#and he’s driving 2.5 hours for me :’)

[bearballing]

i miss when we had installers who knew jack from shit. even if we didn't tell them exactly what hardware to use they would FIGURE IT OUT especially if we were installing signs that were the same kind in like a plaza or something

now i, who am not an installer or an engineer, am having to write out meticulous instructions in big red text and having to try and find all this shit out myself on the fly. if it's more than "dig 2 holes and put posts in ground" it's tooooo fucking complicated for these people we hired for this exact job. and who i fucking guarantee make more money than me.

[purplethespian]

Sorry, not letting this stay in the tags:

ID: tags that read THE INTERMISSION ISNT FOR U ITS FOR THE CAST AND CREW (via @spacelazarwolf) /end ID

Acting is emotional, mental, and physical labor. Actors need to remember and perform their lines, remember and perform blocking (where and when an actor moves onstage), remember and safely perform stage combat, remember and perform choreography (dancing) if it’s a musical, and remember and perform songs if it’s a musical, while staying in character the whole time, all in front of a live audience with no redos if you mess up. Acting is HARD. Performing is HARD. It is TIRING, and that 10-20 minute break is what gives actors the energy and ability to finish the show.

Being a member of the crew is physical and mental labor. Depending on the show, there might be hundreds of cues (for changes of scenery, lighting changes, costume changes, etc.) that must be executed immediately and flawlessly, as soon as the stage manager calls for them. There is manual labor in the changing of set pieces and changes of costume, some of which must happen in as short a time as 30 seconds before the character has to go back onstage. A member of the run crew may need to bring props onto the stage at just the right moment, or fly in or out a large set piece (something I’ve done myself - pulling a rope at just the right speed so that the set piece goes out quickly but not too fast in a way that becomes dangerous, and making sure to stop the momentum of the rope so that the piece doesn’t fly up into the rafters). Someone has to keep sound levels balanced so that singers can be heard over the orchestra in a musical, and that a sound effect is the right volume with the right timing so it is believable. All of this is STRESSFUL and it is HARD and it can even be DANGEROUS if not done correctly. You know who doesn’t do things correctly? People who haven’t gotten enough rest.

The intermission is for the cast and crew. It is not for you. And if a break of between 10 and 20 minutes is enough to make it impossible for you to reenter the world of the show? Either get better at suspending your disbelief, or find a different medium of entertainment.

Unpopular theatre opinion: intermissions are bad and I wish we could just have a 2.5 hour performance uninterrupted, like people manage perfectly well at movie theaters. It always just kills my emotional immersion. Set changes and costume changes valid, but the art form could adapt in other ways. Or making the intermission experience somehow also part of the performance? Just something more interesting and intentional than dumping people out into the lobby to buy m&ms.

[trollprincess]

So I have a friend from high school who is a cop. (Yes, I KNOW.) I shared a photo on Facebook of a packed highway of people attempting to evacuate from Hurricane Milton, all while the lanes going in the opposite direction were open and empty. And my Facebook post was basically me screaming, “Open the other side of the highway and reverse it so that people can GET OUT.”

His response was essentially, “Yeah, that is *really* difficult for us to do.” Not in a condescending way, because he genuinely isn’t a huge asshole. (Yes, I KNOW.)

And then I may have vented in my response, in which I tried not to imply that the police were a problem. Because to be honest, I don’t see this as a police problem. I see this as how we have fucked ourselves as a nation by making ourselves so dependent on cars.

There is that poll on this site – or multiple polls, at this point – asking how long people can tolerate being in their cars. And the thing is, Americans (and Canadians as well, I am imagining) have almost no other options. We have to be used to spending a good 12 hours in a car without breaking a sweat. Everything in this country is built around being in a car. There’s a reason when you ask us how far away a place is from somewhere else, we normally give that distance in hours and not miles.

Air travel sucks. It sucks for a multitude of reasons – cost, the hassle of dealing with security, the time suck, etc. – and in an emergency, only a select few are going to be able to use it to get away from a hurricane. And that’s one of the few disasters where air travel is an optional escape.

Train travel sucks. Amtrak is not something you’re gonna be complaining about if you’re trying to get away from whatever disaster you need to evacuate from. But next to so many other countries, Amtrak looks like we’ve been receiving other countries’s leftover railway systems from the 70s. It also doesn’t go everywhere. I live in northeastern Pennsylvania near Scranton, which prides itself on its history in the train industry. We have a museum and everything. We have multiple things named after that museum, including the Steamtown marathon which is happening tomorrow.

Can you get on a passenger train in Scranton? Nope.

(The main argument against this always seems to be that people will come here from New York City and commit crimes, which is hilarious considering if somebody wanted to come here from New York City and commit crimes it’s only a 2.5-hour drive.)

Anyway, disasters.

If the only option you’re gonna give most people to get out of areas of Florida that are being targeted by hurricanes or areas of California that suffer from wildfires or places in the Midwest that face flooding are cars, then we need a better fucking emergency management system regarding transportation in this country. You can’t just sit there and mock people for not evacuating because they can’t or won’t when getting away from Milton meant sitting on highway for hours with absolutely no gas stations whatsoever nearby having any gas at all. (It just makes me think of those photos of people stranded on the highway in their cars in blizzards where people are like, “Now imagine imagine how bad it would be if all of those cars were electric!“ Well, all of those cars in that photo in that blizzard run on gas and they’re fucking stranded, sooooooo.)

Look, we can change the transportation system in this country. we did it before and we can do it again. We used to have more train options, fewer highways. My small hometown had a fucking trolley in the 40s. Now, if you don’t have a car here, you’re stuck. You can’t even get Uber here. if a wildfire started here and surrounded the town, it would be a clusterfuck.

Regardless of how you feel about the police, if police and fire departments in this country cannot organize an evacuation on a highway in a way that will reduce the backup so that tens of thousands of people aren’t sitting in their cars when a hurricane hits, that’s a problem – not just for those people, but for the police, and the fire department, and emergency management in general.

The people in charge of emergency management are just people, just human. I’m researching the Camp Fire in 2018 right now, and you had a bunch of people calling 911 saying, “I can see a huge fire off to the east. Are we safe? Should we evacuate?” The 911 operators could only work off the information they had. They could have told people to evacuate earlier, but Cal Fire didn’t anticipate the strength of the fire. Which is understandable. Nobody could anticipate the strength of that fire. But the 911 operators were sitting in an office with no windows, and they had no idea what was going on the east. They couldn’t look out and see exactly what was happening. If they could have, they probably would have told people to leave as soon as possible much sooner than they were told to. Instead, they waited for official confirmation, and when they did start telling people to evacuate, traffic managed to back up in a small town of 25,000 people until many of them were trapped in an unimaginable hellscape.

When people need to evacuate from a disaster, and they stay instead, far too many people - including those in positions of power – just kind of wave their hands and say, “Well, we tried.” No, we didn’t. This country made not trying its watchword, and now we’re at a point where unless you own a car, which is a luxury a lot of people cannot afford in this economy, escaping from disaster is impossible. So you can get in your car or somebody else’s car and go sit on a highway and hope your gas doesn’t run out, since none of the gas stations for 100 miles have any gas to give you, or you can stay in your house and hope you don’t die.

Sometimes, I really wish somebody would make me the head of the department of transportation. I would demand an absurd amount of money to build a better train system, to provide better transportation options for smaller towns, to provide extensive training for rescue personnel in managing evacuations like the clusterfuck in Florida this week. I would become an absolute fucking nuisance to Congress. I would be asking for money left and right to make it so that our only options as Americans weren’t to get into cars we can barely afford these days and attempt to organize our own evacuations from the growing number of natural disasters in this country.

Y’all keep posting these polls about how long you can tolerate being in a car at the same time that tens of thousands of Floridians were sitting on highways trying to get away from Tampa so they wouldn’t die in a hurricane.

We can tolerate being in a car all goddamn day. It’s because we don’t have a fucking choice, even when it’s life or death.

[haniette]

with you.

pairing | yoon jeonghan x fem!reader

genre | pure fluff </3, babysitting au, established relationship au, non-idol au, comfort

word count | 5.6k

warnings | just jeonghan with kids :’), use of pet names (love, angel), kissing, mentions of pregnancy and having a child, cuteness everywhere, sneaky jeonghan, what should i say more- joshua as your brother and a dad ^^

summary: babysitting your brother’s daughter was always one of your favorite things to do. but you didn’t know that it might be even better if someone joins you, especially someone who you love the most.

a/n: here is a small drabble that has been rotting in my docs for so long already.. ㅠㅠ after watching TOO MANY (oops-) videos with jeonghan with kids i couldn’t stop myself… but hope you’ll enjoy it ! ( ´ ▽ ` ).｡♡

“Gosh y/n, you’re literally an angel!”

Joshua, your brother, said enthusiastically as soon as he walked into your apartment.

Him, together with his wife were invited to a meeting with their old classmates, as it was already 10 years after their highschool graduation. However, the problem was that they couldn’t go there with their 3 years old daughter, Minji as they wouldn’t probably have that much time to give her the attention. Come on, after all they really wanted to meet their friends calmly, even though Minji wasn’t a big troublemaker.

So you decided to help your sibling, and for one day you volunteered to take care of the girl. You consulted everything with Miyoon, Joshua’s wife, so when your brother got to know that you’ll take care of Minji while they’ll be gone for a day, he was all over the moon as the problem of who they should leave their daughter with was giving him sleepless nights.

Your brother gently placed his 3 year old in your arms, kissing her cheek sweetly to which she let out a cute giggle. Miyoon was standing silently right next to Joshua. She was smiling lovely, while looking at her daughter and husband with such admiration shining in her eyes.

You chuckled, “Seriously! It's no problem for me. Spending time with this little sweetheart is pure pleasure, and taking care of her is hassle-free. Right, Minji?” the girl in your arms placed her head in the crook of your neck, while nodding gently.

Your brother cooed at Minji’s reaction and you laughed under your nose, while hugging the little girl closer to your body.

“I hope that she won’t cause any problems though.” Miyoon uttered, making you shift your eyes at her.

“If anything would happen, let us know immediately, and we’ll drive back to pick her up.” the girl added with Joshua nodding at her words, and you sent them a reassuring smile while affirming to them that you’ll call instantly if something happens.

“Minji mostly goes to sleep at 8 PM and if she’ll have any troubles with falling asleep, you can heat up some milk for her, she really likes it. But you can also read her a bedtime story or hum a song.” Joshua said in the doorway, and you placed the girl on the floor to run around your apartment with her favorite plushie in her hand.

She immediately ran up to your golden retriever, who was happily observing what’s happening the whole time.

You smiled at your brother with pity visible on your face, “Shua, please. It’s not my first time taking care of Minji.” you crossed your hands over your chest, “Seriously. You don’t have to worry about us.”

Miyoon chuckled as she watched how flustered Joshua got at your point. Then she gently patted his arm, “Babe, we need to get going. We still have around 2.5 hours to drive.” she muttered softly, and your brother nodded at her words while sending her his bright smile.

For the last time, Joshua and Miyoon thanked you, and (hesitantly) the two of them finally left your apartment, leaving you with Minji who was currently busy gently petting Seoli, your dog.

You watched her from the side for a bit, before you melted at her cutest behavior. Slowly, you approached them and Seoli immediately ran up to you, bringing Minji right after her. The girl gripped tightly around your leg, showing her gummy smile to you.

“Hi angel.” you crouched down, and poked Minji’s cheek to which the girl let out an adorable giggle. She wrapped her arms around your neck and hugged you tightly, making you smile widely.

“Please hold still, auntie! I’ll get the band-aid for you~” Minji melodized, and she ran quickly towards her pink backpack where she had all of her toys hidden, looking for the band-aid for you.

You two were in the middle of playing ‘doctor and patient’ and you sat on the couch, acting as if something happened on your cheek. Minji of course was the doctor, and she played as if she had to cure you.

Seoli, already tired after following everything you two did, was now laying on the fluffy carpet next to the sofa, silently observing both of you.

It was already 3 hours since Joshua and Miyoon left, and you were desperately trying to do anything with Minji until the time where you two would eat lunch, and then take a small nap.

So during this whole time, you already drew and coloured in Minji’s coloring books, played with her tiny animal figurines, played in a hairstylist, and had a small snack break.

But all of it was actually pretty much fun and you couldn’t complain. Minji was a really cute and happy child, which she probably got from her amazing father. However, she also got the softness and care that you could observe in the way of how she treated you as the ‘doctor’, from her sweet mother.

After a minute, Minji ran back to you with a pink colored band-aid that had smiley butterflies on it. She sat on the couch to get closer to you, and started sticking the band-aid to your cheek.

The girl was doing it with such patience and focus that it gave you an opportunity to look closer at her. And you immediately noticed how beautiful her eyes looked, as she had taken after Shua.

You were always jealous of your brother’s eyes as he was the one who got your mom’s eyes. Even though your eyes also looked similar to his, you also had a lot from your father.

The girl started to giggle as she was excited, and you couldn’t help but melt at her cutest behavior. And just as Minji was about to finish sticking the band-aid, the two of you twitched as you heard a voice in the room.

“Did I miraculously wake up in the future, and you’re playing with our little daughter?” your boyfriend’s still a little hoarse voice rang in your ears, immediately putting your heart in calm, bringing a warm smile to your lips. But you couldn’t stop blushing because of his statement.

“What? Hannie, no!” you chuckled at his words and added “This is literally my niece!” to which the boy pouted in disappointment because of the harsh reality (deep down, he really hoped that you would say yes).

“How are you, hm? Do you feel better?” you asked, smiling at him as the boy approached the two of you slowly, laying down on the couch while placing his head on your lap.

“Yup. I feel much better now, love.” Jeonghan replied smoothly, while getting comfortable on your lap.

Then he shifted his eyes on Minji, who was already observing him, curious about his sudden appearance. The boy smiled at her to which she smiled brightly, tilting her head to the side.

“I think you have a real patient here, Minji.” you chuckled under your nose, “Uncle Jeonghan had a biiiig~ headache this morning, so maybe you can take care of him now.” you started to gently play with Jeonghan’s dark hair.

It was really soft in the touch that you couldn’t stop yourself from playing with it, and starting to loosely braid it. Not as if Jeonghan minded you doing that.

The girl nodded happily while running again to her backpack, taking all of the needed supplies to play with Jeonghan.

“Should I be scared?” Jeonghan whispered to you with a playful smile on his lips, looking at the pink band-aid still stuck to your cheek.

“No, don’t worry.” you chuckled softly, glancing at Minji who was busy searching for her toys, “Doctor Hong is really gentle with her doings.” you added, and Jeonghan chuckled as you sent him a bright grin.

Not so long after, Minji joined you two again and Jeonghan was forced to (unfortunately) sit up from your lap as she started to play with him.

You observed all of this silently from the side, with a big smile on your face, and your heart growing with love. The way Jeonghan was playing with her, using his baby voice while speaking with her, and treating her gently as if she was the most fragile thing in the world was making it really hard for you not to fall in love with him even deeper — if that was even possible.

“Auntie!” Minji’s voice snapped you out of your thoughts, to which you quickly moved your attention to her.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“You have to give uncle Jeonghan a kiss.

You froze.

“W-what?” you stuttered, and the girl blinked at you with confusion.

“You have to give a kiss of love to uncle, so it will make him feel better! You know.. kiss of love! He said that his head still hurts..” Minji pouted, and looked at you with her shining, doe eyes.

Oh.. how could you refuse her?

So you looked at the main reason for your currently pink cheeks, and your eyes immediately locked with Jeonghan’s, dark one’s. His gaze was addicting for you. You could stare into it all day long.

But the way he was looking at you right now, with that smirk and playfulness dancing freely in his eyes, was making you feel really flustered.

“Come on, y/n. You have to give me a kiss~” Jeonghan urged you, holding himself from laughing out loud because of how much he loved to tease you this way.

You knew that he was feeling fine now, and that his head didn’t hurt anymore. It was normal for Jeonghan that sometimes when he came home late after an exhausting day, the boy got headaches as soon as he woke up in the morning. That’s how you always made him stay in bed and sleep more, most of the time with you by his side.

But now, he was just using the fact that you had a soft spot for Minji (and also for him) so you couldn’t refuse her requests. And without any other choice left for you, slowly, you leaned closer and placed a sweet kiss on Jeonghan’s forehead. But just when you were about to pull back, his hands softly cupped your cheeks and attached his lips to yours, connecting you in a real kiss.

Quickly realizing what just happened, you pulled away from the boy, making him confused at your sudden change. Minji was squealing from happiness while jumping on the couch and hugging you tightly. Gently, you hit Jeonghan’s arm while trying to act as if you’re mad at him. The boy let out a giggle that made you smile even wider.

“Now I feel much better.” Jeonghan uttered, to which you snorted and rolled your eyes at his behavior, resting your chin on top of snuggling to you Minji.

“Are you ready, Ji?”

Jeonghan asked with a big smile shining on his lips, feeling as excited as the little girl who was currently jumping beside him. He was crouching in front of her while trying to help her put on her jacket and a fluffy hat with bear ears on the top.

You were tying your shoes as your lips curved into a soft smile. Your boyfriend was chasing after Minji through your apartment as just a second ago the girl stole his scarf. The sight of how Jeonghan was happy with your niece was making you chuckle, while feeling warm deep in your heart.

As the snow continued to fall throughout the day, you all decided to go on a walk and play for some time in the snow. Minji immediately accepted that idea, saying that she really wants to go out with her favorite (right after her parents) people, and see the snow.

“You guys can already leave, I’ll join you in a second.” you stated, and Jeonghan nodded at your words with a soft smile spreading on his lips.

He quickly tapped Minji’s head, shouting, “Tag, you’re it!”

Then he ran out from the apartment, just to have Minji running just behind him, screaming his name.

You decided to pack a snack for Minji in your bag in case she gets hungry, and also take warmer clothes for the three of you. You had no idea for how long you’re going to be out, and as it was already the middle of January, so the evenings were really cold.

That’s why you took a small, pastel pink hoodie from Minji’s bag with spare clothes that her lovely parents left for her, and two Jeonghan’s sweatshirts (one for him, and also one for you of course). Some hand warmers and you were ready to go.

Being in a relationship with Jeonghan for almost 5 years now (and 15 years in friendship), has taught you many things. For example, you should always watch your back, if he’s not planning to pull any of his stupid pranks on you (which you actually adored). Always watch his hand movements carefully, he will always try to cheat. Never let him in the kitchen or you want to get it burned down.

And also his really low cold tolerance. He could get cold really easily, so you always had to be one step ahead by having a hand warmer hidden somewhere in the pocket of your coat for him. His reaction was always the best as he always got shy when you sneaked the hot pack into his hand, ostensibly to hold his hand.

As you finished zipping your bag, you were finally done with packing all of the necessary things. You took your keys from the drawer and left the apartment, locking the door behind you.

When you left the building, Minji was clinging to Jeonghan’s arm, who was crouching, busy doing something. From this proximity you couldn’t really tell what they were doing, but as soon as you got closer, you noticed a stray cat sitting by them.

Jeonghan was petting its head gently, cooing at the cat while Minji was observing everything behind Jeonghan’s arm. A smile spread on your lips as you approached them.

“Only a minute without me, and you already found my replacement. You are so toxic, guys.” you chuckled, and the two of them raised their heads to look at you.

Jeonghan quickly sent you an ‘are-you-serious-right-now’ look, before getting up and gently kissing your cheek. He placed his hands on your waist, pulling you closer to him.

“And only a minute without me, and you’re already saying nonsense, love.” he uttered as he sent you a lazy smirk, cupping your face with his hands.

“I would have never replaced you.” Jeonghan left a sweet kiss on your lips, to which you quickly turned away when he pulled away from you, chuckling at your sudden reaction.

You hoped he wouldn't notice that rose blush which suddenly appeared on your cheeks. But you blamed it on the cold weather, not the fact that you got embarrassed. However, the butterflies in your stomach were saying the opposite.

Minji observed you the whole time, wearing a gummy smile. The hat which was falling over her eyes was making her look adorable. She was struggling to see anything, but Jeonghan was quick to notice it. He untangled himself from you, and fixed her hat with a small pat on her head and a baby-voiced coo.

Jeonghan as usually had to forget to take his own hat. The snowflakes that were gently falling down the sky rested on top of his dark hair strands. His cheeks were already tinted in light pink from the cold breeze, making him look even more breathtaking.

Quickly, you took out a hat with long bunny ears that you also decided to pack, and put it on Jeonghan’s head. Gosh, he looked so cute in it.

In the meantime, the stray cat ran away somewhere, and you decided to finally start your small stroll to the park that was located in your neighborhood.

Minji was quick to hold Jeonghan’s and your hands, ready to walk with you two by her sides. You had to walk much slower than usual because of her small steps, but you didn’t complain. The already setting sun looked alluring, with the pink and violet rays spreading on the sky.

Suddenly, the girl unhooked her hands, and ran straight towards the open area with lots of snow on it. She jumped into it, giggling, while taking the snow into her hands and throwing it above her. You followed right after her, playing together with the snow.

What you didn’t expect to happen next was a snowball hitting your arm. When you looked to the side, you quickly noticed the culprit, laughing soundly with a playful grin on his face.

“Come on, Minji,” you grasped her hand, “We have to win this battle.” a smirk spread over your lips as the little girl giggled in excitement.

And that’s how your snowball battle started. You couldn’t believe it but while playing, you suddenly felt as if you were 15 again, having a battle with your friends after you finished your classes. When Jeonghan and you were only friends, and when you never imagined that in the future you’ll fall for each other.

It’s obvious that at the end Jeonghan of course ended up winning against you two (you still question if he didn’t cheat while . But you didn’t really care about that. Him still being with you after all those years, smiling like a kid, having his best time with your beloved niece was more than enough to make you feel happy.

Hot chocolate tastes the best after playing in the snow. And you can’t disagree with that.

