#THEY HADN'T EVEN KISS AT THAY POINT!

[theballadofmars]

I think that we, as a fandom, should talk more about the fact that sqq thought at one point: "Thank god lbh is not a demon who eats decaying corpses because kissing him would be a bit uncomfortable" at the beginning of VOLUME 2!! My man is not "down bad" for lbh he's straight up admiting that he would kiss him even if lbh was a cannibal he has zero chill.

[roosterforme]

Yours Truly, Bradley Bradshaw Part 10 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: After just two days back home, Bradley takes you on a second date. He wants more, and you don't seem to mind when he can't keep his hands and lips to himself.

Warnings: Fluff, angst, language, Bradley being boyfriend material

Length: 5000 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female teacher!Reader

Check out my masterlist for more! Yours Truly, Bradley Bradshaw masterlist

"Shit."

It had been such a long time since Bradley wore anything other than a flight suit, a khaki uniform or gym clothes, he had no idea what he was supposed to wear to dinner tonight. You mentioned weeks ago you thought Italian food sounded nice for a second date, and he agreed wholeheartedly. He managed to snag a table for the two of you at Salvatore's, and he was absolutely prepared to drop over five hundred bucks, but his clothing was becoming a situation.

After spending the entire day with you yesterday, Saturday morning was a bit of a reality check. He was trying to work through three loads of laundry while he sorted through a box of mail. There was nothing sweet in there like the packages you and your class sent to him while he was deployed. It was mostly bills that had already been automatically paid online, mortgage statements, and junk. Then he started folding laundry, somehow expecting some articles of clothing that weren't threadbare tee shirts or tropical print button downs to jump out at him.

"Why don't you have normal clothing?" he asked himself as he picked up his phone now that it was late enough to text you. He wanted to make sure you were okay with grabbing a drink before the dinner reservation which wasn't until 7:45. But when he unlocked his phone, instead of zero new messages, he found a picture you sent seven minutes ago. 

"Oh my god," he groaned softly, dropping onto his bed next to some unfolded laundry. You were in your own bed wearing his favorite sweatshirt and a bright smile.

Good morning, Handsome. Last night felt like a dream, but your sweatshirt is real, so it must have happened.

He scrambled to write back, clothing crisis forgotten. God, he wanted to be in that bed in the worst way. Things would definitely get out of hand pretty quickly, but he knew those first few kisses would be the sweetest things. After last night at the beach, waiting for a few more dates was going to be the challenge of his life, but he wanted you to know he was in this for the long haul. Especially after you mentioned that you thought he may have ghosted you.

Hey, Gorgeous. My sweatshirt looks way better on you than it ever did on me. Did you sleep in it?

He hit send and then wished he hadn't asked that question. He sounded like a horny twenty year old. It was bad enough that he had to practically beg you to go inside your apartment last night while you were kissing his neck, but he didn't want to embarrass himself.

Of course I did. It smells like you. The only thing better would be having you in my bed, too...

How the hell was he supposed to wait until this evening to see you? He tossed his phone aside. His blood felt like it was on fire, and he was sweating. Never before had he wanted to move this fast from a first date to making things official. But he knew you. He'd been working up to this point for months. And the Thai dinner with Prosecco on the beach wasn't really a first date. That felt closer to a reunion with a girlfriend than anything else. The only thing missing for that to have been true was a sleepover instead of him taking you home for the night. 

He was too many steps ahead right now. You hadn't yet done the drive down to Coronado from Mira Mesa for yourself, but he already caught himself wondering if you'd consider moving in with him in the future. "You need to relax," he ground out through gritted teeth. "You'll scare her away." He cracked his neck and forced himself to fold a stack of underwear before picking up his phone to reply.

I don't want to rush things, but your bed does look very comfortable. I'm confident we could get cozy there... You're making me blush. I need to get this conversation back on track. Cocktails before dinner at Salvatore's? I'll pick you up at 5:30?

A few minutes later, you responded with a photo of you still all snuggled up in bed, smiling and giving him a thumbs up in his shirt.

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

"Just in case," you muttered, making sure your bedding was straightened and your room was tidy. You left Bradley's TOP GUN sweatshirt folded on your pillow, but you certainly wouldn't mind having the man himself in your bed tonight. Your fingers and toes tingled when you thought about it. You bit your lip and scooped up his shirt, inhaling his scent one more time before you realized he would be here any minute.

When he knocked on your door, you set it back on your pillow and glanced at yourself in the mirror as you bounced past it. Cocktails and dinner at Salvatore's would have been a major splurge for a night out for you, but Bradley selected the restaurant. All you did was mention Italian food, and he really ran with it. You'd have been happy with some pizza and breadsticks, simply excited he remembered you mentioned Italian food at all, but this called for your littlest black dress and your brightest red lipstick. 

"I'm coming!" you called, going as fast as you could in your black heels, giggling at the double meaning. You had to compose yourself before you could open the door, and when you did, you were met with the actual man of your dreams.

"Hey, Gorgeous." Bradley's crooked little smile faltered a bit as his gaze slid down from your eyes to your lips, but he didn't stop there. He was shamelessly checking you out as a pretty shade of pink crept up into his cheeks, and you did a slow turn for him. 

Your skin felt warm as you met his eyes after doing a full circle. His lips were parted as you whispered, "Hi," and reached for his hand. As soon as your skin met his, he pulled you closer to him. "Bradley." His lips were on yours as he backed you up into your apartment until you softly met the wall behind you. He was big and warm, and you were holding his left hand while his right one came up to your face.

He broke the kiss by tipping your chin up so you were looking at him. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he crooned softly. Your lipstick was smudged along his mouth, and his tongue darted out to taste it before he said, "I'm fucking crazy about you."

His rough thumb dragged along your bottom lip as you said, "And you've never even seen me dispose of a spider for you."

"Baby," he rasped. "I'd probably propose."

A shocked giggle escaped you, and his crooked grin was back as he kept you there against your wall with your door wide open. You reached up and ran your fingers along the collar of his oxford shirt before tugging on the fabric until his lips were on yours again. You let your head tip back against the wall as he devoured you, tasting your lips, tongue and teeth before his forehead came to rest gently on yours.

"You know," you gasped, trying to catch your breath, "I thought all your emails were sweet and romantic."

He chuckled as he pulled away from you. "I was hoping I was doing okay in person, too."

You shrugged playfully and tried to spin out of his grasp, but his hand was still wrapped up in yours. He followed you to your coffee table so you could grab your purse as you casually told him, "You're even better in person than I thought you'd be."

"Oh yeah?" he asked, pulling you close again. "You like my stupid looking clothes and how I can eat three meals for dinner?"

He was so endearing, you didn't know how to handle him. So you kissed him again and whispered, "I like all of it." You let your fingers trail along his shirt buttons as you said, "You look nice in this, but I can already tell you're more comfortable in your colorful Aloha shirts and jeans. And I love that you can eat three meals for dinner, because we ended up sharing everything last night."

"Let's go," he coaxed, leading you toward your door. "I'll let you pick whatever you want to try at Salvatore's. I don't usually like sharing my food, but there's just something about you, Gorgeous. You make me feel comfortable."

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

You tried to tell Bradley twice that he still had some of your lipstick smudged on his face, but he just shrugged and said, "Good," in response both times. If he didn't mind, then neither did you. It couldn't be any more obvious that he was with you when the exact color that was on your lips was also on his. You listened to him hum along to the retro oldies station as he merged onto the coastal highway while you took a minute to fix up your own smudged lipstick.

He grinned over at you as you put your makeup away and said, "Come on, Baby. If you didn't want it on my face, then you wouldn't be putting more on your lips."

Every time he made a bold statement like that, you wanted to cancel dinner altogether and take him to your bedroom. "I never said I didn't want it on your face. It looks good." 

He reached out blindly for your hand, and you grabbed his immediately. "You did tell me you wanted me to kiss you as soon as I saw you."

"Yeah," you muttered. "Don't stop doing that." You knew things with him were going to get physical pretty quickly, but you'd never been quite this attracted to someone before. You drew little shapes on his palm as you asked, "How was your first night back in your own bed after so many months away?"

He groaned softly. "Epic. Fantastic. I don't fit very well in an extra long twin bed."

"No, I would imagine you don't," you said with a laugh as you watched him drive his Bronco in the evening sunlight.

He licked his lips and grinned as he said, "Would have been better if you were there though."

The eruption of butterflies in your belly left you biting your lip. You wanted to respond, but you needed to be able to make it through dinner before you were hanging off of him again like you were last night. That's when he brought your hand up to his lips and kissed your knuckles, treating you to his mustache there. "Feel like getting a drink or two in the lounge first? Maybe a bottle of wine?"

"Mmhmm," you hummed, ready to go anywhere he took you. As soon as he parked, he jogged around to help you down, letting you slide against his body with your hands on his shoulders. You wobbled a bit in your shoes, but he kept you steady.

"You good?" he asked as he leaned in, his lips brushing the side of your neck as his arm wrapped around your waist.

"So good," you promised. "Never better."

Bradley kept his hand right there on your hip as he led you along the sidewalk toward the restaurant. The lounge was packed; this was definitely a popular weekend date night locale. Couples filled the space with noisy conversation, but you could hear Bradley perfectly as his lips found your ear when he said, "There's an empty stool at the far end of the bar." He gave your hip a little squeeze as you headed for it, and he leaned on the bar next to you. "Why don't you pick out a bottle of wine or whatever you want? I'll go let the hostess know we'll be hanging out in the lounge."

When you agreed, he kissed your lips like the two of you had been at this for years, not just since yesterday. You weren't the only one who watched him walk away in his snug pants and Oxford shirt that somehow showed off his biceps. He was just that good looking. When you saw him without a shirt on, you'd probably faint and need him to revive you. When the bartender came over, you were chuckling to yourself at the idea of having sex with Bradley while he kept his shirt on to save you from that fate.

"Can I get you a drink?"

You looked at him in a daze, realizing you meant to choose a bottle of wine. You blurted out what kind you liked best, and with a nod and a smile, he turned to fill your request. And that's when you finally looked at the menu and realized the bottle was more than a hundred and fifty dollars.

"Oh shit." But it was too late. He had already opened it and was heading your way with it. You scrambled in your purse for your wallet, cringing at the idea of Bradley seeing the bill when you could have simply ordered a cocktail instead. Just as the bartender was pouring out a bit of the wine for you to try, you found your credit card successfully. And that was also when Bradley came back.

"They'll come get us when our table's ready," he said. "I told them it would be easy to find me since my date is the most beautiful woman in the restaurant." He watched the bartender pick up a second glass and said, "Oh perfect, you found some wine that you like."

You nodded and tried your best to pass your credit card across the bar undetected with your hand covering it. "I sure did."

Bradley's eyes followed your hand as he took a sip of the wine. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," you told him, picking up your own glass with your other hand. You tasted the wine and nodded at the bartender, and then he filled up both glasses while Bradley reached for your credit card.

"That's not necessary, Gorgeous. You can put that away."

You waited until the bartender walked off before you shook your head. "Let me pay for the wine. I was distracted and just picked a random bottle before I looked at the price, and then it was too late because he already had it opened. It's expensive."

Bradley looked completely unfazed as he eased your card from your hand and tucked it back into your wallet. "I don't care about that."

"I do," you said softly in your embarrassment. "I don't want you to think that's what I expected."

