#We are terrible at asking for help but we're trying to get better

[tsunadadudi]

If baby 4th grade me knew about Creep by Radiohead they wouldve made that their whole personality

[devilzfruit]

when the anxiety of not knowing how things work but faced with 'you gotta do it anyways' kicks in mega hard

[leneemusing]

A FEW VARIOUS SENTENCE STARTERS

❝ i wouldn't find the need to tell you 'i told you so' if you weren't so allergic to admitting i'm right. ❞

❝ there are better hills to die on but i find this one quite comfortable. ❞

❝ would you come with me please? i adore your company. ❞

❝ that's not the worst thing i've ever heard but it's certainly up there. ❞

❝ i would love to help you but i'm afraid i'm suffering from a terrible case of 'it's not my problem.' ❞

❝ could you just think about anyone other than yourself for once? ❞

❝ i'm not going to stand here and argue with you about how much you need to get some rest. if i find you passed out on the floor i'm leaving you there. ❞

❝ would you be a dear and shut the hell up. ❞

❝ i know i need help but i'm not quite ready to ask for it. ❞

❝ do you know where we're going or are we just trying to get lost now? ❞

❝ i have confided this in you, please do not betray that trust. ❞

❝ do you like it here? with me? ❞

❝ are you still happy? with me, i mean. with us. ❞

❝ i didn't lie, i simply presented a selective truth. ❞

❝ do you actually like spending time with me? because i feel like all you do is argue. ❞

❝ one of us will eventually have to have the strength to be honest with ourselves about each other. ❞

❝ i want to tell you something i just need a moment to figure out the right words. ❞

❝ if you were the religious type i would challenge god to win your devotion. ❞

❝ don't tell me to quit being melodramatic it's the only time i have any fun. ❞

❝ were you ever going to tell me or were you just going to make me guess what you're thinking and feeling. ❞

[unstable-samurai]

The Shy Nerdy Best Friend is Actually Pretty Cool... and Hot

Minnie x Male Reader

one-shot

tags: friends to lovers, fluff, Confession, babying, drunk reader, penetration, blowjob, cumshot...

You don't remember much from that night. One of the few alcohol-induced blackouts you've had in your life, with fragmented memories blurred like a distant dream, some real, others not. Vague, like the first memory of your childhood, but not as special. Based on what Minnie said, you were brought to her house by some of your "friends" after drinking all you could at a stupid party you didn't even want to go to. The idea was for Minnie to take care of you, 'cause, in the condition you were in, staying alone at home was risky and, well, none of your "friends" - and these were their words - would act like your "mother"...

except for her...

The doorbell rang around 09:30 PM.

She answered the door with curious astonishment, probably having been asleep when this hurricane of voices hit her door.

"He's all yours!" said one of your friends, pushing you towards Minnie.

"HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!" she asked alarmed. "... What happened to him...?"

"He's drunker than the devil. We brought him here for you to keep an eye on him," said the other friend, the one who drove to Minnie's house.

"Me?!"

"Of course. We're not his mom to take care of the guy." They looked at each other and laughed as if it were the funniest thing in the world. "You've done this before, right?"

"No. Last time he was sick. I don't know how to take care of a drunk person!" she tried to explain while using all her strength to keep you upright.

The problem was that you weighed almost twice as much as she did.

"Great. It's practically the same thing!"

"We're going back to the party! Tell him to call us tomorrow. See you later, babe!" he said, ironically, of course.

"Hey... are you okay?" Minnie asked you.

"Your hair is all messy," you said, messing up her hair even more.

"I was napping on the couch. And you're a complete mess. But let's get inside, you weigh more than a bull!"

You put your arm around Minnie and dragged yourself into the house with her. She helped you sit on the couch; your head was spinning and everything seemed terribly distant. When you looked at Minnie, she seemed to be staring at you, but you weren't sure. In your state, even her action figures seemed to be watching you.

"I think I'm bothering you. I am, aren't I?" you asked. "I can go home. I can walk just fine."

You made a motion to get up.

"Sit down, idiot!" she said, pushing you back onto the couch. "It's okay. I'm just worried about you. Did you take any drugs?"

"Hmm, I don't think so," you replied, terribly sincere.

She brought you a glass of water. While you were drinking, she asked:

"I tried to talk to you several times today. I called and texted you. I thought we were going to marathon that stupid Hobbit trilogy.”

"Looks like I had better plans," you replied sarcastically.

"Uh-huh, it seems so..."

"Can I lay my head on your lap? I want you."

You didn't notice, but she blushed.

"Alright, I guess."

You laid your head on her lap and closed your eyes. Minnie started to gently stroke your hair.

"You should stop going to those parties. There's nothing good about them. And your friends always abandon you at the end of them."

"I wished you were there with me," you confessed.

"You know I don't like parties. And if I went, your friends would probably just laugh at me if I were there."

"That's true. It's really true. Damn, it's a damn truth... I think I drank to try to forget about you a little." You revealed suddenly. "I was feeling bad for breaking my promise to you."

"Why didn't you want to come?"

"I've been a little irritated with you lately."

"Why? What did I do?! I'm sorry! ... But what did I do?"

You laughed like an idiot.

"Your way, your tastes, your clothes, your voice, your smell irritate me... man, the list is long."

She immediately stopped stroking your hair.

"Oh... got it."

"All of that irritates me because I... because I love all those things about you and I can't admit it. It irritates me that you're perfect... in a good way. Sorry. "You hugged her around the waist, hiding your face in Minnie's belly, who stood paralyzed.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"You're so good to me while I treat you terribly. I wish I were a better guy." You commented, sounding like an embarrassed confession.

"No, no! You treat me so well! You're so sweet to me."

"No... it's just... when I'm with my friends, they make jokes about you and say I hang out with you just to get easy sex or whatever... The problem is I never raise my voice to defend you, I just sulk or change the subject like a damn coward. No one should talk about you like that... Damn, I think I'm going to vomit!"

"Ew! Don't vomit on me!”

You stumbled to your feet and Minnie guided you to the bathroom. You managed to make it to the toilet in time, avoiding vomiting all over her bathroom.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

You waited for the sound of the toilet flushing to pass, then replied, "You could have held my hair while I was puking. Where are your manners?"

She chuckled and sat against the bathroom wall.

"You're such an idiot, you know."

"Do you still want to watch The Hobbit trilogy?"

"It's already too late, and besides, in your state, you wouldn't be able to focus on staring at a wall for 1 minute."

"I guess you're right."

"Hey, seriously, you should stop hanging out with those guys. They're not your real friends."

"I just hang out with them, you know, so I'm not alone."

"You have me."

You silently observed Minnie for too long, making her start to feel uncomfortable. You tried to think of something good to say to her, something that would make her feel better, because, well, after revealing that those guys were mocking her behind her back, it was the least you could do.

"Is that Tweety?" you asked, pointing to her blouse.

"Yep! Do you like it?"

"It looks like you. The glasses and all. It's pretty cute. Do you think I could get a Tweety shirt?"

"Finding a male Tweety shirt for you will be tough."

"No problem. I'll definitely look better in that baby tee than you, no offense. By the way, is Tweety male or female?"

"Tweety is male!"

"Ah, I never noticed."

"Hey, I was serious when I said you have me. You like me, right? We're friends?"

"Minnie you are my best friend, please."

"Then it doesn't make sense you to hang out with people who are constantly mocking me. Now that you've said that, I won't accept you continuing to be friends with them and me at the same time!" she protested.

"Hmm... Okay. That's fair. I'll kill all of them for you."

"I'm serious. You're going to have to choose between me or them."

"I choose you. You, Minnie."

You clumsily crawled over and hugged her, squeezing her small body against yours, which was one of your favorite feelings.

"Okay, okay. I get it! But I don't think this is the most hygienic place for us to hug." Minnie helped you to your feet. "Go take a shower and see if you can get rid of that vomit breath.”

“If I do everything right, do I get a kiss?”

“No way! You’re drunk. In the morning, I want you saying all this to me again. If it’s really true, then tomorrow will be a very special day for me…”

“I love you, Minnie,” you whispered, looking into her eyes. “I want to be your man so badly. It even makes me feel like crying when I think about it.”

She playfully tapped your chest and pushed you away, giggling nervously.

“I love you too. I really do,” she said with a shy smile. “I’ll get some clothes you left here for you to wear. Please don’t slip in the bathroom because I won’t have the strength to lift you.”

"I'm not an idiot to slip in the bathroom."

"But you can act like one sometimes." she said, before closing the door.

"Do you want to play Mortal Kombat?" you asked Minnie as she dried her hair with the hairdryer in her room.

"WHAT?!"

"I asked if you want to play Mortal Kombat!" You said, now louder. "This darn hairdryer sounds like a jet engine!"

She turned it off.

“If I beat you while sober, imagine drunk as you are now. No, you need to eat. Soup will be good for you."

"Cup Noodles, that's it!"

"No! Real soup. Light and with vegetables. I actually ordered some."

"Ah," you grumbled disheartened. "I've lost my appetite."

"But you're going to eat!"

"Fine, fine! If you insist... Hey, is that a Smurf on the table?"

"My goodness, you look so lost when you're drunk. Like your brain has shrunk," Minnie said casually, trying to hide a laugh. "That's a Squirtle. And you're the one who gave it to me as a gift."

"This is actually quite offensive on your part. I'm sharper than most drunks."

"Aw, don't be offended." She pinched your cheeks like a baby. Minnie was definitely taking advantage of the fact that you were drunk.

And in a way, you thought she was entitled to it.

Once again in her lap, you ended up discovering that night that this was your favorite place. Warm and protected from any harm. And even intoxicated, sparks of lucidity allowed you to see through the smoke that hovered over your mind. No, better than that, it allowed you to feel the security that Minnie had when she was by your side, singing "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles to you. And singing was something she didn't do around anyone; insecurity and shyness prevented her from doing so. In this way, she hid one of her greatest talents because she sang in an angelic manner, extremely comfortable with her own voice, sounding good without any instrument to accompany her. The fact was that if it weren't for the headache, you would have been sure you were in a sublime dream.

"That was the best lullaby I've ever heard," you murmured.

"I thought you were already asleep."

"Sing more."

"No, that's enough. You need to sleep."

"I want to hear you sing every night," you said, and Minnie laughed because you wore a silly, goofy smile. Apparently, your facial expressions weren't entirely under control.

"I hope I can sing to you every night. Just for you." Minnie slid her finger slowly across your nose, watching you with an enigmatic expression. She took advantage of the fact that your eyes were closed. "Can I ask you something?"

"Uh-huh... sure," you mumbled.

"Have you always been ashamed of me? Regardless of your answer, it won't matter because you're drunk."

You immediately stood up from her lap, feeling dizzy and alarmed, but rational enough to say:

"I want you to meet my parents, Minnie. Um, I was planning to tell you tomorrow, after you agreed to be my girlfriend. So consider this a little spoiler. I want to hold your hand and have the right to call you 'mine.'"

"Do you swear?" she asked, her lips trembling.

"Yes. All this time, the girl of my dreams has been right by my side, and I ignored it. My face is red with embarrassment now. From tomorrow onward, I'll make it up to you, and if you give me a chance, I'll make you feel special every day. Just as you deserve."

"Besides bad jokes and terrible taste in movies, you're also quite good at romance. God, I wish I could kiss you right now..."

"Okay, so I'll do it in your place. Excuse me, I'm going to kiss your forehead," you said, leaning closer to her.

Amid giggles, she asked: "What are you doing?"

"If you'll allow me..." You lifted Minnie's bangs as if checking her temperature and then planted a quick kiss on her forehead.

"You're such a goof, my goodness."

"And I'm also crazy about you."

"Let's hope these things still hold true tomorrow," she remarked, and you saw her eyes sparkle for you. "I want to believe..."

"Wait, was that an X-Files refer-?"

"Yep!" In fact, she said it by chance. "You're definitely sharper than most drunks."

“I told you, I told you!”, you exclaimed like a child.

The bedroom curtain wasn't fully closed, so a beam of light at 8:30 AM came through the window and hit your eyes, warming your skin until it became unbearable, and you opened your eyes to the whitish view of Minnie's room. Your vision returned to normal as your mind assimilated the facts. How the hell did I get here? And why am I in Minnie's bed? Oh, and It was strange for you to be in her room because when you slept at Minnie's house, you usually slept on the couch. It was hard to recap the events of the previous night, but they came to your mind in the following way:

I went to the party.

I was sad because of confusing feelings.

I drank.

I drank.

I drank.

I drank a lot.

Some of my "buddies" took me to Minnie's house.

She took care of me. Again.

Hmm, yeah, things probably happened this way or a similar version of it.

You looked at the clothes you were wearing. It definitely wasn't that stupid Zelda shirt you wore to the party.

Holy crap. Could it be that Minnie helped me change my clothes?

You felt completely embarrassed and afraid to find out what happened the previous night.

‘Don’t be an idiot and face it like a man.’

Words from your father when the two of you talked earlier that month about your internal conflict over admitting your romantic feelings for a particular girl. He didn't care about most of your problems, but this one irritated him. Your ridiculous concern about others' opinions on your life, your girl, who you should date... And staying silent in the face of offensive comments about your friend... He almost threw that beer in your face. If you don’t confess your feelings to this girl, then another man will, and then it will be too late. And I don't want you here ruining my Sunday afternoon because of your stupidity. He didn’t know how to say things without sounding like a retired army colonel, but you thought you deserved to hear those words in that exact tone. The time had come to put your old man's advice into practice. You quietly left the room and went to the bathroom to wash your face. From the noise, Minnie was in the kitchen cooking something. It wasn’t in your plans to confess your feelings to her with a horrendous hangover face, but damn it, you hoped she loved you for what you had inside: guts and true feelings for her.

When you got to the breakfast table in the kitchen, there was a plate of scrambled eggs, a cup of coffee, and warm toast waiting for you. Minnie was wearing an adorable overall and a gentle smile was on her face. You loved this morning view and wished it could be like this every morning.

"Good morning. How did you sleep?" she asked, sitting at the table.

"I slept well," you said timidly.

"Come on, eat your breakfast." She insisted, and you joined her at the table.

"And you? Did you sleep well? You know I could have slept on the couch."

"Nah, you needed a real rest. Besides, the couch isn't that bad."

"Sorry for ruining your night."

"I saved you yesterday, you'll save me tomorrow," she said cheerfully. "Are you feeling okay?"

"My head hurts a bit, but just being conscious is a relief... By the way, you didn't change my clothes, did you?"

She put her hand to her mouth in a mock expression of shock.

"Oh my God! How do you remember this?"

"Oh, man! Fuck!"

"Just kidding! You changed yourself like a big boy!" she revealed, laughing at your reaction.

"Thank God!"

After breakfast, you helped her wash the dishes and clear the table. There was a moment of rest when you both went to the living room, the glorious morning light shining renewed, somehow lifting your spirits and giving you a bit of courage.

"Listen, Minnie, I'm not sure what I said or did yesterday. I have a feeling I might have dropped a bomb on you because I noticed you seemed a bit off during breakfast."

"I'm just a little anxious."

"I need to tell you that I've been in love with you for a while. And I've been feeling bad for not treating you the way you truly deserve. You might say it's no big deal, but to me, it is. It's something that causes me anguish, and now I want to change that if you'll give me a chance." You held Minnie’s hands, her eyes reflecting the hope in her heart, your actions feeling right and natural, without shame or hesitation in saying: "I love you, Minnie."

"I love you too. I think I've loved you since that day we shared an umbrella while walking back from the movies. You and I walking together in silence, our shoulders occasionally touching, and the rain falling around us... Oh, and you looked so handsome that day.”

"Minnie... Can I kiss you?"

