Hope you can write it thanks!

A/N Good gosh this is a long one. I hope you enjoy! Requests are open 

Sitting on the sofa next to Cal, snuggled in a mountain of blankets in Harrys apartment whilst the boys filmed a video was always fun. They were filming the 100,000 calorie challenge and it was JJ, Vik , Cal and Harrys turn to be eating the calories. We were sat watching JJ as he revealed he had absolutely failed the challenge to everyones surprise. The boys all started to complain as I giggled at the failure which was JJ right now. I felt a slight nudge on my side and Cal not so discreetly nodding towards Harry, I looked over at him and smiled but he averted his gaze from me and buried his head into the massive bear still complaining at JJ as it was revealed he had messed up the challenge even more by starting before the official time. 

After JJ’s little mess up they decided to make the fried mars bars, and I feel as though even saying it is cause for disaster. The boys were all crowded around the counter, just making a mess really, not much surprise there. I was happy in my own little world scrolling through instagram with the boys chatter in the background when I started to smell something burning and a mass amount of smoke from the boys. “Oh my god you idiots” I said matter of factly before grabbing the pan and holding it out the window, not wanting the apartment to stink of burnt mars bars as the guys tried to switch off the fire alarm. 

Once everything had calmed down I started to clean up as the boys ate the left over chocolates. “ you don’t have to clean up Y/N” Harry said to me as he bought over a plate to the sink. “Its ok I don’t mind, something to do at least” I smiled up at him. “You sure? I feel bad” he said scratching his shoulder and giving me an awkward smile. “I’m sure, go enjoy your food” I giggled pushing the boy away from me slightly. I finished up the washing as the boys chatted over their takeaways trying to figure out how many calories they were up to. I popped the remaining dishes in the dish washer and popped it on for the boys. 

Once they had finished Cal and I bid the boys goodbye and hoped in an Uber, we lived in the same apartment complex so it made sense that we shared rides just about everywhere. “Soooo” cal started tapping his his legs to the beat of the song that the Uber driver had popped on for us. i gave him a questioning glance as I sent my text to Harry, informing him I had popped the dish washer on and for him not to forget about it. “When are you two finally going to get together” Cal said peering over my shoulder and trying to take a peek at my texts with Harry. I just scoffed switching off my phone and turning my head to look at Cal. “Look he got out of a long term relationship not even six months ago, he just needs a friend right now, and that’s all I am, a friend, plus even if he hadn’t just gotten out of a relationship, well I don’t think he’d be interested in me anyway, like I said I’m just a friend” I shrugged to Cal giving him a half smile trying to cover the sadness which was evident on my face. “I don’t know Y/N if you ask me, or well any of the lads he looks at you like your a gift here gracing us all with your presence. like your some type of angel, he likes you, he really does, he’s just scared to ruin what you have” Cal stated as we hoped out the uber and made our ways into the lift. “Well I don’t want to sound rude, but I didn’t ask Cal, I don’t need my hopes being brought up just for it all to be speculation.” I stated matter of factly. “This is me, I’ll see you later yh?” I questioned Cal who just pursed his lips and nodded to me giving a small see ya. 

I really wasn’t trying to be rude but I had had my heartbroken so many times, and I don’t want to start getting my hopes up about Harry if it is just all speculation and some sort of narrative the lads were making up for themselves. I slumped down on my bed and posted a selfie on instagram asking people what they want to know about me. I wasn’t a huge YouTuber but I did have a large instagram following meaning the questions flooded in within an instant. There was the usual that I answered such as my favourite colour, what am I having for dinner, best place I had ever visited and so on. After a few more generic questions someone asked what my favourite picture was. I scrolled through my camera roll and found one of Harry and I at winter wonderland. we were both wearing Santa hats and he was giving me a piggy bag as I held onto a large teddy he had won me moments before. I captioned it ‘Christmas with my Bestfriend, look at how goofy he looks @wroetoshaw’ I giggled as I posted the pic remembering that day. it was a rare day off for the both of us and with Harrys break up still fresh I decided we should go to Winter Wonderland and just have fun. Which we did, it was one of my most treasured memories with him. He had taken his breakup so hard that I felt it was important that he had a friend around who could take the crying and emotions, someone to just cuddle with and forget about the world. And over the past few months I realised that my feelings for Harry had grown, but he was still hurting and there was no way that I was being any boys re-bound. 

I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to blaring light through the blinds of my lounge. I groaned to myself before getting up and trudging to my bedroom to sort myself out. i looked at my phone and I had a few texts from Harry. I smiled as I read them. 

‘Thank you! Almost forgot, you are honestly the best Xx’

‘You alive???? Xx’

‘Good night Xx’

‘Like the insta pic’

I furrowed my eyebrows at the last text. It was sent only minutes after the goodnight text and it didn’t have any of the kisses we usually put on the end of our texts to each other. I also hadn’t got a good morning text from Harry, that was particularly strange because I have always gotten a Good morning and Good night text from him for the past few months with out fail. I just shrugged it off before replying, 

‘Haha no problem! I fell asleep as soon as I got home I’m sorry :( wanna meet up later? Xx’

I smiled at my reply before going to my bedroom and changing to look more presentable. I checked my phone and it was almost lunch meaning Cal was coming over to film a video with me. just as I re adjusted my hair for the a millionth time I heard a knock on the door signalling that cal was here. “Hello stranger” I smiled letting him into my apartment with the array of crisps and snacks he had in his arms. We were filming a British corner shop mukbang whilst answering twitter questions. As Cal settled himself in my studio I helped by opening the array of snacks and cans of drink that he had bought for us. “Hey really weird question but have you heard from Harry today?” I questioned trying not to sound so desperate as to the whereabouts of the boy. “Uh yh messaging me all morning, think he’s got something on tonight. He not told you?” Cal looked up from the array of junk raising his eyebrows at me as I just shook my head in disbelief that he was ignoring me. As we settled in our seats and I turned the camera on I sent Harry a quick text. 

‘Hey have I done something wrong?? :( Xx’ 

The video was going amazing. Cal and I just naturally bounced off of each other and the questions the fans were giving us were quite juicy. “Alright, alright, I’ve got one. Y/N has Harry asked you out yet or is he still being a melt? From @CalFreezy” I giggled at the question and raised my eyebrows at Cal. “These are meant to be from Fans” I retorted to Cal telling him off a little. “Yh Freezy is your biggest fan he’s always nattering on about you and talking about you moving in with them when Harry gets the guts” Cal defended himself causing me to burst out laughing. “Well we all know Harry and I are friends, I love him very much but that’s as deep as it goes” I replied to Cals previous question from Freezy, slight sadness barely evident in my voice. “Is that the only thing that goes deep” Cal stated before bursting out laughing at himself and falling back in his chair ultimately falling off of it causing me to laugh. “Well that’s it for today guys thank you for watching and thanks to this idiot for joining me” I smiled at the camera before shutting it off and helping Cal from the floor. 

“You really need to stop that you know? You can’t force anything to happen” I said matter of factly towards cal as he nibbled on some Pringles. “You see Y/N I’m actually Cal from the future and I’m just stating facts” he gave me a cheesy grin as I tutted at him and rolled my eyes. I was taken out of my trance by a text from my phone. “Alright ditch me for lover boy” Cal called after me. I opened my phone to see it was from Harry but it wasn’t what I was expecting. 

‘Hey Y/N, we shouldn’t hang out anymore it makes Belle uncomfortable.’ 

“Cal what the fuck is this” I shouted to my friend. I heard the thudding of his feet and turned around to show him the message I had just received. He furrowed his eyebrows. “Belle Belle Belle Oh Belle, her really?” Cal scrunched his nose up at me. “Ummm elaborate, who’s Belle?” I pressed for him to release more info to me. “Oh Harry went on a date with her like three weeks ago, looks like it worked out, well for them I guess” Cal shrugged piecing the different parts of the puzzle together for me. “Oh, wow, so he is just gonna drop me like that, like I’m, I’m nothing, like i wasn’t the one there for him when he was mourning over his last breakup. Well that’s a kick in the teeth” I said starting to sniffle, tears threatening to break their way out of my eyes and my mood instantly dropping to nothing. “Hey no don’t cry” Cal said engulfing me in a hug, which I gladly melted into. “If he couldn’t see what he had with you then that boy is more blind than we all thought.” Cal reassured me rubbing my back. “Plus your make up looks too nice to cry it off” Cal said catching a stray tear from my face and making me giggle a little. “Oh Cal why can’t we fall in love?” I questioned sniffing and straightening out my clothes. “Because that would be like fucking my sister and that’s weird” Cal stated making me giggle. 

I don’t think anyone could quite get their heads wrapped around the fact that Harry was with someone new, especially because that someone was not me. For the next month I got fans tweeting me asking if Harry and I had broken up or if he had gone crazy. I also got sorry looks from my friends. Always being placed in the furthest seat away from Harry, always given excuses as to why I couldn’t come to shoots. It sucked majorly. And the worst part about all of this is everyone felt like they had to tread on eggshells around me, as if I wasn’t a fully grown woman who could handle these situations. 

I knocked on Simons apartment door before he opened it replying to someone about something. “Oh Y/N you alright” he said quickly closing the door a little. “Yh Talia said I could pop round and grab my camera that she borrowed.” I said smiling at the lanky man. “Oh yh well um come in, just be careful yh” Simon nodded at me. I furrowed my eyebrows and just nodded at his comment following him through to the living room. And as soon as I saw the tall figure sat next to Harry with an unimpressed look on her face I realised why Simon gave me such a warning. “Heyyyy Y/N Is here” Ethan called standing up giving me a hug making me giggle a little. “Yh Talia knicked my camera again” I stated smiling at the girl who blushed a little realising she still hadn’t returned my device. “Oh so that’s Y/N” a snotty voice said causing everyone to quiet down and all eyes turning in her direction. “Yup, the one and only” I smiled back at her trying to be as nice as possible. “Belle right? Nice to meet you” I smiled back at her trying to make conversation in the silent room. I rocked back and forth on my heels for a while, Belle gave me a good look up and down, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips as if wanting to comment something. Before she could I saw Harry whisper something to her and she scoffed. “If I have an opinion I’m going to say it. And I have many about her” Belle said loud enough for everyone to hear whilst pointing at me. “Here I found it” Talia smiled at me handing me my camera before noticing the mood of the room. 

“Ok well, I will be off then, lovely to see you all and to meet you Belle” I stated the last part through gritted teeth before spinning around and making my way to the door. “Even worse from the back” I heard Belle try and whisper to I presume Harry. I stopped in my tracks and raised my eyebrows. The audacity of this girl, how dare she disrespect me in front of all my friends. I turned around to meet her eyes with a sickeningly sweet smile on my face. Before I could say anything though Talia butted in. “You know what, you do not talk to my friend like that, I have barely known you a month and I am so sick of you already, please leave before I do or say something I regret” she smiled at Belle joining me by my side and linking arms with me. Belle just looked around at everyone, with everyone just averting their gaze and waiting for something big to happen. All she did was huff, grabbing Harrys hand and storming out of the apartment with him. 

“Jesus Y/N what did you do to make him choose her, she’s like an angry controlling goblin” Ethan huffed as soon as we all heard the door close. “Hey, I got cut off a long time ago, ask him not me” I giggled before thanking Talia and leaving the apartment to go home. 

