#actually i feel like i get this from luce saying to me 'like i thought carulia wld be like zukka like its the popular gay ship

[sciencebecameouraddiction]

title: i’m a good look on you

author: sciencebecameouraddiction

fandom: hazbin hotel

rating: M / NSFW

genre: angstish… romance

pairing: lucifer x reader

summary: with lilith back in the picture you tried very hard to keep the small, jealous voices away. but as she, charlie and lucifer all laugh at something at a party and he hand holds his shoulder, it’s hard to keep the green eyed monster away today.

warnings: SMUT SMUT SMUT. MINORS DNI.

Smut under the keep reading, Minors DNI.

as you sipped your martini from the couch, you watched as lucifer and charlie were talking animatedly about something that tickled their fancy. a content smile stretching across your face, seeing your partner finally get along with his child, like you knew they would. charlie needed him, he needed charlie. what they didn’t need was her.

the woman who was gliding up to them, put her hands on both their shoulders and bent down, saying something that made both charlie and lucifer laugh. it was true, when lilith returned, she had explained that she had been gone for seven years and effectively, her and lucifer were divorced. you were amicable, polite and kind consistently to the woman, as you knew how much she meant to charlie. but there was an ugly feeling that reared its ugly head as you watched her grasp lucifer’s shoulder and he laughed so gleefully with them. 

you diverted your attention, sipping your drink again and watching husk put on what looked like a magic show for angel. as you got lost in thought, you were yanked back down to reality as lucifer came over and sat on the arm of your chair. 

“whatcha lookin’ at darlin’?” he asked, his cheeks tinged red.

“just watching husk and angel, they’re cute together.” you respond back with an easy smile, your hand lifting and resting high on lucifer’s thigh. his eyes widening at your brazen display.

“h-honey?” he asks, bewildered.

“hmmmmm?” you hum, slowly looking up at him and taking a sip of your drink.

“what’re…” his voice trailed off. 

“making sure everyone here knows what’s mine, love.” you say easily, pressing a kiss against his neck while you tightened the grasp on his thigh. “could i pull you away from this party for just a moment, my king?” you ask lowly. you see him gulp as he tries to appear fine to everyone.

“yes.” he exhales out, relaxing when you lean away and take your hand off his thigh. “yes, you may.” he responds as you stand up, finish your drink and hold out your hand waiting for him. he takes your hand and you lead him quickly upstairs, hearing angel whistle after both of you, you shake your head. quickly heading to the bed room, you open the door for lucifer as he walks in looking at you questioningly. 

“did i do something? you look upset.” he says coming toward you.

“you didn’t do anything to upset me luce. i just…” you sigh as you drag your hand through your hair, stress peeling off you now that you weren't the the middle of a party. you look in his citrine eyes and smile. “it seems so silly when you’re staring at me the way you are now.” you close the distance between you both and cup his face. his eyes widen in understanding.

“darling, you know…” he starts and you cut him off.

“i know. i know. i do know. it’s just hard, to look at you three and see how well you fit together and not feel like i’m the extra puzzle piece.” your voice comes out like a whisper as you tilt your head down, not wanting to actually look in his eyes.

“you’re not an extra puzzle piece. we weren't a puzzle that fit well either. maybe in some aspects, but not in the ones that end up counting for a relationship." lucifer shakes his head, "i mean, you’re the one who put me back together. i’m whole because of you. because of your love. i’m yours darling. nothin’ can change that.” lucifer easily lifts your head, looking into your eyes with a suave smile. you grin at him.

“you’re mine?” you ask, your voice an octave lower.

“all yours. however you want me.” he leans into you. “however you need me.” his voice is whispered past your ear and you shiver when his tongue traces the outer cartilage of your ear. your arms wrap around him easily as his name is growled out from your lips and he chuckles.

“how do you want me? hmmm, my love?” he asks, looking at you with half lidded eyes, your breathing fast against his face. you whine, barely containing yourself as you lift him straight up and fling yourself sitting on the bed. you situate him so he’s straddling you, giving him a height advantage as your hands settle on his hips. you quickly draw him into a kiss, feeling his tongue dart out asking for access. you allow him as your right hand trails from his hip to his ass, up his back and anchors in his hair, giving a slight pull. his cry engulfed by your kiss as you tug once more, your hands going back to his hips, guiding his rocking against your thigh.

you pull back, taking a breath as he bites his lip, trying to stay quiet. you stop his rocking and he looks at you upset and bewildered. 

“don’t silence yourself. i want everyone in this hotel to know who’s making you feel like this.” you rock his hips against you punctuating the sentence. “who takes care of you.” you rock his hips against your thigh again, applying more pressure. “who put you back together…” you whisper against his ear as he cries out, your hands guiding his pliant hips relentlessly against your thigh.

“oh-oh-i-it’s too much. please! i-“ he cuts himself off with a moan. 

“it’s not too much. or else you would have used your safe word.” you grin as his pretty eyes shine with shed tears. 

“i-i’m going to… oh-please!” he cries out.

“you’re going to cum? hmmmm, luci? tell everyone who’s making you feel like this. say it. scream my name.” you growl against him, quickening his rutting against you. he screams your name as his release is confined in his clothes and he collapses into you, breathing heavily.

you smile and pet his head, pushing back his hair and dragging your fingers against his scalp. him almost purring in your lap. you were about to speak, breaking the silence, when suddenly a knock interrupted you.

“ummm, hey, dad?” you hear charlie ask. your eyes widen.

“um, yeah-“ lucifer clears his throat as his voice came out much higher than intended. “yea-yeah, charlie?” 

“people are wanting to talk to you and have asked for you. so, you need to come back to the party!” charlie exclaims.

“i’ll be right there sweetie!” lucifer yells and you both wait until you can no longer hear footsteps any more. you sigh as lucifer gets off your lap and snaps his fingers looking strikingly put together. not at all like he had been begging to get off on your thigh moments before. you get up, smoothing out your dress when he snaps his fingers and your outfit is neatly put together too. you look at him and smile. 

“i owe you later.” he looks you up and down, his eyes settling on yours.

“c’mon, party awaits for you, my king.” you tease him walking out as you shake your head, his cheeks turn bright red at the title you casually use to address him. “i’ll be holding you to what you said too.” you raise your eye brows a few times. he rolls his eyes and grabs your hand.

“stay by my side, okay?” he asks, before you both go down stairs. you beam at him and nod, both of you making a re-entrance to the party.

[maraschinomerry]

Rock Paper Scissors

Pairings: George Karim x gn!reader, background Locklyle

Summary: George is your best friend, Lucy's convinced there's more to it but he's not your type... is he?

Content: friends to lovers, oblivious flirting, misunderstanding, light swearing and suggestive thoughts, kisses

A/N: it's officially 1 year since I posted my first Lockwood & Co fic!! Thank you all for making it such an incredible year and continuing to support my writing, it means the world to me ❤️ and thank you to the Multiverse of George for fuelling the buff!George fire 🔥 I've even made a montage so everyone can see the vision, plus the gif above of George swinging the chains he's definitely strong 💪

Word count: 4.2k

Taglist: @neewtmas @marinalor @ettadear @honey-with-tea @mischiefmanaged71 (let me know if you want adding or removing!)

Ever since you'd started working for Lockwood & Co, you and George had had the most playful rivalry.

It had started on the very first day, when you came for your interview. Lucy had welcomed you into the living room while George went to fetch the biscuits. After breezing through the tests, Lockwood gestured to the plate still being clutched by the other boy.

“Biscuit?”

You frowned at the boy in the armchair, who looked like the last thing he wanted to do was to share. “Am I supposed to fight you for them or something?”

George had the audacity to snort. “In your dreams.” But then he did offer you the plate, albeit reluctantly.

Once you got used to one another, you found that you actually got on really well and gradually he became your best friend, but by then you'd set a precedent that neither of you wanted to drop.

“We're heading out soon,” Lucy informed you both as she slid cups of tea across the table. She and Lockwood had an appointment with a client, leaving you and George behind to keep working. “Can one of you oil the chains ready for tonight?”

You turned to George; he was already looking at you. A gleam came to his eye.

“Rock paper scissors?”

“You bet,” you grinned, already raising your hand. It took a few attempts, as you'd done it so many times by now that the two of you knew what each other was planning before it happened, but eventually you lost. Sticking your tongue out, you picked up your cup and headed towards the basement. Lucy followed you down.

“Can I ask you something?” she began cautiously.

“Course you can.” It wasn't like Lucy to not just ask straight out. This was odd.

“What's going on with you and George?” This was definitely odd. “It feels like you've gone past teasing, you're almost flirting with each other.”

Your gaze flew to your friend, who had lingered on the stairs. Was she being serious? “It's not like that, Luce,” you replied, wondering if it was warm in the basement or if it was just you. “I love him to bits, but the same way I love all of you. He's just not my type.”

Her eyebrow quirked up at that. “You have a type?”

“Don't say that like you don't,” you hit back. “You and Lockwood are made for each other! And George is great, really, but I prefer guys a bit more… buff?”

Lucy nodded. “Interesting.” It was spoken with the air of someone who knew exactly why it was interesting and someone who was absolutely not going to explain why. “Well… just don't rule anything out, but please be careful. I love you both too and I'd hate to see either of you get hurt.”

It was touching to hear her so candid about her feelings for you both. “I won't, I promise.”

—

You always forgot how ridiculously heavy the chains were. Just trying to hoist them up to make sure you'd oiled all the way round each joint was a workout. It was only adrenaline that carried you through working with them on cases. Thank goodness you were almost finished - your arms were beginning to ache and you were sure you were coated in sweat.

“Need a hand?” George's voice drifted from the stairs. You hadn't heard him come down, probably drowned out by the clanking links and your strained grunts, but there he was, sitting on one of the lower steps and watching you in amusement.

“You mean you want me to dishonour the sacred pact of rock paper scissors?” You mimed fainting in shock, taking the opportunity to slump back on the pile of chains and let the tension dissipate from your shoulders.

He chuckled, climbing down the final few steps and holding out his hand. “Will the sacred pact allow a lunch break? I made soup.” He'd got you there and he knew it. You loved his soup. Grinning, you accepted his hand and he pulled you away from the cold, hard metal.

There were two steaming bowls already set out on the table when you got back to the kitchen, and beside yours was a plate of sandwiches, cut exactly how you liked them.

“You're the best.”

“I know,” George smirked. He was eating with one hand, the other scribbling away on the Thinking Cloth. As he became more engrossed, he leant further forwards, his dark curls flopping over his brow. It was fascinating watching him get so engrossed in his work, the whole world melting away around him. Once you finished eating, you glanced across and took his empty bowl from in front of him. He looked up sharply, snapped from wherever his thoughts had taken him.

“Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you,” you mumbled.

“No, it's fine. We should probably get packed.”

You followed him down to the basement and pulled your kit bags from the shelf. Set side by side on the table, you both began to load up.

“You can carry the chains,” you told him over your shoulder as you picked up a half-empty box of flares and emptied it into your bag.

“Hey, you're the one who lost!”

“Only for cleaning them, I've done my bit.”

He huffed, but gave you a smile as he made his way over to the mound of chains. Your eyes widened as he scooped up a whole length in one easy movement and gave them a quick shake loose. You'd spent nearly quarter of an hour trying to manoeuvre that section earlier.

“How the hell did you do that?”

“They're not that heavy,” he shrugged, then added with a cheeky raised eyebrow, “or at least only when you’re trying to clean them.”

You threw the empty cardboard box at his head with a laugh.

—

A week later, the four of you were nestled in the living room. Outside, rain battered against the windows, which were almost being shaken out of their frames by the driving wind. You'd never have guessed it was June; it felt more like January. The fire was lit in the hearth, the occasional crackle of wood splitting the only other sound.

Eventually, Lockwood broke the silence. “I hate to say it, but someone's going to have to go out. We've got no tea left and barely enough food to last until tonight. We can draw straws to make it fair.”

He needn't have bothered. You and George already had your fists raised. One, two, three, paper. One, two, three, rock. Scissors. Paper. Scissors. Rock. Round and round you went, the symmetry only fuelling your competitive natures.

“This is ridiculous,” Lucy muttered. She was right, of course.

You raised your fist higher, leaning forward in an offered challenge. “Right. Arm wrestle. Loser goes.”

George leaned in, resting his elbow on the table. Lockwood and Lucy exchanged wide-eyed glances.

“Y/n…” Lucy began, but you weren't listening. Your elbow was already mirroring George's, hand in his. You weren't sure why you'd expected the easy, flexible grip of holding a rapier, but his fingers were clenched firmly around the back of your hand. Lockwood moved closer and counted you down.

Your hand hit the table almost immediately.

It felt like all the air had left the room. You stared in shock at the boy opposite, the triumphant toothy grin that crinkled his eyes, the unexpected tightness of his shirt sleeve around his arm. The similar tightness in your chest. Interesting.

Some sort of realisation hit you, and your attention shifted to Lucy. The look she was giving you was almost as satisfied as George's. Warmth flooded your cheeks. You drew in a shaky breath as you struggled to drag your eyes away from George's arm, which was still pinning yours to the table. After a moment, you felt his fingers loosen and with some reluctance pulled your hand away. The silence in the room was palpable. Lucy was still watching you in amusement. Lockwood was watching Lucy, trying to figure out why she had that “I know something you don't” look again over a simple arm wrestle. George was watching you too, his expression slowly shifting from victory to concern.

