#THIS WAS SO PRECIOUS

[riickgrimes]

1.01 // 2.09

[bird-inacage]

Only Friends Episode 5 | "Well, I thought you might want to spend the day with someone special."

Ray you idiot, you are that special someone.

This was the most unexpectedly funny and wholesome thing ever. For a moment Ray was just like 'what reality are we living in right now??' before just accepting the wild universe that is Sand's life. Also, Sand's mother is an absolute legend.

[fervency-if]

Author, I was not kidding when I say I will start spreading this masterpiece to othe people because it's that good! 😤

My first victim is my friend and here are some compilations of her reactions that I think you would enjoy (I got her permission to send don't worry!) These are in no particular order.

We both went to the Metropolitan route and romanced Audrey, because we have the same superior taste in men 🤝🏻 and got shocked by how much horniness they got in their system 😭 So most of these are just gonna be Audrey thirsts.

Was committed to being a good person but then Audrey shows up and morality goes down the drain. Tsk tsk tsk.

He got us hook, line, and sinker and we don't know how to get out 😭

Our morals are basically non-existent at this route.

Showing signs of early ✨ codependency✨

Context for this is the one choice before all hell breaks lose in The First Feast where we can have a choice in eating/drinking him. And she got the jumpscare of her life. I avoided it in my playthrough and rightfully so 😌

Read that there was an achievement by turning him on during the first painting scene and we found it. And we were not surprised. He's just a little freak.

Not gore, not death, not murder, but hurting him is the only trigger warning we need.

Lastly,

That scene was just that good 😭💯

Question:

This is basically just a yes or no question, but will we get Vampire/Anemiac Hunters in the later parts of the game? Because it doesn't take a genius to connect one point to another that there's basically something strange happening in certain parts of the cities and towns. And our fav murderers aren't exactly discreet about their victims. I'm guessing shit will hit the fan later on and I'm so worried for these blood thirsty fiends 😭

Second, did MC grow up in the same town? Because chances are Audrey and then already met. If so, what first impressions did they have of each other? 🤔

That's all for today author, thank you for coming to my tedtalk, sorry for cluttering your asks again. Don't worry we will recruit more and more readers for you!

Oh dear, this was so much fun to read! I actually laughed/chuckled out loud several times reading this... Thank you for sharing, and a big thank you to your friend as well, who let you share this! I was thoroughly entertained, no doubt about it...

Aubrey definitely agrees - you do have a great taste in men, both of you. He approves with all his wicked little heart.

"And then things escalated quickly." Yes, that's often how it goes...

Naturally. Good person, schmood schmerson, along with morals schmorals, who needs that?

Aww, cannot leave him for long. That's the result he would wish for, so he is definitely satisfied with the outcome.

"Author is absolutely unhinged for this I salute" was one of those things that made me laugh out loud. Oh. Oh. Perhaps I am... But aah, indeed - I can imagine it being a bit of a jumpscare, haha! Poor soul - it's good that one can save and reload, at least!

"He's just a little freak" made me chuckle as well. He might be...

I have actually heard that before - the blood and gore? No problem. Hurting Aubrey? Oh, for shame!

Let's call it that. But seriously, haha, I'm glad that it was appreciated! "These two are horrible on their own," yes, that's legitimate. Ah, truly, you're both so funny, you and your friend.

Now, as for your questions:

There might be in some paths, yes... (In one upcoming path, the main character themselves will be able to be one, even.)

And when it comes to the main character; it's up to the reader if the main character was born in the village, or if they came there a bit later on - but they've lived there for a while, at least, and gotten a feel for it, so to speak. I imagine that Aubrey has been curious about the main character, and wished to get to know more about them/get to know them better - there is a certain interest from the start from his side. As for why they haven't gotten close yet as the game starts, that's up to you to decide. Perhaps they simply didn't get the chance, perhaps there were things in the way for one reason or the other, and so on - but at least Aubrey did feel intrigued by the main character in some way.

And thank you. Oh, and never apologise for cluttering my asks - I adore getting asks, so feel free to do just that any time you wish! 🫶

[petit-papillion]

Andrea congratulates Charles with pole ❤️

Mexico GP Qualifying Day| 28 October 2023

📸 leclercdata

[theragethatisdesire]

7. Who makes the other laugh more?

8. Who gets jealous easier?

9. How did they know they were right for each other?

for the ask game x

(i am in love with each and every work of yours omg. your fics are my FAVOURITE.)

HIIIIIII nonny!!!! thank u so much for the kind words and for reading, truly it means the world :') <3 ok i love these questions. just a reminder this is all for ti penso verse eren our little italian lover bc i love him

7. Who makes the other laugh more?

definitely eren. like he's just 24/7 goofing off and being stupid, not to mention he's very clumsy?? like can't keep a solid hold on anything. wakes you up at least once a week with a quiet shit and a crash from the other side of the bed because he knocked his water over. he also has the vibe of someone that does impressions, but like, very badly, especially when he's drunk. tried for a full night to "convince people he was italian" for fun, but was doing a british accent the entire time.