Bradley laughed in response. "First of all, I would never think that. And second, I was on that aircraft carrier for so long, and this wine tastes so good, and you look so pretty... I don't even want to tell you how much I'd be willing to pay for that bottle of wine and our dinner."

You simultaneously felt better and a little warm. "Okay, fine. But next time we go out for dinner, we're getting burgers from In-N-Out, and I'm paying."

His smile grew as you sipped your wine which really was quite good. "So that means you want to go out again?"

You rolled your eyes up at him where he stood, his hand brushing your knee where it was crossed over your other leg. "I'm about to make an In-N-Out reservation right now."

"Perfect," he replied. "Which night? I have to work late a few days next week to get caught up on everything I missed while I was away."

"You're ridiculous," you told him with a laugh. "How about Wednesday?"

His fingers toyed with the hem of your dress as he said, "Wednesday's good. You also need to let me know when I can visit your classroom again." His words were so sweet, and his gaze was sincere, but the feel of his fingertips inching along your skin above your knee was something else. 

You set your glass down next to your purse and reached for his hand, letting his fingers slip underneath your dress as you met his brown eyes. When he teased your skin with his rough hands, you reached for his shirt, and Bradley came willingly. Salvatore's didn't provide the two of you with the same level of privacy as the beach last night had, but you didn't really care, and he didn't seem to either.

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

You had the softest skin. How was he supposed to keep his hands off you? And that red lipstick made your little pout when he teased you even more delectable than he could have imagined. And he'd been doing plenty of imagining for the last few months. He'd imagined you in a variety of scenarios with him, but so far being with you in person surpassed everything his vivid thoughts came up with.

When he mentioned visiting you at work, you treated him to the silky soft feel of your skin, and then you literally grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged until he was kissing you. Oh god, he was never going to recover from this. He had to wrap his hand around the middle of your thigh to keep himself from going any further as you moaned softly into his mouth. He was absolutely starving and a little dizzy from the wine, but he was thinking about skipping dinner in favor of the solitude of the Bronco right now.

"Mr. Bradshaw?"

Your tongue was slowly tasting his when you jerked away from him as the hostess strolled over. Embarrassed, you turned toward the bar as Bradley grunted in response at the young woman who told him the table was ready for the two of you. And maybe that wasn't a bad thing, because feeling you up in the middle of the crowded lounge wasn't something he'd feel good about later. At least not on the second date. He'd bring you back here in a few months and see if the two of you even made it to dinner.

With a smile, he reached for your free hand after you picked up your glass. You halfway hid your face against his bicep as the hostess picked up the bottle and led the way through the lounge and into the restaurant. Bradley kissed your forehead and murmured, "If I could keep my hands off of you, this wouldn't be a problem."

You peered up at him through your lashes. "Hanging out on your couch alone is sounding better and better."

"Fuck," he groaned softly as you released his hand and took a seat at the table set for two which was overlooking the bay. Bradley pushed your chair in, and his thumbs met your bare arms. He took a few deep breaths before taking the seat opposite yours and accepted one of the menus as he listened to the specials while he looked at your face. He muttered some sort of response, and then the two of you were alone.

You emptied the remainder of the wine between his glass and yours, and then Bradley watched you lick a little droplet from your thumb as you smiled at him. "So which three dinners are you planning on ordering tonight?"

It took him a second to realize that he was holding an open menu even though he hadn't looked at it once. He cleared his throat and said, "Definitely some homemade spaghetti and meatballs. The last time I ate spaghetti, it was overcooked and sad, and I had to go back to my bunk and think about you to make myself feel better." You covered your mouth with one hand while you laughed, and it was the most charming thing he'd ever seen. "I'm so serious, Gorgeous. I got a plate of soggy noodles, and literally the only thing that made it better was imagining you teaching your class about military grade jets and aviation."

Your pretty eyes were glittering as you told him, "I keep extending my lessons on the topic, and you are completely to blame for that. After the first time you responded to us, my students asked about you every single day. They are completely enamored with you."

"Yeah? Just them? Or you too?" He knew his words were reminiscent of the way you'd tried to blame it on your kids when you asked him to send you a picture so you could see what he looked like.

"Hmm." You pretended to peruse your menu. "I'm thinking about the ravioli. Or maybe the penne with vodka sauce." Your foot tapped his leg beneath the table, and he had to fight the urge to reach under and touch your skin again. You were teasing him in every way right now, and he was absolutely loving it. When the waiter dropped off glasses of water and some freshly baked bread, he asked if you wanted anything else to drink.

"You want another bottle of wine, Gorgeous?" Bradley asked, deciding to tease you right back.

"Absolutely not," you told him, looking at him like he had two heads before kindly telling the waiter, "No, thank you."

He was still laughing when he picked up a piece of bread. "So we'll get spaghetti, penne and ravioli?"

"You don't have to order what I want," you told him, your foot still running along his calf while your expression dripped with innocence.

"No. I want to though." It was kind of fun spoiling you with something as simple as dinner. Vanessa would have made a comment by now about how much she hated the slightly kitschy, over the top restaurant, even if the food was supposed to be immaculate. You didn't seem to mind one bit that he ordered three massive entrees and intended to finish whatever you didn't. Vanessa always got embarrassed, but all you said was that you were excited to try all three.

There was never a lull in conversation. You actually listened to Bradley when he was talking, and he could have listened to you all night.

"So you know how last night I mentioned... that I'd never really thought about dating someone in the military who deploys for work?"

"Yeah," Bradley rasped, not sure he loved where the conversation was heading.

You looked a little apprehensive as you said, "I was thinking about it more last night after you dropped me off." 

"And?"

You kind of shrugged and said, "I think I'd actually be okay with it, as long as it's you. It almost feels like we got some big, scary thing out of the way already, you know? And I could always write to you, because I kind of loved doing that. And yes, Bradley, I am also completely enamored with you."

It was almost a shame that the food arrived then, because as you started to cut into an enormous ravioli, all he could think to say was, "I'm completely enamored with you, too."

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

You were so full from dinner, you didn't know how Bradley could walk. He ate at least two times what you did, and then he insisted on ordering a piece of cheesecake. When you caught sight of the bill, you tried not to gasp, because it was more than you spend on groceries for a whole month. But he handed over his credit card and signed his name without even breaking conversation with you. And now you were discreetly grabbing a handful of mints on your way out of the restaurant as he held your hand.

It was late, and you knew he was still tired. He mentioned briefly that he had a lot of chores to do this week amidst some late nights at work, but you didn't know how you'd be able to wait until Wednesday to see him again. When he started up the Bronco and headed in the direction of your apartment, your mind flooded with questions, but he asked you one first.

"I already have plans tomorrow, but I don't think I can wait until Wednesday to see you again. What time do you usually get to school?"

"7:20."

"Okay. And what kind of coffee do you like?"

You couldn't stop smiling as you told him what you usually ordered on the rare occasion you had time to stop at Starbucks. You kind of already felt like he was spoiling you.

"Have you memorized everything I've ever told you?"

"Yep," he replied, his handsome smile evident in the street lights. "And I've gotta say, you're one of a kind, Gorgeous."

You honestly didn't want the ride to end. The fact that there was no buffer of traffic to add to the twenty minute drive made you pout a little bit. Bradley's deep voice layered over the music playing on the radio while he held your hand was intoxicating, but you made a disappointed sound as he parked in front of your building.

When he released your hand to kill the engine in the near darkness, all you could see was his handsome profile. "You thought the drive would be too much for me," you whispered. "But when I'm in the car with you, I don't want it to end."

He cleared his throat and softly said, "Well, we don't have to get out quite yet if you don't want to."

Your pout turned into a grin as you unbuckled your seatbelt. "I can tell you still need to catch up on some sleep. I don't want to keep you out too late, Bradley."

He chuckled and undid his own seatbelt. "Why don't you come a little closer and say my name again."

As you eased yourself onto your hands and knees, you scooted across the seat and whispered, "Bradley," with a little laugh.

"Closer?" he asked, and you crawled over to him until you were able to kiss his cheek.

"Bradley."

He turned his head so his lips met yours, and he whispered, "Closer," against your mouth.

You were immediately in his lap, your hands resting on his chest as the steering wheel met your lower back. Your lips found his scarred cheek just like last night, and you kissed your way along his mustache and the side of his nose. You let your hands drift slowly down over his abs until they met the leather of his belt, and you whispered his name one more time.

His big hands closed around your wrists as he groaned, "You really love teasing me."

You nodded and said, "I really do," as he guided your hands up to his shoulders and around his neck.

"You're really good at it, Baby. All those pictures of you in your bed are enough to get a man through a deployment and then promptly kill him once he's on dry land if he can't touch you immediately."

He kissed the inside of your arm, and you scooted your body a little closer to his. "You can touch me." Your words elicited a deep groan as he slid his big hands along your bare arms, leaving goosebumps in their wake. He kissed your lips, swiping his tongue against yours as his fingers trailed down your sides. You almost cried out when his thumbs grazed the sides of your breasts before he gently squeezed your waist and your hips.

You could invite him to stay over. You didn't think he'd turn you down if you did. But all you could manage to say was, "Bradley," between kisses.

He tipped his head back against the headrest and whispered, "I love the way that sounds." His eyes were glittering in the darkness as he looked at your face and your body, and you remembered his text message from earlier.

I don't want to rush things

It was hard for you to remember that yesterday in your classroom was the first time you touched him. The first time you heard his voice in person. As much as you wanted to lean in close and ask him to stay, instead you kissed his ear and said, "You promised me movie night on your couch. When?"

"Friday?" he asked, kissing along your neck. "Let me end the week with my Gorgeous girl?"

"Yes."

You were afraid you were going to melt right out onto the pavement when he opened his door, but he helped you down and kept his arm wrapped around you. Bradley walked a half step behind you in the darkness all the way to your apartment. While there was no expectation that he was going to join you inside, you ended up pinned against your door, because it didn't seem like he was quite ready to leave yet either. 

He was eager. You could feel it as his lips found your neck again. He smiled against you as he whispered your name in that deep raspy voice. "Since you don't like surprises, I'm telling you right now that you should expect to see me in the parking lot at your school on Monday morning. Sound okay?"

"Oh god, yes," you whined as he released you. There were so many things you wanted to tell him as he put a foot of space between your bodies, really giving you a chance to see his pink cheeks and the way he was breathing deeply. You blurted out, "I'm falling so hard for you."

His crooked little grin was back as he nodded at your door. "Lock it behind you. And when you get in bed, in my sweatshirt, send me another selfie."

"I will," you promised, and you did exactly what he said. A minute after you texted the photo, you got a message back from him.

I think I'm falling even harder.

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

I'm so obsessed with them. She was so concerned about that bottle of wine! And he really wasn't lol. Coffee and burgers and a couch date coming up. This story will be 18+ soon. Thanks @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 11

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[tevanavernus]

bucktommy + early in their relationship + the very first time buck gets to say "i can teach you" to tommy

thanks for requesting, hope you like it! :)

Tommy was so cool. That was the thought that kept running through Buck's head, even two months into their official relationship. The man was a pilot, he tinkered with cars, knew Muay Thai, went to trivia nights, liked monster trucks, and—much to Buck's amusement—watched all the trashy, over-the-top romance movies. It didn't matter how many times Buck glanced at him or thought about him—he couldn't stop that giddy feeling from bubbling up inside him.