“Y/n? You okay?” he asked quietly. Your thoughts rushed back into your body, snapping your attention into the real world.

“All good,” you mumbled. “Just preparing to get drenched. If I'm not back in 20 minutes, assume I've been blown to the other end of the country.” At least that got a laugh out of Lockwood. Hurriedly, you stood and made your way to the front door. Why had you agreed to this? It was your own fault, of course, for continuing this whole competitive thing with George, but how were you to know he was that strong? A flash of bicep clouded your vision again, and you reached for the door handle before you did something regrettable.

“Hold on,” a voice came behind you. It was him. Keep it together, you told yourself.

“If you're about to volunteer to take my place, go ahead,” you forced yourself to stay casual.

George moved closer, and you swallowed a lump in your throat. “I was actually going to question why you looked like you were about to leave without a coat.” He reached to the rack over your shoulder, lifting yours from its hook.

“That might help.” You knew you were blushing again, but prayed he thought it was just from embarrassment at being so forgetful. Definitely not how close he was, how he was holding your coat in the same hand that had been holding yours moments ago.

—

By the time you made it back to the house, you were soaked to the bone and almost shivering. It seemed like the storm wasn't going to let up until at least the next day, so you'd decided to stock up on plenty of food which had seemed like a great idea until you tried to carry it all home. You'd had to stop several times on the way, ducking into doorways and bus shelters to escape the weather as you swapped hands, flexed your shoulders or relieved your fingers from where the handles of the bags had started to make dents. When you finally made it, you held the door open with one foot as you negotiated the bags in and dropped them unceremoniously on the hall floor. George emerged from the living room, alone this time; Lockwood and Lucy must have gone upstairs or down to the basement.

“You look awful.”

“Aww thanks, you're not so bad yourself,” you joked dryly. Oh god, Lucy was right, you were almost flirting. A shiver ran through you and this time you hoped it was from the cold.

For a second, you thought you saw George's eyelids flutter. “Well, I uh… I ran you a bath to warm you back up. I'll put this away.” He hauled up the bags of shopping with barely a huff, and you tried to reason that he hadn't just carried them through a storm.

The water was soothingly warm and scented with lavender salts, the smell wafting up in delicate bursts as it swirled around, relaxing all the tension in your aching muscles. As you lay peacefully, you reflected on what had happened earlier. You weren't sure you'd ever felt… You couldn't even identify what feelings you'd experienced during the arm wrestle. Shock? Embarrassment? No. It was something else, something that Lucy had noticed immediately and had been trying to get through to your oblivious self. But she was wrong, wasn't she? You said it yourself, you weren't into George, even if he did now fulfil your main criteria. Then again, so did plenty of other guys you'd met. Kipps was quite well built, definitely had muscles, but that didn't mean you'd considered dating him. He wasn't like George though - smart, funny, thoughtful George. You couldn't imagine Kipps running you a bath or making your favourite lunch, or doing any number of the things that with George felt so natural. And there were all the little things you did for him that you'd never do for anyone else. No, there were no two ways about it: you were a pair in whatever capacity that meant.

Still didn't mean you fancied him, you told yourself.

You volunteered to help George with the dishes after dinner that night. It was always nice to be able to spend time just the two of you in sync, but tonight especially you figured it was a good idea to be around him in perfectly normal circumstances. You'd chat or enjoy the companionable quiet, you'd both be at ease; nothing could possibly happen, which would give you time to prove your feelings were a fluke.

George picked up his blue rubber gloves and tossed you a tea towel. He was dressed casually, in sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt (so large that the sleeves almost met his gloves at the elbow). The radio was playing quietly in the background, giving you a welcome distraction. Whenever a song you recognised came on, you'd start humming along or singing under your breath, and George would smile at you, sometimes even joining in. Your heart leapt a bit when he did, but that was nothing, you were just happy to be sharing this moment with your friend. He stuck an arm deeper into the sink to grab something at the bottom and made a small noise. Water had splashed up onto the cuff of his sleeve. You giggled at the look of disgust he made at the wet fabric sticking to his skin. The sound died in your throat when he took off his gloves, draped them on the side of the sink and rolled his sleeves up out of the way. You were so used to him being hidden behind his giant tops, or at the very least being in longer sleeved shirts, that seeing his bicep completely exposed was a shock in more ways than one. It wasn't much wonder he'd beaten you so easily at arm wrestling with muscles like that. You wondered whether it was just his arms that were so toned, or was the rest of him the same? Was he hiding a set of abs under that T-shirt too? Were his thighs-

“You okay?” George nudged you, and you hastily looked away.

“I was just…” Come on, come on, find an excuse, your brain urged. “...thinking how this means we both got wet clothes today, if you want me to put that top in with my washing after this?” God that was lame. Not much wonder he wasn't interested in you. That wasn't the point, you reminded yourself.

“Oh,” he smiled. “That'd be great, thanks.” He leant over to put a chopping board on the draining rack, and his bicep brushed against yours. A shockwave of warmth resonated through your whole body. Oh.

“Tell you what,” you forced yourself not to stammer, “are you okay to finish up here and I'll go and grab the laundry basket?” He nodded, and you tried not to fall over your own feet as you retreated to the hallway and sucked in a breath to calm your racing heart. Oh.

—

You cursed yourself for ever starting this. No, this was Lucy's fault for pointing it out. No, still your fault.

Being around George was becoming unbearable. Not for anything he'd done, rather the things he wasn't doing. He was carrying on exactly as he always had, that inimitable blend of playful and caring, and it was driving you mad not knowing whether he meant any of it in the way you wanted him to. You couldn't say anything, of course. If you were wrong, it would mess up the whole dynamic of the group. That would hurt almost as much as any rejection. But the more things went on, the more you took notice of the little moments between you, the more your feelings grew until it felt like they would crawl out of your chest.

“What the hell were you thinking?” George snapped at Lockwood. He and Lucy had been out on a case which went badly, and now the four of you were sitting at the dining table in the early hours, George applying butterfly stitches to a cut on Lockwood's arm and you cleaning a couple of scratches on Lucy's face. The misty gloom of the night outside the window reflected the atmosphere within.

“I was thinking,” Lockwood snapped back, “that we only had to handle a couple of Type Ones, according to your notes.”

“I told you those weren't finished!”

“Well maybe next time, don't get distracted.” Was it your imagination, or had his gaze flickered to you?

“Maybe next time,” George replied darkly, “do your own research.”

“Fine.” Lockwood pushed his chair back and stalked from the room. Lucy shot you both an apologetic grimace and followed.

George began pacing round the kitchen, hands twitching angrily. You stayed at the table, knowing it was best to give him the space to say or do whatever he needed to let his feelings out. You were there if he needed you.

“Can you believe him?” It was rhetorical, you'd heard him say it enough to know, so you waited for him to continue. “We end up in this situation almost every week, because he's too reckless to wait! I know he'd rather be in the action, but he'd be able to do all that more if he'd let me give him the right information first.”

You gently waded in, trying to be reassuring. “We all know how useful your research is; he just gets overeager, especially when Lucy's involved.”

“I know you know how important it is,” his words sent butterflies through you, “but Lockwood just…” He gave a frustrated huff. “Maybe I should make him do all the legwork for a change.” You tried very hard not to think about whether George's legs were as muscular as his arms.

“I'll support whatever you decide, but for what it's worth I think you should just talk to him.”

He sighed heavily, placing his hands flat on the table and allowing his head to drop. “You're right. Thanks, y/n.” The sincerity in his voice caught you off guard, as did his deep brown eyes as he raised his head to look at you. You were already distracted by the tension which lingered in his shoulders, the rigidity of his arms as they supported his weight, the way he had leaned into the pose so much that now when he looked up his face was so close it almost filled your vision. You swallowed nervously.

“Any time. I- I have to go.” You stumbled up from your chair, ignoring George's confused stare and sounds of protest as you practically bolted from the room.

—

You lay on your bed in the attic, tears slowly soaking into the pillow you'd buried your face in. This was the end; it had to be. You couldn't carry on working for the agency like this. If George had shown any interest it would be okay - Lockwood and Lucy managed to balance being a couple who worked and lived together, there was no reason you two couldn't do the same, but it could never work being so one-sided. You'd just keep being weird, struggling to hold your nerve around the boy until it would start bleeding into cases and Lockwood would have no choice but to fire you for everyone's safety, if you hadn't already got one of you hurt by then. Not to mention the emotional hurt. It would happen either way, but at least if you walked away now you could control it.

“Y/n?” Lucy's voice came tentatively from the bottom of the steps. “George said you ran off, is everything okay?”

You flipped onto your back, drawing in shuddering breaths to recover from almost suffocating in the pillow. “You were right, Luce.” There was movement on the steps, but you kept your eyes on the ceiling. You couldn't bear to look at anyone right now. “I tried so hard to make sure neither of us got hurt, but George doesn't love me back and now I feel like even if I stay I'm going to lose him.”

The silence that followed dragged on longer than you could bear. Why wasn't she saying anything? You forced yourself to sit up.

George stood at the entrance to your room, eyes wide and lips parted.

You scrambled to your feet. “Shit! I mean, hi, um… how long have you been there?”

George continued to stare.

“I'm so sorry,” the words were rushing out of you now, “I just panicked but I don't want to make things weird so can we just pretend-”

“What do you mean, ‘doesn't love me back'?” he interrupted quietly.

You froze. There was no mistaking it: he'd heard you basically say you loved him and now there he was looking like the mere concept was so unbelievable, like the option hadn't even crossed his mind. Why would it? Time stretched on as you fought the urge to run again, as far as the ever-widening space between you would allow. Neither of you had moved, but you could feel the room expanding around you to make room for the bottomless pit you wanted to crawl into. “I…” you drew in a slow, deep breath, “I was fine just being friends but Lucy got in my head about you being exactly my type and now I think I'm actually flirting while you're still just pretending and I'm sorry…” Tears were pricking at the corners of your eyes and you hurriedly looked away, hoping he wouldn't see.

George stepped closer, and you shrunk even further into yourself. Your heart skipped a beat when he gently tilted your chin up to meet his surprisingly soft gaze. “I meant, why do you think I don't love you back?”

You faltered. Was he saying what you thought he was? “Well, I mean, I thought I'd made things super obvious and awkward but you didn't change so I thought you weren't interested.”

George's hand was still on your chin and his thumb rubbed soothingly across your cheek, wiping away the single tear that had spilled. “I thought you weren't interested! You normally go for those muscly gym guys so I figured I'd take whatever I could get with the arm wrestles and stuff, but then you started avoiding me so I thought you were done with it.”

A small laugh escaped you, and he looked at you in confusion. “Have you seen yourself?” Hesitantly, you raised a hand to his bicep, marvelling at finally being able to feel the muscle instead of just staring at it, and more amazed at the way the boy responded to your touch, drifting closer until you were barely inches apart.

“So then why did you run?” His voice was whisper soft against your face, eyes gazing down at you with an overwhelming blend of sincerity, bewilderment and something like longing. His cheeks were tinted as pink as you knew yours were.

“Got flustered.”

“Flustered? You? I don't believe you.” A smile tugged at the edge of his lips, the playfulness you were used to creeping back into his voice. It was such a relief to feel the tension dissipating from the room, to have your George back, that you buried your head in his shoulder with a giggle. He laughed too, wrapping an arm around your waist. “Oh, I see, you really want to do this? Okay, let's see ‘flustered y/n’ at their best.”

You yelped in surprise as his other arm hooked under your legs and swept you off your feet, your arms flying up round his neck for support. His arm was tense across your back but he looked the most relaxed he'd been since he walked in, and he shifted you closer to press a quick kiss to your lips before setting you down on the bed and sitting beside you.

“Lucy's going to be very smug about this, you know,” he nudged you.

“I know,” you whined, burying your face in your hands. “Rock paper scissors for who has to tell her.” George laughed again and placed his arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer as you leant into the embrace.

“Is this just a ploy to get more hugs?”

“Is it working?”

In response, he brought his other arm around your waist and kissed your forehead. You smiled, leaning up to kiss him properly, and he reciprocated eagerly.

—

Lucy had left George alone on the steps to your room once you started your confession, giving you both a bit of privacy, and decided when he didn't come back downstairs immediately that things had either gone very badly or very well. She believed, and hoped, that it was the latter. Her suspicions were confirmed when she came to tell you she'd made breakfast and found you fast asleep, wrapped in George's arms.

[maxsimagination]

𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 -𝗹.𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗲

summary: yn and lucy secretly like each other but refuse to make a move. kiera takes matters into her own hands and plays match-maker.

𖦹 masterlist

"𝗟𝗨𝗖𝗬!!"

my phone was on call to lucy as i stood on a chair in the middle of my hotel room.

"jesus yn, what is it?"

"there's a spider in my room and i need you to get it out."

i could hear her laughing at me on the other line but i didn't care.

"luce i'm serious. please come save me from the spider."