8. Who gets jealous easier?

this is a hard one but lowkey....i feel like it's you LOL. eren is possessive, but he's also cocky. he knows you're not leaving him for any other man because he knows he's amazing in bed the one for you. you, on the other hand, have to watch eren like a hawk because he's oblivious to anyone hitting on him. he always teases you for it, but you can't help it!!!! he's eye candy and every time you take him out he's always getting stared at and flirted with and it drives you crazy but 100% turns him on. if you start getting jealous, when you get home he'll let you pin him to the bed and have your way with him to make yourself feel better. "that's right, baby, take what you need. m'all yours"

9. How did they know they were right for each other?

okay eren knew the moment he saw you. as we saw at the end of pt 3 of ti penso when eren woke up, something about you just caught his eye and he was hooked immediately. once he moved to the city he literally followed you around like a puppy and let you treat him like a recurring one night stand for awhile until you finally caved and let him take you on a real date. he knew right away. you, on the other hand, were very reluctant at first. eren likes to tell people his "charm" won you over, but really, it was the third date he had talked you into. it was simple, just a bagel-in-the-park kind of date, but you realized you were having the time of your life people watching and laughing with him. at one point he excused himself to go to the bathroom, but returned with ice creams from the cart you had pointed out earlier. it sounds silly, but it was so thoughtful and he was so excited to surprise you (literally dropped it over your shoulder to try and scare you) that it just melted your heart and you were done.

okay i keep answering all of these asks with literal CHUNKS of texts but they're so sweet and i'm so invested in the ti penso uni i'm having fun ok

thank u for asking nonny <333

[dcwnrisen-aa]

Hello Ambie! I still remember when your blog was full of sunflowers and joy and I just wanted to tell you that that’s who you’ve always been for me——someone full of love for everyone around you and full of kindness. You’re such an amazing person and a talented writer and I’m so happy we got to write together! 🌻

hey starling ! i gotta admit, i miss my sunflowers and joy, and i hate that i let life steal that from me, y'know ? getting back to those old, kind habits is hard but i'm definitely trying to get back there, just slowly. also i'm super glad we got to write together too ! i hope this doesn't mean goodbye, i'd love for us to write again, get some things going. how was your day ? are you doing anything for the weekend? <3

[redbleedingrose]

YESSSSSS MA’AM THANK U FOR THE LATEST (and final? honestly i was happy at the end of part 7 and these 2 bonus pieces? i m m a c u l a t e) EPILOGUE FOR ALWAYS 😍😍😍 honestly this was the first gut wrenching, heartbreaking, beautiful angst i had read for a good long while. u made me feel like all the characters were ur own and just, took us on this journey of love, loss, disappointment, despair - just a whole heccin emotional roller coaster of addictive angst that i never wanted to get off like what a fever dream. istg i have read always … at least once every 2-3 days bc ofc i love ur writing but … i also love breaking my own heart over and over again (teehee ✨destructive tendencies✨). anyways i hope in this rambly and painfully written ask u can see the love i (and prolly a whole heccin bunch of others) have for u and ur writing. straight up if u became an author, i’d be throwing hands to be ur first sale bc well … i absolutely d e v o u r everything u write bc ur amazing. i just really appreciate what ur writing has done for me over the last few months, and thankful that the stars aligned for me to share this plane of existence at the same as u 🫡🤍 ilu 🥰

I am....

This is by far one of the kindest messages I have gotten. Don't mind if I just screenshot this and hoard it like a gremlin.

I- Thank you. I am just so stunned. I honestly am so so glad that you liked it!!! I honestly was hating on it, I was not super satisfied with the ending, nor does it feel like their story is over. So... not sure what to do with that LMAO!!!

But I am so freaking glad that you loved it. That you liked the story line, that you liked the way I wrote the characters... it means everything, honestly. I never once thought I would be a fanfic writer. I never thought my writing was good enough for it. Honestly, I still feel like I have a lot of growth that needs to be done. But that fact that people actually reread my stories? The fact that they feel so strongly about it? The fact that they are able to receive the emotions of the characters and feel them as their own??? Absolutely insane. Wild frl.

I am so glad that you like everything else that I write, and OMG what a freaking compliment about me being an author LOL! I think it is by far one of my favorite compliments to get frl. I am so thankful that you stuck it out with me!!! ILYSM!!!! <33333333333333

[fangswbenefits]

TOUCH STARVED MIGUEL

“Yes. Miguel craved your hugs now. And there was nothing you could do to stop him from bringing you in and keeping you close. You were now his comfort and he a wasn’t going to let that go so easily.”

can i plllllleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaase have a bubbly reader offering miguel a hug (as a joke bc hes grumpy) and he says no at first but later on when hes rlly upset abt whatever he puts his pride in his pocket and asks for one??? i know tht man is touchstarved a good hug might fix him

wait shut up. this is adorable :((

✫ ;: .. A HUG? / miguel o’hara

fluff; that’s literally it; maybe a bit of angst??

“And why are you so grumpy?” You slid across the bench, as Miguel sat, minding his own business and eating. He doesn’t spare you a glance as you just rested your hands on your elbows, tilting your head with a smile.

“What is she doing?” Gwen asks, from her farther seat, next to Hobie, Pavitr, Miles, and (occasionally) Peter. They are all staring at you and your bubbly nature.

“Ah, let her figure out how antisocial he is.” Peter shrugs, adjusting Mayday’s spider beanie.

“I think she already knows.” Miles says.

“That’s probably why she’s over there. To “cheer” him up.” Pav adds.