The thing was, Tommy didn't keep it to himself, didn't brush off his skills or downplay his interests. If anything it seemed like he wanted to share it with Buck. Back when Buck was desperate for Tommy to pay attention to him and their conversation briefly turned to flying lessons, and later to Muay Thai, Buck didn't look into it more than having excuses to see Tommy again.

Yet, Tommy stuck by his words, and a few weeks after their coffee date, Buck found himself sitting in the cockpit of a helicopter, the sun shining and no emergency in sight. The best part wasn't just the thrill of being in the helicopter—it was watching Tommy. If it had been anyone else, Buck would have interjected, asked questions, or shared random facts he'd read online. But with Tommy? His mind was blissfully empty, hanging onto every word as Tommy rattled off information about each button, explaining what it did and when to use it.

The Muay Thai lessons were similar in that respect, even if they were completely unsuccessful in actually teaching Buck anything. But, in Buck's defense, how could anyone concentrate when Tommy was guiding him through stances and moves with those lingering touches to fix his posture—especially when those shorts Tommy wore left very little to the imagination? It was a miracle that Tommy had his own setup at home, because if they'd been in a public gym, Buck might've been facing indecent exposure charges with how distracted he'd gotten.

The point was, Tommy was cool and he was constantly teaching him something new. Which Buck loved. He loved learning from him, loved the way Tommy's eyes would light up when he got to show him the ropes. But every now and then, there was this nagging feeling in the back of Buck's mind—this thought that maybe he didn't bring enough to the table. He wanted to contribute more, to offer something back, something that would make Tommy look at him even half as awe-stricken as Buck felt when he watched Tommy in his element.

But what could he teach him? It's not like Buck could sweep Tommy off his feet with a kiss that unlocked some hidden part of him he didn't know existed. And as far as work went, they both operated in the same field, so it wasn't like Buck had any neat, life-changing trick up his sleeve that Tommy didn't already know.

So Buck might have spiraled a bit. He went down a few rabbit hole researches late at night. At one point, when he felt particularly desperate, he might have typed out 'cool things to teach to impress your boyfriend' into Google. His team was not spared from this spiral either. In fact, they heard all about his thoughts about this important issue whenever they were en route to a call.

"Buck, the guy's with you because he likes you, not because he's looking for a new skillset," Bobby finally chimed in over the headset, putting a stop to yet another rant. "So show him something you like."

That was great advice. Solid advice. Advice that Buck might have... half heard. The part about Tommy liking him for who he was? Yeah, that might have gone over his head. But the bit about showing Tommy something he liked? That could work. He could definitely find something he liked, and it could still be something Tommy didn't know.

The first try was, perhaps, a bit too obvious, but cooking seemed like a fair bet. They hadn't had the chance to enjoy a homemade meal together yet. Most of the time, if their schedules lined up, they'd order takeout or hit a diner for a quick bite. So Buck thought, why not invite Tommy over a little earlier than usual and—just casually—show off his cooking skills in the process? Maybe, if he played his cards right, he could even teach Tommy a thing or two.

His plan came to fruition a week later. It was more than enough time to decide on the meal -with some help from Bobby-, practice… a few times. He was all set. So, with butterflies in his stomach, Buck invited Tommy to the loft one evening and brought him into the kitchen with the excuse that the meal would take a bit longer to prepare.

Tommy took it all in stride. With a glass of wine in hand, he leaned back against the counter by the fridge, slipping easily into conversation about their day. He even complimented how nice the food smelled. Everything was going according to plan.

Until Tommy glanced down at what Buck was doing and gave a small hum.

"You know," Tommy said casually, "if you peel ginger with the edge of a spoon instead of a knife, you'll save more of the flesh."

"Hm? oh, yeah," Buck mumbled absentmindedly before the words fully sank in. He froze mid-peel, eyes widening. "Wait, you know how to cook?"

"Evan," Tommy chuckled, taking another sip. "I might be no Bobby in the kitchen, but I know my way around."

"Oh," Buck grinned, though inwardly he groaned. "That's great!"

Dammit.

The next idea popped into Buck's head was in a middle of a call at a small restaurant-slash-bar. They were there to put out a fire that had broken out in the back when the bar area caught Buck's eye. The shelves lined with bottles and the cocktail shakers sparked a memory. While Tommy often opted for craft beers, who could really say no to a well-made cocktail, right? Buck's mixology days might be long behind him, but he still remembered the basics.

So, Buck found a sleek rooftop bar that hosted cocktail workshops. After a quick chat with the manager—and maybe slipping a few extra bills to ensure they'd get some privacy—he set up their next date.

The date itself was really fun, though Buck found it difficult not to ogle Tommy in his nice button-up shirt, paired with a thin jacket that outlined his biceps all too well. Still, Buck managed to tear his eyes away long enough to actually make the Pisco Sour. He showed off the shaker technique he'd learned back in the day, enjoying the attention Tommy was giving him as he rattled off the steps.

Once Buck finished, he handed the shaker over to Tommy who then measured out the ingredients and glanced at him.

"So like this?" Tommy asked innocently.

Then, to Buck's dismay, he proceeded to replicate the exact shaking technique Buck had just demonstrated. The liquid poured smoothly into the glass, not a drop wasted. Buck watched, feeling a familiar sense of defeat settle in.

"Let me guess—you're also secretly a mixologist?" Buck groaned, half-joking but already knowing the answer wouldn't go his way.

Tommy smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "Nope. But a buddy of mine owns a bar, and he taught me a few things on quieter nights." He shrugged, his smirk widening. "Also, I paid attention to what you did."

Buck couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. "Of course you did."

And just like that, Buck was back to square one. Even worse, he was running out of ideas—fast. He could probably count on one hand the things he could potentially teach Tommy, and two fingers were already down. This was supposed to be easy, right? Just find something he was good at and teach it. But somehow, with Tommy? Impossible. How was he supposed to impress someone who always seemed one step ahead of him?

The next time an idea popped into Buck's head, he hesitated to make it a full-on date. Not because it was particularly difficult or out of their comfort zone, but because Tommy already tinkered with cars, and there was a good chance he knew a thing or two about motorcycles too. As much as Buck would love to rent a couple of bikes and hit the road with nothing but wind and open air, he had a goal in his mind.

"Do you like bikes?" Buck asked casually, after the waitress dropped off their coffees.

They didn't have much time, just enough for a quick coffee at a spot halfway between their stations before their afternoon shifts kicked off.

Tommy paused mid-bite of his cupcake, raising an amused eyebrow. "In what capacity?"

Buck shrugged, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, but his eyes gave him away, fixed on Tommy's face for any sign of interest. "I don't know… riding them?"

Tommy tilted his head, licking a bit of frosting off his finger, his expression thoughtful. "I guess it's alright. I've been on a few before, but I prefer being in the sky."

Buck let out a quiet, defeated hum, taking a sip of his coffee. "Fair."

Tommy gave him a curious glance. "Why? You want to go for a spin or something?"

Buck shrugged again, trying to play it off. "Maybe someday, just a passing thought."

Tommy raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but didn't press further.

The time it actually happened, Buck didn't plan it. It wasn't even on his mind. They had overlapping 48 hours off, a rarity, Buck was quickly learning as their relationship grew. So they tried to make the most of it, and after Buck casually mentioned how nice it would be to hit the beach, it wasn't long before they had packed up a bag with towels and snacks and hit the road.

Buck was right, the water was unreal.

They found a spot not too far from the water, laid out their towels, and settled in for a lazy day. It wasn't until they were in the water for the second time that Buck noticed a small shack by the shore offering surfboard rentals.

He pointed it out to Tommy who looked at it for a moment. "I'll grab a beer instead. But go on, give me a show, baby."

Buck would have frowned, perhaps even asked questions about Tommy opting out if his mind didn't short-circuit at the nickname.

"Right, yeah. A show. Sure," Buck mumbled, still dazed, but already heading toward the rental shack. If Tommy wanted a show, Buck would give him one.

And the show was given.

It wasn't until Buck was back on shore, collapsing onto the towel with a cold beer in hand, that he remembered the question he'd been meaning to ask.

"So, how come you didn't surf?" Buck asked casually, glancing over at Tommy.

"Never really had the chance, I suppose," Tommy replied, sitting beside him, propped up on his elbows, sunglasses shielding his eyes as he gazed out over the water. "My folks weren't the beach type."

"Yeah, I get that. Mine aren't either," Buck said as he propped himself on his elbows, mimicking Tommy. "I only learned when I hit the road after leaving home. Met a girl who gave me some very... personal lessons."

Tommy chuckled, lifting his sunglasses onto his head to meet Buck's gaze. "Yeah? Must've been nice."

"I can teach you," a smug grin spread across his face as the idea formed. And if that grin turned a little more teasing, well, he couldn't help it.

"Yeah?" Tommy raised an eyebrow, already sensing where this was going.

"My fees are very competitive," Buck added with a shit-eating smirk, holding back a laugh when Tommy gave him a playful shove.

"Yeah, I walked right into that one, didn't I?" Tommy chuckled, rolling his eyes, though his smile didn't fade.

"Mhm," Buck hummed, standing up and turning to offer Tommy his hand. "Let's go."

"Wait, now?" Tommy asked, his expression turning skeptical as he hesitated, glancing toward the water.

"No time like the present," Buck grinned. "Besides, the waves are perfect right now."

With a dramatic sigh, Tommy took Buck's hand and let himself be pulled up from his seat. "Alright, alright, But just so you know, if I end up embarrassing myself, you're the one getting dunked in the water."

Buck laughed, already imagining the inevitable splash. "Deal."

[respectthepetty]

We started episode nine of Wandee Goodday with the blinding yellow orb of light surrounded by pink/purple flowers. I'm gonna ignore the Ter part because between this and OMG! Vampire (and Thai BLs in general), I got questions about the lack of severity regarding male sexual assault and harassment, but that's a different post.

The props department has given me a yellow and purple labeled beer with the production name on it - AllThat Beer. Bless you, props department.

Yellow on Yak's side, purple on Dee's side, and they kiss in the blue with the purple countdown, and because I hate this blue, hopefully this is also a countdown to the fake part of their relationship ending soon.

@overrgrownn, already pointed out how they swap colors when they step outside and Yak turns pink, but the mermaid tails are in their colors too in yellow/red and purple/pink. Great had a picture on the set of him in a red wig and the boys have been spotted in other wigs, so maybe we wrote this mermaid plot off to quickly.

GET OUT OF HERE BLUE!

Much better! Much much better!

I knew the building's exterior lights were purple, but I hadn't realized it had yellow accents.

This is the worst montage of my life! I can deal with Yak in black because it's one of his colors, but seeing that brown and blue the entire time Yak is trying to woo Dee is disgusting!

Because even when there is yellow, it is covered up!

Both of them are very aware of their feelings! The colors are right there! SO WHY CAN'T I GET THEM?!

It's because they are faking it even when they don't need too!

And I've done been saying that Yak has tried to copy Ter because that's who Dee liked for eight years, so TAKE THE BROWN OFF YOUR BODY!

Y'all don't want to be to fake blue and brown like Ter trying to figure out his life.

And as cute as the boxing couple are, neither Yak nor Dee are an odd little boxing man or his girlfriend!

SO QUIT THE BIULLSHIT, DEE! I don't know why you feel you must lie about your feelings or your color anymore. I'm pretty sure that shirt is pink, so you're just going to sit there in a pink shirt AND LIE with the blue backing you up?! LIAR!!!!!!

