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beloveds-embrace · 2 days ago

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So, someone may have already thought about this, but after reading the comments from other folks in the neglected!aus of the Dukedom, I'm looking for a sliver of hope for poor Duchess.

What if there is a newly-hired maid who actually gives a shit about Duchess's well-being, but also not one to take bs? When she notices the duchess being treated unfair, she's quick to ask the rest of the staff. They're no help, and John just turns a blind eye to it. "If you're so worried, then why don't you take care of her yourself?" says half-heartedly.

Challenge accepted (with the utmost diligence).

Because regardless of how things are, she's not gonna let The Lady of The House wither and waste away. Anything Duchess needs, Sweet Maid will be the one to take care of it, not accepting any help or pity from anyone. Plus, less problems means less rumors.

The manor was cold.

Not in the way that stone and drafty halls made a place cold, but in the way that loneliness settled into the bones of a home, making it hollow. You felt it in every ignored whisper of your name, in the meals left at your door but never shared, in the glances that once lingered but now flickered away, as if your presence was something to be endured rather than cherished.

You had learned to sit in that silence, to let the days pass with only the ticking of the grand clock to keep you company. No one seemed to mind that the Duchess of the house was wilting. Not the servants who barely acknowledged you, not the man who had vowed to be your partner in all things.

So it was a surprise when a sharp knock interrupted the monotony of your existence.

You barely had the energy to respond. “Enter.”

The door swung open, and in stepped a young woman dressed in the crisp uniform of the household staff. But unlike the others, she did not hesitate in the doorway, did not cast you a wary glance before hurrying off to complete some other, more important task- because you were at the bottom of the list of importance to them.

No- this one marched inside with purpose, hands on her hips, bright eyes scanning the room like a general surveying a battlefield.

“Oh, absolutely not!”

You blinked, fully looking at her. “I beg your pardon?”

The maid- Shirin, you would later learn- looked positively appalled, her gaze darting between the untouched vanity, the dust gathering in the corners, the discarded meal trays with barely a dent in them.

“This is unacceptable!” she declared.

You almost laughed. You had never heard one of the staff speak so freely before, but you didn’t mind. At least she was speaking to you.

Instead, you tilted your head, studying her. “And you are?”

Shirin straightened, her expression softening when her eyes met yours. “Shirin, Your Grace. I’ve just been hired, and let me tell you, I do not approve of how they’ve been treating you.”

Your lips parted, but before you could respond, she was already moving- striding toward the heavy curtains and yanking them open, letting sunlight pour into the dim room.

“Goodness, no wonder you look so sick! They’ve been keeping you in the dark like some tragic ghost.”

You winced at the sudden brightness, but you found yourself watching, entranced, as Shirin moved with swift efficiency. She gathered the abandoned trays and muttered under her breath about the nerve of leaving food for a Duchess like she’s a stray cat, shaking her head in obvious disapproval.

You frowned. “Why does it matter to you?”

Shirin turned, her brows furrowing in genuine confusion. “Because you’re you!” she said, as if that should be obvious.

You didn’t know how to respond to that.

With a huff, Shirin clapped her hands together. “Alright! First things first, we’re getting you properly bathed, dressed, and fed. No more arguments.”

You raised a brow. “I haven’t argued.”

“Oh, you will,” she said knowingly, already heading toward the bathing chamber. “But I’m terribly stubborn, and I always win, my lady.”

For the first time in ages, you felt something unfamiliar flutter in your chest. Something warm. And you weren’t quite sure what to do with it.

Within minutes, Shirin had the bath drawn- hot water steaming as she added fragrant oils with a hum. She returned to your bedside, hands on her hips.

“Well?”

You hesitated. You didn’t even know why- and yet tou hesitated.

She softened, stepping closer. “Your Grace,” she said gently. “You deserve to be taken care of.”

Something in you cracked, and without a word, you let her help you to the bath.

She was kind but firm, helping you undress without making you feel small, washing your hair with a gentleness that made your throat tighten. When you were clean and wrapped in the softest robe, she helped you to a chair before the vanity, brushing creams onto your face with careful strokes.

“See?” she murmured. “Not so bad, my lady.”

You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding. “No,” you admitted. “Not bad at all.”

Shirin, and you found yourself helpless against the warmth of it. She squealed when she noticed your own smile.

By the time you were settled in fresh clothes, Shirin had already changed the linens, aired out the room, and brought in a meal that smelled heavenly. The warmth of the plate alone almost made you tear up.

She cut the food into small bites- not in a condescending way, but in a way that said she simply wanted to make things easier for you.

You took a tentative bite, and Shirin lit up.

“Oh, thank the stars, you’re eating!” she cheered.

You gave her a look, but there was no real heat behind it.

“I always win, my lady. I told you so!” She reminded you with a wink.

And for once, you didn’t mind losing.

Meanwhile, the rest of the staff had noticed Shirin’s warpath.

She was sweet with you- warm, chatty, the very definition of a doting maid. But with them?

“Oh, no no no,” she had scolded Johnny that morning. “You expect the Duchess to eat this?” She had snatched the meal away with a huff, muttering about standards before personally overseeing a proper one.

And when she had cornered John, her expression turning so positively icy, she hadn’t even pretended to be intimidated.

“If you’re so worried, then why don’t you take care of her yourself?” he had muttered, dismissive, too focused on his work to care about a singular maid taking pity on you.

Shirin had only grinned. Fine. She will take the very best care of you!

#noona.asks #noona.writes #chose the name shirin bc it means sweet in my mother language lol

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salty-autistic-writer · 2 days ago

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Written for @bucktommyfluffebruary, Day 8: Surprise

Buck watches intently, as Tommy eats a piece of lemon loaf.

It’s been a few days since they made up - And made out. A lot. - and Buck told Tommy all about his baking frenzy. Which led to some curiosity. And to this. Tommy takes a good bite, chews, hums, then licks his finger and nods. “Hm.”

“What?” Buck asks, frowning, because that definitely wasn’t an “it’s so delicious” hum.

Tommy shrugs, glancing at Buck. “It’s … good. There’s just something missing.” “Missing,” Buck repeats, baffled. “But it’s lemon loaf! I have baked at least ten lemon loafs these past few weeks!”

Tommy smiles weakly. “I’m just being honest, Evan. That’s something we promised to each other right?”

Right. They did promise to be honest and not hold things back from each other this time. Buck still doesn’t like Tommy's reaction. And he can’t help but bite, “So you’re the lemon loaf expert now? Are you saying your lemon loaf would be better than mine?”

Tommy raises an amused brow. “Is that a challenge?”

“Uh. That depends, I guess. Are you … baking? Because I’ve never seen you do it,” Buck says. All he remembers is Tommy buying pastry from the bakery. Lots of pastry. But he has never seen Tommy do more than Christmas cookies with Jee.

Tommy shrugs. “Occasionally? It’s not my favourite hobby, but as a kid, I’ve been spending a lot of time at my grandmother’s house. She was my favourite person in the world. Made me feel loved and cherished no matter what. I often watched her in the kitchen. She was always talking while cooking and baking, telling me important things. Also, she had this journal, filled with all of her favourite recipes. I still have it. And lemon loaf was in it.”

That’s cute, Buck decides, his chest warming with the mental image of little Tommy, watching his grandmother bake.

“You know what? It should be a challenge,” he decides, grinning. “I want to know who can bake the better lemon loaf.”

Tommy frowns. “Are you sure? We just got back together …”

“Come on, it's not like baking lemon loaf is going to cause some kind of meltdown,” Buck says with a shrug. “We are adults. I can accept defeat if it’s fair.”

Tommy smiles. “Alright. And who is going to have the honour to be our jury?”

“Man. What did you do? I trusted you!” Chimney complains, arms crossed and brows furrowed as he glares up at Tommy. “You were supposed to make him stop, not encourage him to bake even more! We’ve all had enough cake to last a lifetime!”

“Well then you can try at least one last piece,” Tommy says dryly, shrugging.

“So which one is yours and which one is Buck’s?” Maddie asks, looking between the loaves that look pretty much identical, with a small smile.

“No, we are not telling you. You are supposed to be neutral!” Buck explains. “The name of the winner will be on the note attached to the plate. Just eat a piece of each and then tell us which one you prefer!”

“Alright,” Chimney sighs. “Let’s get it over with.”

Tommy and Buck watch as Chimney and Maddie eat some of both lemon loaves - then come back for seconds. Buck’s excitement grows as he watches them look at each other, still chewing, then at the loaves, brows furrowed in concentration.

“This one,” Maddie decides, pointing at the left loaf.

“Yeah. I agree. And … I actually have to say, I wouldn’t mind eating the whole thing,” Chimney says with a sigh, rubbing his stomach.

Okay. That’s ... a surprise. Buck already knows before Maddie turns to read the note since this loaf has a gleam his own doesn’t have. It’s Tommy’s. Tommy actually baked a better lemon loaf.

“Yay,” Tommy says, smiling like he forgot that all of Buck’s lemon loaves only existed because of him. Buck feels a spark of irritation. “Where’s my lemon loaf award?”

Buck scoffs and crosses his arms over his chest. “Okay, so you can make a better lemon loaf. Congratulation. But what about scones, huh? It’s not that easy to bake them without making them crumble, you know?"

Chimney groans. Maddie giggles. Tommy raises a brow and asks innocently, “Whatever happened to you being able to accept defeat, babe?”

Buck glares at him. “Wait till we’re alone! I will show you defeat!"

"Oh? But don't you want to know my secret ingredient, Evan?"

"Trust me. You will tell me when I'm done with you."

“Aaaaand that’s it. Thank you. Bye. We are leaving. But not without this!” Chimney calls with a grimace, grabbing Tommy’s lemon loaf and Maddie’s arm, walking right out the door, with Maddie waving and laughing.

The great Buck and Tommy bake-off ends with Buck showing Tommy something he’s very good at: Making him beg.

(AO3 Link)

#bucktommyfluffebruary #bucktommy #tevan #evan buckley #tommy kinard

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vanillebunny · 3 days ago

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Heyyy I saw you’re taking request so here’s a fun one! Can I request a hurt/comfort Thanos x reader post games fic? A soft reunión if you will! Obviously an AU where either the X votes win OR where Thanos actually survives his supposed death and gets out. I’m thinking he and the reader got super close during the games but completed lost track of each other afterwards. And one day they just do happen to reunite ☺️

a/n: hi anon!! thank u so much for requesting!! i keep rewatching squid game js for thanos i have a problem

warnings: light drug use, mentions of addiction, i think thats it but please tell me if i missed something!

you don't know how you got into this mess, how you managed to get into a deal so bad that it put you in deep debt. which brought you here, with all these people. in green tracksuits, all of them reduced to a number rather than a name

'it's okay, i'll play a few games, get my money and finally get back to my life' you think to yourself, fiddling with the sleeves of your jacket as you look around nervously. you don't know what this was, some form of pyramid scheme--gambling den? whatever it was, it didn't exactly bring ease to your mind

you're startled by the sudden sound of someone behind you, tapping your shoulder. you look back and see a man with purple hair, smiling like an idiot. you furrow your eyebrows, who the hell was this guy?

"seniorita excuse me" he says and smirks, "couldn't help but see you over here, all nervous--please, i know i'm too hot to handle but im sure.." he trails off and looks over you once, twice, before looking back at your face, "you can handle it" he says and you raise your eyebrows, repulsed by his actions. you back away

"who the hell are you?" you say, grossed out by this clearly overly confident guy

"im a legend!" he says and makes a little pose with his hands, "thanos." he says and wiggles his fingers, showing off the different colors of each nails

"thanos?" you scoff, "as in...that guy from the movies?" you say and he nods, wiggling his fingers even more to really emphasize the so called infinity stone colored nails

"don't worry seniorita! i have all the power in the world to protect you from these demons!" he says and surrounds you, looking at the people around you exaggeratedly, all of whom don't even spare him a second glance, clearly busy with their own problems

"uh...yeah thanks. im okay" you say and begin to walk away, to the crowd where everyone was listening to the instructions and such.

soon, you were all in the large sandy field, spreading out to begin the game. red light, green light they said. all of this just seemed...too easy. there has to be some catch, there's no way you play some child's game and walk out with billions of won

when you go around and take your place, you can hear running, and you look behind you to see none other than that same purple haired freak that was desperately trying to reach you. you roll your eyes and turn away but he was quick to get beside you

"phew! thought i wasn't gonna get to you in time" he says, as if it you two planned to be playing together or something, "don't worry, we'll play these games together--then you, me, billions of won in our hands. you think our kids would be proud of their appa for protecting their eomma and making sure she wins too?" he says and you just raise a brow, huh?

"who said we're playing together?" you say and begin to move away but to your luck, the game begins, and you have no choice but to stay frozen in place. where, thanos was right beside you, smiling triumphantly at the fact that you were still here

as the game begins, the players all seem to be moving calmly, nobody had lost till now. and it was all very relaxed, huh, maybe this wasn't as bad as you thought

but your relaxation went as quickly as it had come. a woman, not too far ahead of you, had a bee fly on her neck. a man beside her informed her about it and she--like any other person, panicked and moved, making her the first loser.

like in any other game, if someone lost they leave the game. so everyone expected her to just walk out, but as soon as she moved, a loud shot was heard. and you froze, the sight of her, falling to the ground--bullet to her head with blood already beginning to pool, you panicked.

what the hell was this? you knew this wasn't right! you knew there was a catch--but this? your heart raced, barely able to hear anyone with you. you watched helplessly as people began running and screaming, each one who moves an inch dies instantly by the shots firing from the sky.

you ran with every inch of strength you had, and just as the giant robotic doll stopped singing, you stopped. a tear streaming down your cheek, but you were too slow to realize--you were about to fall right when she turns her head.

you closed your eyes, accepting your fate. but somehow, you feel yourself still. you open your eyes, your chest heaving, you look down, seeing a pair of feet right beside you, probably the person holding you up

"don't move...okay? i got you" you hear the person say and you instantly know who it is, the same purple haired weirdo that had been trying to flirt with you earlier. his voice is...different though. it's not as cocky as it was before, you could hear a slight tremor, he's probably just as scared as you are

"th...thank you" you whisper out with tears streaming down your cheeks, the two of you continued on. holding on to each other as the game kept going, as soon as you finally reached the finish line, you hugged him tightly.

