#and change your smoke alarm batteries

[empyrealen]

Maid Automatons

[hungee-boy]

i will be completely honest i knew we were cooked when the smoke alarm "meme" made headway

[sleeplessavenue]

I have a major phobia of smoke alarms - to the point that I subconsciously know the exact tone ours make when they're running out of batteries and I have sometimes been startled hearing it on the TV or outside of my house.

I have been woken up by that chirp in the middle of night, no matter how far away it is, while my family members are sleeping just fine. I have only recently worked up the ability/courage to exchange the batteries myself, but before that I always had to wake someone else up and ask them to do it. When it happens my whole body goes rigid, my heart starts pounding, my throat tightens up, and its like I forget how to function.

My family used to get annoyed with me for it, acting as if I was being childish or over-dramatic, until we got our current dog. She hates them just like me, and when she hears that chirp she comes running to me so we can comfort each other. After seeing that they have realized that it's not just a me-thing, and I'm not being dramatic about it because even an animal, with no human-motives, can react the same way.

Sorry to get preachy outta nowhere but if you are a person who's never had a phobia PLEASE don't say shit like "it's not dangerous" or whatever because phobias, especially IRRATIONAL phobias, don't fucking work like that.

I personally have a specific phobia that, when triggered, used to make me spasm and hyperventilate and cry, and it was super embarrassing because I was fully aware that there was nothing really wrong. You can experience the effects of a phobia while objectively knowing you're safe! And STILL I would get people telling me to chill out cause I was fine.

I've gotten better at managing it. I can thing straight and control my breathing and not feel *emotional* fear, but my body still locks up and my heart still goes crazy and I still have to focus on breathing.

I am aware that it doesn't make sense. I am aware that I am not in danger. I'm practiced enough that I can sit still and have a conversation through the experience now. But it's still a phobia and no amount of reminding me how irrational my body is being is going to fix that- it's just gonna piss me off on top of it.

[katz-chow]

part 1 | part 2

ghost distribution system when you're walking from your parking space to the apartment building you live in before hearing small animal whimpers. the snow continues to plow through the city as you pull your scarf closer to you. the sounds echo again and you pause in your steps, awaiting for the source to make the whimpers again.

your feet step closer amidst the snow, it crunching underneath your heavy boots. the sound got less frequent as you turned the corner and peaked behind the parked car. to your surprise, a bundle of brown fur was curled up and snowed on. you gasp and reach down while unfurling your scarf to cover the bundle. as you did, the wind picked up and, from what you notice, is a tiny kitten.

you hurry up the stairs and into your apartment, quickly wrapping more blankets around your new furry friend. you turn on the heat, then a warm bath, then put your towel in the dryer to warm up. the little meows starts to continue again and you coo at it while dialing a number.

the kitten kicked the shallow water in your tub as you massage its soft fur. you giggle and it meows back in response. the knock on your front door startles you but you knew who it was.

you opened the door is a broad man who pushes past you, eyes fixed on your ceiling and a shopping bag in his hand.

"simon, i'm so glad you're here, i..." you turn to him after locking your door and see him reach up, batteries in one hand and the lid to your smoke detectors in his other. "oh, thank you..."

he mumbles as he continues to change them, "the beeping... it's uh...annoying..."

you smile and tap him on his shoulder as you walk to get your towel from the dryer. he follows behind and bangs the lid of your washer close, it's always slightly open.

you feel him close behind you again when you go to the bathroom, humming a familiar song as you walk in. the kitten walked around the warm water and mews at you and simon pokes his head over your shoulder. "is this why you called?"

you nod and bend over to pick up the tiny furball into the warmed towel as you dry..."can you check if it's a boy or a girl?"

he moves a bit, struggling to not bump into various corners in the small bathroom. he picks up the kitten by its scruff and you panic, cupping your hands underneath it to prevent it from falling. after a bit, he finally answers you, "dunno what i'm looking at."

you giggle and take the sopping wet kitten into your hand and continue to dry it, switching from the warm setting on your hair dryer and the towel.

"you think we should take it to the vet?" you ask him as he orders takeout on your phone. you look over at him, your fingers gently petting the kitten that's curled up on your chest, no longer damp and cold but warm and sleepy.

he nods, a bit distracted as he scrolled through what drink to get. "are we sharing custody?"

"like a divorced couple?" you ask him through a silly smile.

that gets a chuckle out of him and he elbows you softly. "we're not divorced."

"well we're not married either. we're not even dating..." you mumble the last part, a bit of hurt runs through your chest as you remind yourself. it was a thought that popped up late last week when he went home after installing your new dryer in your apartment.

after that, it plagues your mind every time you find him helping you or staring close to you. it sounds cheesy but you’ve thought of asking him “what are we?” a few times.

he noticed your silence and meets it with his own. you refuse to look at him, instead focusing on the purring cat on your chest. unbeknownst to you, simon meets your silence with confusion. “yes we are…?”

you snap your eyes at him, brows furrowed. “you never asked me!”

“i changed your smoke alarms…and your tires…” he begins, looking at your weirdly. you don’t get it, mostly because you can only see his eyes and a little under it.

you stare at him, he stares at you. then you begin, “but you didn’t ask…”

he looks at you, confused and kind of amused. he gives you a huff of playfulness and responds, “can i date you” can i marry you?

“yeah i guess…” you tease as you lean over and tap your shoulder against his.

he rolls his eyes and goes back to inputting his credit card into your phone to order food. “just for that i canceled your drink”

“asshole!” you hit him on the shoulder push him away from you, which he plays along and falls to the other side of the sofa.

a silence falls over the two of you once again, this time comfortable and a bit bashful as the two of you, mostly you, begin to process what just happened.

“what’re you gonna name….it” he breaks the silence, remembering that he really doesn’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet. “what about snow…gender neutral?”

“cheesy name…alex”

“basic”

“you’re impossible”

you laugh and he can tell you know he’s not serious, which is good. he’s always worried about pushing too many buttons, making you so upset that you leave. not right now though, his body relaxes.

“toaster?”

“fucking hate that…”

“toaster it is!”

"bloody hell..." the kitten paws at his outreach hand.

master list | letter box | main directory

stop by the letter box!

[toovaeloe]

bus stop 𝝑𝝔 “If I was your boyfriend, you sure as hell wouldn’t be waiting at a bus stop.”

suguru geto x genderneutral reader

no curse au

You’ve used the “I have a boyfriend” excuse and you may have just manifested one. Or a gorgeous man, at the very least

☁️🚏☁️

This was the worst, you think. Had to be punishment for something you did in a past life.

For starters, you were late for work. Was it your fault for staying up so late, giggling and doom-scrolling through mounds of mind numbing media? Yeah, maybe…

Let’s blame it on the weather. Your alarm didn’t wake you up after you silenced it. The neighbor’s dog wouldn’t stop barking through the night. But it’s not like you could tell your boss any off that.

So that’s why you raced out the door, haphazardly juggling your belongings in your arms. Wallet. Keys. Phone. Something else you couldn’t quite remember at the moment. Did you have everything? Probably; no time to check now. Only to find when you stomped on the brake and turned the key in the ignition…your car wouldn’t start.

Sputter…sputter…and then nothing.

Great.

There’s your late-to-work-excuse.

Maybe you shouldn’t have ignored the “maintenance needed” symbols that have been lighting up your dash like they want their own holiday. To be fair, time and money just weren’t things that came in abundance.

In any case, as you were sitting in that local garage enduring the mechanic babbling on about vehicle expertise junk you just couldn’t begin to understand, zoning out and nodding every few minutes with a halfhearted “hmm,” so it at least looked like you were absorbing information…you made note to at least revisit the idea of changing your smoke alarm’s batteries before it decided to turn on you, too.

But that was last week.

7-9 business days.

That’s how long until your car would be up and running again. Apparently, according to the mechanic, you were lucky it was even that. Apparently. Which meant you needed some other means of transportation to and from work and such.

Lucky you had the local bus service, right?

WRONG.

They were always late, but you still felt the need to get to the stops on time, lest you have a repeat of 5 days ago. (You showed up only 2 minutes late and were left behind at the store. Had to wait for an hour for your friend to get off her shift and come pick you up.) You highly doubted it, but what with the way the world was shitting on you right now, it wasn’t out of the question. And the city’s money obviously wasn’t going towards public transportation— they could qualify as garbage trucks if they really needed them with how trashed they were. Mystery sticky patches on the seat, gum underneath. The inconsolable children whining their heads off. That was kind of cute at first, but now it made you want to throw yourself out the window. The whole thing was just the experience that you could expect from a free public transportation system.