You and Minnie started kissing on the couch, desire and emotion burning uncontrollably between you. Your lips met with a mix of nervousness and passion, the first kiss an electric shock that coursed through your body. She was the girl of your life, there was no doubt anymore. The reciprocity was a wet and intense response, a kiss with your tongues intertwining as you both had secretly longed for. Her hands began to explore your body, sliding over your muscles with a provocative softness. "I've wanted this for so long," she whispered against your lips, her voice laden with desire. The room seemed to heat up with the energy emanating from you, also radiant with the morning sun, the birds singing outside, and the tension between you dissolving as you surrendered to the moment. Your bodies moved closer and closer, the excitement growing with each touch and sigh.

As the kisses heated up, the intensity increased, and you lost your balance, falling off the couch in a tangle of bodies. "Oh, wait, my glasses!" Minnie exclaimed, and you gently took off her glasses and placed them on the couch. "You still look handsome, even slightly blurry," she said.

On the floor, your hands were eager, sliding over Minnie's body as you pulled down one of her overall straps, revealing the warm, soft skin beneath. With a quick movement, you removed the other strap, leaving her in just her striped top and bra. Minnie let out a low moan as she felt your firm hands lift her top, slowly exposing her small breasts covered by the bra. You pulled the bra straps down, freeing her breasts, and immediately began to play with them, sucking and squeezing them with a mix of softness and firmness. "Oh, yes, keep going," she murmured, her eyes closed and head thrown back, deliberately feeling the heat of your mouth against her skin. Her sighs filled the room, each touch and moan intensifying the excitement. Her skin was soft and fragrant, and the sensation of her nipples hardening under your tongue was very, very good.

After dedicating yourself to Minnie's breasts, you slid your lips down her abdomen, pulling her overall down a bit more. Your tongue traced a slow, teasing path, exploring the sensitive skin of her belly. "You're so hot, Minnie," you murmured between kisses, your voice full of desire for her. Minnie moaned softly, her hips moving involuntarily as you continued to adore her. "Lick me more, please," she whispered, her face flushed with excitement. Your lips and tongue explored every inch of her belly, each touch sending waves of pleasure through her body. The combination of gentle kisses and sensual licks made Minnie gasp with pleasure, her body arching with each new stimulus. "Mmmm, I love it when you do that," she moaned, her voice sweeter than ever.

You took off your stupid Zelda shirt (hoping Minnie hadn't focused too much on it). When it came time to take off your underwear, Minnie took charge, deftly pulling it off and tossing it aside without hesitation. She looked at you with a mischievous glint in her eyes before wrapping her lips around your cock. "I always knew you had a big cock; I could see how it bulged in some of the pants you wore," she revealed. Somehow, Minnie's sudden confidence made her even sexier, and your arousal ridiculously uncontrollable. The warm, wet sensation of her mouth around you was overwhelming, each movement of her tongue making your whole body tremble with pleasure. The sounds of sucking and Minnie's muffled moans filled the living room, a rhythm so pleasurable to hear. Watching her alternate between gentle and intense movements, driven by such devotion, was... beautiful, an erotic work of art for your eyes. Her lovely lips wrapped around your cock with such need, her hands caressing your thighs with so much care and love, Minnie's eyes never leaving yours. Her hair was loose, the perfect invitation to grab it and thrust your cock against Minnie's throat, helping to make it even wetter.

Minnie begged you to fuck her, feeling increasingly aroused. You sat on the floor, leaning your back against the couch as she finished taking off her clothes.

"Is this your first time?" you asked.

"No. I actually used to see a guy back in college; we had sex a few times, but he was terrible... You're suprised?"

“Oh, no. Maybe a little. Bu- Hmm, well, do you happen to have a condom?"

"I'm the last person who would have condoms at home," she said with a silly laugh. “But I think from now on this will change.”

The moment you were sharing became more intense and intimate, and Minnie, feeling increasingly aroused, noticed how wet her pussy was. She decided to heighten the sensation, rubbing your cock between her pussy lips, moaning softly with each movement. "My god, I'm so wet for you," she whispered, her voice full of lust. Minnie began to slap your cock against her pussy, each hit making her moan louder. "Look how my little pussy is dripping, babe..." she teased, her eyes fixed on yours, full of desire. You couldn't resist; you grabbed your cock and started slapping it against Minnie's pussy. "Oh, yes... hit it hard..." "Fuck, this feels so good, Minnie." The contact between you increased the sexual tension, Minnie's moans becoming louder and more frequent. "My pussy is begging for you, babe," she said between sighs and moans. The friction between your bodies made the desire grow almost unbearably, leaving her even more excited and ready for the next step: Minnie finally slid your cock inside her, letting out a deep moan of pleasure. "Oh, yes, this is so good," she exclaimed, starting to ride you with rhythmic movements. The sensation of being inside her was indescribable, each pulse of excitement increasing your pleasure. Minnie moved with an intensity that made your whole body vibrate, her moans blending with yours. "You make me feel so good," she murmured, Minnie's hands resting on your chest as she rode faster and faster. Her petite body over yours, consumed by genuine passion for you and your cock.

The atmosphere between you reached its peak as Minnie continued riding you with fervor, her movements becoming more frantic as the climax approached. "I'm gonna cum... oh, I'm gonna cum so hard," she screamed, her eyes closed and her face contorted with pleasure. You could feel the heat and wetness around your cock as she rode faster and faster, her body trembling with excitement. "Yeah, come on, come for me, baby!" you said, panting, and with a final scream of pleasure, Minnie finally came, her body shaking violently as she fell apart on top of you. Sweat dripped from your bodies, your heavy breathing a testament to the intensity of the moment. She relaxed on you, completely spent, her eyes meeting yours with a satisfied and exhausted look, the glow of pleasure still reflecting in her pupils. The connection between you proved to be real; if the declarations, looks, and gestures weren't conclusive enough before, now every sigh and touch reaffirmed the intensity of the shared experience that only two people in love can feel.

But

Despite Minnie's intense orgasm, you still hadn't cum. Realizing this, Minnie smiled mischievously and murmured, "I'm going to make you cum now." She lifted herself for a moment, only to sit back down on your cock, her body still trembling with residual pleasure. Minnie began to grind intensely, her movements desperate and full of fervor. Your moans interspersed with your panting breath, your eyes closed, completely sedated by the sensation and the imminent explosion, still focused on not coming inside her. A lethal adrenaline rush. "Cum for me... please, cum for me," she begged, her voice broken by desire and urgency. "Oh, fuck, oh god! I don't know how much longer I can hold on, babe..." Minnie said, her words and the movements of her hips creating an irresistible mix of pleasure and pressure.

Then, the intensity of Minnie's movements, combined with her words, pushed you to the edge. Feeling the climax approaching, you announced, "I'm gonna cum, Minnie,"

Fuck…Her eyes shining with excitement… She got off you and begged: "Cum on my face... I want all your cum on my face." You quickly got up, your body trembling with anticipation. Minnie knelt in front of you, looking up at you with a gaze full of expectation and desire. With a final grunt, you stroked your cock rapidly and ejaculated onto her, the hot, pulsing jets covering her face. Minnie closed her eyes, moaning as she felt every drop, a smile of pure satisfaction forming on her lips, blending her shyness, naughtiness, and cuteness.

The room was filled with the smell of sex and sweat, the atmosphere still vibrating with the energy of the intense connection you shared. Minnie, still on her knees, wiped a drop of cum from the corner of her mouth, her expression one of deep and exhausted satisfaction.

With a loving gesture, you placed Minnie's glasses back on her face, your fingers sliding gently across her skin. "You don't know how beautiful you are now,” you whispered.

Your eyes met, sparks of desire still dancing between them. With a soft smile, you pulled her close and kissed her passionately. Your lips met in a final act of surrender to the intense passion that had consumed you both, the salty taste of your cum mixing sweetly and intimately between you...

And a couple of little yellow birds on the windowsill were silent witnesses to the newly blossomed passion.

[hoshigray]

random thought, but like Gojo getting a little handsy while the two of you are out together with your friends.

a/n: yeahhhhh I have no excuse, this literally just popped up in my head two days ago, just read lol

cw: Gojo x fem! reader - nothing too sexual, but very suggestive, so minors stay away!! - fingering (f! receiving) - sexual acts in a public area; in a café - other people present but they don't know what's going on - pet names (angel, baby, princess) - Gojo putting you through hell but you get your getback :3 - you may [or may not] feel second-hand embarrassment, we shall see.

wc: 1k

"...Then I turned to him and said, 'I know you don't think I'm going to have sex with you after you've done thrown up on my dress.'"

"Nooo, after the dress was how much—"

"Right!! So I nicely shoved him off me and called an Uber to..."

It was a pleasant sunny hour to spend with your friends at a local café not too far away, mingling and catching up with them from the last meetup. It was always a splendid time having moments like this with them.

But what made this time a lot more striking was you bringing your boyfriend over! After many weeks of your friends wanting to meet the guy — not to mention him bugging you about also wanting to see your close buds — you promised to have him tag along for the next in-person meetup. And, low and behold, your partner, Satoru Gojo, wasted no time having your mates attracted to his sociable charisma.

Not that you'd think he'd be out of place — if anything, you knew he'd be able to swoon into their sweet graces. With his dashing smile, alluring sky-blue eyes, and engaging conversations, it was only a matter of seconds before the white-haired man could take your spot and engage with your pals. Shit, it's practically happening right now as you sip on your iced tea while he's listening to one of them reminiscing about a terrible night they had last night.

Nevertheless, you're not complaining. A boyfriend who gets along with your friends is better than not, right? That's why you watch and listen to your friend's story with a smile, happy to know that combining two parts of your world results in new companionships.

That is, until, you feel someone's hand land on your thigh. At first, you paid no mind to the action since it's nothing you're not familiar with when it comes to Gojo. But then that exact hand ventures further down and slowly sneaks past your skirt. Your brows furrow with your inner thoughts. I know this man is not trying to start something right now...And when you feel his slender fingers brush your inner thigh, you get your answer.

Your lips release the straw to your iced beverage, and you slowly lean toward your boyfriend. "Gojo," your tone hushed only for him to hear as your companions seemed preoccupied with a talk of their own.

"Hmm?" The tall other leans a bit for his ears to properly hear your whispers, his face still facing front to your friends.

"Can I ask why your hand is up my skirt in public?" You knew by the playful snicker rumbling his chest that his answer would be far from appropriate for the situation.

"Whaaat~, can't touch the love of my life?" He whispers back to you.

"Can't if we're out in the open at a fricken' café," you hiss with a glare from your peripheral. "Especially with others within—Hmmm." Before you could finish that remark, two fingers brushed on your panties, rubbing gently between your clothed folds. He snickers — both at your stifled response and as a faux reaction to a part of your friend's storytelling.

"Sorry, but I can't help myself when I wanna touch my princess." You notice him peeking at you from behind his dark shades. His fingers form a curling motion, causing your body to slightly jerk and prompt your legs to a further spread. He brings his chin down to your ears, his chuckles easier to interpret their mischievous connotation. "Plus, when did I last see you wear that skirt? Had my eyes on it since you looked at the mirror before we left."

God, I hate his ass so fucking much. "Who said I was wearing it for you?" You retort, wanting nothing but to wipe that dumb smirk off his handsome face. "I wore it because of—Ohhh!!" To your surprise, he swiftly puts his digits inside your panties; the sudden warm contact on the folds of your chasm prompts a sneaky cry.

...A cry so sudden that, of course, your friends stop talking to look in your direction with perplexed expressions. Of course, they would look. Oh, for fuck's sake...

"Uhhh, you okay, Y/n?" One friend blinks while surveying your body language. The other chimes in. "Yeah, you don't look so good; ice tea went the wrong way?"

Quick with your feet, you cough up your answer. "Ahem—Y-Yeah, I'm fine, guys. I was just thinking, ya know," your hand snakes down to Gojo's to pinch the skin, the tall other jolting his hand away from you. And you know he looks to you with pain, yet serves him right. "Since you two are getting along with Gojo, why don't we take him to the mall and show him our favorite spots? He has a good eye on clothes, plus I'm sure he'd like to try the crepe stand in the food court."

The look on your buddies' faces expressed nothing but delight at the idea you pulled out your ass. "That's a great plan, I'm down!" One says while the other nods frantically. "You up for that, Gojo?"

Rubbing his pinched skin, Gojo sends the two a smile. "Sure! I'd love to spend more time with my baby and their friends." He then leans to kiss you, but with a kick to the shin, you turned his face from a lovestruck fool to that of a hurt puppy. Your friends watch as the snow-haired man quivers and puts his forehead on your shoulder for support.

"Hmm? What happened?"

"Don't mind him; he was rocking his chair and probably hit himself with one of the legs." You speak for him as you watch your boyfriend tremble in pain with a smirk on your lips, the two others giggling at your seemingly clumsy man. It's your turn now to whisper to his ear. "That's for that little stunt of yours."

Gojo's laughter seethes through gritted teeth. "Are you really my angel? You're such a meanie...Don't think I won't do it again, princess."

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

Wanna know why I don't like Peter B.?

Because when Gwen was actively forced into homelessness in front of him, he literally didn't help at all. And then it gets framed on JESS.

Gwen asks for help. And Peter says this:

Jess asks him to stop talking.

And from this moment forward, Peter makes no effort whatsoever to help Gwen.

Mind you. This is AFTER Miles' escape. After the whole 'shocked Peter' gif. Peter knows Miguel is willing to get violent.

But that line is his only attempt to help.

Even as he watches Gwen be fully restrained and physically forced into the machine. He stands there and watches.

He doesn't try to web her. He doesn't try to stop the machine or talk to Miguel. He stands there in silence. Watching Gwen get sent home to a universe he knows she is homeless in.

And the movie just lets him. Despite the fact he's known Gwen longer than anybody in this room.

Instead, Jess is the only mentor at fault. We're told to blame her.

During this scene we never pan to Peter, standing there literally motionless as Gwen gets dragged away. He's not panicking, or trying to talk Miguel out of it. We're just expected to absolve him of blame.

It's Jess' fault. Jess is her 'failed mentor' - despite the fact that Peter has known Gwen longer, is shown to have a better relationship with her, and we're given no reason as to why he wasn't her mentor to begin with.

Jess says this, and we're supposed to judge her for it. While Peter said nothing at all. At most he made a joke and then shut up when he was told.

Jess might've believed she couldn't help Gwen - but what was Peter's excuse? Standing there and watching this happen? He doesn't feel the need to do anything, say anything, or even leave the room.

For him, watching this is fine. And Gwen NEVER confronts him about it.

We're not supposed to blame Peter for letting Miles and Gwen down, repeatedly.

Even when Gwen is being physically forced into homelessness in front of him.

We're told to blame the black woman when the white man who has known Gwen longer literally stands beside Jess motionless.

Had Hobie not left Gwen the watch - We're left to assume that Peter would've just... let her be homeless in her dimension.

He watched her get sent home, said nothing, then went home to his wife and kid to ponder whether or not he was a bad mentor.

Not if Gwen was okay. Or whether he should go check on her????

That's NOT OKAY???!!!! THAT'S TERRIBLE!!!!!!! And this is the man we're supposed to be routing for? This, the dude who shows NO signs he was even gonna go and check on Gwen? The dude who lets child abuse go down in front of him TWICE and he just stands there blinking? That's our Peter Parker?

And I'm supposed to be thrilled to have him on the team??? Despite the fact Gwen had to come TO HIM. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND???? Gwen doesn't see a problem with that?????

I'm supposed to be happy he's here? Forreal???

Oh joy. Thank you so much, Humbling Reality Spider-man. We love you.