The three of you got back home 30 minutes after you finished the battle in the snow. Your clothes were all wet and Minji was already whining about how her legs hurt, so on the way back home Jeonghan gave her a piggy ride.

After changing into some fresh and most importantly dry clothes, Jeonghan was quick to suggest that you all should drink hot chocolate to warm up. Minji, having her uncle as the most amazing person after giving her a piggy ride home, begged you to make them hot chocolate.

And that’s how you ended up in this situation — Minji sitting on Jeonghan’s lap, snuggled into his chest. She was already done drinking her hot chocolate, watching a cartoon on the TV.

The boy kept stroking her hair gently, putting her into a deep sleep. Jeonghan’s warmth, together with the tiredness and soft sound of the programme they were watching, worked like a lullaby for Minji’s exhausted body.

You sat beside them, not being able to focus on anything else than the love of your life acting like your niece is his own child.

“Should we put her to her bed?” Jeonghan whispered after a while as he looked at you, his hand still on Minji’s head, hugging her closely.

“Yeah, I think so.” you replied softly, “She already fell asleep, so it’s even better.” you smiled, and the two of you got up from the couch as quietly as you could to not wake the little girl up.

When Jeonghan went to the guest room with Minji, you sent a short text to Joshua, saying that Minji is already sleeping and everything’s alright. You left your phone on the coffee table and went after Jeonghan to the guest’s room, stopping in the door frame. You leaned against it, observing how your boyfriend was gently tugging Minji to sleep.

When he finally noticed you standing behind him, he sent you a questioning look with a smile spreading over his lips. You chuckled softly, shaking your head as you headed to your bedroom. But on the way there, a pair of arms quickly sneaked over your waist.

You let out a squeak when the boy suddenly lifted you up, spinning you around. “Hannie, put me down!” you whispered firmly while laughing, as you didn’t want to wake Minji up.

“But I don’t want toooo~” he whined, keeping his face in the nape of your neck, but eventually the boy placed you back on the ground, turning you around to face him.

“You know..” you started, placing your arms around his neck, “I didn’t know that you’re that good at taking care of kids.”

“Oh please,” he laughed, “What am I not good at in the first place.”

“Hmm, I don’t think there is something like that.” you looked deeply into his eyes, which shone brightly in happiness and tenderness.

Jeonghan leaned down and placed a soft kiss on your nose before suddenly lifting you up in a bridal style, taking you to your bedroom (despite your protests).

He gently placed you on the bed as if you were the most fragile thing before showering your entire face and neck with butterfly kisses. Your giggles filled the room, enjoying your sweet time together.

It was already past midnight when Jeonghan came out of the bathroom. He had his hair still slightly damp after showering. You were laying in your bed, scrolling through social media. Joshua posted some photos from the gathering, and seeing your brother together with his wife, enjoying their time was making you feel really happy.

“What are you looking at?” Jeonghan asked suspiciously, observing how widely you smiled.

He dried his hair with a towel while standing at the end of the bed. But when you didn’t reply to him, the boy immediately pouted, annoyed that you’re paying more attention to something in your phone than him.

“Hello?” he said louder, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh yes, sorry. Joshie posted photos from the gathering, and they look so happy together.” you explained in awe, showing him the pictures in your phone. Jeonghan only hummed in response, not really interested, while putting the towel aside.

You could immediately notice a shift in his behavior, so you put your phone on the bedside table. Jeonghan got under the bedsheets next to you, quickly pulling your body closer to him.

You looked at him worriedly, “Hannie, what’s wrong?” you asked, but the boy just snuggled closer to you. Gosh, he’s so clingy.

“Nothing, let’s just cuddle.” he muttered tiredly, quickly earning a chuckle which in a split of a second caused the corner of his lips to raise.

While being tangled in his protective arms, you talked about the day, how much you enjoyed it and how much you’d want to experience something like this once again. Jeonghan (being already half asleep) listened to your subdued voice, humming in agreement.

What you didn’t expect was to suddenly hear a faint knock on your door. Quickly, you straightened up on the bed, unfortunately hitting Jeonghan at the same time. You whispered a soft sorry as the woken up boy looked at you, pouting while massaging his jawline.

You got out of the bed, and approached the door. On the other side you found a teary-eyed Minji, gripping her plushie tightly in her hand. The bare sight made your heart swell immediately.

“Minji, baby, what happened?” you asked her as you crouched in front of her, bringing her close to you, “Did you have a nightmare?” you added, while hugging her to your body.

You could only hear Minji’s sniffs, “Y-yes.” she whispered, snuggling into the crook of your neck.

Trying to calm her down, you picked her up and you got back to the bed. Jeonghan was already sitting, observing you silently with worry written all over his face.

You sat on the edge of the bed, Minji sat on your laps while hugging you tightly. Her sniffles were already gone, but you kept stroking her back and swaying her shaking body. Jeonghan took some tissues from the bedside table, and shuffled closer to you on the bed, gently wiping Minji’s tears away.

When the girl was finally calmed down, you looked at her shiny and slightly red eyes, and smiled.

“Do you want to sleep with us tonight?” you asked.

Oh. If only you knew how Jeonghan’s heart skipped a beat when he heard you spoke those words. Through out the day, he actually started to feel more as if Minji was his own daughter, and seeing you, so gentle and careful with the little girl only confirmed his thoughts about you being his only one.

Minji nodded, and you quickly took her off your knees, placing her in the middle of the bed. As your bed was king size, there was no problem for you three to sleep together.

Jeonghan helped Minji lay down, bringing her plushie closer to her. You also got back under the sheets, laying down next to your niece.

As previously, your boyfriend started to stroke her head, and also between her eyes as he once read somewhere that gently stroking that place makes babies fall asleep faster. The whole time you were looking at Jeonghan, as he was focused on putting Minji to sleep.

Surprisingly, that advice which Jeonghan used turned out to be true, because soon later Minji was back in her sweet slumber, and you two could finally go to sleep.

You were still looking at him, and when your eyes met, you felt those butterflies in your stomach waking up again. You found Jeonghan handsome and very attractive almost every time. When he had his hair done perfectly, with his black shirt on and that stupid smirk. When he was helping you cook something, politely obeying your orders. And when he was completely focused during building his lego sets.

But this sight. Oh dear lord, please have some mercy.

Him in front of you, in the most natural circumstances ever, with his dark hair soft but slightly messy, his shirt falling down a bit too low while exposing one of his collarbones, laying in the same bed with you and being the same (or even more) exhausted than you. It felt different.

He was the most beautiful, the most attractive and the most handsome person you’ve ever laid your eyes on.

“Angel, I know I’m handsome, but you don’t have to stare at me like that.” he commented with a smirk spreading on his lips.

You quickly got back out from that daze, “Oh shut up.” you whispered, while turning around in the bed, making him face your back.

“Good night, love.”

“Good night, Hannie.”

Just when you thought that nothing could look better than Jeonghan last night, you got your thinking changed once again.

Waking up in the morning with the sun’s light rays resting on the floor and walls of your bedroom, while laying next to your beloved boyfriend, and your niece cuddled up closely to him, officially became your new favorite sight ever.

They looked so fragile, so delicate and so adorable, while sleeping peacefully, that you couldn’t help but take some photos of them.

As soon as you got out of bed (and finished your mini photo session), you went through the new notifications. It was only 8 am, but you still got some throughout the night.

At around 7:30 am, Joshua sent you a text that they will eat breakfast now, and then try to leave around 9:00 am. So you still had 4 hours until they arrived.

After dressing yourself up as quietly as you could, you walked out of the room, closing the door behind you. You decided not to wake them up, but surprise them with breakfast.

You spent some time debating over what you should make, and if it should be savory or sweet, but you eventually chose to make sweet breakfast. Quickly, you began to make the batter for the waffles, also preparing coffee for Jeonghan and you while Seoli accompanied you. You of course didn’t forget to also give her food.

After some time, you were already making the waffles when a pair of arms suddenly sneaked around your waist, with the feeling of someone’s chin on your shoulder.

“You left the bed too early today,” Jeonghan’s still a little bit hoarse voice sounded right by your ear, as you were busy putting the done waffles on the plates, “You know I like to wake up and see your face as the first thing in the morning.”

“I know, I know, Hannie,” you laughed, pouring the batter into the waffle mold, “But I wanted to make a surprise for you two. Speaking of, where is Minji?” you asked, turning around to face Jeonghan.

Oh shit. He looked breath-taking.

“I helped with her morning toilet, and then we went to the living room. She is busy with her coloring books, but still kind of sleepy.” Jeonghan explained, and you nodded at his words.

The boy grabbed his cup of coffee, and took a sip before leaving a soft kiss on your cheek while saying thank you. You smiled back at him, finishing the waffles.

Soon, you took all of the waffles that you prepared, and placed them on the table. In the meanwhile, Jeonghan took out all of the toppings for the waffles, and went back to get Minji.

When you finally sat down, your boyfriend came into the kitchen with Minji holding his hand, and slowly walking towards you right by his side. As soon as she noticed the waffles on the table, she sprinted towards the chair and quickly got on top of it, already taking one of the waffles. Jeonghan joined right after her, and the three of you began to eat your breakfast.

The rest of the morning went really fast. Jeonghan dressed in something else than his pyjamas while you helped Minji to pick her outfit. Then you finally did your makeup, and the three of you just spent more time together.

You didn’t understand how it’s possible, that even with your tendency to have a low social battery, you didn’t feel tired or bored by your boyfriend and niece. It felt so natural now to have them around, that you just got used to it.

While Minji was playing with your dog, and Jeonghan was teaching her how to make Seoli do the tricks, you were busy thinking about how you actually can see your future like this.

Now, after yesterday, you were sure that you could picture your future with Jeonghan, and even see yourself as a mother. You were sure that the boy would be the best father, spoiling his kid while also pulling his stupid pranks on you with them.

But you were sure that with him it was possible.

A few hours later, a doorbell’s sound rang in your flat. Seoli immediately ran to bark at the person behind the door, but you were sure it was Shua with Miyoon. And you weren’t wrong. As soon as you opened the door you could see the young parents standing in front of you, greeting you happily as you kept Seoli from jumping on them.

Seconds later, Jeonghan came from behind the corner with Minji in his arms. She had her head pressed to his cheek, observing patiently who came over. And just when she saw her mommy and daddy, she grinned happily and wiggled in Jeonghan’s arms. The boy put her down, and she ran straightfully to her parents. They hugged their daughter closely, and Jeonghan joined your side, placing his arm over your waist.

“We hope she didn’t cause you any problems.” Miyoon uttered, patting the little girl’s head.

“No, not at all!” you quickly protested, “Minji is such an angel, we spent an amazing time together.” you leaned your head on Jeonghan’s shoulder.

“She’s the cutest. I’m so jealous of your daughter.” Jeonghan commented, earning a laugh from everyone.

You handed Joshua all Minji’s things that they brought, and it was finally time to say goodbye.

“Nooo! I don’t wanna say goodbye!” Minji whined, while cuddling to your leg.

“Ji, baby, you’ve been with your aunt and uncle for a whole day. Now we have to go back to our house.” Joshua explained, “We have to let auntie and uncle get some rest.”

“But I love them so much..”

You couldn’t control the coo that left your lips as soon as the girl said how much she loved you and Jeonghan. Your boyfriend only smiled briefly, observing everything.

“You’ll see them soon again.” Miyoon took Minji’s hand, bringing her closer to her to put the hat on her head.

“Promise?”

“Promise.” you replied, while intertwining your pinky finger with hers, “You’ll probably see us earlier than you might think.”

“I can’t wait already!” she shouted enthusiastically, and for the last time Minji hugged you and Jeonghan tightly, and patted Seoli. Then, the young parents left your flat, leaving you two alone, again.

Suddenly, Jeonghan let out a groan which startled you by the sudden action.

He headed towards the living room, “I want to have a kid.” he whined, and you chuckled under your breath, following Jeonghan’s steps.

“You know, we still can have one in the future.” you answered, and the boy immediately turned around, looking at you with his eyes widened and his mouth parted a little bit. “Only if you want one.”

Jeonghan was quick to run up to you, and spin you around, while holding you tightly. Your giggles filled the room once again, being the prettiest melody to your boyfriend’s ears.

“Of course I do, my love.”

He was sure. Jeonghan was sure that he couldn’t wait no more, and that maybe it was the right time to take out that velvet box which he hid deeply in the drawer by the bed, and finally put it into use.

Because he knew one thing. That if he wanted to spend his entire life together with someone, then it had to be with you.

© shuawonie | 2024, all rights reserved.

reuploads and likes are highly appriciated ♡

[anything-pov]

Reader and Alex are in bed reader is little spoon Alex is behind them fast asleep

Reader decides this is the best time to confess some things to her

cutesie little thing like they were the one who ate the last slice of cheesecake and not Ethan

that while she was gone on a case they broke something of hers and had to drive 2.5 hrs away to get a new one

That Reader and Ethan(16) go out for sweet treats sometime without her

maybe that Reader finished a show they were watching together because Alex went on a case and the cliffhanger was to tempting

Maybe that they lied about not liking pickles on their first date

That maybe Alex should leave the baking to Reader because the last time she tried to bake something neither reader nor ethan could keep it down(spat it out behind her back)

about The One time Alex buttdailed reader while drunk and said some rlly embarrassing things about herself (couldn't think of anything make something up 🤷🏼‍♀️)

that reader always falls asleep on purpose while they fold laundry because she hates that chore 

Readers favorite part of Alex that turns them on(random body part)

How much reader loves thier little family

then finally that reader is pregnant 🫣🫣🫣

at some point you can make Alex wake up maybe answers each thing(idk it might be to long)

Please and Thank you 

Enjoy :) Sorry for the delay, hope it helps!

The Confessions 🫣

The room was quiet, tucked under the hush of night. A soft rain tapped against the windowpane, low and steady, like a lullaby for the bones.

The only light came from the faint amber glow of the streetlamp outside, casting a warm halo over the bed. Alex was behind them, one arm tucked under the pillow, the other heavy and warm over Y/N's waist, her long fingers curled loosely at Y/N's stomach.

They breathed slow and deep, completely asleep. Her nose was pressed to the crook of Y/N's neck, their body curled around their partner like a shield.

Y/N stayed still, wide awake, eyes blinking into the dark. They could feel Alex’s steady heartbeat against their spine, could feel the soft twitch of Alex’s fingers every so often like she was dreaming.

They didn’t want to wake her. Which made it the perfect time to confess. They smiled softly, quietly, like they might start giggling but couldn’t risk it.

“Okay,” they whispered into the dark, “you better be asleep, Professor Blake.” Alex didn’t stir. Y/N nestled a little deeper into her arms, took a breath, and began, voice barely above a whisper.

“It was me. I ate the last piece of cheesecake. Not Ethan. He was covering for me because I bribed him with cookies.” They grinned, eyes crinkling in the dark, even though Alex couldn’t see.

“And… I broke that fancy crystal paperweight on your desk while you were in Chicago. The one from that linguistics conference in Geneva? I panicked and drove three hours to a weird little antique store just to find one that looked almost the same. You haven’t noticed. Or you did and you’re just waiting to use it against me in some kind of verbal duel.”

Still nothing from Alex. “I love that Ethan covers for me, by the way. We go out for sweet treats when you’re gone sometimes. Doughnuts, milkshakes… there’s this little French place near the bookstore. He tells me the weirdest facts. It’s our thing. He’s got your dry humor and it kills me every time.”

Y/N sighed, one hand sliding down to gently hold the one Alex had draped over their belly. “I also… might’ve finished that show we were watching together. You were away for a week and the cliffhanger was mean, Alex. I couldn't wait. But I acted shocked when we watched it again. Emmy-worthy performance, if you ask me.”

They winced slightly, still whispering. “Also, I lied on our first date. I do like pickles. I just didn’t want to be one of those people who steals them off someone else’s plate. Which I absolutely am now. You should start charging me per pickle.”

A pause. “Oh, and baby? You need to stop baking. That lemon tart you made last month? Ethan and I spat it out behind your back and blamed the dog. He wasn’t even in the house.”

They could feel Alex’s breath shift against their skin, but no movement. Y/N smiled again, fond and hopeless.

“You also once butt-dialed me after that night out with Reid and Rossi. You were so drunk. You told Penelope you wanted to be a detective in a noir film, with a trench coat and a French accent. You also said, and I quote, ‘Y/N's hips are illegal in most countries.’”

They paused. “I saved the voicemail.” A longer breath. Their voice softened. “I fall asleep on purpose when we fold laundry. I hate it. I fake the yawn, I close my eyes, and I let you tuck a blanket over me so I don’t have to pair socks. I’m not sorry.”

They turned their head slightly, just enough to whisper closer to Alex’s skin. “My favorite part of you? The dip in your collarbone, right here...” they brushed it gently, careful not to wake her.

“...turns me on like crazy. I don’t know why. I just always want to kiss it.”

Alex’s arm tightened slightly, instinctive maybe. Still asleep. Y/N smiled again, this time more tender than playful.

“I love our little family. You. Ethan. The way we do mornings and weekends and arguments about whose turn it is to vacuum. I love the quiet, the messy, the laughter, the way you leave notes in my books. I love us.”

They swallowed, their voice thinning. “And…” they whispered, exhaling slowly, “…we’re not gonna be a little family much longer.” Alex didn’t move. “I’m pregnant,” Y/N said into the dark.

Their voice was almost a tremble. “You don’t know yet. I was waiting. I wanted it to be special. But now I’m here in your arms, and you’re warm and safe and you, and I can’t hold it in anymore.”

They felt their own tears prick. Not sadness. Not fear. Just everything. “I’m pregnant, Alex. We’re having a baby.” Alex shifted slightly in her sleep, nuzzling in a bit closer.

Her hand splayed wider across Y/N's belly, resting gently, unknowingly, over where that tiny life had begun. Y/N held it there, covered Alex’s hand with their own, and let themself smile as tears slid silently down their cheeks.

“Goodnight, mama,” they whispered. “We’ve got a lot to tell you in the morning.”

- - -

Alex stretched before her eyes even opened, her body stiff but content. Her hand reached across the bed instinctively, fingers brushing against warm skin, Y/N.

Still asleep, tucked into their pillow, hair messy and lips parted. They looked innocent. Too innocent. Alex blinked, eyes adjusting, and reached for her phone on the nightstand.

Notifications stacked neatly: work emails, a reminder for groceries, and...

Sleep App: Significant movement detected – 2:27 AM Audio Recorded: Tap to listen

Her brows furrowed. She clicked the file. There was a soft rustle. A sleepy breath. Then, Y/N's voice, quiet, gentle, whispering into the dark.

“Okay… you better be asleep, Professor Blake…” Alex froze, listening more closely to her phone. “It was me. I ate the last piece of cheesecake. Not Ethan.” Her lips parted.

“And… I broke that fancy crystal paperweight on your desk while you were in Chicago…” Alex sat bolt upright. “Oh my god,” they muttered. Y/N stirred beside her, groaning sleepily.

“Mmm... what’re you doing?” Alex didn’t answer. She was still listening. “We go out for sweet treats when you’re gone sometimes… he tells me the weirdest facts…”

Y/N blinked their eyes open slowly, blinking up at the ceiling. Their stomach sank. “Wait. What are you...”

“Y/N. Y/F/N Y/M/N Y/L/N.”

Uh-oh. Y/N flinched, voice still husky from sleep. “You full-named me. That’s not good.” Alex turned, holding up the phone like it was a piece of damning evidence.

“You confessed to like ten crimes in your sleep. And my sleep app ratted you out.”

“Oh god.” Y/N buried their face in their pillow. “No. Nooo…” Alex hit play again, skipping ahead...

“That lemon tart you made last month? Ethan and I spat it out behind your back…” Y/N groaned into the mattress. “Please delete me.”

“Nope,” Alex said, utterly calm. “This is evidence. I’m backing it up. Maybe we’ll play it at our wedding.”

“We’re already married,” Y/N groaned.

“Well then maybe I’ll play it at the next faculty dinner.”

Y/N flopped dramatically onto their back, hands over their face, red with embarrassment. “I can’t believe I got caught by a sleep app.” Alex was trying not to laugh. She really was.

“You confessed to finishing the show, hating folding laundry, and loving pickles.” Alex tried to remain serious. Y/N muttering into the air, “Okay, that one you should’ve figured out. Who says no to pickles?”

Alex gave them a mock-offended look. “I trusted you. I shared my fries with you.” Y/N reached for her, pulling a pillow to their chest like a shield. “Please stop listening now.”

Alex was smiling, but it softened when the last part of the recording began to play. “I love our little family…” Alex stilled. “And… we’re not gonna be a little family much longer…”

Y/N sat up suddenly, heart hammering, but it was too late. Alex was staring at the phone, frozen. “I’m pregnant, Alex. We’re having a baby.”

The silence that followed felt eternal. Y/N's voice cracked. “Alex…” Alex turned slowly to look at them, eyes wide.

“Is it true?”

Y/N's hand came to their belly unconsciously, nodding. “I was gonna tell you today. I just... I don’t know. I was nervous. I wanted it to be… more special than me whispering it in the dark.”

Alex didn’t speak. She reached out, cupping Y/N's face with one hand, her thumb brushing over their cheek as her other hand moved to cover Y/N's on their stomach.

“You think that wasn’t special?” she whispered. Her voice trembled. “I got to hear you tell our baby you love them before you even told me.”

Y/N's eyes filled. “You’re not mad?” Alex smiled, soft, warm, teary. “I’m in love. With you. With this family. And now… this.” She leaned in, resting her forehead to Y/N's.

“I’m gonna buy that sleep app company a fruit basket.”

Y/N laughed through the tears. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Yeah,” Alex whispered, kissing them. “But I’m gonna be ridiculous with you. Always.”

[thesweetnessofspring]

Why do you hate epic? I've recently heard it and I don't like it also, especially when I googled his story. But why do you hate it?