“Good luck with tha’” Hobie lightly chuckles, resting back against Pav as he swings his legs up, watching what he’d call a “show”.

“You look like you could use a friend.” You say, finally making Miguel look at you. His expression was the definition of ‘indifferent’. Your smile didn’t fall. “Or maybe an acquaintance you can talk to?”

Miguel’s expression doesn’t shift. You nod. “Imma have you figured out soon…I promise.” Your eyes slightly narrow in an inspection of him. Then he turns back to his food.

“It’s going well.” Pav sarcastically comments back at their table, making Hobie scoff.

“You know…” you say, fingers lightly tapping the table. “There’s things that can help with being moody.”

“I’m not moody.”

“Ah huh!” You softly cheer. “You spoke. Progress.”

Miguel looks exasperated as he shuts his eyes. He just wanted to enjoy his empanada.

“But you wanna know what will help?”

“I’m not…moody.” He repeats a little slower, to make sure you heard.

“Yeah you are. But it’s okay. Cause you wanna know what will help?”

“You clearly want to tell me.” Miguel breathes out.

“Mhm.” You smile. “A hug.”

Miguel shifts his gaze to you, blinking a few times.

From the farther table, the spider gang is still thoroughly invested. “Oh shit, he looks annoyed.” Miles comments.

“What do think she said?” Gwen asks, resting against the table.

“Tha’ he looks like a wannabe gangster.” Hobie says, now rocking his leg slightly back and forth as he watches.

“A hug would help. It helps me.” You are saying, still staring at Miguel, smiling.

Miguel clicks his jaw, before he’s standing, muttering to himself.

“Let me know!” You call to his leaving form with a chuckle.

;;

Later that night Miguel is pacing his office, just back from a mission that went terribly. The anomaly got away. And Miguel is beating himself up inside. How could he let that happen?

You’re walking down HQ’s hallway, looking for something you had dropped. As you scanned the floor, you hear muttering that reminded you of earlier today. Miguel.

You stopped by his slightly cracked open office door. You carefully knock. Miguel swings it open, sighing upon seeing you. “Now’s not a good time.”

You smile. “Don’t worry. I just want to ask if you’ve seen a pen.”

“A pen?” Miguel’s brows furrow.

“Mhm. I lost it.” You reply. “You look stressed.”

“I’m not—“ he takes a deep breath. “I’m fine. And no I haven’t seen your pen.”

“No worries.” You begin to back away. “Let me know if you see it though. It’s got a weird blue design on it.”

Miguel’s mind is whirring for some reason, as he finds himself calling for you to stop and turn back around. “Did you mean it?” He muttered it so quietly that you almost missed it.

You’re now walking back, eyeing him. “Mean what?”

Miguel’s tongue pokes out against his cheek, feeling his entire body drenched with exhaust and self pity. And putting his pride away he says “A hug.”

“A hug?” Your smile has widened. “I thought you weren’t moody?”

“I’m not. I just— you know what forget I asked.” Miguel goes to turn away feeling stupid, but then you’re reaching forward, wrapping your arms around his neck, with a smile.

At first Miguel doesn’t know where to place his hands, but you stay put, just resting your body against his, as your cheek slightly squishes up against his shoulder. Then Miguel slowly—very slowly—wraps his arms around your midriff, and hugs you back.

Miguel doesn’t what to admit that his body has instantly relaxed upon feeling yours against his. Your hand had begun to softly soothe the top of his back. Just drawing in slow circles, that makes his muscles stop their tensing.

And that hug wasn’t the last time it happened.

Now Miguel would secretly search for you. Big on the ‘secret’ part though, because he can’t have anyone else knowing he likes to hug you. No that would cause too many implications and destroy his well thought out ‘in control’ demeanour.

So when he’d find you walking alone—something he noticed you did a lot. And after he’d make sure that you were both in a desolate enough place, he’d softly grab your arm, pulling you somewhere even more desolate before he’s wrapping his arms around you in a much needed hug.

You didn’t mind. Hugs had always been your love language with family and friends alike. Though you were surprised by how often Miguel would now seek you out, just so you could rest your head on his shoulder and draw patterns on his back.

He claimed it was just for relaxation and that you shouldn’t have offered him a hug if you would’ve asked so many questions. So you let him, his own hand having gradually drawn its own patterns on your waist.

He liked hearing and feeling your breathing. Your breath by his ear sent almost cleansing shivers through him. And the feel of the rise and fall of your chest against his own made his usually racing heartbeat calm down to match with yours.

He liked the calmness your body gave him. And deep down he knew he now craved it.

;;

You were all in a different universe. Gwen, Miles, Pavitr, Hobie, Peter, Mayday, Miguel and you. Jess had to take care of another mission so Miguel very clearly claimed how he’s stuck with you all, his scowl very present.

It was midway through trying to catch this anomaly when Miguel’s gaze gets caught up in a man and his baby. And as you stopped, noticing his focused gaze first, you identified the man and baby as Miguel and his daughter.

You didn’t know much about Miguel’s daughter. Just that in his universe she had died. And now as Miguel watches a variant of himself with a variant of his daughter he can feel his body tensing.

He’s never had the misfortune of seeing variants of his family before. And now really wasn’t the time to dwell and sink deeper into his mind but he just can’t help it.