I hate Peter B. ALL MY HOBIES HATE PETER B. (Not a typo)

[vivwritesfics]

A Swing and a Miss

Crazy golf with the boys

Landoscar x reader

I'm in such a landoscar//poly-fic mood rn (pls send me thoughts/requests/recs)

"I'm gonna kick your asses," Lando said to Y/N and Oscar as they approached the first hole.

F1 drivers were insanely competitive, both on and off the track. Y/N should have realised they were going to all be in competition together when she suggested crazy golf to blow off some steam.

It was a sunny day, a seaside town. The crazy golf place had way too many different themes, from animal safari to pirates cove and the Jurassic age. There were at least twenty five holes, all of them spiralling out away from a bar that sat in the middle. This was shaping up to be a fun day.

Oscar went first, since it was his rookie season. It had taken Y/N a hot minute to convince Lando to let him go first. The golfer was buzzing - Y/N had to wrap her arm around his waist to keep him there.

The first hole was in the animal safari part of the course. It was incredibly simple, with it being the first hole and all. There were no obstacles, just a couple of plastic lions to the side.

Oscar was no golfer. Lando watched in pain as he missed the hole again, and again, and again. It should have been an easy whole in one (at least for Lando).

"Oh, Osc," Y/N laughed at she wrote a five on the score card. "Baby, that was..."

"Shut up," he groaned as he strode back over, letting an impatient Lando began his turn. "I don't spend my my spare time golfing, like you nerds."

Y/N snorted as she wrote down Lando's very low score. "We're not nerds, Oscar. We're civilised."

It was Landos turn to snort. "Sure we are, cupcake." He smacked her ass as she walked up to the hole, taking the score card from her hands.

Y/N did it in two easy shots and the three moved onto the next hole. For this one, you had to hit it through a snakes mouth for it to come out in the ideal place.

Again, Oscar went first. Again, Oscar did terribly. The Aussie was was visibly tense as he walked back over to his partners.

As Lando took his go, Y/N pit her things down and placed her hands on Oscars broad shoulders. "Baby, relax," she said as she rubbed. "You're all stiff and locked up. You need to be loosey goosey, baby. Loosey goosey."

Loosey goosey. Oscar could do loosey goosey. He watched Y/N (there was no point watching Lando, who took golf way too seriously. He played much more than Y/N and, when they played together, they didn't get much golf done). He watched as she played down her pink golf ball and swung.

Her ball went straight through the snake and out the other side, appearing just beside the hole. When Oscar had tried he'd hit the side of the opening several times before giving up and hitting around it.

For the next few holes, Oscar was still trying to get into the swing of things. He was doing better, definitely, but he was still oh so many points behind Y/N and Lando.

"Drinks?" Lando suggested as they finished the safari section of the golf course.

He left Y/N and Oscar as the first of the jurassic holes as he went to get them drinks. Only beer that'll last them most of the course. When he walked back over Y/N had her hands wrapped around Oscar, helping him to putt. It was an adorable site, one Lando couldn't take his eyes off of.

Not only adorable. It was funny, too. Lando was taller and broader than Y/N, who was having a hard time wrapping her arms around him.

"We're not telling Lando about this, right?" He asked as he watched his ball roll into the hole.

"Of course not," Y/N replied and she reached up to kiss him.

Lando stood back for a moment, letting them have their moment. As Oscar pulled away from her he stepped forward, placing the drinks on a barrel beside the hole. "You two having fun?" He asked as he set himself up to take his shot.

"Yep," Y/N answered, her voice a higher pitch than usual. "Yep, did it in three shots as well. All on his own."

Oscars elbow hit Y/Ns arm, giving her a soft jab to tell her to shut up. But, when Lando laughed, he realised he knew. Lando knew what they had done. And he wasn't saying anything.

As Y/N took her go, Lando wrapped his arms around Oscar. Even with their height difference, Lando was always stood behind Oscar, holding him that way. The boys watched as Y/N hit the golf ball towards the hole.

The three of them drank their beers as they moved from hole to hole. When they moved from the jurassic section to the pirate seconds, Y/N let Oscar carry her golf club as she jumped on Landos back. "Thanks, Lan," she said and kissed his cheek as he walked.

When Lando put her down, he demanded a proper one, not just one on the cheek. And then he insisted she give Oscar a kiss for good luck.

Towards the last four holes, the competition got fierce. There was cheating involved, Lando using his foot to block their balls and Y/N hitting their balls into the shallow water that surrounded the holes.

The day was a day full of joy and laughter. There was a point where Oscar wrapped his arms around Y/N and lifted her up just before she took her shot.

"And our loser is," Y/N began as soon as they had finished the last hole and given back their clubs. "Oscar Piastri!" She called and clapped.

"Well done, Osc," said Lando as he kissed the side of his head.

"Yeah, yeah," Oscar muttered as he turned his head to kiss him properly.

Y/N cleared her throat, regaining the boys attention as she read out the next score. "In second place we have me," she said as the strode forward to give her a kiss on each cheek. And then she got a proper kiss from each of them.

"And the winner is Lando! But, seriously, did we expect any difference."

"No," Lando said as he grinned. He two got kissed by his boyfriend and his girlfriend. To celebrate properly, the day was filled with whatever Lando wanted to do. Which meant more golf, a nice dinner and a night in the bedroom, without much sleeping.

[writingouthere]

Nanami is Your Best Friend But Wants More

Implied smut, pining, 1.1k

Nanami couldn't help it, he'd been trying to ignore the feeling rising in him for months now and it was only getting worse. He felt worn down by guilt, guilt for how he felt about you and how he felt like he was violating your trust by looking at you how he did when he knew you trusted him to not do that exact thing. Guilt for how in this moment he couldn't hear a thing you were saying, too distracted by how watching you cook in his apartment was making him absolutely fucking feral.

"Kento? Ken, hellooooo? Are you even listening to me?"

"Hm?" He asked, in fact not listening. He usually gave you his undivided attention but currently his attention was taken up by the way the apron you were wearing brushed against your bare thighs, the pajama shorts you were wearing so high up on your legs that they certainly weren't going to protect you from fuck anything.

"I was telling you about how Gojo tricked Yuji into literally banging pots and pans around the classroom today. I thought it was a good one."

"Mmhm." The apron moved with your hand gestures. He would have found it cute if the knife in your hand didn't move along with it. He got up as you continued talking.

"-I mean I get why he is the head of the department, but also should we take a second to think about how being a genius doesn't mean you can't also be a fucking idiot-what are you doing?"

He took the knife from your hand and turned it down to the floor, away from you.

"You cannot swing the knife around like that, you'll hurt yourself."

"I talk with my hands, you know that." You rolled your eyes but you let him push you gently to the side and start cutting the vegetables you had laid out. "It said to slice the onions, not dice babe. We're going to caramelize them."

The knife dropped out of his hand and he just stood there listening to you hum along to the pop song you had blaring from your speaker.

You were his friend, maybe his best friend and there was no one in the world who knew him better, that he wanted to know him. But, this, this was too much.

"Kento?"

"You can't call me that."

You scoffed. "Little late for that, I've been calling you Kento for years."

"Babe, you can't call me babe." He turned to look at you, finally and you were looking at him, confusion and hurt swirling in your beautiful eyes. You were leaning against the counter and if he didn't know better, he would think you were just casually speaking with him. But he did know better, he knew you better. The fingers on your right hand were wrapped around your left wrist, the knuckles showing the tension. He could see where your thumb pressed against your pulse point, a tick that you showed whenever you felt anxious.

"Sorry, didn't realize it would offend you so much. I call a lot of people babe, it doesn't have to mean what you think it means-"

"And if I want it to mean something? If I don't want to just be people."

He saw your chest hitch and your hands dropped the fiddle with the strings of the apron behind your back.

"You don't fucking mean that, don't say shit like that. That's not funny."

"I'm not joking and I do mean it." He walked up to you and placed both his hands on the counter by your waist. Your hands dropped the apron and they tentatively landed on his forearms. Your eyes landed on where your fingers brushed his skin and he leaned down so he could press his nose against your temple.

"What are we doing?" He sighed against your skin, watching as his breath ruffled your hair.

"I-I don't know what you mean. You're the one doing something." You were trying to say it with your usual sass but he could hear the nerves distorting your tone.

"I'm not doing anything you didn't make me do."

"Make you do-"

"Yeah babe, you made me. You with your little apron welcoming me home with dinner on the stove. You with your candles and your terrible taste in music and these shorts, fuck these shorts, why even bother to wear anything at all?"

"I wore these because they are comfortable and what do you mean my shitty taste in music-

"Babe-

"If you interrupt me one more time Kento, I'm going to leave." You hissed and your hands dug into where they were on his arms. He laughed and leaned back so he could look at you.

"Fine, what did you want to say?"

You bit your lip, obviously not thinking this far ahead. You hesitated and he almost apologized, backed away and got to his knees to beg you to not walk out of his life no matter how crass he just got with you.

"I love you. That's what I would say." You looked him right in the eye for the first time since he had cornered you on the counter and he felt a sense of relief that had him leaning further over you, his hands digging into the counter.

"You love me?" You nodded and he let out a soft laugh before pressing his lips against your forehead. He heard your hitch in breath and brought his lips down to your cheek, the gesture chaste but every thought in his head anything but.

"Is that why you're wearing this and making me dinner? Because you love me? You already here spoiling me, making me imagine what it would be like to come to this every fucking day. My sweet little wife welcoming me home after a hard day." You whimpered as his lips finally came to the corner of your own.

"Kento, that-I just said I love you. You haven't even said it back and you're acting like I proposed." He stepped back and grabbed your chin in his hand so he knows you will hear the next part.

"I love you. I have for a long time and I plan to marry you." You laugh a little this time Kento pulls your thighs apart so he can step in between them as he goes to lower his lips to yours, with intention this time.

"You can't just say that, Ken."

He smiles against your lips, brushes his hand up your thighs and under the apron you had so sweetly put on for him until he could play with the hem of the shorts that had started this whole thing.

"Babe, I just did."

He kissed you, finally. He figured he would just have to convince you he was serious.

[darylbae]

Always read your fics and enjoyed them from afar , , why not send a request ! ^^ Don't feel pressured to write this too this is a little weird now that I read it over and sorry for the long req ! ! >< Could you write some an angsty or fluffy oneshot of a reader infected with the deadly flu during (i think) early season 4 and Daryl determined to cure her of the sickness. Them both having conversations between the glass of the prison where the reader is just at the point of giving up and accepting they'll die by this flu and Daryl is trying to give them hope. There's the scene with the group who went to the veterinary (..?) college/university to grab medicine for Hershel to use where they find out Bob didn't grab shit and Daryl just goes off at him because the reader was so kind and generous to him wdym you only grabbed BOOZE?? And then it ends with the reader who's cured of the flu, running into Daryl's arms both relieved and happy that they can finally hold each other again. Which ends in Daryl showering them in kisses because yay they're cured ! The idea just came to me while I was laying at the beach, "If the reader, his lover, was infected by the flu how much more angry would Daryl be with Bob when he only grabs alcohol?"

quarantine — daryl dixon

in which the flu catches up to you, and daryl is stressed about losing you

note: my requests are still open!! i have a few to write but im still happy to accept them! <3

Your job prior to the apocalypse was a caregiver to the elderly, so you had experience with a lot of medication and general practice of caring for someone. It's why Daryl had become so drawn to you, seeing you care for your people, or even people from Woodbury that had just been taken in, you gave everyone the same love and attention regardless of time spent with them. Daryl hadn't realised his longstanding affection for you until this flu outbreak within your prison community. You'd volunteered to help everyone alongside Herschel, caring more about the well-being of others more than your own. Until you'd gotten sick. "It was inevitable, honey," you spoke, not having the energy to even raise your voice above a whisper, "I'm glad I kept everyone in here hydrated, fed, and stable. But we're not seeing any progress." Daryl was on the other end of the window, eyes staring intensely into yours, wishing he could touch you, wishing he could hear your voice clear as day and not muffled due to being separated. Daryl sighed in defeat. "You don't deserve this." "Nobody does, but we need medication, Dar." You admitted. "It's the only way for people to get better, otherwise, we'll die in here." The thought of losing anyone else was enough of a push to find some medication, but the thought of losing you was enough to get him anywhere. He'd ride for days, hell, he'd walk for days if it meant you could get better. "I'm taking a group out, I'll get ya the meds. Just rest f'me, okay sweetheart?" Daryl was pleading now, you could hear the whine in his voice. You nodded, coughing into your hands as you hobbled away.

Days had passed. You couldn't get out of bed most mornings, even as Herschel did his rounds. Usually you'd join him, making sure everyone had water and food. But your bones ached, your head was pounding, you were sweating through your clothes. "Why don't the caregivers care for themselves, hm?" Herschel asked, entering your cell with a pitcher of water. You smiled painfully, reaching for your cup and holding it up for him. "Not used to it, I guess.." You wheezed, stabling yourself before another coughing fit. "How is everyone?" "Good as they can be, I guess." "Any word on the meds?" You asked, wanting to take the moment off yourself and onto a cure. Herschel shook his head. "Daryl keeps asking about you, though. It's rather sweet, really." "He is. Contrary to how he acts." You smiled, the thought of how he only acted around you. You'd caught him smiling a few times, even laughing at your terrible jokes. "I know a man in love when I see one."

Herschel had alerted you that Daryl was by the window again, asking for you. So you'd made the effort to hobble out of your cell and over to the window. And Daryl almost collapsed at the sight of you. Pale, hunched over in pain, sweat dripping from your skin. Your once glowing skin replaced with dullness, dark circles under your eyes. "Hey," you whispered, your hand on the glass, "how are you?" "How are you?" He asked, matching your hand with his and the both of you craved the feeling of the other's skin on yours. This was pure torture. "I can't do this anymore, Dar." You tried to take in a deep breathe, but you would wheeze as you did so. "It's getting harder. To talk, to walk, to move at all." Daryl's brows furrowed, trying to hold in every ounce of emotion threatening to spill out of him. "I know, sweetheart, I know." "They really need those meds in here, they're not getting any better." You confessed, there was no point trying to hide it now, you'd be walkers in a matter of days. "I'm gettin' em, I promise. Jus' been findin' fuel and supplies for our trip, we're leavin' today." Daryl mumbled, doubts and fears running rampant in his head. "Jus' came to say goodbye and I'll be back for ya." "I know you will, when I'm better I want a nice hug from you. It's the least bit of affection I deserve." You smiled, matching his as he shoved his middle finger up at you. But you knew what he meant. You could wait to tell him you loved him too.

Daryl had gone with Michonne, Bob, and Tyreece to a veterinary college for the medication, but Daryl couldn't think straight. He hadn't realised just how much you meant to him until you were isolated away from him. And he wasn't going to keep it to himself anymore. "We're in and we're out." Daryl instructed the team, leading them into the building. "Grab everything you can." He was so focused on finding the names of everything he needed, shoving it into his bag, he had his sights set on his objective and nobody else. Walkers had become the least of his worries. Even when the escapes had been overrun with walkers, he'd found a window which took them out to a roof. "We can walk over this roof, get us away from 'em." Daryl suggested, helping Michonne through the roof and carefully out of the building. The four steadily climbed out, aiming to walk along and find a quiet place to drop down, but Bob had lost balance and almost let go of his bag. Daryl turned, seeing the commotion and seeing Bob so desperately clinging to the back, completely ignoring any sense of fear from the walkers. "Just let it go!" Tyreece called out, but Bob was adamant on pulling the bag up. And Daryl had leaned forward to retrieve the bag from him. "What's so damn important in here, huh?" Daryl mumbled to himself, unzipping the backpack and pulling out a bottle. A bottle of what looked like whiskey. "All that for a drink?" Daryl reached his arm up to lunge it away, but Bob let out a yelp. "Please," he pleaded, "don't. It's just for when it get's quiet." Daryl was seething, why should he listen to his cries? He was on a selfish solo-mission. "Just give it to him." Michonne sighed, still wary of her footing as the walkers were clambering for their feet. "I can't believe this shit!" Daryl exclaimed, Bob's eyes fixed onto the alcohol sloshing around in Daryl's hands. "Should've left ya to die out there, we been so nice to ya. Y/N's been so nice to ya, and ya don't care one bit." "You take a sip of this before these meds get in our people," Daryl stepped to Bob, a menacing expression on his face as he shoved the bottle into his chest, "I will beat your ass into the ground."