And why was it so rainy this month??? Ugh.

But what could you do but make do with what you had? Complaining definitely wasn’t making your shoes any less waterlogged. Be grateful, or some shit like that.

That evening, however, as you were waiting twenty minutes past the time the bus was supposed to arrive at the stop after an exhausting work day…you were just so fed up with everything. With the puddle water soaking through your shoes, with the way you had to stand because the benches were damp…with this rando-guy who had walked up next to you that you were half sure kept looking at you. To say the least, it only served to annoy you in your already sour mood.

You were willing to just ignore it. Until he stepped closer.

“Hey I’m uh…I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you around.”

Oooohh boy.

“Yeah, yeah, it is you. I’ been taking the bus sometimes. Usually I’m riding my motorcycle but uh, not today.”

Did you ask?

“Thought I’d drop by.”

The public bus stop. (???)

“What’s yer name, toots?”

Yeah no. Go back to the 1950’s and maybe that’d work there. You’d rather lick the mystery sticky shit off the bus seat. You could pick up a date 10x better without opposable thumbs.

All of the above is what you would’ve liked to say. Alas, you were tired. You didn’t want trouble that would take more energy than it was worth. So before he could go any further, you just coined the foolproof line.

“I have a boyfriend.”

Lie. You didn’t, but it was the first thing that came to mind. And if that didn’t make him lose interest, then he must really be a pathetic asswipe.

Sadly, he was. In terms of getting the hint to shut up, the guy looked barely deterred; offended even, as he prattled on.

“Well why were you acting so into me then, huh?” You definitely didn’t. You don’t even know this dude.

“I wasn’t even going for you.” He definitely was.

“You’re—“ X, Y, and Z. Just because his game is trifling?? You felt a headache coming on. And maybe a bout of anxiety. People are crazy, and the last thing you wanted was for this needless situation to escalate into something dangerous.

The entire mess was occurring just as Suguru was making the commute to work on the same street. But he found himself slowing nearly to a stop when he caught sight of you.

How could a person look so exhausted; hair extra frizzy, floccose from the humid rain, clothes soaked, droplets of the downpour dribbling onto your cheeks and blinked away from your lashes…and still so breathtaking? Or perhaps that was part of your beauty in this moment. You looked every bit done with the day, but who knew when- if— he’d ever see you again? He’d be stupid, a fool to not at least try to strike up a conversation with you. He’d be…

…Probably like that idiot.

A sulky moue twisted at his expression as he witnessed the disgraceful way this loser was fumbling. Oh dear. His approach lacked so much grace, so much respect…it was really just distasteful. You didn’t deserve that. And frankly, he didn’t think he deserved to watch you be treated like that when he knew he could do so much better.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

A merry sounding tone directed your way had your head sharply whipping to the source. A tall dark haired man you’ve never seen before; layered in a gray colored quarter zip and dark slacks, you think. His approach was casual and relaxed, a subtly jovial yet inherently guileful grin tugging at his lips. He even waved to you like an old friend. His entire facade was so convincing you considered for a moment if you had known him from somewhere and simply forgotten.

No, you really wouldn’t have forgotten a face like that. Eyes like those. A presence so contrasting of itself and yet so cohesive in its own way, if you had to try and describe it. Just a damn beautiful man. With eyebrows that were beginning to crease on his forehead.

Ooh, you were staring.

More than that, he was giving you a pointed look that you didn’t notice while drooling over the poor guy. Unfortunately for you, slo-mo’s only happened in movies, and in reality you just looked like an ogling dork. But you didn’t have time to dwell on your embarrassment when he was quite obviously urging you to play along with this illusion he was creating.

And so you did.

“Oh- hi! No worries,” You insisted in an awkward attempt to adapt to this new charade.

“‘Hasn’t been that long,” though your reaction to his presence wasn’t as well-articulated, it was convincing enough.

The other dude looked to be at least somewhat suspicious, and might’ve spoken on it if wasn’t for Geto’s scrutinizing gaze and a simple raise of his brow.

“Can I help you?” And just for good measure, he’d wrap his arm around you, sliding his hand into your coat pocket as if he’s done it a million times before to pull you closer against him. Whatever glare this ravenette man was glowering down the length of his nose at this guy with must’ve been scarring, because he murmured some half-assed excuse before scampering away.

You idly wondered how’d he get wherever he was going without the bus.

Or maybe you’d have more time to think about it if your brain wasn’t short-circuiting, acutely aware of the unworldly attractive man’s hand resting just over your hip.

“Sorry,” Geto spoke after a few beats, languidly retracting his arm from your coat and back to his side. “You looked like you were about to burst a blood vessel entertaining him. I hope I didn’t overstep. Y’know, with your boyfriend and all.” He had to have overheard you earlier.

But the way he spoke made it sound as if he doubted that fact, glancing to either side of you as if to say That is nowhere in sight..? without being so overtly rude. Or maybe he just wasn’t all that apologetic.

“That-! Yeah,” You pepped with a nervous pitter of laughter, “yeah…it’s not a problem, thanks.”

Your hand gravitated to the zipper of your jacket, absentmindedly fiddling with it as you frantically thought up an at least half decent explanation. One that wouldn’t make you sound more clumsy than you already felt.

“He’s not real, so he won’t mind.”

Yeah, real smooth. What was that you said; about being able to pick up a date without opposable thumbs? You’d need at least ten pairs of hands.

But Suguru didn’t seem to mind. In fact, his grin widened into something toothy and almost boyish, his eyes crinkling at the corners in a way that added an innocent charm to his otherwise elegant features. He found it endearing.

“Perfect,” His response was coupled with a discreet chuckle.

“Don’t feel obligated,” He’d continue as he reached to the side of you. So close to brushing your shoulder, it made your breath hitch. Though truly he was reaching around you, sharply tearing a flier from the side of the bus stop and pulling a pen from one of his pockets. If you were paying more attention you’d have noticed the glint of impish amusement in his umber eyes that led one to believe that action was more deliberate than he let on.

Still, he’d make quick work of jotting down a phone number and the address of a nice restaurant he’s been meaning to try with Satoru— but plans change. “but I’d like to take you out. I was on my way over to ask you, anyhow.”

He offered the page to you; his handwriting as sumptuous and calligraphic as you would’ve expected his penmanship to be; in the margins of some tacky ad for a lawn mowing service. As you went to accept the paper, however, he rescinded it from reach. All whilst drawing closer so that his piercing dark amber eyes held your gaze with an unwavering intensity. The kind that made your stomach do flips and stole your breath away.

“And for the record,” He spoke quietly but poised; a conspiratorial whisper for only you, him, and the rain to witness. “if I was your boyfriend, you sure as hell wouldn’t be waiting at a bus stop.”

There wasn’t time to react; he was already slipping the page into your pocket, withdrawing to a comfortable proximity all the while waving you off and wishing you well with a kind smile, disappearing someplace else.

You didn’t even catch his name.

At least your bus was here.

a/n: I had something to say but I totally forgot 😭

OH but I did add an upcoming section to my masterlist so you can see my works in the works if you’d like! 🤍 always open to ideas too

Dear god I crave geto with that loose low bun that’s barely a bun kind of hairstyle. Ykwim???

ty for reading 🤍🤍🤍 love you have a lovely lovely day or night

edit: OMG THATS WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY. I kept accidentally writing bust stop instead of bus stop as I wrote this. So, sorry if you bust

☁️☁️☁️

[lnfours]

hi lovie! congratulations on the milestone 🧡

could i please get a 🍊 + “i hate changing these stupid batteries, i can never reach the smoke alarm.” “get down, then, i’ll do it.” (because lando is a short king lol /j)

anonymous asked:  “i hate changing these stupid batteries, i can never reach the smoke alarm.” “get down, then, i’ll do it.” 🍊

no ur right, he is a short king, but it's ok bc he's still taller than me (sadly..)

also i had no idea what to do for this so.... enjoy???

11.8k friends to lovers sleepover

you walked into the apartment, throwing your things by the door before calling out, like you normally did, "i'm home!"

"in the kitchen!"

you followed the sound of his voice, rounding the corner and shockingly finding him on the top step of the stool you kept in the closet, amusingly watching as he tried to reach the smoke detector. you bit down on your bottom lip, suppressing a laugh when he jumped at the sound of it chirping above him.

"i hate changing these stupid batteries, i can never reach the smoke alarm!" he complained, sighing as he looked at you with a faint hint of defeat.

"get down, then, i'll do it," you said, moving to step on the stool when he finally climbed off, "here, gimme."

you motioned to the batteries in his hand which he gave to you as he stood behind you on the stool, carefully watching as you reached towards the alarm on your tip toes, ready to catch you if you took one wrong step. but you held your own as you unscrewed the cover, taking the batteries out before putting in the new ones. he watched with amazement as you had done what he had been trying to do for the past thirty minutes in a few seconds flat.

he offered you his hand, which you took, as you stepped down, looking up at the alarm and waiting for a chirping sound to ring through the room. when it wasn't heard, you smiled over to him as he shook his head in slight defeat, "how would you survive without me?"

he rolled his eyes playfully, "i think i would've just thrown something at it until it shut up."

you laughed softly as he moved about, carrying the stool with him to put it back in the place where it belonged, "i think you'd be a lost cause, honestly."

"most definitely."

[novelbear]

roommates to lovers dialogue (but they’re scared to confess)

prompt list by @novelbear

"you said you wanted to talk?" “yeah...it can wait, though. enjoy your date.” 

 “how do i look? do you think i overdressed for a [event]?” “no, you look perfect.”

 “you’ve been staring at me for like thirty seconds, what are you thinking about?”

 “i’m so glad we moved in together.”

 “no, you can stay. i don’t mind.” 

 “please don’t leave yet.”

 “i know i haven’t been the easiest person to work with these days, but keep in mind that i do appreciate your patience with me...” 

 [talking to a friend] “we live together! do you know how much i’ll mess things up if they don’t feel the same?” 

 “you looked pretty lonely in there, how about a sleepover in my room tonight?”

 “you’ve been talking about this for months so i figured that maybe if i got it for you, you’d shut up.” “i love you.” 

 “i hate changing these stupid batteries, i can never reach the smoke alarm.” “get down, then, i’ll do it.” 

 “did you get me flowers?” “it was for decoration.” “..in my room?”

 “do you want to go on a walk with me?” “yeah, i’d love to..” 

 “i don’t think i’ve ever felt the way i do with you with anyone else.” “what does that mean?” “what do you think it means?” 

 “i need to tell you something. and i need you to not hate me when i do.”

 “happy new year.” “should we kiss?” “what?” “what?”

[blacktobackmesa]

Chatty - A Streamman Mini-Fic (Part 1/?)

Generally speaking, Gordon’s friends had learned to look past the non-vocal noises that occasionally leaked through the cosmic veil through Gordon’s mouth. 

Everyone in the group had their own quirks, really. Just as Gordon had learned not to ask too many questions about some of the Science Team’s habits, so too had his friends come to understand what it meant when his lips parted and he involuntarily did a spot-on impression of an A/C unit or a passing fire engine. There was only so much that he could do about his microphone sensitivity, so the occasional extra noise was just a fact of life. 

The first few times it had happened, Gordon was just embarrassed to break the immersion of hanging out with his friends-- nobody wants constant reminders that the guy inviting you out to Game Night is a flesh puppet being controlled by someone who holds your reality on his desk. 

Thankfully, if there was one perk to having hyper-adaptive AIs as friends, it was that the nature of their existence made them adept at the principles of improv theatre. 

“My, that is a nasty case of the hiccups you have there!” Coomer had once told him over a game of Uno. 

“Hiccups? I don’t know if I-- eep!”

Bubby nodded. “Mm-hm, mm-hm. You know, I’ve heard that with hiccups like that, the best cure is changing the damn batteries in your smoke alarm.”

The message took a moment for Gordon to fully process. “Oh. Oh, those hiccups!”

“It was either that or drinking a glass of water while humming. You know how those hiccup cures can be,” Bubby continued. 

“I’d better do that,” Gordon said, quickly standing up from his chair. “I’ll be right back. Gotta drink some water or someth--eep! Low. Battery.”

Coomer looked at his partner as Gordon excused himself to take off his headset just out of view.

Bubby smirked. “Gordon has such a way with words, doesn’t he?”

Coomer nodded. “Low Battery. I believe I said something similar to you on our last anniversary!”

“I’d told you to charge your colon before we left the house.”

“I didn’t need to charge it when we left the house.”

It became a sort of part-joke, part-game, and part-grand-law-of-the-universe. When something unexpected came out of Gordon’s mouth, whoever was with him would create an “in-universe” explanation for the sound. Something fell off his desk and made a noise as it landed? Gordon must have been stretching his spine and something popped, always satisfying. Sirens outside? Now’s not the time to do vocal warmups, Gordon, but your range is impeccable. There’s a giggling little boy sitting on his dad’s lap? Gordon has become a spirit medium, and his body is being taken over by the ghostly being known as Great and Powerful Josh (who was very, very fond of this game). 

It was all in good fun, of course. The game only worked if everyone was onboard, and Gordon very rarely had a reason to put his foot down and stop the gag.

Perhaps too rarely.

In the lower corner of his Twitch layout, the kitty ears on Gordon’s digital head perked at attention.

“For those of you just joining us, here’s what you need to know. Meatspace-- MYAA! Meatspace Gordon, the Gordon out in meatspace, is looking MAOW. after a little friend this week. But Digital Gordon?” He took a breath in, trying to tamp down on a laugh as another meow passed from his family’s cat through his avatar’s lips. “Digital Gordon has learned an important lesson about teleporter accidents.”

[rulerofstars]

a new year thing

oneshot: this new year’s eve, with no big plans and plenty of quiet moments, something shifts between you and chase. the playful banter gives way to a growing tension, and as midnight approaches, so does the realization that things between you might be changing.

pairing: robert chase x reader

tags: roommates to lovers, slight slowburn, fluff, holiday romance

based on this prompt by @novelbear (tysm i luv ur prompts so much) <3

It was New Year’s Eve, but neither of you had any extravagant plans. After the whirlwind of work in the hospital, you and Chase had barely noticed the date. No party, no fancy countdown, just the two of you—roommates who’d become more like something undefined, and you both were too tired to figure it out.

Instead of celebrating, you ended up on the couch, binge-watching some ridiculous show while your laundry was still piled up on the floor. The air was quiet, interrupted only by the occasional chirp of the smoke alarm that had been mocking you for days now.

You stared at the thing and groaned. “Man, I should probably change the batteries in that smoke alarm. It’s been chirping all week.”

Chase, stretched out lazily beside you, raised an eyebrow, not moving from his comfortable position. “Want me to do it? You can’t reach that thing, you know.”

You shot him a playful glare. “Excuse me? I’m perfectly capable of reaching it—on a good day, maybe with a chair.”

“Right. And then you’ll fall and break your neck,” he said, smirking as he sat up, brushing his hair back. “Come on, just let me do it.”

You sighed and handed him the batteries. “Fine, since you’re so desperate to be the hero.”

Chase chuckled and stood, dragging the step stool from the corner. He climbed up and easily reached the smoke alarm, his hands skillfully replacing the batteries. He looked down at you, that smirk still plastered on his face. “See? Easy.”

You crossed your arms, shaking your head. “You just like showing off because you’re taller.”

“Not my fault you’re vertically challenged,” he shot back with a grin as he jumped down from the stool, landing lightly on his feet.

“Sure, rub it in,” you muttered, but your lips twitched into a smile. “So, what now, hero? Want a reward?”

He flopped back down on the couch beside you, making the cushions bounce. “Maybe stop hogging the couch?”

You bumped your knee against his, shifting a little to give him space. “I wasn’t hogging anything.”

He gave you a playful nudge in return, and the two of you fell into comfortable silence, the TV filling the room with background noise as the clock ticked closer to midnight.

“Happy New Year, by the way,” Chase said softly, breaking the quiet.

You glanced at the clock—it was two minutes to midnight. “Happy New Year.”

It was a simple exchange, no fanfare, no fireworks, just the soft hum of the TV and the warmth of Chase beside you. The way you were sitting, your shoulders were pressed together, your knees bumping occasionally. The quiet felt different, heavier with the weight of something unspoken between you two.

Midnight arrived, and outside, you could hear fireworks exploding in the distance. But inside your little apartment, it was calm. Chase reached over, casually resting his arm on the back of the couch behind you. You felt the shift in the air, like something was about to happen but neither of you was quite ready to acknowledge it.

You broke the silence with a sudden, almost impulsive question. “Should we kiss?”

Chase’s head snapped toward you, eyes wide, the question catching him off guard. “What?”

“What?” you echoed, immediately regretting your boldness. “I mean, it’s New Year’s and… isn’t that a thing people do?”

He blinked, his mouth twitching into a small smile, but his eyes remained serious for a beat longer. “Only if they want to.”

A warm flush crept up your neck. You hadn’t thought this far ahead—what had you been expecting? Before you could come up with something coherent, he reached for your hand, his fingers brushing against yours softly. His touch was gentle, like he was asking for permission.

“Well, do you?” His voice was lower now, a little more serious.

You opened your mouth to answer, but then you saw it—that vulnerability behind his teasing smile. The way he looked at you wasn’t casual, it wasn’t something you could laugh off. You swallowed hard and nodded, the air between you thickening with unspoken feelings.

Chase didn’t hesitate after that. His hand cupped your jaw softly, and he leaned in, pressing his lips against yours. The kiss wasn’t hurried or awkward—it was slow, like both of you had been waiting for this moment far longer than either was willing to admit. You could feel the warmth of his skin, the way he breathed against you, steady and grounding.

When he pulled away, there was no rush to speak. You both sat there for a moment, eyes locked, the gravity of what had just happened hanging between you. The TV droned on in the background, but neither of you noticed it.

“I didn’t know you felt…” you trailed off, unsure of what to say.

“Yeah, well,” Chase rubbed the back of his neck, the familiar playfulness creeping back into his voice, though his eyes remained serious. “Guess it took New Year’s for me to stop being an idiot.”

The days following your accidental confession were filled with strange, unspoken moments. There were times when Chase would brush past you in the kitchen, his fingers lingering on your arm a little longer than necessary. You’d catch his eye during breakfast, and he’d give you that knowing smirk, like he was waiting for you to say something.

One evening, a few days after New Year’s, you walked into your room to find a bouquet of flowers sitting on your desk. A little card was tucked into the stems, and the handwriting was unmistakably Chase’s.

“Did you get me flowers?” you asked, holding them up as you walked into the living room where he was lounging on the couch.

Chase glanced at the flowers and then back at the TV, nonchalant. “They were for decoration.”

You raised an eyebrow. “In my room?”

He shrugged, refusing to meet your gaze. “Thought it could use a bit of color.”

“Right,” you muttered, but you couldn’t help the smile that tugged at your lips. You set the flowers back in your room, your heart doing that weird, fluttery thing it had been doing ever since New Year’s.

The shift between you and Chase wasn’t dramatic. It was quiet and subtle, like two puzzle pieces finally snapping into place after spending too long figuring out where they belonged. You spent more time together, lingering in each other’s spaces, exchanging glances that carried more meaning than words.

One night, after a long shift at the hospital, you came home to find Chase trying to change the batteries in the smoke alarm again. The step stool wobbled slightly under him, and you stifled a laugh, crossing your arms as you leaned against the doorway.

“You’re gonna fall,” you called out.

Chase turned, glancing down at you. “What, you don’t trust me to handle this?”

You let out a loud laugh, and you saw how his expression softened even more, as if knowing that you generally find him funny cures something in him.

“Get down, then,” he said, stepping off the stool with a grin. “I’ll let you try.”

You rolled your eyes, pushing him out of the way. “You’re hopeless.”

As you climbed up, Chase stayed close, his hands resting on your hips as if ready to catch you if you lost your balance. You could feel his breath on your neck as you fumbled with the smoke alarm, and despite your best efforts, the moment felt heavier than it should’ve.

“You’re not even doing anything,” you muttered.

“Just enjoying the view,” he teased, squeezing your hip playfully.

“God, you’re impossible,” you grumbled, but there was no real annoyance in your voice. You liked it—this new, easy intimacy between you.

---

The clock struck midnight again, marking a few weeks since that first kiss on New Year’s Eve. This time, there was no hesitation. You and Chase had settled into this new chapter, one filled with teasing, casual moments, and the quiet understanding that, somewhere along the way, your friendship had shifted into something deeper.

As you sat together on the couch, his hand resting lazily on your thigh, you couldn’t help but smile. “So, we gonna kiss again at midnight, or is that only a New Year’s thing?”

Chase looked at you, his green eyes twinkling with amusement. “Nah, I think we can make it an everyday thing.”

And just like that, he leaned in, pressing his lips against yours, the moment feeling just as new and exciting as the first time.

[royallyprincesslilly]

Cautionary Tale on Carbon Monoxide

So, for the last 2 weeks or so my smoke alarm/carbon monoxide alarm has been beeping sporadically. I paid it no mind because there was no smoke, nothing was burning and I did not think it could be anything else. I assumed the alarm or batteries were going bad because they had been here forever ago.

So, we changed the batteries and bought a new alarm, and installed them through the house a week ago. The beeping stopped. However, a few days ago while I was cooking the beeping came back. Again, no smoke in the home and nothing was burning. We are searching trying to figure out why it keeps going off.

I constantly have my essential oil diffuser plugged in and running so some searches came back saying certain essential oils might set off the alarm if strong enough and my 16-year-old has been fear rubbing herself with Citronella essential oils(repellent for mosquitoes) because whenever the door opened these new breed mosquitos fly in and she is terrified if her face and body looking like a swollen pepperoni pizza🙄😂. (The concerns of a 16-year-old who was looking out for her upcoming first day of school face card status lmao)

Finally, after some YT videos and Google searches, we began to suspect it was beeping because of carbon monoxide. So we hurry and get out of the house, food still on the stove half cooked, and wait for the gas/electric company to come to investigate and fix the problem.

When the tech comes he walks inside the house and instantly the machine he carried to check the PPM set off a reading of 41. This level is highly dangerous and prolonged exposure can result in health risks and possibly death.😳

He continued to walk through the house and found pockets in the house where the PPM was 38-41(still dangerous). He goes into the kitchen and instantly says, I see your problem. He goes to the stove and points to my favorite, can't live without have used almost every time I cook 11" Copper Chef casserole pot and says this is the culprit.

Apparently, the size of the pot covers my entire burner so there is no ventilation happening under the pot which is bad. He then points to another favorite pot on the back burner and says this one is also bad because of the size of the pot. He turned on the fire under the Copper Chef pot and instantly his machine went up to 144 PPM😳.

I was appalled. He asked about how we all were feeling and asked who the cook in the house was and of course it was me✋🏽. I felt fine. I usually always have headaches and feel tired, he said I could be suffering from long-term carbon monoxide exposure and should go to the hospital to be sure.

To make this longer story just plain ol' long, I say all of this to caution you guys on pot sizes for your gas stove burners and to say it could be the things/ways you least expect.

Tips from the gas/electric company tech

-Make sure your pot is not bigger/wider than your burner flames.

-Turn on your overhead vent or open your kitchen windows when cooking for either or both of these: 1) If your pots are bigger than the burner flames or 2) To take an extra level of safety.

-If you are using bigger pots try to open closet doors throughout your home because the carbon monoxide can creep into the closed closet and remain there for hours.

-In your gas using ovens do not have any liners or protectors(the ones you put down to prevent spills or drips as you bake) on the bottom of the oven if they come anywhere near the two ventilation slits in the oven(where the flames/heat rises).

-If you have done all of the above and constantly feel lightheaded, dizzy, persistent headaches, fatigue, sleepiness, be safe and just get it checked out in the ER or Urgent Care.

Be safe out there y'all. Carbon Monoxide is known as a silent killer.

[buggywiththefolkmagic]

Only YOU Can Prevent Witchy Fires

Hello witches, workers, and all in between! Your friendly neighborhood Granny is here to teach you a few things about fire safety!

Yes, yes, I know. “But Buggy, this is tumblr! And you're on a boring witchcraft blog! What do we need a lesson on fire safety for? We aren’t in kindergarten!” But trust me! More than one witch has accidentally singed their hair or set their own altar on fire before! Sometimes we get so into the spiritual that we forget to be mindful of the reality around us.

I’m going to go over a bundle of good tips to keep in mind for making a wax seal over that spell jar or burning a few bay leaves or ingredients to release that nonsense into the air! Even a section for the kitchen witches!

Indoor Safety:

*Those annoying fire alarms? Make sure they are operational okay? Change those batteries at least once a year, preferably twice. (If it is something you are in control of.)

*Always use a fire-safe candle holder for candles! Trim down that wick before lighting! I know it seems silly to use a pair of scissors or a wick trimmer, but trimming down that wick will always make that flame much easier to manage. And that flame? If it gets big enough to cause black smoke ALWAYS put it out.

*Always keep the candle in your line of sight, no meditation with an open flame going okay? Also if your candle is big enough to burn for more than four hours...put it out at the 4 hour mark.

*The longer a candle burns the more carbon gathers on the wick itself and that can make the flame get bigger and more unstable. Those ultra-wobbly flames that flicker and waves like one of those wacky inflatable arm flailing tube men? That is something you don’t want.

*Putting out a candle: We don’t recommend putting it out with your fingers no matter how cool it looks. Use a candle snuffer, or blow it out. I promise blowing out a deity candle won’t insult them!

*Another crucial tip is to keep anything that could catch fire a minimum of three feet or 91 centimeters AWAY from the fire source. That includes carpeted flooring, cloth, hair, rugs, altar cloths, papers, books, all sorts of things! Always wear your hair back when working with fire, and wear close fitting clothing that won’t hang or drape into the fire with your movements.

*Another tip given straight from the NSC is to NEVER use candles or other fire sources while tired or inebriated! That means no 2 am spell jars if you are half asleep! ALSO never EVER leave a candle WARM or actively BURNING! Same goes for any items you are burning down like bay leaves. Burn them in a fire safe bowl that is much bigger than you think you need. Toss the debris around and soak in water to ensure they are safely doused.

*IF you are using wax to seal off spell jars I highly suggest getting a wax sealing kit! Wax sealing kits come with a little spoon that you drop bits of wax into and ‘melt’ them down over something like a tea candle. An example is this: Which you can find on Amazon for roughly $10 USD!

The spoon is perfect for pouring and there’s less likelihood of the candle you would sit on top of the jar from falling off because...there is no candle! If you only have a candle to work with...please don’t burn the candle on top of the object you are sealing, put the candle in a safe holder and hold it over the object once warm to let the wax drip down. Have the object you are sealing sitting on top of a safe ceramic plate or bowl in case of drippage!

But what do I do if a fire starts?

Good question! That depends on the type of fire it is! Here’s a breakdown of the types and methods to put them out: Ordinary Fire: An ordinary fire is caused by candles, papers, cloth, plastics, that sort of thing!

The good news is these types of fires respond amazingly well to plain old water! It’s always advised that you keep a bucket or pitcher full of water within reach whenever using candles just in case!

Electric Fire: Electric fires are caused by a source of electricity, like wires getting crossed and arching.

NEVER use water on an electrical fire! If you do, you'll just electrocute yourself. If it’s safe to do so...unplug the object from the outlet. Turn off the electricity in your house’s electric breaker box. Smother the flames by pouring baking soda onto them.

Chemical Fire: Chemical fires have a chemical as a fuel source, like rubbing alcohol, nail polish & polish remover. Even your nails near a candle can produce a small chemical fire if you aren’t careful! (Dry those nails up good before using candles.) These fires can only be put out with a fire blanket OR pouring a LARGE quantity of baking soda or sand onto the fire.

Cooking Fires: Cooking fires are the most common form of household fire. It can be caused by grease, burning food, or burning cooking oil. Water will NOT work on any fire oil or grease based, it may seem like a first instinct to grab the pan and toss it into a sink with water...DON’T.

That will cause the oil to splatter and can injure you and make any flames spread further! It the fire is small enough and contained within a pot or skillet, have a lid or baking sheet handy and throw that onto the top of the fire, this will smother it out. A fire blanket can also be used for this. Do NOT swat at the flames, this is just a fanning motion and will give the fire more oxygen to grow with! Pour a large amount of salt or baking soda on top of the fire. MAKE SURE it is not flour, as flour will cause the fire to grow quick enough to even explode! Turn off any heat source.

And if the fire is in the oven or microwave? Leave that door CLOSED. It seems super scary but the fire will smother itself out when trapped in a small box. (Of which both cooking items are.)

Outdoor Safety:

Never burn outdoors if it is windy or extra dry! Do not burn general trash, only burn natural dry vegetation/herbs. Always check your local ordinances and make sure there are no burn bans in your area currently active!

If you are going to burn outside, clear away a circular space for the burning items. Far enough away from overgrowth, houses, powerlines, and other such things. The burning site should have plenty of dirt or gravel around it, usually around 10 feet, 304 centimeters circular if burning a campfire-size burning space. Make sure the dirt and gravel is well doused in water to prevent any spreading.

Always stay around the fire until it is completely out. Turn the debris from your burn a few times and douse it hard with water. NEVER leave dry ash on the ground, embers could be still warm enough to catch on the inside of the ash! Keep checking on that burn area for a few days or a few weeks to make sure nothing is left, especially during warmer or dryer months. Don’t toss matches or other lighting instruments just anywhere! Those can still be warm and still catch grass alight.

And there you have it! A crash course on being safe with fire while doing your thing and slinging your spells!

[sunlightmurdock]

The Smoke Detector | Firefighter Bradley Bradshaw

your cooking skills fail you again, and your nosey neighbour has to intervene

wc: 0.75k

masterlist | requests form

…

“Shit, shit!” You frown, dropping the charcoaled oven tray down onto the stove and trying to waft the smoke away from your face. Right away, you know you’ve got ninety seconds. It’s night time, but the standard remains the same. Roll-out in under ninety seconds.

You know he’s home from the Led Zepplin carrying through the walls. He’s three units down but he isn’t home all the time and he likes to make the most of the privacy when he is.

In an ultimate act of betrayal, your fire alarm begins to wail over your head. Slamming the oven shut, abandoning the cremated mac and cheese as you clamber up onto the countertop unsteadily. You try to tame your hair at the same time as the wailing, pulling your hood up instead. It’s a good thing that today was one of those random days you had decided to wear pants whilst relaxing.

You tug at the fire alarm, disconnecting it unceremoniously and letting it hang free as you struggle to pry the battery out of it.

“Everything okay in there?” Followed by three knocks on the door, then him trying the door handle. You close your eyes, bracing yourself to be lectured as he steps into your apartment and closes the door behind him.

Wearing a navy-coloured San Diego Fire Department shirt, gym shorts and no shoes, he stares at you from your doorway.

This isn’t the first time he has let himself into your apartment. He’s two units up, and it seems that helping you move in during that mid-august heatwave a couple of months ago came with a catch. He’s like a stray cat that you made the mistake of feeding.

But, compared to that time that you had slipped and dislocated your shoulder in the shower, you aren’t too upset with him for wandering in now.

Stern, he frowns at you, “Were you about to take the battery out of that?”

“It’s still breaking and entering, even if I know who you are, you know.” You answer him from your countertop, eyes narrowed incredulously. This is becoming embarrassing. Trying to cook something a little more ambitious, and crashing and burning. Quite literally.

“Just doing my job,” Rooster’s eyes land on the oven dish resting on your stove and he walks forwards as the alarm wails on. He calmly switches the oven off and peers down at the blackened pasta noodles and dissipated sauce. As he looks up at you, unimpressed, you silently wait for the ground to swallow you whole. “Hop down. I’ve got it.”

You tug your hoodie down a little more, shifting uncomfortably in your pink, fluffy socks. “I’ve got it.” You insist.

“Not if you were about to take the battery out, you don’t. There’s a reset button right next to your hand.” His hand comes to rest on your ankle as he looks up at the fire alarm above your head. Huh. There it is. That little red, plastic button that you had been clawing around to try to pry the battery from.

You press it and the wailing immediately stops. Which, honestly, just makes everything worse. His lips quirk into a soft smile as his eyes dart back to the cremated Mac and cheese, then to you again.

“Don’t start.” You groan.

He just chuckles and shakes his head, “Look, I prefer it a little crispy too, but um…”

“Shut up, I was reading and I forgot about it.” You tell him, lowering yourself down to sit on the countertop instead. Immediately, his face changes. Brows furrowed in concern, you feel like a middle schooler in a safety assembly before he has even had a chance to open his mouth.

“You should really—“ By the look on his face, he can tell that you don’t need a lecture from him. His warm hand squeezes softly at your knee, almost apologetic. “Well, are you hungry? — I was making pasta, there’s plenty if you want some.”

“No, I couldn’t— I’ll just—“

“No, seriously, I can’t portion control spaghetti to save my life, I’ll be having leftovers for a week if you don’t have some.” He steps closer, bracketing you between him and the counter without meaning to. “And besides, I’m not going to relax if I think you’re in here trying to cook something else.”

Your lips quirk slightly, giving a small shrug of your shoulders. The sheepish little nod that you give him is more than enough for now. He’s certain that it’ll be an enthusiastic yes after you taste his cooking.

…

[believesthings]

Not Just A Girl - Chapter 9 // Jason Sudeikis x Reader

A/N: I was originally going to do a “fade to black” situation here but you guys have been so lovely on your feedback to this story that I figured you deserved some smut, as a treat.

Warnings: smut

You wake up to a steady chirping noise – a steady loud chirping noise. Even through the closed door – and now a pillow over your head – you can hear the insistent alert. You groan. You were having such a lovely dream.

After several cycles it is clear to you that the noise isn’t going to stop. You flip the pillow off your head groggily. Dear Lord what time is it? You check your phone so see it is a little past two in the morning. Is that Jason’s alarm already? Surely he isn’t sleeping through that irritating noise. You pull yourself out of bed and stumble to the door to investigate. You call out as you walk into the hallway. “Jason?”

Jason opens his door a moment later, still adjusting his clothes. Sweatpants? Interesting choice. Judging by his curious expression the source of the noise is not his alarm. “Hey?” He adds a question mark to the end. Clearly still half asleep.

The steady chirp-beat-chirp-beat-chirp pattern sounds louder now while you are standing out in the hallway. There is a delay and the chirping patterns starts again. You hug your arms at your waist, trying not to sound as tired as you feel. “What is that noise? Is that your alarm?”

“No…” Jason tilts his head during the next delay and then breaks into laughter when he sources the noise. “Oh hell. It’s the smoke detector. Must be the batteries.”

“…You’re kidding me.”

While he is turned to look up at the ceiling you note that his shirt is on inside out. A hastily thrown on article of clothing? You didn’t need to put on any clothes on my account, Jason. Why again were you sleeping in the guest room? He spins and is off down the hallway to the kitchen. “Hang on. I think I’ve got some batteries somewhere.”

The smoke detector is still merrily chirping away. It’s always the middle of the night when such things happen. You’re in a full blown giggle fit when he returns, batteries in hand and a chair in tow.

“The joys of owning your own place. No front desk to call for such things.” You move to hold the chair steady while Jason installs the batteries. He reaches up to tend to the device and his shirt pulls up revealing some of his well-defined torso. Your fingers immediately send a request to your brain expressing their desire: Must touch! To maintain control you grip the chair a little more firmly than needed until Jason once again stands on the floor beside you. With the batteries changed the both of you stand in wait, watching the device to make sure it doesn’t sound off again.

That’s when the next unit down the hall starts to chirp, sending you into a fresh wave of laughter. Jason holds out his hand, holding the extra batteries out to you. “Your turn.”

Still laughing, you palm the batteries from him and slide the chair down underneath the next unit. “Please tell me there aren’t any more of these things. Unless you have more batteries somewhere?” Jason hasn’t dropped his hand and it dawns on you that he’s waiting to help you step up onto the seat of the chair. Standing in the chair you consider the detector a moment. You hadn’t been watching when he had pulled the other one down from the ceiling. You bite your lip and take a random guess that it unscrews from a mounted base.

You can hear Jason laugh quietly over the chirps. “I’ve never seen someone concentrate so hard while changing batteries in a smoke detector.”

“I wasn’t watching to see how you did it.” You admit sheepishly. The unit finally clicks loose and you are able to pop out the old batteries. Oh sweet silence.

“Oh?”

You pause after pushing one of the new batteries into place to look down at him. He has taken up a stance just off and behind your right shoulder. “Yes. I got distracted – oh hush.” Ignoring his merriment, you press the second battery in next to the first and you stretch to twist the detector back into place. “This is really your area you know. Shorter people don’t normally mess with things on the ceiling. Particularly not in the middle of the night.” You fiddle with the old batteries in your hands while you wait, anticipating another alarm sounding off but nothing happens.

“Figured you’d want to participate since it did rouse you from bed. Anyway - you’re doing just fine.”

His voice dips slightly with the word fine which sends a shiver down your spine. “Well I do know how to install batteries.” … I know how to install batteries? Good job on screening thoughts before they tumble from your mouth.

Jasonholds out his arms to help you off the chair. His hands slide up from your waist to grip just below your arms as you step down. Once you’ve settled onto the floor he waits a beat before releasing you.

Apparently the pair of you are going to see who drives the other crazy first. Even considering your stubbornness you’re a lingering gaze away from cracking your resolve.

Jason scoops up the kitchen chair and takes the old batteries from you to dispose of them. You start to go back to the guest room and then pause. He is lost in thought when he reappears from the kitchen, one had running through the hair on the back of his head. When he notices you still standing in the hallway he smiles. “We should be good now – it’s safe to go back to bed.”

You nod and let him pass you by with a softly repeated goodnight. You stop in the doorway to the guest room. Oh come on, out with it. This is ridiculous. You take a breath. “Jason?” You wait until he turns and makes eye contact before continuing. “Are we really going to sleep like this until I go back to LA?” You wave both your hands towards the opposing rooms.

“Are we? If that’s what you want. It’s completely up to you.” Jason slowly walks back towards you while he speaks as though you’d startle and run.

Him. You want him.

“Well then –” You exhale and smile up at him now that he is within arm’s reach. You hook your hands behind his neck and pull him into a kiss. Lip locked, you take a step back to draw him with you backwards into the guest bedroom. Thank goodness your bag is off towards the sidewall. Now is not the time to stumble over things.

“I’ve got you.” He chuckles when you emit a squeak upon backing into the bed. You’d lost track of your progress into the room. After following you into the bed he peels you out of your pants while his lips migrate their attentions down towards your collar.

Your hands have once again find their way behind his neck and you finger the tag that hangs from his collar. Hmm. Too many pieces of clothing are still in play. “Your shirt is on inside out, by the way.”

He pauses sucking at your neck to sit back and pull the collar of his shirt away from his body slightly to examine it. “Is it? Um, well – easily solved.” He snatches the back of his shirt just over his shoulder and pulls it off over his head. He starts to turn the shirt right side out and push his arms back through.

Ever the comedian.

When you take it from him to toss it aside you mutter, “Don’t you dare…”

Your brain is in sensory overload. Never in your wildest dreams would you have imagined that Jason Sudeikis would have you pinned to the bed, his lips and hands exploring your body. Ok, scratch that, this is exactly what you imagined in your wildest dreams. But those had been just fantasies. You never thought that you’d ever end up coming to know the man, let alone end up beneath him.

After getting you out of your pants so quickly he had taken his sweet time removing your tank top and finally your underwear. Thus far you’ve been careful not to leave any love bites but if he continues to nip at your skin you’ll be happy to give him the same treatment – let him worry about explaining it on set. Jason has worked his way back up to your collar bone. He apparently really enjoys the sounds you make when his lips massage the areas around your neck. Dear Lord Jase, you’re prolonging this to the point it is borderline torture.

Jason stops in the middle of kissing you and stares at you. Did you just say that last thought aloud? It takes you a second to not sound completely out of breath. “Um… what?”

He shakes his head, unable to dim the giant smile plastered on his face. “Nothing. I – I’m happy. Am I not allowed to smile?”

Your body is one giant mass of frustration and he’s stopping to smile at you. But God, what a beautiful smile it is. You manipulate your hips to remind him of the circumstances and he chuckles – an interesting sensation with your bodies pressed together as they are. He shifts away from you to reach towards the bedside table. “Jason? Looking for something?” You’re starting to laugh from his odd behavior.

He pauses, looking momentarily perplexed. “Oh… right. Guest bedroom. Hang on.” He moves to get out of bed and then changes his mind and leans back to you. He gives you a quick peck, hesitates, and kisses you again with a little more force before getting up. “Don’t. Move.”

You prop yourself up on your elbows to watch him dash out of the room in nothing but his underwear. You can hear him crashing around his room before a dim light reflects down the hallway. God if he hurts himself… “Jason? Are you okay?”

“What?” He calls back.

You’re sitting up now. “Whatever you’re doing. Can’t it wait?” Are you really begging him for sex? This is slightly embarrassing. Under the sheet you pull your knees up towards your torso and press your fingertips to the space between your eyebrows.

With your eyes closed you hadn’t realized that Jason had reappeared in the doorway. You jump when he speaks. “I wanted to make sure the alarm was set loud enough on my phone and… well – the way things are going – no. It couldn’t.”

Now you’re even more embarrassed. Jesus. Where was your head? You were so focused on instant gratification that you’d blocked out everything else. Jason still had to work in the morning and all you were thinking about was getting him into bed with you. Ok it has been awhile – a very long while – for you but that’s no excuse. How early was his call time? “Ah – right…”

The bed shifts with the added weight as Jason rejoins you. He pulls your hand away from your face and kisses your palm. “Darling, please don’t hide from me…” He starts to massage his thumb into your palm while he waits for you to respond.

“Not hiding, per se – embarrassed.” Your cheeks are burning. You’re either going to die of embarrassment or unsated tension. Your body hasn’t quite decided yet.

You look up to see Jason nodding with his eyes slowly working their way down the exposed part of your body, following the blush as it extends over your skin. “I can see that.”

Unsated tension just gained the upper hand.

His eyes meet yours again and he starts to get up out of the bed. Before he releases the hand he had been massaging you use it to snag his fingers. “Now where are you going?”

He is caught, half standing. He blinks at you. “Um, to put on something more than my pants? You – um? I’m confused.” He allows you to pull him back so he is seated on the bed again.

You shift to tuck your legs beneath you and move up onto your knees, letting the sheet fall down onto the bed. “Darling –” you lean forward to lightly brush your lips against his. “Embarrassment doesn’t equal doubt. And you don’t need clothing right now - you’re not even going to need your pants soon.”

When you pull away again Jason gives you an approving nod, “Is now a weird time for me to tell that I find it incredibly sexy when you call me darling?"

All you can do is laugh.

He cups your face in his hands and brings his lips down to yours. The kiss was slow and tender, both taking your time.

You surrendered yourself to that kiss, releasing all the sexual tension that came out of that night. You both seemed to hold onto each other as if your lives depended on it. The kiss became more and more heated and you stopped to breathe only when the burning of your lungs became unbearable. eyes unconsciously went to the bed. Jason was trying to think, but that became increasing more difficult with each passing second. He thought about what had happened that night with the smoke detectors, what you'd said about staying in the guest room for the rest of your time here. He thought about all that might have been that night, how he might have preferred to have a decorated room and a candlelit dinner, something more romantic to accompany this, but you were together and that's all that mattered.

Your heart was racing. You could tell something had shifted within him—the look in his eyes, the way he touched you, it was different. It was more intense, more connected, more passionate, just more. You knew at that moment he wasn't going to stop where this was going and you knew that you weren’t going to stop this either.

Jason broke the kiss. He looked into your eyes and searched for any sign of hesitation. He saw nothing but passion and pure longing. The sight of your naked body sent such an intense surge of lust through his body that he wondered how it was possible that he thought staying in the guest room was a good idea. He kissed your lips briefly before moving his mouth to your neck through the valley between your breasts and further down until he was kneeling in front of you. Your eyes met briefly before he ran his tongue over your folds, teasing you, and causing you to throw your head back and moan.

As he was doing this, you took the opportunity to hook your legs behind his back and pull him towards you. Jason, still on his knees, obliged your silent request and positioned himself between your legs. He kissed you again, this time it was neither tender nor slow. Your hands worked on the buttons of Jason’s shirt, desperate to feel his naked skin against yours. Jason made himself useful by taking off his sweats. He was just as desperate as you to feel your naked skin against his. You lay back onto the bed pulling Jason on top of you. He discarded his sweats off to the side.

Jason took the time to worship every inch of your body. He loved the way you moaned when he kissed the spot on your neck just over your pulse. He loved the way you whimpered when he ran his mouth and his hands over your breasts. He loved how you impatiently writhed underneath him, grinding against his already rock hard erection, in search of a release. He hovered over you and looked directly in your eyes. “You're beautiful," was all he could say.

"I want you," was all you could say.

He smirked and found your lips again. He brought you into a heated kiss that only left you wanting more. You made a move to remove his boxers, the last piece of clothing separating them, but jason stopped you. “Not yet," he whispered.

Before you had a chance to question his motives, Jason launched a full assault on your senses. He was kissing you with renewed intensity and his hands were suddenly everywhere at once. He was determined to get you off at least a couple of times before you got to the main act.

Jason rolled you both over positioning your lithe, naked body on top of his. He let his hands slide over your form reveling in the smoothness of your skin. Keeping one hand on the swell of your ass, he brought his other hand to the base of your neck and pulled you down for a feverish kiss. He ran his fingers through your hair massaging your scalp and willing your body to relax—to surrender to everything but him and the pleasure he was going to give you. Without reducing any of the passion or intensity, he purposefully slowed the tempo of kiss. While you were kissing him senseless, he moved his hands to the back of your thighs gently pulling them apart so that you had one knee on either side of him. He then put his hands on your hips and began guiding you up and down over his shaft.

You were so lost in his kisses that you didn't realize the position Jason had you in. Suddenly, it wasn't just the sensation of his warm mouth that was driving you mad. Even with his boxers still on, you could feel every bit of his hardened cock. Your instincts immediately took over and it was no longer necessary for Jason to guide your hips up and down. you remained locked in that kiss, your arms positioned over his shoulders as he leveraged your body up and down over his. Jason was more than willing to let you use his body to pleasure yourself. He himself was lost in the kiss while his hands had free range over your smooth, perfect skin. When your body began to speed up over him, he knew you were close and he put those skilled hands to work. He, not so gently, grabbed your ass and began thrusting his hips in tandem with yours. You sat up, exposing your upper torso to jason’s hungry eyes. You hated to break the kiss, but your body was desperate for a release and you needed to focus all your energy and attention to what your lower half was doing. You closed your eyes and threw your head back while continuing to rub against jason. He took that opportunity to latch his mouth onto your left breast while fondling your right breast with his hand all the while continuing to grind against you. It was all the added stimulation you needed and within seconds, your body was convulsing with euphoric energy. It took all of his self control not to come with you especially since you called out his name over and over as you rode out your orgasm in his arms.

Exhausted, you collapsed against him, completely blissed out. He kissed your head and laid you gently on the mattress. He could still feel your body pulsating and before you had the chance to catch your breath, he began stimulating you again. He moved off the bed and, being sure not to break eye contact, he pushed his boxers down exposing his still very erect cock. You grinned at the sight of his beautiful, strong, body while still trying to gain control of your breathing. Seeing Jason naked and obviously turned on was not helping matters. Nor did it help when he moved his body over yours. With his arms extended on either side of you, Jason hovered over you, your bodies would not have been touching at all save for the fact that the tip of his very hard and very eager cock was pushing against your lower stomach. You licked your lips drawing jason’s attention to your mouth before reaching down to stroke him. Jason let out a grateful moan before letting his body fall gently on yours, naked flesh against naked flesh. The kiss was heated from the beginning as you both reveled in the feeling the other completely naked.

Although loving the feeling of your hand on his cock, he reluctantly pried your fingers off him. He needed to slow things down a bit or he would never last until he was inside you. In your eagerness to give him some pleasure of your own, you attempted to grasp him again but he slyly moved away. Kneeling between your legs, Jason took a moment to appreciate the view of your naked body. He flashed you a smirk before pushing a finger into your wet folds. Your eyes rolled back and you let out a breathy moan. You began to move against his hand and he watched in awe as your body writhed in pleasure. He expertly moved his fingers inside you, circling your clit with his thumb. Not being able to resist, he dipped his head down to taste you as you lay gripping the sheets and calling out his name between moans of pleasure. It wasn't long before you were nearing your peak once again, at which point Jason redoubled his efforts employing the use of his fingers and his very talented tongue. Your body shook with the effects of your second orgasm of the night. Jason, once again, stopped to enjoy the view. Seconds after your body stopped shaking, Jason was leaning over to the nightstand to retrieve a condom.

You watched in wonder as he opened the package and placed the condom over the tip of his throbbing cock. Jason paused and your eyes met for a moment. He then took your hand in his and kissed it lovingly before bringing it down to his other hand, the one holding the condom over his cock. He wanted to let you know that it was still your decision—that they could stop now if you wanted to. You didn't. You eased your hand down and covered him with the latex. Much to Jason's pleasure, you slid your hand over him a few more times than necessary to ensure the condom was in place.

Jason gently moved your hands off him and hovered over you once more. He kissed you softly before positioning the head of his cock at your entrance. He teased the wetness of your folds causing you to instinctively spread your legs further apart and pulling him closer. You tried to look down between them, but with a knowing hand, Jason tilted your head back so you were facing him.

"Look at me, Baby. Keep your eyes on me," was his gentle command.

You nodded. "Ok," you answered obediently.

Jason distracted you with a slow, languid kiss before he gently pushed the head of his cock into you. You moaned in pleasure and expressed her gratitude by responding more vigorously to Jason's kisses. After a few seconds, Logan pulled out and thrust in more deeply. You gave a surprised whimper and Jason could felt your body immediately tense.

"Sshhh, it's ok," he comforted. "I'm right here. Relax."

You tried to do just that. He unclenched your muscles and moved your legs further apart. "I'm ok," you assured him.

Jason kissed her lips and stroked your face He pulled back and spent a few seconds rubbing himself over your folds. you momentarily forgot about any discomfort and reveled in the pleasant sensations he was eliciting. You knew he was holding back for you and while you appreciated it, you wanted to know the feeling of having him completely inside of you.

"It's ok, Jason. I'm ready," you whispered.

Jason once again pushed into you. He moved slowly careful not to cause you any more discomfort than necessary. He based his actions on your reaction to him. Whenever he felt your muscles begin to relax, he push in a little deeper. He knew he was near the barrier and his body was fighting a losing battle. He needed to be inside you. With one more loving kiss and one last reassuring look, he thrust completely into her. He looked into your eyes and you heard him whispering sweet nothings.

"It's ok, baby. Look at me. I'm right here." He grunted as he continued to move inside of you. "You're so beautiful,". You're so amazing," he whispered between thrusts.

His sweet whispers made your heart swell with emotion and you began to move with him. Feeling her respond to him was all Jason needed. His thrusts became less slow and less gentle and your dull ache turned into an pleasurable one. You hooked your right leg over his back allowing Jason to plow deeper into you which succeeded in pushing Jason past his breaking point. You wrapped her arms around his neck and in breathy whispers, encouraged him to let his body have what it so desperately wanted.

"I've wanted this for so long, Jason" you confided. "Just let go, baby. I'm not going to be far behind you."

With that, Jason's body completely took over. He pumped wildly into your willing body. He moaned out your name at the feeling of you clenching around him, feeling your third orgasm of the night build up around him. He tried to be careful when collapsing on top of you. You could feel the violent beating of his heart as he lay motionless on top of you. After a few seconds, Jason rolled you on your sides so he wasn't crushing you with his weight. He looked into your eyes and could manage nothing but a euphoric smile. There were no words to express what he felt at that moment, you happily laid there staring at each other until their breathing returned to a normal pace. Jason then kissed you softly. He wanted to say something beautiful and meaningful, something you'd always remember.

"Hi," was all he could come up with.

"Hi, Jason" you responded with an equally euphoric smile on your face.

He brushed your hair off your face and placed a kiss on the tip of your nose before reluctantly getting out of bed to dispose of the condom. He peaked his head back in, "Be right back." Before you can even comprehend what he means, you hear him making all sorts of noise in what sounds like the kitchen. What on earth? He retuns with bottled waters, a Snickers bar, and a bag of peanut M&Ms. He then grabs bag of chocolate covered espresso beans he'd brought you earlier that night and deposited everything on the nightstand.

"Wow. That's quite the spread you got there."

Jason climbed into bed and immediately pulled you into his arms.

"Well, I figured I couldn't go wrong with chocolate" answered Jason

"You figured correctly." You say snuggling into his side.

"Ok,. M&Ms or espresso beans?"

"Or? Don't you mean And?" you said playfully.

Jason laughed. "Of course." The two of you sat up in bed laughing and talking about nothing in particular as Jason fed you the M&Ms and espresso beans. After some nagging from you about his early morning start you both finally settled in to get some sleep.

"You ok?" asked Jason as you laid your head on his bare chest.

"I'm perfect," you answered yawning. It had been a very long day.

Jason kissed your head and engulfed you in his arms. The night hadn't turned out exactly how he planned— but he was falling asleep with you in his arms and it was the most perfect moment of his life.

____________________

A steady beeping wakes you. You mutter into the pillow. “Uugggh. Oh hell, not again…”

“That’s not the smoke detectors, That’s my alarm.” Jason's reply is muffled because he is talking into the side of his arm. You laugh and wriggle your body further into his. Best. Trip. Abroad. Ever. Traveling around with the cast during the filming of All Your Monsters was great but this is something completely different. Maybe it is just the company you’re keeping.

You’re remarkably well rested considering all the interruptions to your sleep schedule. You can feel Jason roll in the bed just before he wraps his arm over your midsection. His breath on your neck gives you goose bumps. “I should get up for work.”

You are enjoying the warmth of his body pressed against yours but the unrelenting noise of the alarm prevents you from falling back asleep. “Did you get any sleep?”

“Enough.” He takes a deep breath. “Ok. I’m getting up now. Getting up to go to work.”

“And to turn off that alarm?” You wait but he doesn’t move. “Would it help if I got up too?” You let the question hang and are met with silence. You sit up and his arm falls down into your lap. You prod him, “Well?”

“I’m thinking….” He is smiling and keeping his eyes closed as though that will forestall the day. “Debatable.”

You scoot from his grasp to get out of bed. After plucking a shirt and some underwear from your bag you peek back over at the bed. Jason has shifted only slightly but you’re happy to see that he at least has his eyes open now.

“Right. So are you going to get up to turn off that alarm or am I going to have to accidentally make a phone call at an ungodly hour in the morning?” You’d much rather jump back into bed with him but you know that is impractical. Rather than tempt yourself by watching him get out of bed you make your way into his room to search out and silence his alarm. You call out to him moments before sighting the phone laying where he had apparently tossed it onto the haphazardly arranged sheets on his bed. “Where is your phone? Oh…”

Jason finds you examining the lock screen of his phone – a beautiful shot of a London sunrise. He tosses his shirt and sweatpants into his laundry bin before reaching around you to slide his finger over the screen and pressing the sequence to unlock his phone and then silence the alarm. The picture that you are now greeted with is of you - one that he captured from one of the first few days you spent with him in LA. He kisses your temple before smiling down at the picture. “Maybe we can update that this week.”

You carefully place his phone on the side table before turning to swat him towards the bathroom. “Maybe. Now go shower – I’ll make you some coffee? Tea? If you have time - maybe some sort of breakfast depending on what you have in the kitchen…”

He pauses just before entering the bathroom to look back at you, surveying your attire head to foot. “If you’ll be making breakfast dressed like that I may need to supervise.”

Right. You’re still in a shirt and underwear. Funny how he makes you forget such things. You shake your head at him. “Jason. Shower. Supervise tomorrow if you feel so inclined.”

Jason takes a few steps into the bathroom, doing a slight shuffle when his bare feet hit the apparently cold tile floor. "Wouldn’t you like to join me?“

Yes. But no. That would be counterproductive. If you stand there too much longer you’ll lose your willpower to stay out of the shower. Maybe if you put on pants, or he puts on more clothes, or both… Or if he would stop almost-dancing about the bathroom. You shake your head. "I’ll shower after you leave. Is that a yes or no to caffeine? Breakfast?” You don’t wait for his reply, turning to head to the kitchen.

Jason's voice echoes to you from the bathroom just before you hear the water for the shower being turned on. “They’ll have something there, probably. But – yes to coffee. Yes. Please!”

The coffee machine appears to require special packets in order to make coffee. While searching the cabinets you stumble upon a French press and a bag of pre-ground coffee, opting for the simpler method rather than continuing the quest for the packets. While the water heats in the kettle on the stove you retrieve your phone from the guest bedroom, straightening the bed sheets and picking up your discarded clothing. You start back to the kitchen and then do a u-turn while muttering to yourself. “Pants. Pants would be good.” 

tag list: @my-soupy-brain @tegan8314 @tortilla-maria1 @nerdgirljen @cavillsim @superloveeverything

[mikkeneko]

Things to Do On New Year’s

A partial list of things to consider doing on New Year’s Eve/Day that aren’t about making resolutions:

(skip any that are not applicable to your situation)

Go through your house to find things that run on batteries that you don’t use every day (emergency flashlights, etc) and test them

Test your smoke alarms and CO detectors

Check the expiration date on your fire extinguisher

Go through your pantry and pull out items that are expired

If you have an emergency bag, make sure it’s up to date (replace expired items, change out water, etc)

Check any first aid kits to make sure they are complete and up to date

Pull up your contacts list and delete ones that aren’t relevant to you any more (coworkers from previous job, professional services from before your last move)

Change the filters on any devices (water pitchers, etc) that use them

Back up your hard drive / download your cloud drive

Review your personal documents (IDs, credit cards etc) to check if they expire in the coming year

[faecaribou]

Dr. Iplier: Hey bro change your battery in the smoke alarm

Wilford: ?

Dr. Iplier: The smoke alarm beep went off it means change the battery in it

Wilford: That noise wasn't the smoke alarm that was the hallway it always makes that sound

[tyresdeg]

would your fav change the smoke alarm batteries once it starts beeping