#all the pieces were right there i just had to put them together

[heartsriki]

CANDY HEARTS ⌇마음

FLIRT ALERT! series⌇Sim Jaeyun | Next

pairing ᝰ jake x fem!reader | word count: 4.0k+

⌇ … warnings & genre ↺ co-workers to lovers, fluff, kissing, light teasing, semi-oblivious reader.

synopsis — You and Jake are co-workers at a candy shop. You are content by just doing your job, until someone leaves little candy hearts with cheesy, cryptic messages for you every shift. At first, You think it’s just a quirky joke—until the messages start feeling a little too personal, and you begin to wonder if this is more than just fun and games.

lee's ₊˚⊹ ᰔ comment ┊guys this might be my favorite fic Ive written.. may this love find me (PLEASEUHH)

The first time it happened, you didn’t think much of it.

It was a slow afternoon at Sugar Rush, the tiny candy shop where you worked part-time. The scent of warm caramel and melted chocolate clung to the air, mixing with the faint tartness of fruit gummies from the bins near the register. You were restocking a jar of cinnamon drops when you noticed a small candy heart sitting beside the cash register, pastel pink with tiny white letters stamped across it.

You Make Me Melt.

You assumed it had fallen out of a bag, maybe left behind by a customer. It wasn’t unusual for people to sneak a piece or two while browsing, even though there were very clear “NO SAMPLES” signs posted all over the place. With a shrug, you popped it into your pocket and moved on.

The second time, you started to wonder.

This time, the candy heart was perched on the tip jar, wedged between a crumpled dollar bill and some loose quarters. It was green, a little faded, and read: You’re My Favorite Treat.

You frowned, glancing around the shop. Jake was a few feet away, lazily refilling a bin of sour belts. He had a bad habit of getting distracted, usually by sneaking a few pieces for himself, but at the moment, he seemed content just swaying along to the pop song playing through the store’s speakers.

“Hey, Jake,” you called, holding up the tiny candy. “Did you leave this here?”

He turned, eyebrows raised, then took a few steps closer, peering at the candy heart in your palm. “Hmm,” he hummed, lips twitching like he was fighting a smile. “Looks like someone’s got a secret admirer.”

You rolled your eyes. “Right. Because nothing screams romance like mass-produced sugar with weird messages on them.”

Jake grinned. “Hey, don’t underestimate the power of candy. Love and sugar go hand in hand.”

You huffed, but didn’t push further. Maybe someone really had left it there by accident. Or maybe Jake was just messing with you—he was the type to do something like that just to see how long it would take you to notice. Either way, you tossed the heart aside and got back to work.

But then it kept happening.

Every shift, without fail, another candy heart would appear. Sometimes on the register, sometimes on the shelf beside the fudge display, once even in your apron pocket. They were never the generic ‘Be Mine’ messages. No, these were different. More… personal and sometimes they even came with notes.

Bet You Think This is a Coincidence.

You hum when you count the register, did you notice that?

Your nose scrunches when you’re trying not to laugh.

I like the way you say my name.

That last one made you stop.

You turned the tiny candy over between your fingers, a slow warmth creeping up your neck. This wasn’t just a random joke anymore. Whoever was leaving these wasn’t playing around.

the message was staring back at you like it was waiting for you to put the pieces together. But you didn’t. It was just a dumb piece of candy, right? A quirky prank, maybe. Nothing more.

Still, the words lingered longer than you wanted them to.

Shaking it off, you shoved the candy into your apron pocket and turned your attention back to the shelves. The display of chocolate truffles had gotten messy again—probably thanks to the group of kids who’d come in earlier, pressing their sticky fingers against the glass case while begging their parents for more sweets. You crouched down, carefully rearranging the rows, making sure each piece was perfectly aligned.

From behind you, Jake’s voice cut through the quiet hum of the shop.

“You know, you’re really dedicated to those chocolates.”

You rolled your eyes but didn’t turn around. “Well, considering I work here, yeah. Kind of comes with the job.”

Jake chuckled. “Sure, but I’ve never seen someone so passionate about symmetry. It’s almost impressive.”

You heard the sound of a stool scraping against the floor and knew without looking that he’d made himself comfortable on the other side of the counter. He had a habit of doing that—watching you work instead of doing his own tasks. Not that he was lazy. If anything, Jake was weirdly good at his job when he actually put in the effort. But more often than not, he liked to hover, cracking jokes and tossing gummy bears in the air like he had all the time in the world.

“You’re just looking for an excuse to get out of stocking the licorice again,” you muttered.

“Maybe.” His tone was light, teasing. “Or maybe I just enjoy watching you concentrate so hard. It’s like… adorable but also kind of terrifying.”

You scoffed and finally turned to look at him. He was perched on the stool, elbow resting against the counter, his fingers idly spinning a wrapped caramel. His brown eyes glinted with amusement, but there was something else there too—something unreadable.

For half a second, you wondered—

No.

No, this was Jake. The same guy who once spent an entire shift trying to convince you that the gummy worms were alive. The same guy who had gotten his hand stuck in a taffy machine and acted like it was the funniest thing in the world. The same guy who—

“You’re staring.”

You blinked, heat creeping up your neck. “I’m not.”

Jake smirked. “Pretty handsome, right?”

“Shut up.” You huffed and turned back to your chocolates, determined to ignore him. “Go do your job, Jake.”

“Yes, boss,” he said, and you could hear the laughter in his voice.

As you straightened up, you noticed something out of the corner of your eye—a tiny, heart-shaped candy resting near the caramel display, just barely visible behind a stack of boxes. A fresh one.

You swallowed, glancing toward Jake, who was now whistling as he walked toward the licorice section.

You shook your head. No way.

It was probably just a coincidence.

The rest of the shift passed in a comfortable rhythm—restocking shelves, ringing up customers, and trying not to get roped into one of Jake’s ridiculous debates (this time, he was insisting that caramel was superior to chocolate.).

But by the time the evening rush hit, you were starting to feel it. The weight of the long day pressed into your shoulders, your feet aching from standing too long. You weren’t about to complain, though. It wasn’t like working there was particularly difficult—just repetitive.

Jake, on the other hand, seemed as energetic as ever. He practically bounced between tasks, chatting with customers, sneaking pieces of candy when he thought you weren’t looking, and somehow still managing to keep things running smoothly. It was unfair, really, how effortless he made everything seem.

You were wiping down the counter when a little girl, maybe six or seven, shyly approached the register, clutching a bag of chocolate coins. She barely reached over the counter, her curly pigtails bobbing as she peeked up at you with wide eyes.

“Hi there,” you greeted, offering her a small smile. “Is this everything for you?”

She nodded, then hesitated. “Um… I don’t think I have enough money.”

You glanced at the bag in her hands and then at the crumpled bills she carefully pulled from her pocket. She was short by at least a dollar.

Before you could say anything, Jake swooped in, leaning casually against the counter beside you. “Hey, kiddo,” he said, crouching down slightly to her level. “You know what? Today’s your lucky day. We’ve got a special deal going on.”

The girl’s eyes lit up. “A deal?”

Jake nodded solemnly. “Yep. It’s called the ‘Awesome Kid Discount.’” He plucked the bag from her hands, scanned it, and subtly covered the difference with a few coins from his own pocket. “And guess what? You totally qualify.”

Her face broke into the biggest grin. “Really?”

“Really,” Jake confirmed, handing her the bag. “But you gotta promise me one thing.”

She leaned in, waiting eagerly.

“Make sure you enjoy every single piece, okay?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “I will! Thank you, mister!”

Jake grinned as she ran off toward her waiting parents, practically bouncing with excitement. When he straightened, he caught you staring.

“What?” he asked, flashing that boyish smirk of his.

You shook your head, crossing your arms. “That was… really sweet of you.”

He shrugged like it was nothing, reaching for the spray bottle to wipe down the counter. “Eh, it’s just a couple of coins. Besides, how could I say no to that face?”

You didn’t respond right away. It wasn’t about the money, and you both knew it. Jake had a way of making people feel special, like they mattered. Whether it was an old customer who’d been coming in for years or a little kid with a few crumpled dollars, he always made time for them.

You turned back to the register, but your stomach felt strangely warm.

It was probably just the sugar in the air.

Right?

By the time the shop started winding down for the night, you were exhausted. There was still closing work to do—mopping the floors, refilling displays, making sure the candy bins were sealed properly—but just thinking about it made your muscles ache.

Jake must have noticed because the moment you sighed, he grabbed the mop from the back closet and waved you off.

“Go sit,” he said, rolling up his sleeves. “I got this.”

You blinked at him. “What?”

He jerked his chin toward the counter. “Seriously. Go. You’ve been on your feet all day.”

You frowned. “So have you.”

“Yeah, but I don’t complain about it,” he teased.

“I wasn’t—”

He raised a brow, daring you to argue.

You groaned, dragging a hand down your face. “Fine. But just for a minute.”

Jake smirked, clearly pleased with himself, and got to work. And as much as you wanted to be stubborn, you had to admit—it was kind of nice, watching him take over without question, moving easily through the store like he belonged there. Like he was looking out for you.