“Is he okay?” Whispered Miles to Peter.

Peter shakes his head. “But there’s nothing we can do about it. No one can take him out of episodes like this.”

Because everyone could see that inside Miguel was fuming, so close to exploding that everyone had almost taken a step back.

You stared at Miguel, watching as his chest heaved with a racing heart.

You remember one time he had muttered to you, head in your neck. You weren’t sure if you were actually meant to hear it or not. But he had said how your breathing slowed his breathing. Or something along those lines. Because after he had said that he had drawn you in tighter, keeping his large hands around your body.

So now you edge closer. And this could be a terrible idea, you realise that. Your friends seem to as well.

“Y/n!” Gwen hisses quietly, watching as you edged closer to the ‘beast’ or how everyone else was treating him like.

You all needed Miguel to focus to capture this especially dangerous anomaly. You couldn’t have him trapped in his mind teetering on the edge.

So you continued to walk forward, and as everyone stared in shock, you carefully wrapped your hands around his neck in a hug. You did so very lightly, to give him any room for rejection. You were actually waiting for the rejection.

But then, to everyone’s shock, Miguel wraps his arms around your waist, just like every other time. And he’s found you fit against him so nicely, it felt so comfortable. Your heartbeat was against his now, and the slower tempo made Miguel sink into your neck, his arms now engulfing you.

Shocked now isn’t a big enough word. Because you were hugging Miguel. And it wasn’t the ‘you’ part everyone was surprised by. It was the ‘Miguel’ part. He was clearly eager to hug you back, and they all watched as Miguel practically became putty in your hold.

Yes. Miguel craved your hugs now. And there was nothing you could do to stop him from bringing you in and keeping you close. You were now his comfort and he a wasn’t going to let that go so easily.

[beif0ngs]

Over the Garden Wall 10th Anniversary stop motion short by creator Patrick McHale and Aardman Animations

[epickiya722]

Everyone, be quiet and look at this!

Thank you for your time!

[gojosbf]

gojo satoru:

also gojo satoru:

[notastraykid]

I'm not crying, you are.

In my dreams

Seungmin x reader. (fake) enemies to lovers. my interpretation of in my dreams by tearliner, love X stereo.

Seungmin has never liked you. You never understood why, but you were slowly coming to terms with it. However, you gradually come to learn that there is more to his feelings than what meets the eye.

skz song series

cw: reader has anxiety and deals with lots of self-doubt and insecurities.

a.n: the end of our skz song series!! and a pretty personal final fic, this one is based on my own experience with anxiety, so it might differ for everyone :) thank you for reading as always <3

You watch, a soft smile on your face as two little girls play with one another in the playground. It reminds you of simpler times, when you could just walk up to another human and become friends with them instantly.

But reality is much more challenging, especially for someone like you, constantly plagued by their anxious thoughts.

Anxiety didn't tiptoe into your life, one drop at a time so you'd get accustomed to its overwhelming presence. Instead, you woke up one day and it barged into you, through cracks and dents you didn't even know existed in your being, and then it made itself a permanent home within the confines of your heart.

You never truly learned how to live with this parasite feeding off your soul, draining you completely until you became a mere shell of who you once were. You never fully adjusted to the invisible hands choking you from within, to the voice nagging you in the back of your mind, telling you that something horrible was bound to happen.

Because nothing ever went wrong, day after day, nothing bad happened. And yet, the feeling of dread persisted and lingered until you started to believe that the problem was you.

And once you opened the door to self-doubt, you could never fully close it again.

You're too overwhelmed, too nervous, too much of everything bad. Your conversations are scrutinized, down to every syllable you uttered, to the way you smiled and how you laughed. The interactions might differ but the regret that haunts you after is the same.

So, you diluted your being, in an effort to be more acceptable, easier in the lives of the people around you. You believed that if you pleased everyone you ever encoutered then at the end you must satisfy yourself too.

You sigh softly, drumming your fingers along your knee. You’re starting a new year in college tomorrow. Your first one wasn't exceptional by any means. Aileen, the girl who sat beside you from time to time was nice, and you grabbed coffee sometimes as you prepared for your exams together. But she had other friends, ones she's much closer to, ones she invited to her birthday party, ones who she didn't simply fill her free time with.

You shake your head, putting a stop to the thoughts in your head before they get too much once again, pushing you over an edge you don't want to be in right now. 

You'll try harder this year. You'll be okay, for once.

≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋

Your professor Lee is scribbling something on the large whiteboard, as he waits for the class to fill up. Someone sits next to you, and the smell of their cologne wafts to your nose- hints of vanilla and wood seemingly calming down your nerves. You quickly take a glance at them, to find a guy with long brown hair and freckles dusting his cheeks. He's taking out his notepad from his bag, and you smile at the chick keychain he has on it. He catches you looking and you quickly avert your gaze, heat creeping up your cheeks. 

"Hi, I'm Felix," he greets enthusiastically, and you turn your head slowly to be met with his wide grin. It softens his features, making his eyes turn into moon crescents. You envy his ability to smile without overthinking how he looks. 

"Yn," you introduce back, and he nods, the grin still etched on his face. "You were in my Economics class last year, no?" he asks and you tilt your head to the side, as you mull over his question.

"I was but I don't remember seeing you," you admit sheepishly and he waves a hand in the air, not bothered the least by your words. 

"It's okay, I just remembered your presentation on Inflation. I finally understood why we can't just print more money," he admits with a chuckle, and you giggle against your will. 

"I don't blame you, it sounds like an easy solution," you agree, and his eyes widen. 

"Right! when I tell my friends they just stare at me in disappointment."

You laugh at his adorable pout, an unfamiliar warmth stirring within your chest. He's nice. 

"I'm glad I helped you then, I was so nervous presenting it," you clear your throat as he smiles impressively at you. "Really? I couldn’t tell at all." 

Mr. Lee calls for your attention and you both turn your heads back to the board. You couldn’t really focus, Felix’s words echoing in your head like a broken mantra- he couldn’t tell you were nervous. A sudden relief dawns on you at the possibility that, maybe, not everyone is aware of the neverending storm raging within you, threatening to drown you at any giving moment.

≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋

"Movie night at my dorm?" Felix proposes as he packs up his bag, your two hours long class finally done.

"Will Seungmin be there?" you ask, a slight edge to your voice and Felix pauses, shaking his head at you.

"Yn, you're overreacting. I promise he doesn't hate you."

"Have you ever seen him smiling at me?" you ask, arching your eyebrow expectantly at him. He stays silent and you wiggle your finger in the air. "Exactly! Please tell me he won't be there."

"About that... He's helping me bake the cookies," Felix smiles sheepishly and you groan, falling dramatically on your seat.

"I’m not coming."

"But the cookies," Felix pouts, and the promise of the chewy baked goods is so enticing it makes you second-guess your decision.

"The cookies...," you whine, and Felix giggles grabbing your hand to pull you up.

"I’ll see you at 5?"

"Yes," you concede, a small smile on your lips. You wait until Felix bids you goodbye for it to finally slip from your face.

Seungmin has never liked you, from the moment Felix introduced you to him. You still remember it clear as day, the way his eyes slightly widened when they fell on you, before narrowing down. How he didn't utter a single word when Felix left you both alone to get your drinks. Your panic grew as an uncomfortable silence reigned on the both of you, and you racked your brain for something to say to cut through that eerie quiet.  

"Seungmin, right?" you asked, a bit too cheerfully, and you winced inwardly at your tone. He didn't reply, only humming back. It was so faint you wouldn't have caught it had you not been staring at him intently.

"What's your major?" Your voice cracked.

"Computer science." He replied curtly, and you waited patiently, expecting him to return the question. He didn't. And you shifted awkwardly from one foot to another. Maybe he just didn't do well with strangers. Maybe he wasn't a chatty person, to complement Felix's extroverted nature.

But you were wrong. You watched in complete astonishment as he teased Felix relentlessly, a wide smile on his face. It made his eyes soften, a newfound fondness itching itself on his expressions. He laughed and he joked and you felt yourself shrink more and more, this way he wouldn't notice you anymore, wouldn't glare at you as if you did something horribly wrong to him.

Felix tried to include you as best as he could in their conversation, but you tuned it out. It was hard to focus on their talk when there was a tumultuous one ongoing in your mind. Seungmin's behavior just further cemented every horrible idea you held about yourself. There is something wrong about you, and he can see it. You may have fooled Felix but you didn't fool Seungmin. If you were him you wouldn't talk to you either.

Every encounter with Seungmin since then left you feeling fifteen years old again, in a classroom full of unkind eyes zeroed on you. You tried to talk about his interests, to string along a normal conversation, one that would reassure that your first encounter was a wrongful impression.

But he did not like talking to you, only offering short replies in response. It’s as if his tongue was tied in your response, and in return it only magnified the knot in your stomach. You went through every conversation with him a million times in your head, trying to pinpoint what exactly went wrong. What warranted him to be so silent in your presence, and yours only, as if you weren’t worthy of a simple conversation. And the answer always tied back to you.

So, you’ve been avoiding him like the plague for the past month, sparing him the chore that is existing near you. It was particularly hard since Felix was his best friend and roommate, and surprisingly he actually enjoyed spending time with you. Still, you couldn’t help but think that it was only a matter of time before Felix started to hate you too.  

≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋

"You're moving too much," Seungmin chastises and you freeze in your place at his words. You are sitting on the couch of Felix’s dorm later on that day, a horror movie playing in the small TV before you. Felix decided to lay on the floor, buried in a pool of yellow blankets, and a long pillow that weirdly had the picture of one of their friends printed on it. "It's my safety net," he explained and you didn't question him any further.

For some reason, Seungmin decided to sit next to you, instead of the opposing couch. Granted, he can see the TV more clearly from here, still this is the first time he willingly went somewhere near you, let alone talked to you.

You decide to ignore him, too focused on predicting the next jump scare, your feet tapping the floor furiously. But still, it happens so abruptly, eliciting a startled gasp from you, anf you clutch the edge of the couch even tighter.  

"Close your eyes," Seungmin speaks suddenly and you raise an eyebrow at him, confused. 

"There is a jump scare coming soon," he clears his throat, "just... close your eyes if you don't want to see it." 

You comply without much thought and soon enough, you can hear a shrill scream coming from the screen. He was right. 

"It passed," he says softly, and you tentatively open your eyes once again. There is a foreign expression on Seungmin's face, one you haven't seen before, but it passes as quickly as it came, like a dream slipping between your fingers as soon as you wake up. 