"okay okay, i'll be there soon princess."

she threw the nickname at me before clicking off the call. it wasn't that long before i heard a knock at my door. i had a feeling i knew who it was.

"come in!"

"yn, you need to open the door for me."

"can't, the spider might get me. just use your spare keycard. i gave it to you when we got here."

i could hear her mutter through the doorway but i wasn't about to start arguing with the person who was potentially getting rid of the eight-legged critter.

when lucy walked in she surveyed the room, including me standing atop a chair and laughed.

"where's the spider?"

"over there."

i pointed and she walked over, crouched down and laughed again.

"yn, this thing isn't even that big."

i simply poked my tongue out at her.

"just get it out please luce."

she picked up the thing on a piece of paper and threw it out the window. then she walked over to me, picked me up off the chair and placed me on the ground.

"thankyou."

i hugged the taller woman and she looked down at me with a grin.

"anytime, princess."

——

that was now a day ago and since then lucy had talked to kiera and lauren. she'd had a thing for yn for months and they knew.

"i don't think she likes me, kie. she doesn't pick up any hints, no matter how big."

"luce i'm sure she does like you, she's just a bit oblivious."

"why don't you just tell her? i don't think she'd reject you, have you seen yourself?"

hempo interjected and lucy looked at her like she'd seen a ghost.

"hempo, i can't. i don't even know if she likes girls."

"luce, just see how she is tomorrow at breakfast and go from there."

kiera calmed the girl down.

——

it was now breakfast. once everyone had filed down for breakfast and eaten, we were given strict orders to get dressed in warm-weather appropriate gear.

sarina told us there'd been a change of plans. we ended up going to the gardens nearby and going for a walk there. i was walking alongside hempo and kiera, just chatting and occasionally laughing at how much lego lauren had bought in the short time span we'd been in australia.

"so yn, how's your social life going, met any guys? any girls?"

kiera slipped a question in, casually asking me about my love life.

"no kie, i haven't met anyone. i don't like boys anyways, i thought that was a known fact."

kiera seemed somewhat excited about that bit, but i didn't catch her send a pointed look towards lauren who peeled off and went to walk with lucy.

"i didn't know that actually. do you like anyone then?"

it was an unusual slew of questions coming from kiera but i brushed it off thinking she just wanted to get to know me.

"i mean, not really? i'm kinda just focused on football."

"ok, but say if you had to date anyone on the team, who would you choose?"

lauren had come back to join us by now and caught what kiera had asked.

"well lucy's pretty fit, i'd date her in a heartbeat if she liked me. but other than that the rest of you are just my friends."

kiera hummed, then lauren piped up.

"did you see that freehand lego she made? that was incredible."

kiera took that as her signal to walk with lucy and me and lauren continued talking about lucy's lego.

until i felt a hand touch the back of my head and i whipped around. it was just lucy though and i relaxed.

"sorry you had a leaf in your hair, princess."

"thanks luce."

we walked together for a bit, lauren had doubled back to walk with kiera, i was betting that the pair was watching us like a hawk.

"so kiera told me about your little conversation. you'd date me, huh?"

lucy had a smirk on her face, while i blushed immediately.

"of course she told you. i mean, you are fit."

now it was lucy's turn to blush a little. she was quiet for a second but spoke softly when she did reply.

"y'know i like you, yn."

"i like you too luce."

i grinned up at her, but was a bit confused by her expression.

"no, like more than a friend, yn. i like you and want to date you."

now i understood why kiera asked me all those questions. and why lucy was always touchy with me and called me 'princess'.

"i've liked you for a while. months."

and i was shocked again. i couldn't believe it hat i was hearing and how i didn't notice. i felt so guilty.

"lucy i'm so sorry i didn't realise. i like you too and i would love to date you. but now i feel bad because i've been so oblivious."

"so can i take you on a date?"

lucy had gotten slightly shy now, a blush sitting on her cheeks.

"yes, you can take me on a date. pick me up on wednesday at 6. i know a place."

[simpingcorner]

WRECK MY PLANS ONE

Pairings: Rafe Cameron x OC!Isla McCewan; kook!king x pogue Chapter warnings:  asshole kooks, English isn’t my first language, trauma(?), kids (idk my friends told me to put it as a tw), swear words, not proofread, let me know if I missed something. WC: 1.456 Disclaimer: All characters are aged up cus I don’t feel comfortable writing about teenagers romance and there’s some really strong themes on here.

All her life she’s known never to cross the big names of the island and all her life she’s been in the shadow, working her ass off everyday since she was a kid, never giving those big names any reason to know of her and, especially, never giving them any reason to get mad at her and have her as their rage target.

The air was different here than in the Cut, it felt better, lighter, it smelled like sea and home cooked meals, which wasn’t all that new but the lack of weed, gasoline and nicotine sure helped the fantasies that this was her life, this was where she lived, who she was and the three young kids running and laughing around her in the backyard filled her heart more than anything ever had before.

It’ll happen, you’ll have the life you deserve, just a few more months and you’re gonna be out of here, never looking back and never having to worry about any of them ever again. Those were the thoughts that lived rent free in her head, dreams and fantasies she deep down knew would never become reality, but what’s the hurt in imagining?

“Isla! Isla! Look what we can do.” The little dark haired boy giggled pushing his sister on the swing giving her the feeling of flying out and about in the sky, “Wow. You know if you push her even faster she might fly over to Bermudas.” She replied smiling at the kids, “I wanna go to Bermudas.” said the girl pouting. “I know you do Luce, mama will take you there one day. I promise.” “I’ll plan everything, and we go for Christmas what you say Luce?” shouted a voice from inside the house, “Gotta ask first Jamesie, you know we can’t just up and go to Bermudas.” “As if they could ever tell her no, come on Is, it’d be vacation for you too, not like mum can’t do it alone.” “What can’t I do alone, James?” the calming voice of Emily Lighthouse came sudden like a rainstorm in the fall to her ears, “Luce wants to go to the Bermudas…” explained the oldest, “And do you know what the Bermudas are baby?” asked the woman picking the still pouting little girl up from the swing. Isla hang back a few moments watching the older woman walk inside followed by her two loving boys, her heart hurt at the scene, her memory blank searching for a moment like that with her parents, a loving parent who’d go out their way to make sure she was safe. One day. As she walked in the house, she had now been working at for the past six years, she couldn’t help but let her eyes wonder around studying the luxury and money this side of the Island showed off like bread to birds. “Sweetheart I asked if you’d like to stay for dinner, I made way too much food for us four only.” Isla’s baby blue eyes widened at the woman’s words, not that it was unusual for her to spend the night at the house, there had been years when she spent more time there than at her own place, but something in her still warmed at the kind request, she knew the Lighthouses weren’t a normal Kook family, they were always nice to her, treating her basically like family, never ever doubting her even when the rest of Figure 8 would go out their way to make her the bad guy. “No, thank you. You enjoy it for me though. I actually have plans tonight.” The girl said quietly, “Well you’ll tell us all about your night another day then. But please take something home. And please be safe they say Agatha’s headed this way.” Isla’s cheeks warmed at the kind words of the rich woman in front of her, she reluctantly accepted the food, got her helmet and jacket and said her goodbyes before closing the door behind her and starting her walk out the neighbourhood.

“Going back to your tree house McCewan?” a deep, unfortunately too familiar voice said in the darkening sunset light, “Look, I’m just leaving, I don’t want any trouble.” said the girl with her head down and her eyes on the pavement, “Oh come on, not even a snarky comment? Where’s the Isla McCewan everyone’s always talking about?” “She’s tired and just wants to go home and sleeps, so can you let me pass.” “But where’s the fun in that then? You know you can always come to my place, it sure as fuck is safer than whatever shit hole you live in.” the brunette kook said walking way too close to the girl, finally caging her between him and the wall behind her, she knew she could have gotten out of there really easily, if there’s one good thing that came out of the Cut it’s knowing how to defend herself, but she was tired of having to defend herself and she knew no matter how bad things turned out to be it was always gonna be her fault, so she simply looked at him hoping he’d let her go with a sudden change of mind. What she didn’t expect was the Kook king to come up to them, “She’s not worth it Gold, trust me girls like her are not as fun as you’d think.” her eyes moved to meet Rafe Cameron’s dilated pupils and she knew he didn’t do it out of the good of his heart, the younger kook looked behind him and left them with a scoff, “One day McCewan, I assure you.” he said before going back in the garage he had came out of.

Isla picked her jacket, that had fallen off her grip and started making her way back to her bike, “Wow, not even a thank you. I knew you Pogues don’t have manners but that’s just low.” the older Kook said walking behind her, “Thank you your majesty Rafe Cameron I’ll make sure to offer you my biggest pig and cow to thank you properly.” she said not even looking behind at him, she simply couldn’t, she knew the rumors, she knew what was being said about him and she had promised herself never to go back there, not to that at least. “You really shouldn’t let that tongue run like that, you never know how people might react.” He said with a grip on her wrist, that wasn’t as tight as he’d wanted it to be, “Also you should really look at the person who’s talking to you, it’s very disrespectful not doing it.” she turned to him, his red eyes bored in her blue ones with something she had never been able to read, “Oh thank you Rafy, you’re my saviour I will never be able to thank you properly, please let me suck you off to show you how grateful I am.” Her words were laced with sarcasm and a poison he knew she only used for and with him, “Come on Cameron go back to your underground bunker and cuddle up on daddy’s lap, I’m sure he wouldn’t want his precious baby out here in such dangerous weather.” his jaw twitched and clenched for a second, “At least I have a dad who cares about me and my safety.” “Keep telling yourself that, maybe it’ll become true.” she said getting out of his grip and finally making it to her bike, once her helmet was on, visor down and the bike had started she let her mind wonder and her throat felt full of thorns as she left Figure 8, Rafe Cameron watching her from afar holding on that conversation.

The lights were out in the little black and grey shed she had to call home, she had left her bike at the Flores’ gate not to make a noise and not to be seen, she opened the door praying whatever god was watching that the house was empty, her heart and breathing the only noises in the house as she walked and closed the door behind her, the room was the same as she had left, mouldy black walls, broken pieces of a dresser and lamps were scattered on the floor, the broken and way too hard yoga mat and her baby blanket the only place where she could sleep. She laid on the mat pulling the blanket over her legs as she stared at the ceiling, a few of her old glow in the dark stars still stand between a mould stain and the other, she watched them, memories of her childhood came to mind as she fell asleep surrounded by the creaks and raindrops noises.

divider from @enchanthings

[eimids]

Mastermind part 3

Sorry I've been gone for a while but I'm back!! Don't know if I'll update and write as often as I did before but I'll try my best

Warnings: angst at the start but the fluffff and happy ending finally

Ingrid and Mapi had taken you to their apartment. They treated you sweetly and cuddled you to sleep.

Meanwhile Lucy was freaking out. She didn’t know why she had done any of what she did to you. Her actions were horrible and she hated herself for them. She couldn’t even make sure that you got to your hotel safely because she didn’t have your number. She couldn’t just call and apologize.

She was afraid of committing to a person. It was hard for her to love someone and show that so she did what she thought was the best thing to do. She just kicked you out.

She called Mapi soon to check with her if she knew where you were, luckily she got answer that you were safe at their house. Lucy was relieved that at lest you were safe. She still hated herself for what she did. She should have never done what she did and she made it her mission to apologize to you profusely. She was actually interested in you since the day she saw you and she didn't want you to be a one night stand. She wanted to take you on a date and treat like you deserved to be treated.

Ingrid and Mapi were furious. They were angry at their friend and fellow teammate for doing that to you. When Lucy tried to call then so she could talk to you, they refused.

"Please I just want to apologize to her, I never should have done it" Lucy pleaded to Ingrid.

"And yet you still did it. You threw her out in the middle of the night in the streets of Barca. You know that that is not safe and something really bad could have happened" Ingrid answered angrily. She didn't want for you to get hurt.

This went on for a while until you hopped back on a plane and to Norway back to your family and friends. You wanted to forget about Lucy and to never talk to her again but it was hard. You actually had a nice time with her during the engagement party and conversations with her felt easy. The fact that quickly after you got back to Norway Lucy followed you on Instagram. She wanted to talk to you in some way.

One day you got a DM.

Lucybronze:

Hi y/n, I just want to say that I apologize for everything I did. It was so wrong for me to just throw you out in the middle of the night and I want to do anything I can to make up for that. If you let me try again that would be amazing but I understand if you don't want to have anything to do with me anymore. I'm so sorry..

You saw the message almost immediately but took your time to answer to her because you didn't know how to answer. You didn't want to talk to her ever again but you truly wanted to believe that she could be better. You wanted to feel like she appreciated you as a person. Not just a body that she could fuck and dump out.

After three days you finally answered. Lucy had lost hope at that point. She just assumed that you would contact her back.

Yourinstagram:

Hi Luce. I've taken some time to think about all this and I'm definitely not accepting what you did but you are in y mind constantly. I'm not shutting you down but if we continue talking it's going to be with my terms. Things are gonna go slowly. Here's my number so you can contact me easier: 123 4567890

Lucy's heart jumped when she saw notification from you. She had fully lost her hopes but they were back up after reading your text. She even got your number. She was like a teenager jumping with joy. She couldn't handle her excitement. She knew she had to do this right to win you back. She wanted to make a full 180 from how she treated you before.