You wouldn’t think too much about that, though.

You were just tired. That was all.

You walked into the store to find Jake already behind the counter, spinning a lollipop between his fingers like he had nothing better to do. The bell above the door chimed as you stepped inside, and he glanced up, his face lighting up like it always did when he saw you.

“Well, well, well,” he drawled, pushing off the counter. “I thought you called out.”

You rolled your eyes, tossing your bag into the back room before tying your apron around your waist. “You act like I’m late.”

“No, but you are predictable. Same routine, same time, same sigh when you walk through that door.”

You blinked at him. “I don’t sigh.”

“You do sigh,” Jake insisted, leaning against the counter. “It’s like a little huff, right before you clock in. Like you’re mentally preparing yourself for another day of dealing with me.”

You snorted. “I am mentally preparing myself for that.”

Jake clutched his chest dramatically. “Ouch. And here I thought we were friends.”

You shook your head, fighting back a smile. It was always like this with Jake—teasing, effortless, like the two of you had been friends forever instead of just co-workers.

As you stepped behind the counter, something caught your eye. Right beside the register, nestled between a stack of receipt paper and a jar of lollipops, sat another tiny candy heart.

You froze.

It was pale yellow this time, stamped with the words: Did You Miss Me?

Your fingers twitched at your side.

It had been a couple of days since the last one. You’d almost forgotten about them, chalking it up to some random prank or a coincidence you didn’t care enough to figure out. But now, seeing another one sitting there so blatantly—like it had been waiting for you—you couldn’t ignore it.

Jake’s voice broke through your thoughts.

“You okay?”

You glanced up to find him watching you, head tilted, curiosity flickering in his warm brown eyes.

You quickly scooped up the candy heart, rolling it between your fingers. “Yeah, just… found another one of these.”

Jake’s gaze flickered to the tiny candy in your palm, then back up to your face. His lips twitched, but he said nothing.

You sighed. “Are you sure you don’t know where these are coming from?”

He shrugged, feigning innocence. “Maybe you do have a secret admirer.”

You scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

Jake leaned in slightly, resting his elbows on the counter. “What? You don’t think someone could have a little crush on you?”

Your breath hitched before you could stop it. His tone was teasing, but there was something else behind it—something softer, something unreadable.

You swallowed, glancing back down at the candy heart.

If this was some secret admirer situation… why did it feel like Jake was the only person who could possibly be behind it?

The shift passed in a blur of ringing up customers, restocking shelves, and dodging Jake’s ridiculous antics. But no matter how much you tried to focus, your mind kept drifting back to that tiny candy heart still sitting in your apron pocket.

Jake had definitely been smirking when you asked about it. And the way he said secret admirer? That lingering tone, the way his eyes stayed on you a beat too long—it was messing with your head.

But this was Jake. Your annoying, playful, way-too-charming-for-his-own-good co-worker. He flirted with everyone. Right?

So why did it feel different when it was you?

You were restocking a shelf of assorted chocolate bars when you felt a presence behind you. Before you could turn, Jake reached over your shoulder, grabbing a candy bar from the top shelf. His arm brushed yours, close enough that you could feel the warmth of him at your back.

“Need help?” His voice was low, teasing, way too close to your ear.

You tensed. “I’m literally already doing it.”

“Yeah, but I figured I’d make myself useful.”

You glanced over your shoulder—big mistake. He was close, leaning in just enough that you could see the faint dimple in his cheek, the warm brown of his eyes focused solely on you.

Your stomach flipped.

He was definitely messing with you.

You huffed, grabbing the candy bar from his hand and shoving it back on the shelf. “If you’re so desperate to be useful, go clean up the display case.”

Jake chuckled but stepped back, raising his hands in surrender. “Yes, ma’am.”

You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding.

The worst part? He wasn’t even really flirting. At least, not in a way that would make it obvious. He was just being Jake—close, playful, always toeing the line between teasing and something else.

Your first mistake was answering Jake’s messages.

Your second mistake was letting him talk you into whatever this was.

“I still don’t understand how this happened,” you grumbled as you trudged alongside him down the sidewalk.

Jake stuffed his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, a lazy grin on his face. “It’s simple. I called, you answered, I suggested we hang out, and boom—here we are.”

“You ambushed me.”

He scoffed. “Ambushed? No. Strategically intercepted? Maybe.”

You shot him a look. He had definitely intercepted you. One minute, you were leaving the bookstore with a new novel tucked under your arm, and the next, Jake appeared out of nowhere, falling into step beside you like it was the most natural thing in the world.

He had gasped dramatically upon seeing you. “Fancy running into you here. What a coincidence! What are the odds?”

(Zero. The odds were zero. He had texted earlier asking what you were doing, and like a fool, you told him.)

Now, you were headed toward some vague destination he refused to tell you about, half-annoyed, half… intrigued.

“Seriously, where are we going?” you asked as you dodged a crack in the pavement.

Jake grinned. “You’ll see.”

Not long after, you arrived at a small, tucked-away arcade nestled between two larger buildings. The neon sign flickered slightly, and through the glass doors, you could see rows of game machines blinking with colorful lights.

You raised a brow. “An arcade?”

Jake shrugged. “Figured we could use a break from all the sophisticated, mature work we do at the candy shop.”

You rolled your eyes. “Yeah, stacking chocolate bars is so top notch.”

He laughed, holding the door open for you. “C’mon, humor me.”

The moment you stepped inside, you were hit with a wave of nostalgia—the hum of machines, the occasional chime of a jackpot, the sound of kids groaning in defeat.

Jake immediately made a beeline for the change machine, exchanging a few bills for a handful of tokens. He tossed one in your direction.

“You are playing,” he said before you could protest.

You sighed but pocketed the token. “Fine. But I’m picking the game.”

Jake smirked. “Deal.”

It turned out, you were ridiculously good at air hockey.

Jake, however, refused to take his losses with grace.

“No way,” he said as you sent the puck flying past him for the fifth time in a row. “You’re cheating.”

You smirked, resting your mallet on the table. “I’m winning.”

He pointed at you. “Same thing.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “Maybe you’re just bad at this.”

Jake narrowed his eyes. “Okay, you know what? New challenge.”

Before you could react, he grabbed your wrist and tugged you toward the claw machines.

You stumbled slightly at the sudden contact, your pulse skipping for reasons you refused to acknowledge. “What—”

“You think you’re good? Let’s see you win something from here.”

You scoffed. “Oh, this is how you’re gonna redeem yourself? A game literally designed to scam people?”

Jake grinned. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

With a sigh, you stepped up to the machine. The glass case was filled with plushies, some cuter than others. One in particular caught your eye—a small, stuffed bear with a red bow.

You fed a token into the slot, gripping the joystick. Jake leaned in closer, watching intently.

“Alright,” he murmured. “No pressure.”

His shoulder brushed yours, the warmth of him distracting in a way that should not have mattered. You tried to ignore it, focusing on maneuvering the claw just right.

You pressed the button, holding your breath as the claw descended… grabbed… lifted…

And dropped the bear at the last second.

You groaned. “I hate this game.”

Jake laughed. “Alright, alright. Move aside, rookie.”

You stepped back, crossing your arms as he took his turn. He was all confidence, cracking his knuckles like this was some grand mission. You watched as he carefully maneuvered the claw, his brows furrowed in concentration.

He pressed the button. The claw dropped, grabbed the bear…

And actually held onto it.

Your jaw dropped. “No way.”

Jake turned to you, smug. “See? Just takes skill.”

You rolled your eyes. “Or dumb luck.”

Ignoring you, he retrieved the plushie and—without hesitation—pressed it into your hands.

Your fingers curled around the soft fabric. “What…?”

Jake stuffed his hands back into his pockets, suddenly avoiding your gaze. “You wanted it, right?”

Your heart stuttered.

It was such a simple thing, really. Just a stuffed bear. Just a silly arcade game.

But the way he had given it to you—so casual, so Jake—made something warm settle in your chest.

You swallowed. “Thanks.”

Jake shot you a lopsided grin, the tension slipping away. “Don’t mention it.”

An hour later, after too many games and way too much laughter, you found yourself sitting on the curb outside, sipping a milkshake while Jake scrolled through his phone beside you.

“This was fun,” you admitted, surprising even yourself.

Jake glanced at you, his expression unreadable. “Yeah?”

You nodded. “Yeah.”

He smirked. “Told you.”

You rolled your eyes. “Don’t get a big head about it.”

Jake chuckled, then took a long sip of his drink. After a moment, he said, “So… if this was a date—”

“It wasn’t.”

“—but if it was,” he continued, ignoring you, “would it have been a good one?”

You hesitated, then glanced at the stuffed bear still tucked under your arm.

You exhaled, tilting your head at him. “Maybe.”

Jake grinned. “I’ll take it.”

The next shift started like any other—except now, you couldn’t unsee it.

The teasing, the little moments that lingered just a second too long, the way Jake always seemed to be watching you with some kind of quiet amusement.

And, of course, the candy hearts.

You found one waiting for you by the register as soon as you clocked in. Soft pink, with the words:

You Think About Me, Don’t You?