"thank you...thank you so much" you cry softly, so grateful. you thought he was just another guy that would probably let you die if it meant he wins, but to your surprise he wasnt.

he was a bit taken back by the sudden hug, but hugged you back. "i told you ill make sure you win too didn't i?" he says and you two pull away, and you smile half heartedly. annoyed by the reminder of his remark earlier, but still grateful. "i think it would be...kind of a bad story if i tell our kids i let their eomma die" he says and you shake your head, annoyed

soon, everyone was sitting in the room silently. not a single person was speaking, everyone was quiet. processing what they had just been through. you could see everyone had splashes of blood on them, probably from the people that have been shot around them. you sat alone, till you see thanos come and sit beside you

he's definitely not as scared as he was before, more hyper and aware of things. you could see him unable to sit still, sitting beside you while singing something to himself. he looks at you and grins, "im a kind man! ill share" he says and opens his cross necklace, which was fully supplied with candy. clearly not just any candy and probably the thing making him so hyper

you raise a brow and shake your head, you've been on that road before, it's what got you here. you'd rather not. "thank you...no. not again..." you mutter the last part to yourself, and he slows down his movements, noticing the distant look on your face.

"you try?" he says and you just nod, more to yourself than him.

"you don't wanna get too hopped up on that stuff...it's..not pretty" you say and he instantly closes his necklace, and kind of...just looks ahead, thinking.

soon, the guards come and everyone panics, some people crying and begging for them to spare their life. but the guards just stand there, trying to explain that that's not what's happening. one of the players, 456, suggests the idea that there should be a vote. you look at thanos for a moment

"are you...staying?" you say and he just nods, "i need to! im a legend yknow, this stuff is easy! can't go without my money" he says and you just look down. but he quiets down, "uh...are you?"

you quickly shake your head, "no--no i just...i want to go home." you say and get up to get in line for the vote, and he just follows you.

you vote for x, and go with the group, people cheering for you. thanos was right after you, and you can see him hesitate for a moment. his friend, can be heard telling him to keep playing. but he glances at you, just for a second, and presses x.

why would he do that? but he was in debt, he needs it way more than you do

after that, you woke up in the street. it was all a quick blur, as soon as the votes were counted up. the x votes more than the o. everything fades and you were alone in the street, tied up loosely with your clothes in a pile beside you. you managed to knaw the rope loose, and untied your legs, getting dressed.

the days went by quickly. you don't know what you were doing, but something just felt...wrong. not the games of course, never that. you'd rather die than play them again...but you die in the games too so its not really a good analogy. but anyway, it was just something. you were back on your own, without anyone, as it always was.

and you never did mind. you were used to it, so why was it...so strange now? so wrong?

you roamed the streets of korea, just lost in a daze, not really wondering where you're going. till you reach the arcade that was in the alley, you walk in and bump into someone

"hey! don't you--" the person's voice quickly came to a halt when they looked at you, you looked at them. it was none other than thanos. thanos! you don't know why, or how--but that feeling you've been going through ever since you managed to get out of the games, it was completely gone now.

the two of you looked at each other for a long time, before he smiles. "seniorita! i thought i'd never see you again!" he smiles and jumps around like an idiot. you should be weirded out, leaving and saying you don't want to see this freak again. but you don't. you stay and actually smile back

"this is great! now i have a partner to play with, les gooo!" he says and drags you along with him into the arcade without even giving you a chance to respond. the two of you had spent that time together, playing games and it was actually fun. for the first time you were...enjoying yourself

soon, you were both some convenience store nearby, eating ramen and laughing about how you both suck so bad at playing.

after a while it had grown quiet, and you wanted to just ask.

"...why did you vote x...when we were in the games?" you say and he just kind of looks away for a moment before looking back at you

"well!" he begins, trying to sound cocky, but you can tell he's just putting up a facade, "can't have the future eomma of my kids get hurt now, can i? to not be able...to go home" he says and just looks down, mixing in his ramen

you just look at him for a moment, its all so quiet. he was a freak, a weirdo when you met him. you said to yourself that this guy was clearly another junkie, some asshole thinking hes a big flirt. but right now...all you saw was just...thanos. hes just thanos.

"thank you thanos..." you say, just looking at him, and he stops mixing and looks at you, his cocky expression fading.

"choi su bong...my name...is choi su bong. thanos is just for...the ones i keep at a distance" he mutters and looks down, his hands--as if trying to reach for his cross necklace again, but you can hear him sigh when he realizes its not there

"did you lose it?" you ask and he shakes his head

"no...im not on that stuff anymore. well im trying at least." he says and you're surprised, you're pretty sure just a few days ago he was offering you a full stock.

"why's that?' you ask and he just looks back at you

"it's not pretty" he says, repeating your exact words. "well..still a long way to go but im starting" he says and nods to himself and you just smile

"you can do it...i know you can" you say and--mentally facepalm at what you're about to do, but you don't care that much. you hold up your hands and make the exact same pose he made to you when you were at the games, "you're a legend, thanos! this is easy" you say and he just chuckles at your attempt to imitate him

"yeah well i got you with me seniorita" he says softly, but quickly returns to his cocky expression, "im unstoppable now!"

you don't know what this was exactly. but whatever it is...you were happy with it

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bellesdreamyprofile · 3 days ago

Text

I Bet You Think About Me - Austin Butler

summary: y/n is friends with actor callum turner and at the wrapping party of "masters of the air" she meets austin ; 4k words

"C'mon, kid you haven't left your flat in years.", you rolled your eyes at your friend's tone and leaned your shoulder on your phone, mixing your lunch in the pot. "Don't ya roll your eyes at me."

You met Callum at a random bar in London as you were hanging out with one of your girlfriends, Linda. It was years ago, yet you always loved to bring it up since the night ended on a chaotic note. Linda left to go to the bathroom and the bartender set your two drinks in front of you. As you were sipping your drink, a man sat on your friend's stool and grabbed her drink, downing it quickly.

You stared wide-eyed, unable to say a word. His smirk seemed to take over his entire face - and then he swiftly set the glass down. "You didn't have to, love. But thank you.", he winked at you.

"That was for my friend.", you stated, looking at the empty glass that costed you a whopping six pounds. "And I have a boyfriend. That's a heads up for whatever you're trying to do.", you warned him immediately, your eyebrow raised at his questionable behavior.

"No, you don't.", he said and cleared his throat, angling his body toward yours with an elbow leaning on the counter. "I'm Callum, love.", another stupid smile on his lips. "What's your name?"

"My name is get the hell outta here before I call somebody.", you said and grabbed your purse from the counter. Callum laughed, throwing his head back.

"Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters? Your boyfriend?", his disbelief was low-key offending you.

You huffed and glared at him. "I do have a boyfriend. He's busy tonight.", you justified - though it was completely true.

"Really?", he asked with a teasing tone.

You nodded sarcastically. "Really. Now please, I'm trying to have a nice evening with my friend.", my eyes frantically searched the bar for a glimpse of Linda.

Callum sighed and moved closer with the stool, his tone lowering. "You know, that blonde chick you were with earlier? She's makin' out with one of my friends.", he pointed behind you, making you turn around. Surely enough, Linda was kissing some guy. He looked weirdly familiar. "One of the reasons why I came here. To ask you to be my girlfriend and offer you a drink."

You couldn't believe this man's naivety, so you let out a breathless laugh. "You can't be serious.", you shook your head at him, but the idiotic smile was still set there. "I literally rejected you twice."

"Third time's the charm.", Callum shrugged. You stared at him for a moment and grasped your purse yet again, but this time you were leaving.

"Hey, c'mon. Your name, just want your name.", you dodged drunks stumbling around you and found the exit of the bar. Making sure you've sent a text to Linda, your eyes searched for taxis around. But in vain.

You let out a frustrated sigh and started walking towards the closest busstop, but there was somebody that had yet to give up on you.

"Y/N! C'mon wait up!", you pursed your lips at the sound of your name and you hastily turned around, having had enough. Callum was standing a foot in front of you, amusement flickering over his features.

"Do you have to be so dramatic? And how do you know my name?"

He ran his hand through his dark locks and smiled. "I work in movies, love. Also, I asked your friend. Had a feeling that if I yelled "get the hell outta here" you wouldn't turn around.", you couldn't help but let out a little laugh, a disapproving head shake followed. This man was fucking crazy.

"You've got my name. That's what you wanted, so goodbye.", you said in a flat tone and swiftly turned around, but a hand gently grasping your arm made you face him again. "Callum—"

"Your number?", he pouted, his touch disappearing within seconds. Your face remained neutral, not knowing how all of this would've played out.

"I have a boyfriend.", the reminder he seemed to not care about. He placed his hands on his hips and shook his head.

"Ah, Y/N, Y/N, Y/N.", the teasing note in his voice was back. "I wouldn't have run out of the bar if I cared."

You shook your head at his playful demeanor. "Callum..."

"As friends? We compliment each other's personality pretty well, wouldn't ya say?", you couldn't take your eyes off of him. The playfulness, the teasing — this man child was incorrigible, yet there was something about him you couldn't put a finger on.

"I've known you for ten minutes."

He boldly wrapped an arm around your shoulder and started walking forward. "The best friendships start in the craziest ways."

They surely did, because there you were all these years later. Callum always made sure to find ways to include you in his world - from premieres to afterparties. You loved laughing and joking with him, but meeting new people wasn't your forte. Luckily, it was his.

"I'd like you to know that I treated myself to a coffee from a café.", you informed him and plated your food.

"The café right by your building?", he knew you too well. "C'mon, it's going to be fun. Everyone's going to be there and you won't be the only guest, I promise. Other guys said they were gonna bring other people as well."

You sighed as you contemplated on your options for your evening. "I don't know, Cal.", you glanced at your dog sprawled on your rug. "You know, Leo needs his evening walk and all.", you bit your lip, hoping he'd let you off the hook.

Instead, Callum laughed so loudly you had to pull the phone away from your ear. "Yeah, right. I'll pick you up at six. It's a casual event by the way. Love you, kiddo."

Another sigh filled the room as you lowered your phone. Leo randomly howled in his sleep, making you smile. "You and me, buddy."

The hours passed and six p.m. was nearing and you had yet to pick an appropriate outfit for the night. Callum said it was a casual thing, but there was absolutely nothing casual about a room full of talented actors. You didn't want to impress anybody, but you didn't want to disappoint either. A mix of both - you could do that.

"Cal, what are you wearing?", you called him for advice.

"Who's this?", his groggy voice made your brows furrow in confusion.

"Are you asleep? Cal, you're supposed to pick me up in 15 minutes!", you were stressed and a man that could get ready in two seconds and look perfect was definitely not helping.

"Jeans, t-shirt, jacket.", he murmured, but you rolled your eyes.

"I need colors, stat."

You heard him huff on the other line. "Black jeans, white t-shirt and my leather jacket. Black leather, babe.", you could almost hear the way he rolled his eyes at you.

"Mkay, bye."

"Wait- You wanna match? Aw, sweet—"

"Goodbye, Cal.", you hastily clicked on the red button and immediately planted yourself in front of your closet. You quickly spotted your blue jeans, an olive green tank top and a white blouse, which you were going to leave unbuttoned.

You nodded to yourself and breathed out in relief, quickly retrieving some jewelry to enhance the look. Some hairspray and few touches here and there, and there was Callum at the door. You bounced on one foot as you slipped on your booties, reaching the front door.

"Well, well, well. Hey, love.", he kissed your cheek almost automatically. Cal looked you up and down with a raised brow. "You woke me up to ask me what I was going to wear and then you wear the opposite?"

You smirked and curled your arm around his. "I needed to know, so that when you give me your jacket it's still going to be a good look."

He laughed, shaking his head. "When I give you my jacket?"

You nodded with a knowing look. "Of course, I know I'll be cold later on. You always insist on those late night cigarettes."

Callum laughed yet again, his eyes flickering on yours. "You could've brought your own jacket?"

You patted his arm and thanked him as he opened the door to the passenger seat. You made yourself comfortable and waited for him to be seated behind the wheel. "I want you to look like a gentleman, you know?"

"Ah, of course. Thank you, dear for thinking about my reputation.", his joking tone made it hard to keep the chuckle to yourself.

"No problem. That's why I'm here. To make you look good."

The drive wasn't all too long, with you yelling at Callum for surpassing the speed limit, you made it in twenty minutes. A very low-key bar was rented out for the entire cast of the series, with private parking and all. Nothing you hadn't experienced before, but this time it was different - your gut was sensing that something unprecedented was going to happen tonight.

"I'll introduce ya to the big guys and then to my friends.", Callum informed you, his arm out for you.

Your lips curled into a smirk as you grabbed his arm. "You're not friends with the big guys?"

"I can't with you, for real.", he shook his head, making you mentally high-five yourself.

You were in awe of the so-called big guys Cal was talking about earlier. The wisdom in this room was unmatched and you couldn't feel luckier. You even caught a glimpse of Steven Spielberg in the back. Unbelievable.

