#and disruptive at work because the kids want me to spin hug them and I have to say no

[cubot]

My head did not hurt when I woke up, but got worse over the day. I should probably go to bed, but I'm having fun. I'll have some caffeine and pain killers and hope they make love in my body and the emotions kill my headache in a pink powerful beam of sparkles and hearts.

[gretavanfleetposts]

Valence: Chapter Three

Summary: The daughter of a drug lord, you're ready to take over the family business. Your father's only stipulation? You must marry the man he has picked out for you instead of the man you love in order to claim your kingdom.

TW: penetrative sex, thigh riding, slight cock-warming (18+ minors do not interact), swearing, themes of death and dying

Word Count: 8k

Chapter Two Masterlist Chapter Four

This wasn't how your wedding was supposed to look. It certainly wasn't what you had been dreaming of, or what you and Danny had been fantasizing about. No, this was all wrong.

You sat at your vanity in your room, fingers laced around the stem of a champagne glass that was on its nth refill, too many to count by this hour of the morning. Lily stood behind you brushing through your hair and humming to herself, either choosing to ignore your palpable misery or blissfully unaware of the crisis you were having as you watched her prepare you for a man you didn't want.

You emptied your glass and opted for an open bottle instead.

"You'd better go easy on those. You don't want to be drunk going down the aisle," Lily started in.

"I think I might," you muttered under your breath before taking another swig and disrupting her brushing once again.

"It's your wedding day, why are you so miserable?"

God, maybe she really was just blissfully unaware. Somehow that felt worse.

"I know you and Danny had a childhood fling," she began.

And not without a sting, either. A sharp beginning to a sentiment that was likely to have a sharp end as well.

"But you're an adult now. It's time to move on to someone more suitable."

And there was the sharp end.

"Not to mention, Jake is beautiful so I'd say you're lucky to have found him."

"I didn't find him, Lily. Our father did."

"Then you should thank him."

Your anger and frustration snapped with her words and you stood abruptly from your stool, pushing her off and crossing the room to your bed where a pair of white stockings with tiny white flowers woven into them rested, waiting to be adorned.

"I think the hair is brushed now."

"You're really going to be so sour on your wedding day. The least you could do is put on a happy face and be somewhat pleasant today of all days."

She was standing by the vanity still, holding the hairbrush and looking like a lost puppy, unassuming if she hadn't said what she'd said. And it fueled your anger, regardless of how small and innocent she made herself look, sending you into a spin facing her, your anger preceding you.

"You're helping me primp to be sold off to another man. Which part of that exactly would you like me to be pleasant about?"

But she only dropped her head, tears spilling from her eyes almost instantly and dripping down to hit the cool wooden floor.

"You know you're always so nasty to me," she choked out.

She was infuriating, the way she turned the waterworks on and off so quickly. She had used it as a guilt tactic ever since you were kids, mostly because it always worked on you, being the youngest and being afraid to upset your older sister. But it no longer worked in the same way. Now you bit back your anger, did your best to swallow it down, even if it was truly still there. Now you held your tongue for her sake, even if it was just a ploy.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Lily, I didn't mean it."

You crossed the room to her, taking her face in your hands with a deep sigh.

"I look beautiful thanks to you. Mom would be proud."

Her tears dried almost immediately as her face lit up like a Christmas tree, eyes suddenly glowing at the mention of your mother.

"She would be," she agreed.

Pulling you into a hug, she rocked you both back and forth as she squeezed you tightly, not unlike your first encounter with Jake's twin although the two interactions were nothing alike. One had comforted you, the other had not.

"I'll go get your bouquet!" she squealed as she let go and skipped off to find the florist, leaving you alone for the first time that morning since you had barely woken up.

In her absence, you couldn't avoid your appearance in the full length mirror you had been trying your best not to catch a glimpse of. But now, being alone, you stood before it to take yourself in. A cream, long sleeved dress with a neckline that dipped low to mimic the v of the back, sewn out of thin, delicate silk that flowed with your every movement. Your mother would be proud.

It's how you might have wanted to look on your wedding day with Danny.

But it wasn't Danny standing at the end of the aisle. In fact, as you found yourself an hour later marching to the tune of a dusty organ, you couldn’t bring yourself to look up towards the end of the aisle as you walked, or else you might have run away. Danny was folded into one of the many pews that surrounded you, that much you knew, but you couldn't bring yourself to search through the eyes now staring, watching you, just to find his.

You weren't even really sure how you had gotten there, perhaps thanks to the inordinate amount of champagne you had consumed during the getting ready process. But you were there now, eyes fixated on the bundle of lavender between your fingers as the small piano in the corner of the tiny cathedral did its best to persuade you down the aisle.

Actually, the only comfort you found in the situation was knowing that Sam and Josh were somewhere in the pews as well, probably smiling brightly in support despite knowing how this had all come to be.

As you reached the end, you finally lifted your eyes to the man standing before you. There was Jake, wrapped in a deep maroon suit, his hair down and flowing over his shoulders, setting a soft contrast between his brown hair and the deep, almost blood-like color of the suit. His chest was uncharacteristically covered by the matching shirt and vest he wore underneath the jacket, but there was still no tie in sight, in true Jake fashion. And as you came upon the small step up to greet him on the platform, he offered you a hand, letting you delicately rest your fingers in his palm as you stepped up.

He had a soft smile on his face but his eyes held remorse, plentiful, some unspoken apology that you were glad he wasn’t voicing. You couldn’t bear to hear it, even as you swayed under the weight of alcohol.

It was a blur after that, the words spoken by the minister while you stared at the flowers in your hand, the “I do’s” spoken by you and Jake as you reluctantly lifted your eyes to face him again. Even the kiss blurred past you, a quick moment of silence where Jake leaned in and pecked you lightly on the lips, his own hardly even touching yours. You only stared up at him as the wedding guests folded into tiny pews all around you stood and clapped. Jake had to take your hand to remind you to turn toward the audience though you couldn’t even remember if you had smiled or not.

And then suddenly it was over and the two of you left the cathedral the way you had entered. It was a dizzying whirlwind and you fought back tears on your way out. You couldn’t even remember seeing your father.

A black SUV whisked you away from the church, you and Jake sitting on the far ends of the backseat, each looking out your respective windows. What he saw on his side, you weren’t sure. On your side, dense trees zooming past in a blur, you watched your life blow by you in an instant, Danny somewhere far behind you. You felt the tears in your throat before they even streamed down your face like the droplets of water cascading from the sky and slipping down the sleek tinted windows of the armored car.

“What can I do?” you heard Jake whisper, the sound somehow reaching you despite the miles that separated you there.

But you said nothing back, despite the concern you heard in his voice, real and raw and like nothing you had heard from him yet. Instead you shook your head, like perhaps words would follow, only it was tears, falling harder now as you slumped further against the window, arms pulled tight against your chest as you felt it, felt the physical distance between you and Danny and all of the things you imagined for your life.

There was nothing he could do. He had already done it.

He didn’t even touch you, didn’t even offer a soothing caress as you tried and failed to hide your grief from him. Perhaps he knew he couldn’t reach you. Maybe he knew you were too far away in that moment. Maybe he was watching his life surge past him too, wondering how he had gotten there, where he had gone wrong.

‘Was it worth it?’ you heard Danny asking you, distant but clear.

‘Are you sorry? Did it hurt the way you thought it would? Do you want to know if I watched?’

There was nothing to touch, even if Jake had reached out for you. You were a pile of broken pieces disintegrating on the floor.

—

Your cheeks were stiff with dried emotions that you had let flow more freely than you usually did on your ride to the reception. It hardened your face into a stoic, glassy expression as you sat next to Jake, looking upon the party below. The festivities didn’t reach you, couldn’t reach you seated high above everyone else in the large open courtyard cut out of the middle of your home. Even the toasts rested at your feet despite you being more than happy to drink. And your father was more than displeased watching you shirk off attempts at niceties and pleasantries, Jake fielding them all dutifully.

He had said nothing to you since his one question uttered to you in near silence in the car. He hadn’t even met your eyes as he offered a hand to you, helping you out of the SUV and into your home where the reception now droned on. Even his brothers had mostly stayed away, mingling with the warmer guests and avoiding your icy stare.

And Danny was nowhere to be found.

But at some point in the night, it was Josh who braved your side of the table, offering you a hand with a toothy grin and warm eyes that only looked slightly terrified.

“Dance with me?” he asked.

You said nothing, simply stood and took his hand, leading him to the dance floor and leaving Jake behind where Lily finally pounced and greeted him, asking him to a dance which he accepted with a smile and, if you listened closely, you could have sworn a sigh of relief.

Josh pulled you tighter against him than you had been expecting, pulling you from your miserable daze just enough to catch the disappointed look in his eyes. You preferred the hint of terror.

“You should save me whatever lecture you have prepared on outward appearances,” you said without looking him in the eyes. “My father will be more than happy to give it before the night is over. If you’re lucky, it may even be given in a quiet corner of this very room and then I can be even more of a spectacle for you all.”

It was scalding, unfairly so for the boy who had braved your table with sunshine still in his features, more than you deserved. But he didn’t even acknowledge it, to your surprise, drawing your eyes back to his face suddenly with his question that seemingly appeared out of thin air.

“How old were you when your mother died?”

You stared at him a moment, perplexed, brows furrowing as he continued swaying you both like the question hadn’t stumbled from his mouth unprompted.

“Lily said it was hard on you,” he continued in lieu of an answer.

“She died five years ago,” you answered slowly, brows still furrowed in confusion.

He hugged you tighter to him and nodded. “I’m sure it feels like it happened just yesterday. That’s how I feel about my father’s death anyway.”

You were tense in his arms but his warmth, and his honesty, did a lot to let your guard down, forget your anger even.

“Yes,” you voiced barely above the music. “It does feel that way.”

The grief of losing your mother had never really gone away. Immediately after, it had choked you. Now, it waited until the oddest moments to resurface, to tear open wounds you thought had healed or were healing. Some nights you still found yourself paralyzed by it, gasping for breath between broken sobs. But most nights, it was still the anger that took you by its hold. That was your cardinal sin, at the end of the day: anger.

You felt Josh’s hand grip yours tighter, one arm each held off to the side with his other draped along your back, fingers splayed flat to keep you there while your free arm slung around his neck, holding onto him a bit tighter as you felt the conversation shift.

“Jake didn’t stay at the reception after the funeral. Didn’t even make an appearance, actually. Just spent all day in his room. Sam and I didn’t see him for weeks. The distance between all of us after our father’s death felt enormous but it was different for Jake. It was like he practically disappeared.”

You tried to picture the Jake you knew, cool and calm, being so distant and so hurt. Maybe you could see him folding in on himself. He did, after all, have a great ability to avoid your questions. But the thought of him turning from his own brothers to grieve? That was something you really couldn’t imagine.

“At a certain point, I worried I would never wade through the distance and find him again.” You could see the hurt behind his eyes even as he spoke about it so long after. “I worried that maybe he had swam so far away because he didn’t even want to be found at the end of it.”

You suddenly felt bad for Josh, having to worry about his brother so deeply. Perhaps that was the way Lily had worried for you after your mother. Maybe that was the way your father worried for you now.

“It got bad. Felt like it was just getting worse and worse. Until finally I couldn’t take it anymore and I dragged him out of the dark all the way to Italy, just to tell him that he couldn’t hide from me anymore and that he didn’t have to grieve by himself.”

“Why Italy?”

“He needed to be reminded that there was still beauty in the world and that he was still capable of seeing it. And he had always wanted to go,” he smiled.

“Did it get better after that?”

“It did,” he reminisced with a soft smile touching his rosy lips. “We had a nice trip. And I left knowing he would never drift that far away again.”

You dropped your eyes to some spot on his chest although you weren’t exactly seeing anything. Josh’s words had sent you a million miles away, ironically enough, lost in an entanglement of thoughts that he had only helped to tangle further.

“So if you’re thinking of swimming far away,” he continued, dipping his face down so he could whisper next to your ear, “don’t forget to grab a rope. Makes it easier for the people you leave behind to reel you back in when you need it.”

He straightened, returning your gaze as he did so, but before you had a chance to voice your speechlessness, as it were, Lily was suddenly at your side, propositioning Josh away as Jake moved to take his place with his hand at your back and his fingers laced between yours, holding you the same way Josh had but admittedly not quite as close as Josh had.

Your eyes followed Josh as he swirled into a more upbeat dance with Lily who was all smiles at his charm, charm that had left you with a look of puzzlement still resting on your face, while Jake cleared his throat.

“Hate to let Josh look like the brave one in the family,” he joked, the jape landing on a silent audience as you struggled to pull yourself out of your conversation with Josh.

Did Josh see it? Did he see you drifting? Did he worry that you would swim far from Jake before you even gave him a chance to hold you up in the water?

“He didn’t upset you, did he?” Jake asked more seriously then, trying to get a read on your face. But you shook your head, having heard his question but still somewhat lost in thought.

‘Don’t forget to grab a rope. Makes it easier for the people you leave behind to reel you back in when you need it.’

“Your brother talks like an ent,” you mumbled absentmindedly as you finally turned toward the boy in front of you, letting your eyes go unfocused fixated on the lapel of his suit.

He pulled you in closer as he chuckled, seemingly warmed by your comment, approachable finally for the first time that day.

“Yeah, he’s just like that. Stature of a hobbit though.”

‘Don’t forget to grab a rope.’

Was Jake your lifeline? Is that what he was implying?

If you laughed at his remark, it was hardly audible, sounds still mostly going in one ear and out the other. But you had caught it.

“You read too then,” he continued, vying for your attention.

“I watched the movies.”

“I’m going to pretend like you didn’t say that.”

A real chuckle that time fell from your lips as Jake’s remark pulled you mostly from your thoughts. And more present with him, he held you closer and you found yourself wrapping your arm tightly around his neck, the thought of him shutting himself away with grief not far behind you.

“I haven’t really had much time for reading, between rarely leaving my father’s side during the day and Danny…” You let yourself trail off at the admission, eyes dropping at the audible mention of his name, the elephant in the room it seemed.

But Jake pressed on, not letting it linger and dampen the mood, admittedly welcome in your sorry state.

"So you're a workaholic who needs to learn to have fun. Got it."

You gave him a coy smile, cocking your head to the side at what he was implying. No doubt trying to get that reaction from you.

"I know how to have fun," you corrected him.

"Then why don't you have any?"

You squinted at him inquisitively. One might have even called it playful, as playful as you knew how to be.

"Says the brooding guitarist who locks himself in his room with his music every night," you accused.

A wide smile crossed his face.

"You think I'm brooding?"

"Out of you you and your brothers, I do. You all practically wear your personalities like clothes."

"Ah, well then you should know that I'm the romantic one."

You ignored both his comment and his look, suggestive as they were, sending him a quick eye roll before you changed the subject entirely.

"Exactly how many instruments do you play?".

"I don't really keep track," he shrugged, apparently happy to let his previous remark die although he did look quite amused. "Anything with strings."

You hummed lightly. "Must have a lot of free time."

He smiled and nodded once, taking your comment for what it was, a subtle jab. But the smile never left his eyes as he retorted, "Well my destiny, it would seem, is to be someone's husband."

You eyed him carefully as the two of you still swayed to music you were hardly listening to.

"You never had a desire to take things over from Josh?" you implored with more sincerity, genuinely curious as to why he had no interest in it all, even though it was his birthright.

He shook his head, his brows furrowing in thoughtfulness.

"I like the quiet," he remarked softly, his eyes landing on yours immediately after.

It felt purposeful though you couldn't really decipher the look on his face.

"I don’t think I’ll ever understand you Kiszka’s," you resigned instead with a sigh.

He smiled again, wider this time. "Maybe you’ll find us easier to understand now that you are one."

You didn't need the reminder really. It wasn't something you were particularly happy about. Not that sharing the family name was so bad. Shirking the one you wanted, though, was bad and you furrowed your brows at him in displeasure, displeasure he seemed perfectly happy to ignore as he quickly added, "Your father is looking," before dipping his head down to capture your lips with his, startling you with his actions as your eyes blew open wide even with his mouth on yours.

But his lips were warm and soft and his smell was inviting. And his hands, his fucking hands, one moving to cradle the back of your head as the other clung to the small of your back like he was the only force holding you to the earth.

And Danny wasn't there.

So slowly, your eyes fluttered closed and for a brief moment, you found yourself kissing him back, losing time against his mouth.

He pulled away slowly, his eyes fixed to you as your own slowly opened to face him, a bit more breathless than you wanted to be, exacerbated by the smirk very thinly veiled on his face. It wasn't like the kiss in the church, a soft peck that you hardly even remembered even so soon after. There was an intensity there, the same intensity he always held behind his eyes. You wondered, for just a fraction of a second, what it would feel like to really be kissed by him, not in the presence of other eyes, not for any dynastic purpose, just because he wanted to taste you on his lips.

You desperately needed a drink.

“That should appease him for the night,” he asserted, looking over his shoulder to make sure your father was satisfied and moved his gaze elsewhere.

You felt like you were in a daze until the end of the reception, in a weird limbo between asleep and awake. And by the end, Jake was practically holding you up himself as you melted further and further into his arms, your strength all but evading you by the end of the night. You had done your crying in the car on the way to the reception. Now you desperately needed a moment away from the dwindling crowd. Sleep too.

“I can walk you back,” Jake whispered against your ear, your temple pressed to his shoulder and your face turned into his neck, allowing you to successfully hide your face from the shrinking crowd of wedding guests around you while you drifted through a chasm of thoughts.

It at least looked intimate, quite convincing too, despite the fact that you felt with each passing moment further and further out of touch with your own sanity, like at any moment you might plummet through the floor and never see the light of day again.

Maybe Jake would be kind enough to crawl through the floor and pull you back up.

You lifted your head off his shoulder to nod silently, catching a glimpse of Sam dancing with a now drunk Lily wrapped around the slender frame of the lanky brother not far from where you and Jake stood on the dance floor. You were envious of her inebriation. Josh, on the other hand, was nowhere in the immediate vicinity as Jake took your hand and turned to walk you out of the courtyard and back into the privacy of your home.

Jake was mostly silent, matching your own silence as you walked down the long hall toward your bedroom, having dropped your hand once safely out of view of the wedding guests. Though the absence of any touch left you feeling dizzyingly cold. Not that it was Jake’s touch that you really wanted.

It was nice not being alone though, as the dark walls of the hallway practically crowded in around you, threatening to suffocate you before you finally reached the safety of your bedroom door, cool walnut beneath your touch. You pushed the door open behind you, turning to face Jake as he stood watching you intently.

You were silent as you stared at him, not entirely sure what to say. He was your husband now, after all. But what was there to say to the boy when you hadn’t even gotten through the ceremony sober? What was there to say now? There weren’t even words spoken in the silence, no hidden meaning behind your eyes or his. All there was was silence and the two of you, maybe seeing each other for who the other was for the first time, nothing hidden.

Just the two of you.

"Josh is waiting for me," he finally broke the silence with his raspy voice, soft and alluring, a sound that was doing more and more to alleviate the tension in your shoulders every time you heard it, no matter the situation.

You couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Jake sending Josh a signal that they were leaving the party, a signal to wait for him while he dropped off his wife at her doorstep.

"Sneaking off to sleep in your own house," you shook your head, staring at your feet as you shuffled before raising your eyes back up to his.

You didn't want him to stay, truthfully. But you didn't exactly want him to leave either.

But he gave you no opportunity to ask for either as he nodded past you, pointing with his eyes into your room with a low, "Someone's waiting for you," before he disappeared into the darkness of the hall without another word.

You turned into your room then, looking for a figure in the dark only to find Danny, standing near the doors to your balcony, wringing his wrists in his hands and looking somehow impossibly small. You ran to him in an instant, breathing out his name like a sigh of relief and forcing yourself into his arms with a hug that he reciprocated immediately, holding you tightly to his chest.

Danny felt nothing like Jake. He smelled nothing like Jake. He was warm, too, but entirely different to the touch, to the senses. He was taller, sure, but it was more than that. He touched you differently, held you differently. It was absurd to be making any comparisons really.

"I was worried he'd be staying," he whispered without pulling away, his words muffled by his lips against your shoulder.

It was you who pulled away, holding his shoulders at arms length so you could give him an inquisitive look.

"Why would he be staying?" you asked, not masking any of the concern in your voice at his remark.

He cast his eyes downward as he answered with uncertainty.

"You are…newlyweds…"

You moved your hands to spread over his chest, trying to memorize the way his body felt beneath your fingers.

"His brother is taking him home," you reassured him with a whisper, watching the movement of your own hands over him. Well, maybe it was more reassurance for yourself.

But he only shuffled in his place, eyes still fixed to his feet.

"Will there be a honeymoon?"

Your hands dropped almost instantly as your demeanor fell at the unfairness of his question.

No, not unfair, actually. Just unwanted.

"Of course not, Danny. Is that really what you came here to talk about?"

Finally he lifted his eyes back to your face and you saw clearly the hurt behind them, the pain. And the apology before he even gave it.

"No, I'm sorry, it's not. I just wanted to see you." He shook his head, looking lost, more than you had ever seen him. "I couldn’t let my last image of you today be you walking down the aisle with him."

The memory felt distant, even as you closed your eyes to recall it with almost a wince. It didn’t feel real yet and you were dreading the moment that it did.

"I’m sorry," you whispered, your eyes still closed as you tried to shove the memory to the back of your mind where maybe you’d be able to forget about it for good. It wasn’t until you felt Danny’s hands take your face gently between them that you abandoned the thought of your husband standing at the altar as you walked down the aisle altogether.

"We can make it right," Danny whispered, leaning in to kiss you on the cheek. “I’ll make it right,” punctuated with a kiss to your other cheek.

And then suddenly his lips were on yours, kissing you deeply, fervently, like all of his pent up frustration and sorrow was being expelled into the atmosphere as he held you there, his hands desperately clinging to your body and his lips desperately clinging to yours.

If hugging him had felt like a sigh of relief, feeling him now pulling your hips into his own with a grip that would probably leave bruises on your skin while his mouth commanded yours and sought for some type of solace, it was practically euphoric, even given the emotion it threatened to stir up inside of you.

But you didn’t want to cry more than you already had that day. You just wanted him.

As his tongue pushed past your lips, your fingers moved to the jacket he still wore, pushing it off his shoulders and letting it land uncaught with a soft thud against your bedroom floor. Your fingers moved to his shirt next, making quick work of the buttons, all while he fought to keep his mouth pressed to yours while leaving space for your hands to undress him between your bodies.

As his shirt followed his jacket to the floor, his hands began working at the zipper of the delicate silk still wrapped around your form.

Your wedding dress. It hit you harder than a truck. He was taking off your wedding dress.

Suddenly it was guilt wracking your body instead of heat and you pulled away abruptly, taking a few unsteady steps backward as your mind moved a million miles an hour.

Danny wasn’t your husband. But you weren’t exactly in love with your husband. Besides, Jake had already given you consent to see Danny after your wedding. Why it suddenly felt so…wrong, you weren’t sure. But that was exactly how it felt: wrong.

“Are you okay? Did I do something?” Danny looked beside himself with concern and you couldn’t really blame him. You had never pried yourself from his hands that quickly before.

It wasn’t that you wanted Jake to be the one to strip you of your wedding dress on your wedding night. It was the thought of the man you now called your husband sneaking off with his brother, likely to lie in his own bed with a guitar alone, while you spent your first night married committing infidelity.

‘He told you you don’t owe him anything,’ you tried to remind yourself. ‘He said this was fine.’

You blinked back guilt, realizing you hadn’t said anything to Danny as you stood there breathlessly in front of him.

“I’m sorry,” you breathed quickly, stepping toward him and trying to mask the messy feelings that were growing ever messier in the pit of your stomach.

“I’m sorry,” you repeated in a near whisper as you stepped closer, reaching out to place a hand against his bare chest, something you hadn’t felt in what seemed like ages.

He was hot to the touch, the way he always was, and smooth, mouthwateringly inviting on your good days, and on your bad? The only thing you needed. You could have melted back into his skin as you placed your other hand on his chest, moving them both up to his strong shoulders, slowly, before wrapping around his neck as your mouth found his again, pulling him into a slow kiss that jolted your body awake from its contrite slumber.