Your stomach flipped.

It was getting harder to ignore the truth.

The candy hearts weren’t random. They weren’t some inside joke or coincidence.

They were from Jake.

And you were pretty sure he wanted you to figure it out.

Halfway through your shift, you decided you were going to catch him in the act.

For weeks, he had been slipping those candy hearts into your space without you noticing. That meant he had to be sneaky—waiting until you were distracted, picking moments when your back was turned.

So, you planned accordingly.

You made yourself look busy, stacking lollipops near the front, organizing shelves that were already perfectly fine. But out of the corner of your eye, you watched him.

And sure enough, after about fifteen minutes, he made his move.

You saw it happen in real time—Jake, casually leaning against the counter, fiddling with a bag of chocolates while you pretended not to notice. Then, when he thought you weren’t looking, he reached into his pocket and slipped a tiny candy heart onto the counter beside your register.

Gotcha.

You whirled around just as he was about to step away. “You!”

Jake froze mid-step. “Me?”

You pointed at the candy heart. “You.”

He glanced at the heart on the counter, then back at you, face unreadable. “…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Oh, really? So that just magically appeared out of nowhere?”

Jake shrugged, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets. “Maybe the candy shop is haunted.”

You snorted. “Yeah, haunted by you.”

Jake grinned, but there was something different about it this time—something softer. “Alright, fine. You caught me.”

Your breath hitched slightly. Even though you had known, hearing him admit it sent a strange, fluttery feeling through your chest.

“So… all this time?” you asked, voice quieter.

Jake nodded. “All this time.”

You swallowed. “Why?”

He held your gaze, something unreadable in his eyes. “What do you think?”

You didn’t have an answer. Or maybe you did, but saying it out loud felt like too much.

Jake must have sensed it, because instead of pushing, he reached into his pocket again and pulled out another candy heart.

He held it up between two fingers, letting you read the words stamped across the surface.

Kiss Me.

The air between you changed.

Jake meant it as a joke—probably. His smirk was still there, but you could see the way his fingers twitched slightly, the way his breathing slowed just a fraction.

He wasn’t expecting you to take him seriously.

Which is exactly why you did.

Before you could second-guess yourself, you stepped forward, grabbed the front of his apron, and pressed your lips against his.

Jake made a startled noise against your mouth—like he hadn’t actually thought this far ahead—but then he melted into it, his hands instinctively finding your waist.

It was sweet, a little clumsy, the faint taste of sugar lingering between you.

When you finally pulled away, Jake just… stared at you.

Completely caught off guard. Completely flustered.

You had never seen him speechless before. It was kind of amazing.

Finally, after a long moment, he blinked.

“…So, uh,” he said, voice slightly hoarse. “You did get the message.”

You smirked. “Took me long enough.”

Jake exhaled a laugh, shaking his head. “You just kissed me in the middle of our shift.”

“You literally asked me to.”

He grinned. “Yeah, but I didn’t think you’d actually do it.”

You shrugged, turning back to the register like your heart wasn’t racing. “Well, maybe next time, don’t challenge me.”

Jake just watched you, a dazed smile on his face.

“…Next time, huh?”

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[petew21-blog]

Siblings rivalry

Lyle was nervously grasping the wheel, side eyeing the man next to him while driving: „Could you, please, put some shirt on?”

“Why? Is it distracting you? It’s just a body, Lyle, and you’re not a faggot. Shouldn’t bother you. Am I right?” the shirtless man sitting on the passenger’s seat responded with a smirk and subtle disdain in his voice.

“Of course I’m not… It’s because of the sweat. The car is borrowed and I don’t want to clean it.” Lyle quickly responded and tried to change the subject

“The car is an old piece of shit. We’ll be lucky if we even make it to the beach in time.”

The engine started making weird noises and the car slowed down. “See, told you.”

Lyle stormed out of the car and screamed:”Can you shut the fuck up already?! I can’t take this anymore. I want my girlfriend back.”

“I didn’t choose this either. And I still am your girlfriend!”

Maybe I should explain a bit.

My girlfriend Nicole has a twin brother, Nicholas. Their family is one of the most weirdest ones you’ll ever meet in your entire life. And I had the pleasure, or maybe misfortune, to find out the hard way. They got their hands on some magical shrooms or something. Some made you see the future, some gave you a really great time and there were also ones that swapped your body. Trippy right? Yeah… Naturally the parents used it for orgies and other experimenting.

But occasionally they used it as a method of punishment. Nicole told me that she had to be her mum for two weeks last summer, just because she lied about her school results. I didn’t believe the whole swap thing until the parents found out that Nicholas and Nicole didn’t share the same morals about feminism and male value. Nicole was obviously a feminist, but she was belittling her brother. On the other hand, her brother didn’t even stop to consider how different a life is for a woman. The whole family had an argument about this and the parents decided to swap Nicole and Nicholas for the ENTIRE summer before university. Yep, insane.

Nicole responded to her body quite well to be honest. She was in a male body before, but never in her brother’s. Them being twins might have helped a bit. I have to say that Nicholas is an attractive male. He has a great physique, handsome face and generally is a great guy. We often joke together about women, watch football or play videogames together. But having my girlfriend in his body? Way different.

I caught her staring at herself many times. She seemed completely unphased, maybe even excited to be in male body now. Which can’t be said for me. Sex was obviously a no go. I didn’t even want to touch her without feeling like a fag. But I knew something bad was about to happen sooner or later. Maybe this would be a test for our relationship. Maybe it will uncover that I am a superficial asshole and that I love her only for her body.

She keeps staring at me sometimes and tried to even seduce me, but I just can’t like this. Not while she is in Nicholas’s body.

Which brings us back to the present, currently on the coast far from the beach party where we were supposed to be hours ago. Unfortunately I had to borrow my grandparent’s car and it just broke down. Nicole smiled after being right again and seeing me snap.

She had her shirt off and leaned against the hood of the car. “So what now Sherlock?”

Lyle: „I don’t know. We’re in the middle of nowhere. And the cur is busted.”

Nicole: ”Jesus, Lyle. Be a man and call Jake. He can at least come get us.”

Lyle nervously nodded and took out the phone. He went behind the car and waited for someone to answer. Meanwhile Nicole moved from the front and went to the back of the car, adjusting herself for Lyle.

Lyle finished the call and before he looked up he said: „They’re all drunk already, so Daniel is going to wait a bit before he’s sober and will come get us.”

Nicole: „Good. More time for us to have fun” Lyle looked up and saw Nicole in her shorts, slowly lowering them.

Lyle quickly turned around. “Jesus fuck, what are you doing? What if someone sees you?”

Nicole:”Who? You mean the nearest guy miles away from us? Yeah, right. I wanna get Nicholas a good tan for the summer. We agreed to treat each other’s body properly.”

Lyle knew Nicole had different intentions, but he wouldn’t succumb to her. He isn’t gay for fuck’s sake.

Nicole took the folding chair they had in their trunk and positioned herself in front of the car, enjoying the sun.

Nicole: „When was the last time that the two of us had some proper free time to just stop? Did we ever? Feels like the first time. Maybe we should use it properly.”

Lyle: „What are you suggesting?”

Nicole: „I think we should fuck. You haven’t touched me in weeks.”

Lyle: „Because you are a man now!!! And your brother, Jesus fuck.”

Nicole:”Cut the crap, Lyle. Do. You. Love. Me?”

Lyle:”… I… of course I love you.”

Nicole: „Do you love me for me, or my body?”

Lyle: „I… I love YOU.”

Nicole: „So come and prove it.” Her daring voice made Lyle feel uneasy. But he felt as if something was pulling him towards Nicole, towards Nicholas.

Nicole got up, uncovering her hairy manhood. This was the first time that Lyle looked at it. It wasn’t hard, but even now it was still pretty impressive. Nicole headed to the car, going past Lyle and whispering in his ear: „I haven’t sucked your dick in weeks. I need to have your dick as much as you want me.”

Lyle looked as Nicole laid down on the car seats, waiting for Lyle to make his move. Her dick was getting hard and getting bigger. Maybe even bigger than his own. Lyle couldn’t keep his eyes off of that thing.

Nicole spoke up: „Lyle, I need you. I need your dick!”

Lyle’s dick was hard as well. He felt himself throwing his clothes off as if he was just a passenger. He thought about Nicole giving him that great blow job of hers once again. He could see in his memory, his dick disappearing in her mouth.

He got close to Nicole, lowering himself on top of her, HIM. And was ready to push his dick closer to her, but he was so horny, that he didn’t even realize that he was now the one holding HER dick in his hands. Jerking it furiously. Lick it from top to base. Swallowing it fully. He didn’t even realize he didn’t have much trouble swallowing her cum. Even after SHE pushed HER dick in his ass, he didn’t find it that weird.

They laid on top of each other, breathing out loud, enjoying each other’s company, making out. Nicole gave Lyle a sign that she need to go out and piss. Lyle stayed in the car, still struck for what just happened. Nicole’s phone vibrated. Lyle thought that maybe someone was ready to pick them up, but instead it was Nicole’s friend Stacy texting her. The text said: „Hey, Stacy. Thanks again for swapping with me. I really needed to be fucked and not as a man, haha. Hope you’re enjoying it. Luv U”

Lyle:”What. The. Fuck?!”