I have a theory about the eleventh episode, and I think this man foreshadows it since Ter took too long to sort out his feelings and lost out, but before I write about it, I appreciate AllThat Entertainment for using the same actors in its shows because I deserve to see this man not surrounded by a harem of boys and being batshit crazy.

But back to Dee because even Kao knows what his true color is with his purple confidential folder.

So get it the fuck together, Dee! You know what your color and feelings are, so quit playing with this blue and these lies.

Because I think the eleventh episode will be Yak giving up. Yak lost his first boxing match because he ran out of energy to continue the fight, and Dee has continued this fight for no good reason. Therefore, I've been thinking that Yak was going to give up and Dee would have to finally step up and prove he loves Yak. Now, I NEED THIS TO HAPPEN!

Because as much as Dee is there for Yak, he is still hiding behind this illusion of a fake relationship.

Yak needs to win that final match, but he is dealing with some mental blockage. (This picture was absolutely necessary because he is wearing blue here)

The yellow comes from his mom.

And probably the pants too which is why they are so important. (Thanks, Dee, for showing up in your color)

So Dee gives Yak peace of mind and fills the voids that were left behind when Yak's mother died. We see the same dynamic between Cher and Yei.

But what will happen if Dee doesn't bring peace when Yak needs it the most? Dee's Nineties shirt had the always important message to "Make Love, Not War," but is he taking that advice?

He is absorbing Yak's color and combining it with his.

Yak is telling him that he loves Dee in every single way possible.

And they continue to switch colors as they kiss on the lips.

But Dee continues to deny his feelings and push Yak away when he feels too much. Next week, Yak is fighting for his family and home in episode ten, so I'm hoping everything else gets resolved, and all we are left with is the championship match and love for the last two episodes. My fingers are crossed that Yak will lose in this battle of love with Dee since Dee must always win (and he will win that scholarship).

Please, GMMTV, force Dee to make a choice because even if he wins everything, he'll still lose something.

Please.

[nilletellsstories]

The Ruined Clothing - A 911 drabble

Author's Note: This was written in like 10 minutes time, spurned from a conversation with @bidisasterbuckdiaz .... and yes Tommy is a part of this!

As the dinner portion of the wedding ended, Maddie and Chim being guided into yet another photo session by Karen, Athena keeping an eye on an overtired Jee, and Hen leading Bobby, Eddie, Ravi and some of the other firefighters from the 118 in clearing an area for dancing, Buck felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Come along?" Almost a whisper, not a command, but a suggestion. Tommy, with a wide grin and mischief twinkling in his eyes, held out his hand and nodded towards a quiet alcove-like area of the wedding venue.

"Buck? You wanna help?" Bobby called over at the same time, still keeping an eye on the guys clearing the area that were to become the dancefloor. With a quick glance back and forth, Buck smiled to the man... his man in front of him and took his hand.

Second later, Buck felt the lips of Tommy against his and his back pressed against a wall. Even now, weeks after their first kiss, Buck still felt the excitement, the curiosity, he had felt that time. Even Tommy's gentle fingers pressing against the pulse point in his neck had the same tingle as that first time.

Being more confident now, both in himself and in them, Buck let his fingers run the short hair on the back of Tommy's head, pushing his lips harder against their counterpart, even letting his tongue begin it's teasing.

Even now, Buck still had trouble describing just what exactly this former army, muay thai fighting, rescue pilot made him feel, but he knew that this was right and this was good.

Yes, good was exactly right. Especially as Tommy's hands were on his hips, pulling him even closer towards the older man. Feeling exactly how Tommy was feeling in that moment, them been pressed together like that, made Buck gasp and of course, being the opportunity seeker that he has found Tommy to be, Tommy deepened the kiss, letting their tongues start a newly, familiar play and their hands wander both over clothing and teasing the skin under.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

"Hey Eddie, you know where Buck is?" Bobby asked as he were carefully carrying a table away from the dancefloor area together with Ravi.

"No, maybe he's been roped into more photos?" Eddie answered with a shrug. He was carrying a tray, filled to the brim with table decorations, flowers, half-filled wineglasses, and for some reason, lit candles.

"Or maybe he pulled Tommy away for some Q time," Ravi added, having learnt not to say the Q word. Still, Ravi hadn't quite learned subtlety.

"Yeah, okay," Bobby rumbled as they carried on with the table.

Eddie went off in the direction Hen had said to bring the tray he was carrying. What he had not expected to stumble upon were Buck and Tommy going at it up against a wall.

Silence.

PLONK!

"Seriously?!"

Flowers, decorations, wine, glass, candles. All went flying. Buck and Tommy jumped apart. Eddie jumped on the spot. And as if a certain god of mischief had a finger involved, a lit candle hit a stack of napkins and ignited.

It was like watching a chain reaction.

It was a chain reaction.

It ended with Buck, Eddie, and Tommy all covered in half burnt clothing, dirt and wine, and small scars from small shards of broken wineglasses.

Here we go! It was my first story in quite a while. I hope you all liked it! Thanks once again, @bidisasterbuckdiaz, for the idea!

[liminalmemories21]

Lim! It’s me! I request 8 please 🥺

So, umm, I got a little carried away?

There'd been a shelf of cookbooks in the condo, before it burned down.  Cookbooks that Carlos had bought when he was in college and experimenting with learning how to make Indian food and Thai food and pasta from scratch, books he'd bought at school fundraisers and church Christmas markets, books he'd been given as housewarming presents when he moved into the condo.  

When he moved into the loft he realized that Carlos had never replaced them, and even though Carlos hadn't left a space for them in the kitchen, he felt like he could see it anyway, where they would have sat.

He goes on a quest after that.  Some of them are easy to replace from alibris or bookfinder: the 1964 edition of the Joy of Cooking - because apparently the new edition had fucked around with all the recipes, Carlos's words, not his, and he'd stared at Carlos shocked when he'd said it because Carlos doesn't swear all that often unless he's in bed; a soup cookbook from some celebrity chef from the 90s that he's seen Carlos make exactly two recipes out of; a copy of the Silver Palate cookbook that someone at work had given him at a holiday gift exchange.

The church cookbooks and Junior League cookbooks are harder to find, and he takes to scouring second hand bookstores and antique stores and thrift shops on his days off when Carlos is at work.  Sometimes he drags Nancy or Marjan or Paul with him.  

"Why are we doing this?" Nancy grouses once.  "I've never seen Carlos use a recipe for anything."

"That's not the point," he snaps, and Nancy backs off with sympathetic eyes.

And, it isn't.  The point is that this is something Carlos had lost that he could maybe give back.  He's never going to be able to replace the pie bird that Carlos bought at the farmer's market when he was 12, or the old wooden rolling pin that had been his abuela's, worn smooth with time and use, or the butter molds his cousin Anna had brought him back from a trip to France.  But this, is something he can do.

It takes longer than he expects, and he ends up with more books than had been in Carlos's collection originally.  But he hadn't been able to resist them, the ones with cheery titles like "Nightingales in the Kitchen" and "Charlottesville: Cooking for Compliments", or the ones filled with someone else's handwritten edits that say things like 'never make this again' or 'add orange juice' or 'your husband will thank you'.

He meant to wait for Carlos's birthday, but he gets impatient, and packs them all in a banker's box and sticks a huge red bow on it, and makes brisket for dinner.  Carlos sniffs appreciatively when he comes home, and doesn't even notice the box on the table until he's coming back from hanging up his coat.

Carlos looks at him, clearly trying to remember if he's forgotten something, and he shakes his head.  "No reason, baby, just because."

"It's not a lizard is it?"

He snorts.  "I wouldn't do that to you, I promise.  You'll like this."

Carlos lifts the books out slowly, turning them over in his hand, stacking them up on the table.  He finally looks at TK.  'I had these at the condo."  He nods. "You bought them for me?"  He nods again, worrying his lip a little, suddenly nervous.  "Why?"

"You kept them, they meant something to you, they had memories for you.  I hate that you lost everything."  He waves a hand when Carlos starts to deny it, or point out that TK did too.  "I know, I was there too, I lost things too.  But, I'd only just moved in, I still had stuff at Dad's.  That was a home you built, and you lost it, and we don't talk about it."  He shifts on his feet, fidgeting with the couch cushion.  "We don't have to talk about it now, just, I wanted you to have something back."  He gestures around the loft. "You give me so much.  You deserve to have everything too."

Carlos kneels up on the couch, wrapping arms around him, kissing him breathless.  He smiles into the kiss.  "You like them then?"

"I love them."  Carlos kisses him again.  "I love you."  And then he pulls back to look speculatively at the kitchen.  "We'll have to rearrange some of the cups to make space for them."

[f1-disaster-bi]

So for the one word + pairing

Please do lano and pierre

And heat 👹

Ps love the one ypur wrote for me abkut past maxiel and I need more pretty please 🙏 🫶🫶🫶

Oh friend, the idea this sparked that @f1-birb fed into is just 🤌

Pierre didn't think he had ever felt comfier in his entire life than right now with Lando Norris tucked into his arms.

The alpha was rumbling softly. His warm around Pierre’s waist, and his nose tucked into Pierre’s neck as Pierre carded gentle fingers through his thick curls. He gently worked out a few knots, making his own soft noise back at Lando and radiating happiness at having the man he had been courting in his arms like this.

Pierre was honestly still in awe that Lando had said yes to an omega courting him.

He knew what others said about. He knew that no one looked at him and ever thought of him as an omega. He was too confident snd aggressive. He was too flirty and outgoing. His time wasn't spent building nests and he had never been one to automatically award an alpha respect just because of his status. People often blamed his rough play fighting on the fact he had alpha brothers but Pierre always scoffed and measured them that this was just him. Sharp edges and all.

Yet that didn't stop people from commenting on his secondary gender. They even went as far as taking about his scent. They pointed out how while he had an underlying tinge of omega to his scent, it was generslly more like an alpha's in that he had been told it was like smoke and leather while Charles and other omegas he knew smelt sweet all the time.

So when he had approached Lando, the alpha who had caught his eye, with a courting gift, Pierre had expected to be rejected. Instead Lando had cradled the gift against his chest as if it were precious with a pink blush on his cheeks and eyes filled with wonder. He had let Pierre court him, let him take him on dates and never once seemed embarrassed ro resentful thay Pierre wanted to take charge of the relationship.

In fact Lando seemed quiet happy to follow Pierre’s lead which was why Pierre needed to bring up something they hadn't talked about before; his heat.

It was coming up over summer break, and while they already had plans together, Pierre wanted to give Lando the option to spend it with him or not. Most alphas would assume it was their right to spend his heat with him, but Lando hadn't even brought it up. He hadn't once implied or prodded, and it had made Pierre happy to know he wasn't pushing something like this on Pierre like past partners had before him.

"Hey, you awake?", Pierre asked softly, tugging at curls gently, "I need to talk to you about something"

" 'm awake", Lando mumbled into Pierre’s neck before letting the other guide his head back so they could look at each other after sharing a soft kiss.

"So, do you um....do you want to share my heat with me over summer break?"

The reaction those words got weren't one that Pierre expected as Lando looked at him in confusion. His eyes narrowed and his nose crinkled adorably as Pierre looked at him. He could smell Lando's confusion clearly in his scent before Lando tilted his head like a curios puppy.

"You're an omega?"

Pierre had to blinked rapidly as he now looked at his partner in confusion.

"Yes? Isn't it obvious?", Pierre raised an eyebrow because it should be. He should be able to smell it on him, or at least smell his arousal when they were getting handsy even if they' hadn't had sex yet.