It was a silent trip home, Daryl in the front seat with his head on the window. He couldn't stop thinking about you, about whether you were dead or alive. He was praying for the latter, and Daryl never prayed. In his life, he was so anti-God but when it came to you, he'd try anything. So seeing the familiar prison gates, Daryl almost leapt out the car whilst it was still rolling. He'd taken the bags of supplies straight to the quarantine zone, throwing it over to Herschel and sitting impatiently by the window. The window you'd always talk at, pressing your hands against it together, the one he hoped wouldn't have to separate you any longer. He had nothing to do except wait. He'd anxiously play with the ends of his hair, biting on his lip whilst he waited for any signs of progression. He sat, completely alone, just waiting for you. Completely unaware of the time passing around him. It wasn't until Maggie spotted him, and approached him slowly. "Everyone's taken the meds, they just need rest." She confirmed, and his heart lifted. "She's okay, but I think you need some rest too." "Thanks." Daryl spoke softly, a small smile on his lips as Maggie had exited the quarantine zone. He'd only waited a little while longer, until admitting defeat for the night.

The next morning, Daryl was up and spent the morning outside. Fixing the fence, stabbing some walkers in the skull, the usual daily tasks for him now. He'd accepted that you'd needed your rest, at least you were alive. But the weight still sat in his chest, even knowing you were on the mend, he wanted you. He needed you. Bob's selfish actions yesterday were now but a passing thought, he was solely centered on you. So he'd eaten some food, spoken to Carol, gone about his day as he usually would. Except you were missing. It had gotten to the evening, the sun setting behind the trees and it was a sight he wished to experience with you. "Hey handsome," he heard behind him, his head snapping to the direction of your voice, seeing you stood, weakly, against a wall. "Oh my God," he tried to speak, but it came out as more of a whimper. He'd abandoned his smoke, throwing it onto the ground before wrapping you into his body. Feeling your skin on his, your voice blessing his ears, it felt too good to be true. "Dar," you croaked, "too tight." You giggled when he'd released you, brushing his hands down your back, not wanting to take his hands from you.

[ericshoney]

Use your words ~ Brothers!Sturniolo Triplets

Summary: You had a rough day at school, but luckily your brothers are home to help, even if you can't talk about what happened.

Warnings: usual swearing, autistic!reader, selective mute!reader, anxiety, overwhelmed, crying

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today had been rough to say the least. It was a good start to the morning, with Nick, Matt and Chris being home and helping you get your bag ready, Matt even drove you to school. But from there on, it was terrible.

It started with your maths teacher being off sick. Most people wouldn't care, but with you being autistic and seeing the same teachers regularly, it broke your routine. You were also a selective mute, so when the substitute teacher tried to get you to answer the questions, that didn't settle well. Luckily one of your classmates explained the situation, but it didn't make you feel any better.

You then went to your English class and your teacher thought it would be cool to spring a pop test on you, which always threw you since you never had time to prepare.

Then at lunch, you were going to get something to eat, only to see everything you hated. You had a very plain taste pallet and didn't like anything that the hall was offering.

When it came to afternoon classes you were happy as you only had one, it being PE, which you quite liked. That was until you saw the sport. Cricket. You didn't like cricket.

So by the time you got home, you were overwhelmed and tired. Nick, Matt and Chris were home too whilst your parents were out. The trio noticed you and instantly knew something was wrong.

"Hey sweetheart, how was school?" Nick gently asked as the three found you curled up on your bed.

You just frowned at him and shook your head. The guys walked in and sat around you.

"Was it not a good day?" Matt asked.

You shook your head in response, whining slightly as tears welled up in your eyes.

"It's okay bub, we're here." Chris said softly, rubbing your leg to help you relax.

Suddenly, all your emotions hit at once. You were sad, angry, overwhelmed and tired all at once. Which resulted in you hitting out. This didn't happen often, only when you got really upset.

"Hey, hey don't hit us. We're trying to help." Chris said, holding your fists tightly in his hands.

"Come on petal, use your words." Matt cooed, rubbing your shoulder to ease the stress.

"We don't care how long it takes." Nick said.

"Bad day." You mumbled.

"Okay, what happened, where did it start?" Nick questioned.

You sighed and eventually explained everything that happened. The guys listened closely, gently praising you for relaxing and explaining with your words what happened.

"We fully understand how hard today was, kid. We really do. But you've made us so proud with how you've explained everything." Chris said.

"Sorry I hit you." You apologised.

"It's okay, sweetheart. But if you get into that position again please try and express it in another way." Nick replied.

You nodded and leaned into Matt. He held you gently, your head resting against his chest as you heard his heartbeat. It had been a bad day, but luckily you had your brothers to help.

[iateyourparents]

baby i think i'm gay | c.b.

pairing: colby brock x fem!reader (and sam golbach x katrina stuart)

summary: You, Katrina and boredom = disaster

warnings: fake cheating, faking change of sexuality(?), terrible writing and grammar(I'm sorry, english is not my first language), use of y/n

an: IMPORTANT!! If you aren’t comfortable with with idea of prank cheating or faking sexuality for a prank, don’t read it!

pictures are from pinterest:)

Yesterday Sam and Colby were exploring some haunted place and today they were supposed to be coming home.

Which means you're alone with Katrina in your home and as much as you love her company, and she loves yours, you both can't help but feel bored.

It's raining so you can't do much outside and your lazy moods doesn't help this situation.

Currently you are both laying on the couch watching some reality show, when suddenly Katrina kicks you.

"We should do something for boys. Maybe dinner?" she offered.

"Ooh that's a good idea." you agreed and you both stood up and went to the kitchen.

"Spaghetti?" she asked and you eagerly nodded. You were craving spaghetti this morning so that's a good opportunity to make it, plus Katrina's cooking is just delicious.

"You know what Kat?" you started after a moment of thinking when the other girl was gathering products. "We should prank Sam and Colby. Revenge for leaving us in this awful weather."

Kat stopped what she was doing and looked you in the eyes with a mischievous smirk and you just knew that she had some genius(probably not) idea.

"What are you thinking about?" you asked with a smile.

"Do you remember my ex, Damien?" she asked and you nodded. Of course you wouldn't forget the biggest asshole you ever met. "I broke up with him saying I'm lesbian. Do you see where I'm going?"

"You want to prank boys into thinking we're lesbians and we are cheating on them with each other?" you furrowed your brows and smirked "that's fucked up but I'm in."

"Actually I just wanted to prank one of them that one of us is gay but that's even better!" she hugged you with excitement.

"We should still make this dinner as an apology." you laughed and she agreed so you started working on the food.

|||

When you got a message from Colby saying they would be home in ten, you excitedly told Katrina about it.

You both ran to your and Colby’s room where she asked “Should we get naked?”

You narrowed your eyebrows thinking about it. “That might be a little too much but we could take off tops and get under covers so they wouldn’t see we have pants on.”

“Good idea.” she agreed. You both took off your shirts and you laid them on the floor to make it seem like you threw it carelessly in heat of the moment. You also took some random pants from your closet and also laid it on the floor.

Then you both got onto your bed and covered your bottom parts with sheets so boys wouldn’t notice that you’re actually clothed.

“We should hug.” she stated and you just laid partially on her body placing your head on her shoulder so it looked like you were kissing her neck.

“Wait.” she thought about something “Doesn’t Colby can see you saw his message?”

“I didn’t open it, just read from notification.” you assured and she nodded with relief. After few moments you stated “They will hate us.”

“Oh definitely.” you both laughed “Do you think they will try to revange?”

“I don’t know but what can they do? Also pretend to be gay?” you snorted.

“Their fans would be delighted.” she laughed and then you both heard the front door opening so you immediately got silent and just exchanged looks smiling mischievously.

You heard boys coming up the stairs, probably looking for both of you to say hello, so you again placed your head in Kat’s neck trying not to laugh while she closed her eyes to make it seem like she was enjoying presence of your lips on her neck.

Few seconds later door to your room opened and you could hear Colby stopping walking but you both pretended to not hear it.

Moment later Sam started walking toward standing in shock Colby “Did they go out? I can’t find Kat…?

You and Kat looked at them with wide eyes pretending to be surprised and not knowing what to say. Both of boys just stood in the door frame with wide eyes and open mouths trying to comprehend what was going on.

“What the hell?!” Colby was the first one to shake off the shock “Y/n?!”

“Colby…” you faked a gasp and both, you and Kat, sat up holding covers to your chests.

“Sam, it’s not what it looks like.” you barely held back a laugh from escaping your lips at her words. Sam looked petrified with shock while Colby was almost shaking, you weren’t sure if because of anger or shock.

“Do you mind explaining yourself?” Colby asked in low tone and Sam nodded to him also wanting to know what’s going on.

“Baby, I think i’m gay.” you just said.

“We’re so sorry you had to get to know it like that.” Katrina sighed.

“What?” both boys said in the same time. Colby’s voice was choked and you felt your heart squeezing and suddenly you didn’t like this prank anymore. You knew they wouldn’t be happy but that was worse than you imagined. You knew this tone, Colby was trying to held back tears and you could already see Sam’s eyes watering.

You exchanged looks with Kat, both of yours eyes were full of guilt and concern. That was definitely a good moment to stop it.

“Okay boys, we’re really sorry. This was supposed to be a funny prank but I guess we didn’t think it through. That’s not as funny as we thought it would, actually it’s not funny at all.” you quickly explained and got out of the bed to let them see you weren’t naked and Kat followed your moves. You both took your shirts to wear them while boys were just silently observing your moves trying to understand your words.

“It…it’s just a prank?” Sam asked and you clearly saw a hope in his eyes and that made you feel even more guilty.

“Yes” Kat quickly nodded and you both approached them slowly.

“I could never cheat on you.” you said looking into Colbys eyes and carefully taking his hand giving him time to retreat it if he doesn’t feel like touching you. You felt relieved when he only squeezed it.

“We’re so sorry. We didn’t really thought about how bad you could feel.” Kat hugged Sam who closed his eyes with relief and reciprocated the hug.

Kat looked at you and took Sam’s hand to lead him to their room, closing doors after them.

“I’m so sorry. Are you very mad?” you asked Colby with concern leading him to sit on the bed.

“I…I just don’t know what to say.” he squeezed your hand again “I’m not mad…I mean, I am but I’m also happy it was just a prank. I really thought for a moment I would lose you.”

You felt your heart breaking at his words, his tone and his slightly watered eyes and you quickly hugged him repeatedly saying sorry.

You felt his hands hugging you back.

“What can I do to make you feel better?” you were ready to do anything just to make him feel better.

“Can we just hug in bed for some time?” you just nodded at that and you both laid back still hugging.

And if the next day you and Kat woke up with water all over yourselves, you couldn’t even be mad because that was nothing comparing to your prank

[yeyinde]

thank you for tagging me @ivymarquis ! i debated between this, the regency fic (fleshed out), or one of the other Price fics i'm working on (home from college for the summer and seducing hot older neighbour Price whomst you had a crush on since sixteen (aka daddy issues, the playbook), DomPrice, etc), but i think the Soap fic will probably be finished before all of those. so, here is the baby trap piece with Soap.

nothing smutty but this def captures their odd, imbalanced dynamic perfectly, i think:

“And you have no cellphone? No satellite phone?”

“Ye can check it—” he makes a flippant motion toward the glove box in front of you. “Deader than ever.”

You hesitate only briefly. Long enough to level him with a searching look that yields no results (every expression hidden behind a thick, unruly forest of overgrown hair jutting out to his Adam's apple) before you reach for the compartment, gingerly pulling it open, and—

Sometimes, things get overlooked by their surroundings. Swallowed in the vacuum. Blending seamlessly into the muddle, the commotion. Or hidden. Can you spot the mountain lion in this tumble of rock and bush?

This isn't like that. 

It sits on top of a manila folder. Sleek black and cold silver. You're not terribly well-versed in guns—the extent of your knowledge stemming mostly from formulaic crime shows aired late at night; CSI, NCIS, Criminal Minds—but you recognise this one instantly. Some sort of handgun. Police issued, you think. It's bigger than you'd expected. Looks heavier, too. 

Your heart stutters. The air galloping out of your lungs in a stammering rush. 

He makes a noise, soft and nonchalant, as if keeping handguns in the glove box of his old, burnt umbre truck is perfectly normal. 

“Fer protection,” he mumbles. You catch the jerk of his chin in your periphery. “Forgot I had it in here. Been usin’ the rifle for huntin’ mostly. Or the shotgun.”

Three guns. You swallow. “Why—” your voice comes out in a brittle whisper. You clear your throat. Pretend it helps, that you don't feel as vulnerable as you sound right now. “Why, um, why do you need three?”

“Not fae around ‘ere, are ye?” He echoes your words from earlier with a wry twist of his mouth, eyes slanting in the sunlight. “Tha’,” he takes his hand off your thigh to jab his finger at the handgun. “Is fer wolverines.” His index finger falls, his thumb juts out. He jerks it over his shoulder. “Tha’ is fer huntin’. The shotgun back home is fer bears.” 

You try to move out of the way when his hand falls back to your thigh, but the pain radiating up your leg immobilizes you. There's not much you can do in this situation but endure.

Military. Wounded in action. Three guns. Touchy. 

You're not sure what to think. It would be easier if you couldn't. 

“What do you hunt?” You ask instead, glancing out the window to the barren landscape rolling out around you. There doesn't seem to be much in the jagged hills, towering mountains. 

“Gettin’ hungry? Donnae worry, doe. Go’ tha’ pesky hare I was tryin’ tae shoot on the ledge fer dinner tonight.” 

It's not much of a comfort. The idea of being injured—by accident, he claims—to such an extent over a rabbit makes you feel a little sick. 

“That's it?” 

“I can make a mean steak outta anythin’. Stews fer tougher meat. Fish, too—whitefish, arctic grayling, and lake trout. Learned how tae make a nasty fishfry from the locals in Nahanni Butte. Bannock, too. Got berries ‘round ma cabin. Caribou, Moose. Taste better in tacos or burgers. Mountain goat, Dall’s sheep. Been eatin’ better ‘ere than ah did at home.” 

“And you're—just allowed to hunt them?” The website advised of a permit through some special outfit needed to hunt when you requested your pass into the park. Said that only aboriginals were allowed to do so. “You're not—”

“Aye,” he cuts you off with a small nod. “No huntin’ in the park. But. We're not in the park anymore.”

“Where are we?” You ask again, firmer this time. 

“I told ye. Nearly home.”

“And where is home?” 

The way he sucks his teeth makes you recoil slightly. Wet. Irritated. As if he's tired of this conversation already. 

“Close.”

You don't let his flat tone deter you. “Are we—are we still in the Northwest Territories?”

“Thereabouts.” 

It's not an answer. It doesn't reassure you in the slightest. 

You open your mouth to say so, words curling on your tongue when he jerks his chin toward the handgun, brow furrowed. 

“Thought ye wanted tae check on the satellite phone.”

His tone is severe. A growl curdling the ends, pitching it down, down. Displeasure, irritation, blooms in the gnarled petals of witch hazel when he narrows them into slits. 