First, no hate to the creator. Like, I heard he's a college kid doing a creative project and a lot of people like it which is great. And concept albums get tweaked. Maybe it's something he can salvage or rework in the future, but as it is, I just don't like Epic at all.

I'd listened to what was out about....six months ago maybe? And I wasn't particularly taken with it, but then back in like July I relistened to it and I just got so tired listening to it. I think a spin on that line from The Incredibles sums up that part of it well:

If all of the music is epic, none of it will be.

Even in big megamusicals like Les Mis, there's a variety of songs. You have the love songs, the reflective songs, the "party" songs, the exposition songs, and just a variety of tone and pace. In listening to what is now the most recent release, I got weary of listening to the same old video game music set to bad lyrics (we'll get to that). There's no variety, which makes the whole album flat. Halfway through I wanted to scream GIVE ME SOMETHING ELSE FOR THE LOVE OF ZEUS!!! I don't think the idea of video game music works for musicals. They're completely different mediums and the narrative structure of video games (at least as he's presented them) also leads to a static story. If I sit down and play a video game with different bosses, then it makes sense. I complete a level and then take a break/live my life until I come back and work on the next level. There doesn't feel to be any forward momentum in the story because it's just "boss" after "boss" with a highly intense video game music soundtrack. It's static, it's flat, it's tiring. I cannot imagine sitting through a stage show of this. I'd be leaving early after intermission.

It is painfully obvious this is a TikTok musical, because the music can be good in short spurts but as a 2.5 hour stage musical? I wouldn't be able to do it. I barely did it when I broke it up over a few car rides.

Also the lyrics are mostly just bad, particularly in the rhymes. Like I said, I've listened to it I guess 1.5 times as the first time I listened they didn't have as many songs out as there are now. So I can't quote any, but it wasn't just a couple times. There were whole songs where I was internally (as I was driving) rolling my eyes at the awkward, hokey rhymes.

And look, I haven't read The Odyssey since high school, so I'm not going to pretend to be a scholar. I have read Odysseus as a character in other retellings of Greek myths, though, and he's a much more dynamic and interesting character than the boring, predictable hero of Epic. I remember when first being exposed to The Odyssey, it was my first foray into more complicated dynamics of Greek mythology instead of the more digestable/cleaned-up versions I'd heard as a younger kid, and part of that was Odysseus. He made decisions I just couldn't understand at the time. A big thing for me as a 15-year-old kid was I was so mad at all of Odysseus's affairs. Now I know that in Greece that wasn't so much a big deal for men to sleep around and was expected. Yet (at least with Circe) he's noble and fighting her off and it gives the impression that Odysseus hasn't had any sex in like 12 years. I'm sorry, but WHAT??? Odysseus loves his wife and he's a slut. C'mon. Epic Odysseus is so predictable and boring I'm not drawn into the story at all for him, either. When I finally got to the more recent releases, I was thinking, "Oh, wow what a surprise. Before he didn't want to kill people and now he's fed up and will kill people so he can get home. Ohhhh noooooo what will ever happen in the next part of the musical?? Is it possible he will learn that vengeance is bad???" To be fair this part hasn't come out yet so maybe I'll be wrong but ugh, it's not looking good.

To balance things out, I do think the opening number is good and I like the one with the winds "keep your friends close/and your enemies closer" is an earworm, and because it changed up the usual "video game epic music" thing. And like, as a student project it is impressive. But it's not a student project anymore, it's a concept album. Idk if he's planning on staging it at some point, but if he does, it has a lot of work still to do.

Anyway vote Hadestown. ✌️

[stanheightsimp]

Fluffy Adam x reader and David x reader

Fluff headcanons Adam Stanheight x GN!Reader

You met Adam because he's your next-door neighbor.

Adam moved after the bathroom trap, into a new building.

He had brought with him all the stray cats he'd been caring for in his old apartment building.

You wanted to be nice so you brought him pancakes on the first Sunday he moved into the building.

The following Sunday, he brought you scones he'd baked himself.

And so it went on, every Sunday you took turns bringing each other things to eat.

Like. Every. Sunday.

You spent more and more time together, not just on Sundays.

One evening, Adam revealed all about the trap he'd been put in.

"I'd understand if you didn't want to talk to me anymore, Y/N" and you took his cheeks and said you would never, ever stop talking to him.

And that's how your first kiss happens !

Fluff headcanons David Radford (Saw 2.5) x GN!Reader

Bestfriends to lovers !

SLOW BURN !!!

It was you who picked him up at the police station after his interrogation.

You took him to your place and he didn't speak for days.

And finally, with patience and kindness, he began to speak and eat more or less normally.

He is quite insecure about the scars on his cheeks from the reverse bear trap.

Especially the one that starts at the corner of his lip and runs down his cheek.

"You're handsome," you say. "With or without scars." you says and that kinda reassures him.

You always reassure him. ALWAYS.

For some reason, he loves hamsters.

You steal his cigarettes 24 hours a day and it drives him crazy.

You both listen to NIN at full volume on his MP3, sharing an old pair of headphones.

"Hey, Y/N, do you like the music?" and it's literally "Hurt" by NIN (1994) #sadboi

He introduces you to his little cousin, Adam. He's his favorite person in the world. A younger, angrier David.

His feet are ALWAYS icy wtf ?????

He kisses a little awkwardly

He loves to pin you to the wall. YEAH JUST LIKE THAT

[repulsiveliquidation]

Angel in the House

Ona Batlle x Reader, Part 2.5 of [She's going to be okay.] [La Princesa] [Royalty]

Fluff, just fluff. Okay as I was writing the angsty writer in me came out and there is a little. Whoops.

Word count : 4.2k

“I’ll get her darling, you go back to bed.”

You climb out of bed and walk over to the cot that has a crying La Princesa. It’s two thirty in the morning, Eliana having woken the both of you up three time prior. Being a six-month-old wasn’t easy, she gave both her parents a run for their money.

“What’s wrong my girl?” you ask her quietly, picking her up gently. She’s fussing, you check her diaper but it’s clean. You quickly realize that she’s probably hungry, having been fed a few hours ago. You sigh, kissing Eliana on the forehead softly. You’re going to need to wake Ona, you had hoped you didn’t need to and she could sleep. She had bags under her eyes like you did but you had promised to take the night shifts since she was still on break from football and was home with Eliana the whole day. You slowly walk back over to the bed, rocking the still fussing Eliana.

“Ona?”

“Hm?”

“She’s hungry, hermosa. Can you feed her?”

Ona sits up and rubs her eyes. She looks extremely tired, you feel bad for having to wake her. She nods and silently pulls her (your) hoodie off and slips her bra off her shoulder. You hand her Eliana and she begins to feed her. You walk back around the bed and climb back in, gently sitting behind Ona and maneuvering her between your legs. You look down over her shoulder and admire Eliana, her soft nursing sounds bringing joy to both of your hearts. You kiss Ona’s ear as she leans back into your chest, your arms wrapping around her and holding Eliana too.

“Thank you, darling.” You whisper into her ear; she looks back and smiles, leaning in to kiss your lips softly. “She is perfect, ¿Sí?” Ona asks, hand coming up to stroke Eliana’s cheek softly.

“She is so, so perfect. Just like her Mama.”

Eliana unlatches with a soft pop; you move out from behind them to take her. She burps but spits up all over you, earning a soft scold and a kiss to her tiny nose. You bounce her in your arms for what seems like hours until eventually she does fall asleep. You lay her back in the crib and pull your shirt off, climbing back into bed where Ona seems to have abandoned her shirt too. She wakes up with a start when she feels your side of the bed dip, turning around and facing you. You smile and pull her into your arms, she smiles softly and kisses your chin.

“I’ve got the day off tomorrow.” You tell her softly, she looks up with a surprised look.

“Since when?”

“Since I asked Jonatan at training yesterday.”

“And just when were you going to tell me?”

“In the morning when you yelled at me for being late.”

She chuckles and playfully punches your chest, giggling into it when you lean in kiss her forehead.

“If you’re up to it, I thought maybe we could have a family day out. Maybe drive up to Vilassar de Mar to see Mum and Dad?”

“I’d love that.”

“Good because I called and told them we were coming. Mum’s cooking your favorite.”

//

“Y/N, we’re going to be late!”

“Babe, it’s a half hour drive. We’re not going to be late!”

“You will be when I leave without you!”

You walk out of the bedroom with Eliana’s diaper bag that you’ve triple checked. She’s fast asleep in her mother’s arms, gripping her shirt oh so cutely. You walk over to Ona and kiss her lips softly, before kissing Eliana too so she didn’t feel left out.

All buckled up in the car, you began the drive to Ona’s hometown. She sat in the back with Eliana, softly singing along to the radio. It was a beautiful sunny day in Barcelona, you wondered if everyone would be inclined to go down to the beach for a bit.

//

"¡Hija, te he extrañado!"

"¡Hola mamá, yo también te he extrañado!"

“Y/N! My darlings, come in, come in!”

Ona’s mother was quick to take Eliana out of your hands as she cooed softly at her. You walked in with Ona, hand on the small of her back. She sat in the living room with a loud sigh, leaning her head back. You stood in front of her, eyes full of concern.

“Everything okay?”

“Yes, it’s just, we can finally rest if mamá watches Eli for the day.”

“I think she would love nothing more, darling.”

You both look over at her mother, smiling when she tries to get Eli to smile. It’s heartwarming, a memory that both of you will treasure. Just as her mother pulls another funny face, Ona’s father and brother walk in, loudly greeting you both. Joan pulls you in for a tight hug, scolding you for not bringing his niece over more. Her father joins his wife, efforts doubling to try and make Eli smile. She’s an easy-going baby, she loves the attention she gets from all the people who love her dearly.

Eli is left with her abuelo as you and Ona go into the kitchen to help bring the food out. The patio had a long table set up, the warm Barcelona sun beating down on your necks. Food in Spain was a love language, you all ate and ate until you couldn’t anymore. Ona dipped inside to feed Eli, coming back twenty minutes later with a happy baby swaddled comfortably against her mothers’ chest.

//

“Can you take her bebé, she’s fussing again.” Ona asks as everyone sits inside to enjoy the A/C. A habit that clearly developed when Eli was in the womb was the fact that she calmed almost immediately when she heard your voice. No one else could calm the fussy baby better than sweet words from you. Her eyes were wide and attentive when she heard you talking, a little inkling of a smile etched on her face.

“Hola, guapa, you’re giving Mama a hard time huh? Mummy’s got you, you’re such a fussy girl today. You’re just feeling gassy aren’t you, you cheeky monkey? Aren’t you?”

Eli giggled and cooed softly, eyes wide like she always had. You lean back into the couch holding her, softly whispering sweet nothings to your daughter. Her eyes start to feel heavy as she falls asleep on your chest. Ona records the whole interaction, excited to send it to the girls immediately after.

Ona moves and sits beside you, smiling down at the two of you. Her heart fills with love, proud of how far the journey of starting a family had taken both of you. There were many failed attempts at getting pregnant at the start; her body not accepting the first few implants. When she got the call in the changing room that day, she was more scared than anything. You both hadn’t gotten this far before and it terrified her. Every day she hoped and prayed that it would work and there would be no complications till that night in the emergency room where she feared the worst. Now, as she sat her in her parents’ house with her child in your arms and you beaming down at her fondly; she knew that it was all worth it.

“I can hear you thinking.”

Your voice pulls her out of her thoughts as she simply leans in and kisses you. Its chaste, the kind of kiss that has relief laced into it.

“Sorry, just thinking about how far we’ve come. As a couple and as parents.”

“I would do it all over again baby, as long as it’s with you.”

“You’re getting soft.”

“For the two of you? I don’t mind it one bit.”

//

The both of you were cuddling on the couch, Eliana on your chest as she took her afternoon nap. Everyone had decided to do the same, everyone in a little corner to themselves to indulge in a food-induced coma. Ona was patting Eliana’s back softly, head tucked into your neck. This was your favorite part of your day, when you came home from training to join your girls on the couch as they were usually napping when you got home. You kissed Ona’s forehead softly, leaving a lingering kiss there before pulling back.

“Mamá has agreed to watch Eli for a few hours.”

“What for?”

“I’m taking you out on a date.”

“I don’t have anything to wear; bebita, I’m in sweatpants!”

“You’ve never looked more beautiful, mi amor. We leave at 5, hm? Let’s take a family nap now.”

//

She did in fact change; she wouldn’t be caught dead on a date in sweats. You tried to convince her that she looks gorgeous even in sweatpants but she just gave you an annoyed look and whisked herself upstairs to rummage in her childhood bedroom for something to change into.

Her parents were more than happy to watch Eli; beaming proudly at her as we left for our date. Ona was being the worried one, telling her parents to call even if she sneezed.

“Babe, she’s in good hands.”

“Yes, but they aren’t my hands and it’s making me nervous.”

“Your parents are wonderful with babies; they raised you and Joan, no?”

“I suppose, we just haven’t left her without us before.”

“We won’t be out too long then, we can get home early and cuddle after, how’s that sound?”

“Okay, I love you.”

“I love you too. C’mon, I wanna spoil my girl.”

You parked the car right up front of the very first restaurant you and Ona went to on a date. It was a little family-owned Spanish place, she had insisted you try it and she took you. Midway through dinner, you asked if this was her way of taking you out on a date. She almost spat out her wine, coughing loudly as she tried to recover from your question. Red as a beet she answered, “Only if you wanted it to be,” to which you replied “I was hoping so.” You had insisted on dessert later on, after sharing a flan you both went back home with smitten smiles on your faces and sweet texts that never stopped. You made it official at training two weeks later, having gone on about 6 dates, by grabbing her face and kissing her in front of everyone when they were teasing.

“There, she’s my girlfriend alright! Happy now?”

“She sure as hell is.”

“Reservation for L/N?”

“Ah, yes! Buenas noches! Right this way.”

“Allow me, my darling.” You say, pulling her chair out as she walks in behind you.

"Gracias, bebé.”

Looking over the menu, the restaurant was still packed for a Wednesday. You were sat in a quiet corner, away from the hustle and the bustle. You start with a house wine, smiling softly when Ona grins widely, excited for your date.

“You remembered.”

“Of course, how could I forget? You took me out on our first date here. Although I didn’t know that I was on a date at the time. Until I asked.”

“I was nervous you would say no so I was okay with us just going to dinner as friends.”

“I’m glad you didn’t ask, darling.”

You order your food and the night goes smoothly. The food was as good as you remember, Ona laughing when you reminisce about her little wine accident the first time you were here. You both felt refreshed by dessert, needing some time to yourselves to recuperate and be the best for Eliana.

In the car, Ona has her hand laced in yours in her lap. Her thumb brushes across your knuckles softly, the lights of Vilassar de Mar beaming across your faces as you drove back to her parents’ house.

“Hola, guapas. Feeling refreshed?” her mother greeted as walked in the front door. Eliana was sleeping in her grandfather’s arms, as his eyes too were feeling heavy.

“Yes, mamá. It was perfect. Was Eli good?”

“She was an angel. Come on, I’ll pack you some leftovers to take home.”

//

Ona and Eli were both fast asleep in the backseat on the drive home. The streets were quiet; not a soul in sight this late. You got home and quietly brought all the gifts Eli got into the house before waking Ona. Her face was squished into the side of Eli’s carrier, finger resting on her small cheek.

“Darling, we’re home.”

“Already? Hm, I really fell asleep.”

“Yes come on, wanna get my girls into bed. We’ve had a long day.”

“I’ll get her, c’mere.”

You pull Eli’s carrier out of the car and help Ona, holding her hand and walking into the house softly. Eli sleeps like the dead, not even making a sound when the door slams a little.

“Sorry, Pequeño. I’ll get her to bed, darling. You go wash up.”

“Are you sure? I can take her.”

“Go, mi vida. I got her.”

When you use Spanish despite being English, Ona’s stomach does backflips. Just hearing you willing to use her native tongue makes her heart swoon. She melts when you use affectionate terms you made the girls teach you, your pronunciation improving over the years of being together. She listens to you, heading towards the bathroom to wash up. She decides on a little bath, hoping that you’ll catch her in here and join her. You do, smiling at the sight of her with her hair up in a messy bun, goddess-like body hidden by lavender-scented bubbles. Your clothes join hers on the floor, turning the lights down and lighting a candle before climbing into the perfectly hot water behind her. She melts into your arms, sighing softly as your hands caress her legs and torso. She’s had a rough couple months since having Eliana. Her once athletic body slowly going back to normal. She knew she’d probably never go back to her previous look but she was relieved that she had someone like you in her corner to remind her of how beautiful she looked despite the stretch marks and other imperfections. You had stood in front of a mirror with her and kissed it all, leaving her blushing and more confident than before. You loved her then and now, every mark a lasting impression and constant reminder of the bundle of joy sleeping in the other room.

“You’re the best.” She says quietly, reaching for your hands to hold around her. She sighs loudly, leaning into your arms again.

“You deserve the best, querida.”

You both sit in the warm water till it goes cold; Ona and you just made out in the bath, the calming scent of lavender from the water and eucalyptus from the candle made it the perfect wind down. Eliana didn’t wake up at all, clearly the day out with her grandparents made her tired. Drying off, you stand there and watch her; eyes filled with fondness for her. She gets self-conscious, shyly wrapping the towel around herself and walking out into the room before you could say anything.

“Hey, don’t run from me!”

By the time you get into the room, she’s got on the biggest hoodie she’s got and is pulling on sweatpants.

“Doll, it’s 30 degrees in here. You’re trying to cook yourself.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not, don’t lie to me. Talk to me, beautiful.”

“I’m not.”

“Huh?”

You step closer to her, having pulled on a pair of shorts and a sports bra yourself. 

“I’m not beautiful. Not right now.”

“What do you mean, cariño? Of course, you’re beautiful.”

“NO! I’M DISGUSTING! YOU’RE JUST SAYING THAT BECAUSE YOU PITY ME!”

She runs back into the bathroom and locks herself in. You stand there shocked, not knowing what you did or said to set her off. You knew she was struggling mentally too and you had tried your best to be there for her and make sure she knew she was loved, clearly you hadn’t been doing enough. Eliana had woken up to the yelling, you walked over and picked her up, cradling her gently.

“Shh, little girl. Mama’s just a little upset, hm? She’ll be okay, she’s just a little overwhelmed. I need you to go back to sleep so I can check on her, deal?” Eliana settles almost immediately, going back to sleep just as you lower her back into the crib. You walk over to the bathroom and knock on the door softly. You can hear Ona crying, it breaks your heart.

“Baby.”

“Please go away.”

“Don’t shut me out, my love.”

“I can’t do this.”

“There’s more to it than you’re telling me, angel. Let me in and let me help you, gorgeous.”

“Why do you love me?”

Her question takes you aback; you just had a wonderful day with family and a perfect date with the most perfect woman (in your humble opinion) and now that same woman is asking you why you love her.

“There are many reasons why I love you, darling. We’d be here for years if you wanted to hear all of them.”

“I’m not who I used to be.”

“I think you mean your body isn’t, my darling. You’re still the same beautiful, funny, gorgeous, smart, masterful fullback that I fell in love with. You’re still the girl who took me on a date that I wasn’t aware of, the girl who beamed for days when I asked you on a date two days later, the girl who gave me the most beautiful daughter in the world. But I also love the broken girl behind this door and I want to be the one to glue you back together darling. I want to find every crack and fix it.”

“I don’t deserve you.”

“I don’t deserve you, my sweet. You’re the best, I can only try to be the same for you.”

“It’s open.”

She almost whispers it and you rush in seeing her sitting in the middle. She begins to cry again when you stand there and look her. The tear stains and the wet t-shirt tell you she was really crying hard. You sigh softly and pick her up, carrying her back to bed. You undress her and put her into more appropriate clothes. She stands there and lets you, tears still running down her cheeks. You cup her face and wipe them away, kissing her nose softly.

“I love you. I’m sorry I don’t remind you enough every day. You are so beautiful, so kind, so loving. You’re such a wonderful mother to Eliana, she loves you very much babe.”

“I love you too. Thank you, it means a lot coming from you. I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

You climb into bed with her, holding her close as the only sounds in the room lull you both to sleep; the fan runs softly as the A/C kicks on and off. She pulls herself onto you, face tucked into your neck.

Just as your eyes begin to close she says, “I’ve been having these annoying thoughts for a while. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to worry you. I was wrong, I should have told you. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”

“I’ll be all ears, cariño.”

//

The sun poured into the room like a flood. There was just a sliver in the curtains but it lit up the room. Ona was draped over you, your arm around her shoulder as she slept the whole night. Eliana woke up several times but Ona slept through the night. You didn’t mind, she deserved it after the weight on her shoulders was lifted.

“Hola, little one. How about we make Mama some breakfast in bed? She deserves a little more pampering before Mummy has to go to training today, what say you?”

Eliana just smiled, as you pulled her into a swaddle. She bounced happily as you cooked, making tortilla de patatas the best you could. You could cook very well but Ona was better at Spanish food than you were. Ona was already awake when you walked into the room with her plate and a cup of coffee, smiling softly when she saw you both.

“Good morning, my love.”

“Good morning, mis chicas.”

“Here’s breakfast, I’ll bring my plate, give me two seconds.”

You walk back to the kitchen and bring your own plate back to bed. Ona sips on her coffee, sighing when it’s exactly how she liked it. You smile and sit back into bed, leaning against the headboard with Eliana still against your chest. She’s fallen back asleep, drooling all over your chest. You both eat in comfortable silence, sunny Barcelona shining throughout the room.

“This is good, you’ve become better at Spanish food.”

“High praise from the Queen! Means a lot babe, it just never comes out the way it does when you do it.”

“It’s delicious, I love it. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

She takes Eli off you, you bring the dishes to the kitchen and clean up quickly. When you walk back into the room, Ona’s feeding Eli and you snap a quick picture. It melts your heart, seeing both your girls having a good start to their day.

“Do you wanna talk about last night?” you ask her as you walk back towards them. She smiles sadly when you sit back in bed with her. She nods softly, eyes looking up at you with pain she knows only you can tell is there.