Cautiously, hesitantly, Danny kissed you back, his hands timidly finding their place at your hips again before creeping back up to the zipper of your dress.

He wasn’t your husband, no. But slowly, you let the man you loved strip you of your wedding dress.

The silk fell to the floor silently the moment Danny’s hands pulled the straps from the ridges of your shoulders, leaving you standing there in nothing but your ridiculous wedding night attire, entirely Lily’s doing. You had fought about it early that morning. She had promised you more champagne if you agreed to put it on.

“I think Jake will love it,” she had said.

You had rolled your eyes as you poured yourself another glass of bubbling booze.

But instead of Jake being the one to feel his way around your wedding night lingerie, it was Danny. Only, the moment his fingers felt the material, he was pulling away with a few steps backward, an unreadable look on his face.

“All of this for him,” he whispered, his eyes trailing down your body once and back up once more.

You suddenly felt vulnerable standing there before him that way, wearing lingerie that was meant for another man.

“It was Lily,” you promised in a quiet voice, unsure if he would believe you though he had no reason not to. “I never intended to…”

You trailed off, unable to speak the sentiment out loud. But he nodded, thankfully, his eyes soft rather than the holes you deserved bore into your skull.

“It’s okay,” he reassured you as he took a step closer to you. “I’ll just be thankful it’s me here and not him.”

And then his lips and hands were on you again, kisses being pressed to your jaw as his hands spread flat over your abdomen, his thumbs running under the band just under your bust.

“I have no idea how to get this off of you though,” he mumbled against your neck, still trailing his lips down lower and lower.

“You can just cut me out of it if need be,” you answered breathlessly before weaving your fingers into his hair and pulling his mouth back up to yours, swallowing down the sound that escaped his lips like you were starved, hungry for more.

His hands fiddled with the numerous straps adding no real structural support to the garments you wore while you worked his belt through the loops of his pants, discarding it on the floor without a care for the clang it made against the hardwood, turning your focus to the button and zipper of his pants immediately after, all the while pulling him toward your bed.

“On second thought,” he whispered, his breath hot as he dropped his lips to your jaw again, “maybe I’ll just leave it on. Push it to the side.”

You didn’t so much as nod before he turned you quickly and pushed you back onto your plush mattress. You didn’t mind the sense of urgency behind his movements now, feeling that same sense of urgency, like the longer you went without, the more uncertain you might become. The more guilt you might feel.

You said nothing as Danny moved to hover over you, positioning himself between your legs and allowing you to kick his pants down his legs, along with his boxers, until they both confined his ankles and he dipped to pull them the rest of the way off. And as he moved back up your body, his erection dragging tantalizingly across your skin all while his lips lead the way, along your thigh and then your stomach and then your chest, finally reaching the crook of your neck, he sunk his teeth lightly into the flesh there as he wedged his thigh between your legs.

“Tell me you want me,” he whispered against your neck, sending heat flushing across your face and chest as you almost immediately gave in to your urge to grind down on his thigh, thick and muscular and hot even through the material still keeping you from him.

You could feel the arousal growing between your legs as you rode his thigh, shamelessly searching for relief from the ache, from the need he had reminded you of.

"I want you, Danny," you huffed as you continued the grinding motion of your hips. "Only you."

He pressed his leg harder between your own, earning a light gasp from you at the dizzying friction of his skin and muscle against your clothed clit.

You were making a mess against his leg, spreading your arousal along his thigh as you rode him in desperate movements, though you didn't much care. And by the dark look in his eyes and the flush of his cheeks, he didn't look like he much cared either.

"Gonna make a mess on my thigh, beautiful?" he asked in a near breathless voice, his eyes struggling to choose between watching your face turned up in pleasure and watching your movements along his thigh.

"Yes, fuck yes, Danny," you gasped as you felt yourself ride closer and closer to the edge of bliss. "I'm so fucking close."

"Here, let me help you with that," he smiled, an unusually smug smile for Danny that sent butterflies flitting about your chest as your orgasm fast approached.

Reaching down between your legs, Danny hooked two fingers around the crotch of your lingerie, tugging the material to the side and freeing your swollen bundle of nerves, allowing you more friction against his thigh as you moaned loudly at the sudden contact.

He watched in almost a trance-like state holding your panties to the side while you rubbed yourself on his thigh, his name becoming a chant on your tongue as your hips practically moved without being told to.

"Go ahead, sweetheart. Come on my thigh, just like that."

You didn't even notice his hand reaching down to wrap around himself, stroking lazily up and down while he watched you come undone. You were too far gone to see the way his eyes fixed to your body, practically gulping you down, the way you writhed against him, whispered his name as you finally rode his thigh through your orgasm. But you did see the hungry look in his eyes as you slowed the movements of your hips, coming down off your high to realize you were aching for him to be inside of you.

You pulled him down by the shoulders, pulling his mouth to yours before you whimpered against him, "Please, Danny."

"You want more already?" he teased lightly although he was moving to give you what you wanted without much fight.

You felt like you were gasping for breath, fighting to stay near him, to feel him. You wanted all of him, everywhere.

"Yes, I want you. I need you inside of me," you begged, hoping he wouldn't leave you wanting for long.

And thankfully, he didn't. In one swift movement, he adjusted between your thighs, pulled the material between your legs even further to the side with one hand, and with the other, guided the head of his cock through your folds, pushing into you in one languid thrust.

“Shit, Danny,” you gasped, clinging to his muscular shoulders like he was your only grounding force, even as he undid you.

“I know, beautiful,” he whispered before covering your mouth with his and pulling his hips back slightly, only to thrust back into you until he reached the hilt, earning a moan that time from both of you, muffled by lips intermingling.

He mumbled a curse against your lips as he pushed another languid thrust into you, slow and deep, filling you so thoroughly that it made your eyes roll back as you arched up into him. He never failed to stretch you, even though you had grown used to his size. It still took your breath away how he felt inside of you.

You watched as he lifted himself up onto his elbow, taking your face in his free hand and admiring you as his thumb swiped across your cheek.

“You feel so good,” he mumbled under his breath, like you weren't meant to hear it. Like it was something he was filing away for himself. “I wish I could stay here forever.”

Another deep thrust to contrast the softness with which he gazed upon you and you bit back a heavy moan, doing your best to keep your eyes open and fixed to him.

You didn't like to close your eyes when you were with Danny. He was too beautiful a sight to miss any expression, any drifting of his own eyes closed at the feeling of bliss. And now, with the way things were, you didn't want to miss a thing.

“You look so beautiful with me inside of you,” he whispered, punctuating it with another thrust, this time building into a steady rhythm, one that made your toes curl while you did your very best to stay somewhat quiet to preserve your dignity.

It felt like the first time all over again. It reminded you of what you had missed so desperately: Danny. Feeling close to him.

“This is the way we were meant to be,” he whispered again before catching your mouth with his, this time keeping your lips connected as he picked up his pace, angling a bit deeper to nudge that spot inside of you that made your eyes roll and had you moaning expletives against his mouth.

Your hands found his hair again as you deepened the kiss, turning from romantic passion into something much more depraved as you willed his hips to continue their movements with your heels hooked around his waist, the tip of his cock grazing your g-spot with each inward thrust.

And as he lifted your leg higher, pressing the top of your thigh against your chest and bringing your ankle up over his shoulder to push even deeper inside of you, it was only stars in your vision, your breath almost failing you altogether.

“Fuck, Danny, you're going to make me come again,” you breathed out in desperation, hardly comprehensible against the weight of pleasure crashing over your body and threatening to spill over.

“Do you want to come with me, y/n?” he smiled, a smile that looked almost like normal Danny, no hint of sadness behind the eyes for the first time since you had been promised to another man.

It was the Danny you had been really missing that you saw above you now, wrapping himself around you to cradle you against him as the first few waves of pleasure began to roll through your body.

“Yes, please don't stop. Make me come with you,” you whispered against his neck as you turned your face into him, gripping his hair probably a bit too hard as your legs brushed up against his biceps now searching for as much of a hold on you as they could manage, pulling you into him with no light force as his face pressed into your neck.

He did nothing to stifle his sounds any longer and neither did you, letting yourself go completely with one last desperate plea of his name. You came hard around him, clinging to him, just as he came deep inside of you, his breathing labored with exertion and his hands still holding you with desperation.

You stayed like that for a moment, Danny still buried inside of you, holding you tightly as your breathing evened out, still fanning across his neck. It felt like an eternity that you stayed that way, feeling each other, breathing each other in, before he moved to pull out of you.

“Let me clean you up,” he sighed as he began lifting himself before you stopped him with a hand around the back of his neck.

“No, no I-I want to stay just like this,” you practically plead with the curly haired boy hovering over you. “Please.”

You couldn’t face the cold of his absence, even if it was just to lie his head on the pillow next to you. You weren’t ready to let him go.

“Just like this?” he questioned as he lowered himself back into his previous position.

The weight of Danny on top of you was better than anything you had felt in two weeks and you hummed in satisfaction.

“Yes, just like this.”

He nodded breathlessly and curled his arms around your frame again, one gripping your waist while the other wrapped around your shoulders and held the back of your head, keeping your face pressed close.

And you fell asleep that way, wrapped tightly in his arms.

—

You helped Danny sneak out early, before the light of dawn broke across the horizon and strolled lazily in through the curtains. Another hour after he left, you dressed and headed to the dining room for breakfast, only to find your father already sitting at the dining table.

You were surprised to see Jake already there as well, sitting across from him, eating nothing but rather watching your father eat while he simultaneously read the newspaper, seemingly ignoring Jake’s presence.

You entered the room hesitantly, wondering if your father would question why you and Jake were both up and about at vastly different times, but instead, as you made your way into the room, the topic of discussion that arose from your father’s lips was not one you had been prepared to discuss, having nothing to do with your’s and Jake’s arrival times to the breakfast table.

"Sit. We need to talk about your honeymoon," your father requested, or rather, demanded, without ever looking up from his newspaper.

You were taken aback by the word. 'Honeymoon'. That wasn't something you had agreed to.

You glanced quickly over at Jake who gave you a look just as quick as you took a precarious seat next to him, waiting for your father to elaborate. To make any sense, really.

"I don't want you putting this off. You will leave for your honeymoon in a week's time."

"A honeymoon?" you asked incredulously. "We're already married, isn't that enough?”

He only shook his head.

“No, it isn’t. People need to see the two of you together to understand the relationship that has been built between our families."

You couldn't help but glance quickly over to Jake who seemed far too cool and calm compared to you, compared to the news. You eyed him suspiciously as he kept his eyes fixed to your father.

"It'll take time to plan," you turned back to face him too.

He only shook his head again.

"Jake has already planned it."

'Jake has already planned it.'

Suddenly you were turned toward Jake again, rage already seeping through your pores at the betrayal.

He had never even told you.

"When?" you asked incredulously, tone sharp and demanding. But your father answered instead.

"He has done his duty as your husband, you will do yours now as his wife," he said plainly before rising from his seat, throwing down his newspaper, and leaving the room, all seemingly without a care for the fury you were about to bring down on your husband.

"When?" you asked more sternly a second time, your jaw clenching as the word escaped.

You watched as his eyes screwed shut and he rubbed the bridge of his nose for a moment before inhaling deeply. You couldn't wait to hear it.

"Your father asked me to have something prepared when he initially made the deal."

You thought about it, the fact that you had been to Jake's home, waltzing around his bedroom trying to get a feel for who he was, all the while he had already planned your honeymoon, knowing nothing about you, not even knowing if you'd say yes to the whole thing in the first place. Truly, the thought made you so angry, you didn't even know how to express it, other than an exasperated laugh.

"My own fucking honeymoon has been planned for months without me knowing," you breathed out, practically to yourself although not so quietly that Jake couldn’t hear it.

"I’m sorry, y/n," he started softly. "That wasn't exactly how I planned to tell you.”

You wanted to scream, wanted to lay into him and tear him a new one. You wanted to hurt him. But none of it mattered. There wasn't anything to say really. It had already been done. You already had the metal wrapped around your finger, what was one lousy trip?

After a moment of silence you stood from your chair, shoving the wood back scraping against the floor in an unholy sound, storming out the way you came without so much as another word to Jake. But on your way through the door, you swore you could hear the boy sigh out a curse.

Taglist: @lvnterninthenight @gretasmokerising @jordierama @allthatyouneedisinyoursoul

[castiel-left-his-mark-on-me]

Because Jensen said that the thing he was most excited to tackle this season was “Cas”…

__________________________________________________________

He was happy—of course he was happy. They were all back, Donna, Bobby, Charlie, all the other people from the apocalypse world. They all came back with the rest of the human race, and Dean’s heart felt lighter every time his or Sam’s phone rang with another familiar name; but even with his heart as light as it’s ever been, he knew it could never be weightless… and it wasn’t until Eileen facetimed Sam, and his little brother’s eyes lit up, and his grin threatened to break his head in two, that Dean couldn’t take it anymore.

He had to walk away.

He had to get far from all those people that only a day ago, he’d have given anything to see, because none of them possessed the name that he wanted most to hear. None of them were the one that he knew he’d never see again.

Sam didn’t even notice him walking off, and Dean is glad—he may be hurting, but he wouldn’t want that to dampen his brother’s joy. He’s thrilled that Sam has Eileen in his life again; lord knows the kid has lost enough love in his life. He deserves a happy ending … the thing is though, Dean kind of thought he deserved one too.

He walked a few blocks until the small-town’s buildings turned into homes, that then morphed into barns, and then farmland that stretched as far as the eyes could see. It was beautiful and peaceful, quiet—but still full of enough bird calls and buzzing insects that Dean didn’t fear Chuck had come back and taken everyone again. 

Soon, the air begin to fill with the pungent sweetness of the onion fields that engulf this area, and it made his stomach growl-- and he realized it’s been a solid two days since he last ate; but for the first time in his life, Dean didn’t really feel like eating. He didn’t feel like anything—he just wanted to walk and try to forget the pain that he knew would never leave him.

The sun tilted lower in the sky, shining orange and gold in his eyes, so he looked down to his feet, noting each pebble and clump of dirt he kicked, envying their ability to just be or crumble, never needing or knowing anything more in life; and he became so lost in each of his steps, that when his phone rang, the trilling sound made his heart nearly leap out his throat. Dean stopped walking and fished his phone from his pocket, seeing that it was Sam calling him—but he didn’t want to answer it. A moment later, a text popped up.

“Where’d you go?”

Then another text: “Going to go meet up with Eileen. You want to come with?”

Dean sighs. He knows Sam will worry if he doesn’t respond, so he taps out a quick message back, hoping it’ll be enough. “Nah. Go ahead. Goin for a walk.”

Three little dots pop up on his screen, but then quickly disappear again. Sam knows him well enough to know when Dean needs to be alone, and this is definitely one of those times.

A bird swoops down in front of him, dive bombing the gnats and ladybugs flitting from the onion spears, and as he puts his phone away, Dean lifts his other hand up to shade his eyes and watch the hunter work. The bird is silent, tactical, seeming to hover in mid-air for moments at a time before spotting another target to take down. It’s impressive, and Dean smiles to himself, happy that he knows enough about this skill to appreciate the natural ability in others, but then his smile fades … because, what does he do now?

Will he still hunt?

Will there still be monsters for him to hunt?

What would he even do if there isn’t?

He tried living a normal life once—with Lisa, but that didn’t work out. Dean used to tell himself that that was because Sam came back without a soul and a whole new slew of monsters came about because of it, but if he’s being honest with himself … truly honest, he knows he really didn’t want it to work. He knows that he didn’t feel quite right if he wasn’t out there killing something.

But he feels different now. He feels more at peace, and part of him thinks that if he never had to lift a blade again, he’d be okay.

He huffs a laugh, surprised by how true that is, but the soft noise is just enough to startle the bird, and it takes off across the field, shrinking to a black dot in the distance.

Dean watches it go, eyes eventually dropping to something else stranding up in the middle of the field—a bit of tan disrupting all the green. At first, he thinks it’s a scarecrow; but then it moves.

The thing takes a step, and then a step closer—and then it lifts its arms to cup its hands around its mouth.

“Dean?” the thing calls from the distance, and Dean’s eyes go wide when the sound finally meets his ears—audio clicking with visual, putting together the total image in his mind until he finally sees it, sees him.

“Cas?” he breathes, feet already moving before he even finishes saying the short name.

Soon, he’s running at full speed, heart pumping faster and faster as tears stream from his eyes. Dean cuts into the field like a knife, breaking onion stalks like twigs with every fall of his foot. The dry ground echoes his thudding pace through the rows, but Dean doesn’t slow down, he can’t. He won’t. “Cas!”

Castiel—clear now, eyes as blue as ever, shuffles forward, seeming dazed by where he’s standing, but Dean is laser focused and on him in a second, tackling him to the ground with a hug so tight, he might’ve broken the angel’s back if he were a human.

The dirt and rocks cut into Dean’s knees but he doesn’t care, he just pulls Castiel up and hugs him harder.

“Dean—what happened?” Castiel asks, sounding a bit strangled by his friend’s death-grip.

But Dean can’t answer him yet. He can’t risk words ruining this, so he keeps holding on until he feels Castiel finally smile against his cheek and lift his arms to hug him back.

“Dean” Cas chuckles, eventually squeezing him just as tight.

“I didn’t think I’d get you back” Dean finally says after they’ve kneeled there holding each other for well over a minute. “I didn’t think I could.”

“Dean…” Castiel says again, more somber now, “Tell me what happened. Where’s Chuck?”

Dean finally peels himself away to look into his friend’s eyes, but it just makes him want to hug him all over again, but he stops himself, knowing that Castiel needs to know that everything’s okay now. “Chuck is powerless.”

Castiel tilts his head to the side—confused, and it makes Dean’s heart flip.

He smiles. “Jack … Jack took his powers. I guess, the kid is pretty much the new God now.”

Castiel’s mouth falls open, but a moment later, he looks up to the sky. “So, that’s what I’m feeling.”

Dean furrows his brow in question.

But Castiel continues to look up into the blue and then smiles. “As soon as I woke up here, I felt a new energy in the world. It was calm, happy. It never felt that way with Chuck in control … but, Jack?” The angel grins wider, like the proud father he was always meant to be, and it warms Dean to his core. “I knew he was destined for greatness.”

Dean watches him—this being that didn’t even know what emotions were a decade ago. An angel who he thought didn’t even have the equipment to care, he’s kneeling here in the dirt and earth with him, so full of love for his son, for the world, for everything, that Dean forgets about every other wonderous impossibility he’s seen in his life. This, this right here is the truest miracle. 

Castiel is the greatest wonder.

Castiel’s eyes drop back down, warm and wandering over Dean’s face. “I never thought I’d see you again” he says, voice low like the breeze winding through the stalks.

Dean tilts his head with a sigh, feeling all the words he wants to say scratching at the base of his throat, but none of them seem right, none of them are what Castiel deserves—not after everything he’s done, not after everything he gave up just for Dean to still be here. His breath begins to feel heavy in his chest, his heart races, and with one last swallow to choke down his nerves, he leans forward and presses his lips to the angel’s. “I love you too” slips over his tongue just before he can kiss him again. “Cas, I love you more than anything.”

The birds and bugs and breeze move around them in harmony, and the world carries on like it always did, spinning forward and unaware of the supernatural forces at work within it ... like monsters and ghosts, and demons and gods, or even just a man and his angel, finally knowing what it is to be truly happy.

[kaitycole]

chapter one: does she know?

Summary: Two little friends have always desired one thing: to end up as siblings. So when the chance presented itself after a finalized divorce, who were they to decline such an opportunity to finally bring their parents together?

Pairings: Bokuto Kōtarō x f!Reader

Word Count: 2572

Warnings: Angst. Fluff. Mentions of divorce, cheating, cussing

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters portrayed in this series. Part of the @babythotshq​ Dearest Daddy Collab

Tags: open (send me an ask to be added!)

February 2025

“DADDY!”

Frowns fill the faces of those who look at the small girl yelling as she works her way through the sea of people to the court. Where are her parents? Riddle the faces of those around, but she pays no mind, she’s on a mission and there’s nothing that’s going to get in her way.

She screams out again, but this time stops halfway when she sees who she’s been looking for. A large smile spreads across her lips as she starts sprinting across the wooden court.

“Daddy!” She cries out once more and this time he hears her.

His round, golden eyes find her matching ones and he immediately stops whatever conversation he’s having, dropping into a squat with his arm extended outwards, just in time to catch her as she throws herself into his arms.

She wraps her arms tightly around his neck, barely allowing him room to pull her backwards just long enough for him to place a kiss on her forehead. She quickly realizes the mistake she’s made before pushing against him, telling him that he needs to shower. With a loud, hearty laugh, he puts her feet back onto the court before ruffling her hair.

“I am so sorry, Bo.” You start to apologize, “She took off and there are so many people.”

He waves you off before looking down at his daughter, who already knows what he’s going to say. “Seiko, you know better. What do you need to tell Y/N?”

“I’m sorry Y/N.” Seiko puts on her best apologetic face, poking out her bottom lip to added effect.

You laugh, shaking your head looking at the golden eyed little girl whose hair matches her mother’s brunette hair instead of Bokuto’s wild mix of colors. “Thank you, Seiko.”

Bzzzt Bzzzt Bzzzt

You slip the phone out of your back pocket before rolling your eyes at the name on your screen before pressing the side button twice; sending the caller straight to voicemail. Bokuto cocks his head to the side, having watched the whole ordeal, but before he can question your actions your son grabs his attention.

“Uncle Bo you looked so awesome!” Your son Haruki exclaims as he eagerly jumps up to give the volleyball player a high-five.

“I did, didn’t I?” Bokuto throws his head up victoriously while you and Seiko just roll your eyes.

*                      * “Careful, careful. Hold on to each other!” You call out to Haruki and Seiko as they run down the sidewalk and into a small café near the stadium. It had become somewhat of a tradition to eat there after a game or at least the games you and Haruki could attend. Seiko and Haruki are still talking a mile a minute as Bo opens the door for everyone.

Sometimes you couldn’t help but wonder if they were best friends because they were born just a few months apart and raised almost like siblings or if it had anything to do with you and Bo being best friends. You had met by complete accident; you had gone to your locker to get a textbook when you saw a boy with crazy colored spiky hair trying to open it.

When you questioned what he was doing trying to open your locker, he looked completely puzzled before stating it was his. You debated it for a few moments before he handed you the paper with his locker number and combination. You pointed out his locker was in fact the one next to yours, causing him to laugh. After that every day you were greeted with a very enthusiastic ‘hey hey hey’ and were attached at the hip. That had been 16 years ago.

The four of you pile into the same booth as always with you sitting across from Seiko and Haruki across from Bokuto. Your son absolutely adores the wing spiker and has been begging you to let him start playing volleyball too, but your husband doesn’t think he should.

Bzzzt Bzzzt Bzzzt

You quickly click the button on the right side of your phone, this time just silencing it instead of sending it to voicemail.

“Are you getting excited to see your mom, Seiko?” You ask after the waitress takes everyone’s usual orders.

She beams, “Yes! She said we can go No Very Farms!”

You look between her and Bo confusingly before he corrects her ‘No Very Farm’ to ‘Knott’s Berry Farm’ and explaining that it’s an amusement park in California. It still surprised you to this day that Bokuto ended up having a kid with an American journalist. Mostly because there was so much mystery as to why they didn’t end up together.

You’ve seen them interact on several occasions and they always seemed to get along really well. You understand that some people just don’t work together, but Bo and Jess were great. They even had an adorable how we met story, but alas they didn’t end up together.

“And Mommy said we can take lots of pictures to mail to Daddy since he’s gonna miss me.” She giggles.

Bzzzt Bzzzt Bzzzt

“Aren’t you gonna miss me?” Bo looks at his daughter who is still giggling as she shakes her head no. He places his hand on his chest and gasps before turning away from her, pretending to cry.

“I’ll miss you daddy, please don’t cry!” Seiko tries to throw her arms around his broad shoulders but her arms just aren’t long enough to wrap around his muscular form. She whispers repeatedly that she was just joking before he turns around, wrapping her into a hug.