[thebestofoneshots]

Gilded Constellations | wolfstar x reader

Series Masterlist | Previous episode

Pairing: Wolfstar x Reader Word Count: 6.1 K Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence. (Reader discretion is advised). Prompt: Turns out healing takes time This IS a wolfstar x reader fic, but it's incredibly slow burn. They won't start all dating each other until we're very deep into the story, but I promise the long wait will be worth it.

Chapter 22: Long Long way from home

You woke up when you heard the sound of the door creaking open, James and Peter walking inside with a sigh. You nuzzled your head deeper on Sirius. But of course, there was no way you’d escape the boys teasing. 

“You were supposed to take care not advantage of her!” Peter said, faking a reproachful tone. 

“Yeah Pads, look at you snuggling her, poor thing, she must be so uncomfortable!” added James with a small smile. 

“I’m probably the one who’s taking advantage of my situation,” you mumbled, Sirius gave you a bit of an impressed look, but neither of you pulled away from the other. “How’s Rem?” 

“Better,” Peter said as he plopped down on his bed “Pomfrey managed to accommodate all of his bones, he had some Skellegro and a bunch of painkillers, but he was pretty upset.” 

“He kept asking if you were okay,” James said, “We told him you were with Sirius, but he said he saw you, or, at least that he saw the vixen…” 

“He did see Vixen,” Sirius responded, “that’s how I brought her into the castle.” 

“We had to get some dittany to put on my wound since it wouldn’t stop bleeding so we used her as an excuse, a hurt fox is not as attention-grabbing as a bleeding student.” 

“In the infirmary, she wiggled out of my arms and peaked through the curtains, that’s probably where he saw her.”

“Yeah, he did see me,” you acknowledged, and yawned. “Pomfrey was still working with his bones, he looked like he was in a lot of pain, I feel terrible,” you admitted, digging your head into Sirius’ chest, he moved his hand to your hair in response, soothingly running his fingers on your scalp. 

“It wasn’t your fault,” Sirus said about at the same time James did, Peter said the same thing, but started about a second later, causing a funny chorus of reassuring voices. 

“In fact, what you did was insanely brave,” James added, “most people would’ve straight out attacked the wolf, I’m sure you know spells that would’ve done great damage to Moony.” 

“And you used Stupify, and the Whomping Willow, to deter him instead,” Peter said, that same expression he had used when he talked about your broom tricks. 

“We found your wands too,” James said, walking closer to you and letting your wand on the side table, “Remus’ was easier to find, exactly where you had left it, yours wasn’t so much. Peter had to use a locating spell.”

The boy nodded and then turned to you again, “How are you feeling, by the way?” Peter asked.

“Like shit,” you joked. “But I’m better, the shoulder wound hurts like a bitch, and I’m a little sore but I do feel a lot better than last night.” 

Peter, who had spent the last bit of the night next to you, looking at the way bIood dripped from your wound and how you shivered due to the cold water, really was thankful to see you better, all warm and cosy next to Sirius, he smiled. Last night you looked worried and terrified and like you had run for your life, which you really had. Today you finally looked relaxed, the frown, even visible in Vixen, was gone, “That’s good to hear,” he said honestly. 

You were about to say something else when there was a knock on the door. “Who is it?” asked James.

“Lily, open up Potter!” She said.  

The boy went pale, trying to think of excuses to give her. “She knows, she helped patch her up,” Sirius told him. James nodded with a sigh and walked to the door, opening it to let the redhead walk inside. 

She had a lot more ingredients on her hands this time around, a bag hung across her shoulder and a small vial with a potion held in between her hands, “I’ve brought a couple of potions, Kless sent one too, when I told him you’d had a bit of a rough night trying to get the flower. I didn’t say anything in specific but he said this would help with any bruises or swelling from falling or muscle exertion.” 

“Lemme help,” James said, taking in some of the ingredients Lily had on her hands, and also took the bag from her shoulder, quickly sitting it on the desk. 

“Brought you clothes too,” she added, “And I told McGonagall you were feeling really bad because of your period, she gave me a note for the rest of the teachers today. I also went back to the infirmary and swiped some bandages, so we can put on your arm and before a long sleeve.” 

“What about her face?” Peter asked, he had seen the bruises, there was no way you could mask those, especially since they all formed the shape of a hand. 

“If the potions don’t fade them away before tomorrow, makeup,” Lily replied. 

“Yeah,  I was thinking of that too, and I’ll just say I accidentally bumped into an owl or something while flying.” 

“Oooh, clever,” James said, you shot him a wink. Sirius wrapped the blanket around you and helped you incorporate while Lily walked closer with the potions. 

“This one’s for the pain,” she said handing you a small vial, “drink half of it, the next half when it comes back.” You nodded and did as told “This is the one Kless sent,” she said handing a bottle with a dropper “He said 5 drops every hour are great for swelling and soreness… and I want to wash you up before putting on the bandages, so we should probably go back to our room soon,” she turned to the boys “James would you mind passing me the bag please?” 

The boy instantly did as told “I found this plaid shirt in your trunk, you can put it on top and maybe with the invisibility cloak or… you could also turn back into a fox I suppose…” 

“Into Vixen,” Peter said.

“What? I don’t care about the technical terms–” Lily asked, a little confused. 

“–No. I mean the fox, her name’s Vixen now.” 

You raised an eyebrow “Is it?” you asked, turning to him. 

“Yeah,” James said with a nod, “you needed a name for your animagus, Vixen fits, both the fox and you, it was perfect.” 

You raised an eyebrow “Should I be offended by that?” you questioned, looking at Lily who shrugged. 

“It does kinda fit,” she said. “I mean you’re stubborn but alluring, and charming–“ 

“–Clever and cunning, too.” Peter added, “We were discussing it all through Defence Against the Dark Arts.” 

“Well… I like it,” Sirius said, leaning in closer to you and wrapping his arms around your waist, careful not to move the bed too much since the potions were still there “My little Vixen,” he whispered in your ear. You pouted in response. 

“But… Vixen?” 

“You’ll come around,” Peter said with a shrug, “It’s always like that with the nicknames, trust me.” 

“It’d be easier to travel to our room as a fox, wouldn’t it?” You asked. 

“If turning does not make you uncomfortable, yeah…” Lily replied.

You shook your head “I missed it actually, It’d been a while since I turned into… Vixen.” 

“Is that why you kept asking about the forest?” Sirius asked.

You nodded “Way before the Moonflower? Yeah,” you responded and leaned your head back onto Sirius’ shoulder, he was still hugging you, and even though it was a little painful where Barty had dug his fingers to hold you while you fought off him, Sirius’ embrace was soothing, and comforting. Sirius was soothing and comforting, and you felt bad again, knowing that Remus was completely alone at the infirmary. You turned to him “You should go see Remus.” 

He frowned “But Lily still has Care of Magical Creatures, she’ll leave you alone in your room–”

“It’s ok,” you interrupted, reassuringly. “You should go see him, he’s your best friend. Heck, I want to go too but I’m aware I can’t.” 

“And I’ll stay with her,” Lily added with a sure nod. 

“You’ll ditch your class?” Asked James, incredulous. 

“It wouldn’t be the first time, besides, I will be taking care of a Magical Creature anyway,” she said pointing at you. You gasped, and Peter snickered at her joke, “Let’s go before more people come up to the common room,” she told you. 

You nodded and motioned to get up, but Sirius squeezed you just a little tighter and leaned in to give you a soft kiss on the cheek “You sure you’re okay with this, Starshine?” he whispered in your ear. 

You nodded, Remus was probably feeling a lot worse than you were anyway, heck, he had needed urgent medical attention and Skellegro because of you, he definitely deserved to see his friends a lot more than you did, and you knew how close he was to Sirius. “Stay with him for a while, make him laugh like you do all the time. Tell him I’m fine. That I’m not hurt. Tell him we’ll be alright,” you added in the end “Tell him I’ll go visit as soon as I don’t look like a zombie… Wait, no! Don’t say that, he’ll probably worry.” 

Sirius chuckled lightly, “He would.” 

“All right then, I’ll see you around I guess,” you said, before you shrunk back into Vixen. Once you had, you realised just how much better you felt already, the drastic change from the way you felt the previous night and in that moment almost shocking. 

Lily approached you tentatively, as if she was scared you’d run off if she got too close. “It’s alright,” Sirius said, “just grab her like you would a cat, she’ll let you.” 

Lily did as told, approaching you and gently pulling you up to her. She was so impossibly gentle that you wondered if you had been picked up by an angel instead. But then again, Lily really was like an angel. “James, do you mind crossing the bag over my shoulder?”

The boy, who had been dumbly staring at the girl, nodded, carefully slinging the bag over the redhead’s shoulder. 

Then you saw a flash and turned your face towards it. Lily seemed a little bothered too, “Sorry, you combine with each other,” Sirius said, holding Remus’ polaroid between his hands. “Smile girls!” he added, before taking another picture. 

Lily shook her head in disapproval “Stop annoying your girlfriend and go visit your friend instead,” she reprimanded. 

“I just wanted a picture of her,” Sirius said with a pout. 

“To wank off to?” Peter teased. 

Lilly gasped while Sirius intervened “She’s literally a fox right now you plonker!”

“All right, we’re out.” Lily said before picking a couple of vials and placing them on the bag, “before these dumbasses start discussing the implications of being furries or something.” 

James gasped, you flicked your tail and stared at Sirius, he knew what you meant, “I’ll go check on him in a minute Starshine, I’ll just change before I do.” You nodded and rested your head on Lily’s arms. 

She finally took off towards your shared room. Mary and Marlene weren’t there, and she walked straight to the bathroom, gently laying you on top of the bathroom seat before turning on the tap and tempering the water. She added some of the potions she had in the bag to the water and then turned to you, you had already turned back. 

“You think you can wash by yourself?” she asked. 

You nodded “Thanks Lily,” you said again, she just smiled. 

“If you need any help, just ask,” she told you, holding onto your hands, and helping you stand, even if you could’ve done it by yourself. “I’ll prepare some more of the dittany and silver essence paste. Make sure to be extra careful in that section, all right?” 

You nodded “Yes doc,” you joked, for what she smacked you playfully. 

“Go on then, you should probably lay back down for a while shortly after we’re done patching you up, especially since you can’t miss your classes tomorrow.” 

You nodded and started taking off the pants Sirius had borrowed, Lily leaving the bathroom shortly after making sure you’d be able to finish stripping by yourself. You finished peeling off the rest of your clothes and slowly let yourself fall on the tub, the warmth quickly soothing your skin and muscles. Whatever Lily had put in there was definitely doing its magic, in the most literal sense. You allowed yourself to be completely engulfed by the water, holding your breath there for about a minute before bursting out again. Definitely better, you thought as you breathed in again. 

You stayed there for a while, carefully rubbing your arms and legs, with the soapy water. You sighed when you spotted some of the bruises in your stomach. Pressing your finger on one of them only to wince. Even if they had only locked you up in an abandoned and haunted house, you would’ve been pissed, but what they did to you required revenge. You had held yourself back long enough, being patient and letting them taunt, ignoring them, hoping they’d get bored, for the sake of your friends, for Lily who’d made you promise not to mess with them. But not anymore, if being patient got you almost kiIIed, you’d retaliate. And boy, they would regret ever messing with you. 

You weren’t sure how you’d do it, but you knew you’d make them regret it. You took a deep breath, trying to relax again, before finally standing up and wrapping yourself up in a towel, slowly patting yourself dry, but completely avoiding the open wound. Finally, you went to the mirror to wash your teeth, and you finally understood why everyone had been so worried about you. You imagined you looked beaten up, but the way Sirius had described you was probably the most accurate: “You look like you’re about to break apart.” 

You stared at your broken reflection for a minute, the remnants of the previous night evidently imprinted all over your body. Even if you had managed to snatch sleep while you were with Sirius earlier, deep and rather sunken under-eye circles painted deep shadows beneath your eyes. Your usually soft lips were dry and chapped, and the section that had parted was already starting to heal, turning into a deep shade of brown. It still hurt when you stretched them.

You tilted your head backwards, moving the wet hair that clung to your neck back and traced your hand over the bruises left by Evan's thoughtless grasp. Each purple spot an echo of his strong fingers holding you still while stupid Barty mocked. Your jaw clenched, the memory alone was enough to rekindle the smouldering rage deep within you. Weak, a nagging little voice in your brain whispered, taunting you with cruel words, you were weak. 

Your breath became ragged as your eyes welled up with angry tears. You contemplated punching the mirror, having it break beneath your fingers, as you shouted your rage off existence. But the mirror wasn’t at fault for the situation you had ended up in, neither had your would-be hurt hand. And whether it was due to cleverness or cowardice, you didn’t dare to do it. Especially since you knew the breaking glass would make too much noise and it would only worry Lily further, instead you gripped the sides of the sink until your knuckles turned white and you managed to calm down, taking deep breaths until your fury finally subdued. 

You went through the potions on the counter, trying to see if the “radiant complexion” one you had made with the girls was still there, and thankfully it was. You smiled drily as you opened it and served some over the spoon you sometimes used to curl your lashes, taking it in one go, and wincing at the slightly bitter taste. You looked in the mirror again, the bruises were still there, but they had been significantly reduced in vibrance, if you also drank all the potions Lily had brought, they might be gone by tomorrow, the part in your lip was still there, but you weren’t hoping for it to disappear that fast either. 

Your eyebags were almost completely gone, and with the magic of the bath still working all over your body you almost looked as new, the potion Lily had given you earlier effectively taking away almost all of the pain. A little bit more rest and potions and you were sure to look brand new by the next day. Well, almost, the claw marks wouldn’t heal nearly that fast, even with magical care, they were sure to stay for a while. No, it’ll stay forever, you remembered: Any bite or scratch obtained from a werewolf, whether in human or animal form, would leave a permanent scar.

You stared at the claw marks on your arm, the deep gush finally turning a darker shade of red, the dittany and silver were helping it heal, so much so you could almost see the way your skin was slowly fighting to restore itself.  You sighed, laughing a little as you shook your head. “It’s certainly going to be an interesting scar.” 

After looking at it for just a little longer, you finished drying yourself up and put on the plaid pyjama pants Lily had left for you on top of the toilet seat. You struggled to put on a black tank top and wrapped the towel around your head.

When you walked outside, Lily was waiting for you sitting on your bed, a tray with a bunch of potions, the dittany and silver paste, and a couple of bandages placed right next to her. She smiled when she saw you walk out “You look much better.” 

You smiled “I��ve got the best doc.” 

Lily shook her head with a smile as she motioned for you to sit beside her, having you sit on the bed and inspecting your wound. “It really does look a lot better,” she said, sounding pleased “I’m going to put ointment again, and bandage it so you can sleep peacefully, all right?” 

You nodded, and she started applying the thick creamy mixture. It was a light green and shiny metallic, you had been in so much pain earlier that you hadn’t even noticed the pretty colour it actually was, a little like Lily’s eyes. 

She was just as kind and careful when she applied it as she’d been when she did it the first time around. And when she was done, she carefully wrapped your arm with the bandage. 

“Thanks, Lily,” you said, for like the fifth time that day, but you didn’t know what else to say. How do you express how much gratitude you felt towards her if not by saying it over and over and over again? 

“You’re welcome luv,” she said with a smile “It really is nothing, now, this is the medicine that you’re going to–“ 

“–I’m a quarter fairy,” you said all of a sudden. 

“What?” she asked, a little confused. 

“Yeah, I’m… I’m a quarter fairy, from my mother’s side.” 

“And you’re telling me be–“ 

“–cause I trust you. I don’t think I’ve ever had someone like you as a friend, you’re incredible and I… I wanted to be honest with you...” 