"You guys, this is Y/N, my best friend.", Callum wrapped an arm around you, his other arm pointing at the guys around the table. "Y/N, that fool over there is Barry—"

"What—", you laughed a little at the man that certainly didn't need introduction. Not too long ago, you found out that he was the guy your friend Linda was making out with.

"Then you have Anto, who plays Harry Crosby— Vomiting all over.", Callum pointed at the man, your nose scrunched simply at the sound of the word.

"Air sickness is very much real. Also, nice to meet you.", Anto defended his character with a knowing look aimed at Callum and then winked at you.

"It is real. Cal knows a thing or two about it.", you commented, earning some laughter around the table. His response was to simply bump his body into yours, his arm unwrapping from your shoulder.

"Alright, alright. Laughing at my expense, okay. No jacket privileges tonight.", you lightly slapped his torso, laughing at his defensive tone. "Anyways, blondie over there is my buddy Buck."

You looked over at the man in question and your lips parted in awe. He was the only one that showed up in a suit - sheer, black shirt with the first few buttons open, showing off his toned chest. Was he even real?

The blonde man laughed, shaking his head. "I'm Austin.", he smiled - his smile was warm, gentle, inviting. "The character I play is called Buck. He's Bucky's best friend.", he explained with ease and you just nodded, still in a haze.

"And Bucky is me, obviously.", Callum intervened, nudging your side with his elbow.

The conversation shifted and people were curious about what you were doing. Nonetheless, you weren't on top of your game tonight.

"I don't work in movies, but I love watching them.", you commented, chuckling. Your hands fidgeted on your lap under the white tablecloth. That wasn't one of your best ice breakers - it still earned a few playful comebacks - but meeting Austin tonight seemed to block you. Suddenly, you were very aware of your chipped nail polish or that your hair wasn't as styled as it should've been. Every sentence on the tip of your tongue was replayed in your head all over, your laughter was quiet and calculated.

There was one thing you couldn't hide or control, and that was your curiosity. You loved talking and finding out random details about people you had never met before. That quality was something that intrigued Austin, waiting for one of the questions to be aimed at him. Yet nothing came from you. He had been told about his piercing gaze before and that was a weapon he intended to use on you.

"No way! My dog, Leo, is a Golden Retriever. Well, not the same as a Labrador, but same family, no?", you leaned closer to the edge of the table as Anthony let out a loud laugh. Austin couldn't take his eyes off of you - the way your eyes sparked at topics you particularly liked or the way you would slap Callum's chest to make sure he had heard too. Your eyes never met. For the first time, his piercing gaze didn't get him what he wanted.

"That's my song.", Callum called, leaning your way. You rolled your eyes and grabbed your drink, bringing it closer to your lips. He tapped the armrest of his chair and flickered his eyes to you, expectantly.

"I ain't gonna tell you not to sing.", you started slowly, yet that was the response he needed to stand up. "I ain't gonna tell you to sing either. Cal!", you shook your head, groaning. He fumbled for a microphone, yet the bar didn't provide one.

"You're kidding!", you heard him from a distance. You chuckled and grabbed your purse, fishing the pack of cigarettes. More people joined your table without introducing themselves, so now was your cue to leave for a short moment.

You glanced at the guys and accidentally made eye contact with Austin, your heartbeat accelerating. "Y/N?", it was Barry's voice, making your eyes finally move the other way.

"I'm gonna go for a quick smoke. Tell Cal, if he asks.", you motioned to the cigarettes in your hands and stood up, grasping your purse. He nodded and turned to his left, continuing his conversation.

Your legs carried you through the corridors until you found a door leading to a small balcony. You breathed in the cold air and breathed out, the stress and your overthinking tendencies melting away. A flicker of orange appeared as you cupped your hands to lighten your cigarette - a very much needed stress reliever.

"Hey.", a voice made your eyes flutter open. You turned around and spotted Austin behind the slightly open door, only leaving part of his body leaning your way. "Mind if I join you?", you felt your hands become clammy in that chilly air, your heart automatically beating faster. For you were going to be alone with him.

You exhaled the smoke and shook your head, your eyes meeting briefly. "Not at all."

He shot you a small smile and walked out to you, shutting the door behind him. His hand grasped one side of his blazer and retrieved his own pack of cigarettes. Now that he was distracted, your eyes followed every move of his, almost desperately. Simply the way he pulled out a lone cigarette and his lighter made you tremble in place.

His eyes flickered to yours, the stick between his lips and his hands still close to his face. You cleared your throat and looked away, shivering. Though you weren't sure if it was the weather or Austin being himself.

"You cold?", he breathed out, glancing at your bare forearms.

You waved him off, shaking your head. "I'm good, thanks."

Like you hadn't said a word, Austin's cigarette hung from his lips as he gallantly took off his blazer and took a step towards you. "I heard something about Callum taking away your jacket privileges."

You turned to your side and laughed a little, your eyes looking at the blazer held out for you. Your gaze shifted on Austin and lord, that cigarette and those dark eyes were making you feel things. He nudged at his blazer yet again and you just couldn't refuse.

"Thanks.", you said gratefully, feeling immediately engulfed by the unusually soft material. His manly, yet soft scent lingered under your nose. You were toast.

"No problem. I've been feeling stuffy since I walked in.", Austin said softly, his forearms against the railing as he tapped the cigarette against the metal. You hummed, not knowing how to continue the conversation.

"This is gonna come out of the blue, but...", he started, tilting his head your way. His eyes almost immediately attracting your gaze to his. "I have a feeling that you've ignored me the whole night. I-I know I don't talk a lot, but I was actually really looking forward to getting to know you."

The intensity of the blue in his eyes mixed with the gentleness and vulnerability of his words in an impeccable way. Your stupid mind game made this beautiful man doubt himself.

You shook your head and moved your gaze away. You couldn't possibly tell him that he made you flustered. Or that you developed a minuscule crush on him.

"I'm sorry.", you said with honesty. "It's just... I wasn't expecting a lot of people tonight and... I don't know...", your vague words made you want to slap yourself.

Austin raised his brows in surprise, the dots weren't connecting yet. "You talked to everybody, but me.", he felt almost embarrassed by his own words, but he was keen on understanding what was going on inside your pretty head. The moment Callum introduced you to everybody, he knew he liked you and he needed to find out if you felt the same.

Your lips parted as you stared ahead wide-eyed. The remains of your cigarettes were brought to your lips for one more drag.

"I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable.", his words pulled you out of trance. You glanced his way and noticed him crushing the cigarette butt in an ashtray. "I, uh, I'll see ya later."

It just occurred to you that Austin followed you there. He noticed you weren't talking to him, so he was paying attention. Once he found you, he was quick to offer you his jacket and then he apologized over something he couldn't do nothing for.

Him walking away didn't feel right.

"Austin, wait.", his own heart almost exploded in his chest at the words he longed to hear. Your feet carried you to stand directly in front of him, your gaze confidently holding his, finally giving him the chance to look at every inch of your face. You sure looked damn good in his clothes.

You sighed and fiddled with the ends of his blazer. "I'm out of my game tonight."

A small, curious smile painted Austin's lips. "Why?", the chilly wind brushed through your hair and the lights from the city made your eyes spark. He couldn't believe his luck tonight.

Your eyes shifted from his shirt to his blue eyes. Whatever you said wouldn't have changed anything, right?

"Because of you.", the honesty took him back.

"Because of me?", you could only nod at this point, feeling mortified.

Austin desperately tried to hide his smile. He let out a little laugh instead, his hand brushing over his lips.

"So you like me?", he asked boldly and your eyes widened.

"That's what you get from "I'm out of my game"?", you said, quoting your words. Austin took a small step in your direction, your bodies inches away.

It was his turn to nod almost mockingly. "I thought you hated me, so yes, that's what I believe.", his jaw clenched as he pursed his lips. "Or at least, that's what I want to believe."

You scoffed, your eyes darting back on his. "Please, who could possibly hate you, Austin?"

He shrugged and fiddled with the ends of the blazer you were wearing. "I don't know... A funny, pretty girl like you? Maybe?", he looked up, your lips parting as you shook your head. "No? You don't hate me?", another wordless head shake fortified his own actions.

"Good, because I really wanna kiss you right now and I don't know if I'd be able to if you hated me.", you were pretty sure your cheeks were as bright as cherries, but you were happy it was dark outside.

"You can kiss me...", your voice was unsure, small, causing your chin to lower, but Austin wouldn't have none of that. His finger raised it gently, making you smile a little.

"You have pretty eyes.", he commented, making you roll your eyes as another stupid smile played on your lips.

"Please kiss me.", the shyness was taken over by desperation and he couldn't lie and say he didn't love that.

"Your wish is my command.", his hands found home on your cheeks and his lips gently set on yours. Your hands fell on the nape of his neck, loving the little hairs curling there. The kiss was electrifying, intoxicating and sweet all at once. You tasted the cigarette on him and his intoxicating smell was even stronger with you being impossibly closer.

His hands on you made you feel something you had never felt before, something you couldn't quite understand yet. Austin's cold rings against your skin made you initially gasp into the kiss, earning a groan from him. He was kissing you and you were kissing him.

Why did it feel so right?

It turned out, that pulling away from a magnet-like person that was Austin was almost impossible. But you knew you had to.

"I like taking things slow.", you said as soon as your lips parted, your hands slowly falling on his chest.

Austin hummed, nodding. "I like taking things slow too. I wanna get to know you... Your jokes, your hobbies... You know... Just you."

You bit your smile back, your gaze fluttering to his bare chest. "Aren't you cold? I'm sorry I took your jacket."

His hands squeezed your waist. "I'm not cold. You warmed me up nice.", you rolled your eyes at his cheesy words. "What? Feel, baby, I'm all warm!", his hand swiftly found yours and placed it on his chest, right by his heart.

"You are...", you didn't just feel his warmth, but his beating heart too. "Your heartbeat's fast.", you pointed out, making him smile for the hundredth time tonight.

"Because of you.", he threw your own words back at you. This man's charm was unmatched, rending you breathless before him - your body moved without even consulting your brain first. Your hands fisted the collar of his shirt and pulled him down on you again, his hands falling under his blazer, squeezing your flesh.

You lips were bruised by his passion that the sound of your name being called or the door opening weren't heard by either of you.

"I thought you were smoking!", confusion took over your features at the familiar voice. You pulled away from Austin, who decided to leave one of his hands lingering on you, and faced your new balcony guest.

"Ah, Cal. I, uh, I was.", you pointed at the cigarettes in the ashtray.

"With me.", Austin nodded and squeezed your waist playfully.

Callum's eyes darted between you and Austin. "Were you guys making out?", his blue eyes squinted at the both you, his hand against his temple. He was obviously drunk.

You decided to tease him a little. "No, we were just talking.", you said innocently.

"And smoking.", Austin added, giving you a hard time on hiding your small smile.

Cal nodded and fished out a cigarette from the pack and brought it to his lips. "Whatever you two are doing... You kids have my blessing.", he stumbled your way, making you two part as he was heading to the railing.

"I'll drive him home.", you said, your hand placed on Cal's back as you turned your head in Austin's direction. He smiled and nodded, taking hold of your free hand, bringing it to his lips. If he didn't stop, your cheeks would permanently stay red.

"I'll see you, baby.", he lowered your hand and turned around. "Text me when you get home.", Austin opened the door to the balcony, but stopped as you called his name.

"I don't have your number.", you called with a careless smile.

"It's in the jacket.", he pointed at the blazer you were still wearing and winked at you. Your lips parted as he waved at you for the last time tonight.

"Good thing I revoked your jacket privileges.", Callum spoke up, his head low. You gently smiled and scratched his back.

"Good thing you did."

MASTERLIST austin masterlist

austin 2025 digital calendar 🎀 austin phone case💋

#fanfiction #imagine #austin butler x reader #austin butler #austin butler fic #austin butler one shot #austin butler x y/n #austin butler x you

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coochiequeens · 14 hours ago

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This is exactly what feminists warned of.

By Marielena Meder February 8, 2025

Convicted criminals in Germany are endorsing Germany’s new gender self-identification law for allowing them to easily hide their pasts by changing their identities. One violent criminal, Mirko Guth, even spoke to local press about his plans to change his legal sex and name by claiming to be transgender.

Guth, who spent several years in prison for violent crimes and aggravated robbery, described using the gender self-identification law to hide his past as a “fuck you to the state,” complaining that he had struggled with difficulties in opening bank accounts and obtaining mobile phone plans due to his lengthy record of serious offenses.

After the Self-Determination Act came into effect in Germany on November 1, 2024, individuals were permitted to change their legal sex and name through a simple declaration at the registry office. The new law also included a disclosure ban, which prohibits passing on the real sex and former name without consent and imposes harsh penalties for those who “misgender” or “deadname” a person who has changed their legal identity.

“This is the paragraph that erases my past,” Guth told Die Welt regarding the disclosure ban. “I am bankrupt and can’t get work contracts anymore. If I become a woman, I can have a mobile phone, an Amazon account, and a Netflix account again.”

“I can’t be mistaken for a woman. I believe I don’t have a single feminine trait,” Guth, who is bald and covered in tattoos told Die Welt. “I’m doing this out of desperation.”

Guth reports that he first got the idea to take advantage of the law from a woman he had worked with at the youth welfare office. After being released from prison, Guth had attempted to offer his services as a “reformed criminal” to a youth-focused organization called “Gefangene helfen Jugendlichen e.V“ (Prisoners Help Youth). This association of former prisoners organized prison visits, conducted school prevention education, and offered anti-violence training intended to steer at-risk kids away from a life of crime.

However, the state cut off financial support for the association in 2024, leaving Guth dejected. He then pursued changing his legal sex and name.