You and Lucy started talking through texts. Soon it became calls and then Facetimes. It took a while for you to trust her but conversations with her felt right. She never asked you anything you weren't comfortable with and never suggested anything towards wanting anything else than just to talk to you.

Lucy would send you good night messages and make sure you were okay during the day. You were happy with how things were going.

It took you half a year before you asked to see her in person. During that time Lucy never pushed. She would send you flowers all the way from Barca. You were basically a couple but without anyone knowing.

After you finally asked to see her, Lucy hopped on the first flight she found and was on her way to see you. She was nervous. She wanted to do it right this time, wanted to make you feel loved and cared for.

When she arrived at your apartment she had flowers in her hands. She knew that this was her only chance to do this right.

"Hi Luce" You said with a shy smile. It was weird seeing her in person. The last time had been a nightmare.

"Hi beautiful" She gave you a shy smile back.

You welcomed her to inside and sat her down. It was a bit awkward at first but soon you fell into a nice conversation. You wanted to avoid the conversation hat you knew needed to happen. You had talked about it before but it was different face to face.

"Y/n I know that you have forgiven me but I haven't forgiven myself. I will do anything and everything to make it up to you I promise" Lucy started.

You sat next to her and hugged her. You needed to be close to her.

"Just never do it again" You whispered in her neck while burying your head there.

"If it's okay I want to do something I never got to do that day back in Barca" Lucy started

"Mhmm?" You asked.

"I never gave you any aftercare and I know it's way too late but I just want to show you how much I care" She said to you.

You could have started crying at her words. You truly felt like Lucy cared and you loved it. That night she made you feel like a princess. Cuddling you to sleep and making you food. Watching movies with you and just appreciating you.

---

So this is kinda short but what ever

[kteezy997]

Daddy’s Boy- Part Seven//t.c.

Warning: some angst

It was an extremely filling breakfast at the local diner, and you had a great time with the two boys. A part of you felt giddy, like you were on a date that your son just happened to join. You felt like something was really blossoming between you and Timmy again.

Timmy had forbidden you to pay the breakfast bill, and Theo was playing the claw machine piled high with stuffed animals nearby. You had an idea that had been brewing during the meal.

“So I was just thinking: maybe tonight Theo and I could stay at your place? Or maybe just him, if you want to spend time with him one on one.” you hoped he would say “Oh no, I would love for you to come, too.”

Timmy's eyes widened, and he didn’t immediately agree.

Your heart dropped and you were instantly embarrassed.

“Oh, well I would love to have you both, but I have plans tonight, actually.” he slid his hand into his pocket, retrieving his wallet to pay.

You nodded, feeling almost sick to your stomach, “I see. What plans do you have?” you shook your head, knowing you had overstepped, and maybe assumed too much. “No, it’s none of my business.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s just…I’m meeting someone for dinner. A coworker. She, um, asked me to dinner. It’s not that big of a deal.” Timmy tried to brush the whole thing off in front of you.

“She? It’s a date? That’s nice, Timmy.” you weren’t being condescending, but you were masking your true feelings.

He looked at you, shook his head, his curls going wild just for a second, “Not really a date. It’s just dinner.”

“I bet she likes you. Everyone likes you.” And I have fumbled you.

“I hate that stupid game!” Theo grumbled as he came back over to the table.

You cleared your throat, looking at your son, “Hey, we don’t say those words, and you know that.”

“Sorry, Mom. It’s just that I never win anything.” the boy frowned, picking up his little cup of chocolate milk and taking a swig.

“It’s okay, bud, you have plenty of toys at home. And I’ll tell you something that’ll make you feel better.” Timmy said, leaning across the table.

Theo perked up, his eyes glued to his father, “What, what is it?”

“You are gonna come spend the night with me tomorrow night.” he grinned.

“Yeah!" Theo cheered, throwing his arms up in the air like he had won a prize from the claw machine after all, "Sleepover at Daddy’s! Can I bring my Hot Wheels?”

"You can bring whatever you want." Timmy said.

You gave him a look from across the table.

"Within reason." he added.

.............

You were a bit of an emotional wreck for the rest of the day. Timmy went home and you talked Theo into spending the night at your parents' house. You needed a break. You needed time to think.

You needed to talk to someone about your situation with Timmy. You had begun to think that you had let him slip through your fingers, and now you were worried that you would only be Theo's mom in Timmy’s eyes and not a potential partner.

You asked your best friend Lucie to come over and she came through with pizza and her listening, compassionate ears. You had told her everything. She had always liked Timmy; she thought that you were a great match together, and she adored Theo.

"I don't know, Luce, what if he goes out with this other woman and they start dating? My life would be ruined having to see him with someone else.” you put your hand to your head, “And it would be another thing that Theo would have to get used to. Things were going so good. I should have just told him that I wanted to be with him."

"Y/n, you have trauma, not necessarily from Timmy, but from the breakup and not having Theo's father around. Of course, you were skeptical about putting yourself back out there, and you were right to not rush something that you weren't sure about. Especially since you also have Theo’s well-being to consider.”

You sighed, knowing that she was right. "But if it was the right thing, why do I feel like this? It's too late to do anything now."

Lucie frowned, "Who says it's too late? You could leave right now, and stop him from going on that date."

You laughed, "Right now? That's crazy! He could be gone already.

"Let's go, let's go right now!" she said, "We can try to catch him." Lucie grabbed your hand, pulling you, and rushing out of your home. "You are going to tell that man that you love him, and you want to raise Theo together and make more babies." she said, matter-of-factly.

"This is insane!" you yelled, getting into your best friend's car and she sped off into the night. You could feel the adrenaline and exhilaration that the moment was bringing.

…….

You knocked the door of Timmy's apartment, not even certain if he was home. All you had was hope. After a moment, your stomach went sour as there was no answer. You decided to give up, as he was probably out on his date.

You swallowed your pride and realized that it was time to come to terms with your relationship, or lack thereof, with Timmy. This night could be detrimental to your life going forward. He could have a new girlfriend, and everything between you and him would wash away with the changing tide. You decided to walk away.

You were walking away from the door, when suddenly, you heard the turning of a the door knob.

"Y/n?"

You turned around quickly, seeing Timmy standing in the doorway that you had just left. "Timmy." you said, going back over to him, feeling a little dazed because you couldn't believe he was actually there. It wasn't too late!

"Are you okay? Is Theo okay, wh-where is he?" the concern in his eyes made you feel terrible guilt. You had caused him to needlessly worry.

"Oh we're fine! Everything is fine! He's with my parents for the night." you assured him. "I just had to come and see you."

"Y/n, what's going on?" his face softened as he looked at you.

"Timothee, I don't, I don't want you to go on this date tonight, I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner. And maybe I have no right to say that to you, but-"

"I won't go if you don't want me to." he shook his head, gazing down at you, so tenderly.

You couldn't help but smile a little at what he had said, and for the first time, you felt like your feelings and assumptions were validated. "I love you, Timmy. I've always loved you. I love the man you are and the father you are becoming to our son. I think we... should be together." you felt your throat tighten up with the nerves you were feeling.

He grinned, saying, "I hate that we were ever apart." He took your hand, pulling you close to him.

In an instant, you felt warm and tingly in the best way. You were mush when you were this close to him. You felt at home.

"Come here." He put his forehead to yours, wrapping his arms around you and shutting the door behind you. "I love you too." he kissed your lips softly, then parting to add, "And I love our boy more than anything."

You threw your arms around him as well, and you pressed your lips to his. Your heart and your body were on fire. After a moment, you were making out shamelessly.

Timmy picked you up and took you over to the couch.

@gatoenlaciudad @thebetawolfgirl @musicandbooksaremyhappyplace @softhecreator @tchalamss @lixzey @bitchyunknownuser @ducktapebar @aoi-targaryen @yukideadinside @mel-vaz @thatoneweirdgirl17 @iwishchalamet @jindongdongie @elloise0 @rennyd26 @briefkittenearthquake @that-one-fangirl69 @sammy-halpert

[gay-dorito-dust]

Taglist: @wordsarelife @flareish @novausstuff @mahirublue

Part two to this post cuz it was originally too big.

“Do you have to go on this date?” Lucy whined from her bed as she watched you get yourself ready for the wrong man in her opinion. “As much as you want me to back out of this, I can’t Luce.” You said, understanding where she was getting at but Kipps believed that Lockwood was reaching his boiling point and just wanted to be the one to push him over the edge by taking you out; You originally thought that he was lying for a bit of banter but something deep down in your gut told you that there may yet be some truth to his words. So you forced yourself to seeing this bet through to it’s probable finale. “What do you mean you can’t? He isn’t hurting you is he y/n?” Lucy asked, suddenly getting to her feet and walking up behind you where she rested her hands on your shoulders, turning you to face her.

“You can tell us if he is, right?” She said softly, her eyes scanning your face for any evidence she could use to prove her case but found nothing. Which she was relieved of but it didn’t settle the unease she felt at your prior words, should she find that Kipps had been mistreating you and it wouldn’t only be her Kipps had to deal with if anything were to come to light but it would be George and Lockwood as well. You reared your head from her grasp and took her hands into your own, holding them hostage. “Yes I’m very aware that I can go to you, George and Lockwood for anything, Luce it’s very reassuring but I can safely safe that Kipps isn’t hurting or threatening me in any way shape or form.” You tell Lucy as you turned back to the full body mirror, looking over yourself for one final time.

“He’s…descent if that counts for anything, which knowing you, it doesn’t.” You added, brushing away invisible dust from your clothes before glancing over at Lucy’s reflection in the mirror. “You’re right it doesn’t but this all just doesn’t sit right in my stomach.” She tells you but before you could ask more about that. Lockwood knocked on the door before poking his head through the crack and whatever was on his mind seemingly left when he caught sight of you looking your most stunning self, that was until he came to the unfortunate realisation that none of it was for him but in fact Kipps; an thought such only made the light in his eyes dim and the tick in his jaw come back stronger then ever.

“Am I interrupting?” He asked and Lucy stood there, looking between you and Lockwood as you tried to formulate words but she cut you off with an sure fire idea in mind that’ll get you into calling off the date- and hopefully dating all together- with Kipps. “Oh your not interrupting much Lockwood but would you mind keeping y/n company? I think I hear George calling.” You and Lockwood looked to one another, not hearing a thing that could remotely be mistaken as George calling for Lucy before turning your attentions back to the redhead. “Lucy, I don’t think-“ “oh! I think I can hear him calling my name now! Have fun you two!” Lucy intervened as she brushed past you both, though not before giving Lockwood and shove further into the room, and then closing the door behind her where you heard her footfalls pounds against the stairs in a hurry.

“Did you hear anything?” You asked Lockwood, who shrugged, “not a thing, you?” He then asked and you made a gesture that indicated to him that you didn’t before looking back towards your reflection in the mirror, now feeling a tad insecure with the guy you actually liked being within the same room as you. The silence was nauseating and awkward to say the least with Lockwood taking a seat on in Lucy’s bed which was aligned with the body mirror, which also meant that whenever you went to look at yourself, your eyes would immediately drifted to Lockwood who could be found staring right back at you that only left you feeling a little hot under the collar.

It didn’t help that the way he was staring at you was the way you always wanted him to stare at you. So when given what you fantasied, it left you to suffer with the emotions that were brought to the surface you tried so hard to hide. It was an double sided sword, on one hand you got what you always wanted but on the other, you were left with a conflict of feelings on how to go about being looked at as though you had stardust embedded in you your skin and starlight sprinkled into your eyes; Lockwood made you nervous but in the best way possible and for that you both condemned and loved him for it. So as you were looking over yourself for the fifth time that day as to avoid the obvious unspoken tension flooding the room as though it were an pool.

Lockwood then decided the awkward beating of the preverbal bush you’ve both been doing as of late had gone on long enough and that something had to give. He looked down at his clasped hands, closing his eyes briefly as he allowed the words that had been clogged in his throat the moment he caught sight of you to rip themselves free from his mouth in the form of a sharp and forced tone. “I don’t want you going out with Kipps.” You stopped readjusting your shirt to look at his hunched figure through the mirror. “Why? I’d though you’d be happy that I’m going on a date?” That was a fucking lie. Lockwood opened his eyes, lifting his head to stare at you, his jaw forcibly ticked out of habit and the unreadable expression on his face only made the rampant anxiety within you worsen.

“There are better people out whom you could’ve dated instead of Kipps.” He tells you before adding a ‘he’s no good for you.’ Which only served in making you scoff humourlessly. “Oh if Kipps is such a bad fit for me, who do you suppose I should date then, you?” You jested. “Yes.” Lockwood responded without an ounce of hesitance and unnerving amount of belief in his own words that made your stomach flutter with butterfly wings and your chest blossom with a warm, fuzziness that had you feeling as though you were floating off the ground.

