#also I did not have the patience to remove the text frame by frame so. we're all just gonna have to live with the little mess there (I cry)

[emblazons]

...could it be chance? ♪

Cloud Strife & Tifa Lockhart No Promises to Keep • Final Fantasy VII (Rebirth)

[monstersinthecosmos]

can i ask what you mean re: disliking how the amc show deals with SA? (zero judgement ftr i just love hearing opinions about this show from other simple italian perv enjoyers. btw you're one of my favorite fic authors ever ever & i think abt gallows bird daily 🙈)

Obviously since you mentioned Gallows Bird in this very ask (thank you btw dskjglads I’m blushing) I’m not going to sit here and say people should never write about rape!!!!!!!!!!!  And I’ve been soul searching and talking this out with a friend today to make sure I’m not just being a hater and that I’m not having cognitive dissonance over the difference between writing porn (intentionally, intended as porn, labeled as porn) vs lazily throwing sexual assault at female characters for “character development”.

(putting this under a cut bc I'm not trying to hate on youse guys's show!!)

It's not that we should never talk about it, or never write about it, but I think it’s like any other storytelling where like, the framework and intention inside the text matters, and criticizing if it landed the way the creator intended is worth discussing. So like, I’m a fan of noncon smut fic, I won’t deny that. I also approach it in a context where I know I’m consuming smut, and it was intended as smut, and it belongs in its own lane. And I think, personally, I enjoy fics (which by nature are anarchistic and transformative) because they tend to be a commentary either on our culture or on the canon source material. Even when fanfics are PWPs that don’t go out of their way to talk about character arcs or make profound commentary on the canon, fanfic EXISTS as a commentary on canon in the first place, so it’s there by default.

So with AMC there’s a few things that really bother me about how they wrote Claudia in S1, and full disclosure I haven’t watched S2 yet, so take this with a grain of salt.

I don’t think it’s cool when a production team of mostly cishet men think that the only way to develop a female character is to have her raped. It’s lazy and it’s hurtful to the audience, and in this particular show it was not handled with sensitivity to make the story worth it. Like, what was the weight of the scene vs what it told us, and what was the payoff? Did the show earn this? (I personally don’t think it did.)

RJ himself said it was to “toughen her up” and that’s just, absolutely fucking nauseating to me, especially when it’s stamped with so many hallmarks of How Not to Write Rape. For example, the fact that they use it to tell us about LOUIS. It’s about LOUIS. It’s not about Claudia at all; we see her assault and the net result is seeing how it affects the MEN in her life. And even using her diary as a framing device for these moments, to tell it from her own words the best they can, it’s still about Louis. The pages being ripped out (in S1, idk how this lands in S2) are about protecting Louis. Claudia didn't remove the pages to protect herself, as far as we know--the men in her life removed them to protect Louis. Fridging a female character for the sake of developing the mens feelings is lazy and obnoxious, and in this story in particular it felt extremely unnecessary to the plot, and adding it at all just came across as gratuitous to me.

(Also, I can tell that this show is like, an exercise in slow burning, but, I just think the bar is really fucking high if they make this all mean something smarter but made everyone sit through this and wait 1.5+ years to get around to tucking it in lol. And like, idk what the pages could possibly say/how they will present it that will change my opinion, but RJ's comments can't be unheard so I'm not sure it matters and the trust simply isn't here, for me. Personally I don't have the patience to wait years for a show to close a loop like this but maybe you're more patient than me.)

I don’t want to get into a whole side essay about how gross I find the Claudia writing in general, but like, as a TLDR the way they aged her up only to reduce her to sex is just so fucking gross to me, and not like in a IT’S HORROR, IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE GROSS way, but in a This Is Kinda Fucking Sexist way. Especially with the sexist comments RJ has made about Anne Rice herself, while piggybacking her IP to make his show. But like, there were OTHER things about Claudia already. They already told us she came from an abusive background. She did not need to be raped for her to come home and recognize the abuse between her parents. Any number of horrific things could’ve happened to her out in the world, but the only way this team knows how to traumatize a girl is to have her raped.

And again I didn’t watch S2 yet so like, I’m not entirely sure how it shakes out, correct me if I’m wrong, but we find out now that it was prolonged and worse than what S1 showed us?

Like, why.

Who does the torture porn serve. We already got it, it was already horrific. We already got it. You’re overselling lol.

Claudia is already tough. She survived her dismal mortal life, she survived Lestat. She was brave enough to wander into the world, not just as a teen, but as a Black girl! She was already independent! In the book, she was the driving force behind helping Louis escape Lestat, and she was pulling the strings in getting them to Europe. The show has that material to pull from. We can see that she’s strong already. We don’t need more rape to communicate it. It’s lazy and gross. Especially when, in the same episode, they are able to traumatize Louis with horrific violence. The show knew how to use violence, mind gift manipulation, race and age and power dynamics in ways that did not involve rape, but still chose to have Claudia raped.

I don’t have an issue with stories talking about sexual assault but I think like, especially after Game of Thrones, we’ve had like, 10 years of media criticism mapping out how to write sexual assault successfully or respectfully, we’ve had endless commentary about how we can find other ways to traumatize women that do not rely on sexual assault, we’ve had endless commentary about how stories about sexual assault would be more effective if they were about the victim and not ultimately about the men in the story.  Like, enough of this already.

So, I’ll be curious to see how the show handles Armand’s sexual assault history, and if we see the writing handled differently because he’s a man, or because we have him directly on screen to tell us about it. This might reveal if this is a like, “only tool in the toolbox is rape” situation or a “women exist in fiction to be raped” situation. But if Lestat suffered at the hands of Magnus without being raped and Louis suffered at the hands of Lestat without being raped*, I have to ask why it was okay to have Claudia raped, why that was the thing they came up with, and while they can’t backpedal and fix the way RJ spoke about it during S1, they have an opportunity to be more intentional with the way they write it for Armand.

(*I do want to add that S1E5 being bookended by blood drinking was a hint that Lestat drinking from Louis during their fight was also rape, contrasted by the way Louis drinks from Armand in the beginning as ~ lovemaking ~; imo that could've been a more tasteful way to handle it in this universe specifically, when that’s the sex analog in the books. So like, yes in some ways Louis was raped by Lestat in this episode, but that also shows we respect Louis enough to have it symbolic vs Claudia’s being literal.)

But I just have a real bad feeling, the way they made Lestat WAY WORSE I just imagine they’ll do the same to Marius. And it’s sort of ironic that the show in a lot of ways exists in conversation with the book canon, like, the racial commentary feels at times like a commentary on the books’ racism, and I wonder what the decision making process was when they were picking which themes to correct, or comment on. Because a LOT of people criticize themes of rape and abuse in VC, and in some ways the show making it more overt feels like they’re putting a huge spotlight on it to acknowledge it properly, and in other ways, having Claudia raped feels like it’s going down the same path of insensitive, shallow writing.

And also, idk where I’m supposed to tuck this thought lol, but as an addendum I can’t not mention that I think it’s really fucked up that they’ve talked nonstop about how much they respect AR and the canon and yet had the analog character of her daughter raped. Like, in S1 they burn the tapes, in S2 they mock the plotlines as being a soap opera, and they have her daughter raped. Like, Claudia was the REASON for VC in the first place. IWTV is about Anne Rice grieving her daughter, and it sucks that the best way they could come up with existential cosmic horror for a teen girl vampire was to give her a perma-hymen and have her raped. It’s just gross, I don’t like it lol.

The first quote I saw from RJ when the show got announced, he said something like "IWTV was written by a grieving mother" -- not Anne Rice, best selling author who reinvented the vampire genre, but "a grieving mother." And it's just, idk. Rubs me the wrong way that he can reduce her that way and be this disrespectful for the character based on her daughter. =/

[lacebird]

💜  HOW TO MAKE A GIF WITH PHOTOPEA 💜

Hey everyone! I recently got asked to do a tutorial on how I make my gifs. I know that many people (such as myself) don’t have access to Photoshop for various reasons but they’d like to get into gif making. When I started making gifs, I only had a free trial of Photoshop, but when that ran out, I had to find another way to make gifs. Enter Photopea! A free, web-based software that you can use anywhere and that works just like Photoshop! 

In this tutorial, I’ll teach you how to make a basic gif like the one I did above. I use a macbook air, but it should be doable on a regular pc too!

If you found this helpful, feel free to share it with your friends! The tutorial can be found under the cut below 💜

THINGS YOU’LL NEED

A browser (I switch between Safari and Chrome, more about this later)

A screencapping software (like MPlayer OSX Extended) or, alternatively, a presentation program like Keynote or Powerpoint.

A program to screenrecord or a program that let’s you download from YouTube 

Lots of patience bc gifs are annoying little shits <3

1. GETTING A VIDEO BY SCREENRECORDING

First things first, you need to have the clip you want make a gif out of. There are plenty of ways that you can get them. I’ve seen some gifmakers say that they torrent entire movies and gif from that. The way I do is I screenrecord the part I want to gif directly from where I’m watching the movie or show (like Disney+ or Netflix [or something like 123movies if you’re a pirate 🏴‍☠️)]). That way, I don’t have to download the entire movie and I have just the part that I want.  

To screenrecord, I use my macbook’s built-in program called Screenshot. 

Open the program by pressing ctrl + command + 5 on your keyboard and you get these funny little buttons.

Click on the button that says record entire screen. The program is now recording your screen. Play the scene and make sure you expand the video into full screen so you get a full resolution. When you’re done, click the stop button that is at the top right of your screen (next to the wifi and battery symbols.)

If you don’t have Mac, I suggest you look into how to screenrecord on your computer, as I don’t know how other operating systems work. Sorry!

1B. GETTING A VIDEO FROM YOUTUBE WITH CLIPGRAB

Another way you can get videos is from Youtube. I use a program called ClipGrab for this. Download and open the program. You’ll get this window

Simply paste the link and chose the highest quality, then click ‘grab this clip!’. Done!

2. SCREENCAPPING

After we’ve obtained the clip we wanted, we can do this two ways. The first way is to use the program MPlayer OSX Extended. Here’s a tutorial on how to set it up, make sure you do this if it’s your first time using the program. Make sure that you have a special screenshot folder!

Open MPlayer, then go to file > open and find the video of the scene you screenrecorded or downloaded. MPlayer will now play the video. Use the left and right keys (< and >) to go go backwards or forwards 1 minute, but try not to move around too much because the software crashes if you do. If that happens, just click the reopen button when the popup comes on, and reload the video again.

When you’ve gotten to the point you want in the video, press the command + shift + s buttons at the same time and the program will now take a screencap of every single frame until you stop. 

If everything goes smoothly, you should find all your frames in your screenshot folder that you’ve made before when setting up the program! 

2B. USING A PRESENTATION SOFTWARE TO MAKE A GIF

If you want to skip the screencapping part and you want to have a fully completed gif, you can do the second option. That’s what I used to do before I got MPlayer. In my experience, it’s a really fast way to make a gif, but the quality isn’t really good. 

Here’s a tutorial on how to turn a slide into a gif in Keynote.

Here’s a similar tutorial on how to make a gif on PowerPoint.

Basically, you make sure that the size of your presentation is the same as your video, and that you make sure to export one slide into a gif. Also make sure that you export in the highest quality!

3. LOADING THE FRAMES IN PHOTOPEA

Finally, we can start giffing! As I said at the start, Photopea can be used anywhere, but I switch between Safari and Chrome. The reason why is that if I upload the frames in Chrome, the frames will be out of order. In Safari, that doesn’t happen, but the downside is that once I start editing, Safari will reload the page because it takes up too much memory. 

So, first I go to photopea.com on Safari. I click New Project and put in the same dimensions as the screencaps (in my case, they are 1440x900 px). You’ll get an empty project. 

Then click file > open & place and select your screenshots. Wait until Photopea has loaded all the frames, then, at the speed of light, quickly click file > save as psd before Safari reloads! You’ll find it in your folder where all your downloads are.

Next, I open Chrome (I use the incognito window because I have adblock on my usual Chrome, the program won’t work as usual if you have it enabled) and I click Open From Computer, locate your saved .psd file that you saved from Safari. 

Now, you’ll see all the frames as individual layers. Select everything by clicking on the first layer, then golding the shift button and clicking on the last layer. Press command + G to group the frames into a folder. Here’s how everything should look after you’ve grouped the layers.

^^ See how Agnes approves! Agnes things you’re going a great job!

Now, it’s time to crop the gif and get rid of the black borders. Making sure that the folder is selected, click on the crop tool (or press C) and click on Fixed Size

W is Width and H is Height, write in your sizing here. Tumblr’s max width is 540, so I put the width as such. For the height, I use 405. Then you just drag the corners until you’ve selected the part that you want, like this

Press enter and the image will be sized down 540x405 px. 

Now, our gif looks like this after cropping!

Open the folder so you can see all the layers. Select all your layers and right click on them, then click rasterize. 

Then, go to layer > animation > make frames. You’ll now see that each layer begins with _a_ - this is crucial because this is how Photopea knows that the layers are part of a gif. If your layers don’t begin with _a_, then it will not play as a gif

If you instead already have a gif done, all you have to do instead is simply click open from computer when you first open Photopea and load your already finished gif and it’ll have the _a_ at the start of every layer. You won’t have to go through the steps of loading your frames into a new project to make your gif as it’s already done and in a folder :) Just start cropping once you load it

You can preview your work by going to file > export as > gif. Make sure to change the speed in the preview window until your gif plays the way you want it! I put my speed at 500%

4. SHARPENING

Hooray, we now have our gif! But to make it look a little nicer, it’s good to sharpen it. I always use Smart Sharpen when I sharpen my gifs, and many other gifmakers use that too. It’s really good :D

To sharpen your gif, again, make sure that all your layers are selected. Go to filter > sharpen > smart sharpen. I use two different settings for my gifs, it really depends on the gif.

Setting 1 (which is the default setting)

Setting 2 

 Again, it depends on the gif, play around until it looks good to you!

Here’s our gif after sharpening it 

I ended up deleting the last few layers as the gif got bigger than 10mb (that’s Tumblr’s file limit, it your file is bigger than 10mb, it won’t upload). I also added a gradient map and it made the file size smaller, more about that in the next segment!

5. COLORING

Here’s the fun part! Now we get to play around with the gif, making it brighter and look Extra Nice™!  Since this is a black and white scene, I make sure that the blacks and the whites really pop. 

Notice how in the original scene it’s not actually b&w, it has a slight sepia tint to it. I want to remove this, so I add a gradient map by clicking on the white square with a black circle (I want to point out that we’ll be clicking on this button a lot in this step)

and I change the blending mode to Saturation

Then I add a curves layer using these settings

Then a second curves layer

Brightness/contrast 

Then my favourite! Selective color! First layer, I deepen up the blacks

Then another selective color layer, this time the whites

Lastly the neutrals

Here we have the final results!

Wasn’t this a gas! I hope this helped you out, let me know if you want to know anything else about gifmaking, I’m happy to help! Also, sorry if I wasn’t very clear, I’m bad at explaining 🙈

MORE RESOURCES:

Here are some other tutorials that are really helpful in making gifs. These users use Photoshop, but you can still use their tips most of the time in Photopea too, you just need to play around and see what works for you!

Gifmaking for beginners by @chloezhao (this one saved my life)

Pale coloring tutorial by @itsphotoshop

Two-Toned Gif Background by @clubgif​

Text with white outline tutorial by @anya-chalotra​

[alexaplaysgames]

Can you do Felix and Mc getting into a fight

My angst brain need some

You got it bb <3 Idk if this is really that much of a fight, but I couldn't make the MC too mean to Felix. Also, I’m aware this paints baby in a bad light. I had to make them fight about something okay :’( I don’t think he’d do this in canon.

Title: A bit Bitter

Pairing: Felix Escellun x GN!MC (Last Legacy)

Words: 2564

Tags: @demon-paradise @themohawkhelmet @cactus-hoodie @aomiyeon @piningmaybeanartist @another-confused-gay @uselessbeanies @nomnomcupcakesworld @druwuuwu @frozen-daydream @kirakiratears @margitartist @crowtrinkets @fanfic-about-fictif Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed.

“Tell me the truth, Felix.”

His gray eyes dart upwards from his textbooks as I storm into the room. When he sees what I hold clutched in my hands, he swallows, the bob of his throat visible even from the doorway.

I continue in a voice that is simultaneously weak and as strong as I can manage. “Is this really how you feel?”

“W-why do you have that, love?”

I frown. His nervousness sends guilt shooting through me, but I stamp it out. I’ve bent over backwards for months in an attempt to make him comfortable, and did so gladly. But this? I can only withstand so much.

I set the notebook down on the edge of his desk with a heavy thud. Felix winces.

“The things you wrote in here, about me…” I shake my head, then look away. I can feel my eyes sting, and I bite my tongue to hold back from crying. “Felix-“

“That’s private! You don’t have the right to go snooping through my possessions.”

I sigh. Yeah, I’m nosy and read his journal, and normally I would be ashamed. I shouldn’t have done it, but… “I don’t think that’s important right now.”

“Of course it’s important!” Felix gasps, standing out of his desk chair to snatch up the journal. He meets my eyes with a fragile sort of vulnerability, then pulls the journal defensively to his chest. “I’m not privy to every thought you have. You can’t judge me for mine.”

“I would never think these things of you!” My voice raises until it edges on a shout, and I frantically rush to reign it in. “I would never.”

“That’s not-“ Felix whispers with a shake of his head. “That’s not fair.”

“No. What’s not fair is this.” I reach forward and pull the leather journal from his hands, flipping forward a few weathered pages until I find what I’m looking for.

“‘Not nearly comparable to Rime’s beauty, nor do they possess his talent with magic. They’re candlelight to his radiant sun. I’ve quelled whatever feeling has stirred in my chest and decided that I won’t settle for them. Not while my love is still hurting. And I do miss him so.”

Felix is biting at his lip as I lower the book once more, his eyes watery, wide circles. “That’s old,” he chokes out. “I swear. I don’t feel that way. I love you.”

He looks like he wants to touch me, so I step away. I shake my head. “But you did feel that way.”

“I- why does it matter? That’s private. How- how much else have you read to convince yourself my feelings for you are disingenuous? You were never meant to see any of it.” He’s wrapped arms around his thin frame, now, squeezing his eyes shut as if he wishes this all would simply go away.

“I’ve read enough.”

Felix’s eyes go wide, then dart to the journal in my hand. “Why?” I ask. “Worried there’s something worse left for me to uncover?”

“N-no.” He runs his hand over his face. “Why couldn’t you stay out of my things? That was personal! It was none of your business!” Felix hisses the last words, as close to angry as I’ve ever seen him with me. His eyes are filled with tears, but his expression if one of a rage I’ve never been in the receiving end of.

“Fuck you,” I spit out, watching him hiccup as if the words were a physical blow. “You’re a liar, Felix.” Then I simply can’t help myself but to add, “Maybe you do deserve to be alone.”

I know as soon as I say it that I’ve gone too far, and the look on his face- fuck. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the broken, hurt expression that flashes across his features out of my head. Yes, the words he’d written in that journal had stung, but I don’t feel any satisfaction from hurting him just as badly. If anything, it makes me feel worse.

All I feel is lost. My psyche weighs heavy with guilt, as well as hatred for myself for letting my patience slip. Before it can all come crumbling down on me, I turn on my heel and rush out the door, slamming it behind me with an echo that rings much to hollow to make me feel any better.

✦✧✦✧

I had frantically stuffed my few belongings into a bag and rushed to the nearest inn, flopping onto a rickety bed and crying myself to exhaustion. That had been two days ago, now, and I haven’t spoken to Felix since.

On the bright side, sending drunk texts is much more difficult to do when one doesn’t possess a cellphone.

Each night my dreams are filled with memories of his face, his smile. I can feel him in my arms, see the distinct colour of his blush each time I call him “baby” or “my sweet”. I wonder if I was over-dramatic in my reaction, but then remember the words in that journal. To think, the passage I had read aloud had only been one of many.

No. I was right to be upset.

I keep wondering if maybe the things he wrote in there were true. Yet, it’s so confusing- Felix has always had the upmost respect for me. And he’s not exactly great at hiding his emotions.

I’ve met with Anisa and Sage, both of whom seemed relatively stunned at the news. Anisa had offered exercise as a way to take my mind off it, and Sage had offered… another form of physical activity altogether, which didn’t really surprise me.

“A fight? Really? You two have always seemed like such a sappy married couple…”

I sigh. “Thanks, Sage. Really. It wasn’t even a fight, to be honest.”

“Married couples do fight, Sage.” Anisa pats my hand. “Felix is just dramatic. It will be fine! Whatever he did, I’m sure he didn’t mean it. He just gets a little… jumbled up sometimes. But his intentions are pure. At least, I believe so. You can never tell with Felix.” She smiles. “Give him some time to mope and he’ll apologize.”

“If it helps,” Sage interjects, “he fought all the time with deer boy, and they were apparently a thing. I’m sure he’s used to it.”

I refrain from telling Sage that his oh-so-helpful comment is far from helpful; in fact, it highlights exactly what I’m worried about.

Tonight, thunder strikes outside in heavy, booming claps. The room I’ve rented is lowly lit by a single candle, but the flashes of lightning outside the window often light up the entire space. Rain pelts the roof and the wind howls mournfully, as if in empathy of my crushed spirit.

I’m just in the middle of pretending I’m in a sad music video when I hear an unsteady knock at the door. At first, I think it might be a tree branch outside, being as it’s so soft, but then I hear the sound again.

I fling the wool blankets over my head with a huff and shuffle towards the door, then unceremoniously fling it open.

I should have expected it would be my necromancer boyfriend looking like a drenched cat.

Felix is sopping wet, his hair plastered to his forehead and clothes so soaked I can see his tanned skin underneath. As soon as the door opens, his eyes go wide, and he immediately looks as if he’s attempting to say something, but he can’t seem to spit it out. His teeth are chattering so forcefully he can’t speak, and the wind has whipped the wet strands of hair into his mouth.

He is so stupid. I immediately can’t help but think that I love him. I am definitely morosexual.

I blink dazedly at him for a moment, before grabbing his elbows and hastily pulling him inside.

“I’m s-sorry,” he sobs as I grab a blanket off the bed and hastily wrap it around his shoulders. I can’t tell if he’s shaking from crying or the cold, can’t tell if the wetness on his face is from his tears or the rain. “I’m so sorry.”

“Felix, it’s fine. Come here, you’re going to get hypothermia.”

I grab a towel from the bathroom and begin using it to dry his hair. He shakes his head as he pushes it away, sending droplets of water flying. “No! Listen, please, I am sorry, I am. I wish to explain myself. You deserve that much, at least.”

I sigh, then stand back and nod. I sit down on the edge of the bed. The mattress groans, as do I. “Fine.”

Felix pauses as if he didn’t expect that answer.

Then he picks at the frayed strings of the blanket around him. He shivers as he tugs it tighter around his shoulders. He licks his lips. “I wasn’t in a good place when we met.”