This will be only the second time since finding out he would be a dad that he’d be apart from Seiko for more than a few days. Being a professional athlete meant that he spent a lot of time traveling, but those trips never lasted longer than five days. The first time was when she was two and he was gone for two weeks, this time she’d be gone for two months and he’d miss her fifth birthday. Jess has already promised to live stream her party and Bo had already mailed Seiko’s gift to Jess so she’ll be able to open it on her actual birthday, but it still feels like the end of the world.

Bzzzt Bzzzt Bzzzt

“You can answer that if you want.” Bo offers, “If you need to step outside, Haruki won’t mind sitting here with us.”

Haruki smiles up at you, “Yeah Mom. Your phone has been going off since we left home.”

You shoot your son a look, the ‘you shouldn’t have said that’ look which causes him to sink down in his seat. Truth be told you don’t want to answer the phone, you have nothing really to say to the person on the other end, but you didn’t want to ruin your outing with Bo and Seiko either.

“It’s fine. I can just get it later.”

Bo drops the subject as Seiko and Haruki begin talking about Seiko’s trip some more which includes promises of souvenirs, handwritten letters, and daily video chats.

You look at your phone: 6 missed calls, 3 voicemails, and 18 missed text messages. All from Nakajima Youta, your husband. As you sit there, staring at the excessive amount of notifications, your mind begins to wonder.

*                      * It was an early autumn day, the kind where it wasn’t too chilly but the overbearing heat of the summer was long gone. You sat in a room, surrounded by your mother, friends and future mother-in-law as they all chatted away about how beautiful everything looks. You fiddled with your engagement ring as your mother pinned your hair up, pressing her cheek to yours as she smiled at you through the mirror.

There was a knock at the door and your mother was shocked to see it was Youta who had his hand over his eyes.

“Youta? What are you doing?”

“It’s bad luck to see the bride, but I just need her for four seconds.”

A smile twitched on your lips as you walked over to him, “What’s going on?”

He removed his hand from his eyes, but they are tightly squeezed shut as he awkwardly moved his arms around before finding your face. He stepped closer before he pressed a chaste kiss on your lips, his thumb gently stroked your cheek.

“What was that for?” “This will sound lame, but I’m kinda nervous and I figured you were too. Thought it couldn’t hurt.”

You saw him smile before turning around so you could shut the door before he opened his eyes. Your mother and his began to talk about how sweet that exchange was. Followed by them wondering how you were remaining so calm when they had been complete messes before their wedding. Then it hit you that you were extremely calm, not once had you thought of bolting or canceling the wedding which to you was strange. You get nervous about a lot of things, you second-guessed a ton of things, and here you were with nerves of steel.

Two weeks later

“Mommy!” Seiko bounces up and down, glancing up at Bo with a huge smile on her face. Jess flew in so that she could attend a volleyball game with Seiko before heading to California. The original plan was for Bo to fly out with Seiko, but a last-minute change to the MSBY game schedule disrupted the plan.

“Hey baby girl!” She scoops the little girl up in her arms, spinning her around. She peppers her face with kisses as Seiko squeals, wrapping her arms around Jess’ neck. “Hey Bo.”

“Jess!” Bo wraps Jess and Seiko in a hug before placing a quick kiss on her temple. He grabs her bags as Seiko refuses to be put down; claiming she was too tired to walk. The family of three walk through the airport and make their way to the parking lot.

The ride back to Bo’s apartment is filled with Seiko asking her mom all about California, the same thing she’s asked her every night since she learned she was going. It doesn’t matter to Seiko that her mom has already told her the same thing, it’s different because this time her mom is sitting next to her instead of telling her through a screen.

*                      * “Can we watch a movie?” Seiko asks as Bo and Jess finish cleaning up the kitchen from dinner.

“Of course.”

“YAY!” Seiko screams before running up to hug Bo and Jess then takes off to find the movie she wants to watch.

“She gets that from you.” Jess says.

“Her adorableness? I know.” Bo sticks his tongue out and Jess throws the towel in her hands at him. The kitchen fills with laughter as Seiko comes running back down the hallway, DVD case in hand.

“I want to watch this one!” Seiko holds up Coco; it was her favorite movie lately which Bo was thankful for, he was tired of watching The Lion King 2.

It wasn’t even 45 minutes into the movie and Seiko was asleep on Bo’s lap, his shirt tightly gripped in her little fist while Jess’s head is rested on his shoulder.

“Jess?” Bo whispers, not wanting to wake their daughter.

“Mm.” She hums, half asleep.

“She’s asleep. Want to tuck her in with me?”

She nods against his shoulder before sitting up, stretching the best she could; her body heavy with sleep. Bo cradles their daughter in his arms as they walk into the four-year old’s room; it’s decorated in fairy lights, purples and grays with owls everywhere. She has books on the floor, she said she had been doing research for her and Haruki’s next adventure and crayons littered her desks with drawings she had done to take to California.

Jess pulls the blanket over Seiko, pressing a kiss to her forehead before the little girl turns over to get comfortable. Bo turns off the light after making sure her nightlight is plugged in.

“You’re really good at that.” Jess says as she curls back up on the couch, Bo getting himself a glass of water.

“Turning off lights?” He laughs when she rolls her eyes.

“At being a dad.” She smiles, “I never really did thank you for how great you were with all of this.”

He just shrugs, “I couldn’t imagine having a kid with anyone else.”

A wide grin spreads across her face, “Really? No one? Not even someone with a son? A son who is best friends with Seiko. No one else? Huh.”

Blush faintly covers his cheeks as he clears his throat, “She’s married Jess. Plus, we already talked about that, remember? When we met?”

*                      * October 2018

“That’s all we have time for today. A special thank you again to Bokuto Kōtarō and congratulations on the win.”

The cameraman signaled that they aren’t live anymore before the brunette let out a sigh.

“Are you okay?” Bokuto asked.

“Oh.” She started to fiddle with the microphone cord, “This was my first interview, I’m new to Japan.”

“Well you did great!” He exclaimed, holding up a hand for a high-five. The woman looked at him like he’s crazy but complied.

“Thanks. Ah, so did you.”

Bo smiled, “Jess, right?” She nodded. “I can show you around if you want.”

She shook her head, “Oh no, I couldn’t impose like that.” Bo waved her off, “I really don’t mind. I think it’ll be fun.”

“Only if you’re sure. I have a guidebook I don’t mind using.”

Bo scrunched his face up, “Those don’t show you half of the best places.” He asked for her phone and put his number in. “Just let me know when you’re free and we’ll work it out.”

She smiled, going to speak before you ran up to Bo whose expression had changed; it was no longer just a polite look but one of adoration. His eyes appeared softer and the way his face lit would melt anyone’s heart.

“You did so great out there!” You throw your arms around him.

“Thank you.” His cheeks turned red which didn’t go unnoticed by Jess, “Y/N, this is Andrews Jess, she conducted the postgame interview.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Nakajima Y/N.”

“It’s nice to meet you too.” Jess said, feeling a tad bit awkward and blurted out the first thing she could think of, “You two make a lovely couple.”

“Oh no. No no no.” You shook your head, “We’re best friends. I’ve known Bo here forever.”

There was a slight shift in Bo’s demeanor but a shift nevertheless when a wave of sadness washes over his expression. He almost seems to have stiffened at the word ‘friend’ and somehow his hair seemed to have deflated. Jess tried not to think too much into it, she doesn’t know him or them at all.

“Y/N! Y/N!” Hinata waved from across the court.

“Hinata!” You waved back before heading over to meet Hinata.

“Did you see my spikes!?” He jumped up and down, “They were all swoosh bam!”

Jess looked back to Bo, “This is probably way out of line, but does she know?”

Bokuto frowned as his attention went back to Jess, “Does she know what?”

“That you have feelings for her?”

“I don’t…” He stopped when he saw the same look in her eyes that he’s seen in his, “No. She just got married.”

Previous/ Masterlist /Next

[taetaespeaches]

“You should kiss a girl before you leave.”

yoongi x reader (or oc) genre: fluff word count: 2.5K

a/n: Lovelies!!! Ya girl is back from camping, and my god did she write!!! We are getting into the folklore angst for Yoon and Kid, but before we get into the heavy shit, we have to set it up with some cute getting to know each other fluff. This takes place the night after their second date, “You just want to get back to your Zuko fan fiction.” So they’ve had their first kiss, they’re super giddy to see each other, and yeah. There are like two more fluff fics after this one before we get into the angst of it all. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy! :))

p.s. anyone who isn’t a fan of Min/Kid... I’m so sorry because that’s all you’re getting for AT LEAST the next week. Get ready for a honey boy take over y’all. 

THERE was something thrilling but terrifying about receiving a text from Yoongi saying he just arrived outside your apartment complex. You kissed yesterday, and you hadn’t stopped thinking about it, or him, since.

The knock on your door was a cue for your heart to follow the thump, becoming light and fluttery as if it would fly right out if you could open your chest.  

You took a deep breath, trying to calm your nerves, before you opened the door to a smiling Min Yoongi, skin slightly flushed from the cold weather.

“Hey,” you greeted lamely, a wide grin spread across your face. You wondered if you would ever not feel so giddy to see him.

“Hey,” he replied before patting his own chest, bringing his hands to run along his bare neck. “Shit,” he sighed. “I forgot the scarf.”

You giggled at the comment, opening the door open and stepping aside for Yoongi to walk inside.

“Look who owns a coat,” you joked, tugging on the side of the garment as he began entering your apartment. As he walked in front of you, your back to the front door as you both stood in the middle of the frame, he turned toward you, gummy beam pointed in your direction.

“I’m gonna kiss you, Kid,” he whispered to you.

“Ok,” you bit back a grin, chills spreading across your body as Yoongi’s hands found your waist. You made him lean all the way in, Yoongi noticing you didn’t meet him halfway, scoffing just before his lips met yours, your mouth curving up as you giggled into the kiss.

“Brat,” he smiled into the action, just before pushing you firmer against the door, deepening the kiss just slightly. After a moment of your lips moving together perfectly, he broke the meeting, resting his forehead against yours.

Placing your hands at the back of his neck, you playfully frowned. “No scarf, huh?” He kissed his teeth and you sighed. “Well, I didn’t finish my Zuko essay either.”

“No fanfiction?” He asked in feigned shock, stepping back as he looked you up and down.

“Essay,” you corrected.

“Right, not fanfiction,” he grinned teasingly, making you roll your eyes. Shoving against him, you pushed him inside your apartment before closing the door behind you.

You watched as he looked around the small but nice apartment, decorated in photos of friends and family, stacks of books atop tables, a record player across the living room and a few candles. “Do you want a drink?” You asked him, Yoongi’s gaze slowly shifting from the room to you.

“Uh, yeah,” he nodded.

“Any preference?” Yoongi shook his head, following you into the kitchen. You hummed in thought, looking inside the cabinet with various bottles of alcohol. Grabbing the bottle of red wine, you held it up to him. “This ok?” He simply nodded as he watched you place it on the counter, opening a drawer to your side to grab a corkscrew. As you worked on opening the bottle, Yoongi looked around at the kitchen cabinets.

“Wine glasses?” He asked, you pointing to the cupboard. You watched Yoongi walk past you, dragging his feet on your tiled floor as he went to retrieve the glasses.

It was a few more moments before the sound of glass clinking sounded across the room just as you pulled the cork out. Another few seconds passed before Yoongi’s shoulder brushed against your own as he appeared next to you, placing the glasses on the counter.

“Thank you,” you turned toward him with a soft smile. Instead of responding, he gave a small grin back before leaning toward you and kissing your lips quickly but gently. The ease of the action had your head spinning, though you forced your attention to the bottle, lifting it to pour as Yoongi stayed facing you, sporting a fond grin.

Handing him his glass, he nudged his nose against your temple, whispering, “thank you, Kid,” before leaving a kiss to the spot as he turned straight ahead and took a sip of the alcohol.

“I want to show you a song,” you told him suddenly, his eyebrows raising. “It’s nothing like super special or anything, just something I’ve been listening to a lot lately.”

“Show me,” he encouraged, turning his whole body to face you as you reached for your phone, searching up the song. He inspected your features as you began playing the song, a slow lofi R&B beat resonating through the kitchen, feeling his eyes on you.  

He listened intently for a moment as a slow voice dragged through the lyrics lethargically. “What is this?” He asked quietly, almost afraid of disrupting the atmosphere.

“It’s ‘Will He’ by Joji,” you told him. “For whatever reason I’ve been obsessed.”

Just as you finished speaking, Joji sang the lyrics will your tongue still remember the taste of my lips? Will your shadow remember the swing of my hips? Yoongi pushed a piece of your hair behind your ear. Will your lover caress you the way that I did? Yoongi set his wine glass down, bringing his hand to your chin to turn your face toward him. Will you notice my charm if he slips up one bit?

Your gaze fell to his lips and lingered as the chorus of the song started. Cause I don’t need to know, I just wanna make sure you’re okay. Yoongi leaned forward just slightly, you closing the rest of the gap as you kissed him, struggling to balance the bottom of your glass as you gently but hurriedly discarded it on the counter. I just wanna make sure you’re all safe. As soon as the glass was down, you moved your hand to thread it into Yoongi’s hair at the back of his head, letting out a low, quick moan into the kiss as Yoongi wrapped a hand around your waist, pulling you flush with him.

Forgetting about the partially drank wine, you pulled your face from Yoongi’s, his lips attaching to your neck, another small moan slipping from you. Turning around in his arms, Yoongi adjusting his position to hold you in a back hug. He kissed the side of your neck as you led him toward the couch. Standing in front of the sofa, you grabbed Yoongi’s hand and tugged on it, gesturing for him to sit.

He followed your lead, lowering himself onto the couch as he looked up at you with hooded eyes, you smirking as you placed a hand on his shoulder moving to straddle him. Your lips were on his as soon as you settled atop him, Yoongi’s hands holding onto your hips as he hungrily kissed you.

Your hands settled on the sides of his face and as a low groan left his lips, you smirked into the kiss, Yoongi soon smiling afterward.

“I promise I didn’t come over for this,” he chuckled against your mouth, you pulling away to look at him.

“Is that a complaint?” You teased.

“Absolutely not,” he said instantly, leaning forward to catch your lips in a soft kiss. “Just making it clear that I actually like you,” he told you more seriously.

“I like you too,” you replied with a small smile.

His thumbs began soothing circles overtop your pants, a soft tingling sensation overtaking your body from the sweet gesture. “How was your day, Kid?”

Your eyes widened at the question. Yeah, he liked you, but you had never had a person ask you about your day as you straddled them. As random as it was, your heart swelled when you noticed the genuine curiosity in his eyes. Damn, Min, who are you?

“Kind of long, actually,” you replied. “Better now, though.” With a soft smile, you leaned forward, brushing his hair off his forehead before placing a sweet kiss to the spot.

“Same,” he said simply, leaning forward to rest his forehead against your shoulder, leaving a linger kiss to your upper arm.

“Tell me about it,” you told him, bringing your hand to rest at the back of his head, massaging his scalp as you dug your fingers into his hair softly. Yoongi looked up at you, almost scrutinizingly, as he cocked his head to the side. “I want details, Min, don’t spare a thing.”

Yoongi attempted to hold back a wide smile, failing, as he directed his gaze to the empty sofa seat next to you both. Suddenly, he was leaning to the side, falling into a lying position, you falling with him. Facing each other as you both reclined on the couch, he began telling you about his day.

As you listened to the gently spoken words leave his pouted lips, you observed his features and basked in the tone of his voice, all while your body tingled from the drag of his fingers up and down your side.

You don’t know how much time went by as you both listened to each other speak about your days, bounced jokes off each other, laughed as you bickered, and opened up about insecurities within your respective jobs and where the future could take you both. As you spoke, Joji’s album In Tongues played on a loop.

The conversation never lulled, only falling into comfortable pauses occasionally. It wasn’t until Yoongi yawned, you teasingly sneaking your finger between his lips as his mouth closed, that you both realized how late it must have been. With his mouth closing over your finger, he pulled a feigned disgusted expression as he leaned back, grabbing your hand as he chuckled, bringing your limb to his lips, leaving a soft kiss to your knuckles.

“I have to be at dance practice at 6 in the morning,” he told you, a sadness overtaking the brightness of his orbs.

“You should probably head out then, huh?” You asked, smiling softly to show him it was okay.

“What time is it?” He questioned as he pulled his phone from his pocket. He hummed as he looked at the screen. Meeting your gaze, you raised your eyebrows. “2 am.”

“Oh?” Your eyes widened comically, Yoongi grinning at the expression. The man placed his hand at the small of your back, pulling you toward him so he could kiss your cheek softly. “You need to get home,” you mumbled, Yoongi humming dismissively as he pressed a series of kisses to your cheek. “Yoongi,” you whined through a giggle, Yoongi cutting you off as he moved his lips toward your lips.

You kissed him back. Of course, you did. Your lips moving together, both of you momentarily forgot about Yoongi’s impending departure. When Yoongi’s hand slid to your abdomen, fingers toying with the waist of your bottoms, he finally broke the kiss, resting his forehead against your own as he sighed.

“I should go,” he spoke, his voice huskier than before, you clearing your throat as you nodded. You moved first, sitting up and stretching your arms over your head. Yoongi pulled his phone out to order himself a ride home, running a hand through his hair as he did so. “The car will be here in three minutes. A silver Toyota Camry!” He added with playful enthusiasm.  

You turned around to look at him, giving him a wide-eyed expression. “A silver Toyota Camry?!” He sat up, shoulders shaking in light laughter as he placed his large hand on the side of your abdomen, kissing your lips, your hand finding the side of his face as you kissed him back. “I’ll see you again soon, right?” You whispered against his lips.

“As soon as possible, Kid,” he assured you, kissing the side of your mouth. “You have my time, remember?”

You nodded. “I don’t think you know how happy that makes me,” you told him, a vulnerability in your tone that he had never heard before. Even as you talked throughout the night, bringing up topics of fear of failure, and of losing passion for your dreams and goals, that tone never appeared until just then, as you admitted how happy you were to have his time.

It was in that moment Yoongi realized how much it meant for you to let someone in and allow yourself to feel this way for them. The awareness brought a nervousness. What if he wasn’t enough? You watched as the thoughtfulness passed through his eyes, his mind traveling outside the current moment, and you suddenly felt uneasy.

Yoongi simply gave you a forced small smile, pressing one last kiss to your lips before saying a quiet, “me too, Kid.”

With that, he stood up and made his way to your door, you following behind. As he pulled the door open, you almost worried he was going to walk out without looking back at you, but of course he didn’t. Turning to look at you, he smiled, reaching for your hand and pulling you to him. You wrapped your arms around his waist and he brought his around the back of your neck.

“I’ll see you, Kid. I promise,” he told you, you nodding against his chest.

“I’ll be waiting, Honey Boy,” you assured him, Yoongi’s chuckles vibrating against your frame. He kissed the top of your head before stepping back, your arms falling to your side as he reached for the doorknob, preparing to exit the apartment. “Bring my scarf next time, you thief,” you teased to lighten the mood, Yoongi’s gummy smile spreading across his lips as his shoulders shook in laughter.

“I think I might keep it for a bit,” he said as he stepped outside your door. “As a safety net. I have to keep you around, Kid.”

“Oh, shut up,” you said sassily. “I think you know you have me.”

The smile slowly faded off Yoongi’s face as he stared at you thoughtfully. “I really hope that’s true,” he told you as you grabbed onto the door frame.

“You should kiss a girl before you leave,” you told him popping your hip out as you stared at him.

The gummy grin was back in an instant as he stepped toward you, placing a hand on your waist, bringing his lips to yours, though he hovered over them as he whispered, “As you wish.” He kissed you without hesitation, though the action didn’t last near long enough. You would kiss him forever if you could.

“Bye, Kid,” he told you through his adorable smile.

“Bye, Min,” you grinned right back, watching him as he left before closing your door. 

Looking around the apartment, it suddenly felt bland and empty. It was too quiet. Spotting the partially drank wine on the kitchen counter, you were struck with the realization that you were all in with Yoongi. All you could do as you cleaned up the glasses and recorked the bottle was hope Yoongi felt the same way. If not, there was no doubt in your mind that he would shatter your heart.

[danversxluthor]

Shoes

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

One shot of a morning in the Danvers-Luthor household with Kara, Lena, Lori and El. El gets overwhelmed easily when her routine is disrupted but Lena is always prepared for the inevitable meltdowns.

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

The day started as any usual Monday morning in the Danvers-Luthor household. Lena was in the kitchen sipping at her second cup of coffee while reading through the materials for her first meeting of the day. Kara had just finished getting dressed and was making her way down the hall to check to make sure the kids were up and moving. Kara wasn’t surprised to find El already up, dressed, and bed made. 

“Ready to go little one.” Kara brushed her hand lightly through El’s long dark hair. El only flinched slightly at the contact but nodded her approval. The young girl gave her Jeje an apologetic smile before putting her noise cancelling headphones on and heading downstairs for breakfast. Even though Kara was used to El’s reaction to physical contact, it always hurt a little not to be able to hug and comfort her youngest child as she did Lori. 

Now for the most difficult part of the morning. Lori’s door was still shut and lights out. Kara already knew her 16 year old was still dead asleep. 

Knock knock. Kara pulled Lori’s door open and turns the lights on. Still no movement. She walks over to her daughter’s bed and sits down gently rubbing Lori’s back. 

“Come on Lor, it's time to get up bub.” Lori huffs and flips her blond hair to the side, dropping her head back to the pillow. It always made Kara laugh, how Lori had all of Lena’s stubborn attitude and then some. Lori was coming into her own more and more, especially now that she had the extra freedom of a driver's license. 

“Seriously though, get up bub.... Lori, you’re going to be late!” Kara tried. 

“Go away…” came a mumble for the sheets. Kara got up and walked toward the door; she learned there was only so much pushing would do when it came to Lori. But, she still had one card up her sleeve that always worked.

“Fine, but I dont think mom will be too happy if you’re late to school again. Oh wait, didn’t she say something about taking the car away?” Kara left and immediately heard Lori get up and start moving.

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

Lena’s head popped up from her papers when she heard the soft footsteps coming down the stairs. El gave Lena a small smile.

“Good morning Ellie.” Even with her headphones, El could understand. The doctors hypothesized that she was a master at lip reading. The teen gave her mom another small smile in return and started making herself a bowl of oatmeal. They learned early on that El didnt like crunchy foods--no toast, no cereal, nothing overly textured.

“Not gonna brag, but I got Lori up in under 5 minutes this time.” Kara announced with a self satisfied grin as she made her way to her wife. 

“And I should be impressed because?” Lena cocked an eyebrow, clearly not seeing the significance. 

“Because, it usually takes 8 minutes and some yelling!”  

“I do appreciate the absence of yelling, so I’ll give you that.” Lena leans over and gives her wife a congratulatory kiss.

“El, no headphones at the table.” Lena reminds her youngest who just sat down opposite her. El was so attached to her headphones ever since Lena had gotten them for her to help with El’s sound sensitivity. But now that El was in highschool, which was far less accommodating than her previous school, Lena and Kara made the decision to start mainstreaming El’s behavior as well. Even though El had her challenges, she was brilliant beyond comparison. El gave Lena a pleading look, without effect, before turning to Kara with her big puppy dog emerald eyes.

“Hey don’t look at me like that.” Kara jokingly scolded. “You know the rules little one.” 

El reluctantly takes her headphones off and Lena places them on the kitchen island. 

“They’ll be here when you get out of school El.” Lena reminds her daughter. El just nodded and returned to her breakfast.

“Lori, glad you could join us, love.” Lena greets her oldest who looks barely put together, blond hair left in a messy bun with her school bag thrown over her shoulder.

“Morning to you too mommy dearest.” Lori returns with sarcasm. Unlike her little sister, Lori is not a morning person. 

“Lori…” Kara warns with her stern mom voice. 

“Ugh, I know, sorry. It's too early. Need coffee.” Lori pours herself a large to go mug of black coffee before adding several large spoonfuls of sugar. 