[haikyu-mp4]

Tricky twins – Tsukishima x reader wc 638 – f!reader, twin!Hinata

Tsukishima Kei refused to admit he had a crush on someone in his class. He would never tell anyone about his total focus on every smart word that comes from your mouth at the teacher’s query in history class, nor anything about the way he would pretend to adjust his glasses just so he could divert his eyes to take in your beauty.

But between us? Tsukki was lowkey obsessed with you.

He’s lucky your brain was part of the reason he likes you; the way you distracted him in class would have led to a decrease in grades had your intelligent answers not been what occupied him.

You’re quiet and calm, and everything the volleyball club was not, so he had you and them as two wholly separate worlds. Until one day, disaster struck when you knocked on the gym door and pulled the door open to stick your head in.

Tsukki stuttered in his step, realising he was closest to the door. Honestly, his first thought was that you must be there for him. “Hey. Do you need something?”

You raised an eyebrow and didn’t have to strain your ears to find the person you were looking for. “My brother told me to come here with my house key because he’ll be home late.”

Tsukki’s blood ran cold. No. Way. Any one of these guys could be your brother and pretty much all those options were terrible news. “And who would that be, exactly?”

“Shoyo.”

Right. Because your last name is Hinata. How could he not have put those two inevitable pieces together before?

As he heard his name, the orange-haired spiker turned towards you and grinned, bouncing over and thanking you profusely for lending him your keys. “No problem. Will you make it home to watch the new episode with Natsu?”

As the two of you talked, Tsukishima struggled to move away. He stared from one of you to the other, horrified at the revelation that you were probably twins.

“Suckyshima-“ Shoyo’s voice brought him right back, and he quickly cleared his throat and turned away from you two, going back to serve practice beside Yamaguchi in complete ignorance of whatever Hinata wanted to say.

Tsukki’s ears were irredeemably red, and his best friend would not let it past him.

“She’s in your class, right?” Yamaguchi asked him before picking up another ball from the basket behind them.

“She is,” he confirmed, as nonchalant as ever.

“I didn’t know you two were friends-”

“We’re not.”

“Is that why you didn’t realise she was Hinata’s twin?” Tsukishima sharply turned to his best friend, surprised and quickly switching into a glare as he turned back to the net, taking a while to gather his answer.

“She doesn’t have orange hair.”

“Maybe she dyes it,” Yamaguchi genuinely wondered, glancing over at where you were still laughing with your twin.

“She’s smart. So smart.”

“Twins can be very different,” Yamaguchi agreed, snickering under his breath at the burn on their shorter teammate.

“Yamaguchi,” Tsukki called, making the float server’s throat hitch. The blonde had turned his whole body to him, hands squeezing each side of the volleyball he held. “We will never speak of this again.”

Tsukishima stared at the back of your head in class the next day. It made no sense.

He couldn’t pull his eyes away as you read a scientific paper in the break time, itching to ask what kind of article it was because his glasses, unfortunately, didn’t come with extra zoom.

Before he knew it, he had walked over to the side of your desk, finally noticing the name of a palaeontologist he admired highlighted in green.

You looked up at him in surprise and he inevitably crumbled. “Can I help you?”

Yes, he had a raging crush on Hinata Shoyo’s twin sister.

masterlist

requested by @paradoxicalwritings for my event, anything for you <3

[sapphiresaphics]

You’re right. It is polite to do that. But it’s also… I dunno… kinda boring? And it often doesn’t push the story forward.

Let’s look at it this way: We know that initially they planned on several additional seasons and ultimately were only given 2. We don’t know when that cut back was dictated to them from up on high, but it’s very easy to assume it happened sometime between season 1 and 2’s production. Very likely after most of season 1’s setup had already been finished and animated.

And, given how little time they had available to them for season 2, they opted instead to focus on ways to communicate this stuff non-verbally most of the time and to trust that we, as smart intelligent viewers, can piece together stuff ourselves.

They have a grand total of 18 episodes in total for this entire show. There are other shows that have double that number for just one season. Time is of the essence and every frame costs hundreds of dollars. So if it’s not really relevant it goes on the cutting room floor. Arcane is nothing if not EFFICIENT with its storytelling. And that’s a stylistic choice the creators have made.

And let’s not forget this doesn’t just exist around Caitlyn. Vi never apologizes for punching Powder as a kid. She apologizes for leaving and calling her a Jinx, but never for punching her. Vi also punches Isha. It’s an accident, but she still never apologizes for that either. Ekko never apologizes for kidnapping Vi and Caitlyn. Jinx never apologizes for killing Ekko’s friends. Jayce never apologizes for killing a child. Ambessa never apologizes for slapping Mel. Heimerdinger never apologizes for letting the undercity’s problems fester for so long. Mel never really apologizes for using Jayce and Viktor as investments. The list goes on. So WHY is it ONLY on Caitlyn in these critiques about the show?

A couple more little quibbles and distinctions:

Vi was never forced to become an enforcer. When Caitlyn asks her to become an enforcer, Vi turns her down. It’s not until after Caitlyn almost dies during the memorial attack does Vi reconsider the offer. And she doesn’t do it because she was pressured into it, she does it because she wants to keep Caitlyn safe. The only thing Vi trusts are her fists. If she’s there, she can take care of Jinx while also protecting the woman she loves. Even if it means putting on the Enforcer uniform.

Also, Vi doesn’t care about Zaun all that much. She never fought for the city. In fact, she has been actively hostile towards Zaun since Season 1. Let’s not forget that she went in performing vigilante Justice and got a kid killed in the process. Her goal has always been to protect her family, and that means people like Jinx and Caitlyn.

As for the “I’m sorry I was wrong?” Caitlyn DOES that. It’s just non-verbally. See, when Caitlyn has Jinx locked up she doesn’t know what to do with her. She has seen first hand that Jinx can be trusted. She is not the maniacal raving lunatic that killed her mother anymore. She has changed. She tries to talk to Jinx, but that doesn’t help her make a decision.

So she lets Vi choose. She intentionally leaves the prison empty of guards and allows Vi to steal the keys to free her sister. She has no guarantee that she will ever see Vi again, and she suspects that Vi and Jinx will just run away together. That’s why when she goes down there and finds Vi locked in the cell instead of Jinx, she knows what happened. And when Vi is at her lowest, thinking she betrayed Caitlyn by going behind her back to free Jinx against her wishes, Caitlyn tells her “no, I let you do this. Because I give up on hating your sister. You are more important to me than my hatred of Jinx and you should be free to make your own decisions about who you get to love.”

That’s WHY Vi jumps on Caitlyn in the prison cell. Caitlyn just told her that she was giving up stoking the flames of the fire that tore them apart. This is akin to a loved one giving up alcohol or smoking or going to therapy or basically tossing aside their abusive habits because their love for their partner is more important to them than their vices. That was like the BIGGEST apology Caitlyn could ever give Vi. No amount of “I’m sorry” does THAT justice.

I get it, you wanted her to SAY the words. But the show doesn’t do that. The show is a VISUAL show and ACTIONS speak louder than words ever could. So Arcane does Caitlyn’s apology through her actions. To assume the worst in Caitlyn after such a grand gesture is kinda silly IMO.

No disrespect, I just find a lot of this stuff to be kinda nitpicky. The show is a visual show. It tells its narrative visually. It always has. It always will. Demanding Caitlyn say “sorry” when no one else ever does and ignoring that she performs one of the greatest acts of love you could give a partner is frustrating to say the least.

“Caitlyn never apologizes for her actions so how do we know she’s remorseful of them?”

Well you see… when Caitlyn gets asked if she likes men or women by Vi, we never get an answer from Caitlyn there either. But then later in the episode we SEE her behaving differently and flirting with a woman. So that answers our question for us. We don’t need to hear her say “I’m a lesbian” or “I like girls” because the show SHOWS us that she likes girls.

Often times if you have a concern like this, it IS addressed in the show. Just not in blatantly obvious and vocal ways. You actually need to pay attention.

So like… yea, we don’t really hear Caitlyn say outright “I feel remorse for my actions” but there’s like a MOUNTAIN of evidence (Kirammountains worth haha) that show she feels this way. From her confrontational arguments with Ambessa, to her pointing a gun at singe, to her sneaking around tracking singe, to her betraying Ambessa, to her shouting “I know!” when confronted by Vi, to her saying to Jinx “hating you I’ve hated myself,” to her ultimately letting Vi free her sister thus proving to Vi that she’s letting her hatred for Jinx go, to her sad “are you still in this fight, Violet?” at the end of the show… using the context clues the characters provide through facial acting and body language we can TELL that she’s remorseful.

Imagine that!