"Um....no?", Lando squaked softly with a laugh but he didn't look horrified or put off by the idea as he leaned in to kiss Pierre’s cheek.

"How didn't you know?? Its all over my scent!"

Lando just looked at him shyly before he shrugged and made a soft admission.

"Oh, I'm uh, I'm nose blind"

[dribs-and-drabbles]

I'm not able to write anything coherent right now but that was perhaps the best ep of the series. It was just gorgeous...in a rip-your-heart-out-and-wring-it-dry kind of way.

I loved so much about it. Li Ming's mum and how they're both so different from their characters in My School President. A+ acting. Li Ming's tired but defiant "so what?". The siblings and how Jam is almost like a child herself still. UNCLE FU*KING TONG. Please, I'm wheezing! The conversation between Leng and Li Ming, how positive Leng is about everything that should be terrifyingly crushing, and Li Ming refusing the cigarette. THE WHOLE CONVERSATION BETWEEN JIM AND WEN IN THE CONDO. (Sometimes these 'flexing for equality' dialogues can feel forced but this one was so great.) So casual. So real. God, Mix just hits the right tone. The sniff-kiss was fantastic but I think I'll about lose my mind when Jim tells Wen to call him phi or Jim rather than lung/uncle. The whole Ar/Lung and subsequent teasing between Leng and Gaipa (and yes I had to pause the video to check how far apart the years of the horse and monkey are). But the heartache. The heartache for Mrs Hong's death. My god Khaotung knocked it out the park this ep. (I tell you, this was not an easy ep to watch after having been to my uncle's funeral yesterday, so thank you Aof for that.) Crying. AND THEN HEART'S PARENTS SIGNING WITH HEART. I couldn't see for the tears. And I'm sorry but there's a special place in hell for people like Beam's father/parents and they can BURN in it. And then Li Ming and Jim talking bonding in front of the diner, and Li Ming lost for words (Fourth does this so well). I didn't even care that there was singing (of course there was singing, is this not a Thai ql?!) because Khaotung Khaotunged his way through it and made me cry again (at this point I hadn't really stopped though).

And then in the end it was all about endings and new beginnings for all the characters - Jam with the prospect of her new marriage; Alan forging a new life for himself at home without Wen there; Heart reconnecting with his parents (and them with him); Leng literally bringing a new life into the world soon; Jim deciding to give up his diner; Wen finally cutting ties with Alan and hoping he can start a new relationship with Jim; Li Ming choosing to not go and live with his mum (and eventually to go to America); and Giapa being forced to say goodbye to his mother.

@shortpplfedup wrote something about how the sudden death of someone puts things into perspective for people. Whilst that is true (I had a sleepless night last night grappling with Thoughts brought up by my uncle's sudden death), I would say that for these characters all these things were inevitable anyway. They were all going to happen because they had already been on those paths - the funeral maybe just gave them a bit of a push. But that's perhaps what nini meant.

Anyway, 10/10. I can't wait to see the glorious new beginnings that await them (and us) in tomorrow's ep.

[hollywoodsargeant]

There's a part of me that feels really bad for Mia and Ben because they just want it to work out and are probably trying to not be jealous because they are just "best friends" but yeah I'd probably be a bit weirded out if my partner admitted to having kissed/made out/had sex with their best friend and like pretty recently too.

There's also a part of me that's happy that they understand that their friendship is not exactly conventional but I'm just like boys come on, I can't even say "JUST KISS EACHOTHER" because THEY'VE ALREADY DONE THAT!!!

I'm nervously awaiting the college/uni time where the boys have to say goodbye to eachother unless miraculously they end up going to the same uni (O.o) but there's a part of me who just feels like they won't do that (or you won't write thay) because absence makes the heart grow fonder (though if their hearts grow any fonder they might explode)

This is by far one of the best stories I've ever read I think about this everyday, every second of the day. I'm always thinking about Loscar and how they're so stupid but I signed up for a slow burn. I can wait (shaking in excitement)

i said it earlier but REST IN PIECES MIA AND BEN </3 but yeah like. again mentioned it earlier ben specifically being under the impression that oscar hadn't seriously kissed logan in a While (spin the bottle doesn't count. all jokes) only to find out they had not only kissed but had sex recently... probably not the most spectacular thing to hear. clearly we as a collective are all rooting for oscar and logan to get together which makes ben (+ mia) an obstacle but still rip. you will be missed. i'm partial to ben bc i gave him my coming out story lol

but we are not done with giving them exes. logan is fr about "not for a while" or whatever i made him say BUTTTT... yeah we all know. at least i know. somebody knows. har har

i have been excited to write college since chapter one like i have. some scenes i wrote forever ago that are yet to see the light of day... excited. and yea they do go to different colleges. that fucking. it'll be fourteen years at that point and neither of them can properly remember a day where they didn't see each other? surely that will go well

and thank you so much <3 i too am always thinking about loscar and their idiocy but i signed myself up to write a slow burn... even if i might have severely underestimated the length of my own fic at the beginning there. shoutout to chapter one for being less than 5k words long. in my defense meddling with teenagers is way more fun than 4 year olds

[sllowshow]

😚

send 😚 for our muses first kiss

monty laughed hard at her not that funny joke, and zoe leaned over, closing the small gap between them on the couch, and kissed him. she was careful, she kept it chaste (it was hard for a kiss to be anything but when it occurred between friends sitting in a living room littered in thai takeout containers; a dinner that had been enjoyed over reruns of survivor.) but even then, she pulled away and almost immediately turned sheet white. "i'm sorry." she blurted out, inches from his face. "i shouldn't have done that. i just- i've really enjoyed hanging out with you," she rambled, as she scooted back to her personal space on the sofa. she could feel the tips of her ears turning red, the high points on her face catching heat. she hated when she flushed like that, she hated that it could be so easily read on her face when she was embarrassed. especially because right now, she wasn't all that embarrassed: more than anything, she was ashamed. he wasn't technically darcy's boyfriend, but he was still darcy's boyfriend. darcy, her best friend. darcy, who was in rehab again, who was trying to get her life back together. a life that she shouldn't have to return to and find her best friend and her ex canoodling on the couch. it didn't matter that they were each other's touchstone right now. it didn't matter that darcy hadn't been much of a friend at all for over a year now, it didn't matter that she dumped monty and defiantly told zoe she'd never be going back to him, it didn't matter that he'd been the only person she could talk to about all of it and know he was going to understand where she was coming from: how you could love someone so much but be so tired of having to meet them where they're at. she tucked long red tresses behind her ears, and laughed softer, more tepidly than he had before. "i'm sorry," she repeated. this time, she was at least able to look him in the eye. but at that point, she wasn't sure if she was apologizing for kissing him, or for the familiar growing warmth in her chest. it felt silly to call it a crush, but it was ultimately appropriate: for the first time, she knew it had the power to crush someone.

[aitchnkay]

Jiang Gunian Made A Change Part 17

Summer Hanson thought of herself as a stereotypical American college student: wavy, shoulder length dirty blond hair, green eyes, slightly taller than average. She studied hard during the week and played hard on the weekends. She had learned how to not grimace when drinking beer at parties even though she hadn't yet learned how to like the drink. Where she differed, perhaps, from that stereotype was that she had been introduced to Thai BLs by her freshman year roommate, and she had immediately become hooked.

It was natural to progress through the overtly sexual Thai shows to the more restrained Korean and Japanese BLs to the Chinese 'best male friends, soul-mates even, but definitely do not kiss and are never going to be intimate.... ever.' shows.

And then she discovered that some of the shows were originally books, and she became even more addicted to the genre. She read fan translations, machine translations, official translations. And discovered that there was a whole lot of 'we're not just BFFs' going on in the books that didn't make it into the Chinese drama or donghua adaptations.

As a stereotypical college student, she and a group of friends would escape to someplace warm for spring break. In her junior year, she was with them, waiting for a huge train to pass when the cars in front of her started rocking.

Then the car she was in started rocking.

The cars in front tipped, and fell into a hole that hadn't been there a moment ago. Her own car followed.

She vaguely remembered screaming. Pain. Something wet that smelled metallic. Lights strobing, hurting her eyes. Eye. Something was wrong. Why couldn't she see out of the other eye? People talking fast, calmly, rushed, blurred. And then, clearly, "She's coding."

Blackness. Blankness. Absence of... everything. Soothing. Relaxing. Comforting darkness.

When she awoke, it was to a strange room, strange clothing, a strange body. A new name: Xia KeXin, which made her giggle hysterically seeing as how close it sounded to the Word of Honor/Faraway Wanderers' Wen KeXing.

Thankfully, she had the previous soul's memories to rely on, as Summer had no idea how to live in this new world, new life, she suddenly found herself in. Cooking? Going to the bathroom? Dressing herself? Making a living? Knowing how much something should cost? Without her host's memories, she would be completely lost instead of mostly. Unlike Cucumber Bro, she didn't have a System to help her out, either. Which could be a good thing? No weird quests to go on? No points added or subtracted for doing something well or poorly?

It didn't take too long to discover that she was living in the town outside Lotus Pier in the days before the Sunshot Campaign. Her job as a fortune teller, didn't earn a significant income, but it was steady and sufficient to live on.

Not quite comfortably to live on, though. Her 'bed' was a mat and a couple of quilts that she folded away every morning. There was no padding. Her 'pillow' was nothing that resembled a twenty-first century pillow.

Once she was sort of used to this new life, she talked to the local blacksmith and asked him to make her a set of crochet hooks. She found someone who sold yarn and bought enough to hopefully make herself a heavier blanket to keep her aching bones (who knew being only in her late forties would be this painful?) warmer at night.

And then Jiang YanLi came in for a consultation. Given the opportunity to change Wei Ying's fate? To stop the jianghe from treating this wonderful man as a pariah? What kind of fujoshi would she be to stand by and let Lan WangJi mourn his love for thirteen years? What kind of person would she be to sit back and allow Jiang YanLi and Wen Qing die for nothing?

Jiang Yanli knelt at the table before Xia KeXin and arranged her skirts into a pleasing configuration. The older woman rolled her eyes, but said nothing until the younger stopped figiting. "I assume you're here to discuss your love life and marriage."

[conartstfi]

The blush that was on Fiona's face had darkened, making her want to crawl up in a hole somewhere. (No way they just got caught by the stall owner.) Usually, she would brush it off and continue but this was a whole new level. Especially because she can't even deny that she longed for Rhys since a month after their departure.

She could still feel the kiss on her lips, tingling as if they had been pricked by millions of tiny needles. It made her want more, yet the Pad Thai sitting in front of her was calling her name. Looking at Rhys' double portions, she kind of wished she had asked him to order four.

"Only we would get called out for kissing in public." Fiona laughed, leaning back over to press another chaste kiss on his lips. "Anyways, I can feel my stomach start to claw at itself from hunger."

Fiona grabbed the chopsticks from the holder they were resting on and shoveled some noodles into her mouth. The flavor wasn't something she got to experience often so naturally, she let out a moan as her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

"What the fuck, Rhys." She swallowed the noodles slowly, "I can't believe how good this is... I see why you eat two plates of this stuff"

She continued to shovel the food into her mouth, not caring if it looked messy. She hadn't had food like this in a long time. (Hell she even considered grilled cheese a luxury at this point.)

Before Fiona knew it, half the plate had been devoured like no other. Setting down the chopsticks in the holder. Her eyes slowly side eyed Rhys' second plate.