“Almost ready Ellie?” Lori asks her little sister, who nods in return and places her bowl in the kitchen sink. “Good because we’re gonna get the good parking space today, so get your shoes on so we can book it out of here.” El makes her way to the coat closet for shoes.

“By book it out of here you better mean drive the speed limit and observe all the rules of the road young lady.” Kara warns. Lori just rolls her eyes and heads out to her car.

A few minutes later and Lori is back inside looking irritated.

“Where the heck is El!?” Lori practically yells. “We’re going to be late!”

“Lori, noise level please.” Lena warns. 

“Let me go see what’s going on. I’ll write you a note if you're late, ok?” Kara offered.

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

Kara walks over to the coat closet and is surprised to see what looks like a war zone of shoes thrown about the entire hallway and flustered El on the floor looking at shoe after shoe. 

“Ellie, sweetie, what's going on?” Kara asks gently on the floor next to El. El flinches at Kara’s words but looks up at her Jeje with red rimmed eyes and pulls out her pocket notebook and pen.

Shoes? El passes the note to Kara. 

“Oh, little one, we had to throw those out the other day. Remember they had holes in them?” El always wore the same shoes. A black pair of newbalance with white laces. El looked defeated and leaned up against the wall pulling her legs into her chest and proceeding to cry into her knees. Kara felt absolutely helpless in moments like these and she and Lena had plenty of moments with El like this. 

“Kar--” Lena cut herself off when she saw El crying on the floor with shoes strewn about. “Hey what's going?” Lena kneeled in front of El, whose black hair was covering her face entirely now. 

“It's about the shoes.” Kara whispered. Lena nodded knowingly and seemingly unsurprised. “I’ll tell Lori to head to school.” Kara got up and made her way back to Lori.

Lena got up and reached in the far back of the closet shelf and pulled out a shoe box. 

“Ellie?” Lena waited patiently as she knelt down to El once more. “El” Lena gently placed a finger under El’s chin and brought the young girl’s now red tear stained face up to meet her own. “I know you liked your shoes but they had holes. But, I got you these.” Lena pulled out a brand new pair of the same newbalance shoes. 

El was not happy with the new shoes and pulled out her pad of paper and wrote once more. 

Want MY shoes.

“Ellie your old shoes are gone and I know you’re upset but you have the same brand new shoes right here.” Lena tried to pass the shoes to El again. 

“El, I’m going to put them on you now ok?” El just stared at the ground as Lena pulled the shoes on El one at a time and tied them with double knots just the way El liked it. 

“Come on Ellie, let's give them a spin, see how they feel, huh? Lena offered her hand to El who still had a tear stained face but had calmed significantly. 

El took Lena’s hand and was pulled to her feet. Instead of testing the shoes, El immediately wrapped her arms around Lena in a big hug. El wasn't one for physical contact often but every once and awhile, especially after something overwhelming occurred, she just wanted to be held by her moms. Lena wrapped her arms tightly around El, pulling her daughter into her chest. 

This was how Kara found the pair. Even though her daughters could be difficult at times, these were the moments she lived for. Lena looked over El’s head to see her wife looking on and decided it was time to break the hug, even though she'd prefer it to go on forever. 

“Ok, Ellie, let's show Jeje your new shoes, huh?” El pulled back and inspected her feet, then took a few tentative steps before walking the rest of the way to Kara. 

“Look just like the old ones, minus the holes.” Kara said brightly and El shrugged. “Now let's get you to school.”

[krsnbgirl]

Fly High! || Kageyama x Fem!Reader || Part 8

Summary: Tensions are high between Hinata and Kageyama during their time in Tokyo. You can’t help but be on the sidelines and only step in when it’s necessary. Kuroo checks in with you and tries to help you relax during one of their breaks. Also, you show Kageyama that you’re going to be there for him whenever things get tough and he appreciates you for being by his side. 

Pairing: Kageyama Tobio x Fem!Reader

Genre: Rom-Com, Slice of Life, Sports

Warnings: None

Word Count: ~3.5k

Taglist:  @misnmatchedsox​ @monviemoo​ @love-beyond-words​ @bbecc-a​

Author’s Notes: Hello lovelies! I hope you enjoy this update~ Anyways, how are you guys doing? Today’s been a little rough, so writing helped me escape reality for a bit, haha. As always, it will be cross posted on AO3 and I hope you guys have a great day today! Taglist is still open <3 

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5 || Part 5.5 || Part 6 || Part 7 || Part 8 || Part 9 || Masterlist

You purse your lips as the following day of training camp went into full throttle. The boys were finally up against Nekoma and while taking down notes for the team, you began to notice the shift between Hinata and Lev. An unspoken conversation had gone down between the two players and the gut feeling you had the day before was finally coming into existence. Hinata’s goal to become one of the best players was growing stronger. He had always made it known that he wanted to be at the top. He’d show anyone just how serious he was to be able to be just as amazing as the Tiny Giant. As the game slowly progressed, you could see the new expression on his face as he continued to play. Biting your lip, you took note of this in your notebook to bring up to Shimizu and the adults once their game was over. 

You winced as everyone watched Hinata go for the ball that was clearly meant for Asahi to spike and held your breath as they collided. As everyone tried to calm down the situation with Ukai and Kageyama reprimanding him, there was an underlying tension in the air. You bit the back of your pen and glanced across the court to see that Nekoma’s coach had also realized what was happening to your team as he smirked to himself. He was a perceptive coach and the smile he showed proved that he had figured out what you were meaning to share when the next time out happened. 

Everyone finally settled down and returned to their original positions. You looked at your boys and sighed in relief when it looked like things were going back to normal. They had concentrated looks and were slowly getting back into the rhythm of things. You hoped that there wouldn’t be anything else that would disrupt the match. Just as you were about to relax and go over your notes, you were proved wrong when the orange haired player turned to say something to Kageyama that had Karasuno react in surprise. 

“The quick that goes like whoosh...I’ll stop closing my eyes.” 

You couldn’t help but laugh to yourself as Kageyama’s face deadpanned when everyone heard what Hinata had to say. Biting your lip, you squeezed the pen that you were previously twirling  in hopes that things wouldn’t escalate more than it already had. 

“I can’t stay like this,” he continued, “I can’t keep hitting quicks that are set just for me.” 

“You can’t, and that’s why we learned normal quicks. I don’t know what’s going on with you right now, but if you have something to say, I’ll listen to it later. But if you’re gonna do that right now, I’m not going to set to a guy who I know will miss.” Kageyama retorted. 

With the blow of the referee’s whistle, you let out the breath that you didn’t know you were holding. Setting your elbows on top of your knees, you focused on the game, silently thankful that nothing else had come out of that short conversation. Shimizu sighed beside you and you looked up at her. You two shared a look and while stretching your arms, the older girl sighed. Readjusting her glasses, Shimizu hugged her notebook closer to her as you continued to watch the boys play. 

“That wasn’t just me who noticed the tension between the boys, right?” you murmured. 

Shimizu agreed and voiced her own concerns, “Ever since the collision happened, the rest of the boys are all on edge.” 

And before you knew it, the game was over. The other teams dispersed to their areas and the boys were doing their punishment once again. As you gathered the stray balls that littered the court, you couldn’t help but notice the looks on the boys’ faces as they dove across the floor. 

The tension in the team was obvious as some gritted their teeth, others had their eyebrows scrunched up, and some glanced at Hinata to see that the boy was in his own world.

Taking in a deep breath, you knew that the boys were finally realizing what you had come to realize: Hinata’s greed kept growing and no one wanted to be left behind. You laughed when you noticed that Hinata had messed up on his dive and smiled to yourself. While rolling the cart of balls off to the side, you were glad to see that the boys were slowly realizing that this camp was the perfect time to grow. The teams from the city are hard opponents and it was finally time for Karasuno to level up. So, once the boys had gathered around to listen to what Takeda and Ukai had to say, you breathed a sigh of relief and mentally thanked the teacher for his poetic words. Out of the four of them, Takeda always had the right words to tell the team. 

“You guys are the weakest team out of all the teams here.” 

You sweat dropped as you took in their faces when he said that, but smiled warmly as he continued. “If we were to have an official match with any of these teams, they would be a troublesome opponent. Are we going to view them as mere opponents or teachers that we can absorb techniques from?” 

You found yourself mentally agreeing with everything that your teacher was saying and as he wrapped up his speech about having more room to grow, you were glad to see that the boys’ expressions changed to being refreshed and determined. There was this refreshed aura around them and you straightened up, knowing that you had a little less to worry about. And as the boys were let on a brief break before their next match, you bit her lip when you noticed that Kageyama, Hinata, and Sugawara went outside to talk. 

“Oi~ chibi-chan!” Kuroo called.

You raised an eyebrow at him as he jogged up to you and you crossed your arms, shifting your weight onto one of your legs. 

“What do you want this time, you freakishly tall giant?” 

He leaned back and laughed. You playfully rolled your eyes as he pretended to wipe a tear away from his eyes. 

“You do know, everyone is basically a giant to you here right?” 

“Yeah and what about it? You’re the only one who’s annoying me right now.” You chuckled and playfully swatted his stomach. “Now what do you want Tetsu?” 

He shrugged and said, “I just wanted to check up on you after noticing the change in the boys during the game. You looked stressed and worried. Your leg kept bouncing up and down while you did that scrunched up look on your face whenever you began to overthink.” 

Your eyes glanced towards the entrance that the boys disappeared to and sighed. “I’m not sure what went down between Kageyama and Hinata, but hopefully they’ll be able to fix it. As for the team, the boys have been doing alright overall and I think Shoyo realized what they need to be doing at this camp. I just hope Kageyama will be able to hear him out.” 

Twirling the volleyball you had taken out of the team bag, you purse your lips as different scenarios played in your mind. Kuroo sighed and lightly bonked the top of your head. If there was anything he learned about you through the years he’s known you, it’s when you would begin to overthink something. You glared at him and he snickered before resting an elbow on top of your head. He looked down at you as you tossed the ball back into the bag. You groaned as he playfully added more of his weight onto you. 

“You don’t gotta stress, (Y/N)-chan. Knowing those two, they’re gonna hash it out as always and everything will be fine. You gotta believe in those two because you know that they’re going to always pull through in the end, alright?” 

You looked at him with some doubt and he wrapped his arms around your shoulders. Leaning into his comforting embrace, you wrapped an arm around his waist. 

“Yeah I guess you’re right.” 

“I know. And think about it this way, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate.”

You immediately looked up at him in disbelief. “Did you really just try to squeeze in a chemistry joke?” 

He casually shrugged and said, “Yeah and what about it? I’m trying to cheer you up. My jokes always work on you.” 

You shook your head and laughed. “Only you, Tetsu. Only you.” 

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!” he exclaimed and stepped away to tower over you. 

“Take it as you will, you big nerd.” you chuckled and didn’t back down, his glowering having no effect on you. 

The coaches yelled faintly in the background that it was almost time to resume the practice matches. You  watched as Kageyama finally returned and your eyebrows scrunched up as you took in his expression while Coach Ukai made his way outside to see what was going on.

“Look, if it makes you feel better, I’ll help you with your team since this is a training camp chibi-chan.” Kuroo said.

Your eyes widened in surprise and he laughed at your expression. 

“You’re kidding.” 

 “Nope, I’m totally serious. The players have free time after the matches for their own practices. A couple of us were planning on helping each other with our strengths or just having mock games. Well actually Bokuto and I just wanted to play against each other like old time’s sake” Kuroo laughed and ruffled your hair. “If any of your boys come by, I’ll help them out.” 

You couldn’t help yourself as a bubble of excitement rippled through you and threw your arms around Kuroo. He laughed and lifted you up into a spin before setting you down. You continued the conversation and walked towards Nekoma with Kuroo to quickly exchange pleasantries before the break ended.

Over to the side, Kageyama clicked his tongue as he watched your exchange happen and clenched his water bottle tighter. 

“Oh? Looks like someone’s trying to swoop in King.” Tsukishima snickered as he took note of what Kageyama was looking at. 

“Shut up, you don’t know anything.” Kageyama rolled his eyes before walking away. 

You managed to walk up to him before he reached the bench and he looked down at her with an eyebrow raised. Meeting his gaze, you tugged on his practice jersey when you noticed that he was tightly clenching his jaw. 

“Hey Tobio, are you alright?” 

Asahi, Daichi, and Nishinoya choked on their waters as their head snapped in your direction after hearing your voice. Kageyama could feel his ears burn as you looked at him in concern and Nishinoya screamed. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever get over her calling me by my name with her voice.’ He thought and you poked him in the stomach to get his attention.

“TOBIO?! YOU GUYS ARE ON FIRST NAME BASIS NOW?! SINCE WHEN?!”

Daichi and Asahi held him back and you glared at him to shut up before turning back to Kageyama. He sighed as his mind flashed back to Hinata’s words and tried to keep his annoyance at bay. That was a problem that could be addressed later when these matches were over. In the meantime, he’d just need to focus on whoever they faced next. Ruffling your hair, he set his bottle next to his things and began to make his way back to the court.

“There’s nothing you need to worry about, for now.” 

With a sigh, you could only trust Kageyama’s words as the rest of the boysgot ready for their match against Fukurodani. 

--- 

The last day of the weekend training finally came to an end as everyone loitered in the parking lot as members packed away their belongings. You wiped away the sweat on your forehead as you tossed the last bag of volleyballs into the storage unit. The boys were all saying their goodbyes before getting onto the bus. Then seeing as Shimizu and Takeda-sensei were already in the vehicle, you took this as a chance to get a window seat on the way home. You also wanted some peace and quiet before the boys came onto the bus to start your nap and took your place on the bench that Kageyama and Hinata would usually sit in. 

‘They wouldn’t mind if I stole their seat just this once, right?’ you thought and mentally shrugged. You plugged in your earphones to drone out the noise as the boys began to slowly file into the bus and closed your eyes in hopes that no one would bother you while trying to relax.

Just as you were about to nod off, a light tap was felt on your shoulder. You jumped in surprise when you saw Kageyama looking the other way. Your eyes went over to the single seater row across from you and noticed Hinata had already taken a seat, looking out the window. With a silent understanding, you stood up and grabbed your bag from the empty seat next to you. He raised an eyebrow before taking your previous seat and you nonchalantly shrugged as Takeda-sensei started the bus. 

“Window seats are better to help clear the mind.” You murmured before sitting down and took out the last of your homework. 

He grunted at the sight of the assignments he still had to do once he got back home and you softly giggled at his response. After getting situated and the bus was finally on the highway back home, you nudged him. Kageyama looked down at the earbud you were offering and then back at you once again. You simply grabbed his palm and put the wireless bud in his hand before tapping the one you already had in your ear. 

“It’ll help you keep your mind off things.” 

Before he could say anything to you, the volume of the song playing was turned up and you started to work on your homework. He stared at you in surprise to find one of his favorite artists playing and sighed before relaxing in his seat. Resting his chin on the top of his palm, he looked out the window. Catching your reflection behind him, his eyes softened as he let his mind drift, thankful that you lent your support in a way he was comfortable with. 

-- 

You let out a yawn as you sleepily made your way out of the girl’s changing room and shouldered your backpack to prevent it from slipping off of your shoulders. Tilting your head to the side, you noticed that the light in the gym was still on. With a shake of your head, you had a good feeling as to who was in there. You couldn’t help but pinch the bridge of your nose in hopes that your gut was wrong. Peeping your head through the door, you let out an exasperated sigh to find Hinata and Kageyama in the gym with a basket of volleyballs near them.

“Shouldn’t you guys be heading home?” you asked as you stepped into the gym and crossed your arms. 

Hinata smiled sheepishly and said. “(Y/N)-chan, if you don’t mind, could you throw us some balls?” 

Your eyes shifted over towards Kageyama and he shrugged before tossing one of the balls at you. Huffing to yourself as you caught the ball, you dropped your bag by the door before joining them onto the court. After tossing them the ball for a couple of moments, you groaned when you  felt the tensions rise once more. Hinata was trying to keep his eyes open and you noticed that he wasn’t jumping at his highest point anymore. You knew that Kageyama noticed after several tries and you were debating if you should try to stop them. The frustration was growing evident on both of their faces and you bit your lip as Hinata asked for one more time. 

“Instead of practicing an attack we’re not sure you’ll be able to do, you should be working on the attacks we’ve been using, as well as serving and blocking!” Kageyama snapped. 

You held your breath as their conversation got more heated and before you knew it, the boys were at each other’s throats. While waiting for the right moment to step in, Kageyama grabbed a hold of Hinata’s shirt and he was thrown onto the floor in seconds. You began to worry because this looked a lot more serious compared to the previous fights they’ve had. So, taking a deep breath, you were about to yell at them to stop fighting, especially once Kageyama refused to set for him, but things seemed to happen too fast for you to keep up. You froze as Hinata jumped back into his feet and tried to tackle Kageyama to the floor. Knowing that the two were too blinded by their emotions for you to intercept, you ran towards the clubroom to get someone to stop them. 

“Ryu-nii!” you exclaimed when you spotted him at the bottom of the staircase.

He jumped at your alarmed expression and tugged on his arm, pointing towards the gym.

“What’s the matter?” 

You turned back to him with worried eyes and said, “Shoyo and Tobio are fighting!” 

Without a moment to waste, Tanaka rushed towards the gym before yelling at the two to stop it. You winced when you witnessed the two of them get punched by their upperclassman. Knowing that it was the perfect chance to help diffuse the situation, you got a hold of Kageyama while Tanaka held Hinata back. 

“You guys need to calm the fuck down, right now!” you exclaimed. 

The boys paused when they heard you and Kageyama looked down when he finally realized that you were holding him back. He noticed the frustrating and disappointed look on your face and gulped. With more awareness of his surroundings, Kageyama felt your hands slightly trembling as you held him back and he immediately tried to relax his body. It was hard for him because Hinata seemed to not listen to anyone and there wasn't enough time for him to master the new quick. With a sigh, you let go of Kageyama and made your way towards your backpack to take out the first aid kit you always carried for emergencies.

“That’s enough. I know the both of you have different opinions right now but we all just got back from camp. We’re all tired and you idiots might be getting way too heated because of the exhaustion. Take a moment for yourselves and really think about what each other have said, alright?” you hissed before approaching your friends. 

Tanaka proudly smiled as he watched them obediently listen to you and ruffled your hair as he made his way out. He knew that there weren’t going to be any more scuffles with the way the boys looked at opposite directions as you bandaged their bruises and cuts. 

“You got this from here, (Y/N)-chan?” Tanaka asked. 

You hummed in response and waved him off while you concentrated on putting a bandage on Kageyama’s cheek. “You can go home Ryu-nii, thanks for breaking these two idiots apart.” 

He laughed and waved goodbye. Pausing at the doorway he glared at the two before threatening, “You guys better make sure she gets home safe or else Noya and I will make sure you’re going through hell the next time we see you.” 

“Y-YES SIR!” they exclaimed and you rolled your eyes while walking to your bag to pack up your things. 

Glaring at the two of them with your bag slung onto your shoulders, you went towards the basket of volleyballs to put it away. 

“Go get your things, we’re going home.” 

--

You and Kageyama walked in silence ever since Hinata darted off once you locked up the gym. The three of you usually went home together but knowing that they needed to cool down, you understood why Hinata decided to separate himself for now. You sighed to yourself after noticing that Kageyama never stopped frowning and his eyebrows furrowed deeply together. He was in deep thought, probably trying to analyze why things weren’t going right, and you just needed to find a small distraction to help him get out of his head. As you approached an intersection, you threw your hands behind your head. 

“You know, you’re going to get wrinkles faster with the way you’re always frowning.” you said.

“Huh?!” he asked as he glared down at you and you looked at him from your peripherals, unphased by his reaction. 

Without thinking, you reached up and pressed the spot between his eyebrows, causing his face to relax. He rolled his eyes at you before swatting away your hands and continued the way home. 

“Whatever, you’re annoying.” 

“I know you’re worried, but you have to realize that Shoyo is right to some degree.” you said. 

He clicked his tongue but let you continue what you had to say. 

“It’s true that your guys’ special quick attack is something that no one else can do, but your opponents are now being more attentive towards you guys.” you said as you came to a stop, waiting for the crosswalk to turn white. 

“You’re also not wrong that there isn’t enough time and that you guys should be fine tuning the weapons you already have, but I believe in you two.” you finished softly and tugged on the strap of his bag. 

He turned to see what had caught your attention and it was a kid’s volleyball flyer. You shrugged and said, “Maybe going back to your roots could help you realize what he sees and needs you to do.” 

Kageyama sighed as the light changed for you guys to walk and silently continued to walk in front of you. You stared at his back while lost in your own thoughts for a bit. Hinata and Kageyama were complete opposites, yet they complimented each other’s play styles. You simply hoped that after this fight, they’d bounce back twice as strong. So for now, you were just going to do whatever you could to help them. Shaking any worries away, you matched his pace and stuffed your hands into the pockets of your team jacket. For the rest of the way back, the two of you were lost in their own thoughts. Once you reached your house, he squeezed your shoulder reassuringly and told you that he’ll text you once he gets home safely. With a defeated sigh, you prayed that things will slowly get better for the two boys. 

[jeonggukingdom]

splinters of love • day VII (m) [jjk]

pairing  ⟶  jeon jeongguk x fem!Reader

summary  ⟶ a collection of drabbles (one for each day of April) based on prompts by an online prompts’ generator site. Specifically  ⟶  • day VII ↳ in which you went for a night of stargazing but things get kind of romantic and passionate and all of a sudden it’s raining cats and dogs but you don’t want to stop.

genre  ⟶ smut

rating  ⟶ 18+

word count ⟶  1.873 words

warnings  ⟶ graphic depictions of sexual intercourse, semi-public sex, penetrative sex, unprotected sex, soft and mushy sex because apparently I’m a romantic at heart.

series masterlist  ⟶ here  (links on mobile may not work, if you’re looking for all the works in this series, you can click on the “!splintersoflove” tag and you’ll find them all there!)

A deep blue cloak of endless night sky stands before your eyes, soft grass embraces your bodies as you link your limbs together however possible while keeping your eyes fixed on the beauty before you.

Stargazing before meant climbing up to the rooftop of your home when you were little and spend most of the night hugging yourself up there.

Now, it means deserted hills and mountains that go for miles and miles with nothing to hold back your gaze or disrupt the peace and quiet of the night.

Now, it means holding hands with your boyfriend, whisper about the most mundane things or the most abstract ones and laugh with each other about it all.

Now, it means belonging to someone and somewhere and feeling whole like looking up at the stars it’s just a plus and not a way to try and find the missing piece of your heart up there.

Jeongguk’s palm fits perfectly against yours, his fingers wrap nicely around yours and they tug a little on you from time to time, squeezing a little whenever something funny crosses his thoughts and he has the incumbent need to share it with you at once.

Right now, though, that little squeeze gathers your attention because he is pointing up to the sky with his other, his mouth slightly agape as a falling star crosses the sky, reaps it in half for a whole second right before your eyes.

You used to make all the wishes on falling stars when you were a kid but lately you have realized that you are lucky and there isn’t much you’d wish for, especially when the warmth of his body is right there next to you.

So you look at him instead, take in the soft curve of his lovely nose, the thin lips that are still outstretched in that soft gasp of surprise, the onyx eyes that seem to hold the entire galaxy in them, the raven hair that fall a little behind his ears, revealing his forehead in a way that makes your insides churn.

Maybe you have been staring for too long, maybe he has noticed your silence or maybe, just like you, he can’t last for more than a few minutes without inevitably shifting his gaze to your features.

That’s when he notices the way you are looking at him, the warmth behind your gaze, the little smile gracing your lips and his cheeks seem to turn darker under the moonlight and you can almost picture them being dusted with rose petals in that adorable way that has you melting on the inside.

He is smiling now, scrunching up his nose a little like he always does when he’s embarrassed or utterly amused. You can’t tell if it’s the first of the latter but you suspect it might be a fine mixture of both.

“You’re not doing much stargazing right now,” he utters in a hushed tone as he chuckles at the way you keep staring at him, going so far as to actually shift so you can turn completely towards him, disregard altogether the gorgeousness above your heads.

