#They’re adorable and a fucking disaster!

[maxdibert]

Something you don’t like when reading a fic about Severus or that you find really off-putting?

The first thing is that if it’s something romantic, I absolutely hate when by chapter five he’s already madly in love, has given in, or has let his guard down. But not just by chapter five—neither by ten nor fifteen. Like, a Severus who’s actually going to get emotionally involved with someone is not going to do it overnight, and if that’s how it’s portrayed, it really throws me off. I’ve started fics that seemed promising, but everything moved so fast that I ended up dropping them.

I also really dislike when he’s portrayed as this super mature, deeply in-love guy who’s incredibly attentive and caring—like, what the fuck? I mean, Severus is a guy with serious emotional and attachment issues, someone who never really grew emotionally, who has a lot of flaws in his character and personality, and who is honestly pretty difficult to deal with. He’s not suddenly going to turn into some sugar-coated, chivalrous gentleman—not even after 20 years in a relationship. Maybe, maybe in a very intimate setting after many years, but at the start of a relationship or a fling? Come on.

Then there’s the opposite end, right? The Severus who’s this tortured Byronic hero, all serious and imposing, with this almost aristocratic air. Super intellectual, always composed, this dark romantic novel character who has everything under control. Like, yeah, okay, the guy was a double agent and has proven to be incredibly capable in practical and professional matters. But emotionally? He’s a mess. He has no idea how to handle himself. So who the hell is this version of him I’m reading? The one who’s completely in control, who barely ever loses it, who has temper tantrums, sure, but is secretly super mature? I get where these portrayals come from because they’re lifted straight from movie!Snape, but movie!Snape is not my Snape. My Snape is the book Snape—the one who absolutely loses his shit and makes a scene, you know?

I think, deep down, something that makes it hard for me to enjoy romance fics about him is how functional he’s often portrayed. If you’re going to show me Severus as a fully functioning adult, then I’m out because he’s not one. And I think he has the right not to be. He has the right to be an asshole because, honestly, he’s often depicted as way nicer than he actually is. And in reality, Severus is not an easy person to deal with. I adore him, we all adore him, but he’s an absolute disaster of a man. And he has the right to be that disaster, but people rarely let him, which is why it throws me off so, so much when he’s not portrayed that way.

LET MY BOY BE A COMPLETE JERK, FOR FUCK’S SAKE. IT’S HIS BEST QUALITY.

[corpusdiem-seizethedead]

Angel: Husk let me fell asleep with my head in his lap and kissed my cheek when I woke up. He's so cute. I wish he liked me.

Cherri: *looks into the camera like she's on The Office*

[sweetshire]

So, @silv-paru sent Sherlock Holmes for the character opinion bingo. thanks a bunch for this (and for your patience. my god, i’m answering this a week late. typical me behaviour). you’re a darling :D

Did you know, i used to tell these stories to my friends? they delighted in them AND i got a chance to sort of ramble on and on abt him and watson. it was a win-win, really. ah, those were the days! now i haven’t reblogged much of him this month at all. i miss him. I MISS HIM.

Onto the bingo: well. he’s The quintessence of gender™ to me. and i relate to him so so much. fav character of all time fr. i want to carry him in my pocket at all times & study him. like. do i want to BE him OR am i IN LOVE with him, ykwim? pssh who knows? certainly not me. uh-huh ‘a beast unleashed’ -does this refer to me or him? you choose. oh re: canon, i’m ignoring the part where holmes dies (or y’know, is dead for 3 years). that’s too angsty.

[shortqueershakespeare]

The opening to this Tuesday’s pod had me crying with laughter on public transport, John is such a mood

[hynzsn]

💭 HOW THEY ACT WHEN THEY’RE NEEDY ★

☆ txt x male reader

-> OT5 x boyfriend!reader

꩜ .ᐟ fluff, headcanons

♡︎♡︎♡︎ likes, comments and reblogs are highly appreciated ♡︎♡︎♡︎

₊˚ ꒰ 𖦹﹕CHOI YEONJUN ꒱ ˚₊

— king of playful neediness. he’s not afraid to be direct.

— loves physical touch -> lots of clinging, cuddles, and demands for kisses

— sends you a barrage of pouty seflies when you’re not giving him attention

📱 -> from junnie 🧡: [4 photo attachments] baaabe, i miss you 🥺

— calls you to dramatically sigh into the phone

— shows up at your place unannounced with your favorite takeout

-> “feed me?” he asks with puppy dog eyes.

— can’t be away from you, not even for 5 seconds whenever he’s in your presence

-> you’re engrossed in a game, controller gripped tight, when you feel a shift on the couch. yeonjun drapes himself over your back, arms snaking around your waist. "babeee," he whines, voice muffled by your shirt. "pay attention to me." "jun, i’m in the middle of something," you chuckle, trying to focus on the screen. he nuzzles his face into your neck, placing a trail of kisses along your jaw. "something much more handsome is right here." you can't help but laugh, turning in his arms to meet his gaze. "you’re such a dork," you say, but the fondness in your voice is evident. "your dork," he corrects, pulling you in for a kiss. "now, where were we?"

— steals your hoodies and wears them around the dorm

— he’d call you during his break from practice, voice breathless and full of excitement as he recounts the choreography. but then he'd pause, a softer tone taking over -> "i miss you," he'd admit, a hint of vulnerability in his voice. "wish you were here to see this in person."

— sends you thirst traps at random times in the day

📱 -> from junnie 🧡: [50 photo attachments] oops, my hand slipped and i accidentally took 50 photos of my abs… thoughts?

— gets needier after performances, craving validation. calls you immediately after getting off stage -> “did you see that? was i cool? tell me i was cool."

— becomes surprisingly shy and flustered when overwhelmed with feelings -> mumbles into your shoulder, “you’re just... really fucking important to me, okay?"

— gets needier when he's feeling insecure about his skills. asks for your opinion on every little thing -> “does this hand movement look okay? should i change it?"

— expresses affection through nicknames and pet names. cycles through increasingly ridiculous terms of endearment -> “hey there, my little cutie snuggle muffin~" “what’s my sweet honey bunny doing tonight?” “my little sugary dumpling.”

— gets dramatically pouty when you have to leave. he will cling to your leg like his life depends on it -> “noooo, don't go! i’ll wither away without you!"

₊˚ ꒰ 𖦹﹕CHOI SOOBIN ꒱ ˚₊

— prone to quite neediness -> gives you those big sad eyes and lets his actions do all the talking

— craves your attention but doesn’t actually know how ask for it directly

— expects you to know what he wants by the way he looks at you

— loves quality time -> lots of movie nights, cooking disasters, and quiet evenings spent just enjoying each other’s company

— follows you around like a lost puppy

— bcomes unexpectedly clingy in public. he’ll hold your hand or links arms everywhere, even in crowded places -> “i might get lost without you.”

— sends you cute, slightly awkward texts throughout the day, hinting at his need for your presence.

📱 -> from soobie boobie 🤍: what are you up to? :) just thinking about you and wanted to say hi.

— backhug attacks when you’re doing chores. uses his height to his advantage when seeking attention. rests his chin on your head, back-hugging you -> “this is my new favorite position. don’t move."

— gets extra clingy when he’s stressed or tired

— unbeknownst to him, he pouts adorably whenever you try to get up in the morning -> pulls you back down to lay with him

-> “can’t we just stay in bed all day?” he mumbles into your neck before leaving little kisses. “five more minutes. please?”

— always wants to be the little spoon

— he’d call you late at night, voice low and soothing as he tells you about his day. he wouldn't explicitly ask you to stay on the line, but the way he lingers on your every word, the soft sighs that escape him, speak volumes.

₊˚ ꒰ 𖦹﹕CHOI BEOMGYU ꒱ ˚₊

— chaotic, and needy type -> becomes playful, extra loud and way too hyper

— has absolutely no chill when he wants attention

— spams your phone with increasingly ridiculous selfies until you respond

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: day 37 of being ignored: i’ve befriended the dust bunnies under my bed. they understand me."

— spam calls you with dumb jokes until you pay attention to him

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: ya! stop ignoring me and love meee!

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: babe

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: hey

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: hey hey hey

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: answer meee!! i’m bored :(

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: wanna hear a joke?

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: what do you call a fake noodle?

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: an impasta!!!! hahaha

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: come on that was funny

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: fine, be that way.

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: i miss youuuuu

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: [photo attachment] dressed up for you today, loveee! bet you wanna come over and smother me in kisses 👀

— starts play fighting with you out of nowhere

— steals your phone to make you chase him

— leaves a trail of clothes leading to the bedroom

— flops dramatically onto the bed or couch, “i’m dying of loneliness!”

— sends you memes at 3am

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: u up?

📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: [6 photo attachments] found these in my camera roll. guess my fav?

— whines dramatically whenever you have to leave

— surprises you with impromptu dance performances

— becomes a human octopus when he's feeling clingy. wraps himself around you like a koala -> “i’m not letting go until you promise to love me forever!"

— invents elaborate schemes to spend time with you. shows up at your place in a trench coat -> “i’m a secret agent and you're my new partner. our mission? date night."

— gets extra bratty and playful when he's craving affection. will start a pillow fight out of nowhere -> “fight me, coward! the winner gets unlimited kisses!"

— sends you voice messages of him dramatically singing love songs

[03:00 AM] 📱 -> from b-bear 🤎: [audio note] *clicks play* “AND IIIIIIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOUUUU”

— becomes ridiculously competitive for your attention. challenges other members -> “bet i can make y/n laugh harder than you can!"

— uses his aegyo powers shamelessly when he's feeling needy -> pouts and bats his eyelashes: "pwease give beomie some wuv? 🥺👉👈"

— resorts to terrible puns and dad jokes to make you smile -> "are you a parking ticket? because you've got FINE written all over you! ...love me please."

— bombards you with random questions when he misses you -> "if you were a potato, what kind would you be? i think you'd be a sweet potato. because you're sweet. and i like you. a lot."

— instigates playful arguments just for the banter -> “fight me on this: cereal is a soup. i will die on this hill... unless you distract me with cuddles."

₊˚ ꒰ 𖦹﹕KANG TAEHYUN ꒱ ˚₊

— the tsundere of neediness… at least in his mind he is

— acts aloof at first but the second you pull away, he’s right back by your side, grumbling about how clingy you are

— loves acts of service -> surprise him with his favorite meal, or a back massage after a long day

📱 -> from taetae 💕: i’m not saying i miss you or anything… but what are you doing right now?

— casually invites himself over to your place

-> you’re sprawled out on the couch, watching a movie. taehyun’s got his arm draped casually over your shoulders, but you can feel the tension in his body. “you good, tae?” you ask, turning to face him. “hm? yeah, why?” he replies, eyes glued to the tv screen. “you seem… tense,” you observe, gently massaging his shoulder. he shrugs off your touch, though you notice the way his gaze flickers to your hand for a fleeting second. “i’m fine. focus on the movie.”

-> five minutes later, he’s the one snuggled into your side, head resting on your chest. “don’t get any ideas,” he mumbles, voice muffled by your shirt. “you’re just comfortable.”

— late at night is when his walls truly crumble. he’ll call you at ungodly hours just to talk, his voice husky with sleep and vulnerability. he might even confess his deepest fears and insecurities, things he'd never admit to in broad daylight.