“I don’t know what happened. When we had Eli, I was so excited. We had been trying for so long, then we finally got pregnant, and then we had the complication and it’s just been so much. I thought it was just a phase, the doctors did talk about PPD but I didn’t think it would be this way.”

“Well, we know now. We can talk to the Barça doctors, they’ll know what we can do to help you. Help us.”

She simply nods, leaning in for a kiss. You oblige her, cupping her cheek softly and kissing her softly. She physically melts into your touch, smiling wide against your lips.

“How about we all go hang out at the pitch for the day? We don’t have a game till Sunday, I’m sure Jonatan won’t mind. The girls certainly won’t. We can talk to the team psychologists when I’m done.”

She nods, her signature wide smile plastered on her face.

“Now, how about we put the little one down for a nap and we take a nice hot shower together?”

//

“You’re going to get soap in my eyes, Y/N!”

“I won’t if you stood still, Pequeño.”

“Just because I’m 3 inches shorter does not give you license to make fun of me.”

You just kiss the side of her head and smile, going back to scrubbing her scalp. You step out of the shower 20 minutes later, both hair washed and bodies scrubbed clean. Once you’ve dressed and not forgotten your kit bag, the whole family drives over to the training center. You walk in with Eliana in your arms, Ona walking behind you with her carrier and diaper bag. You purposely didn’t tell the girls that the both of them were coming, wanting to surprise them with the special guest for the day.

“Nena!” Alexia exclaims when you both walk in, rushing over and taking her from your arms.

“Hello to you too, Ale. I’m doing well, thanks so much for asking.”

“Sí, whatever. How are you, mi vida? Tia Alexia has missed you so much, yes she has!” Alexia coos as the girls surround her. You and Ona can only smile and shake your heads, snapping a few photos to post later on.

“Alexia has become soft since we had Princesa.”

“Don’t make me force you to run laps, Y/N/N.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Watch me. Your mummy thinks she’s funny doesn’t she, cariño?”

“Turning my own child against me Ale, that’s low, even for you.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, I know I’m her favorite.”

//

Ingrid and Mapi walked in later on and had Eliana in their arms in an instant much to Alexia’s displeasure. Mapi was making silly faces with Ona and got Eliana giggling when Ingrid suddenly pulled herself away and walked over to where you were sitting and getting your boots on.

“How is she, elskling?”

“What?” you say, in the back of your head knowing that she isn’t talking about Eliana.

“How is Ona? Is she okay?”

You look at her like she’s got three heads. Ingrid is known to be the more observant one but you didn’t think she would be able to tell that Ona had a rough day. You certainly missed it.

“How did you know?”

“I had a feeling.”

“And yet I missed it.”

“Hey, it’s all part of life. You can’t get everything right.”

“She’s okay but we’re going to see the psych later.”

“That’s good. How about we have a little dinner tonight? I know Mapi would love to have kjære over.”

“I think that’s what she needs, Ingrid. She needs her family.”

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA if I ditch my friend in a city an hour away so I can visit my partner?

Basically what it says in the title. Everyone is late teens in this story and still in school.

A few weeks ago my friend E (he/him) and I planned to go to a convention for a day, which is a few months from now. It's an hour's drive away from where we live, and I said I could ask my sister to drive us (E's parents work late or aren't willing to drive, my sister has a more flexible work schedule and is willing to drive).

My long distance partner M (they/them) lives another hour and a half away from the city we're visiting. In total, they live about a 2.5-3 hours drive from my house.

I planned on staying in the city overnight at my uncle's flat, which is nearby, and visiting M the day after the convention, since my sister would already be driving me halfway there to take us to the convention in the first place. Unfortunately, E has no convenient way to get home (no trains running past 7 P.M., calling a taxi is prohibitively expensive, nowhere to stay the night).

E wants me to skip going to see M so my sister can take us both home the same day. I usually only see M once a month, and I would hate to pass up this opportunity, because we're both busy and it's not exactly convenient to meet up any other time. I'm already going halfway to their place for the convention. But if I don't give E a ride, they would have to pay for a taxi or miss the convention entirely.

Reasons why I may be TA: I already said I could drive E a few weeks ago, and I don't want to be the reason he misses the convention because he's really looking forward to it

Reasons why I may not be TA: I never guaranteed I could give E a ride, and it's difficult/impossible to meet up with M at any other time.

I'm a little irritated that E asked me to miss seeing M like it's an easy or convenient thing for us to meet up whenever we want, but I know rationally it's not E's fault that he doesn't have a ride.

Other information?: All of us are late teens, no one owns a car, and public transport sucks huge balls where I live. E's parents will probably not pick him up from the convention. No one else can give us a ride. M cannot go to the convention for various reasons. It's not possible to go on a different day due to school.

What are these acronyms?

[patrice-bergerons]

Before I switch tracks and return to work though, some law au thoughts to help reset my mind:

After this installment I had thought of having James and Francis spend Christmas together BUT I have been thinking and Christmas is so charged for James there is no way he survives that without having a panic attack. I do enjoy torturing him but the poor man deserves a break, you know?

So I was thinking that perhaps I can have a James-POV installment in which I send him and Francis to an overnight trip to Bognor Regis right before Xmas, instead.

Maybe Francis has an aunt who lives there who passed away and his family has tasked him with going over and sorting out her belongings, since she was single with no kids of her own.

This aunt was also a generally very unpleasant person, so there is no love lost on Francis's side. This is just a chore he cannot get out of. And James, cooped up in the flat for 2 weeks while he recuperates, jumps on the chance to go anywhere that's not here.

Bognor is ~2.5 hour's drive to London and by far the most desolate, run down, depressing seaside town I have been to in the UK. Add to it the offseason melancholy all seaside towns get in the winter and you can get fun things like:

Road trip shenanigans! Francis controls the music and tortures James with ABBA

Bed scarcity!

A James who is completely and pathetically in love and very annoyed by this fact because he Does Not Fall In Love, let alone with a straight man!

Family albums at the aunt's place with pictures of Francis as a little bebe . . . leading perhaps to an actual conversation on James's family?

An exploration of their shared fear of dying alone and their life not amounting to anything - much like Francis's aunt. And of course:

That delicious (delicious for me as the writer at least) feeling of believing yourself to not be good enough and generally unlovable 🥰

:D :D :D

[astralaffairs]

freedom of the press 08 | thomas jefferson

title: freedom of the press 08

words: 10k

warnings: a lot of angst sorry. 09 will be happier if i can publish it in less than 2.5 years this time. addiction/substance abuse mentions, STI mentions

pairing: thomas jefferson x reader

desc: the 2020 republican presidential frontrunner is an obnoxious, morally bankrupt people-pleaser, but what happens when you become the person he’s most eager to please?

tags: @stargazelaurens @ivory-haired-queens @exoticxchicken8 @assbuttstyles777 @distinguishedpotsticker @fukaaaaaaaa @hereforthepsyche-assessment @ivetoldamillionlies @fangirl570 @thealaddinkid @lasciviouspeach @snazzydoesthings @shy-and-awkward-daveed @rachelhermionerose @soft-weeb-s @gryffinclxw @anamrnk @daveeddiggsit @ayayayayana @marinovakovich @cryinghazelnutt @thefandomgirl03 @a-hopeless-fan @cloudynblw @tinywhim @lolidunnoaboutnow @siriusorionblackiii @fanfic-addict-98 @nyxie75 @i-know-i-can @yxseminx @yavin4andor @sugacita @sstrawberry-fanta @youtxbemusic @queenwilty @someinsanefangirl @foudre-aqua @whatevs2000 @rwr-ites @maxi-ride @moose-on-the-l00se @itshaileyn @toxicidity @malos-moving @luckyfriesss @lovecass123

"YOU SENT ASHLEY my fucking article?"

"Woah, honey, slow down," Angelica said, voice staticky through the phone, but Y/N was fuming. She was sure that everyone in the diner below her apartment could hear her yelling. "Yes, I sent it. You asked me to, last night."

Y/N furrowed her brow. "...What the hell are you talking about?"

"Seriously?" she asked. "Don't tell me you've forgotten. You promised you only had two drinks."

Y/N's stomach turned. She distinctly remembered downing half the open bar at the campaign fundraiser the night prior after the way her conversation with Thomas had ended. She less-distinctly remembered Angelica driving her home -- she'd been in North Carolina on a different assignment, but it turned out the CEO she was reporting on happened to be one of Thomas's biggest donors. "Okay, so maybe I stretched the truth a little, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"It has everything to do with everything," Angelica said flatly. "You told me to send that article to Ashley in the middle of your soliloquy about how Jefferson was ruining your life. You were rambling, but you were coherent; I wouldn't have expected you'd wake up having forgotten all of it."

The more she spoke, the more was coming back to Y/N, though. Flashes of Angelica checking her out of her hotel, driving her several hours back north to DC.

"Fuck," she finally said, palming her forehead as though it'd restore her memory. "Wait, why would I have you send it to her instead of just doing it myself?"

"I don't know," Angelica said mildly. "Maybe you were too far gone to write the email."

"You said I was coherent," Y/N replied, raising an eyebrow. "So which is it? Was I drunk beyond belief, or did I just seem a little tipsy?"

"Honey, I don't know; you were just a little out of it. And you did just tell me you’d lied to me about how much you’d had to drink." Angelica sounded exasperated, but Y/N wasn't done.

"Forward me the email you sent Ashley. I need to see when you sent it and what you said."

"Why? I—"

"Because I don't believe that I asked you to do that," she snapped, and Angelica paused for a long moment, taken aback.

"...Why don't you believe me?"

"Because I'd already decided that I wasn't going to send it," Y/N huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"And so you think I did it behind your back?"

“That’s exactly what I think.”

There was a long pause; all Y/N could hear from the other end of the line was static.

“Y/N—”

“Either forward me the email you sent Ashley, or own up to it,” she cut her off, having no desire to hear Angelica push another excuse. “Prove me wrong.”

“I can’t.” Angelica’s tone was biting, and Y/N’s scowl deepened. “I did send it, but you know what? I’m trying to save you from yourself.”

“What the hell do you mean, ‘save me from myself’?” she asked incredulously. “You were the one who told me that only I could decide what I wanted to publish.”

“You spent an hour on the trip home talking about how Jefferson was ruining your life,” Angelica reminded her. “So why don’t you want that article published? Why are you trying to protect him?”

“Because even he doesn’t deserve this.”

“Why not?” she asked. “Why doesn’t he? He’s been ruining your career, antagonizing you on Twitter; do you even remember how worked up you were yesterday? Talk about your integrity all you want, but that doesn’t mean you have to protect him.”

“It’s not about protecting him,” Y/N defended. “It’s just what I think is right.”

“And why don’t you think this is right? That’s what I don’t get.” Angelica’s huff sent a rush of static through the phone that made Y/N wince. “Honey, this would fix all the damage he’s done to your career; isn’t it only fair that you publish? You've been drowning in bills, and I know it's taking a toll on you. You deserve the money you'll get from this. Besides, you don’t owe him anything.”

You don’t owe him anything.

Y/N couldn’t reply; Angelica’s words reverberated in her mind like an echo — they were true. She didn’t owe him anything. That was what she’d been telling herself, it was what she’d been telling everyone else, and it was what she'd spent the past night arguing with him about.

And he’d agreed. She didn’t owe him anything.

“I… I can’t have this conversation right now, Ang,” she sighed. “I know you meant well, but this wasn’t your place to get involved. Now I need to figure out what my next move is.”

“It’s too late to stop the article. Ashley already has it.” Y/N winced at her words, and Angelica continued, “If you refused to give her the sources, she’d fire you. I know this job means too much for you to just throw it away when things get hard.”

"This isn't 'things getting hard'; it's me losing the reason I wanted to be a journalist in the first place."

"And if you want to stay a journalist, you'll send Ashley the tape of your interview with Adams," Angelica said. "She can't publish without it."

“Don't act like somehow you know what's best for me, Angelica."

"It seems like I know better than you. Your finances have been the worst part of your life for years, and those are your exact words," she said, and Y/N scoffed. However, there was truth to it. "If you just waited it out and let Ashley transfer you to another department, would you even be able to pay your bills? Or would you lose your electricity? Your running water? What would you do the next time a student debt payment rolled around?"

"Well, thanks to you, now Ashley's threatening to fire me altogether.” Y/N scowled. "If I lose my income, I sure as hell won't be able to pay off my debt."

"Then follow through with the article," she urged. "You know it's what you need to do. You have to do this for yourself, Y/N. You think Jefferson's never broken his code of ethics to get ahead? Do you even think he has one?"

“Of course—” Y/N had to cut herself off. Her first instinct was to defend him, but she didn’t see any way she could convince Angelica of anything without her believing she’d been indoctrinated. “It isn’t about him. It’s about me, and it’s about my integrity. It doesn’t matter what he’s done.”

“Ashley already has the article. Don’t forget that.”

"You shouldn't have sent it in the first place,” Y/N said. “This is my job, and it's my career; you aren't allowed to make decisions like this on my behalf. At least the tape will buy me time.”

“That buys you two weeks, tops.”

“Then I’ll make the most of it.”

____________

THAT’D BEEN THE first stop on her damage control from the previous night, but she still had a long way to go. Lafayette was gracious enough to get her Dolley’s phone number; Y/N had a number of things she felt she needed to clear the air on, but her conversation with Dolley wasn’t exactly short.

Y/N spent the better part of two hours trying to convince her not to tell James what she’d heard. Apparently, she’d been holding her tongue since she walked in on them at the state dinner months before, but she felt like she’d learned too much the night prior to keep it from him.

She couldn’t tell James, though — at least, that was Y/N’s firm conviction. If she spilled everything to James, he’d have done everything in his power to keep Y/N away from their campaign. After all, since whatever there had been between her and Thomas was over, James didn’t need to worry about anyone’s conflict of interest.

Y/N’s throat tightened when she realized that.

But Dolley didn’t budge, and Y/N was ultimately forced to give up her desperate plea.

A week passed. Y/N returned to her normal schedule at the diner, and Thomas returned to avoiding those shifts whenever possible. (Although, according to Mira, he hadn't stopped by at all.) To the untrained eye, everything was business as usual; Y/N was working both her jobs, going to election events, and interviewing politicians, but to her, there was nothing usual about what she was doing.

She hardly slept that week. It wasn’t because of Thomas, she’d like to have claimed; she was just busy, balancing everything she needed done, working two jobs and trying to figure out what needed to happen for her to keep the Adams article from getting a green light. This was just how she was getting by.

So when Lafayette called her the next Friday, she almost didn’t pick up.

Or, really, she didn’t pick up until the fourth consecutive time he called.

“Hey, Lafayette.”

“What happened between you and Thomas?”

“What?” Y/N was curled up with her laptop on her couch, indulging in retail therapy against her better judgment. At his words, she furrowed her brow. Why was he bringing this up? Why would he have known? “What are you talking about?”

“Do not act as if you do not know what I am referring to,” Lafayette snapped. "He 'as not been 'imself since his fundraiser in North Carolina. So what happened?"

"I…" Y/N furrowed her brow as she processed Lafayette's words. Had he really taken it that poorly? Y/N knew he wasn't thrilled about the development between them; that much went without saying, but they both knew it was for the best. What Thomas wanted, she couldn't give him. Not then. "What d'you mean 'he hasn't been himself'? And why the hell do you think I have anything to do with it?"

“I do not know ‘ow to explain it, Y/N.” Lafayette sighed. “‘Ave you ‘eard from him recently? He 'as been… distant."

She swallowed hard at the question. "Not… not really. Why, what has he told you?"

"Nothing. And zat is exactly ze issue." His tone was short, and the words left little room for discussion. "Did you talk to him about ze article?"

"No, actually."

"...Really?" The surprise in Lafayette's voice was unmistakably genuine, and it made Y/N crease her brow.

“Yeah, um… why is that such a surprise? Did he say something?”

“No. He has ‘ardly spoken to me since ze fundraiser, and I cannot decipher why. I supposed zat something ‘ad happened between ze two of you because of your article, but…” He trailed off, and Y/N could hear in his voice just how stumped he was. “Did anything happen that night?”

“I mean, no, nothing important," she said, brow creased. "Why do you think I have something to do with this?"

“When I asked him what was wrong, ‘e told me to ask you,” Lafayette replied. "So here I am. There 'as to be something, Y/N."

“Don’t worry about it, Lafayette,” she said, rubbing her forehead as though it’d make her headache subside. “It doesn’t concern you.”

"So there is something zat you are not telling me." She winced at the accusation in his voice, but she couldn't claim that he was wrong.

"Okay, fine, but it wasn't a big deal. I swear."

“Perhaps not for you,” he countered, "but you should ‘ave seen Thomas.”

“Is he really doing that badly?” she asked hesitantly, unsure of whether she wanted to hear the answer. "Maybe he's just stressed."

“He has ‘ardly left his apartment, chérie. I went by earlier to check on him, and he would hardly speak to me. He looked like a mess.”

"What d'you mean 'looked like a mess'? Is he okay?" The question was hesitant. "He's, like, safe and everything, right?"

"Alors... he is safe, yes. But he is," --Lafayette hesitated for a long moment, and all that could be heard was static through the line-- "self-destructing, I suppose is ze term. I do not believe zat it is my place to share anything further, though."

"...Well, shit. I didn't think it was that serious."

“You did not think zat what was zat serious?" he asked, voice exasperated. "Can you not simply be forthcoming with me?"

“Nothing, like, big or tragic happened between us,” she said, and she could hear the defensive edge creeping into her own voice. “We just… talked, and we decided it was in both of our best interests to stop sleeping together. That’s all I have to tell you.”

“Zere ‘as to be more to ze story.” Lafayette’s voice, though muffled through the phone, had a stern undertone. “Please, do not withhold things. I am simply trying to help.”

“I don't know what to tell you, honestly,” she said. “What’s done is done. I can't help him anymore. He wouldn't want to see me.”

“Why did you decide to end things?” he asked. “My impression ze other day was that you were happy.”

She winced. That afternoon at Lafayette's place felt so long ago, after what'd changed. “It just had to happen.”

“Is it because you are publishing ze article?”

“I… no. It isn't.” She swallowed hard. Whether she was publishing it seemed like an extraneous detail.

“Then what happened? What did you say to ‘im?”

“I didn't say anything wrong. I've told you all that went down,” she insisted. “We just… You know we’re not in a relationship. The choice to stop all this was mutual.”

“Was it really?”

“Yes. He was the one who suggested it.” That much was true. However, she wasn’t sure how candid the suggestion had been when he initially brought it up. “Whatever's weighing on him, it has to be more than what happened with me. I don't think our conversation would've affected him all that much."

“Y/N, please, be straightforward with me. He told me to speak to you about zis." The concern in Lafayette's voice was neither light nor well-concealed. "I am worried about him. Zis is serious."

“Then I don’t know what it is,” she insisted, throwing a hand up in frustration. “I'm sorry, Lafayette. You know this wouldn't be something I'd want for him, but I can't help you.”

He sighed audibly. “I realize zat I will not be getting any more information from you, Y/N, but I am not done with trying to figure zis out.”

Y/N swallowed hard. “And I wish you the best of luck.”

____________

SHE WANTED THE weekend to herself after that. She didn't think Thomas would be taking this all so hard, but then again, she'd bottled everything up the moment she returned to D.C., pretended she'd believed every word she'd said to him, and she figured he'd do the same. It didn't seem like him to dwell.

And yet, there he was, dwelling, and so there she was, too, worrying about him. Her stomach was in knots.

Lafayette called her a number of times, sent her countless texts. He asked her to come over and talk to him about what happened, but she had no interest. He'd get nothing out of it, and she'd only feel worse. Besides, she couldn't run the risk of seeing Thomas in their building when she was there for Lafayette. He seemed to be unavoidable whenever she was there, but then again, maybe that was why Lafayette asked her over in the first place.

She called off all her shifts over the next couple of days, claiming a head cold, that she didn't want to get anyone else sick. Mira sounded skeptical, but she let her go.

Despite her reluctance to leave her apartment, though, when Dolley called and asked her to come over to talk, she was in a double bind. She hadn't told James anything yet, she said, and she wanted to hear what Y/N had to say about it all before she did. If she didn't want James to resent her until the end of time, she supposed she didn't have much of a choice. She was struggling to pinpoint why she still cared so much about his opinion of her, though.

But she thought she owed it to Thomas to try to contain the fallout.

“Hey, Dolley. Thanks for hearing me out.” She shrugged her coat off, left it on the bench beside the front door of James and Dolley’s house.

“Of course, dear. I figured it was only fair." Dolley gave her a sympathetic smile as she came to pull Y/N into a gentle hug. "Can I get you anything? I was about to make myself a cup of tea, but I could put on a pot of coffee, too, if you'd like."

"Actually, tea sounds really nice."

"Alright. You just sit tight, make yourself at home, and I'll be back in a minute."

Her mind was racing as she curled into Dolley’s couch, glancing around her house. She knew James wasn’t home, but she couldn’t help her paranoia that, somehow, he’d hear her, astral projecting from his lunch meeting into his bedroom.

But Dolley came back after putting the tea kettle on the stove, and Y/N had to get herself out of her head. She’d boiled her advocacy down into a nice, itemized list; Dolley took a seat beside her, and Y/N began giving her the hard sell.

I’ll spare you the details — after all, it’s everything you already know. You’d been there, a fly on the wall beside the hotel hot tub, and you know that Dolley telling James what she’d heard would accomplish nothing — he'd likely resent Y/N for it (not that she'd blame him; she knew the problem her relationship with Thomas presented for their campaign). However, with everything between her and Thomas having been put to an end, it'd accomplish nothing. James would have her barred from their events to prevent her from becoming a distraction, but it wouldn't change anything, by then, and only hinder her career.

And besides, she and James were friends. She didn't want the brief, silly fling she'd had with Thomas to ruin that.

She finished monologuing, and, as if on cue, the doorbell rang.