“Well, I may or may not prefer the sight that is in front of me right now.” That confession deepens the smile on Jeongguk’s face and in your head you imagine his cheeks turning an adorable shade of pink and damn, do you want to kiss him silly.

Maybe he can read your mind or he can see it in your eyes, maybe he just shares your same deep desire because next thing you know he is leaning forward, one of his hands coming to your face to pull you towards him and then, you are kissing under the moonlight and every piece you’re made of suddenly fits together.

Kissing Jeongguk is always like the very first time, it always feels magical and perfect and like he both breaks you and fix you at the same time, almost as if he rearranges your soul with every single touch of his lips atop your own.

You kiss for long endless minutes and until your lips are swollen, your lungs are burning and the air has turned somewhat chilly all around you.

Those minutes almost felt like an eternity and maybe they were because now you are looking at the sky and the stars seemed to have disappeared, dimmed by something you can only assume to be clouds.

But you do not care, especially not now when Jeongguk is standing right above you, his arms trapping your head between them as he stares down at you with love and lust in his shining gaze.

“I want you so badly,” he whispers and the words imply something lewd yet the tone in which he speaks them couldn’t be more soft and endearing and it immediately brings warmth to your lower abdomen, tugs at your heartstrings and desire in equal ways that leaves your mind spinning with thoughts.

You have done something like this before, inside his car, but out here in the open? Not even once.

And you had never thought you were into sex in public places but Jeongguk brings so much out of you, helping you discovering yourself every single day a little bit more.

So you silently wrap your arms around his neck, pull him towards you and kiss him anew. It is raw and passionate and heated and it leaves you breathless.

Your eyes are firm shut as he starts kissing your jawline, slowly inching towards your neck while one of his hands travels between your legs, unbuttons your jeans and finds the hidden treasure with rather ease.

Jeongguk has mapped your body countless of times before and it’s amazing how easily it comes to him to touch you like this, elicit moans and mewl out of you with the simplest touch of his lovely fingers.

The press of his digits on your cotton panties has you shivering under him, arching your beg in a silent request for more and Jeongguk always, always complies.

His fingers explore you softly, they savour every little inch of your sex in a way that makes you burn from the inside out and in the simplicity of his touch you mewl for him with only the grass, the stars and the flowers as your witness.

You can feel him grow hard on top of you, his erection pressed against one of your thighs in a way that has you salivating at the prospect of feeling him deep inside you, wrapped up nicely by your eager walls until you are calling each other’s name to the moon.

Jeongguk must read it in your eyes again because he grunts and hastily pulls your underwear down your thighs along with your jeans. He is panting as he lifts himself up just enough to unbotton his on pants, get rid of the confinement of his underwear and get exactly what he desires the most. You.

Your hands are quick to reach the sliver of naked skin atop his navel, brush against the firm muscles and inch downward along the fine trail of hair that leads to his bountiful erection.

You hum in appreciation at the way his muscles contract under your touch, at the way his cock twitches slightly under your eager gaze.

You’d love to taste him, look into his eyes as you pleasure him in ways he swears he has never experienced before but then your eyes catch a glimpse of lightning up in the sky, the purple hue startling you long before the sound of thunder reaches your ears.

You curse under your breath as the sky turns violet, ripped apart by an incoming storm that menaces to fall on you at any given moment and Jeongguk turns rigid on top of you, doubt crossing his features to match your dread.

“I don’t want to stop,” you whimper, your hand inching down to grasp his turgid member, give it a generous pump that has him quivering on top of you, gulp down heavily with the need to have more, to reach the blissful high he had been craving since he placed his lips on top of yours.

“I don’t want to stop either,” is his low response before he is inching forward once more, trapping you between his body and the hard ground.

His erection throbs inside your hold and the sensation of it pulsating so much for you even when you are barely touching him has your walls contract around thin air, your arousal dripping down your thighs as you guide him towards your sex, ready to wrap him with your sleek lips and welcome him back deep inside of you.

The slow inching of his cock inside of you has you holding your breath, closing your eyes and tilting your head back.

The first stroke it’s always the best. The feeling of being stretched and filled to the brim drives you crazy every single time.

And then he is sighing for you, panting in your ears as he rolls his hips in and out of you as if you had all the time in the world.

You flinch as the first droplets of rain touches your skin, infiltrates through your clothes and makes you shiver deeply underneath him.

Jeongguk grunts, curses and rolls his hips into you faster as you call his name, as you wrap your fingers around his neck, tug on his hair and arch your back for him.

His lips find the soft curve of your neck, attach there as he drives into you deeper, the sound of his balls slapping your bottoms only slightly covered by the sound of the storm raging all around you.

Thunders and rain and moans and sighs all mesh together in a beautiful symphony of cries of nature and pleasure.

He calls your name, stutters inside of you and your walls wrap around him tighter, menace to make him crumble as you fist his hair harder, as he suckles on your skin harder.

You come calling his name, your voice as loud as thunder and he quickly follows, painting your walls in pearly white just like the moonlight, still somewhat shining over your half-naked bodies.

You are panting, cursing, your ears are ringing and you are running, running to cover yourselves, running to the safety of his car with soaked clothes and contented hearts.

You kiss once more then, heat turned on high to dry your clothes, bring some warmth to your suddenly freezing limbs, stop them from the incessant quivering as you laugh onto each other’s mouth with the exhilaration of your shared high.

“I love you,” you whisper on top of his mouth as he places a hand on your face, caresses the soft skin with his thumb while looking into you with all the love in the entire universe.

“Love you too,” he whispers before kissing your nose, a little smile stretching on his thin lips as he takes one of your hands into his to hold while he drives you back to your place with the silent promise of making love to you again and again until the sunlight is shining through the closed curtains, tinting everything with orange.

Copyright © 2020 by jeonggukingdom. All rights reserved. Do not repost, do not steal, do not translate without consent.

[jpegjade]

Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmares)

SO remember how i told you guys that the next fic was gonna be angsty fluff? well i present to you the angstiest thing i have yet to write. (i had to reel myself back. i definitely went angstier but i decided not to go there this early in the game) - and yes, the title is a kid cudi song. 

Request: Okay another request… and I know you love to write angst so how about something where the reader is having a hard time sleeping bc of nightmares and has been trying her best to keep it from Spence but he obviously knows and tries to help?

__________________

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the life of one Spencer Reid. A brilliant young man whose life was cut short by the grips of life.” Some priest said, standing at the front of a podium. 

You were outside, standing under a tent with a group of people. You tried to look at their faces but it was like everything was in a haze. The priest continued talking but it’s like his voice slowed down, almost as if he went underwater somehow. You looked down, seeing yourself in your funeral dress. Was this real? 

“And now a few words from his fiance.” The priest motioned to you. 

It’s like your body started moving on its own. You walked to the front of the tent, in front of everyone. Slowly, their faces came into view. One by one, you recognized who you were looking at and all of them were crying. Even his mom was there, crying just as hard as everyone else. There wasn’t a dry eye in the tent area. 

“My heart is broken... “ You began, not sure where the words were coming from. Even now, you weren’t sure what was really happening but you started to piece things together. “The love of my life…” You started sobbing, the words getting caught in your throat.

“The love of my life is gone, taken by a cruel excuse for a man. If I could trade my life for his, I would in a heartbeat. His bright eyes, loving smile, he deserves the world and every good thing in it. And now… Now, I can’t give it to him…” 

You turned, looking at the coffin. He looked so peaceful, like no bad thing could touch him anymore. And that was true. He was relieved of his pain and suffering. Pressing your lips to his forehead one last time, you whispered, “I love you now and forever.” 

You woke with a start. You were drenched in sweat and sobbing, although it didn’t feel like it. Your tears were mixed with sweat. You wrapped your arms around your torso, rocking yourself as you tried to calm down. Your heart raced and there was a painful ache in your body. Something was missing, an empty hole inside of you. You tried to breathe but it felt absolutely impossible. Your chest was so tight with fear that you didn’t think you would ever calm down. 

Slowly, you began to breathe normally again. The room stopped spinning and you were able to loosen up enough to go get a glass of water. Your footsteps were quiet but your body felt so heavy. You struggled to stand up straight at the weight on your shoulders. Filling up your cup with water, you checked the time on the stove. It was only 11 PM. You must have fallen asleep early for you to wake up at this time. A few swallows later, you were ready to get back in bed. 

What the fuck was that dream… Shit Spencer. If that wasn’t a dream, if that was a memory, you were going to lose it. 

It was only 11 so you knew Spencer would still be awake, if not wrapping up at the office. When you used to sleep over at his apartment, he would stay up late because he had a cup of coffee late in the day and the effects were still hitting him. The two of you would stay up talking until one of you dropped. Sometimes, the conversations were good, all about how he was basically a superhero and you were a goddess, according to him. 

‘Hey, angel.” You melted at the sound of his voice. He was okay. 

“Hey yourself. How was work?” You asked, trying to keep things nonchalant. You just needed to hear him talk for a little bit and then you would feel better about everything going on. 

“It was tiring. I’ve been doing desk work since I hurt my leg.” He said, pretending to be annoyed. Or maybe he was annoyed, you couldn’t tell. 

You completely forgot he hurt his leg for a moment. All you could think about was that dream… 

“Do you want to come over?” He asked, disrupting your thoughts. You were glad but you were unsure about this. What if you had another nightmare? 

“I don’t know about that, Spence. I’m a little too tired to drive.” That was the only excuse you would think of to not go. “Don’t get me wrong, I would love to spend the night with you but I’m scared of falling asleep at the wheel.” 

“I like that you’re cautious. Well, I’m on my way home. Do you want me to swing by?” Spencer said, looking for a reason to stop by. 

“Only if you feel up to it.” You said, excited to have someone to help you stay awake. It would be easier to stay awake with your fiance there, right? 

20 minutes later, Spencer walked through your door. Immediately embracing you in a hug, he smelled of lavender and coffee. You weren’t sure how that worked but it did on him. 

“You’re always so cozy.” You said, face full of his sweater. It was beginning to be a long hug but you needed it. 

“Are you ready to actually let me inside?” Spence said, chuckling at the realization that it was becoming an extra long hug. 

“Inside of me or the apartment?” You laughed, finally letting go of him. 

“Your pick.” He said, smirking. 

“Get in here, you goofball.” You said, grabbing his hand and pulling him inside your apartment. 

The two of you laid on the couch, watching Doctor Who for a little while before you started to drift off to sleep. Your head in Spencer’s lap, legs up on the couch, Spencer just watched you drift to sleep, smiling at how rested you looked. 

“Spencer. Spencer, it’s me. You don’t have to do this. Please, baby. Just focus on me, okay?” You pleaded, your fiance’s back turned to you. 

“I can’t, y/n.” Spencer was crying, hard. “There’s so much darkness inside of me and I can’t navigate it. I can’t understand how to get rid of it. Some genius I am, right?” 

“Baby, no.” You took a couple tentative steps closer to him. You didn’t want him to get scared. 

“Yes. Yes. Yes. You say all these nice things about me and I can’t… I don’t understand.” He was still crying. That was a good sign. He still felt something. He wasn’t numb. 

“Spencer, listen to my voice. You’re not all dark, okay? That brilliant mind of yours isn’t going to figure it out if you give up now. Let me help you understand.” Your voice was hardly steady but it was just enough to keep him engaged. 

You kept inching towards him. Your hands were shaking still. You were almost there. 

“I’m so sorry.” 

“Spencer!” You yelled, bolting upright. 

You fell asleep. Shit. But Spencer wasn’t holding you anymore. You didn’t see him. You also weren’t on the couch anymore. You were in your bed, shaking. 

“Hmm? I’m right here.” Spencer said, turning over. He pulled you into his arms and held you as you explained your dreams and how they were backward.

“Spence, I’m afraid to go to sleep. I can’t handle you being taken away from me.” You sobbed, trying to slow down. 

“Hey, you’re not going to lose me at all. We’ve got plans and things to accomplish. I wouldn’t dare leave you to your own devices.” He chuckled. 

Hearing Spencer make light of the situation helped a little bit. You knew it was his way of helping you through the situation before he turned serious again. 

“Y/n, dreams are less about the future and more about the subconscious. Your fears manifest in two second bits of information but your brain slows it down to read the information. What you’re suffering from is common under high pressure or stressful situations. I know you’ve been suffering from nightmares for a little while. You don’t ever want to tell me these things but I find out eventually.” He said, pulling you tighter to his chest. 

You could hear his heart, slow and steady. The blood pumping in your ears started to get quieter the more he spoke. 

“You’ve been sleepless for at least a week. You’ve been wearing more make-up to cover up the dark circles and exhaustion. You have had an excuse not to sleep over at my place for a little while. Your clothes are always wrinkled and you have been more forgetful lately because you’re so tired. I haven’t said anything because I wanted to give you space to figure it out since I know you’ll call me when you feel like I can help.” He paused. 

“You know I’m here for you, right?” He said, kissing the top of your head. 

“I know. But it’s so hard… I thought I had this under control.” You sighed, wrapping your arm around Spencer. 

“Baby, you have to ask for help sometimes. You have to know that some things aren’t going to happen because there’s no way in hell I would leave you. The only thing I’m sorry for right now is that I didn’t step in sooner. I didn’t think it would get this bad…” Spencer got progressively quieter the more he talked. 

“Spence, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I just… I feel like you have enough to worry about. I want to be the sunshine in your life, the thing you look forward to seeing because I bring you joy.” You sighed. 

“I know. But you don’t have to do anything to give me that feeling, sunshine.” He said, smiling. “I come home to the most beautiful, smart, incredible girl in the world every day, when I’m not on trips, that is.” He chuckled. 

“Spence… You’re too sweet.” You said, burying your face into his chest. You didn’t even realize he was shirtless until you lifted your head and put it back down on his chest. 

“Sweet like sugar.” He said. He smirked in the low light of the lamp on your bedside table. 

“Spencer, that light was in my living room. Did you move it?” You asked, wondering why he would do something like that. 

“When I have nightmares, I find that it’s easier to get my bearings when I can see what’s around me. In the dark, anything can happen. In the dark, the monsters come out. But in the light, you’re able to see that you’re safe. So I moved it so you can wake up and recognize you’re safe with me.” Spencer said. 

“You’re the best, you know that?” You said, getting sleepy again. 

“And you’re mine.” He said, followed by a yawn. 

There was something different about when you fell asleep this time. You had more control, felt more peaceful and less nervous. You were able to breathe again knowing that Spencer was right there with you. For the first time in a little while, you were able to get a peaceful couple hours of sleep.

[zutaraangtastic]

If you’re still doing drabbles, here’s an idea: Nightmares and comfort afterwards. While it’s most common for Zuko and to a lesser extent, Aang, I think it would be so sweet to see Katara being comforted and tended to by her husbands. Of course, no offense will be taken if you’re done with drabbles or not interested in the prompt.

Final drabble! Warning for violence and temporary character death - nightmare stuff, as you might guess. I hope the comfort makes up for the hurt! (Reminder that we are not accepting new prompts; we received these before July 1.) - Mod J

The igloo seems impossibly big before her, its white sheen stained with the ash raining from the heavens. The snow is up to her knees, as small as she is, and the sounds of war clamor for attention behind her: the men shouting, the sickening swish of the burning catapults, the hiss of fire devouring everything in its path.

Katara hesitates outside, trying to breach the chasm of dread in her stomach and force herself to enter, knowing what awaits her.

At least, she thinks she knows, until something happens that’s never happened before: a boy comes flying out through the blue curtains with a horrible scream, flung by a red flare inside that she barely glimpses. She runs to where he’s collapsed in the snow, his shaking hands covering his face. 

Through the cracks in his fingers, she sees the raw, seared flesh, and gasps.

He’s dressed just like the other Fire Nation soldiers, but he’s too young, his armor too big for his shoulders. His head is bare except for a disheveled ponytail. He’s hurt, badly.

These things she takes in, paralyzed, before it registers in the back of her mind that she can do something. She can heal. 

Or, she should be able to, but her tiny hands don’t seem to work the way they should; their grasp on the water is too unsteady, and when they reach for his face, he screams again, his fist lashing out in a flaming arc. Katara drops onto her belly, trembling with her eyes squeezed shut, until the near-brush of heat subsides. 

When she peeks up to make sure she’s safe, she notices the overcast sky has changed color, now a murky blood-red crossed by a trail of blazing orange light. 

Then the boy slumps back down, and Katara scrambles away, leaving him to writhe in his agony and returning to her own task with just enough bitter determination to overcome her fear.

In the igloo, she finds a different man than she expects, this one’s armor adorned with gold, a semblance of wings framing his helmet when he glances over his shoulder at her. There’s another boy, too, a boy in simple orange-and-yellow monk’s robes. He’s even smaller than her, his legs kicking pitifully as the Fire Nation man holds him aloft by the collar.

“You’re too late, little peasant,” the man says, an oil-slick voice dripping with malice. “The Avatar is mine.”

It doesn’t make sense, because how can that kid be the Avatar? His tattoos would be glowing white, a radiant, otherworldly bluish-white like she saw in the iceberg when she found him, and that’s the thing that snaps Katara back to herself—the boy, Aang, doesn’t have any tattoos. He’s too young to have earned them yet.

He looks at her with wide gray eyes, pleading for help, but she’s still too small, too weak to fling more than a puddle of water at the Fire Lord’s boots.

Wake up, she tells herself. It’s not real, wake up, it didn’t happen like this, you’re safe, they’re safe, just wake up—

But she can’t, try as she might. She can’t even look away as Ozai throws a fiery punch into Aang’s face, even as everything inside her lurches with fury, with horror, with dismay. Aang howls, the same cry that Zuko made, as instinctual and vulnerable as a wounded animal. And Zuko, spirits, Zuko’s out there alone and she has to do something!

Too much happens all at once, Ozai roaring victorious fire and the igloo crumbling all around them and a crimson cloud gathering overhead and an awful static crackling in Azula’s hands—no, Ozai’s, but familiar white-hot lightning, and he’s going to strike them at the same time and there’s no way for Katara to shield them both—

Until her waterbending returns, and without even thinking, she surges into Ozai’s blood and freezes him from the inside out. His last, choked breath comes out a red mist.

Katara falls to her knees, overwhelmed and hanging onto the adrenaline just to crawl to Aang and carry him to Zuko. She’s fully herself again, not the little girl she was when the raid happened, but the two of them are still just kids, even smaller in her grasp now. When she lays them next to each other, she notices the symmetry of their fresh burns, and a nauseous weight of understanding churns in her.

Snowmelt coats her hands in a shimmering, glowing blue, ready to heal, until she realizes neither boy’s chest is rising or falling. Katara fumbles to feel their pulses, uselessly; Zuko is too cold, no trace of fire left in him, and Aang is so still, the joyful breath that animated him stolen by the sharpening wind.

“Wake up,” she whispers, not certain who she’s talking to. She presses her palms flat to their hearts, water seeping through together with her tears, to no avail. Between her blurry eyes and the gathering storm around them, everything is growing dim.

“Wake up. Wake up. Wake up, Katara, you’re—”

She bolts upright with a sharp gasp, her head spinning in the disorienting dark of the room. Real tears are flowing sickly-hot down her cheeks, sticking wetly to her chin, even her ears. She almost can’t suck in enough air, her chest wracked with sobs, disrupting every attempt to steady herself.

“Katara,” Aang says again, and she nearly jumps, reflexively whipping water from her nearby satchel to catch the hand reaching for her in an icy grip. “Ow—Katara, it’s okay! It’s just me. It’s me.”

To the other side of Aang, Zuko stirs, mumbling in confusion. Katara barely has the presence of mind to return the water to its container before she throws herself into Aang, wrapping her arms tightly around him. With her ear pressed to his chest, she can hear his heartbeat, feel his breathing like the rush of a sea breeze. A tentative hand meets hers on Aang’s back, and she raises her head to Aang’s shoulder to look at Zuko, twining her fingers with his. His skin is warm, faintly damp with sweat. He reaches behind him to light the candle on the bedside table with a snap, and the soft orange glow haloes around him, permeating the shadows of the room.

Aang presses a kiss to the top of Katara’s head, cupping her cheek and brushing away the tears on one side. “Was it a nightmare?” he asks.

She can only nod, not trusting herself to speak. He folds her into his embrace just a little harder.

“I get them too, around this time of year,” he admits. When she remains silent except for her sniffles, he adds softly, “Ones where we lose. Or we win but I lose you, or Zuko.”

“That makes three of us,” Zuko says, his voice hushed. He turns his face against her hand, the scarred side. It’s one of the most intimate gestures they share, open and vulnerable, but this time it makes Katara flinch, half-expecting raw, oozing skin in place of the long-healed tissue. Zuko catches her recoil and draws back himself, his brow furrowed with uncertain concern. “Sorry, I can…leave you with Aang, if that’s better?”

Katara shakes her head quickly and extends her arm, beckoning him to her side instead. Aang shifts with her towards the middle of the bed to make room. Zuko still hesitates, sitting beside Katara with his knees drawn up.

“I understand if it was about—I mean, it’s okay if you don’t want to see me right now.”

“Zuko,” Aang says, half-regret and half-reprimand, at the same time that Katara takes Zuko by the shoulder and pulls him into their hug.

Hoarsely, she manages to say, “That wasn’t it.”

A patient quiet presides over them as Zuko’s arms finally settle around her waist and Aang’s fingers wind through her hair. Katara’s breathing eventually evens out, her tears slowing. There’s still an awful feeling inside her, a violent terror in the pit of her stomach.

“It was…” She steels herself, curling one fist so her nails bite crescents into her palm, until Aang stops her gently. Katara picks a spot on the far wall to keep her attention and continues, “It was like the nightmare I always have, about my mom. But Yon Rha wasn’t there, and neither was she. It was the two of you—” she lays her other hand over Zuko’s and squeezes his knuckles, hearing his apprehensive swallow “—and Ozai. And he…burned you, and you were so young—we were, and then I wasn’t, but you both were just kids and you were helpless and hurt and I couldn’t do anything before it was too late and—”

The panic is rising in her chest again, threatening to overflow, and Zuko tries to hold tighter to ground her, but it’s too much, Aang’s look of frantic worry is too much, and Katara suddenly needs not to be touched or she might break something. She hurriedly disentangles herself and slides away to sit at the edge of the bed, raising a hand to let Aang and Zuko know to give her space.

After a moment, she manages to quell the nausea, her gasps fading. She’s crying again, but her eyes are too dry now, making it harder to get the tears out. Mostly, she’s annoyed by the thought of how puffy her face will be in the morning, and how much she’s overreacting in front of Zuko and Aang. Katara lets out a shuddering exhale and stands, smoothing down her nightgown and going to open the window. The tang of the ocean clears her head, blessedly wakes her from the nightmarish haze. The half-moon tilted low in the sky is serene.

She gives a silent thanks to Yue before she looks back at her husbands, who lean together on the bed, obviously trying to seem calm despite the visible tension in their joined hands. It makes Katara smile weakly and gesture for them to follow her. They pad to the kitchen together on three sets of tiptoeing feet, extra careful as they pass Bumi and Kya’s room.

Zuko puts on a pot of tea without being asked, and Katara pulls herself up on the counter beside him with a strained noise that immediately reminds her she’s too old for it. Aang suppresses a laugh and approaches, after she nods, to massage her lower back.

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs. “I didn’t mean to push you guys away.”

Zuko scoffs, though not meanly, giving Katara a skeptical eye. “Why are you sorry? We’re the ones who didn’t do anything to help.”

Katara kicks his thigh, though not hard. “Don’t say that. It helped that you were both there with me. If I was alone, or even if it was just me and Aang, I would’ve been so anxious.”

Aang bows his head against her chest, his sigh brushing against fabric. “Still, it’s—it’s hard, not being able to make things better. I guess that’s what your dream was like, too?”

“Yeah,” Katara says, but before she can start dwelling on it again, Zuko ushers her and Aang away from the counter so he can finish preparing the tea.

He brings it to them at the table with a generous helping of milk stirred in, and it’s exactly the right thing to soothe the lingering unease in her stomach. Aang sits across from her, leaving Zuko the spot next to her. Katara leans her head on his shoulder after she downs her cup, willing away the flashes of lightning on the backs of her eyelids.