I was lounging around my apartment, Ethans words spiralling around my head. I decided tonight was for me. I popped on my favourite movie and rummaged through my freezer finding some ben and Jerrys and starting to scoff down the tub. This sofa must be super man or something because I had soon fallen asleep, I was only awoken by loud continuous knocking at my door. I regained my focus and gaged my surrounding before wrapping a blanket around myself and making my way to the door. As soon as I opened it I was pulled into a bone crushing hug. “I’m so fucking sorry, its you its always been you, I don’t know what I was thinking, I just needed someone to fill the void and she was ok for a week but I need you. You are all I need, all I want, please forgive me I love you” as much as I just wanted to melt into his arms I pulled my self back so that we were an arm lengths apart. “You best come in” I sighed. I finished the teas and made my way over to Harry, passing him his favourite mug of mine. I crossed my legs as we sat at opposite ends of the sofa in silence. 

“What about Belle?” I broke the silence, harry whipped his head up to look at me. “Look I’m so sorry she was a mistake and I should never have even given her shot. She’s so nasty and I could never forgive myself. This past month without you has felt like my heart was ripped in two. I’ve been so miserable and then when I saw you today I felt like I had been given a new chance at life. I get it if you hate me but I need you so bad and I cant live without you.” Harry opened his heart to me for the second time that evening. “You’re such a dummy Harry” I said with a sigh placing my mug on the coffee table. Harry looked at me as if he was broken by the words I just said. I just shook my head at him before leaning over and planting a soft kiss on his lips. The moment seemed to last forever. It was like in the movies when time slowed down and fireworks erupted around the couple who after all their trials and tribulations finally found each other. “I can’t help but love you Harry” I whispered only inches from his face as I pulled back for air, a sly grin on my face. Harrys arms snaked around my wait brining me into him for another soft kiss. i leant my head on his chest listening to his heart, thumping like it was going to break out and slap me in the face. “So what now” harry mumbled into my hair. I leant up so my eyes met his. “Well you will ask me on a date to a nice restaurant where we end up getting a little too drunk. Then we walk along the Thames, watching people walk by when at the perfect moment when the city goes silent you ask me to be your girlfriend and then we come back here and spend the night together. But with a little more physical activity than were used to” I grinned at him causing him to chuckle. “So you forgive me?” He said looking at me with pleading eyes. “God yes I forgive you, I could never be mad at you” I smiled at him. How could I? I did truly love him and it was as simple as that. 

After a few months, and the date Harry had promised, we told our friends and announced to our followers that we had finally decided to get together. apparently it was quite obvious as the boys had started taking bets as to when we would tell them about our new relationship. The fans seemed to love it as well, always receiving amazing and supportive comments on all of our posts and videos that we did together. Although we were young I think people saw how care free and happy we made each other. Most importantly how much we loved each other.

[rainbowstrashpile]

It’s a Terrible Habit preview

For some reason my nightmare brain decided to recap the whole fucking show but people are enjoying it so I’m gonna keep doing it. Anyway, here’s a preview of the Celeste episode.

He is still digesting the Guillermo killing Carol thing when fucking Benji Everet shows up. To his credit Benji isn’t like, the worst or anything. They had had some good times together in the 70’s. Lots of boogieing the nights away while Benji looked for virgins. But you can only keep a familiar alive so long before they start asking when you’re going to turn them. And, well, he just didn’t see himself wanting to spend that much time with Benji. He was like the guy you talk to at work because he’s friendly but you don’t think about him when you go home to your real friends. Besides, it sounds like he had had a wonderful life after Nandor ditched him. He has a wife and children! Who still talk to him! What the fuck would he want to be a vampire for if he has that? 

Perhaps the worst part is that the whole time he’s going on and on about how much fun he’s had or whatever, he can see Guillermo’s expression swiftly turn sour and he just knows there is going to be a lot of talking between them later about this. According to his unwanted guest he’s already had Guillermo as a familiar one year more than he’d had Benji. And as wheedly and whiny as Guillermo can be sometimes he’s admittedly very very good at his job, not like he would ever tell Guillermo that and let him get all big headed about it. 

In retrospect, maybe it had been a mistake to leave Benji to Guillermo. It’s probably what put terrible ideas in his silly little bumblebee brain. Benji finds his way to Nandor’s room, and contents himself by nattering on and on about what it will be like when he’s a vampire too, and Nandor is doing his best to ignore him, polishing one of his many daggers and hoping he will shut up and go away. Thankfully, Guillermo comes to his rescue and asks for a private audience. He’s more than happy to grant it, especially if it means getting Benji the fuck away from him for five fucking minutes.

It is not the reprieve he was hoping for. Benji is truly a terrible influence on poor Guillermo, because he manages to back Nandor into a corner. His terse little mouth asks the dreaded when will you make me a vampire question. When Nandor snaps his customary “I told you before we will talk about it later!” Guillermo doesn’t do that thing where he bows his head full of lovely warm curls and scurries off, big doe eyes watery in a way that make Nandor feel some slimy feeling he would rather not think about. Instead, Guillermo says he has a better off. 

He is posturing. Speaking the bullshit to try and goad Nandor into bending to his will. There is no better offer because out of all the vampires in New York Nandor treats his familiar the very best, and he is being horribly thankless about it right now! Fine, let him go to this “better offer”. See if Nandor cares at all. He will come groveling back, realizing how great he has had it here in no time! He can already tell by the quavering in Guillermo’s voice that he is regretting his decision. In the meantime, Benji is back and can take over Guillermo’s duties. Benji can do anything Guillermo can do, certainly. And he won’t miss Guillermo’s soft voice or fuzzy sweaters or sweet smells or all the games they play together at all! It’s totally fine! He can go do this “better offer” and Nandor won’t miss him one bit! Everything will be okay-a! And maybe, as Guillermo is storming out of the room, he murmurs that he’s being stupid, hoping it will make Guillermo realize that he is, in fact, being very stupid. It doesn’t work, and Guillermo just…walks away. 

Walks away like they hadn’t spent damn near every waking moment together for the past 11 years! Like he hadn’t held Guillermo’s soft, fragile, delectable human body in his arms with only the utmost care and hadn’t even once taken so much as a nibble! You don’t find that kind of restraint in other vampires, you know! If he gets drained dry back at that stupid Panera Bread or whatever that’s fine! See if Nandor cares!

As the moon rises the next evening, Nandor awaits attendance. But the footsteps that greet him are all wrong. The fingers grasping at the wood of his coffin are clumsy, out of practice with the sticky latch. When the lid finally opens there is no round, smiling face hung above him like the sun. Just fucking human guy Benji. In the following days the idea that perhaps, he had been a bit harsh with Guillermo, begins to solidify in his mind. Guillermo is gone, and with him it seemed he took all of the good things in the house. His sweet, virginal smells no longer tickle Nandor’s nose every time he passes by. His shimmering amber eyes are no longer here to gaze at him softly as gentle, deft hands brush his hair. The steady heartbeat that had been his faithful lullaby now for over a decade is missing, and his slumber suffers for it.   

Benji is certainly no help. His old joints are no longer filled with succulent collagen, and his very limited range of motion is of no use to Nandor. His smell doesn’t remind Nandor of afternoons spent in an orchard at his palace, the singsong voices of his wives and children all around him. Instead he smells like the humans at the end of their life. Like sloppy wet foods and fake teeth glue. It makes him want to gag. And on and on he natters about grand kids and jolf! And fuck, how did a loser like Benji manage to hang on to a wife and kids, to the point he has an intelligent phone full of pictures of them? Fuck this. He needs to find Guillermo.

He’s heard through the ether that there’s a new vampire named Celeste who’s poaching everyone’s familiars. She’s apparently staying in the home of her sire’s while they’re away. In his head, he will burst in just in the nick of time to save Guillermo from being devoured by a coven of significantly less handsome vampires. And Guillermo will be so thankful he will promise to never again leave his side. That he will be a good, obedient familiar for all time and never ever change or make demands or get snippy and shout at him. Unfortunately what happens is…less satisfying. 

As a vampire, he has to be invited in. He knocks, and politely waits to be let in. The person who answers the door is a young woman. She’s lean, with sharp cheekbones and full red lips.  Her midnight black hair is in a modern, stylish bob. And when she smiles Nandor sees sharp little fangs. She must have just fed, because she looks and smells remarkably human. The perks of being freshly turned, perhaps. That aside, she’s definitely the dirty thief who stole his familiar. But he’s not going to get in with that attitude. 

“Er, hello. I was wondering if Guillermo is around?” He asks awkwardly, bobbing his head a bit to see if he can spot Guillermo inside.

“Oh, are you his previous master?” She asks, smiling at him. “Yes. I am Nandor the Relentless. I’m sure he’s mentioned me many times.”

“Oh, probably. But we try not to talk about previous commitments here.” She boldly states, briefly  pressing her hands together as if in prayer.

“Er, okay. I guess. Is it cool if I come and talk to him?” 

She thinks for a moment, glancing back into the loft. “I suppose. But be quick. We've got a lot of furniture to move.” She turns and goes back inside, and begins shouting orders. 

The invisible barrier that kept him out now gone, Nandor steps in. The place is terrible. It’s so fucking white and empty it burns his eyes. Have fun cleaning blood off of any of this shit.

Sorry, that’s all you get. I’m writing it out of order so I don’t even have the Simon part finished. Can’t even guarantee this will be the next chapter. ADHD makes things very hard.

[cantquitu]

Losing a beloved pet is similar to losing a family member or close friend. I’ve been there a couple of times and it’s so difficult. The first time was when I was 12 but I had my baby nephew to comfort me, I held him in my arms when I was grieving for my beloved cat who had been there from before I was born. Then when I was older another car went missing and I never saw her again and in a way that was harder because I didn’t get any closure. There’s also been other losses but those were the hardest hitting for me. I understand how you feel and I’m so sorry. I hope things get easier with time. Midge was a beautiful cat and I enjoyed the updates so I was very sad to hear of the passing and may or may not have cried a fair bit. Sending you love and good thoughts 💔

Thank you so much for your kind message. It's a really nice feeling to know that some of you enjoyed my pictures and natterings about Midge over the years. And it's a comfort to know that other people know how it feels to lose a much-loved pet. Living alone with just Midge, my habits really revolved around her - especially since I started working from home during lockdown. So all the simple little things I do (like opening the back door first thing each morning, as madam liked to get some fresh air and nibble some grass as an aperitif before breakfast, doncha know)...I no longer have to do, and it feels so disorienting and strange.

I think losing a pet and never getting closure is the worst, I'm so sorry that happened to you. I got a glimpse into how that felt with my cat Ziggy who disappeared for 10 days (...mind you that was an epic story with a whole double identity twist...!!) I think that was almost harder than when he died. And like you, I'm relying on my baby nephew to comfort me. My mum is looking after him for a couple of days and has been sending me lots of videos of him with Honey the dog (he took his first steps yesterday, with Honey for support!) Can't wait to hug them both (...maybe my mum, too!)