"You uh... Gonna eat that second plate?" She placed her hand on his thigh, letting her hand rub the fabric of his pants. "Totally cool if you are but... If you need help finishing it...

I wouldn't be opposed to helping."

Nobody is better at teasing him than Fiona. That alone is enough cause for Rhys' chest to tighten at the sound of her praise. He'd never sought it out specifically-- he likes to think he's better than that, more confident than that-- but it settles in his heart with warmth unlike any other.

And her kiss, however chaste it had been on his skin, makes him even warmer.

It makes him reach out, cybernetics taking Fiona's chin. It makes him lean in and touch his lips to hers, unable to resist the temptation presented to him even around the stupid expectations of propriety. She feels exactly like he remembered, but better: Fiona's all warm, soft lips, and they feel so perfect against his own Rhys can almost convince himself it was meant to be. He parts his lips, aiming to suck lightly at hers...

Except there's a loud clearing of the throat to the side, and Rhys pulls back and turns his head to face the owner of the stall (his hand is still on Fiona's chin, and will stay unless she decides to move her head).

"Sorry," the woman behind the counter says, except she doesn't sound sorry at all. "I just thought I'd tell you they were done before you had to eat cold noodles."

And, true enough, there're three servings of pad thai on the counter in front of them.

Rhys' face burns. "Thanks."

"Sure," is his answer, and he watches the woman go to another customer at the other end of the counter.

Then, looking at Fiona again, Rhys is quiet for a few seconds... before he starts laughing, ducking his head sheepishly. "I... uh. I don't know if I should apologise? But I'm leaning towards 'not really'."

[everyhowlmarksthedead]

❛ YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE ❜

✨ REQUEST: hermanikiiiiiii i wanted to request you the prompt number 1 with coco cruz!!thank you, love you muchisisimoooooo💕💕

✨ PROMPTS: “Wait, you love me? Like Garfield loves Lasagna?”

✨ MADE BY: Juls.

Gif credit: to my lovely @supervalcsi.

WORDS: about 2k.

❚❙ A/N: this writing hasn’t been edited, you may find some grammar mistakes, I’m sorry about that. If you find a description about body or a word out of place or something that makes you feel uncomfortable / unrepresented, let me know by a private message and I will change it delighted ❤

❚❙ JOHNNY ‘COCO’ CRUZ MASTERLIST.

❚❙ MASTERLIST.

❚❙ JOIN MY TAG LIST.

When you heard that Coco had been shot, your heart suddenly stopped. It was four days ago in some kind of dog's fight, as Chuckie told you at the scrapyard. Bishop needed someone to take care of him while they were investigating what happened, so you offered yourself without doubting it.

Much to your regret, you are only two good friends, even if you feel more things that you can't explain, about which you haven't talked with anyone. And thanks to your work in the hospital, you managed a room only for him, so he could rest as much as he wanted, as much as he needed. But your back hurts like hell after being sleeping on the sofa, close to the bed, just to make sure that you were able to attend to all his necessities for minimal they were.

These days there, you have learned a lot about him, about his curiosities, about his fears; spending his time awake talking with you to keep his mind entertained, to not think about the pain in his lower abdomen. Your mates took the bullet in a jiffy, but, normally, the sorrow remains for a couple of weeks. Luckily, he only complained when the hour of the next turn of medicines was close.

You have tried to not think about your feelings the time you were in the hospital, but it was impossible. All you wanted to do was to lie by his side on the bed, embrace him between your arms and kiss him, having to conform yourself with holding his hand and resting your cheek on the mattress. Your eyes have never left his eyes, not even when he was sleeping, on alert in case of an unforeseen because of pain, or an infection, or God who knows. You were really paranoid.

“You ready?”

Coco glared at you, slightly tilting his head. You had asked the same question five times in the last two minutes. Offering him a hand to secure himself, the mexican put down from the hospital bed, ready to leave and go home. Angel and Gilly had cleaned his house, even if you insisted to Bishop that you could do it. But he asked you back to stay with him till the next morning, so he wouldn't stay the night alone until they came back from the other side of the border.

Two knocks in the opened door brought you back to reality from your own thoughts, in the meantime that you helped Coco to wear his leather kutte. Directing your tired eyes to the entrance of the room, you found three Vicki's girls, happily waving their hands. Raising an eyebrow confused and your lips pressed, they came in without asking.

“Papi, we've missed you”. The latin and playful tone of voice from Mariela, as she swung her hips to your friend, gave you shivers.

In just one sight, your presence was pushed to the background. These girls hadn't even called to ask about his state of health and, now, they were there as if they did all the work you did —delighted, of course. Trying to keep calm, you put Coco's clothes into his bag, zipping it when everything is ready.

“No te preocupes, we take care of him now”. Carolina sentenced with contempt and superiority, grabbing his stuff ready to abandon the hospital.

“Yeah, mami. Go home and rest”. His words hurt. More than a bullet.

Preferring their company besides yours let you know that he hadn't taken in count what you did. And yes, you did it because you wanted, but you also thought that maybe could mean a step ahead. But it wasn't. Not saying a word, doing anything but a simple nod with your chin, you grabbed your bag to step out from there. Ashamed. Feeling stupid.

Two weeks have passed and Coco has come back to the clubhouse. This time you have been doing extra shifts to compensate for your lost days taking care of him, almost walking like a zombie from home to work, and from work to home. So, when Bishop invites you to a party in his honor, you decline it. You are too tired physically to assist and tired mentally for foolishness. What is the point of going to a party to see Coco having fun with those bitches? You have had enough after two weeks without receiving a single text to thank you or to know how you are. He hasn't even cared about the fact that you haven't shown up in the club for two weeks. That's the little he thinks in your friendship.

Zapping from one channel to another, you try to find something to watch. A movie, a tv show, whatever that helps to distract your mind, while you enjoy thai noodles with beef. Finally finding an action movie, you cover yourself with a cozy blanket, grabbing the cardboard box to start your dinner. The ringtone of your phone interrupts your calm, with Coco's name on the screen. At first, you don't want to answer, but he continues insisting for more than three long minutes. Hanging up and calling again. With a furious growl installed in your throat, you leave over the table your dinner to grab your phone.

“The fuck means you aren' comen'?”

He doesn't even let you say hi or how are you.

“It means that I'm tired and I have to work at five”.

“I don' think one damn beer reverses your sleeping schedule, Yo' Grace”.

“Fuck you, Jonathan. I've been working double shifts to cover the hours I was taking care of you in th—”.

“Nobody asked you to do it”.

Eyes widened and your heart racing. You can't believe he just said that.

“Yeah, nobody did. But your hermanos preferred to be on the other side of the border. Your putas preferred to be partying and sucking dicks in Vicki's. And your mamá sent me pal' carajo when I called to tell her what happened. I did it because I was your friend. Because I cared about you. Because seeing you there with… all those tubes was killing me. That shit continues giving me nightmares every fucking night. But you shit on that. You kicked me as soon as your putas came to the hospital”. You don't know when you have started to cry, more than because of the rage than because of the sadness. “I'm sorry if I'm too tired to drink a fucking beer, but my job is more important than a person who doesn't give a shit about me, who hasn't called or text me in two weeks, who only wants my company when no one else is around. Have fun in your damn party and fuck all those whores to thank them for picking you up from the hospital, but didn't care about how you were after being shot”.

Hanging up, you toss the phone somewhere on the table, wrapping your body with the blanket and lying down on the sofa. Trying to contain the tears, the only thing you earn is to cry bitterness. You can't understand why he only has noticed your absence at the party. What has changed? Probably it was his egocentrism working, wanting to be surrounded by a lot of people, not caring if they're his friends or not. But you're done being his lapdog.

About to fall asleep, the angry hits in the main door make you suddenly wake up agitated.

“Open up!”

The rage is consuming you again after hearing the strong mexican accent, taking three long strides towards it to receive him with your reddened crystal eyes.

“What the fuck 'you want now? Haven't you had enough beating myself up?”

“You're fuckin' dramatic”. He spits in your face, stopping with a foot the slam to his about to close the door again. “I didn't talk to you because you were working, bu' you didn't talk to me either”.

“Yeah, because you were served with your bitches. Go fuck yourself, Jonathan”.

“Don' call me like that again”. Coco grunts taking a step into your house. “You had to work, they came to cover your back”.

“Oh, please, don't make me laugh. They just wanted to have the credits of taking care of you, so you will expend more money with them. That's the only thing they care about you. Wake up from your world of fantasy, Coco. If you weren't part of the MC, you wouldn't be a shit for them; just another fucking soldier with a broken home”. You can't help but push his chest with both hands, driven by anger.

At first, he doesn't say anything. He looks thoughtful, being aware of the truth in your words. And it hurts that you have to be the one to open his eyes. The problem is that you weren't thinking while talking, pulling your gaze away from him and pressing your trembling lips, one against the other.

“I'm sorry”. You babble, cleaning your tears with the back of your left hand. “I didn't mea—”.

“But you said so”. Coco interrupts you with a husky tone of voice, bristling every inch of skin of your anatomy. “That's wha' I am without my kutte. An ex-soldier, a criminal, an outlaw. I spend my money on them because they take care of me, one way or another”.

“I did it too”.

“So, what? What you want? Money? Tell me an amount”.

Squinting at him, you can't help but chuckle with a painful and bitter laugh.

“I did it because I love you, not because I want your money”. You confess, knowing there's no going back. “I don't care about your money, nor your job, nor about your kutte. I love you because you make me happy. After all, for me, there's nothing better than a hug of yours, because you… you are simply amazing. You're intelligent, funny, loyal. And I wish that you could see yourself through my eyes, Coco”.

He, not saying anything, is killing you slowly. Barely breathing, you cross your arms over your chest to hide the fact that your lungs aren't receiving any air.

“I thought that after being shot, you realized you only live once. And that… after being those… boring days with me, you realized that you preferred the company of these other girls. The funny part of being alive. So I just pulled myself away”. Taking a small pause, you bow down your head, cleaning your tears again. “These weeks have been torture. I've written you a lot of texts that I haven't sent… and I've been a lot of times about to call you. But 'you know that… feeling when you think... the other person is not gonna answer you, because maybe is too busy for you? That shit has been destroying me”.

Hoping that Coco finally is going to speak, he remains silent. Looking at you openmouthed, processing all the information you have just give him.

“Can you, ple—please, say something?” You beg almost shaking.

“Wait, you… love me? Like… Garfield loves lasagna?”

Raising your eyes, pouting at him, you know that he's trying to make you laugh after understanding all the pain you have been through. Lonely. Without talking about it with anyone.

“I'm sorry, mami… I just… fuck”.

Cupping your cheeks onto his hands, Coco slams his lips on yours, tasting the salty tears you have shed because of him. The sloppy kisses bring some more air to your lungs, calming your racing pulse and making you feel less unhappy. As your fingers get intertwined in his shirt, crinkling under your grip, he urges you to walk backward so he can close the main door with a kick.

“God knows I'm so fuckin' sorry… Please, forgive me”. Coco's whispers brush your lips, keeping his eyes closed just like yours. “I'm gonna take care of you now, okay?”.

Nodding in silence, you place your arms around his middle back, hiding your face into his chest. His strong scent brings you back to life, while his arms wrap you tightly to comfort all the pain he has provoked you without knowing it.

“I just want you, ma'. No one else. Just you”.