“You think you’ll be able to go back to sleep?” Zuko asks. His foot is tangled with hers and Aang’s under the table.

“I think so.” Katara offers him a smile and a peck on the cheek. “The tea helped, Mr. Jasmine Dragon Jr.”

“Speaking of, when are you heading off to see Uncle?” Aang asks.

Zuko has abandoned his own cup in favor of playing with Katara’s hair, gathering it into haphazard braids that she subtly shakes out as soon as he looks away. “I’ll stay here another few days, at least.”

“Good,” she says. “We’ll have each other if anyone has another anniversary nightmare.”

Leaving their dishes at their places, they find their way back to bed. Katara claims the middle this time. She’s on her side, facing the moon and Zuko, with Aang’s sturdy chest against her back. Touch is welcome now. Aang spends a long time tracing patterns on her back, continuing his earlier massage as he goes, until he starts to drift off.

“Let us know if you need anything,” he says, stifling a yawn and kissing her cheek.

“Mm. There is one thing, actually,” Katara murmurs. “Your head wasn’t shaved before you were banished, was it, Zuko?”

Zuko’s brow furrows, but he shakes his head. “No. I mean, it was after the agni kai, but before I left.”

“And Aang didn’t get his tattoos until he was twelve.”

Aang confirms this with a sleepy mumble addressed to the back of her head. Zuko is kneading her leg, her hip, her side, working the last tension out of her muscles.

“Why do you ask?”

“That’s how I know it wasn’t real,” Katara says, blinking slowly at him. “That’s how I’ll remember, if it happens again.”

Consciously or not, Aang curls his arm more protectively around her stomach. Zuko lets her pillow her cheek in his palm and eases closer to kiss her. She drapes her leg over his to keep him there, his warm breath mingling with hers and his other hand resting over her back. Once he’s joined Aang in slumber, her eyes finally fall shut. Their hands are soft, tangible, and the sharpest burning details of the nightmare start to fade to cinders at the edges of her mind.

[vminity21]

Apricot | pjm

Pairing: bestfriend!Jimin X female!reader, college!au, friendshiptolovers!au

Genre: fluff/smut/slightangst

Word Count: 5,244

Warning(s): language use, mature content, slight angst involving confessing feelings, unprotected sex, oral (m & f receiving), slight f!dom, rating: R/18+

Summary: You have been head over heels in love with your best friend Park Jimin for what feels like forever, but you are too afraid to tell him the truth. When your fears happen to tread into your dreams, you finally work up the courage to tell him how you feel, but does he feel the same?

Tapping the end of your pencil upon any form of a desk is a habit you have vowed countless times to break, yet with your focus solely upon the daydream spinning like a pinwheel, you hardly notice the coffee eyes peering over at you. “Hey,” the jab of a pointy elbow disrupts you enough, lightly jumping at the gesture just to find your attention returning to the monotone voice of the professor. To make sure the coast is clear, you then veer your gaze to see a concerned Jimin- orange strands glisten beneath the long, rectangular lights tickling the lateral canthus’ of his eyes, and you feel an overwhelming sensation of longing, but you refuse to make it known. “Are you okay?” He mouths, leaned comfortably in his seat; you rest your chin firmly in your palm as you hold his stare.

“Yeah,” you promise, almost dazed, nodding in confirmation. It takes absolutely no effort when the minute class ends, you scramble to scoop up your textbooks, exiting the room with your best friend by your side. Picnic tables are sparse along the campus, and finding one empty, the pair of you occupy it for a few minutes before going your separate ways to the next class.

“You must be out of it,” Jimin observes, breaking the brief silence before you turn to dig into your backpack for a granola bar you have not been able to stop thinking about. Peeling off the wrapper swiftly, you offer him a piece of the snack, him lifting a quick hand gesture in rejection.

“I was up late last night,” you admit, breaking off some of the bar and popping it in your mouth.

“Please tell me you didn’t turn in the music paper late-”

“I sure did,” you chuckle at the way Jimin shakes his head at you, though the way his plump lips break out into his infamous smile, your heart skips a beat as it always does, because how can someone be so beautiful? He runs a slow hand through his hair while his eyes move to watch the surroundings,

“You live dangerously I’ll give you that. I can’t survive unless I’ve had a solid eight hours of beauty sleep.”

“No wonder why you’re so flawless,” you muse, him abruptly shifting to look at you once more, snickering in disbelief at your comment.

“Don’t lie to me,” he kids, gradually standing to his feet before he throws his arms up to stretch them; Jimin lets out a long yawn, “I think I’m going to go check on Yoongi. He’s been missing Mo a lot lately, so I’m going to keep him company. Catch you tomorrow?”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Smiling, you are almost caught off guard from where he gently squeezes your shoulder, and the inward wish for him to stay envelops your senses much more than you want to confess, but you understand his wanting to go check on a friend who may need him. Plus, you understand how Yoongi feels because missing someone can be consuming and that is something you are remarkably familiar with.

Turning on a heel, Jimin treads to the sidewalk that leads to where his dorm room awaits, only making it halfway up the sidewalk, he spins to face you, stepping backward with a large smile he bellows, “Your birthday is coming up by the way. I know you’re not a fan of it, but you’ll have to get over it!”

“I won’t!” You lean to your side to get a better view of him, voices carrying in the light breeze.

“We’ll see,” he winks before jogging further into the distance leaving your fluttering heart in anticipation for what he has up his sleeve.

Palms along with the slight bend of your fingers clear within your vision, and your breaths slow in a strange wonder of why you are where you are. Bare feet planted along the cold, dark mush, yet there is no color to be noticed other than black and white, and you twirl your hands in awe of the dull gray painted upon your skin. Rattling trees are enhanced from the way your senses have heightened, and sporadic rumbles from the earth seem to emit in unison with flashes clouding your peripherals. The long grass of the field encompassing your frame sways, and whatever lingering shadows fade into the distance, you hardly notice anything other than that something is missing.

It does not rain, rather, lightning makes an appearance as if to signal the arrival of something… or someone. Furrowed eyebrows, you gather beyond the land a silhouette completely adorned with colors you have not been acquainted with, and as the figure no longer remains blurry, your heartbeat quickens at the sight. You watch him as he dances, leaving traces of color in his wake- every inch being shaded in behind him, completing the picture as if created just for you.

His arms are outspread, and within one of his hands holds a bubble blower which decorates the atmosphere, and upon instinct, floating bubbles hover to where you are; a giggle escaping your lips at the mere touch of one popping. Carroty tendrils gleam beneath the glowing yellow of what you see to be the sun, no sign of gray to be seen now that this soul has arrived. When he notices you, there is a halt- all is silenced, and even from what appears to be a short pace to be where he is, you have never been so fixated on the brown orbs that seem to reflect the same interest.

The two of you step to be nearer to one another, and for some reason, a nostalgia slithers its way to you exposing the urge to confess an undying secret, and as if he reads your mind, you raise your palm, him following suit before your hands press together simultaneously. Your gaze flickers to watch the way the pair of your fingers intertwine, goosebumps pleasantly spreading over your limbs, but what really captures your attention, is when you mouth,

“I need to tell you something,” because he mirrors the exact words you just whispered. His lips part as do yours, investigating each other’s gapes deeply. “I-I need to tell you something,” you repeat just to realize he is reflecting every movement you make. Stepping backward in shock, you frantically say it over and over again, “I need to tell you something. I-I need to tell you something!”

“Tell me what?” Jimin’s voice breaks through what happens to be a dream prompting you to gasp as you jolt up, pulling the covers tight to your chest. Your breathing calms as you flash a suspicious look at your amused friend, playfully reaching to shove his shoulder while the drowsiness from your slumber gradually dissipates.

“What in tarnation are you doing in my room? And, who said I had anything to tell you?”

“Listen,” Jimin chortles. “You have been talking in your sleep the past five minutes, and if I’m not mistaken, you have an urgent message to deliver to somebody.”

Scoffing jokingly, you roll your eyes, “It was just a dream. Now, get out. I need to get ready.”

Obeying, Jimin’s snickering at you as you wisp past him to prepare for your day ahead. Straightening your hair, brushing your teeth- twice, and caking on deodorant- you meet him out in the hallway, the two of you heading to your first class of the day. Little does he know, his presence always makes the pace of your heart quicken, and this is not the first time he has woken you up from sleeping. Of course, the subtle desire to wake up to him every morning huddles in the back of your mind. And as you ponder the dream you have awoken from, is it possible that Jimin has something to tell you, too? Or is it simply just a hopeless wish?

“And, Happy Birthday by the way,” Jimin’s steps slow just enough for you to notice the comical way he smirks at you.

“Don’t remind me,” you blow at a piece of stray hair that falls into your vision.

“Too late,” Stopping fully, you are astonished when his strong arms pull you into a tight embrace that the faint smell of his cologne reaches your nostrils. “It’s your birthday, and you are worth celebrating.”

“Says who,” your voice is muffled against his warm chest, your body easing into him before tightening your arms behind his back when you gently rock from side to side.

“Says me,” he cuddles you much closer, pressing his nose into your shoulder, and the way complete peace waves like an ocean over your heart, it feels indescribable, almost heavenly. But, does he feel the same, too?

“You’re going to make us late,” you murmur, although a tease, you honestly wouldn’t mind being late to class if it means being enveloped in his arms, but of course, reality hits, and he saunters behind you into the classroom when you finally find the will to pull away. If only the daunting questions didn’t produce fear, then maybe you would have admitted your feelings by now, or so you assume, but is heartbreak a risk you are willing to take?

When you reach your desk, coming down from the dazed high of Jimin’s hug, a soft gasp erupts past your parted lips, eyes widening in surprise. “You’rrre welcome,” Jimin leans into your shoulder, his smile so wide that his eyes disappear, and if you could kiss him, you would do it right now even as students start filing in to take their seats.

Sitting right at your desk enclosed in a plastic case appears to be a yellow frosted cupcake with rainbow sprinkles decorated on top. And all you can fathom is this- is this all a coincidence? Or do your dreams about Jimin have a deeper meaning that you are in denial about? Either way, you know you can’t hide your feelings forever. And as you settle into your chair, a few minutes before class is to begin, you bask in the glory of his voice as he speaks, longing for the day you can work up the courage to tell him how you truly feel.

In the middle of the meadow you stand, all hues washed away into the gloom of loneliness, yet the prickles of grass nicks your ankles, reminding you of the trees standing lifeless in the sense of no movement, hardly a sound is created. The fabric of a dress is clung between your fingers, the material scrunched in your palms, yet you loosen them upon realization that you are nowhere amid harm. Toes curl to feel the cold pad of the earth, but the air is stilled, calmed in silence, yet temperate enough to maintain comfort. You turn in time to notice a table, not far into the distance, eyeing what looks to be a small cupcake centered without anything else surrounding it.

Curiously, your slow footprints crunch the grass toward the strange discovery, and the thought of sinking your teeth into the soft dessert makes your mouth water in excitement. The crave is so strong, you wonder of the significance behind the treat, and colliding with the fossils of your memory, you cannot seem to find a reason; sprinkles sporadically embellish the swirled icing prompting you to swipe an index finger through to taste the delightful sweet of sugar now melting on your tongue. Closing your eyes, your intention is to reach for more frosting, and upon re-opening them, bewilderment overcomes you at the sight of colors blooming on every horizon, painting along to even reveal the deep mahogany of the table. Tilting your head, you notice something is missing, and unexpectedly, the blur of clementine strands enters your peripherals causing you to whip your vision to see the man you have met in prior slumbers, mischievously grinning at you.

Squinting at him in response, a mere smirk arises on your lips, wondering what he has in store, but he is not the only one who has a trick or two hidden away in his sleeves. Trailing down from his expression, you see that in his hands lays the cupcake, the wip of yellow frosting you pilfered evident from its once perfected layer. Wind happens to miraculously exist when you hear the subtle rattle of leaves, your hair tickling the backs of your shoulders where the tinge of sunrays are felt, and you find it endearing that when he is present, so is the world you truly seek.

He gestures the dessert to you, and instead of taking another bite, you catch him by surprise when you return the baked good to the table. Watching you carefully, the spark of another desire looms along your mind where your arms raise for your hands to place gently on his shoulders. Brown irises flicker to read your expression, and when he prepares to lean in, tip of his nose daintily brushing yours- you suddenly jolt, laughter reverberating throughout the atmosphere when he widens his eyes before leaning back to release the same boisterous sound, your running frame igniting him to follow suit. He chases after you playfully as you cavort through the land, sneaking glimpses behind you to see how close he is. He never misses a step, arms outreached to catch you panging frequent squeals of glee to escape from your smiling lips, but he misses every time as you dodge into the opposite direction, he least expected. A short time passes underneath the fervor of the sunlight resonating amongst the scene, the light of it all serenading the pair of you into a wonderland you never imagined would welcome you with such happiness.

When he manages to round his arms around your frame, your feet fly out from under you causing the two of you to tumble- rolling together down a lush hill until the pace slows. He hovers above you, each of your chests rising and falling with the same exhilaration before bursting into the same merriment that gifted the surroundings with joy. The tips of his feathery, orange hair tickles your forehead from how near his proximity is, and his expression softens in the hopes of continuing where it was originally left off. When he leans in, without warning, with what strength you have, you turn to pin him down, giggling at his startled, yet amused glance. His smile is the most beautiful smile you have ever known, him shaking his head at you for accomplishing the trickery he had not seen coming.

Gazing down at him, your hair falls from your shoulders to lightly touch the sides of his face, and you feel the comfort of his hands nestle on your back. Your fingertips glide to hold his face, his dancing eyes lighting your heart- everything about him finalizes you in every aspect- the missing puzzle piece you have longed for- the sunshine to your rainy day. And, no matter what, you will never look away.

Bubbles swarm the universe in a glistening cascade when your lips finally meet, creating the power of what the two of you hold for each other, and one thing rings mesmerizingly clear:

He is the rainbow that conquers every storm.

One thing you contemplated from the moment your eyes fluttered open to the gold tinged spin of your ceiling fan was whether you were going to refuse to move until the anxious weight over your shoulders disappears, or get your ass out of bed and finally tell Jimin how you feel. Now, the answer to the hounding question happens to be blatantly clear because in front of the door, you stand, heart profusely thumping. The door that your best friend, unbeknownst of your arrival, lives behind stares back at you as if it is laughing, taunting you to make up your mind. Mumbling profanities to yourself in frustration, you lightly pace from side to side, scolding yourself while you nip at your fingernails, begging inwardly to get a grip.

Uncertain of how many minutes faded into time, you shake your head, pausing to inhale deeply and exhale slowly, slamming your eyes shut as you try to steady your quivering hands. Feet planting in front of the door, you suck in your lips, before reaching to knock. It is only seconds when you hear the familiar bellow of Jimin calling to someone, most likely Yoongi, letting him know that he is getting the door. The anticipation is smothering even when you attempt to ease your breathing, and when the door opens you feel your heart leap.

Jimin’s eyes light up in sheer happiness when the recognition evident in his eyes sees that it is you, “[Y/N]? I didn’t know you were coming. Couldn’t get enough of me could you-”

“Jimin, I’m in love you with you.”

The words tumbled from your mouth before you even had the chance to comprehend it; Jimin’s stare enlarging along with his jaw that drops in astonishment. Clenching your teeth, you don’t even give him a chance to respond, rather, you dash past him, nearing to the bookshelf that holds an ungodly amount of college textbooks mingled with sparse figurines- the door to his bedroom only being a few feet away, holds memories of numerous homework filled evenings and crumpled paper balls the pair of you would throw at each other out of boredom. It takes an immense amount of bravery to collect the words you are not only wanting to say but needing to say when you finally spin around to meet his face as he slowly closes the front door behind him. His shoulders are tense while his thick lips rest in a straight line, but that doesn’t stop you.

“I can’t take it anymore,” you confess, your heart tearing at his face that remains unreadable, “I’ve waited so long to tell you this; and honestly, I never thought I’d see the day that I would, but here I am,” you gesture your arms swiftly in the air as if to signify your existence, “Jimin, I am so in love with you that I can’t even think straight. Literally, you smile, and I feel like I’m going to combust into the oblivion!” Wince. You have never been good at being cheesy because what is cheese without something to spice it up a tad; and what the hell is a confession of love without some questionable statements? “And, who gave you the right to be so sweet and thoughtful, and to pretty much have all of the qualities I’ve always wanted in a man. I see you almost every day, and yet, I miss you like I haven’t seen you in a month! We balance each other out so precisely that it terrifies me, and I don’t think there is anyone in this world I would rather be with. I mean seriously, Jimin, I would give the last half of my brain cell just so you could have a whole one!” You hate the fact that your eyes are welling with tears, but your emotions are pouring out, and at this point, forget the spice, “Even when my world is at its gloomiest, I’m reminded of yet another promising color you represent, it’s like you paint every picture around me so perfectly that there’s no such thing as flaws.” Because he has always accepted you for who you are. “And, for goodness sakes, even when I think I’ve had enough of you, you appear in my damn dreams, like I can’t-”

Jimin crashes his lips to yours not even giving you an opportunity to recuperate, his gesture so rapid, yet so potent, your back thuds against the bookshelf where sounds of trinkets swivel without plummeting to the floor, but either of you could care less. Deepening his kiss, your fingers slide to tangle with the plumy tufts of his hair while his remain cupping your face with not one plan of ever letting you go. The way your heart had gone from an intimidating beat to an effortless wave of soaring is beyond you, and when you dreamed of kissing him, you never thought you would ever really get to. Sparks igniting beneath your chest is more than an explanation, it’s a sensation you are finally experiencing, because the man you have been hopelessly in love with is completing the other half of your heart in this very moment.

Everything you have ever dreamed of is unfolding before you in the blink of an eye, and when he breaks the kiss, his forehead touches yours whilst he runs the tip of his thumb at the corner of your mouth. “I fell in love with you the moment I met you,” all emotion resonates from his brown eyes, “Plus, you’re fun to tease, I mean how could I resist?” You shove him as he snickers, you’ll show him a tease.

“Oh yeah?” You arch an eyebrow in attempt to challenge him, his face scrunched adorably, before your shoulders slump, “Oh! Goodness, Jimin, just kiss me!”

Chuckling into the kiss, it doesn’t take long before breaths are starting to increase, especially when his hands grip your hips in order to pull you closer. This time when you snatch his lips roughly, he sneaks a quick brush of his tongue over yours kindling the urge for you to graze his bottom lip between your teeth. “Shit,” he moans, and the mere second you feel his bulge against your stomach, the suppressed desires inside you start coming alive. No words are exchanged, both of your hands still bundling in his shirt, you drag him to his bedroom, him following without a second thought. Shutting the door, his cologne scent wafts in every part of his room, the fan blowing cool air above, you twist him around, him stumbling backward while your hands on his chest guide him.

His eyes never leave your face, even when you push him onto his bed, moving your knees on either side of him to straddle- his hands moving to grip your ass while you lean into him, him relishing in the feel of your breasts before you grasp his chin. A look of mere surprise fills his eyes while you seductively tilt your head, tracing his jawline with your stare, the gush warming your core causes you to grind your hips along his- with the way he feels about you, he will do anything you say.

“Mmm,” his grin moving to kiss your neck, “What have I gotten myself into?”

A hearty snicker leaves your lips, “How about you let me show you?”

“Oh, fuck,” his shoulders relax especially when you run your lips along his jaw, nipping his ear lobe, your warm breath causing him to shiver, his hair tickling your nose signaling to let the tufts tangle between your fingers, bringing your lips to his, holding his kiss before he parts them just enough to greet your tongue once again with the tip of his. Both hips grinding, the longing for the feel of his skin is what you want next. Lips locked, your fingertips trace from his jaw down his neck to carefully swirling along the tops of his shoulders.

When he moves to tug at the bottom of your shirt, you stop him, “Nuh uh uh uh,” you taunt, “I believe I want to see you first,” Jimin moves his hands almost immediately in mock defense which leads you to interlace your fingers with his, a loving look forming within his eyes, you laying him down just to steal a few more long kisses before jerking his shirt off- you rising to rest on your knees while he basks in all your glory. He is so toned, and you can hardly contain yourself, running your fingers along his abdomen, his chest rising and falling rapidly from just your touch. Gradually, you break the trance by giving him a toying smirk, running your hands along your body before lifting your shirt above your head, exposing your red laced bralette, his eyes widening at the sight, him nearly floored by the beauty he has yet to see. The next step you take is tracing the top of your jeans until your fingertips slowly unbutton, unzipping to reveal a matching lace thong, a soft moan escaping Jimin’s throat while his legs tense under you from the indisputable feeling hounding him below.

“You okay there, Chim?” Your voice so sexy, it can haunt any ones’ dreams, but in the loveliest way possible. He runs a hand through his hair though his back is still pressed against his pillows. “Need a little help there?”

“Oh, [Y/N],” he breathes, “I am more than okay,”

He can barely withhold himself from stealing your frame, tearing off your lingerie and sexing you right then and there, but he also is enjoying every bit of your movements, your dominant gaze, the way you hold yourself, pleasing him with the mystery you have yet to expose. Without another moment for him to ponder, you bring your hands to the button of his pants, replaying the slow way you unbutton them, unzipping them, and pulling them down his quivering legs- tossing his pants and underwear onto the ground where your clothes now lay.

Salivating at the view, your hands grip his thighs, him hissing in response. He wants you so bad, all it does is add fuel to the flaming yearn to please him. You begin. Sucking so hard, he lifts slightly, his breathing staggering while you lap your tongue along his tip, diving in once more, his taste lingering in your mouth, his hands moving to your head while you move up and down, his moans are music to your ears, and he could finish right now, but you’re not ready for him to. Lifting to rest on your knees again, you gesture for him to rise- him still recovering from the ecstasy of your mouth, he watches you- you letting him palm your bra, leaving tender kisses along your cleavage, his lips causing your heat to clench, especially when you kiss him again- this time unhurriedly- letting desire take over especially with the way his lips mold with yours- so lovingly, so passionate.

He wants to make you feel good, you can tell by the way his fingers move to slip into your underwear, gliding along your sopping entrance, his eyes nearly rolling back in his head with how turned on you are for him. “Ohhh, fuck,” he exhales, his forehead meeting your chest while you grip his shoulders. Him pumping his fingers within you, you run your hand to the back of his head, gripping the orange strands, but not to the point to cause any pain, you tug just enough to get him to meet your stare, his eyes squeezing from how much that mere gesture turned him on even more than he already is.

Slanting your head knowingly, you speak, “Wanna taste?”

He whispers, “So bad. So so bad,”

Pinning him down, his fingers released from your entrance, you whip around to where your back faces him, his heated hands smoothing along your ass, appreciating the thong flooding his line of vision, him then moving it out of the way so he can take in the sight of your drenched heat the moment you bend forward. Swaying your hips from side to side, you give him another minute – him moving his hands to grip the front of your thighs.

That’s when you hear it, the parting of his lips before the tip of his tongue swipes along your entrance. “Mmmm,” you moan, him spreading your folds in order to give another long lick before he hungrily flicks his tongue along your clit- savoring the taste he’s longed for the second you two shut his bedroom door. “Oh, Jiminnn,” your voice sounds higher from the way the shivers wave across your body- him sashaying his tongue relentlessly on your entrance, building the feeling to the point you can come at any time.

He nearly melts the moment you begin to pleasure him too, stealing his erection with your mouth, sucking while he licks simultaneously- the both of your moans drowning out the noise of anything outside the room. When you feel the brink of an orgasm about to take its course, you spring forward, grasping his area within your palm, you rise and fall to fill your entrance with all of him. He can’t even comprehend, he just lets you ride him, getting lost in the feeling of being inside you, his breath hitching at the sight of your figure dancing on top of him.

Though he is in love with your body, the perfection of your curves, your beautiful mannerisms, and your glistening eyes- nothing beats the fact how in love he is with your heart of gold, the way your smile lights up any room you walk into, your determination to complete any goal you have listed on your heart, or the way you stole his heart the second you were introduced to him. Jimin is in love with you.