I nod. It was obvious then, and it’s even more so now. “I know.”

“It wasn’t healthy. I know that it wasn’t, but-” he cuts off as the thunder outside rumbles, lightning illuminating the haunted look in his eyes. “I loved Rime. More than that, I obsessed over him.”

That much I had guessed, but the confirmation does still twist my stomach.

“I was still in love with him when we met. Desperately so. I clung to the very idea of him for years. Rime adored how I idolized him, he encouraged it-“ he looks out the window as if lost in thought, then sighs. “It wasn’t you. I would’ve compared anyone to him. I did.”

Felix sniffs, then delicately kneels at my feet. “I am so sorry. I promise I didn’t truly think those things, my dear. I just felt so guilty, every time I felt anything for you. I had made myself think that he was perfect, that I could enforce my love for him through some strange sort of self-discipline.” He cringes, as if he knows how awful that sounds. “It seemed reasonable. I owed him my life.”

Apparently having said what he needed, Felix goes quiet. His eyes are red-rimmed, dark circles underneath, as if he’s been crying instead of sleeping ever since I left him.

“You are so incredibly lovely,” he whispers, choking. “I could see it even then. I was scared of what it would do to me to admit it.”

I swallow. I’m honestly not sure whether to believe him, but the look in his eyes is so earnest. Felix is many things, but he’s not one to hide his feelings, nor is he a good actor. I know deep down that he’s not faking his love for me, despite how my heart convinced me otherwise.

“If- If you’re still angry with me, I understand,” Felix stammers, though the tears in his eyes make it seem like that isn’t true. “M-maybe I should leave-“

The rain pounds harder against the windows. The wind whistles through the surrounding cracks. I grab his wrist.

“Come here, my sweet.”

Felix’s eyes widen at my use of my pet name for him, a timid look of disbelief in his eyes as he takes my hand and allows me to pull him onto the bed. I lie down on my back and guide to lay against my chest.

“I forgive you.” I almost can’t believe the words myself, but I know that it’s the only option I could ever consider. I love him. It’s a simple as it is complex.

“You needn’t-“

“I do. It wasn’t right of you to say those things, but it was also unfair of me to get so angry with you over something you wrote a long time ago. I know your old relationship really took a toll on you. Besides, I said some awful things to you too, Felix,” I continue, reaching up to brush his bangs back from his forehead. He trembles, leaning slightly into my touch. “You don’t deserve to be alone. I wanted to hurt you like you hurt me, and I shouldn’t have. Okay?” I wait until he finally nods to continue. “And I’m sorry for going through your things. I betrayed your trust, and you were right to be upset.”

Felix goes a little slack-jawed before he finally breathes out, “O-of course I forgive you.”

“I’m glad, because I don’t think I could live without you.”

He stares at me for a moment longer before he lurches forward and kisses me, desperate and wanting, full to the brim with both apology and forgiveness. It tastes if the salt of his tears and the cold rainwater that runs over his cheeks. He’s shaking the whole time, and I tug him tighter to my chest. I can feel his heart racing through the fabric of our clothes.

“I love you, sweet.”

“I love you too,” Felix hiccups, “so much.”

We spend a bit longer like that, tangled up in the bedsheets with Felix soaking through both our clothes. Eventually, I pull back.

“Did you really wait until it was storming to show up and apologize?”

A sheepish laugh as he flushes. “I had t-thought it would be romantic. Like in my novels. I didn’t realize it was pouring quite so hard.”

His cheeks are a flaming red and he looks away like he expects me to be upset. I sigh to hide my fond smile. All I can do is kiss him again.

“I’ve brought you something,” Felix murmurs, his lips so close to mine that they brush, his eyelashes wet against my cheeks. He reaches back and takes the leather notebook, the stupid source of all our fighting, out of his coat pocket. It’s surprisingly dry.

I can’t help but want to smack that stupid book out of his hand. “Felix, why would you do that?”

He rolls his eyes, then gets up and stands off to the side of the bed. The room lights up green as his entire hand, the journal with it, are suddenly engulfed in flames, until nothing but ashes sift through his fingertips, drifting down to settle against the wooden floor.

“You’re my future.”

He’s so dramatic. I love him to pieces.

I grab his waist and all but tackle him back onto the bed, delighting in his surprised squeak.

“Stop!” Felix yelps as he falls back against the mattress, only to be assaulted by my cuddles, “I’m positively soaked; I’ll drench the sheets.”

I can’t really say that I care. We have a lot of making up to do; I’m not spending a second without him by my side for the rest of the night. Felix grumbles a final complaint and then sighs. He wraps his arms around me and presses his cheek into my chest, and I can’t help but think he feels the same.

“I didn’t enjoy that,” he mumbles, turning his face into me to hide his expression. “Being apart from you, it- hurt. I missed you.”

“I missed you too, baby.” I’m just realizing how much. His scent and the feel of his hair against my skin, his voice. He’s invaded my senses once more, and it feels like coming back to life.

He turns to look up at me. His cheeks are rosy and his hair mussed, droplets of water clinging to his eyelashes and temples. God, he’s so adorable- I don’t know how I could ever stand to be angry with him. “I don’t want to be at odds with you anymore. I love you too much.”

I boop his perfect nose. “Deal.”

[vesuvian-american-fics]

Warm Like Honey... Ch 1

Spring...

You are the ace of the Fukurodani Girls Volleyball Club, and a second year. Also, you're a foreign student having moved to Japan from America years ago when your mom remarried. You attend a celebratory dinner for making it to the Tokyo Spring Volleyball Tournament with Bokuto, Akaashi, Kuroo, and Kenma. You develop a minor crush on the short blonde, and unbeknownst to you... he likes you too. Years pass while Kenma ignores his feelings and you decide never to reveal yours in fear of losing your friendship. How will the two of you open up to one another romantically? (AO3)

Words: 4,154

“Kuro... how is it that we’re meeting Akaashi and Bokuto, but we’re here first? Usually, Akaashi makes it on time despite his handicap. (Bokuto)” Kenma asked while absentmindedly scrolling through his social media. Kuroo snorted at the remark before checking his texts for any update from Akaashi.

The four of them were meant to meet up to have dinner at this yakiniku place Bokuto found to celebrate making it to another spring volleyball tournament together. Kuroo’s brow arched in curiosity at the words on the screen of his phone.

“Looks like Bokuto’s bringing a friend? The ace from the girls' team.” He tossed his phone to the table before taking another sip of his cola. Kenma visibly curled in on himself. His shoulders slouching even further than he knew possible. His raven-haired friend chuckled at his visceral reaction.

“If I’d known he bring someone else I would have refused to come...” He mumbled his complaint. Kuroo shook his head before he replied.

“Don’t be like that, you need more friends.” He crooned, loving the way Kenma’s face twisted in disgust.

“That’s too troublesome-–” Before Kenma could continue to complain he noticed Kuroo’s demeanor shift, his eyes tracking someone from across the restaurant near the front doors.

Bokuto’s large frame shuffled through the front doors, the boys watched as Akaashi stood obediently behind his ace watching as he asked for their table. The hostess swiftly led the two boys to their booth. Kuroo noted the way a third person trailed behind them both. She looked tall, only a couple of inches shorter than Akaashi. Her hair was curlier than most, big and voluminous about her frame, but still Bokuto’s body obscured the rest of the view.

The three of them thanked the hostess for guiding them to their table before Akaashi greeted Kenma and Kuroo.

“Kuroo-san, Kozume-san. Good evening.” He said, his voice soft and straight to the point. Kenma only nodded, busying himself with his drink and avoiding eye contact. Kuroo, gave his greetings, before giving Bokuto their signature handshake.

“Bokuto! Good to see you, w-who this?” Kuroo asked, cursing the way his voice trembled. Kenma finally tore his eyes from the bubbles floating around his soda to lift them up to where you stood. Bokuto stood in the way before finally shifting to the side to give you a loud introduction.

“This!! Is L/N Y/N! The ace of the girls’ team at Fukurodani! She’s a second year!” He shouted excitedly, gaining the attention of the other patrons of the restaurant. Kenma flinched at his volume shutting his eyes before he opened them again and they fell upon your face.

You were tall, about 5’9 if he had to guess. A womanly figure with a bit of muscles on the arms, you looked strong which was how he guessed you managed to be the ace. Your lips looked soft and pillowy as they stretched into a big smile as you took Kuroo’s hand to shake. Your black hair framed your face nicely, tight curls bouncing about with your every movement. Your scent was warm, like honey and cinnamon, and that happened to be the perfect way to describe your skin tone. A warm mahogany tone, you looked smooth and bronzed in the amber lighting above the booth. You were beautiful and obviously foreign. Your American accent was endearing even though your Japanese was fluent.

Kenma’s eyes turned more cat like as his curiosity mounted, suddenly there was nothing more interesting than this new girl Bokuto was introducing. His stare was intense, only when you shyly waved at him did he finally blink.

“This is Kenma.” Kuroo stated, reclaiming his seat behind him. Kenma only nodded awkwardly, cursing his shy personality for keeping him from introducing himself.

“Hello, Kozume-san.” You greeted politely; your voice was soft but unlike any he heard before maybe it was the accent but it was smooth.

“Let’s eat!” Bokuto cut in, plopping down in his seat next to Akaashi while you took the spot on the end, right across from Kenma. Making eye contact, you blessed him with another kind smile.

“Bokkun... could you pass me a plate please.” You asked playfully, to which Bokuto confidently obliged.

Oh. So that’s it. She has a crush on Bokuto of course. Kenma chewed his cheek before taking out his phone to take his attention away from you and the way you had a nickname for Bokuto. Kuroo eyed Kenma for only a moment before light conversation overtook the table.

It wasn’t long before Kuroo was interrogating you, but you were nice so you answered his every question with ease.

“I notice an accent, L/N, where are you from?” Kuroo asked placing his chin into the palm of his hand.

“Born in America, but not too long after I was born my father passed. Years later my mom remarried to a Japanese man, so he taught us the language and after some years he wanted us to see Japan. Then we moved out here and it’s been great ever since!” You grinned cheerfully despite everything.

“Oh, I’m sorry for your loss L/N-san.” Akaashi said sincerely. Kenma took it they never asked about your past before.

“No, no! It’s fine, I love my dad and my new one! I’m very happy to be here.” You said placing some meat into the spicy broth to cook. You cleared your throat before continuing on.

“But enough about me, I want to know about you two! What positions do you play?” You quipped, eyes flipping between Kuroo and Kenma. Kenma suddenly perked up at this, surprising Kuroo the way he sat himself up straight to respond.

“I’m setter, he’s the captain.” He said, his voice sounding small and weak. His thin brows knitting together for a fraction of a second.

“Oh, just like these two that’s funny. Haha!” You giggled at the irony before leaning in pressing Kenma to speak more. His cheeks dusted a pink shade, something not unnoticed by Kuroo. Akaashi would have caught it too had Bokuto not been chatting along and he listening intently.

He stammered before he could get the words from his chest. Pitying him, Kuroo took over.

“Kenma here is super smart, the best setter I’ve met!” He gave Akaashi a sly grin as his attention was piqued.

“Kenma’s great but I like Akaashi most!!” Bokuto barked, hooking his muscular arm roughly around his friend's neck pulling him close. Akaashi choked on his onigiri under Bokuto’s grip but never fought to remove himself.

Kuroo copied Bokuto’s action, hooking his own arm around Kenma before he had time to move away. He snatched him close making Kenma flail and drop his chopsticks.

“Kuro, please don’t do that.” He groaned; a serious frown plastered on his features. You tried in vain to stifle your giggles behind your hand, turning your face away from the four to spare them. Your hair and your gold hoop earrings jumped along with each chuckle. It accented your skin perfectly, Kenma had an eye for details like this since he spent a lot of time taking in the outfits of the characters from his RPGs. His face immediately softened, a small smile etching its way across his lips as he reluctantly dragged his eyes off of you.

The three others noticed the exchange before glancing amongst each other to see if they all caught that. After that, the night drew on as usual, conversation, laughter, eating and drinking. Just a lot more fun than usual, Kenma noticed.

After a few hours of fun, you checked your phone. Right on schedule, your dad was texting about when you’ll be on the way home. You released a reluctant sigh.

“Bokkun, Akaashi. My dad’s asking for me.” You gave a sad smile to Kuroo and Kenma. Kuroo smiled back whereas Kenma actually looked sad, an evident slouch in his shoulders and downturn to his lips. You held his glance for a beat longer than what was offered to Kuroo before the five of you all stood in unison to leave, the bill having been split and paid half an hour ago.

Walking outside you stuck close to Bokuto, something Kenma wish he hadn’t noticed. You turned to smile at the two boys before pulling your coat closer around you.

“I had fun; it was nice meeting you! If ya got time at the spring tournament, come watch me play!” You cheered, waving goodbye to the Nekoma boys before turning on your heel walking in between Akaashi and Bokuto. Kenma gave a small wave in your direction before walking in the opposite direction and heading for the train station. It was a brisk night, so Kenma hoped he could blame the chilly weather for his flushed cheeks.

“You have some explaining to do my boy.” Kuroo teased playfully, leaning down into Kenma’s headspace causing his junior to scowl and move away. He pulled out his phone to play some mobile games and drown out Kuroo’s questioning.

“You look at her the way you look at Chibi-chan! You like her!” Kuroo announced with a laugh. Kenma rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.

“I don’t look at Shoyo any certain way Kuro...” He grumbled, scanning his card for the train and leaving Kuroo behind while he scrambled for his wallet. But Kuroo was right, Kenma did have a special patience and joy when around Hinata Shoyo. He was fun and exciting and Kenma couldn’t quite place why he enjoyed his presence, and paid more attention to him than he did his childhood friend Kuro.

“Well whatever, you better do something before Bokuto does! All I’m saying.” Kuroo warned, he dropped the conversation finally noting the way Kenma’s frown looked almost painful behind his scarf. Kenma dropped himself onto his seat on the train leaning up against the window to be just an inch further away from his friend's body. Kuroo finally hushed himself on the subject, instead to discuss the upcoming tournament that was a few weeks away. Kenma half-heartedly listened to what was said.

...

Lazily, Kenma dragged himself off the van. Even though the tournament was held in Tokyo, and the drive for Nekoma wasn’t even half an hour, Kenma was especially tired. Following after Kuroo to grab his bag his attention was pulled to the memorable colors, black white and gold for Fukurodani. The girls’ team wore the same uniform as the boys of course, all but the bottoms being exchanged for short spandex.

“Get your jaw off the ground.” Kuroo joked, tossing Kenma’s duffel bag haphazardly. Kenma blushed lightly before snapping at the captain.

“My mouth was closed!” He said, pulling the strap of his bad over his shoulder with a huff. His eyes scanned over your uniform, taking note of the way the muscles you grew from volleyball were complimented nicely by the clothes. He also noticed you happened to have the same type of knee guards as Bokuto. Long, coming up to consume half of your thighs, and half of your calves. Your legs were long, he noticed, a shiver crawling up his back.

Your brown skin under the morning light was lovely, the way the sun's rays absorbed into your skin. He glanced up to your face, saving the best for last, your hair was different today. It was braided up in a way he hadn’t seen before, long and pulled back into a high pony tail. He liked that you switched up your style, even if this is only the second time he’s ever seen you. Kenma would have kept staring if he hadn’t seen the way you turned to face him head on. Kenma flinched, snapping his eyes up to meet yours. Your eyes were on him already, tentatively you smiled and waved at him. Kenma raised his hand to wave back but it was awkward and shaky. Kuroo was stood next to him now, waving back at you. The two of them watched as you were scolded by your coach.

“L/N! We’re over here...”

“Sorry!’’ You squeaked snapping your neck to face them head on. Kenma couldn’t fight the small smile that sneaked onto his lips, but he quickly pulled his lips into a tight line when Kuroo bent down to stare blankly into Kenma’s eyes. He snorted lightly before patting his friend on the shoulder.

“Let’s go Kyannma!”

Your eyes shifted over to Kenma as his team walked away into the venue. Your team arrived only a few minutes before the boys from your school and your coach wanted to wait to walk in together as a statement. The captain and vice-captains would walk in the front, some type of intimidation tactic. It would have also included the Aces but, Bokuto was the ace and captain while you were the ace and vice-captain. So, it works out nice.

You stood next to your captain, Haku, who sported a short bob with pins to keep her bangs out of her face. She was tall, strong, and had great leadership skills. You admired her a lot. The same way you admired Bokuto. He was strong, fun, and although he was an unconventional leader his team was so in sync because of him. You laughed as his catchphrase spilled from the open doors of the boys’ van.

“Hey! Hey!! HEY!!!” He shouted, jumping from the van and rushing towards the back to grab his bag. You smiled and waved to Akaashi as he sauntered after Bokuto, hot on his heels. The two of them passed out all the bags before coming to greet the girls’ team properly.

“You ready Bokkun? Akaashi?” You asked your friends.

“More than ready! Right Akaashi?!”

“Of course, Bokuto-san.”

The three of you smiled amongst yourself before Haku joined and the four of you lead your teams into the venue. To your left, you glanced to Shiratorizawa, you were considering going to that school but plans changed when your mom convinced your dad to take you all to the city rather than the countryside that is Miyagi. You were glad, Ushiwaka was intimidating but you found Tendou seemed to be fun from what you saw at their games. Across from them was Aoba Johsai, their uniforms were cute and bright you thought to yourself. Their captain extremely talented, but a bit childish.

Further down the hall, there was Date Tech across from Karasuno. You knew Date Tech had a strong block; you were glad you didn’t have to go up against that yourself. You’re sure you’d quit after getting blocked by Aone one too many times. He seemed to be sizing up the ace of Karasuno, both seemed intimidating however the bun-head from the crows seemed a lot more approachable you thought.

“Bokuto-san!!!”

“My student!”

You and Haku exchanged a confused glance before looking down to the small, but pleasingly energetic ginger before you. Hinata Shoyo. You heard his name a few times back during that dinner celebration. Turns out he’s superfast and his jump can rival that of any player here. They mingled only a moment before the starting setter from Karasuno snatched the boy back to where he was meant to be. You giggled at the sight of the two bickering before Haku caught your attention.

“This way, L/N.” You nodded before turning back to Bokuto and Akaashi.

“Come watch me play when you can! A-and bring the other two.” You stammered before jogging off with your team. Akaashi nodded in agreement before glancing down the hall to where Kenma and Kuroo stood huddled with their team. He gave a small smile to no one in particular before rounding on Bokuto once more, all the teams heading into the large gym to warm up.

The girls' games were later in the day while the boys were first. You were glad both Fukurodani and Nekoma were kind of in the same area, easy to see both teams play.

You watched Bokuto and Akaashi hundreds of times, often joining the boys extra weekend practices so you could learn from the two of them. They gave you a surge of confidence, you were fidgeting in your seat anxious to get on the court and play yourself. However, today, for the first time Nekoma also had your attention.

Kenma’s movements were minimal but precise, never taking any extra step that he didn’t need to. He was refined in a way, much like Akaashi, but you think it’s more so to preserve his energy rather than solely to be precise and accurate for the ace like Akaashi. You chuckled at the idea.

You smile at how softly he’d send the ball to his hitters, even when a first year, extremely tall, couldn’t quite get the hang of things at first. You were thoroughly entertained by both games, and happy to see both win and move on to their next game after a break.

As their second games were just about to wrap up your team was pulled to start warming up. You felt giddy. Across from that gym, into a much smaller one you noticed, your team took their place and began their drills. As you waited to run up for the ball and practice your spikes you jumped in place warming up your thigh muscles for the work.

Your serves were great as usual, your arm snapping towards the ball with as much force as you could give and they always landed right where you wanted. You grinned from ear to ear, and as your game was about to start, you quickly looked around the stands. Your eyes scanned through the sea of faces before they landed on Bokuto’s unique hair, and next to him Akaashi  on one side and Kuroo on the other. And next to him... The real reason you were in high spirits. Kozume. He had his team jacket zipped all the way up to his chin, and when you two made eye contact you adored the way he tucked his mouth into the jackets collar. You gave the four of them a small wave before being forcefully tugged into a team huddle. Haku shoving your head down into the huddle to keep your attention.

Kuroo chortled at the sight while Bokuto sized up your competition. Akaashi smiled at you before speaking.

“L/N-san is a strong player but easily distracted, much like Bokuto-san.” He explained with a fond look in his eyes. Kenma watched him before sliding his feline eyes back to your huddle just as you all were breaking. Somehow, he could hear your voice outside of all others across the court. The four boys settling in as the game came to a start. Your team had the ball, and to give them a proper welcome you were up to serve.

You bounced the ball a few times before bringing it up to your forehead, eyes closing as you calmed yourself and got into the zone.

“Don’t think of anyone or anything else, just the ball and where you want it to land.” You whispered to yourself.

You gave the ball a high toss, while the other watched how it rolled in the air, Kenma focused on your approach. He perked up as he noticed you were going for a jump serve. The way you muscles rippled underneath your skin as you went for the jump, your braids floating behind you, and finally, your toned arm coming forward to smack the ball where it needed to go. Kenma knew exactly where you were sending it before you even hit, right to the middle of the back row that was foolishly unguarded. With a loud, THWAP, the ball was sent to the wooden floor right before the white line. It was in bounds and perfect.

“Yahoo!” Bokuto cheered, drawing a lot of attention. Kenma applauded your first service ace a prideful smile hidden behind his jacket’s collar. Kuroo cheered with Bokuto while Akaashi stood and clapped for you. You gave them a proud thumbs up before giving another service ace, before your planned third was finally received by the libero of the other team.

As the game continued on, your opponent's put up a good fight. However, it just wasn’t enough in comparison. Your strength, your libero’s speed, your captain’s intellect and technique. It was a losing battle from the first service ace, with the final score being 2-1. You hopped around in celebration, hugging your teammates tight before regaining your composure to shake the losing team's hand.

Kenma could get used to this sight he thought. Watching you crush volleyball players left and right. He learned from Bokuto that you wanted to go pro like him, he nodded at the information. That sounds nice for you. He wished he could learn things about you straight from your own mouth, and not from Akaashi or Bo. But it wasn’t so bad. At least he’s learning something.

He sighed to himself before the four of them stood to meet you downstairs. They found you taking a sip from your water bottle and drying your forehead of sweat with a hand towel. You sighed, nodding to a teammate as she informed you of your next match in a few hours. As she walked away your eyes caught onto a familiar blonde.

You fanned your face with your hand to further cool your skin before meeting the boys halfway.

“Hi you guys! Did you have fun watching me do my thing?” You asked cheerfully, your eyes lingering on Kenma in particular. He nodded in response, a quiet ‘mhm’ humming from his lips.

You were praised by the rest of them, a wide smile on your face as you listened to the feedback. Kenma stared intensely, his pupils dilated the way a cats would at the sight of a laser pointer. That’s the way his eyes always were when they were stuck on you.