— gets surprisingly really needy at night, particularly when in bed. he’ll wrap his arms around you tightly and pull you into his chest. “fucking missed you…” he’ll mumble, before pulling you in for a deep and needy kiss out of nowhere.

— he’d call you to complain about something trivial, like the long line at the coffee shop or the annoying song stuck in his head. but you can hear the underlying need in his voice, the way he draws out his words, as if trying to prolong the conversation.

— he’ll never admit it, but he secretly loves cuddling. however, he'll never initiate. instead, he'll strategically position himself closer and closer to you on the couch until you inevitably give in and let him snuggle up against you. then, he'll act like it was your idea all along -> “you looked cold," he'd mumble, burying his face in your neck. "don’t get any ideas."

— he’ll "accidentally" brush his hand against yours while you're walking side-by-side. he might even "trip" and "fall" into your lap, muttering a quick "clumsy me" as if it wasn't a calculated maneuver.

— he subconsciously mirrors your actions when he's feeling particularly needy. you take a sip of your drink? he’s suddenly parched. you lean back on the couch? he’s adjusting his position to be closer to you.

— he’ll tease you mercilessly when he's feeling insecure or needing reassurance -> “you sure you wanna go out looking like that? don’t want to blind anyone with your handsomeness." it’s his way of saying -> “you look amazing, and i’m lucky you're mine."

₊˚ ꒰ 𖦹﹕HUENING KAI ꒱ ˚₊

— adorable, and affectionate -> isn’t afraid to show his neediness. he’s a natural cuddler and loves showering you with love.

— gets extra touchy when he’s feeling needy -> always finding excuses to touch you, brush against you, or like your cheek -> “y/n, your hair looks messy. let me fix it for you~” he then proceeds to play with your hair for 20 minutes

— has a habit of “accidentally” leaving his stuff at your place so he has an excuse to come over -> “oh no, i forgot my favorite hoodie here again. guess i’ll have to stay the night, huh?”

— gets extra giggly and flustered

— loves giving and receiving gifts, so expect small, thoughtful presents that remind him of you.

-> "y/n! y/n! look what i got!" he exclaims, holding up a plushie that looks suspiciously like the one you won for him at a carnival a few weeks ago. "kai, that's adorable," you laugh, pulling him into a hug. "but what's the occasion?" "no occasion," he replies, burying his face in your neck. "just wanted to give you something because i love you." you melt at his words, returning his embrace with equal fervor. "you’re the sweetest," you murmur, pressing a kiss to his hair.

— expresses his neediness through random acts of service. shows up at your workplace with homemade lunch -> “i just happened to make too much food, so..."

— shows up at your workplace with homemade lunch: "I just happened to make too much food, so..."

— sends you the cutest, most random texts throughout the day, just to let you know he’s thinking of you.

— sends you cute animal videos

📱 -> from ningning 🤍: [video attachment] this made me think of you hehe >.<

— always wants to hold your hand or link arms

— gives you random little gifts and trinkets

— writes you silly love songs on his keyboard

— he’d call you during his gaming sessions, his excited shouts and giggles filling your ears. he’d narrate his every move, asking for your advice and celebrating his victories with you. "y/n, you're the best good luck charm!" he'd exclaim, his joy contagious. "i knew i could win with you listening."

— has a tendency to stress-cuddle when he's nervous about performances or big events -> "can we just stay like this for five more minutes? you’re my lucky charm."

— becomes extra needy around holidays or special occasions. starts planning elaborate dates weeks in advance -> "this valentine's day is gonna be epic, just you wait!"

— loves to sing for you when he's feeling especially affectionate. serenades you with cheesy love songs in public, complete with dramatic gestures

— gets flustered easily when caught being needy, often trying to cover it up with jokes -> "what? no, i didn't come all the way here just to see you. i... uh... really needed to borrow a... spoon?"

— has a secret folder of your photos and messages that he looks at when he misses you. accidentally revealed this during a vlive -> “ah, shit- i mean, shoot! you weren't supposed to see that!"

— becomes extra playful and mischievous when craving attention. starts a silly dance battle in the middle of your living room -> “bet you can't beat my aegyo moves!"

— gets a bit jealous when you pay attention to others, but tries to play it cool. usually pouts and mumbles -> “I mean, i guess yeonjun-hyung's jokes are funnier than mine..."

[arieswritez]

golden boy

golden boy | yandere stepbrother!mark grayson x afab!reader

cw; DARK CONTENT!!! MDNI!! pseudo-incest, panty thief!mark, roofies, victim blaming, non-con video taping, voyeurism, rape, reader's anatomy is sexualized, forced breeding, time skip (mark is an adult & nolan never killed the guardians), mark is a sicko you've been warned

about; life was easier when mark was an only child. he wishes it would've stayed that way. (1.9k words)

a/n; an anon asked about a platonic yan sibling duo so i raise you: big pervy step bro who hates your guts but also wants to rearrange them

step brother mark who's used to being the light and joy of the grayson home. as the only child, he's spoiled beyond belief. he's spunky and cute and the graysons love him to death, constantly showering him with love and adoration.

step brother mark who gets a new sibling after villains make you an orphan. nolan finds you in the ruins and it's like he's on auto-pilot: carrying you to that secret hospital and handing you off to the doctors that rush to his aid. . but not before your tiny fist closes in his suit.

as he watches you being taken away, barely alive, something inside his chest pangs.

debbie notices nolan acting strange. he's restless and he's late for dinner, more so than usual. something's very clearly wrong. and it's not like her to grow suspicious of nolan but she does.

nolan's never given her a reason to believe his head may have been turned but for some reason, she starts to believe there might be someone else.

only to find he's been visiting you at the hospital, staying at your bedside for hours on end as you recover. you're in bad shape. doctors aren't sure how you survived. . if you even will. debbie's never seen nolan so torn over a survivor before. he's seen many things: deaths, disasters, you name it. yet, you're who's causing the sleepless nights.

of course, debbie has a kind heart and, soon, it's not just nolan who's worried. the graysons keep tabs on you. and when you come to, they’re the first thing you see.

you look confused, scared, but as nolan soothes you, you offer a meek smile and nolan finds himself feeling that same giddiness he felt when he first saw a tiny mark cradled in debbie's arms.

the graysons become your legal guardians and, suddenly, mark isn't the golden boy anymore.

you take up so much of their attention. now, christmases and birthdays all revolve around you. suddenly, marks good grades and the fact he hit a home run isn't all that impressive. mark's late for his baseball practice and games more times than he can count. . yet they never miss your dance recitals.

you got an A in an absurdly easy class and that was a cause for celebration. in the meantime, mark won a spelling bee & all he got was a 'good job'.

they treat you like you're made of glass, like you'll shatter into a million tiny pieces the second someone so much as looks at you the wrong way. mark still remembers being reprimanded whenever he said the smallest things to you. he doesn't think he's ever lived down that one orphanage joke that made you bawl. god, he was just kidding. . its not his fault you're sensitive.

soon, you're calling his parents 'mom and dad'. and worse of all, they reiterate the fact that you should be calling mark your 'big brother'.

fucking fantastic.

you are everything to them while mark is pushed aside. and it only worsens the older the two of you get. mark gets his powers - there's literally nothing more impressive than that - yet he still has to do a million and one things in order to outshine you. nothing ever works. and despite the fact that mark is - quite literally - saving lives. . your stupid birthday is still more important.

you are the light of their lives and mark bitterly remembers when they used to look at him that way, too.

you are perfect in their eyes. just like he once was.

and mark wishes you would've died in that accident, just like your parent(s).

as you start to develop a sense of self, mark gets into the habit of stealing your clothes. it's the only thing you seem to care about: the way you present yourself to the world.

they're small things at first. like a single shoe when his parents had bought you new ones yet refused to get him the ones he wanted. he'll admit it, it was petty and spiteful. but you were distressed and the graysons seemed upset you'd already misplaced your brand new - expensive - shoes.

at first, he was content with telling himself that what he was doing was solely to spite you. but that was a lie. when his kleptomania made him steal one of your shirts. . it wasn't spite that made him press the material to his nose and pump his cock until he came. no, it wasn't just spite.

all your simpering and whining, following him around like some lost puppy, that one time you asked him why he hated you so much. . it made him feel more than just hate.

he didn't know what to do with you then.

so, at first, he settled with stealing your clothes.

a couple more shirts.

a pair of shorts.

knee-highs or your favorite tights.

and finally, a pair of panties.

his favorite are a lacy pair. sheer and tiny, he recalls lifting them out of your drawer with a finger. . and thinking, seriously? what're these even meant to cover?

he's extremely sure you aren't supposed to have these~

mark is content with secretly stealing your things. he doesn't get in trouble for being mean to you anymore.

you don't think he hates you.

it's a win-win situation, really.

and mark would've been happy - he would've been fine - with the little game he's been playing. soon, the two of you would part ways for college and he'd forget all about you.

he'd forget the way you'd foolishly walk to your room in only a towel when you knew the two of you were home alone.

he'd forget the way you looked when you changed out of clothing, you never truly believed in fully closing the door, did you?

he'd forget the way your moans sounded, when you touched yourself at night, thinking everyone else was asleep. he'd forget the way he'd concentrate on hearing your pretty sounds - and it's not like he'd have to try hard, another perk of having powers.

he'd forget about how he could almost envision you: humping your fingers and biting at your lip, desperately trying to get yourself off. it was like he was in the room with you. . you were so wet he could hear the wet clicks of your cunt.

he'd forget all about you.

you, you, you.

he was sure of it.

but if it's one thing about you is that you could never just let things be.

you could never just let the graysons be a normal, happy family.

and you could never just let mark forget about you.

because the first time his parents say no to you - the very first fucking time - you don't listen.

you're just not used to it.

that stupid party you weren't supposed to go to.

that stupid party mark sneaks off to, too.

and when you see him there, you're surprised.

he pretends to be, too.

because it's not fair if only one of you was forbidden to go. no, you had to fuck it up for the both of them.

it's a good thing you're so spoiled, though. and it's even better that mark eavesdropped on the conversation you had with your friend, the one in which you planned to sneak out.

you're so fucking naive. so stupid.

you think the two of you are finally getting along when he gets you a drink and whispers, don't worry, i won't tell if you don't. and you laugh and wink at him like you'll keep his secret, drinking from whatever concoction he's prepared for you.

you were too young when your parent(s) passed and the graysons never seemed to sit you down for the talk. . or maybe they did and you were just too stupid to understand why you should never accept an open drink.

it's easy to blame it on you being a lightweight. the way you sway and slur your words, the way you stumble into him, the way your body overheats.

you've had too much to drink. you're not used to it, is all. he'll take care of you, don't you worry, big brother always does.

first, he's got to lay you down, you poor thing.

he doesn't want you to hurt your pretty little head by falling!

so, he lays you down in the empty room of the house as the party continues downstairs. as you fall to the bed in a heap, you swear you can see the throbbing beat of the music, now muffled behind the closed door.

in the dark room, the moonlight leaking through the pale blue blinds look like drunken undulations, wavering like heat shimmers, yet you can't keep your eyes open long enough to ogle at them. your body doesn't feel like your own, but you're not as nervous as you should be.