Jimin is in love with all of you.

Every single bit.

His hands move to your hips, lifting you to move you under him. You’re astonished at first, him hovering above you, his hand cupping your cheek for his thumb to stroke it. Both of your pants are heard though the moment is nowhere near lost. “God, you’re so beautiful,” you murmur. Awe dawns his expression, him moving to rest his forehead upon yours, his hair shading his eyes, his bare legs tangling with yours, his heated skin soothing among yours. It’s clear the two of you have a chemistry that neither of you can put into words.

“I love you so much,” he whispers, pressing a tepid kiss to the corner of your mouth.

“And, I love you so much,”

Jimin kisses you- sultry and steamy- relighting the fumes of desire- your gasping breaths mingling with the whirling of your tongues until he brings his penis to your heat- thrusting in you whilst your fingers scratch down his back. Time passes before the climax begins, you muffle your screams into his shoulder, him releasing in you once both of you finish. The sensitivity reeling- he collapses beside you- your hand immediately finding his, intertwining your fingers before turning to flash him a musing look. “Sex like that, I don’t think I’ll ever leave,” you wink.

“If you keep looking at me like you want a round two, I don’t think I’ll let you,” he chortles. Slipping under the covers, your laughing smile buries partly into his chest, while you shake your head at him, but at the same time you are coming down from a solace you never thought could be possible. You let a few minutes pass by first, stifling a smile,

“Oh, um… Jimin?”

“Hm,” he hums, eyebrows furrowing as he peers down at you in concern.

“If you ever buy me a cupcake again, I will smush it in your face.”

Lips breaking out into a huge smile, he chuckles at you incredulously, “Bring it on,” and with that, his fingers tip your chin, pressing a sweet kiss to your mouth, completing you like the sun to the sky, the greenery to a meadow, the icing to a cupcake,

A rainbow after a long and treacherous storm.

[oboevallis]

advice pt2

my apologies this sucks and doesn’t really have a storyline, hope everyone’s staying safe, happy Halloween!

“It’s so good to see you.” Amelia said as she hugged her mother.

“It’s good seeing you too, and look at you, you look amazing for just having a baby.”

“Oh come on, now let me take your bag.” Amelia said as she tossed her mothers bag into the trunk of her car.

“Thanks for picking me up. It really wasn’t necessary, I would’ve taken a bus.” Carolyn said once Amelia got into the drivers seat.

“Mom, that’s ridiculous. It’s really no trouble.”

“So I’m assuming my newest grandson and Link are back at your place?”

“Yeah, we were thinking of going over to Merediths for dinner. If that’s alright with you.”

“Of course, it’s been too long since I’ve seen the kids and Meredith.”

“Good, I know Zola will be excited to see you. She loves to show off all the tricks she’s been teaching their dog.” Carolyn smiled softly, Amelia assumed she was thinking about her late brothers love for dogs.

________________________________________

“Mrs Shepherd it’s so good to see you again.” Link smiled, offering his hand for her to shake.

“Nice seeing you as well Atticus. Please, call me Carolyn.”

“Only if you call me Link.” He said shooting her his charming smile.

“I think we can arrange that.” Carolyn smiled, and then directed to her attention back to her daughter who came into the living room carrying her son. “And this must be my new grandson.”

“Yep, this is Scout.” Amelia said admiring the baby propped on her hip.

“May I?” Carolyn asked holding out her arms for the small child.

“Of course” Amelia carefully shifted the baby into her arms. Links pager then started to beep quickly. “Why are they paging you?”

“No idea.” Link answered looking at the page. “I’ve gotta talk to the chief, she really needs to find another ortho surgeon who doesn’t call in sick every other day. I’ll meet you guys at Mer’s.”

“Okay see you there.” Amelia pecked her boyfriends lips, before he raced out the door which she locked behind him.

“Does he get paged a lot?” Carolyn asked sitting down on the couch.

“I mean for him being on paternity leave, yeah. It’s not his fault though, his fellow was supposed to take over his service, but he’s working a new job and the other ortho surgeon is incompetent. Tom has been covering my service though.”

“Grey-Sloan has become quite the hot spot, I can’t imagine a better offering coming up to someone.”

“He got a job as the Mariner’s team doctor. Link set it up, they offered him his old job back but he recommended Nico instead.”

“I hadn’t realized Link had worked for the Mariners. I’m surprised he turned the job down.”

“Yeah, well it’s a lot of travel, and Scouts so little so he decided to stay at Grey-Sloan.”

“Not a lot of men will let go of a job like that. Link seems like a really good man.”

“He is, and he’s so good to Scout. I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop, he’s just so perfect.” Amelia gushed, her boyfriend never ceases to amaze her with his kindness.

“So how has Scout’s colic been.”

“He’s doing a lot better, he’s starting to sleep through the night.”

“That must be a relief for you two.” Amelia hummed in agreement, and the two sat in silence before Amelia spoke up with a question.

“This may be a stupid question, but you know this stuff. He’s seem to lost interest in breastfeeding, like he’s on strike or something. What am I doing wrong?”

“Well I don’t think it’s anything you’ve done. It could be a number of things, he could be getting distracted by surroundings if he’s overstimulated, or he could be teething so his gums are sore. He’s still little so I wouldn’t stop. I suggest just being patient, and making sure surroundings aren’t overstimulating.” The neurosurgeons mother suggested. Amelia smiled.

“Thank you. It’s nice being able to go to you for advice now.”

“I’m sorry if I made you feel like you weren’t able to do so before.”

_____________________________________

“Meredith it’s so good to see you again.” Carolyn respectfully greeted when Meredith answered the door.

“You as well.” Meredith awkwardly hugged her mother in law. “The kids are just in the backyard playing with the dog.”

“Would you mind if I joined them?” Carolyn asked.

“No not at all.” Meredith smiled, once Carolyn was out of earshot she confronted Amelia. “Your mother absolutely hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you, trust me. She absolutely hated Addison, we all had to make sure my mother was on her best behavior. I don’t have to worry she’s going to say something offense to you.” Meredith held her hands out for the small boy, which Amelia passed to her.

“That’s what Derek would say to me, but that was before I unplugged her son without her knowing.”

“Hmm, true.” Amelia bluntly agreed.

“That doesn’t help me, Amelia.”

“I’m sure she doesn’t hate you, she wouldn’t of come over.”

“She’s obligated to come over, those are her sons kids.”

“Are you spinning out?” Amelia chuckled. “I barely ever see this side of Meredith.”

“It’s only your mother who brings out this side of me.”

“She has that way over people.”

_____________________________________

“Hey sorry we’re late.” Link said walking into Merediths kitchen with Maggie and her boyfriend.

“It’s alright, we put your plates in the oven, hopefully theyre still warm.” Meredith said uncharacteristically cheerful. Link shot Amelia a confused look which Amelia giggled to.

“Oh, we just came to pick up some of my old notes from previous patients of mine, for a case.” Maggie said gesturing to her and her boyfriend, as the two left the kitchen.

“Is Scout asleep?” Link asked once he sat down next to his girlfriend.

“Yeah, he went down without a fight.”

“If you’ll excuse me I’m going to go put Ellis to bed.” Meredith gestured to her youngest asleep on the couch. Leaving Carolyn, the couple, and the older kids at the dinner table.

“So my daughter tells me you used to work for the Mariners.”

“Yeah, I did that for a while I really enjoyed it. I love working at Grey-Sloan though, I’m able to do research which I really enjoy.”

“Did they fire you? Because your not very good at hitting a baseball.” Bailey commented

“Well I was their team doctor I wasn’t playing for them, and I didn’t get fired. And if you recall, you were the one who was throwing the ball too low.”

“I’m working on it.” Bailey gave his uncle a double thumbs up. “We’re still going to play on Wednesday right? Maybe Scout can play?”

“Of course we are. But I think Scouts gonna stay with his mom, he’s still little.” Link wrapped his arm around his girlfriends shoulder.

“It’s time for bed you two.” Meredith came into the kitchen gesturing towards her children. They said their goodnights to everyone and made their way upstairs with their mother.

“So Link, tell me about yourself.”

“Mom.” Amelia quickly said, not wanting her boyfriend to feel uncomfortable.

“Oh it’s fine. Well Im a ortho surgeon, sure you probably knew that though. Umm, I’m pretty laid back stress free, but not too laid back like I can handle things.” Link quickly added not wanting to seem irresponsible. Amelia put his hand on his thigh to try to help calm him. “I-I hate avocados, I was a Cub Scout resulting in very good smore making, I can fix bikes pretty well, oh and I play blues guitar.”

“And you still haven’t written me that song.” Amelia added, to which Carolyn chuckled.

“Do you remember that song your brother wrote for Addison?”

“I never knew he could sing, it was quite awkward though. I don’t know what part of him thought that he should write her a song. I think he rhymed ‘Addison Fine Ass’ with ‘Gross anatomy class’”

“I doubt your brother wrote that, that has Mark written all over it.” Carolyn chuckled silently remnicing on when the two best friends were little and very much alive. The baby’s cries disrupting the moment, to which Amelia jumped up to go tend to the baby. Once Amelia was up the stairs Carolyn continued. “I’m going to be honest with you Link. I like you, I’ve never seen my daughter this genuinely happy. I have you to thank for that. And I’d say we didn’t pick up on the right foot. But it appears I tend to like my children’s partners who don’t make the best first impression. Amelia loves with her whole heart and some people find it hard to love her, but you haven’t.”

“I can’t imagine thinking someone would find her hard to love, she’s a straight shooter, and so funny, and the kindest human I’ve ever met, and the best mother to Scout.” Link gushed, getting carried away he loved talking about her girlfriend.

“Welcome to the family.”

part 3

[olicitytropes]

Olicity Tropetastic Awards: Fandom Writers

And with this post, we’re at our final rec list for this year’s Tropetastic Awards! Thank you everyone for helping us make it through this hiatus! (instant tears)

We can’t express how much we love Olicity, this fandom, and every writer who shares their stories with us. We wish we could buy you all some real trophies (or give you a really good hug) for the time and effort you’ve poured into your fics! There are just so many talented writers that we’ve talked about and fangirled over. Hopefully through this process, we’ve been able to shine some light on all of that talent. And we hope that everyone in this fandom can appreciate and respect it as much as we do! We could’ve made this post go on forever, so all of the kudos to all of you<3

As fans, we’ve followed Arrow for seven seasons, and we’ve found so many fanfics along the way that touched us and pulled at our heart strings as much as (sometimes more than) canon. It’s hard to put into words how much that means to us, but we had to try;) Here are some writers who we want to thank. And of course, they’re only the tip of the iceberg on this giant, powerful fandom.

We will always, always, always love you. 

@smoaking-greenarrow’s recs:

** @supersillyanddorky06 **

Strangers in the Night

The Firebird

The Predator

The Phoenix & The Phoenix Rises

Award: The Alternate Universe Specialist

Kudos: I’ve been so happy to let @supersillyanddorky06’s worlds distract me from real life when I needed it. The Firebird was my study-break savior in college when I needed to step out of reality and stop stressing over finals. Devouring The Phoenix and The Phoenix Rises kept me up way too late reading and made me way too tired for work the next morning, but it was so worth it! There are infinite things to love about Olicity, and infinite things to love about this talented writer. Matty, I know I can speak for more than just myself when I say that your stories mean a lot to this fandom. You’re already one of my favorite authors, but I can’t wait to read The Predator as a novel. And watch it captivate the rest of the world like it did for Olicity fans. Arrow captured lightning in a bottle when they got Stephen and Emily on screen together, and I think the same thing happened when you watched the show, fell in love with Olicity, and decided to write fanfic for them. I’m beyond excited to see what you do next, and low-key telling myself that I basically got to read a first draft of The Predator before it becomes a bestseller ;)

Bonus Kudos: MY QUEEN. Sending you all the love for the hours I’ve spent with your amazing fics! Finding an email notification that The Predator had updated always made me squeal out loud! Thanks forever for that! -Meegan (@it-was-a-red-heeler)

** @it-was-a-red-heeler **

Lost and Found

A Dance with the Devil

Desperation Club

Deep Water

Award: The Storyline Mastermind

Kudos: I know that when I start one of Meegan’s fics, it’s going to be satisfying from start to finish. I first read Lost and Found, and I was so impressed with it that I had to write this little fic review. Everything that I read of hers after that was just as wild and just as incredible. She’s a genius at pacing, building tension, and plot twists. Meegan, I’m so happy I’ve had the chance to read your dreamy and steamy versions of Olicity. And I’m even happier that we’ve had the chance to get to know each other because of this fandom. Be my friend and stay forever, K?

** @tangled23works **

Like A River

Whatever It Takes

Nothing Short of Perfect

My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark

Broken Bones and Porcelain Dolls

Award: The Hook, Line and Sinker

Kudos: Sascha writes the kind of fics that I don’t want to put down. She’s insanely good at picking up her story in the perfect place, one that keeps me hooked and wanting to read more (and since those important first words are something I often struggle with, I’m so envious of her for that;)). All of the kudos to you my friend, for your out of the box thinking! Sascha, I’m so happy that you share your writing with all of us, and just your presence in this fandom in general is amazing. I can’t even tell you how many times you’ve brightened my day! Thank you for being the talented writer and awesome person that you are!

** @mindramblingsfics **

Forget Me Not

Will Fate Allow?

Summer Flame

Was It Ever Real?

Award: The Creative Trailblazer

Kudos: @mindramblingsfics I have so many praises to sing for you, but most of all I just think you’re insanely cool. The way you craft your fics is so unique and clever. You take us on a journey with everything you write. You take all of our favorite tropes and spin them on their heads in ways I’ve never seen before. I’ve never read a summary or teaser of yours that didn’t make me excited to read the story, and those stories are always better than I imagined. Thank you for all of your special fics, and all of your hard work. We all appreciate it so much!

Bonus Kudos: Oh my goodness. This amazing writer. I cannot even begin to thank you for your incredible works! They always leave me wanting more. Summer Flame is one of my Top 5 favorite fics of all time! Along with Whiskey and Romance too! From the bottom of my heart, thank you for writing such wonderful fics! -Caitlin (@blondeeoneexox)

** @felicityollies **

Vampire and the Geek

Secrets Don’t Make Friends

Trust Me

Doppelgänger

Award: The Jack of All Trades

Kudos: I dare you all to try to find a fic from Bev that doesn’t give you everything you’re looking for. This writer can do it all, and it’s amazing. I promise you’ll be impressed by every world you jump into and you’ll fall in love with every version of Olicity that you read. Bev, I’m blown away by every story of yours, you never disappoint, and I can’t wait to read more! Thank you for everything you’ve given this fandom!

@blondeeoneexox’s recs:

** @smoaking-greenarrow **

The Hardest Part

Mine at Midnight

Just Beneath the Surface

Come Back When You Can

My Favorite Faded Fantasy

Kerosene and Desire

Award: Queen of Olicity Happy Endings

Kudos: Okay, y’all are going to have to forgive me cause this is about to get really sappy and kinda personal. @smoaking-greenarrow’s fics were the first I read after joining this wonderful fandom. I was so in awe of her talent and how she could make you feel like you were really inside the fic. How she could make me laugh, cry, and really bring out the sap in me. I wanted to talk to her and rave to her about how amazing she is, but I didn’t want to be THAT person, you know? 😂 Then one day SHE messaged ME about something totally different (😉) and I was SO excited! I actually got to tell her how incredible her fics were without seeming like a crazy person, hahaha. Now, she’s my best friend in this fandom and I am SO beyond lucky to have her. Thank you for not thinking I was some random, psycho fan girl, E. I am so thankful for you and for your absolutely phenomenal writing. If you haven’t read her fics, please do yourself a favor and go do it right now! I’d start with Mine at Midnight and work down the list. You won’t regret it. 😘

Bonus Kudos: Ellie, what can I say? Besides your unsolicited review of my little fic that launched me under the fandom’s nose (forever grateful for that, my friend) your fics are beyond amazing! So many great stories to choose from, all of them a world I can fall into with my favorite couple. Love ya! -Meegan (@it-was-a-red-heeler)

** CSM **

Lucas’ Adventures

Impeccable Genetics

A Future Worth Fighting For

Almost, But Not Yet

Award: Queen of Time Travel Fics

Kudos: Oh my goodness. Nikki! I am COMPLETELY OBSESSED with her time traveling kid fics. From Ellie to Mia to Lucas, it doesn’t get any better. She puts wit, charm, sass and hilarity into every single one of her amazing works. I am currently obsessed with Lucas’ Adventures (updated every Sunday in case y’all wanna start 😉), where a sweet 10 month old Lucas shows up and completely disrupts S2 Oliver and Felicity’s lives! If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend along with every other one of her kid fics. She is an absolutely incredible writer, I’m so happy to know her and love her works!

Bonus Kudos: Nikki, Lucas’ Adventures is exactly what I need and want to be reading in this trying time. While Arrow and season 8 look very daunting and sad right now, this fic has been so much fun to read. Can’t wait to see what you do next, and thank you! -Ellie (@smoaking-greenarrow)

** @alexiablackbriar13 **

little wonders (twists and turns of fate)

whenever you’re ready 

#olicity lives!

two pints of mint chip it’s a girl 

Award: Queen of Canon Divergence

Kudos: Oh boy. @alexiablackbriar13. Where do I even begin? I’m sure as all of you know, she is a PHENOMENAL writer! From little wonders to all of her amazing one shots, I’m forever in awe of her writing! I think my absolute favorite though would have to be little wonders, because OBVIOUSLY. She took canon and transformed it into something the Arrow writers couldn’t DREAM of doing. I remember when she posted the teaser of this story. I knew it was going to be one of a kind, and it did not disappoint! GO READ IT IF YOU HAVEN’T, YOU ARE MISSING OUT. 😍 and I can’t forget my other favorite, whenever you’re ready. I remember reading this and SOBBING. Mia and Lucas travel back to 2019 and meet their parents. It’s a fic that should be read by all. You’re sensational, Lexi. This fandom is so lucky to have you!

** @dust2dust34 **

Four Walls (Of Law Firms and Honey)

Forever is Composed of Nows

Wanna Be Yours

(i will be the fire) that keeps you warm

Award: The Fandom’s Real MVP of Smut

Kudos: BRE. Okaaay, I don’t think this writer needs any introducing. I mean, one of the masterminds of the perfection that is FICON? Come ON. What you have given this fandom is more than I could put into words. From your oneshots to your sultry, smutty, smut fics, to the beautiful multi-chapters you’ve created, your writing is unparalleled. I, on behalf of the fandom, want to thank you for all of your masterpieces! They are truly incredible and we are so lucky to have you!

Bonus Kudos : Bre, I will forever be grateful to the time you have spent writing Olicity fics and obsessing over Felicity Smoak and Oliver Queen. Through the years you have become a master of your craft and I honestly can’t wait for your next story. Thank you for everything. -Sascha (@tangled23works)

@allimariexf’s recs:

** @MachaSWicket **

Deceive, Inveigle, and Obfuscate

And Then It Ends, Your Little Winning Streak

Long Time Coming

The Unbearable Hotness of Being

Va Banque

Award: Master of the Essence of Olicity

Kudos: How can I possibly summarize why Macha’s works are so special? She writes with a perfect blend of compelling plot, moving emotional development, and effortlessly beautiful prose. She writes characters that jump off the page, so that we hurt and rejoice and lust with them. She adds elements of surprise and delight to even the most well-worn tropes, infusing them with the essence of Olicity. Her canon-related and AU stories always feel like just another (and in many cases, better) path that Oliver and Felicity could have taken. Every word she writes is a treat, every story is a gift to the fandom. I know this sounds effusive but it’s barely scratching the surface of how amazing her works are! I have definitely laughed, cried, and everything in between while reading (and re-reading...and re-re-reading, etc.) her stories. (Okay also I already listed 5 of her stories, but I also have to mention two more: the utterly delightful AU WIP Our Version of Events (co-written with geneeste), and fandom-favorite Little Black Dresses and King-Sized Messes.)

** @anthfan **

Devil’s Backbone

Tropes

Times like these

Tell me a story

Dust to Dust

Above and Beyond 

Award: Queen of Canon-related Tropes to end all Tropes

Kudos: anthfan’s stories were some of the first I read in this fandom, and WOW what a high bar she set. Those of you who know me know that I tend to prefer canon-related stories to AUs (well okay, more recently I have begun to love AUs too, but canon-related will ALWAYS own me), and anthfan just hits that pitch-perfect spot of great storytelling - intriguing twists, heartfelt scenes, perfect characterization, and ANGST - OH, THE ANGST - while still remaining in that familiar Arrow universe we all know and love. And nowhere does she shine as well as when she’s taking well-known tropes and giving them a uniquely Olicity twist. Devil’s Backbone remains my favorite Olicity fic of all time (probably!), but truthfully I wish I could read every one of these stories over and over again for the first time.

Bonus Kudos: I thought the first chapter of Dust to Dust would actually kill me, but it proved itself to be clever and badass and witty and FUN! As far as Devil’s Backbone goes, I watch Season Three now and just assume all the stuff from the fic is going on after hours (headcanon accepted)—one of my all-time favorite stories! -Meegan ( @it-was-a-red-heeler)

** @mogirl97 **

Crazy for You 

Along The Way

Sportsmanlike Conduct 

The Offer

It Takes Two

Award: Master of Swoony, Romantic AUs

Kudos: So I mentioned above that I only recently (in the past year or so) really got into AUs, and mogirl97 offered a crash course that I couldn’t resist! I started with Along the Way and I was HOOKED, quickly gobbling up everything else she wrote, and it was all equally swoon-worthy. She has a way of making you absolutely fall in love with each of her universes, and every time a story comes to an end I never want to let it go. Sweet, soft, longing, gently angsty - those words can describe basically all of her stories. And romantic. So, soooo romantic!

 ** bri617 **

Across The Highs, The Lows, And The In-Betweens

Did It Hurt When You Fell From Heaven?

Without You (I’m Incomplete)

You Were Mine (Just For One Night)

Freeze Frame, Pause, Rewind, Stop

Award: Queen of Fluffy AUs

Kudos: bri617 is just a master of FUN. Fluffy, fluffy, soft, delightful FUN! She has cornered the market on college AUs, but basically everything she writes captures that perfect blend of flirty, simmering, quirky, playful, slightly-awkward, mutual heart-eyes Olicity that we all crave. In every one of her stories, I fall in love with Oliver and Felicity and Olicity all over again, and laugh my ass off while doing it.

@tangled23works’ recs:

** @someonesaidcake **

Ride or Die

ONE (Oliver The Footballer)

Truly, Madly, Stupidly

Award: Queen of Emotional Impact

Kudos: I’ve been trying to find a way to explain how I feel when I read @someonesaidcake’s fics and I keep failing. The best way to understand what I’m talking about would be to start reading them yourself, if you haven’t already. These stories are powerful enough that they’re gonna make you cry, smile and wish you could experience such a unique, powerful love story in real life. The fandom was truly blessed when this amazingly talented author decided to write Olicity fics.

** @olicityaddicted **

Never Tear Us Apart 

One More Chance 

And She Will Be Loved

Award: Queen of Heartfelt And Comforting Romance

Kudos: I chose @olicityaddicted for my second award because, to be honest, she deserves to be far more appreciated than she is. Her stories provide a safe refuge for me, a place where I can relax and forget about real life for a while. Her brilliance lies in simplicity; her fics will not punch you in the gut but make you feel like you’re cocooned in gentle warmth and Olicity love.

** @bindy417 **

Caught in the Rapture

Arrows & Airwaves

Bound to You

Award: Queen of Page-Turners

Kudos: @bindy417’s complex and beautifully drafted stories are one of the reasons I enjoy reading Olicity fics so much. She has written one of my all-time favorite Al Sah-him fics. I made the mistake of reading it on a bus once and missed my stop. Seriously, there are published books which are less well-thought-out and more predictable. Brittany’s works are imaginative, compelling and addictive. She deserves ALL the awards.