Thanks again for the love and good thoughts xx

[thegrxywitch]

Secrets part 2 - Dramione

A/N: no real warning there is making out btw. read part 1 

link to Secrets PART 1 

Draco enveloped Hermione in his arms she smiled and sighed breathing in his scent. Draco gently tilted her chin up and captured her lips in his. Hermione smirked into the kiss and pressed herself closer to Draco. They clung to each other for the longest time before breaking for air. He instantly started kissing and nipping at her neck Hermione moaned softly at his actions and felt herself going weak at the knees. He softly pressed her against the wall of the cupboard and lightly nibbled at her sensitive skin hermione whimpered slightly and grasped his collar. She pulled his lips to her own and slid her tongue into his mouth. They wrestled for dominance for a little while before Hermione removed her tongue and started to softly nibble and suck his lip. It was Draco's turn to be frustrated. He let out a soft throaty groan at Hermione's actions and pressed himself closer to her which seemed impossible.  Hermione's hands were lost in his soft platinum blonde hair. They broke away only for air and held each other close as possible. Draco made swirling patterns on the exposed flesh of her stomach.

"I missed you" He said quietly. She grinned and leaned over to speak in his ear.

"I think you made that clear" She whispered seductively. Draco looked even more frustrated.

"It's almost dinner" He whispered. Hermione looked slightly crestfallen and pulled herself away from him.

"Sneak down to the Slytherin dorms, please" He asked. She nodded but looked a little worried.

"Take Potter's cloak, no one will see you. Ten o'clock." Hermione nodded while wondering how Draco knew about the invisibility cloak.

As Hermione left the closet she saw peeves dart into one of the nearby classrooms. She adjusted her scarf and hoped it would cover her neck.

Peeves floated around classroom laughing maliciously and smirking at Hermione. Peeves then stayed to watch Hermione walk off and Draco peek out of the closet. He followed Draco down the corridors and towards the Great hall, only stopping to speak to the occasional portrait.

Hermione hurried into the hall and plopped into her seat just in time for dinner. Harry and Ron smiled at her.

"Was the library very distracting?" asked Ron grinning.

"We thought you were going to miss dinner."

Hermione smirked to herself, oh if only they knew half of it. Draco hurried into the hall and made his way to the Slytherin table without as much as a glance at Hermione.  Dinner was a boring affair for Draco and Hermione they were both sneaking glances and waiting restlessly for dinner to end.

Finally the meal was over and everyone filed from the hall.

Peeves burst from one of the doors in the hall and started gossiping with students. Hermione couldn't have cared less until she heard her name. She scanned the hall for peeves. Harry and Ron walked beside her as she made a beeline for the gossiping ghost.

"Draco malfoy, yes I know no one could have thought."

Peeves nattered away unaware of his impending doom in the form of Hermione granger.

A gaggle of third year girls sauntered up to Hermione. The hall brunette in the group grasped Hermione's arm.

" no one ever could have thought it- but he is hot who can blame you." the girls around her all giggled. Then she realised what was going on. Thoughts thudded around in her head. She and draco had been super careful to make sure no one found out the secret. Then she remembered seeing peeves nearby when she left the cupboard earlier that evening.

Hermione sprinted from the hall as all the students uncovered her biggest secret. Draco saw her running and swiftly followed. He hadn't the slightest clue what was going on. He was wholly unaware of the entire hall watching him chase the Gryffindor princess. Hermione jogged all the way down the halls to myrtles bathroom. Why did all of those girls assume she was just dracos plaything, this week's girl in his series of many. He had changed. They were serious. A few tears started to fall.

Draco strode into the bathroom and sat next to her. He pulled her into his arms.

"My reputation is ruined." She sobbed into his chest.

"They think you are using me" she started to cry harder. Draco held her tighter.

"I truly love you and that will never change. It doesn't matter what people think. They will be proven wrong when we get married." Draco softly but vexedly delivered his monologue seemingly unaware he had just said he wanted to marry her.

"The whole schools knows" muttered Hermione.

"Are you unhappy about that 'mione?" Smirked draco.

"Happy but shocked. This isn't the way I imagined people discovering our relationship." Hermione suddenly went rigid.

"Your parents" was all she stammered out before turning pale again.

"I couldn't care less about them and anyways mother will probably support me. Father is rotting in azkaban."

Draco pulled Hermione granger to her feet and dusted her off. They walked outside together to face the music.

Draco's favourite part of the day were the looks on potter and weasley's faces.

[merryfortune]

Leech

Un-Love You Challenge: 06. I want to need you

Ship: Daruizen/Nodoka

Fandom: Healin’ Good PreCure

Word Count: 2.7k

Synopsis: There's a pity in wanting and in needing, pity that Nodoka obliges when Daruizen, in the form of a Nanobyougen, asks for a little more than just refuge.

   A faint tap, tap, tap on her widow competed with the scratch, scratch, scratch of Nodoka’s pencil in her work booklet as she completed a bout of English homework and study. At first, she had thought it her imagination but there was something pitiful, like a baby bird, about this noise so she decided, sliding her chair back, the sound of the feet dragging on the wooden floorboards was musical, it was time to investigate and so, she did.

   She stood by her far side window: it was huge and she always felt caught up in some awe of the wind and sunshine and in that glint, she saw it. Small and tiny and yes, something incredibly pitiful and Nodoka’s heart ached. Not for a baby bird, although that was almost accurate as she thought of what was fought for by the lakeside that an arborist cherished, but for something else.

   “Daruizen…? Is that you?” Nodoka murmured as she caught this tiny little thing in her hands upon opening the window.

   He looked up at her. His body was small and bulbous save for his wiry, leathery wings but admittedly, he didn’t look like much. Not compared to the final iteration of his self that Nodoka had seen and had vanquished as Cure Grace. Oh, she remembered him as being as colossal as a skyscraper and as being so resistant to how she and her friends could fight him because of all the Mega Parts that he had inserted into himself. 

   He had gone from being a giant among villains to being able to fit in the palm of Nodoka’s hand. He resembled Shindoine in this form: round and winged, not much by the way of being humanlike or anything else like that but apparently, he was still capable of emotions, of speech.

   He looked up at her with a wounded expression, teardrops in the corners of his acidic yellow eyes, “Help me, please, Cure Grace.”

   Nodoka grimaced. She sighed and she still felt the sunshine on her face. She still felt that what her past deeds unto Daruizen were right and justified. Rabirin’s words as a confidante and source of direction rang true to her right now and in her ear and yet, her heart ached for the misery that she held in her hands. 

   Daruizen turned shy in her hands. His wings cramped and crowded him as he hung what little of his head that he could, in shame. Nodoka moved a hand and Daruizen shuddered. She was gentle as she pet the top of his head with her fingertip, considering what she ought to do.

   She had wanted to help him but that past tense to her desire was quickly becoming present tense. Without Rabirin, or even Asumi, to defer to on short notice for counsel, it was up to Nodoka to make her own decisions and she knew in her heart that she was a good, kind person and she wanted to extend the help that she had received from friends, family, and medical professionals to even the undeserving like Daruizen. She sighed.

   “I’ve hopefully built up enough immunity to you, after everything that’s happened.” Nodoka murmured but her brows pinched forward. “However, if you do anything untoward then there will be consequences.” She said that even when she stroked the top of his head.

   Daruizen cuddled up to her. As though he were making a promise to behave but Nodoka was sceptical of him. Even if he looked all adorable and pathetic in this form. She sighed. Disappointed in herself that she was even letting him melt her heart like this. She just knew if Rabirin were here, she would disapprove but as she was not, all that mattered was Daruizen’s approval and already, Nodoka could feel him leech life energy from herself through her finger. Like a pinprick. 

   He nattered pleasantly and already, Nodoka could see some difference in his Nano-Byougen form. His wings fluttered and he was eager for more but Nodoka bopped him on the head.

   “No.” she scolded him. “You’re only allowed a little bit per day. I - I’m still really scared of when you went berserk with the Mega Parts… I don’t want that happening again.” The strength her voice quavered when she revealed her fear.

   Daruizen’s eyes glimmered. They neither softened or hardened; showed sympathy nor harshness; showed only that he had heard Nodoka and he had listened to her, too. And so, with a tender uneasiness, Nodoka allowed Daruizen into her life once more. 

   She returned to her desk to study and Daruizen stayed nearby, as though chained or leashed to her presence. He was mostly unnoticeable but Nodoka felt distinctly irritated to have him around. Even as she tried to do her homework, their previous encounters played hard and fast and sharp in her head. It was difficult to believe that such a powerful foe and combatant, one who had so closely rivalled her in every step of the way on her journey of being a Pretty Cure could be rendered so lowly and microscopic. That he even remained at all.

   Yet despite this friction between them, Nodoka found it did get easier. Though there had been many a moment wherein she had been tempted to keep him all locked up in a jar, she didn’t. Every couple of hours in the daylight, she gave him a little bit of herself to have a nibble on. That, too, got easier as well. 

   At first, it felt a pinprick and then, Nodoka didn’t notice it at all. What was once a chore to her, soon became something that she looked forward to or even enjoyed. Of course, “soon” spanned many days, even a month or so. It wasn’t something that happened swiftly like a river, more like the slow erosion that one would have caused by surging through a valley. 

   Daruizen’s gratitude became cute to her. The way his face lit up when the energy he absorbed was particularly rich with good vibrations and energising magic; the way his wings scrunched up when Nodoka had had a crummy day and it was reflecting in the residual magic that he fed off her. Either way, these little in between moments were becoming increasingly precious to Nodoka.

   Even if they didn’t speak much - as in having grand conversations - it was still apparent that he was only doing this for himself. He wanted what he had lost back and honestly, Nodoka couldn’t blame him for that. She wanted her own magic as Cure Grace back pretty badly as well. Not that her health was failing or otherwise declining since giving up the rod, but it wasn’t exactly superhuman. Nodoka had gotten less paper cuts, less bumps and scratches having her alter ego Cure Grace around, she observed. She could even run a little bit farther on her running route as well, she had had to shorten it as well now that it had been several months since she had last felt the power of being a Pretty Cure course through her.

   So yeah, she could understand why Daruizen wanted to be a big, mean Terabyougen again. She just hoped that when it was all done and dusted, he wasn’t going to be that big or that mean. He was pretty manageable, and even downright adorable, being this small and useless. 

   As peculiar as their relationship was - calling them host and parasite was probably the most accurate way to describe the nuances of their relationship, she thinks - Nodoka had gotten used to him. She was even going to miss him when he had gotten his powers back and decided to vanish. Doing whatever it was that armyless Terabyougens do, Nodoka supposed.

   She had even let him sleep with him as of late. Again, really. Just like old times in a stretch of the imagination. After all, they had been literally inseparable for several years in Nodoka’s childhood and preadolescence. Even if they were mostly oblivious to each other, but he did make a good little bed bug. He didn’t bite.

   Daruizen would brood on her pillow, just by her face and together, they would sleep. Sometimes, Daruizen would rest against her face and Nodoka would enjoy just how velvety he felt, even if it was a velvet streaked with grease or oil and she would wake up with some sort of smear to wipe off his morning and he enjoyed her warmth. The warmth that humans emanated was gentle, it was uncubatory and safe, completely unlike the unrelenting and horrible warmth of the magmic, undermined world of the Byougens.

   Even so, their routine was very touch and go. The cat might have been out of the bag regarding the Pretty Cures and her parents knowing about all of that was well past gone but it was a completely different feline to worry about if they were to find out that one of those monsters was still around. And even worse, living under their roof with their precious daughter but somewhere in amongst those daily cycles of giving Daruizen the table scraps of her energy, she had forgotten that one day, it might be entirely possible that her parents, or her friends, might find out about him.