She raised an eyebrow, glancing at the door and then back at Dolley. "Were you expecting someone?"

"I—" The tea kettle started whistling, cutting her off abruptly as she turned her head back toward the kitchen. Dolley sighed. "Oh, hell. Would you mind getting that while I get the door? I need to go see who's here."

“Yeah, sure.” She went to the kitchen as Dolley stood to get the door, and she found that Dolley had made her life fairly easy. There sat two mugs and a box of teabags on a little wooden tray, so all she did was put the little kettle on a potholder before returning to Dolley’s living room.

She couldn’t have been gone for more than a few minutes, but when she came back, she and Dolley weren’t alone.

She nearly dropped the tray.

“Thomas?”

He and Dolley both looked up from where they sat on the couch.

“Y/N.” The minute he met her eyes, she froze. Lafayette was right — he looked like hell. The bags under his eyes were deep, and he clearly hadn’t shaved in several days. His beard was growing in patchy. “What are you doin’ here?”

“I…” She was struggling to speak past the lump in her throat. “What are you doing here?”

“Dolley invited me.”

Her eyes widened as she turned. “What the hell, Dolley?”

“Oh, would you relax? You two need to talk, and you well know it,” Dolley snapped, and Y/N’s grip tightened on the handles of the tray she held. “Come here and sit down.”

“No. I...” She set the tray down on the side table nearest her, and Dolley furrowed her brow. “I'm leaving. I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but there’s nothing more to say.”

"Come on, Y/N—"

"She's right, Doll," Thomas sighed. "We already ended things."

"Please, neither of you wanted to. You're just both too stubborn to say it."

"Don't act like you know the full story," Y/N scoffed.

"So you don't want to fix this?"

"There's nothing to fix." Dolley hummed skeptically as Y/N proceeded past her, grabbed her jacket from the bench by the door. "Thanks for having me, though. I'll see you."

"If either of you leaves, I'm telling James everything."

She paused. "Dolley, you can't—"

"I can, and I will. Now, get back here."

"This is blackmail."

"I won't deny that." Dolley raised an expectant eyebrow when Y/N turned back to her. "Are you going to come sit down, or was this a waste of both our afternoons?"

“Dolley.”

“Would you two like a minute to yourselves?”

“I…” She didn’t answer, instead turning to Thomas, waiting for any sort of a cue. He was watching her, though, and when their eyes met, both of them fell silent. She swallowed hard.

“That might be best.” Thomas’s words were soft, but Y/N couldn’t speak, not with the lump that was building in her throat. Dolley glanced between them, and maybe she could see the silent dread in Y/N’s eyes, but she didn’t say another word, just nodded before she left the room. And with that, Y/N and Thomas were alone.

She swallowed hard. When she finally took a seat, it was on the far end of the couch. Y/N felt certain that Dolley’s draping coats and resting books on every other chair in the room was deliberate.

He was the first to speak.

"So, what're you doin' here, then?"

"Dolley invited me, too." She pursed her lips. "I came to talk to her about… everything she heard."

"Why?" Thomas looked genuinely bewildered, but Y/N didn't understand his confusion.

"I was trying to convince her not to talk to James about it." She shrugged. "I mean, it's not like it's worth her telling him now. It wouldn't change anything."

"Then why d'you care if he knows?"

"I…" She trailed off, unsure whether there was any delicate way to say that she didn't want him to be on the receiving end of any hostility from James just because he'd fucked her a few times. She didn't think he deserved that. "I guess I'd rather James not think I'm sleeping around to get ahead."

"'N you're really that worried about his opinion of you?"

"More than I should be." Her voice was quiet. "Anyway, what issue do you have with that? This whole thing affects you, too, you know."

"Oh, believe me, I know." He huffed, folded his arms as he sat back against the couch cushions. "I, er… I came for the same reason. Didn't want James chewin' me out over it."

“James loves you. Even if she does tell him, you know he won’t be able to be angry about it.”

“James ‘s one of my oldest friends,” he agreed, “but when we’re workin’ together, that doesn’t matter anymore. He’d be furious.”

“Even after the fact?”

He shrugged. “We knew everything we were putting at risk here. He’d tell me my priorities weren’t in the right place, or that I shoulda been taking our campaign more serious than… whatever you ‘n I were doin’.”

“Then I guess it’s good that we stopped,” Y/N replied weakly.

“Yeah.” Thomas didn’t meet her eyes. There was a long moment of silence after that; she could tell his mind was elsewhere with the absent stare he wore, fixed on the ottoman of one of the armchairs, but his brow was furrowed. He was deep in thought. She pursed her lips. “What were you gonna say that night?”

The question caught her off guard; her eyes widened, and he looked up calmly to meet her eyes, wearing an inquisitive look.

“What?”

“The night of my fundraiser.” She pressed her lips together into a thin line. “When Dolley came in, she cut you off. I haven’t been able to keep my mind off’a it.”

God, she hated how he was always so blunt. He always spoke his mind, always said what he was thinking, and it was one of the things that scared Y/N most about him. He hadn’t been able to keep his mind off of that one little moment, that fragmented sentence.

“I… I don’t remember.” Her answer was honest, but Thomas wasn’t satisfied.

"You never meant to…?"

"Hm?” Y/N furrowed her brow, and Thomas's noncommittal shrug didn't help much. “'I never meant to' what?"

"That's what I've been trying to figure out."

Oh. She pursed her lips, and her movements were hesitant. She knew what he was talking about — that'd been the last thing she said before their tense conversation ended abruptly the night of his fundraiser. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

Thomas scoffed. “Really? I don’t even deserve the truth about this?”

“I’m not lying.”

“Yes, you are.” His tone was unshakeable; he was beyond convinced of his words, and Y/N shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “After everything we’ve been through, I know you better than this.”

“And what have we been through? Hm? Fucking on your kitchen counter? I’m sorry to say it, but I’m not quite sure that’s the peak of intimacy.”

“Yeah, alright,” he acquiesced, “but what about all the time we didn’t spend fucking?”

“I…” Y/N trailed off, her jaw tight, entire body tense. “We both knew that was why we were together in the first place. I stayed over because I didn’t wanna travel through the city in the middle of the night. There wasn’t much more to it.”

“Oh, sweetheart, we both know that if you really just wanted to get into my pants, there was no need for you to spend so much time at mine.” His tone was frustratingly condescending, but he was right. “Don’t tell me the reason you made dinner with me, watched all my cheesy old movies, even watered my damn plants was ‘cause I give good head.”

Y/N scowled. "Fine. I like spending time with you. But that doesn't make us anything more than friends."

He hummed in acquiescence, giving a subdued shrug. "Guess not. Making out on the kitchen counter does that well enough, though."

"Okay, we were friends with benefits," she conceded, but Thomas didn't look quite satisfied. "What? What's wrong with that? We're friends, and we slept together."

"Don't try and tell me this is all in my head." Thomas scowled. "Yeah, we slept together. But we did a lot more than that. I know very well I'm not delusional for thinking something more was goin' on there."

“You’re blowing this out of proportion,” Y/N scoffed. “You know it was never like that; it wasn’t what I wanted.”

“No, I know.” Thomas shifted on the couch to face her, and his gaze was heavy with scrutiny, with skepticism. “You didn’t wanna get too involved. You made all that clear as day.”

“Then what’s the problem?” The undertone of irritation in his voice was putting her on edge, and he let out a dry, breathy laugh, shaking his head.

“That you’ve been lyin’ to me.”

“What? I never—”

“I don’t mean your intentions. You never wanted us to be more than friends. That’s just fine,” he reasoned, and how measured his tone was made Y/N furrow her brow. “But what I wanna know now is if you did end up gettin’ more attached than you meant to.”

“I… ?” Her voice was breathless. It sounded as though his question had knocked the wind out of her, but Thomas just continued to watch her expectantly.

“You heard me. You know what I’m askin’.”

“Does it matter?” she asked, but the words sounded hoarse. She could feel her hands trembling where she rested them on her thighs, and she folded her arms to hide it. She didn’t want Thomas to see how uneasy she was.

“It does to me.” He pursed his lips, leaned forward to rest on his forearms on his thighs. Y/N didn’t respond. “If you’re not gonna gimme an answer on that, the least you can do is tell me what you were gonna say that night. Just give me something to go on here.”

“It won’t change anything.” Her voice was heavy.

“Then just tell me." He sounded tired. "I can't go on wondering if this was all in my head."

“Thomas…”

“Please,” he said. “What’d you ‘never mean to’ do?”

“Hurt you.” Her words were nearly inaudible as she stared down at her legs, unable to bring herself to look up and see how he was watching her. “Which feels silly to say now, but it’s the truth.”

His jaw was tight. He nodded. “Great.” He let out a heavy breath, leaned back off of his legs to sit up in his chair. “Great. ‘M gonna go tell Dolley we’re finished with talking. Don’t think there’s anything else to say.”

Y/N’s eyes were wide as he stood, particularly as she hadn’t moved an inch. “Wait, what?” He looked down at her with an expectant eyebrow raised when he went to grab his coat. She frowned. “I mean, yeah, sure, fine. But…”

“But what?” Thomas immediately challenged it when she trailed off, shaking her head.

“But that’s it?” she asked. “You’re just gonna leave now after you pressed for me to tell you that?”

He let out a humorless, breathy laugh. “‘Course I am. What else am I supposed to do with, ‘oh, I never meant to hurt you, Thomas’?”

Y/N wrinkled her nose at his mocking impression of her voice, taken aback by his shift in demeanor. “I don’t know. You’re the one who kept asking.”

“Mm, you’re right. My bad, sweetheart.” His tone was mocking as he pulled his arms into the sleeves of his coat, shrugged it onto his shoulders. He glanced back at the doors to the rest of the house. “‘S Dolley in the kitchen? Hang on a sec.”

“Hey, wait, slow down,” Y/N said, and she sounded affronted.

“What? You don’t wanna leave?”

“I… yeah, but…” She frowned. “Why do you sound so angry? What did I do?”

“I’m not angry.” The strain in his nonchalant gaze and his clenched jaw both said otherwise. “I can just appreciate some good irony, ‘s all.”

“What?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I mean,” he said. “You’re too smart for that, c’mon.”

“I got the implication,” she replied, struggling to keep her tone in check, “but no, I don’t know what you mean by it. What have I done to wrong you so sincerely? Hm?”

“Oh, please, I can’t do this again.” His frustration was unbridled in his voice. “Hasn’t even been a week since we went over it. Try ‘n think.”

“Do you mean in North Carolina?”

“When else?”

She huffed. “Alright, fine, but I don’t know what you want me to say to that. Do you really want to re-hash that argument?”

“Not in the least. ‘S why I’m leavin’,” he said frankly. “You take care of yourself, now.”

“Wait, come on,” she protested, finally standing up alongside him. “You seem even more mad now than you did last week. What’s your problem?”

He raised an eyebrow, and the amusement in his small smile was sardonic. “Right now? Sugar, you’re my problem. What’s hard to understand about that?”

How condescending his tone was made Y/N grit her teeth. “Then what do you want from me? What am I doing so incredibly wrong right now that I deserve—?”

“Same thing you’ve been doin’,” he spat. “Pretending to care about me ‘n then turnin’ around and makin' me feel silly for believing it."

"Hey, what?" The offense she took was clear in her voice. "Of course I care about you."

"Oh, save it. There's nothing to prove anymore. No need for the act."

"What the fuck do you mean 'act'?" He rolled his eyes at her question, went back to buttoning up his coat, and she scoffed. "I'm still talking to you."

"'N you're not sayin' anything I haven't heard."

"Then what do you want from me?" she asked, throwing her hands up in exasperation. He looked her dead in the eye.

"Something you can't give me."

She was stunned to silence for only a moment after his biting words, and as he finished putting his coat on, she drew in a shuddering breath. "So that's what this is about. You're angry because I haven't sucked your dick in a couple weeks."

He huffed out a disbelieving laugh. "Please. If I needed to get off, I could go anywhere I wanted."

"Oh, right, because the women are lining up down the street to fuck you."

"That's not what I mean, and you know it," he snapped.

"Then what do you mean?" She folded her arms, raised her eyebrows.

He paused for a moment, tongue burrowed into the corner of his cheek as he watched her. "I mean that I actually want you. Am I not bein' clear enough? I don't just wanna fuck you once in a while 'n then pretend to be strangers. But I have no idea what the hell you want from me, so I'm leaving. You can tell Dolley I said g'night."

"I will," she replied. "And I'm sure James will love hearing everything Dolley knows about us hooking up. Have fun dealing with that fallout."

He let out a mirthless laugh. "Thanks. Whatever he has to say, it'll be much easier than havin' to deal with you."

––––––––––––––––––––

mailto: ashl.sheddy@washingtonpost.com

Ashley:

I hope this email finds you well. Thank you so much for all your feedback on the Adams article; it’s been incredibly helpful in my redrafting process. However, many of the claims he makes about Jefferson’s past remain unsubstantiated, and I have faced numerous obstacles in finding a source who is willing to corroborate. None of Jefferson’s contacts who know him well enough to confirm or deny are willing to comment. As such, I am reaching out to request a two-week postponement on the publishing of the article while I straighten out the facts supporting it.

Thank you in advance,

Y/N L/N

––––––––––––––––––––

THOMAS’S WORDS HAD stung. He left that day with no further ado, and Y/N was left dwelling in the days that followed. She couldn't help but wince every time she recalled what happened. Her guilt was weighing on her even heavier than before.

"Mija, where is the order for Marcus?"

It was Mira's voice that broke her train of thought, pulled her out of her head. She blinked hard and found herself in the middle of absentmindedly assembling a sandwich. She checked the receipt— shit. Marcus had specifically asked for no mayo.

Y/N huffed as she trashed the bread and pulled out another roll. A minute later, she slid his order out in a basket complete with fries and a pickle, yelled it out over the counter, and went on to the next one. They were closing in ten minutes: why the hell were there still orders to make?

She slumped against the kitchen counter, resting on her hands against it after she finished the lobster roll for Sriya. Mira walked in to her left.

"Ay, this mess," she huffed, untying her apron and scrunching her nose as she surveyed the room. Y/N nodded, her blank stare not leaving the floor in front of her. Mira furrowed her brow. "Oye, you with me?"

Again, she nodded absently, and Mira frowned, folded her arms. "And you are happy to wash all these dishes, too? I can leave you here to mop the floors?"

The robotic nod she received in return made her sigh. "Mija." She snapped her fingers; Y/N visibly jumped, eyes wide. She looked at Mira. "What is wrong, hm? Why are you acting dumb?"

"Hey, uncalled for," Y/N defended herself, wearing a small frown as she looked over at Mira's impatient expression. "I'm just distracted."

"By what?"

She shrugged. "I don't know… work, I guess."

"You are at work," Mira pointed out, and Y/N sighed.

"You know I mean my other job. There's a lot on my mind. I'm sorry if I've been slacking here."

"Mm. Apology accepted," she said, and Y/N could only roll her eyes.

"Glad to hear it."

"But actually talk to me now, hm? You are giving me half answers." Mira raised an eyebrow, hands on her hips. Y/N pursed her lips.

"It's not a huge deal. Just an article I've been working on," she said. Her stare was absent. After a minute, she cleared her throat. "But hey, um, sorry to change the subject, but can I ask, has Thomas Jefferson been around here lately?"

"'To change the subject,'" Mira repeated skeptically. "So he is your problem. It is always a man."

Y/N furrowed her brow. "I thought you loved Thomas."

"Sí, sí, pero te quiero más," Mira replied matter-of-factly. Y/N couldn't help her small smile. "You know you always come first for me."

"Thanks," she said softly.

"But why do you care about Thomas Jefferson coming here now? Hm?" Mira asked, making Y/N frown. She assumed she was off the hook. "All you ever do is complain about him. Shouldn't you be happy?"

"So he hasn't been coming here?"

"Ah, ah. My question first."

Y/N shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know. I just haven't seen him during my shifts. I was curious."

Mira paused, eyeing her skeptically for a moment before she pulled her apron off over her head and folded it in her hands. "Yes, he has been by."

"Really? When?"

She nodded. "He was here yesterday."

"Did he seem… okay?"

Mira paused. "What do you mean?"

"I dunno." She shifted under Mira's disbelieving gaze. "I've heard he hasn't made many public appearances recently. Just wondering if something was going on."

"He seemed fine." Mira tossed her apron onto the counter. Y/N nodded, pressing her lips together. "He asked about you."

She froze. "He did?"

"He did," she confirmed. "Why did he ask about you?"

“What? I don’t know.” Her brow was furrowed, and her tone was defensive. “What did he ask?”

“The same thing you asked me about him. What is going on?”

“Nothing, I don’t—”

“No me mientas. I saw him leaving on a Saturday morning two months ago when I came in to open.” Mira’s tone was sharp, and Y/N’s stomach dropped. “I am not stupid; simply tell me what is happening."

“Mira, it’s really not what you think; he was just here while I was closing, and it was the night of that horrible blizzard, and his car wouldn’t start, and the roads were closed…”

“So you had an innocent little slumber party with Thomas Jefferson?”

“I just let him stay here for the night,” Y/N defended. “He didn’t really have any other options.”

“So why is he coming around here asking after you?” Mira folded her arms, and when Y/N shrugged, she sighed. “Please be honest with me. It is obvious that there is something more going on than you want to admit.”

Y/N’s long moment of silence following her words told Mira more than Y/N meant to divulge. Mira pursed her lips.

“Por favor, dime. I am only asking because I care about you.”

“Well, I appreciate it, but there’s nothing to be worried about,” Y/N assured her. “I’m obviously fine, and he’s apparently doing alright as well, so there’s no problem. I’ll come talk to you if there ever is.”

Mira looked her over as she cleaned up the counter she stood before. “Are you really doing fine, though?”

Y/N went to take out the trash.

–––––––––––––––––––––

SHE SETTLED BACK into her usual closing shifts at the diner within the week, returning to working the dinner rush. She could only feign illness to stay away for so long, and this wasn’t the shift Thomas typically came in during, anyway. Besides, she needed the money more than she needed to avoid him.

That week passed with little intrigue, limited to her favorite (and least favorite) customers alongside a surprise appearance from Lafayette on Wednesday night. Thankfully, he showed up during peak hours, so it wasn’t difficult to evade his questions under the guise of taking care of other customers. She assumed he left shortly after he came, but around an hour later, she noticed him in the back corner chatting animatedly with the old man who always ordered nothing but coffee and read his newspaper for hours. She couldn’t help but smile.

She was slowly walking back information from her article about Thomas, claiming she had another source denying the validity of its original claims, but she wasn’t sure her editor was buying it. Ashley was impatient, and her approach had always been to publish first and follow up later. It was surely only a matter of days, maybe a week, before the article went live without anyone corroborating it. Y/N was operating on stolen time.

But at that point, it couldn’t be her greatest concern.

The following Wednesday was slow at both the office and the diner. Thomas hadn’t appeared much in public since his fundraiser in North Carolina, so Y/N didn’t have much to write about to distract her from the exposé she was doing her best to stall. She had resorted to redundant think pieces about his economic policy platform.

When she arrived at the diner for the night, Y/N was already counting the hours until she could curl up with a glass of wine and watch Parks and Rec until she passed out on the couch. She’d take a night with Aubrey Plaza over her regulars any day.

She was working the kitchen with Jac until Mira left for the night, pushing Y/N to the register in her place. It wouldn’t have been a problem for her if not for the first face she saw when Mira brought her out to the front.

He was absentmindedly checking his phone when she approached, and she cleared her throat as she stepped up to the register. He looked up, and his eyes went wide.

"Hey." She spoke first. "What can I get you?"

"Hey." His voice was hesitant. "Sorry, I… thought you didn't work Wednesdays anymore."

She didn't meet his eyes, staring past him at the diner's patrons as she tapped her fingernails on the counter. "This is my usual shift."

"I know, but Lafayette said…" He trailed off, shaking his head. She raised her eyebrows, finally looking directly at him. His eyes were bloodshot. "Nevermind. 'M sorry. Can I get a roast beef on rye and a cappuccino to go?"

"Yeah. It'll be out shortly." Her words were soft, absentminded as she eyed him. He looked more put-together than she'd seen him when they were at Dolley’s, but the heavy frames of his glasses didn't hide the growing bags under his eyes.

He nodded, leaning down to pay, signing the screen before him. "Thanks, sweetheart."

He was tucking his card back into his wallet as he spoke, and as her eyes widened, he froze, both of them processing his words at the same time. He didn't say another word, though. He sighed as he turned to walk away, and she didn't interrupt him.

She sent his order to the kitchen and grabbed a cup for his coffee, marking it with his name. She stared at it for a long moment before glancing back up at him. He was seated at a table by the end of the bar, typing frantically on his phone.

They had his order out for him in around five minutes, and it was Jac who called it out to the dining room when he put it on the bar. Y/N went ahead and made his coffee herself, forcibly switching places with her coworker to transfer herself off of the register, and she was finishing it right as he came up to collect his sandwich.

"Cappuccino for Thomas?"

Her voice was weak as she met him at the end of the counter, and he gave her a halfhearted smile.

"Thanks."

As she handed him the cup, his fingers brushed against hers, and she couldn't bring herself to let go.

"Give me a call?" she asked quietly when he met her gaze. Her eyes were hopeful, and he swallowed thickly.

"Take care of yourself." His tone was impersonal as he broke her stare. She pursed her lips. He pulled the cup from her shaking hands.

––––––––––––––––––––

THOMAS DIDN'T CALL. Y/N wasn't sure she was really expecting him to after how he came in on Wednesday and made it clear that he'd been trying to avoid her. Still, her heart rate picked up every time she received a notification, not letting her rest until she had confirmed it wasn't him. She was let down every time.

She was the last employee there before they closed on Friday, as Jac had to leave early for a date, so she was left wiping down the counters as she waited for the final few customers to make their way out of the diner.