Guth reports that many of his friends with criminal records will similarly seek to change their legal sex and names under the law. But not only do they seek to erase their past, they also plan to deliberately invade women’s washrooms and locker rooms, hoping to be thrown out so they can sue for discrimination and collect compensation.

There have been several cases in Germany involving trans-identified males demanding money after being denied access to women-only spaces. As previously reported by Reduxx, a man in Bavaria named Nicolas “Laura” Holstein was awarded €1,000 after being refused membership to a women’s-only gym.

Doris Lange, the owner of Lady’s First fitness studio, reported that one week after she was ordered to pay a €1,000 fine, she received a demand from Holstein’s lawyers for an additional €2,500 in compensation, along with a threat of a €5,000 penalty if she were to deny him access to the women-only gym in the future.

In another case, a neo-Nazi changed his legal name and sex, and is now suing a child safeguarding advocate for referring to him as a “man” without his consent. Last month, Reduxx spoke exclusively with Josefine Barbaric, the chairwoman of the association of Nein, lass das! e.V. (No, don’t do that!) for the prevention of sexual violence against children and adolescents, from whom “Maria-Svenja” Lieblich is now demanding €15,000 in “discrimination” compensation.

Barbaric is also being ordered to sign a cease-and-desist declaration, which would entitle Liebich to collect a €10,000 fine from her if she ever misgender him in the future and is raising funds for her legal defense.

In addition to hiding their criminal past and finding an easy payday, some men have admitted to using the self-determination law to avoid conscription and commit bank fraud.

One man who spoke to Die Welt said he hoped to avoid military service by altering his legal sex to “female” in the event a war broke out in Germany. However, the law does include a specific regulation forbidding sudden “sex changes” in the midst of impending or active war.

In other cases, men have planned to open multiple bank accounts in different federal states, obtain loans, withdraw the money, and then change their gender identity and name.

Spokespersons from Commerzbank and the Federal Association of German Banks (BdB) have expressed doubts that this plan would work, as they only grant significant overdrafts and loans if regular net income, for example from salary payments, is present in the account. However, a criminal in Berlin pulled off a similar heist in 2023, prior to the introduction of the Self-Determination Act.

The 32-year-old man claimed to be “transgender” at several registry offices, and thus obtained new personal documents multiple times. With the obtained documents, he opened several bank accounts, withdrew the money, entered into contracts with mobile phone providers, and made online purchases. According to the public prosecutor’s office, further investigations are pending against the accused for the same fraudulent scheme.

The police union had previously warned that easing the regulations around changing legal documents would open the floodgates to criminals seeking to use the law to avoid detection or commit further crimes. Registrars and government officials have also expressed fears of becoming the targets of discrimination complaints if they refuse or question the motives of some change requests.

Since the implementation of the Self-Determination Act at the end of November, almost 15.000 individuals in Germany have altered their legal sex. This figure significantly surpasses the initial estimate of 4,000 changes per year.

#Germany #Gender sekf I'd laws #Mirko Guth is a violent man #Self-Determination Act #Nicolas “Laura” Holstein is a make grifter #Josefine Barbaric is a hero #association of Nein #Nein lass das! e. V. (No #don’t do that!)#Maria-Svenja” Lieblich is a TIM neo-Nazi

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robertsfloyd · 5 hours ago

Text

his girl

an alpha that hadn't yet claimed you. your first time in the hard deck. his flirty superior. what could go wrong?

technically a part two to military issued, but it can be read as a standalone

Bradley Bradshaw was in love.

he held you close, nuzzled against your neck as you sat in his home. your home now, too, you supposed.

you didn't have a choice in the matter. when your first met, you were adamant you'd made the wrong choice in becoming a military omega. but Bradley's alpha scent was in your nose. his big, strong hands were on you, your brain melted.

you couldn't help it. your omega brain switched on, and you nuzzled against him, trying to get as much of his scent on you.

you wanted to drown in it, get drunk off of it. your alpha. your big, strong Alpha that you couldn't get enough of.

his lips nipped at your neck and you released a giggle. he hadn’t claimed you, yet, waiting for your heat. that was the proper way to do it, how the military wanted it done.

he now had a reason to come home.

***

it was weird, walking around with an Alpha that hadn't claimed you. you held his hand as he led you from the Bronco and into the bar.

the hard deck. a cute name, considering the little bit Bradley had told you about naval aviation. "ready?" he asked you, lifting your hand to his lips to kiss the back of it.

you swallowed the lump in your throat, but the way your moustache tickled your skin had you giggling. "ready," you answered.

meeting your alpha's friends was a big deal. even when you tried to pretend it wasn't, it was a big deal. his friends. the people he worked with. the people that would make sure he came back to you. his squad were important to him.

they were important to you, too, now.

this was something this should have waited until you were mated, until you had his claim on your neck and yours on his. but you were completely covered in his scent, and that was the next best thing.

the hard deck was a cacophony of shouts and jeers and music from the juke box. shouts of those trying to be louder than the jeers, jeers from the group playing darts. noises from the pool table too, cues hitting balls and balls hitting each other.

he led you through the hard deck, past the bar and over to a group of people in khakis. "hey, rooster!" one of them called as the two of you approached.

mostly alphas, you noted as you looked at them. two betas, no other mares in sight.

"guys, there's someone I want you to meet."

Bradley pulled you in front of him. his hands rested on your shoulders as he introduced you, gave his friends your name.

"hi," you said abd swallowed the uncomfortable feeling in your throat. too tight, lump in your throat too big.

shoving the pool cue into the hands of the spectacled man, the broad, brown haired an strode over. he looked tall, until he got close to Bradley.

beta, you realised once you breathed in.

"hangman," bradley mumbled, his moustache twitching as he pulled you closer. like he had anything to be worried about. you were well and truly his.

"who's this pretty little thing?" he asked, looking you up and down. a beta raised by alphas, you decided.

you patted your alphas chest. "this is Bradley," you said and smiled up at him. "he really is a pretty little thing, isn't he?"

red cheeked, hangman laughed at you. no, not at you. with you. "I'm jake," he said and held his hand out to you.

"nice to meet you, jake."

one by one, you met all of Bradley's friends. they were all lovely, but your favourite was natasha. she was maybe the second sexiest Alpha you had ever seen (behind Bradley, of course). not only that, but she was lovely. friendly, but she could easily hold her own. if they were a Pack, more than friends, she would have been their leader.

sat in Bradley’s lap, you listened as his friends told you stories. what they could of their time in the Navy. none of the horrible stuff, none of the traumatic things they had been through. instead, the moments they found themselves... enjoying.

no, enjoying wasn't the right word. but it allowed them to feel like they belonged.

as you listened, your glass became empty. you shook it, the ice cubes clinking together, before you drank them, too.

"I'm gonna get another," you said to Bradley and kissed his cheek.

he tightened his grip on you, not letting you off of his lap. "hey," he said quickly, his eyebrows raising.

rolling your eyes, you pressed a kiss to his lips. you pulled away, giggling as you made your way to the bar.

"same again?" the woman behind the bar asked.

"please," you said and she began making it for you.

you pulled your card from your purse, but someone placed their hand on top of yours, stopping you.

not Bradley, you would have recognised his scent immediately.

you looked up at the man, also in khakis. his dark hair was greying at the sides and there was something about his smile that put you off, like he wasn't used to the action. "I got it, darlin'," he said and opened his wallet.

you shook your head. "I'm good," you said and grabbed your card again. "thank you, though."

"c'mon, put it away," he said, trying to sound light. "a pretty 'mega like you shouldn't have to pay for your drinks."

a smile split across your face. "you're right," you said and tucked your card back into your purse. "lemme go and get my Alpha real quick."

you made your way back over to Bradley, grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "what're you doing, angel?" he asked, hands on your waist, pulling you into him.

he looked at the man beside you. "cyclone."

he fucking knew him!

oh, this was too good.

cyclone cleared his throat. "Rooster," he said as Bradley pulled out his wallet.

"have you met my Omega yet?" he asked, paying for your drink. you sipped it, practically glowing as your alpha protectively stood up for you.

he leaned down and kissed your exposed shoulder. "go sit down, Angel," he whispered and sent you on your way. you went willingly, sitting beside Nat and watching as Bradley spoke with cyclone.

"I didn't know he knew him," you muttered and sipped some more of your fruity cocktail drink.

natasha released a laugh. "knew him? that's our superior."

your mouth dropped open. your alpha. sticking up for you. in front of his superior.

you were so in love.

I'd loooove some more abo/hybrid!au top gun requests!

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witchygagirlwrites · 2 days ago

Text

Fix You-Part 1

Kelly Severide x Reader x Matt Casey/ Sevasey x Reader

You get sent to Firehouse fifty one as a temporary placement when a paramedic is needed. Your first day you meet the house Captain and Rescue Squad Lieutenant.

“Where’s your placement?” your sister asked as you balanced your phone between your ear and shoulder, trying to gather everything you needed to get out of the door. “Firehouse fifty one. They need a new partner for Brett after Dawson moved. I’ve worked with the rig in passing but this will pretty much be my first time working with the truck or rescue squad” you told her as you rushed out of your apartment, locking the door behind yourself.

You’d met with Chief Boden already along with Sylvie Brett but when you’d met with the two of them it had only been them. Today would be your official introduction as a temporary member of the house. You knew most of the firemen by name and face at the very least but you would be there for ten months. You’d hopefully build at least a few friendships.

You parked your truck across the street where Boden told you it was ok then grabbed your gear and headed over to the station house. Sylvie spotted you and stepped out of the bays to meet you halfway “Hey Y/N” you grinned “Sylvie! Glad you’re here already. I would’ve hated to walk into this without at least one friendly face at my side” she laughed and slipped her arm through yours “They’re not that bad, really”

You raised an eyebrow and she shrugged “Ok, well they’re not worse than any other house” you laughed “Now that I believe”

The two of you walked into the bays and you spotted a few men sitting around a table, one in a freaking recliner. “Who’s the grandpa?” you asked without thinking about it and when he turned around you wanted the floor to open up and swallow you. It was Squad Three Lieutenant Kelly Severide. A grin slipped onto his face as he stood up to face you “Who’s the spitfire Brett?”

You recovered from the embarrassment fast enough to smirk “Spitfire huh? I kinda like that. Name’s Y/N. I’m the temp paramedic here as a partner for Brett until Boden finds someone who’s a fit” he nodded as you held your hand out. He shook it then winked at you “Think I’ll stick with Spitfire, suits ya just fine”

Matt Casey, the house Captain, walked out behind him and put a hand on his shoulder “Is this idiot bothering you ladies?” you shook your head “My fault really, I called him a grandpa”

A grin split Matt’s face at that as he cut his eyes at Kelly, affectionately running his hand over the other man’s grey hair “Grandpa huh?” “Don’t you dare babe” Kelly replied then nodded at you “This is Y/N, the temp para but I think we’re gonna call her spitfire”

Matt looked back at you “Spitfire?” you shrugged “I like it” he nodded “Then it’s settled. Sylvie will show you around, get you a locker. If you need anything feel free to holler at me or Kelly” you nodded “Thanks”

Within about a week or two you were on a first name basis with everyone you were on shift with and knew everyone who worked out of the station house. It was a family of sorts and even though you were only a visitor they were welcoming you in with no hesitation.

“Why are you working as a temp?” Cruz asked one day when all of you were picking at breakfast before any calls had come in. You shrugged and sipped the coffee in your hands “Haven’t really found a house that fits me. This way I’m still doing what I love and helping houses that need it in the meantime” Kelly leaned back from where he was sitting across the room next to Matt and you knew the moment he grinned he was about to tease you “So you’re a stray sniffing around for a home?”

Matt slapped him behind the head then looked at you “I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to house train him for years but it hasn’t taken” you laughed as Kelly rubbed his head and cut his eyes at his boyfriend. “It’s fine Matt, he isn’t wrong really” “Think you may stay here?” Sylvie asked and you shrugged, feeling very much like you were in the hot seat “I don’t know yet. I mean I like working here so far but it’s a little too soon to tell”

Matt met your eyes and you knew he could tell you were uncomfortable because he cleared his throat “That’s enough with the twenty questions” you shot him a small smile as a thank you as everyone turned their attention back to their food or other conversations.

A call rang out for a structure fire needing the truck, rescue and ambulance so everyone was on their feet and in motion, any semblance of breakfast long forgotten as you headed for the bays.

You ran past Matt and smiled “Thanks for that” he nodded so you hurried to hop into the driver’s seat of the rig as he ran to the truck and Kelly ran to the rescue squad. Sylvie cut her eyes at you as you fell into the line of vehicles as they pulled out onto the road “I think you’ll end up staying” You laughed lightly “That you thinking or hoping Brett?” She shrugged “Little bit of both?”

You walked into your apartment and considered for a second just crashing across your couch instead of making it to your bed but your phone chimed with a text from Sylvie We’re going to Mollys. You in?

You were tired but it was a friday and you were off the next two days…screw it. You texted back Meet ya in twenty? And she replied See you there!

____________________________

You walked into Mollys and spotted Sylvie sitting with a few women from med and the twenty first so you headed towards her. You smiled when Kim Burgess greeted you “How’s fifty one treating you?” you cut your eyes at Sylvie then nodded “Best partner I’ve had yet” and Sylvie grinned broadly. You looked around “Where is the rest of your unit Burgess?” she shrugged “Adam is currently retrieving our drinks, we got you one too. Jay and Mouse are over there in a booth with Fireball” she nodded and you saw the men in question with their girlfriend. You knew Fireball well, she was a trauma nurse at Chicago med. One of the best you’d seen. Probably from her time as a combat medic, from what you’d gathered that was how the three of them had met.