“What?” You spoke softly, finally turning yourself to greet him with your own eyes that were wide with shock. Lockwood stood up from the bed and moved in so close that he was practically invading your personal space, reaching to grasp both of your hands into his calloused pair that tightened their grip in almost sheer desperation for you to hear him out. “I should’ve told you along time ago y/n but I like you, a lot. No scrap that, I love you and it pains me to watch you with someone else who isn’t me holding you close, telling you how exceptional you truly are each and every day, touching you, kissing you, giving you,” with each word Lockwood moved to rest his head against your own, nose bumping nose and lips briefly brushing against one another that had your breath hitching in your throat every so often you felt his soft, plump, lips skim your own. “everything you truly deserve and so much more.”

You couldn’t breath properly from the close proximity of having his body so close, yet not close enough for your liking. Everything within you screamed to pull him in by his stupid neck tie or by his silly little lapels but your fought against those urges to see just how far Lockwood would take this before Kipps even made it to the front door. “You’re only just saying that because you don’t like the fact that Kipps got to me first.” You told him, daring to brave a smirk when you heard him inhale deeply as though attempting to hold himself back from whatever his subconscious wanted to will him into doing. You knew you were playing with fire but who didn’t want someone begging for their opportunity with them? It was quite an empowering sight and one that you could easily get high off of.

“You’re right.” Lockwood tells you, “I’m pissed at not only Kipps but at myself for allowing him the chance to get to you first but that don’t make my feelings for you any less genuine.” His hands then left yours in order to cusp your cheeks, allowing his thumbs to rub at the skin there as though it were porcelain, before one hand trailed to the back of your neck whilst the other trailed to your waist where he’d then pull you in closer so that you were chest to chest with him. “So please, don’t go on that date.” He practically whispers his wish against your lips but before you were given room to speak, George’s voice called up to you both, “Y/N! KIPPS IS HERE FOR YOUR DATE!” You then looked from the door before looking back to Lockwood who was all but staring at you as though urging you to doing the right thing.

So as you began to pull away from him with Lockwood resisting a little by gently tugging you back before letting you go completely as you neared the door before opening it to pop your head through the gap. “TELL HIM THE DATES OFF.” You shouted down at George, who then relaid your message to Kipps who could be heard laughing as he then shouts, “I WON THE BET Y/N, I’LL COME BACK TO CLAIM MY WINNINGS AFTER YOU AND LOCKY HAVE YOUR FUN!” with that Kipps had left and the door was then aptly shut behind him as the muffled conversation of Lucy and George’s shared confusion was soon filled out once you shut the door and turned back to Lockwood. “You and Kipps had a bet?” He asked.

“Yeah,” you shrugged as you crossed the room to step in front on him again, this time clutching your hands at his lapels as you brought him close to you when you continued speaking, “it was more his idea then mine but he wanted to see how much he can get away with by pretending to date me before you broke and admitted your feelings.” Lockwood huffed, “that bastard knew and he decided to turn it into a game? A game that you agreed to participate in?” Seeing that this wasn’t going how you envisioned, you swallowed thickly and decided it best to let him go and take a couple steps away from him as guilt wracked your from. “I didn’t want to participate because I thought you didn’t like me. That might be the case now because of what I did and for that I can never be truly sorry enough to earn your trust back.”

Lockwood, as mad as he wanted to be at you, couldn’t find it within him to blame you and reached for your arm, pulling you back into his arms as his head once against rested against yours.“I can never stay mad at you,” he begins, taking pride in seeing the light brought back to your eyes as you visibly perked up, “but your going to have to make up for leading me to believe that you were dating Kipps of all people.” He tells you. “What do you want?” You asked him and Lockwood’s only response was to lean in further so that your noses were bumped and your lips barely skimming each other. “A kiss would suffice nicely.”

[stardresstaurus]

Recovery Time - A NaLu OneShot

Summary: after a rough battle and the absence of Wendy, Lucy finds it difficult to recover on her own. (also posted on my Wattpad)

This is the first NaLu fic I’ve written since pre-pandemic!

There's a haze among the guild. It's hot, it feels like it's never been warmer. To Lucy, the world has a bit of a shake to it, like the heat is causing the floor and air to boil. She knows that's not the case, however it doesn't keep her from groaning and resting her forehead on the warm, rough surface of the wooden table. She looks down at her thighs and counts the colorful bruises one at a time, the team had returned from a mission the other day but Wendy had been called on to help a group of Magnolia citizens after an attack on the harbor, meaning the group was left to defend for themselves when it came to healing.

She felt some weight place itself next to her at the table. "You okay Lucy," Erza asked her. Erza had managed to be dressed down that day, wearing a t shirt and shorts as she mended her armor.

"Hmm? Yeah, I think so."

"You seem really out of it," Erza stated. She watched Lucy's shoulders slowly rise and fall as her fingers traced a scab on her knee. "I think maybe you should see Porlyusica, something might be wrong." The attention Erza was giving her had been noticed by both Gray and Natsu, who had halted their bickering in order to see what the issue was. When questioned, she simply stated that Lucy was in a daze.

"She's probably just hot," Gray stated, "it is kinda warm out today." Natsu chuckled, hearing Cana make a quip about how the ice boy could actually feel heat, then turning to Juvia saying, "maybe he'll notice the heat you have for him too." Erza placed a hand onto Lucy's shoulder and it was not until the moment when Lucy's body wavered and she had to prop herself up with one of her arms that the rest of the team took the situation seriously.

Natsu took her arm and wrapped it up behind his shoulders, he lifted her as she got to her feet. "C'mon Luce," he said simply. He took her by the arm and helped pull her up onto his back. Lucy didn't have the energy to argue just nodded and said her good-byes to the guild, everyone wishing her well. Happy flew up beside her, concern painted lightly across his face.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me."

"But you're not acting like yourself. Are you hurt that badly?"

"I don't think so," Lucy replied. She thought about it though, maybe she was. But she was so used to getting hurt that the pain was never as bad as it used to be, and she was so used to being healed after a battle that she rarely had to go through a recovery process anymore. Maybe that was the issue, her body wasn't able to recover quickly on its own anymore. "Where are we going?" She asked. Her question had Natsu stop in his tracks.

"I have no idea."

"What do you mean you have no idea?"

"I kinda just assumed we'd end up somewhere."

Lucy groaned, "let's just go to my apartment." The walk there Happy hovered above, continuously asking Lucy questions about how she was doing. She responded as best as she could, but a part of her wanted him to just be quiet, even for a few minutes. She hoped Natsu would say something, but if he said anything it was a question that followed up Happy's. He did fall silent, however, along the river. Lucy rested her cheek against his back and watch the rays of sunlight flicker off the miniature waves of water. Magnolia was quiet this afternoon. Over the sounds of the water flowing against the stone boundaries, she listened to the wooden wheels of carts creek to and from the market. The peacefulness of it all, had Lucy yearning for sleep, despite Natsu's grip on her, keeping her from falling off. On his back, his hands were clenched onto her thighs. If she hadn't been as tired as she was in that moment, she may have tried to shout at him to move his hands. But in this moment, she was happy for the moment of intimacy. It was always easier to be close to him when no one was around.

Not necessarily sexual, no. Really just the feeling of having someone so close, that you cared so much for and who cared so much for you, being able to show that care in more than just words. Words can be faked, but there was some truth in the physical acts. She turned her head so her face was directly on his back. With her eyes closed, she could smell him. He smelled burnt, but not like faded campfire or grilled barbecue like he normally did. It reminded her of a cologne her dad used to wear when her mother was still alive, like sage and bergamot. But there was a spice to him, because of course there was, it was Natsu.

Without much thought she turned her face from the river view into his hair, which felt soft against her skin. She took in a deep breath, cinnamon. With her eyes closed, she nuzzled against him. An act that, if she were in better shape, she would have been embarrassed to do. Normally, she was  determined to hide her affections. Today however was different. Let me have this, she thought. "Lucy?" 

"Hm?" She perked up, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Can I have your key?"

As she dug her key out of her pocket she tried to get off his back, but Natsu tightened his grip. It was a silent disagreement. He carried her up to her apartment, not letting her down until they were inside. Once her feet were on the ground, she trudged to her bathroom, forcing down any feeling of anxiety or embarrassment she had. A bath would help, she told herself.

The boy and the cat had settled themselves on her living room floor, Happy sighed gratefully as he plugged in the fan and it was brought to a monotonous life. She could hear the two mumble at each other like a pair of birds on a railing as she turned on her faucet. The somewhat warm water invigorated the soap and bubbles began to build across the surface. Taking off the clothes that stuck to her skin like glue from the sweat, she slowly let herself slip into the tub, the calm of the water enveloped her like a blanket fresh out of the dryer. Resting on her side, she hummed a soft tune to herself, purely out of comfort, and watched her bathroom door. 

As she tried to focus on anything else, her anxieties came back tenfold. He's your friend, a teammate, you can't have these kinds of feelings. Of course, she had no idea that Natsu was sitting outside, thinking about how it felt to have his partner's lips pressed against him through the collar of his jacket. Of course, neither of them were on the same page. Lucy tried to focus again on the door as she tried to remember the lyrics to a song. You're holding me and holding back, I don't really care for that, just you. She had noticed for the first time the paint around the frame was beginning to chip. Her eyes began to hood themselves as she soaked, all the comfort in that moment could only bring her so much energy.

When she opened her eyes again, however, she was shivering. Her immediate thought was to get out of the bath but as she took in her surroundings, she realized she was already in her bed. In one of her spare nightgowns her duvet was sprawled across her, with an extra blanket on top. As her body continued to shake she pulled the blanket up to her chin and curled her legs up to her chest.

"You fell asleep in the tub," a voice from the kitchen said. Natsu leaned out so she could see him.

The events began to process in Lucy's mind. "You saw me naked? You dressed me?"

"You ask that like it's never happened before." He had gone back into the kitchen, she could hear water boiling in her kettle. Why did he have to be so nonchalant about it, every time. 

"Don't blow up my kitchen!"

"I know how to make tea!" He said, replicating the energy she had in her concern. He reappeared with two mugs of tea, holding both by the rim rather than the handle. He handed one to Lucy who took it with many thanks. She sat up, resting against her headboard and pillow as Natsu sat at the edge of the bed. With her mug brought up to her lips, she kept her gaze on him, watching his movements. He seemed focused on something. Not really staring at anything in particular, his gaze was steady as his eyes glazed over. 

"Where'd Happy go?" Lucy asked after taking a long sip of her tea. He seemed to be brought back to reality at the sound of her voice. 

"Huh? Oh, He went to see Wendy and Carla. He wanted to see if she could help you." Lucy couldn't tell, but Natsu had been especially worried. Ever since Tartaros, he had become aware of sensitive he was to Lucy's well being. She was strong, a terrific fighter and a great friend. But once he realized it was possible to loose her forever, every battle and every hit felt almost like a step closer to an end. He took the time to try to be closer and more attentive to her well being. 

To be perfectly honest, he was even happy just being in her apartment. When he first started barging in, it was purely because he wanted to be with his friend and her apartment was always a clean, welcoming space. Now it felt like a seclusion, a comfort in a world that willing to erase anything and everything. It was a space that had become synonymous with safety to him. He almost indulged the soft, sweet, floral scent of the apartment and the golden light that fell through the bare wooden framed windows. 

He felt a tug on the blanket he was sitting on and turning his gaze towards Lucy he noticed her moving closer to the edge of her bed and lifting up the corner of her duvet, she was making room for him. He moved up the bed and sat next to her as she flipped the corner over his lap. 

"Thank you for taking care of me today," she said, "I know it's probably not how you wanted to spend your afternoon." 

"Don't worry about it, it's probably for the best anyway." He said, taking a sip from his mug. Immediately embarrassed, and gradually becoming annoyed, Lucy looked into the depths of her mug. 

"You're welcome to leave, if Happy shows up here again I'll let him know you left." She expected him to say, in a minute, or to take the opportunity to go back to the guild. Anything but what he did. He slid his right arm under and around her left, the rough canvas of the bandages rubbed against her soft skin. He leaned his head to the side, resting it against her. In that moment, they were simply two tired teammates allowing themselves to rest against each other. 

Natsu wondered how small she was. Not that she was tiny, but compared to him she was like a china doll. Porcelain limbs and shinning glass eyes, a woman who should have been kept on a pedestal rather than thrown into a battlefield. But, then again, Lucy had personally jumped from that pedestal. Personally thrown herself in the most dangerous situations, often for the people she cared so deeply for. And after everything, the cracks in the glass would heal and the eyes would widen again. She would always be the stronger than he ever knew, and he knew she could do anything. 

He would never admit it, but he was worried this time. When all was said and done after the job, he couldn't find Lucy at the end. In recent months she would always be there at the end, offering him a hand or support. She wasn't this time. He had found her in the woods, propped up against a hollowing tree, gazing at him and smiled. The words, you're okay, I'm so glad! came out as a whisper, he hardly heard her. She had fallen asleep against him as he carried her back to meet with the rest of the team. The whole trip home, she only said a few words to him. He hoped she would've been better today. But she was still only a faded version of her usual self. 

Lucy moved her hand towards his, running her thumb back and forth across his palm. Things can go back to normal later. For now she was at peace enjoying his company, and he was at peace knowing she was there. 

[imthepunchlord]

So how do you feel about the winners of the last 5 bugettes polls?

Over all good and happy. Some I'm not surprised and some I am happy to see they won.