[digitaldaydreamm]

unspoken claim

rafe x childhood friend!reader

| summary | best friends help each other out, right?

warnings: oral (fem receiving), coaxing, rafe persuades reader

a/n: guess what i wrote 😈, this is my first time writing smth spicy so pls don't judge me... feedback is appreciated and as always, requests are open!

masterlist

⋆｡𖦹 °.🐚⋆❀˖°

Your room was quiet except for the faint hum of the air conditioning and your own uneven breaths. The dim glow of your bedside lamp barely reached the corners of the space, wrapping everything in a soft, hazy warmth. You were lost in your own little world, your body warm and tingling, your mind drifting somewhere light and airy, where nothing existed except the slow, aching pull in your stomach.

You hadn’t meant for it to happen.

It was just one of those nights. One of those nights where you were too restless to sleep, where your body felt too sensitive, your skin buzzing from the warmth of your sheets and the weight of your own touch. It wasn’t something you really thought about—it was just a way to wind down, to relax.

And you had no idea you weren’t alone.

The door creaked open.

You didn’t hear it at first, too lost in the moment, but the shift in the air made your stomach drop. The second you opened your eyes and saw the tall, broad figure standing in your doorway, your entire body locked up.

Rafe.

You scrambled up so fast it made you dizzy, yanking your covers up to your chest as if that would somehow erase what he’d just seen. Your pulse was a panicked rhythm in your ears, and your breath caught in your throat.

“Rafe—” Your voice was barely above a whisper, eyes wide, heart racing.

He just stood there. Watching.

His expression was unreadable—brows slightly furrowed, lips parted just enough to make you think he might say something. But he didn’t. Not at first. He just exhaled, slow and measured, before stepping inside and pushing the door shut behind him.

You swallowed hard. “Why—why are you here?”

Rafe’s eyes flicked down to your phone on the nightstand, the screen still dark. “You weren’t answering,” he murmured, voice rougher than usual. “Thought something happened.”

Your stomach twisted. You hadn’t even realized your phone was on silent. And if it had been anyone else, you probably would’ve told them to get out. But it was Rafe. Your Rafe. The person who had always been there, always looked out for you, always knew what you needed before you even had to ask.

You should have been embarrassed.

Maybe you were.

But not enough to look away when he stepped closer, his presence making the air feel thick, heavy.

Rafe tilted his head, studying you like he was putting together a puzzle. “Didn’t know you did that, kid,” he murmured, and the teasing lilt in his voice made your cheeks burn.

You sucked in a breath, barely able to hold his gaze. “I—I don’t—”

“No?”

He sat down on the edge of your bed, his weight sinking into the mattress, his knee brushing against your leg. He was too close, too warm, too Rafe, and it made you want to shrink into yourself and melt into him all at once.

“You don’t need to be shy,” he said, voice quieter now. Gentler. Like he was just trying to make you feel comfortable. “S’just me, baby.”

And that was the problem.

Because it was just Rafe. And you trusted him more than anyone.

You trusted him so much you didn’t flinch when he reached out, tucking a stray piece of hair behind your ear the way he always did. You didn’t question it when his fingers drifted, brushing down your jaw, tracing the curve of your throat.

You barely even breathed when he smirked, eyes dark and knowing, and said—

“Let me help you, yeah?”

You furrowed your brows, confusion flickering across your face.

"Wh-what?" you breathed out, your cheeks burning a deep crimson.

"Best friends help each other out, right?" Rafe murmured, his fingers trailing back up toward your face, tilting your chin up so you had no choice but to look at him.

"I don't know, Rafey..." You hesitated, shivering when his other hand slid higher up your thigh.

"It's okay, sweetheart. It's just me." His voice was calm, coaxing, like this was something as simple as him fixing your necklace or tucking you under his arm like he always did.

Only this was different.

His hand crept higher, fingers catching the edge of the blanket you had frantically pulled over yourself in your panic. With slow, deliberate ease, he peeled it away.

"This okay?" His gaze was heavy, dark, unreadable- as it raked over your half-dressed form, lingering, taking you in like you were something to be memorized.

You swallowed hard, nodding, too embarrassed to speak.

He tutted, squeezing your thigh lightly.

"Words, baby."

"Yes..." you whispered, barely audible.

That was all he needed.

The blanket was discarded, the soft thud as it hit the floor sounding far louder in the stillness of your room.

Rafe's hands roamed over the plush skin of your thighs, slowly pushing your —his— shirt higher up, exposing more of you to his hungry gaze. He paused, letting his fingers graze over you in a way that sent a shiver up your spine before lowering himself between your legs.

The first press of his lips against your stomach was featherlight, almost reverent.

Then another. And another. He kissed his way down, hands roaming-caressing your hips, your sides, your thighs-like he couldn't get enough, like he needed to touch every part of you.

Your soft whimpers broke the silence, and God, the sound made something primal curl inside him.

Before you could process it, his warm tongue flattened against your bundle of nerves, dragging over it in a way that made your back arch off the mattress.

A gasp tore from your throat, your head snapping up to look at him-only to find those piercing blue eyes already watching you. There was something almost mocking in his expression, something amused, like he was waiting for this exact reaction.

Embarrassment crashed over you, and your hands flew to his head, trying to push him back.

"Rafe-"

He grunted against you, the sound vibrating straight through your core. His grip tightened as he pushed your hands away, intertwining your fingers with his instead, holding them in place against the sheets.

The sensation was unlike anything you'd ever felt. Overwhelming. Dizzying. Rafe was good-so good that the thought of where he had learned this sent an unfamiliar pang through your chest. But you couldn't focus on that now. Not when he was everywhere. Not when he was unraveling you piece by piece.

His pace quickened, his free hand slipping lower to add to your pleasure, to push you closer to the edge.

And then it hit you.

That telltale pressure building, the warmth coiling tight in your stomach.

"I-I'm..." The words barely left you before you shattered, pleasure crashing over you in waves so intense you swore you saw stars.

Rafe groaned as you came undone, his mouth never leaving you, his tongue still lapping up every aftershock. He held your hips down as you writhed beneath him, your moans of his name filling the room like a melody he never wanted to stop hearing.

He had never heard you say his name like that before.

So desperate. So wrecked. So perfect.

As your body trembled from the aftershocks, Rafe pressed soft, almost soothing kisses to your inner thighs, though he couldn't resist leaving a few sharp bites here and there-little marks, little reminders of him.

And as you caught your breath, still dazed, still trying to make sense of what had just happened, Rafe smirked against your skin.

Because you had no idea what you'd just started.

No idea that this was only the beginning.

[moregraceful]

one take that is also going to make me a huge asshole is that persistent fandom thoroughline of, the author has disclosed that it's their first fic or if it's one of the first works on their page, so it's probably not very good or worth reading so ignore? which pisses me the FUCK off

when i was ten i posted a work on a stargate sg1 archive. in it i said i was ten and it was my first fanfic. there is NO WAY this was a good piece of fiction. first of all, i was ten. second of all, i was ten. i just wanted to share my work. and this was in the days of self-hosted archives right? so there was no comment section, people had to email you feedback directly. so i put in my little aol email address and had no concept of receiving feedback bc i was, again, ten years old.

and i got one single email about it, from a married couple. they told me they read my fic together and they really enjoyed it and they hoped i would write more because they liked my fic so much.

i cannot overstate enough that this was the work of a TEN YEAR OLD. i doubt it was readable. it certainly wasn't good. and i think that feedback sustained me all the way through high school and kept writing EVERYTHING fic, poetry, creative nonfiction EVERYTHING and kept me trying to be part of creative fandom communities online for decades after that. because one couple were kind enough to be like, let's encourage the kid.

and i think about that a lot when we talk disparagingly about works that are not very good? like idk maybe because i read pretty widely within my fandoms and tend to read mostly rarepairs, but i am always in those trenches experiencing baffling characterization issues and strange pacing issues and awkwardly written prose and basically every sin imaginable that has people turning up their noses. but there is always always always something interesting in it, or the spark of something good, or something in it showing that the author is trying to convey something important to them. i don't really think it's fair to say, well, it's the author's first work so we're just going to ignore it entirely. that's not how fandom works!!!! it just sucks so bad to me that people will dismiss works completely out of hand just because it's someone first work. how are we supposed to grow and maintain a community if we don't welcome new people into it??

[alittlegiraffe]

Title: "The Background"

Part 8

And now, here you were. Sitting on the edge of the bed, staring down at your hands, your chest so tight you could barely breathe.

The silence in the hotel room was suffocating. The girls had gone to their rooms, chattering about how cool Mia was, about how fun she seemed, how lucky she was to have such a great job. You had barely said a word the entire car ride back, staring out the window, your thoughts spiraling.

The bathroom door creaked open, and Marshall stepped out, rubbing a towel over his damp hair. He was watching you—he had been since you left the restaurant.

"You gonna tell me what’s wrong?" His voice was careful, patient.

You shook your head, swallowing down the lump in your throat. "Nothing’s wrong."

"Bullshit." He tossed the towel onto a chair and crossed the room, standing in front of you. "You barely spoke at lunch. And I saw you, sitting as far away from me as possible. So what is it?"

You clenched your jaw, refusing to look at him. "It’s stupid."

"Let me be the judge of that."

You exhaled sharply, forcing yourself to meet his gaze. "I saw the way you looked at her."

Marshall’s brows pulled together. "Who? Mia?"