“Where’s the other two?” you asked and she grinned “Kevin has a date with that new nurse from med that just moved here from scotland and Firecracker stayed in tonight with Will and Connor” you nodded as Adam made it back to the table carrying the drinks and passed them out, shooting you a smile “Here ya go spitfire. If it’s not right, blame your partner” you laughed “It’s fine Adam. A free drink is a free drink. Especially one I know I can trust”

____________________

You and Sylvie had Adam and Kim laughing about a call you responded to where a frat guy got his head caught in a stair railing. “He was breathing fine, not in distress but I swear it reminded me of something that would’ve happened in a movie from the eighties” you laughed around your drink.

You’d only drink two with alcohol then switched to soda but the company was good so you were still enjoying the night out. “There’s our medics” you heard Matt’s voice and cut your eyes up with a smile “Captain” he shook his head “We’re not at work, just call me Matt” you nodded “Ok Matt” Kelly grinned at you from next to him “And you always call me Kelly anyways” you laughed “That’s cause Matt always acts like a captain. You only act like a lieutenant when we’re actively on a call”

They nodded to the table “Can we join you four?” you shrugged and looked around. Sylvie shrugged and Adam patted the table “Sure” Kelly went to grab them drinks as Matt sat down next to you. “So, spitfire, how long is your contract for anyways?” you grinned “Trying to get rid of me already?” he raised an eyebrow so you grinned “Ten months unless I put in a request to stay. Boden said I’d have that option as soon as six months hit”

Sylvie gasped “You did not tell me that” you grinned “Because I don’t want the twenty question game to start back up” Matt shook his head “It won’t. I won’t let it” “Thank you” you replied and turned back to your previously abandoned conversation with Sylvie and Kim as Matt started talking to Adam then Kelly came back over and joined their conversation as well. Maybe you could find a place at Fifty one?

It was still a little soon to tell but it was starting to feel like home already.

@desimarie12

#kelly severide x reader x matt casey #sevasey x reader #sevasey #kelly severide x reader #matt casey x reader #chicago fire drabble #chicago fire imagine #chicago fire fanfiction #chicago fire fanfic

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ruruumin · 2 days ago

Text

15 - underlying meaning

today was a warm and sunny day. the clouds were out of sight and the sun was beating down on your skin. it felt a little too perfect. you sat on the outside tables in front of magnolia, sipping on your drink while you and collei waited for nilou and aether to return with snacks. she was wearing a pretty, white lace sundress and birch-wood cardigan over it. cute and simple, the best way to describe collei and her radiant smile.

she raises her hand towards you, speaking to you through sign language. 'has been a long time. you and aether have been busy.'

you wave her off with your hand, a sigh coming out of your throat. “yeah, i’m sorry about that. i’ve just been caught up with so much stuff that i’ve been losing track of time. i’ve been showing up to class later than i’d like, and on some days i just end up skipping entirely.”

she gives you a reassuring smile. 'i’m not disappointed. last week i've been finishing my lab. but that sounds bad. wanna talk?'

you stare down at your drink, pondering if its worth telling collei the truth. how would she react to your interaction with alhaitham? hey my ex-boyfriend who broke up with me over text, suddenly shows up at the same cafe as aether's date. and he proposed that we work together so they can get together. god, when you say it like that, it's awful.

you lock your jaw. she’s never met him, only heard about him in passing through aether and nilou. maybe she’d give you an unbiased point of view. you know aether has a strong disliking for the silver-haired man. nilou had classes with him before, thought he was just quiet, until she heard about what he did to you. collei could give you the most unbiased opinion out of everyone.

and despite this rationality, you aren’t sure. you don’t want to worry the rest of your friends. you don’t want to bring up your love life anymore than you did in the past. you still remember the night aether called you, the way your voice cracked and trembled as you sobbed uncontrollably, and how nilou and collei stood on the sidelines, unsure of what to do. they gave you the space you needed. you just don’t know if you want to go through that heartache again. let alone put your friends through it.

your thoughts were cut short when nilou approaches the table, smiling and waving to collei. “when is the last time we met up like this?” she asks, crunching on the crisp exterior of her taiyaki. the custard filling was warm and sweet. and she was thankful to have had the day off today because she couldn’t take eating another dessert filled with extra sugary strawberry fillings.

both of them sat down at the table and you were quick to grab your snack. aether sat beside you while collei and nilou stayed close.

“it must be tough having to help a certain someone with his suspiciously good love life.” her eyes trailed over to aether, who was absentmindedly sipping from his straw. he was pretending to daydream in a middle of a conversation.

“are you talking to me?” he replies, jokingly rubbing the inside of his ear with his pinky. “wow isn’t this matcha the best thing ever? so good, i can’t believe i didn’t try this sooner, (name) you should totally order this instead of your jasmine milk tea 75% sugar and less ice.”

“okay, you did not have to say my entire order out loud,” you roll your eyes. your reply causes him to pinch your thigh, a yelp coming out of your mouth before you slap his hand.

“you’re such an ass!”

collei smiles, 'aether needs help, no? two months ago, he almost dated ayaka. he's been through many relationships. what makes kaveh so different?'

aether places his head down on the cool, glass table, mumbling, “well hes the only person i didnt have to help or save, so it just feels different having someone like you without you doing shit for them… or whatever.”

“she can’t read your lips if you put your head down,” you say, pinching his ear, “i can’t quite hear you, want to speak up big boy?”

he straightens out his back, looking at you with a twitch in his eye, he speaks slower so collei could pick up on his words. “he’s the only person i didn’t help. so it feels different having someone care about you without them being in debt to you. it’s just… different.”

“besides, we should be questioning you instead. you should be the embarrassed one. if i saw my ex out in the wild i would have punched him square in the face. don’t tell me you got too swept up in his pretty looks to say anything rude?”

“oh yeah? how come you didn’t do it when you saw scaramouche? that guy treated you like shit when you first met and then he cozied up to you on my couch! my couch!”

“well he’s a changed man, if anything, i fixed him!”

“i don’t think having sex on my couch counts as therapy!”

“we did not have sex, only heavy make outs. and look whos talking, remember when you were in the backseat of my car with albedo?”

nilou lets out a long, exhausted sigh. she forgot that everytime they go out together, she should expect a bit of bickering between you and aether. and while it may annoy or confuse other people outside of your group, she and collei know how charming it can be sometimes. she hasn’t seen a pair so close before. you and aether have some sort of freakish telepathic connection that lets you know what’s wrong with each other (if only this extended to arguments, the world would be at peace).

“don’t think i didn’t hear those face-sucking noises of yours! shame! shame on you!”

you gasp, “how dare you slutshame me!”

“fuck you i hope when you order your jasmine milk tea 75% sugar with less ice they give you more ice and more sugar!”

“now that’s going too far!”

collei taps on the glass table with her nail, knocking you and aether out of your petty banter. 'stop fighting, especially not in public. kaveh might see!' aether looked back at you before letting out a huff. you both roll your eyes while murmuring apologies under your throats, knowing well on the car ride back it’ll continue. the effort was enough to make collei clap in glee though.

so what happened between kaveh and aether? it sounds like it went well but i need the inside scoop.

“nothing really, i don’t think you missed much collei,” returning back to the topic at hand, you stir your drink with a straw. “they had their first ‘date’ at nilou’s cafe. they probably talked about how boring aether’s outfit was because he wasn’t wearing that yellow sweater vest. things were going well until…”

nilou nudges your elbow, “he showed up.”

'he? you mean...' collei looks up at you with concern laced in her eyes, 'he did what?'

“more like said,” aether interrupts. “did he apologize about what he did to you last year? or should i be the one to beat his ass for you?”

'no fighting!' collei waves.

“look, he didn’t say anything, really.” you force a smile. “we just talked about school. caught up a little bit and that was it. besides, as much as i want him to apologize to me, i know that won’t happen. he’s not that type of person.”

“i don’t know (name)...” nilou presses her lips in a thin line.

collei pats your hand, giving you the same warm look she always had in her eyes. 'everything will be okay. we are here, if you need. don't worry.'

aether, on the other hand, doesn’t seem quite as convinced. his eyes were laser focused on the crinkling of your nose and the distant expression you had. he’s known you long enough to tell that the absent stirring was a sign there was something more. he doesn’t want to put you on the spot with collei and nilou, but he can’t help it. he feels as if there is something on between you and alhaitham that he doesn’t know about.

and the thought makes his stomach drop.

you continue with the conversation as normal, laughing about how aether needs your help out of everyone for love. you talk about how disappointed you were not being able to see him dress up more. nilou is still chewing on the tail of her taiyaki while collei nods to your story.

aether is biting the inside of his cheek, listening as a good friend would. he needs to stay focus on the conversation. he shouldn’t think too hard about it. if you said it was just school, then it should be left like that. there is nothing going on between you and alhaitham.

and if there was… what would he do?

₊˚ ♡ masterlist | previous + next.

synopsis; when your friend aether calls for help in his budding crush on his senior kaveh, you're forced to confront your ex-boyfriend by means of playing cupid.

⤷ notes; hopefully the asl portion makes sense. there are specific words that are omitted and the structure of words is different (time + topic + comment).

⤷ taglist [pm to be added, 30/50]

@aixaingela @cherrybb-ily @lupicalbestwolf @arraxthatsonjah @state-of-grac3

@knighttimes @toastedfailure @tired-jaz @whipped-for-fictionals @noellesfactory

@alhaiko @sundays-prince @angel-of-requiem @jaguarthecat @vitanye

@tiramizuloz @luvvhaerin @gabirii @blvdmrcnry jayzioxx

@0lives10 @tamikahoshiko @cr4yolaas @milkuu333 @x-hihihi-x

@kangyeonie @hydration-is-for-weenies @sorcerersseestars @jiminscarmex @backgroundcharactera

#₊˚ ᗢ ruruumin #₊˚ ♡ worst cupids ever! smau #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact smau #genshin smau #alhaitham x reader #alhaitham smau

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eddisfargo · 3 days ago

Text

Not a Day Will Go By (13/14)

Well... I thought it had been over a year since I last updated, and I was feeling pretty bad about it. But apparently it's been... over two ??? I owe you all a huge apology, especially my giftee, @resident-of-storybrooke, and I will give you that apology! In the form of another 4K words, and a change from 12/? chapters to... 13/14. But wait! There's more! I already have most of the next chapter written! And it's the LAST, unless I split it, because it is lorge. Thank you so much for every comment y'all left. I didn't want to reply until I could reply with good news, but every time someone left a comment or a kudos, it gave me hope that there were still people who wanted to read this story, and set a writing fire under me. I cannot tell you how much each comment made my day! And thanks above all to @motherkatereloyshipper for immediately agreeing to beta again after all this time!! And once again for the gorgeous banner. Okay no further ado, hope you enjoy!

AO3 Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6 Ch 7 Ch 8 Ch 9 Ch 10 Ch 11 Ch 12 Ch 13

Fic summary: Captain Hook wakes up in a strange bed, next to a woman he does not remember. He finds nothing particularly unusual about this situation. But the woman seems to know him very well.

In Storybrooke, there’s only one surefire way to get back a lost memory. And it’s not going to work until he loves her.

Chapter summary: Hook confronts some things. And some people.

As the door of the shop loomed nearer, Hook’s nerves returned. Whatever Emma had said to the contrary, he needed to focus on finding a way to enact his revenge. At least his promise to do no murder today took some of the immediate pressure off.

Emma turned to him, noticing that he’d paused. She gave him an encouraging smile. “Let’s go see if that knock on the head jogged any of his memories.” That got a reluctant smile out of him, and she waited another moment until he nodded before opening the door.

At the chime of the shop’s bell, the Crocodile turned – expressly, it seemed, to sneer directly at Hook. “Oh good,” he said flatly. “They’re back.”

“Anything?” Emma asked, addressing her question to the Queen.

It was the Crocodile who answered. “Shockingly,” he drawled, “I don’t break under interrogation.”

Hook glowered at the imp, who looked contemptuously back. Emma squeezed his hand once, and turned the full force of her attention to her adversary.

“You’re right,” she said.

Hook raised an eyebrow behind her, but she continued.

“That’s not your MO, is it? So how about an incentive?”

Eyes widening, Hook stepped towards her. “Emma…” he warned quietly. Even Regina was raising an eyebrow. Emma turned briefly back to face him… and winked.

“Look, did you slip Killian a memory potion?”

“Precisely what agenda do you think I’d be furthering by–”

“Is that a no?”

The imp rolled his eyes. “Yes.” After a short pause, during which Hook weighed the ambiguous response, he deigned to clarify. “It’s a no.”

“Good,” said Emma, seeming to take his word for it as if lying weren’t the little man’s bread and butter. “Then our interests align.”

“Do they, indeed.”

Emma raised her eyebrows. “Hook with no memories is kind of a loose cannon. Sneaking into your shop, scattering all your junk… chatting up your wife…”

It took a startled moment for Hook to recall that she’d mentioned a new wife, and had not , in fact, been referring to Milah. He opened his mouth to protest that he’d never even met the woman, but the delay in comprehension had been long enough for Emma to meet his eyes significantly. So rather than speaking in his own defense, he gave the Dark One a malevolent grin.

The Crocodile adjusted his hands on his cane. “Convincing me I’d rather be rid of your husband is a bold gambit, Miss Swan. Surely there are other ways I could accomplish that than by… helping.”

Hook bristled. Emma had said something about having kept her name, but surely she wasn’t a Miss . Also, the man seemed to be threatening his life, which, in retrospect, Hook supposed was more of a reason to take offense.

Emma crossed her arms. “There are,” she agreed, showing no sign of concern, “but wouldn’t it be sad for little Gideon to grow up fatherless? Again?”