“Bokkun, my form getting better?” You asked, suddenly sounding more serious than you were a moment ago. Just as he was about to respond, Akaashi cut in.

“Bokuto-san. I’ll go find a restaurant for dinner.” Bokuto nodded before returning his attention to you. The contents of the conversation lost in the growing crowd as Kuroo and Kenma walked with Akaashi.

...

“The whole crew made it!” Bokuto celebrated as he jumped from his seat at the table to cheer more actively, he jostled everyone's drink, Kenma sprang into action to save his phone from a splash from his cup. You chuckled at the sight before turning to Bokuto and refocusing his excitement to the fresh gyoza on his plate.

But it was true what he said, Nekoma and the boys' and girls' teams from Fukurodani made it through the first day of the tournament. You’d hope you’d all make it to the end, it seemed like a more feasible feat for the others though. You were a little insecure in your abilities, that was the main reason why you looked up to Bokuto so much. He had confidence, but he also had experience with low points as well and his team helped him bounce back from it so seamlessly. You wouldn’t show it but as happy and lighthearted you seemed on the surface, inside you were an anxious type. You loved volleyball so much, it gave you comfort but the spotlight also snuffed a bit of the warmth the game lit in your heart.

You, Kuroo, Bokuto, and Akaashi clinked your glasses against each other in cheers, while Kenma lazily held his up from his seat not going through the effort to reach towards the rest of you. He once again was sat across from you, eyes glued to his phone. Before he placed his cup back onto the table you tapped your glass on his gently, shooting him a playful wink when his eyes snapped to yours. A faint blush tinted his cheeks.

“Kozume-san? Are you happy your team won today?” You asked, kinda of expecting his lack luster response.

“I-I guess, I expected as much...” He replied sheepishly, eyes bouncing around the table, landing on everything but you. You exhaled through your nose before glancing between the screen on his phone and back up to him.

“You seem to like video games more than volleyball though.” You observed nodding toward the game flappy bird on his phone. He tilted his phone upward to obscure your view before he spoke.

“I like both.” A slight pout manifested on his features.

“Well... I brought a few of my own games in my bag if you want to play later?” You asked, looking between the other three boys as they all awaited Kenma’s response.

“Sure...”

You noticed the way his lips curled upward into the faintest of smiles before he neutralized his face once again, you smiled fondly at him before taking a sip of your drink, eyes glossing over him over the top of your glass.

“Good.”

[pixie88]

Mrs. Evans

Chapter 14 - Always the Bridesmaid.

A/N: Sorry I haven’t uploaded anything new in the last week or so but I have about 6 drafts on Wattpad waiting to be transferred over. I’m hoping this chapter has been worth the wait for you guys! Thanks for being patience with me! I hope you like it.

If you would like to be ADDED or REMOVED just let me know! I hate to annoy people with tags.

Read previous chapters HERE!

Warnings: Fluff & NSFW

Word Count: 2062

Pairings: Laila x Harry

Enjoy!

5 Weeks later

Laila is just finishing her last client of the day when her phone PINGS.

She shook her head.

Ever since that night he had picked her up from Nikki's he will not let her walk home in the evenings by herself. No matter how many times she had told him that she was fine with walking home, he'd be outside the shop waiting for her to finish at the end of her shift.

15 Minutes later

"Laila, your boyfriend is here!" Daniel calls over "OK, I'm just finishing up Mrs. Evans" she smiles up at her in the mirror.

Mrs. Evans has been one of Laila loyal clients, when she has move salons Mrs. Evans has always followed. She has to get 2 buses to get to this salon, Laila has offered to do her hair at home, but she says she likes coming to the salon as it gets her out of the house. Even though she shouldn't, Laila always charges her less than the salons prices, but unbeknownst to Mrs. Evans Laila makes up the difference through her tips.

"I'll finally get to meet this boyfriend of yours, Laila" she whispers, Mrs. Evans has a glint in her eyes "Hang on a minute! Is that why you asked for a late appointment? I've told you that he walks me home, haven't I!?" Mrs. Evans giggles "Mrs. Evans! That is sneaky!" she narrows her eyes at her with a smirk "Laila, How many times do I have to tell you it's Ivie!" Laila leans in and whispers "I know but my boss says it's unprofessional to call clients by their first names" Ivie huffs.

"Right, all done!" she gets up from the seat and hands Laila some money "There's a little extra in there to take this boyfriend for a drink" she whispers, Laila tuts "You didn't have to do that!" she isn't having any of it "Now where is he?" Laila walks her to the reception desk.

Daniel knows the drill to take the money from Laila once she has gone.

He's sat down when he saw her, his face lights up. He gets up from his seat "Mrs. Evans..I mean Ivie, this is my boyfriend Harry Taylor..Harry this is my client of..." it takes her a moment to think "11 years Mrs. Ivie Evans" he offers her his hand and a bright smile, "It's a pleasure Mrs. Evans" she smiles at him "Oh please call me Ivie. Nice to meet you Harry!" she shook his hand "Isn't he handsome Laila! He has dimples too, they say you will never be without a girlfriend if you have dimples!" Harry chuckles "Well thank you, Ivie! I bet you have broken a few hearts in your time"

Ivie blushes "I like him, Laila!" they are interrupted by the sound of a car horn "Oh, that will be my grandson! He's giving me a lift home, Laila can you book me in for 8 weeks time just text me a time. It was nice meeting you Harry, you better take care of her or I'll be after you!" Laila hides a laugh "Don't worry I will. Nice to meet you to Ivie" Harry tells her as she leaves the shop she waves over to Laila.

Once she is out of sight Laila hands Daniel the money Ivie had given her "She's paid £15?" Daniel asks "She said she put some money in there for me to get my boyfriend a drink" Laila says as she empties her tip jar and hands Daniel the extra fiver "I don't know why you don't just ask her to pay the extra tenner" Daniel shook his head "Because I've been doing her hair for years and she's a pensioner"

Harry looks at her confused "Laila, only charges Mrs. Evans £10 for haircut and makes up the difference through her tips" Daniel tells him "Ten pounds difference right?" Harry asks, pulling out his wallet and sticking a tenner in Laila tip jar "Harry!" she pulls it out and hands it back to him, he holds up his hands refusing to take it back "Harry! You can't do that!"

He shrugs his shoulders "I just did and I didn't know about the tip system last time, so call it a late tip!" She huffs "Plus, she did say to you to get your boyfriend a drink!" He winks "Fine!" She pockets Harry's tip and the rest of the jar.

She helps Daniel lock up before leaving for the day, Harry links his fingers through hers "How long have you been doing that for Ivie?" Harry asks her as they walk home "Since I moved to this salon! My other boss didn't mind, but Dave wasn't having any of it" Harry smiles at her "You know you are terribly sweet and soft! But it's also super adorable!" she rolled her eyes at him.

After Poppy told him five weeks ago about Laila's birthday, he confirmed it with Alec that it was in 6 weeks on 5th August. She will be 31, Rem had given him a few present ideas all of them, he knew she would gone nuts, it had to be something sentimental. It took him a few days, but he came up with the perfect gift for her.

~*~*~*~

A couple of days later

Harry stayed at Laila's for the night, as it was her birthday the next day. Her parents were having a do at theirs, they had invited Harry's family, but his parents were on holiday in Rome. Rose offered to for them to flight back, but Harry told them it was fine. Surprisingly Colin suggested they would take the couple out for a meal when they got back to have belated birthday celebrations.

Once Laila fell asleep, Harry managed to sneak down to his car and decorate the flat with balloons, party streamers and banners. He popped the flowers he had bought in a vase with her card, present and small birthday cake in front of the bouquet.

He crept back into bed.

The next morning he woke before her, she was laying on her side with her back towards him. He pulled her towards his chest, she began to stir, he had an idea. His lips kissed just below her ear, his hand slips into her underwear and moves to part her folds "Hmmm..." she hums. He brushes against her clit, her breathing becomes heavy.

His muscular frame surrounded her, he pulls the straps of her top down replacing them with kisses. He only has to stroke over her a couple times before her centre is soaked "Hmm....what a way to be woken up!" He smirks against her shoulder, his lips press against her ear "Happy birthday gorgeous!"

He places a small kiss against her pulse line as 2 fingers enter her, he watches her bite her lip, she pushes the curves of her arse against him and she begins to grind her curves against his crotch. He backs away "Ah ah! Today is about you!"

She huffs, he wants her just as much but today is about her. His pace quickens, her hand reaches up behind her and clutches his hair. She throbs with pleasure, a hot frenzy threads through her body to her core and as he enters another finger inside her while his thumb press onto her clit. Her eyes drift shut as she bucked her hips, legs begin to shake as he curled his long digit inside her and stroked all the right places.

She's barely holding back, the edge in near and she is more than ready to fall over it. Her clutch on his hair tightens as she hits her climax, calling out his name but before she's down from her high, he flips her onto her back, pulls off her underwear and his lips are against her apex. His tongue parts her fold "Harry, wha...what are you doing?" She feels him smirk against her core, he lifts his head a little to look up at her "Making you come in every way possible!" she doesn't get to reply before his mouth is back against her centre.

A little later

Both spent, trying to catch their breath, they collapse back against the mattress. Her head rests on his rising chest "That was one way to wake me up!" he chuckles "Get your pajamas on, I have another surprise for you," she reaches for her underwear and she grabs his t-shirt pulling over herself. "I'm going to have to cover your eyes for this part" He moves behind her, in just his boxers. His hands, cover her eyes, he guilds her into the living room he decorated the night before.

He removes his hands, her eyes refocus as she looks around the room "Wow! This is lovely!" she turns and captures his lips, he smirks "That's not all!" he points over to the dining room table, where her presents are. "You didn't have to get me anything!" he chuckles "I wanted to" she walks over and opens her card. The front reads *Happy birthday to my beautiful girlfriend*

"Open the smaller present first," he tells her, she opens the smaller one. It's a small compact mirror, she looks at him confused, he flips it over and in permanent marker it says *Your dare is to get a kiss from who you think is the most attractive person in the room* she laughs remembering this was his dare he had asked her to help him with at the stag weekend. She pulls his lips to hers, he smirks against them "At least this time you didn't tell me to kiss my own reflection" they both laugh.

"Open the other one!" she turns to the last present, she opens the box inside is a silver locket "Harry...It's...beautiful!" he smiles "Just like the one your Great Nan had?" she takes a closer look, its very simpler "It is!?" he smirks "After you told me how much you loved it. I asked Remy to get a photo of it from your parents, but that's not all look inside and check out the back of it" she flips it over.

Engraved on the back are the words and the date she asked him to be her boyfriend *I love you x 12/06/20* she opens it up and the photo is the one he took of them together on top o2 arena. She rushes him, her arms wrap round him "Thank you so much! Honestly the best present ever!" he's glad she likes it "You're welcome, I'm glad you like it. You go and get in the shower and I'll cook us up some breakfast" she places a soft kiss against his lips and makes her way towards the bedroom.

Her phone is vibrating against the bedside table, she swipes the screen, she laughs as she shook her head at her friends.

After her shower, Harry serves up her breakfast waffles and fruit, he even lights a candle on the birthday cake "What did you wish for?" he asks "A new boyfriend," she teases him, but soon regrets it when he begins to tickle her "Ahh!" she screams "What did you say, Laila?" he loves hearing her laugh "OK, I was joking! The only boyfriend I want is you" he stops "Good! The feeling is mutual, Princess"

Laila meets Nikki outside her work "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Nikki screeched at her before wrapping her arms around her friend, "Thank you! But I can't breathe" Nikki loosens her grip "What did Harry get you?" Laila lifts her locket to show her "Oh wow! Laila! That's gorgeous!" they head in for their appointment with Daniel.

Continue reading this story here - Chapter 15.

@lem-20​ @secretaryunpaid​ @shewillreadyou​ @aussieez​ @khoicesbyk​ @irisofpurple​ @tea-me-kah​ @casualpostqueen​ @gloriousalmondvoiddreamer

[spicyteez]

Deal II

Smut 

Gang boss San x Fem Reader

Word count: 5.8k

Part I

Warnings: thigh riding, some nipple play, a little bit of spanking, Dom San whoof. But also Subby San too, riding, marking, cockwarming, unprotected sex (pls don’t do that), a fight, mentions of blood 

A/N: Part 2 yay! I loved writing both of these and I hope you enjoy them. I hope this fits with the story and is cohesive with the San in the last one. This one is a little soft because I was in such a soft mood all week and this was the result :)

Sanie 💕: Babeee. Come over.

Your phone dinged once again and you quickly flipped it over, hiding the message that popped up for the world to see. 

Sanie 💕: I wanna fuck you.

The last time he had texted you such things, one of your employees had read it before you could stop them. That had been a disaster. Discussing your sex life with an employee was not your definition of a good time. 

Once you had begun officially dating San, you learned things about him that surprised you. Like how whiny he got when he was feeling needy. 

You: I can’t, I have a delivery coming tonight. 

Noticing a customer approaching the register, you put your phone down and busied yourself with taking their order. It really had been a long time since you had seen him and you really missed him. With no end to your busy schedule in sight, you were beginning to become touch starved. You hadn’t seen San in over two weeks and work was killing you. Checking your phone once again, you noticed there was no response and moved on with your work, hoping that he wasn’t too unhappy. 

Night fell and you waited for the delivery man to come. What type of a company delivers at nine pm on a Saturday? Once you had signed for the goods and they were all stashed away, you were finally able to return home for the night. Shrugging off your long coat, you threw it to the side and plopped down in front of the TV. A knock on the door distracted you from your show and you stood up to give whoever it was a piece of your mind. 

“You better have a good reason for knocking on my door at ten-” You trailed off when you noticed it wasn’t a stranger, but your boyfriend staring at you with his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his lips. 

“Oh? And what are you going to do? Spank me?” Your face grew red and he chuckled at the effect he had on you.  

Standing back so he could come in, you sucked in a breath when his hands came to rest on your hips. Pushing you slowly, he backed you against the wall and pressed himself against you. His lips were on yours in an instant, tenderly applying enough pressure to drive you insane. Pulling away, he inhaled sharply and rested his hand on the wall above your head. “I’ve missed you.” 

Wrapping your arms around him, you pressed your head to his chest and breathed in his familiar scent. “I missed you too.” You stood like that for a moment, listening to his steady heartbeat and enjoying the feeling of his arms around you. 

You pulled back to lace your fingers with his. “What do you want to do?” Grinning up at him, you giggled at his adorable eye smile. Your boyfriend was the cutest. Even if he was a gang boss.      

“Whatever you want. I want to see what you normally do on a Saturday night.” 

Leading him to the couch, you made sure he was comfortable before resuming your program. You laughed along to the humorous lines, missing the look of adoration he gave you. After months of meeting exclusively at his place, it felt so strange to have him sitting on your couch in your tiny apartment. The gap between the luxurious suite he lived in and here had you worried he would think your home was pitiful. Looking over at him, you noticed he looked relaxed and at ease. Some of your worry faded away and you chided yourself for thinking that way. 

Hours later you were spread across the couch, your legs in his lap, both staring at the screen intently. The final scene of The Notebook played out, bringing tears to your eyes. How many times had you watched this film and still felt your heart wrench at the ending? A few too many to count. Once the credits began their ascent up the frame, you felt San’s eyes on you. 

“Babe,” He chuckled lowly, pulling you fully into his lap. “Don’t cry. It’s just a movie.”

Burying your face in his neck, you breathed in his scent and tried to stop your sniffling. “But it’s so sad!” You wailed. Wrapping your arms around him, you felt his chest rumble with his laughter. Rocking you gently, he rubbed soothing circles into your back until you felt your emotions were under control. 

“It’s three in the morning. I think it’s time you get to bed.” Patting your head, he waited for you to stand up before he stretched and stood up himself. You noticed him gathering his things and decided that maybe you’d like to wake up in his arms tomorrow rather than your empty bed. 

Reaching for his hand, you got his attention. “Sannie. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but maybe…” Looking at his shoes, you felt your face heat up. Why was it so hard to ask him? He’d done the filthiest of things with you, but asking him to stay the night was terrifying. “Do you want to stay the night?” 

His hand came to your face, gently holding your chin and raising your head up to look at him. “Of course baby.” He gave you a quick kiss and allowed you to lead him to your bed. Digging through your drawers, you found a tshirt and some sweats that you thought would fit him and let him go change into them. When he walked into the room, he paused when he saw your choice of sleep wear, a flowy camisole with a pair of short shorts. You definitely knew what you were doing when you chose the outfit, knowing that the delicate fabric against your skin would drive him wild. He had texted you earlier to let you know he was needy, and heck, maybe you were feeling a little needy as well. Standing innocently, you felt heat rush to your core as his eyes slowly raked over every inch of your body. Moving forward slowly yet confidently, he met your eyes and you saw pure lust swimming in the dark orbs. You felt excited yet shaky, stepping back until your legs hit the bed and you fell back onto the plush mattress. In a second he was on you, climbing on top of you and caging you beneath his toned body. Dragging his teeth across your jaw, he trailed to your neck and nipped at the skin. Letting out a whine at the feeling, your mind clouded and you tilted your head to give him better access. His breath, sweet and hot, mixed with his intoxicating presence had your head swimming and your pussy dripping. Biting down harder, his fingertips flitted over your exposed collarbones and chest, the warmth of his hands making you shiver. Removing his teeth, he soothed the newly formed mark with his tongue, lapping at the hot flesh and sucking on it slightly. 

“Do you want this baby?” His voice had sunk an octave, his desire obvious. 

Lost in the feeling of his lips on your skin, you choked out a reply. “Oh yes San.” 

A harsh bite to your neck had you gasping for breath. “It’s Sir to you, sweetheart.” 

Your heart sped up in anticipation, every nerve crackling with excitement. His dominant side had taken over, his desire to control you overriding all other thoughts in his head. When he got like this, you couldn’t help but think he was unbelievably sexy. 

Pulling away, he sent you a harsh look when you whined at his absence. Tugging your shorts down, he tossed them to the side and noticed the damp soaking through your panties. His breath hitched and he struggled to maintain his composure as he stood and untied the sweatpants resting on his hips. 

“Did that turn you on that much?” Wonder laced his voice and he cursed under his breath. “Holy fuck." Nodding your head, you bit your lip as you gazed into his awestruck eyes. Tugging down his sweatpants along with his boxers, he pulled off his shirt as well and stood completely bare before you. No matter how many times he undressed, you could never get used to it. His body, toned and lean, always had your mind imagining sinful things. Not to mention his cock, which was fully erect and in need of attention.      

Noticing the way you stared at his exposed thighs, he walked to the head of the bed and sat up straight against the headboard. “Come here.” Patting his thighs, he waited for you to crawl onto his lap. His fingers hooked in your panties, pulling the garment off your body. Instead of grinding you down onto him like he would usually do, you found him guiding you to straddle his left thigh. He pressed down on your hips, forcing your slick folds to make contact with his leg. Mewling at the pressure on your clit, your hands latched onto his shoulders to ground yourself. “That’s it baby. I want you to get off on my thigh.” Everything about the way he cooed the words, falling from his lips with his familiar charm felt so sinful, yet you couldn’t get enough of it. Pre-cum clung to his thigh, aiding your movements against his flexing muscle. You were practically dripping at this point, pussy gushing as the angle of your hips stimulated your clit with each pass. Loud wet noises filled the room and San groaned quietly, his dick twitching with each recurrence of the filthy sound.

Speeding up your motions, you gripped his shoulders tightly, feeling your release rushing closer. San noticed the way your breath hitched and your hips frantically ground against his thigh and he knew you were close to your finish. Gripping your hips harshly, he slowed your pace, effectively cutting off your anticipation. “Sir.” Whining in frustration, you gazed at him doe eyed, begging him to let you cum. He felt a surge of pride at your outburst, to have someone as gorgeous as you at his mercy made him feel so powerful. 

Fingers digging into your hips, he set a torturously slow pace, sensually dragging your hips as he flexed his thigh. Leaning in to your embrace, he kissed your neck softly, trailing his tongue to your ear and biting down on the appendage gently. “Patience kitten. I want to feel every millimeter of your pretty pussy.” A shiver ran down your spine from his proximity and the lewd words he had whispered into your skin. You involuntarily clenched around thin air, his deep tone affecting you more than you’d like to admit. Leaning back, his nimble fingers slipped beneath your camisole, sliding up to your breasts to fondle the sensitive flesh. Taking your nipple between his fingers, he pinched down hard, drawing a ragged moan from your lips. He continued to play with your breasts, abusing your tender chest and undoubtedly leaving bruises from his harsh squeezes. Abandoning your chest, he gripped your hips once again, slightly speeding up the speed of your movements. He kept you there for what felt like forever, dragging your abused pussy against him slowly, feeling your soft lips slide against his thigh steadily. 

The fire in your stomach ignited again, your moans growing more frequent and higher pitched as you got closer and closer. Swiping his fingers through your dripping wetness, San pressed his fingers to your clit firmly and rubbed slow circles onto the engorged nub. Fingernails digging into his shoulders, you barely registered his hiss at the pain through your pleasure induced haze. The world seemed to fall away, all input leaving your head besides his fingers running over you repeatedly and the knott about to snap in your stomach. 

“That’s it baby. Cum all over my thigh like the dirty girl you are.” With one last movement of your hips and circle on your clit, you fell over the edge, throwing your head back in a silent scream. Your hips continued to move under his hold, riding out the mind numbing orgasm until you felt the sting of over sensitivity buzz in your spent slit. Mind clearing, you heard San whispering praises to you, caressing your hips gently while telling you how good you were for him.    

Breaking his rules, you reached forward to touch him, pressing your palms against his chest while you connected your lips to his own soft pair. Pulling back a bit, you ran your fingers through his two toned hair and brushed a stray strand away from his face. “I love you.” Bursting with love for him, you felt your heart leap out of your chest as you stared at his handsome features. The dark look in his eyes calmed to something loving and tender, his hands cupping your face and bringing your lips together again for a slow, passionate kiss. You pulled away slowly, your heart about to burst from the butterflies floating in your stomach. 

Intertwining his fingers with yours, he laid down on the bed and pulled you to straddle his hips. Touching his angry red cock, he let out a groan while he spread his dripping pre-cum around his length. Lifting up your hips, you allowed him to insert his dick into your numb core, clenching around him purposely to draw out a strangled groan. Tugging on your shoulders, he pulled you down to lay on his chest and connect your lips to his. Rocking your hips on his dick slowly, you allowed his tongue to slip into your mouth and explore your warm cavity. You pressed against his lips harder, battling for dominance. Slowing down your hips to a crawl, you moved at a snail's pace, driving him mad at the taste of his own medicine. Pulling back from your lips harsly, gone was the loving gaze in his eye. His hand came down hard on your ass, repeating his actions and grabbing your cheeks with both hands. Thrusting his hips up into your warmth, he continued at a bruising pace, growling at your disobedience. “Remember who’s in charge here.” 

You felt small under his intense gaze, whimpering at the intense pleasure in your sensitive cunt. Nearing your second orgasm, you felt him twitch deep within you, an indicator of how close he was as well. “Yes, yes, yes.” You choked out, tears forming in your eyes at the pain infused pleasure. 

“Mmm.” Humming in satisfaction, he slammed into you with renewed vigor. The tip of his cock brushed your sweet spot repeatedly, crude curses falling from your lips with the overwhelming sensation. “Look at you princess. So beautiful, so fucked out. And all mine.” He all but growled the last word, deep and animalistic. It threw you over the edge, his possessiveness causing you to clench around him tightly until you felt his hot cum paint your walls. Heavy pants filled the room as he rocked you against him slowly, milking out the remainder of your highs. Once you had both come down, he pulled out and watched as your combined releases dripped out of your spent hole. Squeaking, you felt his fingers push the fluid back into you, dragging against your walls as he pulled out and sucked the digits clean. 

Rolling off of his solid chest, you cuddled into his side. “And I’m all yours.” You whispered back, pecking his swollen lips. Pulling you so your back rested against his chest, you both laughed when you noticed the clock nearing the four o’clock hour. So much for sleeping. 

As your eyelids began to droop, you heard him whisper into the quiet room. “I love you so much. No one else has ever made me feel so alive.” His lips trailed over your neck, pressing adoring kisses to your pulse point. Closing your eyes, you gave into the comfortable feeling and allowed sleep to pull you into its depths.     

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Sunlight streamed through the window when you opened your eyes. Shifting around, you made yourself comfortable and heard a high pitched whine from behind you. Halting your movements, you felt something hard poking your thigh. How was he still hard after your lengthy roll between the sheets last night? Gently grinding against his length, you felt his hands grip your hips as a warning. Rolling over to face him, you caressed his face gently, appreciating his sleepy morning state. Nuzzling into your hand slightly, San closed his eyes and began to fall asleep again. Your fingers traced his skin, trailing down his neck and running down his chest and abdomen to rest at the base of his cock. Grasping the shaft lightly, you pumped him in your hand slowly. His head lolled against your shoulder, soft whines falling from his parted lips as he gave in to the mounting pleasure. Gone was your intensely dominant boyfriend, replaced with a soft boy needy for your touch. The cute sounds he was making spurred you on, pumping him harder in order to hear more of his beautiful moans. 

Pulling your hand away, San whined at the loss of contact and pouted at you. Your heart fluttered at his adorable unhappiness. Pushing him up, you guided him to sit against the headboard like he had done the night before. Too tired to put up a fight, he complied and watched with hooded eyes as you climbed onto his lap. "Let me take care of you baby." The pretty noises he had been making already had you wet and you needed no further preparations as you slid down onto his stiff cock. Letting out a shaky breath, he leaned his head back against the headboard while you began to lazily rock your core around his length. Kissing down his neck, you found his sweet spot and sucked on the skin gently. He pulled away and shook his head at you, indicating that he was opposed to you leaving any marks. It was your turn to pull out the puppy dog eyes, watching the resolve in his eyes fade away. "Please Sanie, just one? I want everyone to know you belong to me. Just like I belong to you." You clenched around him gently, heightening his pleasure as you waited for him to respond. 

With a groan, he gave in, nodding his head and tilting his jaw to give you better access. He was so vulnerable, so sensitive, and you wanted nothing more than to make him feel good. Sinking your teeth into his neck, you whined against his skin when he bucked his hips up into you at the feeling. Alternating between nibbling and sucking, a purple bruise began to blossom on his soft complexion. When you were satisfied with the mark, you brushed your lips across it, soothing the hot skin. Pulling back, you smiled at your work. "Look baby. Now we match." Tilting your head, you showed him the deep purple bite he had nibbled into your skin in the same place the night before. 

"Mmmm. Perfect." He hummed, pulling you close to rest against your forehead. Gently taking your hand, he pressed it to his chest, right above his racing heart. A surge of pride raced through you, knowing it was you who got him so worked up was the ultimate compliment. 

Shifting slightly, you sped up the pace of your hips, feeling his dick twitch deep within you. When you both reached your climax, he pressed his lips to yours in a slow kiss, muffling your combined moans. Halting your movements, you broke away from his lips and left a tender kiss on his jaw. "That was amazing, baby." He thanked you shyly, a blush dusting his cheeks. 

Lifting your hips from his, you sucked in a breath at the sudden empty feeling. He pulled you down to lay beside him, all but smothering you with the intense way he clung to you. Chuckling at the way his eyelids were already fluttering, you traced patterns along the tattoos on his arms as he held you close. The warmth of his body pressed against yours permeated your being and you soon felt your eyes closing as well, giving in to sleep for the second time. 

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Two weeks later you found yourself in the passenger seat of a Mercedes Benz, scanning your surroundings in awe. You knew San was rich, but you didn’t know he was this rich. Squirming uncomfortably in your seat, you were fearful of leaving even a fingerprint on the sleek leather dash. His hand pressed down on your thigh, squeezing your leg reassuringly. Smiling at you, he noticed the uncertainty in your eyes. 

“Don’t worry y/n, everything will be fine.” Although his sweet words made you feel calm, you couldn’t help but continue to feel a spark of worry in your gut. Contrary to his words you knew that everything was not fine. You were on your way to a fancy party, one which all of San’s friends and business partners would be in attendance. San’s god father, his late father’s best friend had organized the party and he wouldn’t miss it for the world. He had been a big part of San’s life and you were excited to meet the man who influenced your boyfriend so much. From the way he talked about this man, you could tell he had a huge soft spot for the gentleman who practically raised him since his father had passed. On the other hand, however, you were terrified of meeting him. Your father had been involved with him briefly, long enough for the man to learn of how your dad’s greed for money was greater than the worth of any of his friendships. If he knew who your father was, what would he think of you? 

The three hour drive passed in almost silence, San knew you were scared and didn’t want to worry you any more. When you pulled up to the luxurious hotel hosting the party, your jaw dropped. "Like what you see? My friend Yunho owns the place." He helped you out of the car, chucking at how you continued to stare at the building. 

"Holy shit, San. You never fail to surprise me." 

A quick team of bellhops converged on the vehicle, carrying your luggage off to the right room. You had arrived just in time to get ready for the party and you were stressed. Everything had to be perfect, from your dress to your makeup nothing could be out of place. When San helped you zip up your dress, his fingers brushing your exposed back, he pressed a soft kiss to your shoulder once the action was complete. 

"You look gorgeous. Stay by my side tonight and everything will be fine." Turning to face him, you noticed the look of concern on his face. Your heart warmed at his sweetness and you grasped his hands like a lifeline. "What if I mess up and look stupid? Wouldn't you rather stay here and test out the bed?" You asked the question partially because you wanted to waste time but also because he looked extra delicious in his crisp tuxedo and you thought that it would look just as good on the floor. 

Tilting your chin up gently, he forced you to make eye contact. "Oh hush. You'll be perfect. And besides," A playful smirk crossed his lips, "When we get back we'll have the whole night to ourselves. Maybe I'll even let you top me this time. I can't get over how hot you look when you're in control." 

Swatting at his chest, you failed to hide your blush when his contagious laughter filled the room. 

Soon it was time for the party to start and for you to face your fears. Clinging to San, you made the rounds, greeting everyone who he knew, which felt like practically every person in the room. The party was just what you had expected, boujee attendees dressed to the nines, sipping champagne and talking business. What business did gangs do anyways? Although the party was stereotypical, what you didn't expect was to see a tall young man breaking it down to classical music in the middle of the ball room. He seemed to be a natural entertainer, his antics feeding off of the energy of his circle of friends. You felt yourself being pulled in his direction, and you followed San's guidance, the man somehow looking even taller up close. When you were close enough to observe him, you noticed just how puppy-like he was. A huge grin filled his whole face and he practically radiated happiness. 

"Y/n, this is Yunho." San introduced you to the boisterous young man and you were once again surprised. Yunho didn't look like a millionaire, but looks could be deceiving. Pulling you into a conversation, Yunho never dropped the bright grin on his face and you felt yourself relaxing in his presence. You were so caught up in the conversation, you almost didn’t notice Mingi standing quietly in the corner of your vision. Excusing yourself, you moved to say hello, feeling like it had been way too long since you had last seen him. Over the course of your deal with San, you had grown closer to Mingi, conversing with him as he drove you to your ‘dick appointments,’ as he called them. As you talked with him, the worry you had felt for the past few days melted away and you finally felt calm.  However, you couldn’t help but feel a race of nerves when San took your hand and gently pulled you away. It was time for him to greet the host and you were terrified. 

He guided you across the room until you stood before a middle aged man in a very expensive suit. Dropping your hand, San wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you closer to him. 

“Ah San. It’s so good to see you again.” The man pulled him into a hug, temporarily breaking his hold on you. 

“It’s good to see you too, Uncle Kim. The party is amazing.” San beamed at the man, clearly excited to see him. Pulling away, he returned his hand to your waist and rubbed comforting circles onto your side. 

Your heart jumped when the man turned his attention to you, observing you silently. Shifting under his scrutiny, you realized you were shaking in San’s hold. “You must be y/n.” 

Choking out a ‘yes’, you reached out a hand to shake his outstretched one. 

“From what I’ve heard from San, you’re quite a lovely lady.” He smiled at you, bright and full of warmth. It would seem as if there was nothing to worry about at all. Grinning at you fondly, San pressed a quick kiss to your temple, promising to return for a full conversation with his godfather before pulling you away.  

When you were on the other side of the room, he stopped and took your hand in his. “That wasn’t so bad, now was it?” His eyes shone with pride and your heart swelled. 

Shaking your head, you chuckled quietly. “Okay. Maybe you’re right.” Placing your hand behind his neck, you connected your lips in a sweet kiss. Wrapping his arms around your waist, he pulled you close, deepening the kiss in a way that was almost too scandalous for the public eye. A yell broke you apart, drawing your attention to the man approaching you quickly. 

“If it isn’t Mr. Choi San.” Turning around, San froze when he saw the speaker. You could sense the change in his body language, his shoulders tensing and his jaw clenching. 

“Gabe.” Clutching your hand tighter, he pulled you behind him. So this was the infamous Gabe, San’s rival gang leader and enemy. His muscles were shaking, pure rage flowing through his entire being. The two stood in silence for a moment, daring the other to make the first move. Shifting to the side slightly, Gabe caught a glance at your hand wrapped in San’s. 

A sickening grin split across his face and he raised his eyebrows in amusement. “Who’s this? Your new little whore? I wonder what’s lower, her IQ or the time it takes her to suck you off.” 

In a second San’s fist connected with his face, catching him off guard and causing him to topple over. Jumping on top of him, San continued his attack, dodging most of the punches thrown by his retaliating opponent. Gabe was able to land a punch to San’s face, sending him reeling back before continuing the fight. Spitting out blood, San’s eyes shone with hatred. “Don’t you fucking talk about her like that! She’s so much more of a person than you’ll ever be!” 

You winced in horror as Gabe landed a strong punch to San’s ribs which was sure to leave a bruise. San retaliated by striking his eye, creating a large welt on his handsome face. Before the two could continue, a man yanked the pair apart, pulling Gabe to his feet and standing between the two. Grimacing in pain, San wiped the blood from his split lip and glared daggers at his opponent. People had started to take notice and were staring wide-eyed at the commotion. Taking your hand again, he murmured something to the growing crowd and pulled you away to the privacy of your hotel room. 

Once the door swung close, you watched San’s back as he let out a heavy breath. Collecting your thoughts, you didn’t know how to feel about the scene that had just played out. You knew he could be aggressive but you had never seen him like this before. Although you were disappointed, you couldn’t help but feel a little… proud. 

"San." You whispered, waiting for him to turn around. When he faced you, you took in his ragged appearance and felt your heart ache at the sight. Moving forward, you wrapped your arms around his waist tightly, apologizing when he winced at the pressure on his bruised ribs. 

He slowly wrapped his arms around you as well, letting out a sigh. "I'm so sorry y/n. I don't know what came over me, I just couldn't listen to him say those things about you. I just… I'm sorry." Burying his head in your neck, overwhelming shame filled his heart. Taking his head in your hands, you pulled back to look at him. 

“Oh baby. No one has ever stood up for me like that.” He tilted his head up in confusion, looking at you curiously.  

“No one?” You shook your head no and he frowned. “You’re the most caring, beautiful, wonderful woman I know. Everyone should stand up for you.” Smiling softly, you pressed a kiss to his pouting lips. 

“Let’s get you in the tub. It’ll help your sore muscles.” Leading him to the bathroom, you started the water and threw in whatever fancy bubble bath the hotel had available. Helping San out of his clothes, you carefully unbuttoned his shirt and slid it down his broad shoulders. Unclasping his belt, you helped him out of his pants and into the tub. You opened the door to leave but San’s hand on your wrist pulled you back into the room. 

“Please join me.” He looked at you pleadingly, biting his lip as he waited for a response. Nodding your head, you slid the zipper to your lavish gown down your back. Stepping out of the dress, you set it on a chair, not wanting to ruin the gorgeous fabric. Next came your bra and panties, hitting the floor as San eyed you with awe. Placing his hands on your waist, he guided you to straddle his hips, sloshing around in the warm water until you were comfortable. Sitting back on your heels, you realized just how bad he had fared. A large cut began at his eyebrow, trailing down his face about an inch. Bruises littered his face and you could see a large one forming on his ribs and collarbone. You grabbed a washcloth and lathered it with soap, preparing to clean his wounds while San twisted your hair into a loose bun atop your head. A quiet hiss escaped his split lips when you rubbed at the scrape on his temple. His fingers tangled in yours, bringing the back of your hand to his lips, frowning when your hand came away red from his bloody lip. Finally you finished up, cupping his jaw and gently dabbing at his lower lip, his eyes never leaving your face. Once the wound had been cleaned, you discarded the washcloth and pecked his lip gently, almost as if you were kissing it better. 

Silence filled the room, the pair of you taking in all that had happened that day. Brushing a strand of hair he had missed behind your ear, he smiled softly. “This feels familiar, doesn’t it? Do you remember that night?” 

“Of course I do. It was the best night of my life.” Rubbing his fingers over your knuckles, his lips pressed to the back of your hand once again. 

You remembered that night vividly although it had taken place months ago. It was the night he confessed his feelings for you and he made love to you so passionately. His scars from that time had faded away, but you could still find them if you looked hard enough. It seemed that you were always in this position, finding him beaten and bruised. He told you that he had enemies, but you hadn’t realized just how many there were. 

Telling you to lift your hips, he noticed your confused expression. “I want to be closer to you.” You followed his instructions, shifting on your knees to lift up your hips higher. When you felt his cock press against your lower lips, you knew what he wanted. Sinking down on his thick length, you sighed in satisfaction. Moments of intimacy like this were rare, but you absolutely adored them. He felt warm inside of you and a cozy sensation spread through your being. You felt so full, almost as if a missing piece of you had been returned, like he was made to fit there. Bringing you closer, he slowly brought you to rest on his chest, careful to not agitate his injuries. Rubbing your back soothingly, he held you close and basked in your presence.  

It wasn’t everyday that a man was willing to beat someone for you and you found San standing up for you to be extremely touching. Although this trip hadn’t gone as planned, you knew that it would be alright. As long as you were together everything would be okay.

[goodnightyoongi]

Yoongi x fem!reader pt1

genre: hurt/comfort

rating: gen

word count: 2,8k

summary: you’ve been feeling down, and you’re choosing to isolate yourself because of it. You’ve almost forgotten all about Yoongi, but he hasn’t forgotten about you

warnings: implied depression

Part II: Flicker

Part III: Rise

Part IV: Release

You stared at the ceiling, vacantly counting the cracks in it. It was a good distraction, it kept you busy. One, two, three, four. You knew you probably should attempt to crawl out of bed for a few hours at least, but you were uncertain if you would even manage that much today.

It was one of those days. Those when you could detect a grey, looming cloud hovering over your head the moment your eyes fluttered open.

The sheets in your bed were unwashed, uncomfortably crumpled and sticky against your clammy back. Your t-shirt was bunched up around your midsection, straining against your ribs, but you didn’t even have enough energy to switch positions to smooth it out. Brushing teeth, showering, having breakfast, all things you should do right now, but the mere thought of even swinging one leg out to attempt standing caused a lump to form in your throat. Hard, it was much too hard.

When had it gotten to this?

It had crept up on you, a shadow lurking just behind you at first, but now it had devoured you whole. At the moment it acted like a crushing weight on top of you, effectively pushing you down into the mattress.

Your elbow was nicely cool when you lifted it to rest against your face, shielding you from everything, even though there was nothing to hide from here. But the unshed tears biding their time behind your eyelids, they were released, one by one, as you reflected over your situation and the impossibility of it. If only you had the strength to pick yourself up.

Maybe tomorrow?

A blissful sleep had almost grabbed you again when you zapped awake to a noise coming from the other end of your apartment. You attempted to rouse yourself and untangle your mind enough to figure out what the hell the sound even was. You pushed yourself into sitting, thoughts hazy but once you heard it again you realized what it was.

Doorbell. You weren’t expecting anyone.

"Y/N? Open up please."

The low-pitched, raspy timbre was easily recognizable. It usually filled your chest with warm cotton candy, but right now it was atypically sharp when calling you.

Your legs barely carried as you shot out of bed, stumbling in the direction of the front door. You stopped just in front of it, holding your breath. 

Maybe you should pretend not to be home.

No. It's Yoongi. You and Yoongi knew each other since you were kids.

A distant memory featuring mini versions of the two of you playing hopscotch together suddenly appeared inside your brain – and it was enough to lure a faint smile onto your lips.

You had cried like a baby when you fell, grazing your knee. The other boys laughed at you, but Yoongi didn't. Yoongi offered you a band-aid, a colorful one with Spider-Man on it.

It had been ages since you two had last seen each other.

A determined voice reminded you of that, but just as your hand made for the door you happened to catch a glimpse of yourself in the hallway mirror, and you froze.

Surely that couldn't be you?

You hadn't looked yourself in a mirror for so long, and surely they didn’t belong to you, those greasy strands, those cracked lips. Surely not.

But they did.

“Y/N! Please, open the door. I can hear you moving around.”

You couldn’t let Yoongi see you like this. It was such an insane contrast to last time you met.

You squinted, trying to recall it. It felt like a totally different you. One that wore a nice outfit matched with a neat, pink smile. One that served Yoongi cappuccino in your best italian cups while the aforementioned chatted about how much he wasn’t looking forward to touring.

And you had reassured him, promising to keep in touch, promising to work hard on your exams while Yoongi was away.

But you’d kept neither promise.

That was months ago, and now you were a far cry from that radiant and flowery-cheeked hostess. You quickly grabbed a tinted chapstick from the hallway table to force some color onto your lips, softening them up, but your face remained ghastly pale. This was the best you could do, though, there was no time.

“Y/N! For the love of god, open the door. I’m calling the cops soon, I'm serious. Or I can knock it off the hinges, that works too," came Yoongi's crabby voice. His patience was clearly running thin, and you knew him well enough to realize it wasn't just an empty threat.

"Jesus," you muttered to yourself. You hurried to unlock it, slapping on your most artificially sweet smile and an equally fake-sounding, chirpy voice as you pushed it open.  

“Hey Yoongi! I’m so sorry it took me so long, I was…busy. Was cleaning and didn’t hear you.”

You expected him to crack into a smile and greet you, but his face remained blank for a couple seconds, as if he saw a ghost. You shifted uncomfortably on your feet, hand trailing vacantly along the door frame.

“Yoongi��?”

“Why haven’t you answered my calls or texts?”

The question hung in the air, heavy and accusatory. Your phone lay buried somewhere under piles of clothes and other clutter, and you hadn’t spared it a single thought for days. You figured it was best that way, because your answers were becoming gradually shorter, less enthusiastic, until typing a single letter felt like too much effort. It had been the right thing to do, you shouldn’t bother him with your foul mood while he was stressed on tour. You lowered your gaze to his sneakers, forcing yourself to think of justifications nonetheless.

“Um…firstly I thought you were still on tour, and…”

“Y/N…tour ended weeks ago,” he reminded you softly, tilting his head to study you with curious eyes. You couldn’t get a word out. Weeks? You really had lost track of time completely. Your arm fell limply to your side and Yoongi took the opportunity to slip past you, swiftly removing his coat and chucking it to the side before fixing dark eyes on you again.

“And that doesn’t answer my question. Why didn’t you answer when I called or texted? I thought something had happened to you…I was so damn worried.”

You were overwhelmed with the onslaught of questions, the hurt expression on his face, and to be honest you couldn’t think of a satisfactory answer. You managed to shake your head and provide a mumbled “I’ve been busy and just not remembered to check my phone, I’m sorry,” but Yoongi didn’t seem calmed at all.

“We said we’d meet up once I was back home again…but I’ve been unable to reach you. I thought I’d done something wrong or that you were tired of me.” 

He forced a sad smile, a clear attempt to conceal the desolation bleeding into his voice. You witnessed it with a heavy heart, feeling remorse at being the culprit for it.

“No! No, not at all…that’s the farthest from the truth you can even…” you quitened, trying desperately to come up with some way of saving the situation, but your mind pushed you into dangerous territory, and the words just poured out of you before you could stop yourself. “…I’ve missed you, Yoongi, I have, but um…I’ve been so busy with my classes and schoolwork that I basically haven't had time for anything else and…yeah, but…it’s nothing you did at all. Now is just not a good time, so maybe we could just meet later in the week? Go for ice-cream or something? What do you say?”

You finished your rambling with the smallest of smiles, but it felt as artificial to you as it probably looked to Yoongi. You could only hope that he’d settle for this, to agree to meet up with you later, when you weren’t falling apart. You'd be better then, hopefully by then you would have cleaned up your act, managed to pick yourself up and be a friend...or whatever it is you were...to him again.

“I’m really sorry,” you repeated, like a drone, wishing he’d just accept it and turn to leave, but the opposite happened. He gave you a look you couldn’t decode before stepping further into your apartment, scanning over the piles of clothes and half-drunken mugs of tea scattered everywhere.

“Busy with classes huh,” he parroted back at you, running a hand through the black locks and exposing his forehead. Right now it was settled in a deep frown, and you nodded hesitantly. “Okay. That’s interesting because I texted one of your friends when you didn’t answer, to ask if she knew anything about where you were.”

Your mouth was stuck ajar, and Yoongi surveyed you with skeptical, narrowed eyes. You wanted to just sink right through the ground and disappear, right now.

“Uh…did you…really…” you managed, voice small and close to breaking. Yoongi gave a downhearted sigh, eyes signaling clear disappointment.

“Yeah. She said she didn’t. She also said that you haven’t gone to class for weeks.”

There was a long silence. Your eyes were glued to the floor while you did your best to try to control your breathing, keep it nice and even, and figure out something to say, anything. Yoongi took a step closer to you, bringing with him the warmth, the solace you didn’t feel you deserved right now.

“Why are you lying to me?”

“I don’t know,” you wheezed, honestly. Because it came naturally to you, to pretend everything was okay, so naturally you were prepared to tangle yourself into a web of lies because of it. Now the opposite had happened, and you had broken his trust him further.

“Can you go please,” you choked, hating that you had to ask. But the tears, they burnt behind your eyelids and you couldn’t let yourself appear so weak, not in front of Yoongi.

“You want me to leave?”

“Yes…no…but… I’m sorry… please, just…I can’t deal with this right now.” You knew it didn’t sound logical at all, but you were panicking at the thought of him seeing you unravel, he couldn’t. “Please go,” you begged, louder and more urgently. It bounced off the walls of the living room, but Yoongi didn’t move a limb to accommodate your request.

“I have a feeling I shouldn’t,” he pondered, inching closer to you. Your hands were all over your face, kneading your cheeks in an attempt to hide from his gaze, because you were sure it was scrutinizing, you couldn’t see it was filled with nothing but concern.

“Stop it … you’re hurting yourself,” he murmured, restraining you carefully. His hands, delicate, but strong, closed around your wrists, pulling them down. You had nothing to cover yourself with, and you felt exposed.. Your eyes were stubbornly resting on his chest, on the letters supreme written across his black t-shirt, and there they remained as you uttered the next words with indifference.

“I’m fine and yes you should leave. I’m just not feeling my best today. We’ll meet up some other day.”

“Y/N…” your wrists were released, and a finger positioned underneath your chin gently pressured you to look up. “…this isn’t fine, okay. Look at you, look at this place. When was the last time you showered? Ate? What is going on with you? You look absolutely -”

“Absolutely horrible, yes I know, no need to point that out!” you finished the sentence for him, your sudden shriek jarring him and turning his features from worried to frowning.

“No, sweetheart, that’s not it. I was going to say absolutely spent, okay? You always look beautiful, but you also look…exhausted, to be frank, so won’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

“You should go. I’m a mess, and you can’t help me. I don’t deserve it,” you informed him impassively, not caring about how irrational you sounded, because your senses were telling you to push him away. You had backed off without even realizing it but now you bumped into the bathroom door, exhaling heavily as he followed you, slowly as if approaching a startled animal.

“What are you even talking about, Y/N? Of course you deserve it… I don’t know what’s going on but… whatever it is, I can help you. I want to help. Okay?”

“No, Yoongi. Just leave.”

“I’m not going to leave-”

“Yes, because I’m fine!”

Your own voice pierced your ear as the sentence escaped you, much more shrill than you had planned. Hot, fat tears instantly pooled in the corners of your eyes, blurring your vision. They started streaming down your cheeks the second after, when you witnessed Yoongi’s expression in front of you, shocked and pained through the thin curtain of water.

“Oh god, I’m sorry…” your voice didn’t carry your words anymore, cracking as amplifying sobs racked your body. The weight of the entire world crushed you, but tender hands were there as well, preventing you when you attempted to scratch at your cheeks in frustration.

“Stop, calm down… it’s okay, honey. Don’t hide from me.”

“It’s not okay…nothing is okay…and I don’t want you to see me like this,” you pleaded, doing your best to wipe the snot off your nose with the palm of your hand, but it didn’t help much and only made you keen louder. “…I can’t even…take care of myself, let alone anything else…”

Yoongi shushed you, using his calming, dulcet tones, but you pressed yourself against the door, sobbing, wailing uncontrollably, and soon he took matters into his own hands. Your thighs were grabbed, gently, your lower body hoisted up like you were a koala on his hip.

“Put your arms around my neck…uhuh, that’s it.”

You stuttered some half-hearted protests as you clung to him, but he released you before you could wiggle free, lowering you down and flanking you on the couch. You immediately attempted to escape to the far corner of it, but nimble arms found you, snaking their way around your waist and shoulders and hauling you in again.

“Schhh. You have to calm down, hear me? Calm down. You've known me for years, Y/N, don't have to be scared of me. Don’t have to be scared. Just tell me what’s wrong, please. Can you do that?"

“That’s the thing…I don’t even know what’s wrong…I just feel like… everything is so difficult. Even getting out of bed...it's hard... and...it feels like...there's no point,” you sniffled, scared of your own words. You turned to him for comfort, finally allowing yourself to burrow into his chest, feeling it rise and fall underneath your heated cheek as you inhaled the familiar scent of his t-shirt.

“It’s okay. These things can creep up on you slowly, sweetie,” Yoongi’s voice cascaded down on you from above, his fingers vacantly stroking down the side of your arm. "But if you were struggling…you should have told me…I hate knowing you’ve been here all by yourself feeling like this. You don’t have to go through it alone, I’m always here for you.”

You soaked up his assuring words, reveling in his touch, his broad shoulders wrapped all around you. You still felt scared, ashamed, but a chunk of it was washed away with the help of the familiar caress, the soothing timbre of his voice, promising you that things might be okay.

“I’m sorry I ignored you,” you lamented, feeling the regret bubbling in your stomach again and escaping in yet another outpouring of tears.

“This won’t do,” Yoongi sighed melancholically, briefly leaving the couch, and you instantly felt empty, cold without him. He was back in the matter of seconds, bringing with him a stack of tissues he used to gently dab all over your face. Once he was done he cupped your cheek, stroking over your jawline with his thumb and smiling comfortingly at you. “That’s better. Not drowning in your own tears now.”

“This is all my fault…” you mumbled, leaning into his touch and averting your eyes, because you couldn’t look into his sympathetic ones, witness that adoring smile when you had wronged him so. “I didn’t even reply to you…I didn’t want to burden you with my issues and…I didn’t realize it only made it worse. I’m sorry-”

“No, schhh,” he interjected, grabbing your thighs and settling them across his lap. You let it happen, nuzzling into his neck when he sneaked his arms around your torso, pressing you against him as tightly as he could manage. “No need to be sorry, I understand it’s hard. But I’ve missed you so much, pretty baby, I was so worried about you.”

He breathed into your hair, gentle tones coated with sadness. “And if I knew this was going on with you…I would have come sooner.”

“I don’t even know what’s going on, though, Yoongi,” you confessed, feeling defeated, but his steady hands anchoring you and keeping you safe caused your chest to sprout with a tiny seed of hope. Maybe it all could be alright, just maybe.

“I know. I know baby. But things will get better, you’ll see, we’ll figure it out. I’ll help you, don’t have to do it alone anymore.”

[kpoptrashibnida]

Enough Pt. 13

A/N: Sorry for being a filthy liar you guys! I said I was going to post two days ago and I didn’t. I just needed to edit a couple scenes I wasn’t 100% happy with and that set me back. But thanks for your patience and support! You all know I love/appreciate feedback, so don’t be shy! Any way, here is the update and happy reading!

“So have you answered him yet?” Jaehyun asked, fingers caressing your arm as you cuddled on your couch. 

Once you woke up, you texted Jaehyun and told him you made it home okay and apologized for forgetting to message him. At the office, he was very attentive and apologized for being distant for the past few days. He admitted that he was worried because of the phone call you got from Namjoon and he thought that creating a little distance was going to make him feel a little better. Of course he realized it was a mistake and possibly the stupidest thing he could have ever done. He asked if he could come over to your place and stay the night. You agreed of course, happy that your boyfriend was going to spend some time with you and that the awkwardness was gone. After work you both came to your apartment, had dinner together and were now cuddling on the couch as you watched a movie. You were in a little bubble of bliss and nothing could ruin that. Not even the inevitable question of what answer you were going to give to Namjoon.

“I am going to tell him that I am not going to leave early.” You say with conviction in your voice. 

He sat up straight and looked at you perplexed. He knew how much you loved your job and you were amazing at it, so saying no to Namjoon was a big deal.

“Are you serious?” He asked, wanting to make sure he heard you correctly.

“Yes. There are plenty of people in Seoul who can take care of the projects he has lined up. But if he really feels like he needs me to oversee these projects, then I can do them from here via teleconference. My workload will significantly reduce now that all the final details are done. I just don’t want to be away from you.” You explain, looking into Jaehyun’s eyes.

“I am very happy to hear that. I just hope you’re doing this because you really want to and not because of me.” He says, giving you a soft kiss.

“I really want to. And I also want to be with you.” You say, leaning in to kiss him on the lips.

He deepens the kiss as he hovers over you, making you lay down on the couch, slightly opening your legs to accommodate his frame.

His fingers are quick to lift your shirt, rough pads skimming the soft skin of your stomach. You arched into him, the contact sending electric shocks through your body. You wrap your legs around his hips bringing him closer to you, wanting to feel him pressed up against you. Your fingers work fast to unbutton his shirt, slipping it off his frame and skimming his skin with your fingertips. He helped you pull your shirt off and discarded it on the floor, lips attaching to your neck, lightly biting the soft skin. You moaned as Jaehyun stained your skin, hands reaching behind you to unclasp your bra, kneading your breasts and slowly grinding into you. Your hands are quick to reach for his jeans, undoing his button and tried to pull his pants down. He pulled away from you to remove both his jeans and boxers, helping you remove your skirt and panties too. You gulped at the sight of his hard length and you could not handle it anymore. You pushed him so he was sitting upright and you straddled his hips, teasing his length with your wet folds.

“Don’t tease baby.” Jaeyun groaned, gripping your hips tight in an attempt to regain control.

“Patience baby.” You whisper, enjoying the strain in his voice. 

You decided to end his torture and aligned his length with your entrance. You sat down all the way and you both groaned at the feeling of your tight walls engulfing his length. You waited a few seconds to adjust before you started to undulate your hips, walls tightening around his length.

“Oh fuck.” Jaehyun moaned, throwing his head back against the couch.

You took advantage and bit his neck making him moan louder, which turned you on even more.

 You sped the movement of your hips, breath catching in your throat at the pleasure that coursed through your body. 

“Ah, yes.” You moaned, Jaehyun’s hands guiding your hips, increasing the friction against your clit. That sent electrical jolts through your body, a strong shiver shaking you. You grind your hips faster against Jaehyun’s, the angle hitting deep inside you and aided in the stimulation of your clit. Jaehyun popped a nipple into his mouth, sucking harshly as his other hand kneaded your other breast. The added sensations were all it took for you to reach your end. You moaned Jaehyuns name like a mantra, hips bucking wildly against his. The tightening of your walls was all it took for him to reach his end, a low moan leaving his lips as he filled you with his cum. 

Your hips slowed to a stop, hands still clutching Jaehyun’s sticky body against yours. His breath slowly turned to normal and it tickled the slick skin of your neck. He attached his lips to yours in a slow and sensual kiss, a warm feeling melting in your chest and spreading to the rest of your body. Your brain felt hazy and in that moment a single word came into your mind: Chanyeol. 

You pulled away from Jaehyun’s hips and wandering hands, receiving a confused look from his gorgeous face. 

“You okay?” He asks concerned, hands planted on your hips.

“Yeah. I just feel super sticky. I am going to head to the shower.” You say, hating yourself for lying to him and for thinking about Chanyeol in your post-coitus bliss. “Care to join me?” You say, a mischievous glint in your eye.

He chuckled and nodded his head, completely unaware of the stuff going on in your brain. God were you an asshole.

“Yes babe, I’ll be right in.” He says as he watched you get us from his lap, his soft member falling out of your entrance and his cum trailing down your thighs. The sight alone was enough to turn him on.

“Okay, don’t take too long.” You say in a sing-song voice as you quickly make your way to your bathroom, not wanting to make a mess on the floor.

Jaehyun was wiping himself when he noticed your phone was blinking, indicating that you had messages. He didn’t think anything of it but at that moment your phone vibrated again, illuminating the screen with a notification. Curiosity got the best of him and he looked at your screen, chuckling when he saw a Snapchat notification from Mark. He asked Mark why he had made you get the app and the young boy told him it was easier to send you funny videos and memes through there. You and Mark had a brother/sister relationship and Jaehyun thought it was cute. His smile slowly disappeared when he saw that you had three text messages from Chanyeol.

Chanyeol: I really appreciate it

Was what the preview message said in your Notification Center. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little bothered at the fact that Chanyeol was messaging you, but the message wasn’t incriminating. He was probably just talking about the great wok you did with the press release of him and Ara for the opening gala. Besides, Jaehyun trusted you and he felt a little guilty for even looking at your phone screen. He knew you had nothing to hide. He shook the weird feeling away and made his way to the bathroom where you and your hot wet body were waiting for him. 

___________________

You were typing away replying to emails when you were distracted by a soft knock on your door.

“Come in.” You mumble, not looking away from your computer screen.

“Hey.” The deep voice says as the person enters the office.

“Chanyeol?” You say confused, recognizing the voice right away.

“Sorry to barge in, I just wanted to stop by and say hi.” He says with a cheesy smile on his face.

You raise your eyebrow at him, a small chuckle leaving your lips.

“Well hi then.” You reply, making him shake his head.

“You’re so mean.” He whined playfully, sitting on the chair across from you.

“Yes please make yourself at home.” You say sarcastically, looking back to your screen to hit the send button for your last email.

“So, what brings you here?” You ask, finally looking at him.

“Well I was here meeting Wendy for some last minute details and arrangements for Ara’s travels.” He explains, leaning back in your chair.

“Hmm, and you decided to stop by?” You question, thinking how ridiculous that sounded.

“Yes, don’t make it weird.” He joked, leaning forward on your desk.

You eye him wearily and decide he probably was being sincere.

“So when do you go back to Korea?” You ask, deciding to be civil.

“Tomorrow morning.” He pouted, which made you chuckle.

“Well, safe travels then.” You said with a cheeky grin, making Chanyeol laugh.

“Really? Why are you being so cold?” He playfully whines, splaying his upper body on top of your desk.

“Okay, okay…” You relented. “I hope that your plane doesn’t crash.” You gave him a sarcastic smile, making him laugh and causing your desk to shake. 

“You are so rude.” He mumbles, reaching out in front of you and poking your hand with his index finger.

“I’m joking. But I do wish you safe travels, that’s not a mean thing to say.” You mention, not pulling your hand away for whatever reason.

 “I know. I don’t know, i was just expecting something else…” He trailed off, his whole hand splayed on top of yours.

The warmth of his hand was oddly comforting, but it also felt a little wrong.

“I’m not sure what else you were expecting, Chanyeol.” You say, nervously pulling your hand away from under his embrace.

He stared into your eyes, not breaking eye contact. 

“Hey babe ready to go?” Jaehyun says as he enters your office, stopping abruptly once he sees who is sitting at your desk.

“I’m sorry, am I interrupting something?” Jaehyun asks, hoping Chanyeol’s presence is strictly business related.

“No, Mr. Park was just leaving.” You smile, giving Chanyeol a pointed look, indicating that he should leave.

“Yes, I was just leaving. Once again, thank you for our time and hard work team captain.” Chanyeol said, giving you a small smile before exiting your office.

You walk up to Jaehyun and wrap your arms around his waist, embracing him in a tight hug and enjoying his warmth. You look up at him and smile, enjoying the sight of his beautiful face.

“Ready?” You ask, giving him a small peck on the lips.

“Yeah, I’m ready.” He agrees, holding your hand and heading to the elevator. 

Jaehyun feels a bit uneasy and he is not one hundred percent sure as to why. He knows that unfortunately Chanyeol has to be around because of work but that did not mean he was not weary of the man and the situation. He did not want to come off as insecure and jealous, he trusts you. It's Chanyeol he doesn’t trust and for some reason he feels that Chanyeol’s involvement in this project is more than just good exposure for him. 

 He doesn’t want to be that guy, but he is more than sure that Chanyeol is trying to get close to you. Jaehyun looks over at your face and smiles; he felt like a winner because you were next to him, holding his hand. 

______________

“Thanks for cooking dinner babe, it was delicious.” Jaehyun complimented while he helped take the dishes to the sink.

“No problem babe. Anything for you.” You wink, smacking his butt as you walk back to the table to wipe it down. 

He gasps in mock offense, claiming he wasn’t a piece of meat.

“I’ll wash the dishes babe.” He offered, being the gentleman he always is.

“Thanks babe, I’m going to wash up.” You say, excusing yourself and running into the shower. You were in desperate need for a hot shower to relax your muscles. 

You unknowingly left your phone on the kitchen counter and you got a text message at that moment. Jaehyun looked over and saw that it was a message from Chanyeol. Furrowing his eyebrows he debated whether or not he should let you know about your message. He ignored it and went back to the task at hand, scrubbing the dishes with unnecessary force. He was trying really hard not to lose his temper, but the fact that Chanyeol was texting you yet again was starting to annoy him. It was almost nine in the evening and he doubted that there were any business related issues that needed your attention at this moment. Your phone vibrated two more times and Jaehyun felt like he was going to go crazy. Before he could do something irrational, he grabbed your phone and headed to your bedroom. He needed the device away from him so he could concentrate on not chucking it out the window. 

“Oh, hey.” You say surprised as Jaehyun walks into your room with your phone in hand. You had just gotten out of the shower and you only had your towel wrapped around your body. Normally, that would turn Jaehyun on, but right now he couldn’t even focus on that.

“Here.” He says, dropping your phone on the bed. “It was vibrating a lot, so I decided to bring it to the room.” He explains, hoping his tone didn’t sound bothered. He did not want you to know he knew who was texting you. 

“Oh. Okay, thanks.” You say with a smile before Jaehyun walked out of the bedroom and back to the kitchen to finish cleaning up.

Later that night, Jaehyun lay awake in bed not being able to fall asleep. He stared at your peaceful sleeping face, admiring how cute you look. He finally found his comfortable spot on his side, facing you and he closed his eyes, ready for sleep to take over. It seems like you forgot to put your phone on silent mode because a text notification is what made Jaehyun open up his eyes again.  He could not believe someone was texting you this late, but it could be an emergency. Jaehyun carefully leans over you to grab your phone from your night stand. He knows your password so he types it in and checks your messages. He scrunches his nose when he sees it’s yet another text from Chanyeol.

Chanyeol: Have a good night. Sweet dreams ;)

‘What the fuck.’ Jaehyun mutters under his breath, now thoroughly annoyed at the fact that Chanyeol was sending you good night texts. Against his better judgement, he looks at your text chain from earlier when Chanyeol was blowing up your phone.

Chanyeol: Do you remember this night? That was fun!

                 [Image.jpg]

Me: when we were on a double date with Suho and Mina. yeah I remember.

Chanyeol: I had a lot of fun that day. Did you?

Me: Yeah it was alright.

Chanyeol: :( why are you being so cold?

Chanyeol: Helloooooo????

Chanyeol: Fine, I get it. I won’t message you xp

Chanyeol: Have a good night. Sweet dreams ;)

Jaehyun was furious after reading the messages. How dare Chanyeol show up out of nowhere and think this is okay? He looks over to your sleeping form once again, eyeing you suspiciously. You didn’t seem interested in engaging conversation with Chanyeol, but you were also not putting a stop to his advances. 

‘Stop it Jaehyun. You trust her.’ He thought, shaking his head and feeling bad for doubting you for even one second. Clearly the problem here was Chanyeol and Jaehuyn was going to make it clear to him that he needs to stay away from you. 

______________

Much to Jaehyun’s dismay, he did not see Chanyeol at the office that day. He had some business to attend to all day and he was stuck in his office all day with conference call after conference call. He was upset because he was going to need to stay at the office late and he was looking forward to having dinner with you and cuddling. Your guys dynamic was finally where it used to be and he was happy. He knew he had been a bit distant for a while after you broke the news about Namjoon’s call. But he was thrown off because he had some big plans that had to be put on hold for now. He just needed some time to regroup and execute them another time. He was still bothered about the text messages from Chanyeol but he decided to forget about it and concentrate on his work. He trusted you completely so he knew he had nothing to worry about. 

“Hey handsome.” You say as you knock on Jaehyun’s office door, observing his tired eyes. Poor guy has been working non-stop all day. He was barely able to get 15 minutes in for lunch and he had to basically scarf it down.

“Hey babe. I still have a lot more to do. You should probably head home and I’ll catch up later.” He said with a sigh, rubbing his eyes.

“Aww okay baby. Don’t overdo it, okay?” You say, giving Jaehyun a parting kiss. 

You were sad to leave him behind because he looked so tired but you knew what he was working on was very important and he had to finish it before he was able to go home. You decided you were going to make him a nice meal for when he got home, that way he could have a full belly and be well-rested. You walked to the nearby market that was a short walking distance from work and bought some necessary ingredients and then took an Uber home. You were not about to use public transportation while carrying grocery bags. Once you got home, you started working right away. You made him some spicy kimchi stew and a few side dishes you knew were his favorite. You had sent him a text message to see if he knew when he would get home but he had not answered yet. You hoped you had enough time for a quick shower before he got home. You wanted to wear a very cute night gown to let him know he had options as to how he wanted the night to end. Wrapping your silk robe around your frame, you walk back to your kitchen and make sure the food is still warm and not overdone. You were startled by your doorbell ringing, knowing that Jaehyun had a key to your apartment and would never have to ring. You were confused as to who would visit you at this hour since it was close to ten pm. You cautiously make your way to your door and look through the peephole, even more confused with who is on the other side of the door.

“Chanyeol? What are you doing here?” You asked incredulously, not being able to think of a reason as to why he is at your home at this hour of the night. “I thought your flight left already?”

“I changed it for tomorrow. Can I come on?” He asked, looking around the hallway. You didn’t really want to invite him in, but you also did not want to stand in your doorway with flimsy clothing on for all your neighbors to see.

“Sure I guess.” You concede, moving out of the way and closing the door behind Chanyeol. 

“Thanks. It smells good in here.” He said, sniffing the air.

“Chanyeol why are you here? These are not necessarily regular visiting hours.” You say, crossing your arms across your chest. Chanyeol tried not to look at your cleavage but it was hard since you looked great in that robe.

“Look, I know I have no right being here, but I am leaving and I just want to say that I am sorry for all the trouble I gave you.” He said, looking right at you.

“I think you already had this conversation with me Chanyeol. You can’t be here for too long.” You say, needing him to leave your apartment as soon as possible.

“I know. I just want to say it again and I hope you can forgive me for all the crap I did. I don’t want to interfere anymore in your life. But I just want you to know that if you ever want me back in your life, as friends! I would really like that.” He said, giving you a small smile that made you relax a little.

“Thanks Chanyeol. Look, I don’t hate you or anything. And I am genuinely happy that you are now doing what you love and I hope you keep being successful in it. I think friendship could be a possibility….. In the relative future.” You say with a giggle, making Chanyeol laugh.

“Fair enough.” He said, looking at his watch. “I better get going, I need to be on my way. I should get at least a few hours of sleep before I head to the airport.” He says, standing awkwardly in the middle of your living room. 

“Have a safe trip.” You say, not knowing what else to say.

“Okay this is plenty awkward. I’m going to head out now. Is it okay if I get a hug?” He asked, awkwardly holding his arms out.

“Sure I guess.” You agree with an eye roll. 

You go in for the hug and hold your breath, nervous for whatever reason. You were just saying bye to an acquaintance/ sort of friend and old lover. You were not doing anything wrong. Chanyeol wrapped his arms tightly around you, missing the feeling of your body in his embrace. He sniffed your hair, commiting the scent to memory. He wished he could have appreciated you when he had you and it was now too late for him. Hopefully not completely late.

“What’s going on here?” Jaehyun asks, making you and Chanyeol break away from each other. You did not hear him open the door.

“Jaehyun!” You say breathless, your heart was hammering in your chest and you felt like you got caught doing something wrong. 

Jaehyun was silent as he looked between the two of you, not knowing what to make of the situation. 

“I was just leaving man. I just came by to say goodbye. Nothing else.” Chanyeol said defensively, not expecting Jaehyun to show up. But that did explain your attire.

“Well then I guess you better go.” Jaehyun said cooly, flexing his fingers in an attempt to calm himself and not punch Chanyeol. 

“Okay.” Chanyeol said with a parting glance at you and a cold stare to Jaehyun. 

The room was uncomfortably silent, a heavy feeling settling over the room. Jaehyun wasn’t looking at you, his back facing you and you could see his shoulders moving up and down with every breath he was taking.

“Jaehyun.” You say softly, trying to get him to look at you. 

He finally looked over after a few seconds that felt like an eternity. 

You sucked in a gasp at the cold, hard look in his eyes; something he never had before. Not with you anyway.

“Care to explain?” He asks, voice low.

“I know it might look bad, but I swear it was nothing. He stopped by to say goodbye because he goes back to Korea tomorrow morning. Nothing else.” You explain, taking a tentative towards him. 

He takes a deep breath and looks at you before speaking again.

“Do you still have feelings for him?” He asks.

“What?” You ask, not knowing where this was coming from. 

“Do you or do you not have feelings for him?” Jaehyun asked again, getting agitated and his voice raising slightly.

You stared at him, wide-eyed and not knowing what to say. Of course you did not have any feelings for Chanyeol. So why the fuck could you not say that out loud?

Jaehyun scoffed and shook his head, not really believing what was happening right now. 

“Jaehyun, I don’t have any feelings for him.” You explain, placing your hand on his arm.

“Then why did you hesitate to answer?” He questions, moving away from your touch.

“I was just taken by surprise! Nothing else.” You say, chest heaving with anxiety. 

“Really? Is that why you’ve been messaging with him? Why he’s been stopping by your office? Why you’ve been kind of jumpy and dodgy?” He pressed, trying not to get agitated.

You were stunned to silence, not knowing he had been aware of the messages from Chanyeol. You knew that you’ve been a little distant because of the guilt you had felt because of these mixed feelings ever since Chanyeol has been bombarding you in your workplace.

“Right.” He says after your long pause of silence. Jaehyun let out a sigh and wiped his hands down his face. “I’m going to get my stuff.” Jaehyun says, going into your bedroom to get his belongings. 

You stood there in silence as you heard Jaehyun packing his things, your heart felt like it was breaking and you did not know how to stop him. He seemed so upset and you do not know how this evening took a turn for the worse. 

Jaehyun came out of your room holding a duffle filled with his clothes, stopping right in front of you before he left.

“If we are going to be together, I want you to be one hundred percent sure. No room for doubt. It looks like you might be confused right now, so I think it's better if we put an end to this.” He says, looking right into your eyes. You sucked in a breath, not expecting this to be happening right now. This relationship that you cherish so much, this person that you love, how could you be losing this? Jaehyun took your lack of answer as a silent agreement and headed for the door.

‘Say something! Stop him from leaving. Tell him you have no doubts!’ Your brain screamed. It seems like your mouth and feet were not receiving the signals, because you just stood there in silence as you watched the man you love walk out of your life.

“Oh, and one more thing.” Jaehyun says as he pauses in your door frame, looking back at your bewildered face. “You know that offer Namjoon gave you? I think it would be a good idea if you accept it.” He says, finally walking out of your home and closing the door behind him.

You stood in the middle of your living room for a few more minutes until your body finally caught up with your brain and with everything that just happened. You dropped to your knees and let out the sob that was stuck there since this night went to shit. An excruciating pain you had not felt before hit your chest and you crumpled inwards, hitting your chest repeatedly to ebb the pain away. Your screams and sobs were muffled by the rub beneath you, burying your face into it because you could not bear the pain in your chest. Your cries carried through your apartment, the emptiness in it bringing a new wave of cries, tears and sadness. You stood up and shaky legs and made your way to your bedroom, crumpling on your bed once you saw the absence of Jaehyun’s belongings. He was really gone. He did not leave anything behind. You lay your head on his pillow and inhale his scent that still lingered, the smell bringing a wave of fresh tears to your eyes and the pain in your chest intensified.

You could not sleep that night. You laid awake, blankly staring at the clock on your night stand. Every time you would drift off you jolted awake, thinking that what happened was all a bad dream. But once you realized it was all real, you broke down again. Your sobs echoing in your room and ricocheting from the emptiness in your heart. You glance at the clock and see that it is two am, which meant it was three pm in Korea. Namjoon did not leave the office until five, so you knew you could find him in his office. You cleared your throat and grabbed your phone to dial his number.

“Hey! I did not expect to hear from you at this hour. Isn’t it like two am over there?” Namjoon greets, happy to hear from you.

“Hey. I can’t sleep.” You pause, trying to hold your tears. “Um, I’m actually calling because I changed my mind. I’m not going to stay the full year in New York, I want to come back to Seoul and work on those projects you have for me.” You say, forcing a smile onto your face so you could fake sounding happy.

“Oh! Really? That’s great! What changed your mind?” He asks, curious as to why you want to come back but happy nonetheless.

“I just figured that there really is no reason to stay if everything I’m responsible for is done. Besides, my best friend is pregnant and I want to be there for her. And also because I miss you and I want to work on those projects you told me about.” Maybe faking your happiness won’t be so hard from here on out. 

“That’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear that you’re coming back. When can you come back to Seoul so I can book your ticket.” He asks, browser already up on the airline’s website.

“Everything I need to do is done. Book me whatever flight is available for tomorrow.” You say, not seeing the point in dragging this out. 

“Oh! So soon, okay. Give me a minute so I can see what is available.” Namjoon informs you. You can hear the fast clacking of the keys as he looked for a flight. “Okay. there is a flight at five pm. Does that work?” He asks.

“Yes, that’s fine.” You say, the reality of it all hitting you.

“Okay, I’ll email you the details.” He says before hanging up. 

You sigh a shaky breath, the tears dry but the pain in your heart is still very much present. You get up from your bed and with shaky knees you make your way to your closet to start packing. You knew you were not going to be able to sleep so you might as well do something productive. 

The sun was rising as you finished packing your belongings, having accumulated a few more things than what you arrived with. You were showered and packed, sitting at your kitchen table, cold cup of coffee in front of you. Your phone vibrated and you saw that it was Mina. You gulped and coughed before you answered, hoping your voice didn’t sound hoarse.

“Hey, I heard you were coming back to Seoul. What happened?” She asks. You were not aware that news traveled that fast.

“Mina…” You say, your voice breaking at the last letter of her naame.

“What? What's wrong? Are you crying?” She asks worried, not sure as to why you’re crying.

“Mina…” You say again, voice breaking into sobs. 

She tried to placate you enough so she could understand what you were saying but it was no use. Your heart was broken and all you could do was sob into your phone, wishing this was all a nightmare.

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[shebitfirst]

Imagine; As previous school day ran late, conspiring of minor inconveniences that dampened your mood when you awake the following day to an afternoon sun; shoving your D.D.D underneath the pillow beside you, continuing to ignore the vibrations of incoming messages and calls- you drift back to sleep, hoping to sleep away this tick of yours. And as if on queue, your bedroom door creaks open. {F!MC/Demon Brothers, Fluffy fluff, Comfort, You had a long day and just need sympathy and affection.} ------------------------- Note I’m having such a bad road block with continuing chapter 2 of our undoing- and been stuck in a low mood lately, so much so that a cup of hot tea and biscuits won’t help me. I wrote this under the covers when it started storming this afternoon. /i did not manage to finish this within a day or let alone a week! Thank you for all the love i’ve received with the on-going series & my previous Summer Imagine- I appreciate the patience, i write incredibly slow in order to perfect and ensure that everything flows additionally, also to enjoy what I write. If you have a request, question, need someone to squeal over your demon with, or a listening ear- send me love letters X --------------------------- Lucifer Seemingly annoyed at the lack of responses he was receiving from you since yesterday evening, he decides to pay a house call. His brothers seem to be keeping to themselves today, or so he hopes. The House Of Lamentation seems suspiciously calm by the time Lucifer walks through the hallway and to the front of your door. Clearing his throat, he gently knocks before excusing himself into your room. You prop up on your elbows, still trying to come out of sleep. “Luci..?” You yawn his name as he removes his gloves and sets it on top your bed side table. “Have you been having late nights, my love?” He sits at the edge of your bed, patting the empty space beside him. A gesture, ordering you forward. You nod, shifting over- “Yes, especially yesterday.. Some days are just not meant for you.” Lucifer crooks a brow, stroking your cheek; Sympathy in his eyes as he looms over you, “I don’t quite understand what you mean, love.” Leaning your head against his shoulders, you sigh- “Bad days, Luci.. Don’t you too, have bad days? It felt as though the sun was never going down and the hands on clocks didn’t move.” Lucifer chuckles and wraps an arm around your waist pulling you close; He does not often resonate with the idea of bad days nor do things often not go his way, but he sees you under the light of your room and how tired your eyes are. “What can I do?” He presses a kiss to the top of your head- voice coated with concern. You shake your head in response, sinking deeper into the embrace. “Nothing..” Your voice cracks. “Anything, my love, I’ll give you anything.. anything at all.” Lucifer’s slender fingers trace along your spine. “If I could provide you a source of comfort.. No request is too big, as long as it leaves you satisfied and out of this.. state.” He smells of musk, a slight scent of leather from constantly wearing his gloves, heartbeat slow and steady as you feel his chest rise and fall against you. “Anything?” You gently reply. Lucifer cups your face in his hands, stroking your cheek; “For you, only you. Anything.” “Mmhm.” You kiss the inside of his palm- “You’ve always been so good to me.. Luci. I sometimes feel undeserving of your treatment.” “Don’t, never be-” He kisses your forehead, tracing down to your lips. “- There is no greater pleasure than seeing you happy.. Especially here with me.” Lucifer said, both hands still grazing your cheek. All you felt was your heartbeat in your chest rising and his breath against your lips. He breaks the silence, swiftly stealing a kiss. “Now now,” “I can confidently say you have not eaten anything for the past 20 hours or so, let us head down to Ristorante Six, I know you always crave for their devil’s food cake.” “As you wish, my lord.” Putting on your shoes and lacing your hands with his. “Are you.. mocking me, my love?” “How dare does one mock the Lucifer!” You tip toe and place a kiss on his cheek. “As you said, Luci.. For me, anything.” -------------------------- Mammon Throwing his D.D.D across the room after calling for the fifth time that morning; The white haired demon has impatiently been awaiting a response but when that call was still left unanswered, “Fine. If ya won’t answer, i’ll just come see ya myself then!” Stumbling out of his room to the front of your room, leaning onto your door frame to try to pick up a sound. “Sheesh.. Is she still sleepin?” He checks his wrist watch. “It’s almost.. 3.. 3pm in the afternoon?! I... How are you even still asleep or not replying my texts?!” Taking a step back, he chuckles and adjusts his brown jacket. Mammon proceeds to knock on the door and call you out. “Yah.. It’s 3pm in the afternoon and ticking!” He knocks louder this time. “Are ya really still gonna sleep in?!” Mammon shakes and continues knocking- maybe considerably pounding against the door. Irritated. You were almost falling asleep till he started aggressively knocking. Swinging open the door to find the white haired demon with his fist in the air. “Yes, Mammon?” You said, cold and stern. The shadows under your eyes reflect the lack of sleep you’ve been having, hopefully he’d take it as a hint to come back after 8 hours when you fully rest. “H-hey... how long do ya plan on sleepin?!” He storms into your room without care and plops himself on your bed. You bite your lip, trying to suppress the growing tick. “I.. have not slept, Mammon. I was getting there.” “Barely.” You whisper. “Yah! What’d ya mean getting there?! It’s 3pm in the afternoon and I was callin you all mornin and I wasn’t even left on read or anything! Where’s ya D.D.D? Did ya lose it?” He starts going through your bed side table and underneath your pillows, rambling on how he’s been waiting for you to respond. “Mammon.” Your voice cuts through his own personal dialogue. He turns holding your D.D.D in hand, stumped by how your eyes are darkened by the shadows beneath and lazily holding yourself up. “Please..”  snatching the device from his hand. You sit at the edge of your bed, scrolling and opening messages. “Hey.. I-i’m sorry, i didn’t know you were so tired. What’s been happenin’ at school? Ya keepin’ up with homework?” His tone softens as he gently wraps an arm around your shoulder. You’re too tired to even shrug him off. “Apart from being exhausted? It felt like the sun was never going to go down.. Like I would not have made it back to my room to sleep.” His grip on you tightens, the smell of his leather jacket and his cologne- Comforting.“Well uh, I’d.. I would tell ya to just throw it all away and head out with me to like, ya know, spend it all away?” He laughs. “Mammon..” “Hey.. It’s okay, I just wish you would’ve told me.. ya know. I could have come runnin’ with a blanket and some sweets!” You shake your head and pinch the space between your brows. “But! I’m here now, let’s make use of me, shall we? Come’here!” He pushes you down against the bed and smushes your face into his chest- “Ya know.. out of all the exchange students.. I ain’t ever got one that I liked ya know! I hope you feel special!” -pasting kisses all over your head. Your hands crept underneath his jacket and around his waist, pulling him closer. “Mmmmhmmmm” “What! I can’t hear ya!” He pulls away to catch a glimpse of your flustered cheeks and tired round eyes. “Nap with me, you moron!” ------------ Satan It’s about the time Satan and you often would catch up on reading, exploring new books from the human realm being delivered to the library. He’s been saving this fictional series for the two of you to read together, excited about this new read. He finishes up his lunch and heads for your room- Noticing that the door was closed, strange. You often left it half open for his convenience. Cooing your name while opening the door, light from the hallway lits up your silhouette; legs dangling off the edge of the bed, hands tucked under the pillow. The squeak of the opened door breaks him out of his thoughts as he brings the books to your desk, leaving a note for when you wake so the two of you could continue your evening together. Stopping at the foot of your bed; you’re sound asleep, tossing and turning. He removes his jacket and rests it upon your chest, taking a seat beside you. “You must’ve been exhausted.. seeing how you’re still asleep long into the afternoon, hm?” Slender fingers stroke loose strands of hair away from your cheeks, tucking them behind your ear. Hot breath against his thumb, he gently squeezes your cheek. “I will see you when you wake.” Gently placing a kiss on your forehead- your eyes peer open from feeling a pair of warm lips in between your brows, “Hi” he hears your sleepy voice beneath him. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?” Shaking your head as you prop up against your elbows- light from the hallway illuminates against Satan’s lean silhouette, his tousled blonde hair longer than what you remembered yesterday. “I wouldn’t want to be woken any other way.” Satan’s brow raises, “Oh? I’ll take note of that.” Setting aside the books in his hands, you scoot closer and lean your head against his shoulder. “Would you care to tell me what has been taking up so much of your sleep? “I’ve.. just had a bad day, thinking I would be able to sleep off most of my mood.” “I see.. Do you wish to continue sleeping? I can come see you a little later-” “No, no.” You stop and grab his wrist, “Please, stay.” “As you wish,” Satan reaches out for the stack of books on your bed, going through various titles till he picks one out. The cover looks familiar, from your childhood. “Let me read to you, hm? I picked this up from the library, it just came today. From the human realm.” He flips through the pages. “I thought we could enjoy this together in the evening but,” He sits himself up and pulls your legs over his, resting you against your bed frame. “I won’t let such a tender moment go to waste.” Pastel hardcover with gothic script, he begins to flip the page. “I remember my mom used to read to me, it’s this exact book. It’s sleeping beauty, a fairytale.” Satan smiles while leaning forward and cups your cheek, “Yes.. It is.” ----------------- Asmodeus “Yoohoo!” Tapping against your bedroom door wakes you, “My loveeeeeeeeee?” You immediately recognise the rhythm in that voice. Pulling your covers over your head, groaning- Even muffled tapping keeps you awake, how long was he going to stand there? Flinging the covers off, you manage to open your door slightly without getting out of bed. “Ah! There you are, you have not responded to any calls, my calls for that matter!” Strolling in, setting his belongings down- it seems as if he was going back to his own room instead of dropping by for a visit. “Asmo.. I-” He’s already grabbing you by the waist pulling you into his lap. “Hmm? You were saying?” You can smell his freshly sprayed perfume- lavender. Snuggling closer against his torso, pulling his arm over your chest. He feels your sigh and short breaths against his wrist. “How are you feeling? Tired I would assume, the shadows under your eyes can’t lie to me, darling.” “I can’t lie to you- Kissing his palm -you know that.” “Yes but.. you haven’t told me what is keeping you up” His slender fingers tilt your chin upwards, his big eyes glancing down towards you. “Hm? Darling, let’s hear it.” You huff, sitting up holding his thighs to balance yourself on his lap. “Yesterday wasn’t the best day for me, nothing went as I would have liked. That’s it. I just, wanted to be by myself for a little.” Humming in response, “Do you feel better now, with me, hm?” Squirming on his lap trying to adjust your dress, his eyes dart up toward you. Fingers move from your thighs up towards your neck. You know that look, the glimmer in his eye and how secure his grip is at the back of your neck. Your cheeks immediately flush at the idea of what he might be thinking. “Yes, slightly better.” Asmodeus immediately sits up and pulls you closer, “Slightly?” You feel his breath against your lips, “How can I make you feel better, darling, hm? Tell me.” Leaning forward, lips grazing againt his- “You already have.. Asmo.” “Let me give you more, darling.” You stare blankly at him, maybe you were just awaiting for him to pounce on you or push you against the bed- but could you tell him that you were simply.. not in the mood? To the avatar of lust? “Asmo.. I..” He giggles, both hands cupping your cheeks. “Darling, don’t give me that face, as much as I’d love to-” He leans back, eyes sweeping over your silhouette in your dim bedroom light. “- Ahem, have you.. Let me take care of you, how about that?” That familiar light and airy tone of his voice in itself comforts you, nodding your head- slowly leaning you against the bed with him by your side, lean arms wrapped around your waist and your head against his chest- rise and fall of slow rhythmic beating. Humming slowly, stroking your hair- slender fingers crawl up and down your back, he feels so warm- you fumble with the buttons of his white linen shirt, “You smell like summer..” Interlacing your hands together. “You are too precious, darling.” “Am i?” “Oh, my love. Are you doubting, me! Yes you are. In all of devildom.. I’m in awe by you, even more than I am with myself! Oooh, you should be so happy!” He pinches your cheek. “I even love you as much as I do myself.. or even more.” You crook a brow, “Is that so?” Chuckling- “My love, please. If you were to ask me to prove my affection for you.. You won’t get much sleep for the rest of today.” “Oh Asmo.. I know. I’m just teasing you.” Placing a kiss against his chest. “Thank you for coming by to see me.” “Don’t thank me, my darling. I should be thanking you, for allowing me to be your place of comfort.” He peeks down at you, eyelids shut and soft snoozes. Placing a kiss against your forehead, “I will be here when you wake up, darling.” ----------------- Leviathan He’s been the number one culprit for blowing up your D.D.D, numerous calls and angry all caps messages from approximately 10am until the sun was at it’s highest. Okay fine, maybe you were preoccupied. But how preoccupied could you be and missing out on his final boss round you promise to sit in for? Sitting around his room tempted to tap on his controller onto the next screen. No no no, this is not how it’s gonna go, he knew he needed you around for a pep talk before going into the battle. “Okay.. maybe one more call? Gah, should i even bother? I know I can take this on by myself! I’ve done this a zillion times, what is this any different!” Flaring his arms in the air- his fingers hover along his controller. “I’ll do it.. I’m gonna do it!”  Clutching the controller tightly- “Ugh” He falls back against the floor. “For hell’s sake, what could you even be up to in this hour?!” Grabbing his jacket and throwing his headphones on, he storms to your room. Approaching your door, he swings open to find you sprawled across your bed- eyes tightly shut, lips lightly parted and your heavy breathing was all he could hear. Leviathan’s cheeks flushed, taken aback by your sleeping form and how he just stormed in unannounced. “S-she.. still asleep?!” He blurted out accidentally, stepping backwards into your night stand- you fuss in your sleep, pulling the covers closer to you. Sighing, “At this rate i’ll wake her up..” Turning to readjust the knocked over trinkets. Worried, paranoid that he’ll wake you up- Leviathan constantly peers over his shoulder in relief to find you out like a light. His hands in his jacket pocket, rolled into fists. “She does look.. so tired, i guess..” Feet turning towards your half cracked opened door, just as he was about to leave- wire of his headphones from his jean pocket gets looped around the door knob, grunting and tugging. The jack releases along with his music. Stirring in your sleep, light from the hallway and music from your bedside wakes you up. “Levi?” Peering from beneath your covers, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. You hear the shaking of the door knob, him attempting to untangle his headphone wires. Yawning, “I know it’s you Levi.. I can tell from the back of your head.” “Uhhh..” Embarrassment in his voice, you see him still struggling with the intertwined wire, scooting over to the edge of your bed you excuse yourself from behind him carefully untangle and plugging the jack back into his D.D.D He stands there, red in the face, hiding his expression underneath his purple bangs. “Levi?” Prying and pulling at his sleeve, “Y-you.. were asleep, I’m sorry! I really didn’t mean to wake you!” His hazel eyes dart across the room, avoiding your gaze. “No no, Levi!” Tugging him backwards as he attempts to leave, “Levi! I had to wake up anyway! Just, stay!” Almost yelling out into the hallway, finally he gives in and shuts your bedroom door. Standing as stiff as ever, “I.. i wasn’t watching you or nothing!” Voice still as ever, shaky and timid. “It’s fine even if you did.” Subconsciously teasing him, flashing him a cheeky grin. “I.. wanted you to be there when i fought the final boss.” “Oh.. Levi, i’m so sorry I overslept..” “But! Did you get all my messages? I left you some messages and calls! I was worried that you were busy with something!” Shaking your head, “No i just, had a really long day yesterday.. You know, the usual.” “Er.” He takes a seat beside you. An obvious gap between you both. “Can i, I mean.” Shuttering. “If you didn’t wanna go back to sleep.. I still haven’t gotten around to the final round ya’know?” Your eyes fixate against the floor, guilty for oversleeping and ignoring most of the messages- feeling the cool fabric of his jacket against your arm, Leviathan closes the gap between you both; “So..” He tucks your hair behind your ears- “Whatcha think? I’ll even let you go for a round! I mean ya never gonna beat MY high score but..” -He places his hand over yours, “You’re my lucky card.” Almost a whisper. “I’ll go.. Only if you let me choose next game we’re gonna play.” Leaning closer. “Hah, Normie wants to play?” You faintly feel his breath against your lips before pulling you out the door. “Let’s play.” -------- Beelzebub Balancing a brown paper bag of freshly baked pastries, a buttered scone hanging from his mouth. His fingers swiftly move along his D.D.D, (I just got some fresh pastries.)   (An entire bag full, let me share some with you.) (I’m heading to your room right now.) The rustling of the doorknob pulls you out of sleep, in a daze you watch as the light from the hallway spills into your room. The scent of butter and bread fills the once stiff air- and along with the scent stands a large figure at your door. Eyes still heavy.. yet, there is only one demon in the entire devildom who would bring a large bag of bread into your bedroom on a random afternoon. Beelzebub steps lightly, not noticing you were half awake, eyes following him in as he continues to chew on the croissant that fills his cheeks. Quietly propping yourself up, he sets the paper bag on your desk, removing individually wrapped pastries and placing them on your desk. You guess he came here for a spot of afternoon tea. Yawning into your white pyjama sleeve, you hear him tear open another plastic wrapper. “Will there be any left for me?” He catches your voice turning to face you, traces of crumbs along his lips and chin. Holding up what seems to be left of a croissant, “Hi, you’re awake.” Walking over to the edge of your bed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you but I brought back some of your favourites. I was just going to get some bread but I could smell lemon tarts and I know how much you love them so.. I couldn’t resist getting you some but I was so hungry..” You hear his stomach grumble. “Thank you for the treat, Beel.” Chuckling as you try to make yourself look decent in front of the hungry demon. “Would you like me to help you braid your hair?” You feel the bed sink beside you. “As long as I don’t have crumbs in my hair.” It’s the gentleness Beelzebub carries with him that comforts in stark contrast to his appearance and large built. “I’m surprised to find you sleeping so late, have you eaten anything at all? Your pyjama’s look bigger on you this time.” His eyes trace the back of your neck down to your waist- the curvature of your spine was more prominent than he remembered. “I ate.. last evening, I just wanted to sleep in today.” “What has made you so sleepy? Has Belphie’s habits rubbed off on you?” “Mmhm.. No, not yet.. “ Large and warm hands against your back, slowly gathering sections of hair and smoothing them out. “I just had a long and tiring day yesterday. It just seemed like nothing was going in my favour, that’s all.” You hear low rumbles from his chest as he continues to work with your long hair, “I wish you would’ve told me.” He says softly, tucking the ends of your hair into the braided loop- hands gently draping the braid over your shoulder. “I could have brought you some food..” Turning around, you see his large frame slouching and eyes catching your gaze, he’s frowning. “Beel..” “I know you’re going to say it’s okay. But to me it isn’t, who would I be if I can’t at least try to cheer you up..” His hands cup your cheeks. “At least you’re still warm.” That’s one thing Beel loves about you, you’re always so warm. Even during the harsh winters here. “I always will be.” Kissing the inside of his palm. “How are you feeling now? Do you need more time to rest?” “No.. Beel, I’m fine now. Thank you for stopping by to see me.” “I just don’t want you to feel that you have no one to turn to-” He lifts you to straddle his lap. “When you have me.” Wrapping your arms around his neck, You sigh against his lips- pulling him closer. “I know.. I know. I would never think that way..” “Good girl.” He closes the space in between both of you, warm lips that taste of almonds... and whatever was in that brown paper bag. One arm wraps around your waist to steady you- another hand holds the base of your neck, lightly squeezing it. A low rumble from the demon’s stomach causes you to pull away. “Hungry?” Purple eyes take in the sight of you, you see his eyes trace your body. His mouth curves into a smile. “Always am.” You leap out of bed to gather the remaining pastries in the bag, asking him if he would want to go down to the kitchen for some tea. “Anywhere, with you.” He replies whilst giving you a last kiss on the cheek. ------ Belphegor As tense as you are, you’ve been waking up every other hour. It feels like you saw the sun set and come back up within a few minutes. Sighing into your blankets, eyes heavy but you couldn’t work your way back to sleep. Maybe you weren’t cool enough to fall asleep during this summer heat, even down to your thinnest nightie- It didn’t seem to do the trick. Remembering reading somewhere about a military sleeping method that humans used to use for soldiers to fall asleep within 2 minutes, but 30 minutes go by without a wink or even the feeling of fleeting in and out of sleep. You’ve switched positions around four times, you’ve grown restless- wanting to retreat to your medicine cabinet knowing fairly well that two pills could easily throw you back into slumber. You can hear the voices of various demons in your head advising otherwise. But, oh god, of course. You knew exactly who could easily coax you to sleep. Luckily, your D.D.D has been swamped with various messages- immediately dialling his number and gnaw on your bottom lip in eagerness. “Belphie.. Come on.. pick up, please.” whispering into your phone. Hollow tired eyes watch you from the crack of your door, clutching onto the cow printed pillow he brings everywhere; holding his vibrating phone close to his chest, chuckling while he watches you frantically dial for him over and over. Seeing you finally give in after hearing nothing on the other end, he decides to have fun with this situation. (Yes?) Your D.D.D lights up with his name. (Belphie! I’ve been calling you!) (Belphie? Belphie!) (Are you really going to leave me on read?) Stepping away from the entrance of your door to suppress his laughter, he peeks through to see that you’ve shoved your D.D.D aside. Tossing and turning, trying to find a cool underside of the pillow. Pulling and tugging at your nightie. He watches you fuss over your long braid beneath your neck, pulling onto your covers then kicking them off again. Light from the hallway seeps in until a familiar silhouette shadows against your bed. Knocking off his shoes and fluffs the cow printed pillow before tucking it beside you, climbing into bed. “Belphie! How did you, when did you get in here?” “You were so loud, i’m sure the rest of my brothers heard you too.” Smiling as he lays down beside you- “Couldn’t sleep? Why exactly are you so tired?” It’s a tick you’re unable to shake off, restlessness along with other aspects of the previous day still bother you though able to let go some steam irregardless of a few yawns from the tired eyed demon propped on his elbow. Huffing, you rub your heavy lids, exhaustion is starting to creep up on you. “Come here-” He pats the empty space. “-Before I change my mind.” “Do you feel better now?” Fingers caressing your back and your face buried in Belphie’s chest, a soft exhale can be heard- sleep has taken you. A satisfied grin across his face and a kiss atop your head. “Finally.” Fingers stroke your cheek and across your parted lips. “Not even in my dreams do I get a sight quite like this.” He pushed to stay awake; enveloped against you, hands warmly tucked under his shirt and the slow rise and fall of your chest. “Sleep, for as long as you need.” ------ All my love, angel

[lalainajanes]

You guys really came through with the mini prompts! I can’t do them all but I’m going to combo as many as I can. First up “Caroline assassin working in the coffee shop sequel” from @delightfullysunny + “How about Klaus awkwardly brings her flowers to acquit himself... cuz reasons.” from @eliliyah

Detente

The best part of her job at the coffee shop – and there’s not a whole lot of positives – is that Caroline’s typically off by 2:00 PM. She usually heads home, takes a nap. Checks in with good people of Port Charles and makes dinner.

Then she’s ready to head out for her real job.

She’d snuck into Klaus place last week (sue her she’s losing patience) and had planted a few cameras. She’d been a little shocked that they hadn’t been found but maybe Klaus is that arrogant. Or maybe he just trusts his security systems and, to his credit, they’d been a bitch to get through.

She’s nearing the sixth month mark of this assignment and she still hasn’t managed to kill him. Every morning he walks into the coffee shop, every morning she sets a test, one only she’s aware of.

And he keeps freaking passing.

The check in texts she gets from her handler have been coming more frequently and steadily growing testier. Caroline hadn’t bothered to reply to the last one and she knows she’s running out of time.

There’s no real opt out option in her line of work, not this deep into a job. Caroline has a call to make. Either she does it or she runs.

She’s taking advantage of some conversations she’s overheard – Klaus has business tonight, won’t be home until very late. Caroline’s planning to do a little snooping.

Okay, a lot of very thorough and invasive snooping, in hopes of finding something that’ll tip her into the right mindset – the ‘this guy is truly evil and should die even though he’s charming and looks me in the eye even though I’m a lowly service industry peon’ mindset.

She’s nervous as enters his building.

Last time she’d ducked in behind a couple, they’d been inebriated and handsy and hadn’t even noticed. She’d tripped the woman which had provided enough of a distraction that the concierge hadn’t spared Caroline a glance. She’s not going to count on that kind of luck a second time and she uses a back entrance this time. She’d found a reasonable copy of the coveralls the maintenance people wear, has her hair tied back and a pair of thick rimmed glasses perched on her nose. She’s quick enough at picking the lock that anyone who notices her on a security camera wouldn’t know that she hadn’t had keys.

Once inside, she’s invisible. Listings in Klaus’ building start at 5 million, the people who have that kind of cash to throw around tend to avoid eye contact with anyone in a uniform.

He’s on the top floor, of course. Has a private elevator. Caroline had picked his pocket and copied his keys early on and it only takes her a minute to figure out the correct one.

She takes a deep breath once she’s inside the car, rests her back against the wall and watches the numbers climb as she ascends. The hard part is over, she should relax.

Should.

She jumps at the ding that rings out just before the doors slide open, laughs shakily as she steps into Klaus’ apartment. Last time she’d been all business, hadn’t really taken the time to assess anything beyond the best, most discrete, places to set up her cameras.

She’s not on a time crunch now, finds herself soaking in the details. It’s a man’s place, clearly. All dark wood and muted colors. She’s surprised by how comfortable the furniture looks, it’s all upholstered in rich fabrics, plush and sturdy.

She’d spent a frankly shameful amount of time watching Klaus lounging on his couch in the last week. He keeps the apartment warm, Caroline notes, probably why he always sees to be half-undressed while home alone.

She’s drawn to a painting over the fireplace, is studying it so intently that she doesn’t realize she’s not alone.

Rookie mistake.

Caroline freezes when she hears a throat clear behind her, and she wishes she’d thought to take out a weapon. There’s a gun in her bag, a knife in her boot. She’s got no chance of getting to either of them and launching an attack if the person behind her is even halfway competent.

Given that she’s never seen a single person other than Klaus in this apartment, that she knows he keeps a second one in a sketchier part of town to meet up with various goons and allies, she’s pretty sure violence isn’t going to be the answer.

“You’re a bit later than I expected,” Klaus murmurs, confirming her suspicions. “Don’t you have an early morning tomorrow?”

She swallows a groan of annoyance – at herself more than him - this kind of sloppiness is galling. “I was thinking about taking a sick day, figure I…” the rest of her sentence trails off when she turns and sees that Klaus is holding flowers.

A pretty bunch, purple and white blooms, artful bits of greenery mixed in. She stares at it for a long moment before her eyes lift to Klaus, not even trying to hide her incredulousness. Klaus’ weight shifts, infinitesimally yes, but it does, the bouquet shifting from hand to hand.

Is he… nervous?

He’s dressed casually, dark jeans and a grey t-shirt. His feet are bare but his hair is neat.

“I made dinner. If you’re hungry.”

“Did you shave the garlic with a razorblade?” Caroline asks, glancing back down at the flowers again. She’s sure they’re for her and, as a girl who shamelessly likes pretty things and romantic gestures, she’s kinda flattered.

But mostly she’s confused.

Usually, Caroline suspects, when the friendly neighbourhood barista breaks into a mobster’s place she’s not greeted with gifts.

“I did not…” Klaus says slowly and Caroline cannot believe that he’s never seen Goodfellas, given his line of work. “The recipe called for minced.”

She can’t resist cracking a smile and Klaus returns it stepping forward, his frame visibly relaxing. “Can I take your coat, love? Perhaps your bag? I promise you don’t need the weapons I’m sure you’ve tucked away.”

Caroline grips the strap that crosses her chest. “How long have you known I’m not a barista?”

“Oh, ages.” He doesn’t even seem mad about it. “When did you decide not to kill me?”

“Who says I’ve decided not to kill you?”

The look he shoots her is amused and he clearly doesn’t believe her. At all. Super annoying because Caroline Forbes is a great liar, thank you very much. “Something tells me you’re the decisive type.”

Technically correct.

“Are you hungry? I thought we’d eat, discuss… our situation. We can go out, if you’d be more comfortable.”

“Probably not a good idea to discuss our ‘situation’ in public.” What with all the potential murder and crime.

Klaus inclines his head, “I can arrange for us to have privacy.”

With big fat wads of cash, Caroline assumes.

Caroline considers her options. Klaus obviously knows she’s not who she’s pretending to be. He’s had ample time and the means to eliminate her, if that’s what he’d wanted to do. Caroline’s decisive yes, but she also trusts her instincts.

She takes the flowers, brushes a fingertip over a petal. “I could eat,” she says.

Klaus smiles warmly, his eyes brightening and it really would have been a shame to remove those dimples from the world.

[teal-crown]

Mitty's unprofessional guide to Menus in RPGMakerMV

Hello guys, Mitt here!

I'm here to give you guys some tips and tricks on how to tackle menus in RPG Maker MV! This will be another one of those big posts yeee!

Disclaimer: I'm far from being a good programmer, but I've learned a few things from trial and error, and I hope my tips will help anyone out there!

I'll also explain exactly how I did Marinette's current menus, and give you a few tips on how you can make something different from a simmilar concept.

I would like to first quickly mention the “Luna Engine”, which came out a while ago. I have never tried it, but it looks handy, and might be the way to go if you're willing to spend a few monies. I can't really give any advice on it though, so do your research first.

This post will be divided in 3 parts:

1. Evented Menus - Common technique, practice makes perfect, try new things.

2. Marinette's Menu - Combination of specific plugins.

3. Making your own menu

So let's get into it!

1.Evented Menus

I figured I would talk about these here!

There are many ways to go about evented menus in any version of RPG Maker. It’s usually quite easy to adapt the method from diferent engines.

Sadly, I'm not very skillful with evented menus, so I can’t directly teach you how to build cool shenanigans, but I remember I made a very simple one for one of Marinette’s previous builds by following some tutorials. These might give you a heads up on how to start with interactable image buttons/ image based layout: [1][2][3][4]

After you get the hang of the mechanics, just start experimenting!

- MV has some performance issues, so it's important to fix those as well when using this technique (or similar) to avoid blinking pictures. There are some preloading plugins out there, but you can also manually load pictures beforehand.

- You can get plugins to the mix to make the job easier. (there are for example plugins that let you call events like they were common events, and another one that lets you assign common events to keyboard keys etc.)

- It's important to practise with dummy menus in projects, mess around with variables, conditions and pictures, and have a ton of patience. This is how you learn to make fancier stuff.

- It's better to pull off this kind of menus in shorter games, otherwise it can get really confusing when it comes to certain mechanics you might want to implement. Be cautious when deciding on making an evented menu for a longer game. (I’m primarily refferencing a fully evented items menu)

- If you find a developer with a really amazing menu out there, it's always nice to ask if it's evented, as you might get some tips from them! A few devs in the discord group are very skillful with evented menus of all kinds, so keep an eye out for them!

- If you just want to event the main menu, use the following script calls to call the other scenes:  (Also check out this helpful list)

SceneManager.push(Scene_Item); //Opens Items scene

SceneManager.push(Scene_Save); //Opens Save scene

SceneManager.push(Scene_Load); //Opens Load scene

SceneManager.goto(Scene_Title); //Goes to title

SceneManager.exit(); //Closes the game

The point is, you can do nearly everything (and sometimes better!) with events, as you can do with plugins. All it takes is a lot of patience and practise.

Marinette's current menus could’ve definetely been made with events to have animations and nifty details, but the approach I took was way simpler for me, personally, since I don't have much experience with detailed evented menus, especially when we go into the items, options, save... I honestly have no clue on how to make all those features work properly yet. It would be nice to study the subject one day, though.

2. Marinette's menu

This is the part where I talk about our menu!

- I started by making a few mockups, which are just images with concepts for menus, from which I posted some in a previous post.

I knew I wanted to keep the map behind the menu visible, preferably either with the default MV blur effect or darken the screen a little. I also knew I wanted to be able to use the items from the menu since the begining.

For both the items menu and the main menu, I used a combination of different plugins.

-Soulpour777's "Horror Menu Customizer" to draw out the simple options in the main menu, replacing the default ones. I also made a plugin myself, with heavy help from an online tutorial, that added an invisible window on the top left to center the image.

-Jiffy's "Grid Inventory" to make the item menu's layout.

-Nelderson's "Replace window with Picture" to draw out the images attached to each window. This was the only plugin that I found that worked with transparent images. Be mindful though, some windows overlap, and the images are centered on the top left of each window/ box. If I remember correctly, though, the "Menu Backgrounds" by SumRndmDde is also a good option to do this, but it turns transparency into black, which didn't work for Marinette. Also, disable the game's textbox frame unless you want it to be drawn on top of the images.

-Finally, SumRndmDde's "Super Tools Engine" was used to move around and delete certain windows/boxes that got in the middle of the layout I wanted initially. Basically it edits the boxes’ placement on previously made menus, like the grid items' menu and the main one.

This is how I went about the current menu, and it works wonders! ahaha

Even though I still have some images to finish for it, the layout is final for the most part.

Now...

3. Making your own menu

This is where you'll make a menu of your own!

The reason I explained Marinette's menu like that, is because you can use a simmilar combination of plugins to get any layout you want, with a little searching! Using this kind of approach makes it honestly easier for people like me who...sadly haven't learned how to code yet, but are eager to play around with it.

The first step would be to sketch out some mockups, having in mind the plugins that are available to you. There are a few instances where features you might want are harder to pull off yourself without knowing how to code for being extremely specific. An example of this is menus which open moving menus on the side or something like that.

This is an example of that kind of menu:

This one would probably work best with eventing, if you don’t know how to code.

Be aware of your own limitations, but try to innovate!

With all this in mind, the steps to make a menu would be:

1. Pick a plugin (or just use the default?) that draws out a layout that you can edit with the Super Tools Engine. There are numerous plugins out there that do this, so it isn't hard to find one! Look for cool features in those plugins! Here, have a bunch

2. Edit that plugin with the Super Tools Engine to rearrange the windows or remove any you don't want.

3. Use Nelderson's "Replace window with Picture"or SumRndmDde 's "Menu Backgrounds" to attach images to each part of the menus, like a puzzle. Might require some trial and error, screenshot the window to get it right a little more easily.

Aaaand that's it! You can probably change the text or replace it with images as well, but that calls for more plugin hunting.

Try to mix and match plugin features, ask for the help of coders and be patient! It won't be that much of a headache, and you'll be happy and relieved after finishing a pretty different menu! Also, go past page 1 in google ahaha

If you get stuck on something for too long, leave it and come back later when you have evolved your skillset like the programmer pokemon you are!

I hope this little guide helps anyone out there, don’t be afraid to contact me if you need help. I’ll try to help if I can!

Thank you so much for reading, I’ll see you guys later!

-Mitty

[mysticsparklewings]