She looked up when the bell above the door rang, expecting the last person to be leaving, but instead, Thomas Jefferson was walking in. Her eyebrows shot up.

She came over to meet him at the register. "Did Lafayette also tell you I wasn't working Fridays?"

"Nah. 'M actually here to see you," he said. His expression was blank, his tone businesslike. "You did ask me to call, didn't you?"

"Yeah." Her voice was small. "At this point, I didn't think you were gonna."

"I didn't plan to." They both glanced over as the bell above the door chimed again, letting them know the last person had left the diner. "But it's been on my mind. I don't have time for that typa distraction, which is why I'm here."

"Right," she said softly. "Can I get you anything?"

"Coffee would be great if it's not too much trouble."

"Of course." The coffee pot was still hot and sitting under the machine, so it didn't take her long to pour him a cup in one of the mugs she'd just cleaned (one cream, two sugars). She turned back to hand it to him. "Here you go."

"Thanks." He accepted it as he sat down across the counter from her, putting it down in front of him. When he pulled out his wallet, Y/N raised an eyebrow, and when he started fishing out bills, she couldn't help but sigh.

"Put your money away; this is on the house," she said, and he glanced up with his dark brow knit.

"You should know by now that I can't be bought."

Her eyes widened at his words, and she looked him over skeptically for a moment as he put his wallet away. He held her gaze for another moment, watching her expectantly, and after a beat passed, the corners of his lips quirked up, giving the only indication that he might be joking. She rolled her eyes.

"How could I forget about your impeccable morals?"

"No idea." He reached for his coffee, and he took a delicate sip as she leaned against the counter across from him. "Why'd you ask me to call?"

"I wanted to talk to you, but I didn't think a text would cut it."

"What do we have left to say right now?" The bluntness of his question caught her off guard, and her eyebrows shot up as he watched her expectantly. "The conversation we had at Dolley's made it pretty clear any talk we had was gonna be more of the same."

She frowned, crossing her arms in front of her as she drew back from the counter. "If you think this is a waste of time then why did you bother to come here?"

"I don't think this is a waste of time," he defended. "I'm just not sure what you want from it."

"I don't know if you do, but I still have more to say," she said. He raised an eyebrow.

"Then why didn't you say it while we were at Dolley’s?"

"Because we started fighting, and you were angry, and I…" She sighed. "I didn't know how to. You had every right to be angry, but I didn't want to think I was in the wrong."

"So what's changed?" he asked, watching her expectantly.

She shrugged hesitantly, looking down at her hands on the counter. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about what you said. I felt bad, and… I've been worried about you."

"You've been worried about me?" he repeated skeptically, and when she looked up, she didn't like the disdainful look in his eyes.

"I have." When his disbelieving stare didn't budge, she sighed. "The last couple times I've seen you, you haven't seemed like yourself. You looked… tired."

"'Course I'm tired; I'm running a presidential campaign," he said flatly, and Y/N pursed her lips.

"I know, but then Lafayette called, and…" She trailed off when Thomas huffed. "I dunno. Mira told me you asked about me, and then Lafayette started talking like he knew something I didn't. So I was worried."

"Of course Lafayette called," he scoffed. "He can't just stay out of our damn lives, can he?"

"He means well," she reasoned, but he looked unimpressed.

"He needs to learn a thing or two about boundaries," Thomas said, "but I'm doing just fine. If that's all you wanted to talk about, I can head out."

"No, c'mon," she pleaded. "I didn't bring you here just for that. Bear with me."

Thomas said nothing but raised an expectant eyebrow as he took another sip of his coffee, waiting for her to continue.

"The real reason I wanted to talk is because I owe you an apology. Several apologies, really."

He put down his mug, leaning back in his chair. "What for?"

"You know what for." She gave him a tired look, and he shrugged innocently.

"Maybe." He drummed his fingers on the ceramic absentmindedly, watching them bounce on its glossy surface. "But I wanna know if you know what you're apologizin' for."

The bored look he wore made her feel small. She swallowed.

"I'm sorry for treating you how I did."

"You're gonna have to be more specific."

"I think if I tried to be specific we'd be here quite a while."

"I've got time."

"It's late."

"You don't have work tomorrow." He paused, considering himself. "As far as I know, that is. Won't pretend I still know your schedule."

"It hasn’t changed as much as I pretended it did,” she said quietly. “So I guess I’ll start there. I’m sorry for lying to you about my schedule and trying to pretend I hadn’t been avoiding you. I should’ve been upfront when you asked about it.”

“Yeah, you shoulda," he agreed with a nonchalant shrug. "I never got an explanation on why you were avoidin’ me either, but with how you started deflecting when I asked about other men, I’m not sure I want one.”

“Woah, I wasn’t deflecting anything about other men,” she defended, brow creased. “I told you in no uncertain terms that I had no desire to hook up with Lafayette, and you decided to push that and scrutinize my dating life.”

He rolled his eyes. “‘S great to know you and Lafayette aren’t sleeping together, but you can’t pretend you were straightforward with me.”

“What was I not being clear about?”

“You’re really gonna make me do this again?” Thomas huffed, glancing to his right as disbelief flashed in his eyes. “I dunno why you wanted to talk to me if we were just gonna rehash this.”

“I’m being serious.”

“Every time I've asked whether you were sleeping with other people, you told me you didn’t owe me that information, ‘n it all became some big fight about me actin’ controlling,” he said. “If you don’t wanna tell me, fine, but don’t act like you’ve been transparent. We both know you’re keeping me in the dark for a reason.”

“I’m not, actually,” she said, looking him in the eye. “I haven’t been with anyone else. Not in any capacity. If I were having sex with other people, I would’ve been asking you to be a lot more careful.”

“So you didn’t call me up to tell me I needa get tested for chlamydia?”

“No, just syphilis.” Her tone was lighthearted, but Thomas didn’t offer any sign of amusement. She cleared her throat. “You’re the only person I’ve been with since we met, so the last thing you have to worry about is me passing on some incurable STI.”

“You haven’t slept with anyone else since I’ve known you?” There was surprise in his creased eyes as he fixated on the first part of her sentence. She shrugged.

“I guess I haven't.” She eyed his incredulous stare. "I didn't think this would be that shocking, either."

"You've been careful as possible to make that unclear," he said. "So if there's nobody else, then why all the lyin'? If you wanted space, you coulda just said so. I'm an adult; I can handle it."

"I know you can," she said quietly. She rubbed at a smudge on the countertop, trying to avoid his gaze. "I just… I've felt guilty about being with you and… whatever this is. Whatever we are. So much happened so fast between us, and the more time I spend in the outside world the more I feel like it was a mistake."

"'A mistake'?" The hurt in his tone was clear, and she sighed, resting her forehead on one of her hands.

"I don't mean it like that, but you know what the reality is here. We knew it from the start."

"I shouldn't have come here," he muttered, setting down his mug and moving to stand. Her eyes widened.

"Wait, hear me out," she pleaded, but he was off of his seat, buttoning his coat. "I got a lot more attached to you than I meant to, alright?"

That stopped him cold.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about what you said at Dolley's, and I'm sorry I spent so much time deflecting." She pursed her lips, watching him hopefully, and when he met her eyes, his tense shoulders softened. "I really like being with you, but with what our lives are, we can't be doing this. We’re not good for each other."

"I never asked you for any kind of a commitment," he defended. "You shoulda just told me if you didn't wanna do it anymore."

"I do want to keep doing it, though, and that's why it's such a problem." She sighed, her back sagging as she leaned against the counter. "I got too close. It's ruined all my objectivity as a journalist."

"You're good at your job," he reasoned. "The way you write about me's gotten more nuanced. I don't think that's a bad thing, sweetheart."

"No, you don't get it. This is a presidential race, and as a frontrunner, people have had enough of hearing about your politics. They get it by now. They want to hear about you and your ugly past and all the things that make you an unqualified leader." Her voice sounded hopeless, and it made him frown. "You've told me too much for me to play it straight. I care too much to be able to decide what the public does and doesn't need to know. I got this assignment because I wanted to serve up your dirty laundry on a silver platter, but I don't think I have it in me after everything that's happened."

"There's not much in my past worth hiding."

"Isn't there?"

"If I've made it this this far into my career without bein' hurt by what I do behind closed doors, I'm not afraid of anything you're gonna dig up."

"You were an alcoholic."

His wide eyes snapped to hers, and she didn't dare speak.

"'N how the hell d'you know about that?"

"So it's true?" she asked quietly.

"I was grieving my goddamn fiancée. She was all I had; I was surviving," he snapped, and she pursed her lips. "You try losing the love of your life 'n tell me it doesn't screw with your head."

"I don't blame you, Thomas, and I'm not judging you." Her soft words didn't save her from his skeptical gaze. "I’m sorry that you went through that. You didn’t deserve a second of it. But now that I know this, I’m supposed to publish an article about it. My editor wants to make this front page news, but I want to kill the story because I got too close to you."

"If I was anybody else, would you even know about this?"

"I got this information from an interview." She spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully. "My source wants to remain anonymous, but it's sound enough to publish without someone else corroborating it."

"Are you tellin' me you're planning to publish an article about me bein' an alcoholic?" His voice was incredulous; he watched her as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. The look in her eyes was pained.

"I don't want to," she said. "I don't want to make this public because I care too much about you. I don't even know whether this would be a fair article for someone to write because I've lost all perspective on writing about you."

"So don't write the article," he said, and she could barely stand to look at the worry in his eyes. "'S all in the past. I'm under control now; 's not who I am. That was me at my worst."

"My editor already knows about the interview," Y/N said softly, and she winced at the dread she saw flash in his expression. "If I don't publish this, someone else will, and I'll lose my job in the process."

"Who did the interview this came from?"

"I did." Her words were tearful.

"Then you can still stop this," he said firmly. "Refuse to write about it. Don't send your boss the notes from the interview, or the tape, or whatever you've got."

"Thomas, it's already written."

Her words struck him silent, and all he could do for a moment was stare at her in disbelief.

"I'm trying to stop it from running. It's a rough draft, so my editor still needs me to—"

"I opened up to you about my fiancée's death, 'n you just turned around and wrote an article about it?" His quiet voice was heavy with hurt.

"It's not about that. It doesn't even mention Martha, and my editor doesn't know about any of that," she pleaded. "My source doesn’t know about her, so nobody else has to. But there are people out there trying to crush your campaign who know about your struggle with addiction. The information’s out there; it’s only a matter of time before someone goes public with it."

“So you figured you may as well fast-track destroyin’ my reputation? You wanna tell the whole world who I was in my weakest moments?”

“Wouldn’t you rather the story be written by someone sympathetic to what you’ve been through?” she asked. “If I withhold the source from my editor, she can’t run the story, I lose my job, and some asshole who wants to see you suffer casts this all in a much harsher light.”

“All I’m askin’ for is time,” he pleaded. “We’re in the middle of the primaries; if this comes out now, I’m through.”

“I’ve delayed it for as long as I can. My editor wants a final draft by the end of next week.”

“The end of next week,” he repeated softly, looking down at the counter. His teeth were gritted; his jaw tense, but he was eerily still. Y/N felt sick. “You asked me to come here to apologize and tell me you cared about me just so that you could, what, feel better about yourself before you stabbed me in the back?”

“I felt bad about how we left things.”

“And this is so much better.” His voice was harsh, thick with irony as he looked up at her. “You’re unbelievable, you know that? You have some goddamn audacity, trying to make peace with me knowing damn well you just wrote an article that’s gonna destroy everything I’ve been working for.”

“This isn’t going to kill your career. It won’t even kill your campaign; the primaries are almost over, and you’ve won. You’re the candidate; take your victory lap,” she said, and the source of the indignation in her voice was hard to pin down. “I’ve been writing articles for months in opposition to your presidential run, and you never cared. We even laughed about it. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s finally some news that might make a dent.”

“This isn’t the same thing, and you know it,” he snapped, rising from his seat as his hand hit the countertop. His mug clattered against the surface.

“And what’s so different? I’ve said the harshest things about your career that I could think of; no matter how bad it got, you were still texting me on Friday nights asking me to come over.”

“This isn’t about my career. This is about me.” The words were firm, and he looked Y/N dead in the eye as he said them. “You don’t care about me; you care about climbin’ corporate ladders ‘n being national news. Nobody who really cared would be able to hear about what I’ve been through ‘n capitalize on it.”

“It’s not like that, Thomas, I—”

“Don’t call me,” he cut her off abruptly as he buttoned his coat. “Don’t text me, don’t talk to me, and don’t come near me. I’ve had enough of this goddamn game you’ve been playing, and I’m done having this conversation over and over again where I give you the benefit of the doubt n’ all you do is remind me that I’m expendable.”

“Wait, don’t—”

“I said I’m done,” he said. “And we’re done. You… you need to take a long, hard look at yourself before letting anybody else into your life.”

Y/N could barely speak with the lump building in her throat. She could barely breathe. Her eyes stung as she looked up at him, and she was afraid to move. All she could manage, her voice hoarse, was, “I’m sorry.”

“Goodbye, Y/N.”

When he walked out, he didn’t look back.

[thetrashywritingwitch]

So we had a neighborhood community thing this morning where we spread a huge pile of mulch around and we did that for a good 2.5 hours so that was my workout for the day

But it was just like mostly older women, a grandma, me and one other youngish person and a couple older guys. And I'm just like... Bakubrain pilled to the extreme

Walking up to these moms and older ladies with this tall built shitbrickhouse pro hero behind you. Did he want to do this? Not particularly. But you're pretty convincing, and it's a free workout and helps the neighborhood look a little nicer so why not

The moms are gossiping while he rolls his eyes and easily grabs a couple of heavy bags leaving the wheelbarrows etc to everyone else

Snatches the rake from Grandma gives her a bottle of water instead "s'faster if I do it jus' sit over there"

Wrinkles his nose at people driving by who could be out here helping they probably have jobs or other things but he's a snooty bitch

Two hours later the huge pile is gone and the bald lawn spots around the trees and pool look much better. And all the older ladies had something nice to look at while working lmaooo

"same time tomorrow morning? On the other side"

😐😑

[mizldrizl]

What is where in Beyond Evil?

I always wondered where certain locations in the show actually are and how far each of them is apart from the others. Thankfully, the scriptbook has some addresses -- partially fictional, of course -- I can work with.

1. 문주시 (Munju-si) - 파주시 (Paju-si) (*si = city)

In one of the Blu-ray features, they mention that they filmed Dong Sik's neighborhood in Paju.

문산읍 (Munsan-eup) is part of 파주시 (Paju-si) (*eup = small town). It is easy to guess how they came up with the name "문주."

문산천 (Munsancheon River) = 문주천 (Munjucheon River)?

Trivia: The house used as Dong Sik's family house is actually in 용인시 (Yongin-si), which is about 100 km away from Paju. While filming the scene where Joo Won and Dong Sik are on their way to arrest Kang Jin Mook in Ep. 8, the actors momentarily thought they should take Joo Won's car because Manyang Supermarket is in Paju. They realized, soon after, that it is only a few minutes' walk from Dong Sik's house in the show.

2. Han Joo Won's apartment

The scriptbook says Joo Won's apartment is in 서울시 마포구 (Mapo-gu, Seoul-si) (*gu = district).

According to the Naver navigation service, it would take 35~50 minutes from Joo Won's place to Manyang by car. Mind you, I enter a city hall or its equivalent in "from" or "to" for the cities that are not familiar to me, and that's what I did here. Still, it would be safe to say that it takes about 45 minutes commuting for Joo Won, maybe an hour, tops, when the traffic is bad.

3. Han Ki Hwan's house

서울시 강남구 (Gangnam-gu, Seoul-si). The scriptbook says "청암동 (Cheongam-dong)" as well, which is clearly a little tweak from 청담동 (Cheongdam-dong) (*dong = town); it is in the northern part of 강남구. It takes about an hour from here to Joo Won's place by car, but thinking of Seoul's traffic, it might take a bit longer than that depending on the time of the day.

4. 서울경찰청 (Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency)

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is in 서울시 종로구 (Jongno-gu, Seoul-si). It takes 25~35 minutes from Joo Won's apartment, and 45~55 minutes from Han Ki Hwan's house by car. But again, it's Seoul, so you can never be sure.

5. 옥산군 (Oksan-gun) - 옥천군 (Okcheon-gun)

옥산군 (Oksan-gun) is where Chief Nam's lakehouse is (*gun = municipality). The actual location is called 옥천군 (Okcheon-gun). It would take 3~3.5 hours from Manyang by car.

6. 부산시 (Busan-si) & 울산시 (Ulsan-si)

In Ep. 8, Dong Sik says he and Chief Nam once arrested a culprit in Ulsan and went to Busan together to have pufferfish soup before going back to Seoul.

It takes 4.5~5 hours from Seoul to Ulsan, and another 1.5 hours from Ulsan to Busan by car. From Manyang to Busan, it would be about 5 hours by car. If you take a KTX train from Seoul Station to Busan Station, it takes about 2.5 hours.

7. 강원도 (Gangwon-do)

In the last episode, it is mentioned that Joo Won is working at a station in Gangwon-do (*do = province).

You can see that it is a fairly big province. As of November 2023, there are 17 police stations in Gangwon-do. Meaning, Joo Won can be anywhere 80~250 km from Manyang. Because I am a shameless JWDS shipper who hopes that Joo Won can go see Dong Sik both in Manyang and Oksan easily, I would like to imagine Joo Won is working at the station in 원주시 (Wonju-si), which would be about 2.5 hours from either Manyang or Oksan by car.

(*All estimated times are based on around 4 pm on a weekday. Of course, if one drives at dawn or in the middle of the night, it would take a much shorter amount of time.)

[tikosblogg]

HIDDEN HEARTS//PT 3. FINAL PART

summary: love triangle? you grew up with folio, you are best friends. Both in very successful bands. folio tries to ignore his hidden feelings for you, especially when the one and only Noah Sebastian steals your heart.

Warnings: angst, SMUT nothing too crazy a little fluff.

A/N : so sorry for the long wait. I had trouble with this chapter. That being said, this will be the last chapter!! I hope you guys enjoy it!!! Not proof read I apologize.

I wake up to my alarm blaring on the bedside table at 5am. Letting out a tired sigh, I shut off my alarm. Today is the day. We leave for tour in 2.5 hours. I feel the nerves rack through my exhausted body. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so excited about this tour. It’s an absolute dream….but this also means I’m gonna be trapped on a tour bus with Noah, whom I’ve been avoiding for the past 3 weeks.

It’s been so hard. The hurt look on his face, everytime I cut our conversations short or made an excuse to leave the room every time he showed up, killed me. I have to do this. I don’t want to, but it’s for the best. I groaned, crawling out of bed to get all my stuff packed into my car. I slept in some sweats and a hoodie, so I could just get up and go. Since our first destination is only a 5 hour drive from here, we’re meeting at the studio, and all piling up into the bus.

After going over my check list a dozen times, I finally climb into my car, and head to meet everyone else. When I pulled up, all the guys plus a few more were packing their things in the bus. When I stepped out of the car, everyone yelled their “heys” and “what’s up” except for one. I looked him over, as he shoved his suitcase into the compartment on the outside of the bus.

He gave me a quick glance, before closing the compartment, and headed straight into the bus. I walked over to Nick, giving him a hug. “Is he okay?” He looked over towards the bus before shaking his head. “Don’t know. He’s been like this for the past 3 weeks. He won’t talk to anyone about it.” I felt my heart fall out of my ass. It's my fault.. ”you can go ahead and get on the bus, the guys will load your stuff.”

I shook my head pulling my gaze back to Nick. “Absolutely not, I can do it Nick.” He shook his head, pointing towards the bus. “There is a lot of stuff, and it has to be packed a certain way. Just go y/n. Get some rest.” I reluctantly nodded, headed towards the steps. I made my way inside, checking out the space. It was amazing. It was narrow, but so spacious at the same time.

I made my way across the bus, claiming a bunk. I threw my purse and phone onto the small mattress at the very top bunk, on the left side. I looked in front of me, at the closed sliding door. I slid it open to the entertainment area. There was a small flat screen, hung up on the wall, with an Xbox hooked up to it, resting on a shelf hung up under the tv. Across from it was the fluffiest recliner couch I’d ever seen.

Sitting on said couch was Noah. He wore his black bad omens joggers, with a Matching black hoodie. A black baseball cap on his. He looked so good. “Hi.” I stood there, awkwardly shifting back and forth on my feet. He nodded his head with a quiet “hey”, his eyes never leaving his phone. I turned back around, deciding to get some sleep. Our very first show is tomorrow, I need all the rest I can get.

I struggled climbing into the top bunk. Probably wasn’t the smartest idea being 5’0, picking the highest bunk. I got about half way, stretching my knee up to the mattress. My knee dug into it, as I tried pulling myself up into the bunk. My left leg dangle below me, trying to find something to push off of. I could feel myself slowly slipping.

Both of my hands clawed against the mattress trying to find anything to hold onto. As soon as I accepted my dreadful fate, I felt two hands on my ass shoving me into the bunk. I flew forward across the mattress, my forehead bouncing off the bunk wall with a loud thud. I quickly turned over, seeing Noah climbing into his bunk, directly across from mine on the right.

I rubbed over the throbbing spot on my forehead, as he lay on his back looking over at me. Our eye contact was intense, I could feel my face heating up. “Thanks.” I mumbled quietly, diverting my eyes somewhere else. He let out a quiet ‘mhmm” before sliding his curtain shut. I sighed, laying down, closing my curtain as well. This is gonna be a long tour.

I woke up to the sound of movement all throughout the bus. I checked the time on my phone seeing it was 1pm. Holy shit?! I slept that long? All of sudden my curtain was whipped open, to a smiling Nick. “Wakey wakey!! We gotta get checked into the hotel and then get ready for rehearsal and sound check.” I nodded with a smile, slowly climbing down from my bunk.