Now who in the bloody hell was Gideon? Was Hook supposed to have a child too? He could make nothing of the “again,” but he had more than enough to start sweating. Surely, surely any spawn he might’ve sired would’ve come up in conversation before now. He wanted quite badly to ask, but he didn’t want to admit ignorance in front of enemies. He’d bring it up later.

“Don’t you think,” Regina broke in, sounding bored, “that if threats were all it took, he’d have sung by now?”

Emma sighed. “You’re right. Regina, are you sure he knows anything?”

“Positive. He usually keeps a stock of Oblex residue, but today it’s mysteriously out of stock. Someone must’ve bought it. If it had been stolen, I’m sure he’d have made you do something about it before now.”

“What the hell is an Oblex?” Emma asked.

“Something you don’t want to meet,” Hook answered, bloody overjoyed to finally, finally know something that Emma didn’t.

Regina looked at him as if she’d forgotten he was in the room. The Crocodile looked as if he wished he could. He’d almost expected Emma to be surprised he knew something, but in fact, she looked expectant. Almost as if his actually possessing relevant knowledge was not unusual. Huh.

He cleared his throat. “An oblex is a sort of sentient ooze. They’re clever little beasties. Had to fight one off years back, off the shores of the Sword Coast. Near lost the ship’s doctor.” He saw that he had, at the least, Emma’s undivided attention, and he didn’t much care for the others. “You don’t want to lose a fight with one of those. Nasty blighters will eat your –” He froze, and finished more quietly. “...Memories.”

“And that’s why,” Regina concluded, “their residue is the primary ingredient in a forgetting potion. It’s not easy to get, which is why I’m pretty sure you’d notice if some went missing. ”

“And if–for the sake of argument–I’d sold some…” the Crocodile began, oozing insincerity. “The ingredient is not only usable in forgetting potions. In fact, I recently heard that it can be combined with certain herbs to create a tea, to ease a troubled mind.”

Emma raised her eyebrows at the Queen, awaiting confirmation. Regina looked skeptical. “Oh? And where did you hear that, I wonder?”

“Now that you mention it, I recall a strapping young gentleman who came into my shop some time past, looking to make such a tea for his ailing aunt, or great aunt–something to that effect.”

“Oh?” Emma said, with thinly-veiled interest, as if they were each playing their parts in the conversation. “Did he find what he was looking for?”

“One never knows what one will find in my shop.” It was incredible how such relatively inoffensive words could still make you want to knock someone’s teeth out. Maybe it was just his voice.

“And what would be the price of such a valuable ingredient?” Emma asked politely. “If you found it?”

“As it happened, the young man’s relation had a few recipes I did not already know–a rare thing indeed.”

There was a short pause, as everyone in the room considered.

“If I were to ask you for the surveillance footage…” Emma attempted.

“I don’t keep it longer than a week.”

“Of course,” Emma said, sounding unsurprised. “That would’ve been too easy. Well, what did he look like?”

The imp shrugged. “Not especially notable.”

“Anything you remember? Anything at all? Hair?”

“He wore a hat, but I believe it was dark.”

“Build?”

“I wasn’t selling him clothes.”

Evidently, he was determined to make her pry any piece of information out of him.

“You called him a strapping young man. What does that mean, exactly? Muscular? Athletic? Bulky?”

“I suppose. I really didn’t take any special notice.” Hook wondered if the man would take any special notice of a hook in his throat.

“Any notable facial features?”

“He may possibly have had a larger than average chin.”

“Okay… anything else?”

“Not particularly,” he said flatly. “Well, that does seem to be all I can recall about any recent customers. Now, if you would kindly vacate the premises, I would very much like to close for the day. It seems my shop could do with some… reorganizing.” Without turning his head, he leveled a glare Hook’s way.

Without conscious thought, Hook found himself looking at Emma to determine their course of action. She turned to him, seeming satisfied with the day’s work. She exchanged a glance with Regina, who nodded. And, without taking their leave of the shop’s owner, they left.

Somehow, Hook didn’t notice until the shop was well behind them that his hand was in hers.

They walked in a companionable silence until they were far enough from the shop that Hook could breathe freely again. Hook sorted through all the questions with which the interview had left him, and tried to decide what to ask about first. He wanted to ask about Gideon , but the dread of finding out who he might be–not a son, surely not a son–made it difficult to form the words.

Finally, he made himself open his mouth. “Swan,” he blurted, with no clear idea what he’d say next. She blinked, as if he’d pulled her out of some intense concentration, but after a moment she turned to him with a smile.

“What’s up?” she asked, raising her eyebrows inquiringly.

Who is Gideon? “Did we…” have a child? He cleared his throat. “...actually learn anything from that interview?” He held back a sigh. Coward .

She grinned. “Enough to get started with. We have a profile on our potential perp. Maybe the great aunt is real, maybe she isn’t, but it’s a small town. And at least Gold’s condescended to narrow the playing field a little. If they’ve got ‘recipes’ Gold’s interested in, they’re probably not out-of-towners. And I have a kind of vague physical description, if he was being forthright about all of it. I’ve definitely got enough to search with. Finding people is…” Her smile was lovely, and behind her modesty, he could see some pride. “Kind of my thing.” All at once, Hook became aware that Emma was caressing the hand she was holding. “Want to come?”

“I–think I have some business to attend to,” he said, perhaps less firmly than he’d intended. She looked a bit crestfallen, and he added, “Sorry, love,” before thinking to question why he was apologizing. He didn’t owe her a bloody apology for being busy. He searched his mind for a story she’d accept for what he was busy with that didn’t involve searching for a weapon against the Dark One.

“OK,” she said, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you at home. Love you!” She hesitated before leaving, as if she was expecting something, but then smiled ruefully and walked away. It didn’t take much in the way of context to figure out what she’d been waiting for, once he gave it a moment’s thought. But surely she couldn’t expect it of him.

He stood for a moment, watching her walk back to her brightly-covered conveyance. As he pulled his hand slowly from the cheek her lips had touched, he considered the fact that she had not, in fact, demanded his plans. The word trust flitted through his mind, leaving a feeling suspiciously like guilt.

Well, there was nothing to be done. He had promised her no murders today, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t plan. As for the wager with the Queen, that was easily dealt with. If she rightfully owned the Jolly Roger, he could win it back the way a pirate usually won his booty. And what was one extra murder once the bet was lost?

He began to walk, allowing his feet to choose the direction–they hadn’t steered him wrong so far. He spent a pleasant moment picturing the look of surprise on Regina’s face just before his hook pierced her heart. He could see the rage turning into fear, as the man she erroneously believed was no threat came for his reckoning. And behind her, there stood Emma, eyes wide and full of tears–

A loud, dissonant noise brought him to his senses. He realized he’d stopped cold in the middle of the road, and one of those wheeled metal contraptions–a bug, had Emma called them? But this one was red, and rather larger than hers--stood behind him. He made eye contact with the person behind the glass at the front. It was a man he didn’t recognize–hardly shocking, at the moment–who threw his arms wide in a gesture of impatient disbelief. The man slammed his hand in front of him, and the awful noise repeated.

Suddenly in quite a foul mood, Hook gave his most menacing scowl and approached the conveyance, raising his left arm to make his namesake conspicuous. As he reached the side door of the bug, less than a foot from the wide-eyed man inside, there was a loud squeal and the contraption sped away. Ahh, well. If he was going to lose the bet– when , rather–it would be for more significant reasons. A blond-haired face with a look of abject betrayal tried once more to encroach upon his imagination, but he pushed it roughly aside. He walked quickly out of the road, in no particular hurry to repeat the confrontation.

He tried to keep his focus on what was most relevant–forming a plan. Kill the crocodile, and leave this strange place, with all of these strange people. Unfairly attractive people with soft hands. Children with Baelfire’s eyes. Complete strangers who smiled at him, like the woman across the street was doing now. How on earth she could be smiling at him despite the thunderous scowl he was–

Hook stopped to take stock of his face, to find that his scowl seemed to have abandoned him, in favor of an expression with which he was unfamiliar. His lips were turned up very slightly, but not in a smirk or a leer. And his eyes were half-closed, when they ought to have been wide open and paying attention to his bloody surroundings, because now the woman was pushing her covered cart towards him, and she looked familiar. Ahh, she was the woman he’d seen earlier, just outside of the cursed pawn shop . Except that she’d looked familiar then, too, hadn’t she? But no, her cheerful smile was not striking any chords in his mind now.

Not only was she smiling, she was actually walking toward him.

“Hello,” Hook said cautiously. He was dealing with an unknown quantity, and he wasn’t sure how to approach her.

The moment he spoke, something began to strike the covering of the cart from the inside. He managed to keep from visibly startling, looking with a raised eyebrow from the cart to the woman.

The stranger laughed. “He heard you!” She pushed back the covering on the cart, which folded as it seemed designed to do.

From the violence of the striking, Hook had been half expecting some sort of small but fierce wild animal. What appeared, however, was a very human baby. And it was looking right at him. Its expression might charitably be called a smile, although its teeth were largely absent.

The baby looked at the woman who was presumably its mother and had some sort of semi-verbal communication.

“Down?” the woman said, in the tone of someone repeating what they’d heard, although to Hook’s ears the baby’s word had sounded more like “aaa!”

Without further ado, she leaned down and set the baby loose. To Hook’s surprise, rather than toppling over immediately, it took some rather wobbly steps in his direction. He controlled the urge to back away. He was certainly not afraid of an infant–even one that seemed determined to barrel toward him. What on earth made him so nervous? It wasn’t as if the tiny thing could hurt him. On the contrary, it was so small it looked as if a rogue breeze might damage it irreparably. He gulped, reflexively moving his hook behind his back.

“Iiiiihggh,” burbled the baby, whose strong apparent desire to continue its headfirst forward motion was beginning to lose the battle to gravity. Well, it was awfully close to the ground.

“That’s right, darling!” the mother said encouragingly. “That’s Killian!”

Hook started. He hadn’t been anticipating his given name from this woman. And despite what she might be pretending, the child had most certainly not said it first.

Hook’s sudden movement was the last straw for the baby’s momentum.Killian watched in confused fascination as the little thing paused for just a moment, looking nonplussed, and then fell remarkably slowly to its bottom, where it bounced slightly. Whatever it was wearing, it clearly provided some padding.

Hook wondered for a moment if the infant was going to start bawling, in which case he decided he’d find a reason to be elsewhere. And, indeed, the small face worked for a moment, appearing to consider the possibility. But it was distracted in the nick of time by something shining on the ground, which it examined for a moment before managing to grasp the item and beginning to bring it towards its mouth.

“GIDEON, NO !” the woman shouted, startling Hook, who’d almost forgotten she was there. He looked quickly back at her, and in that moment, he recognized her face. It hadn’t meant much to him when she was smiling at him, but in her distress, it came back to him.

A cell. An interrogation. A blow.

He’d wanted to use her for information. She hadn’t known anything, so he’d…

He caught himself grimacing, and then frowned at his own reaction. Well, and why shouldn’t he have struck her? She’d been of no use to him. But why had she looked at him just now as if… as if she was pleased to see him? Women hid their children from him. They certainly didn’t encourage those children to run to him, shouting an admittedly mangled attempt at his true name.

The woman had picked the baby back up–he supposed it must be a lad, if its name was Gideon–and removed the shiny object from his hands, with what looked like a surprising amount of difficulty. Honestly, how much grip strength could those tiny hands possess? Still, she seemed to be struggling to keep the baby in one hand and hold the item out of his reach in another. He considered how he would accomplish such a feat with only the one.

He shook away the ridiculous notion. When would he ever be called upon to hold a baby?

The baby was crying in earnest now, and Killian racked his brains for an excuse to make a hasty retreat. He had just recalled the fact that he didn’t actually need an excuse–he was free to leave at any time, social niceties be damned–when he realized a few things in quick succession. The child’s name was Gideon. Gideon was not Emma’s child, much less his own. The relief of not being tied to her permanently… rather startlingly failed to materialize. He pushed the thought away quickly.

So, Gideon belonged to this woman. As he pieced his memories of her together with what he’d heard this morning, her name came to him.

“Belle,” he said, without really planning to. She had been precious to the Dark One. That was what he’d wanted from her. She’d been… his lover? The implications hit him like a cannonball. Suddenly, the wailing baby looked quite a bit less cute.

Not that he’d thought it was cute in the first place.

Evidently, he’d been correct about her name, because she looked up from her game of keep-away with the squalling infant, as if remembering he was there.

She smiled grimly, holding the baby’s treasure up a bit higher. “Old battery,” she informed him, her voice rueful. He thought for a moment that the battery to which she referred was his against her, however long ago that had been from her perspective, but she seemed to be looking at the object. She approached him. “Here, would you take this away?”

Hook reached for it, not without curiosity. But as Belle drew nearer, Gideon switched his attention from the “battery” to him. He reached out his little hands, tears still glistening on his round cheeks.

Belle laughed. “Well, that works too,” she said, foisting the baby directly into Hook’s arms. His mind sounded an alarm. Something in his brain shouted Hook!! It took him a moment to connect this to the source of his suddenly faster heartbeat. He quickly adjusted himself so that the baby and the hook were as far apart as possible. He’d expected this to take some serious effort–especially since he’d never held a baby in his life. But almost without conscious thought, he’d adjusted his grip so that his hook was pointed down, his shortened arm supporting the baby’s body, with his hand gripping its back.

The bloody madwoman didn’t even look concerned. She’d walked off to dispose of the battery without a second glance.

Uncertain what to do with himself, Hook looked down at the baby’s face. Surely there would be some evidence of malignance, if the Crocodile truly had sired him.