Your stomach twisted at the way he said her name, like it was nothing. Like she wasn’t a threat. Like she wasn’t everything you weren’t.

"She’s exciting," you whispered, your voice shaking. "She’s beautiful, and confident, and fun. She has this whole incredible life, and you—" Your throat tightened. "You and the girls were hanging onto every word she said. Like she was this bright, shiny thing and I was just… in the background."

Marshall took a step back like you had physically hit him. "You think—" He let out a breath, running a hand down his face. "*You think I look at her and wish you were more like that?"

You shook your head quickly, but the words kept spilling out. "I know I’m not exciting, Marshall. I’m not some gorgeous, put-together woman with a dream career and an entire world outside of my family. I’m just… a mom. That’s it. That’s all I have. And I can feel it—the way the girls are looking at her, like she’s incredible, like she’s everything I’ll never be. And maybe one day, you’ll wake up and realize it too."

The silence stretched, thick and heavy.

Then, Marshall swore under his breath, dragging a hand over his jaw before dropping to his knees in front of you. He took your face in his hands, forcing you to look at him. "You think I’m gonna wake up one day and leave you for someone like Mia?"

You couldn’t answer. You couldn’t say it out loud.

"Jesus, babe." He shook his head, his thumbs brushing against your cheeks. "You have no idea how wrong you are."

"Then why do I feel this way?" you whispered. "Why do I feel like I’m fading into the background of your life?"

"Because you don’t see yourself the way I do." His voice was rough, frustrated. "I don’t need someone ‘exciting.’ I don’t need ‘bright and shiny.’ I need you. The woman who gave me a family when I never thought I’d have one. The woman who saw me at my worst and still fucking stayed. The woman who—" His voice broke for a second, but he swallowed it down. "You think Mia’s got it all? You think she’s got this perfect life? I bet she’d trade every piece of it just to have this. To have what we have."

Your chin trembled, and Marshall exhaled, pressing his forehead to yours. "I don’t want someone else. And the girls? They adore you. You’re their home. And I swear to God, if I ever made you feel like you weren’t enough, then I fucked up. Because you are. You always have been."

You closed your eyes, letting his words sink in. Letting yourself believe them.

Because maybe, just maybe, he was right.

---

Marshall woke up before you the next morning. He didn’t move right away, just lay there, watching the slow rise and fall of your chest as you slept beside him. Your face was peaceful in sleep, but even now, there was a tension there—a weight in your expression that hadn’t been there years ago.

Last night’s conversation sat heavy in his chest. You think I’m gonna wake up one day and leave you for someone like Mia? The way you had looked at him when you said it—like it was some inevitable truth—made something deep inside of him crack.

You really didn’t see yourself the way he did. And that realization fucking hurt.

Because to him? You weren’t just his wife. You were his anchor, his safe place, the reason he still had a life worth fighting for. But somewhere along the way, you’d convinced yourself you were just a shadow in his world.

And that? That was unacceptable.

With a deep breath, he rolled out of bed and padded quietly into the bathroom. His reflection stared back at him—tired eyes, tattoos standing out against his skin, a face that had seen too much but somehow still had everything. He thought about all the times you had pulled him back from the edge, all the times you had put him first. And now? It was his turn.

By the time you woke up, the smell of coffee filled the hotel room. You stirred, stretching, and found him sitting in the chair across from you, sipping from a Styrofoam cup, his eyes already on you.

"You’re staring," you murmured, voice thick with sleep.

"Yeah," he said simply, taking another sip.

You sat up, rubbing your hands over your face before reaching for the extra coffee cup on the nightstand—because of course he’d brought you one. "What?"

"Nothing." He shrugged. "Just thinking."

You raised an eyebrow. "That’s dangerous."

A small smirk tugged at his lips, but it faded quickly. "About last night."

You stiffened slightly, looking down at your coffee. "Marshall—"

"No, listen to me." He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "You really don’t get it, do you?"

You frowned. "Get what?"

"How much you matter." He shook his head, looking almost pissed—not at you, but at the fact that he even had to say it. "You think you’re just in the background? That you’re just the ‘boring mom’ while everyone else gets to have this big, exciting life?"

You swallowed hard, but didn’t answer.

"Babe, do you know how many times I’ve looked at you and thought, ‘Fuck, I don’t deserve her’?” His voice was rough, raw. "You held our family together when I was falling apart. You took care of the girls, you took care of me, and I was too fucking out of my mind to even realize how much of a weight you were carrying."

"That was a long time ago," you whispered.

"That doesn’t mean it doesn’t count." He set his coffee down, running a hand over his face before looking back at you. "I know I’m not good at saying this shit. I know I should’ve told you all this a long time ago. But I need you to hear me now."

You stayed quiet, gripping your coffee like it was the only thing keeping you steady.

"You are the best thing that ever happened to me," he said, voice steady, unwavering. "You’re the best thing that ever happened to our girls. And if you can’t see that? Then I guess I’m just gonna have to spend the rest of my life proving it to you."

Tears burned behind your eyes, but you blinked them back, exhaling a shaky breath. "Why are you saying all this now?"

Marshall let out a small, humorless laugh. "Because I saw it last night. The way you look at yourself. And I fucking hate it."

You looked down, fingers tightening around your cup. "I don’t know how to change it."

Marshall stood up then, walking over to the bed and sitting beside you. He took the coffee from your hands, setting it on the nightstand before gently tilting your chin up so you had to meet his gaze.

"Then let me help you." His voice was softer now, the fire in his eyes tempered by something deeper. "Because I swear to God, babe, you deserve to see yourself the way I see you."

You let out a shuddering breath, and for the first time in a long time, you felt like maybe—just maybe—you could.

The words lingered between you, heavy and raw. Then let me help you.

You wanted to believe him, wanted to take what he was offering, but you didn’t know how. Years of self-doubt, of shrinking into the background, weren’t something you could just turn off like a switch.

Marshall was watching you carefully, waiting for you to say something. When you didn’t, he exhaled through his nose and ran a hand over his face.

"Alright," he said finally, standing up. "Get dressed."

You blinked. "What?"

"Get dressed," he repeated, already moving toward his suitcase. "We’re going out."

You frowned, pushing the blankets off your lap. "Where?"

"You’ll see."

---

You ran your fingers over a soft sweater, something simple but elegant. It was beautiful, the kind of thing you imagined someone who deserved nice things would wear. You flipped over the price tag.

$320.

Your stomach twisted.

You set it back immediately, like touching it too long would somehow charge you for it.

You knew Marshall meant well, bringing you here. He wanted to do something nice for you. But standing in this boutique, surrounded by price tags that made your head spin, you felt like you were suffocating.

Still, you pretended to browse, keeping your hands tucked into the sleeves of Marshall’s hoodie—something you’d grabbed from his suitcase this morning because it was comfortable and familiar. You moved toward the kids’ section instead, thumbing through little dresses and tops, picking out a couple of things for the girls.

This? This was fine. You could justify spending money on them. You never hesitated when it came to the kids, always making sure they had the best. They deserved it.

But you?

Marshall was waiting by the register when you approached, his arms crossed over his chest. He raised an eyebrow at the clothes in your hands. "What’s that?"

"Just a couple things for the girls," you said casually, setting them on the counter.

He didn’t move. "Babe…that’s not why we’re here."

You sighed. "Marshall, I—"

"No." He shook his head. "This isn’t about them. This is about you."

Your stomach clenched. "I don’t need anything."

"That’s not the point."

You swallowed, your eyes darting around the store before lowering your voice. "Marshall, this stuff is expensive. I can’t—"

"You can." His voice was firm but patient. "Why won’t you?"

You bit your lip, avoiding his gaze. "Because it’s not my money."

He stared at you, brows drawing together. "What?"

You crossed your arms, suddenly feeling small. "I don’t work, Marshall. I don’t make money. You do." You exhaled sharply, trying to make him understand. "I can spend on the girls because they’re ours, but spending it on myself? Just for me? It feels…selfish."

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, he didn’t say anything. Then, carefully, "You think you don’t deserve nice things because you take care of our family?"

You shifted uncomfortably. "I think…I don’t earn money, Marshall. I don’t go out and work. I take care of the house, and the kids, and I’m happy to, but that doesn’t mean I should be spending your money on—"

"Stop calling it my money." His voice was suddenly sharp, and you flinched slightly. His expression softened, but his eyes stayed intense. "It’s our money. You think I could do what I do without you? You think I could’ve built this life without you holding shit down at home? He let out a bitter laugh. "You think this is some kind of favor you’re doing for me?"

You opened your mouth, but he wasn’t finished.

"I go to work, yeah. I make the money, yeah. But you run everything else. You take care of the kids, the house, me—me, babe—like it’s a full-time job, and you don’t even clock out. You make sure our girls have everything they need, and you never fucking hesitate to spoil them, but you won’t even let yourself have something nice?" He exhaled roughly. "How is that fair?"

You dropped your gaze, shame burning in your chest. "I don’t know how to just…buy things for myself," you admitted quietly. "It doesn’t feel practical."