mark yanks his shirt off over his head - practiced, ready - and stalks over to your semi-limp body that's nearly hanging off the bed.

it's not hard to undress you, considering you're dressed like some cheap slut. and, honestly, if it wasn't mark that night, he's sure it would've been another dude at the party. the way you're such a fucking tease, he doesn't think anyone would be able to keep their hands off of you for long.

so, really, it's only fair your older brother is the one to get his hands on the goods, first. afterall, he was there to watch them grow.

the little camcorder he took from his parents - the old silver one they used to record all their trips around the world, mark's first steps, your first birthday with them - blinks red, on and off, on and off, as he strips you. he makes sure to capture your body: your bare tits as your chest rises and falls with each panicked breath, the smooth skin of your tummy, then down, between your legs, as he records your sopping cunt taking his fingers.

you mewl and your vision's swimming. and you feel here, there, everywhere, and it's so, so confusing.

you don't know what's happening and it's distressing because you know something is.

your hands weakly try to push at the foreign body on top of you. . inside of you. . but mark is stronger than anyone will ever be and you are far too drugged to do anything about it.

they're gonna be so mad, mark thinks, as he slides into you and tries to keep the camera recording the way your cunt grips him as he feeds his cock inside of you.

they'll be so mad when they find out you've snuck out.

and maybe you'll tell them. . you think something happened. . someone did something to you. . when you try to wash his cum out of your pussy.

maybe you won't. maybe you shouldn't. they'll already be mad at you, best keep quiet about it~

but the graysons will feel even worse in the next few months. . when you start puking your guts out.

and like the perfect parents they are, they'll take you to a doctor. . only for the results to come back positive.

mark may not be a golden boy, anymore.

but in nine months, maybe you'll give him one, instead 💗

[almondmilktargaryen]

The Girl Who's Got Agoraphobia (Part Two)

Summary: You're the girl with agoraphobia Michael told Oliver about. You're known for not leaving your room much (obviously). But that doesn't stop Michael from checking on you.

Couple: Fem!Reader/Michael Gavey

Category: Flangst, friends to lovers

Word count: 1.4k

Also on my Ao3

Part one | Part two | Part three | Part four

Dazzling Company

“It’s going to be bloody winter before you know it,” Michael said. “We should go out and enjoy the sun while it’s here. You’ll love it,” he said. He had been wanting to go to the Christ Church Meadow for days, pestering you endlessly for three of them. 

And, eventually, it worked.

The cows lumbered about in the meadow, minding themselves and barely looking up to see Michael spread an Oxford blanket out on the ground, smoothing it down meticulously. They didn’t care that you were holding a tray of cupcakes, even though they looked delicious. They matched the blanket in Oxford colors: blue and silver. The two of you then sit, the cows and fence just to your right, his left. Michael messes with the clingfilm and releases the cupcakes in all their store-bought beauty.

“I’m not one to promote stress eating, but they looked nice in the shop.”

You sit on your knees at first, smoothing out your skirt as you do. Fresh air a surprisingly convenient distance away from your dorm room is what you needed. “It’s not that stressful being out here,” you admit. It wasn’t a lie. The anxiety of potential disaster simmered when the fields came into view, long grass shielding your legs from the crisp autumn breeze. You take a blue cupcake. It’s moist, and the icing isn’t a cavity-inducing level of sweet.

Michael’s face shifts with a smile, all teeth. It’s adorable. “What was that I heard?”

You huff. “You were right.” You shift to sit on the blanket fully, as the needles in your feet are slowly phasing to numbness.

There’s a little shimmy to Michael’s shoulders as he basks in the admission. “Knew I would be.” He then takes a cupcake himself. A silver one (he has to keep the balance). “So the cows are good company?”

“It’s easier to tell that they don’t care we’re here. And I had to take your suggestion at some point.”

“So does that mean you’ll pick up Ulysses soon?” His brow arches as he playful pouts his lips.

You laugh, pointing at him with the same hand you held the cupcake in. “I never said that.”

“Come on,” he pushes you at the knee, making stray grass stick to your stockings. “Give the Irish a chance.”

“Don’t make me sound like a Tory.” You push him back. “I don’t have a working knowledge of 19th century Irish intellectualism to follow along.”

“I’ll give you a reading list.”

“Fuck off,” you snorted. “I’ve got plenty to read. And so do you.”

“Then, I’ll read it to you and give you a detailed explanation of every reference made so you can understand completely.”

“As long as it’s before bed so I have a soft place to land when I’m inevitably put to sleep.”

“Sounds like a date to me.”

You laugh again, but you also try to keep your blush to a minimum. You’re not protected by the flattering candles of your dorm room. It’s a bright afternoon with not a cloud in sight, easy to expose yourself. Michael is rarely one to tease you, but it still makes your nerves rattle inside. The pump to your heart you’re used to when something terrible is on the horizon, and not a yellow field with cattle and cupcakes. You inhale and exhale with purpose as you pray your heart has slowed. All because of bloody Ulysses? “These are good,” you attempt to say plainly.

“Glad I chose wisely.”

“Sometimes, you do.” You’re not above teasing back, especially with Michael being (or needing to be) correct. Grounding him is essential at times, whether or not the heat of a crush looms over you. But for now, you both take pieces of grass to chuck toward the other when they’re not expecting it.

The cows eventually get closer as the hour passes. The deep tone from their throats grows with them until one spots them and hangs his head over the fence. You didn’t notice until you saw Michael’s body jolt as he looked up. You’re ecstatic with your visitor, and take the time to stand slowly before letting him sniff you. Small snot drops graze your knuckles.

“An English Longhorn.” You say.

“Oh.”

“A pretty one too.”

It’s as if the bovine understands you. He nudges his head to rub your hand, and he soon invites you to scratch under his chin. You do so happily.

Michael’s mouth is full of chocolate cupcake. A blue one this time. “If I had known they would be this friendly, I would’ve brought food for them as well.”

You fake a gasp as you look down at him. “You’re telling me Oxford’s certified genius, Michael Charles Gavey, did not consider the idea of cows wanting a snack?”

“I wasn’t planning on spending time with the cows today.”

You crouch down to your tote, pulling out the paper bag, heavy with half sliced apples and some carrots. You shake it, and smirk at him. There was no way you could hide a smile completely, so this was your best chance. The cow enjoyed your one-up on him as well, smelling the outside of the bag.

“And using my middle name was unwarranted.”

“Every genius has his weakness.”

The cow interrupts the conversation. Either from lack of scratches or snacks, it’s hard to tell. You make sure to please him with both by starting with half an apple, then stroking his cheeks as he chews. You can feel him crushing the apple with his teeth. Accordingly, you pet and coo whilst asking how delicious it was.

“You’re a natural.” Michael says.

“A lot of my neighbors were farmers. They didn’t mind when I fed them.” You bend down and grab a carrot. The longhorn exhales happily as he chews again. “Do you want to feed him?”

“You seem to have a handle on it.”

Then another longhorn shows up. He’s sneakier, introducing himself with only a huff. It startles you for a moment, but Michael jolts again. He shines in a beautiful shade of black with patches of brown that the afternoon sun reveals. When the first one finishes eating, you take a carrot to the other. The cow takes it after a sniff and doesn’t protest when you scratch at his neck. He demands a bit more aggressively, with food and attention.

The other cow stomps a hoof into the dirt.

“I can’t give them both love. Help me.” You hold out half an apple for him to take.

Michael does not reach out. He doesn’t look at the cows, but the ground and feels the texture of the blanket between his fingers.

You keep the apple. You try to keep your tone light. “So, Michael Charles Gavey is afraid of cows?”

“Once again, the middle name is unwarranted.”

“Come and feed one.”

“No.”

“Come on.”

“Absolutely not.”

“You pestered me about coming out here for days and you won’t even take advantage of this opportunity?”

“We clearly have different definitions of opportunity.”

You make a tsk sound with your tongue. You stand on your ground. “I know cows, do I not?”

“You do.”

“So, do you think I’d let anything happen to you?”

Michael stayed silent for a minute, briefly frozen in his stubbornness. But eventually he sighs as he says “No.” He takes the apple from your hand after you help him up.

You urge Michael forward, but make him stick out his free hand first. “Introduce yourself. Gently.” One hand is on his shoulder, the other around his forearm.

The cow turns his head as he sniffs.

The tension in his muscles under his arm is hard to ignore, but you push against his strength as the cow picks up the apple with his teeth, leaving nothing but some lines of spit on his open palm. He chokes as he cringes at the sight. “Disgusting.”

“Don’t be so mean.” You pull out a pack of tissues from your tote as well, handing them over to the spit-sensitive weakling. “See? You did well.”

“Thanks.” Michael kept his hands behind his back after wiping them clean.

“Wanna go again?”

He looked sheepishly at the paper bag, then the cows, who still hung their heads over the fence, surely aware that there was more to be had. “Okay.”

“You don’t have to, Michael.”

“No. I should trust you. I’ve done it once already.”

“You sure?”

Michael reaches into the bag, making the paper crinkle (and the cows more eager) as he pulls out one of the bigger carrots. He hesitates to hold out his hand, but you help him. He bites his lips close as he pushes through.

Taglist: @anukulee

[helen-dale]