We all grabbed our stuff, exiting the bus to retrieve our suitcases from the bus compartment. We made our way inside, getting our key cards and headed to our floor. Once we got up there, we split up going to our respective rooms. I entered mine, throwing all of my stuff onto the bed. I pulled some black spandex shorts, and an oversized band t out of my suitcase. After getting dressed, I brushed my teeth and my hair. A knock on the door sounded through my room.

I opened it to Nick, and jolly. “Hey you ready?” I smiled, nodded my head, and followed them out. We all piled into a black suv, taking us to the venu we will be performing at tomorrow night. We’ve been here for three hours already, it’s hot as fuck in this place, and Noah is not happy. His inear isn’t working correctly, and the sound system doesn’t sound right. “Alright guys, let’s do it again.”

I sighed squatting to the ground, my legs so tired from just standing there. The music started, and I pulled the mic up to my lips. “Violence against nature….violence against nature.”

During the break down, Noah signaled for everyone to stop. “Y/N you’re sounding pitchy! Get it together!” I felt my heart stop. Did he really just say that to me? “Excuse me?!” I yelled, dropping my microphone to the ground, walking closer to him. We stared each other down, his eyes hard and cold. I shook my head walking away. I felt the tears burning my eyes. How fucking humiliating.

Who does he think he is?? I made my way to the green room backstage, slamming the door closed behind me. My chest heaved as I paced back forth. This is all my fault.. I threw myself at him, and ruined our friendship. I let out a quiet sob, as I took a seat on the couch, throwing my head in my hands. “Y/N” nicks voice made me jump out of my skin. I never even heard him enter the room.

“I’m fine Nick, we should probably get back out there.” I sighed, standing from the couch. “No y/n…sit down. We need to talk.” I nodded plopping back down on the couch, him taking the seat beside me. “Look I don’t know what happened, but it’s pretty obvious something is going on between you and Noah.” I felt my heartbeat pick up, as I shook my head. “No nick I-“ he shook his head “let me finish.”

I snapped my mouth shut, nodding my head. “You and Noah clicked as soon as you laid eyes on each other. Everyone noticed it. I noticed it.” I could feel my heart breaking. I never wanted Nick to find out. Of course he would have never told me I couldn’t see Noah, but I never wanted to put him in the middle of something like that. He didn’t deserve it.

“You quit coming around. We all noticed that. Come to think of it, that’s when Noah started acting differently. Why did you? Did he do something?” His voice had a bit of an edge at the end of his sentence. My eyes widened in horror. He thinks Noah did something to me?! If anything I did something to him! I’m the one who threw myself at him, and then ran away with no explanation.

I shook my head, throwing my hands over my mouth. “Oh god no Nick, no not at all.” A fresh set of tears fell down my cheeks as I let out a sigh. I just wanna be honest, and get over this. “The night you guys stayed at my air bnb with me….after I got out of the shower, you jolly and Nick passed out on the couches.” He nodded his head, never taking his eyes off of me. “Noah was outside on the patio, and I went and joined him. We just talked for a while. It was really nice. Then I….I kissed him.”

Nick laid a hand on my shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. “So why are you so upset? Why are you avoiding him?” I sucked in a breath, trying to control my sobs. “After I kissed him, I freaked out and ran. I just. I don’t want to put you in the middle of something like that Nick. He’s your best friend and you’re mine. I never wanna put you in a position where you feel like you have to choose.”

Nick chuckled, shaking his head. “But how do YOU feel y/n?” We stared at each other for a few seconds, as I tried to put the right words together. “I’ve never felt the way I do with Noah, with anyone else. I care about him so fucking much, but I can’t lose you Nick.” He pulled me into a tight hug, placing a kiss on my head. “Y/n I can promise you…you are never going to lose me. Ever. If that’s how you feel, then I 100% support you.”

I lifted my head in surprise. I thought he would be totally against this. I could feel the tension, worry, and dread slowly leaving my body. “I told you, all I want is for you to be happy. No matter who it’s with.” I nodded my head, my tears finally slowing down. So that’s what he meant that day….he already knew. I pulled him into another tight hug, as he stood from the couch. “Where are you going?” He smiled down at me. “I got a hot date with one of the sound techs lily.” He sent me a wink, crossing his arms over his chest. “And YOU have someone you need to talk to.”

I looked down nodding my head. “Yeah I should probably explain everything to Noah, let him know how I really feel.” Nick laughed, patting my shoulder. “You already did.” I looked up at Nick confused, his eyes fixed on the door. I looked over to see Noah standing there, a small smile on his face. Welp…I guess that was easy. Nick ruffled my hair with his hand, before walking toward the door. “I’ll leave ya to it.” He walked past Noah, giving him a pat on the back before closing the door behind him.

Me and Noah sat in silence for a minute, just staring at each other. He finally made his way over, sitting down next to me. He let out a sigh, before finally speaking. “I’m so sorry y/n. I didn’t mean what I said, I was just…I was hurt, and confused. But I should have never taken it out on you.” I didn’t bother saying anything. I didn’t care. I forgive him. He forgives me.

I threw myself onto his lap, straddling his thighs. I wrapped my arms tight around his neck, nuzzling my face into his shoulder. He instantly wrapped his arms around me leaning back into the couch, pulling me with him. I pulled back, catching his gaze with mine. “I’m so sorry Noah.” He shook his head, cupping my cheek with his hand. He pulled me down into a soft kiss.

It started out just like our first one, sweet and slow. Until his hand slid down my back, cupping my ass in his giant hand. He squeezed it hard, making my core grind against his lap. I let out a soft moan, as he took the opportunity to shove his tongue in my mouth. Our kiss got more heated, the longer we sat there. Loud pounding at the door, made us both jump apart. “Let’s go love birds! We’re going back to the hotel!”

Jolly’s voice came through the door. We smiled at each other, still not moving. He cupped my cheek again, pecking my lips. “I like you too y/n, a lot.” I smiled, nodding my head. “Good.”

We made it back to the hotel 30 minutes later, Noah and I were glued together the entire time. We got to our floor, and everyone split up. I looked at Noah, nodding my head towards my room. “You wanna hang out for a bit?” He nodded, leading the way. I pulled out my key card, sliding it in. As soon as I opened the door, I was rushed in instantly being shoved against the door, Noah’s lips on mine.

I groaned into it, fisting his hoodie in my hands at his hips. He picked me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. He carried me to the bed, dropping me on top of it. He climbed on top of me, settling between my thighs, laying his chest on top of mine. “Do you wanna do this?” I nodded my head without a second thought.

He leaned back down, shoving his tongue in my mouth. His hands gripped my shirt, pulling it over my head. He sat straddling my waist, pulling my bra off as well. I groaned as the cool air hardened my sensitive nipples. He leaned down, taking one into his mouth, sucking lightly before releasing it. “You’re so beautiful baby.” I whined, reaching for him. He smiled, grabbing both of my hands, placing a kiss on the palm of both of them. He slid down my body, sliding my shorts and underwear off in one swoop.

Kneeled on the floor, at the end of the bed, grabbing my calves pulling me down closer to him. “Noah..” I whimpered as his breath hit my core. He spread my thighs open wide, slowly leaning down. He ran his thumb over my clit, before finally sucking it between his lips. I gasped, my hands flying to his hair, tugging on it. I quickly let it go, mumbling out an apology. He pulled away from me, looking into my eyes.

“You grab my hair, and fucking pull it all you want. Please baby.” I clenched at the fact, he was begging me. It was the sexiest fucking thing. I watched as spit fell from between his lips. I gasped as it fell directly on my clit. He watched me as he slid his two middle fingers into my throbbing hole. He slowly thrusted them, leaning back down to lick at my throbbing clit. “Fuck Noah.”

He groaned against me, as I tugged on his hair. He pulled away gasping. He whimpered before catching my eyes again. “Harder.” I almost came at that. He went back down, pumping his fingers faster. I felt my orgasm approaching, as I pulled hard on his hair, now grinding my pussy against his face and fingers. A few seconds later, my thighs were squeezed around his head shaking.

He pumped his fingers getting me through my high, before pulling out and climbing back on top of me. This kiss was erratic, and messy. Lips, tongues, and teeth clashing. I yanked at his hoodie, pulling it off of him. I ran my hands down his tattooed chest, pulling the waistband of his sweats and underwear down, his hard dick springing free. I gasped at his size. He smirked, pecking my lips before speaking. “You can take it, can’t you baby?”

I nodded my head fast, pulling his lips down to mine. I felt the tip of dick, right at my entrance. He gripped my thigh, bringing it up to my chest. Before looking at me one more time for confirmation. I nodded quickly. “Please.” Noah groaned, laying his forehead against mine. He slowly inserted the tip, before pulling it back out, over and over again. I whined, bucking my hips begging him to go in all the way.

He gave me a teasing smile. “Whose pussy is this?” I whimpered, as his tip kept entering me, and leaving me. “Yours.” I mumbled. He shook his head, gripping the back of my head pulling it up towards him. “Who’s?” I gasped, at this new dominant side of Noah. It’s driving me insane. “Fuck Noah it’s yours! Please!” Not a second later, he thrusted up completely bottoming out inside of me.

“Fuck Noah!” He wasted no times, pounding into me. “That’s right baby, this is my pussy. Nobody else's right?” He kept thrusting, never breaking eye contact with me. It was fucking intense. I shook my head, as best as I could with his fingers tangled in the back of my hair. “No baby…never.” He groaned, shoving his face into my neck, biting and sucking my skin. “Fuuuck baby.”

He groaned against me, sending chills down my spine. He quickly pulled away, pulling out of me. He took no time, flipping me over. He pulled my hips up, my ass high in the hair. He gripped the hair at the back of my hair again, shoving my cheek against the mattress. My back was arched as far as it could go, before he thrusted back into me. “Holy fuck y/n.” He groaned.

“You’re so fucking beautiful…so perfect.” All I could do was whimper and moan into the mattress. A loud smack sounded around the room. My ass cheek now on fire. I let out a strangled groan, loving the burning sensation it left behind. “Come on baby. Cum on cock.” Noah groaned, thrusting harder. He pulled me all the way up, until we were back to chest.

He wrapped one around my waist, bring his other down so his fingers could play with clit. He went back to biting and licking my neck, as I moaned out his name. My orgasm was quickly rising. He could feel it, as he rubbed my clit faster. “That’s right baby.” I groaned out his name, and came all over his dick, as he fucked me through it. “Good fucking girl.” He reached up, turning my face towards him.

We shared a sloppy wet kiss, before he let me go. I dropped back down on to my face, as he kept thrusting chasing his own high. “Please Noah….cum inside me.” He groaned, thrusting three more times before finally finishing inside me. He pulled out, falling down beside me. We laid there catching our breath, as lightly rubbed my back.

“Are you okay baby?” I smiled, opening my eyes looking at him. “More than okay.” He laughed, turning me onto my side to face him and into his chest. We laid there for a while, just soaking up each other's warmth until he finally broke the silence. “I missed you..” I lifted my head, to look at him. “I missed you too Noah. I’m so sorry-“

He put his fingers to my lips, stopping me. “You’re here now, that’s all that matters.” I smiled against his fingers. Giving them a little kiss, before taking them in his mouth. He groaned watching me. “Fuck baby…you’re gonna be the death of me.” I shrieked as he pounced back on me.

We spent the rest of the night, wrapped up in the sheets, and each other. It started out a little rough, but I am so grateful that Noah came into my life. He is the piece that I’ve always felt like I was missing…

[two-birds-alone-together]

Hello hello! How is Bookshop 4 coming along? Any tidbits or plot bunnies you can share? 👀

You wanted a novel-length response, right? 🙃

The title is from "A Little Voice" by Sara Bareilles (absolutely SHOCKING, I know). I have no idea why I felt the need to word vomit about the title, but you can find some insight into it below the cut.

Let's see, tidbits or plot bunnies...

I wrote the last scene in February 2024 and the epilogue in July 2024.

I've been focusing on a few other stories lately, but Bookshop is always in the back of my mind. I've been toying with changing up the format a bit... we'll see if that happens or not

Here's a lil snippie... as you may be able to tell, this is unedited 🤣

The ringing phone jerks him awake, neck protesting against the way he’d fallen asleep with his chin on his chest.  He nearly tosses it across the room in the scramble to catch it. “Yeah, hey.” “Did I wake you, old man?”  Wherever Ellie is, there’s a lot of background noise.  She’s supposed to be at [person]’s house, and last he checked that’s exactly where she was. “‘Course you did, it’s…” Joel pulls the phone away from his face, frowning at the time.  “Girl, you better be callin’ from outside the door because you forgot your keys.” Static crackles over the line, like she’s covering the microphone, before Ellie says, “Look, I need you to be cool about something.” “Ellie—” “Like, really cool.  Like, cooler than you’ve ever been in your life.” “Jesus Christ,” Joel grumbles under his breath, already getting to his feet.  “Don’t tell me you got arrested.” “I didn’t get arrested,” Ellie responds dutifully.  “So, are you gonna be cool or do I need to call Tess?” He throws his head back, inhaling slowly through his nose as he shakes his head. “I’ll be cool until morning. Where are you?” “Uh…”  More muffled conversation, then, “The corner of [street] and [street] in [place].  I need you to come get us, and Jesse and Dina need to stay over.” This kid’s going to be the death of him.  “[Place]?  The hell you doin’ out there?  You’re supposed—” “You said you’d be cool,” Ellie interrupts.  “And you’re always on me about calling even if I do dumb shit and think you’re going to be mad, so you should be happy I’m fucking listening to you for once. Can you come get us?”

Previously shared snippies:

ellie & joel argue (1)

ellie & joel argue (2)

ellie & tess bonding

ellie hurts herself in gym class

Picture it: New Jersey, 2024.

I driving home from a famiy thing upstate and had my all-Sara-all-the-time playlist on. I've listened to it a ton, know all the songs, etc., but I find that driving generates so. many. ideas. It also gives me the opportunity to really internalize song lyrics, since it's me, the car, and my playlists.

So I'm sitting on the approach to the George Washington Bridge (where it goes from like 6 lanes to 3, because it's not a heavily traveled bridge or anything). Now, I am at a complete stop, have moved maybe 3 car lengths in 20 minutes, and basically sitting like Joel when Ellie isn't tired.

"A Little Voice" comes on. I'm half-daydreaming, half-listening, and I catch the lyric:

No amount of remembering the better things Will make the bad ones go away.

My brain goes: EllieEllieEllieEllie.

I immediately restart the song because I hadn't been paying enough attention to the lyrics.

Well, here's an accurate (if non-chronological) depiction of me in the car as I pay close attention to the song:

The acknowledgement that trauma remains with you, even after you've learned to accept it.

The finding a way to express yourself when words don't cut it.

The risk you take of putting it all out there.

The realization that part of you isn't there anymore.

It all positively screamed Bookshop 4.

Anyway, it took me another 2.5 hours to get home and I listened to that song and only that song the entire time.

dividers from pngtree

[13as07]

Patience #2.5

(Jiraiya Smut)

[Art work is not mine! Credit to hageeeeeee]

Requested by: Myself

Word Count: 6,357

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:

Part 2 from Jiraiya's POV

Oral/Fingering/Masturbation

Hair Pulling

Nick Names: Little One, Sweetheart, Sweet Girl/Thing, Sensei, Obedient Girl, Pillow Princess, Tease

Praising/Soft Domination

Power Difference/Age Gap (Teacher/Student)

Exhibitionism (public sex)

Hickies/Bite Marks

Thigh Shots/Creampie

Vibrating Panties

———————————————————————

My hands trail over my student's back as she sleeps, napping like I told her to. I fully intended to nap too, but the Sweet Girl keeps squirming in her sleep, clenching and rubbing against my dick buried in her.

Even if she was a still sleeper, I wouldn't be able to sleep. Tsunade is never going to let me hear the end of it when we get home. That, and I'll owe Naruto three thousand yen. My old student was convinced I was going to 'go full pervy sage mood' with my new student. And he was right.

When the Sweet Thing shifts again my eyes flicker down to her. She's adorable, curled up on top of me as she clings to my chest. "Jiraiya-Sensei?" She calls, sleep still evident in her voice. My Sweetheart sits up, her fingers sliding against a valley of my scar, sending new mellow shocks of pain through my chest.

"Hello, Little One," I answer back, watching her shift upward. The Sweet Thing clenches around me as she moves, jump-starting my hips. "How'd you sleep?" I ask, circling my hips slowly. I know she's fine to take me, courtesy of me being buried in her for the past few hours and the juices that have been dribbling out of her on occasion. Just because she's physically ready doesn't mean she is mentally. Not everyone wants to be fucked awake.

"I..." she starts, mouth hanging a bit as she looks down at me. My Little One is back to her wide eyes, 'please fuck me' look that was driving me crazy earlier today. "I slept..." a whimper tumbles from her lips, more desperation for me swirling on her face. "Good. How'd... you sleep?"

"I slept good, Sweetheart," I lie through my teeth. I don't want her to know she kept me awake. My heart swells a bit at the question, a small reminder of how sweet my kunoichi is.

My hands fall to her thighs, fingers wrapping around her flesh to tug her off of me, mindset to settling her on my chest again. I like the way it burned, having her cunt drip into my scar. Plus, I want to taste her again, to bury my head between her thighs, to hear her call for me in need. "What are you doing?" My Little One almost cries, her desperation for me no longer only present on her face. "Sensei, you said - "

"I know, my Sweet Girl," I coo, trying to calm her down. At this rate, my youthful student is going to have me feeling my age. I have the sex drive of a dog, but I'm starting to think my kunoichi has the sex drive of a rabbit. "I'll fuck you, I promise. I just need to prep you again," I half lie. She doesn't need it, proven by her pulsing around me on repeat, but it wouldn't hurt to warm her up a bit.

I flip us over, resting my Sweet Thing on her back as I hover over her. She looks cuter balled up under me, being engulfed by my form. I start us off slow, littering kisses down her stomach, enjoying the taste of her skin against my lips. By the time I get to her legs, the Pillow Princess is antsy, squirming around as I shift myself lower, continuing to press kisses into her as I line myself up to her pussy.

My eyes settle on her wetness, enjoying the sight of her arousal and the way she gaps for me. The thought of filling her up and enjoying the sight of her pussy spilling over flutters through my mind, giving me the mental note to talk to her about my infertility and her comfort level of me cumming in her. That's a discussion for another time though.

I stay locked on the beautiful sigh as I slither my tongue out, focusing on her clit right away. I flick it once before running down her folds, lapping up the mess that built during her nap.

"Sensei," my Princess calls as her fingers bury into my hair. My dick twitches at the small movement, quickly reminding me how much I like my hair pulled.

"Sweetheart," I call back, making sure the vibrations rub against her clit. Her hips jerk, forcing my face further into her pussy.

From there, my Little One takes her eat-out into her own hands, keeping my head still as she grinds against my face. I laugh a bit at the sight, enjoying every second of her desperation to get off. I decide to help the horny youngster out, shifting my hold to her legs to lift her, offering a better angle for her to ride my face.

I continue licking at her, doing my best to keep pace with her unrhythmic hips. "Sensei?! Jiraiya?!" She whines, her breath picking up as her orgasm approaches. My student looks adorable like this, eagerly riding my face, head thrown back with her titties pushed out as she yearns for me.

"Little One?" I respond, shifting my focus to her hole, hoping it'll help her neediness. I focus on running my tongue along her insides, mentally tallying what spots get the best noises out of her. I occasionally bump her clit with my nose too, encouraging her cum to spill out so I can taste it again.

I slide my tongue over a new spot, getting rewarded with a few things. My name called, my head pressed down again, and her cunt clenching as she comes undone. There it is, my Sweet Girl's g-spot. "Sensei? Sensei? Sensei?!" My student moans out the melody of my hard work.

"Sweetheart, Sweetheart, Sweetheart," I tease, mimicking her sweet sounds before lapping up the fresh cum coating her pussy.

"Sensei?" Princess whines, fingers so tight around my hair that I'm a tad bit worried she'll hurt herself. "Please?" She continues to whine, tugging on me.

The pull of my hair makes me twitch again as I give in to her wants, crawling up her body. I laugh again when her face falls into view. She's adorable because of how eager she is. It reminds me of someone seeing the ocean for the first time.

I hover over my Little One, watching as her mess falls from my face, coating her dusty pink cheeks in her arousal. The sight is almost enough to make me cum now. My hands cup her knees, spreading her open even more so I can fit against her. "Hello again, Little One," I murmur, soaking in her softness.

Her little innocent act gets me way too hard, way too quickly. The Sweet Girl's desperation is rubbing off of me, making my balls feel heavy as I rest against her. I bend down, bumping her nose so more of her cum covers her cheeks before I kiss her.

I want her to taste herself, to know how good she tastes, how addictive she is. It's solely a selfish act, sliding my tongue past her lips, sucking on hers so her taste is forced against her tastebuds, but I don't care. I deserve a selfish act now and again.

My fingers dig into her knees, bending them up to her head so my Sweetheart's pussy is on display for me. "You're doing so good," I tell her as I sink into her cunt.

My Little One feels so good, wrapped around my deprived dick. My focus is set, trying my best not to pound the life out of her. There's plenty of time to ruin her ability to walk, but for now, I need to be gentle, to be sweet, so my Princess can enjoy our first time together.

Despite it being a bad decision, I decide to shift my gaze down, watching her pussy cling to my cock. My nerves shift to my fingers, clinging to the back of her thighs to stretch her out more, hoping it'll calm my want to let loose.

"Sensei, it hurts," My Obedient Girl whines, laying out another boundary.

"I'm sorry, Sweet Girl," I apologize, adding the thought of flexibility training to my mental note list. I like her pressed like this, I like getting to see her face and her pussy stretching at the same time, but my Princess needs to be comfortable.

I drop her legs down, scooping up her waist before switching our positions again. I settle my Little One on top of me again, resting her back into our nap-time position. "Be a good student and bounce on your Sensei's dick," I encourage, causing my Sweet Girl to clench around me again.