She quickly understood what you were saying, feeling both compelled and admired by the amount of trust you had given her, which is why she too said something she never expected to say out loud “–I think I’m in love with James Potter.” 

And that, ladies gentlemen, felt like a cold bucket of water thrown right at your face with absolutely no warning. You were certainly not expecting that, or maybe you were, but it was shocking just the same, suddenly you smiled, so wide, and so happy, you completely ignored the stinging pain from your lip injury opening up again, “Lily that’s amazing!” 

She let a rather choked laugh out, “Never thought I’d say that out loud.” 

You shrugged, wincing at the sharp pain from your shoulder wound, but ignoring it either way. “Well that’s how you start, I’m sure you and James will make a wonderful couple.” 

“God no! That’s too fast.” 

“Why waste time? Trust me, I regretted not snogging Sirius sooner!” 

“Ugh shut up!” she said, smiling just as wide as you. “Now it’s time to take your medicine.” 

You gasped, still smiling “Lily Evans, don’t you dare change the subject!” 

She raised her hands in rendition “I’m not!” she responded, “It’s time, look at the clock.” 

Lily was still laughing, the two of you were, your arms falling up and down, as you shook your head and looked at your friend, finally deciding to let her off the hook and grabbing onto the potions, taking one at a time.

“Don’t you dare tell Potter!” She said then, an accusing finger at your face. 

“As if he needed encouragement to go after you,” you responded before taking a long sip at one of the potions and wincing at the burning sensation, “but trust me, you’ll wish you had done it sooner,” you said with a wink before grabbing the bottle with the dropper and pouring five drops down your throat.

“Here, take three sips of this one too,” she said handing you another bottle, “this one’s specifically for bruises, it takes a bit to work but it’s really effective, some people use them for hickeys.”  You raised your eyebrows at her, but she gave you a warning look that you replied with an innocent shrug. 

Eventually, and after a couple more vials, she dropped a small round oval-shaped candy-looking thing on your hand, “What does this one do?” you asked curiously. 

“It’s a lemon sherbet,” she said as if it were obvious. 

You looked at the candy and then back at her, a confused look on your face as you bit your lip ever so slightly “Does it like… help with the pain or soreness or…” 

Lily gave you a confused frown “No? It just helps with the flavour.” 

You looked at the little yellow ball one last time and plopped in your mouth, “Oh… it’s candy!” you said with a smile as a tangy, zesty lemon flavour exploded inside your mouth, both sweet and sour at the same time “It’s good.” 

The redhead gave you a shocked look “You’re telling me you’d never tried a Lemon Sherbet?” 

You shook your head “They’re not a thing back home,” you replied as you relished on the lemony taste of the candy. 

“And here I thought you’d already gotten the entire English experience,” she said, you shrugged in response, holding your breath and lowering your shoulders a lot slower now, clenching your jaw as you let pain subdue. Lily gave you a sympathetic look “You better rest for a bit.” You tilted your head, a reproachful frown forming on your features. “None of that,” she said, shutting you down with a dismissive hand gesture “No puppy eye looks, time to sleep, doctor’s orders.” 

“Fine then,” you said, slowly laying down on the bed, kicking your legs a little to dig them under the soft blanket, ignoring how sore they were, you weren’t sure you had ever run as much as last in your entire life “I’ll rest.” 

Lily smiled, “I’ll shut the curtains before the girls arrive,” she said before going back to sit on her bed and picking up a book from her night table. You smiled and turned back to your ceiling, looking at it for a couple of minutes until you slowly drifted asleep. 

November 24th, 1976

When you woke up again, it was due to hunger. No, not hunger, starvation. You looked at the clock, it was around 5 a.m. You had charms in 2 hours, you looked around, everyone was sleeping soundly on their beds, so you decided to quietly sneak towards the bathroom.

You stared at your reflection again, the potions had worked gracefully, Even if you were still sore, and your arm still ached, the bruises were almost completely gone, your lips looked plump again, even if they were still parted. You grabbed the same potion from yesterday and took another spoonful, the bruises finally disappeared. You looked brand new, even if you didn’t quite feel like it. You took some more of Lily’s painkiller potions and grabbed some cosmetics to make your eyebags less visible. 

You looked at yourself again, “Good as new,” you muttered, taking a deep breath and stepping out of the bathroom, hearing your stomach rumble again. Everyone was still asleep, so you changed into your uniform, grabbing a couple of chocolate bars and stuffing them in your pockets, you’d take them to Remus when you had the chance. 

You walked closer to Lily’s bed, and gently shook her awake. “I’m going to get myself something to eat from the kitchens, see you later at the Great Hall.” 

Lily turned to you a little sleepy “I’ll come with…” she said, attempting to get up, but you stopped her.

“No, it’s your turn to rest. I’ll be alright, I feel a lot better.” 

“Your bandages…” 

“They’re good,” you reassured “We can change them after charms or during lunch.” 

“You sure luv?” 

You nodded with a smile “Yeah, totally, but I really need to eat,” you told her with a smile. 

As you walked out you spotted Prongs sitting in the common room “You look a lot better,” he said as he motioned at you with a nod of his head “How you feeling.” 

“Lils would be an incredible doctor,” you said as you turned around. 

“She’s perfect,” James said with a sigh, you smiled but rolled your eyes either way. “Why are you awake?” 

“Starving, you?” 

“I woke up for a fly and then remembered both you and Sirius are knackered.” 

“You could go by yourself,” you said with a shrug.”

“Yeah, I was going to… but then I remembered we planned to go see Remus before class, I’m waiting for the boys.” 

You nodded, and sat down beside him, taking one of the chocolate bars from your pockets and unwrapping the chocolate. 

James raised one of his eyebrows “What are you doing? Weren’t you starving?” 

You took a bite from the chocolate “Oh I am, but I’m tagging along with you guys instead, I haven’t seen Rem since that night.” 

“You sure you’re not too hungry?” he asked as he watched you devour the chocolate and vanish the wrapping with the swish of your wand. 

“Yeah, totally,” you replied as you pulled another bar from your uniform. James raised one of his eyebrows but didn’t say anything else. Meanwhile, you were already imagining the sausage you’d have for breakfast afterwards. 

Peter came down first “Oh Vixen! You look great!” he said when he saw you, still munching on the second bar of chocolate. 

You blinked a couple of times after hearing the nickname drop so naturally from his lips, “Thanks Wormmy…” you responded, almost tentatively. 

He smiled at that and gave you a thumbs up. Permission, you realised, that was Peter’s way of letting you into the group, whether on purpose or not, you were one of them now. 

Sirius came down next, taking faster strides when he spotted you, when he was right in front of you, he leaned down, levelling his head with yours and placing both hands on the sides of your head to carefully inspect you, he was clearly surprised, “I feel like you were switched at night, other than your lip you look like nothing happened,” he said as he moved your head to the side to try and take a peek at your neck, you groaned in response. 

“Yeah, the soreness’s still there though,” you muttered. “But the potions did an incredible job.” 

Sirius nodded in agreement, “We’re going to see Moony, wanna join in?” 

“That’s why I’m still here,” you replied with a small smile. Sirius looked at you for a second before leaning over just a bit more and pressing his lips to your softly. You smiled, but raised an eyebrow questioningly “What was that for?” 

“Just because,” he replied, mirroring your smile.

“All right love puppies, time to go,” Peter said as he stood up, James mirrored his actions. 

“Love puppies?” you questioned with a gasp as you stood up, using the hand Sirius had offered to do so.

“Well, Vixen and Padfoot are both canines so yeah, you’re love puppies,” he replied, matter of factly. 

James turned around instantly, a raised finger and a playful smile on his face “Spot on!” 

Peter smiled and nodded in return, you and Sirius eyed each other at their interaction, but continued walking behind them. Sirius stood really close to you, so close your hands were brushing with each other as you walked, it was as if after being so close to you while you cuddled him on his bed, he couldn’t get enough of you. And he really couldn’t. 

He had gone to see Moony after you left with Lily, he had stayed with him for a while and they joked and talked for a couple of hours like they always did. And it’s not that he wasn’t worried for Remus, he always got a little queasy when the boy was bedridden, especially since most moons after they became animagus had been a lot easier on his friend. 

But he also knew Remus was strong, he’d seen him get up time and time again after looking like he had snogged a dementor, so pale he downright looked like a vampire instead of a werewolf. But every single time Remus got better in a matter of days, maybe a little sore and snappy after particularly rough moons but he always got better. You on the other hand… Sirius had never seen you as bruised and bIoodied like the previous night. So tired you looked like you might fall apart, so desperate and scared. 

Because you had been scared, he knew, even if you masked it wonderfully, he knew the signs, he had used the same techniques to hide his own emotions in the past, the worst part is that Sirius wasn’t sure if you had been scared for yourself or if you had been scared for Moony instead. Either way, when you turned back into a human, and he saw all the bruises for the first time it took him all the strength he had not to crumble at the sight. 

You had looked pale and tired and he had never quite realised how delicate you actually were before that. Sure, he knew you were soft, softer than the boys, softer than Remus, but the bruises on your face, simply from a hand gripping you too tight, were almost shocking. And it’s not that you were so fragile that he thought you were going to break apart, heck he knew how strong you were, he’d seen you play quidditch, getting up after falls time and time again, but he was shocked how much more fragile you were in comparison to him. 

And it bothered him, no, it irked him, that no matter how much you probably fought the Slytherins they had overpowered you either way. It made him scared for you like he’d never been for anyone in his life, except maybe from Moony, when the incident happened. 

Even if Remus was much stronger, there had been something weird going on in his head last night, he knew, but wasn’t sure what that could’ve been, he was a lot quieter than usual. Sirius asked him about it but the boy said it was because of the Skellegro. Sirius knew he was lying but didn’t press further, instead, he offered to stay the night.

“I can stay, you know? I mean we might not fit in the same bed like we did when we were kids but I could pull a couple of chairs and stay over.” 

“Please no! I won’t be able to sleep with your snoring,” Remus said humorously, it was a total lie, he didn’t care about Sirius’ snoring, but he knew for sure he’d rather stare at the boy sleep than sleep himself.  It was better to kick Sirius away. 

When Sirius returned from talking to Remus, he took a quick shower and threw himself in his bed again, it smelled of you, and he couldn’t help but worry for you again. He wanted to jump off his bed and sneak into your room just to make sure you were better. He could not help but replay in his head how you had almost begged for him to stay with you instead of getting a cloak or something to bring you in. He felt like he had abandoned you, even if it was you the one that left the room with Lily. He couldn’t be with Remus and he couldn’t be with you. Sirius had slept terribly that night. 

You leaned closer to him, wrapping your index and thumb over his pinky finger “You all right Puppy?” you asked him politely. 

That seemed to finally snap Sirius out of his thoughts, he smiled instantly, looking at how much better you looked and nodded “Yeah, fantastic,” he responded, turning his hand and wrapping it around yours, you gave him a reassuring squeeze and he returned it shortly after. 

The four of you entered the infirmary shortly after. Madam Pomfrey was there, and she smiled when she saw you, “Oh! Hi sweetheart, how are those nightmares going? You’re here to see Mr. Lupin, aren’t you? I sort of expected to see you yesterday, I assume you were rather busy.”

“Yeah, uh… I think those nightmares won’t be coming back anymore,” you said with a little smile, Sirius squeezed your hand. “How’s Rem?” 

“A lot better, he should be checking out by tomorrow,” she said with a smile “Poor boy had a really tough time as I was fixing him up,” you winced, Pomfrey assumed it was because you imagined the situation, rather than the real reason: you felt guilty. 

“Can we see him?” Peter asked with a very polite smile. He looked like the kind of kid that would instantly be liked by adults in that very second. 

Pomfrey nodded with a tight smile “I’ll go see if he’s awake,” she said before disappearing to the back of the room in between a couple of curtains. 

“You think he’s feeling better?” you asked, turning to the boys. 

James nodded “I’m sure he’s better. You were with him last night, Pads, how was he?”

Sirius turned his gaze on you “A lot better than you were when you left, so stop worrying.” 

You were about to say something in return when Pomfrey came back with an apologetic expression on her face “I’m sorry kids, but Remus is asleep at the moment. Why don’t you come back later?” 

You let out a disappointed sigh when you heard it but nodded. Finally realising how silly it was to visit Remus so early in the morning, he would be better off sleeping in, you had certainly felt a lot better after sleeping yourself.

“Well then, the great hall it is,” James said, turning to you, which would have offended you had it not been for the rumbling in your belly after he said it. You still felt impossibly hungry. Then James went over and placed his arm over your shoulders, which caused you to yelp since he accidentally brushed your wound. 

James removed his arm in an instant and scurried away from Sirus’ hand, which had gone straight for a slap in the back of his head. 

“You alright sweetie?” Pomfrey asked, concerned. 

You turned to her while you thought of a decent excuse “Yeah, I was just surprised, I guess I’m still a bit sleepy,” you smiled apologetically, “We’re really sorry for making so much noise Madam Pomfrey, we’ll be on our way.” 

She nodded in response and you hurried outside. Once far enough James turned to you with a worried frown “Are you okay? I didn’t ruin all of Lily’s work, did I?”

You wished you could actually get angry at James, but he was so genuinely worried that there was no way you could, so you just shook your head with a sigh “Just be careful, it stung like a bitch.” 

“I’ll buy you any food you want at Hogsmeade on Saturday to make up for it.” 

You turned to him with a raised eyebrow “James you can’t.” 

“What do you mean I can’t?” James said with a frown, looking about ready to argue that he could spend his money however the hell he pleased.

“Saturday’s the 27th,” Peter added. 

James went pale, that was the day of his date with Lily. 

The Polaroid

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A/N: Guys, I'm soft, Lily is way too sweet.

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[mcflymemes]

INQUISITION PARTY BANTER  *  assorted dialogue from dragon age inquisition

you... actually look like that?

thank you for remembering. sometimes people forget me.

it's interesting watching you. the way you carry yourself when you use magic.

why are you so angry at your father? he wants to help and you know he does.

no one needs to see my arse.

you're set on being sad forever.

remember, do not use it like a sword.

i'd just eat the cheese.

always knew you were up to something.

you didn't always have a beard.

sometimes love isn't enough.

there were so many wonderful hats.

you're happier now, [name].

you have so many feelings.

i am uncertain whether to believe you.

the world doesn't make sense to them. it's too real.

you're right about that. they would.

do you need to eat? or sleep?

you would stop it if you could.

i can't tug it loose without tearing it.

stop. it isn't about you.

i believe i can work with that.

you have other things to carry.

you're serious, aren't you?

you let it keep hurting because you think hurting is who you are.

it is because you think you have to?

you ask a lot of questions, [name].

why be ashamed? power should be respected, not swept under the carpet.

i'll have to steal that one.

hey, when this is all done, if you ever need my help for anything, you just ask, all right?

maybe you're not a complete moron.

we were having a moment, and now you've ruined it.

i can't believe you drank that swill at the tavern.

i'm well aware you lied to me.

that is... remarkably decent of you.

i don't want to think about that right now.

you need a hairbrush.

when you charge at them, you make them hit you.

i'm curious about you. i had no idea something like you was possible.

how do you want to be remembered? valiant yet sexy rebel against the status quo?

it's not easy finding people willing to shoulder such a terrible responsibility.

it's not such a terrible thing. some of my best friends are murderers.

who's judging now?

i know your kind.

i know that what comes out of your mouth is the same drivel that comes out of theirs.

careful i don't club you on the head.

if i had something to say, i'd say it.

if we're going to fight at each other's side, we need to get along.

enough, both of you.

you said i could ask you questions.

how do you get your hair to do that?

do you think we could ever be friends?

killing him won't make anything better.

if you really cared, you could ask.

you caught the eye of a young woman in that last village.

i just need to know you're capable of higher thought. for my own comfort.

i question your reasons for being here.

my reasons for being here are the same as yours.

i think that's the first time i've heard you admit anything is complicated.

what made you change your mind?

i will try to be more like you.

you should learn to watch your back.

i mean. could be naked more. that'd be better.

beardy people are supposed to be jolly.

why are you complaining?

you're smirking again.

right, here we go. what is it from you?

there is no need to tell anyone that.

does yelling while we're walking around count?

stop pointing that at me!

you need a drink or something, you tell me.