He sighed, stepping closer, tilting your chin up so you had to look at him. "Babe…you’re allowed to have things that make you happy. Even if it’s just a stupid sweater or a nice pair of jeans. You don’t have to live in my old t-shirts and leggings forever."

Your throat tightened. "But I like your t-shirts and leggings."

A small, crooked smile tugged at his lips. "I know you do. But just once…can you let me do something nice for you? Just because I want to?*"

You hesitated, your heart pounding. But when you looked at him, really looked at him, you realized this wasn’t just about clothes.

This was about letting yourself believe you were worth it.

Swallowing hard, you gave him a tiny nod.

And the relief on his face told you that maybe, just maybe, you were starting to believe it too.

[realtapiocafan]

Tee interview!!!

Transcript below the cut:

for ease of reading: questions in green, the parts I loved the most in orange)

Q: How much do you enjoy being around Bengals fans because we know how much they enjoy being around you?

Tee: Uh, I enjoy it a lot, you know, umm, just... just especially when they started the -the Tee chant. So uh, you know, once they did that, I felt like we grew a friendship -I grew a friendship with everybody in the stadium and man, umm, they always show love so. Just I -my bad, I like to show love back to them, so, you know what I mean. So that's the type of person I am.

Q: I mean, we've seen you around town, not just at events, but you were at high school events -you were at a high school basketball game this weekend. How much have you just adopted Cincinnati as almost a second home?

Tee: Yeah, man, umm. I love Cincy. You know what I mean. Uh, the community, everything. And you know... it's like a second home like you said, and man, just... just everywhere I go, everybody always show love. So it's just like.. man, it feel like I'm back at Tennessee... So you know what I mean -it's just -it's just great.

Q: Speaking of showing love, your quarterback was everywhere [Tee chuckles] in New Orleans showing love for you to stay here in Cincinnati. What was it like for you to watch that and take that in?

Tee: Nah man, that's -that's -that's, you know, that's what it's all about. You know, umm, another -another brother looking out for his brother, and you know, umm, you can't ask for nothing more than that. You know what I mean, he putting that pressure on the front office and whatnot, but uh, we'll see, you know, umm. And I appreciate him and Ja'Marr, you know, for speaking out or -and doing things that make you, umm... because guys don't have to do that, you know what I mean, and you know, uh. It speaks for who they are as a person, so.

Q: I mean, they've been doing that since [audio cuts out]

Tee: [audio cuts out] crazy, but... I mean, you know we'll see. You never know what the future holds so.

Q: Ok, let me ask you this. Joe said that you guys have had discussions as a group about staying together. Is he correct that you guys have actually talked about this in a future where -not just you, Ja'Marr, and Joe- but also Trey, all stay Cincinnati Bengals?

Tee: Uh yeah, of course, uh. We all want to, you know, keep the core pieces what it is. You know, even with Mike Gesicki, you know what I mean. Umm. You know, just -that's a core piece as well. So. Obviously we want to build something here in Cincy. But you know, uh... it's not in my hands right now, so uh... I gotta do what I need to do and if that's - go to another team and -and, you know, that's what happens, so.

Q: Well, a lot of Bengals fans will be watching this, Tee, and they all want you to stay, you know that. What is your priority when it comes to this offseason and finding the best fit for you and your future?

Tee: Right now, umm... I'm just trying to stay away from it right now and you know, uh, clear my head and get away from the game, especially after this - after tonight. Umm, clear my head and get away from the game for a few weeks and then obviously in March, uh, that's when things start ramping up for me, umm, with the free agency coming up and then umm... I mean... Obviously, I would love to be here -in Cincinnati. I love it here, I love the city, I love the fans, I love -you know, the coaching staff and everything in the building, um but... Hey... Ah, it's not in my control.

Q: I asked you after the Denver game - I don't know if you remember this- I said 'do you think you proved your value to everybody inside the organization'? I think you proved your value to everybody in the league this year. Do you feel like it was your best year and do you feel like everyone understands now, the value you have at your position?

Tee: Uh, you know, uh, coming into this season, umm. You know, uh, last offseason, I -I thought I had my best offseason since I've been in the league. And, you know, I came in healthy and ready to go. And then obviously the injury before Week 1 was -you know, I was devastated. And then, you know, came back -that Washington game and umm, played pretty decent. And then I got injured again, missed a few more games and -you know, I was in my head a lot. You know, I had to go talk to some people, you know, and see what's going on and man, just... You know, that last little stretch, I played -I did what I needed to do and you know, it helped me out. And you know, I -I feel like, you know, I proved, you know, my worth and you know, umm. Yeah, man. So.

Q: Alright, it is Super Bowl Sunday. I know everybody watching this in Cincinnati is rooting for a team in particular tonight. You're one of those guys who's part of this rivalry [Tee: Yeah!] against the Chiefs. So when you watch this game -the Eagles and the Chiefs- will you watch it as a Bengals player, hoping the Chiefs don't win, or -you just going to watch a good football game?

Tee: Yeah, I'm definitely going to go for the Eagles. I ain't gonna lie, I'm definitely going to go for the Eagles. But, you know, uhh, obviously, they got, you know, they got former teammates of mine over there. And you know, one of my good friends, Deandre Hopkins. You know, it's the first time -his first time playing in the Super Bowl. So... if they do win, I won't be upset - but just for those guys, you know what I mean, and. But I'm definitely going for the Eagles 1000 percent. 1000 percent.

link to original interview here

[hxrsheykisses]

Plsplspls gimme the eltingville club members with a rlly trashy punk reader. Like 2000s trashy but just so happens to like pink and junk plsplsplspls I think it'd honestly be so funny 🙏🙏

-🦇

JEEZ! PETE THOUGHT YOU WERE A BADDIE! He was the first one to spot you out walking on the sidewalk, looking all sexy and shit and he knew he had to take a shot. This didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of his crew, and they understood why Pete went all cornball when they saw you.

You were the stuff—you ARE the stuff! It’s crazy how they never seen you before around her, and what were you doing in a neighborhood like this anyway? What really pieced you together was your style, you just stuck out in the most alluring way possible and they couldn’t take their eyes off of you.

It took them a LONG time to get the courage to talk to you. Pete? He tried numerous times to get you to slide your number but Bill, Josh, and Jerry held him back from doing so because they didn’t need him scaring you off. It was an awkward moment…weird. They haven’t ever seen a girl like you before just prancing around. It was new for them!

Turns out, you’re a pretty cool gal! You had that vibe to you where it just had that confident punch to it. You weren’t overly bitchy, you weren’t loud and obnoxious—and you weren’t a “stupid femoid” either. You had class!

Your outfits were both cool and…weird combos but hey! You wore them out anyway despite the contrast and how some of the patterns on the clothes didn’t come together—you made it come together! It was how you held yourself that kept them going—it was pleasing to see and kinda hot too.

All this confidence would make them kinda intimidated by you because again, they never had a girl around them before and they are all useless. When you first started hanging with them, they thought that eventually you’d just turn up to be a stuck up bitch who just kept them around because you had nothing better to do or you wanted to pull a joke off them. So it was a tough couple of weeks for all of you because of that distrust and wariness.

Mall shopping was like…a 24/7 thing. You were constantly upgrading your closet with the jumbo amount of clothes you’d buy and made them follow behind you while carrying all of your bags. Of course they didn’t say anything (Bill may have but not for long) cause I mean…you’re a baddie. And who knows when they’ll get lucky like this again?!

Other people in the neighborhood would be confused…like HELLA confused! What’s a girl like YOU hanging out with boys like THEM? It didn’t add up right! There was like mini controversy about this cause how did they bag the baddie of the neighborhood??? Don’t get me STARTED on Joe’s ass either cause he was making faces and shit wondering why you waltzed up in his shop with his most annoying ass regulars? AND comes to find out that you hanging around them? Yeah, he definitely pulled the guys aside and told them that you were probably gonna dump them on the side of the road—he was the one that egged on that toxic thoughts of distrust in the beginning.

You guys are just weird. You’re a weird bunch.A VERY contrast bunch. You’ll have to get the boys in check sometimes because they can be a little TOO weird and creepy and you wouldn’t stand alongside some nasty little boys who have jack off rituals. You can’t STAND it when they argue either cause it’s always some petty shit and they are WAY too grown to be acting out like that and their parents aren’t doing shit hardly so you gotta step in! Put them in their place GIRL!

Also, anybody who is in that 2000s style, you are lowkey a BADDIE. Idc. All the outfits eat every single time.

[ameliathornromance]

The Love Letter Incident - Orc x Reader

A/N: Here's this weeks exclusive post for you all! This idea has been floating around inside my head for a while so I hope you guys enjoy :)

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

“No, this doesn’t sound right.” Your Orc Boyfriend muttered. Taking the parchment in his hands, he scrunched it up and threw it over his shoulder. He didn’t bother to check where it landed, returning to the final sheet of parchment in front of him.

A few days ago, you had said something to him that had struck a cord with him. You had your head in some old book about fairytales.

Apparently, these tales were populated with stories of Knights fighting off monsters to romance a Princess who was more often than not, locked away in a tower, or being held hostage by the monster or some kind of wicked step mother.