(my main blog is @elialys, currently using this sideblog to post my newsreader feels/gifs because tumblr shadowbanned me on sunday for sending s3 to people 💀 anyway, this post was written a few days ago)

~~~~

I took notes on my immediate feelings after watching each episode of season 3 of The Newsreader, it’s helped with the “AAAAAAH” emotions that binging such an intense show cause, plus I figured quite a few of you might share my feels. It’s mostly me screaming, and it’s a tad disjointed as you can imagine, but blame the show for breaking my brain.

SPOILERS UNDER THE READ MORE!!

3.01 Night of Nights

I’ve honestly watched the first two seasons so many times in the past year that I forgot all about that HEAVY DREAD FEELING NEW EPISODES OF THIS SHOW MAKE ME FEEL. And I’m guessing it’s not going to get any better as the season progresses 😭 They truly are so good at creating the scenes with high energy, feeling so IMMEDIATE, and Helen’s anxiety never fails to trigger mine, so 🥲

Speaking of Helen, I’m going to need to rewatch the season a second time fairly fast because as always whenever I watch something new with Anna, I am too busy thinking “SHE IS SO BEAUTIFUL” in a loop to pay attention to most of what she’s saying. But she is, I absolutely LOVE the new look in season 3, the shorter hair is perfect, her logie look was gorgeous, she looked so beautiful, and then she looked even better at the end when she was all casual at her house, in jeans and with barely any make up ❤️ ANYWAY, that’s my initial, mandatory gushing about the “Anna is gorgeous” aspect of things.

This episode was a whirlwind honestly, so many things to take in already, many many emotions were felt. I love how they are setting up the pieces for the rest of the season, the way they always do. I already want to slap Rob and protect Noelene at all costs from all those men. Lindsay needs to DIE ALREADY, I swear to god if he’s not run over by a bus by the end of this show 😡

Okay let me gush over Helen a bit more substantially. I love how FAST she was hit in the face by the reality of being back in Australia, with all the network bullshit. This poor woman has so much fucking trauma associated with this industry and the way they treated her, even at the height of her career, being offered this prime time show, she still doubts herself and the legitimacy of it. The way her anxiety took over, her fighting it, I know these are just the first cracks of the season 😭 PLEASE let our girl get a proper diagnosis and proper help by the end of this I BEG YOU SHOW. Needless to say I still absolutely adore the way Anna portrays her, always saying so much in all those moments she has zero lines of dialogue.

Dale. Dale Dale Dale. DALE IS DEAD INSIDE. Him saying he felt NOTHING standing there receiving his award? Him clearly being dead inside while having a man stripping in front of him, at his request? MY SWEET WET NOODLE, WHERE IS YOUR SOUL? I love the fact that I *know* they’re setting him up to being BROKEN this season, and I cannot wait. BREAK HIM. LET HIM FEEL THINGS AGAIN. I AM READY TO HURT WITH HIM.

Serious talk though, THE HELEN x DALE CONTENT IN THIS EPISODE???? 😭😭😭😭 Minute one in the restaurant, you can tell the love is still there. Minute two you can also tell they’re still shit at communicating so hahaha joke is on us as much as on them. Helen saying he was her only non-disaster yet they were pretty disastrous and him just…“I don’t think we were” DALE MY MAN YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME.

Don’t get me started on Helen losing her shit at the logies realizing she was going to “betray” Dale. Her trying NOT TO SAY IT. DALE’S SPEECH 30 SECONDS LATER THANKING HELEN FOR SEEING THE NEWSREADER IN HIM????? 😭😭😭

You know last year I loved talking about how Noelene and Rob’s relationship acted as a foil to Helen and Dale’s (as did Gerry and Carla’s), with them actually talking things through when Helen and Dale did not. This episode was another beautiful example of this, with the focus being put on Noelene being (RIGHTFULLY) upset that Rob just threw the “oh, and my wife” line in his speech when she fucking produced that show, and HERE IS DALE JENNINGS, on stage, thanking Helen for seeing him and making this possible for him, WHEN THEY ARE BROKEN UP AND ESTRANGED.

ALSO, talking of parallels, the hotel scene KILLED ME. I believe it was a VERY DELIBERATED CHOICE by Emma to frame Dale and that man the way she did, because that’s basically how Dale and Helen were framed in that hotel scene at the end of 2x01.

And Helen hoping so hard that they can remain “friends” despite the competition, when everything on Dale’s face tells you “naaaaah not gonna happen” but he smiles his empty smile and says “yeaaah sure” 😭 HE’S GONNA TAPE ALL OF HER SHOWS THOUGH BECAUSE HE’S DALE.

Anyway so much more to say, but I still want to watch another episode before attempting sleep, I need to find myself a paper bag to breathe in.

(just realized I didn’t mention the Dale and Kay thing once, but I think that says a lot in itself, no offence to Kay but NO THANK YOU)

(((Also, I hate the wig. I hate it so much)))

3.02 A New Era

(This ended up being me live commenting this episode because I kept getting so anxious/upset that I had to take breaks)

“Human conversations are not this boy’s strong suit” Lindsay, I hate you, but this does describe Dale a little too well.

Evelyn butting in and listening in to her daughter’s phone conversation with Dale is such an Evelyn thing to do. Also, look, I am aware that Kay and Dale are unsubstantial at this stage of the show and they’re only doing this to get us riled up, but guess what? IT IS WORKING.

Currently taking a pause from the episode because Lindsay is being a fucking ass and trying to feed Helen’s team fake news for her to read on her first show is STRESSING ME OUT I CANNOT DO THIS.

Ugh, the “HELEN’S MENTAL HEALTH” MUSICAL THEME KICKING OFF IN THE BACKGROUND FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON I AM NOT READY.

Aaaand indeed, I was not ready, crying actual tears at Helen losing her shit at work in front of everyone, this is going to be a long season I AM FINE 😭

GUYS EVERYONE IS SCREAMING IN THIS EPISODE WHAT THE HELL I LOVE IT BUT I CAN’T TAKE IT

God Vincent’s comment about how she’s the first woman on a prime time show and we “can’t even see her tits” I want to kill all those men I SWEAR TO GOD

I am dying inside at the PARALLELS of Helen and Dale watching a tape of Helen’s first show, which was shit, while Dale kicked ass, like THIS IS HOW THE SHOW STARTED BUT WITH THEIR PLACES SWITCHED.

I keep having to pause this episode, I’m so upset at Helen being told off by her new boss for having mental health issues that interfere with her work, I clearly did not buy enough tissues for this season. I mean, it HAS to be addressed, she does have to seek PROPER help, but the way it’s just…thrown at her, always, it’s too real and heartbreaking. THE PATRONIZING!!!

Not gonna lie, kinda loving the fact that Dale is learning to assert himself with his man friend he pays for sex and that he’s learning to use those skills with Lindsay. Somehow it’s unsettling and awkward and very Dale and I’m thriving.

I wanted to talk a little about Noelene and baby Hana (and Rob lol) because CONGRATS NOELENE, but right now I’m too busy ugly crying over that scene of Helen admitting to the psychiatrist that she’s been struggling her whole life. Oh this punched me in the GUTS.

That’s my cue to take a break and get some sleep, dear lord, my own mental health is not equipped for this.

~~

Alright, back at at it after less than 5h of sleep, I don’t foresee myself crying less. I’ve been thinking about the first couple episodes over and over, and I’ve realized the start of this season feels skewed. And a big part of it is because of Dale.

In those first two episodes, Helen is more alive than ever, full of emotions that overwhelm her, and you FEEL for her. Usually, I feel that for Dale, too, with his big wet eyes and the constant panic in 2/3 of the scenes he’s in. But so far this season? I feel nothing, except concern for him. He’s just empty, he’s pretending with everyone, at work, with Kay, with Helen. He’s struggling to be in control in any way he can, paying for what I can’t really describe as intimacy, since he’s using those moments to try asserting any kind of control.

Plus, he’s got a terrible wig, but I’m aware that’s mostly me overfixating on it.

I also know something’s gotta give. I’m suspecting episode 3 will do that, one way or another.

It's 6am, let’s gooooo

3.03 Behind the Front Line

HOLY HELL, this episode came for me!!! My favorite one of the season so far, shockingly I know haha, with it containing Helen’s long awaited diagnosis and that famous improv scene at her house.

Let me say it again: HOLY HELL 😭😭😭

I seriously love the way they handled Helen learning what her diagnosis is, from her figuring it out on her own by doing research, to her losing her shit as a result of her psychiatrist confirming it. I’ve figured it was borderline personality disorder a long time ago when I first watched the show and did research before starting to write fanfic about her, because I wanted to understand her better and be mindful in the way I wrote her, and like her doctor said, she ticked so many of those boxes.

Don’t get me started on how Dale reassures her with “All I see is you” to counter her saying he must have seen it, must have known. He’s not brushing off or denying the messiest parts of her, he’s acknowledging them, basically saying it’s always been part of her, and he’s loved her as she was and as she is. Beautiful, beautiful scene, Anna’s acting was insane, absolutely insane, cannot wait to rewatch it in a loop until every frame is carved in my neurodivergent brain.

I am so worried for my boy Dale though, he’s so fucking dead inside. Still practicing sounding normal in front of mirrors, like the beautiful neurospicy human that he is. Helen being surprised that he’s throwing himself a birthday party and him being literally “it’s a social event, it’s a normal thing to do” DALE MY LOVE YOU ARE ALLOWED NOT TO FIT IN.

I do not trust whatever is going on between him and Kay. I don’t understand how anyone can fall for Dale *right now*. Like I get why both Helen and Tim were swooning over Dale in s1 because he was so squishy and nerdy and sweet and full of tears, but THIS Dale Kay is interacting with? HE’S A SHELL OF A HUMAN BEING. He’s just as much of a lifeless husk on the desk as he is away from it and IT HURTS MY SOUL. So yeah, Kay saying “I love the way you make me feel” I’m just??? Also, the fact that she keeps comparing him to her dad, haha. Anyway, I don’t sense this ‘relationship’ going anywhere healthy given the state of things.

Also, LINDSAY???? He didn’t actually give Noelene her maternity leave, at all???? Being a fucking racist???? Crashing the party and having a temper tantrum???? I am not surprised by any of this but god this man deserves a heart attack or a stroke for fuck’s sake.

Noelene is absolutely fabulous, LOVE the way she just said fuck it and gave the story to Helen, then JOINED Helen, like YES QUEEEEEEENS.

I have no idea what to expect for the second half of the season, although I suspect since the first half was more about Helen’s mental health and job, the second half will focus more on Dale’s mental health and job, as in, I’m waiting for him to break. Guessing the 6th and final episode titled “The Fall” might feature a bit of that. Our boy is drinking a lot. Like, A LOT.

3.04 One Team, All Brothers

Ugh. UGH.

I always loved how this show handles complex topics, and this episode was as strong as ever. I’m GLAD Rob’s attitude toward racism was brought to light, Noelene absolutely killed it. Rob’s scene with Deano…man 😭

Equally loved Helen’s journey through this episode, how she’s trying to help but as always she’s confronted to people around her not wanting to stir the pot, and how in the end, she is just another “white woman” because, well, she is. LYNUS THOUGH, so so glad to have more of him, he’s so wonderful ❤️

I am so so in love with the way they show Helen working so hard on not losing it at work, using strategies and calling her therapist like, I can’t remember seeing this side of mental health portrayed on tv like this before, it is so validating. And watching it WORK, watching how it allows her to ground herself. And sure it might not always work, but at least she’s being given the tools to handle those overwhelming emotions, and I’m so proud of her.

Talking of in love, I did not see the “I’m in love with you” from Bill thing coming, but I am here for the drama. I don’t even blame this man, he spent months with her overseas where she was clearly thriving, he got to see the best side of her, and yeah, we’ve all been there, Bill. Curious to see how that’s going to impact the next two episodes because talk about awkward, he’s executive producer 💀

NERVOUS about the Kay and Dale thing. They make me uncomfortable, as stated in my previous comments for episode 3, this is not love, this is them using each other for very different reasons. Nervous about Dale’s escort not being as discreet in the future as Dale hopes he’ll be. Also, EVELYN?? I get that she’s “looking out for her daughter” but what a fucking bitch, as Helen would say.