[dduane]

Re: Magic systems

kosmonaunt asked:

I have the weird hyper-fixation of wanting to know all their is about The Speech and just how everything works!! I love learning about how power systems work, and it helps since I’m trying to develop my own. I’m always stuck on soft or hard magic systems. Since I don’t know all there is to really know about my system. Do you have tips on crafting magic systems? How do you feel about someone being inspired by pieces of your system?

Inspiration is fine! What you want to make sure you do with whatever inspires you, though, is to work hard to make your own take on it different from or better than what you borrowed. Around here we refer to this as "the magpie principle:" if you're going to pick up and play with/make off with a bright and shiny idea, you need to be working to produce something even brighter and shinier as your part of the "exchange". Whether or not you succeed at this (or can succeed), either sometimes or never at all, isn't the point. The point is to always be trying.

As regards building magic systems: there were three different ones in the foreground or background of my first novel alone—all of them with features that at this end of time I can recognize as being inspired by elements of magic systems in other writers' work. But by the time I'd more fully developed them, each had become something unique. The system I'm probably better known for—the system based on the wizardly Speech and its use—sprang more or less automatically from the increasingly complex answers to the question, "What if there was a manual that could tell you the truth about/the secrets of what makes the world go?". (Because once you answer one question, another pops up. "Where did that manual come from? What're you supposed to do with it? What's wizardry for?" Etc., etc.) I've spent the last few decades, on and off, answering that question in ways that (intentionally) mirror the main characters' exploration of the art of wizardry, and what it means to engage in the business of errantry in a world that mostly thinks wizards are a fairy tale.

Before getting into describing my own approach to building a system, I needed to take a little time to look around and make sure I knew what you meant when you mentioned hard and soft magic. My best guess is that you're referring to what a lot of people are calling "Sanderson's Three Laws of Magic" (fairly enough, as Brandon calls them that himself). I had a look, and have come to the conclusion that they're more general guidelines than laws... as in each of his three essays on the subject, Brandon no sooner names his basic laws/principles than he starts punching holes through them to make room for systems that don't follow them rigidly. (And frankly I find this kind of endearing.)

With his first one, in particular, I have no quarrel at all: the concept that in one kind of magic, which for his purposes he defines as the "hard" kind, rules are extremely important. (Which is why I'm kind of horrified that he apparently got dogpiled about this take on a Worldcon panel, because to me it seems so intuitive. Some of the best fantasy storytellers I know, like this one, would agree with him.) Then later he gets on to the equally valid ideas that limitations on magic are really important, and that culturally interconnecting multiple systems is useful; and here too we're in agreement. This is reassuring to me, considering that I built my first four systems—all of which feature approaches resting on similar concepts—while Sanderson was between four and six years old. :)

People using Sanderson's Laws will look at the three systems in the Middle Kingdoms books and classify them as varying sorts of relatively hard magic, with their power rooted in two or maybe three different sources. (The blue Fire is a gift of the Divine, nearly lost since ancient times and much damaged, but now slowly being recovered: sorcery is a language-based art in which no one's terribly sure where its power comes from: and the so-called "royal magics" probably started out as a blood sorcery that over centuries was shifted toward very specific uses by the power of the demigod-descendants who employed it.)

The Young Wizards novels, though, feature an extremely hard magic deeply rooted in science and (more or less under the hood) very, very rules-intensive... while its power relies on correct use of the language used to create the Universe, and the active cooperation of the Powers still busy about that work. And this is the reason why, though people are going to naturally be curious about the Speech itself, no one's going to hear very much from me about its actual words.

This is because the Speech is canonically described as so powerful that its use is something you can feel in your body and mind (and theoretically your spirit): bone-shaking, life-changing, unmistakable. And there's no way that made-up words on the page can realistically be expected to evoke physical sensations like that in the reader... or like the sense of the universe going silent around you, leaning in to listen, as you speak your spell. The careful writer knows that it's unwise to attempt to produce responses in the reader that, when they fail, will only emphasize how that thing is not happening, and stands a good chance of shattering the illusion one’s trying to weave.

So a Speech-word gets dropped here and a phrase there, but no one's ever going to get enough of it out of me to try to build a spell. Readers are better at doing that work for themselves in their own heads, out of hints and whispers. Over ten books and their interstitial material, there are plenty of those scattered through the text: not to mention the most basic principles of wizardry, which are laid out before the end of the first chapter of the first book in the series. So I'll leave you to get on with deducing what you can from canon.

Meanwhile, if I was about to build a new system, I'd look at my main characters—in the setting of their home cultures—and ask myself for answers to these questions:

What do they want more than anything?

Why can't they have it?

What kind of power will help them get it?

When they do eventually get within reach of the power / the desired thing... what will its achievement cost them?

And will they pay the price?

...Because the payment of such prices is where you find out what your heroes are worth. (Or aren't.) The above arc succinctly describes, in broad strokes, both The Door into Fire and So You Want To Be A Wizard, and a good number of the books that follow them. (Because why abandon what works, or try to fix what's not broken?) :)

With answers to the questions above you can start feeling your way toward what you need—always looking closely at the cultures your characters spring from, and how those cultures will shape their response to the magic they seek. (Or that finds them.) Maybe it's no surprise that the preferred arc structure of a writer who was a psychiatric nurse will be deeply involved with questions of motivation: because motivation is at the heart of almost all human behavior. Find the motivation and you find the character's heart—and, often enough, what kind of magic they need to make their desire and intention overflow into triumph.

...There are quite a few "How to design your magic system" pages out there. You might glance at these to see if there's anything useful in them for you:

How To Build An Amazing Magic System For Your Fantasy Novel

How To Create A Magic System In Six Simple Steps

Building Your Magic System: A Full Recipe

How To Create A Rational Magic System

However, my favorite is the "So You Want To Write A Functional Magic System" page at TV Tropes, which is nicely arranged yet also completely nonprescriptive—a pick-'n'-mix jar of prompts, things other writers have done that've worked, and generally useful ideas. (And try not to vanish too far down the many interconnected rabbitholes...) :)

Now get out there, build the world, and make the magic(s).

[erinkeifer]

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 [𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋]

[Anakin Skywalker x Fem!Reader]

Masterlist | Wattpad | AO3

Summary: These are your first shared holidays with Anakin since you both moved in together in your cozy apartment in Coruscant. No one knows about the two of you, and you want this day to be special for both of you… Although… Wait. No one knows? Perhaps you have a surprise for Anakin today?

Warnings: Warnings? What warnings? Just fluff, fluff, warmth, and more fluff! Word Count: 5,2k

"Open! Come in!" you called out upon hearing chaotic knocking on the door, but there was no response. "I said it's open! I have my hands full of eggs and flour, and I can't move from here!" you shouted again, but instead of a reply, you only heard even more chaotic sounds coming from behind the door. "Darn!" you muttered under your breath as you decided to shake off your hands over the sink and headed towards the door in your stained apron. You opened it with your elbow, not wanting to mess anything around you, and almost immediately jumped back against the wall seeing what was pushing through the already open door. "Anakin! Good heavens! Where did you get this? From Endor?!" you asked in shock, seeing Anakin entering the house carrying a massive, barely fitting through the doorway, Christmas tree. "Not exactly… Hold the door… Uh, please?" Anakin said with a strained voice, trying to squeeze entirely inside. "I don't have a choice… Hey, watch out for R2!" you yelled, seeing the oblivious droid rolling toward Anakin, almost impaling itself on the protruding trunk of the Christmas tree.

"R2, back off!" commanded Anakin, and you chuckled hearing the surprised beeping of the droid as you closed the door behind both of you. Anakin set the Christmas tree against the wall, wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, looking proudly at his 'prize' as if he had found and dug it up himself.

"Jesus, what took you so long? I almost baked everything." you crossed your arms, looking at your beloved with a smile breaking through your artificially judging tone.

"I was negotiating!" Anakin shrugged with a smile, to which you nodded. "I hope those weren't aggressive negotiations…" you playfully tapped Anakin on the shoulder, leaving a bit of flour on his dark robes.

"Not this time… But admit it, it's great, isn't it? Definitely the best one they had." he added with a proud smile on his face.

"Of course, but Ani… It was supposed to be a small, modest tree! When we stand it upright, it won't fit under the ceiling." Anakin looked at you for a moment, and although your words said otherwise, he saw that you really liked the tree.

"Everything will fit everywhere if you treat it right." Anakin shrugged, and you playfully tapped his shoulder a few times before a laughter attack caught both of you.

"Stop! You'll get me all dirty!" he laughed when you tried to tickle him, but you quickly backed off when you remembered about the oven still on behind you. "You're the one who'll get dirty in a moment." you smiled, to which he raised an eyebrow as if he didn't know what you were talking about. "In an apron or without an apron?" you walked a few steps to the hanger to take off the black apron and held it out towards Anakin. "Oh no." "Oh yes." "But you know I'm completely useless at…" "You can do it, brave boy, you can do anything! And now, come here." Anakin sighed and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender as he slowly joined you in the kitchen. "So... Do you want to dirty your robes, or perhaps the apron?" you handed it to him, leaving a quick kiss on his cheek as if you wanted to praise him for his courage.

Anakin squinted at you, and you smirked playfully, simultaneously helping him tie the apron behind his back. "So, was it that terrible?" you asked, tucking strands of his curly hair behind his ears as he pretended to put on an offended expression. "Yes, yes... You better tell me what we're doing." he asked, diverting from the topic as he looked around at the scattered items on the kitchen counter.

"Well, the dough is almost ready, just need…" you began to speak, then stood on your toes, trying to reach the open cabinet with ingredients. "Let me… What should I grab?" Anakin caught you around the waist to prevent you from straining yourself and reached into the cabinet, which was much more accessible for him given his height. "Sugar and the jar of honey, please… I'll mix what I have here." he nodded at your words and took out two jars from the cabinet. "This one is salt… but leave it here, it might come in handy later." "Oh." Anakin muttered and reached into the cabinet again. "Yes, perfect now, thank you." you took the jar from him and left a kiss on his cheek. Quickly, you refocused on your recipe and didn't even catch the moment when Anakin stood behind you, his hands gently encircling your waist as he observed over your shoulder what you were doing. "What's this?" "This? It's the spice mix, already cooled. Now, I have to pour it into the rest of the ingredients in the bowl—it needs to be warm- not too hot." "Too hot... Like you?" you chuckled lightly as you began carefully pouring the contents from the warm saucepan into the plastic bowl.

You hadn't finished emptying the saucepan when you paused for a moment, feeling Anakin gently kissing your neck, slightly disrupting your balance in what you were doing. "Ani, we'll mess everything up in a moment, really." you smiled, sensing your beloved's need for tenderness, evidently unaffected by your words.

"I don't care." he mumbled against your neck, and you struggled to scrape off the last bits of the mixture from the saucepan before putting it back.

"Darling… Please… Now it's your turn." you smiled, stroking Anakin's head with your 'cleaner' hand.

"Hm?" he grunted, intrigued by whatever you had in mind. "Here's a spoon for you, and mix it very nicely. But make sure there are no lumps. It's as simple as that." Anakin obediently took the spoon from you and began scrutinizing the mixture, as if it required a special strategy. Meanwhile, you went back to your task—turned off the oven with the cupcakes ready, sneakily glancing in Ani's direction as he concentrated on mixing and combining all the ingredients in the bowl, just as you had instructed.

You had to admit there was something about this sight. Something that made your heart melt. Your beloved, hardworking General simply preparing holiday treats with you, periodically glancing in your direction to avoid getting caught testing the raw dough on his finger.

"Ani, just not too much. It's raw dough; your stomach will ache." you said, turned away from him, pretending not to see him in the reflection of the fridge's glass doors.

"Hm? What?" he replied, swallowing the mixture like a professional innocent, and you just smirked in response. God, how I love him. you thought when you turned towards him, and he continued to mix with corners of his mouth smeared with dough, like sweet 'evidence of the crime.'

"Shortly, you'll be able to try something ready…" you began to say, pulling on kitchen gloves and taking out the hot cupcake tray you had prepared earlier, then placing it on the kitchen island. "But first, I'll wash my hands and see what you've been up to." you finished, to which Anakin obediently nodded and continued to mix the dough as you headed to the bathroom.

You double-washed your hands and were just reaching for the towel when you heard a strange exclamation coming from the kitchen. Quickly drying your hands, you rushed out of the bathroom without turning off the light to check if everything was okay. You instantly sighed seeing Anakin holding his mouth under the tap, cold water running.

"Uh! I said, not now! I just took them out of the oven!"

"Ugh… You didn't say!" he mumbled as you tore off a piece of paper towel to dampen it with cold water.

"I did say, but you weren't listening! Give me…" you turned off the flowing water and stood Anakin upright, applying a cold compress to his reddened lips. "Sss…" he hissed, squinting his eyes, and you nodded, seeing your clever beloved bearing the consequences of his actions.

"Wait, wait…" he mumbled through the piece of towel you held to his mouth, then you removed it, letting him speak. "I know something that will heal it better." he continued, and you squinted, waiting for his response. "I'm curious…" you barely managed to finish when Anakin grabbed you around the waist and swiftly sealed his lips to yours, as if he had instantly regained his full strength.

"Mmh! You did that on purpose!" you protested through laughter, and Anakin shook his head in denial.

"No… I just sacrificed myself! Come here…" he caught you almost in mid-air, and not controlling his wild, laughter-interrupted kisses, you both moved to your small living room connected to the kitchen.

"You're crazy!" you laughed, pulling away for a moment from his lips to look into his eyes. "Crazy, but yours." he continued for you, cupping your radiant face in his hands. "It's true, Ani. It's true." you whispered, scanning the details of his face with your eyes and smiling at the sight of the traces of dough on his face. "Ah… Right…" Anakin cleared his throat before continuing, wiping off the cake spots on his face with a piece of the apron. "So, what are we doing with this dough?" .................................................................................................................

The Christmas preparations unfolded for both of you in an atmosphere you had never experienced before—especially for Anakin, who usually, burdened with duties at the temple, couldn't find relief during this time. However, this year, to his surprise, something changed. The comlink had remained silent for a few days, and he even tried shaking it at times, fearing it might have malfunctioned, but to no avail. Today was the day of your festive dinner. Outside, darkness slowly descended, so Skywalker plugged in the fairy lights that adorned the window, and all that remained was to finish decorating the Christmas tree.

"And what? Didn't I tell you it would fit?" he asked proudly, carrying a box filled with baubles and garlands into the living room while you took the roast out of the oven.

"It fit because I trimmed the top." you replied, and both of you inhaled the appetizing, savory aroma of the dish that filled the room.

"Damn, I've gotten hungry." said Anakin, patting his stomach at the sight of a rich plate with the main dish.

"Not yet, sweetheart, the roast needs to cool, and we have to finish the tree." you replied, and Anakin immediately plunged his hand into the box full of decorations.

"So?" he added, approaching you slowly, and when he had you within reach, he draped tinsel around your neck.

"May we?" he added after a moment, pulling you close with the tinsel until your noses almost touched. "You lead, General." you smiled, and both of you knelt by the Christmas tree, contemplating the color scheme you would choose for decoration.