   Daruizen had latched onto her fingers as per usual to have a feed of her energy whilst she flipped through the book she was meant to be reading for literature class when there was a bright light. Daruizen had eaten his fill and so, he reverted to his previous form, more evolved than his present.

   Nodoka was blinded as Daruizen transformed in front of her. She stumbled back off her chair and even fell onto the floor as she looked up at the unfolding cataclysm of white and red and black. From the kitchen below, she could hear her parents call and fuss for her but she could hardly find her voice as she bore witness to the rebirth of the Byougens General Daruizen. Her heart hammered in her chest and all she could do was tremble as her room was filled with these blinding lights.

   Yet it wasn’t because he was her enemy that she was horrified. Nodoka was horrified, she was actually wondering if that’s what it was like to transform into Cure Grace in front of others and just before that wondering could transform into a reverie, she was accosted by Daruizen. She heard the dull thumps of his feet landing on the floor, then she heard the sound of knees dropping on the wooden floorboards and was completely blindsided as she felt arms surge out from the light and embrace her. They were tight, either side of her and she was brought down to her knees by it.

   Daruizen was hugging her. He emanated this spiky gratitude yet despite how offensive it was, it felt fragile too. Fit to break if Nodoka did so much as breathe. She was just barraged with this clingy affection as he hugged her, buried his face into her shoulder and there was a sob. It was awful, somewhere between swallowed and completely cried out.

   Nodoka’s hands twitched and unthinkingly, despite that fragility that bawled, Nodoka hugged him back. When that light faded, he was human. Or maybe just human enough, Nodoka realised as he cradled him. His horns were smaller than before: tiny, little nubs of velvet. His face had a pinker colouration to it than before, when he had been of such a mossy pallor. Even his clothes weren’t quite so sharp, they were softer, rounder, and even more floral by the embroidery. The red which was once like dried blood was now an earthier brown.

   This was a Daruizen who was not quite human but not quite a devil either. A new type of Terabyougen, perhaps? Nodoka didn’t know but she could see where her help had patched him up. He was healthier than before, so to speak. She let go of a flurry of anxiety that Daruizen might be on the cusp of attacking her, backstabbing the kindness that she had shown him but no. She didn’t think it was going to be like that. 

   “A-Are you okay?” Nodoka asked, stuttering with a tinge of surprise. “Are you scared?”

   Daruizen growled.

   Nodoka shuddered. It was a harsh, rasping noise from the bottom of his throat and it spooked her.

   “Yes…” Daruizen finally admitted after that moment of broken repose.

   “You poor thing… It was scary for the first time for me, too. Not knowing what was happening to my body, the surge of new energy and magic…” Nodoka consoled him.

   “That’s not it.” Daruizen sharply intoned.

   His raised voice scared Nodoka again. Her body freezing as she felt the fangs of his voice in her skin but again, when it was all over, and Daruizen could find it within himself to behave, she relaxed and it felt like she was shaking off a dousing of ice-cold water.

   “I’m scared of leaving you.” Daruizen murmured and every word was so difficult for him to say but he said it. And he said some more, pressing on. “I’m scared of losing you.”

   Nodoka blinked, “What do you mean…?” she asked.

   Daruizen pulled back and Nodoka was harrowed by his facial expression. He was mid-bawl, tears and all. He held onto the mid of her shoulders before his clawed hands slipped downwards, along her willowy limbs and all to timidly hold her hands.

   “I - I want to need you.” he sobbed.

   “Pardon?” It still did not compute with Nodoka.

   “I-I want your light.” Daruizen didn’t know how else to explain it. “I want your love.” Every breath he took was painful as he revealed all his icky feelings to her. “You are my beginning and my end and I - and I’m scared of not having you. Of being cast aside by you or torn away from you. There is nothing left in this world for me but I stayed. I survived. A-All because I wanted to return to you. I - I want to be healed and - and now that I am. I don’t want to be because it might mean losing to you again.”

   Nodoka was shaken to hear such passionate words from Daruizen. The begging and the confessing. It was so utterly selfish but it was so utterly him as well, desperately clinging to what he had as it no longer came so easy or so simple to him. Nodoka sighed. Her expression softened and she reached out to Daruizen. She pet the top of his head and his hair was soft as silk. Slowly, Daruizen began to calm down. He swallowed a hard lump in his throat and he sank into Nodoka’s lap. He cuddled up to her, trying to make himself small again, just like a Nanobyougen, bringing up his legs to his chest as he held onto her.

   “There, there,” she murmured, “I understand now.”

   Daruizen turned his head slightly so he could see Nodoka, even if it was through the strands of his fringe. He was shy, trying to hide his outburst and ugly emotions. It didn’t suit him, he thought, with his tail literally between his legs. But it also suited him, or at the very least Nodoka, to be soothed. To have his head stroked and be told everything was alright.

   “I’ve always wanted to see the best in you and as forces of nature - the good and bad, the sick and the healthy - we’re always going to be in tandem so I want there to be balance too. Some way to meet in the middle, so Daruizen… I want you to need me too. I like being the heroine after all.” Nodoka replied.

   “I’m glad.” Daruizen’s voice was faint as he replied, he closed his eyes as Nodoka kept consoling him, with her voice, with her hand, with all of her heart and soul.

[tsarisfanfiction]

I'm a little late, but i hope you don't mind. I got dehydration and train, and I want you to do Alan. XD

Homesick

Fandom: Thunderbirds Rating: Teen Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Family Characters: Alan, Scott

You’re not late at all!  Sorry about the delay in replying.  So, Alan?  I suppose he wasn’t going to escape forever, although he was doing a pretty good job of it up until now...  Certainly not a common target of mine, but I’ll see what I can do for him.

Small mention of a character throwing up - it doesn’t occur in the story, but they talk about it a little.

Spin the wheel of whump and give me a character!

(and as a reminder, there’s now a fluff prompt generator as well, if that’s more your speed)

Camping was supposed to be fun.  He remembered Scott’s stories, new ones every year as he went on his annual Rescue Scout camps and came back buzzing with excitement.  John, too, had loved them.  Virgil, and even Gordon, had all said how amazing camping was.

Every single one of them had neglected to mention that camping in the middle of nowhere meant two things.  Bugs and no internet.

Alan enjoyed the great outdoors.  He loved rock climbing, cycling, and even running with Scott when his long-legged big brother slowed his pace enough to let him come with him.  He did not enjoy being cut off from the world of technology - games, his family.

Sure, camping was still pretty okay.  There were songs around the fire at night, and marshmallows on sticks.  All the things his brothers had told him about, sure, but being away from them for two nights had made him homesick.

Not that he told anyone.  Tracys didn’t get homesick.  It wasn’t like Scott had sleepless nights missing them when he was away at camp, and any of John’s sleepless nights were entirely attributed to stargazing away from the light pollution.  Virgil slept soundly wherever he was, and even Gordon didn’t care about a couple of nights away, so Alan couldn’t say he’d missed them so much it had hurt.

Couldn’t say how much he was looking forwards to seeing them when he got off the train, knowing Scott would be there to pick him up because he’d promised he would be.  Couldn’t admit he’d felt too ill to eat or drink anything for the last twenty four hours, hiding it behind nibbles and food discarded when camp leaders weren’t looking.  Couldn’t admit he still felt ill, a headache pounding away inside his skull as he curled up tighter in his seat and ignored the other rescue scouts as they nattered away about the weekend and how awesome it had been.

“Alan?”

He ignored the camp leader checking up on him, squeezing his eyes shut against the headache and letting his head rest against the cool glass of the window.

“Alan, are you feeling alright?”

He was fine.  Scott would be at the station and then everything would be fine, and he wouldn’t tell anyone he’d missed them because he wasn’t that needy.  Not if his brothers weren’t.

“Kid, look at me.”

A hand rested on his shoulder, coaxing and insistent until he was unfurled and sat in the seat properly.  He kept his eyes closed, hoping they’d go away and leave him in peace.

He wanted Scott, not a camp leader.  He wanted his biggest brother, not some adult he barely knew.

“Alan!”

Something was pressed against his forehead, warm and unwelcome, and he tried to retreat away from it.  Voices muttered to each other, concern overlapping them all.

“Alan, drink this.”

A straw was poked between his lips, sharp and intrusive, and he wanted to spit it out but his body had other ideas.

It was water, but it was off.  He didn’t like it, wanted to spit it out, but his traitorous mouth swallowed it all the same.

How did we miss-

-dehydrated-

Scott’s going to-

He didn’t care about the conversation, except they said Scott.

“Scotty?” he mumbled around the straw.

“We’re calling your brother now,” the camp leader said.  “Think you can drink a little more, Alan?”

“Wan’ Scotty,” he pouted.

“He’ll be waiting for you when you get off the train,” they promised.

They were right.  Scott had said he’d be there, and he was, taking him from the camp leader that had carried him off the train and holding him close.

Alan heard him talking to the leaders, but didn’t bother to listen to what they were saying.  Scott was warm, and he clung to him tightly.

“What happened, Allie?”

Scott didn’t put him down.  He felt his brother start to walk away from the train, holding him securely.

He didn’t want to say it, didn’t want to admit he’d been homesick, but Scott asked again, that worried note in his voice that Alan hated, and he caved.

“Missed you,” he mumbled.  “I know it’s stupid.  I’m a big boy now.”

Scott’s laugh caught him by surprise, and he blinked up at him with a scowl.  What was so funny?  He hadn’t been as good as his brothers, couldn’t handle being away for two small nights, and-

“I’ll tell you a secret, Allie,” Scott said.  “My first camp I missed you guys so much I threw up.”

What?

“But-”  Scott had always called camp fun.  He’d never said he’d missed them, just that camp was amazing, and all the stories he’d come back with had fascinated Alan.

“Surprised?”  The arms holding him tightened slightly, like one of his squeezy hugs.  “It’s normal to miss each other when we’re gone, Allie.  There’s no shame in it.”

“You never said that.”  Alan knew he was pouting.  Scott’s next little laugh etched the pout further onto his face.

“I didn’t think you wanted to hear about it,” his brother said.  “I thought you’d want to hear about the fun bits, not me curled up by the bushes all night puking.”

“All night?”

“All night,” Scott confirmed.  “So don’t feel bad, okay?”

Well, if Scott had been homesick, too...  Maybe Alan wasn’t too needy after all.

[pikapeppa]

Professor Solas/Lavellan: Oceanic

Chap 4 of Inadvisable (professor Solas modern AU) is posted!

In which Nare Lavellan throws caution to the wind when she officially meets Professor Solas for the first time. 😏 Featuring both Nare and Solas POV!

~4300 words; read on AO3 instead. 

*********************

- NARE -

Nare tapped her fingernails on her empty glass as she scanned the bar. I don’t see him, she thought in disappointment, then turned back to face her new labmates with a somewhat perfunctory smile. 

Merrill was in the middle of telling a story. She covered her mouth with one hand as she giggled. “After that, Professor Abelas has never eaten any of the baked goods I bring in. It was only the one time, though. I don’t usually put a tablespoon of salt in my cakes, I swear.”

“Don’t take it personally,” Tamlen said. “Professor Abelas doesn’t even eat storebought baked goods that are brought into the lab.”

“I think that’s how he got so tall,” Dagna said. “Not eating baked goods.”

Tamlen smirked. “Dagna, you think everyone is tall.”

She tutted and poked his hip. “Silly. I’ll let you get away with that comment since you always get the files down from the top shelves for me.”

Athera tilted her head quizzically. “Is Professor Abelas going to come to this mixer?”

“He already came and went,” Merrill said. “He always comes right when it starts and leaves within the hour.”

Athera’s eyebrows jumped up. “He came right at eight o’clock? I bet no one was even here yet!”

“That’s why he comes on time,” Tamlen said dryly.

Athera snorted. “That makes so much sense, actually.”

Nare briefly stopped scanning the room to grin at her. “Are you going to gossip about him now since you know he’s not going to show up?”

Athera scoffed. “I’m not going to gossip about a faculty member at the campus bar. I’m not stupid.” Then she smirked and elbowed Nare. “I’ll keep the gossip for when we get home.”

“Oh good,” Nare said brightly. “I still can’t believe you told Tamaris about your day while I was in the shower.”

Merrill clapped her hands. “Athera was so impressive today. You didn’t cry once!”

Nare looked at Merrill and Athera in genuine alarm. “Cry?” she exclaimed. “Why would you cry?”

Athera rolled her eyes, and Tamlen helpfully replied. “Professor Abelas is, uh, stern.”

“I think his face will crack if he smiles too much,” Merrill said. 

Tamlen cocked his head thoughtfully. “His frown does kind of look like a golem, doesn’t it?”

“Yep, it really does,” Dagna chirped, “and I would know. Golems were the focus of my undergrad thesis.”

“Were they really?” Athera said keenly. “I only had one single lecture during my undergrad that even talked about golems. What can you tell me about them?”

Dagna launched into an excited explanation of the role of golems in ancient Orzammar, and Nare took the opportunity to scan the room once more, even though she knew she shouldn’t be. Really, if she saw Professor Solas at this mixer, it would be better if she stayed away from him. 

But at the same time, if she stayed away from him and he saw her, that would be worse, wouldn’t it? She was his new Master’s student and they’d run into each other earlier today, even though he didn’t know who she was. If he saw her here tonight and she didn’t talk to him, it would be weird when she formally met him tomorrow in his office, as if she’d been avoiding him. And she had no real reason or excuse to avoid him.

Aside from the juvenile but persistent fantasies she kept having about his height looming over her and his gorgeous voice curling out of those plush full lips. 

She nibbled the inside of her cheek and tapped her empty glass. Then Athera nudged her. “You’re starting to make me nervous now,” she murmured. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Nare smiled at her. “I’m fine, I promise,” she said. Then she looked at her new labmates. “Does Solas — er, Professor Solas usually come to these mixers?”

Merrill nodded. “He does, yes. He’s probably here somewhere talking to someone.”

“Being told off by someone, you mean,” Tamlen drawled. 

Merrill tsked. “They only tell him off because they’re jealous.”

Dagna giggled. “Or because he embarrassed some Orlesian professor in one of their lectures by pointing out something wrong.”

Nare looked at him with wide eyes. “He does that in the middle of other people’s lectures while everyone is watching?”

“Yep,” Tamlen said smugly. “It’s kind of awesome, actually.”

Nare laughed, and Athera sighed happily. “I’d like to see that sometime.”

“You can, if you want,” Tamlen said, to Nare’s surprise. “Solas is insistent that all his lectures be open for anyone to audit. The administration almost had a fit at first because his classrooms were so packed that it violated fire regulations, but it’s calmed down a little bit in the past couple years.”

Nare stared at him. “Open for auditing? Wow.” That basically meant that Solas was doing his world-class lectures for free for anyone who wanted to listen. 

She sighed to herself. As if she needed more of a reason to have a crush on him. 

Merrill seemed to agree. “I think it’s brilliant. He’s trying to share the knowledge of Arlathan so openly! After so many years of their borders being almost completely closed to outsiders!” She sighed wistfully. “I hope I can go on an exchange to Arlathan someday.”

Dagna nodded enthusiastically. “That would be pretty amazing. Can you imagine how much we could learn?”

Nare smiled in agreement and glanced around, and her heart stopped.

There he was. Professor Solas was standing near the bar in a fitted blazer and a collared shirt, smiling politely as a dark-haired man spoke animatedly to him. 

Her frozen heart bolted into a galloping pulse. Oh gods, she thought. Oh gods oh gods. He was here. She was hoping he would be here, and now that he actually was, she thought she might pass out from excitement. Or from anxiety. One of the two. 

She tore her eyes away from him and smiled idly at Athera and the others, but she could barely pretend to be paying attention anymore. Professor Solas was there, standing right there not twenty feet away and drawing her attention more readily than a lighthouse beam.

All of a sudden, she couldn’t resist the beacon anymore.

She held out her glass to Athera. “Can you take this? I’m going to the washroom. I’ll be right back.” 

“Sure,” Athera said, but Nare was already walking away.

She twined her way through the crowd and slipped into the washroom, then stepped in front of the sink and stared at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were a bit flushed, but that could be chalked up to the crowded bar. Her hair looked good, half pinned-up and the rest spilling down her back in loose waves, and her makeup was surprisingly unsmudged. 

She took a deep breath to try and calm herself, but it barely helped; her anxiety was burning away and being taken over by excitement alone — a kind of reckless excitement that Nare was not accustomed to feeling. But then again, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this kind of spine-tingling excitement about anyone. 

Honestly, she couldn’t remember ever being this desperately attracted to anyone. Too bad he had to be her fucking supervisor. 

It’s fine, she thought. I’ll just introduce myself and talk to him a little bit. It’s fine. It’s perfectly innocent. 

She smiled at herself, then pressed her lips together to quell a stupid little giggle. Then, before she could lose her courage, she swept out of the bathroom and back into the bar. 

- SOLAS -

Dorian raised his eyebrows winningly. “Come now, Solas, you have to admit that a collaboration would be a huge opportunity. An exhibit developed and created by both of us focusing on the interplay between Tevinter and Arlathani culture over the centuries? People across Thedas will be discussing it.” 

“I will consider it,” Solas said. 

“You should,” Dorian said. “At most, a collaborative project could garner patrons and sponsors for several years’ worth of funding for both of our departments. At the very least, it will get people talking.”

“That’s not something I have had particular difficulty with over the past few years,” Solas said wryly.

Dorian chuckled. “True, true. You and Abelas and your controversial theories. Come, my friend, your glass is dry.” He leaned over the bar and signalled the bartender. 

Solas hastily held up a hand to stop the bartender’s approach. “Thank you, but no,” he said to Dorian. “And I’m afraid I will have to cut our conversation short. This mixer is intended for mingling with the students, after all.”

Dorian sighed playfully. “I hear your message loud and clear. You’re sick and tired of me nattering your ear off.” He stepped away from the bar. “I will let you be. But promise me at least that you’ll consider a collaboration.”

“I will,” Solas said. And he meant it. But just because he considered a collaboration with Dorian didn’t mean he would agree to one, even if it did mean more sponsorship and funding. The Ancient Elvhen Studies program wouldn’t need funding beyond the next couple of years, after all. 

Dorian clapped him on the shoulder, then wandered into the boisterous crowd. Once he was gone, Solas let out a sigh of relief. He was far more adept at these sorts of gatherings than Abelas was, and truthfully, Solas didn’t mind coming to these events; he was always willing to engage in a rousing academic debate or an in-depth discussion of art over drinks. But just because he enjoyed the debates and the discussions didn’t mean he wasn’t exhausted by the time the night was done. 

And tonight was only half-done. He’d only arrived about a half-hour ago, and he really ought to stay for at least another hour. It was simply unfortunate that tonight’s mixer happened to fall on the sort of lazy weeknight that Solas would have preferred to spend on his couch at home with a book in hand and Fenor purring happily in his lap. 

He sighed and glanced around the room. Then his heart flipped in his chest.

A beautiful young elven woman in the crowd was smiling at him. A young woman he recognized, actually. Long russet hair, big blue eyes, long bare legs in a dark red dress…

It was the woman he had bumped into this morning on his way to the library. 

Collided with, more like, he thought ruefully. He really should have known better than to read while he was walking, especially when he’d forgotten his reading glasses at home and had to squint hard at the page. 

He nodded politely to her. Her smile widened, revealing a dimple in her right cheek, and she slipped deftly through the crowd until she was standing in front of him. 

“Hi,” she said. “We meet again.”

“So it seems,” he said. He was a bit taken aback by her confidence; it was a contrast with how shy she’d seemed earlier today.

“I didn’t realize that you were a student here,” he said. As soon as the words left his lips, he felt foolish. How could he have realized she was a student? They hadn’t even encountered each other on campus.

Thankfully, she didn’t point out his inane comment. “That’s okay,” she said. “I wasn’t heading toward campus, anyway.”

He blinked. “That’s right, you weren’t. Where were you headed?”

“I went to the modern art museum to see the neo-Avvar exhibit.”

Solas raised his eyebrows. “Ah. It’s a fascinating display, isn’t it?”

“It is,” she said enthusiastically. “I love the range of mediums they use in their work. The textiles were especially beautiful. I don’t know anything about textile art, but I feel like it would have been so hard to dye the tapestries in that kind of colour blending without any modern tech.”

“The textiles are truly impressive, aren’t they?” Solas agreed. “Incredible that such meticulous weavework could be done with bare hands. The Avvar are known for not using machines for their weaving.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? I just assumed that they used a loom of some kind.”

“No looms,” he confirmed. “Those tapestries were made entirely by hand.” He chuckled. “I believe my fingers would seize if I ever attempted such a feat.”

Her smile curled mischievously. “I can’t imagine that. I think you have the right kind of hands for weaving.”

He looked at her sharply, amused and surprised by her boldness. “Do you, now?”

He was further amused when she blushed. “I just… I can tell you’re an artist by your hands,” she said.

He raised his eyebrows, and her cheeks flushed even further. “I just mean that your… you have beautiful hands.” She laughed and patted her pinkened cheeks.

Solas smiled helplessly at her. There was something utterly charming about her confidence combined with her embarrassment, and… fenedhis, he knew he shouldn’t be encouraging this. He had no idea what department she even belonged to. But regardless of department, she was a student, and he shouldn’t be encouraging any kind of flirtation.

His wayward mouth opened of its own accord. “Do all artists have beautiful hands then, in your estimation?”

She waved her hand haphazardly. “No, no. I’m just being silly. Mine are nothing special, for example.”

He studied her with fresh interest. “Are you an artist yourself, then?”

“I… yes, actually,” she said. “I’m, um… I’m a painter. Digital and traditional.”

A painter as well? That was a happy coincidence. “As am I,” he said. “If you are a painter, you should know that you ought not discount your hands as being nothing special. A person’s hands speak of their character, whether the hands themselves are considered classically beautiful or not.”

She tilted her head. “Can you tell me more about that, professor?”

A warm feeling bloomed in his belly, and he eyed her carefully. Her tone and her expression were innocent, but there was something about the way she said his title that felt… not entirely innocent, somehow. 

Against his better judgment, he held out his hand. “Certainly. May I?”

Her eyes widened. But before Solas could retract his unwise words, she lifted her left hand and placed it in his. 

He studied her palm and her fingers for a moment, then turned her hand over. “You are left-handed.”

She let out a breathless little laugh. “I… yes, I am. How did you know?”