"How did you know?" you ask, hugging your knees tightly to your chest. 

"I already watched this movie."

"Really? Why are you watching it again?"

"Because. I had nothing better to do," he says, almost defensively, his hand now covering his mouth as if he had to physically stop the words from spilling out. 

You don't reply, turning back to look at the screen. Seungmin doesn't tell you when a jump scare is coming next, he simply taps your arm, and you close your eyes on cue. 

His hand brushing against your bare skin feels weird, not uncomfortable by any means, but it still is a foreign sensation. You didn't know he had such soft hands, and you always imagined them to be cold. But they are warm, and you wonder what other things about Seungmin you've been wrong about.

≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋

"I'm so tired," Felix groans, laying his head on your shoulder and you giggle, patting his head in mock sympathy. It's been three months since the start of your year, which means that the assignments are starting to pile up on you all.

"Me too," you sigh, and Seungmin stays silent next to you. Felix dragged you both to this coffeeshop, a little outing to recharge his spirit, as he texted you. You're slowly getting used to Seungmin's brooding presence. He talks to you a little more, even cracking a few jokes here and there. But you’re still wary of him. You keep your guard up just in case he forcefully brings a mirror to your face once again, reminding you of everything you despise about yourself.

"I'll go order, it's my treat. Pick a place for us?" Felix says and you nod, walking ahead of Seungmin towards a table near the back.

You sit down first, and Seungmin follows second, sitting right across from you. You quickly bring out your phone, scrolling mindlessly through the apps to distract yourself from the man in front of you.

"You have a presentation tomorrow, right?" Seungmin speaks up, startling you, and you slowly put your phone down.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Felix told me that it makes up 25% of your grade. Are you nervous?"

"A little," you admit, even though ‘a little’ didn't even begin to cover it.

"Don't be. You'll do well," he says, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. You almost feel as if you've imagined it before it dissipates.

"Thank you," you nod, as Felix brings the tray down your table.

"Is this for me?" you ask tentatively, pointing to the strawberry milkshake, a sore thumb sticking out between the iced americano, and the hazelnut Frappuccino, Seungmin’s and Felix’s respective go to orders.

"They got the order wrong. I got you an iced matcha," Felix pouts, double checking his receipt.

"It's okay," you smile slightly. There was nothing you despised more than having to change up your order.

"You don't want to drink this," Seungmin says, staring at you expectantly and you wave your hand in the air dismissively. "I don't mind."

Seungmin stands up, grabbing the drink from your hand before taking the receipt from the table. He goes to the counter and you watch in astonishment as he comes back, a green drink in hand this time.

"Here," he hands you your cup, before grabbing his own and sipping from it. Your drink is cold, but the warm tingles spreading through your being at his sweet gesture outweigh any other feeling.

≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋

Talking in front of 267 people never gets easier.

You memorized your presentation; you rehearsed it so much you could probably recite it with your eyes closed. Yet, the nerves still found a way to weave themselves inside you. Your hands were shaking, so much you couldn't even stare at the notes you prepared. Your palms were sweaty, blood rushing rapidly to your ears, tuning out your voice as you spoke.

You can’t even recall what you said exactly, it’s as if your body had a mind of its own, your mouth moving itself without you commanding it. You aren’t sure how it was, but someone smiled at you reassuringly from the first row, and the professor clapped, so you assume you did okay.

The class finally ends, your nerves slowly dissipating and leaving in their trail an excruciating exhaustion. You rub your eyes tiredly, as you slowly walk out of the door, before stopping in your tracks when you notice Seungmin leaning against the wall, hands buried in his varsity jacket.

His eyes are closed, a pair of earphones dangling across his chest. But then, as if he feels you looking at him, he opens his eyes, locking his gaze on you. You stay put in your place as he walks to you, his bag loosely hanging from his shoulder. He hooks his thumb underneath the strap, keeping it in place

"How was it?" he questions, and it takes you a few seconds to register what he was asking about. Your presentation. Was he waiting for you?

"I think I did well?" you reply, but it comes out more of a question to which he giggles softly.

"Are you asking me?" he teases and you roll your eyes playfully. "I did well," you repeat and he smiles, nodding a bit. "I’m sure you did. Here." He opens his bag, taking out your favorite chocolate bar from it- it had bits of caramelized pistachio and almonds in it. Seungmin doesn’t like it, he prefers plain milk chocolate, as Felix told you one day.

"Eat this, I ended up buying two by mistake, I still have an extra one at the dorm." You grab it from his hands, and he quickly leaves before you could properly thank him.

≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋≋

You always dread the days you'd wake up with a heavy weight crushing your chest.

You try to distract yourself, try to focus in class and take notes. You try to laugh at Felix's jokes and savor the brownies he just brought you. But you can't. It feels as if you're a cup filled to the brim, each passing second bringing you closer to when that fateful drop would finally make you overflow. And you could do nothing but watch yourself unravel.

Seungmin's eyes never leave you, and it only makes your anxiety spike. It feels as if he's peering inside your soul, witnessing how a cord ties itself around your throat, making it impossible for you to breathe. You can't speak anymore, every word you say threatening to make tears spill out of your eyes. You aren't sure you can make them stop if they ever start falling.