But you weren’t really enamoured by those kinds of stories, thank God. Instead, you had grown fond of a very different kind of story. One where the lovers in the story, wrote letters to each other as they were forbidden from being together.

Hearing you sigh in a dreamy tone, he wondered why you were so in love with this idea.

What’s so romantic about being locked away from seeing the person you love? To him that sounded more like a nightmare rather than a romantic tale.

He asked you about it one evening as you reread that story for the umpteenth time.

“Because it’s not often that someone gets their love expressed through letters.” You explained, “but it’s not just about that, it’s about the pining and the forbidden nature of it all. It just makes it more appealing.”

“Is that why you started seeing me then?” He then asked.

You’d smacked him on the arm and he’d laughed at your reaction. “No!” You protested. “I can enjoy the fantasy of something while being in a relationship that’s considered… taboo.” You reasoned. “And besides, it’s not like we’re being forcefully kept apart is it?”

While you were right on that part, the story about letters being passed to lovers in secret had stuck with him.

You had only gotten together about three months ago and still hadn’t told the rest of the camp this news. Even his best friends hadn’t been told and for good reason.

Your Orc’s best friends can be a bit… rambunctious. They had no filter to share between them and would often just say what came to mind. And they were no good at keeping secrets either.

As a matter of fact, they would go out of their way to out secrets unless they were related to the camps overall safety. And that’s why your boyfriend had kept your relationship a secret from them.

The idea of keeping it quiet was first put forward by you, as you wanted to get comfortable in the relationship first. And if you weren’t okay with everyone knowing you two were together, then he was going to respect your wishes.

However, this became more and more difficult as the months went by.

Your Boyfriends friends – alongside being the worst secret keepers in the world – were also the nosiest Orcs he knew.

Which is why, later that night at dinner, he was mortified when one of his friends approached with a piece of parchment in hand. From the way the fire highlighted it’s crumpled features, your boyfriend realised what he was in for.

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[kalisburnerphone]

Found // Song Mingi

Summary: in the madness of this world I’m glad I found you. When my heart don’t seem to work it’s you I turn to.

Warnings: idol!mingi x idol!oc who’s called Jules by those close to her. She’s older than him by 3 years. Fluff, slight angst. I’ll edit later but for now, don’t ask me what this is, I just wanted to write a little something for my baby given the way he’s been getting treated not only lately but always. I wrote this on 3hrs of sleep so I’m sorry if it doesn’t make sense. It’s also lowkey a little piece of a Mingi story I’ve been working on but who knows if it’ll ever see the light.

S/N: Happy Carat Day to any fellow carats/caratinys 🩷🩵

It takes a few minutes for Mingi’s mind to register your last text before he’s scrambling off his bed and rushing to the door to pull it open.There you are, the person he can confidently say is the love of his life. Without hesitation he’s pulling you inside and wrapping you up in his arms as soon as the door is closed. It had been months since he’s held you like this, both your schedules keeping you apart even throughout the holidays.

“Fuck, I missed you.” He whispers, face buried in the mess of curls atop your head. Your arms tighten around him, a kiss pressed to his shirtless chest, a silent response to his confession letting him know that the feeling was mutual. You both stay glued to each other a bit longer before he’s bending forward and picking you up, legs wrapped around his waist he’s moving you both to the bed and settling in with you.

“Hey you,” you speak softly not wanting to shatter the little bubble you’re both in. Both his cheeks are cupped in your hands as you look at him, his eyes, soft and shining with unshed tears as he looks at you. If it’s one thing you’ve always admired about your boyfriend was that he wasn’t afraid to show his vulnerability and at first it took some getting used to because it was something you found easy to do. Mingi was patient though, he let you set the pace but made it known that he wasn’t interested in just a casual thing with you. Don’t ask him how but he’d just known from the moment Wooyoung introduced you both that you were his person and he hasn’t had a single doubt about that in the almost two years you’d been together.

There was never much need for conversation in moments like this, you both somehow just always knew when the other was needed and after your last FaceTime call you just knew that something had happened. You hadn’t been online to see what was going on so you’d just assumed it was the boys usual antics that had him sulky but after Woo had spilled what had happened earlier that day, you’d quickly wrapped up your last schedules and hopped on a flight. The others had sent you updates but Hongjoong was the only one that knew you were coming.

“What’s wrong?” you question when he keeps looking at you.

“How much time do we have together?” Time, one of the biggest obstacles in your relationship. You both made it work but sometimes it gets to you both.

“Until the finale in Seoul.” you respond, pulling him closer to you and pressing kisses all over his face before you get to his lips. He’s pulling away much too fast for you and as you chase after his lips it’s his turn to chuckle at how cute you’re being.

“ no unexpected schedules that’s going to pull you away from me?” You shake your head no and it’s all it takes for him to put his lips back where they belong.

You both can’t help the way you melt into each other like a warm embrace on a cold night. You had group shit to deal with but right here in this moment is where you need to be. In the arms of the man who seen every side of you and loves them all unconditionally. With the man who never asks for your love but knows how to take it in the ways that you offer it. Mingi never needs you to tell him that you love him because it showed from the beginning when you had randomly started asking him if he ate and if he slept to sending him food or showing up with it yourself. He had quickly learned that that was just one of the many ways in which you showed your love. It’s the same way in which everyone sees you both as this cold,alpha male/female but only the ones closest to you know just how soft you both are, how much you both even each other out.

Just as your sweet little kisses start heating up there’s a knock on his room door that Mingi has have a mind to ignore had you not spoken up, “that must be Joong, I asked him to order me food cause I had to miss lunch and dinner.”

With a pouty little huff he gets off the bed and goes to the door only to be pushed aside as soon as it opens “I heard Jules is here?” You hear Wooyoung before you see him. He waltz into the room just as you’ve taken your coat off.

“Where’s Joong? And my food?” You question looking past him.

“He’s currently building Legos with Hwa on live so he asked San and I to get it. They’ll come by after though.” He says clearing up the table in the room such as San and Yunho enter with bags of not only food but drinks as well.

“Hey Jules.” They both greet as they enter, leaving your pouty boyfriend leaning against the entrance wall with his arms folded across his chest.

“Yuyu, Sannie” you call back as you make your way to your baby.

“Do they have a you sensor or something?” you laugh softly as you unfold his arms and link your hands together. A kiss to one cheek, then the other and then his nose. “ let them have their fun, I’m not going anywhere.”

It’s a whisper against his lips as you start pulling him back into the room but he halts pulling you back against him.

“I love you.”

“Forever and Always.”

“Always and Forever.”

[daisyswift3]

Castles Crumbling 💍👻

I think the castle is going to crumble today at the Chiefs game (which btw is at the LA Sofi Stadium, what an interesting coincidence)

“Coffee at midnight” -> “That’s that me ESPRESSO” -> Sabrina’s Short n Sweet -> Olivia’s SOUR -> Julia Cooper’s SWEET N SOUR (which I think uses the cardigan metaphor to describe Taylor’s duality; Taylor the brand vs Taylor the person) -> Sabrina's Taste (sweet and sour are flavors) -> the secret menu in the 5th 🎃 message (which is abt the mass coming out movement) -> the Short n Sweet Cafe in NYC being from Sept 27-29 -> Sept 27 being World’s Biggest Coffee Morning -> Sept 29 being when the castle will crumble -> the Short n Sweet cafe being 1989 moonstone blue 🩵 -> “Some guy said my aura’s moonstone” -> Bejeweled mv ending scene where Taylor’s castle crumbles -> Chappell’s Coffee and My Kink Is Karma -> Taylor mysteriously going missing while Chappell burned down the castle at the VMAs -> Hayley Williams, who collabed w Taylor on Castles Crumbling, wearing a Vivienne Westwood dress that looks very similar to Taylor’s yellow dress in Bejeweled -> “The best ppl in life are free” -> Clean/Is It Over Now? -> Karlie and Hayley Williams both being in Paris this last week -> Young Woman and the Sea being abt a woman who competed at the 1924 Paris Olympics and shattered glass ceilings (ginger messages) -> The Paris Olympics opening ceremony which featured a headless Marie Antoinette in a castle that looks like it's burning bc of all the pyrotechnics -> Taylor dressing as Marie Antoinette in Bejeweled bc her fans are abt to figuratively behead her for rejecting Travis's proposal at the game today

(x)

[hplonesomeart]

Ah nothing stings quite like a doomed friendship. Especially when you’ve got no one to blame except yourself for all those careless, selfish actions that pushed them away. Going as far to hurt them for your own gain. You’ve become the catalyst of your own loneliness. A path you forged willingly. A path you thought would bring you recognition…but it’s only lead to you being forgotten. Irreversibly.

[sheliesshattered]

All eleven pieces of my Yule dress cut out and ready for sewing!

And the swiffer-type dust cloth I used to wipe down all the velvet fuzzies after cutting out each piece. Despite my best efforts there's still velvet lint everywhere, and probably will be until this project is done, lol.

[leapinarmadillo]

my review of Moonwalk: hot mess. ★★★.

[pepprs]

idk how to reconcile my new self with my old self. also i fucking hate waiting. GRAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH