#also very sorry if you're seeing this and your oc isn't up here. i am but one man and i have unpredictable energy levels :'')

[doveshovel]

ough.. These were going to be warmup doodles like the last one but i got carried away :') Hope you guys don't mind.

@yasminewestbank @coyote-catcher @cmentary-drive

[mikaela-the-slut-expert]

Maple Robes and Lace Veils

Hua Cheng x M!Reader x Xie Lian

this is the second part of my first story, "The First Glance". Again it's technically about my OC since no one's asking for anything. I just have it written to where it can be for a reader. 😋

Switching pov's

Also guys I am not Chinese but I try to find words and translations that are important to my OC's story.

Dúshé means poison laced tongue in simplified Chinese (I think)

Mûguô means bitch, or whore in simplified Chinese (I think)

Míngqín means song bird it's Y/n's nickname

Previous part: First Glance

_____________________________________________

Once the morning has officially started, San Lang goes back to his wood pile. You stand by Xie Lian while San Lang somehow manages to build a whole door for the shrine. Xie Lian seems to love it, it's obvious with how he's become fascinated by opening and closing it repeatedly.

"I thought a door would be easier to stick talismans on than a curtain" San Lang explains. You smile and give a small clap. "It's a very well made door, San Lang, good job" you giggle at Xie Lian's excitement.

At the mention of talismans Xie Lian seems to remember something. He claps his hands together, "Oh Míngqín I forgot to tell you what happened at Mount Yunjin! I'm so sorry, so much happened yesterday"

You wave a hand, "it's nothing to worry about. How important could it be? I was there for most of it." You smile but Xie Lian's face is very serious so really nothing's funny at all.

"Well actually," Xie Lian laughs nervously, scratching his temple. "I talked with the heavenly officials and I found out that I met a calamity yesterday." Your face morphs into shock but Xie Lian quickly settles you down. "Not him." The words are met with silence. Of course it wasn't the white calamity. What were you thinking? ,"They called him Crimson Rain Sought Flower, his name is Hua Cheng" Xie Lian smiles. At this ghost's mention San Lang starts to pay attention to the conversation. "He walked me through the forest yesterday and I mistook him to be the ghost groom but he isn't. He isn't hard to be mistaken after seeing his silver butterflies ."

You're in shock. Because you got caught up in a swarm of silver butterflies yesterday. "I... Just don't understand. Why would a calamity be hanging around Mount Yunjin? Crimson Rain Sought Flower is known to stay in his den." You sigh.

You easily worry about Xie Lian and panic once more. "He didn't hurt you did he?" You move closer to Xie Lian and hold his face, looking for marks or bruises. "Why didn't you call for me, I would've been there right away." You frown and move back once you're satisfied with your search.

"There was no need to call, he didn't hurt me... He led me through the forest and safely delivered me to the temple." Xie Lian smiles but you sigh.

Xie Lian didn't get hurt, but a well known calamity shows up and helps Xie Lian? Coincidence. The same calamity helping you? Intention.

"...I suppose it's okay. As long as you didn't get hurt A-Lian. Just be careful." You look to the ground, but Xie Lian pats your head. "I am careful, ah you really should've seen the butterflies though Míngqín They were very beautiful"

You arch a brow then shake your head. "I actually did see them but, Wèizhī might eat them" Wèizhī is your two birds - Oriental Magpie- , they're not here right now though. They're probably bathing in water somewhere. Hm a bath doesn't sound so bad actually-, "Y/n?" You're brought back into focus when San Lang gains your attention. "Sorry I tend to lose my train of thought" you hum.

"What about you y/n?" You cock your head to the side at San Lang's question. "What have you heard about Crimson Rain" San Lang smiles mischievously.

"Why would I know anything about anybody?" You shrug. Of course you've heard and seen plenty about Hua Cheng, you're a ghost. You're... Residence happens to be near Ghost City.

Xie Lian nods in agreement though, he could use the info. You sigh, "Who knows? He stays in his den, and although close I've never seen him in my city." You shrug again.

All of you eventually go back inside. You end up staring at the painting again. You would have eventually painted something for Xie Lian but you've been busy working on the actual build of the shrine. You've always been good at the arts. Drawing, dancing, and singing. That is why you're the God of Song after all.

"San Lang's skills are very beautiful" You say, looking over at him. "Who taught you?"

San Lang shakes his head. "I had a good teacher a while back, I paint mostly for fun now." You nod at his explanation and smile back at the painting. You really do like it. It shows Xie Lian in what once used to be all his glory.

"Do you really like it so much, Míngqín?" Xie Lian stares at you and you've forgotten you don't have a veil on. They can see your expressions and you aren't just invisible anymore. You blush, and instinctively cover your mouth with your sleeve.

"O-oh, well yes I like it. It's very well done and it captures the prince of XianLe very beautifully." You stutter and look away.

The moment is interrupted when the three of you hear a scream and a man running towards the shrine. "Save Me! Save me please!" The panicked man grabs Xie Lian's wrist very harshly. It's in your nature, you can't help it. You are quick to push the man away, and to protect Xie Lian. He pats your arm however, in a 'It's okay' motion. Xie Lian sits the man down and asks for an explanation from him.

You and San Lang glare at him. Both of you don't trust him and both of you share a glance when the man explains he's from Banyue pass. Which has since turned into a dry land of sands. The man was running away from what killed his other group members.

"You ran all the way from Banyue pass to here?" San Lang asks with crossed arms. Your form is the same. The man seems to sweat at this, but Xie Lian in all his kindness offers the man a drink. Xie Lian is kind but he's probably just testing if the man is a mortal or not.

"No need to be polite you can drink" The man -for all his supposed running- hesitates to take the water Xie Lian so generously offered. When he does drink it, the water going into his body sounds hollow. You and Xie Lian both know it. "You can stop drinking now." Xie Lian says and takes the water from the man's hands. His disguise is ruined and everyone knows now. The man rises up quickly though and pulls a sword from his sleeve, moving to attack Xie Lian.

Before you or San Lang can act, Xie Lian is quick enough to flick the sword away. Sometimes you forget Xie Lian is just hiding his strength. The man tries to run and Xie Lian moves to use Rou'ye but the man drops and a sad looking skin bag(?) is left behind... A chopstick is what caused the damage. You and Xie Lian both whip your heads around to San Lang. Xie Lian goes to investigate the corpse but you still stare at San Lang.

"A chopstick?" You ask with an arched brow. "A chopstick" San Lang only smiles and you sigh. You both go to Xie Lian. When you get closer you can see that Xie Lian is using the array, so you do too. The only thing you can really hear is people being joyful about merits, and ignoring Xie Lian. Officials disgust you.

"Are the lot of you deaf? Did you not hear his highness? He asked a question." Your voice rings through the array and the officials who were once joyful before quiet down. Instead of answering, the cowards leave the array.

You're not a popular force in the heavens. Especially since your personality has always been cold and distant. You were actually loved once before, for your unnatural beauty and voice people revered you. That was until they found out you were a ghost and before they trashed Xie Lian's name. You would cause trouble for the other gods and challenge them often, causing fear to most officials. You always defended Xie Lian's name and when given the chance for promotion, you refused and chose to stay with Xie Lian instead.

This loyalty of yours to a scrap god however causes other officials to look down on you, they also just don't like your attitude. You have other unofficial titles that the heavenly officials made and of course those names spread. There's one title that used to be used quite often but you actually haven't heard any officials call you that in a long time. That title is "mûguô". Someone caught word of your past and decided to spread the name to upset you, but it faded out very quickly. That official -who you never even knew the name of- disappeared shortly after, with their temples burnt and no trace of them.

You're stuck in your thoughts until you hear Ling Wen answer Xie Lian's question about Banyue Pass. You leave the array, Xie Lian will tell you what's going on. When you look over at San Lang he's giving you a cheeky smile. "What?" You tilt your head but he just shakes his head.

You run your hands over your new braid while Xie Lian talks to Ling Wen. You mess with the red ribbon San Lang tied your hair with. It's definitely a pop out color compared to all the white you wear.

"San Lang, I'm afraid me and y/n will have to go far away soon" Xie Lian pipes up and stands from the... Thing on the ground. San Lang furrows a brow at the news and then gives a smug grin. "Why doesn't gege and y/n take me with them? I know a lot about Banyue Pass."

Xie Lian looks confused but he nods anyways. You wouldn't mind if San Lang came along either. "Oh? What do you know about Banyue Pass San Lang, you're far too young to know those things" you tease with a smile, while the three of you head inside the shrine.

San Lang chuckles and goes to speak before a knock on the door makes you all silent. You all look at each other in a moment of silence before Xie Lian opens the door.

When Xie Lian opens the door it reveals Mu Qing and Feng Xin who are in disguise... They are in a shocked silence not having seen you in a long time and to see your face after so long. You all sit in silence.

After you get over your shock you let out a panicked yelp and cover your face. They saw your face! Your cursed, cursed face! You shove your face into your hands. You didn't want Mu Qing to see it. He'd use it against you and you already hate him enough already. Feng Xin saw your face! He'll surely be disgusted with you now.

You start to groan into your sleeves, trying to move away from their eyes. You try to find your veil through the slits of your fingers. You can hear your name tumble from Feng Xin's lips but the door slams and someone whisks you away into their arms. They forcibly move your hands away from your face and now you can see that your face to face with red robes .

San Lang holds your wrists, and that stops you from hiding your face. "San Lang, my veil? Where's my veil?" You don't have a clue where he put it. Another pair of hands come into view and puts your veil over your eyes. You know it's Xie Lian.

Now that you can actually tell what your surroundings are you find that you're in San Lang's arms. You blush and step back. You hadn't meant to grip onto him so tightly.

__________________________________________________

Xie Lian sighs in relief when they find y/n's veil. Xie Lian is actually sad to see his face hidden again. He hasn't seen your face in so long and he missed it. Xie Lian supposes he doesn't mind though. If anyone deserves to see your beauty it's him and he actually doesn't want Feng Xin or Mu Qing to look. Xie Lian shakes his head to remove such thoughts. As if he could describe your face like it was a secret to keep between the three of you.

"I'm going to open the door now y/n" he pats your hand. He waits for your nod before opening the door again. He smiles nervously at the two officials outside. Of course Xie Lian knows who they really are but for now he'll pretend. "Ah why are you two here?"

Mu Qing and Feng Xin have crossed arms "Are you going to Banyue Pass? We're going with you" they say at the same time and then glare at each other. Xie Lian laughs but opens the door to let them inside. He looks at y/n keeping an eye on him. Xie Lian knows his temper.

When Feng Xin and Mu Qing see San Lang they're alarmed. Holding up their lighting, and fire. "Who's he?" Mu Qing nods his head at San Lang. Xie Lian sighs, "This is San Lang"

Feng Xin's eye twitches, "where did he come from? Where's his family? Do you usually invite people you don't know into your home?"

Xie Lian laughs nervously but he's glad that the attention isn't on y/n anymore.

Not until Mu Qing attempts to throw lightning at San Lang. It would have most definitely hit the wall and caused a big hole but y/n dispersed it. Sending a shot of ice towards Mu Qing. His face hides behind his veil but Xie Lian knows you're angry. "No fighting in the shrine. If you damage the shrine I promise to return the damage double to your god's palace" he spits with venom, threatening Mu Qing's palace.

It's evident y/n doesn't try to hide who he is. Sure he's in his avatar and he looks simple. However he doesn't do a good job at keeping his abilities at bay.

Xie Lian doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. The tension in the room is very high. Mu Qing looks ready to argue back but San Lang steps in front of y/n and stands by Xie Lian's side. "Are these two servants, gege?" He hums with a smug smirk.

"uhm something like that but not exactly-" Xie Lian gets interrupted when San Lang throws a broom into Mu Qing's hands. "Start helping then" San Lang smiles. His face resembles a mischievous fox. Y/n cackles.

Xie Lian waves his hands trying to calm a cursing Feng Xin and Mu Qing down. "Please for my sake leave him alone" he laughs nervously. He doesn't need his shrine to get destroyed not that y/n would let that happen.

Talking about y/n, ah. He's glaring at Mu Qing under the veil. He'll have to make sure they don't break out into a fight either. San Lang leans on y/n's shoulder and the stiffness seems to leave y/n's body. Xie Lian isn't too worried about anyone fighting. He thinks San Lang will keep a careful eye on y/n.

Xie Lian rubs his temple. "Maybe Feng Xin should make a pathway so that we can get to Banyue Pass quickly?"

Feng Xin does just that. Leaving Mu Qing standing alone in front of the three of them. "Is he coming with us?" Mu Qing points to San Lang with furrowed brows. Xie Lian sighs and goes to answer but y/n answers for him

"Of course, since when was it a servant's job to worry about his highness's friends?" Xie Lian drops his head when he realizes that Y/n has joined San Lang in his smart remarks.

Not only does he have to worry about one silver tongue but two. "Yes San Lang is coming with us. He knows a lot about Crescent Moon Pass and that's sure to help me" Xie Lian explains with a nervous smile.

Mu Qing is interrupted when Feng Xin cuts him off, "The pathway is finished". Mu Qing, ever the prideful looks at the pathway and shrugs, "I've seen better". Which leads to Feng Xin and Mu Qing bantering again.

Y/n interrupts them by activating the pathway. "Stop bickering like an old married couple let's go" San Lang snickers softly, "I never thought of that, they do bicker like an old married couple don't they" The two officials glare at San Lang and y/n. They smile back. Xie Lian only knows y/n is smiling because of his crow feet.

They all go through the portal. Xie Lian lets out a laugh, knowing that he's going to have to deal with all of the four's antics on their journey. Xie Lian is happy with his circus though.

__________________________________________________

Tell me if it's good guys I don't have an editor 😭 so sometimes I'm not aware if my story is actually well written. Yeah, anyways if you wanna request something or see more lemme know 🥰 also y'all I'm pulling the timeline out of my ass. I have no clue if I'm doing it right or not 🙏😭

Should I continue the series? Yes or no?

Oh also if y'all actually wanna see my OC lemme know! I didn't draw it don't hate on me 🫵😐

If anyone reads this plz plz plz plz PLEASE tell me if my submission box is working! I know I'm not getting anything but I want to know if it works!

[lee-laurent]

Together Again - Luke Hughes

Summary: Luke and Tori rekindle their relationship

content: angst, fighting, fluff, lots of fluff, oc x ex!john marino

wc: 3.3k

notes: PART 9! ONE MORE!!! i think the resolution between luke and john is kinda abrupt, but i didn't want to drag it on anymore and i think john would come to his senses. so... also this ends on a conversation that's gonna be the plot of the next part!!

Showing up at Luke's door made her feel like she was in a rom-com. Would've been even better if she was soaked in rain, but... she wasn't. Instead, she was awkwardly standing outside Luke and Jack's apartment, her hand raised to knock when it flew open, revealing a very put-together looking Jack.

"Tori?"

"Jack?"

"Yeah? I live here. What're you doing here? Luke doesn't want to see you."

"Oh, um, he doesn't?"

"No, he--"

"Who're you talking to?" A groggy Luke joined his brother at the door, his sweatpants hanging low on his hips, his hair a mess. "Tori?"

"I was just telling her to go. I--"

"No, no. It's fine, Jack. Come on in," Luke yawned, pushing his older brother out of the way.

"Whatever. I was just leaving anyway," Jack rolled his eyes, shutting the door loudly behind him.

"Where, um, where's he headed?" Tori asked, awkwardly rubbing her arm.

"Huh? Bar, probably. Not sure."

"You're not joining him?"

"Not really in the mood. More focused on the fact that the girl I'm supposed to be on a break from is standing in my apartment."

Tori let out a shaky breath. "I know I probably should've texted first. But... I wanted to tell you in person."

Luke sighed, leaning against the wall, his eyes studying her. "Wanted to tell me what?"

The words came out sharper than he'd intended, and he sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sorry, I just... I don't know what you could possibly have to say to me, Tori."

She stepped closer, her voice barely audible. "Can I start with 'I'm sorry?' Because I am sorry, Luke. I thought that taking a step back, would help things. But I just pushed myself back to John. Which... which isn't where I belong. I belong with you. And I-"

"Yeah? Sleeping with your ex-boyfriend really did wonders for your self-discovery, didn't it?" he bit out, his voice dripping with hurt. "Not the fact that he's your ex for a reason?"

"Luke. Let me finish. I know what I did feels unforgivable. But it really did make me realize that John isn't who I want. He's not who I need. Not even close. And honestly, he never was, even when we were together. It's you, Luke. It's been you for a while now."

Luke looked down at her, his jaw clenched, his hands flexing at his sides as he processed her words. Finally, he murmured, "How am I supposed to believe that? You don't know what's it like... thinking that I wasn't good enough. Like I was just a... a place-holder."

"You were never that to me, Luke," she whispered. "I didn't leave because of you. I left because I was afraid of how much I felt for you and how it was going to affect my family. And I know how backwards that sounds. I know. But I didn't know what to do with it. I thought I'd figure it out and come back to us more... solid. More sure."

"Yeah, well, I didn't need you to be 'more sure,'" he replied, his voice thick. "I just needed you."

Tori's hand reached out, her fingers brushing his bicep. "Luke... I know I messed up. And I'm not asking you to just forget it all. But I'm asking you to hear me. Because walking away from us was the biggest mistake I could've made."

"I just... it made me feel..." He trailed off, struggling with his words, his fingers nervously brushing through his hair.

Tori stepped even closer, until there were only inches between them. "I know. I'm sorry. I thought I needed clarity, but I just need you. Luke, you're where I belong and I'm sorry it took me this long to realize."

He swallowed. "And what if I don't know if I can just... let it go, Tori? I refuse to go through that again."

"Again, I'm not asking you to let it go," her hand found his, removing it from his hair before he made himself go bald. "But I'm asking you to let me try. Let me show you that I want to be here. I know I made a royal mess of things, but I'm willing to put in whatever it takes to make things right. If you'll let me."

Luke's gaze softened as he looked down at their intertwined fingeres, and his thumb began to trace gentle circles on her knuckles. "I've missed you, you know that?"

Tori's heart leapt, but she kept herself steady. "I've missed you too. So much, Luke."

His lips quirked into a faint smile as he looked at her, the distance between them closing even more. "Alright. Maybe we can try again. But this time... no second-guessing, okay?"

She nodded, tears pricking her eyes as relief washed over her. "No second-guessing," she echoed. "I'm all in this time. For real."

And as he pulled her into a tight hug, Tori let the tears finally fall. They were finally starting over--together.

~~

"Are you sure you guys are going to be okay?" Tori asked Ally for the tenth time.

"We're gonna be fine, V. Relax. Go have fun with Luke. Ri-Ri and I are gonna have a blast," her best friend laughed, placing her hands on both of Tori's shoulders. "Breathe."

Tori let out a long breath, closing her eyes as she tried to relax. It wasn't the first time she was leaving Riley with a sitter, especially Ally, but the nerves of going on a date with Luke again were getting to her. Her instincts were kicking in and she felt the need to protect herself and her son.

She took one more deep breath, giving Ally a grateful smile. "Okay... okay. I'm fine. Thanks for helping out."

"You deserve this, Tori. You'll come home, and Ri will be fast asleep."

With one final hug to Riley, who was happily playing Paw Patrol in the corner, Tori headed to meet Luke. Why was she so nervous to see the man she loved? Maybe she was worried about ruining everything again.

When she arrived at the quaint pho restaurant, she spotted Luke right away. He looked more put together than when she'd showed up at his apartment, and he broke into a smile the moment he saw her.

"You made it," he stood up to greet her.

"Almost didn't, but Ally wouldn't let me dip on you."

Luke laughed. "Remind me to thank her." His voice softened as he looked down at her. "I'm glad you're here."

They settled into their seats and Luke gestured to the menu. "This place is a hidden gem."

"It's perfect. I haven't had pho in ages. Eating out with a toddler usually only consists of Chick-fil-A and pasta. So this is a treat."

Tori was worried that the conversation would be awkward, that they'd sit there in silence between topics, but it wasn't. It was just like it was before. The conversation stayed light, talking about Riley, hockey, and funny things they'd seen recently. But as the bowls grew emptier, the conversation grew deeper, more reflective.

"Luke, y'know that I don't take any of this for granted, right? Being here, with you... it's everything to me."

Luke reached across the table, his fingers brushing hers. "I'm glad you feel that way, Tori. Because I don't want half of you. I want all of this--all of you."

"You have all of me, Luke," she whispered. "I'm here."

Luke's smile grew, his eyes warm. "Tori, I don't think I can even put into words how much I missed you... and Riley."

"Riley will be thrilled to see you. He never shuts up about you and hockey."

"Future NHL player."

"Hmm... not sure about that one."

"I'll train him. He'll be skating in no time."

Tori shook her head, failing to hide her smile. "Whatever you say, Luke. Whatever you say."

~~

"Ri-Ri, look who's here," Tori grinned, pulling her son's attention away from his Duplo.

"'Uke!" he screeched, running to the door. He wrapped his arms around Luke's leg, hugging as tight as he could.

Luke chuckled, leaning down to ruffle Riley's curls. "What's up, buddy?" he asked, grinning as Riley clung to him like he'd never let go.

"'Uke! Play 'ego!" Riley said, tugging on Luke's hand, leading him eagerly to the pile of brightly coloured blocks on the carpet.

Luke shot Tori a smile over his shoulder, clearly happy to be back. She couldn't help the warm feeling that spread through her as they interacted. It was a different feeling than the one she got watching John and Riley. She wasn't sure how to explain it, but the feelings were too different to compare.

She settled onto the couch, watching as Luke dove into building towers and playing Bob the Builder with Riley. The two of them fell easily into their rhythm, Luke making exaggerated sound effects that had Riley giggling uncontrollably. Tori had never seen him so at ease with anyone except maybe his dad.

"You've got quite the builder here, Tori," Luke smiled, helping Riley to rebuild Scoop, the yellow digger. "Forget hockey. You've got a future architect."

Tori laughed, loving how natural it was having Luke there. She could picture their life together with Riley--a little family unit. He fit seamlessly into their lives. Why had she ever had doubts about him? Why had she let herself get in her head and sabotage something that clearly made Riley and her happy?

"Should we see how high of a tower we can build, Ri?" Luke whispered, earning a very enthusiastic nod.

"'uper tall!" Riley squeaked, handing Luke another brick. He balanced it easily, but then, with a grin, reached for Riley's nose.

"Boop! Oh no, the nose monster got you!" Luke declared, making Riley shriek. "We better protect our noses!"

Riley threw his hands over his face, giggling as Luke chased him around the room. When he finally caught him, he scooped him up, spinning him in the air as Riley erupted into laughter. Tori had never heard him laugh so hard in his life.

"'Gain! 'Gain!"

Luke raised his eyebrows, pretending to consider it. "Hmm... I don't know. I might be too tired. Unless..." He gave Tori a playful glance. "Unless Mama helps us with our super-duper high tower!"

"'Elp us, Mama! 'Elp us!"

Tori laughed, sliding down next to them, joining in the building with mock-seriousness. "Alright, team. Let's make the tallest tower ever."

They spent the next half-hour building, laughing, and toppling their creation over and over. Eventually Riley snuggled up to Luke, yawning with a sleeply smile, clearly ready for a nap.

"Nap time, Ri?" Tori asked, standing up and brushing off her jeans.

"No 'tank 'oo."

"Wasn't really a question, bubba. It's nap time."

"I don' know," he shrugged, snuggling closer to Luke.

Luke chuckled, looking up at Tori. "Someone's found a new nap spot."

Tori shook her head, smiling as she crouched back down beside them. "This is maybe the second ever time he's not wanted a nap," she teased.

Riley grinned sleepily, his eyeslids drooping. "Nap 'Uke," he mumbled, pressing his face into Luke's shoulder.

"Looks like you've become the favourite... again."

"What can I say? I build a mean tower," Luke said, gently adjusting Riley. "He's a special kid."

"He is," she whispered. "Thanks for being here... with us."

He reached out, giving her hand a loving squeeze. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

~~

Tori was on the phone with John, pacing around the living room while Luke and Riley happily played with his toys on the floor. Luke's laugh echoed through the room as Riley squealed, but her attention was on listening to John's request.

"Look, Tori, I know it's last minute, but I need to switch weekends with Riley. My brother can't come another time, but I'll take Ri next week to make up for it. I promise."

Tori bit her lip, looking at Luke who was obliviously helping Riley with his game. Next weekend was the first free weekend that Luke had and they were planning an outing to the aquarium. Riley hadn't been since he was one and Tori wanted to see if he'd still love it as much as he did then.

"John, next weekend's... kind of important," she said, hoping he'd understand without pushing. "We have plans."

"I get it, Tori, but I wanna spend time with my brother, it'd be hard with--"

"Maybe you should've thought of that before we had a child, John. I--"

"I'm asking you to switch one weekend, Tori. It's not that deep."

After a long pause, Tori sighed. "Fine. We'll work it out."

She ended the call and sat down, watching Riley climb into Luke's lap, his face lit up as he explained the latest addition to his Playmobil pirate-ship. Luke looked up, noticing Tori spacing-out.

"What's up?" he asked, setting Riley on the floor next to him, the toddler still babbling away.

"John needs to switch weekends," Tori said, trying to keep her tone neutral. "I... it would mean Riley would go to his next weekend instead of this one."

Luke's face fell, though he quickly masked it. "Ah, okay. I know you were looking forward to next weekend, but shit happens, V," he said with a small smile, though there was disappointment in his eyes. "It's gonna be fine. I mean, I can cancel shit with Z and Jack this w--"

"You're not cancelling on hanging out with your friend for us. We'll reschedule. I... I want you to be there with us. A little family outing, but you didn't sign up to cancel shit with Jack."

"Tori, I know what I signed up for. And I'm here for both of you. Z and Jack will understand."

"Nope. No way. You're not cancelling. John--"

Luke sighed.

"What?" Tori's brow furrowed.

"Just... sometimes it's hard knowing that because John's in Riley's life... he'll always be in yours too."

"I know it's not ideal, but... you're not a second choice. I promise."

"I know, V. I know. I--"

"Mama! 'Uke! Pirate! Arrr!!! 'Uke, 'oo play now?"

"One second, bud. Just let me finish talking to Mama."

"Everything is gonna be fine, Tori. We'll figure this out. Don't let it stress you out. I love you."

"I love you too, Luke."

"'Uke!"

"I'm coming, Ri! Let's see your pirates!"

Tori sighed, running a hand through her greasy hair. She had been looking forward to John's weekend. She was going to take a nice shower, clean the house, binge some TV and drink a few glasses of wine. Now... she was gonna have to take a babywipe shower and pray she didn't fall asleep in the middle of the day.

~~

Luke was packing up his gear when he noticed John lingering by his stall. It was unusual for them to end up alone together, but everyone else had already cleared out. Luke hesitated, but nodded in John's direction, signaling he was ready for whatever conversation John wanted to start.

John approached, hands tucked in his pockets. "Hey, Luke. Got a minute?"

"Sure," he replied, setting down his bag. He straightened, unsure of where this was going.

John shifted, looking uncomfortable but determined. "I just... I wanted to say that I appreciate how you've been with Riley. He talks about you a lot, and Tori said he's clearly happy when you're around. I can see it too."

"Thanks, John. Means a lot. Riley's a great kid, and I care a lot about him."

John nodded. "Look, I'll admit, it hasn't really been easy watching another guy take on such an important role in my son's life. But it's obvious Riley looks up to you. And I don't want him to feel like he has to choose between us, y'know?"

"Trust me, I don't want that either," Luke said sincerely. "You're his dad. I'm never gonna try to take your place. But I also want to be there... for both of them."

A silence hung between them, a final mutual understanding. Finally, John cleared his throat. "I think as long as we're both on the same page... for good, that's what matters. Riley deserves to have people that care about him. And I see that you really do."

"Absolutely. I'm here for both of them, but I respect your role in his life."

John extended his hand, and Luke firmly grasped it, both of them nodding. This was it. Peace at last. They finally had made peace. And Luke felt a renewed sense of purpose. Riley and Tori were his family. And he'd support and protect them, no matter what.

~~

Tori was scrolling through her phone, her half-eaten bowl of cereal forgotten in front of her. Riley was at John's and she was finally getting a moment to hereslf.

"Hey," Luke said, sliding in the room, looking... oddly calm.

Hey," she placed her phone down. "What's up?"

"I had a chat with John the other day," he began.

Tori swore her heart stopped beating for a second. "Oh?"

"Yeah. It was... it was good. We talked about Riley, about us. And we, uh, we finally seem to be on the same page."

"Wait? Really?" She couldn't believe that John had been so mature about it. "That's amazing, Luke! I'm so happy to hear that."

"I know. It feels good. Like the weight has been lifted off us."

Tori nodded, returning to her cereal. "Thanks for doing that, Lu. For all of us."

"Anytime, V. Anytime."

~~

Luke wasn't used to activities that involved lots and lots of excited children, so he couldn't help but feel a little out of place at the aquarium. He watched as kids ran around, their voices echoing through the dimly lit rooms, poiting at fish and pressing their faces against the glass.

Riley, who was practically vibrating with excitement, darted ahead, running as quickly as his little feet would take him. "'Ook! 'Uke, 'ishies!" he squealed, his face lighting up at the sight of a massive tank full of colourful, tropical fish.

Luke laughed, crouching down beside him. "Ya see that big one over there, Ri? I think it's giving you the stink-eye," he whispered conspiratorially, making Riley giggle. They stayed there, noses pressed to the glass, Riley's hand clutching Luke's while Tori trailed behind, smiling at how perfectly they fit together.

Riley pointed at an orange clownfish. "Nemo!" he declared proudly, looking up at Luke for confirmation.

"Yep, that's Nemo! And what about that one?" he pointed to a tiny, darting blue fish.

"Dowy!"

Tori joined them, her hand brushing Luke's shoulder as she knelt beside them. "Expert fish spotter Riley Marino. I like the sound of that. What about you, Ri-Ri?"

"Wiley Mawino!"

"Yes! That's you!"

They moved through the exhibits, Riley darting between tanks, his awe palpable. Luke and Tori held hands, exchanging smiles as they watched Riley live his best life.

"We should do this more often," Luke suggested, squeezing Tori's hand.

"You think?"

"Duh! This is so much better than sitting around and playing 'chel with Jack all day."

Tori cackled, "Luke!"

"Just telling the truth. Love you, V," he turned, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

"Love you more, Lu."

~~

"You want me to meet your family?" Tori asked, trying to make sure she had heard Luke correctly.

"That's what I said."

"Luke..."

"I know, I know. It's a big step, but I know everyone would love you and Riley. It's a good chance for him to hang with new people."

"Meeting you family is... big. Like life-changing big."

"I know it's a big deal, but I wouldn't ask if I wasn't sure. Plus it's just a few days at the lake, nothing intense. My mom will eat up the time with a toddler. I think she's been secretly waiting for a grandchild."

Tori laughed, adjusting the sleeping toddler on her lap. "I... can I have some time to think about it? It'd be our first vacation together and my first time with your family. That's..."

"You've got all the time you need, Tori. Jack, Q, and I spend like most of the summer there, so any weekend that works for you... we'll make it happen."

"Deal."

[roosterforme]

Adult Education Part 8 | Hangman x OC

Summary: Plans for the fraternity alumni fundraiser that Jessica is in charge of are starting to take shape. And things with Jake are starting to heat up. But even after she tries her best to take care of her students in her own way, she feels like she will never be successful at this college.

Warnings: Fluff, angst, swearing, smutty thigh riding, 18+

Length: 5200 words

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Female OC

This story is part of the Beer Boy and Sugar universe but can be read on its own! Adult Education masterlist

Seriously, who let Jake on my masterlist!? Banner by @mak-32

Jessica settled down in the spare seat in her friend's office with her slightly stale peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a notebook. "Wait, say that again. Beer pong with micro brewed beer? Come on, Advanced Calculus. Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of the frat boy vibe?" she asked with her pencil poised over the paper. 

The other woman laughed as she ate the turkey and avocado roll ups that her husband packed for her gorgeous looking lunch. Jessica would have had some of Jake's chili to bring except that she finished all of it on Sunday and Monday while she texted him about how good it was. 

"It would be an elevated frat boy vibe. I spent the weekend asking my husband what he would want out of an alumni event with his fraternity, and he came up with some pretty compelling ideas."

Jessica bit into her sandwich with a frown and chewed. "But depending on the turnout, a few kegs of fancy beer could be very expensive."

She shook her head and offered Jessica some mixed berries and a honey dipping sauce which she immediately accepted. "No, because Bradley knows a guy who owns a brewery in Solana Beach. He said he'd ask for a favor if you wanted him to."

Jessica perked up immediately. She had a friend. A friend who had a nice husband who was offering to help her out. As much as she wanted to dream big and believe she could get tenure if this thing was successful, she was afraid to hope too hard. 

But she couldn't help herself. "Solana Beach isn't that far away. You think this guy would really cut me some sort of deal? My budget from the school is pretty tiny."

She shrugged. "He was in Bradley's fraternity at UVA. He's actually a really nice guy, so I wouldn't be too surprised."

Jessica only had to think about it for another second. "Okay yes. I am very interested in this idea." Then she ate a few more berries and jotted down some other ideas they came up with. hors d'oeuvres from the culinary school

frat boys in tuxedos

sparkling wine

silent auction

As she was finishing the last item, the other woman asked, "How was your weekend with Jake?"

When Jessica met her eyes, she could tell she was blushing. But she laughed softly and said, "I think he's my boyfriend?"

"Really?" she asked, nearly dropping her turkey roll up on her lap. "I'm sorry, but are you serious? You and Jake are exclusive?"

"Yes," Jessica whispered. Right? Hadn't he made it clear he wasn't seeing anyone else and didn't want to? Oh shit. It had been so long since she'd done this, maybe she wasn't even doing it correctly. "Is that okay?"

"Oh my god! He just... I don't think... I don't ever remember mention of him having a girlfriend. Usually he just-" She cut herself off with a wince.

"Picks girls up for the night?" Jessica supplied. She sensed that about him and the way he'd told her some things about himself. But he also bought a new truck so he could make sure he was on time to see her. There was a lot to unpack here.

"Well. Yeah. But I'm not saying I'm surprised that he's into you! You're great! I'm just surprised in general."

"Same." She just hoped she wasn't about to make a fool of herself when Jake stopped by later during her office hours. When she uncrossed and recrossed her legs, she could feel the pull of the green lace against her skin underneath her cute pleated skirt, and her sheer stockings felt like silk. 

"Aside from the fact that he once called me Dr. Tits when he was belligerently drunk at my house, Jake is, and I say this a bit begrudgingly, actually really sweet. And kind. He dropped off two tickets for a Grateful Dead cover band last night since Bradley drove him around a few times after his truck broke down."

"I'm sorry.... did you say he called you Dr. Tits? Please, I'm going to need you to elaborate on that."

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

Jake spent Monday night making the most perfect lasagna of his life and waiting until it cooled down to pack some individual containers for Jessica. Then when he left for work on Tuesday, he left them all lined up in his refrigerator so he could grab them on his way to her office hours. 

There was a guest speaker today, and Jake grabbed the empty seat next to Bradley who was trying to discreetly text his wife under the table before the lecture started. 

"What's Dr. Tits up to?" he drawled, earning an eye roll. 

"Text her yourself if you want to know," came the raspy response. "I'm going right to campus after work today to keep her company while she's on a phone conference," he added with a smirk. "Might stop by and talk to your girlfriend about her fundraiser while I'm there."

"That fraternity thing she has to do?" 

"Yeah," Bradley replied, finally putting his phone away. "Sugar asked me to be nice to her, so I'm going to try to save her some money on beer from Beta Brewing."

"Isn't that the place that ages the beer in bourbon barrels and sells it for an outrageous price?"

"Yeah," Bradley said with a laugh. "A guy who was in my fraternity owns it. I haven't seen him in a bit, but I was kind enough to text him on behalf of Jessica. Now will you please stop calling my wife Dr. Tits?"

"No," Jake replied smoothly as Maverick called everyone to attention. 

Bradley just grunted in response.

When they were released from the lecture, Jessica's office hours had already begun. Jake hadn't texted her much since he knew Tuesdays were busy for her. He just needed to get there before 7:00, because somehow if he arrived during her office hours, it made him feel like her student. And that made everything feel a little dirty. And he really fucking liked that. Plus she told him she was going to wear something sexy, and he'd been dying to find out what that meant.

He swung by his place and picked up the containers of lasagna and packed them in a cooler, and then he was off in his new truck. He could count on one hand the number of times he'd visited this part of the city before he met Jessica, but now he was constantly searching the side streets along campus for a parking spot. Tonight he found one on the same block as a familiar, blue Bronco.

Of course he got some looks from the college girls as he strolled toward the math and science building in his khaki uniform, but he was met with a glare from a man a little older than him with salt and pepper hair when he walked inside. 

"Evening," Jake drawled as the other man silently examined his uniform. He could feel eyes on him as he walked toward the elevators. It wasn't like he was forbidden to be here, so he just ignored him. This ride up to her floor and the walk down the hallway had become familiar to Jake. But when he raised his hand to knock, he heard the doorknob turn from the inside along with Jessica's muffled voice. So he leaned back against the opposite wall as the door cracked open. 

"Luca, there's no way I'm going to try out your skateboard."

"Come on, Dr. Reed. Just for a minute? It'll be really fun. But you probably shouldn't wear high heels."

She sighed and pulled her door open further, but she didn't notice Jake yet. "Fine. I'll try your skateboard on Thursday only after you show up on time and give me a full hour of your best effort."

"Sweet!" Luca said, giving her a high five. But now she was distracted by Jake as he smiled at her. 

"Not in the hallway!" Jessica shouted after Luca who set his board down and promptly picked it back up again. 

"My bad, Dr. Reed!"

Jessica was already wrapped up in Jake's arm, her lips ghosting over his. "Hey, Reedy," he whispered, and then he was being jerked away from the wall as she led him inside and closed the door, leaning back against it.

"Hi," she whispered back. Jake let his eyes drift down over her petite form and back up again, every inch of clothing and everything that was bare to him was making him salivate. She had on a rather short pleated skirt with sheer stockings and black heels. Plus he could see the telltale green strap peeking out from the white camisole as her cardigan slipped down her bare shoulder.

He swallowed hard. "You look nice, Baby. You having a good day?"

"Yes!" she gushed, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him harder this time. "My faculty meeting was blessedly canceled this morning, and I ate lunch with Advanced Calculus." 

Jake set the cooler down on her desk in the tiny office so he could have better access to her body. "That's great. You call her Advanced Calculus? That's actually so cute," he said as his hands came to rest on her hips. 

Jessica laughed, and he felt warm all over. "Yes, and she calls me Advanced Physics. And she's helping me plan that fraternity fundraiser along with her husband. Bradley actually stopped by a little while ago, before Luca was here. He's just the best. Advanced Calculus is so lucky."

"He's the best?" Jake asked, one eyebrow raised as he leaned down and kissed her bare shoulder making her shiver. "She's so lucky?"

When he ran his nose along that pretty green bra strap, she gasped. "Not as lucky as me."

Jake chuckled and murmured, "That's my smart girl." He brushed her hair aside and kissed his way from her shoulder up her neck to her ear while she clung to him. 

She cleared her throat and asked, "How was your day?" as she tried to pull away from him. But Jake kept her right where she was. 

"Better now," he promised. "Had to sit through a talk about the updates coming to my jet this summer. A new mechanical override and an updated comms system among other things."

"Ohhh," she sighed. "Did they give you a new spec sheet?" Her eyes were curious behind her glasses, and Jake was grinning.

"Sure did. You wanna see it?"

"Yes!"

"Well, that's classified, Baby."

She pouted and said, "Come on, Jake. I won't tell anyone. Can't you sneak one home with you or something?"

He ran his big hands up and down her back. "You want to work out some of the calculations, don't you?"

"Of course I do," she replied softly, and Jake was getting a little hot just thinking about her sitting in his kitchen with a pencil and a calculator. He trailed his hand down to her ass, and she was kissing him again as she touched his pins.

"If you really want to see them," he said between kisses, "I'll sneak them out." She giggled as she kissed his neck, and then his nose was buried in her hair. "God, you look so sexy, and you smell so sweet."

Her glasses bumped his cheek when she kissed his ear and raked her fingers through his hair. Every inch of the front of her body was pressed to his, and Jake just knew there was no coming back from this right now. Jessica had dressed like this with him in mind, and while her outfit was totally work appropriate, it was also a thing of fantasies. Skirts and heels and green lingerie and stockings. 

"I can't seem to stop thinking about you," she said in the sweetest voice before she sucked on his lip. He wondered if her stockings were the kind that ended at her thighs or the ones that went all the way up to her waist. He needed to know. She didn't make him wait for an answer. Jessica guided him to the chair behind her desk, and he sat down a little hard. She was standing right in front of him with her gaze fixed on his pants, and when Jake glanced down, he could see the outline of his cock as he stood at attention for her. 

"I'm sorry," he grunted, "but you turn me on so much."

"Don't apologize," she breathed, and he was treated to the sight of her sliding that cardigan down her arms. When she turned slightly and dropped it onto her desk, her skirt rode up her leg. Jake could see the lace trimmed top of her stocking hugging her thigh, and he groaned so loudly, her gaze snapped back to his. 

"Jessica." His voice was a needy whine, and for some reason this was so much worse than when he almost fucked her on his couch. Because she was his girl now, and he wanted every inch of her well acquainted with every inch of him. "Come here." When he patted his right thigh, she obeyed him immediately, coming to stand with his knee between her legs. 

Then she hesitated, and Jake didn't want to push anything. When he was just about to tell her that nothing sexual needed to happen here, he watched her reach up underneath her skirt and bend a little at the waist. His gaze shifted so rapidly from her pretty eyes to the lacy tops of her sheer stockings, he thought he might pass out. And then she started to slide that green thong down her hips to her thighs, and Jake caught the briefest glimpse of her pussy before her underwear was down her legs and her skirt fell into place once more.

"Fuck. Jessica." He was a panting mess as she stepped out of her thong and handed it to him. It was wet, and when he pressed it to his nose, it smelled incredible. And she was once again positioning herself with her legs straddling his right one before she came to rest with her pussy on his khaki covered thigh.

"Is this okay?" she whispered as her right knee nudged his cock, and his head tipped back slightly. She bit her lip and ran one gentle finger along his name tag, spelling out SERESIN while she looked him in the eye. 

"Yeah," he groaned. "God. It's more than okay." She kissed him with her palm planted on his chest, and Jake was living for the way her hips rocked forward. 

Her glasses and hair were tickling his face as she brought her other hand up to his neck, and then Jessica rocked her hips back and forward once again along his thigh. There was a smile on her lips as she kissed him and whispered, "You can set that down, you know." 

Jake was still gripping her thong in his hand, and he pressed it to his mouth and lips one more time before stuffing it in his breast pocket. The fact that she was rubbing her bare ass and pussy on his uniform had him painfully hard, but he didn't want her to stop. This was a thousand times better than any lap dance he'd ever had before. 

"You excited to see me today, Baby?" he asked, squeezing both of her knees with his hands and then guiding them up to her skirt. "This is a very warm welcome."

Her cheeks were flushed as Jake pushed her skirt up a few inches to play with the lace stockings. When he ran his thumbs along the soft, bare skin of her inner thighs, she whined his name. "Jake!" 

"Fuck," he grunted, squeezing her with both hands as she rode his thigh, now gripping both of his shoulders. She was kind of jerking her hips along as her glasses slid down her nose. Jake leaned in to kiss her neck and chest as he whispered, "You gonna get off like this?" She squeaked as his fingers toyed with her stockings before he brushed her wet slit with his thumb. 

"I never did before," she said, eyes a little wild now. Every time she rolled her hips back so she was sitting on her ass, she grunted a soft little sound that almost sent him through the roof. 

"Baby, you can't tell me things like that and make those perfect little sounds okay?" he whispered. "Because now I need to get you off." He guided one hand around to palm her bare ass and tipped her chin up with the other. "Okay?" he asked, running his thumb along her lips. She nodded and kissed his thumbprint before he reached down and lifted up her skirt. "Holy hell," he moaned. Her pussy looked exquisite, and there was a wet spot the size of her palm on his service khakis from her slick.

While he was absolutely aching to get his cock inside her, he knew there would be time for that later. This weekend, perhaps. But right now, he thought she was close to coming on his fucking uniform. In her goddamn office. On the college campus. And he needed to make it a reality, because he could feel her wetness on his leg as she ground down against him. 

So he kept his left hand on her ass, guiding her movements just a little slower as he took one more look at her pink pussy spread open for him, and he stroked her clit with his right thumb. And then Jessica was shaking almost instantly as she kissed his lips and muttered something incoherent. 

"Come on baby. You're so close," he whispered between kisses. "This is so hot." Every time her knee bumped his cock, he thought he might cum in his pants, but he kept her going. 

"Oh. My. God!" she whined suddenly before sucking in a deep breath and arching her back. Jake rubbed his face across her tits, nipples peaked through the fabric of her bra and camisole. And then she was coming and keening, and he eased up the pressure of his thumb and enjoyed every sound she made for him.

Jessica collapsed against his chest, lips pressed to his ear and cheek as she combed her fingers through his hair and rode out the little aftershocks. He ran his hand along her ass, stroking her until she stopped rocking gently against him. As she kissed her way to his lips, her fingers found his insignia pins just like always. Their kisses were soft and leisurely like she'd really worn herself out, and when she shifted, he grunted as her knee nudged his cock again.

She looked at him with wide eyes as she brought her hand down to his pants. "I'm so sorry," she gasped with a soft laugh. "I'm in such a daze, I wasn't even thinking. Let me take care of you."

Jake was shaking his head and immediately reaching for her hand. "Absolutely not." He would cum in an instant if she touched his bare dick with any part of her pretty body, and that was not something he was interested in at the moment. 

"Why not?" she asked, looking thoroughly upset now as she pulled away from him to stand. Jake had to bite his knuckle at the sight of the mess she left on his khakis, and his cock jumped painfully in his pants. 

"Baby, look what you did," he crooned, gesturing at his thigh. "It's gorgeous." But when he met her eyes, she was blushing and reaching for her cardigan. "Jessica, I can't have you taking care of this for me right now. I'm too worked up, and I'd rather have blue balls than cum as soon as you look at me, okay?"

She laughed as she pulled her sweater on, and she let Jake kiss her. "Okay," she replied softly as she looked down at his wet pants. "I can't believe I did that."

"Listen," he whispered, boxing her in between his body and her desk. "I think you should come spend the weekend at my place. Pack an overnight back and some more journals... the real sexy ones on the top shelf over there." He jerked his chin toward her bookshelf. "And I'll steal you a top secret spec sheet that could cost me some of my pins that you like touching so much."

"I could do that," she replied with a smile. "I need to go up to Beta Brewing with Bradley on Saturday morning, but after that, I'm free."

Jake kissed her as he pulled her green thong out of his pocket. "Sounds perfect. And I'm going to need you to wear this again on Saturday, okay? I didn't even get to see the bra yet."

She balled it up in her hand like she was suddenly embarrassed by it. "Alright." But he tipped her chin up again so she was looking at him.

"I can't get enough of you."

Then the sweet kisses returned before she took him by the hand and selected a small stack of journals for him to take him. "Here's a spicy one from the top shelf," she told him with a smile that made him feel weak. Then he said he would walk her and the cooler of food to her car. And she tried to hide her face against his pins when that same guy was walking through the lobby again, because Jake still had a wet spot on his pants from her pussy. 

"You think I care?" he whispered to her before he nodded at the guy with salt and pepper hair. "I got my girl with me, and she got off on me."

"Jake," she gasped with a laugh, pulling him outside quickly. "He's the head of the chemistry department. And he already hates me."

"Who in their right mind could hate you?" His mind drifted for a moment to all the supposed rumors about her that were floating around. "Wait, is he the guy who got permanently banned from Chippy's?" He dug his feet in and there was no way she could pull him anywhere. "Why doesn't he like you?"

Jake was turning back to look into the building, ready to give this asshole a piece of his mind, but Jessica was still pulling on him. "Don't worry about it. Walk me to my car so we can make out." But he was going to worry about it. And yeah, he made out with her next to her car until he was starting to get hard again, which was honestly very painful now. And he was still thinking about it when he watched her pull away. He headed home to jerk off and start to consider what he could cook this weekend, but it still really irritated him that someone found something to dislike about the first woman he ever thought he could be serious with. Because in his mind, she was perfect. 

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

"Luca, focus on the math, or I'm not going to embarrass myself on your skateboard."

"Sorry, Dr. Reed."

Jessica had to keep drawing her failing student's attention back to the problem sheet in front of him, but that threat really seemed to do the trick. For some reason, this kid really wanted to see her eat asphalt. And now he was solving all of the problems correctly. "Yes! Keep going." She watched him write out the long equation for the last question, and she murmured, "One just like that will be on the exam next week."

"Sweet," he replied with a smile. "I'll study this weekend. Weather is supposed to be shitty for surfing."

She rolled her eyes but collected his paper when he was finished. "This is all correct," she said as she stood up on the other side of the desk in her sneakers and pantsuit. "You just always rush instead of taking your time. I know you can pass my classes. You need them to graduate on time."

"I know," he whined and sat back in the other chair. "I'll keep coming to your office hours."

"Just keep trying and keep studying. I know it's not as hard as you think it is."

Then he stood and picked up his skateboard, and Jessica groaned. "Okay, but only for a minute."

"You say that now, but I think you're going to love it," Luca said as she followed him out of her office and down the hallway. "You're at least fifty years younger than everyone else who works here. You might think skateboarding is fun."

Jessica had to stifle a snort as they walked past Dr. Leeland's open door where he was napping in his chair. "That's not polite, Luca," she managed to say.

"Yeah, but it's still true."

On the ride down the elevator, she listened to him explain how to keep yourself balanced while riding. "Don't make any sudden movements. And don't lean backwards. Actually, don't lean forward either."

Jessica sighed. At least she could spend about a half second on this skateboard and then excuse herself back up to her office to pack up. Then she could call Jake on her way home and hear his sexy voice and talk about the weekend.

Once they were outside on the deserted sidewalk which was lit up by the dying sunset and campus security lights, Luca set the skateboard down with a huge grin on his face. "You're the coolest, Professor Reed. Now step up with your right foot."

She tried it and shook her head before planting both feet back on the ground. "Nope. It's already rolling away!"

"Here. I'll stand on the front so it won't move so much while you get on it."

With a deep sigh, she tried it again, but she started wobbling from side to side this time. "Luca!" she gasped, reaching for his outstretched hand. "This is not fun!"

He was laughing as he said, "It takes practice. Just hold my hand for a second and push off with your left foot." When he removed his foot from the board, she pushed off and went gliding forward as she screeched and held onto his hand with a death grip. "Yeah! That's it!" 

She jumped off, looked at him, and said, "Can I do it again?" 

Five minutes later, she was laughing as she tried pushing off with her right foot. "I can recommend a great skate shop for you!" Luca said as she slowly skated away from him and down the sidewalk. Damn, this was kind of addicting. She jumped down and skated back toward him as she cackled.

"You better move. I'm coming in hot!" she said, rolling so slowly it was laughable. Then she looked up into the icy blue eyes of Brian Conley who was scowling at her. She jumped awkwardly off of the skateboard, and it continued to roll to Luca who picked it up.

"What the hell are you doing, Dr. Reed?" Brian practically yelled even though she was right in front of him. She hated that she immediately felt tears stinging behind her eyes. "Can't you be professional for even just ten minutes?"

"I was just-" she started, but then Luca cut in when she really wished he wouldn't.

"It was my idea, Dr. Conley. Dr. Reed just finished tutoring me, and I thought it would be fun."

Brian just shook his head and sighed. "That's enough fun for one day I think."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Reed," Luca muttered as he hoisted his backpack on and started skating away. And then Jessica really wished she could vanish, because Jake was heading up the sidewalk at a blistering pace, a scowl on his handsome features while Brian went off.

"It's not your job to be messing around with your students. It is your job to be teaching them. I know for a fact that you have several students failing your classes, and I don't think skateboarding with them is quite the correct answer here, do you? If you think you're even close to being qualified for tenure, you are out of your mind!"

All she could picture was Leeland asleep during his office hours. All she wanted to do was relate to Luca a little bit to keep him interested in things. She was just upholding her end of the bargain since he did so great with the practice problems.

"You're such an asshole," she whispered as her vision blurred with unshed tears. 

When Brian took a step closer so that he was almost touching her, Jessica heard Jake's voice call out in a loud bark. "Hey! Why is she crying?"

"I'm okay," she said softly which just made her want to cry even more. She pushed Brian away from herself and walked the rest of the way toward Jake who had his hands in fists and fire in his eyes. "I'm okay." She had to plant both palms on his chest to get him to look at her instead of Brian. 

"Why are you crying?" he asked, gentler this time as Brian stormed back inside the building. "Should I be going after him?"

"No," she said as she hiccuped, and Jake pulled her against his chest so her glasses got smashed at a weird angle. But she immediately felt better. "What are you doing here?"

He rubbed her back and said, "I missed you and thought maybe you'd want to go to Chippy's after your office hours. I know you were supposed to help that kid Luca, but I figured you might feel like getting a Sam Adams with me. Didn't know I'd potentially have to kick that guy's ass."

Jessica felt like she was going to say something she had no business telling him yet. So she tamped down the words and instead said, "You don't need to kick Brian Conley's ass. He's not even worth it. And I would absolutely love to go to Chippy's with you."

She kissed Jake long and hard on the lips before leading him inside and back up to her office to pack up her things and lock the door. Then they walked across the street, hand in hand. Jake held the door for her, and he finally looked a little calmer now as he walked into Chippy's right behind her. 

"I'm just waiting for him to glare at me," Jake said as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "I really need to take you to the Hard Deck one night, because honestly, Penny could give him a run for his money."

"I'd love to see that," she said with her first smile since she was on the skateboard. She laced her fingers with Jake's and led him to an empty table.

"Reedy," Chippy called out, and sure enough, there was a special glare reserved for Jake. Jessica was beaming by the time he pulled out a stool for her and kissed her. 

"I'll be right back. Hopefully," Jake said with a look of extreme fear as he headed to the bar. This was her peaceful space away from Brian. And she felt safe with Jake and Chippy. And Jake was completely right; a beer and some peanuts were exactly what she needed right now. 

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

Can't wait to check in with Beer Boy's former frat brother. And can't wait for Reedy to spend some more time at Jake's place. Thanks @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 9

@blahehblah

@sotalife

@desert-fern

@furiouspiespytaco

@rosiahills22

@daggerspare-standingby

@je-suis-prest-rachel

@callsign-joyride

@theharddeck

@withakindheartx

@roosterscockpit

@whatislovevavy

@hangmanbrainrot

@neferpatra

@sehnsuchts-trunken

@averyhotchner

@thedroneranger

@cherrycola27

@mygyn

@hoyaharper

@tallyovie

@gennyanydots

@callsign-magnolia

@whisperofsong

@seriouslyseresin

@double-j

@bradshawsbitch

@sugarcoated-lame

@katiebby04

@anotherr-fine-mess

@supernaturaldawning

@chassy21

@tylerjones98

@captainjaspenor

@gigisimsonmars

@fanboyswhore9

@angel-w0nderland

@abaker74

@idontcare-11

@isaebellaa

@bringnattolife

@xoxabs88xox

@djs8891

@hufflepufftruffle

@cottagecori

[banj0possum]

Heyo! Hope you're doing alright! Firstly, sorry if this is too long... summary: yan oc reactions to male/gn reader with a high pain tolerance whose platonic affection language is rough housing (biting , headbutts, body slams/shoulder bumps, aggressive bear hugs, or a good grip/squeeze. All of these forms of affection are done by reader with as much force as is allowed without actual damage and which reader happily reciprocates). Bonus, what're the reactions of rough housing intolerant yans when said reader starts trying to find someone else as an outlet for this affection need. Context: I saw the mini react to the affectionate chair wielding and had a thought. I am a very energetic and affectionate individual with folks I'm close with, and often times a gentle hug or soft touch just isn't enough to get across the energy and emotion or i just NEED something more grounding/comforting cause "yes this gentle hug is comforting my stress a little but i really REALLY need you to crush my soul and being back together with this next hug. Really trash compactor my body so i can feel whole again :) 💪". It's what i grew up with and what some of my friends encouraged/reciprocated (have definitely popped backs when giving each other hugs and once i popped someone's fingers when i was allowed a good squeeze). When soft affections aren't hitting right (and i have permission from my friend) I tend to turn to play bites (at whatever maximum safe pressure is allowed by the person being bitten), headbutts, body slams/shoulder bumps (again, at a maximum safe force that is allowed), and harsh grips/hugs (again, whatever maximum safe force is allowed). It's really a grounding/comforting thing cause it allows me and my friend to destress, release energy, and also kinda reassures us that we're truly physically and emotionally there. It's definitely not something for all my friend circles and i usually turn to my high energy friend circles that have similar needs (and they come to me if they feel the urge as well). A good example is the time Friend A saw me out and about, shouted out my name and charged me full speed from 30 feet away. I tanked the brunt of their full body affectionate tackle and honestly? Was one of the happiest and closest i felt to my friend. Haven't done that in a while cause we got warned not to do that again by personnel lol. We usually try to meet up at parks (cause indoor places understandably don't like when a group of adults start rough housing) though it's hard to rn cause of the heat and stuff

OCs w/ a Rowdy Darling

My OCs x GN Reader

THIS IS LITERALLY AMAZING !! you seem like a really cool person to hang out with ! id definitely let you give me a back popping hug >w< not sure if im strong enough to give you a hug as strong as that though hehe ^^" anyways heres the fic ! (´ ∀ ` *)

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Adrian is literally the same as you. Every shove or punch or rough housing is a sign of affection.

You two probably rough house all the time ngl, and he loves it!

You're his energetic little lover and he's all for it!

You two might have gone to detention for rough housing to hard a few times hehe..

If you bear hug him, he'll try to hug you harder, it's like a competition to him!

Honestly, he sees everything as a competition. You push him playfully? He'll push you harder.. headbutts? You might get a slight headache after he's done..

He might be your boyfriend, but he's still a bit of a bully, but it's all in good fun! He stops if ever he notices you're getting uncomfy.

Not a biter though, but when you do it, he melts like putty!

He loves how strong and rowdy you are and that you're not afraid to express it, it shows how tough and confident you are!

He likes his gentle moments once in a while, but being able to love you in a love language you both share is so special to him <3

"Cmon babe! One more hug! I can take it!"

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Brandon is kind of impressed..

He's one of the best football players in his school and his little darling is biting and shoving and headbutting him, so adorable!

You remind him of a little goat, so excited and happy and lively!

Definitely makes him more protective of you because of how precious you are to him.

If you get to rowdy for his liking, he grabs you and traps you in a bear hug until you calm down or if you give him an even tighter bear hug than the one he's giving you.

Invites you to play a bit of football with him and his team.

But protection is key! He wraps you in all sorts of gear before you play, he knows how high your pain tolerance is but he still wants to keep you safe! and also he likes seeing you wear his helmet

Your body slams are praised not just by him but by his team, it's too cute!

If he catches you being your little rowdy self around anyone else, he'll get jealous fast..

He shoves you affectionately to get your attention.

"Heya baby! How's my little ram doing huh?"

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Valeth just thinks you're copying him in a way and is flattered.

Aweee, little mate is so strong and tough! He's so proud!

Encourages the behavior, as long as you don't hurt yourself!

He's much stronger than you so your affections don't do much, but you bet your ass he's putting his whole soul in pretending to get hurt.

Rough houses with you as if you were a little child play fighting, he loves playing with his little warrior!

If you do get hurt, he's putting all play fighting to a halt! He's checking up on you and making sure you're ok with the softest voice you've ever heard from an orc.

You might be fine but he's not taking no for an answer, you're getting some rest!

Love love loves your bearhugs! He tests your strength and lets you squeeze him as hard as you can!

Biting is met with kisses all over your face, it's what you get for being so cute!

Body slams are more like you latching onto him and trying not to fall off because of how large he is..

"Oh my little duckling can bite! How fierce! You're so strong haha!"

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Bo appreciates how energetic and lively you are, but please no rough housing ;-;

He doesn't want you to get hurt or hurt anyone else, even though you're perfectly capable of regulating how rough you can me, he's just a lil protective is all

He only allows bear hugs and squeezes, anything else is greeted by the time out corner (him trapping you in his arms in the bed until you give up)

"Now now hun, not so rough ok? I don't want you gettin banged up or anythin.."

Ribs is also a feral little man and absolutely loves that you're as rowdy as him!

You two love play fighting and biting affectionately!

He loves your headbutts! he returns them all the time

"Ahahaha! Again again!"

Soda tolerates it, he just appreciates that you're comfortable enough to rough house with him.

He's not the energetic type but he'll give you sleepy kisses and squeeze you back if you bear hug him

Doesn't bite but he likes nibbling on you

He's not as lively as you, but he loves reciprocating your affection!

"You're so strong hehe~"

Screw is scared

He is oddly aroused

He's also hopelessly trying to stop himself from called you sir or daddy or any dominant title because oh my god you are so awesome

He's looking at you with puppy dog eyes asking for your love and attention

PICK HIM UP TOSS HIM AROUND SHOVE HIM BITE HIM PLEASE HE LOVES IT!

Imagine him kicking his legs and rambling about you to the others

"H-hello si- dadd- (Y/N)! Hi (Y/N) heheh.."

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Wolfie loves how rowdy you are! he loves playing!

That's his way of telling you he loves you, but of course he's extra gentle when playing with you, he wouldn't wanna get his mate scratched up!

Loves rolling around and playing around with you, it makes him feel like a pup again!

Doesn't like you biting him though, you might get something icky in your mouth!

Licks you all over if you get hurt or get a little too rough to make you feel better!

Headbutts are rewarded with his big paws bopping you on the head like he's trying to pet you!

If he's tired and you're being your lively little self, he just takes you and sleeps on top of you so you can't escape.

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Dorik actually has a lot of brothers and sisters back in hell and you remind him so much of how they used to play around with him.

As much as he adores cuddling you close and doing gentle and calm things with you, he loves how tough you are!

Yes he moans when you bite him.

Everytime you're affectionate with him, he can't help but kiss you all over, you're just so cute!

Almost cries if you give him bear hugs, this man is touchstarved!!!!

He gives you his own love by wrapping his tail around you or rubbing his face into your clothes, chest, hair, anywhere! He loves how you smell so good everyday!

Shrieks if you body slam him, but somehow he's as solid as a rock, he didn't even stumble..

But he's all over you asking if you're ok.

"Master? My love? My darling are you alright?!"

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Kalva unfortunately doesn't like rough-housing, he's made it a rule that you can only mess around outside the nest!

But he adores your bearhugs and headbutts and bites, they're comforting to him in a way, it shows that you're close to him!

He headbutts you too, it's his way of asking for your love and attention.

For a while it was also how he kissed you since he didn't know how to do it properly yet.

He might indulge in your rough ways sometimes by jumping around and messing up his feathers on purpose, but you should promise to help preen them afterwards!

Nevertheless, he loves you to bits and just wants to keep you safe <3

"My mate is so excited! My mate is happy!"

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Jasper is scared for his life but in a fun way.

He never knows the next time you're gonna bite him or tackle him into a hug, it's like a game for you both.

He gets you back by surprise tickling you, it's pretty effective.

If he expects the biting, he definitely bites you too, kissing the area right after for extra measure.

Don't get me wrong he's absolutely flustered whenever you do it, but he gets used to it after a while.

But no rough-housing with him! He's fragile and might break something.

Legit asks you to crack his back if ever he's having back aches.

"Hey love, my back's a little weird again, can I get another hug~?"

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Viktor is surprised and a little intrigued.

Oh? My darling is so energetic, I love it!

If you ever try anything on him, he chuckles and 'punishes' you with kisses all over your face and cuddles you until you give up.

Your bites kind of freak him out

Like he's supposed to bite people! It's kind of weird having people bite him, it's a bit exciting..

"My my~ Is my little bat misbehaving again~?"

Garrick doesn't tolerate roughness at all.

You might get hurt! What if one of them reciprocates the affection and goes too far? He's not having it!

That is until you do it to him and he absolutely melts at your cuteness.

He goes from strict to 100% on board with your love bops

Refuses to bear hug you, he might break your spine because of how much he loves you!

"Remember to be careful my turtledove! And I love you!"

Silas is all in on your rowdiness, considering he's like that himself.

He's a mischievous little shit and loves play fighting with you.

Loves picking you up and spinning you around, making you hold onto him as you two giggle like young lovers together.

Always does this thing where he cups your face and shakes your head side to side, he says its because you're too cute and your face must be a mask because no one is that perfect!

Gives you gentle and soft kisses after your rough moments because he wants to make sure he didn't hurt you. He feels the need to remind you always how much you mean to him and how happy you make him feel.

"My little owl, so cute, so adorable~ I'll never leave you Darling~"

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Baron tries his best to keep you calm but you're just to fuckin adorable!

He's a cold hard assassin! Why is he smiling over weak little attempts to hurt him?!

Scolds you for rough housing but his heart breaks if you pout or if he hurts your feelings

Immediately says sorry and holds your hand tight to show he still loves you, he just doesn't wanna see you potentially hurt yourself.

If you're rough with anyone else, he's pulling you off and dragging you away whilst holding you in the tightest bear hug, his actions screaming out 'you're mine!'

Of course he denies it all, saying excuses like 'what if they think you wanna pick a fight?'

But you know he's just jealous that you're not giving him that attention.

Still doesn't tolerate bodyslams or bites but bear hugs, headbutts and squeezing his hand are highly appreciated. Highly

"How about we settle down now boss hm~? I'll run you a nice hot bath if you'd like~"

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Caspian is a wimpy little bitch and gets upset if you play fight with him.

He'll start whining for you to stop but like also whine if you stop giving him attention. (little shit)

Lives for your bear hugs! SQUEEZE HIM HARDER PLEASE!!!

Headbutts make him dizzy and otherwise just confused but he appreciates it and thinks you're trying to kiss him.

He'll pull you close and show you what a real kiss is like~

Bite him and he's flustered.

Like about to have a stroke and can't form a complete sentence flustered.

"Ohohoh~ Oh my~ H-how fascinating~!"

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Hallow loves playing! Wait what are you doi-

Gets the message (i think) and starts to play fight with you too, chasing you around the house and wrapping you up in his long arms to tickle you all over!

Pretends to be a scary monster and nuzzles his face into you once he catches you, imitating eating. That's what you get for trying to fight the big spooky Hallow!

Your headbutts and affections make him so happy he starts jingling from how much he's trying to hold back.

He loves roughing you up a bit too, but his little bops aren't so strong since he's made of cotton and love <3 <3 <3

If you're getting a bit too rough, he wraps you up and kisses you softly before letting you go once you calm down.

"You tired from lovin on me all day sweetie~? It's alright, I got a looooootta lovin left for you~!"

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Ashvan is terrified!

On one hand eeeeee so cute! He wants to return your affections so bad!!!

But also you might die???

He's a big guy, and he's aware of his size and strength, so he's pretty wary on how he handles you.

You're like a little porcelain doll to him! He'd be so sad if anything happened to you just because he wanted to express his love to you!

He loves your bops, but giving you a warm smile and a kiss is all he can do really.

He makes up for it in giving you gifts, helping around the infirmary, cuddling you at night, the little things.

He wished he was more gentle so he can do the things you do to him! He so wishes to hug you as hard as he can!

"S-so cute...I-I mean so uhm..strong and fierce haha! So not adorable and precious in every way possible! Yeah.."

[silvervioletvalentine]

❣️!crazy in love!❣️

Pairing: Charles leclerc X fem!OC (Cherrie)

Word count: 8.5k

Warnings: sappy goodness . Lovesick Charles and bad bitch Cherrie . He’s a lover , she’s a fighter trope. Fights (not between them)! A crash. Just pure fluff really xoxo

As Charles sat on the red cushioned chair in front of the cameras that were quickly filling the room, he couldn't help but pout a little to himself as he looked over to the seat beside him that was still empty , having hoped that somebody else would have been paired with him today.

Although he knew that it was impossible seeing as Cherrie had already texted him that morning to let him know that she would be doing another challenge for their YouTube channel with Carlos instead , he still wasn't very happy about it.

Was it slightly pathetic just how attached to her he had become? Maybe a little .

Did he really care? Absolutely not.

He would take the constant  teasing and knowing looks from the rest of the drivers and his team if it meant that he got to spend every free second of his time with her instead .

He was a man in love , there was nothing wrong with him being absolutely obsessed with his girlfriend.

In fact , he felt sorry for those who had no idea what it was like to be so happy and secure in a relationship with a woman who was also his best friend .

He was utterly besotted by her , and that feeling was never going to change .

He didn't even noticed the slight frown that pulled down his face once Pierre walked into the room , taking the empty seat beside him.

His friend letting out a amused laugh at the look on his face , grinning at him slyly.

"No need to look so disappointed at my arrival Charles. You could at least pretend to be happy that I'm here!" He teased him, leaning back in his chair and giving him a knowing look.

It was no secret to anyone that If Cherrie wasn't at least a few feet away from him or in his eye sight , that his mood would drastically change .

Charles , realising what he was doing, quickly softened his frown and gave his friend a apologetic smile . Laughing a little sheepishly as he gave him a friendly squeeze on his shoulder , feeling bad.

"Sorry mate . I am happy you're here . It's just-" how could he explain that he was just so infatuated with Cherrie that he couldn't be happy without her around without sounding like a total , lovesick moron.

Luckily for him he didn't have to because Pierre understood . Everyone did. He really wasn't as subtle as he thought he was .

His cheeks flushed a little in embarrassment , he wasn't being slick at all.

"-that I'm not Cherrie?" Pierre finished the unsaid sentence for him. Snickering at him.

"I get it . This isn't new to me to see. You've been like this around for almost your whole life man." He mentioned in slight amazement at the way his friends feelings hadn't even faded at all over the years .

If anything they had only intensified .

Before Charles could find any defensive resort to answer him with , their interview finally sat down and gave them both a polite smile and a nod of his head making them both quickly shut up.

"You guys ready? Is there any questions that you don't want to answer?" He questioned them professionally .

Both Pierre and Charles shared a look before simply shrugging their shoulders , not at all bothered. They had not done nothing recently that could be used against them anyways .

That was more his girlfriends thing. Drama followed her wherever she went . He was just glad that she didn't drag him into her craziness too.

He loved her , god he did . But there was no denying that Cherrie could be a really pain in the ass sometimes.

Half an hour later and Charles had finally relaxed into the flow of the questions , answering them easily and calmly . Him and Pierre making jokes whenever they could.

And then the man brought up the one subject that Charles knew that everybody wanted him to talk about . It was expected .

Which was why he didn't even  feel surprised when cherries name was brought up in the interview .

"Am I allowed to ask you some questions about your relationship with your teammate Charles? The fans have been going crazy for all the content about you two online." The man said politely , looking over at him expectantly .

But luckily for him there was nothing Charles loved to do more than talk about his girlfriend to anybody who would listen .

Pierre knew that too seeing as he was the one that was often on the other end of his gushing and rants about how perfect she was for him.

His friend couldn't help but groan jokingly "oh god. Here we go. You'll never shut him up now." He sighed dramatically .

Charles jabbed him in his arm although he couldn't help but chuckle too. He wasn't wrong.

"That's fine . I know the fans have a lot of questions.. I don't mind answering ." He then confirmed to the older man, smiling slightly as he got comfortable in his chair.

If they were going to talk about Cherrie with him, then there was a possibility that they would be there a long time.

The man smiled "okay. So .. everyone was more than surprised when you two announced your relationship to the world . People found it hard to believe it. A lot of people thing that you're complete opposites to each other. Do you agree with that?" He asked him curiously .

Charles just hummed as he thought about his answer. He was right  . Cherrie and him were complete opposites on the personality side of things but that was what had drew him to her in the first place.

She was loud , obnoxious and not afraid to get her hands dirty . Or her knuckles bloody either. She liked to do crazy things without even thinking it through .

She was a little bit insane , but he loved her anyways .

He always had . He could remember the first time he met her when he was just twelve years old at the karting track.

He had stood back and watched a then tiny girl stomp over to him after the race , throwing her gloves at his face as she demanded to know what he was thinking by nearly crashing into her .

Charles had been frozen in his spot as he stared at the furious girl in front of him with wide eyes , his heart skipping A beat in his chest as she started to curse him out . Some really impressive curses and insults for an eleven year old .

He had tried to apologise and explain to her that he had just lost his grip on his wheel, but all that had come out of his was a pathetic little squeak. Stumbling over his words as she started to hit him with her glove over and over again.

Her father had to eventually come over and pull the raging girl away . Later on , he had Forced her to apologise to him for attacking him with her gloves and calling him every bad name under the sun.

She hadn't looked happy at being told to do so, but she had no choice .

And since that day the two of them had quickly became attached at the hip.

She had taught him how to hold his wheel properly so his grip never slipped . And Charles had taught her breathing exercises to do whenever she got a little too mad again.

It was love at first sight at just twelve years old . At least for him it was , it had took a lot more persuading on his part to get her to come around and see him as anything other than an annoying boy who followed her around like a lost puppy.

But the years worth of grovelling and pestering her for a date had been worth it . Because he got to her in the end .

He was convinced that it was destiny. Cherrie was just convinced that he would have annoyed her forever if she hadn't said yes.

"I mean. We are a little different , yes." He agreed easily as he took a sip of his water .

"But we balance each other out I think. She forces me to have more fun and not be so serious all the time and I-" he smirked a little to himself , chuckling. "I try and make sure that she only has her photo taken for press shoots and not for her mugshots." He joked although he wasn't completely lying either .

His girlfriend was pure trouble sometimes .

The amount of times that he had managed to save her last minute from being arrested was a little concerning . She really just couldn't keep her big mouth shut when she should do so .

Even Pierre laughed , nodding his head in agreement .

Looking over at Charles with a amused grin on his face. "Like that time that she took down a man twice her size in your honour. No hesitation at all!" He remembered .

Charles groaned a little at the reminder of how much panic had filled him when he had seen Cherrie throw herself at some big dude at the club they were partying in with her little fists swinging.

Their interviewer laughed . Looking between them

Curiously .

"Would you say that the two of you are very protective of each other then?" He asked.

Charles just tilted his head a little hesitantly , thinking back to all the times that one of them had gotten into a fight with someone because they hasn't liked what they were hearing .

Although he could admit that the kind of fights he got into for Cherrie weren't so much the punching type than the silent motioning for security to drag the idiots away type. THe most aggressive thing he had ever done was shout at them angrily as he stood back with his arms crossed tightly , calling them names as they were dragged away from the scene.

Cherries fights however , were the complete opposite. She didn't think logically or calmly , she simply just jumped in with her fists swinging and her voice screaming at whoever had upset them.

He was the lover . Cherrie was the fighter . He really wasn't going to complain. She was stronger than him physically anyways . He wouldn't stand a chance in a real fight like that.

Cherrie would just floor them while he looked on , impressed and slightly turned on by how quickly she flipped the switch from calm to bat shit crazy in seconds .

"A little bit .. I mean. It's only normal to be protective of your partner . It's a nice feeling to know that the love of your life has your back like that.." he mused as he thought back to that night .

They had been celebrating one of her podium wins when Cherrie had overheard some idiot talking shit about him from the booth behind them.

Spinning on her seat to glare over at the large man with a redbull shirt on, clearly not a Ferrari fan as he ranted on and on about how shit of a driver he was and how he didn't think he deserved his rightful place in the team.

Cherrie had saw red . Funnily enough. She had slammed her now empty glass down on the table in front of her and made a move to get up. Lando , charles and Pierre all snapping their heads over to her in alarm.

Spotting the furious look on her pretty face as she glares daggers into the man head behind them , Charles felt panic flitter through him as he made a desperate attempt to pull her back down to her seat.

Groaning loudly as he realised what she was about to do. "He's not worth it cher! Just ignore him. I really don't care what he has to say about me!" He tried to convince her . Looking over to their friends for a little help.

He got no such thing. Instead pierre and lando were grinning and telling her to kick his ass and put him in his place .

"Guys!" He had hissed at his friends in disbelief as his girlfriend yanked her hand away from him. Her cheeks flushed red in anger . "Don't encourage her!"

Cherrie just scowled and shook her head, refusing to sit back down.

"Well I do. He's talking shit . Someone should help him put that shit back up his ass where it belongs!" She deliberately raised her voice so the man looked over at her.

Pushing her way to the front of the idiots booth, she glared down at him hatefully.

"You should learn to shut your fucking mouth up . Didn't your mama ever teach you not to lie?!" She snarled down at him.

The mans eyes widening once he realised who she was. Then he just rolled his eyes and pushed himself to his feet as well, puffing out his chest to Try and intimidate her.

Making Charles curse as they all quickly got out of their booth and rushed over to her , shaking his head in defeat .

Because what this idiot didn't know was that his girlfriend wasn't afraid of anyone. Not even a man that was twice her size .

"Where's the lie?!" The man shouted down at her , looking over at Charles with a sneer. "How many races has been won? He's crashed more times into a wall than he has won! He's Pathetic!" He insulted him.

Charles just looked back at him blankly , shaking his head . Christ. He thought grimly as he watched Cherrie straightened up and tighten her fists.

Wrong move.

"How many times have you been floored?!" She suddenly questioned him. Ignoring Charles tugging at her arm . Lando and Pierre giggling at her other side , enjoying the show.

The man frowned in confusion "what? None? What has that got to do with anything you stupid woman?!" He shot back at her , taking a step towards her threateningly .

Charles tensed . Cherrie just smiled wickedly .

Shrugging her shoulders casually as she took a small step back before saying "well, there's a first time for everything asshole!" Then she cocked her fist back and punched the fucker right in his jaw.

The man went down like a sack of potatoes , everyone gasping in shock as they watched on.

Pierre was in tears of laughter as he clutched at His stomach . Lando was just filming while giggling to himself .

"That's what you get you ignorant bastard! You have no idea how good of a driver he is because your clearly too stupid to see talent!" She spat down at him , picking up his drink and throwing it at him as well.

Charles gasped and quickly wrapped his hands around her arms to try and pull her away as the large man began to stagger back to his feet.

"Oh my god!" Charles sounded a little hysterical in panic as he looked at the mans furious face in front of them. A large bruise already spreading across his face and neck, his face covered in liquor .

"Cherrie! Come on ! You've done more than enough damage!" He exclaimed as he watched the mans friends try to pull him back as well.

But apparently his girlfriend wasn't done because she had decided to do some emotional damage next , leaving him to wince as she pointed her finger rudely into the mans face .

"Your mother should have fucking spat you out! Instead she's saddled with her biggest mistake for the rest of her life! She has my pity!" She continued to verbally assault him as well.

Charles just sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist , hauling her away instead . With his girlfriend still struggling to be put down, kicking out her feet to try and catch the asshole with her heels.

Still screaming her head off as she pointed her finger at him in disgust .

"I could eat alphabet soup and shit out a smarter person than you. And they wouldn't even be real!" She screeched as Charles spun her around , still holding her in the air as he carried her ass away from the man.

Pierre and lando were trailing after them in hysterics , watching as Cherrie tried to look over Charles shoulder to keep the idiot in her line of sight . Still fuming.

"Assholes like you are the reason that we have a middle finger to use! Hope you're ready to eat shit when you see me and my boyfriend on the podium next week! Bitch!" She screamed over Charles shoulder at him.

Charles let out a small snort at that. Tightening his grip around her waist as he pushed them through the wide eyed crowds that had been watching his insane girlfriend lose her shit.

"Okay! Calm down bébé ! I think you got your point across!" He exclaimed to her once he finally managed to find the exist door. Wasting not time in getting them out of there .

Cherrie had just continued to huff and puff as he carried her all the way to his car. Placing her in the passenger seat and buckling her in, ignoring the way she was muttering about he should have let her at him some more .

Instead Charles , so overcome with love and awe for the woman in front of him, who was willing to beat anyone's ass for talking bad at him. He gently kissed the pout off her lips , nudging his nose against her own gently to calm her down.

She may have been a nut job but she was his nut job.

"A little protective?!" Pierre laughed beside him, shooting him a look. "Just a little? And what about you huh? You never let anyone even mess with her either!" He reminded him.

Charles flushed , blinking over at his friend innocently . "I'm not that bad." He tried to deny , sinking back into his seat with embarrassment when his friend let out a loud loud of disbelief .

"Not that bad? " he echoed in amusement as he thought back to all those times that Charles had casually scolded his friends over their behaviour to Cherrie .

There was that time when Charles , Pierre , lando and Daniel had been sat together at a restaurant having lunch.

They had already been sat there for twenty minutes , groaning loudly about how hungry they were but Charles refused to even budge .

"We're not ordering until she gets here. She texted me to say that she is on her way." He told them firmly as he typed another reply out on his phone to ask her if she was any closer yet.

He couldn't deny that he was hungry and dying to eat. But it just wouldn't feel right to him to start eating without her, they always had their meals together , he wasn't about to change that now.

Daniel looked at him with wide eyes , wondering if Charles was truly oblivious to his girlfriends constant lateness .

"She always says that! has she ever arrived on time? Or even less than an hour later? It's like she can't read the time!" He exclaimed , a little pissy from not being fed .

Pierre nodded in agreement , smiling . "He's right. We were waiting for two hours to get into that club , outside in the freezing cold because your girlfriend was 'on her way!' . She's never on her way!" He recalled .

Lando was wise enough not to say a word. Instead he just sat back in his seat and watched it unfold in front of him in amusement .

Charles frowned at his friends , annoyed. To him it simply didn't matter , as long as she eventually arrived safe and sound , then he didn't care how long he had to wait.

"She's a busy woman! She can't always be on time!" He shot back at him. Ignoring Daniels cough of "never on time!' And instead continued to tell them.

"-plus she likes to take her time getting ready. You can't rush perfection." He said it with all seriousness , smiling down at his phone as Cherrie told him that she was literally just another two minutes away.

Pierre just sighed at his blind in love friend , knowing that there was no point in telling him otherwise .

He loved her too much to hear anything negative about her. In his mind she was perfect. No matter what she did or said. Or how long she kept them waiting .

Then Charles suddenly glanced over to where Daniel was sitting at the end of the table , where it was a seat big enough for two with a perfect window view.

Daniel rose his brow at him once he caught Charles frowning at him "what?" He asked.

Charles just pushed up from his seat , pocketing his phone.

"I need you to swap seats . Cherrie likes to sit at the end of the table and I want to sit next to her." He informed him casually . Already making his way over to the other end of the table .

Daniel gaped at him "but this is my seat! Why should I move?!" He looked over at lando and Pierre for help, getting grins instead.

It wasn't the first time that Charles had demanded them to move seats before , he wanted Cherrie to have the best seat in the house always. No matter who he had to steal it from.

She came first . Always.

Charles just looked at him blankly "because that's Cherrie's seat. She likes to look out the window during dinner. Makes her feel less claustrophobic." He simply told him. Already tugging at his arm to literally pull him out of the seat himself, getting impatient .

As Daniel was hauled out of his seat, he could only Gape at his friend in disbelief .

"Claustrophobic?! The restaurant is massive! What's next? Do you want to take my kidney to give to her too?!" He exclaimed dramatically . Huffing his way over to his new seat.

Charles just rolled his eyes "if she was going to have anybody's kidney, it would be mine. Oh look-!" He suddenly brightened up as he caught sight of Cherrie coming through the doo. "-she's here! Call the waiter over now!" Before he rushed over to greet his girlfriend with a kiss.

Wrapping his arm around her waist as he lead her over to the table , chatting her ear off about what his morning had been like so far.

Ignoring the looks that he was getting from his friends as he gently pushed her into Daniels old seat, sliding in next to her till their thighs were touching and his arm was pressed against her side .

The smile never leaving his face the whole night . Even when he made Pierre switch plates with Cherrie because she didn't like her food.

Not even when he made lando give Cherrie his jacket when they were leaving , refusing to let her leave without one once he saw her shivering. He had left his own jacket at home , hence why he was mugging lando of his instead .

At the reminder of that day, Charles just rolled his eyes. "There's nothing wrong with making sure that my girlfriend is comfortable and happy .." he took a sip of his water . Fighting the urge to check his phone to see if she had replied to his texts yet.

Pierre just snorted "even if it's at the expense of others happiness. Like my ham burger that I was really looking forward to eating.." he sent him a pointed , unimpressed look.

Charles clicked his tongue , unashamed . Shaking his head at his friend as though he was the silly one.

"The tuna she had was making her feel sick! She doesn't like fish!" He exclaimed like it was common knowledge that everyone was supposed to know.

Pierre looked at him like he was insane "then why did she order it?! And why did you have to mug me of my food?!" He exclaimed . Grinning despite himself. More amused than upset.

Charles scowled at him , ready to defend Cherrie to his last dying breath. Over everything and anything, no matter how stupid .

"She hasn't been to that restaurant before! She didn't know what it was that she ordered! It wasn't her fault!" He then huffed "and her favourite is pasta. Trust me, it was better for me to give her your food than not to. She goes crazy when she's hungry." He stated seriously . Grimacing a little at the thought.

The last time his girlfriend had went all day without eating anything , she had gotten into a fight with their team over the colour of her car .

They had looked at her in disbelief when she tapped the side of her car with a huff , her stomach rumbling .

"It's just so-" she huffed again "red!"

Their manager had gaped at her "it's a Ferrari car! Of course it's red!" He had exclaimed .

Cherrie had just whined "I know that but - how about a darker red? Like if I got a paper cut and bled all over the metal kind of red?" Before she could go into another tangent about all the different shades of red she preferred . Charles had spotted her hassling their team and quickly hurried over with a sandwich in his hand.

Having been running around looking for her since he had found out that she was annoying everyone she could . Then he had remembered that she had skipped out of their apartment without anything to eat and quickly realised what was happening.

She was just hungry. That was why she was terrorising  everyone .

Once he had fed her , she was back to normal .

Chewing on the last bite happily as she tilted her head at her again, sighing pleasantly as she tucked herself into his side.

Looking between their team and her boyfriend , she smiled .

"I actually quite like this shade of red. There's nothing wrong with it at all. It's lovely." She casually said as though she hadn't just been almost crying over the colour .

They all exchanged similar looks between exasperation and amusement . Charles just laughing because he was used to it.

So , his girlfriend was a little unhinged? It made his life a little more exciting.

Pierre was adamant about how over protective of his she was. Pursing his lips stubbornly "she would kill someone if they even just upset you mate. Do I need to remind you of that disaster race?" He brought up knowingly .

The interviewer let out a small laugh "oh I think I know which one you're on about." Everyone did.

Charles paused at that, opening and closing his mouth several times for a moment before sighing long and hard in defeat .

"Okay... maybe she's a little protective. But I like it." He simply muttered. "Makes me love her more. If that's even possible . She makes me feel safe. I don't have to worry when she's around because I know she's always for my back. Even when she's not technically supposed to." He laughed.

Thinking back to his disaster crash last year when his wheels had made contact with Max's and sent him flying into the wall.

Cherrie had been driving right behind them when it happened and she could only watch with wide eyes as a familiar red car went flying in front of her , the redbull car being forced off the track with it.

She could only hear the pounding of her heart in her ears as she quickly pushed her radio on , the red light flashing as the safety car was deployed . But Cherrie was frozen in her car , only a metre away from the two crashed cars.

"That was Charles wasn't it?! Is he okay?! Why isn't he getting out?!" She almost screamed in panic as she kept her eyes glued onto his car , praying for him to get out so that she could see with her own two eyes that he was okay.

"It was Charles Cherrie but I need you to pull back and follow the safety car now." The voice came over her radio calmly .

Yet she felt anything but . Slamming her hands against her wheel for a moment as she looked over to the safety car that she was supposed to follow and between her boyfriends crashed one anxiously .

"Why isn't anybody here yet? He needs to get out! Has he turned his engine off?!" She demanded to know, starting her car again as she slowly crept towards the crash scene instead.

Hearing her team panic over her radio once they saw what she was doing.

"Cherrie! Stay in your car and move away now! The medics are on the way!" Was frantically said.

She just huffed to herself. Ignoring them as she pulled her car forward and stopped right beside the crashed cars.

"They're taking too long! I'm gonna get him out! Sorry! Any consequences will be on me guys but I don't care right now!" She announced firmly before turning off her radio and quickly pulling herself up and out of her car.

Wasting no time as she ran over to the messed up Ferrari car , kneeling down beside it as she quickly pulled out the wheel in a panic .

"bébé ! Are you okay? Tell me you're okay!" She shouted down to her boyfriend . Letting out a loud sigh of relief when he let out a groan , wiggling in his seat as he looked up at her.

Reaching forward , she made sure that his engine had been turned off before sliding his visor up so that she could see his eyes. Her heart breaking at the sight of the tears covering them.

She knew how much this race had meant to him, how much he had wanted to win. And he had been so close to the goal before max had knocked him off the track.

"I've lost again!" Charles murmured to her , upset as he reached up to grab her hands so she could help pull him out . Wincing as he did so.

She pulled off her own helmet and tossed it aside as he did the same thing with his own. Then she reached up and wrapped her arms around him in a relieved embrace . Her heart still racing from seeing the love of her life crash like that.

"That doesn't matter C. What matters is that you're okay! What the fuck happened?! You were doing so good!" She exclaimed as she glanced over her shoulder to Max's car just as he started to pull himself out. Pushing the hands of the crew away from him.

Charles shook his head in frustration as he placed his hands on his hips , pursing his lips to keep back the tears that wanted to escape .

She knew that he would take the loss to heart, he always did.

"I tried to pass him on the bend and instead of leaving room he just fucking boxed me in! I tried to turn the wheel but his back wheel had already made contact! It's not fair! I was doing so well too!" He groaned as he placed his hands over his eyes, applying pressure .

Cherrie saw red.

Gently patting her boyfriend on his back before uttering a "one minute bébé ." Before she jogged over to where max was walking away.

He hadn't even checked to see if Charles was okay! She fumed as she came to stop in front of him, then she shoved him hard , startling him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Did you suddenly forget how to drive max?! Why didn't you leave him enough space! You knew what would happen if you closed the gap and yet you did it anyway!" She blew up on him, jabbing her finger into his chest harshly .

Leaving Charles to watch her with wide eyes, not daring to get in between them. He knew better than to jump in front of his girlfriend when she was livid like this.

And anyways . He did want to see her go ape shit on max . He deserved it for running him off the track.

Max just scoffed and batted her hands off of him, raising his visor so she could see him glaring at her.

"Your stupid boyfriend is the one who thought it would be a good idea to try and pass me in a corner like that!" He snapped back at her.

Cherrie let out a strangled noise of anger and disbelief "that's the whole point of racing you dickhead! To overtake the other! Or did the crash make you lose what little brain cells you had left?!" She shoved him again , the image of Charles flying full force at the wall not leaving her mind.

Max was just as angry then, shaking his head at her hatefully . It was safe to say that the two had never gotten along very well before hand either , now that he had crashed into her boyfriend...

Well, she was done playing nice.

"Oh fuck off! You don't know what you're talking about . You're absolutely crazy!" He Snapped back at her.

Cherrie let out a humourless laugh "I don't? You're saying that I'm the stupid one?!"

Max shrugged "you said it not me!"

She seethed "thank your lucky stars that I don't see you off the track max . 'Cause I'd fucking wring your neck for this!" She threatened him, meaning it too.

Watching as his girlfriend took a step closer to max , not doubt to threaten him some more , Charles finally moved and jogged over to her quickly . Aware that there was a lot of cameras being trained on them and that she could get into a lot of trouble for this.

"Cherrie come on.." he muttered to her . Not even looking at Max as he tried to pull her away.

Max laughed "yeah Cherrie . You heard your little boyfriend . Leave me alone!" He threw at her bitterly.

Cherrie looked at Charles blankly "what do you think will happen if I punch him?" The question was spoken so casually that max took a large step away from her , aware of her temper and how she wasn't afraid to fight anybody either . Consequences be damned.

Charles cleared his throat , trying to push down his own little smirk at her behaviour .

Instead he put on a serious face and shook his head at her .

"Not a good idea. You're already gonna be in the shit's for jumping out of your car . Don't risk it." He pleaded to her lightly.

Not wanting to see her get into more trouble than she no doubt already was in.

Seeing the way she hesitated, still side eyeing max dangerously . He decided to just remove her from the scene before she actually did what she wanted to do.

Beat the ass of anyone that dared to hurt him.

He even let her drag him over to the medics to make her happy too .

Their interviewer looked amused "wow. It seems like you two really love other . I guess it's safe to say that the relationship between you two it's pretty serious." He commented to him.

Charles couldn't help but smirk a little , his eyes misheviously meeting Pierre's as they both shared a knowing look between them.

Shifting in his seat with a small , amused laugh as his phone buzzed in his lap. Glancing down at it just in time to see cherries beaming face pop up on his screen.

It was one of his favourite pictures of them as his screensaver too. The photo was from her sisters wedding they had attended . It was a small, family only event . Cherrie had hosted the whole thing in their back garden and it had been turned into a wonderland for the night .

Cherrie had giggled and teased him all night for breaking out into endless tears when they said their vows , his lips trembling as he clutched onto his girlfriends hands for dear life , as though she was going to run away if he let go.

He had just been so in love that as he watched her sister and one of their friends get married and promises till death do they part , it had hit him that night, that was what he wanted too.

He wanted to be stood at the end of the isle waiting for Cherrie one day . He wanted to watch her walk down the isle with her arm being held onto by her fathers as he gave her away.

He had no doubt in his mind that she was his person. He had known since he was twelve years old that she was the one.

All she needed was a bit of convincing and a little time for her to come to the same conclusion as he had so long ago.

By the end of the night the both of them had drank enough wine to be unashamed of their public display of affection. They had spent the whole night attached to each other , so much so that her father had joked that their skin was going to fuse soon if they weren't careful.

They had been stood by the archway in the garden where her sister had gotten married. Cherrie had been muttering a stupid joke in his ear as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and leant his cheek against her shoulder.

Grinning up at her like the man in love that he was , his eyes glued to her giggling lips as she hooked her arm behind his neck to bring him closer . Neither of them had seen the photographer near them with her camera aimed at them, too lost in each other to notice anything else .

"What do you call two spiders that just got married?" She giggled as she barely got her own question out , her cheeks flushed from the amount of wine they had consumed.

Charles had been fairing no Better, his eyes glazed and beyond happy as he gazed at her with love in his eyes. Giggling because she was .

She had titled her head at him, meeting his eyes mischievously as she ran her fingers through his hair without even realising that she was doing it.

"Newly webs!" She barely got the joke out from her own snorting laughter . The both of them too drunk on wine and each other as they started hysterically giggling, leaning on each other for support.

Then the photo had been taken at that exact moment . With Charles looking at her like she had hung every star in the sky above them and Cherrie beaming up at him proudly , pleased that she had made him laugh.

"Yeah .." he chuckled as he tapped his ring finger against his phone screen absentmindedly.

"I'd say it's pretty serious ." He smirked as he tilted his hand so that the camera could focus on the new gold band that was sat proudly on his ring finger.

The interviewers eyes widened in shock as Pierre giggled beside him at Charles's lack of subtly.

"Are you- is that what I think it is?" The man looked over at him in surprise .

Charles looked down at his ring , running his fingertip gently over the words carved in the gold.

Je t'aime. It read.

He smiled softly , his face softening as he squeezed his finger with the ring on.

Sighing contently "it is. It's an engagement ring." He simply replied.

The man smiled "ah that's lovely! When did you propose?" He wanted to know . No doubt the whole world did.

At that Charles let out a loud laugh, smirking cheekily as he shook his head. Utterly gleeful.

"I didn't ." He looked at the mans confused face and laughed even harder .

"Cherrie did. She couldn't even let me do it! I had a plan and everything!" He exclaimed in amusement .

It was just like her to do something like that. He should have expected it really . She always was the one to do everything first .

It hadn't been a particularly special day, Cherrie and him had decided to race around the track with their friends after getting permission to do so from their teams .

It was a completely different atmosphere without all the fans filling the area and they had been having fun just joking around and having fun. Racing against each other as someone kept the tally, and whoever won got a large plastic crown that Cherrie had found in one of the shops .

He hadn't even known anything was going on when Cherrie dragged him out of his seat and demanded that he race her and her alone.

He didn't think anything of it because his girlfriend was a competitive woman who liked to kick ass in any game . Loved to rub it in his face that she always won.

So he had just laughed and rolled his eyes at her playfully as he let her shove his helmet back over his head . Their friends exchanging knowing looks between them as they all got out their cameras to film their race .

Cherrie was beaming as she put on her own helmet , lifting up the visor for a moment so she could look him in his eyes .

"If I win I get to ask you a question." She suddenly said as she playfully kicked at his hip , getting a slap on-top of her helmet in return.

He had just laughed and squinted his eyes at her in slight confusion . Wondering what type of game she was playing with him.

She had been known to spin truth or dare on people at the most random of times . Forcing them to admit something embarrassing or do something equally as mortifying as a forfeit .

So , he still had no clue at all.

Instead he had just grinned and squeezed her hip affectionately before moving past her to her in his own car.

"You can ask me whatever you want but I'm not telling you what I got you for your birthday Cherrie.." he called over to her laughing . She had been bugging him none stop about it.

Trying to guess what he could have gotten her that she didn't already have .

Grinning to himself as he buckled himself in. Feeling excited at the very thought of her birthday because what the love of his life doesn't know was that he had gotten her the lost important gift she would ever receive from him.

He had gotten her a ring . A beautiful gold ring with real diamonds lining it and a stunning emerald stone right in the middle .

He had a plan.

He was going to make her blow out her candles on her cake at the party and then when she turned around to kiss him like she usually did , he was going to be down on one knee asking her to marry him.

He couldn't wait .

There was still no suspicion in his mind as they flew around the track, her radio open to his as she kept teasing him . Her car a good few seconds ahead of him.

Because of course she was winning. She always did.

"Have I told you how gorgeous you looked today bébé?" She said to him over the radio . Knowing how much her complement would fluster him.

Charles could feel his face heat up from under his helmet . Keeping his eyes firmly on her car in front of him as they turned a sharp corner , still struggling to catch up to her .

"About a hundred times already yes ." He chuckled shyly, recalling the way they had almost not made it out of their door that morning .

The radio went silent for a few minutes as they concentrated on racing each other . Charles finally managing to catch up on the last lap.

His radio crackled back to life "just a few more seconds to go C. Are you ready to answer a question that's been on my mind for a while now?" She questioned him casually as the finish line came into sight .

Charles sighed in defeat , knowing that she was about to win again. Yet he couldn't find it in himself to be upset .

Instead he was smiling to himself as he answered her.

"Alright . Lay it on me mon amour." He said just as they passed the finish line . Chuckling to himself as he began to slow down his car to be next to her own, tilting his head to try and see her .

He could just see her helmet tilting in his direction as she waved her hand out cheekily at him.

Then her voice came through again, calm and casual like nothing was out of the ordinary as she finally spoke up.

"You still love me? Even though i beat you again?" She asked him softly , seeming to seriously want to know the answer . Even though it was obvious.

Charles just grinned to himself , heart feeling full.

"Of course I do. I've loved you since I was twelve years old Cherrie . You humiliating at every game we play isn't going to change that." He teased her.

Cherrie just let out a quiet laugh , something shifting in her voice that made his grin fade . Concern filling him the longer she stayed silent .

Frowning a little as he kept his eyes on her helmet covered head as he wondered what she was thinking. surprised that she wasn't rambling on and rubbing her win in his face like she usually did .

Before he could speak up and ask her if she was okay , the radio finally came back to life and her soft , hesitant voice came through the line.

"Okay .. that's good otherwise this might have been a little awkward .." she giggled a little nervously making him tense .

Because Cherrie never got nervous. What was going on?

It was only then that he noticed their friends hanging over the railing with their phones held up in their direction as they all grinned their way.

"Cherrie-" he started to question her , confused.

But she quickly cut him off , her smile evident in her voice .

"Will you marry me Charles? Cause I want to marry you. I think you'd look amazing at the end of the isle waiting for me." She asked him seriously , voice confident yet still so nervous as she waited for him to answer .

Charles could only blink over at where she was still sat in her car with wide eyes , his heart racing in his chest as he inhaled sharply . Tears quickly filling his eyes as he let her question sink in.

She was asking him to marry him.

Four days before he was supposed to ask her to marry him as well.

He couldn't believe it!

Letting out a wet laugh as the tears began to rain like a waterfall from his eyes , his voice both thick with emotion and amusement .

Because of course she got there first .

"I can't believe you beat me to it." His voice cracked as he spoke . Utterly speechless .

Was he dreaming or did the love of his life just propose to him over the radio after beating him in a race?

Cherries voice came through , amused and more then confused as she voiced a "what do you mean? What else have I beat you in?" Laughing a little.

Charles cried "oh my god. I had a plan and everything! Not as good as yours though! Fucking hell Cherrie! Get out your car mon amour!" Was all he managed to choke out before he removed his steering wheel and jumped out.

Seeing Cherrie do the same as he ran over to her, throwing his helmet off to the side while she gently placed hers inside of the car . Charles didn't care if he broke his, too busy wrapping his arms around her tightly as he lifted her feet up off the ground , twirling them around in circles .

Laughing tearfully as she shrieked with giggles, clinging onto his neck as she wrapped her legs around his waist tightly.

"Sooo is that a yes bébé?" She needed to know as she pulled her face back so she could meet his eyes.

Laughing gently at how emotional he was as she wiped away the tears that kept kept falling from his eyes , leaning up to kiss them all away.

Charles let out a tearful scoff , smacking his lips against hers over and over again. Kisses Messy and dramatic , just like she was.

Sniffling loudly as the same butterflies that had swarmed his stomach when he was a teenager getting beaten with gloves while Cherrie cursed him out at the kart racing when they were just twelve and eleven years old.

The same butterfly's that had never fucking left .

He might as well start naming them because they were going the be with him for as long as Cherrie was.

Forever now.

"Yes! Of course I'm gonna marry you mon amour! I've been planning to since the moment we met!" He laughed as he pulled away from her lips to beam at her .

Only to look down at his hand as he felt her slide a ring onto his finger . Starting to cry again as he read the words engraved on it .

"Forever." He sniffled before blowing a raspberry into the air as he tried to pull himself together . Slowly putting her back down on her feet as he wiped his tears away with his hands quickly .

Then he remembered her ring sitting at home in his sock drawer and laughed . Squeezing her cheeks into the palms of his hands as he squished her lips together playfully , making her giggle as she gazed up at him happily .

"Guess you're gonna open your birthday present early after all." He huffed jokingly as he kissed her again, just because he could.

Hearing their friends yell and scream their names happily , peering over his shoulder at them with a laugh as he saw a few of them crying. No doubt having been in on her little plan.

Cherrie just smiled at him, not seeming surprised that he had planned to ask her to marry him too.

He supposed he had never been the subtlest of people. He had openly and loudly told anyone that would listen to him over the years that he was going to marry her one day.

He just hasn't expected her to beat him to it. By four fucking days too!

It was just like her to pull something like this.

"I love you. I want to be your pain in the ass for the rest of our lives." She told him sweetly as she interlaced their fingers together and began to lead him over to their celebrating friends who were already cracking open the champagne.

Charles snorted a laugh, looking down at her with love in his eyes. The love spilling out of him as his heart was already too full.

He was going to marry his best friend. After dreaming about putting a ring on her finger since the day he first met her .

It couldn't get any better than that.

[i-hold-horrors-hand]

Multi-May: Movie Night/Lucky Man

Written for @bisexual-horror-fan 's Multi-May 2024.

Featuring our beloved third anti-Pope, two of his ghouls, and his Prime Mover (my oc). Very fluffy.

(also readable on AO3)

Movie night was Terzo's favourite night. His responsibilities as Papa put aside for the day, his robes and mitre put back into the closet, his paints washed off, comfortable pajamas on, and a fun film to watch in his quarters as he relaxed.

Plus, snuggling up on the plush purple couch with his three beloveds—his newly pregnant wife Cassie, their boyfriend Omega, and their girlfriend Mist. What a wonderful way to spend a night.

"This is so fucked up," Cassie muttered, as she tossed another handful of popcorn into her mouth, watching the screen intently, the visceral images of Phantasm II apparently doing nothing to quell her appetite. (Pregnancy, he supposed, had that effect on people, even in its early stages. Growing babies inside of oneself requires a lot of fuel, after all.)

"Isn't it?" he agreed. "I thought the first one was bad, but this one gave me nightmares back in the day."

"I can see why, tesoro."

"Eh," Mist shrugged a lovely grey shoulder, the other one still pressed snugly against Cassie's side, under her arm. "Meg and I have seen worse."

Terzo huffed and rolled his eyes in fake annoyance. "Well, of course you have, Misty," he said, voice mirthful and affectionate, "You're both creatures from Hell. Cassie and I, however, are just simple humans."

Omega, previously quiet up to this point, snorted loudly. "'Simple'? There is nothing simple about you, babe."

Terzo faked a shocked expression, laughing inwardly at his boyfriend's remark, and lightly slapped the ghoul's big shoulder in mock offense. "Megaman, my beloved! What are you implying?"

Cassie piped up. "That it takes you forever to get ready in the morning, or to plan movie night, or to choose a movie for movie night, or—" She was cut off by her husband lightly placing his hand over her mouth, stopping her from continuing her roast of him, but doing nothing to hide her giggles. (Lord below, he loved her giggles, even when they were at his own expense.)

He sighed, ready to admit defeat. "Yes, yes, alright. I get the idea. I am—"

"High maintenance," Mist interjected, smirking at him.

"...I was going to say 'complex', but alright. Make fun of me. Make fun of your Papa and your boyfriend." He crossed his arms and pouted, putting on an air of being absolutely wounded, though secretly enjoying the affectionate roasting they were giving him. (And, perhaps, secretly agreeing with their assessment of him).

"Don't worry," Mist smiled sweetly at him, flashing her beautiful, sharp teeth (teeth which she had gleefully sank into his flesh, many, many times). "I will."

"So will we!" Omega and Cassie chimed in, simultaneously and in a bit too chipper of a tone.

Terzo 'harumphed' slightly, then snickered, very much amused by their loving ribbing of him, and snuggled back into Omega's strong, comfortable arms, his hand still resting on Cassie's soft thigh. "Oh shit," he said, turning his face back to the television and wincing, "Here comes the—"

"What the FUCK just popped out of her back?!" Cassie yelped, abruptly setting down the bowl of popcorn and covering her eyes with both hands.

"That," Terzo replied, the corners of his mouth twitching upward mischievously, "Was the miracle of childbirth."

Cassie stared at him silently for a moment, beautiful blue-green eyes meeting his (ah, how he loved to stare into them...), clearly not quite as amused by that joke as he was, then, "...thank you for making me re-think this pregnancy, tesoro."

Omega and Mist burst out into laughter, and Terzo couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"Sorry, dolcezza," he said, sincere tone betraying the look of amusement on his face. He brushed a stray strand of strawberry blonde hair from Cassie's face and gently stroked her cheek, mentally revelling in how soft her skin felt against his hand. "Let's keep watching, huh? And I stop making bad jokes."

Cassie stared at him again for a moment, clearly skeptical of his ability to hold back from making another terrible joke (and rightly so, he loved doing that, ask any fan who had seen him and the ghouls live), then relented, kissing him and picking up the bowl of popcorn again.

"Alright."

They all turned their attention back to the movie, wincing and grimacing and softly whispering words of anxiousness and encouragement as Reggie, Mike, and Liz valiantly attempted to escape the Tall Man and his fucked up extra-dimensional minions.

Then it was over, and time to switch to the third movie, though by now all four of them were tired.

Tired enough to fall asleep about a third of the way through it. It'd been a long day for all of them.

Before joining the others in the land of Nod, Terzo took a moment to look at them—Omega's arms still wrapped securely around him and large hands resting on his belly, Cassie's head resting comfortably on his lap, Mist languidly draped over her—and smiled to himself.

He loved them all so much. Even when they were (perhaps, rightfully) making fun of him, he still loved them. His big, strong, gentle giant of a ghoul Omega. His sassy, surprisingly powerful, and witty ghoulette Mist. And his Cassie, his sweet, kind, caring, Prime Mover Cassie, who was carrying his heirs in her soon-to-be-swollen belly. All snuggled up with him on the big, plush couch. All his, to love and enjoy and cherish.

I am a lucky man, he thought to himself, as he finally let himself drift off to sleep. Such a lucky man.

[actual-bill-potts]

hi! i just wanted to drop by and say, i think your last prompt fic rewired the chemistry in my brain. i've been rotating that interaction between finarfin and olwe in my mind for hours now. that's probably the best take i saw on them & and on why finarfin didn't return immediately after the first kinslaying. that was amazing and your writing is wonderful

also i'm in love with your "and all our towers cast down" fic, with your portrayal of finrod and his trauma, it's honestly fascinating

hope you're having a good day/night <3

omg tysm for this incredibly kind message!!!! it literally made my entire day. tbh i didn't expect much of a response to that ficlet bc it was such a struggle to write - Aegnor and Angrod are not characters I think about often and Alqualondë is so odd narratively to me bc it feels like it should be a major turning point for everyone but it kind of...isn't? So this was my best attempt at making it make sense in my own mind. I need to write a full meta post on the subject soon haha to put my thoughts in order. I'm so glad you liked it!! Though I don't really write about them much, Olwë and Finarfin are such interesting characters to me so I'm glad they came through properly.

And thank u so so much!! i have absolutely adored writing towers, it's so much fun to explore the character dynamics and really dive into leithian and make everyone's choices make more sense in my own brain. in my mind finrod's death is really what sealed the doom of nirnaeth, cuz politically fingon lost so much with finrod. so i am really looking forward to exploring the ramifications of his survival and how the events of tol-in-gaurhoth affected him. i really see his role in leithian as him finally snapping and being like I'm going to help this person I love no matter the cost. I've always headcanoned that a big part of the reason he went to middle earth was to support both the nolofinwions and his own people who loved feanor. and in middle-earth he's had to make the hard pragmatic choice so many times, between splitting from turgon pretty much forever, letting his brothers go to the front lines, sending balan's people to the front lines, constantly smoothing things over between the Fëanorions, the nolofinwions, the doriathrim, the bëorians, and the laiquendi, and at the point of leithian he's just seen so much of that work burst into flames around him and he basically pulls a fingolfin. he's like fuck what happens to me, fuck what happens to my kingdom: thingol is insane, two of my brothers are dead, pretty much all of balan's people that i worked so hard to help are dead except this one guy who is determined to go on a suicide mission. so im gonna help balan's descendant and no one can stop me.

But now he's survived and he's going to have to reckon with...all of that...with fingon who just lost his father to a similar impulse, and with orodreth, and with himself. and of course sauron's mind games didn't help him any. so he's in a pretty bad headspace right now and is going to have to deal with a lot of the losses he's just been shoving away and not looking at up until now.

Anyway sorry for the ramble! I'm just very passionate abt this project lol.

Also, I know you like Finarfin, and this ask made literally my whole entire day, so here's a Finarfin+Finrod snippet for you! I hope you enjoy <3

That morning, Arafinwë's eldest son does not so much walk into the dining room as swim. He is encased in layers upon layers of swishing fabric that billow before and after him, making it necessary to sway carefully to avoid tripping; his hair, loosed and straightened, falls nearly to his feet, and keeps tangling about his knees; and he looks inordinately proud of himself.

Arafinwë glances at Eärwen in bewilderment, wondering if wardrobe-related madness is a symptom among the Returned that he has forgotten about. She looks just as confused as he feels, if significantly more amused.

"Good morning, Finrod!" he says aloud. "Er - is there a special occasion?"

Finrod moves carefully to his chair, then sweeps his massive skirts behind him, swiftly moves the chair out, and sinks into it with a whoosh. He looks up cheerfully.

"Good morning, Atya, Ammë!" he says, beaming. "No special occasion - this is cultural. It is the latest in Vanyarin fashion!"

"Is it?" Arafinwë asks weakly. "It seems - difficult to move in."

"Oh, yes," Finrod responds, grinning even wider. The effect, in conjunction with the sparkling, billowing skirts and tangled hair, is nearly blinding. "That's the point, you see! It is intended to emulate the care with which the Valar must move, encased in the forms they take to walk among us. I thought the idea was fascinating. And the fabrics they use are so beautiful!"

"Ah - that is indeed interesting," Arafinwë responds, wondering who among his mother's people he will have to take aside later for a quick word on not telling Finrod about Vanyar fads. "Surely it is not intended to go out in...?"

"Oh, but of course it is!" Finrod says. "I plan to go out to market as soon as we are done breakfasting, to experience the full effect. Would you like to come? It could be quite interesting."

"Alas, your mother and I must hold court soon after breakfast, and cannot join," Arafinwë says without much regret.

"You must tell us about the experience, though!" Eärwen chimes in, sounding as if she is suppressing laughter.

"Ah, very well," Finrod says cheerfully; and after he has breakfasted he does indeed rise carefully - barely snatching his garment away from the remnants of jelly on his plate before it can be stained - and swim out of the room.

Eärwen and Arafinwë look at each other and burst into laughter.

"The skirts!" Eärwen gasps, "The folds! It will take him an hour to exit the palace!"

"Oh dear," Arafinwë says at last, wiping his eyes. "Oh dear. Was he like this before?"

"He was!" Eärwen exclaims. "Do you remember, he used to creep into your father's closet and try on his best robes? Then he would swan about the halls, trying not to trip."

"I had forgotten," Arafinwë admits, a smile curving his lips, "but you are quite right. He always did love beautiful clothing. I only hope that his pursuit of high Vanyarin fashion will not send him home with a broken collarbone."

"It is so good to have our son home," Eärwen says abruptly. "Our children gave me such joy. I had nearly forgotten."

Arafinwë reaches across the table to take her hand. "It is," he agrees. The image of Finrod leaving the room, having to angle his hips to fit through the door and bundling his hair about himself so as not to trip, floats across his mind and he chuckles again. "Do you remember when bustles were all the rage, and Artanis got caught on a turn of the stairway? She was furious."

Eärwen's laughter is a welcome peal, more light of heart than he had heard in years. "As I recall, it was Finrod who convinced her of their merits in the first place."

"She did not take his advice on fashion again, after that!" Arafinwë agrees. He cannot stop smiling as he begins to gather up the breakfast things and neaten his own robes. It feels as if his heart is singing within him: Our son is home. He is home. He is home!

[cinnamon-bunni]

❄️ and ☔ (if you want to share any!!) for the ask game!!!!!

AHHH THANK YOU FOR SEND THIS!!! ^^

❄️Share a snippet from a WIP of your choosing. ohhhhh, im having a hard time choosing which wip i should choose from...as much as i would love to have a part of my tmnt fic, nothing much is happening in it yet </3 (im like a few paragraphs away from the Shit Hitting the Fan part lolol but oh well) so! instead, i shall do a snippet of a ghostbusters fic i have, featuring a (ghost) oc, a fic which i may or may not finish, not sure yet (probably the latter sadly) but i am still quite happy with this part! so here <33

Jack couldn’t breathe. “Too fucking dark, I can’t-” You can, please, go over there, let me see him, let me- “Can’t fucking do this–shit, Venkman, please wake up, don’t leave me in here alone. I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry-” Calm down; breath, slowly, in your nose and out the mouth. Come on, I know you can do it- He squeezed his eyes shut and, for once in his life, listened to his thoughts. “I’m sorry,” he whispered out once more. [...] The reality of it all, after saying it aloud, came crashing down around him again, and the walls suffocated him and the dark consumed him. “Fuck, I killed you, didn’t I? I killed you and you’re gonna rot in this basement like me-” NO. No, he’s not dead, please move, please let me back in control- Jack opened his eyes again. It wasn’t as dark now, as his eyes adjusted to the new set darkness. But the room was still suffocating, still the same as the day he died, still haunting and horrible and distressing. [...] His eyes fell onto Peter’s unmoving body. He quickly looked away before squeezing his eyes shut once more. “Listen Venkman, I promise you, if you wake up right now I’ll go into that box of yours, no complaints. And I’ll go happily into where ever the fuck you store your ghosts, no matter how cramped it is, as long as you wake up right now and be fine. Please.”

(in which a ghost, possessing ray, may or may not have possibly and accidentally peter and is panicking about it) (peter isnt dead dont worry but oh boy jack does freak the fuck out for a bit over it <3)

☔Is there a fic concept you have that you'd like to just explain and share because you're not sure you'll ever write it? If so, what is it? ngl i feel like i could share so many ideas here, it's so hard to tell if i would ever get around to finishing my wips and ideas...

i have many tmnt ideas i wanna write! four to be specific, a fic centered on each turtle, all multi-chapter fics, which sadly lowers the chance of me ever finishing them ^^;;;; the first one (which i'm close to finishing the first chapter of!!) is where Donnie makes contact with an alternate version of himself! the two donnie switch places (which normal donnie did not agree to this, he was kinda sorta drugged, knocked out, and woke up in the other universe), and is forced to try his way back home while also pretending to be someone he isn't so others in this new world won't be suspicious of him. while i love this idea, im very unsure abt posting this one;;;

my other tmnt fics include: raph being kidnapped and being thrown into an illegal underground mutant fighting ring (underground nexus my beloved); mikey being sent into the spiritual plain without his consent and his chilling as basically a ghost while his brothers scramble to try and bring him back; and then one where leo is stuck in a time loop, because i HAVE to do a time loop for like every fandom im in lmao <3 these three im less confident i'll get around to writing, but i really hope i do!!! (i also have a transfem leo fic i wanna write, a oneshot, but im really hoping that i'll at least finish that one)

moving onto my other wips, i have quite a few for ghostbusters! im not really sure if i'll get to finishing any of them though--i really hope i do, but gb for me is something i easily get in and out of the mood to write for one of the fics i wanna write, but very much doubt i'll finish, is the one i quote above. ray and peter go deal with a ghost haunting, until it then possesses ray. story stuff happens (revealed that ghost was murdered, egon and winston get held at gun point, all very fun stuff <3), and its a bit of a long oneshot! since it involves an oc, im not too sure if i'll finish it i have another ghostbusters fic that features an oc, two in fact, and is multi-chapter. this still goes into the category of where im not too sure if i'll finish it, BUT it does feature vampires!! and also peter may or may not also be vampiric as well!!! and damn have i fell in love with that concept!! I also have a short lil' soulmate au i wanted to write that's kinda cute <3 and finally (a fic which i'm most likely to finish, or at least for the first chapter for lol), i originally wanted to write a cute oneshot about Elon and Egon and their relationship (when i first learned abt elon i just absolutely fell in love lmao), but now it has turned into a multi-chap story about Elon, his work, the ghost that sorta haunts him bc of said work, his differences from Egon, twin telepathy, and finally of course his relationship with the Ghostbusters in general (he deserves to be a little antagonistic, me thinks. as a treat <3) i am so excited to hopefully finish and post it, i so badly wanna explore their relationship <333

okay im done now!!! i couldve gone on but this is way too long to begin with so! thank you so much for this ask ily <33333

[nickywhoisi]

It's midnight mods are asleep post chefs

That's right, we're veering off course from my usual project again as I have officially gone full batshit and dove head first into the Pizza Tower fandom. No regrets baby. I mean have you seen the shit poppin off over here rn? Buck wild. And all the cool kids make ocs, so

The dude in purple is my oc Adlin Bäkermann, he/him/ they-them sometimes, probably mid 30's, and they run a bakery just down the block from Peppino's pizzeria. It's the best in town because all of it is homemade by him. Peppino gets the pizza dough from Adlin, if he doesn't make it himself. Adlin sometimes comes by for a snack break. Sometimes Peppino comes over for a well-needed coffee break. Local businesses supporting other local businesses <3

Adlin is a very quiet guy. He rarely speaks in more than affirmative sounds or disapproving grunts, but on occasion he will use his words. And he is one cool cucumber, so instead of frantically worrying about what his friend's went through, he will just ask calmly, practically like a therapist, "What happened?" He's an honourable soul and cannot stand seeing injustice. Things like that, and other stressors (like work) can bring up his inner rage meter though, because he is not impervious to anger management issues. And he's German, so he can be scary about it. It really isn't a smart move to piss off a lad who will throw massive gauntlet hands that can crush you like a bug, or make him use his steely eyes to bore into your very being. And, strangely, he can be a tad absent-minded. If he screws up something, you will hear a quiet, ashamed, "...Sorry." There's more times than he'd care to admit that he was kneading dough while fuming, and before they realized it, the work table was fuckin shrapnel. Oops. Lil' bit of a klutz. Better watch those mitts of yours, boy! Ooo hoo hoo hoo

Now with that blurbo finished for my blorbo, I wamna discuss the pic. Specifically, I love how the colouring and effects used turned out. So close to what I was looking for! Huzzah! I'm happy with the mach speed lines and Adlin's beeg bright rocket blasts. I was also on the fence about colouring in Adlin's pants, was thinking of keeping them white, but...actually it was a really good idea. It matches the other guys, and when I designed Adlin, I really wanted to make it a point that he had things that could make him a playable character. Just like one of the cast. His hands fire little dough blasts, but because of the hole of fire he launches them out of...they come out as little cooked brioche buns. Gdsffddsggssgff This is basically a proof of concept for my jump 'n shoot baker boi. I love my child so much. My sweet bebeh. In canon, he's got that androgynous pretty swag, which makes him all the more intimidating to approach. Oh and before I forget...there isn't any shipping. Naughty children ;) I know what you're after you wanna know if my boy smooches the italian like a lot of the other ocs. Nah. These guys are literally only friends, but good friends. Which might not be so obvious with how I introduced them, but that happens in universe too. You'd think there's rivalry going on, and there is occasionaly some weird indescribable tension between them, but nope. I'm just so happy that I drew Adlin just like how I wanted and then suddenly he looks like the metal to Peppi's sonic. It just happened outta nowhere, and that's frankly amazing. Pizza Tower is the gift that keeps on giving and I am alive

And yeah this was my first try at drawing The Noise, can ya tell? He has details that aren't so correct, but I'm kinda diggin the caramel top I put on his hat. To make him look closer to a cream puff. And I wasn't sure how many teeth he was supposed to have. But there ya go I think I still captured his noisy noidy e s s e n c e . AND THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE HIS BUTT NOT A BIG KOO- OKAY JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR THAnks. And the same applies to Brick, I didn't think to study his design and then draw so it was off memory. Still looks super cute though ngl

What are they racing towards? Who's gonna win? Idk I just like the stardust speedway vibes goin on look at these funky little dudes go

[r0-boat]

{chatting}

Hey, r0.

I know I don’t really interact a whole lot, mostly due to nerves, but I want to join in with everyone else in support of you and your amazing writing.

That anon is nothing but a coward and a dick; I’ll bet good money they’re either trying to combat their own insecurities, or their only form of emotional fulfillment is putting others down. Or both. It’s fucking sad. They also don’t seem to know that talent and skill are different things. They overlap, yeah, but talent is latent while skill is developed. Writers never stop honing their skill, turning any natural talent they may have into a fine edge through practice.

Which is exactly what you do whenever you write.

Anon wants to make implications about how talented they are? Anyone that brags like that usually has a dull-edged “skill,” with no ability to learn or grow or accept feedback. The very fact that you continually engage with your readers and talk about and encourage expansion on your ideas just proves my point.

You’re growing your skill by constantly working at it. All writers are forever a work in progress, that’s just the nature of art. And there’s never, ever anything shameful about it.

You’re ridiculously creative, and the fact that you come up with so many amazing aus - that everyone absolutely adores - is a testament to that. (Gonna use myself as an example, but I lost my mind when you first started following me. Like, the r0 was following me. One of the heaviest hitters in the fandom circle. And then you sent in the request for the drabble with Cole and??? I was being trusted with your oc???? And now bee!mas?! You have no idea how honored I am about both of those- still!)

So yeah. Sorry that… got so rambly. You’re great. Your writing is great, your ideas are great, and we all love talking to you and seeing everything you see fit to share with us. I hope your day gets better from here. 💕

~Spark💥

(Also, wtf, the discord is just a place for fun and mutual support; it’s not a damn business conference., we wouldn’t be there if we didn’t enjoy it. Smh, anon just doesn’t like seeing other people have fun. 🙄)

Spark this really means a lot to me thank you.

This community is genuinely really kind and extremely creative and helpful.

But don't sell yourself to spark you're writing is immaculate, and I wish I had the skill you do.

( I'm not going to lie I really do like my Discord the way it is currently, my Discord is very chill and isn't really chaotic as other discords I was in before)

[stevebabey]

I'm the first anon, thank you so much for understanding. I have those feelings for months now and I'm going crazy lmao.

I wish I could get into character x character stuff, but unfortunately, my stupid brain loves to consume stuff through self insert, so x reader is my preferred outlet for everything :/ I just feel like I don't belong anywhere in this fandom rn in terms of content creation. I'm not into most x reader stuff and I like to explore more character things, but I also don't really belong in there because I'm not a shipper.

It's just so frustrating to see, and the other anon was right. The tiktokification of media and fandoms in general is insane to watch. Like I saw a tiktok that complained that the Poppy War by Rf Kuang was boring because it had no spice. M'am, this is a book about war? 😭 Or, like everything is described in tropes (that's a problem for books, not fanfic per se) for fast consumption, the plot doesn't matter if certain scenarios are not ticked off. Not to mention AI and things like characterAI where people just get quickly what they want without using really their imagination (plus them not caring that this is stealing from real people).

And yeah, the whole minor part. It's insane to tell 12 year olds, that virgins write the best stuff. I'm reading and writing fics since I was 14, and I'm "lucky" I wasn't really exposed to those things until I was 16. English isn't my first language, so fanfics were a bit limited, I guess (plus having a very nieche interest that didn't reach international fame and fandom). Also, I mostly consumed stuff from friends I know irl and we had a few spicy scenes because we were curious, but we never got exposed to hardcore smut. I'm not saying there should be no smut at all, everyone is free to express themselves. It's a problem if the fandom is only that because it creates a space not everyone has access to or gets messed up. Fandom is community and everyone should feel welcome. If I was a minor and all writer blogs tell me to fuck off because they only write mature things, idk if I would even wanna stay. Which is also another problem because fandoms die out so quickly as it is.

Anyway, I don't know where I'm going with this exactly because you already said everything and I agree with you. <33

omg you say you don't know where you're going with this but brought up so many good POINTS

you're not crazy and you're definitely not the only one feeling that way!! i understand completely and it's infuriating that the topic of it is almost tongue in cheek in this fandom and lots of people feel they would be better off biting their tongue than expressing that frustration ://

character x character is something that takes a hot minute to get into i've found, i've honestly only just gotten into it within the last year or so (because i also struggle with like ocs and the like) but i am a long lover of the self insert i can't even lie <3

but there's like a difference between the way you describe this!! i think you're very much like me and it's like a genuine love for a character that drives your desire for writing self-insert- its like i love this dude so much and i want them to be happy and i want to be that source of happiness, i want to be that first kiss or gentle touch they need :D

andddd that's my problem with so much of the smut-leaning fics. where's the soul!?! where's the driving heart of the story? the best fics are the most self indulgent because you can see the best parts of someone in them !!!!

i'm really sorry that you feel like you don't have a place in this fandom but you do definitely belong here honey- fandom is supposed to be a community and there's no prerequisite to existing here at all and the fact there feels like there are certain amounts you have to succeed in to be a writer is so just bleh

tiktok is a goddam brainrotting place lmao and every day im not on it is a great one! the trope shit is SO true, like the idea that if you can check a few boxes (one of those things being smut) its the thing that makes a piece good instead of how it's written and the passion for the story like ugh and don't even get me started on ai 😭 that is a shitshow in itself and anyone who uses that to write fics or complete other peoples fics are absolute garbage people

the minor thing is yeah completely fucked and you raise SUCH a good point about how it limits the spaces that they can occupy which is so fucking stupid cos how many of us started in fandom at young ages??? everyone should feel welcome! and god the thought of someone trying to so hard to avoid nsfw content but just to have it shoved down their throat in every other post and also having so many writers telling them to fuck off ur so right, i wouldn't wanna stay either!

and it's just so so so sad because there are a thousand people who i WISH would write their ideas, write their fics, whether its bad or good first time around because THAT is the point of fandom. love for the source! new ideas! people's new takes on old tropes over and over :D

ah you opened the floodgate in me.... you didn't ask for advice but truly, write the most self indulgent stuff ever and it can't lead you wrong. i hope the culture of fandom changes and every time you ignore the urge to write for what u think people will like and just write what you want, we all get a little bit closer to that change :")

[ladylooch]

Happy New Year - I hope 2024 is going to be an amazing year for you!

I'm coming to you in a bit of (well, almost but not quite) crisis mode to see if you have any suggestions with turning something around in my head.

I've been in the throes of writing some fics for my beloved player and in doing some light "research" here on other Tumblr blogs and reddit, my opinion has shifted about said hockey player.

I knew these things in theory about professional athletes in general (rampant cheating, general douchey behavior, etc.) but to see string after string about his own shady behavior in relationships, it's kind of derailed my thinking and taken my original plots on a detour.

Has this ever happened to you when in the middle of writing about a player?

Lately, all I can think about is the reader/OC, making him rethink his "decision-making skills" (😆), teaching him a lesson, making him suffer at the hands of his own making, that sort of thing.

Just wanted to pick your amazing mind on this one and see how you might tackle this side-circus going on in my brain...

First of all, WOOF! I am sorry, bby! That sucks! Let’s just allow that feeling to exist for a sec.

I'm very honored you're asking for my advice! Hope what I have for you helps 💜

I have had this happen to me with a player before. For me, it was an instant- I’m done writing about this person. We all have boundaries and lines we aren’t okay with crossing. Sometimes, real life makes it difficult to see beyond, even in a fictional world. It’s important to listen to our inner thoughts when those moments happen, otherwise it can be a HUGE creative block. Now could it all be drama and rumors? Sure, but sometimes we can't forget the things we have heard, even if there isn't firm proof of anything.

Also, we can totally normalize changing your mind! You are allowed to change your opinions about people, even those you never thought you would “fall out of love” with. This is natural as we grow and evolve as people. Sometimes we start out creating for specific characters to find our groove and then something happens IRL and we want to stop creating about them. For example, some writers won’t write about people in committed relationships or who are married. Or they wont write about people with kids. These are natural milestones in life that may mean change is necessary when they occur. So writers keep the mems, stick to their boundaries, and move on to other characters.

My biggest advice would be not to force anything forward and consider putting any fics/requests/AUs about the player on hiatus while you sort out your feelings. Although these are works of fiction, if you’re getting the ick from a player IRL, it will show up in your writing. Or you may start to think negatively of your work because of the mixed feeling you have about your main character.

Ultimately, it is your blog/creative space. Only you can decide how you want to move forward!

Best of luck! MY DMs are open too if you want to chat more offline too 😘

[can-of-pringles]

Hey!! Here to talk about fanfic with you!

Is there a fandom or character that you want to write for but haven't yet? Why is that?

Is there a fanfic that you would rewrite or look at again if you had the chance? (Personally I think your writing is fantastic but I know we as authors are our own worst enemies, and I'm curious to see your side of it)

What's your favorite part about Similarities so far? Of King and Lionheart? Of your Ariel fics?

What's one line from any of your fics that you're especially proud of? And why do you like it? (Particularly artful, really captures a character, great humor, etc.)

What's your favorite trait to give a character trait? Physical or personality. What's a trait in yourself that you often see in your characters (past neurodivergence and queerness, I mean individual personality traits like confidence or sarcastic humor)

Your writing is amazing bestie!! So excited to see what you do with Eliŝka!

Hi! Thank you!

Fandom wise, I'm not sure. I haven't consumed any new media recently except Vol 3. So I guess MCU? (If you don't count my Wandavision and X-Men crossover fic)

As for character, I haven't written anything for my newest OC, Eliška Hasek, and I'm itching to get started on that. Oh, also another OC, Tessa Hayes (Lee Quinn's birth mother) there are things in place I should do first before I start on these projects.

Probably majority of my fics from 2019 or 2020. And the first Kaia fics probably need a revamp.

For Similarities, I enjoy being able to write about Henry and El in a more domestic setting since escaping the lab and writing about their bond growing. Though funny enough I am looking forward to writing more of the future plot and angst with Beatrice.

King and Lionheart, I feel like it's still in its early stages but despite that has shown a lot of potential or progress if that makes sense? I also enjoy writing about Dream having to interact with a character so different than him (Lee) and having them learn to get along and their dynamic.

The Ariel ship! Ok, where do I start? I guess honestly it's a little fun to drag out the fics and have my readers waiting excitedly for when the big confession happens. I'm sorry I like to torture my audience 😈 but also Arith and Iriel banter is so fun and rewarding to write. I feel like they've come a long way. And you know what I still plan on writing stuff for them even after y'know 💀 because people read essentially prequel stuff all the time.

One line from any fic.... oh this is tough. Why do I feel like all my best stuff isn't published yet lol.

Ok so more than a single line (oops) but from King and Lionheart.

“I understand your warnings, but I would like to go with you, anyway.” She looked up at him with a determined glint in her eyes.

I think it just sums up Lee's character so well. She's bold, stubborn, and dedicated.

Favorite trait to give a character? Physically wise I think I either have to say freckles or piercings. Personality wise... I guess unique? Now hold on let me explain, I don't like to write about characters who fit a mold or something like that. That's boring. There has to be a little bit of going against the norm. Not fitting in but rather standing out as an individual.

I really hope that wasn't confusing or too much of a basic answer.

As for the last question, I think I tend to have a dry sense of humor and I like writing characters with a similar sense of humor.

Thank you very much!

[hexonthepeach]

hi! i just read thru your answers to asks relating to the d&s universe(?) and i hope youre ok w/ my questions:

1. Since sungtaro & the 3rookies are now out of nct ((tbh i still cant forgive sm for this but at least sungtaro are about to have proper idol activities now & hopefully shohei can debut soon too!)), will they still be included under ncta?

2. I saw that youre planning on/in the middle of writing separate fics for the other ncta members, will the y/n be different from the one in d&s & vitamin? im sorry if this sounds dumb, i just got into reading yn!pov fics & sometimes i get kinda confused when reading it as a series :’))

Hope youre doing well, & i absolutely enjoy reading your current omegaverse series!

hey thank you so much for your ask i am so happy you're interested in more d&s! i have it on the back burner at the moment but i do have a few wips already written: dotae/y/n, and a jungwoo/gn oneshot i actually have shelved for the moment if only because i may end up repurposing a bit of it for the f4 au 😅 long story, but when i get deep into the weeds i try to make sure my au streams don't cross and they're distinct

in answer to your questions

1. the NCTA au will always have room for Shotaro and Sungchan even if they are now part of RIIZE. They will always be NCT members in my heart if for the fact that they made the last NCT U releases so special for me (Sungchan on Round & Round!? Shotaro on Make A Wish and Universe?! they're my boys). Also I know I only hinted at it but the AU is very SM in general with there being other agencies involved who built it, support it, and trouble it still (Diamante, Exile, and Artemis, respectively)

To your point about their loss being felt though I watched NCT Universe when it came out and really felt my heart break over and over at how delayed their debut was due to SM incompetence, COVID, et al. I really liked Eunseok (my RIIZE bias no lie) and Seunghan and wanted Shohei to be a part of NCT so badly after him taking on a second career as an SM trainee. he could have been an essential part of NCT Tokyo but they pivoted towards the competition model and didn't include him and it feels like a slap in the face to everyone who wanted this unit and how much work went in to preparing them for it. But I have hope for RIIZE in that their journey is starting and they deserve it after all they went through. On a side note I've been watching LASTART because I have a Viki sub for dramas but have little interest in the outcome because it's clear they've already handpicked who they want to debut but wanted the false reality show lead-up. Sion and Yushi will make good additions to NCT, at least. Yushi is an exceptional dancer although very shy, and Sion has a quiet confidence and natural skill as a leader that I look forward to seeing. My apologies to them both if they end up in a surveillance van (lol)

2. Great question and yes, any y/n outside of D&S will be a different character and that was always the plan (although I did have a lot of headcanons about an agency key party that I hopefully neatly folded into the reverse harem dynamics of agtbtb). The Doyoung/Taeyong series has them fighting over their secretary who's maybe a little into BDSM and my unwritten and unspoken outside of DMs Mark/Haechan oneshot introduces a con artist out of Hawaii who ends up with at least one of them. I have no idea when I'll have time to write both but they're on my mind, along with the third part of D&S

thanks again so much for the inquiry and welcome to y/n self-insert fics! I never wrote for this medium before this outside of old-school OC self-insert writing (which shows in my eternal need for characterization but isn't foreign to the genre). i'm so glad you are enjoying the omegaverse and hope you don't mind living here for a while as we get towards the inevitable build, climax, and finish 😉

[thebugass]

Total Drama Questions

By @the-type-a

1. Favorite character & why? Courtney because of the simple fact that she slays. She terrifies me and intrigues me. What made you like this, Courtney? Are you aware that you're a wreck? Can I fix you? Are you okay? Questions that the show will choose to demonize Courtney over answering every time, but a boy an dream.

2. Favorite season? Season one

3. Worst season? ...All Stars

4. Otp? Courtney x Duncan

5. Top 3 couples? Courtney x Duncan, Harold x Lashawna, Alejandro x Heather

6. Create your own challenge. Kiss me...... please?

7. Describe your OC. My OCs a bug. He wouldn't do very well on total drama considering the fact that he's a bug. He wouldn't try either. He'd just bug the competition. What a lad.

8. Least fav character & why? Owen. I understand that he's the nostalgic face of the series, but dear lord, not one of his jokes has ever landed for me. If you're into fart jokes, good for you. I'm sick of it, and it's just gross for me. At least Justin had "I wouldn't know, math is for ugly people." I quote that daily. I'm also a huge Mike hater. As somebody with DID... oof. Can I have... better representation... please? I'll take anything at this point. Just don't make EVERY CHARACTER WITH DID EVIL STOP ITTTT. im the only evil one uwu :) WAIt NO I FORGOT ABOUT SIERRA. This list is going off the rails, I'm sorry. Sierra's 100% my least favorite, though. Isn't abuse and stalking FUNNY, guys? Isn't this horrible thing I had to deal with for years just absolutely HILARIOUS. Insert laughs here. No. I'm giving you judgmental stares, Fresh TV. You've been towing the line for a while, and Sierra just crossed it and then ran a few miles for good measure. Fuck you, Sierra.

9. Favorite challenge? The awakeathon. It was a down to earth, neat idea. Not to say I don't like the insane ideas from later, because I do, but it just felt so... normal. When they're getting mauled by bears, I can't relate. I CAN relate to being exhausted because please just let me sleep.

10. Do you have a favorite fan fic? Yes. You don't get to know what it is, though.

11. How old were you when you joined the fandom? Thirteen when I watched the show and fourteen when I began to stalk the fandom from the shadows.

12. Did you ever RP, if so, who? Never done a total drama RP, I'm afraid. The idea just has never appealed to me.

13. Top five girls? Am I allowed to list Courtney five times? No? Okay. Courtney, Heather, ...God, I have the Wiki pulled up. I do not like many of these poor people, do I? Bridgette's alright. I like Crimson because she has a cool design. Lashawna's a neat lass, too.

14. Top five guys? Duncan, Alejandro, Noah, Cody, and Harold.

15. Who would you join an alliance with? I'll take Bridgette or Gwen. Bridge is entirely useless and I'm not all that fond of Gwen, but they seem vaguely trustworthy. Don't let Gwen near your boyfriends, though.

16. Who would you wanna go against in the final two? Cody. I can beat Cody's ass. (Sorry Cody ily)

17. Underrated character? Courtney. Very popular character, but there is no height that she can reach that wouldn't be underrated for her magnificence.

18. Favorite TDWT song? THE ONE ABOUT BUG FUCKING. You see, I am a bug. I do not fuck bugs but you get my point. If I had one. I don't think I had a point.

19. Worst TDWT song? The racist Chinese one.

20. Is there another show you’d like to see a crossover with TD? I want a TD crossover with my OCs (non TD related) just because they'd be so concerned the entire time like "Your host just threw a shark at you are you ok" and everyone would be like "Oh no thats normal"

21. Favorite team (of any season)? The villians from all stars. Hate all stars and hate almost all of the characters but fuck if it isn't funny to shove every asshole into one house with poor Gwen.

22. Who do you think deserved to win at least once? C O U R T N E Y. She would invest the money. Responsible little gal.

23. Something you would change 100% from any season? TDWT Duncney breakup. And if that has to happen, TDAS Gwuncan breakup. I still want it to happen, but GOD. If that abomination of a ship is what you destroy my OTP for, what was the point. Oh. Drama. Right. Listen, if Duncney has to go out, let it go out for something good. Not whatever that two second long relationship was.