Like, that first poll, while I was most intrigued with Ladybug!Kagami, I was getting ready for the real possibility that it was going to be more Ladybug!Marinette, which I wasn't thrilled to do more of Tikki and Marinette's dynamic and was starting to think on how I was going to address the big issues of Marinette and Tikki.

Thankfully, Kagami won.

I don't have to get myself ready to do more Marinette-Tikki working off each other, I got something fresh to do. I actually started to do some doodles exploring ideas for Suzaku, with the initial idea of maybe doing a kendo based attire.

But I'll be looking up some other attire for Japanese martial arts and see what else stands out to me. Initially I do like the idea of basing her attire around what they wear for kendo, but I should give it some more looking into.

Alya having Firefly I am not surprised. Between Alya or Lila, Alya's going to be the preferred. Lila could be fun, but for an idea of the Bugettes being a hero team all working together and being more harmonious vs the discord of Calamitous users, Lila does have that option to become a villain, and is more set up to go the villain route by default of how she is.

So Alya makes the most sense, though I will say, given that sometimes orange can be close to yellow and Lucee has some yellow on her, I kinda wonder if I should've included Chloe and Zoe on the Firefly poll, but I thought it best to stick to the most orange coded characters.

Either way, with Alya, it'll be interesting. From what I see of her, she is someone who naturally takes up a position of leadership, when she's with friends, she's the one who calls the shots. And she's someone who is pushy with her agenda, and she is eager to enjoy the merits of being a hero and having the limelight, and this sets her up to be in conflict with half the team so far, though some of this can vary depending on how I go about identities and secrecy, especially as there's a lot of strong personalities so far that don't easily make compromises.

Aurore was a delightful surprise as I was expecting it to be Chloe in full swing. So I am happy to do more Miss Sting.

Alix I am not surprised. She does have a good design to work off of with Greenhopper, and probably was the biggest stand out for plausible Grasshopper. I also think her and Clovrr could be really funny to explore given the Clovrr is chill and lazy but Alix is high strung and leaps into action.

Sabrina I am also not surprised. The few times she came up in topic, she seemed the most popular for Dragonfly, and she does have the diamond theme, and was originally the Dragonfly. So I am intrigued to make plans and see how its going to go. I think the most intriguing is that, depending on how dynamics go, initially I think her and Alya will be tight but could also feed into each other growing and how they work off others, as I think Sabrina's dynamic with Chloe would manifests here, given that Alya aims to be the leader and Sabrina is a quick yesman and servant. It just kinda adds onto Alya and Chloe has foils to each other.

And tomorrow we'll start the Mantis poll. I know Mantis!Marinette comes up quite a bit in my asks and comments and tags in reblogs, so we'll see if it comes into fruition.

[dreamerrgirl]

Chenford + Lucy thinks Tim is dead

"I just found a body. It's Sargent Tim Bradford."

Lucy was glad she wasn't driving the shop right now, because if she was, she 100% would have crashed into something as she heard Aarons voice come over the radio.

Instantly, her entire body went numb, her heart physically stopping in her chest as the words 'body,' and 'Tim Bradford,' washed over her. Her vision grew hazy, Lucy sinking to the floor as all the air was forcefully squeezed out of her lungs.

The radio was making more noise now, but Lucy couldn't make sense of it due to the high-pitched whining in her ears. On autopilot, Lucy grabbed her phone, hitting the first name on her recently called list while a million thoughts flew through her head.

Aaron must be mistaken, he can't be dead. I can't lose him- I just got him! I haven't even told him I love him yet. This can't be happening; please don't be happening, oh god.

I can't go through this again; not without him.

Her hands shaking, Lucy lifted the phone to her ear, her heart pounding faster and faster at every ring. Pick up pick up pick up.

Just when it feels like she's going to black out from panic, the phone does in fact pick up.

"Hey," Tim's voice says, and Lucy instantly feels tears running down her cheeks from relief.

"Tim," she chokes out, trying in vain to get her breathing under control.

"I'm okay," he says immediately. "I don't know what planet Aaron thinks he's on, but I am most definitely not in a dumpster. I'm fine, Luce, I promise."

"Okay," she says, holding her hand against her heart in an effort to slow its racing.

"Where are you, are you okay?"

"I am now," she answers honestly, finally feeling like she can breathe again. "Are you at the station?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be there in 10 minutes." Hanging up the phone, Lucy picks herself up off the floor, ignoring the concerned looks from the patrons of the store as she books it to her shop.

She makes it to the station in 8, flying through the bull pen until she sees Tim standing in the briefing room, Sargent Grey, Angela, Nyla and Aaron with him.

Not caring that everyone in the station can see her, Lucy makes a beeline towards Tim, throwing her arms around him as she buries her head in his chest. Tim's arms wrap tightly around her in response, gently swaying her back and forth as he murmurs, 'I'm okay,' into her hairline.

Lucy takes her first deep breath in what feels like forever, breathing in the scent of him as she listens to his heart beat strongly against her ear, feeling the knot of panic deep in her stomach finally unravelling at his touch.

Holding back fresh tears, Lucy whips around, glaring at Aaron from across the room.

"What is wrong with you?" she cries, her voice coming out harsher than she'd meant. "You can't just say things like that over the radio with no warning!"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," the other officer says, holding up his hands in defense. "I was in shock."

From there, it was revealed that the body he found was actually Jake's, which then throws Lucy into another dangerous UC mission as Sava.

By the end of it, Lucy is physically and emotionally exhausted, and wants nothing more than to crawl into bed with Tim and never come out again.

"Tim, about the other day-"

"I know," he says, pulling her closer against his chest, his hand rubbing soothingly against her back.

"I don't know what I'd do if-" she trails off for a moment, her throat closing up on her.

"I know," he repeats, his voice stronger this time. "Me too."

"Would you let me finish a sentence," she huffs, exasperated.

Tim laughs. "Sorry. Go for it."

Taking a deep breath, Lucy plows ahead before she can lose her nerve. "Tim, I- I love you," she says, feeling her heart start to race at the admission. She feels him stop breathing for a moment before he's nudging her chin upwards, making her look him in the eyes.

"I love you too," Tim says softly, before lowering his mouth to hers, putting Lucy's fears to bed, at least for now.

[sciencebecameouraddiction]

my lucifer headcanons

note: these are just my own head canons. things i’ve noticed, how i write lucifer, what plays into why i write luce the way i do… etc. purely my own opinion.

- i think michael was very fond of his brother

- when the time came though to listen to dad and fulfill his duty or be a brother to lucifer michael chose duty

- the betrayal is still a sore spot for lucifer

- during lucifer’s “youth” he was curious, always dreaming up incredible creations… it was why he was dads favorite.

- he made the star fish, “because the sea deserves its own stars!” and he also made the duck. the ducks first iteration was quite a bit larger… lucifer and god compromised on a smaller duck. (more like god bribed lucifer.)

- he watched adam be made…. so he was always fond of him and lilith… until he fell in love with lilith…

- he didn’t realize it was love

- but michael knew and michael was scared. so he would draw lucifer away from the garden every chance he got

- lucifer was very naive when he was cast down to hell. he knew so much, he had been alive for so long, but there was so much life experience he didn’t have.

- the first few years in hell were horrible…

- he had hope at first

- maybe it all wouldn’t be so bad

- it was really bad. like really bad. the people who came down to hell were unspeakable devils

- (this is based off a fic i read and i can’t find it, if this rings any bells pls let me know the fic name) but lucifer is continuously appalled and distraught by the atrocities committed in his name.

- it’s one of the reasons he so powerful. he has the angelic power but also the power from those who worship him and make sacrifices for him

he really hates it. a lot. makes him feel no better than the worse overlord (cough alastor cough)

- charlie has no idea and she’ll never know if he can help it

- lucifer smells like apples and vanilla musk, a hint of cinnamon and something floral or citrusy.

- the floral or citrus changes depending on his mood

- he has a huge library. he actually pops up to earth with Asmodeous sometimes and takes books.

- he saved the whole Library of Alexandria’s books before it burned down

- he’s great friends with all the sins

- arguably closest with Beelzebub and Asmodeous

- he loves claw machines. the lights, the sounds, the prize winning???? he’s so fucking happy

- he actually wears glasses to read. he doesn’t need them but he says they make him look smarter.

- is actually a pretty good leader, is not nearly as forgiving as charlie is, but he’s not inherently cruel

- his third favorite color is pink

- his first and second are yellow and red, obviously

- he has expensive ass, maximalist taste.

- he doesn’t use tech because he knows what vox does to said tech.

- he’s always wanted a dog

- he’s very touchy. shows love physically. is only this way if he likes you though

- he has nightmares almost every night

- coffee addict

- because after not sleeping he wakes up looking like death warmed over

- and that’s if he didn’t forget to eat the past few days except for random snacks and didn’t do a 48 hour blitz of staying up working on ducks or the bit of kingdom shit he does.

- he has a handful of servants who he trusts and they are the only one in the house. there’s no team. nothing like that. he keeps it very close

- this was after someone who was a servant tried to throw an angelic dagger at his head because really they wanted to kill him and thought working for him would get them close enough.

- he homeschooled charlie. he knows a lot of stuff and even knew the guy who created calculus!

[centralperkchenford]

Chenford +Lucy thinks Tim is cheating on her but he actually proposing and she confronts him about it and he decides right then to propose to her

Chenford +Lucy thinks Tim is cheating on her but he actually proposing and she confronts him about it and he decides right then to propose to her

And when we go crashing down, we come back every time

Lucy wakes up and rolls to her side expecting to see Tim but he’s not there. She feels his spot and it’s cold. She frowns and rolls out of bed to go and look for him, she checks the bathroom and then the kitchen and living room but he’s not in any of the rooms. She sighs and looks out the window to see his truck his gone.

She chews on her lip, they both had the day off today and had agreed they were going to spend it together since they never had the same day off.

She goes back to their bedroom and picks up her phone to call him. She presses his name and then holds her phone up to her ear listening to the ring on the other end.

He picks up on the third ring and he sounds like he’s out of breath.

“Hey baby.” He answers. She frowns a little wondering where the heck he is.

“Hey.” She replies back. “Where are you?” There’s some shuffling on the other end and some voices in the background and then a door closes.

“I just went out to get some breakfast for us.” He answers. “I wanted to surprise you.”

Lucy’s heart clenches a little at the sentiment. “I woke up and you weren’t there.” She says. Tim makes a soft noise over the phone.

“I know baby. I’m sorry. I thought it would be faster.” He says. “The restaurant is busy.” Lucy nods in understanding.

“Well hurry up and get home.” She says. “Please.”

Tim chuckles. “I’m on my way Luce.” He says softly. And Lucy knows he is.

Tim is home within fifteen minutes with a bag of breakfast. He sets it on the table and Lucy launches herself at him. He catches her easily as she kisses him eagerly.

“I see someone missed me.” He mumbles and she laughs as she clutches at his shirt.

“I don’t like waking up alone.” She says. “It sucks.” Tim kisses the top of her head.

“I will try my best not to leave you alone baby.” He whispers. “I promise.”

Lucy signs happily as she kisses him one more time. She knows he will do his best to keep that promise.

***

Tim doesn’t leave her in bed alone but he does get home late one night. And normally this isn’t weird for him because metro has screwy hours. But he comes in and he looks refreshed and he smells different. Lucy can’t quite put a finger on it but it doesn’t smell like him.

“Hey.” She says when he comes into the living room. He smiles at her and sits down next to her pulling her into him.

“Hi.” He replies back kissing her gently on the cheek. “Where you waiting up for me?” Lucy doesn’t answer right away, instead she moves away from him a bit.

“Did you just come from work?” She asks. He looks at her curiously, his smile dropping a little but he nods.

“Yes. I had a lot of paperwork from the case we just closed up.” He answers. She worries her bottom lip.

“Yeah?” She asks slowly. “You didn’t go anywhere else?” Something flashes in Tim’s eyes she doesn’t recognize and her stomach drops a little.

“No. The guys invited me to the bar but I had—” He says but she cuts him off before he can say the next word.

“Paperwork.” She finishes drily.

He nods slowly, his eyebrows furrowed. “Lucy, what’s wrong?” He asks softly. “Are you okay?”

She shrugs and turns away from him wiping the tears from her eyes before turning back to look at him.

“Fine.” She mutters. “Just wondering.” Tim reaches for her again although this time it’s more hesitant but she falls into him because it’s like he’s a magnet she can’t resist.

She cuddles into him and breathes him in, he still smells different but she can smell a whiff of him.

Everything is fine. She thinks to herself as Tim kisses the top of her head softly. He’s not cheating on you. He was just doing paperwork.

***

Lucy sees Tim go into his office with a blonde woman and he shuts the door. She frowns as she gets closer to see if his shades are up but the are down, blocking her from being able to see inside.

She swallows down the panic and goes back to her desk hoping to catch Tim when he walks out of his office.

Except he doesn’t come out.

And then Lucy is called out on a case and she leaves with the blonde woman and Tim in his office on her mind.

When she gets back to the station, she sees Tim waiting for her at her desk a smile on his face. But she avoids him and goes to the bathroom and sits down on the toilet. Tim is not cheating on her. He loves her, well at least she thinks he does. Her phone buzzes in her pocket, and she sighs taking it out of her pocket. It’s Tim.