The baby gave him a mostly-toothless smile. He looked fully human, if nothing else. Perhaps Belle had been less than faithful to her scaly lover. Heaven knew better women than her had done the same. Hook squinted at the little eyes, trying to discern a resemblance to his old enemy. When the spark of recognition hit him, it was not as he had expected. Bae .

He had always credited Baelfire with his mother’s eyes. And indeed, he recalled more vividly than he would’ve credited, the color had been all too reminiscent of his lost love. But in this child’s eyes–this child, with no direct connection to dear Milah–he saw the shape of Bae’s. There was only one possible source of any similarity between Baelfire and this child–his half-brother?--but that loathsome resemblance, Killian could not see, no matter how he searched.

“Thanks for watching him,” a voice said from right in front of him. Hook startled, but did not drop the baby. Nor did he accidentally puncture his hide, which was a danger you’d think a mother would’ve been cognizant of. How had he not seen Belle return? Had he been so lost in his thoughts?

Belle was grinning at him. “You’re so good with him,” she said, with the air of someone who is repeating an observation.

“Ahh,” Hook said awkwardly, uncertain what to do with this bit of flagrant misjudgement.

“Aaaaaaaah,” gurgled Gideon, contributing just as much to the conversation.

There was a moment of silence as the baby looked lazily from one of them to the other, drooling slightly.

“Well, it’s almost too late for Christmas shopping, so we’d best be on our way,” said Belle finally, sounding oddly amused. “That is, if you’re willing to part with him?”

Hook felt his face heat. Had he really been so distracted he’d forgotten to return the thing to its mother? It wasn’t as if he wanted to be holding him. He’d simply lost track of time somehow. He’d rarely seen a person so young this close. It was oddly fascinating–in a horrifying sort of way.

As Belle reached for her child, he misjudged her grip and began to let go too soon. He reflexively tried to catch him with both arms, jerking the pointed one away at the last moment and throwing his good hand under him.

Gideon giggled delightedly, and even Belle permitted herself a breathless chuckle once the lad was safely in her arms, obviously more aware than her son of what had almost happened. The barrage of kisses she pressed to his tiny, laughing face were her only concession to the moment of panic.

She cradled the baby to her with one arm, waving goodbye with every appearance of good cheer, as Killian waited for his heart to stop hammering. He continued his interrupted walk, and tried to remember what thought he’d been in the middle of. Ahh, yes, revenge against the Crocodile.

It must have been a half a mile later when it occurred to him–far too late–that the perfect opportunity for revenge had just been utterly squandered. That child was–presumably– his son. Why hadn’t he–why hadn’t it even occurred to him to–bloody hell, he’d gone out of his way to avoid–

His unquestioned fear of accidentally damaging the child now seemed quite preposterous. He could have simply gutted him like a fish.

The thought of gutting a fish made him oddly nauseated. He frowned. He hadn’t tired of fish in centuries at sea. Now seemed a strange time to start. This bloody town was getting to him, somehow. Making him into a landlubber. Making him soft . Making him into the man Emma seemed to think she knew.

What he needed was a night on the Jolly. Alone . What he needed was to get her ready to leave.

He made it the rest of the way to the docks unmolested. There was a moment where he thought he saw a red hat exiting a warehouse, but it vanished before he could be certain.

Once aboard his ship, he took inventory. He would need to top up his rations, although there was a small supply of cans with pictures of food on them–those uncannily lifelike pictures common to this realm. Perhaps he could make it to the next port, if nothing else. Surely he could acquire food there, legitimately or not. He’d noticed with unease that the longer he stayed in this town, the less he recognized himself.

Hook had nearly finished taking stock of his supplies when he nearly tripped over his feet. He froze. After centuries, he knew every inch of the Jolly Roger. There had never before been a loose floorboard in his quarters.

Closer scrutiny confirmed what his feet had uncovered. There was a small space under one of the boards making up his floor. And underneath…

He stared, trying to think through the implications. It seemed his future self had not been so innocent, after all. The man had been keeping secrets from his lovely wife. Perhaps he hadn’t changed as much as Emma had convinced him–as much as she’d truly seemed to believe. Perhaps he had already begun the plan now taking shape inside Hook’s head.

Hidden on the Jolly, where no one but him could ever have found it, was a bottle of squid ink.

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

Tagging the same folks as last time, hope it's still welcome! Adding the "please tag for everything" crew. Let me know if you want to be added or removed for the last chapter!

@undercaffinatednightmarere, @jrob644, @kmomof4, @winterbaby89, @mie779, @elfiola, @tiganasummertree, @anmylica, @booksteaandtoomuchtv, @everything-person, @teamhook, @laianely, @booksteaandtoomuchtv, @exhaustedpirate, @anmylica, @hollyethecurious, @Gingerchangeling, @caught-in-the-filter, @ultraluckycatnd, @Stahlop, @LFH1226, @darkshadow7, @fleurdepetite, @captainswan-kellie, @motherkatereloyshipper, @sonnicat, @Jrob64, @beckettj, @whimsicallyenchantedrose, @jonesfandomfanatic, @myfearless-love

For any fellow stats nerds, this chapter was 4K words, about twice as long as the average chapter so far. And I have (drumroll) almost another 8K written. I just need to tie together all the scenes I have! Might split it if there's a good splitting place, or I might post it all at once. I'm pretty pleased with how it's turning out, aside from all the [insert words here]-type stuff in the middle.

#captain swan #killian jones #emma swan #once upon a time #ouat #not a day will go by

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v6quewrlds · 4 hours ago

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GAMES, LAMELO BALL.

pairing⠀⁎⠀lamelo ball x reader. word count⠀⁎⠀2.7k.

summary⠀⁎⠀fed up with lamelo's games, you take matters into your own hands. enlisting the help of your friend, you don't think you've ever seen melo this mad.

author's note⠀⁎⠀it's finally here! started as a blurb but i couldn't help myself warnings⠀⁎⠀18+ mdni, language, slight degradation if you squint, backshots <333, toxic dynamics bc why not.

Players dotted the court, the squeaking of sneakers peeking out from polyester warmups and the dribble of basketballs echoing off the gleaming hardwood. A pattern of murmurs underscored the arena's sound system playing a random assortment of Hot 100 hits. The crowd was a sea of buzzing anticipation, waiting for the home team to take the floor. Her eyes fixed on the court as she nervously picked at the hem of her leather jacket. The hand slung over her shoulder felt heavy, a silent statement aimed at the man pacing the sidelines, his tall figure stretching the fabric of his team-issued sweatsuit.

Bryce's fingers drummed a casual beat on the armrest, his eyes scanning the rows of seats as if he could feel the weight of Lamelo's glare from across the court. He knew the situation was complicated, but the way she had talked about him made it seem like the kind of drama that came with a side of entertainment rather than the kind that could ruin friendships. He offered a gentle squeeze, whispering, "You okay?"

She nodded, flashing him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I don't know how he'll react," she murmured, her gaze finally meeting his. "He's a hothead but I had to do something. I can't just let him think he can treat me however he wants."

The lights dimmed and the crowd roared as the starting lineup was announced. When Lamelo's name boomed through the speakers, she felt his eyes on her, and she looked up, meeting his gaze. His expression was a thundercloud of irritation, but she only raised an eyebrow and turned back to the introductions. The ball was tipped off, and the players began to dance around the court in a mesmerizing display of athleticism. Despite the tension simmering between her and Lamelo, she couldn't help but get swept up in the excitement of the game.

She loved basketball, had always loved it. Her heart pounded in sync with the thumping of the ball and the sneakers, each beat a silent countdown to the moment when she'd have to face the 6'7" point guard at the end of the night. Every point, every assist, his eyes were on her, brown eyes storming across the court, and she knew he was playing the best game of his life to prove something.

Each time the ball swished through the net, she clapped politely, turning to laugh with Bryce at his quips about the game. She played the part, smiling and turning her face away when the announcer shouted Bryce out, the jumbotron zooming in on their little VIP section, the spotlight momentarily blinding her. She smiled to herself, preening as she watched Lamelo shake his head, his jaw tightening as he threw a towel over his head during a time-out.

From her spot at the edge of the court, she could feel his anger stewing, thick and palpable in the air. The crowd's roars only fed the fire burning in Lamelo's eyes. With just her presence, she was pushing his buttons, and she knew it. Twisted satisfaction made everything else fade away, leaving her witness to Lamelo's show for one.

She blinked out of her thoughts as the final buzzer rang out, the roar of the crowd signaling victory for the Charlotte Hornets. The players on the bench leaped to their feet, slapping palms with their teammates, and the arena lights flashed in a celebratory frenzy. Lamelo looked at her, his gaze hot with a mix of anger and desire. She felt victorious, her nerves tingling as she stood, smoothing her outfit before following Bryce off the court.

"Melo was fuming," Bryce laughed as they made their way through the crowded arena, the sweet scent of victory mingling with popcorn and sweat. She couldn't help but smirk at the thought of the frustration simmering under the point guard's skin.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out to read the message from Lamelo: "You had fun?" She showed the text to Bryce, who chuckled lowly. "You're evil," he teased, shaking his head. They walked through the crowded hallways, dodging high-fives and autograph seekers.

Bryce eagerly fed her lines in the car, eyes lighting up as she parroted his words back to Lamelo whose anger was palpable through the phone screen. She knew it was childish, riling her hot-headed boyfriend - who wasn't quite her boyfriend - up like that, but she couldn’t resist the appeal of the power play. The thrill of it was addictive, the rush of knowing she was the only one who could get under his skin like this.

"What did he even do?" Bryce asked, navigating the car through the post-game traffic. The headlights painted the street with a strobe of light and shadow, casting a rhythmic pattern on the dashboard.

Her eyes didn't leave her phone screen. "It's complicated," she replied, her thumbs flying over the screen as she texted back. She didn't need to go into details with Bryce; he knew the dance she and Lamelo had been doing for months. "But he's being a dumbass and I need him to cut that shit out."

Bryce chuckled, keeping his eyes on the road. "Is that new? That's like his whole thing."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hold back a laugh. "Yeah, well, it's getting old. He can be a dumbass, just not to me." The car pulled up to her apartment complex, the headlights bouncing off the shiny chrome of the parked vehicles.

She practically bounced out of the car, the adrenaline from the game and the anticipation of the confrontation to come coursing through her veins. As she crossed the threshold of her apartment, Lamelo's frustration had finally spilled over. She could almost hear the odium in his tone through the message: "Leave the door unlocked. I'm coming over."

Her heart fluttered, a mix of excitement and nerves. She knew what that meant, and she knew she had him exactly where she wanted him. She threw her keys onto the kitchen counter with a clatter, the sound bouncing off the walls of the small space. The seconds melted into minutes and soon she could hear the sound of his footsteps outside of her front door, heavy and deliberate. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the storm she had invited in.

The door swung open, revealing Lamelo, his jaw set in a firm line, his eyes smoldering. He stepped into the apartment, his presence immediately making the space feel smaller. she stood just a few paces from him, arms crossed, lips parted slightly in a silent dare. The air between them crackled with unspoken words and unresolved tension.

Then he was everywhere. Hands setting fire to her skin, his mouth claiming hers in a kiss that was as punishing as it was passionate. Her heart raced as she felt the weight of his body pushing her back onto the couch. His fingers found the nape of her neck, tugging her head back to give him better access to her throat. His teeth grazed her skin, sending shivers down her spine.

"You thought that shit was funny?" He growled against her neck, his breath hot and minty. Her pulse sped up as his grip tightened. She didn't respond, enjoying the way his anger bubbled over into something else, something that made her feel vindicated. His hands roamed over her body, his touch demanding and possessive.

Her head spun, dizzy with desire as he pushed her jacket off her shoulders, the leather whispering against the fabric of her shirt. His eyes searched hers, looking for something she wasn’t quite ready to give.

She was face down, moaning into her sheets before she realized she was no longer dressed. His right hand was pressed firm into the small of her back, his left gripping her hip, his hips moving with a rhythm that was more punishment than pleasure. His breath was hot and heavy in her ears as he raved, making his distaste known with every thrust. Her eyes squeezed shut, her nails digging into the comforter, her body trembling with every hit of painful ecstasy.

"Feel good?" Lamelo taunted, his voice a gruff whisper in her ear. Her body arched upward, a silent plea for more. He didn't need an answer; he knew he had her where he wanted her. His grip on her tightened, his movements more urgent. The anger in his eyes had morphed into something primal, something that made her crave his touch even more.

A loud smack echoed through the room as Lamelo's hand met her bare skin. The sound reached her ears before the searing pain melted into white-hot pleasure. A strangled moan erupted from the back of her throat, whimpers escaping her clenched teeth as she felt him swell inside her. The headboard banged against the wall in time with their frantic pace, the sound a punctuation to their silent argument.

"You couldn't keep your hands off him, huh?" Lamelo's voice was a low growl, his grip tightening. "You liked making me mad? Showing up with him? After I told you…" He didn't finish the sentence, but the unspoken words hung heavy in the air.

"Fuck," he huffed, pulling her back against his harder. She could feel his muscles flex against her, his body demanding a response she couldn't refuse. The heat of his skin was a stark contrast to the cool air in her apartment, the intensity of their encounter leaving no room for anything else.

"You had all that shit to say earlier, but now you're just taking it," he murmured, his voice a mix of disbelief and arousal. "Taking dick like you can't get enough." She was sure if she turned to look at him, his face would be flushed with heat. But she couldn't bring herself to move away, couldn't argue, couldn't bite back, couldn't protest. Instead, she pushed back, urging him deeper, her body speaking louder than any words could.

"You don't got something to say?" He scoffed, the smack of skin on skin resonating through the room. Her face warmed, but she kept her eyes squeezed shut, feeling his weight on top of her, his length moving in and out with a force that left her trembling.

