#and did so many things that made him stand out with so many of my classmates AND other profs and TAs

[backinmyphase]

Part 1

Thinking about how obsessed King of Curses Sukuna is with you, you, who was originally just a gift from a village.

Lord Sukuna, who is oblivious to the reason why he treats you differently, who thinks you are just the most intriguing person he had seen in years. He didn't know it was over for him the moment he saw your standing there, anger obvious behind your loosely mask. You looked at him with these challenging eyes and raised your head, making that snappy comment. Normally he would have killed you right then and there.

But he didn't. In fact he doesn't even know why he had burned down that village for you.

And now you were sitting in his estate, always with that scowl on your face.

Why did he allow you to eat with him? Why did he order you to eat with him? He doesn't know. But he didn't want you to eat without him, which he just can't explain to himself.

He couldn't explain why he made sure Uraume was watching over you. Didn't know why he gave you your own chamber, so many new clothes and why he gave you permission to go inside his library. Something inside him was just telling him that was right.

And that something inside of him was so angry to see you falling into yourself. To see you neglecting your health over weeks.

It was evening.

Like always, there was a big dinner prepared for the king and he had ordered you to eat with him. But you didn't touch your food, no you just sat there, looking at your plate to avoid his gaze. Oh, he didn't like that.

He stopped eating, narrowing his eyes on your cowering figure. "Why are you not eating."

"Not hungry." your voice was hoarse but still snappy like always.

"You need to eat."

He glanced at Uraume, who shook their head. A silent note you didn't have any sickness.

You picked at the food, but still no sign of actual eating. And god, did it drive him crazy. You were driving him crazy. Your never leaving scowl and your constant denying of everything he had laid out. He just didn't get you.

He didn't know why he even bothered. But he still spoke up.

"What is on your mind?"

You looked up at him. There was no scowl, like he thought, no there was just a shimmer of exhaustion and maybe frustration.

"What am I even doing here, my Lord?" your voice didn't have any sharp in it. "I'm no servant for you, no concubine, not even a jester or anything like that. Why am I here?"

Silence flooded the room. Because you had just asked the question Sukuna asked himself every day. Why did he even bring you here?

He was clueless. Or that was what his brain was telling him.

He inspected you, your almost pleading eyes and he didn't like how you looked at him. He didn't like the almost hopeless look in your eyes.

"Did you want to stay with these people, is it that?" he took a sip of wine.

"No, we both know it's not that." you muttered, taking a deep breath. "Why do I not work for you? Why are you so -"

He raised an eyebrow at you as you struggled to find the right word. Then you finally shook your head.

"Why are you so nice to me?"

He couldn't help but chuckle, a grin following. "You mean, why has the King of Curses not killed me yet?"

You scoffed. "Yes."

"Well you see," he stopped for a moment, before speaking again. "I find you fascinating. And I like to know what I find fascinating."

You rolled your eyes, another thing he only liked when you did it. "So I'm here to be watched like an animal because the King finds me exotic, how kind."

He started to grow impatient, he didn't know why. "You think I would let a meekly animal into my library and give them their own chambers? You think lowly of me."

You started to blink at him, confusion visible on your face. It was his turn to scoff now.

"You're fascinating because I don't get you. And I want to know you. That's why I brought you here." At least that's what he thought.

You turned completely silent, your eyes now looking down onto your plate again.

"That's why you don't 'work' for me, I don't want you to. I don't need you to." he took another sip. "You just shouldn't get your hands dirty."

He looked at you, waiting for a response. Watching how you avoided his gaze, how you gulped. For a second your eyes flicked up to look at him, but went down immediately as your eyes meet his.

"Stop." you were muttering again.

"What?"

"Staring at me like that."

"Why?" He grinned, lowering his voice. "You know I like to stare."

He saw a faint tint of blush on the part of your face he could see. You were silent for a while until you cleared your throat. "I can't eat with you staring at me like that."

. . .

"Alright, I can leave you alone to eat." he stood up. "But you have to now. Eat."

A small chuckle escaped you. "Is that an order?"

"No, it's a request." With that he turned around, leaving to go to his chambers.

You waited til he left the room to breathe. Your body finally relaxing. You looked at Uraume.

"He sounds like he is in... Does he know how he sounds?"

Uraume shook their head. "No, he has no clue. But he wants you to eat, so please do."

@thequeenofcurses

[blitzwhore]

Stolas just standing there and letting blitz hug him in the end is all good, right? He is just sad because of octavia and accepting that blitz is there with him right?? It's not that he regrets chosing him, right??? (I just need affirmation)

You know what? I've found myself needing reassurance about this too. So let's take a moment to look at the facts together, shall we?

(This reply turned out way longer than I expected it to 😅 sorry!)

Fact #1 - Stolas is still coming to terms with the consequences of his actions. He spends the whole episode finding out just how much his life has changed. Learning how to navigate groceries, and laundry, and meals, and having a job, and worrying about money.

Mid-episode, he has a breakdown where he truly questions if everything he gave up was worth it just for a fantasy. At this point in the episode, he still hasn't realised how much he means to Blitz. As far as he's concerned, he did all of this for someone who doesn't reciprocate his feelings. By the end of the episode, though, his feelings have settled enough for him to express what he has known to be true all along: that saving Blitz was the right thing to do.

What Stolas regrets isn't saving Blitz's life, or even loving Blitz in the first place.

What he regrets are the choices he made that led them to this. He feels guilty for selfishly (or, rather, naively) playing out his fantasies. He's the one who established the deal, who let Blitz illegally use the book for many months, who wasn't always sensible about how he expressed his love for Blitz publicly and despite being married, and who allowed himself to ignore the reality of his situation so he could live in his own, personal romcom—all of which ultimately led to the events of Mastermind and the loss of Via.

And all the guilt and regret he's grappling with (however justified it might be) is exacerbated by fact #2, which is:

Fact #2 - Stolas is off his medication. He's been off it for a month now. Symptoms of depression (especially untreated depression) include mood swings, irritability, self-hatred and low self-esteem, passive/active suicidal ideation, pessimism and hopelessness about the future, catastrophising, black-and-white thinking, and anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure and to find joy in things—and people—who used to bring you it). All symptoms Stolas exhibits throughout this episode.

So, even if he shows a lack of emotion toward Blitz at times, or irritation to seemingly minor things like low doors or "secretating" or Karen's behaviour, even if he acts regretful and angry and desolate... a lot of these emotions and behaviours are a result of his depression, and not of actually hating the life he chose.

Fact #3 - Stolas loves Blitz. He always has, and always will. I could point at a thousand different moments in the show when Stolas' love for Blitz has transpired, but I'm going to leave it at his line from Mastermind: "I would rather be dead than live life without you by my side."

Even after everything they've gone through, even now that he's taken Blitz off his pedestal and can acknowledge that Blitz can be a fucking idiot... Stolas simply does not want to live a life without Blitz. It has always been Blitz. It will always be Blitz.

Stolas loves Blitz.

Fact #4 - Stolas kissed Blitz. Before he truly hits rock bottom as a result of Octavia cutting him out, Stolas is so ecstatic that Blitz cares, that Blitz was willing to go to such lengths to save his life, that he can't hold back the need to kiss Blitz mid-air. Suddenly, none of his earlier frustration matters. Nothing matters expect for how elated he is that Blitz loves him back. So he smiles and he pulls Blitz into a kiss because he can't bear not to kiss Blitz for a moment longer.

Look at this man. Look at how happy he is. Because it's always been Blitz, and maybe it was a fantasy for a long time, but it doesn't have to be anymore. Maybe this can be real now. He's so happy he (and I) could cry.

Fact #5 - Stolas didn't deny loving Blitz. When Via said "You don't love me, you love him," the script very purposefully did not have Stolas go "no, no, Via, that's not true—" or say anything else that might make Blitz doubt, even for a moment, that Stolas loves him. Because that much is true. He does love Blitz. He just also loves Via. Which brings me to:

Fact #6 - Blitz knows Stolas loves him. At no point throughout the episode does Blitz doubt, even for a second, that Stolas loves him. And we know this because Blitz's walls remain down at all times. If Blitz doubted he was loved, if he had even the slightest of reservations, those walls would come crawling back up whether he wanted them to or not. It's what he's been trained and conditioned to do—it's how he's kept his heart safe ever since the accident.

But now, he knows his heart is safe with Stolas. He believes it enough to not depend on his walls to feel at ease. He believes it enough to let himself take care of Stolas and be soft with Stolas without the slightest trace of hesitation.

Look at Blitz's face. This is the face of a man who knows that even if Stolas isn't okay right now, things will get better. And when they do, they'll both still be in love with each other. This is the face of a man who can't wait for something beautiful to flourish between them, but who is in no rush to get there. He knows the road ahead is hard and painful, but he has faith in Stolas. In both of them.

Fact #6 - Stolas was happy to share a private, romantic dance with Blitz. Despite everything going through his mind, he found comfort and happiness in dancing with Blitz; in getting to have this little moment with him.

He found relief in the fact that Blitz stayed with him this time, even after Stolas told him, once again, that he didn't have to stay.

His reaction to Blitz initiating a dance between them is genuine surprise, immediately followed by an enamoured little smile at the mere notion that he gets to have this, now.

And, as they dance, he keeps smiling and leaning into Blitz, going as far as to manage a deep, heartfelt laugh at Blitz's words. This, for an unmedicated, depressed person going through one of the worst days of his life, is huge in itself. It shows that, even in the worst of times, he finds undeniable comfort and happiness in Blitz.

And, after their dance, Stolas looks at Blitz with a sobriety and soft sort of realisation that shows he's finally coming to terms with the fact that this is real. After everything he's lost, after all the fantasies he hoped for for so long and believed he'd never have, he finally gets to have this.

Despite the pain he's going through, Stolas looks at Blitz and sees the man he loves.

Notice how Blitz's eyes trail down to Stolas' mouth. And Stolas realises. And doesn't move away. Waiting, expectantly, for Blitz's next move, fully expecting it to be a kiss.

But then Blitz hugs him instead, and Stolas doesn't hug back.

And it's not because he doesn't want to be hugged by Blitz. It's not because his feelings for Blitz have changed, or dimmed, or disappeared. It's not because he regrets loving Blitz, or saving him. It's not because he doesn't want to have a close, healthy, loving romantic relationship with Blitz.

It's because of facts #1 (he's grappling with so much guilt and coming to terms with the consequences of his actions) and #2 (he's experiencing symptoms of unmedicated depression). And, above all, it's because of fact #7, which is...

Fact #7 - Stolas doesn't know how to be loved. Stolas has never had support. He has never had a shoulder to cry on, or someone to hold him when he needed it. When he's feeling vulnerable and broken, he defaults to hugging himself as a way to self-soothe, because that's the only comfort he's ever known.

And because he's never known comfort from others—because it was never allowed or safe for him to need or ask for comfort from others—all Stolas knows to do with his vulnerability is hide it. So much so that, the two times we see him begin to break down in front of Blitz before this episode, he either portals Blitz away or masks his tears and pain immediately. Even as he drunkenly rambles about wanting to be held, he still makes sure not to appear like he actually needs a hug.

So when he finds himself being held by Blitz in a warm, comforting hug, Stolas doesn't know how to respond. Because he's never had this. He's never had an opportunity to learn how to exist in someone's comforting embrace, how to interact with this kind of physical contact. He still has to learn how to feel safe between arms that aren't his own.

Simply put, Stolas still doesn't know how to hold Blitz back.

That doesn't mean Stolas doesn't want or need physical comfort. He needs it desperately—everyone does. But wanting something and knowing how to actually have it are two very different things, and Blitz knows that better than anyone, because he's wanted Stolas for a very long time, but didn't, until very recently, know how to feel safe accepting Stolas' love.

And that's why Blitz is completely understanding of the fact that all Stolas can do, all Stolas has the ability to do, is stand there and let himself be held, and let his emotions go through him. In, and out, with every breath, with every second. And get slowly acquainted with what being comforted by the person he loves feels like.

Thirty-something years of trauma can't be undone in a single hug, or a single conversation, and it's going to take time for Stolas to learn how to be present while in Blitz's arms, and how to return that emotional closeness.

But Blitz has faith in him. Blitz is willing to be patient and soft with him while he gets better. Blitz is ready to meet Stolas where he's at, because he knows, beyond a trace of doubt, that they love one another, and they're going to be okay. Even if Stolas doesn't know it yet—even if we, the audience don't know it yet—Blitz knows.

And that's just going to have to be enough for now.

And because this post got completely away from me, I shall conclude by quoting their song, because it summarises their story better than I ever could:

Truer love is hard to find. ❤️

[valentinelovergirl]

Man am I the greatest?…

A/N- I’m sorry for this angsty little thing, but I was listening to the greatest by billie and I NEEDED to

pt.2 here

GN!Reader x Playboy!Satoru

Synopsis- You loved him, you always have. So why did he play with you just to get with some girl?…

TW- ANGST ANGST ANGST (I perchance might make a pt.2 as an apology) Satoru is playing with readers feelings, girl yells at reader and Satoru does nothing, lemme know if I missed anything!

Inspired by THE GREATEST by Billie Eilish

You thought you knew Satoru, you’ve known him for so long. You basically were attached at the hip!

Doing everything he asked, he needed help with something? You were right there! Was sick and needed soup? You already made it. You adored Satoru, he was the sweetest guy you knew. You’ve always had feelings for him, he had to think the same! He was always so nice!

Satoru walked beside you as you walked into the store, looking for clothes for a party in a few days. Satoru’s friend, Suguru, invited you to go. Satoru seemed nervous…but maybe it was because he just didn’t want you to get overwhelmed!

As you tried on an outfit, you stepped out of the dressing room to show him. He looked at you in awe before his hands landed on your waist. “You look…fantastic…” He muttered before smiling, kissing your cheek. You laughed, playfully swatting him away. You immediately bought the outfit.

God. This was a mistake, everything was. Here you were, standing at a party alone. Satoru left to go to the bathroom he said, then why are you standing there watching him make-out with the girl you hate? You stared, shocked, before the girl noticed you. Making him notice as well. “The hell is your problem!” The girl snapped, glaring at you as Satoru seemed…annoyed…you felt so many emotions. You were angry, sad, hurt, so many things…you slowly backed up, immediately leaving the party.

You sat in your dorm, sobbing, why would you think he would like someone like you? Beginning to swirl into thoughts as you looked at your phone, seeing a message from Satoru, opening it to see:

Pretty Boy: what the hell is your problem!? I was gonna bring that girl to my dorm, but you STALKING us like a creep made her leave!

You stared at the message, your heart hurt, you felt nauseous as you left him on read. The message making the tears flow harder. Turning off your phone and setting it on the coffee table you heard a knock, you froze for a moment. Praying on everything it wasn’t Satoru as you stood up, walking to the door to open it. Preparing yourself to see—

Suguru? You were confused, just staring at him for a moment with puffy eyes and quivering lips. “…You okay?” He asked quietly, taking note of every detail on your face. “I saw you run out of the party…was it because of..you know?…” He asked, his eyes softening as he saw you glance away.

“I’ll…be fine. It was my fault for thinking he’d even be interested in me…” You muttered, looking back at him. “Do you maybe want me to come in and watch a movie?..” He offered with a slight smile.

“…Yeah of course.”

[the-guppy-fish]

HC - Simon "Ghost" Riley

Types of relationships - Friends

...I have some thoughts...about our boy Simon...there are not many...but more will come...

(definitely have to make a part two🤭)

No warnings, yet. (Slightly proofread)

Simons eyes are always on you. No matter where in the room you are, his eyes always find their way to you. Both consciously and unconsciously. He just likes knowing where you are.

He has made it a habit to rest his hand on your shoulder whenever he stands behind you. (He just likes touching you..and not in a weird way)

Purposefully steals you hairties and hides them in his pockets. Whenever you leave something (jackets, shoes, ...your phone) within his reach, he loves to just hide it from you. Nothing vile. He just loves to see the confusion on your face when you mutter:"Where the f..Simon! Give back my xx"

Somehow, he knows when you get hungry. If you're ever out together, whether that be on an OP or just out with friends, it doesn't matter. Right before your mood turns snappy and you can't concentrate, he hands you some sort of snack.

He has the lamest, most dry fucking jokes ever. But you find them hilarious. Each and every single one of them. Because he has become a master at delivering those jokes.

- while walking in a desert somewhere on an op.

- Simon picks something up off the ground.

"Here, take this."

- he hands you something small. Dropping it into your gloved hand.

"What is it, Lieutenant?"

- while walking away he answers lowly.

"It's for rock music."

- you look down at a thumbnail-sized, triangular and flat rock.

🙄

"Eat." Was all he would tell you.

Tries to shepherd you if you're in crowded places. But you got a will of your own and a gene for getting distracted, so it's quite the struggle for him sometimes. He'd place a gentle hand between your shoulderblades, guiding you to wherever you need to go.

"Stay close, love."

He texts you out of the blue. And it's usually something weird. Something he's spent a good amount of time pondering over....or no time at all. Sometimes, it's something silly, and others he's thought about something deep and very emotional.

'Do you think I should get a pet for when i retire?'

'How about a dog?'

'No'

'Maybe a turtle'

'I want a turtle'

'Would you help me pick one?'

'Do you ever think about what would happen if I didn't come home from an op?'

'Shit. Sorry'

'I did it again :'( '

'Sorry love'

'You busy?'

'Oi'

'Answer me'

'Please'

'I just need your opinion on something'

Si👻 sent a picture

'Don't laugh. Just tell me if you like the sweater or not'

Simon is definitely someone who texts sporadically.

And speaking of texting. He loves to send you random pictures of animals he finds. No explanation. He just wants you to see the cute cat/dog/squirrel he encountered on a walk around town.

Simon is the kind of friend who you just click with. You don't have to talk much. You just get one another. But still. You yap his ears off every time you spend time together. And he just listens. Oh, Simon loves to hear you yap. He knows it brings some quietness to your, sometimes, racing brain. And he knows. The day he needs to talk, you'll be all ears.

Whenever he leaves for an op (without you), you use your chat, more or less, like a diary. You know he has no access to any kind of network what so ever, while he's away. So, all the messages you send... will only be read once he comes back to base. And even though it's not much, and usually only silly and funny things you send him, he loves every bit of it.

(Even when you use your chat to keep grocery lists in)

When things get rough. Because they will. Life sucks sometimes. You're there for one another. You have an ongoing list of times where you helped each other out because no one else could. (And you wanted no one else to help you)

The time you had the nastiest cold. Like snot everywhere. Coughing your lungs up. Fever. Headaches. Everything. He took some days off from work to help you feel better. He stocked your fridge with vegetable soup and made you like a hundred cuppas until you finally felt like yourself again. All while laughing at you whenever you sneezed without a tissue because you just couldn't keep the snot in.

The time Simons apartment flooded because his upstairs neighbour had busted a pipe, and water began running down Simons walls. In no time, you had helped him collect the few possessions he had at home and brought them to your place. For a few weeks, he occupied your couch while his apartment got fixed.

One time, your bank card had been stolen, and all your accounts were frozen until the card had been deactivated. With no real money to your name at that moment, Simon had lent you at least a month's worth of rent, utilities, and groceries until your bank had settled everything.

Simon once went out to drink with the task force. He had somehow convinced them that he was sober enough to walk home by himself. (He was not.) On the way home, he had managed to trip over his large feet and stumble down the pavement and almost face plant on the empty road. In his drunken state, he had managed to call you and ask for help. Even though it was late, you had gone out for him. Helped him home and into his bathroom. You had helped him clean the scrapes and cuts on his hands, knees, and chin. Brushed his teeth and made him drink some water before you sent him to bed. The next morning, you woke on his couch, the sound of Simons hangover reaching you from the bathroom. He sounded like he was dying. But at least he was up.

When you were working together, your friendship looked a little different. Your work relationship made it hard for him to express his care for you in the way we'd like. So he found other ways. Both of you had to dial down the banter and long yap sessions. So Ghost found discrete ways to be there for you. He made sure your canteen was always filled with water. When he was assigning guard shifts, he would usually put you two on the same shift to ensure you had at least some hours in each others company. Sometimes, he even saved the tiny piece of chocolate from the field rations you ate so he could give it to you whenever you had a shitty day.

When you're on leave, he loves to ask you to go hiking with him. Simon loves to spend time in nature, and he loves to spend time with you. So why not combine it? You spent hours together, both talking about almost everything between heaven and earth, but also in silence, just enjoying the comfort of being around one another.

Also, Simon loves to tease you. Not to be cruel or try to embarrass you. No. He just loves to see you squirm a little. (But he also loves it when you set your foot down. That fire behind your eyes when you tell him to "fucking quit it." He feels proud to see you stand up for yourself. Even if he was the cause of your irritation.)

[sweetdispatch]

Moments before tragedy - J. Hughes

Purple Chemistry

timeline: January 2023 - April 2023

summary: Jack thought that something more could be between him and her until he found out her secret and she broke his trust

warning: none

words: 1.0k

note: Jack got first star of the game against Rangers so I decided to share a prologue haha

---

How did you and Jack meet?

Jack was a life of a party and often was seen in different clubs around New Jersey and New York. He was enjoying his life as a single person. Relationships weren't his thing and he didn’t feel the need to settle down. Although, he had many casual hook ups. You were one of them. He bumped into you in a club and started chatting with you. Couple drinks later, you were laying in his bed naked. 

You didn’t care about this. You were single as well and wanted to enjoy every moment of your life. This wasn’t your first time when you ended up in another guy's bed but there was something special with Jack that kept you with him. Jack felt the same towards you. From one night stand, you two started seeing each other more and more and this turned into a fwb relationship.

It started by hooking up once every week but later you started staying over for night. You two had breakfast together, Jack was dropping you off at your apartment before going on a training. With every conversation you two had, you realised that you’re made for each other and not only sex counts. Both of you had strong chemistry towards each other but none of you wanted to say anything about it. 

Two of you were spending more free time together, not only having sex. Jack was taking you to restaurants after winning games and you were showing up at his place as an emotional support after losing. With time, you started developing feelings for him. You felt that he’s the guy who’s gonna change you completely and show you that you deserve to have real love and be in a happy relationship where you can trust your partner completely.

Moment when Jack realised

You were from New York and your parents were die-hard New York Rangers fans. You were growing up in this environment and it was normal for you to support them too. You always loved the rivalry against the New Jersey Devils but when you met Jack, this disappeared. You stopped being that much hateful towards them and paid a little more attention to them, him especially. 

Everyone knows how much Jack hates Rangers. That's why you never told him that you’re their fan. You preferred to stay quiet and act like you know nothing about hockey. He meant a world to you and you didn’t know how he would react to this information. First months it was easy to hide until he found out by accident about this. 

“Hey, quick question. Why do you have so many Rangers shirts in your wardrobe?” Jack asked you and there was no turning back.

“Um… They belong to my friend. I just keep them because she left them here” You lied but from his facial expression, you could see that he’s not buying this. “Fine, they’re mine. I’m a huge fan of Rangers” You admitted. Jack widened his eyes at your confession. He knew you were too good to be true. 

“Why did you never tell me that?” He was surprised that you kept this as a secret.

“Never had occasion” You lied, again. You didn’t want to admit that you were scared of his reaction.

“You’re unbelievable. I need to get some fresh air” You laughed when the words left his mouth.

��Seriously you’re gonna cut me off from your life because I support your rival team?” You couldn’t believe this. 

“No but I need to rethink the future between us. You lied to me that you don’t know anything about hockey and now, you’re lying too. You acted all clueless all the time when you literally knew everything” He replied and left your apartment. You sighed defeated.

Dynamic after the secret was out

Jack hadn’t spoken to you for two weeks. He felt betrayed that you lied to him. It bothered him more than the fact that you're a Rangers fan. He didn’t want to forgive you so easily. Lying was one of the pet peeves that he hated and you knew it but still, you did it. He couldn’t trust you anymore.

The minute he left, you realised that you should be honest with him. You tried to reach him and explain to him why you did it but he didn’t want to listen to you. You knew that he deserved the truth and felt bad that you lied to him when you promised him at the beginning of your friendship to always be honest with him, no matter what. 

One night, Jack arrived in your apartment and you were surprised to see him. He was done with avoiding this confrontation. He knew it’s the right thing even if it took him a lot of courage to do it. His feelings towards you were too strong to be ignored.

“I need to know why you lied” He said with his hands in his pockets. 

“I did it because I was scared how you would react when you’ll find out that I’m rooting for your rival team” 

“That’s it?” You nodded and he laughed. “You think so low of me that you thought I would stop talking to you because you like Rangers?” You nodded again. “That’s even worse than lying”

“Look at how you’re acting towards them. You hate this team and I didn’t want to ruin what we have or had, I don’t know what we are anymore” 

“I’ll tell you what we are. We’re nothing. We can come back to having sex without any commitment but for now, I can’t trust you and I don’t even want to spend my free time with you. We can try to rebuild what you broke, if you still want and promise not to lie again to me” 

“Fine by me” You crossed your arms on your chest. “If sex is the only thing that can save us, that’s fine with me and I promise, from now on to be honest with you” 

In fact, it wasn’t fine with you. You wanted more from him but Jack was too stubborn. You agreed on this condition, having in mind the hope that you can be friends again or more. 

Is it gonna be worth it? 

---

first chapter

[vanillarosekiss]

Hi lovie! May i request something? Can you write angst to comfort with simon or john? Love me some ex to lover or just like another chance romance where the boys are grovelling teehee

Of course I can, angel!♡ I hope you like this, I'm so sorry that it's late. I really wanted to make it more angsty at the beginning and sweet at the end so enjoy.

What Remains ₊˚⊹♡

Warnings: angsty, simon being a bit of a prick tbh, fluff at the end.

The dreaded knock came late—sharp and deliberate, breaking the silence of your small apartment. You weren’t expecting anyone at this time, but the minute you opened the door and saw him standing there, everything froze.

Simon.

He looked the same, but so different. The mask was gone, but his darkening aura stayed the same. He didn’t say anything; he stared at you like he wasn’t sure you’d let him speak.

“What do you want?” you said, voice harsher than you expected.

“I came to talk,” he muttered, his voice low, almost hesitant, “To apologise.”

You let out a harsh laugh and crossed your arms.

“Talk? Now? After you walked out of my life without a word? Months, Simon. Months. And now you want to talk?”

“I know,” he said quickly, his tone defensive, as if bracing for impact.

“I know I fucked up.”

“Fucked up?” You stepped back, gesturing wildly, “No, Simon. You didn’t just ‘fuck up.’ You destroyed me. Do you even get that?”

He winced, his lips pressing into a hard line. “I left to keep you safe. I didn’t have a choice.”

“Oh, don’t give me that bullshit,” you snapped. “You always have a choice. You just didn’t want to deal with me, so you made the easiest one. Don’t pretend you did it for me.”

His head snapped up at that, and for the first time, you saw something crack in him.

“You think it was easy? Leaving you? That it didn’t tear me apart every time i thought about it?”

“Sure looked easy from where I was standing,” you fired back. You knew it wasn’t like that, but you had lost it with him now.

“I was trying to protect you,” he said, voice harder now, colder. It was like he went back to who he was in the field, merciless and cruel.

“Do you have any idea the kind of shit that follows me? The kind of danger I drag around? I left because I didn’t want you caught in the crossfire. You know I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to you.”

“Protect me?” You let out a bitter laugh. “That’s rich, Simon. Did you ever stop to think about how it felt on my end? Not knowing if you were dead, alive, or just done with me? You didn’t protect me. You abandoned me.”

That word hit him like a slap. His jaw clenched, and something in his expression shifted, turning darker. “You think I wanted to do that? That it didn’t fucking kill me to walk away? I was trying to do the right thing.”

“Yeah, well, you failed,” you shot back. “Congratulations. All you did was prove I meant nothing to you.”

He let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “You think you meant nothing? Christ, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I thought about you every fucking day. Do you know how many times I wanted to pick up the phone? To come back? But I couldn’t.”

“Why? Why couldn’t you?” you demanded, your voice breaking. You didn’t want to get emotional with him but you couldn’t help it.

“What stopped you? What could possibly be worse than what you did to me?”

Simon’s voice dropped, “Because I was scared, alright? Scared I’d lose you for good. Scared you’d get hurt because of me.”

You stared at him, the weight of his words hitting you like a tidal wave. For a small moment, neither of you said anything, just stood there in the wreckage of everything unsaid.

“You broke me, Simon. You left me with nothing. And now you just show up, expecting me to forgive you?”

“I don’t expect your forgiveness,” he said, his tone softer now, the fight draining out of him. “I just… I couldn’t stay away anymore. I had to try. Even if you want to slam the door in my face, I’ll take it, but I needed you to know I’m sorry. For all of it.”

You felt your resolve cracking, the anger giving way to something else—something just as painful.

“You don’t get to do this to me,” you whispered. “You don’t get to come back like this and try to undo everything I’ve been through.”

“I know,” he said gently. “But I can’t let you go without a fight. Just because I left doesn’t mean I don’t love you anymore.”

Your arms hung limp at your sides, the weight of his words crushing you. You couldn’t tell if you were angry at him or just upset.

“I know I’ve been a prick, baby, trust me I know. And I hate myself for ever doing this to you. I wasn’t thinking properly. Fuck, I just- ”. He sighed and rubbed his eyes.

He looked… lost? Like he didn’t know how to fix this, and it tugged at something deep inside you, even through the anger.

“Simon,” you said quietly, your voice softer now.

His hand dropped, and he looked at you, the raw emotion in his eyes catching you off guard. “I’ll spend the rest of my life making this up to you if you let me,” he whispered. “I just want you back. Please.”

The sincerity in his voice broke you, and you couldn’t even get a moment to second-guess yourself.

“One chance, Simon. That’s all you’re getting.”

Guys i fear this is one of the best things i’ve written (my favourite). And it’s actually proof-read because i could be asked to get the grammar correct!! So proud. Thank you anon for this lovely, lovely request `౨ৎ~

Tag list: @soapisgod @slut-lmao @sebastianstans-slut @ilikeoldmen @g1rlfa1lure0 @queenoflaflames @tmartin0918 @kkloubee @goldie-221 @patricksoulmate @writingandsins @mxnee777 @caro-line19  @decaffeinateddelusionbread @poohkie90 @senoritaleeda @xoxoxoaspen @i-ship-stony-and-superfamily @simonrileysdarling @angelica456

Please lmk if you’d like to be removed or added to the tag list, I won’t take any offence!

[admirationandromantics]

Chris's Little Sister

Can you write something about Josh dating Chris’s younger sister? -anon 

Of course I can!! I think one of the best ways to incorporate the reader into the group would actually be through a sibling relationship. And like… brother’s best friend? Now that’s something I live for. I did take some inspiration from Friends, just felt like it fit. Anyways, enjoy some headcanons for this one (already written one story today, and prepping for Christmas, so don’t have that much time).

And yeah, I still got a couple of requests in my inbox, but please bear with me. I do have things to do, but will get to them when I have the time. Enjoy <3

Chris and Josh met in third grade, so no wonder that when Chris brought home this beautiful little guy, you had heart eyes. You didn’t dare to talk to him, even when he initiated the conversation. You hid behind Chris or your mom, just observing them as they played. 

As you grew older, you developed more of a friendly relationship, this was your brother’s best friend after all, you weren’t gonna fuck it up. Chris brought you when you went to the Washingtons, and you mainly spent your time with the twins. 

Of course, Josh had a soft spot for you. He liked you, felt that he had to protect you, that sort of thing. You didn’t know if it was because you were Chris’s sister or because there was something else beneath. Soon, after a little too much time without Chris, you guys figured things out. 

Stolen glances became signals for a retreat to a secluded make out spot. Secret visits, making sure not to wake his sisters as well. Small touches that no one noticed. Everything felt like fireful passion, and keeping it secret made it even more thrilling. 

Josh has also made a few suggestive comments to his friend, trying to warm him up to the idea. “No, I’m not home that day” “Is your sister home?” “Why does that matter?” “I can think of a few ways we could entertain ourselves” “You’re not going near my sister, I’ll beat your head off, no joke” “Yeah, yeah… I know” 

When the annual winter getaway came, you found yourself with a lot more space and options. You and Josh talked, always away from Chris. I mean, he would actually kill him if he did something. You spent this time being flirty, a few comments here and there, which surprised the bachelor. 

That’s when it suddenly happened. You found yourself pressed up against the wall, locking lips with Josh Washington, your brother’s best friend. But you were caught. Hannah stood like a ghost in the doorway, eyes wide and mouth agape. You both knew you had fucked up. 

“Hannah!” “Don’t fucking talk to me” “Hannah, please!” “Has this been the drive all along? Being my friend, being with me just to hook up with my brother?” 

“You hooked up with Josh?” The colour drains from your face as you hear his voice. Chris, standing there, defeated, looking down on you. Everything is fucked up, everything is bad. “Chris, please hear me out…” 

He doesn’t. He marches to Josh’s room, confronting his friend. “What the hell, Josh!” 

You run inside, putting yourself in between them. “What’s going on?” Josh whispers to you, confused by the raging blonde. “He knows” “Shit”

“How long has this been going on?” You’re both silent, wondering what the right answer to the question might be. A while, a long time. Maybe he’d go easier on you if you said it was just one time? “Oh my god, and you never told me?” He’s looking down at you, disappointment and full of sorrow. 

“Listen Chris…” “Is he forcing you to do anything?” “No!” “Has he manipulated you in any way?” “Absolutely not!” 

He’s still defeated, trying to come to terms with it all. “You have many girls head over heels for you. Why, why. Why did it have to be her?” 

You wouldn’t admit it, but you were kind of curious as well. Why you, of all people. 

“Man, I-I can’t describe it. It just happened. And I’m glad it did. I love her, and we work, we’re good together” 

You both turn your attention to Chris again, and you take hold of his hand, rubbing over the knuckles softly. “I’m sorry Chris, but I feel the same about him” 

“For goodness sake, it’ll take time for me to digest this” “Of course, we understand” “And you feel safe?” “I do” “And he hasn’t hurt you in any way?” “No” 

“That’s a lie” Beth says, standing in the doorway. “What?” “The sounds I’ve heard from his room the last few weeks…” 

The relief turns to fear again as your brother rush to tackle your boyfriend.

[phoenixkaptain]

Really all three of the Sonic movies are a masterclass in making films geared towards fans while still creating new stories, but Sonic 3 especially because like. They listened! The fans said “we don’t like all these human parts” and the movie went “alright” and there are almost no scenes starring solely the human characters. Even in scenes prominently featuring them, Sonic and friends either show up (making the scene no longer solely focused on humans) or they’re focused in some way on what Sonic’s doing. Like damn man, they really… Listened? And accepted the criticism they received?? And improved??? And they even technically made the wedding subplot in 2 relevent to the plot????

I really liked the movie! Part of that is my fondness for Shadow, who I will never ever get over being the saddest little ultimate lifeform in the whole world. And movie Shadow really ticks all the boxes, I mean- the way he talks so stiltedly? The way he skates? The way he teleports? The fact that he doesn’t even initiate the majority of fights? The fluffiest little ultimate lifeform in ever, truly, 2024/10 for the year of Shadow-

I like this Shadow. The opening scene of him escaping is just beautiful. Him being all drenched filled me with an urge to blowdry him so he could puff up like a lil angry cat. He’s so legitimately awkward and confused watching the Eggmans that I watched his expression more than what either Robotnik was doing. He looks so confused! He’s over there like “somehow, the human has grown weirder with age… and here I thought humans were supposed to grow wiser…”

Also Maria’s face when Shadow gets sad because the movie they’re watching is called “Alien Freak” or whatever??? Beautiful, amazing, outstanding, give this lady an Oscar.

Sonic’s relationship with Shadow throughout the movie is so fun to watch progress. He just canNOT stand this guy!!! This new hedgehog who has definitely been around longer than him!!! Let Sonic be angy, it is so cute.

Tails and Knuckles are also very cute, though they feel a lot more sidelined. Which, I mean, literally every single character aside from Sonic, Shadow, and Robotnik have no character arc. And that’s fine! That’s good, even! Side characters don’t need to be focused on so intently! It only feels strange because Sonic 2 was so different in where it focused, but it isn’t a bad thing! Do I wish there was more Tails? Always. Do I think Knuckles was great just because he could have punched through the barrier really at any moment? Absolutely. I think the characters fit their roles in the movie very well.

All in all, I like Shadow. He is the saddest little ultimate hedgehog lifeform in the history of ever. He isn’t even all that angry for most of the movie. He’s just sad and lost and hopeless and it’s very depressing! Guy really tried to taunt his way into being killed, and I just think him trying to irritate Sonic into committing murder is funny, especially since it very nearly worked. Also, the scenes of Shadow jumpscaring everyone makes me assume that he has been jumpscaring people for years, which causes me to imagine that there were many occasions of GUN agents finding a Shadow where there was not a Shadow five seconds before. When did he get into the cupboard? How long has he been standing behind that door? Can we put a bell on the hedgehog, please, this is getting out of hand!

In my imagined future Shadow series where Shadow becomes friends with Sonic and pals, Maddie makes him wear a little bell so he stops giving everyone heart attacks. He still manages to give everyone heart attacks. I like to think they will occasionally wake up to find him standing at the foot of the bed ominously. Shadow is a eldritch cat monster, I’m pretty sure that was made canon-

Anyway. TLDR: 10/10 movie. The creators listened to the criticism they received on the second movie and made changes. Shadow was perfect. Sonic being taken off guard by Shadow will never not be funny, nor will their banter grow old. The dog has subtitles and I can only assume it’s because Knuckles and only Knuckles can understand him. Stone’s love was reciprocated in the very end. And yeah, I’m with the menacing hedgehog, Gabriella should have just killed Juan and Pablo both and been done with it.

[theyhavetakenovermylife]

A New World: part 7

Bayverse!Leonardo x reader

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 

A/N: Before I start packing for my mama’s, I thought I would give you a little something to enjoy yourselves with until I’m back, so here you go💙

Leo is 25, reader is 22 - 23.

Warnings: Hypothetical situation with brain injury, awkward flirting for information?

The next day (Y/N) did exactly as she told Leonardo she would do, and went down to the comic book store. The store she had just visited yesterday.

That morning (Y/N) and Leo eat breakfast together, with the silence almost as thick as yesterday. However, this time it wasn’t as strange or as uncomfortable. There just wasn’t anything to say. Just silence with no strange look. Leo had a lot to think about from last night, his mind still running with the flashes of himself in different universes. Different universes - he still couldn’t believe it. Maybe he should pinch himself, just to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming. Just like he had pretty much been mentally pinching himself over and over again, ever since he first got here. Maybe this is what happens when you hit your head against the road, after you’ve been flung off the top of a skyscraper. Maybe he was on a stretcher with Donatello looking over him, doing his best to keep his vitals stable. Maybe he was in the needle room right now, and the girl before him was nothing but a figment of his own imagination. Maybe he had made up the whole thing about different dimensions, living through a fever dream while his body was trying its absolutely best to keep him alive.

Or maybe this was reality. Maybe this was all true. The multiverse was real, and here he was nothing but a fictional character in another world. It still had him baffled, unsure of his feelings. And for once, Leo felt like he didn’t have full control of himself nor his surroundings. Whatever was going to happen was all out of his hands.

Though Leonardo didn’t speak much that morning, he flashed (Y/N) a few smiles whenever he noticed her looking at him. Which were many times. Just like Leo had many thoughts roaming his head, so had she. Just like he had a hard time getting to grips with the reality of what was happening, she was still trying to convince herself that all of this was real. That the ninja turtle Leonardo - not just any version of Leonardo, but the Bayverse version - was sitting at her dining table, eating the breakfast she had made for him. That was… that was still being processed.

When (Y/N) got ready to leave, Leo sat himself back in the living room, staring at the stack of DVD’s in front of him, tempting him once more. The thought of him, across several different dimensions, still tickled something inside of him. A curiosity that Leo just couldn’t let to rest. So many years of training to control himself, and now Leo found himself itching to get a further look at the DVD’s in front of him. But was that a smart idea? Leo couldn’t help but wonder, if maybe it would do more harm than use. But he just couldn’t help that unshakeable curiosity that kept growing within him.

So when (Y/N) then called out that she was leaving, followed by the sound of the front door closing and locking, Leo quickly grabbed a hold of the nearest DVD, before making his way towards the DVD player. Maybe he should settle his continued curiosity while he was alone… What else was he supposed to spend his time doing?

—

(Y/N) followed the route she used yesterday, until she found herself standing out in front of the comic book store, the large glass doors towering above her, with the windows showcasing the several different action figures and franchises sold within. Marvel, DC, Tintin, Asterix and Obelix, TMNT and much more. This place had become her second home at this point. A familiar place that seemed to always bring her comfort. But this time, the comfort was replaced by a slight nervousness, her heartbeat in the bottom of her throat, as she thought how she was going to go about the whole thing.

(Y/N) pushed open the glass doors before walking into the shop, happy to see that nobody batted an eye at her entering. They never did, so she wasnøt sure why today would be any different. Not even the clerk sitting behind the counter. He was too busy fighting to stay awake in his chair to even notice anything. His glasses sliding further and further down his nose with every slow nod of his head. Yet he might be the help she needed…

“Heeeeey”, (Y/N) said as she walked up to the tired man at the counter, julting him awake. He shot her a confused yet sleepy look, but never moved from his resting position in his chair behind the counter.

“Hello?”, he answered, looking very confused as if he wasn’t on the job.

“So, I have this very strange question from a friend, who is really into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but he is - you know - very much like Leo - if that makes sense - and doesn’t really like to ask for help”, (Y/N) said, the man behind the counters expression only getting more confused. “He doesn’t even know I’m doing this for him”, she smiled, trying her hardest to sound natural about it. “He wants to know, if there ever has been a time where the turtles have been able to travel through dimensions, without the help of a second party?”

The guy behind the count stared at her for a minute, before finally moving from his chair, leaning against the counter with a small smile, sounding as tired as ever.

“Listen here, Sweetpea, you don’t have to lie, I know what you’re doing”, he said, pushing his glasses further up his nose. (Y/N) felt her heart jump from the bottom of her throat to the very top, the cold running down her back. There was no way he knew. He couldn’t know. There was just no way he could know she had one of the mutant turtles hiding in her apartment.

“You don’t have to lie about a friend. There is nothing wrong with wanting a nice friendly discussion with another nerd. Even for a good looking girl like you”, he finished with a tired smug smile.

Well, if that was the way (Y/N) was going to get some answers, then that was the way. Even if it was a little strange.

“You got me”, she said, playing into it. “I’m just still not used to talking about it with anybody out in the open”.

“I figured”, the guy said with the same smug smile. “I’ve seen you walk around in here so many times, yet rarely buy anything. And I tell you, it is not hard to notice when beauty walks through those doors”. Okay. (Y/N) wasn’t going to lie, that last part was a little weird. “So what did you want to ask about again?”

“Well, I’ve kind of wondered, if there ever has been a time, where the TMNT could travel through dimensions without the help of Leo’s sword in ROTTMNT, or any other beings from ROTTMNT for that matter, Krang, Shredder, the Daimyo's son and Draco, Renet, that time guy from 2003, professor Honeycutt, any alien race, master Splinter and the battle Nexus, the ninja tribunal, or that weird thing April’s uncle had in the 2003 series?”

The guy behind the counter stood for a minute, processing the big ramble of words that just had come out of her mouth. He looked up, brows close together, thinking. Like really thinking, as if he knew exactly what (Y/N) was talking about, before finally looking back at her.

“Not that I’m aware of, no”.

(Y/N) sighed, looking down at her feet. “Great…” How were you going to help Leo now?

“Well, if you want, I can look into it for you”, the guy said. “There’s probably something I have overlooked”.

“What? Really? Is that a service you provide?”

“For the right price, we do”, the guy smiled while looking something up on his computer.

“What’s the price?”

“Well, according to my calendar, a date with me next friday”.

Oh god. Flirting for information was one thing, but this was not something (Y/N) was interested in doing.

“You know what?”, (Y/N) said while taking a few steps backwards towards the door, continuously throwing glances towards it. “I think my friend might actually know the answer after all”. And with those words, she was out the door.

“Okay, but if you change your mind, you know where you can find me!”, he yelled after her as she left, watching as she disappeared beyond the glass. Slumping back in his chair, he went back to his tired posture as before. “Become a store manager, Darron, she said. They girls love it, she said. Thanks a lot mom”.

[thevoicefromanotherworld]

"TAKE IT OFF"

@letsgobarbs here it is the story with Marcus, I hope you like it! 👍

General Acacius' meeting with the emperors took less time than you expected. When you heard the door to the house open, you looked in the mirror once more and peered into the door of your bedroom to greet him. You saw him turn the corner, his gaze falling on you as soon as he saw you, smiling from ear to ear.

"My queen, as beautiful as ever," he said before entering the bedroom, while he got rid of his weapons and left them resting on a chair, "the emperors just wanted to wish me luck for tomorrow's siege…"

It was then that he turned to look at you. His words got stuck in his throat when he saw how you were dressed. You were wearing his red cape, ONLY his cape. The brooch that held it in place was delicately pinned to the fabric of your shoulders.

His gaze snaked down your body, observing how the shape of your breasts could be seen beneath the fabric. Your legs, the ones that had wrapped around his hips so many nights, were also in view. A shadow covered his eyes, before he made a gesture with his index finger.

“Come here,” he ordered, his authoritative tone sending shivers down your body.

You did as he asked, standing in front of him. He placed his hands on the back of your back, making you come a little closer. His lips lightly brushed the lower part of your stomach, causing a broken sigh to escape from between your lips.

“Aissa,” he whispered, leaving soft kisses on your skin until he reached the lower part of your breasts, “you don't know what you make me feel with my cape on…” he murmured, slipping his hands between the fabric to rest them on your hips, you felt his strong, long fingers kneading your skin. “You want me to tell you that you are mine, you are, dear,” he affirmed, “and you always will be,” he sketched a half-smile, “we are married, remember?”

-I would never forget it - you answered returning the gesture - He watched you for a few moments, before running his fingers over the clasp that held the cape.

-Take it off - he stammered looking you straight in the eyes - I need to see you

You took a step back and removed the clasp that held the fabric together. The soft red cape fell behind you, making a pile on the floor. His gaze devoured every part of you, curve, mole, stretch mark, he observed you as if you were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

-So beautiful… - he whispered approaching you, running his fingers over your cheek - so perfect… - he continued, his thumb outlining the curve of your lower lip - my Venus - he murmured kissing the corner of your lips - mine - he pointed out -

He lifted you by the hips, making you wrap your legs around him. He gently laid you down on your bed, and then spent the entire night reminding you who you belonged to, as well as the servants in the house, who heard your heart-rending cries.

[moody-alcoholic]

These Violent Delights

Chapter 6 - Bonus

Summary: poly 141 x fem!reader, a/b/o AU. WC: 850

CW: mentions of heat, mentions of sex.

TVD masterlist - next bonus

Enjoy <3

“So how many hours do you think we’ll have to kill?” Johnny asks as he spots Kyle.

“Depends on how out of practice he is.” Kyle chuckles.

“I reckon he’s got more stamina then he claims. Just likes to watch us do all the work.” Johnny says winking at him.

“Pff, you’re a menace you know that.” Kyle says, putting the weights down.

“What do you think LT?” Johnny calls over at Simon, who’s sat on the next machine reading a file.

“None of my business Soap.” He says without looking up. Kyle looks up at Johnny moving off the machine.

“Christ what’s up your arse today?” Johnny scoffs taking Kyle’s place on the bench press.

“What do you think it’s going to be like when she’s in heat?” Kyle asks.

“Don’t know. Dr. Montgomery knows what she’s doing.” Johnny says picking up the weights. “Besides we’re not the ones who have to worry, right Si?”

Simon sighs trying not to let his irritation come through.

“She’s definitely pretty.” Johnny says. Simon looks up at him as she brings the weights down.

“What you thinking about?” Kyle asks.

“Nothin’ just mentioning ‘s all.” He grunts pushing the weights back up. Simon sighs again going back to the file.

“You’re sayin’ you wouldn’t if you had the opportunity?” Johnny asks the room sitting up. Kyle scoffs.

“Well, it seems so complicated.” Kyle says shrugging.

“Pff, it’s just sex.” Johnny chuckles. Simon stands up. Kyle and Johnny watch as he heads to the door.

“Where you off too?” Johnny calls.

“To find some peace and quiet.” He calls back.

“Jesus. Do you know how quiet you are?” Piper says jumping at the hulking figure who seemingly just appeared next to her. Simon smiles under his mask.

“What are you working on?” He asks. She sighs pulling a paper towards her.

“Hale made the formula to resist almost all known pathogen’s. I’m trying to find if there are any he missed.” She says as he comes round to sit next to her. “You okay? I would have thought you’d be in bed by now.”

“Fine.” He replies. There’s a silence in the air, Piper doesn’t push him scrolling through something on her computer.

“Why did she choose him over me?” Simon doesn’t move, his gaze fixated on the piece of paper in front of him. Piper looks over at him, he fidgets with the paper.

“I don’t think she did.” She says. She’s not quite sure what to say. She has to be careful with her words.

“Simon, it’s normal to have the same urges as John. But it’s not her fault how things have happened.”

“I know that.” He scoffs, there's hostility in his voice. “Never mind.”

Piper goes back to the computer. The data she’s looking at suddenly seems like the most tedious job in the world.

“You told me you thinks she hates you.” She says, testing the waters. He just hums pushing the piece of paper away. “Do you still think that?”

“No.” He sighs. “I think she’s scared of me.”

“She’s not scared of you. She’s not used to having people around her she can trust. Especially alpha’s.” She says looking over at him. “You already come across as an intimidating person.” He turns to look at her and she smiles. She can’t read his expression under the mask as easy as she wants to. He looks back down at the table.

“You could try going for a walk with her. She likes the outdoors.” She suggests. He hums.

“Do you really think there could be a double claiming?”

“I don’t know. But if you would have asked me a few weeks ago if a pack could survive with 2 alphas I would have laughed in your face. It seems to be working out well.” She says.

“Maybe we’re special.” He says, she can hear the bitterness in his voice.

“Yeah, I think you are.” She says ignoring it. “You don’t need do anything fancy, or have sex with her. Just be there, talk to her. She’ll open up to you.”

“You have to open up too though. Don’t get something for nothing.” She says nudging him. He takes a big breath in.

“Now that I don’t believe,” he says, Piper smiles turning back to her laptop.

“It’ll work out Simon, whatever happens you’ll face it as a pack. That’s a strength a lot of people will never have.” He looks over at her the laptop lighting up her face as she works. He presses his lips together looking back at the piece of paper he’s been fiddling with.

At least when they have a cure he won’t need to worry about this anymore. Life can go back to normal. There's a photo of you pinned in the corner of the paper. It makes him smile.

"Need a hand?" He asks pushing the paper away.

"Always." She chuckles.

Chapter 6 - next bonus

Dividers by plum98

[youwerenevermeanttofeelalone]

Christmas Indulgence | Remus Lupin

✦ pairing — Remus Lupin x gender neutral!Plus Size Reader

✦ word count — 1k

✦ request — for the forbidden kisses, if you’re still doing them, could i please request 8+10 with Remus lupin and maybe during Christmas time/winter at the potter’s house? xx

8) having begun to trail impassioned kisses down their jaw and neck before the harsh reality kicks back in

10) “we sh- “ “no, please. just- just let me have this. just for a minute.”

✦ warnings — angst, secret relationship, mentions of Remus’ condition, mentions of food, fluff.

════════════════════════ Remus found it hard to follow his own rules sometimes. For example, whenever he saw you interacting with his friends, he wished they knew how important you were to him. 

But things could go wrong. Incredibly so. He couldn't risk anyone knowing he had decided to give love a chance. Chances he would have to end things with you due to his condition were high, he didn’t want his friends to try and convince him otherwise.

Logically, he knew he’d never been happier than he was right now. He had never been happier before either. Yet his logic also told him this might become too much for you to deal with.

He had been terrified when he told you about his condition, and although you were shocked, you never pulled away like he expected you to. A few days back, he tiredly let it slip that he didn’t want to burden you, and you assured him you would never tire of him, not even if the only thing he wanted from you was friendship, he said.

How could he ever want only friendship from you?

This year, Lily went all out with the decorations. Floating candles, glittering lights, singing ornaments, gifts that yelled at you when you tried to open them before Christmas day…

Cinnamon and sugar were the prominent aroma notes throughout the house, but he could pick up a hint of apple here and there, perhaps from the kitchen as James hadn’t stopped gushing about learning how to bake with Lily.

You arrived a little after him, just as you two had planned. Remus hated that you greeted him last — it had been his idea.

He was drawn to the sweater you wore under your coat, soft-looking, brightly colored, perfectly fitting.

As James and Lily became busier with other guests, you sat with Remus and Sirius. 

Remus took note of the way Sirius seemed to relax around you and the ease with which he spoke about his woes. Granted, Sirius tended to be dramatic, but he didn't trust easily, and yet he trusted you. 

His friends liked you. And you liked them. And Remus found himself sad that one day this would end.

Excusing himself, he rose from the sofa, avoiding your eyes as he made his way outside.

The front of the house was littered with colorful Christmas lights, standing out from the houses around where only a string of lights or two decorated the roofs and dull wreaths hung from the doors.

He heard your steps before he saw you, dead grass crunching under your boots.

“Remus?” You asked hesitantly. “What's wrong? Did you forget your potion?”

He clenched his jaw. “No.”

“Are you certain?” you pressed. “I have a vial in my travel bag if needed.”

Of course you did. Always taking care of him. 

“I'm sure,” he insisted quietly.

You looked at him, studying him as though you'd be able to see through him if you stared long enough. “What is it then? Do you want to go home?”

Home. He never called his place ‘home.’ In many ways, the glorified potion laboratory you called home didn’t qualify either. But it was much closer, always lively and warm, albeit a little suffocating — and you were all over that place, with your ingredient sorting system that only made sense to you and the notes of your shower gel that lingered throughout the day no matter how pungent your newest brew became.

“You know how the festivities are,” he said. He felt stupid for coming up with such a poor excuse, even if he wasn’t completely lying.

You craned your neck to look behind you, then to your right, and finally to your left. Nodding to yourself, you stepped closer and reached over with both hands, resting them on his shoulders, giving him time to pull away,

Remus didn’t have it in him to reject you. Ever. It was what got him into this mess.

You gave him a small smile, sweet, kind, genuine. And slowly, you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug.

He suspected you knew his need for comfort had little to do with the festivities and everything to do with the turmoil inside him every time he gave your relationship a long thought. And yet you gave that comfort freely, moving a hand up to the back of his head to soothingly pet his hair.

Remus shyly rested his hands on your sides, able to feel the thickness of your bright sweater and the softness of your body underneath. Despite himself, he sighed contently.

Soon, his head was on your shoulder and you started humming a song that often helped him relax. After a while, you nudged his head off your shoulder so you could look at him, searching for something Remus couldn’t discern.

Then, you leaned in and gently kissed his cheek. He couldn’t stop himself from turning his face, brushing his lips against yours in a silent request.

You indulged him, tenderly pressing your lips to his. Chaste kisses never lasted between you, and if Remus was being honest, he enjoyed that about you.

Soon your bottom lip got caught between his teeth and your fingers buried in his hair, tugging a few times.

As you parted for air, a string of saliva connected your mouths. You smiled, then kissed the corner of his mouth before moving to his stubbled jaw, nipping.

Your kisses grew wet as they reached his neck. Remus’ breath hitched as you mouthed at his throat. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to indulge fully. Strings of music danced around you as the reunion inside became a party, he didn’t recognize the song, or even if it was one, but it sounded festive enough for him to know it was James’ doing. 

You stopped, slowly withdrawing from his neck and looking at him. “We sh—”

“No, please,” Remus whispered, barely opening his eyes to acknowledge you properly. “Just— just let me have this. Just for a minute.”

As if you could never say no to him, you buried your face into his neck. “Okay,” you murmured near his ear, only for him, like everything you did.

His grip on your waist tightened once your mouth made contact with his neck again.

He thought he saw a flash of ginger behind you. His throat constricted for a moment. Yet he decided to keep quiet, hoping, almost praying, Lily wouldn’t bring it up later.

[httpsdana]

hiiii can i please request a joao felix fic where they do the ‘a boy who’s jacked and kind’ tiktok trend!! i think it’ll be really cute! love ur fics xx

Jacked and Kind~João Fèlix

・❥・prompt list

・❥・masterlist -> part 2

・❥・who I write for

João was lounging on the couch, scrolling through his TikTok fyp when he suddenly burst out laughing. “amor, you need to see this”

She glanced over, eyebrow raised, as he showed jer a video of a couple participating in the trending challenge to Sabrina Carpenter’s song.

The boyfriend lifts his girlfriend onto his shoulder with ease, flexing his muscles and looking ridiculously proud.

“Oh, no,” she groaned, already sensing what was coming. “You’re not going to make me do that, are you?”

João’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Oh, I’m absolutely going to make you do it. You’ve seen these arms, right?” He flexed dramatically, giving his bicep a quick squeeze.

She laughed, rolling her eyes. “Please, João. I’m not exactly lightweight, you know.”

“amor, I’m practically a superhero. I lift cars for fun.” He gave her a teasing look, clearly trying to be serious, but the way he said it made her giggle.

“Okay, Mr. Superhero,” she teased. “But if you drop me, I’m posting it to the internet, and you’ll never live it down.”

“I won’t drop you,” he said confidently, then added with a playful smirk, “But you’ll definitely post it, right? Gotta show off my muscles to the world.”

She raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed. “You’re such a child.”

“oh shut up” João replied , leaning in to press a soft kiss to her forehead. “Now, come on, let’s make this video. We’re gonna go viral.”

She sighed dramatically but gave in, standing up from the couch. “Fine, but if I break my back, I’m blaming you.”

“You’ll be fine, princesa. Just trust me,” João said with a wink. “You ready?”

She grabbed her phone, adding the song and preparing to film as he positioned himself. He flexed his arms one last time and gave her a wink. “Okay, on three. Hold on tight, and don’t look scared.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not scared, just... cautious.”

“three...two...one” João counted with the TikTok counter

In one fluid motion, João crouched down, then lifted her effortlessly onto his broad shoulders.

She yelped in surprise at how quickly it happened, but João’s hand was already on her thigh, holding her steady, while the other arm flexed proudly in front of the camera.

“Whoa, you actually did it,” she said, half in shock, half in awe. She couldn’t stop smiling, though she was still a little unsure of the whole thing.

João looked up at her with that proud grin. “Told you, princesa. I’m jacked and kind. A perfect match for this trend.”

She couldn’t help but laugh, trying to keep her balance. “You look like you’re about to audition for a bodybuilding competition.”

He flashed her a teasing wink, flexing again for the camera. “All for you, meu amor. Look at these muscles. You’re lucky to have me.”

“Lucky? I’m more like terrified,” she joked, her grip tightening on his shoulders as he started moving around a bit.

“Oh, come on, you love it. Admit it,” he teased, giving her a wink. “The view from up here is pretty great, right?”

She smirked. “Well, I guess it is. But don’t get too cocky, okay?”

“Too late,” João said, his grin growing wider as he flexed once more. “This is how you do it, amor.”

“Okay, okay,” she laughed, rolling your eyes. “I’m impressed. Just put me down already the phone stopped filming ages ago.”

“you’re making me look good right now though.”

She laughed at his words before he gently lowered her back down, his hands sliding to her waist to steady her.

She stood there, grinning up at him. “Okay, I’ll admit it. You’re strong.”

He gave her a proud look, holding up his phone to check the video. “Told you! This is gonna get so many views.”

“You’re so full of yourself,” she teased, poking him in the chest.

“I’m full of you, meu amor,” João said with a wink, pulling her in for a kiss. “Now let’s post this before I start flexing again. Don’t want to break the internet with all this muscle.”

Dhe laughed against his lips. “Alright, alright. your fan girls are gonna love this video”

He pulled back, laughing at her words. “oh the edits will be amazing”

She smiled up at him, nodding head.

“Of course they'll be. your fans never miss”

João laughed, pulling her closer for another kiss. “I don't care about them. I just want everyone to know that I'm real boyfriend material”

She laughed at his words, leaning her head against his chest as they settled on the couch, their video long forgotten as they spent the rest of the evening in each other's arms.

my taglist: @barcapix @paucubarsisimp @spidybaby @mxryxmfooty (lmk if you want to be added!!)

[cozymochi]

With all this Nyoka talk, are you lowkey tired? I fear with all these Nyoka asks might become annoying to you. 💔 Or when there’s too many asks about a specific thing or person.

WAAAAA?? If anything, I have the exact opposite fear. Everyone else being annoyed by seeing him so much from me.

I bring it up and allude to it sporadically, but It’s not like I’m unaware that the majority of people would much much rather have me go back to posting art about the canon cast. It certainly has more mass appeal.

Though if anyone followed my bluesky or looked at my kofi they would see all the WIPs of that exact thing. But, that’s not my main, so it probably doesn’t count, does it? (I don’t really like posting WIPs on main.)

It’s a very VERY high privilege to be able to indulge in a non-canon character at all, more specifically at the behest of other people asking for it. Like, genuinely.

I never really bought the idea from a few people calling me “big” or “popular” given I never really talk to anybody off my own posts (sans IRL friend), and the only art that ever seems to truly pop off and cycle everywhere that I can see tends to only happen when when Malleus or Leona is in it (mainly the former, regardless of the quality im disatisfied with). In a way, I still don’t fully buy it.

Those two are already popular with built in fanbases, so that’s a given.

But then Nyoka dropped and he’s popping off to nearly their levels and I haven’t gone too long without somebody asking about him or his mouth

SO THAT’S A WAKE UP CALL.. Something that made me go “huh. maybe they were right about me…” or at least… Something happened with him specifically that clicked for whatever reason. I MEAN. MY TOP POSTS SPEAK FOR ME.

LOOOOK! He’s playing with the big boys??

One oF MY FRIENDS WROTE AN “X READER” FIC UNDER MY NOSE. AND IT DID WELL ouTside of our goofy asses. ThAT’S INSANEEE

Understand this though, while I do have the autonomy to not answer asks about him— If I was really tired of it, I wouldn’t keep answering. I answer so long as I receive them.

Cuz, Idk if anyone’s noticed, but I’m not the best at bringing up my own stuff on my own accord. If I do, there was a high chance I was pushed into it by somebody else, or I might have liked the art a little more than I should have to the point I think giving it it’s own post is justified.

I’ve always had Tia as my defacto Prefect, but she’s the Prefect. A character that can be anything and anybody (and almost everyone has one). And I never really brought her up willingly too much. I don’t even bother making her cameo in scenarios where she could be there. I just use Grim as a stand in. I don’t even post or talk about 80% of her junk out of nervousness and fear.

I AM GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL FOR ALL THE ASKS I RECEIVE AND THE ENTHUSIASM 💖 I know I’m not the best at showing it since I haven’t ascribed to the keyboard smash + crazy image in a while, but i AMMMM. I go feral.

(ALSO bear in mind, I had Nyoka for almost two years before he ever went public. 😭👍 I think we’re good.)

…Still, with all that said: The self-inflicted-but-possibly-justified pressure still exists. With every new ask I answer about Nyoka or some other non-canon guy, I feel like the others who only really followed me for the more canon specific art are certainly getting annoyed watching it unfold and are just waiting for me to get back to it.

(Again, haven’t stopped. Bluesky/Kofi.)

I mean for example, I doubt it was intentional, but I got one reminder the other day when I was asked about updating a Leona WIP after that whole gacha pull bet thing.

That shows me somebody is waiting for something not Nyoka related. Though, given the nature of the material, they’ll probably be disappointed (its not even all that big). I took it in stride the other day but upon reflection it’s starting to gnaw at me. I only really posted the WIP to break up all the Nyoka stuff so people don’t get upset. Otherwise, I would have kept it under wraps properly.

So, I can only imagine what others are not saying.

And if I’m paranoid enough (which i am), it’ll only be a matter of time before somebody hits a wall and decides that enough is enough on my behalf. Hype backlash is a real thing, and while I don’t know when it’s coming, It’s inevitable. So, if anything I should slow down.

But then I get left in a position where I’m not posting any art at all.

Granted, not posting enough art and especially ones that are more generalized gnaws at me all the time regardless.

Getting Nyoka or other non-canon character stuff is honestly the most freedom I can get. There’s a lot less stakes involved, and I just have an easier time. I do genuinely like thinking about them!!! I LikE DRAWING THEM!! Again, being prompted by OTHERS IS especially a high privilege to be able to do.

Don’t get it twisted though (no pun intended), I also enjoy the canon cast and I put them above my own junk any day. Heck most are easier to draw than the non-canon freaks, but... Idk I do more self comparison to other artists more than people think, and it mostly comes down to me believing that I can’t draw them that well nor can convey anything high-concept or even LOW concept about them in an appealing enough way.

There’s just sooo many other artists to choose from. And better stuff at that. It’s also why I don’t fully believe people if they value me above other ones. With the stuff I put out, it doesn’t make any sense as to why that would be the case.

And while I am trying to compile a bunch of work *cough kofi/bluesky cough*, I get stumped really quickly while working on them. There’s a bar of quality I want, and with each characters built-in fanbases and stans it’s very taxing trying to not potentially let anyone down.

With Nyoka and the others no such bar exists. He and the others fall into a category that most people don’t put much stake in to begin with.

I think it’s a different beast when following an artist who sticks to drawing or writing about the same canon character all the time. There’s a niche for it and a built in audience who wants that, so nobody is going to get up in arms. (Well except maybe a bad apple who gets territorial about two cakes.)

As opposed to a non-specific artist/writer who suddenly posts an OC and for the next few weeks that’s seemingly all they post about, even if it is mostly from asks. There’s nothing backing that up. They came for cakes, why tf is this chef making stir fry?!

Yeah, some people may be cool with it since it keeps being asked for and I like making it. But, sooner or later someone is going to go “when are you go back to baking cakes? Wasnt this the whole point?”

TL;DR: NO, IM NOT TIRED OF HIM. I don’t exactly lose drive for my own little batch of chaos and I’m super thankful for it 💜💜💜💜💜 But I do have a very real fear of others getting annoyed by it.

Even this ask has me raising my eyebrow a little. I can’t imagine anyone being tired talking about their own stuff.

…But I can imagine the opposite.

And I know I get this reply constantly with “Oh just post what u want it’s your blog” I can only give a look that I can’t translate into text. 💃

[honeyjars-sims]

My 𝐓𝐨𝐩 24 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 from 2024🎉

Thank you @lynzishell for tagging me! This was very hard--so much happened in my story this year! I will tag @tipsy-clouds, @beachyserasims, @feroshgirlsims, and @miss-may-i if you'd like to participate!

January

Chapter 2 started off on a high note. Love was in the air...certainly nothing could go wrong 😬 Chantal, Johnny, and Cece were all experiencing the thrill of new romances, but only one couple would survive the year.

February

While Nico's mask was starting to slip, Johnny and Lexie also hit a bump in the road on their trip to GraNITE Falls (which I totally know the name of and didn't make a bunch of graphics with the completely wrong name on them...nope, not me). At least Johnny and Lexie ended the month on a high note, right? RIGHT?

March

I really put poor Johnny through it in March, didn't I? Not long after unexpectedly coming face to face with the man who made his childhood a living hell, Johnny ended up in tears again when Lexie revealed she was a lesbian and ended their relationship.

April

Revenge is delicious and Chantal was ready to eat! And eat she did. She turned the tables on Nico and Ambrose after agreeing to testify on their behalf in court, only to show up on the stand in support of the prosecution. Later, David prepared to leave for Drag Superstar, feeling uncertain about how his family would fare without him as Chapter 2 drew to a close.

May

I took a break as I prepared for Chapter 3.

June

I took a chance and started off Chapter 3 with a flash-forward to Johnny's future wedding day with a mystery spouse. Followed by going back to the present day where Carina and Skyla finally reached him about his car's extended warranty entertained him after a night at the club.

July

Johnny continued to make questionable life choices until David finally laid down the law, leading Johnny to a new job as a Production Assistant at Rainy Day Entertainment. He met his new boss, Lucy, and they became fast friends. Also, he got the cutest cat ever named Taco.

August

I built a motherfuckin mountain. I sent everyone to the mountain, then I photoshopped the shit out of the view from the mountain. Actually I finished the mountain earlier in the year...I spent many hours building and demolishing and rebuilding it while my personal life fell apart around me. And, like this mountain, I will build it back up. This is where Johnny met Lucy's brother Paul, which turned out to be a pretty big deal. Also, bonus pics of the moment PJ met in the game (in this timeline at least):

Wow they're in love

Later, Johnny was in for a surprise when he discovered the students joining the team for a new program were none other than Lexie and her friends. Awkward!

September

While things continued to be awkward between Johnny and Lexie, he got closer to his red herring co-worker Lacey. Meanwhile, Cece and Ben made time for each other the best that the could while he was on the road.

October

October was all about Drag Superstar! We followed David, aka Valerie Galloway, on his journey as a contestant. From the highs of winning the girl group challenge ("Guess I'll C-U-N-Tartosa!") to the lows of being eliminated when the stress became too much to bear, it was a wild ride!

November

November was the month of big reveals. In Drag Superstar, Lady Astrid was crowned the winner! Cece and Ben got engaged and Chantal quit school to pursue her dreams. Things began looking up for Johnny, who finally mended his friendship with Lexie and was thriving at work. After his dads decided to move to a smaller house, Johnny started on a journey of his own as he moved to a new community with a roommate, Paul...oh, and I revealed that Paul is the one who Johnny will eventually marry! Sorry, Lacey.

December

While I set up for Chapter 4, I've been having fun doing some gameplay. Johnny and Paul are getting closer and Taco is letting the world know that she will not be ignored.

This year has honestly been one of the hardest in my life, but I don't think I could have gotten through it without this hobby and this community. It means more than you'll ever know. I've been more quiet this year but my goal for 2025 is to be more interactive.

I'm so excited for another year of sharing this story and seeing everything that this community has to offer. Also I'm super pumped thinking about what the top 25 screenshots for 2025 will be like, because I have a feeling they're going to be some of the most fun yet!

[tomhockstetter7-111]

Highest Form of Empathy - Chapter 4

2k+ words

Logan x empath!reader

It's a blessing and a curse, feeling other's pain. More so when you can take it away, albeit at the expense of your own peace. One-night stands were a usual for you. That's all this was supposed to be. But, seeing someone in so much pain, you couldn't leave him like that. You just couldn't. Besides, it's not like you'd ever see him again.....

Chapter CW: Mentions of trauma and relationship issues

dunno how to make/pick headers...help, not peer edited

Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mid-January, 2006

Westchester, New York

~~

You and Rogue converse casually about the past week's events. In the time between your first and second sessions, she had grown more open to the idea of you as a confidant. It became a common occurrence that Rogue would pull you aside during your off time to ask for advice on various things: Bobby, fitting in with the others, and especially her career plans, or lack thereof. Though, she did mention a passion for linguistics at one point. You made a mental note to explore it more later. 

You tried keeping a professional distance from her. But, she’s just such a sweetheart. You couldn’t find it in yourself to say no.

Now, you sit in the big green chairs in your office talking over water glasses. The day winds down to an end as you chat. It's here you learn of what happened between her escape from home and the present day. She makes an off-hand comment on what living on the road was like, and you jump on it with a "Tell me about that."

“After I left home,” she says, “I hitchhiked to a place in Canada. I used to tell people there was this one spot I wanted to visit. So, I went.” She stretches her arms out, placing her wrists on her knees. “Turns out it was the middle of nowhere.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” You flip the page of a teal notepad dedicated to Rogue. It’s a lot easier keeping track of things like family trees, key memories, and such when you sort everyone in their own books like this.

“It’s fine. I just picked it off a map I had. It wasn’t all bad, though. That’s how I met Logan.” You perk up at the mention of his name. Remy’s story from last week echoes in your memory. “He was cage fighting at the time. I stowed away in his trunk. He tried kicking me out and leaving me alone, but then he stopped and let me come with him instead. I think he’s too nice to do something like that,” she chuckles lightly to herself. “Then, the professor found us, and I ended up here.”

“And then what happened?” You scribble away at the pages, feeling how Rogue’s mood sours a bit after your question.

“There was an accident. I got hurt cause of him. Then, he got hurt, and I thought everyone hated me for it so I left. Then, Magneto found me. He wanted to use my power for some device that could speed up mutations in people. He didn’t care that it would’a killed me.”

You find yourself gritting your teeth in an attempt to hold back reactions as you listen to her story. Magneto. That was the guy’s name you couldn’t remember. The guy who’s plan would’ve killed so many people just to prove some twisted argument. Though, you couldn’t quite remember how. And, worse, he was ok with killing a fucking child for it?

“The machine turned some of my hair white,” she chuckles humorlessly. The remark catches you by surprise. Up to now you had dismissed it as some fashion choice on her part. It never occurred to you that it wasn't natural. Well, maybe it is, now.

"It suits you, though," you reassure. "I think it frames your face nicely."

“Thanks. Logan liked it, too. Made me less embarrassed.” She smiles down at her lap. “He saved me that day. Gave me his healing powers after pulling me from the machine. I don’t know if I was dead but…” She pauses, and the mood around you drops heavily. “I really owe him. He never stopped looking out for me after that. We've talked a lot about Bobby. Says I deserve better...or that he should think a little more, at least." She looks down and fidgets with her gloves

"Is that so?" Your pen pauses against the paper.

"He says that…if he loves me, he'll consider more than just how I make him feel. Says love is s’posed to be deeper than surface. That you gotta put their needs on top of yours." Her gaze falls to the side, and you can feel her guilt over the topic along with an ache in her chest. It's faint, but it's there. In truth, her relations with Bobby worried you. He's clearly a sweet guy and means well. But, he's still so young. They both are. "I don't wanna think he's not right for me. But..." She trails off. 

"Rogue," you call out. "If you have resignations about the relationship, it doesn't make you a bad person. People come and go. Sometimes, you’re the person that goes, and that’s ok." You vaguely remembered your first love back in college. Rose colored glasses made your first boyfriend seem like the perfect match to you...until you made it clear your life wasn't getting put on hold for anyone. Even still, you were a wreck when you left him.

"What if I hurt him?"

"It's part of life, hon." You give her a sympathetic look. "Sometimes things just don't work out. It's rare that your first love is who you spend your whole life with." 

She picks at the edges of her nails before speaking again in a low voice. “I think you’ll like him. Logan. You guys talk alike.”

That catches you off guard. Rogue clearly has a lot of admiration for the guy.  The way it radiates off her reminds you much of your own love for your late father. Although, saying you two are alike? It feels like a stretch after what you heard from Remy. Yeah, you slept around a bit, especially late into university. But, you had a valid reason for it, and you most certainly never encroached on anyone’s territory. It’s hard to reconcile an attempted homewrecker to a loving father figure. But, humans had so many layers. Maybe, for all his faults, this guy has some decent parts to him, too.

A moment of silence passes before you glance back at your watch. "We're out of time, but let's pick this up next week, ok?"

She nods, her face somber.

You stand and get ready to open the door for her to exit. But, before that, you put a hand on her shoulder. "It'll work out, Rogue. It always does." That gets her to crack a smile, albeit small. You pray to yourself you can get down her habits and what could work for her soon. It sucks not being able to offer proper advice.

On the other side of the door, in a waiting chair, sits the aforementioned boyfriend. 

"You doing ok?" He slings an arm around Rogue’s shoulders, and you watch as she tenses. The situation really is as complicated as it seems. But, you pray they’ll be fine.

"Yeah, I-" A loud grinding sound outside cuts Rogue off mid-sentence. She lights up like the morning sky, showing a whole new person in the process. "Logan's back!" She grabs your hand as she pulls you down the hall, screaming at you to hurry so you can “beat him to the door”. You give nods in agreement as you and Bobby attempt to keep up with her. 

Once you reach the door, you watch as Rogue jumps into the arms of a big, burly man that just walked through it. A large duffle bag sits next to them on the ground. She makes sure to avoid contact with his head as she gives a tight squeeze, and your heart warms seeing her so carefree for once.

Ever the observant, you see in your sight a tall man, maybe six foot, in a brown, 70s style leather jacket with hair that...hair that resembles your mom's last cat. And, those eyes. You know those eyes. You remember those eyes. They make contact with yours, and the recognition in them tells you everything. He remembers you, too.

Shit.

Rogue pulls away, leaving Logan frozen in place, shocked face mirroring your own. She introduces him to you, the newest member of staff. You admit it’s nice to finally match a name to a face. You just wonder why it has to be his face.

"Hi." You give a greeting, mildly breathless.

He grimaces, "Hey." He lifts his hand in a pathetic attempt at a wave. There’s a faint tenseness bubbling below the surface. Is he…upset?

"About time!" Storm shouts as she comes walking down the stairs. "You're a week late, you know."

"I got lost." It's a weak defense, clearly a lie. But, Storm seems to brush it off as she reaches the ground floor only to meet eyes with you.

"Oh good! You two have met."

"Yeah," Logan says. "You could say that." He's still staring you down. God, if looks could kill…

Storm comes to stand between you. "Then, I'm sure you've noticed she's our newest babysitter."

"Hey!" You shove Storm playfully and she throws you a grin, feigning innocence. Helping with the kids you are, but “babysitter” is pushing it. The interaction helps enough to shove down your unease a bit, though.

Then, something on Logan catches her eye. "I thought you got rid of those."

You return your attention to him in time to see him tucking...something into his shirt. A defensive look dances across his face. Whatever it is looks to be hanging off a metal chain, and you raise an eyebrow, curiosity peaked.

"Logan." You hear Scott's voice at the top of the stairs. If Logan's disdain upon seeing you was obvious, it's nothing compared to what he throws at Scott.

"Scott." He clips. You glance from him to Scott, then back to him, then Scott, and back to him again.

"Oh wow." You mutter under your breath, brain connecting the dots. Now, you have to wonder what happened between them and Jean. Logan, somehow, hears your remark and shoots you a glare to which you return with an innocent smile.

"I'll...let you guys catch up. Gotta check on class plans." Storm, having no intention of wasting time escaping the awkward situation, is quick to make her exit.

Logan sizes you up, more or less, eyes never losing their edge. You cross your arms finding nothing but confusion, and a bit of hilarity, in what unfolds in front of you.

"You're late." Scott reaches the bottom of the steps and rounds the corner, catching Logan's attention, again. 

You take that moment to glance over at Rogue who's giving you a look you can't quite grasp. All you can glean from her mind is amusement, but not who it's directed towards. 

"Something you wanna say, hon?" You challenge her as Scott berates Logan over what he's missed the past couple weeks while Logan just stands there, completely unfazed.

Rogue just shakes her head at you, a cheeky smile gracing her lips. Clearly she’s seeing something you’re not.

"-unless you plan on running off with my bike…again." You catch the tail end of the conversation when Scott heavily emphasizes “again”, and your brows furrow. He stole the guy’s bike? What does he mean “again”?

"Well," Logan's eyes wander the mansion foyer before settling on you. "I could probably think of a few reasons to stick around." His eyes briefly flicker down your body.

Feeling rather exposed, you decide to look anywhere but his face while you fiddle with the zipper of your leather jacket. Well, that’s just great. This bullshit's why you do one-night stands. Too many complications come with people. Plus, with some people projecting emotions and thoughts more strongly than others, enough to where you don't even have to try looking, dating was something you gave up on a long time ago. Lucky for you, Logan seems to be one of those people. What you can’t figure out is why he seems so angry with you. Sure, you didn’t expect to see him again, and, yes, this is very, very awkward for you. But, is that really worth such a animosity? You didn’t do anything bad.

"Logan." You barely hear Scott's warning over the heat rushing to your ears. 

"You should get moving." You lean over to whisper the warning to Rogue and Bobby.

Rogue chuckles as Bobby bids Logan goodbye and begins to pull her away. "Bye, Logan,” she says before shooting you one last smirk, leaving you baffled. You figure a power like Jean’s or Charles’s would be very helpful right about now. Although, it is funny watching as she's practically dragged down the hall. Her and Bobby laugh about something you can't quite hear.

"Bye." Logan nods to her as she leaves.

Scott clears his throat. "Like I said, Logan, this is our newest staff member. She does counselling and psych work with the kids-"

"Yeah," you interrupt. "Rogue introduced us."

"Oh!" Scott raises his eyebrows. "Alright. So, he knows he'll be training you in combat, then."

"What?" Logan clarifies. No, he most certainly did not. Clearly no one had bothered to tell him

“You’re training the new recruit. In combat.” Scott leans in, emphasizing his point. “Don’t worry, big guy. She’s experienced.” His tone is condescending as he looks towards you.

“Right,” he nods. Logan breezes past that completely to tell Scott he needs to meet with Charles later. Something about "finally found what I was looking for". But, you can tell he's not done with you yet, and neither are you for that matter. For weeks now, the mysterious stranger lived rent-free in the corners of your mind, and now he's standing right in front of you. You want to take this chance to dig a little further...and…maybe clear the air a little.

"I'll let him know." Scott nods before heading down the corridor and disappearing around the corner.

You clear your throat to get Logan's attention and give him an awkward smile. "It's good to finally meet you," you say. "Rogue told me about you." Better to deal with the awkwardness sooner than later.

"Really…"

"Well, yes. I’m the new counselor and health teacher for the school." 

Logan scoffs. "You? A counselor? The whore in the bar?"

"I’m fucking sorry?” 

“You just didn’t strike me as the type.” Well, isn’t this going swimmingly? 

“I am more than qualified to be looking after these kids, unlike someone who spends his free time fucking strangers behind bars."

"Still a shit-talker, I see." He takes a step forward. "Should've put that mouth to better use when I had the chance."

"Get used to disappointment." You cross your arms over your chest as you hear your heart in your ears. You inhale, steadying yourself. No need to let things get out of hand. "Look. We're both working here. I don't want trouble."

He takes another step towards you. "Should've thought of that before you went and fucked with my head." You didn't notice before, but he towers over you. The rising anger makes it all the more unnerving.

"What?" You start cautiously, defenses up.

His face darkens. “What did you do to my head?"

"I don't...I don't know what you mean." Sorta. Really, you don't know what you did exactly. To you, all you did was take on his turmoil for the evening and hopefully give him a break. Everyone deserves a break sometimes. At least, you thought so.

"I came to that town," his voice lowers as he inches closer, "without a fucking clue who I was. I meet you. Now, I know everything. Why?" He’s in your face now, and it’s starting to scare you.

Your eyes widen once you put it together. "I really don't know what you're talking about. I just..." You try to form a proper thought, but the words lodge in your throat. Of all times, why now is your brain failing you?

Logan remains quiet, waiting for an answer.

You let out a breath. "Look. It’s part of my mutation," you finally say. “I can exchange my emotions for others’. I swear, that's all I did." He doesn't seem convinced. "You seemed like you needed a break. I figured I'd give you one." You take a step back, hoping to ease the tension just a little.

His brows furrow a little, trying to figure you out. Finally, he backs down. You notice the subtle desperation and guilt, now. It's buried under the anger, only obvious once it subsides. The empty look from that night returns as his gaze shifts to the floor. He backs up a little more before grabbing his duffle bag and walking away without a word. 

You take a deep lung-full of air once you think he's out of ear shot. What just happened?

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A/N: NOW the fun begins. Fun for me at least ¯\_(ツ)_/¯