The encouragement gets me what I want, my student eagerly riding my cock like the sex-driven rabbit she is. Her hands settle into my scar again, clinging to some of the valleys as she bounces. "My perfect Obedient Girl. You feel so good wrapped around me," I praise, holding her hands as I enjoy the small rest.

Just as I figured, the rest doesn't last long, dissatisfaction coating my Sweet Thing's face as her speed picks up. A whimper spills from her, my name quickly following the noise. "Please?" She whines head tilted as she looks down at me.

"Please what? Is my pillow princess upset I put her on top?" Another chuckle roars through my chest, my Little One already playing me like a fiddle.

I pick up her hands, quickly pressing eight kisses against them, coating each one of her knuckles. I lift her off of me again, my tip red and angry from the lost satisfaction. "I suppose I can't complain if I keep complying," I confess, settling my Sweetheart on all fours before I shift behind her.

She looks hot in this position, her cute butt arched up to show off her soaked pussy. I thrust back into her, setting the pace faster than her bounce. Her hips jerk backward, verifying her whine to get off was from the lack of speed she could muster. My hands drop down, pressing into her sides so I can maneuver her alongside my thrusts.

"Look at me, Sweetheart," I order, trying to keep my desperation out of my voice. I want to see her, watch her face shifting from the pleasure I'm giving her, see her big doe eyes staring up at me with need.

My Obedient Girl does as she's told, arching her back as her head tilts back. The arch lets me sink into her further, quickly shoving me closer to the finish line. My sight skates over her body before settling on her eyes. When our eyes lock, I'm a goner. "Fuck, Little One," I mutter, reluctantly pulling myself out of her.

I hunch over, still clinging to her as my cum paints her thighs. A moan tumble from my lips as my dick twitches against her legs, continuing to lay claim to my student. "Good job, Sweetheart. You did a really good job. Your sensei is proud of you," I praise, sliding my hands down to rub her stomach as I catch my breath.

————————————

I can feel the desperation seeping out of my student. She's a hot mess today, the lack of attention finally boiling over. "Jiraiya," she whimpers, her nails digging into my arm as she begs for my attention. I rub my thumb over her knee, trying to ignore my growing hard-on as I focus on the information Riku is filling me in on.

We're in the Mist Village for a reason. We are here to collect information on the new strand of Paeon flowers being grown. We are here to bring information back to Tsunade for her medical research. We are -

"Sensei?" My Little One almost cries, her voice strained as she wraps her fingers around mine, desperately trying to tug my hand up to her waistband. Her tone makes my dick pulse, quickly breaking what little concentration I have left.

Why did I have to be right about her having the sex drive of a rabbit? Why haven't I tried harder to teach her some patience? Why have I given in to her every whim?

Because she's young, so her hormones reflect that. Because I like how desperate and needy she is, how willing she is to fuck me wherever, whenever. Because my name tumbling from her lips and her taste is intoxicating enough that I understand the mindset of an addict now.

I squeeze her knee and shoot her a glare, a nonverbal order to calm herself down. I shift in my seat, shoving down my arousal as I try to calm myself too. My eyes settle back on Riku, taking in the information he's sharing.

My princess's fingers tangle into my hair, tugging on it as she whines my name again. My jaw clenches as I quickly start losing my composure. I can't tell her no when she acts like this, when she tries so needly to get my attention, when she's throwing herself at me, and only me. Why does my kunoichi have to be so youthful? So packed full of those uncontrollable hormones?

"What an antsy kunoichi you have, Jiraiya boy. I don't know how you keep your wits about you," Riku chuckles, causing my glare to snap towards him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I hiss, my hand clenching my Little One's knee harder. What is Riku thinking? That he has a chance? Over my dead body.

"Calm down," he continues to laugh, a smug smile on his face as he rolls his eyes at me. Riku is one of my longest-lasting allies, I shouldn't be surprised he reads through me so easily. Easy enough to poke at my unneeded protectiveness. "I just know your students tend to have more energy than they know what to do with," he finishes, continuing to eye my kunoichi, quickly bubbling up more of my jealousy.

He needs to back off. Is he blind? Does he not see how desperately she clings to me? How desperately she whines for me? Riku has as much of a chance of getting my student in bed as Orochimaru does.

I glare at him, at least until my Sweetheart's legs rub together, squeezing my hand between her knees. My eyes jump down to her, taking in the discomfort on her face.

My poor Princess, the lack of attention today must be killing her. I don't care who knows I'm sleeping with her, I'll announce it to the whole world if she wants, but that doesn't mean our work can take a back burner to our growing relationship.

We're Shinobis, our missions have to be completed and at the moment they require communication with other Shinobis. It's not exactly appropriate to have my tongue shoved down her throat or my teeth sink into her neck during a business meeting.

"You're not wrong, I tend to have chakra balls for students. Do you mind excusing us for a few minutes?" I finally respond, turning my attention back to Riku, who's still eyeing my student. I swear to the Lord above I could knock his teeth out.

"Enjoy your walk," he huffs, waving us away as he sulks in his disappointment. God, he should be disappointed. She's my Sweet Girl, not his. If Riku wants a student so bad he should get one himself instead of trying to steal mine.

My hand jumps from my student's knee to her arm, clinging to it as I climb out of my chair, tugging her along with me. She stumbles behind me, hands occasionally pressing to my back as her balance shifts in and out.

Whether her balance is offset from my grip or from the cloak she's swimming in doesn't matter at the moment. If Riku doesn't stop undressing her with his eyes, I'll burn the cloak so my Princess has to show off my love marks.

"We're going on a walk?" The Sweet Thing asks, hands leaving my back now that I'm not tugging her around as roughly.

"No," I answer shortly, heading toward the bathroom. We're not going on a walk, we're going to the bathroom so I fuck her neediness out of her, so I can stop her little whines that have hooked Riku's attention.

"But what's his face said - "

"When I was training Naruto, sometimes he would get antsy at the table," I start explaining, my jealousy washing out of my chest. Why was I so worried? My Sweetheart couldn't even be bothered to remember Riku's name. "I would excuse us and take him on a walk or practice a jutsu or two outside so he could burn off some energy,"

"But I'm not antsy, I'm - "

"I know," I say, cutting her off again. I'm pulsing with need as we stand outside the bathroom. When I force my Sweet Thing to look at me, my dick only gets angrier with the lack of attention it's getting. "You, Little One, have the sex drive expected for someone of your age. I have given into every single whine for me you've spilled. Today, I have not, so now your hormones are going crazy because I went from answering every beck and call to barely touching you. You, my Sweet Girl, are beyond pampered."

The short explanation makes her thighs rub together, only further enforcing my observations throughout the day. "I'm sorry. I just... need you, Sensei," the words tumble from my Princess, coated in whines as her legs continue to rub together for stimulation.

I cling to her hips, shoving the bathroom door open as I drag her inside. "Dear lord, Sweetheart. You're killing me," I confess, my desperation quickly catching up with hers.

"How am I killing you, Sensei?" She asks the very obvious question. My Little One stands on her tippy toes, rubbing her clothed pussy against me. Her eyes are blown out, filled with that fake naiveness she wears so well. I swear she knows what it does to me with how often she uses her nifty little trick to get what she wants.

"Your little whines," I start spilling the answer, hands clinging to her legs once again. "How desperately you grip at me," I continue, walking us over to the counter. "The way your thighs rub together in need, your big doe eyes you keep staring at me with. You're not a Princess, you're a tease," I finish, setting her on the counter. She looks so pretty, so fuck-able perched like this.

I shove the collar of her cloak out of the way, instantly latching myself to her neck. I'll make sure Riku knows we didn't go on a walk, make sure he knows my student is whiney for my dick, and not because she can't control her chakra levels.

"Sensei, I'm going to look terrible. Stop leaving hickies." The whine is followed by the familiar feeling of fingertips tangling and tugging on my hair.

I hate the request, I hate not being able to chip more of my admiration into her skin. I still pull back, dragging the patch of skin between my lips with me as much as I can, soaking in as much of the moment as I can. I make a mental tally to talk to her about it, to figure out what she doesn't like about it, to figure out how to make her comfortable enough that I can keep leaving proof of my obsession with her littered across her body.

"You look gorgeous with them, Sweetheart. So gorgeous," I coo, hoping the gentle reinforcement will help our conversation tonight about the markings I leave.

I quickly tug her pants down to her knees, wasting no time shoving my hand down her panties and thrusting two fingers into her. Whines spill from her, quickly being replaced by mewls when I pace circles into her clit that match the thrusts of my fingers. "Be quiet, Sweet Thing," I order, shoving her panties down to join her pants.

"I know you're not completely ready, Princess, but I know you can take me. You can take all of me," I spill out, not satisfied with the half-assed prep I gave her. My student needs more preparation, she needs to be stretched more and wetter but time is not our friend right now.

I line myself up to her cunt, resting my tip against her. I settle a hand on the counter, supporting my weight as I cling to her hair, stretching out her neck. It takes everything in me not to sink my teeth into her throat.

When I dip into her, I give in to my wants. I continue marking her throat and her titties, sucking and nipping more bruises into her. This isn't how I treat my Sweetheart. If she says no, I don't do it, no matter what. She's precious, perfect, intoxicating. She tells me to jump and I ask how high.

But I can't help it. Not being able to pay attention to my pretty perfect student has been weighing on me as much as it's been weighing on her. I'll apologize to her later, I'll beg on my knees for forgiveness if I have to, I'll give her the whole world to make up for my selfishness. But for now, I'll rut into her like the horn dog I am, I'll suck proof of me into her so Riku sees me on every inch of her skin.

"Sensei?" My Princess whines, making my lips lag against her breasts.

Her fingers wrap around my hand pressed into the counter, trying to tug it towards her. I give her what she wants, it's the least I can do for ignoring her boundary. My fingers ghost over her clit, getting me as much of a jerk of her hips as she can manage under my weight.

My thrusts slow, my focus shifting from my need to fill her to my need to please her. I'm a top shinobi, a legendary sannin, and yet here I am, desperately trying to please my student as I chase my high. I'm acting like a schoolboy getting his dick wet for the first time. It's almost humiliating.

I pull my mouth off her neck, shifting up to capture her lips. I shove my tongue into her mouth, continuing my selfish streak, pounding her faster as I French her. My Sweet Girl's sounds filter into my mouth, her eyes glossed over as she looks at me. That does it, her needy eyes break me once again.

My thrusts stutter, shoving myself into her again. I could fill her up, have my cum leak out of her at the table, the biggest 'back off' possible. But I can't do that, I can't watch her panic during dinner because I don't have the time right now to explain to her I physically can't get her pregnant.

"Jiraiya," she whines when I pull out, making me second-guess my choice. My student desperately pulls on me, nails digging into my shoulders as I coat her thighs again. Her thighs are always so pretty covered in my semen. I need to remember to take a picture of the sight one of these days.

"You need to learn to be patient," I mutter, tucking myself back into my pants.

My mind is running wild. How long have we been in here? Longer than a walk? Is Riku even still in the restaurant? How pissed is Tsunade going to be if I miss out on some information?

I litter my Sweet Girl's face in kisses, the best aftercare we can afford on our time crunch. She's disappointed and unsatisfied with my selfish act and it makes me feel terrible. This isn't how I treat my Sweetheart. She gets the world, she gets her high every time, she gets fucked until her needs are filled, and then she gets coddled like the baby she is.

"Be a good Obedient Girl at dinner and I'll fuck as long as you want tonight. Be patient," I almost beg, quickly working on straightening her clothes.

I litter more kisses across her, desperately trying to apologize through my actions. It almost hurts to see her disappointment. This is embarrassing and humiliating how much of a dog I act like when it comes to my kunoichi.

"Sensei, you didn't clean me up," she whines, as needy as ever. She squirms, my cum quickly soaking through her clothing, further proving that she is mine. My Princess, my student, my kunoichi.

"You'll be fine. It'll be a nice reminder to behave," I rush out, peaking her lips before setting her back on the ground. I tighten her cloak around her, making a mental note to take a relaxing bath once we're done here. I can't have my Sweetheart ill because I don't have time to clean up my messes.

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I swear my kunoichi is going to be the death of me. I don't know how she seems to have more stamina than me, but she manages to. It's been difficult keeping up with her needs and gently training her to control herself. It's been even more difficult reminding myself not to cave to her every whine and whimper.

Though, my Sweetheart is the muse for my next book. The plot is already in the works, unfolding in front of my eyes. Our lovely heroin that is oblivious to the addiction her love interest has for her. Quite the fitting story for my next book.

Despite the motivation spilling for my student, I have tried to manage her needs. My newest attempt is the pair of vibrating panties I stumbled upon last night. I didn't stumble upon them, I was actively looking for a toy with hopes it would help my hormonal rabbit that clings to me like I'm oxygen. It just so happened I stumbled upon the panties before anything else.

They seem to be working. My Sweetheart has been clingy, but less needy than normal. It seems to be enough to hold her over when her needs spark throughout the day.

I have decided Riku is useless and that I'll take the lecture from Tsunade. Because of that, I reached out to Yuma for information instead. He's just as knowledgeable as Riku and works in the same department within his village, with a lot fewer wandering eyes.

"Anyway, how are you enjoying the village?" He asks, turning to my student.

My Little One's eyes are cast down, her sight on the ground as she focuses on keeping her noises in. That's my fault, I turned her new toy on when we first met up with Yuma, hoping it would keep her in check, which it has.

I poke her with my elbow, turning the speed up to mess with her. She's been getting pleasure all day long, so I deserve the gentle teasing. "You were asked a question."

My Sweet Girl's eyes jump up, silent pleas filtering to me before she turns towards Yuma. "I..." her jaw clenches, eyes fluttering at the new speed. "Didn't hear you," she finishes, squirming as her eyes keep jumping back to me.

"How are you enjoying the village? I hope the civilians have been treating you well," Yuma repeats, smiling down at my kunoichi. He's a teacher, more stereotypical than me, getting new students every couple of years instead of randomly finding them.

"It's been good. I like getting to go swimming when we're not busy and such." During her answer I cut off the toy, giving her a breather. Not for long though. "I also- "

Mid-sentence I click it back on, watching my Sweetheart snap her mouth shut again, eyes fluttering back to me. My sweet Obedient Girl, so eager for my touch and approval.

"You also what?" Yuma coos in his teacher voice, trying to seem like a calm and safe place like he does for his students.

"I... um... there's some really good... teriyaki chicken at... I don't know," the words slowly tumble out of my Princess, her jaw repeatedly clicking shut and eyes still desperately shooting toward me. Good, she can feel as desperate for me as I do for her.

     Yuma sends her another comforting smile before tugging his attention away from her. "You got a shy student for once. That must be a nice change of pace."

     The falsehood of the statement makes me laugh before I can stop myself. She's not shy, she's stimulated and humiliated by the possibility of cumming without me ever touching her. "Something like that," I answer, turning the toy off again. I soak in the mixed emotions on her face, enjoying the look as Yuma goes back to our discussion.

     My Sweet Girl wraps her hands around my arm, shoving herself against me as she clings. I can feel her eyes baring into me, the soft vibrations of unheard whines buzzing from her throat against my arm. Buzzes that sink to my balls, kickstarting my arousal.

     As a soft payback, I turn her toy back on, maxing out the speed from the start. My student wiggles closer to me, her legs wrapping around mine as she softly humps me. This is a new level of desperation, a new level that quickly rushes blood to my penis. "Jiraiya? Sensei?" She calls, her whines finally bubbling through.

     I jerk to the side, ready to grab at my Sweetheart to stop the hair tug that usually follows. I lock her wrists in my hand, the attempt to slow down my arousal doing the opposite. The sight of both her wrists knotted in one hand makes me ache. Her eyes flicker up with their usual 'fuck me please' look in them. The bow that manages to play me like a fiddle every time.

     "I'm sorry," I rush out, turning my sight back to Yuma after warning my kunoichi to calm down, just for the time being. "My kunoichi gets moody when she's hungry," I half-lie, my Sweet Girl does get moody when she's hungry but she's not hungry right now. At least not for food.

     "Oh, that's no problem at all. I tend to get a bit hangry myself," Yuma says, smiling down at my student again.

     I tug on my Princess, motioning towards our ally in hopes she'll take the hint. "I'm sorry," she mutters, jaw clinking shut again. "Sir," she adds, tugging slightly on the hold I have on her.

     I drop my hold on her, set on quickly leaving our meeting. "I should get her some food. We can continue later," I mutter, quickly piecing together a time for our next meeting. Maybe I'll ask him to drinks and leave my Sweetheart at the hotel.

     As soon as Yuma's 'goodbye' is muttered, I'm back to gripping the Sweet Thing's wrist. I tug her behind me, turning her toy back on so she can squirm around with the neediness that's a constant distraction.

     "Sensei, I'm not hungry," she utters, back to clinging and trying to hump me as we walk down the road.

     My eyes flicker down to her, taking in the sight. A smile crawls on my face at the scene, at the way her fingers cling to my arm, at the way her hips rub against mine. "Yes, you are. Just not in that way," I tease, tugging her to the left. "You've been so good today," I coo, leading her down the empty dead-end road. "Let's see how much longer you can be good."

     "What? Jiraiya?" My student hisses, disappointment coating her face. My heart sinks at the sight. I hate leaving her disappointed but she needs to learn we can't drop everything every time her pussy tingles.

     "Hush now, Little One," I continue to coo, scanning the space for any stragglers. The buzzing of her vibrator fills my ears, reminding me how heavy my balls are. I want to cum, I want to dump my load into her cunt, I want to see my semen leaking out of her desperate pussy. "You're doing so good. Keep being an Obedient Girl, okay?" I encourage her, moving forward so she's stuck between the wall and myself.

     Her head tilts up to look at me, forcing me to look into those traps of eyes she has. "I don't want to be obedient. I want you to fuck me," she whimpers, lip popping out in a pout. Her hands snake into my pants, fingertips rubbing against my dick as she releases it from my clothing. "Please fuck me."

     I cave too easily, I give her what she wants too easy, my Princess is going to turn rotten if she keeps getting her way. Despite that, my hands cling to her pants, tugging them down just enough to slip myself into her. "No, you're going to be patient. You can't get what you want all the time," I answer back, the command sounding shallow as it spills out.

     One of my hands busy themselves, cupping her wrists, pressing them to the wall above her head. My other hand falls in the opposite direction, gripping my dick. My Sweetheart watches intensely, mouth-watering as she watches me rub myself.

     I shift forward, rubbing myself through her folds. Her warm slick coats me, making me second guess my decision. How can I tell her no and then tease her so much? How can I tell her no when she squirms every time my tip pokes at her hole? How can I tell her no when all I can think about is the way her cheeks would be coated pink every time a bit of my cum dribbles out of her pussy?

     "I can't get what I want all the time but you can? How is that fair?" My kunoichi groans, hips jerking to try and take what she wants.

     That does it for me. She wants to talk about fairness? You know what's not fair? Me bending to her every whim, me spending all day hard as a rock because she's so needy, me not being able to cum in her cunt because every waking moment is spent working or with my head buried between her thighs.

     "Sweetheart," I whisper into her ear, bending down so my voice is as close as it can get. "I can wait until we're alone in our hotel room to fuck you. You, on the other hand, try to jump my bones every chance you get. You need to learn to be patient, to wait until we're not busy," the words come out hissed, a warning for her to calm down, to get herself under control before I'm no longer in control.

      "We're not busy now. Fuck me now. Jiraiya!" She continues to huff, trying to shift her hips down again. "Please?" My Little One continues, starting to crack the hard demeanor I'm trying to keep. I cave just a bit, letting my tip dip into her instead of just poking at her pussy.

     "Fine. If you're so desperate to be filled, I'll fill you," I huff back, deciding to be selfish again. If she wants to see unfair, I'll show her unfair. Maybe then she'll be more sweet than spoiled. Maybe she'll be more grateful for the way I cave to her needs.

     My Sweetheart turns to the side, lips perched for the kiss she expects. The kiss she's not going to get. She needs to be reminded I spoil her because I want to, not because I have to.

     Instead of the kisses I usually pepper across her, I stuff her mouth with my fingers, coating them in saliva as they settle down her throat. My Princess's eyes flicker in surprise. "Suck," I order, starting to move through her folds again, lubing myself up so it's easier to jack off.

     My Obedient Girl does as she's told, gently reminding me how much she obeys my orders. Maybe I just need to be more vocal about my needs, maybe my Sweet Girl would be willing to cave to me as well.

     Our eyes stay hooked on each other. The mix of them, my dick rubbing against her, and the feeling of her tongue sliding over my fingers is shoving me forward, making my balls clench in their familiar way.

     I pull out of her mouth, wrapping my hold around my dick again. Her juices and saliva mix as I rub my length, the tip of my did still buried and twitching in her cunt.

     My student's eyes break from me, tumbling down to watch me get off. She squirms at the sight, unhappy with the attention I'm getting instead of her for once.

     When my high is close, I shove myself into her, bottoming out. "Sensei?" She whines from the sudden stretch, trying to get out of the hold I have on her.

     "Sweetheart, there you go," I groan, spilling over inside of her. I thrust my hips, shoving my cum deeper into her. If my Princess is so needy to be filled, I'll fill her up, fuck myself as deep into her as possible so I trickle out of her for longer. "You're filled up like you asked."

     When I still, her hips jump into motion, grinding against me. "That's not how I meant it. You're going to knock me up doing that," she whimpers, her pussy clinging to me counteracting her fake concern. My Sweetheart likes being stuffed as much as I like stuffing her.

     "It'll be fine," I mutter, coating her in kisses. "I can't get you pregnant," I shortly explain, noting to have a deeper conversation about it tonight. "We should eat and then go back to our business in the village," I add, priorities back in order as I cover her up again.

     "You didn't clean me again," she whines, the usual whine following our quickies.

     "I know," I utter, covering myself again too before shifting my kisses to her lips. "I want to watch you squirm as I leak out of you. It'll be another test of your patience," I explain, pressing more kisses to her lips.

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