[1234-angelika]

London Calling

an:Hey y'all! I'm back from hiatus and I have a new Spencer fic for y'all. This is the sixth installment of the Happily Ever After series for Spencer. As always, hope y'all enjoy!

words:1.1k

warnings:mentions of food

summary:"In London, everyone is different, and that means anyone can fit in." - Paddington Bear

masterpost|taglist|have an idea

You and Spencer had been celebrating all the milestones in your relationship, big or small.

For the pair of you, this was a big step in the relationship. You were going on your first vacation together. It was going to be a short trip, just a two-day trip to London. Which, according to Spencer, was enough time to see all the 'important sights.' He had taken the reins on planning this trip, so at this point, you were just along for the ride.

You got to the airport at noon, three hours before your flight, which you preferred. The plane took off at 3pm from Norfolk airport, which got you to the UK at 8:30 am. You had only one layover at O'Hare, which was just complete craziness. Because of his eidetic memory, Spencer had been in charge of the itinerary, the obvious—being that he was the one who planned the trip. So the first stop was the hotel to check-in, drop off your bags and freshen up before exploring the city.

Your first tourist spot was Hyde park for an hour. And then, an hour later, you watched the chaining of the guard at Buckingham Palace followed by a visit to St. James park. Afterwards, you and Spencer visited Westminster Abbey. You spent a lot of time there since Spencer had booked the hidden highlights tour. As you walked around, you were admiring the beautiful stained glass. Next, you crossed the street and saw the house of Parliament as well as Big Ben, which was not the photo opportunity you were hoping for but still amazing enough to cross off your list.

Lunch was at a swanky Indian restaurant, the Cinnamon Club. Then you were back to doing touristy things. First on the agenda was Trafalgar Square which was bustling with people, and then you moved on to the National Gallery. Which took a few hours but was completely worth it as you walked past masterpiece after masterpiece. Next was a romantic ride on the London Eye, the sun was setting, but it hadn't got cold yet. Before dinner, you visited the Piccadilly Circus, similar but not as grand as Times Square and Leicester Square. You stopped back at the hotel to change into something a little fancier before heading off to dinner. You went to Bob Bob Ricard and had a fantastic dinner with cocktails. And then you and Spencer had some cocktails at Mark's bar to end off the night.

The following day you had a bit of a sleep-in before getting a start on the day. Over a light breakfast, Spencer briefly told you the plan for the day. It was busy. Starting at 9am, together you visited the Tower of London, coffee in hand. Spencer told you all sorts of historical trivia before you moved on to the London Bridge. Of course, the bridge came with trivia of its own. You paid a quick visit to the Shard, which Spencer told you was the tallest building in London, before heading to the Borough Market for brunch.

Spencer's itinerary for your second day brought you to two museums. The first stop was the Tate Modern, London's modern art museum. It was amazing. The museum was full of contemporary artists such as; Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso and, Mark Rothko. For each piece of art, Spencer was prepared with facts about the painting and the artist. After a few hours at the museum, it was time for the next stop. St. Pauls Cathedral.

You walked across Millennium bridge to get there. The architecture was beautiful, and the entry fee you had paid was completely worth it to see the inside. The second museum was the V&A museum, with a vast collection of the best art and design in the world. It was definitely not made for kids but so enjoyable for the two of you.

The last tourist attraction was Kensington Palace & Kensington Gardens; this was only a quick visit since it closed at 6pm. To mark the end of your trip, you had dinner at a well-known pub. Churchill Arms, known for its wide selection of ale and its surprisingly good Thai food. You and Spencer took your time enjoying your last meal in London before getting ready to head home.

You hailed a cab fairly quickly and piled into the backseat. Unfortunately, traffic was insane, and even though your cabbie navigated it fairly easily, you still got stuck. It took longer than you anticipated to get to the airport, but that only added to the adventure, so you weren't worried. Spencer, on the other hand, was slightly freaking out. You knew how much he hated being late, so slowly, you reached out your hand and placed it over his. When he didn't flinch away, you knew it was okay to leave it there. Over the next few minutes, his breathing slowed down, and he was back to normal.

Upon arrival at the airport, you discovered that your plane was delayed. At the news, Spencer's shoulders became less tense and his posture less rigid. Security was too bad, for the most part. The line was really long, but the process went quick. You and Spencer headed to the airport bar for a drink before the flight. You sat together at the bar, just chatting softly, which was a stark contrast to the boisterous people in the airport. A surprising number for being so late at night.

You and Spencer boarded the plane. He had the aisle, and you were in the middle. Nobody was sitting beside you, and you loved it. Your flight took off, and Spencer lifted the armrest separating you and then leaned on your shoulder. You placed a soft kiss on his head, followed by a whispered 'I love you' before settling into your seat. As his breathing evened out and he fell asleep, you started to do the same. All you could think about was how much you loved him. He put so much effort into the which was two days, primarily because of your schedule, and he made it the best trip you'd ever been on.

taglist: @sparklykeylime

@1-800-brain-and-heart @multixfandomwriter

@gspenc @myescapefromthislife @j-cat

[itsjustmyfantasyroom]

I can't believe it.

This is episode based, the Hank Abraham case- which i touched on as lightly as possible but its there, so there is fair warning.

Warnings: Usual Svu, SVU based & Hank Abraham case.

The air was thick with tension, no one was game to say anything at risk of adding more fuel to the fire or saying something wrong. Sonny, Amanda and you felt like you had done something wrong, when in reality you done your job and caught a bad man, you guys couldn't help who it was.

Rafael wasn't himself when he found out the news. You guys hadn't spent much time together since the case came in, he had been working late, you asleep when he got home and gone by the time you woke. He was getting pressure from the DA to sort this out and get it out of the way as quickly as possible. It had to come first till it was all over with.

Pippa Cox walked out of Liv's office after watching one of Hank’s interviews with Rafael and Ed Tucker, she looked into your eyes with such hate and hurt, and you looked down holding back tears with red cheeks. You guys had walked into her and Hanks apartment at two in the morning and turned her and her kid’s lives inside out. Of course she hated you for it. You got up from your desk and pretty much ran to the on call room and shut the door behind you letting the tears fall.

Amanda had seen the look you were given and how you reacted, you didn't know she had followed you.

The door opened and you were sitting on a bed. She walked over and sat next to you putting her arm around your shoulders.

"It's a tough one"

"You’re telling me, I just hate feeling like we done something wrong, you know"

"Yeah I know, but we didn't. We caught the bad guy"

"We tore his family apart"

"Yeah, but he was doing bad things, you wouldn't want to be married to someone like that would you?" You shook your head

----

Friday afternoon came at a snail’s pace. You had a few messages here and there from Rafael over the week, and one late night conversation, he felt like a stranger. He told you he didn't want you to feel that he was taking it out on you, but he has having trouble processing everything that was going on, which you could tell from his sad watery eyes during that conversation. So you left him to it and stayed out of the way.

Sonny had gone to court with Liv on Friday for the ruling, he wanted you to go too, but you wanted to stay back and finish off paper work and just go home. You finished early and signed out when Amanda did. You got a cab a block away from the apartment and picked up two bottles of wine then walked the rest of the way home.

You hadn't heard from Rafael so you decided to give it a couple of hours before you would order in. Sonny messaged you with outcome and you weren't sure how Rafael would be when he got home. You showered and washed you hair and put on some cotton shorts and a t-shirt and opened the wine.

You pretty much sculled down the first bottle. You were on your last glass from that bottle staring out the window when you heard the keys in the door. Rafael walked in like a zombie and went straight to the bathroom not even saying hello and you heard the shower running.

You stood at the island and opened the second bottle of wine and filled your glass up, picked up your phone and ordered his favourite Thai dish from a place down the street. You poured him a drink just how he liked it and sat it at the end of the island so he could see it when he walked out of the bathroom.

He came out in a pair of cotton track pants and a white t shirt, walked straight to the drink and drunk it in one go, he walked over to you, turned you to face him and wrapped his arms around your waist and hide his face in your neck.

"Just hold me, don't let me go ok" You nodded and kissed him on top of the head.

Not much was said for the rest of the night, dinner came and you ate in silence, Rafael having a couple more drinks after dinner. After you cleaned up and sat on the couch, Rafael joined you and laid his head on your lap and you ran your fingers threw his hair.

Next minute you heard him lightly snoring, you wiggled out from under him laying is head slowly down and covered him with a blanket and went to bed. You wanted nothing but to pull him to bed with you, but he was completely drained and slightly drunk, so best to just leave him there.

****

The light was streaming in from the window through your eyes lids, you slowly rolled onto your back and was surprised when you seen Rafael laying there looking up at the ceiling.

"Morning Rafi, are you ok?" You lent over and kissed him on the cheek. He didn't answer straight away. He was frowning and his jaw was clenched.

"I can't believe it you know-why he would risk everything over doing something like that. He had everything. An amazing job, a wife, two healthy happy children and he did that knowing if he was caught what would happen" he shook his head.

"No one will ever be able to answer that Rafi, not even him. He was fighting demons no one knew about and they won. I feel sorry for Pippa. Being married to him for so long and having his children, for him to be doing that behind her back. But I can't help but think it was our fault."

He turned his head and looked at you, you looked down

"Why would you think that?"

"Well if we had left when Liv told us too, he wouldn't have got caught and their lives would have gone on like they always had. All week Sonny, Amanda and I have been blaming ourselves. But we were just doing our job. But we tore his family apart-and I couldn't help but think you were mad, at us, at me starting this shit storm"

He rolled over and faced you, wrapping an arm around your waist.

"Look at me Hermosa" you didn't "Hermosa" you huffed and looked up to meet his gaze.

"I don't want you to ever think that ever again. He would have got caught. You done your job, and a good job at that. I'm sorry for the distances, I just couldn't get it to sink in. It triggered so much for me and I didn't know how to process it. Not that my father did anything like that, but he had an amazing wife and me, and it still wasn't enough, his actions caused him to lose us. I don't understand why what they have isn't enough."

"It’s life Rafi, some people it’s just their makeup, how they are made, they don't care if they lose what they have, no matter how good it is. If we weren't in the job we're in, none of this would matter as much as it does, it would just be another story on the news. But we see it first hand, we have a different point of view than most people. I just hope-never mind"

"No say it"

"I just hope I'll always be enough for you Rafi" his whole face softened and he lent down and kissed you lightly on the lips.

"Hermosa, you always have been and always will be enough, I love you."

****

 "Tio Raf, you promised so long ago" Zara pouted over the video call.

"I know mi Amor, but Tia and I have been really busy with work"

"Sweetie, as soon as Aunty Liv and Tio Raf's boss give us some time off we will be out to see you"

"I can call Aunty Liv and talk to her" you, Rafael and Nick started laughing

"It's ok sweetie thank you, but I can handle her"

****

"Ladies and Gentleman this is your caption speaking, we have arrived at LAX airport, local time 7 am, enjoy your stay in Los Angeles California"

The sun was shining down and you could smell the salt in the air, you hadn't been this relaxed in a very long time. You and Rafael were standing on Santa Monica pier waiting for Nick and Zara to come.

You both finally got some time off and worked with Nick on a week he had Zara over summer break. You guys all decided to keep it as a surprise for her. Although Rafael would have preferred a beach somewhere, you both naked most of the time, he was looking forward to some time away and some time with Zara. Nick only had a 1 bedroom apartment, so you guys were staying in a hotel. Rafael preferred it that way anyway, because he knew at the end of the day he could get you alone.