"Aight then," he said with a smug satisfaction, his strokes slowing to a more deliberate, controlled pace. "Just remember," he whispered, his voice low and menacing, "I'm the only one who can make you feel like this."

She whimpered at the words, clenching her fists tighter into the fabric of the bed. "Harder," she finally managed to breathe out. The tension between them was a live wire, sparking and crackling, and she felt the electricity in every cell of her body.

"Harder?" Lamelo repeated, a smirk playing on his lips. "Do it yourself, fuck yourself harder." He let go of her hip, and she immediately missed the heat of his hand. But she didn't hesitate, pushing her hips back to meet his thrusts, setting the pace she desired. The headboard continued to bang against the wall, each hit punctuating the unspoken truth of their power dynamics.

"Yes, fuck, oh," her breath hitched as Lamelo's fingers found the plush flesh of her ass, kneading the skin as she continued to fuck herself back onto him. The smack of flesh meeting flesh grew louder, the sound of their bodies colliding echoing through the apartment. Her cheeks were flushed, her breath coming in ragged gasps, and she could feel her orgasm building, a crescendo of pleasure that she knew would be explosive.

Lamelo's hand slid from her hip to the base of her neck, his grip firm as he pulled her up to meet his thrusts. "Look at me," he demanded, his voice a mix of anger and lust. Her eyes fluttered open, meeting his intense gaze. The fire in his eyes didn't just burn for her, it was fueled by the rage of a man who felt scorned.

Her back pressed against his firm chest as her hips stuttered back against him. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes locked with his. She didn't dare look away, didn't dare miss a beat of their silent battle. "You think I would do this to you? Show up with some other girl?" he muttered, shaking his head 'no' to answer his own question. "You tryna play games, that's fine, but you know who you belong to."

With that, he pushed into her harder, his grip on her neck tightening. His breath was ragged, his eyes wild, and she could feel the pulse of his cock thicken even more inside her. Her eyes glazed over with desire, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts that she couldn't quite piece together. She couldn't seem to catch her breath as his teeth nipped at the exposed skin of her neck, his tongue tracing a wet line to her ear.

"You're mine," he grunted, his voice thick with passion. "Say it." Her eyes squeezed shut, her voice strained. "I'm yours," she murmured, the words leaving her mouth on a breathless sigh.

Their rhythm grew erratic, the force of his thrusts increasing with each passing second. His fingers dug into her hips, holding her in place as he claimed her body with a ferocity that was both terrifying and thrilling. She could feel his heart pounding against her back, his breath hot and fast in her ear. The sound of his grunts and her moans filled the room, a symphony of desire and dominance that seemed to shake the very walls.

Her climax approached like a runaway train, the pressure building until she couldn't contain it anymore. She almost screamed his name as she came, her body spasming around his. He followed soon after, his release a powerful wave that seemed to crash over both of them, leaving them gasping and trembling.

She shivered as she fell forward onto the mattress, skin pebbling as he left her side to dispose of his condom. The room was silent except for the sound of their heavy breathing, the headboard slowly coming to a stop against the wall. The tension in the air was thick and palpable, like a fog that had rolled in off the court and settled in the quiet corners of her apartment.

When he returned, she could feel him pulling her into his chest, hands rubbing over her skin, bringing warmth to the goosebumps that had formed in the chill. She didn't resist, letting her body relax into his. His touch was gentle now, almost tender, a stark contrast to the anger that had fueled their encounter. "I'm sorry," he murmured against her hair, his breath warm and even. "I didn't mean to…"

"You're fine," she mumbled, her voice muffled by the crook of his neck. "Just give me a second." She sighed, her chest rising and falling with the effort to regain her composure.

"You know I had to do something about you," she laughed when she finally came down from her high, her words muffled by his skin. She felt his hand smooth down her back, his touch calming the storm of emotions that raged within her.

"Yeah, I know," Lamelo said, his voice gruff. "But Bryce?"

She huffed with a sly roll of her eyes. "I already told you, he's just a friend." She felt Lamelo's arms tighten around her slightly, his grip possessive even in apology. "Maybe if you would listen to me instead of assuming…"

"I know, my bad," Lamelo murmured, his hand rubbing gentle circles into her back. The tension in his body slowly dissipated, his breaths evening out as his heart rate returned to normal. "But you gotta understand, when I see you with him…"

She sat up. "You're not the only one with pride, Melo," she said, her voice firm but not unkind. "You think I don't get jealous when you're out with all those groupies throwing themselves at you?"

Lamelo's hand stilled on her back. "They don't mean anything," he said, his voice gruff.

"Then neither does Bryce," she said. "But you know what does? This. Us." She leaned in, pressing her lips to his in a kiss that was gentle yet firm, a declaration of her intentions. "I'm not fighting you on this again. We're either together, or we're not."

Lamelo's eyes searched hers, his expression softening. He nodded, leaning in to kiss her again, this time with a gentle urgency that made her heart swell. "No more games. I'm all in," he murmured, his thumb stroking her cheek.

#&. cassie writes.#lamelo ball #lamelo ball fic #lamelo ball smut #lamelo ball x reader #lamelo ball imagine

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alexrosa13 · 2 days ago

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Valentine Encounters

Luke x reader x Kieran//twins x reader

Genre: fluff

Warnings: 500 words

Note: fanfiction for my Valentine's Event

for masterlist and request info head to the navigation →

how did Sylus's evening go →

~★~

... Luke and Kieran decided to use the free space for their mischievous plans... Read: sneaking around into their Boss's wardrobe to try on some of his pricey clothes and use his luxurious stuff (cologne, hair cosmetics, you name it). What they didn't expect was for Sylus' "adopted daughter" to catch them...

"What you think about this one?" Kieran turned around at the sound of Luke's voice, seeing his brother posing with Sylus's biker jacket on and a pair of (probably super expensive) sunglasses on.

Kieran let out a loud laugh, his upper half bending with him not being able to breath properly, Luke started hitting poses like in Dress To Impress with super serious look on his face didn't help the situation

"If not for the 'living in the shadow' part I would be a high paying model, trust." this comment alone had Kieran literally falling to his knees and the only thing saving him from the worst pain was a desk right next to him which he barely managed to grab in time.

"I can't man." he tried to steady his breathing while loosening up Sylus's tie he had on.

After another 15 minutes they had some of the more elegant clothes on them and posed before a huge wall mirror while taking selfies, that never will get posted anyways.

Until they saw someone in the mirror and both screamed in fear while dropping Kieran's phone on the floor, turning 180 as fast as Sonic with panicked looks on their faces.

"Really? That's what takes for you to scream? Good to know." the girl teased, clearly enjoying their reactions.

Sylus's precious little daughter as they called her and their not-so-secret crush caught them red-handed.

"It's not what you think!" Luke started with an excuse.

"Oh really? And what excuse do you have for..." she gazed them up and down with her finger following her eye movement, pointing at their outfits "Thisss." she raised her eyebrows, waiting.

"Well we..." Luke looked at his twin.

"Planned to get rid of the clothes Boss doesn't need anymore!" Kieran finished his brother's sentence, both of the boys flashing her their best proud smiles, acting innocent.

"Is that so?" why did she sound like their boss- "Is Sylus really getting rid of his favourite pair of glasses? Or the suit he had tailored specifically for him? Oh and let's not forget that the earrings you have on are actually a gift from his previous hunter." okay it didn't work on her.

She was definitely enjoying this. Twins looked at each other before sighting and admitting defeat with their heads dropping down dramatically.

"Now if you don't want him to find out try wearing something he doesn't even remember having, those things are typically deeper in the wardrobe, let me check. Oh! I always wanted to steal that designer belt with little gems!" she shot them a smile before literally running to the door leading to the room full of clothes, suddenly dropping all the teasing and starting to act like a happy kid getting a candy. Cute.

Twins looked at each other again, dumbfounded.

"Dude."

"I know dude."

"Exactly dude."

"Shut up and come here!" the girl's scream broke their little exchange of words, both of them rushed towards the wardrobe instantly, taking off Sylus's accessories on the way, ready to continue their modeling session.

Time for a fashion show.

#luke and kieran x reader #luke & kieran x reader #luke x reader x kieran #luke & kieran #luke x reader #kieran x reader #love and deepspace x reader #love and deepspace #l&ds #lads #lnds #luke love and deepspace #kieran love and deepspace #onychinus twins

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i-have-anxiety-and-i-write · 1 day ago

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1. My headcanon is that my Rook joined the Inquisition as a stupid teenager who lied on their resume (like they were even checking) and did a lot of groundwork. Nothing super important, just work. He and his group found a tear in the Veil near a village and were sitting on it trying to keep people away when a mage fancied they could stabilize it and against everyone’s wishes, tried. The backlash and veil ripping caught Rook square in the face and he hasn’t had good, working eyes since.

2. Rook was always a sickly kid, but once between the cold and dust of the Grand Necropolis he came down with a chest infection that sent his mother into a panic. Luckily she took him to others who could help but the effects lingered for some years after and he’s more prone to respiratory problems.

3. A fellow Mourn Watcher that Rook had a crush on but who only saw Rook as some casual fun and a funny story given Rook is a trans foundling raised by a skeleton. “You could barely notice if you did it from behind.” Needless to say getting sent away was a 50/50 split between relief and missing his mother.

4. For Rook? That’s a tough one. His biggest fear is losing his sight as a most realistic fear but there’s also being alone though he’s pretty self sabotaging there.

5. Definitely the injury to his eyes. It was suddenly a lot more real and a lot less fantasy when the Veil slaps you in the face. He left the Inquisition after that. He went home to the Grand Necropolis and for a while hoped he would never see the sky again. His mother helped nudge him more into the Mourn Watch but it was a rough few years.

6. Yep, see their first love. Mostly he didn’t want to see the red flags or listen to his friend remind him that this guy was bad news. He was just happy someone seemed to be accepting him, until he knew otherwise.

7. Physically Rook can take as much pain as they’re able to compartmentalize. If he can keep it away from his thoughts, he should be okay, until someone mentions it. Then it’s all right there. Granted certain injuries that remind him of his eyes or lungs are harder to ignore. Mentally, he isn’t great though. Again, ignore it, but it cycles more often than not. He’s frightened and anxious, but tries to keep that behind his name. Da’Elgar is frightened, not Rook.

8. A demon of hopelessness

9. Being a rabbit running from a veil tear, trying to dodge everything like a frightened cat with no grace, running on empty but if you slip or slow it will catch you, so run rabbit, run.

10. Oh their Mum. Everytime they visit the Necropolis he has flowers and ties them into her ribcage.

11. Again, sight. He hasn’t done much work towards accepting it and really, he works really hard on everything else to avoid thinking about it.

12. Just about everything. They were dropped in the Necropolis as an infant. They love their mother but I doubt other kids were kind about it. Their first love was an ass. Their work in the Mourn Watch got them sent away. Then stopping Solas’ ritual released two gods. …This isn’t going well.

13. On themselves, eye injury. On others? Anything life threatening.

14. I would say he could choose but if it came down to it, his Mum would choose for him. So, it would be Emmrich which would work out in the end. And he would keep her remains regardless.

15. Losing everyone. The Fade Prison could do it. Cut off with only his own thoughts would drag him under. Make him stop running and let himself be overtaken.

16. Not sure but any demon that could promise to protect his loved ones better than he could.

17. Always.

18. Honestly, prove them right. Prove to them that they’re insignificant, remind them their mother is in the Necropolis sweeping and waiting for a man-child that might not return, tell them everything they did will amount to dust and that’s all the resistance they can muster. Prove them right.

19. Emmrich, Bellara, their Mum, Manfred, Taash, Lucanis… Anyone, it’s the same. Make sure it can’t happen again. Make sure that person, enemy, or group can’t get to them again. There may be a stint where Rook doesn’t even want that person out on the ground anymore, but he can’t reasonably lock them up so he hovers, goes with them, does what he can to keep them safe so he can’t fail again.

20. No. He’d have been ready to stop running. Stop running, let it all catch up because in a way that’s a relief. You failed, it’s time to rest now. But Varric, or his memory of Varric, was there. Then his whole found family team was there. And he didn’t have to keep running but that time it was because others could run for or with him.

21. I don’t think he’d have any, but if he did, probably, “About time.”

Put your Rook Through The Horrors™

Feel free to answer some of these for pre-game as well! :)

What is the worst they've ever been injured?

What is the worst they've ever been sick?

What is the worst heartbreak they've ever experienced?

What would fearlings look like to them?

What event brought them to their lowest, mentally? How did they act during this time?

Have they ever been in any unhealthy relationships? This doesn't necessarily have to be romantic.

How high is their physical pain tolerance? Do they ever show if they're in pain? What about their mental pain tolerance? How easy would it be to break them down?

What kind of demon would emerge from them had they been subject to Zara's experiments?

What would a nightmare tailored to their worst fears look like?

Who do they miss the most?

Which one of their senses would they fear losing the most?

What do they doubt most about themselves? Why? Where did this come from?

What kind of injury scares them the most?

Think of the two people they are closest to. They can only save one. Who are they choosing?

What is the one thing that would make them lose all hope?

What kind of demon would be most successful in tempting them? What offer would it have given them?

Have they ever felt insignificant? To the world? To their faction? To their loved ones?

Which one of their insecurities would be the easiest to take advantage of?

One of their loved ones just got grievously injured by their enemies. Who was it? How do they react?

Deep down, did they truly believe they'd be able to get out when they were trapped in the Fade?

What would their last words be?

#dragon age veilguard #rook #dragon age rook #jfc he is depressed #trauma #da: the veilguard #dragon age inquisition #He’s still too young to be this wrecked all the time

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