“A writing bump, right here.” He brushed his thumb over the small callused bump of skin on the knuckle of her fourth finger. “Incidentally, you may want to reconsider the way you hold your stylus or your brushes in order to avoid fatigue.”

She gave him a teasing little smile. “Oh please. You should know better than to mess with how a painter holds her brush.”

He chuckled. “You make a fair point.” He studied her the back of her hand. “No nail polish, tidy short nails: also indicative of a painter.”

“Nice try,” she said. “You knew that already.”

He looked up in surprise at her drawling tone, then grinned and released her hand. “You have caught me. I’m afraid I can’t tell you anything of note about your hands.”

She laughed. “Don’t say that. You figured out that I’m left-handed.”

He bowed his head politely. “You are overly generous with your praise.”

“Maybe you can make it up to me,” she said.

“What do you suggest?”

She cocked her head. “You could draw my hands sometime.”

His belly flipped. Her eyebrow was quirked, and there was no mistaking the coquettish angle of her head.

He cleared his throat and folded his hands behind his back. “I… don’t think so.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“I… anatomy is not…” He faltered before he could tell the lie that anatomy was not a specialty of his. “It has been a long time since I did any anatomy studies,” he said instead. 

“Really?” she said. “I got the feeling that you’d be an expert at handling anatomy.”

The warm feeling in his belly flared hotly — and perversely. He gave her a chiding look, but he could feel his traitorous lips curling into a smile. “This is… hardly appropriate,” he said in a low voice.

Her cheeks flushed once more. She smiled at him, then dropped his gaze and tucked a stray strand of hair over her ear. “I know. I’m terrible, I’m sorry. Do you want me to leave you alone?”

No, he thought. Truthfully, there was nothing he wanted more than to continue this conversation with this alluring young woman. But he couldn’t keep this up. It was against university regulations. 

“It would be inadvisable for this conversation to continue,” he said carefully.

Her answering smile was sheepish this time. “You’re probably right.”

“The faculty handbook confirms that I am,” he said dryly. 

She laughed. “I guess so. Well, will you have a drink with me? Just a drink,” she said quickly. “A collegial drink, I promise.”

Her sky-blue eyes were wide and innocent – deceptively innocent. Solas eyed her shrewdly for a moment, then gave in. “I suppose one drink can’t hurt.”

She beamed at him and leaned over the bar to signal the bartender, and Solas idly studied the shape of her spine. Then his disobedient mind conjured an image of her bending over the desk in his office with her spine curved in a similar shape. 

Mortified by his own thoughts, he hastily tore his eyes away from her, but her voice instantly called back his attention. “Professor, what would you like?” 

Professor. She couldn’t keep saying his title. It was doing things to his imagination that it shouldn’t be doing. 

He looked at the bartender. “Half a pint of Arlathan pale ale, please.” He looked down at his overly-tempting companion. “And for you?”

“Vodka tonic for me,” she said, and she pulled her wallet out of her purse. 

Solas held up a hand to stop her. “Allow me.” 

A slow smile began to curl her lips. By the time she was grinning, Solas’s heart was pounding in his throat. 

She laughed softly. “Buying me a drink? That’s very collegial of you.”

Her tone was suggestive, and he liked it far too much. “It is collegial, in fact,” he said. “I can charge it to my department since this is a university-hosted gathering.” He gestured for the bartender to add the drinks to his tab.

 “Ooh,” she said teasingly. “That’s a clever loophole.”

Vixen, he thought incredulously. He couldn’t believe he’d ever thought she was shy. She was bold and beautiful and tempting, and she made him want to be bold as well.

And that thought – that wish to meet and match her boldness – was one that he absolutely could not entertain.

He forced himself to hold back the flirtatious comment at the tip of his tongue. “It is not a loophole. It’s the truth,” he said instead. 

She nodded and sipped her drink. Her expression was pleasantly neutral, but her eyes on his face were sly and warm, and Solas knew he ought to look away. He ought to break from her gaze and look at something else – anything else, really, aside from this beautiful woman that he absolutely should not be thinking about in increasingly carnal ways.

But he couldn’t look away. Her eyes were so clear and bright, and even in the dim light of the campus bar, he could see that they were an unusually lush shade of blue: not quite sky-blue like he’d originally thought, but a deeper, richer shade closer to cerulean. 

Solas gazed into her cerulean eyes and sipped his ale, and she stared back at him as she sipped her vodka-tonic. By the time Solas had finished half of his drink, he still hadn’t broken from her steady gaze. Neither of them had said a word, and as he stared into her eyes and mindlessly sipped his drink, he slowly realized that not only were they not talking, but that they shouldn’t talk.  

No, he shouldn’t talk to her anymore. If he said another word to her, he would only be digging himself deeper into the hole she’d started. 

He finally broke from her heated gaze to drain the last drops of his ale, then placed his glass on the bar and leaned toward her slightly. “This is an impossible situation.”

She blinked at him – such an innocent gesture, but her pinkening cheeks betrayed her. “What do you mean?”

He lowered his voice. “You know precisely what I mean.”

She didn’t reply. Instead, she grinned at him again: a bold, beautiful grin full of mischief and heat that made him want to sink into her right here on the spot. 

He licked his lips, and her cheeks flushed even more. Then her purse chimed loudly. 

He hastily stepped away from her, and she exhaled loudly. “Damn,” she muttered. She pulled her phone out of her purse and checked the screen. 

She wrinkled her nose, then looked up at him once more. “I have to go. My friends are leaving and I said I’d leave with them.” 

He sighed – with relief, of course, certainly not with disappointment. Truly, he should be thanking whoever had sent her such a timely text. “I see,” he said. He nodded politely. “It was nice talking with you.”

“You too,” she said. But she didn’t step away. She was studying him thoughtfully, and as Solas met her gaze, he realized what her eyes reminded him of. 

They reminded him of the ocean: the perfectly clear ocean off the coast of Arlathan. And if he wasn’t careful, he was going to drown himself in her oceanic eyes. 

He stared at her, his heart pounding and the blood thrumming through his body in a way that was really not appropriate for such an event. Then she stepped close to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. 

He froze. She was lifting herself on her tiptoes and leaning in close to him. Her heated eyes were coming closer, and his lungs were frozen and his brain was completely paralyzed with excitement as she raised herself higher and nearer to his face…

He parted his lips – to tell her to stop, to back away, certainly not to invite a kiss – but before he could say a word, she brushed her lips over his cheekbone in a demure Orlesian greeting.

She lowered herself slowly back to her heels, and her hand left his shoulder. “Goodnight, professor,” she murmured. 

He didn’t reply. He couldn’t reply. The sound of his title in her voice and the brush of her lips on his cheek had left him utterly stunned. 

She smiled at him one last time, then turned away. His hand moved involuntarily to reach for her, but he stopped himself in the nick of time. 

A second later, she had disappeared into the crowd. 

Solas stood stock-still at the bar for a long moment. His pounding heart was a drumbeat in his ears, drowning out the cacophony of conversation and music and laughter in the bar. Heat and disbelief and desire were thrumming through his limbs and into his cheeks and — fenedhis, he couldn’t ignore it any longer: he was hard. Shamefully hard and throbbing, his mind totally preoccupied with the feeling of her lips on his cheek, brushing over his cheekbone so close to his mouth — such pretty smiling lips. Ah, to imagine those smiling lips wrapping around his shaft and taking him deep into her throat…

He rubbed his hand over his face. He couldn’t think like this. He didn’t understand why he was so deeply affected by this particular woman. It wasn’t like this was the first time a student had come onto him, and it had never been a problem before to tactfully rebuff them while making it seem as though he was unaware of their intentions. 

So what was it about this particular young woman — this particular student — that had so captivated him that he was suffering from all sorts of tawdry thoughts that he really shouldn’t be having?

I should avoid her, he thought. If he avoided contact with her, he could avoid having any further carnal thoughts about her. Perhaps if he asked the administration to look up her name, he could…

Suddenly he realized something: he didn’t know her name. 

She hadn’t introduced herself before launching straight into a conversation with him. 

He laughed softly at his own sheer idiocy. Had he even introduced himself to her? Had his wits entirely left him the second she’d graced him with that mischievous smile?

He drew a deep breath, then exhaled heavily and stepped away from the bar. Enough of this, he thought. You must stop thinking about this. He ought to spend more time speaking with the students; he hadn’t even spoken with any of the students from his own lab yet tonight. What he really should be doing was looking for his new Master’s student, Nare. Surely she was here tonight. Perhaps she had found Merrill and Dagna. 

I should have stayed home with Fenor after all, he thought morosely. With one last sigh, Solas stepped back into the crowd. 

[tenroseforeverandever]

Labels, Laws, and Lips

Characters: Tenth Doctor; Rose Tyler

Rating: General

Tags: Fluff; Fluff without Plot; Plot, What Plot?, Minor Hurt/Comfort; Romance; Humour; WARNING! Pears! Lots of mention of pears!

Summary: The Doctor finds something in his galley, but is it really the nightmare he believes it to be?

Notes: Another story written for a prompt from long, long, long ago… In April 2018, @doctorroseprompts offered a drabble prompt, vile. The drabble got away from me, so I figured if I used another drabble prompt from that month, flail, I could justify the excess wordage. LOL Well, the story finally came in at just over 1600 words after I finally figured out an ending. So, nothing remotely resembling a drabble…

Oh, and a word of warning… if you’re looking for plot, you won’t find it here.

A whole heap of thanks, as always, to my two lovely betas, @rose--nebula and mrsbertucci. Their ideas, support, and wonderful advice made this story oh-so much better. I have fiddled with it since they last looked, so all mistakes are mine. 

Read also at: AO3; FF; Teaspoon

LABELS, LAWS, AND LIPS

“What the hell is this?” His brows furrowed, the Doctor pulled a jar from the back of the fridge.

Rose toed the tip of her trainer against the galley floor. She squinted at the jar in his hand, feigning ignorance. “I dunno…” She shrugged, softening her eyes and offering him a pretty smile. “Looks like jam.”

“Oh, you don’t fool me, Rose Tyler! Looking at me like that, all…” his hand flapped in wild circles as he searched for the correct word, “…all innocence and, weeell… like that!”

Rose stepped toward him, making a show of carefully reading the label. “Pro…bu…floo…thig Pear Jam, it says.”

“Pear jam, Rose! PEAR jam!” He set the jar down with a thump, screwing up his face in revulsion as a dollop that had congealed on the side of the jar stuck to his hand.

“I don’t see why you’re so upset. They’re not proper pears, Doctor. They’re Profloo-thingy pears. Completely different thing, yeah?”

“Pear! Pear! That word isn’t just bandied about willy-nilly, you know. In order to call something a pear, it has to actually be a pear! It must be of the Pyrus genus, originating from Earth. In addition–″

“Seems like a lot of fuss over a jar of jam!”

He scowled and raised his voice. “In addition, if it contains any pear – at all – it must be clearly labelled as such.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Blimey!”

“This is a serious matter.” He sniffed and made a show of straightening his tie. “All sorts of legal mumbo-jumbo surrounding it, specifically to keep people like me safe from accidentally consuming it. Can you just imagine the danger if some unsuspecting soul was to unknowingly eat that vile concoction?”

“Mumbo-jumbo, yeah? Seems right up your alley. Why do I get the feeling you might have been instrumental in getting this particular law passed?”

“Weeell…”

“Ah-ha!”