Nothing happened, nothing's happening, you try to remind yourself. But you are scratching your hand incessantly, and you feel an overwhelming need to flee. To run away, somewhere where only you would witness the display of your broken soul. So you sputter a meek excuse, and then you stand up and head to your dorm.

It's raining outside, and you don't have an umbrella. But you are grateful for it, since the rain mingles with your salty tears, shielding them from the curious eyes of the people passing by. You need to get home, you need to hide somewhere and you need to remember how to breathe-

"Yn," a hand grabs your forearm and you startle, instinctively taking two hurried steps back. It's Seungmin. He removed his blue hoodie and he's now placing it over both of your heads.

"What are you doing? You'll get sick," he sounds mad, and you can't take his disappointed tone anymore.

"I'm having a bad day and I don't need you to make it worse," you say, startling yourself with the raw emotion in your voice.

He physically recoils from your words, his arms faltering as he gazes at you, a wounded look in his eyes. "I make your days worse?" he asks quietly and his voice sounds so small, you can't help the regret that courses through you.

"Come on, Seungmin," you chuckle warily, "don't you hate me?"

"No?"

"Hate is a strong word, okay. You dislike me."

"I don't. Why would you think that?"

"Because you never wanted to talk to me, from the moment we met. And it wouldn't matter if you were this way with everyone, but it's only me. And you make me feel so small each time I'm around you," you ramble angrily, as Seungmin's eyes widen with each passing second.

"Yn, yn, I don't- I didn't know you felt this way, but I don't hate you. I truly don't, I promise you," he's panicking, voice growing higher with each word, and you feel a sudden embarrassment flood your being for lashing out at him.

You don't know what to say and he sighs, looking up at the cloudy sky before meeting your eyes once again.

"This is embarrassing, God, um..." he places his hoodie on top of your head before running a hand through his face. "I don't talk to you because you make me nervous." 

"I do?"

"Yes. A lot," he chuckles, a pink hue tinting his cheeks. "I just... I find you very interesting, and funny, and I like watching you, not in a creepy way, my God what am I saying," he whines, hiding his face in his hands and you can't help the giggle that escapes your mouth.

"Don't laugh," he pouts and you nod, willing the smile to disappear from your face. 

"I like watching you exist. Just laugh and smile and talk. You look very pretty doing it. I just don't know how to deal with it. That's on me."

This time the smile is effectively gone from your face. The weight of his confession distracting you from the turmoil of emotions that swirled within you.

"I'm sorry, for making you feel that way. I never meant to. For what it's worth, you make me feel like a small kid again, as if I'm having a crush for the first time." 

A fresh wave of tears brims in your waterline, and Seungmin's eyes soften at the sight.

"Please don't cry," he says, gently wiping the rain droplets from your cheeks. "I don't hate you, I think I like you too much and that's the problem." 

I'm sorry I misjudged you, until you wiped my tears off away

"Okay," you say quietly, your mind not yet registering what he said, too busy focusing on his hands on your face. You can't believe you've ever felt invisible because of Seungmin, when he's looking at you like you're the most precious being in the world. 

"You had a bad day?" he asks, his knuckles brushing against your cheek tenderly, and you nod, silently. 

"Would you like a hug?" he asks, and you nod again. A hug sounded nice. 

He steps forward, wrapping his arms around you. His t-shirt is cold, clinging to his now wet skin. But a surprising warmth emanates from his chest, shielding you from the pouring rain- it travels from his body to yours, as if it's a familiar path, one it underwent a million times before. His hand finds your back, and he pats it gently, following a soothing rythme, one you try to sync your breathing to. "You did well," he whispers, "you always do well," and his words feel like a patch of shade on a scorching day.

You exhale softly, tightening your arms around his waist. You think you can stay here, for a while. You could rest in Seungmin, now and tomorrow, and maybe for the following months. If he still likes you this much. 

Bonus 

"I'm ready," Seungmin says, his soft hair tickling your bare skin. He's laying on top of your stomach, black tie undone, a piece of crumpled paper in his hands. You can tell he's nervous, with the way he looks up at the ceiling, avoiding your gaze. You lean down, pressing a sweet kiss to the top of his head. He closes his eyes, his hold on the yellowed paper slightly faltering.

"I'm all ears," you whisper, and he smiles softly at you, before looking at his written vows- the ones you decided to read to each other after your wedding ceremony, just the two of you, in your personal bubble. It feels much more intimate this way, they are words meant for you only to hear, after all.

"My love," he starts, and he can already feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He blinks repeatedly, in a desperate attempt to keep them at bay. "If I'm reading this it means I finally married you, which is probably the best thing I've ever done in my life." You giggle and he can't help but smile at the sound of your laugh.

"I am writing these vows one year into our relationship, I haven't proposed yet, but I just know you're the one I want to marry. And I suppose I don't want to forget everything I want to say to you, when that day comes." His words make your breath hitch in your throat as realization dawns on you- he wrote this three years ago, and he kept it safe, till this day.

"I still remember when I saw you for the first time. I couldn't talk because you looked so pretty, and you were smiling at Felix and I felt an overwhelming need to be the one you were smiling at. I think you cast a spell on me because I couldn't even ask you about your major back, I couldn't believe how awestruck I was. But you already know this, don't you?" He looks up at you, pressing a quick kiss to your stomach and you smile widely. You still remember when Seungmin recounted the first time you met, from his perspective. Rosy cheeks and fumbling words as he explained how much he felt for you in that instant, and how little he could express it.