She hesitates before she turns her phone off and tucks it back into her pocket. She knows she needs to talk to Tim but right now she feels like she could throw up at just the thought of Tim with another woman.

She needs to collect her thoughts and then she would talk to him.

***

Lucy avoids Tim the rest of the day, and when it’s time to go home she slides into her car and drives off ignoring the fact that Tim’s truck is still parked beside her car. She knows he’s probably freaking out and he probably would be by her apartment but she just needs to think.

She gets to her apartment and shuts the door behind her. She drops her bag on the floor and before she can even sit down there’s a knock at her door.

She sighs and goes over to open it without checking. She knows who it is. Tim is on the other side frowning.

“Lucy.” He says but doesn’t say anything more. She turns around leaving the door open expecting him to follow but when she turns around he is still outside the apartment.

“Aren’t you going to come in?” She asks.

“Do you want me to?” He asks drily. She nods her head and he steps inside and then shuts the door behind him.

There is an awkward silence as they stand oceans apart from each other. Tim speaks first, his voice low.

“Lucy, what the hell is going on with you? You avoid me all day at work. You won’t answer my calls.” He says his voice shaking a little. She winces a little at that.

“I should ask you the same question.” She snaps. He reels back and stares at her.

“What is that suppose to mean?” He asks his voice steady now, his eyes searching her face.

She takes a deep breath before she answers, her hands shaking a little at her side. “You left the other morning without telling me. You smelled different the other night and—” She wipes furiously as tears start to pour down her cheeks. “A-and I saw you with a blonde woman today. Y-you went in your office..” Tim stares at her his mouth open wide as he takes in her words.

“Luce.. do you think I’m cheating on you?” He asks and he takes a few steps forward. She wants to move forward too but she’s frozen to the ground.

“Well are you?” She asks him. He shakes his head and reaches into his pocket and pulls something out. She tries to see what it is but he clutches it in his hands.

“No baby.” He says. “No—I was..” He pauses and then takes a few more steps forward. He looks at her and then at the item in his hands. And then he is on one knee. She gasps and then covers her mouth with her hands. She knows exactly what is going on now, and she feels like a complete idiot to ever think Tim would cheat on her.

“Tim..” she begins. “I—” But Tim shakes his head at her and then licks his lips.

“The other morning I wasn’t just getting breakfast.. I was going to this jewelry store that opens up early and I was picking out a ring. The other night I was at work but I was making some phone calls to the jeweler. And the case we had involved women. And that woman? She works at the jewelry store and she was delivering the ring since I couldn’t get there in time.”

Lucy doesn’t bother wiping the tears from her face. “But why did you close your door and shades?” She asks him and he winces a little.

“Okay that wasn’t my smartest move but I was just going over everything with her. And I didn’t want the risk of you coming in and seeing everything.” He says. “Lucy I would never cheat on you. You are the love of my life, and I—”

Lucy lets out a sob laugh. “Ask me.” She says her voice shaking. He looks up at her confused.

“What?” He asks confusion written all over his face, she giggles at how adorable he is.

She laughs and gets on her knees and clutches at his shoulders. “You have a ring. You are on one knee. Ask me.”

He looks at her and then down at the box. “Right.” He says his face flushing red. Lucy giggles again her fingers still clutching at his shoulders.

“Lucy, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Even when you were my rookie and annoying me. You still managed to see the good in me and pulled me out of a dark place. I love you, and I will always love you no matter what.” He pauses as his eyes fill with tears. “Will you marry me?”

Lucy nods her head and tackles him to the floor, kissing him everywhere she can reach. “Yes!” She says between peppering him with kisses and crying. “Yes!”

Tim laughs and manages to pull himself up with Lucy still attached to him. He pulls the ring out and slips it on her finger and then pulls her closer.

“I’m sorry Tim.” She says softly. He looks at her and kisses her once.

“It’s okay Lucy. I know I was acting weird and I had this plan all worked out in my head…” He says. Lucy frowns a little.

“I ruined your plan?” She asks but Tim shakes his head at her.

“No Luce. I had a plan in mind but honestly I didn’t care where or when I asked you. I just wanted you to say yes.”

“I will always say yes.” She whispers tears rolling down her cheeks once more. Tim wipes them away with his fingers.

“I love you.” He says. “You are amazing.” Lucy smiles at him and leans forward to kiss him.

“I love you too.” She says. Tim moves so he is standing up and offers his hand to Lucy. She takes it and he pulls her to his chest when she stands up.

“How about we go celebrate at dinner and then..” He leans down to her to whisper, his lips ghosting her ear. “We come home and continue to celebrate.” Lucy shivers at his word, anticipation growing in her stomach.

“Sounds like a plan.” She whispers back happily. Tim laughs as he kisses her. And yeah this isn’t the way she thought Tim would propose but it’s pretty dang perfect because it’s them.

[presidenthades]

I am doing very minor revisions of Daemon’s Handbook (mostly formatting and continuity errors), and I wanted to do some behind-the-scenes commentary before too much time passes and I forget my original thoughts. Here’s Chapter 11!

(Note that these commentaries aren’t canon to the verse until/unless the author writes them into the series. I might change my mind on a few points later, but these are the thoughts I had while writing.)

In my early outline, the big scandal in the last chapter was supposed to be Luce and Aemond getting caught in flagrante by somebody aligned to Otto (the servants’ passages scene in Chapter 9 didn’t happen in this version). I was writing it as a parallel to the Episode 4 brothel scene, so I was going to have it take place in the city somewhere, and there was going to be a lot of drama with Luce and Aemond being forcibly separated while Daemon searches for Luce. But the pacing was off and the necessary sequence of events was too contrived, so we got the version that currently exists in the fic.

I kept wondering if it was plausible Clement Celtigar to be stupid enough to unwittingly act as Otto’s lackey. I decided the answer is yes. I try not to character bash, but the Celtigars make it too easy. 😭 Seriously, read about them on the ASOIAF wiki (and look at Edwell and Bartimos’s pages).

I imagine that Otto pretended to be more familiar with Rhaenyra’s side of the family than he actually is, and he dropped some hints (without outright saying it, because like Daemon thinks in this chapter, young men want to believe they come up with their own ideas) that Luce favors Clement, and that she enjoys visiting the library late at night. Then Otto had the note forged in Aemond’s handwriting and left it for Luce. I’m sure this scheme was a lot smoother and sneakier than my bullet points can convey.

I picked the library as the setting so I could play with the trope in a lot of Aemond/OC fanfics (which I really enjoy! But I also enjoy flipping tropes) where Aemond and his love interest rendezvous in the library.

ASOIAF has names for hours of the day (eg hour of ghosts), but GRRM hasn’t revealed all the names. So I extrapolated names for all 24 hours of the day. “Hour of the cat” in the forged note is 11PM.

I spent a while debating how badly Luce injures Clement. I considered making it a lot more grievous (with a knife involved, as a redux of Driftmark), but that would have drastically darkened the story’s tone and changed the fallout from the event. So Clement gets away with a bit of testicular torsion, which Dr Google tells me *can* be serious if not quickly given medical treatment.

Bartimos comes close to calling Luce a whore. If he said it, Daemon would probably have given him the Episode 8 Vaemond treatment. Again, that would’ve been a very dark tonal shift, so Barty stays quiet.

Clement wants 8 sons and 2 daughters because a crab (his house sigil) has ten legs total, two of them being pincers. But Luce doesn’t care about the symbolism, and she ain’t having that many kids.

Normally Luce would have sneaked off alone to meet Aemond in the library. But she brings Rhaena because the argument with Daemon is still fresh, and she’s smarting from his (reasonably accurate) accusation that she doesn’t think enough with her upper brain. So in a strange way, Daemon’s diatribe benefited Luce because if she’d gone alone, there wouldn’t be any witnesses to defend her.

Daemon’s snooping around the girls’ letters is also proving to be surprisingly helpful several years later! If he hasn’t read Aemond’s letters to Luce, Daemon wouldn’t notice the handwriting discrepancy.

Daemon spends the entire fic paranoid about Hightower schemes, and he’s FINALLY right! He finally gets validation! 😂 But he also has zero evidence, literally just gut feelings and vibes.

Baela has been having a great time with Cregan Stark (who canonically has a thing for bisexual tomboys). The Northerners are staying around longer than most wedding guests because the distance is so far, so Baela has plenty of time to keep seducing him. By the time Cregan leaves, I imagine he’s going to make an offer to Baela, but she’s going to put him off for a while longer; she’ll *probably* accept him eventually, but she’s not sure Moondancer will like the cold.

After Daemon confronts Aemond, Aemond goes to the Tower of the Hand to confront Otto. I’m not sure what exactly they say to each other, but afterwards, Aemond tears his room apart looking for the present he planned to give Luce three years ago. I don’t know where he eventually finds it, but it’s probably a laughably obvious spot he totally overlooks at first.

Jace has already been setting up a gossip/whisper network in the Red Keep, so she’s able to hear first thing the next morning about the library incident.

I like Paddy Considine’s take that Viserys *does* have the “blood of the dragon,” he just forces himself to control his temper because he’s trying to be a good king. Also, when he’s a walking corpse in Episode 8, he has the wherewithal to draw his dagger and threaten to cut out Vaemond’s tongue. Viserys would 100% call for Clement to be gelded and gossipers to be silenced. So, for once, Viserys strongly approves of Daemon’s violent streak. 😇

I spent a while debating Clement’s punishment. He kissed Luce when she didn’t want it, which, for most girls, would unfortunately be swept under the rug since he’s the heir to a notable house. But things are different with the royal family. Luce doesn’t want an unnecessarily cruel punishment; she was friendly with Clement until recently, and in Chapter 7, she’s restraining Aemond from violence against Ulf. Even though she’s quick to defend herself by any means necessary, she’s by no means a sadist. She was also deeply affected when Aemond lost his eye (which she partially blames herself for), which leads to her resisting punishments that involve maiming.

Jace also advocates for less violence, but not because she’s a softie. She prefers the diplomatic route, which is harder if you’re trigger-happy to forcibly amputate your vassals. But she knows a monarch has to make hard decisions sometimes, and she’s willing to do what it takes. For example, if Clement had done worse than kiss Luce, Jace *would* want him to be gelded, and she’d have no qualms about it.

Helaena did not have a vision or prophecy about Aemond and the book. She just saw him panicking in his room and figured out what he was up to, because she’s his sister and she knows him. 😂 And because she knows him (and Luce) so well, she can deduce they’re probably going to patch things up, so she packs his bags for him.

No God’s Eye duel in this verse, but I couldn’t resist slipping in a reference about Luce jumping into Vhagar’s saddle 😭

ASOIAF book readers can probably deduce what Joff’s candle is. And that’s all I’m gonna say about it until we get Joff’s POV. 👀

Joff kisses Daeron’s cheek purely to distract Daemon from asking more questions about the candle. Daeron is now very confused. I like to imagine he runs off to Jace and Aegon’s room screaming “Aegon, Joff kissed me, what do I do????” But Jace and Aegon are newlyweds so Aegon isn’t going to appreciate Daeron’s interruption 😂😂😂

That’s it for the Handbook commentaries! Fingers crossed that I have an update this weekend about my next fic in this AU-verse. 🤞

[this-is-mycrisis]

Lockwood Pays Attention

Summary: Some of Lockwood's observations on Lucy after seeing her with a migraine. Starring George still being an icon and Lockwood being an oblivious lovesick fool...

Word count: 753

Trigger warnings: migraine mention, symptoms of migraine/migraine triggers, brief food mention. Let me know if I missed anything

Let me know how you like it, likes and re-blogs apppreciated!

In the weeks following Lucy’s migraine, Lockwood was extra observant and attentive. He thought he was being subtle. And while Lucy didn’t notice, George certainly did. If there was one thing Anthony Lockwood didn’t do well it was subtlety, which meant that Lucy was just as oblivious to the mutual feelings between the two. It wasn’t that Lockwood was hovering over her, but he checked in on her more often than usual, he always made sure to ask if she’d had enough during meal times, if she seemed spacey he asked if she needed to take a break. George wouldn’t deny being more affectionate with her either, in his own way, but it was nothing compared to Lockwood. 

Good god George just wanted them to kiss and be done with it already. Mostly so Lockwood would stop hovering over his shoulder whenever he cooked. 

“Would you knock it off? There is nothing wrong with my food!” George had spent the last few days batting the taller boy away from whatever pot was simmering on the stove and he was getting very tired of it. “Its my nan’s recipe and if you ruin it I won’t cook for you ever again-” “I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it, I’m just curious if the amount of salt might give Luce a headache.”

George let his head flop back dramatically. That’s what this is all about. “Well, for your information, Lucy happened to tell me that salt actually helps.” At that Lockwood whipped around, looking mildly offended, which didn’t make Geroge want to laugh at all. Nope, not one bit. “What? Why did she tell you and not me?” 

“Because I asked if there was anything I could do to help or that I needed to change, since I’m the one who does the cooking. She said she likes salt and that it helps a headache before it’s a migraine and she asked if there was any cleaning agents that weren’t as smelly, because sometimes that alone is enough to give her one. And you are itching to write this down aren’t you?” 