“I suppose I may have offered my expertise and had a hand in writing up the legal documents. The wording on the labels needed to be precise. It was a matter of self-preservation, really.”

“More like findin’ a way to ruin breakfast for billions of people across the galaxy, when all they wanted was a nice bit of pear jam with their morning toast.”

“Oh, I see. By ‘ruin’ you actually mean ‘saving them from the horrific torture of having their taste buds assailed by a noxious compound.’ I consider it to be an invaluable public service. But I suspect, Rose Tyler, you are trying to deflect the conversation.”

“W’at? You’re the one’s been nattering on about laws and labels and all that.”

“All I’m saying is, what really matters is who brought this onto the TARDIS? Hmmm?” He directed his raised brows at her with a terse nod.

“Why’re you lookin’ at me?”

“Well, I certainly didn’t put it here. So that leaves…” He gestured in her direction with a flip of his hand.

“What? Me? Look at it! It was shoved right at the back, behind all sorts of rubbish. Could have been back there for years, yeah. You’ve traveled with… ya know… others in the past.” She nibbled on her thumb. “Maybe you even bought it yourself, in an earlier body, and just… I dunno… forgot. You are gettin’ on, yeah? Memory slippin’ a bit, there, Doctor?”

He sputtered. “My memory does not slip.”

“If you insist, bu–”

“I, Rose Tyler, am in the prime of my life! And, by the way,” he scoffed, “I would never (I repeat never!) in any body procure a Pyrus preserve. The fact that you could ever suggest such a thing…” his face screwed up again, “…repulsive!”

“So you say…”

“I do. Besides, it looks suspiciously like one of the jars from that vendor stall on Hraxro 4.” He gave the jar a suspicious poke, nudging it along the counter, away from him.

“The one where you were sampling preserves like they were goin’ out of style?”

“The one where you used up nearly half of my virtually unlimited-credit credit stick... apparently with the intention of smuggling this… this abomination onto the TARDIS.”

Rose snatched up the jar. “How d’ya know it’s an abomination? I bet you’ve never even tried it.”

“And I’m not going to!”

“Scared?”

He rolled his eyes. “Please, I’m a Time Lord, Rose.”

Rose grasped the lid of the jar, and looking him directly in the eye, sent the Time Lord a challenging smirk.

“Now, Rose…”

She twisted the lid, loosening it.

“Don’t…” the Doctor ran a hand through his hair, “don’t do that…”

“What? This?” She lifted the lid off the jar, exposing the chartreuse-coloured contents.

He yelped, springing backward as she tipped the jar toward him to prove to him how innocuous the jam was.

She laughed. “Ya plum!”

“Plum! Plum would be fine. A plum is a perfectly lovely fruit. That…” he took another step back, “…that is… weeell… it’s not!”  

Rose pursued him, thrusting the jar toward him, laughing breathlessly, and relentlessly pushing into his personal space as he floundered backward. He bumped against the breakfast table, arms and legs flailing as he struggled to keep his balance.

“Mind the…” Her amusement quickly turned to alarm. “Oh my God!” She slapped the jam jar onto the table and grabbed the Doctor’s hands to steady him. She coaxed him into one of the chairs, then settled onto his lap, facing him, her legs dangling on either side of his. She stroked the hair by his temple. “You all right, mate?”

“I’m fine!” he snapped, shoving her hand away and turning his face from her, a great, big, Time Lord pout quivering over his lips.

“I’m sorry, Doctor.” Rose caught him by the chin and gently turned his head back to face her.  “I was jus’ takin’ the mick, ya plonker. If I’d realized how violently you’d respond… I mean, you didn’t seem to mind before, yeah…” She let her words trail away, not sure he would be in the mood for such drastic revelations. She ran her finger over the stress-dimple that had formed in his cheek.

He harrumphed, but she could feel his tension slowly easing.

She shook her head with a fond smile. “So, I guess even Time Lords get scared sometimes, yeah?”

“S’pose so,” he muttered, wrapping his arms around Rose’s waist, pulling her closer against him, and she laid her head on his shoulder. “Hold on,” he suddenly stiffened again, pushing her back to look her in the eye, “what did you mean when you said, ‘you didn’t seem to mind before…’”

“Nothin’ really. Doesn’t matter. Can we jus’ cuddle? It was nice, that.” She offered him a soft, flirty smile.

He wasn’t taking the bait. “Out with it! What did you mean by ‘before’?”

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Then she reached back and grabbed the open jar of jam, and ignoring the Doctor’s gasp of horror, she stuck her finger into the jam and swirled it around. The Doctor’s legs jittered underneath her, his flight response kicking in again.

“Remember, the other night, there, after we got back from rescuing all those Vriomri herdbeasts from the mud pits?”

He nodded, his feet tapping against the floor. His eyes were fixed on her finger, stirring the jam. Rose could see it was taking all his willpower to not throw her off his lap and run. She would make it quick, then, put him out of his misery as fast as possible.

“We were filthy, yeah, so we each went and showered, and then you met me here, in the galley.”

“Ah, yes,” he relaxed again, his attention drawn from the jam by his memory, “you smelled so good. So Rose-y and lovely. A relief, I’ll tell you, after smelling nothing but that foul muck for ages.”

“We snogged, remember?”

“Oh, yes! How could I forget. A brilliant snog, that! And you had that brilliant new lip balm. That was the icing on the perfectly delicious Rose-cake!” He beamed a toothy grin at her.

She removed her finger from the jam and brought it to her lips.

“NO!” The lovely smile dropped from his face. “Oh, don’t do that! No, no, no, no, no! Here I was reliving a lovely memory and...”

Rose made a show of seductively sucking the confection from her finger. Then, she wound her arms around his neck and leaned her forehead against his, their breaths and his whimpers of trepidation mingling between them. His hearts crashed against her through their layers of clothes and she didn’t doubt arousal was to blame as much as fear.

She closed in on his mouth, their noses bumping awkwardly. His hands trembled at her waist, grasping her tighter. 

“Jus’ think of it as an adventure, Doctor.” She carded her fingers through the soft hair at the back of his head, and after a moment, she felt him relaxing into her touch. 

“Weeell,” he drew her against him, his words ghosting over her lips, “when you put it like that… Who am I to say no to an adventure?”

“Exactly! But, getting back to what I meant when I said, ‘before’, I have a confession to make...” Before he could respond, she quickly closed the remaining space between them  and captured his lips with her own Probufloothig Pear Jam-coated ones, murmuring into the kiss, “It wasn’t lip balm.”

[ivadeshin]

Pasadena Iced Coffee (4/?)

(Sequel to Five Soda Maximum. Catch up on previous chapters on Ao3.)

Last chapter was short-ish, so this one is longer. <3

Another ten minutes go by, and Molly begins to suspect Caleb may sleep til dinner if something doesn’t happen soon.

“Frump scarf,” Molly says quietly, nosing at Frumpkin’s arm when Frumpkin curls further around his shoulders to look Molly in his eye. “Can you get down for me? Down?” He taps the table a few times until Frumpkin gets to his feet, nimbly jumping down as requested. “You’re such a good kitty.”

As if he understood, Frumpkin trills quietly and leans forward to rub his face against Molly’s horn.

“Okay. Okay. Love you too.” Molly stands up, giving Frumpkin a few last chin scratches before throwing the Doritos bag away and putting his phone in his pocket.

Peeking back into the bedroom, Caleb is absolutely still out cold. Naked on top of the sheets and sprawling out as if trying to claim territory or recapture Molly’s warmth, his mouth is ever so slightly open, red-blond lashes fanned across his cheeks.

Molly shuts the door behind him as quietly as possible and leans against it a moment, taking in the sight. Caleb’s ribs don’t stick out like they used to anymore, but he’s still lean, and his creamy white skin looks delicate and dappled from the sunlight coming in from the window.

Molly’s eyes drift and settle on Caleb’s lap - even soft, he looks big. It’s difficult to think too much about the specifics of trying to fit that inside him someday.

But you tried it the other way, and he was so uncomfortable you had to stop. So maybe stick with the hands and the mouths?

Molly drags the heel of his hand across his cheek, willing the embarrassing memory away. He’s only felt that guilty a handful of times in his life, and it was only worse that it was their ‘about to go away’ night that he’d had that stupid idea. And rushed it too much.

Caleb takes a sudden deep breath in, letting out a mumbly sort of half-breath as he turns onto his side. Molly laughs quietly, admiring the view of Caleb’s back and ass a moment before telling himself to get over his mental angst. He shucks his clothes back off, easing back onto the bed and sliding an arm over Caleb.

“Fffm.” Caleb does not completely wake up.

“Hey, cutie.” Molly kisses his shoulder. “It’s like 3.”

Caleb’s hand drifts over Molly’s arm, closing around it and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Was? Oh!” Caleb looks over his shoulder with a dopey smile. Molly grins back. “Molly.”

“Caaay-leb.” Molly pretends to chomp down on Caleb’s shoulder, letting his teeth show.

“Do not eat me,” Caleb protests half-heartedly, awake enough now to play along with their usual game.

“I must, I must eat you,” Molly says around a delicate mouthful of shoulder. He gives it a brief nibble.

“The pain...” Caleb gives a convincing, if dramatic, wince as he pretends to try to pull away. “Everysing they said about tieflings was true.”

“We eats you.” Molly lets go to give the nibbled spot two quick kisses. “Can we go do something?”

Caleb wiggles a little bit away, rolling onto his other side so he can face Molly and continue to smile dopily at him. “Yes. In a minute or two? Where would you like to go, or do.”

“I had a vending machine snack, but maybe a coffee place? Somewhere where we can sit outside?”

Caleb is taking Molly’s right hand in his, gazing studiously at the new tattoo. “Almost all the places have seats outside.” He giggles as Molly bends his wrist back and forth, making the snake move toward him and up toward his face. “Oh!”

“What’s ‘snake’ in German?” Molly asks, folding his hand so the snake head on the back of his hand can give Caleb a brief smooch on the cheek.

Caleb makes a face, taking a little too long to answer: “Natter.”

“Natter,” Molly echoes, curious. “Did you really forget?”

“No, I just have never gotten a kiss from one before.”

“It’s a very kissy snake.” Molly uses his hand to give two more quick kisses. Kiss is 'Kuss’, Molly remembers... “Natter Kuss!”

“Natter Kuss,” Caleb agrees, grinning again. “Hallo, Natter, hold still.” Molly holds his hand still. Caleb gives it a light peck.

“It’s blushing!”

“Is it?”

“It likes you.”

“Well, let me buy it some coffee.” Caleb sits up and runs his fingers through his hair a few times. “It’s always warm here. Do you want iced coffee?”

That sounds really good. “Sure.” He gets up, catching Caleb’s eye as he stretches and bends over to pick his boxers and jeans back.

“Where do you think you will have another one?” Caleb asks, picking his clothes off the floor.

“Another- oh, tattoo?”

“Ja.”

Molly shrugs. “There’s a bunch I’ve thought about but I don’t know what order... I think a garden-y flower thing on my shoulder next.”

“Like, the snake is coming out of it?”

“Yeah.” Molly smiles and traces his right shoulder with his left hand. “What do you think?”

Caleb shrugs as he pulls his jeans back on. “Whenever you talk about it, you get so happy. You like this one so much. I think, whatever you pick will be beautiful, so I do not... I do not care what it is exactly.” Caleb’s looking at him, probably to make sure the ‘I don’t care’ isn’t taken the wrong way. Molly knows that look.