"You excited Hermosa?" Rafael was leaning on the rail looking very handsome in jeans and a casual button down, your arms wrapped around his middle and your chin on his shoulder

"Very much so. You?" He nodded and kissed you on the cheek.

"Hey Sweetie, I have a surprise for you"

"What is it Daddy?" Zara looked up at Nick

"Have a look around first to see if you notice anything"

Nick had sent you a message saying they were walking towards the pier, so you both started to make your way toward the entrance. You could see Zara scanning the crowd, and then her eyes met yours and she smiled and screamed.

"TIA" she ran towards you and knelt down a bit so you could pick her up as she got to you. Zara wrapped her arms around your neck and you picked her up.

"Hey my sweetie, surprise. I've missed you so much"

"Tia you made it. I've missed you"

You gave her a kiss in the cheek and placed her back on the ground when she wrapped her arms around your waist.

"Hey mi Amor"

"TIO RAF"

She pulled away from you and jumped on to Rafael, him picking her up. That finally gave you a chance to say hello to Nick. You wrapped your arms around his neck and his around your middle, he lifted you slightly off the ground.

"I've missed you so much Y/N"

"Me too Nick"

He put you down and pulled away, kissing you on top of your head resting his arm around your shoulders.

The week had been amazing, you guys had done so much with Nick and Zara. Zara was going back to Maria that night, and it was your last day tomorrow, you guys had a midnight flight. Nick was going to take you both out for dinner and then drive you to the airport.

"So the last case was a tough one hey" Nick took a sip of his beer.

"You could say that" Rafael frown "You’re lucky you missed out on all the fun" he rolled his eyes.

"It was horrible" you took a sip of your wine "that's really the first time I questioned myself at my job"

"Why would you do that?" Nick grabbed your arm and gave it a light squeeze "Your amazing at what you do, you couldn't help who it was. I was shocked when you told me"

"Anyway let's talk about something else, you look happy Nick, and so does Zara" you smiled at him.

"She is, I’ am. I' am missing a couple of things, well people, but it was worth the move for the most part, especially when the people I miss most come to visit"

"You don't miss me Amaro" Rafael smirked at him

"Well no, but you guys are a package deal" Nick winked at you.

[thechangeling]

Night blooming

Ok so remember when I said I was gonna write another wlw one shot about my OC and Thais Pedroso? Well I finally finished it. This is a sequel to Only Love. I reccomend you read that one first. It's on my Ao3. Also there are two Buffy references in here. If you catch them you get a cookie.

She was beautiful. Utterly stunning. Like a shining becon of angelic radiance and power. But what honestly made Thais so alluring was her kindness and selflessness. She was the kind if girl who held her heart out before her for everyone to see. You could see it in her smile, hear it in her laugh, you could see it reflected in her paintings.

Janessa was the kind of girl who had thought she had given up on the goodness of humanity a very long time ago. She had seen how cruel people could be first hand during her human life and even now as a vampire. Only now she had power to protect her and a dangerous appetite that was never full.

In theory maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe in theory a lot of Nessie's ideas were bad ideas. But after that kiss in her room. After Thais had slept in her bed and asked Janessa to sing to her. Nessie couldn't lie to herself anymore.

"So where are we exactly?" Thais asked, stepping of Janessa's motorcycle, eager to be done riding it. Janessa hadn't had a helmet available since she never road with one. Thais was shocked when she told her.

"Don't you need one?" She had asked her.

"Nope I'm dead remember? Plus vampires are pretty much indestructible unless-"

"Unless you get them in the heart," Thais had chimed in. She sounded as if she was reciting something taken directly from a textbook.

She probably was.

It was a little unsettling.

They had pulled up to what looked to be an abandoned building. It was dark and worn down, with crumbling broken edges.

"It's a surprise," Janessa answered playfully. Thais rolled her eyes good naturedly. Janessa laughed.

"Come on angel, dont you trust me?"

Thais deliberated this for awhile then finally nodded. "Ok fine, lead me to my death." She held out her hand for Janessa to take.

If Nessie was alive, her heart would probably be racing. She smiled in spite if herself and took Thais's hand.

Thais instantly tensed up. "By the angel you're cold!" She complained. Janessa rolled her eyes fondly.

"I am once again, reminding you that I'm a vampire," she pointed out. "Come on."

She led Thais towards the entrance of the building. Thais seemed to notice something of to the side and gasped excitedly.

"Look!" She pulled Nessie towards what appeared to be a patch of flowers. "Jasmines! They're night blooming!" Thais let go of Janessa's hand to pick one and handed it to her.

"Just like you."

A shadowhunter had just given Janessa a flower. A pretty girl had just given her a flower. Janessa needed oxygen. She didnt need to breathe but somehow she felt like she was suffocating.

Janessa felt really strange. She had been for weeks whenever she was around Thais. There were all kinds of new emotions that she wasn't really prepared to deal with. Nor did she want to.

Janessa shook it off. She reached forward and took the flower from Thais. Nessie felt her shiver slightly when their fingers touched. Thais was smiling at her, her expression was open and warm the same way it always was. Janessa wished she could be the same way.

She wished she knew how.

Janessa made an effort to stop gaping and smiled. "Thanks angel. It's beautiful." Thais shrugged.

"I know your probably not a flowers type of person-" she started, ducking her gaze shyly. Nessie shook her head adamantly.

"No shut up, I like my flower!" She protested jokingly. "And I actually am a flowers person, it's just that no one's ever given me them before." Thais smiled at her shyly, lifting her hand to push Janessa's hair back behind her ear.

"Me neither," she admitted. Nessie found herself instinctively leaning into her touch.

She was warm. Janessa grinned unselfconsciously for a moment before realizing she was showing her fangs. "Sorry!" Janessa exclaimed. But Thais appeared to be unfazed.

She shook her head smiling. Thais's eyes were shining like bright beautiful obsidian stones. Her fingertips felt soft against Nessie's skin. She gulped.

"I didn't even notice," Thais whispered.

Janessa held her gaze for a moment then remembered why they were there in the first place. She shook herself out of her stupor.

"Come on let's go inside." She took Thais's hand again and guided her towards the building. Thais groaned reluctantly, but still followed.

"I swear this is how horror movies start Nessie," she grumbled. Janessa laughed.

"Well if there's anything big and bad lurking in the shadows angel I promise to protect you," she teased.

"Oh please I'll be the one protecting you. I'm the one with combat training."

"Yeah but I'm the one with the scary teeth," Janessa countered playfully. Thais rolled her eyes and allowed Nessie to lead her into the building.

It was crumbled and run down with weeds growing out in every direction, but when they finally made it down to the center wall, Thais gasped.

The entire wall was covered in street art. More specifically street art like looked like it belonged in Brazil. At least according to pictures Janessa had seen.

"Oh by the angel, it's beautiful!" Thais exclaimed. "It looks just like the stuff in São Paulo!" She traced her fingers across the bumpy cement. "I used to paint like this sometimes."

Janessa raised an eyebrow. "You mean spray paint?" She asked skeptically. "I have a hard time picturing a shadowhunter doing graffiti art for some reason." Thais laughed and it made Janessa want to laugh as well.

"Yes I could see why you would think that," Thais admitted, the smile leaving her face. Shadowhunters usually aren't encouraged to pursue the arts. But I love it." Thais turned away from Thais and continued tracing the outline of one of the drawings. Nessie followed her as she walked.

"When I was a kid, everytime I would be super excited and happy and have a ton of energy, I used to run around and destroy the house by drawing all over the walls. At the time the consequences, or the concept of right and wrong, wouldn't faze me," Thais explained. She sounded a little nervous to be telling Janessa this.

Janessa carefully walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder, gently spinning Thais around to face her. "Why not?" She asked.

Thais looked haunted. "Because I didn't realize what I was doing at the time. I didn't know and I don't know why. Sometimes I have these moments where I just get really depressed and heavy for no reason and I dont leave my bed for days and other times it's like I'm on top of the world and I feel like I'm floating on clouds until I run out into traffic and nearly get run over," she murmered. She was avoiding Janessa's gaze.

Thais shook her head as if she was clearing dust from it. "Anyways the point is, spraying and painting has always helped me feel better. More human. One of the things I hate about shadowhunters is there's so much focus on death and violence and war," she said bitterly. "We're trained that our emotions are distractions. To feel is to be weak, and stuff like art, music or dancing, they're made from feelings. I think that's why shadowhinters are persuaded not to pursue them."

Thais sighed, glancing back over to the wall of street art. Janessa stayed silent, allowing Thais time to think.

Thais turned back to look at Janessa her eyes were shining again as she smiled slightly. "But I mean, who wants to live in a world without feelings?" She asked, stepping closer to Janessa.

Nessie was suddenly hyper aware of Thais's proximity to her. Her lips were curved and full and soft looking. She could remember their first kiss quite vividly, the way Thais tasted, the feeling of her warm body pressed against Janessa's.

The smell of Thais's blood overwhelming her.

Nessie reached out and cradled the sides of her face, rubbing her thumb against the edge of Thais's cheekbone. "You're right," she whispered in response to Thais's earlier statement. "There's nothing without feelings." Janessa lowered her head so that their lips were almost touching, paused for a moment to see if Thais would back out, and when she didn't, Nessie kissed her slowly.

Janessa heard Thais's heart sped up the same way it did the first time they kissed. She smiled slightly and deepened the kiss, pushing her tounge against Thais's as she felt Thais grip her arms tighter, pulling against the buckles on Nessie's leather jacket. She continued to kiss her feverishly pushing Thais's hair back. It was incredibly thick and curly, so Janessa couldn't really run in fingers through it very well.

Nessie ran her arms down Thais's shoulders to her waist and Thais made a squeaking type noise and jumped back.

"Cold Nessie!" She cried out. Janessa laughed.

"Aw I'm sorry angel. You're just gonna have to get used to it," she cooed. Thais playfully rolled her eyes.

She was silent for a moment then, studying Janessa carefully with her dark eyes. "You know it's interesting," she mused. "I used to believe that vampires couldn't feel things like love and compassion." Janessa narrowed her eyes.

This was a strange thing to be admitting on their first date but sure, why not?

"But then I heard you sing," Thais continued. "I heard you sing and it was so beautiful. Not just because you're good, because you are very good. But because you sing with so much passion and emotion," Thais exclaimed. "And that's when I knew that I was wrong, and that I care about you."

Janessa couldn't help but grin. "God you are so cute," she giggled.

Thais shrugged. "I'm not that cute. Also another thing happened that night when I saw you perform that I thought you should know about," she said innocently.

Nessie was curious. "What?"

Thais smirked in a way that was very not angel like. "I'll tell you once we get back to the institute." Janessa bit her lip to avoid letting out a moan.

"Well fuck then snap some pictures of the wall and let's get out of here," Nessie exclaimed, rushing towards the exit. Thais laughed and raced after her.

"Its fine. We can always come back," she pointed out. "Maybe this could be our special place."

Janessa felt another overwhelming rush of feeling overtake her. She tried not to let it show.

'Yeah," she answered, feeling light and fluffy and on top of the world, just like Thais had described before.

Just be careful, a voice inside her said. Make sure you don't go running out into traffic.

Keep your guard up Nessie.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Just for frame of reference, this is my idea of Janessa.

@eutony-in-whisper @swordwifes @ti-bae-rius @dianasarrow @stxr-thxif @thelandunderthehilll @magnus-the-fabulous-entp-bane @talia-lightwood