At least Lockwood had the decency to look taken aback by the accusation, but in reality yes, he did want to write it down. He had a little list going in a small notebook he kept on him of things he had noticed about Lucy’s headaches since the big one he and George had helped her through. He spent so much time looking at the list that he could visualize it without having to try hard; so far the list went a little something like this:

Sound- earplugs??

-sudden noises

-highpitched noises; screaming visitors are the worst

Too much sleep- lucy is nocturnal, survives on naps Cold- get a heater for her room; the cold makes her tense up

Peppermint? Potential allergy

And soon he would be adding a new page with things that could help Lucy, like tea and other hot drinks, salt apparently, and caffeine. The girl drank so much caffeine that it was almost cause for concern. Instead of telling all of this to George, who would undoubtedly poke fun and tell him that he was in love with Lucy, which he wasn’t- 

Not that there was anything wrong with someone being in love with Lucy, she was very lovable. And he did love her in the you’re my family and I would die for you unquestioningly kind of way; which now that he thought about it could be misconstrued in a romantic sense, but he would also die for George without a second thought if it came down to it. Though he did put extra effort into making sure Lucy knew that he, and George, loved her. He wasn’t sure what happened before she came to London, but he knew enough to piece together that it wasn’t good and that she didn’t ever want to go back. And she seemed so starved for love, so sue him if he wanted to make sure she never felt that way when he had anything to say about it. Oh god. He did love Lucy. And he had been quiet for far too long and George was looking at him funny. So he scoffed. “No. I don’t want too write it down. I’m just concerned because one of my agents is suffering and I want to make sure that I am adequately prepared to help when necessary.” George cocked an eyebrow at that. “Mmmhmm sure, you keep telling yourself that.”

[xanvasofxords]

Winter Wonderland Day 1 : Cookies & Warm Drinks

“Baking Love”

It has been a month since Lucy started taking classes and she thinks it’s about time she put her baking skills to test. Decides she’s going to bake cookies. Enough for all of her friends, and of course Natsu and Happy.

It’s pretty fun actually. The blonde glances at the clock once before quickly making a list. First checks off the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and chocolate chips. Then the wet ones - eggs, milk, flavorings and chocolate. She has all of them. And a jar of marshmellows, Natsu likes them.

As she sets the bowls, spoons and mixer on the counter, a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist from behind and a head nuzzles into the crook of her neck. She almost squeals for a second but dissolves into a fit of giggles at the ticklish feeling. It makes Natsu chuckle.

“Natsu,” she huffs, “Hey, it tickles!” He spins her around and presses their foreheads together. “Were you baking cookies without me?” “Mhm, I thought I’d surprise you.”

Natsu hums, “How about we do it together?” He smiles when she nods. It’s always more fun when they’re together anyways.

With Natsu, it’s rather easy. He’s better and faster than the stove or the oven. It doesn’t take him more than a few seconds to melt the butter and a large bowl of chocolate and marshmellows. Though the pinkette doesn’t get much liberty in using his powers to keep the house from being destroyed. It obviously won’t be the first time.

Although, Lucy definitely didn’t expect him to be so efficient in cracking eggs. Heck, even better than her. She watches in awe as he mixes the wet ingredients carefully, without spilling at all. The batter turns out to be perfect. The blonde wonders if he has been secretly taking classes.

“Who knew you’d be so good at this,” Lucy teases while stirring the dry ingredients. “Maybe you could teach me someday.”

Natsu puts the mixer away and laughs. “I suppose it’s a compliment?”

“It is.”

They discuss their holiday plans while Lucy slowly pours the dry mixture into the batter, shows him how to properly stir it with the spatula. They share looks every once in a while, smiling and enjoying each other’s company. Natsu insists on adding extra melted chocolate and marshmellows, hmphs and pouts like a child when Lucy refuses. She says they already had enough.

Once they���re done, Lucy moulds the dough into flat disks and puts them in the fridge.

“We’ve to chill it for sometime.”

Natsu nods in understanding, although with a mischievous look, but before she can ask him about it, war ensues. He throws a handful of flour at her, Lucy accidentally gets it on her hair trying to escape. Some of it enters her mouth. She cringes and returns the favor by throwing some at him. However, he successfully dogdes it. Making her groan in frustration.

“That’s not fair! And don’t laugh at me!”

Natsu presses his lips together to hold back his reaction, “You look beautiful Luce.” The blonde scowls and throws another fistful of flour. This time it hits the side of his face and earns him a victorious grin.

“Now who looks better?!” The blonde sticks out her tongue playfully.

The pinkette gives her a sly look before swiftly grabbing her under the arms and setting her on the counter. Lucy gasps from the abrupt movement. Her breath hitches when he eases into the gap between her legs, placing his hands on both sides and smirks at her. Her face turns red at the close proximity and his intense stare.

“Natsu, what-” He cuts her off, moving further close and rubs his cheek against her own. Lucy exhales when he pulls away, calming her heart. She glares at him, now there’s flour on her face too. Natsu chuckles, “Now we both look the same.” “Natsu!” She smacks him in the shoulder. They keep bickering for nearly an hour, before calling it a day.

“Okay, how about we make some hot chocolate?” Natsu’s face lights up at the idea, his enthusiasm makes Lucy giggle. She brings cocoa powder and the bag of chocolate chips while he takes out the saucepan.

“Is he staying over at Fairy Hills again?” The blonde asks, heating the milk in the pan. Natsu hands her the spatula, hums. “Carla is all he needs.” “Right.” She laughs, whisking in cocoa powder, sugar and chocolate chips. She decides to leave him to watch over it as she fetches some other things.

“Please add some vanilla extract, it’s over there. I’ll bring the cookie sheet and cutters.”

“No worries. Don’t you need that paper too, for the cookies?” He reminds, not removing his eyes from his work. “I forgot the name.”

She raises a brow. “You mean parchment paper?”

“Yes! That one.” He seems relieved to have remembered the name, further fueling her previous theory that he probably sneaks off to baking classes when she’s not around. If that’s even possible.

“I’ve watched Mirajane since I was ten, she used to make me and Gray sit there while she experimented with all sorts of food.” Now that makes sense. She watches him shake his head at the memory, fondly. “Guess it benefited me in the end.”

“Yep, Mister Baker!” “Hey! Don’t call me that!”

They break into a laugh together.

After a while, Lucy takes out the dough from the freezer and flours it before spreading it out. “I should move into the dorms, it’s cheaper that way. What do you think?” She muses while preparing the baking sheet. The pinkette frowns and shakes his head, continuing to stir the liquid.

“I won’t like that.”

“And why’s that?” “I won’t be able to crash at yours so often unlike now,” he admits, “Erza would just kick me out.” It makes her giggle. Because he’s right.

“That’s fair, I guess.”

They continue to chat and tease each other for fun. All the while Lucy cuts different shapes - starts, hearts, fishes, bears, flowers, snowflakes and some round ones as well and covers them in chocolate chips and sanding sugar. Then puts them into the preheated oven. And Natsu pours the hot chocolate in the mugs.

“Now’s time to decorate!” She says. That’s the best part. Natsu bumps his fists together, “I’m all fired up! Let’s do it!”

They decorate their respective mugs with chopped chocolates, whipped cream and of course, marshmellows. Lucy rolls her eyes as he tries to sneak some into his mouth. He sheepishly smiles. They look at each other, excited, when the oven beeps. It means the cookies are all ready. Finally.

Natsu sets the tray on the counter meanwhile Lucy turns off the oven. Takes a brownish cookie and breaks it into half then dips both into the hot chocolate. She pops one into her mouth and lifts one to his. Natsu doesn’t waste any time, takes it into his mouth. After finishing his bite, he moves forward to press a kiss to her forehead and Lucy leans into him.

The best evening in a while. She raises her mug for a toast, “Cheers Natsu!”

“Cheers Luce!” Natsu beams, briefly bumping their glasses together and the clinking sound fills their ears. “We should do this more often!”

She agrees, “We should.”

[dont-offend-the-bees]

Lucy’s Secret Shame

Thing is, right, she knew it was a bad habit. She did! Her mum used to give her a right bollocking for it, and frankly, it was the one thing Lucy actually agreed with her on. It was annoying, and she knew it. She just couldn’t seem to distance herself from it. But she had it under control — she knew how to catch herself before it got too bad.

At least, she thought she did. ‘Til now.

She sat at the kitchen table, rigid, staring intently down at her tea. Her cup — no. Her jar. Her mason jar, full of very hot tea.

Across the table, bright and affable as he ever is of a morning (which is to say unsettlingly so, freak-of-nature that he is), Lockwood sat slightly reclined in his dining chair, eyes on the newspaper he had spread open across the thinking cloth. His hands, sure and elegant as ever, did the only thing they did better than swing a rapier; they held his tea. He didn’t say one solitary word about the way he was forced to awkwardly pass it back and forth from palm to palm to avoid prolonged contact to the very very hot tea through the handle-less glass of his own mason jar. 

Lucy hadn’t even taken a sip yet. She couldn’t bring herself to. She felt like touching the jar would force her to acknowledge it.

“So, how’d you sleep, Luce?” asked Lockwood, smiling at her through his mildly pained wince as he juggled his jar to his other hand. 

“Um. Good. Yep, good,” Lucy mumbled, artlessly globbing raspberry jam onto her toast as she avoided Lockwood’s eyes.

“Are you sure? You don’t seem certain. And you look a little…”

Lucy bristled. “Stop lookin’ at me.”

He sounded bewildered and slightly hurt when he asked: “Why don’t you want me to look at you?” Which, of course, made her feel even worse.

“Fine.” Slamming her butterknife down with extreme prejudice, Lucy crossed her arms on the table and stared at Lockwood, meeting his gaze with, yes, probably a bit too much crazy-eyes for this time of morning. Skull would’ve been proud of just how bug-eyed and unappealing she managed to be in that moment. “Some quality lookin’ time. This what you wanted, Lockwood?”

Lockwood, managing through sheer bloody-minded politeness not to flinch away, stared back at her with thinly-veiled alarm. “...No. No, not as such.”

“There you go.” 

George, cradling yet another jar — this one wisely insulated in a folded tea-towel — against his chest, glanced at Lucy through the steam on his glasses. He seemed utterly unbothered by the distinctly threatening air she was giving off. “Luce?”

She cleared her throat and dropped her gaze, embarrassed. She was getting defensive. Cool it, Carlyle. “Yeah?”

He adjusted his grip on the jar, faffing about a bit to get the towel secured in one hand so he could adjust his glasses with the other, and brazenly acknowledged the elephant in the room.  “Any idea where all the cups and mugs are? Haven’t been able to find any.”

“Really? I hadn’t even noticed,” said Lockwood airily, punctuating it with a soft ‘ouch’ as he fidgeted with his mason jar.

Lucy blushed. “Maybe… the skull took ‘em. Keeps bragging ‘bout how evil he is.”

“I don’t think the skull’s moral capacity for evil is the issue in that theory,” said George.

She focused very intently on the sorry, savaged remains of her aggressively jam-slathered toast. “Best I’ve got. Dunno where they’ve gone. No clue. Dunno. No idea. They’ve… I dunno, I dunno.” She shrugged. “Don’t know. Sorry.”

George narrowed his eyes. “You just said you don’t know seven times.”

“Didn’t know you were keeping score.”

“Lucy.”

He was levelling her with that no-nonsense George-vision. Beside him, Lockwood was watching her warily over his tea — and doing his best attempt at a nonchalant sip under the circumstances. Lucy glanced between them furtively, wondering if this was a mystery she could pin on Quill Kipps, somehow.

No good. She’d been rumbled.

She sighed, and pushed back from the kitchen table. “Give us a sec…”

~

To Lockwood and George’s credit, they did try not to stare at her as she clinked miserably into the room, arms laden with glass and crockery like she’d just pulled off the world’s most crap charity shop heist. It just so happened that the careful way they avoided looking at her was actually even worse.

Took her a minute or so to transfer everything in her arms to the table, each individual mug or tumbler landing on the thinking cloth with a thud like the fall of an apathetically wielded gavel. Lockwood cleared his throat and scratched under his ear, pretending to be very interested in a rude doodle next to his crumb-spotted plate. George watched the steadily growing ranks of tabletop crockery soldiers without comment.

When the last chipped old mug landed, Lucy stood back and crossed her arms, fidgeting on the spot. “...I get thirsty.”

“Right,” said George.

“Keep forgetting to bring ‘em back down.”

“Of course,” said Lockwood. He smiled understandingly, obviously subduing a pained wince as he once again shifted the weight of his handful of scalding hot glass. “Well! No harm done.”

George blew the steam off the top of his jar.

Lucy sighed, and grabbed two mugs. “I’ll do some washing up.”

~

“Oh, good!” sighed the skull, as it flickered to life in its jar on the darkening attic room windowsill. “You got some air conditioning in here.”

Lucy frowned. “What? No I didn’t.”

“Are you sure? Feels different. It was getting ever so muggy.”

She snapped its valve shut over its cackles. ~ This is literally just the Lockwood & Co version of this song. Go listen to it and appreciate Tom Cardy.