“Even if it’s five more tattoos?” Molly half-jokes. “And more skirts, too?”

Caleb gives him a confused look. “Did you stop wearing them?”

“No, I.” Molly shrugs and feels a little embarassed. “I just didn’t really pack any for here.”

“It is hot,” Caleb says, gesturing to the window as soon as his arm is all the way through the sleeve of his t-shirt. “And, and everyone here is very... not-stuck-up.”

Molly gathers up some courage and says it: “Yeah, but this is like. Your town. If you introduce me to your friends, it’ll be as your boyfriend, and I don’t. Wanna make you feel weird.”

“Because you wear...?” Caleb lets go of his shoe and looks at the floor for what feels like a full minute, composing another sentence. Molly waits. “Your skin is very beautiful without tattoos, and also with tattoos. Your clothes are very beautiful when they are pants, and also when they are dresses or skirts. I am very proud. To be with you. Either way. And when you have tattoos and skirts, you are more happy, and so. That one is better.” He looks up, a mixture of serious and hesitant.

“That made sense,” Molly reassures, through a slightly tight throat.

“Okay, good.” Caleb looks down to his shoe again, then back up to Molly’s face. “Are you okay?”

Molly nods and sits down on the bed to pull his boots back on too.

“Are you - were you worried?” Caleb pokes his leg to get his attention.

“Only a little,” Molly says, laughing and rubbing his nose. “I just. This part of your life is so important to you and you’re working really hard, I don’t want to mess it up.”

“You could not,” Caleb says. “My professors, the companies I am freelancing for, none of them would mind, and if they did I would manage without them.”

“And your classmates?”

“I have mentioned you a little. Most of them are just interested to meet you. I showed a few the video of you in the high school Cabaret and they said you were a good singer.” Caleb smiles at him. “I am not pretending to be straight or something, here.”

I still haven’t met your parents, and you bought them a condo like ten miles from here, Molly thinks but doesn’t say. “I’m worrying over nothing.”

“You are. You - Natter, please, come here.” Caleb holds out his hand mock-seriously, and Molly laughs and puts his right hand in Caleb’s. Holding it up to his face, Caleb pretends to talk to the snake. “Herr Natter. Please reassure Molly that I have gotten over being gay and I am okay with it now.”

“Ssssssstimmt,” Molly agrees, pretending to be the snake. Caleb laughs immediately, which helps Molly relax further.

“The snake knows German! What a good snake.”

“Aber... esss... isssst... ssschlecht.” Molly beams as Caleb laughs louder, leaving a loud smacking kiss on the snake’s head before flinching back.

“Wait, is that too hard? Because it is new?”

“Kisses are okay,” Molly reassures.

“Okay. Let me buy you coffee.”

**

Caleb’s apartment is more or less across from campus, and it’s only a block or two of white stucco houses before they’re walking past little shops and diners Molly didn’t see on the way over. Caleb seems to be making a point of holding his hand, squeezing it as they wait for the street light to change.

“I’m not worried anymore,” Molly says under his breath, grinning a little.

“Too bad, I already have it.” Caleb gives him a mock-stubborn glare and squeezes tighter.

“Do you ever go out here with classmates?”

“Sometimes, yes.” Caleb gestures ahead. “Everyone here is used to students, so they are very friendly to study groups and things. Sometimes we get a very long table and bring our laptops and collaborate for a few hours. Group projects.”

“But you do buy something,” Molly prompts.

“Yes, and we tip a lot, also.” Caleb sticks his tongue out. “I have become a very good American, you do not need to worry.”

“Mister Weiss!”

Caleb’s head whips around, and Molly follows suit to look at an older elf with white hair and tanned skin. From the way Caleb’s just straightened up, Molly would guess this has to be someone important.

“Dr. Errenis!” Caleb sounds surprised. “H-hello, it is nice to see you.”

Dr. Errenis looks to Molly, evaluating a moment before speaking directly to him. “Mr. Weiss has not been with us long, but I see he’s already aware of my reputation for staying on campus.”

“It’s a nice day for it, though.” Molly smiles and gestures to the general weather. Errenis looks up and around, as if beginning to consider it.

“Yes, we do have a lot of those.”

Caleb takes a breath. “Sir, this is my, my boyfriend, Mollymauk Tealeaf.”

Molly makes himself hold his hand out like an adult. “Nice to meet you.” He’s not shocked when the hand is slightly cool. Elves seem to keep even cooler internal temperatures than humans do.

“And you, Mr. Tealeaf.” The man seems to have had no particular reaction to the ‘b’ word. “I assume you are HSS?”

What does that mean?

“He actually doesn’t go here,” Caleb interjects.

“Ah.” The older elf tilts his head to the side, evaluating Molly a moment. “Well, we can’t blame him for that. Our humanities and social studies courses are as limited as one would expect.”

“What class do you teach?” Molly thinks it’s a reasonable question, until he sees the elf’s golden eyes narrow slightly.

“Several,” he says, maybe implying that asking it in singular was a little ridiculous for someone like him. “Mr. Weiss has the honor of being the only freshman taking one of my 400 level courses.”

Molly switches gears from being embarrassed about himself to being proud of Caleb. “Yeah, he’s always been a little brilliant.”

Caleb looks suitably shy. “Dr. Errenis is an excellent professor,” he says in a half-mumble.

“Well, you’re one of the few students to display practical knowledge in... the field, so I wanted to respond in person, since the opportunity presented itself, to the email you sent last week.” He fixes Caleb with a level stare. “I will take on the role of being your adviser. Please understand that it is predicated on your continued performance both in and out of school.”

Caleb’s brows lift slightly. “Out... of school?”

“I have a colleague who is a senior developer for one of the projects you have been hired onto as a freelance analyst. You have the unique position of possibly gaining or losing potential standing with me depending on your quality of work on said project.” The man’s lips almost smile. “So I trust you will continue your Herculean efforts both in and out of academia.”

“Y-yes. Sir.” Caleb swallows as the old elf nods and walks away, giving a brief tilt of the head to Molly as he passes them. They watch as he practically floats down the warm Pasadena street, turning into a used book store.

“What’s the word?” Molly says under his breath. “Unheimlich.”

“A little scary, yes,” Caleb agrees softly. He hasn’t looked away from the last place he saw the elf, right at the shop’s doorway. “But. I think... I just... made one of the most powerful allies on ze entire campus.”

(just checking, have you seen this fanart from cait?)

[numberplates4u-blog]

2017 Natters & Nibbles is back

      Coffee Cars & Cakes 2017 Dates 2017 Natters & Nibbles has moved to a Sunday morning In 2012 we had the idea to start a monthly classic car coffee morning centred at our workshop, which at this point was located behind our house. Year on year the event has grown in popularity and in 2016 we were overwhelmed with the support that you gave to our gatherings. A huge thank you to everyone who came and gave so generously to our charity pots.   2016 saw a record number of visitors enjoying our Saturday Morning Natters & Nibbles   2017 is our sixth year of Natters & Nibbles also known as Bill’s Sunday Morning Classic Cars Cakes & Coffee. Being a small family business we never forget that people and their cars are at the centre of it. We like to make our visitors feel very welcome and anyone who visits our workshop knows the kettle is always on! As part of our extended hospitality we started our coffee mornings. The thinking behind this idea was to provide a destination to drive out to, meet other classic car enthusiasts and to enjoy an informal, casual, lively, fun morning. With our strong family values we have created a gathering that provides something for everyone; Male or female, young or old you have told us that you love our Natters & Nibbles!       We provide the refreshments. We have a fantastic display of cakes and sweet treats and early arrivals may even get a bacon sandwich. All we ask is that you make a donation into one of our chosen charity pots. Last year, thanks to your generosity we raised over £900 for the Alton, Petersfield & District Multiple Sclerosis Society. 2017 Natters & Nibbles is at our new workshop – GU34 5EN For 2017 we have made a few changes. We have moved from a Saturday morning to a Sunday morning. We have also changed location from our home address to our new workshop. The new workshop has ample hardstanding and covered space which is more able to cope when the British weather lets us down. Maybe make our coffee morning the start to your day out? Jane Austen’s House & Museum at Chawton   Our new workshop is situated right by the Midhants Railway – ‘Watercress Line’ , with regular steam trains passing right by our front door. A short stroll up to the station and standing on the platform will transform you back in time. Situated close to the summit of “the Alps”, Medstead & Four Marks is the highest station in Southern England.  It is a typical country station and it is smaller and more peaceful than the other stations along the line. The Mid Hants Railway website informs us “The station building has been completely restored from the shell it had become in the 1970’s and now houses a period booking office.  The waiting room on the opposite platform contains an exhibition illustrating the history and transformation of the station. The footbridge offers a grandstand view of trains working hard up the long, straight 1 in 60 gradient from Ropley. The Railway’s Permanent Way, Signals and Telegraphs and Building Departments are based in the former goods yard and this is also one of the Wagon Group restoration bases”   Austin Healey 100S parked at Medstead & Four Marks Watercress Line Railway Station   If after visiting our coffee morning you are still wondering how to spend the rest of the day, then why not take the opportunity to see some of the attractions in the area. We are surrounded by many places to go and see and some great walks too. Maybe you could take a drive into the beautiful  countryside, taking in the South Downs, the New Forest or the coast. There are several  National Trust Properties on our doorstep, as well as Jane Austen’s House Museum  in the village of Chawton. The larger towns of Farnham and Winchester are also worth a visit as is the pretty, small market town of Alresford. We can also recommend  a large selection of pubs, restaurants and tea rooms if more refreshments are required. The pretty market town of Alresford offers pubs, shops and tea rooms to visit   A few more details Our mornings also give you a chance to see our workshop, see what we do and chat to our very friendly team. You might have a pressing question you need answered; a technical issue, a restoration problem, or a tuning difficulty. Perhaps you would like to have a chat regarding car sales or you are a motorsport fan and would like to find out about where and when we will be racing this year? Whatever your reason for coming we would love to see you and your car. We specialise in Classic British Cars and have the facilities to carryout all work required on these vehicles; from servicing, safety & MOT checks, restoration, fabrication, engine rebuilds and gearbox overhauls.   When? Sunday April 30th 2017 Sunday May 21st 2017 Sunday June 11th 2017 Sunday July 23rd 2017 Sunday August 27th 2017 Sunday September 24th 2017 Where?   The new Bill Rawles Classic Cars Workshop Unit 2, Dukes Mill, Station Approach, Medstead, Alton, Hants, GU34 5EN (located right by the Four Marks & Medstead Railway station – Mid Hants Railway Ltd ‘The Watercress Line’) Time? 10 til 1 What are our 2017 Charities? Alton, Petersfield & District Multiple Sclerosis Society The Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice The Treloar School for Disabled Children – Treloar’s Billy Monger crowd funding – A fellow Ginetta Junior Racer with Jack Rawles who on Sunday 16th April 2017 suffered life changing injuries in an F4 car at Donington Park, after being involved in one of the most horrific crashes Motorsport has seen Jack Rawles & Billy Monger back in 2014 racing in the Ginetta Junior Championship                 The post 2017 Natters & Nibbles is back appeared first on Bill Rawles Classic Cars.

https://www.rawlesclassiccars.co.uk/blog/2017-natters-nibbles-is-back/