"Any strategy?" you asked, fiddling with a random bauble in your hands that you took from the box.

"Hm?"

"Are we going for specific colors, or are we mixing?" you clarified, and then both of you turned around, hearing the approach of your friendly droid.

"You know what? How about silver and blue?" Anakin added after a moment, not taking his eyes off his loyal friend. You smiled broadly, quickly catching the charming hint from your beloved.

"I think that's a perfect idea." you replied, and before he looked, you left a surprise quick kiss on his lips.

Radiant from your gesture, Anakin didn't have time to reciprocate as you were already buried in the box of decorations, searching for silver and blue baubles one after another. The ones that matched the best, you set aside for Anakin to hang on the branches, and even though it took him a bit, you lovingly watched how carefully and attentively he chose places to hang the baubles.

At your crossed legs, beneath the tree, lay two gifts—one dark blue, prepared by you for Anakin, and one purple, prepared by him for you, with a slightly messy but endearing and heartfelt paper bow and a signature with his boyish handwriting that you would recognize even from the end of the world. Both of you enjoy surprises, so you didn't peek into each other's boxes or inquire about the ideas that came to your minds. Well… maybe once, you wanted to play a little prank on R2, but the droid instantly shut down when you asked if he knew what Anakin had prepared for you in the box. "Do you think it's okay?" Anakin asked, standing up to take a few steps back and survey the almost finished tree. "I think it's perfect." you said with a smile, and even R2 beeped in approval. "See? I guess there's no doubt now." Both of you laughed at the sight of the satisfied droid. "Did you happen to forget something?" you got up from the ground and sweetly smiled at Anakin. "I think so." he said, approaching you and gently cupping your face in his hands, leaving a long, tender kiss on your lips. "Not exactly what I had in mind, but…" "Ah, the tinsel!" Anakin interrupted, realizing you were referring to the part of the decorations wrapped around your neck. You laughed at the momentary confusion of your beloved, and Anakin swiftly unwound the tinsel from your neck, starting to wrap it around the tree from the top while you held onto the lower part.

It was even more endearing that despite the last-minute adjustments, Anakin didn't do anything haphazardly—he executed each movement with feeling and one might say 'professionally,' even though he always claimed to be all thumbs when it came to such things.

"It seems finished. Would you add anything else?" he asked cautiously, but in your eyes, everything was already complete. "Now just the cherry on top… R2?" you called to the droid, and he instantly knew what to do. R2-D2 rolled up to the extension cord connected to the Christmas lights and flipped the switch, making the tree light up. Simultaneous smiles appeared on your and Anakin's faces as you joined hands, proudly looking at your decoration reflecting beautifully in the expansive windows of your apartment.

"Is it time?" Anakin asked timidly, looking at you leaning against the kitchen island. "It's time." you confirmed his words with a smile, eliciting a wide grin on his face as well. You didn't have time to step into the kitchen when suddenly both of you heard the sound of the doorbell coming from the front entrance. "Did you order something?" Anakin asked, clearly surprised, ready to sit down at the table, but then he stood back up. "Hm… Not exactly. Wait, I'll open it." You walked into your small hallway leading to the front door while Anakin observed you, surprised by your stoic calmness.

Anakin stood in silence for a moment, watching his droid. However, soon, hearing a familiar voice he didn't expect at all that evening, shivers ran down his spine. "Good evening, Anakin." echoed the voice of Obi-Wan from behind him, standing at the entrance with you. Skywalker's cheeks reddened in stress, as if he thought he was in some trouble, but his master quickly picked up on his feelings.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to lecture anyone. I know everything. I know about you two." Obi-Wan initially spoke with a serious expression, but soon a warm smile appeared on his face. "Anakin, I've told Master Kenobi everything, and I invited him here tonight to spend the evening with us." you added right after Obi-Wan. Anakin, who had been looking at the floor until now, exchanged glances with both of you, pondering for a moment. After a while, a smile appeared on his face, soon multiplying among the three of you.

"Master." Anakin finally spoke and walked towards Obi-Wan to warmly shake his hand. "Good to see you here." he added after a moment, and you watched them with a smile, setting plates on the table.

"Good to see you too. Actually, both of you." Obi-Wan responded, patting his apprentice on the shoulder as Anakin pointed towards an empty seat at the set table and invited him to join. "Now at least I know where you disappear for those 'unofficial missions.' I was starting to worry that you had joined the Separatists." Obi-Wan added, settling in a free seat across from you and Anakin. However, before he did, he discreetly slid two new boxes under your Christmas tree. You all laughed at Kenobi's suggestion.

"Master, mulled wine? Or are you driving?" you asked from the kitchen, holding a bottle of wine for heating.

"On purpose for this occasion, I took a taxi. I'll take some, please." Kenobi chuckled, amusing his apprentice. "Honestly, Master…" Anakin began, taking a moment to sigh and organize his thoughts. "I was expecting more…"

"That I'd come in here and give you both a good scolding?" Kenobi chuckled under his breath, realizing his apprentice's concerns. He had long had a perspective on the whole situation between him and you. "Something like that?" Skywalker finished, and Kenobi sighed in response, gathering his thoughts.

"You know, Anakin, our choices may differ, our perspectives too… But despite it all, I've processed everything and come to the conclusion… Actually, I know that you deserve to shape your life in your own way, to make your own choices…" Kenobi paused to take a deep breath. "Perhaps if some of my choices in the past were different, my life would look entirely different too, but…"

"That's why I decided it would be best if we spend this day here together." you interrupted Kenobi, handing out mugs of hot wine. "Master, regardless of our choices - you deserve a bit of normalcy, simple everyday life…" Initially, Kenobi had a sad expression on his face, briefly returning to thoughts of the past, but he began to smile upon hearing your words. You sensed the right moment, knowing that Kenobi's words about his past choices and how his life might have been different had a double meaning. You knew it wasn't the time for him to dwell on "what-ifs," so you needed to show him who he could count on here and now.

"Master, you're… for me, for both of us, the closest family." Anakin began, and you finally joined the two men.

"Ani has repeatedly said that you're like an older brother to him… It probably wouldn't be easy for us if you hadn't accepted that…" you continued for him, but Kenobi was quicker to interrupt.

"If I hadn't accepted you, I wouldn't know how to live with it. I won't deny that you're like family to me as well." Kenobi replied and paused for a moment, having something else on the tip of his tongue. "By the way… I know it's still early, but I'd like to give you something in advance. You've arranged time off for Anakin, so there's no risk for him, but they could call me at any moment." He finished, and Anakin squinted his eyes. "Wait, what? How did you arrange time off for me?" Skywalker asked, realizing that the recent silence on the line in the past few days was your doing. "Shhh!" you hushed your beloved and deferred the conversation back to Kenobi, towards your Christmas tree.

"I've been thinking for a long time about what to prepare for you both. I've never had the opportunity to give anyone a gift for this occasion… or rather, I've never had the chance to celebrate with anyone..." Obi-Wan began, taking out from under the Christmas tree two boxes he had brought with him—plain, wrapped in the simplest way, differing only in size.

"But I think I hit the mark at least a little." he continued, presenting the gifts in your direction. They were modestly labeled—yours had the first letter of your name, and Anakin's had a large 'A' on it. You smiled at each other, and Skywalker was the first to start unwrapping his gift, so you waited with yours to be able to see his reaction.

Initially, both of you were unsure about what emerged from the wrapping that Anakin had disarmed, but it was only the next layer of unwrapped paper that revealed Obi-Wan's first gift.

"Whoah, where did you get this?" Skywalker asked with a broad smile, holding an elegant, sturdy case for his lightsaber with specially engraved initials A.S.

"I ordered it on special request. I won't deny that I consulted a bit on choosing this gift…" Kenobi threw you a meaningful look, to which you smiled. "…But it also occurred to me after the last mission when your hilt fell off, and all the way to Coruscant, you couldn't stop polishing it." Anakin didn't wait any longer and took a few steps back to pick up his lightsaber from the coffee table and test how it fits with the new accessory.

"It fits perfectly." Skywalker maneuvered his weapon a bit and, in the meantime, checked if the case fits on his belt. "It's very well secured in the switch area—you won't have to worry about the lightsaber accidentally turning on." added Kenobi as Anakin safely placed his new gadget on the coffee table.

"Thank you, Master… But honestly, now I feel really embarrassed because I don't have any gift for you." Anakin responded with slight confusion, but for Kenobi, it absolutely didn't matter.

"For me, the greatest gift is that I can be here today, in such a pleasant, homely company." both of you smiled at Obi-Wan's words, but you didn't have to worry about Kenobi leaving your apartment empty-handed. You invited him yourself, so you made sure he returned with his gift—a bag full of homemade sweets and treats, and a bottle of elegant, winter mulled wine that he enjoys.

"It seems it's your turn now, Ma'am." Obi-Wan smiled, and soon after his words, both men focused their attention on the small package you held in your hands. You returned the smile to the older Jedi and began carefully unwrapping the paper, which, this time, had only one layer. Underneath was an elegant, blue box, and when you took off the lid, your eyes were greeted by a beautiful blue jewelry set—a necklace with stunning, shimmering stones and matching earrings.

"Master… This is beautiful… You really didn't have to…"

"In fact, this set has been with me for a long time… I once prepared it for Satine, but I never had the chance to give it to her, so…" Hearing these words, your heart almost stopped, and you weren't the only one in shock—Anakin was equally stunned.

"Master, I… I can't accept this… I don't feel that…"

"I want you to accept it. It was meant for someone special and will go to someone special. You are the closest woman to me since I learned about your relationship, and since I became aware of it, I know you're the right person to wear this." As Obi-Wan spoke, your eyes glistened. You nervously looked toward the moved Anakin and then back to Kenobi, embracing him warmly.

"I'll take care of it, I promise." you added, breaking the hug and very gently placing the box in a safe corner. "But you have to promise me something else." Kenobi said after a while, and of course, you immediately turned towards him.

"That you'll take care of him." he added, patting his apprentice on the shoulder, triggering wide smiles from both of you.

"May the Force curse me if it's otherwise." you laughed, approaching your beloved, who wrapped his arm around you, gaining comfort to do so in the presence of his Master. "Because, Anakin, you should know right away that if you don't take care of her, I'll kill you." Kenobi added with mock seriousness. Anakin initially widened his eyes in surprise, but he knew he didn't have to worry about such a scenario because he takes care of you incredibly well. "Damn, guys, I won't keep you any longer. You must be starving." You interrupted as soon as the opportunity arose, and the two smiling Jedi, without any protest, immediately took their seats at the table to enjoy the long-awaited dinner. "What do we have here?" Obi-Wan asked, rubbing his hands together at the sight of appetizing dishes on the elegant table setting. "This is roast with vegetables, here's my experimental – but supposedly very good – salad, and over there are raspberry cupcakes…" you listed one by one as Kenobi and Anakin served themselves with their chosen dishes. A portion of roast quickly landed on Obi-Wan's plate, and on the dessert plate next to it were gingerbreads, which he wanted to try first. "…And Anakin made the gingerbreads himself… well, almost by himself!" you added, and at your words, Kenobi paused for a moment before taking the first bite. "Oh? Really?" the older Jedi widened his eyes, and you laughed, seeing him act as if they were dealing with explosive concoctions. "But don't worry, they are really delicious. I tested them myself, and I have to admit that your apprentice has a knack for cooking." Anakin sat a bit embarrassed but blushing, chewing on your delicious dishes and appreciating your compliments. "Okay, I have to admit, they're seriously good." Kenobi replied with a full mouth, genuinely impressed by the taste of the sweet gingerbreads. "See, you underestimated me." Anakin smiled over his plate, adding another serving of your roast, which absolutely stole the show that evening. "Oh, I just know your capabilities too well, Anakin." Kenobi concluded, and you just chuckled, enjoying one of the cupcakes that Anakin had the chance to nibble on a bit earlier.

Dinner passed in a delightful mood – there were jokes, playful banter that had everyone laughing, but most importantly, there was a wonderful atmosphere that truly made you all feel like family. It was already quite late at night when Kenobi left the two of you alone. Before he departed, you made sure he took your delicious gifts with him. Since he allowed himself to raise a few more toasts for you, you escorted him to the taxi drop-off point.

You both felt a bit frozen on the way back to the apartment, especially Anakin, who graciously offered you his coat along the way. As soon as you got in, you cranked up the heating because, even though you both were eager to dive into bed, you knew there was one more important thing left to do.

"What do you say, love, who goes first?" you asked Anakin, embracing him tenderly as you stood in front of your Christmas tree. "It might sound strange, but… Maybe I'll go first, huh?" Anakin's choice surprised you, as such questions usually ended with both of you insisting the lady goes first, but this time something was clearly different. "Of course, go ahead." you smiled and left a kiss on his cheek before he bent down to pick up the box labeled with the letter 'A'. It was substantial, much larger than yours and slightly more complex in its packaging. You sat down beside him to help in case he needed assistance with unwrapping.

For Anakin, who had already practiced unwrapping presents a bit today, it didn't take long at all. From the broad smile on his face right from the start, you could tell he was already thrilled. "No way." he whispered, revealing his new, sophisticated toolbox containing absolutely everything he might need for repairing droids or providing 'first aid' in case of speeder breakdowns. "You're amazing, have I told you that already?" Anakin turned to you with a wide grin and connected his lips with yours in a long kiss. "So, I guess I nailed the present, huh?" you asked, already knowing the answer. "You have no idea how much." he added, leaving another kiss on your lips and caressing your cheek gently. "Well then… it seems it's your turn now." he whispered after a while, and your cheeks blushed as you reached for a small box under the tree. You stood up, trying to first deal with the paper bow. Anakin stood behind you, peering over your shoulder, not wanting to interrupt your unwrapping joy. You were getting to the third layer of paper, revealing a simple box underneath, similar to a typical tea box. However, when you opened the lid, there was nothing inside. You also couldn't feel Anakin's breath on your shoulder, so he must have distanced himself a bit when you were focused on unboxing. "Ani, I think I messed something up, or…" you began, turning around, and suddenly you had to lower your gaze because your beloved was kneeling in front of you, holding another, this time elegant and exquisite box. "I didn't want you to find it in a pile of papers, so I left the real gift here." he said. You didn't know what to say next, seeing Anakin's completely serious face and his hand extended towards you. "I chose your favorite stone and had it framed as beautifully as possible, so that accepting this ring would be a gift not only for me but also for you… Because accepting it would mean that I will have the most wonderful gift I could ever dream of…" he spoke, and you felt your eyes welling up. "Anakin… Does this mean…" "It means that tonight, I want to ask you to marry me. You, the most special woman in my life, with whom I want to celebrate Christmas forever, in war and in peace, in sickness and in health…" he continued, and you felt your heart pounding. However, you already knew the answer. You didn't want to wait any longer. You didn't want to keep him in suspense. "I want to spend every Christmas with you, I want to start every new year with you… Anakin… I have no doubt… I never did." You cupped his face with your hands as he slowly rose from his kneeling position, gazing deeply into your eyes. "Should I understand this as a 'yes'?" he asked, taking out the breathtakingly beautiful ring from the elegant box. "Yes, Anakin. There is only one answer for me." You replied, and then he gently took your hand to put the ring on it, perfectly sized for your finger. Your lips met again in a passionate kiss – a kiss unlike any other because it was part of a new, wonderful reality for both of you. You could have prolonged it for a long time, but eventually, you separated your lips and held each other tightly, looking into each other's eyes. "I will take care of you. I will take care of you as much as I can…" he whispered slowly, almost touching noses, observing the Christmas tree's illumination reflecting in your eyes. "And I will ensure that every Christmas from now on is like these… But in all this, one thing will remain certain…" he continued, and you listened attentively. "With each passing Christmas, I will love you even more."