Also I just gotta say, that bit at the start, with Helen and Dale watching those parodies of themselves :’)) How Helen is just finding it all so hilarious, including the parody of her (which is so funny honestly), while Dale is just…well, dead inside, BECAUSE THAT IS JUST DALE’S DEFAULT MODE THIS SEASON.

God I do hope we start seeing him crack soon, I am so desperate for some EMOTIONS FROM HIM. And I gotta say, this show as always is great at surprising me. 4 episodes out of 6, and so far, none of the ‘ugly competition’ between Helen and Dale I was expecting/fearing from the promo and season synopsis. Yes their shows are against one another, timewise, and yes, there’s competition between networks, but it’s like, in the background, and it’s not seemed to have impacted whatever version of ‘friendship’ they both have at the moment. I put ‘friendship’ in quotes because well, see my “DALE IS DEAD INSIDE” comments. This poor man is just existing right now.

I’m wondering if Helen is so focused on her show and working on herself (as she should ❤️) and just happy that Dale is still part of her life in some capacity, that she’s not yet gone “hey honey, you look and sound a little like a fucking zombie, let’s talk about this”. I’m also thinking, between their schedules and him dating Kay, they don’t actually see each other that often, and never for long. I’m just…I want someone to ACKNOWLEDGE that Dale is not doing well, and I would 1000% appreciate it most if it was Helen 😭

3.05 On the Brink

There is something incredibly sad in the fact that Helen’s comments on air, about how shame and isolation are what makes having mental health issues so unbearable, are being said on a show that takes place in 1989, yet are still extremely relevant to this day, 35 years later. There has been great progress, but not enough. It’s 2025 and struggling with anxiety or depression, or anything of the sort, is STILL so misunderstood by most people, still hush hush.

That being said, I am so incredibly moved, so so grateful, that the show has chosen to bring so much light on mental health through Helen. I’m going to need to process everything in this episode but that was beautifully cathartic, can’t quite talk about it properly yet.

Also, absolutely heartbroken about Dale completely spiraling, between the drinking and the drugs, while being fucking blackmailed. The final episode clearly is called “The Fall” for a very good reason 😭 A little terrified to watch it, as it will be THE END, so I’m going to make myself some lunch instead. But given how beautifully they’ve handled Helen’s story in those last 5 episodes, I absolutely trust that they put just as much care in Dale’s breaking point. I also trust the fact that in the past, whenever one of them broke, the other was there to catch them. And I cannot wait for that.

One last thing about this episode, I feel like Helen turning down Bill is another proof of the progress she’s made. She has a fear of abandonment, she latches on to people who are showing her the slightest bit of love, of attention, even when it’s the toxic kind, and she’s not been shy about seeking pleasure. And here you have this man who’s telling her he loves her, who’s her boss (another pattern in her previous lifestyle), and she says no.

I am so proud of her 😭

3.06 The Fall

This was so fucking hard to watch. The first part of it with Dale’s breakdown, absolutely heartbreaking, I was literally clutching at my face and hiding my eyes at times. The self-loathing was difficult to WATCH, I just…Sam Reid, what the fuck, his performance. It WAS like watching a trainwreck in real time. The part with him hitting himself, and listening to those awful audience comments over and over and over again 😭 This man was in so much pain, and SO touch-starved, needing real connection but not finding it 😭

It did bother me that they made the plot decision to just....let Dale sit on that desk, CLEARLY DRUNK and looking the way he did, when a few episodes ago, Helen was sent home straight away when she tried doing her show while drunk/high. If they couldn’t keep him off the desk at least don’t go live and put the “technical issues” screen on, and DON’T LEAVE HIM ON AIR FOR SO LONG.

God Lindsay really is a fucking villain, him looming over Dale, just…the psychological abuse was so so hard to watch.

He didn’t just deserve to be sacked, HE DESERVED TO BE RUN OVER BY A BUS. That being said I’m extremely glad the show ended with him gone, and Dennis stepping in.

Ugh I absolutely love Noelene telling Helen exactly what she thinks. Not only did she stand up for herself, she also gave Helen the last push she needed to call the shots for HER show.

The image of her being the lone woman at that table full of men once again berating her, was so damn powerful, ESPECIALLY the way she just let them have their trantrum, only to calmly tell them “No” and step away like, QUEEN.

Oh and Helen's "I'm not gonna be punished because I didn't want to fuck you" to Bill?

The Helen x Dale content was so scarce this season, but I don’t actually mind it? Like, the shipper in me mourns the fact that we didn’t get more and will never get more, but I’m a fic writer, I’ll make more 😏 I am 150% happy with the fact that they focused so much more on Helen’s journey through taking care of her mental health, and Dale stepping away from this toxic, TOXIC environment.

Also all the call backs to season 1 guys, I cannot 😭 Her ‘rescuing’ him, the dialogue being almost exactly the same from the pilot 😭😭😭 Not gonna lie the fact that it’s basically how I started my own “helen x dale post s2 fix it fic” over a year ago gives me warm feelings. Also, I am terrible person for thinking this but when Dale told his mum that what was in the paper was true (about him being with men) and he said “I love you, I hope you can still love me” and she said NOTHING? I thought “well I’m not so sorry I killed you off in my fic now” because?!!! 🙃 I’m sure she’ll come around and everything, she STAYED with him, but it's still a gut punch compared to Helen’s “I love you just the way you are” in season 1 after he told her the truth.

Honestly, I didn’t know what kind of ending I wanted for these two as a pair, except that this is what I was hoping for, since I figured there wouldn’t me any romantic ending. Them CLEARLY in each other’s lives, clearly better when they have each other, with me free to imagine that when Dale comes home from Germany, he smooches the hell out of Helen and they get acquainted with her couch again :’))

(you know she's thinking about that couch)

(can we blame her? LOOK AT HIM)

I’m going to need to rewatch this season at least once or twice in the next week to really take it all in. I am so sad that it’s over, overwhelmed with so many emotions after taking it all in so fast, but also very content. I feel they wrapped everyone’s storyline beautifully, and left us on a GOOD, positive note, full of hope.

And again, so beyond grateful for how truly Helen focused this last season was.

God that was so beautiful.

[neverchecking]

*slams open door*I see requests are open!

May I request something nsfw with one of the chain where reader doesn’t know how to swim?

Reader just randomly brings up one day that she can’t swim and ask the chain for lessons. The chain obviously isn’t gonna give up the opportunity to see her in a swimsuit help their darling

I want to say that the best swimmer amongst the chain would be the one to help her but I’m not sure who that would be?

They don’t want to overwhelm her so they decided on having 1 on 1 lessons with her would be ideal, but they’re all just fighting on who has the better swimming skills/experience

Once someone emerges victorious, whether due to a begrudgingly unanimous decision or reader just going “oh, maybe ____ is the best choice!”, they manage to find a lake separate from the others

While reader enjoys her swimming lessons, no one says the Link giving her the lessons won’t be having wandering hands ;)))

~💚

💚anon!

Last time I told someone I couldn't swim, I did not live them down. I still have not lived it down.

Slight! NSFW So Minors stay away anyway?

You didn't say if you wanted Sage or not, but I added him anyway bc I love him <3

CW: sage is a big of a perv. but c'mon. We knew that.

"C'mon in, Y/N, the waters great!"

Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes-

"I'm okay for now." Your smile was as gentle as it was luminescent. Curving just enough to have the apples of your cheeks warming, but not enough to make your eyes crinkle in that positively adorable way. "Thank you for the offer though."

Re-emerging from the water, Hyrule shook his hair free of water before pushing it back. "Why not, love bug? Don't you wanna cool down?"

Staying out there meant staying out of their reach. Staying out there meant risking yourself in the elements. Staying out there put you at risk, didn't you see that?! You could get heat stroke, or sun burnt, or attacked by a rabid deer who's being chased by a feral bear. There were an unlimited number of possibilities that spelled nothing but disaster for you. And he couldn't handle losing you like that. Not in a million years.

Cherry red dusted your ears as they twitched and lowered, the tips touching your now hunched shoulders. You avoided their gazes, fiddling with the hem of your tunic. Why weren't you looking at them? Why weren't your eyes on them? WHY WEREN'T THEY THE CENTER OF YOUR UNIVERSE IN THE SAME WAY YOU WERE THEIRS?!

You mumbled something, which made their ears twitch only for it be in vein. A few glances around showed no once else had caught that either.

"Mind repeating that, dove?" Sky asked, still on shore with his own tunics half-off.

"I can't...swim." You grumbled, looking a tad more frustrated then before.

Silence.

"Well, why didn't you just say so, sunshine, I'd be thrilled to teach you." Arms wrapped around your mid-section, toned and muscled. Dark ink caught the peripheral of your vision. He all but purred into your ear before sharp canines caught the shell, gently pinching it before releasing.

"Sage-" You startled, arms flying out.

"You learned to swim with Sharks. Why the fuck would we trust you to teach them?" Hyrule snipped, eyes narrowed on their newest member. Hyrule had seen a lot in his time, don't get it twisted, but Sage was something new. A whole different creature. He was feral at best, down right savage at worst; with teeth sharper than some of their knives and a moral compass more broken than any villain he's ever faced off of. So in , what world would he trust that fucking loose canon with the most precious thing in his life?

"Because I still learned in clear waters. Not toxic dumps." Sage snapped back, those same teeth on display

"Knock it off." Time barked at the duo, glaring down Sage for his glare of disobedience before turning to his precious star shine, voice must softer than it previously was. "Have you just not wanted to learn? Or do you not have the opportunity?"

You shuffled a bit in Sage's arms. "I just- My old town was landlocked. Any lakes we had were used for fishing in the summer and frozen in the summer." You admitted. Which is a totally reasonable excuse. And not silly. And totally valid. And learning to swim is stupid and dumb anyway. >:(

The arms wrapped around your waist moved so hands could brush against your hips. Somewhere in the lake, there was a shout from Wind before a loud splash, someone throwing the poor boy deeper down stream.

"Offer still stands, I'd love to teach you, sunshine." Sage purrs, feeling your cheeks burn from where he was nuzzling into them. You hum at the offer, thinking for a second.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll take you up on that offer."

Sage grinned something sharp and malicious, redirecting you away from the others with a look over his shoulder.

"I'll bring 'em back when they've learned to swim. That may take all night however." He chuckled to himself, shaking his head at the glares directed at him.

Maybe one day they'd get to his level.

He doubted it though.

<><><><>

"That's it, sunshine, you're doing great."

"This is dumb-"

"No, you're doing so well. Just like that," His arms were spread beside him as he remained in front of you.

"Sage-"

"Shh, do you not trust me, my love?" Sage's smirk never left his face as he instead swept in closer. His one hand moved from treading water to brush up against your side. "Just like that."

Your blush deepened as he swayed his body effortlessly, laying underneath of you as he brought yours to lay over his.

"I've got you, don't you worry sunshine." His hand raised so his thumb pulled down you bottom lip. "Though, I do feel I've earned some sort of compensation. Maybe a little incentive to keep this lesson going?"

You swallowed.

"I mean...if only to continue the lessons I guess." You swallowed.

His smirk didn't ease your worries, but how could you think when all you could focus on was the blond's lips against yours?

You didn't even realized you were floating effortlessly.

Or the eyes watching your presumable private lesson, fuming in pure, red hot, anger.