Big Plans Tiny Planner

Ta-da!! :D It took forever, but I think this is quite possibly my favorite book-making project I've done to date!   A while back while JoAnn's was having a sale on decorative paper (I think it was 10 sheet for $2 or something like that?) and I stocked up on a few combinations I thought would work well for future book projects, and among my choices, I had picked out a page that consisted of tiny calendar pages for a full year and a piece of heavy-duty paper that I thought worked well with the various colors on that page (not all the calendar pages were as drab as the January page here, I just didn't have the patience to try and photograph all twelve of them for this ). However, it wasn't until I saw this video by SeaLemon, my go-to person for DIY book things, that I knew how to get pages that work well for a tiny planner. I had originally gotten some small lined memo pads from the dollar store, hoping to use a couple of them for pages in this theoretical mini-planner...only to find out that nope! Those pages are just a little bit too big. Trying to get them and the calendar pages lined up to glue the spine would be infuriatingly difficult. Naturally, this left me semi-up-creek without a paddle. But then I saw the aforementioned video and learned something that had never occurred to me: You can make dot-grid paper...by printing a dot grid onto regular paper!!   It seems so obvious and so simple now, but it had honestly never even crossed my mind. I guess because I have actually tried using regular grid paper for a book before and it didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped, in addition to me knowing that making your own lined paper in a similar fashion would be much more tedious task. Lining up lines when you're not a machine capable of cutting pages with laser-precision is both time-consuming and next to impossible to get perfectly aligned pages from. The dot-grid, on the other hand, provides guidelines to use for writing and drawing (the biggest disadvantage to unlined paper), and a guide for cutting, but the dots are spaced in such a way that the cut has to be pretty egregiously bad for it to be immediately noticeable if they aren't quite lined up correctly. Additionally, in this case, specifically, the dots are so faint that 1. it makes any misalignment even harder to notice, and 2. they will not show up on camera for anything, and so I didn't bother trying to include a photo to show said dot-grid. That said, I just printed off the dot grid SeaLemon made and shared in the video description onto normal printer paper. Twelve pages; printed the grid onto the front side of each, then flipped them over and printed it onto the backsides. That way I had double-sided pages and I could cut multiple small pages--four 3" x 4" pages per piece of paper--without worrying about if anything was going in the wrong or right direction. Once the grid was printed, I then used a paper cutter to first slice all twelve pages to be the same size, cutting off the excess where the dot grid didn't print because of printer margins. Then I went back through and cut them down to be the size I needed. After which I counted out four pages for each calendar page, and having learned my lesson about end pages (the pages that connect the text block to the splash pages) from the SweetTarts book I made, I cut two more pages out of cardstock to put on the front/top and back/bottom of the stack. And then I carefully lined up one side of the page stack, clasped it in place with a binder clip, and got gluing. While I waited for the coats of glue on the spine to dry, I started on the covers and splash pages. The splash pages I cut and dealt with without much fuss. The covers, on the other hand... Originally, I meant to cut the covers large enough that I could have a little overhang on the edges to make the book a bit nicer. However, I mismeasured/calculated and didn't realize it until I'd already cut the covers in one direction.   It wasn't too late to adjust for the height, but it was too late to adjust for the width. However, that wasn't too terrible, as I figured I could just move the covers over slightly and covered the missing area with the tape over the spine. That did complicate things slightly in that, later on, I had to cut and add strips of paper to the spine area to cover the under of the tape to keep the adhesive from folding and/or sticking to everything. But before the anti-sticky-spine steps happened, I was playing with placement for the cover. Earlier in the process, I had recouped the frame sticker on the front cover from my sticker collection to use in conjunction with the "big plans" placard I wanted to make in a similar fashion to how the names of the months are printed on the calendar pages. While I was fiddling with how it was going to look with the covers, I also started thinking about my choices for the tape on the spine. I ended up thinking that I liked the color of the lines on one of the covers better than the other, based on the frame and the tape options I had, combined with the color of the splash pages that were already attached to the text block by that point. I tried not to. I really did. But I couldn't help myself; I cut out another cover identical to the one of the two that I liked better. To be fair, I'm glad I did because it makes my brain feel better knowing they match nicely, but part of me can't help but wonder if it really would've mattered, provided I had put the other cover on the back. So with that "problem" solved, I could then move on to attaching the covers and placing the tape. And I did. And I am still not very good at getting the spine tape straight on the first try. This was a problem this time, not because this tape was any less forgiving than the other options I've used in the past, but rather because of the thinner paper I'd put in place to cover the adhesive. It did not want to let go of the tape once they were stuck together. As a result, instead of repositioning or even removing the tape, I instead placed another piece on top to fix the unstraight edges. That piece I could reposition, and it's a good thing because it still took me a few tries to get it exactly where it needed to be. I almost thought I was done once that was taken care of and the frame and placard were attached to the front cover. Then I realized this is a tiny planner (of sorts) and a planner could really benefit from book pockets...Which I believe I had originally planned on adding to the book, but it had somehow slipped my mind among everything else. So after I spent way too long deciding on what paper to use for the pockets (and ultimately decided to use some that was leftover from when I made splash pages on the Duck Tape mini sketchbook) and to simply clip the corners instead of using my paper punch to round them because it's started not doing its job very well as of late, I applied the pockets by carefully prying the covers away from the splash pages on the appropriate corners, wedging the pockets in, and then squeezing in a bit of tape and glue to the best of my ability to reinforce them. (Normally reinforcement wouldn't've been an issue because I would've securely taped them to the back of the splash pages before trying to attach the covers.) This time I really did think I was done. And, technically, I was. I was quite proud of my little baby planner, too. The next day I videoed a little flip through of the book to show it to a couple of friends because I figured that would be faster than taking my staging photos like I normally do. In that process, I discovered that it was fairly tricky to flip through the pages and find each calendar page quickly, and also the September page decided to pop out. Apparently it wasn't quite far over enough or didn't get quite enough glue or something. Also, I was a little bothered that one edge of the sticker frame on the front didn't want to stay flat down but also didn't pop up far enough to be able to get more glue under it without making a mess. I've never attempted to reinstate a page that fell out of one of these books before, despite having at least two fall out of one of the first ones I ever made. Fortunately, it went more smoothly than I expected. A little very carefully placed tacky glue and few minutes' patience to hold it still, then some time to dry long-term with extra paper on both sides to absorb any extra glue, it appears fairly stable now. The page-turning took a little more thought, but I settled on using these teeny-tiny heart stickers (one on each side to, again, keep the adhesive from sticking to things it shouldn't) as tiny little page tabs. And when I say teeny-tiny, I'm not kidding. I have fairly small, nimble fingers, and I still found it easier to manipulate the stickers with the help of a pair of tweezers. But they are just big enough to work in this form. The only problem is that they don't stick out uniformly solely because the pages themselves don't, and they have to be stuck on about halfway down the sticker so that they stick to the page securely but still stick out enough to be useful at all once the pages start fanning open. While I had the sticker sheets out to get the hearts off, I peaked at the other options and settled on a few to stick to the frame on the front to fix that other problem about one side not sticking down to my liking. Then I added a couple more on the other side just to balance things out. It's a bit much, but it still feels better than leaving the frame to just stick up like it was. After all of that though, now it's finished. And I'm still very happy, if not even more so, with how it turned out.  It was a piece of work, but it looks so nice and it's functional, too! I'm not even sure I'll use it--I haven't decided yet since it is so nice, I'm thinking I might want to keep it as an unmarred example for future projects like it--but I just enjoy knowing it exists and how good the end product looks that it was worth it to me anyway. This was also a bit of an extra learning experience to 1. Plan these book projects out a little more thoroughly in advance, and 2. Pay closer attention before and during the process of cutting anything. Which, I mean, I already try to do those things, but evidently not quite enough, lest I wouldn't have some of the problems I do that often crop up in my making process.   I'm not quite sure what the next book project will be, but I do have a few more pieces of that paper that I picked out for some, so we'll see what happens next time I sit down and make some. ____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram

[lostinfic]

4. England, summer

Summary: Travel writer/photojournalist AU, slow burn, mutual pining, angst, fluff and adventures around the world.

Pairing: Alec Hardy x Hannah Baxter Rating: Mature Word count: 1.5k

Prologue  |  Chap. 1  |  2  |  3  | Ao3  

In Covent Garden, the midday sun flared off the glass roof of the market. Hardy shielded his eyes. He hated London in the summer, hated the tourists, hated the heat, hated people playing bloody Frisbee in parks. He glared at a couple sharing an ice cream in front of him on the street, with a huff of impatience, he walked past them.

He reached the red mailbox on the street corner. He pushed a manila envelope through the slot like one rips a band-aid: quickly and holding his breath. Divorce papers, signed and sent. Time to move on. He rubbed a hand over the tightness in his chest. He knew the perfect antidote was work abroad. But until he received a new assignment, the next best thing was Stanford, the travel bookshop.

An enormous map covered the entrance floor of the shop. A memory struck him: Daisy, age six, playing hopscotch on the African countries. He smiled to himself. He would call her again tonight, even if it meant leaving another sappy voice mail. Perhaps she would want to come with him to New York in October. It would be nice to show her around. And, although he wouldn’t tell her that, he hoped she would be impressed by a whole exhibition dedicated to his work. He hoped she would understand he wanted to make the world a better place, for her.

He almost called his daughter right away, but he was in Stanford for a specific reason. Hannah had said her article on the Mahal Kita resort would be out on July 25th. “You were wrong,” she’d bragged in a text message, “they let me write everything.” He’d replied something that came out ruder than he’d intended, and he didn’t hear from her again.

As he headed towards the magazine display, he mentally composed a congratulatory message, “Let’s have drinks to celebrate”. He cringed. She wasn’t interested in him, she only wanted to have sex at the airport because she was bored.

In any case, first, he had to see this article with his own eyes. Part of him still doubted she’d gotten away with it, or had written it at all. He hoped she had. His own attempts at exposing the truth had come to nothing. Two newspapers had picked up the story only to replace it at the last minute with more pressing news. He was disappointed, but not surprised. He wasn’t giving up that easily. He still talked to Ellie and Kadek. He planned on widening the scope of his investigation by looking into other resorts owned by the same company, Group Peregrine. Meanwhile, Hannah’s article could reach readers he wouldn’t. People who directly encouraged these harmful practices in the tourism industry. She could open their eyes to the human cost of their vacations.

He spotted the latest issue of Elite Travelers. The cover featured a picture of the sea in Pulau Kesuma in oversaturated shades of blue. He baulked at the price and found a seat to read it in store instead.

The lede put him on edge right away. With each paragraph, his face grew hotter and his teeth ground harder.

He called Hannah.

“Hey, Alec! How—”

“You bloody liar.”

“What?”

“You said you would tell the truth in your article.”

“I did!”

“No, you didn’t.”

“You know what? It might not be up to your standards of exposing the truth, but it’s not that kind magazine, okay? I did what I could, but the rooms were nice, I had to say it.”

“It’s nothing but praise. Praise for criminals.”

“I get it, you’re a paragon of integrity and I’m a sham.”

“You lied to me. There isn’t a word in there about the environmental impacts or the fishermen.”

“Of course, there is. It’s right there in the lede. And there are at least three more paragraphs about it.”

“I’ve got your article right here, it says: From its unspoiled site to its respect of the environment, the Mahal Kita eco-resort is, simply put, flawless.”

Hannah fell silent. He heard her sniff, and his anger vanished.

“You okay?”

“I didn’t write that… It wasn’t me, that’s not what I wrote.”

“Seriously?”

“Keep reading.”

Hannah slouched down in the hotel armchair, closing her eyes to ward off the dizziness. Hardy kept reading the article. She recognized some of the sentences, but she’d reread the text often enough to identify the missing parts.

She was in Cornwall, covering a music festival, so she hadn’t seen the magazine yet. When Duncan hadn’t asked for revisions, she’d naively thought her article was perfect. No wonder she hadn’t heard back from him about the promotion.

“Baxter?”

“He fucking censored me… You were right.” She laughed, a hollow, bitter sound.

She expected Hardy to gloat, but his voice was gentle when he spoke again, “I really wanted to be wrong.”

He stayed on the line with her, in silence, while she struggled to make sense of this betrayal. She hated Duncan so much right now, she could have ripped his head off.

Hardy told her he’d experienced censorship too. Back when Tony Blair had sided with George W. Bush about the Iraq war. An editor had cropped one of his photographs so as to leave only the angry, armed Iraqi men in the frame and remove the children they were protecting.

“I was furious.”

“What did you do?” she asked.

“I made sure the original photo was published elsewhere.”

“I just… it was important to me, you know? It felt like a big step in my career. Something different…”

“So, what are you gonna do about it?”

“What can I do?”

“You have to get that story out there.”

She could put the uncensored article on her blog and expose Elite Travelers’ dishonesty. But could she afford to antagonize her main source of income? Adios business class and exotic resorts.

“You would want to work for them again after this?” Hardy asked.

“It had never happened before.”

“That you know of.”

The moral decision weighed on her chest, pushing a deep sigh out of her. She didn’t want to deal with this right now. Arctic Monkeys would be on stage in 15 minutes, and she had a VIP pass. All she wanted was put on a flower crown, get drunk and dance with strangers under the sun.

“Would you like to go for coffee. With me. To talk about it,” Hardy said.

“No, thanks. I can’t.”

“Yeah, no, okay. Then—”

“I’ve to go. Bye.”

*

A week later, Hardy received a message from Hannah with a link to her blog called “Secret Diary of a Globe-Trotter”.

Secret? he texted back.

It used to be a place to write anecdotes I couldn’t tell my father ;)

She had posted her original article, nowhere near as scathing as it ought to be, but critical enough to put off some people. She also described the censorship and her investigation on Pulau Kesuma. She even mentioned him, “Alec Hardy, a remarkable photojournalist”. He thrust out his chest slightly.

So what do you think?

You did the right thing, he wrote.

I hope so. Still not sure about that.

With a fresh cup of tea, he sat on the narrow balcony outside his flat. He typed “I’m proud of you”, but changed his mind. He wanted to keep the conversation going.

I can send you some pictures I took, if you want to add them.

Of course! Will you publish them anywhere?

Expo in NY soon.

She sent a thumbs up, and he assumed that was the end of the conversation.

After a moment, Hardy gave in to his curiosity and browsed the rest of her blog. Among the clickbait-y articles (“Five booking hacks you’ll regret not knowing”, “10 sexy airport looks”) and sponsored posts, he found hidden gems: longer texts describing encounters with all sorts of people during her trips. She made these people talk about their countries and favorite, uncharted places. From a churros vendor with a surprisingly profound philosophy on family to an 80 year-old ballet dancer who aimed to dance on every street of Paris, by the end of the interview, they all opened up to her.

Rain enhanced the scent of fresh-cut grass and lulled him into a peaceful state as he read on. He hadn’t meant to spend so much time on her blog, he had work to do, but her words drew him in every time. As someone who used images to get his message across, he admired her use of language. Funny, incisive. Each paragraph a snapshot of humanity.

He felt on the verge of understanding something about Hannah, like a word on the tip of his tongue. An elusive quality that explained why, on principle, he should be more annoyed by her than he was in reality. She kept proving him wrong. In fact, what annoyed him most was how quick he had judged her.

Over the following weeks, he checked her blog every once in a while. He told himself it was to take stock of the responses to the censorship. And if he happened to look at her latest photos at the same time, well, it was purely out of professional courtesy.

This was how he found out she would be in New York around the same time as him.

_______

FYI I'm going on a trip for 3 weeks. I'd love to post another chapter during that time, but I'm not sure it's realistic. I will try. Thank you for your patience :D

ETA: I managed to write another chapter before leaving, and I scheduled it to post about halfway through my trip, on the 27th.

[fyjacksepticeye]

Hello! I was recently asked on how I made this edit with gifs behind it, and I thought the best way would be a tutorial, since there are a lot of steps to do. Now I use Photoshop CS6 and I probably do things the hard way, but it’s the most comfortable way for me. Anyways, here it goes! (warning! A lot of text..sorry I’m just thorough I guess..)

This part is for the still image first;

Open the photo you would like to use. I’m using this one.

Select the brush tool.

Press Q

Draw over the part that you want in your edit (it should look red)

Press Q again

Select any selection tool (I usually use the Marquee Tool)

Right click on the image and hit ‘Select Inverse’

Right click again on the image, and select ‘Refine Edge.’ I use this to clean up my edges a bit, since it’s really hard for me to make it perfect with a mouse. So play around with the settings, make sure it’s on preview so you can see what it is doing with your image.

When you are happy with the settings you have, go to where it says ‘Output To:’ use the drop down menu and select ‘New Layer’ and hit ok. You should now have something that looks like this; 

So that’s one part done. Onto the next one.

Create a new document, and select your size. For my edit I used 560 x 560.

Go to the crop tool, and right click and select the slicing tool.

Right click your document, and select ‘Divide Slice’

Select how many slices you want horizontally and vertically. I did 3 slices horizontally and 2 vertically, so it looks like this;

Now to get the correct size of each square is a bit of a process (well the only way I know how to do it)

Use your paint bucket tool and select any color and use it on the main image.

Select your Marquee Tool and go over one of the squares

Hit CTRL + C to copy that selected area

Go to File on the upper left hand corner of Photoshop and select ‘New’ and it should tell you the width and height of each square. You can write it down if you wish, or if you can remember lol. Mine is 280 x 187

If you want to remove the colored background you just did, just hit CTRL + Z, it removes the last step you did.

Now this is where it kind of gets tricky if you aren’t too familiar with Photoshop, but be patient! Patience is KEY!

So for the gifs part, I do gifs the hard way (OBS + KMPlayer) and i’m sure there are simpler ways to do it, but I like to make things complicated for me I guess lol. If you have an easier way to make gifs, like ezgif or something, anything that saves the gif to your computer..please do it that way lol, anyways.

On your main image, on the bottom select ‘Create Frame Animation’ (if its not there you made just have to toggle it on. Go to ‘Windows’ in Photoshop and select ‘Timeline’ and it should pop up.)

Duplicate as many frames as you like. I believe my edit had 20 frames. Be cautious, if your file is OVER 3MB, it will not move on Tumblr. So you have to make sure, when you are saving that it is NOT over the 3MB (I will show you how you can see if it is or not) So try not to do a lot of frames, 12-20 should be good for this.

Open the gif you want to use. 

Select the crop tool and use the drop down menu to select W x H x Resolution and type in your square size in your main image (mine was 280 x 187) and hit enter. Your frames should now all be the exact size of your square now.

Select all your frames on your gif. You can select them all by SHIFT clicking the first and last one.

Now select the little menu at the end of the timeline (looks like three lines) and select ‘Copy Frames’

Now go back to your main image, select all frames by shift clicking the first and last one and then select the same menu button with the three lines, and select ‘Paste Frames.’

A pop up menu will come up and select ‘paste over selection.’

On the left hand side, where your layers are, shift click the first and last one so they all move at once, and move it to whatever square you want it to be.

Now keep doing this till all your gifs are where you want them on the main image.

Make sure you change the speed of each frame in your Timeline to whatever you want, mine is set to .2 secs. Also make sure to change ‘Once’ to ‘Forever’ or it will only loop once.

Now to add your ‘Still Image’. This part is pretty simple. 

Select the layer with the ‘Still Image’ on it (the one with no background) and drag it to the main image. (to drag it just make the window smaller and hold left click and drag it over to the main image.)

Now make sure the ‘Still Image’ is at the very top of all your gifs, so the gifs aren’t overlapping the image.

Now here you can play around with coloring, and brightness etc. Just remember that it will affect not only your main image, but also the gifs as well. (I haven’t learned how if it affects one it won’t affect the others lol) 

If you want the out line like I did with Jack, just select the ‘Still Image’ layer, right click it, go the ‘blending options’ , select ‘stroke’, make sure the color is white, select your size (usually 1-4 but see what you like), and if you want, change the opacity.

Ok now onto saving. This is where my frustration usually sets in as, more often than not, my gifs are way over the 3MB limit. If you have more that 3MB size of a file, you may need to remove some frames, or fiddle with the coloring, brightness etc (if you did that)

When you are satisfied with your finished product, go to file, and select ‘Save For Web’. Now this is where you will see how big your file size is and how your image will look on the web.

As you can see mine is way below the file limit, which is fantastic!

Also I will show you my settings I use when I’m saving a gif;

Again, make sure your looping options is set for ‘Forever’ or will it only loop once.

Uhh..ok..I think that’s it. I hope this was a little bit helpful and not at all confusing...if you have any questions, ask away and I’ll try and answer them. :)

@jacksinsanity

[thesims4blogger]

The Sims 4: New Game Patch (April 27th, 2021)

There’s a new Sims 4 update available for PC/Mac and Consoles.

 PC: 1.73.48.1030 / Mac: 1.73.48.1230 / Console: Version: Console: Version 1.40.

Remove all MODS and Custom Content before updating your game

Heya Simmers!

Today we bring you a small but neat update, we hope you all enjoy it!

We also hope you are all well wherever you are in the World, and thanks again for all your continued support and feedback.

Chaucitos – Dag Dag!

-SimGuruRusskii

What’s New? In Create A Sim, we have updated two hairstyles and have converted them to be used with Children and Toddler Sims as well.

First, we have the beautiful pfHair_EF30TightCurls, cfHair_EF30TightCurls, and yfHair_EF30TightCurls as pictured below, including how it would look like if worn on a Male Frame pictured as ymHair_EF30TightCurls.

Then we have pictured below, including how it would look like if worn on a Female Frame pictured as yfHair_ShortTextured.

This author would like to apologize for her terrible photoshop skills in putting these together side by side. Very sorry… much photoshop! Getting better!

Now onto the fixes…

Bug Fixes

Sims 4

Fixed an issue in which in the Gallery Preview pop-ups, Build Mode objects will now appear properly under the “Show Used Items” panel. Accuracy is the best policy… in this case.

We made some edits to some Career and School-related tooltips so they are consistent and clearer for Simmers.

The book cradleObject_GENBook is no longer visible to Simmers, it wasn’t meant to be… it wasn’t a pretty book. We didn’t like doing it!

Some DEBUG pie menu options including some from Discover University and Snowy Escape were translated. We didn’t translate these, well since ever… as they were DEBUG and only accessible with a specific cheat, but we are working on them as we go now. Thanks for your reports and patience!

We discovered that Sims were becoming uncomfortable when Gathering Water… we didn’t really understand why, so we decided to have them not be uncomfortable. Let them feel how they want to feel, I say.

Ghost Sims will now appear as Ghosts in CAS. There were moments that they made us take a second look there, but nope, they are Ghosts and Ghosts they shall display as. I think I saw this as a plot for a movie… Ghosts… a machine, a dance… ANYWAY.

As always this editor and the Localization team made some adjustments and perfected some of the text in-game across all packs and previous updates. #getit

Get Together

Social Panel will no longer default to the incorrect tab. What tab was I on? Now I will always know.

City Living

Vegetarian Sims will no longer mistakenly eat non-vegetarian leftovers from the refrigerator. Not funny guys!

Fixed an issue that didn’t let the DigiRAD Keyboard make a sound when choosing Keyboard Auto Play.

Cats and Dogs

Listen, I think every species – well everyone, has the right to find love. But we did have to fix an issue with Female Cats going into Heat despite being Spayed. Even so, I hope my lovely Spayed Female Felines will still find love out there.

Seasons

Oh the rain, such a poetic moment from nature. Sitting cozied up with a blanket and a cup of coffee watching the world go by with the melodious sound of the raindrops falling lightly on the ground… wait… is that a Sim showering outside? Yes indeed! Showering in the Rain is possible in Light Rain conditions.

Fish Dinner will now be counted for completing Grand Meal Holiday Events.

Similarly, Shower in the Rain has been fixed for Simmers who have installed Eco Lifestyle, making the most of every resource available!

All soaps used are biodegradable – we promise!

Snowy Escape

Create A Sim asset yfBody_EP10CoatDenim will no longer create an issue with all knee-high boots. Though those boots were made for walking, the dress needs to look fabulous too. My opinion, allegedly.

Child Sims will no longer get the Unblessed sentiment after getting Blessed at the Youth Festival. Children should only get the Unblessed sentiment if they ask Yamachan about a Voidcritter Hunt and also avoid getting the Blessing of Youth from an Adult Sim as well. #Blessed

Extreme Sports enthusiasts will now be able to complete High-Intensity Skiing or Snowboarding on Intermediate or Expert Slopes. Good luck!

Recipes from this pack will now appear when unlocking Gourmet Cooking Skill Levels. Particularly Levels 3 and 5. Yum.

Sims will no longer freeze when performing interactions from a computer in Mt. Komorebi, specifically 2-4-2 Wakabamori. I think I saw this in a movie once… but… had a less “happy ending.

Discover University

Fixed an issue in which the icon for the trait Mental Magister appeared to be a Placeholder icon. Or was it?

Progressing in the Law Career will now unlock Promotions appropriately. Keep up the good work!

Eco Lifestyle

Fixed an issue in which the icon for the Making with a Mentor Moodlet was not showing the correct icon.

Eco Lifestyle-specific Traits are now added to the Clubs choices if Simmers have Get Together installed.

Collecting Beetle Nuggets will now be possible when Beetles are ready. Bon Appetit.

Outdoor Retreat

Veggie Dogs and Hot Dogs will be able to be roasted in Campfires once again. Iconic.

Vampires

Is your Vampire Sim tired of drinking the same old regular Plasma? Are they drinking it to the point that they can no longer tell if it is Plasma anymore? Ugh, such a hard diet, right? I can relate…ahem… Vampire Sims will now enjoy a more varied diet of Fish, Frog, and yes… Regular Plasma when left to their own devices.

Tiny Living

Tiny Homes will no longer magically get clean and have Dust Bunnies disappear (if Simmers own Bust the Dust) when Sims travel or Simmers reload the game. Man, I wish my apartment would magically get clean like that though.

Nifty Knitting

Fixed an issue in which the expiration timer for items listed on Plopsy was not appearing.

Paranormal

Haunted House Residential Lots will now enjoy the presence of Dust Bunnies and Fiends if Simmers also have Bust the Dust. Dust Bunny goes Boooooo.

Bust the Dust

Your Sims had a lot of things to do today, but you know what they did instead? They Vacuumed the Lot. It was a really good clean. Cooking? Vacuumed the Lot. That Gig? Vacuumed the Lot. What about those push ups? Vacuumed the Lot. Reading? Vacuumed the Lot. Looking at this bug? We made time for that. The end of this bug? Released with this Patch. Sims will no longer randomly drop their queued tasks for Vacuuming.