"But there are still things I haven't told you," he clears his throat. "Like how Felix told me what horror movie he was planning to watch with you, and I looked it up the night before, to memorize all the jump scares just in case you were afraid. And you were, and I'm glad I did. I don't even like horror movies, but it was worth watching it three times in a row, just for you."

"Also, how I had to run out of my class to yours, so I'd catch you after the end of your presentation. I bought that chocolate only for you. I kept a stack of fifteen bars hidden in my desk, just in case you were feeling down, and you ended up needing it. I kept asking Felix about everything you liked, and disliked, and he was probably sick of me at that time," he chuckles, as memories of begging his roommate for any bit of information about you flooded his mind.

"I don't know how far into the future it'll be when I'll finally read this to you. I don't know how I'll be, or where I'll be, but as long as you're with me then I must be okay. I used to overthink everything, plan every part of my life so it'd run smoothly. That is until you came into my life, so suddenly, and you flipped it upside down. I didn't care to plan my life anymore, all that mattered is that it revolved around you," he pauses, sucking in a deep breath.

"I knew I wanted to marry you when you took me stargazing. You talked about the stars and galaxies so excitedly. And then you brought up Saturn; how it was unique among the planets, adorned with thousands of ringlets. And I remember thinking that you're my saturn, you're the dazzling planet that everyone admires and I'm the ring spinning around you, the one you're keeping afloat. And as long as you're here, I have a purpose and I'm okay. So please..." his voice wavers, as silent tears slip out of his eyes.

"Don't leave me. I know we're married now, but still, don't leave me. I love you. I feel like I've loved you in different lifetimes, in different earths and timelines. Everything can come crashing down around us, but one thing that'll forever remain the same is my love for you. I was made to love you, after all. My eyes were made to look at you, and my hands to graze your cheeks. And my heart... My heart was made to beat for you. And I love you. I feel like I don't say it enough but I truly love you. As long as I'm breathing then I'm yours."

[ackaff]

It's dangerous to go alone, take this

[deoidesign]

sometimes I feel like discord is lacking emojis and so I make them myself. these ones in particular are my favorites

frog, toad, and soup!

Feel free to use them if you'd like!

[kensatou]

the h in nhl stands for homoerotic

bonus intricate rituals:

[lethalchiralium]

i’m not crying. nope

could you write something about simon cuddling a stuffed animal for his kid? like the kid leaves the room and doesn’t take the stuffie and gives it to him so it doesn’t get lonely and absolutely refuses to let him set the stuffie on the couch

“you have to hold him, daddy. he’ll be sad if you don’t”

i love the idea of big tough men holding small stuffed animals (bonus points if it’s a dog or a bear) -tea 🍵

ghost + your son's teddy bear

When Simon is home, he's always the one to put the kids to bed.

It's the most one-on-one time he gets with them.

First, your daughter. She's nearly two now. He will sit with her in a chair and just hold her for a bit until her squirming fades, her little cheek turning slack against his chest. "Look at you, dove. Ready for your bed." A kiss to her little hand, a kiss to her cheek. And he'll carefully transfer her into the crib.

Then, your son. You witness some of their nightly routine. Simon will lean against the bathroom door to watch him brush his teeth. "Don't forget to rinse, kid." He will let him pick out the night's attire, supervising as he practices dressing by himself (offers help where needed).

That's all you see of it. Once your son's in bed, you give them their alone time.

But one night, you're tidying up in the living room when you hear quiet murmurs. The door to your son's bedroom left ajar.

"Daddy, my bear gets sad when you leave." Soft, sleepy.

And then a gruff, "Does he now?"

"Mm. He misses your stories."

"Got to tell him your own stories fo' me, bug."

You don't mean to listen, but it's hard not to, a soft smile touching your lips. Curiously, you drift closer to the door.

"Daddy, you're big like a bear."

"Am I?"

A hum, a little giggle. "You're the dad bear. My teddy is the baby."

"Another one now, huh? Can barely handle you and your sister."

More sleepy giggles, but then there's the gentlest of yawns.

"Alright, kid. Time to close your eyes."

And what you don't see is the firm kiss planted on your son's forehead. All you hear: a quiet whine.

"Wait. You have to kiss teddy, too."

"Right,” Simon mumbles. “Give him 'ere."

You peak in just when the bear makes it to Simon’s hands. The behemoth of a man dips his head to give a kiss to the stuffed animal, just as he did to your son. Your heart flutters.

A languid pause.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"You've got to take my bear with you when you leave," your son whispers. "Or else he will get really, really sad."

Your heart clenches. Teeth grazing your cheek.

You hear your husband's low voice, "Want me to?"

"Yeah, he's your baby now, 'member? You have to tell him stories," your son demands in a sleepy daze. "And give him hugs. Like you do with me, okay?"

"Alright, bug, I'll take 'im."

And the next time Simon is deployed, weeks later, you notice the stuffed bear tucked in his bag. What you won't see, and what Simon wouldn't admit to even you, is how the bear finds home on the cot in his dorm. Simon- Ghost when he's in the uniform- holds this bear every night he can.