[diazsdimples]

🧗‍♂️🧗‍♂️🧗‍♂️🧗‍♂️🧗‍♂️ please 🙏

15 sentences for you!

Feeling slightly sheepish, Buck sinks into the chair, his hand immediately finding Tommy’s. The doctor positions herself so she can see both them and Eddie, but she addresses the latter as she talks. “Mr. Diaz, your injuries are extensive. Your CT, MRI and x-rays have shown us that you have a right ulnar fracture,” she gestures to his right arm, bandaged and held close to his chest, “fractures of your 6th and 7th ribs, as well as a fracture to your L4 vertebrae and a fracture where your ilium and ischium meet in your pelvis. We’ll plaster your arm, and at this point we do not believe your rib or spinal fracture will require surgery, as they’re both hairline fractures and can hopefully be managed with regular analgesia.” That’s…. not as bad as Buck was expecting. Based off what he’d been told, he’d come in expecting Eddie to be circling the drain, and his heart rate had galloped up a few beats per minute when the doctor had referred to Eddie’s injuries as “extensive”. No surgical intervention and some pain relief seems almost too good to be true, and Buck braces himself for the other shoe to drop. The doctor, however, hasn’t finished, and she holds up a hand as Tommy opens his mouth to ask a question, his eyebrows pulled together in an adorable furrow. “I’m afraid that isn’t quite it. Often with pelvic fractures, there can be some internal bleeding associated. The medics that bought you to us reported that your abdomen was rigid, and your pulse was racing and blood pressure was low – all classic signs of internal bleeding. The CT scan revealed around 1.2 litres of blood in your pelvis, Mr. Diaz, which I’m sure I don’t have to tell you is not where it’s meant to be. We would like to take you to surgery immediately to stabilise the pelvic fracture and cauterise the bleeding.” Internal bleeding, fuck.

Make Me Write - Disaster Date Edition

[gaybananabread]

Could we have some radioapple tickle hcs pls? <3

(Can be platonic or romantic!)

🍎Alastor & Lucifer Tkl Headcanons📻

~Of course! I’ve been looking for an excuse to write some Hazbin stuff, so I’m more than happy to get these disaster-dads in. I’m gonna do their individual hcs first, then the pairing ones at the bottom. Hopefully these aren’t too OOC. Thank you for requesting!~

🦌Alastor📻

General:

I think we can all agree this asshole loves a good tickling, though the direction depends on who’s around him.

Only certain people are allowed to touch him normally, much less tickle him.

Still, I’d say he’s a lee-leaning switch. He just masks his moods when they’re “inconvenient.”

Lee:

He gets into lee moods more often than he’ll ever willingly admit.

Actually acknowledging and dealing with them, however, is a whole different story.

Whenever he’s stuck somewhere with his regular acquaintances, he’ll just suck it up and try to stifle any reactions. If he’s lucky, he’ll be able to slip away and hide somewhere to wait it out.

When he does actually deal with them, however, he practically gives himself up to the ler.

Only Rosie, Mimzy on a good day, and occasionally Lucifer are allowed to tickle him without much asking. Everyone else has to have explicit permission, and are severely limited in what they can do.

When it’s one of those three, Al becomes a wriggly, kicking, squirmy mess of a demon. He definitely cannot hold still while being tickled.

For anyone he’s not really that close to, they can only really go for his sides or palms without being murdered afterwards.

If you get him good enough, some high-pitched bugles and bleats could slip into his laughter.

His worst spots are his hips and ribs. He loses it when you go for either; you’ll get a lot of adorable deer noises.

His melt spots are his ears for sure. His smile gets all dreamy and relaxed; if you’re lucky, you may even get a few little bleats or some purring here and there.

Ler:

Run for the fucking hills, my friend.

He’s an evil bastard of a ler for sure. If you’ve pissed him off a certain way (or just seem like you need a good tickling), he’ll make you scream.

Now, while cruel, the deer man is no hypocrite; if you seriously don’t like or want to be tickled, he’ll stop. Maybe not apologize, but he certainly won’t try it again unless you specifically ask.

If you do ask, expect no mercy.

He’ll use his shadow tentacles to tickle the living (or dead) shit out of you.

Though he may not always listen right away, I’d recommend setting up a safeword with him. That way, he’ll know when you’re seriously done.

Teases very sarcastically, but he’s always serious when he compliments your smile.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you over all that laughter, my dear.”

“Oh my, that is quite the bad spot, isn’t it? How about I send a little friend or two to give it some love?”

“You have a lovely smile, dear! So wide and cheerful; you’ve just got to show it off more!”

“You’re always so sour-faced. Maybe we should make these little attacks more frequent, hmm?”

Despite all this, he can be decent with aftercare. If he’s really comfy with you, you’ll get head pats and maybe some cuddles.

If not, he’ll send his shadow over to snuggle with you. It’s not really the same, but you can feel the hugs it gives. Maybe, if you’re lucky, he’ll let you have some of his mother’s famous jambalaya.

🍎Lucifer🎪

General:

You can’t tell me this man doesn’t love being tickled.

Like, there’s a way to laugh his heart out and drown out all his negative thoughts? Man is more than down.

On the flip side, he can’t help but enjoy the giddy panic on someone’s face when his fingers wiggle into their sides. It’s a great way to take them down a peg without doing any harm (Charlie approves).

For that, I’d say he’s a 50-50 switch.

Lee:

He’s got different reactions around different people, depending on how well he knows them.

If he doesn’t know you all that well, he’s gonna try to hide his reactions: pushing you away, biting back giggles, acting like he hates it.

If you’re close? Completely different story.

He’ll crumble at the first sign of wiggling fingers, a big ol’ smile dominating his features. He can’t help it; the thought of getting tickled by someone who cares makes him so giddy.

If he’s really lost in laughter, his wings might pop out. It’s adorable, and it gives you a lovely new spot to attack~

His lee moods are about as rare as drug dealers in hell.

Pretty obvious, too; random giggle fits, staring at others’ hands, and giddy blushes are plentiful.

When he gets into them, Luci can actually ask for help sometimes. Sure, it’s flustered and stuttery, but it gets the message across.

His worst spots are his wingpits - all six of them. Even light scribbling there will send him into near hysterics.

His melt spot - and favorite spot - is his belly. The widest, giddiest smile forms if you gently tickle him there. Go for long enough, and he might even doze off.

Ler:

He’s such a loving menace of a ler, no argument.

He’ll take things slow, but you’re gonna get the hell teased out of you, no question.

“Aww, what’s the matter? Does it tickle? I’m barely getting started!”

“Snorts already? Man, this really tickles, doesn’t it?”

“You’ve gotta be the cutest thing in all of hell! I mean, listen to those giggles!”

“I’ve gotta refer you to Charlie. This level of adorableness could warm the coldest of hearts~”

“Not there, huh? Then how about here? Or here? You’ve really gotta be more specific.”

You KNOW this man would use his wings against you. Sneaky hugs, followed by some feathery fun~

His ler moods are frequent and fierce. If nobody asks him within a few hours, he’ll just attack the first lee who gives him semi-probable cause.

Even though he’s a bit of a meanie, he’s a saint with aftercare.

This man loves post-tickle cuddles; what’s better than curling up with a snuggly, giggly lee? He gives great back-rubs, and I think he could make a mean grilled cheese.

❤️Paired💛

We can all agree that Lucifer is the main ler, right?

Now, Al doesn’t just let the man tickle him; that’d be too easy.

Deer man loves to tease: raising his arms to “reach for things” with others around, chuckling right in Luci’s ear, just being an all-around asshole.

It takes the blonde everything he has not to pounce in public.

By the end of the day, it’s safe to say that Lucifer gets the last laugh~

When Luci is in a lee mood, he'll just straight-up ask for tickles from Al.

Just to annoy him, he'll plop in the deer man's lap, raise his arms, and demand attention. Alastor is more than happy to oblige~

NOW, when Al’s in a ler mood, the tables pretty much turn inside-out.

He’ll go up to Lucifer, teleport him to his room, pin him with tentacles to the wall or bed, and make him squeal. He’ll usually push the fallen angel until he safewords.

While Lucifer could just escape, he “secretly” enjoys being taken down a few notches. Besides, he gets free cuddles afterwards.

Speaking of which, they always cuddle afterwards, no matter who the lee is. It’s an unspoken rule neither of them are keen on breaking.

[favcharacterpoll]

ROUND 4 MATCH 12: C!WILBUR VS. STAN

c!Wilbur Soot from the DSMP faces Stanley Pines from Gravity Falls. Who do you like more? obligatory @10piecechickenmcnugget tag because your man is RUNNING THE GAUNTLET

c!Wilbur Propaganda:

"Accurate depiction of mental health and spiral, handled delicately and deliberately, every piece of his story was thought and planned and in the end he went home to Utah. Thank you lord."

"Please don’t let the name dream smp effect how you feel about this submission, this character is completely unrelated to dream and I’m pretty sure the person who played him has nothing to do with dream anymore. This man single handedly got me through a horrible patch filled with extreme paranoia by also being extremely paranoid. Genuinely really helped me feel seen and I coped a lot by getting invested in this character. I almost cried when he died :("

"He’s so fucking stupid. I could infodump for hours this man transed my gender. Everything has gone wrong in his life. He’s the definition of a bisexual disaster."

"I didn’t fail 10th grade math bc I was thinking about c!wilbur for him to lose round one"

"I mean look at him!! his Minecraft skin is adorable!!!"

"if you people vote for cwilbur i'll draw him in a bikini."

"A VOTE FOR C!WILBUR IS A VOTE FOR GIRLBOYS EVERYWHERE"

"i should not have underestimated minecraft fans they came together"

64.media.tumblr.com

"Season 1 changed me. I didn’t know minecraft videos could have good acting, dramatic plots, etc. Wilbur was one of the best there. His plot was so interesting with the L’Manburg and the unfinished symphony arcs. He was funny, dramatic, sad… I fondly remember my dsmp days (though I only saw up to like part of Tommy’s exile)"

Stan Propaganda:

"from the same creature that submitted ford and was too tired for actual propaganda. they’re pretty cool huh"

"That propaganda is disgraceful but I'm also too tired to write up any big things for it"

"Hi that lack of propaganda for Stan Pines is offensive to me personally so here's some fun stuff:

He's punched zombies AND an all-powerful demon to death for the sake of protecting his family. He spent thirty years trying to turn on a portal to the Multiverse to get his twin brother back. He still thinks sacrificing his entire being is all that he's good for, and that makes my heart so sad. He loves his family and his family loves him. He's a silver fox. He also punched a pterodactyl in the face because he felt so bad about lying to his niece and getting her pet pig kidnapped that he had to fix his mistake (and yes, he did get the pig back). His nemesis was a ten-year-old child psychic whom he knew was a fraud because the kid didn't even realize his name wasn't actually Stanford.

Man of all time. Character of all time."

[byeoltoyuki]

✧memories of us ✧ Once upon a sunny day

↳ Pairing: Jisung x Reader

❧ Genre : romance / smut /fluff / 1st love to strangers to lovers

❧ Summary: Sometimes memories are just that. Memories.

A series of drabbles about you and Jisung, about your love and your heartbreak and a second chance.

❧ A/N: Likes and reblogs are appreciated ♥

Masterlist / previous / next

When Soyeon invited you to her little garden party, you didn’t need to think twice, you said yes. First, because Soyeon, in a very short lapse of time became an important person in your life. She was bubbly, caring, funny and owed your favourite café. Secondly, the party was at her place and her house despite being small was cosy and had a nice garden that came out right from a fairy tale (in your opinion, of course). And then, food. Soyeon and her BBQ – nobody could possibly say no to this. You certainly couldn’t. 

This was how you found yourself at her door on a Sunday afternoon, waiting for her to open it. Loud music was coming out of the house which made you wonder if Soyeon could even hear her doorbell. She, of course, did. 

Soyeon opened the door, looking like a little fairy with two light pink braids, flowers in her hair, a cute beige dress with black dots. She looked adorable. 

“Y/N!” She beamed and jumped right into your arms, almost making you drop the new plant you brought her as a gift for her garden and the bottles of her favourite wine. You managed, just on time, to open your arms widely enough to avoid any disaster. 

“I’m glad you’re here.” She hugged you a little tighter before completely letting go. Only then she noticed what you were carrying in your arms. She squealed and took the bag with the bottles off your hands. “You’re the best.”

You couldn’t help but grin. “I know.”

You followed her inside, excited to meet her friends. It had been a while since you met new people and despite feeling a little bit anxious about it, you couldn’t deny how genuinely happy it made you feel. Soyeon had mentioned over the texts that few of her college friends would attend her BBQ party along with some of her childhood friends. You didn’t know what to expect because truly Soyeon was unpredictable.

Turns out, you and Soyeon didn’t have the same definition for ‘few friends’. Her version of few was dozens of people gathered in her garden. You halted in your track, a little intimidated with all the new faces.

Soyeon noticed you were no longer by her side and glanced at you over her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I promise they’re a little loud and noisy, but they’re adorable.”

At her words, you relaxed, put the plant on the ground and quickly followed her. She was right, they were loud but the kind of loud that reminded you of your own group of friends that you missed a lot. You spotted two guys already taking care of the meat, one of them was smiling so brightly, you couldn’t help but stare. Every time he laughed at his friend, cute dimples showed up on his face. Really cute.

“Minho!” Soyeon called in the direction of the two guys.

Your body froze and all colour drained from your face. Minho was a rather common name, right? There was no way it could be the Minho. But as you followed Soyeon’s gaze, your heart missed a beat. You couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think straight. The universe was cruel. The world was vast and yet, somehow, Soyeon knew Minho, the guy that used to be your friend and the guy that happened to still be your ex-boyfriend’s friend.

“Fuck.” You cursed under your breath. You wanted to turn back and run away as fast as you could; even if it had been years, nothing could have prepared you from meeting him again. You wished he had forgotten you. You wished he wouldn’t recognize you but one look at his face and you knew he had.

You were glad the bottles were no longer in your hands, otherwise they would have shattered on the ground. The moment your eyes locked, you flinched. He hadn’t changed much. Still handsome, still strong, still with cold eyes and yet, you saw something else in his eyes too. Regret? Guilt? You refused to think about it.

“Hey, the first round of meat is almost ready.” The other guy informed Soyeon, completely missing the thick tension between you and Minho. “Oh hi. You must be Y/N. Soyeon talks a lot about you! I’m Chris.”

You took this chance to avert your eyes from Minho’s face and looked instead at the man. Up close, he was really cute, but you couldn’t fully enjoy the moment. Not when Minho’s eyes were boring holes into you.

You cleared your throat and attempted a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

“And this old man,” Soyeon pointed at Minho, “is Minho. Don’t worry, he might look intimidating but he’s a teddy bear.”

You had to bite back a laugh. The description she made of Minho was pretty accurate but the look he gave her was just so him, you couldn’t help but shake from holding back your laugh. Of course, he noticed. His attention went back to you instantly and you expected one of his ‘I’m going to make you pay’ look but instead he seemed to relax and the corner of his mouth quirked up.

For a moment, you stared at each other, a silent conversation going on. It had been years and you didn’t part in a nice way, but now that you were face to face, you still wanted to know how he was, what he had become. He did too, you saw it in his eyes.

“Okay, this is awkward.” Soyeon’s eyes darted back and forth between the two of you. “Is it me or do you guys know each other?”

“Exes?” Chris suggested after observing you.

“Never.” Minho scoffed at the suggestion.

You quirked a brow at him. “He’s into more annoying and loud women.” You couldn’t help but think about Yunji, the bane of his existence.  At least, it was what he used to say when really, she was everything he ever wanted. He could deny it for the sake of his ego, but you had seen it in his eyes, in his behaviour. He cared for her so deeply. Sadly, the day you and Jisung broke up, many things changed.

You didn’t want your group to fall apart, but there was no stopping. Minho picked his side and so did Changbin and Yunji. You knew Changbin stayed in touch with both Minho and Jisung and you were glad they did. But Yunji. Yunji couldn’t. She was angry. Angry with how things ended with you and Jisung. Angry with how easily Minho stopped talking to you. But more importantly, she loathed how easily Minho had stopped talking to her too. He didn’t even try to reach out and it hurt her more than she was willing to admit.

“You’re annoying enough.” The urge to strangle you was strong. Minho read between the lines and he wasn’t happy about the reminder of another person from his past.

“I know, I’m charming.” You flipped your hair in response, unbothered. You weren’t the same girl he used to know; his words didn’t bother you as much as it used to. But then, you smiled at him. “Good to see you too, Minho. Glad to see you’re still the same.”

Minho shook his head in both annoyance and relief. He took few steps towards you, surprising you and his friends. You didn’t know what to expect of him because, well, he was quite an unpredictable man. He took you completely off guard as he hugged you.

You froze in his arms. Minho had never hugged you, not even when you were still friends. And yet, it felt nice, warming your heart. You hugged him back and closed your eyes to savour the moment. The last words you had exchanged were mean and hurtful one that had left a bitter taste years later.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, making sure that only you could hear him.

Soyeon gasped loudly. Minho let go of you and went back to the grill as if nothing had happened. He completely ignored his friends’ prying eyes.

***

“I am so confused.” Soyeon told you later as you left the two men to grab a drink. “I didn’t know Minho was a hugger.”

You snorted at that. “He’s not.”

Soyeon frowned at you, unconvinced. “He hugged you.”

“I’m aware.” You could see it how badly Soyeon was trying not to flood you with questions about you and Minho. It amused you to tease her and make her wait.

“Okay! That’s enough. Spill it!”

You checked your watch and smiled. “Consider me impressed. You lasted two whole minutes.”

Soyeon blinked, bewildered, and then she scoffed. “You sound a lot like him right now. So are you sure he’s not your ex?”

Imagining you and Minho together – you winced. “Hell no. We used to be friends.”

You didn’t want to elaborate. You didn’t want to tell her the whole story because there was no way you could tell her without mentioning Jisung. Five years later and it was still a sensitive topic. Five years later and your heart still ached at the thought of him. You wished you were fully over him, but truth was, you weren’t. No matter how hard you tried to get over him, how hard you tried to meet new people and give men a chance – you had failed every single time.

“He’s my ex-boyfriend’s best friend.” You finally admitted.

Soyeon, bless her, didn’t make any comment. She understood from just one look at you that it was a subject you weren’t willing to talk about. Not yet. And she respected that. Instead, she gently grabbed your hand and gave it a squeeze. “If it’s get too much and you decide to leave, I won’t get mad, I promise.”

***

You came out of the bathroom feeling better. Obviously meeting Minho again brought back some unwanted, buried deep inside your head, memories but you refused to let your emotions and your past control you. You refused to let those memories ruin the lovely afternoon with Soyeon. But maybe, it was just the universe trying to convey a message and maybe you should have paid more attention to it.

Lost in your thoughts, you weren’t paying attention to your surroundings which ended with you bumping into someone. Stunned, you almost lost your footing. Fortunately for you, the person grabbed your arm and steadied you before you could make more acquaintance with the floor.

“Shit, I’m sorry!” You apologized, wincing at your own stupidity.

“Y/N?”

Your heart dropped at the sound of this familiar, warm voice. Slowly, you raised your head, terrified of what you would see. Your heart clenched painfully at the sight of Han Jisung, still holding your arm, standing too close to you.

You cleared your throat and awkwardly took a step back, putting some very needed distance between the two of you. “Hi Ji.” And yet the moment he let go of you, you almost whined at the loss of his warmth.

Something was wrong with you.

“It’s good to see you.” Jisung smiled but couldn’t look you in the eyes. Apparently, you weren’t the only nervous one. He rubbed his nape, maybe trying to ease the tension or maybe he was trying to find his words. Just like you. You didn’t know what to tell him. Good to see you again? How have you been? Did you miss me like I missed you? There was so much you could say but no words left you or him. 

“There you are!” Soyeon’s sweet voice echoed from behind Jisung and you never felt so much relief in your life. “I was looking for you everywhere!” She slapped his arm for good measure.

It was hard not to smile at how close they were or how Jisung winced at the slap, rubbing the now sore spot. “I was hiding from your punches.” He muttered. 

“What was it?” She asked, looking sweet and innocent but her eyes were promising him a very slow and painful death if he dared to go against her. It was only when you couldn’t stop yourself from chuckling that Soyeon noticed your presence. “Y/N! Sorry, was I interrupting?” 

“Nope.” You avoided Jisung’s eyes on purpose; you knew that the moment you would looked at him all your emotions would show on your face and you didn’t want to explain it tonight. “He was saving me from a nasty fall.” 

Soyeon cocked a brow, not fully convinced as her eyes darted back and forth between Jisung and you. “Are you sure you weren’t the one doing the saving?” 

“Hey!” Jisung protested loudly. 

*** 

For the rest of the afternoon and by some miracle you managed to avoid both Minho and Jisung. You were pretty much aware of their presence and you definitely caught them watching you more than once - you ignored it. It wasn’t easy but you stuffed your feelings deep inside you, refusing to let them have control over you. At least for today. 

By the time the sky got darker, Soyeon’s little party turned into something more intimate with the soft music playing on the background. Some people started dancing and you were no exception as Chris invited you. How could you say no when he smiled so prettily at you? Out of all the people you had met this afternoon, he was definitely one you would keep in touch; you truly enjoyed his company and how easy-going he was. 

“I know it’s not my place to say it, but is by any chance Jisung your ex-boyfriend?” He asked after a moment.

You almost stumbled, taken aback. 

Chris chuckled and his grip around you tightened just in case. “He has been staring at us for the past ten minutes, throwing daggers. I figured since you know Minho, you had to know him too and-“ he cleared his throat, “Sorry.” 

You laughed and shook your head in amusement. “You’re good, detective.” 

Chris’s eyes softened as he looked over your shoulder, at Jisung and then back at you. “There’s another reason why I figured you’re his ex-girlfriend. But I guess, it’s something he’ll have to show you himself.” 

That made you curious. You shouldn’t be, especially not when it concerned Jisung but there was just this odd feeling inside you that told you there were some unfinished business between the two of you. 

“It was lovely meeting you.” Chris let go of you with a nice and warm hug. 

You understood all too late why he was suddenly leaving you when you felt Jisung’s presence right behind you. He cleared his throat. “Would you like to dance with me?” 

You faced him, wanting to say no for the sake of your sanity and heart but one look at him and there was absolutely no way you could say no. You never managed. “Sure.” 

To say that feeling his hands on you felt weird yet so incredibly familiar and warm would be an understatement. Your body reacted to him like it used to, seeking more of his warmth and more of his touches. But you quickly realized that you weren’t the only one overwhelmed with turn this afternoon took. Jisung looked nervous judging by how his grip kept tightening as if he was scared that if he didn’t hold you tighter you would vanish. As if you were just an illusion of his own mind. 

“Why so nervous, Ji?” You joked in hope to break the tension. 

“Honestly? Because I didn’t think you would agree to dance with me.” He admitted, wincing at his own words. “Or talk to me.”

You rolled your eyes in response. “I’m petty but not that petty.” 

Feeling a little bolder, Jisung leaned closer. “Sure about that?” 

You slapped his arm playfully. 

“How have you been?” Jisung asked. 

“Good.” But lonely you wanted to add. “Work, life, friends, repeat.” You actually laughed at the terrible description of your life. It sounded bad when it really wasn’t. You had everything, well almost everything, you needed and ever wanted but it still didn’t feel enough. “You?” 

“Remember how I started learning to dance?” Jisung hesitated the moment he mentioned the past. There were many memories he cherished but there were some, he wished he could erase and start over. “I actually started a band with Minho, Chris and other guys.” 

“No way!” You gasped loudly. It shouldn’t surprise you that Jisung with his love for music would form a band, but it still amazed you how far he got. “That’s really impressive!” 

Jisung’s pretty face coloured with pink making him even more cute to you. 

“I’m actually trying to convince Changbin to join us. Have you heard his rap? He’s a real deal.” Jisung groaned, “But he told me he’s going to block me if I keep pestering him.” 

You easily pictured Changbin’s annoyance. “He refused?” This, however, made you pause. You had heard in the past how well his rap battles with Jisung were. “Why?” 

“Something about not wanting to take risks in life.” 

That just didn’t make sense. It didn’t sound like the Changbin you knew. He wasn’t the wildest in your group of friends but whenever he wanted something he would just go for it. So why would he hold back now? The answer was quite easy and it didn’t sit right with you. “That’s odd.” 

“I know.” 

[sitp-recs]

liv, do you have any idiots to lovers recs? I’m thinking things in the vein of “keep it down” by warmfoothills; where draco and Harry like each other so much but are just so dumb about it! it also works if only one of them is an idiot (usually Harry, my oblivious king!!) huge bonus if they have a big, combined friend group that everyone in it either 1.knows they’re in love with eachother bc duh or 2.already thinks they are dating/fucking

It took me ages to post this but if you’re still around I got you, anon 🫡 That’s also a favorite trope of mine, I adore that warmfoothills fic. Here are some recs for you, I’ve had so much fun putting this list together. I also did a reclist for roommates AU a while ago. Hope you enjoy!

Still Life (2019, M, 3k)

Take A Stab At It by @sorrybutblog (E, 3k)

It’s a bit pathetic, Harry knows, to have a hard-on for the guy who bullied you in school. Kind of cliché to look back on years of obsession and hatred and think, Oh.

Closer by @pennygalleon (M, 5k)

All who know them are convinced that Harry and Draco are a couple. But that's just ridiculous.

Tread That Fine Line by disapparater (E, 5k)

Harry could cope with being in love with Draco, it was the needing to get fucked by him that was driving Harry insane.

Mise en Place by @corvuscrowned (T, 5.5k)

Draco needs to learn how to cook, and luckily, Harry knows his way around a kitchen. The fact that Draco is using his newfound cooking skills to impress another man... Well, Harry just tries not to think about that too much.

Two of Us by @sorrybutblog (E, 5.5k)

The gang goes to a gay bar. Or: five times Harry accidentally pretended to be Draco’s boyfriend and one time Draco told him to put out or shut up.

Per my last letter (I hope you choke on it) by @fluxweeed and @lastontheboat (T, 10k)

Or: the one where Harry has writer’s block and Malfoy isn’t helping.

Party of Two by fireflavored (E, 13k)

Drinking, sex, and a total misreading of the concept of fuck buddies.

Take the Moon by @tackytigerfic (M, 15k)

Harry Potter has always wanted a family of his own, and when a deadly blood curse forces him into a marriage bond with his best friend Draco Malfoy, it looks like he might just have found one. It's just a shame they’d always planned to break up after a year…

An Act of Kindness for One Harry Potter by a Sympathetic Draco Malfoy by 0idontknow0 (E, 15k)

As Draco leaned on the wall to wait for them to get dressed, he could not help feeling like he had done a very kind thing by disrupting them. Someone should give Potter a better rogering than that sorry sod had. The man had saved the bloody world—okay, mostly Europe—the least someone could do was give him a proper shag.

It's Friday (I'm in Love) by @punk-rock-yuppie (E, 16k)

At first, Draco only hangs out with them on Fridays after work; then he starts shagging Potter after pub nights. Then all the rest of the gang tries to befriend Draco and even worse, Potter tries to date him. It’s an absolute disaster, if you ask Draco. Or, Draco and Harry fall in love over the course of several Fridays and some other days of the week.

solemates by @shiftylinguini (E, 17k)

It starts because Harry has no self-control when it comes to meaningless and entertaining competition. Actually no, that's not quite right. It starts because Harry is absolutely plastered.

Five Weddings and a Potions Accident by lauren3210 (E, 19k)

In which Harry thinks he’s a playboy, everyone else knows better, and Hermione will kill Seamus if Ron tries to collect on that bet.

Nothing But You On My Mind by @moonflower-rose (M, 29k)

Potter has been in Australia on an internship for almost a year, and Draco cannot wait for him to get back home. They'll finally have a chance to talk about their feelings for each other. What could possibly go wrong? Loads, as it turns out.

Around You Moves by ignatiustrout (M, 29k)

Harry knew Draco was gay when he invited him to move in. He’s never had a problem with this. So why does he feel so weird about Draco bringing men home all of a sudden?

(The Piece) I was Missing All Along by lauren3210 (E, 30k)

Draco and Harry have been flatmates and best friends for years, and Draco thinks life is just perfect that way. But when something comes along and threatens to take all that away, Draco has to decide what it is he really wants, and just how hard he's going to work to get it.

A Love Story of Less-Than-Epic Proportions by InnerLilith (E, 39k)

Harry and Draco are just friends. Sure, they work together, and live together, and go to gigs together, and do pretty much everything else together—so what? That’s just what friends do. And Harry has no interest in messing with their friendship. He certainly doesn’t need everyone else constantly meddling, pestering them to just get on with it and get together already. He’s having a hard enough time as it is, trying to come to terms with the fact that he probably isn’t ever going to find love. But who needs love, anyway, when you’ve got a best friend?

Another Heart Whispers Back by @slytherco (E, 53k)

At twenty-five, Harry Potter is still a virgin and sorely lacking in options to change that state anytime soon. To help him find a plus one for Ron and Hermione’s wedding, and maybe kill two birds with one stone, Harry’s friends set him up on a series of blind dates. The only problem is, there’s something not quite right with each of their candidates.

Nights With You by @the-sinking-ship (E, 58k)

Draco is mortified when moments prior to departing for the most anticipated destination wedding of the year, he is cruelly dumped. But when he learns that Harry Potter has, at long last, split with his horrible boyfriend, Draco is certain his luck has changed. Never a man to squander an opportunity for revenge (and what would probably be a spectacular shag), Draco vows to make Potter his for the weekend.

All Must Draw Near by Saras_Girl (M, 61k)

Harry doesn't have time for rumours; he has a shop to run. Which is just as well, really.

The Pure and Simple Truth by lettered (G, 65k)

Harry, Draco, and Hermione go to a pub. Harry, Draco, and Pansy go to a pub. Harry, Draco, Pansy, and Hermione go to a pub. Harry, Draco, Hermione and Ron go to a pub. Harry, Draco, Hermione, Ron, and Pansy―you guessed it―go to a pub. I could go on. In fact, I did. Harry, Draco, Hermione, Pansy, Ron, Blaise, Luna, Goyle, Neville, and Theodore Nott go to a pub. In various combinations.

[lunarnightt]

I just saw the podcast and omg girl 😭😭😭😭😭 I honestly feel so bad for Hayden. Imagine the mother of your daughter whom you clearly adore and be an amazing father to, publicly saying that you barely help out. That must feel SO humiliating especially since it’s not the first time she’s said something like this. I mean even if it were true (which obviously isn’t) why bring it up in front of everyone like that? It feels so unnecessary and kind of cruel. It just makes me wonder what the dynamic is like behind the scenes because that’s such a big accusation to make in public. — it’s worse when she publicly insulted him by saying she never had an orgasm till she was 38, basically when she was with her ex bill hader who she praised his package on her show

asked my 85 year old grandmother once, what’s the worse insult you can ever give a man… and her exact words: “talking about their bedroom performance and saying they’re bad in bed” like my own grandmother born in the 40s confirmed this

and yet hayden’s family still cozies up to her and spend vacations and holidays with her after she publicly and globally trashes their own flesh and blood? make it make sense someone please

and i know damn well briar will see all of this one day and i guarantee rachel won’t have a damn clue what to do about it, she even said on her show after she doxxed briar’s school without saying the name because this woman has no filter or anything, that briar apparently doesn’t ever want to grow up and she still full on carries her like an infant and sleeps in the same bed as her and uses the bathroom with her when on planes and stuff… god when briar hits puberty i am so sorry for the disaster that will happen in rachel’s life because she is a shitty mother (NO ONE COME FOR ME)

I- someone PLEASE check on that woman’s mentality because what the actual fuck?

[bucksboobs]

I am now knee deep into the possibility of buddietommyshannon. Tommy and Shannon obviously don't have romantic feelings for each other/fuck but they're so fucking in love with those two codependent idiots and they all just fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Tommy completes them!

They’ve been throupled for years at this point. Shannon has heard Chris, 13 now, thirteen, say many times still cannot believe the way to make his parents stay together was for both of them to date some other guy, but they’ve all come to terms with all of this years ago. Buck, for all he used to be just an exciting fuck for Shannon, is actually a good stepfather. Chris adores that man to death and beyond, and Shannon loves that about him. For all their fuckups, Buck has become the stabilizing force they all needed. Moving back in with Eddie was easy, adding Buck to that was easier still, and now, 4 years on, they sit at their dinner table, Chris was excused to go play his video games (head phones in of course, Eddie hates the sound of those damn games) and the three of them are having easy, smooth conversation when, slowly, like they’re planning something, that Tommy guy comes up again.

There was this disaster involving a cruise ship or something last month and Buck and Eddie have been hanging out with this other firefighter more and like she’s glad they have friends outside the station for once but this feels… like something else. Apparently he’s gay. Apparently he’s single. Apparently these things are supposed to matter to Shannon

“Baby, if you’d seen him you’d get it he’s hot as fuck.” That perks her up.

“Buck! Darling,” Darling was The Buck Word. Whenever Buck became Darling and she became Baby, Eddie was serious “be sensitive. It’s not that we’re unsatisfied we’re just… curious.”

“Curious about what exactly?” She knows. But if they’re about to suggest what she thinks they are they’re gonna have to say it.

“We wanna fuck him so bad but.” But you can’t be there because he’s Kinsey 6 gay, Shannon can read between the lines and Buck has been an open book since the first night she dared him to kiss Eddie.

“I have got to see this fucker for myself.”

“Babe he is SO hot.” Buck reiterates. Buck has always been vocal about who he wants and how he wants them. It made the transitional stages of their relationship, first as just Buck and his best friend’s estranged wife who he’s fucking then as Buck and the married couple he was sleeping with and then finally as them so much easier because Buck told them everything he was looking for and Shannon parsed that out to Eddie and Eddie decided if he was willing to take the risk.

“There’s a medal ceremony in two weeks. You can be Buck’s plus one” Eddie is shifting in his chair. He wants this too. It’s rare to ever see Eddie express desire for someone outside of her or Buck, that makes this interesting.

“And I’ll decide if he’s worth it.” She enjoys making Eddie squirm, always has and now she has to sate her own curiosity about this mystery man.

“Thank you babe.” Buck jumps out of his seat to kiss her. “We’ll tell you all about it. Uh. If it happens. Promise.”