Bonus Kudos: Okay, okay. I’m kind of mad at myself for not choosing Brittany because she has written some of the most BEAUTIFUL multi chapters in this fandom. Bound to You. Caught in the Rapture. I have read those two fics I cannot tell you how many times! I’m completely obsessed. I bow down to you, lady! You and your stories are so amazing! -Caitlin (@blondeeoneexox)

@msbeccieboo’s recs:

** @so-caffeinated **

Forever Is Composed Of Nows series

Stop the Presses series

Award: Favourite Universe-Creator

Kudos: I adore an extended AU universe, and (together with the amazing Bre, of course) Janis has created one of my absolute favourites, the “Forever Is Composed Of Nows (ficon)” ‘verse. What I love most about her writing is her ability to not only write beautifully for our known characters, but to create wonderful, captivating and just full original characters that we quickly fall in love with, and are immediately pulled into their world to experience with them. I now love and treasure characters like William, Amelia and Jules (my personal faves) as completely as I do Oliver or Felicity. I also love how much she interacts with her readers, constantly asking for ideas and feedback, answering asks and writing to prompts. Her storytelling is original and immersive, and I can’t wait to read her original works!!

** @smkkbert **

10 Rules of Rebounding

The Way You Make Me Feel (I Call it Love)

Time For a Story

If Loving You is Wrong (I Don’t Want to be Right)

Award: Most Diverse and Constantly Creating Writer

Kudos: Kathi has a huge range of any type of Olicity fic you can think of! LoA/Bratva/canon/AU/kid fic/high school/friends to lovers/season rewrites/missing scenes, there is something and everything for everyone! From one-shots to epic multi-chapters, as well as some of my favourite smut? YES PLEASE!! I am not ashamed to admit I have read some of her stories many, MANY times over!!

She has consistently posted fic after fic after fic, writing over 50 Olicity stories, with “Time For a Story” constantly updating alongside, and set to reach 500 chapters!! I love how she seems to be able to write Olicity in a million different ways/scenarios and still always pull me into their new world and fall in love with them over and over again. Superb, AND not in her first language either! Amazing!

** @realityisoverrated-fic **

Infinite Love series/universe (of which there are >200 one-shots/mullti-chapters)

Award: Smoaking Billionaires QUEEN (we all bow to her)

Kudos: You want Smoaking Billionaires? This should be your first port of call! But to imply she simply writes around one theme would be an epic disservice.  This series has everything, Olicity/Flommy/Toliver/SBs, fluff, family feels, kids, canon, canon divergence/swerve, action, humour, angst…oh the angst, oh, and a healthy dose of smut!

Her stories can be so deep, heart-breaking, raw and real-feeling in places, whilst also fluffy, hilarious, happy and contain some of the hottest smut ever!

** @allimariexf **

Not Your Typical Secretary series

Burning Souffles

Coming Home Again

A Dream That I Can Call My Own

Award: Queen of Canon/Canon-Divergence

Kudos: Alli has the gift of writing in canon, or slightly divergent, whilst still perfectly capturing the essence of Olicity and improving on the show’s writing, all whilst bringing the angst!! An absolutely beautiful writer, more beautiful human, and mah P.I.C.!! 😍

Bonus Kudos: Alli, I’m so happy that you share your fics with the fandom and that you created a whole channel for us to be as geeky and Olicity-obsessed as we like. Thank you for writing these stories (seriously, Succumbing to Shadows is a masterpiece), for organizing Arrow rewatches and for being a true friend. Even though there are hundreds of miles between us, I still feel that I know you and you should know that you can count on me. Always. -Sascha (@tangled23works)

** @stephswims **

One Step Ahead

That’s The Way It Is

Drunk Cuddly Oliver

Numb Lips

Award: Sweetest Little Smut Monster

Kudos: Steph has written some of my current favourite WIPs, and has a knack for writing badass AU Felicitys, in particular. She always manages to get the narrative voices of her characters juust right, which makes reading her stories all the more relatable!  Oh, and the smut is glorious hehehe!!!  My love and fandom sister wife! 😍

@it-was-a-red-heeler’s recs:

** @ruwithmeguys **

What Wouldn’t I Do

Indecent Proposal

Restless Heart

Award: The Queen of Nuance

Kudos: A sideways glance. The hitch of a breath. The babbling, breathless inner dialogue of a beautiful IT genius in love with a broody-but-lovable warrior. These are the elements of Olicity we all love so much, and Jessica’s magical talent as a writer. She makes you feel the angst and the love in her writing. Long after the story ends you’ll be thinking about her characterization. The tickle of a breath on the back of a neck...a heartbeat...a kiss...

** @missyriver **

Left to Fate

A Queen 

Award: Badass Olicity Queen

Kudos: The first time I read one of Missy’s fics I assumed she was a professional author; she’s just that good. Left to Fate is one of my all-time favorite re-reads, full of the perfect mix of angst, fluff, and smut. Yum yum! I’m so glad I found her works!

** @the-shy-and-anxious-fangirl **

Home to You

The Queen’s Mage

Award: Wise Beyond Her Years

Kudos: Y’all, read this author’s works and know that she is going places. I am continually amazed at the maturity of her writing and the depth of her understanding of the characters we all love so much. This is only the beginning for her and I’m so proud to call Arianna a friend!

** @callistawolf **

twelve hours

ready for the fall

Award: Olicity Fandom Royalty

Kudos: Jen (jbuffyangel) may have introduced me to the Arrow fandom that exists beyond the tv screen, but Calli’s Ready for the Fall showed me I didn’t have to fear the idea of fan fiction. She helped open up a new world to me, where very talented anonymous authors could right the wrongs of showrunners and let the characters I love so much live on forever; as each other, or as pirates, or even as werewolf soulmates. Several years later she wrote Twelve Hours and taught me not to be too hasty in my preconceived ideas (ahem, Chapter 10, just sayin’). I love her stories, her analysis and words of wisdom on Tumblr, and her podcasts with Jen. Thanks for everything!

Bonus Kudos: I remember waiting every Wednesday last summer for Calli’s latest update of real love (is never a waste of time). I would be refreshing my tumblr every ten mins it felt like. It was such an amazing fic (along with every other one of her fics!), but that one will always be my favorite of yours! You are phenom! -Caitlin (@blondeeoneexox)

@memcjo’s recs:

** @hope-for-olicity **

Love Letters

Hidden Thoughts and Feelings

I Am Not Broken

No Sex Until There is Hair

So Much Love

Choices

Award: Queen of Fix it Fic and Felicity’s POV

Kudos: I don’t even know where to begin to tell all of my love for Jacq and her amazing stories. Jacq’s stories are so easy to become wrapped up in. She has a way of putting you right there as Oliver and Felicity navigate whatever life has thrown at them. During the seasons, I become dependent on her to help me through the trama the Arrow writers have inflicted upon me with their horrible treatment of Oliver and/or Felicity. Jacq’s fix it fics have brought me tremendous joy. Her treatment of Olicity, showing them as flawed people, doing the best they can while loving each other so very much, has brought me to tears more times than I can count. I highly recommend ANY and ALL of her Olicity fic!

Bonus Kudos: Jacq’s fics are what you read when you want to be happy. I can’t thank her enough for all the sweet, feel-good, wonderful stories that always come full circle in a beautiful way. And for all the moments I’ve had to try not to smile/giggle while reading her stories in public. Jacq, you’re truly an amazing writer. And even better, an amazing person! Thank you so much for helping to make my fandom experience so incredible! -Ellie (@smoaking-greenarrow)

Bonus Kudos: Jacq, my love, we’ve talked about this. Adore you and your fluffy full-of-goodness stories and your amazing comments on other author’s fics. The show may have broken your heart, but you and I have a lot of years of great stories ahead of us! -Meegan (@it-was-a-red-heeler)

** @mel-loves-all **

A Touch Unlike Any Other

Vivez

Softly Comes Love

Under a Winter Sky

Award: Olicity Historical Romance Writer Extraordinaire

Kudos: Ah, Mel. How do I love your romance novel Olicity? Let me count the ways...Mel seriously provides the exact right mix of sweet meetings and budding romance in her Olicity novels. I adore her feisty and endearing Felicity, I swoon over her stoic yet thoughtful and loving Oliver. When Olicity comes together in her beautifully crafted stories my heart simply becomes a puddle of goo. Historical Romances are my go to get-aways, and Mel’s stories always takes to a magical Olicity AU.

** @dmichellewrites **

Wanted

Distractions 

Hover

What Are You Thinking?

Under the Stars

Award: Most Fabulous Writer of Olicity Family Life in One Shots

Kudos: Devon is the master of creating Olicity in all their flawed, passionate, driven, loving glory. Her stories never fail to give me a new insight into Oliver and Felicity and their life together. I love the way Oliver and Felicity love each other in Devon’s stories.  As she shares her Olicity slices of life I find myself cheering for my OTP. Devon is an amazing story teller and I would recommend all her Olicity fics!

** @geneshaven **

Mother and Daughter

To Do It All Over Again

Ivy Town To Star City

One On The Way

Award: Master of Thought Provoking Olicity Stories (this link leads to his Tumblr account where all his fics are posted)

Kudos: Nobody can craft a story about Olicity quite like Gene. His blend of light and dark, joy and angst has rocked me to the core more times than I can count. Gene’s love and respect for the characters of Oliver and Felicity are evident in the way he treats them in his stories.  I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve reread some of his stories, but every time I do it’s like the best present you can open again and again.

Bonus Kudos: I LOVE a @geneshaven update! I remember first seeing his Tumblr posts through Louise’s blog and being fascinated that a BOY loved Olicity as much as me! And then he started posting stories that mesmerized all of us. A truly special addition to our fandom. I’m so happy to call Gene a friend! -Meegan (@it-was-a-red-heeler)

** @absentlyabbie ** 

Long Way Down

You’re Not a Friend (No, You’re Nothing)

Interludes

Way Down We Go

Award: MVP of Emotionally Compromising Fanfic

Kudos: When I say emotionally compromising I mean it in the most, best, angsty possible way. Abbie’s fics can rip your heart out and stop you from breathing, leaving you shaken and in the next moment your heart is melting from the amazing tender actions any and all of our fav Arrow characters. These roller coaster ride stories takes you to the highest heights only to drop you to rock bottom! This series I’ve posted is just HEART WRENCHING, MOVING, and OH MY GOD~ addictive. Her updates are celebrations, her cliffhangers can drive me to drink. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!!

Bonus Kudos: Parts of Long Way Down still run through my head now again, it’s that powerful a story. Angsty in the best way possible, dark, sharp, and wonderful. A must-read for the fandom. Thanks for an amazing story! -Meegan (@it-was-a-red-heeler)

[thewritingstar]

Gift Swap!!

So for the @kuroshironekoserver gift exchange, I got the lovely @diabl0o

now you asked for BakuDeku which ive never written before so i apologize in advanced but this was kinda fun to write their dynamic so i hope you enjoy this and if you dont i am sorry for the trash you are about to read. Anyways here ya go :) 

Pairing: BakuDeku

Word count: 2.5k

---

The bell gave off its routine ringing and all students from every class made their way to the cafeteria for lunch. Chatter and laughter filled the hallways and Class 1-A was no exception. They had all finished up their English session with Present Mic and were packing up their bags and filing out the doors.

Deku fiddled with his notebook before huffing and pushing open the door, too many thoughts were running in his mind as the day had gone by. He was one to over think everything but this was on a whole new level.

“Deku!” Uraraka called and he turned around to find her wrapping her arm around his and started walking with him. “Are you nervous?” She asked, which in both of their defenses was an understatement and lackluster question in general.

“Yeah, I just hope it goes well.” His palms began to sweat as he wiped them on his pants and they took a seat at their usual table with Todoroki, Iida and Tsyu.

“I'm sure it will be amazing! Don’t worry!” Her usual bright smile should have made him feel better but it didn’t, not in the slightest.

“What's gonna go amazing?” Tsyu asked and all eyes were on the sweating green bean of a boy.

“Today you’re asking Bakugou out and hoping that he doesn’t reject you and ruin your life right?” The bluntness of Todorkoi was scolded by Uraraka and Tsyu quickly.

“You think he will ruin my life?” Deku pushed his face into the table and they all tried to cheer him up.

“No, no, of course not.” Uraraka shot a glare at the duo haired boy who shrugged and tried to reason.

“Nothing bad is going to happen.” Todoroki said to redeem himself.

“We are all here to support you no matter what!” Iida chimed in.

Deku was thankful to have such great friends and turned his head and found the blond at his own table yelling at Kirishima for something minor.

“He’s just so dreamy.” Deku panicked as he watched the blonds fists exploded as they connected with the table.

“Yeah he sure is.” Tsyu said with a short tone and Uraraka let out a giggle.

They all finished their lunch and helped him prepare his speech.

“Go get him tiger!” Uraraka cheered as the bell rang and they all headed to their next class which coincidentally had Bakugou and Deku working in a pair.

Deku let out a small wave as they parted to their respectful locker rooms. Inside his stomach began to twist knowing that in a few minutes, his confession would be made known.

In the locker room, all the boys were putting on their hero costumes and messing around. In the corner Deku went over his lines one more time but knew that a long speech probably wouldn’t go as planned. The bell rang and the boys walked to the center of the field, Deku never taking his eyes off of the guy who had his heart.

“For today's exercise we are going to do pair fighting. You and your partner will dispatch into the makeshift city or forest and anything you find a team, you battle them. Remember to try and keep them quick and simple, work on kill shots and heavy hitting moves. The team to take out the most pairs or has the best moves will get extra credit on their next exam. When the whistle blows make your way out and find a place, then when the bell chimes, your free to go.” Mr Aizawa spoke as he took a spot on the bench and stat down. The whistle came to his lips and her blew.

“To the fucking forest Deku.” Bakugou said. He was thankful that Bakugou referred to him mostly as Deku and nothing else. After three years and their last year at U.A, their relationship chemistry had softened and rivals wasn’t really what they were any more. More like acquaintances but Deku dreamed they would become more towards the end of graduation.  

“Yeah okay.” Deku responded and followed the blond. He kept his eye on his back as they walked for a few minutes, his mind escaping to all the outcomes of his confession.

“If we go out here, there's gonna be less chance for an ambush. We can make our way behind the buildings and to the city, plus the pond is where Frog legs and Half n Half are probably at.” Bakugou rambled but Deku couldn't be more unfocused.

Soon he collided with a hard surface which happens to be Bakugou's back.

“Are you paying attention Deku?” Bakugou spat, his red eyes beaming into the green of Dekus.

“Oh yeah forest, pond, city. Got it.” He repeated.

Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows but left it alone as the bell sounded.

“Lets go!” Bakugou yelled and they both took off running towards the pond.

As pace picked up Deku tried to find the perfect moment to tell him. He needed it to be just the two of them or else he might regret doing it in front of their classmates, he knew the gossip would be a landmine for the class, especially Mina.

The pair approached the edge of the pond and hide behind the rocks of the small waterfall. In the distance was Tsyu and Todoroki. They definitely had the advantage with the water and Deku then questioned why Bakugou would even want to put themselves in this position.

“Fuck that icyhot bastard.”

“Spite.” Deku whispered with realization. The only way to beat them is to catch them off guard.

However their plans were disrupted as a battle broke out between Todoroki, Tsyu, Hagakure and Sero.

Perfect. This was good enough for Deku. As the other teams dueled it out, it was time for the big reveal.

“Hey Bakugou.” He said quietly and the blond turned to him with his usual scowl.

“What?” He spat but it wasn’t harsh.

“I was wondering if you wanted to maybe study or get coffee sometime?” His breathing hitched as Bakugou raised a brow.

“Didn’t we fucking get shit yesterday?”

Deku’s eyes widened and he shook his hands before scuffling out a laugh.

“Well yeah but that was with all our friends...I was thinking just the two of us.” He continued. “Like a date.”

In that moment Bakugou's eyes enlarged and his lips tightened into a thin line. He looked like he was processing the request over and over again.

Deku waited for a response but then heard a crash in the water. The pair snapped their heads at the four of them and saw that Sero had been thrown by Froppy.

“Now!” Bakugou yelled as he ignored the question at hand and jumped onto the scene.

Deku followed in suit and caught the four on the surprise attack. Quickly they manage to take them down and head to the city. The question still loomed overhead and he felt a little bad that he corrupted his thoughts when they were in training.

More fights around the city came about and Bakugou blew up a car when Momo and Denki were announced the winners.

“Wow congrats you two!” Uraraka beamed and the rest of them filed in to complement the pair.

“Yeah dude you really need the boost.” Kirishima laughed and then received a punch from Denki.

Deku smiled at his friends but turned to see Bakugou stomping towards the locker room. He quickly left the group and caught up with him.

“Bakugou?” He asked hesitantly but he made no motion to stop.

“Not now.” He ended the conversation by walking in and only appearing for dinner but even then Deku didn’t have a chance to say anything more.

“So he said no?” Uraraka asked as she sat on Dekus bed.

Spinning in his swivel chair, Deku sighed. “Well he didn’t say no exactly but the mood definitely wasn’t pleasant. I just hope I didn’t ruin anything between us.

She was unsure of how to comfort him because Bakugou wasn’t the type to open up easily. “I can ask Kirishima-”

“No its fine, lets just leave it alone.”

Uraraka nodded before turning on an action movie starring All Might. She could tell he was putting on a brave face but teenage heartbreak was on the list of worst feelings in the world.

--- Two days had passed by since his confession or date invitation. Bakugou hadn’t responded to Deku and even Kirishima wasn’t told about what had happened. This was pure torture for Deku. He spends his days in class staring at the back of the blondes head, waiting for him to turn around and answer him, but it was no use.

And he had enough. After class had ended for the day, Deku caught Bakugou walking towards the locker room. Making sure that no one else was around, he locked the door trapping them both in.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Bakugou snapped as the door shut.

“I want my answer, it's been two days.” Deku said boldly but not leaving his space. The angered expression didn’t leave Bakugou's face as he stood silently.

Deku let out a huff before hugging his arms around his body. He tried not to let any tears gather in his eyes. He couldn’t cry in front of his crush, especially not at a time like this.

“Look Bakugou, if you didn’t want to go on a date all you had to say was no. It's okay.” Deku shrugged but even his eyes couldn’t hide his heartbreak. “I would have understood.”

“It wasn’t a no.”

Deku blinked. Not sure if he heard him correctly, looked around the room then focused on Bakugou. “Then why-”

“Because I'm a broken person!” He yelled as his fists sparked at his sides. “And don’t give me any bullshit about how im not and im a great guy cause its not gonna fucking work.”

“Bakugou, I-”

An explosion sent out from his palms and hit one of the lockers. At that moment neither of them cared. Bakugou was a mess. His mind was racing it almost hurt to think, he felt like Denki in that moment.

“I don’t fucking get it Izuku. Why on earth would you even want to be with someone like me? I was an asshole to you. Why don’t you run to icy hot, round cheeks or anyone else who is worth a damn?” He sighed and plopped onto one of the benches.

Deku stood wondering what to do. A small smile formed on his face as a fond memory came to him.

“When I was a kid I had a music box.”

“What the fuck?”

“Just listen please.” He said and Bakugou shrugged and let him continue. “This music box was my favorite thing, also the only non All Might thing I owned. It was supposed to play a little melody and when you opened the top, a small ballerina danced around.”

“Why are you telling me this?” He asked watching the boy ramble on.

“When my mom gave me it, the music skipped and cracked in certain places. It didn’t even sound quite right and even the girl would only turn a few times before standing still. But even after my mom asked if I wanted her to fix it or buy me a new one, I refused. Its shaky music and still ballerina was perfect in my eyes, no matter how broken or damaged it was.”

He remained silent as Deku took a seat next to him.

“Katsuki, I know that you weren’t the greatest friend in the past and sure you weren’t the easiest to get along with, but no matter how harsh you could be to the world, I always saw the golden light you beamed with. Sometimes even the best things are broken, but that doesn’t mean they are any less beautiful.”

The confession took Bakugou by surprise. It wasn’t a simple “hey I like you.” or “ You’re hot so we should date.” Instead it was more of a “I like you, even with your flaws.” A warm fuzzy feeling went into his chest and he hated it but craved it more.

“Alright fine!” He said.

“So you’ll go on a date with me?” Deku asked, his voice rising several octaves due to his excitement.

“Yeah, yeah i’ll go on one with you. Your ass better not be late.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Deku replied before walking towards the door. He unlocked it and pushed on the handle before he was turned around and pressed against the door.

Soon his eyes met with crimson ones that were extremely close and he could feel their noses touching. His eyes closed as Bakugou leaned and pressed their lips together quick and fast.

“I like you too...Izuku.” Bakugou said as his eyes went to anywhere except for the blushing boy he just kissed.

“See you later Bakugou, have fun training.” Deku said as his heart pounded fast in his chest.

“Katsuki.” He heard as he pushed the door open.

As soon as the door shut, Deku raced to find Uraraka. He saw her walking with Todoroki and basically slammed her into the ground.

“HE SAID YES!” He cheered and then helped her up. His body was shaking from excitement and he was still on the high if the kiss.

“So you have a date?” She asked and he nodded quickly before racing off.

“Young love.” Todoroki said as they watched their friend run off to who knows where. --- A knock came from the other side of Dekus door. He called the person on the other side to just come in and the door opened to reveal a date ready Bakugou.

“You ready yet?” He asked and watched as Deku ran around trying to get all the last minute things together like his shoes and socks.

“Mm hmm. Oh crap! I forgot that Mina as my tie, I'll be right back!” He said but was already running out the door towards the girls dorms.

Bakugou didn’t have time to yell at him for running late so he just looked around his room. Of course everything was All Might themed and inside he was losing his mind at all the cool stuff. He turned to see something on his desk.

It was a small wooden box that had many scratches. On the back was a key to turn and since his curiosity got the best of him, he did. He then opened the top and realized that the small ballerina in front of him was the one he talked about during his confession. He was right when he said that she did not spin correctly and the song wasn’t as pleasant to listen too.

It mesmerized him. It was broken and damaged, yet he still liked it. He thought that maybe he wasn’t as bad as people said he was. Maybe he was that ballerina, always turning to the music but get stuck sometimes.

He set the box down as he heard footsteps coming closer. Deku appeared with his tie on and apologized for his lateness. Shrugging Bakugou passed him and pressed a kiss on his cheek.

“Thats alright, let go before a long fucking line shows.”

Izuku nodded and grabbed the handle of the door, he noticed that his music box was moved but didn’t say anything about it. He caught up with Katsuki and they held hands as they walked to the restaurant.

“Still beautiful.” Deku thought to himself.

----

sooo I hope you liked it. 

[lantern-inthenight]

Playing the Vocals (series)

Chapter 9: Finale

Pairing: Josh x fem!Reader

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: Fluff so sweet your teeth with rot

A/N: You guys. I cannot believe this is the last part. The end of my first GVF series :( it’s bittersweet, but I want to thank every single one of you that came on this journey with me and these very dumb protagonists. I love you (and them) so much <3

Summary: The day of the competition. How will things turn out for Reader and Josh? This is the final chapter in the series, but read all the way down for a little something at the end! Eternal thanks to @sparrowof-thedawn​ for beta-reading this <3 and to @lover--leaver​ for helping me come up with the idea for this series in the first place, so many months ago <3

You set an alarm for that morning, but woke up before it went off. Josh was still sleeping soundly across from you, his arm still draped over your waist. You had fallen asleep facing each other, and it appeared that neither of you had moved in the night. Which was surprising, considering the day.

Josh stirred in his sleep and you squeezed his hand gently in response. This was enough to wake him, and he slowly opened his eyes to look at you. You watched as his mind woke up after his body did, and he realized what day it was.

You smiled, closed-mouth, exhaling a small laugh through the nose. Josh beamed at you, clasping your hand in his. Neither of you could believe it was finally time.

The competition.

….

Miss Michaels was a nervous wreck by the time she and Janet got to the performance hall. Janet trailed behind her, with an emergency bottle of wine stashed in her bag. The two women sat down in the front row, with Michaels immediately bowing her head in prayer, despite the fact that she was not a religious woman.

“Are you okay?” Janet asked, concerned. She reached for the wine in her bag, but Michaels held up a hand to stop her.

“I’m fine. I just can’t believe we’re here. Finally.”

“Yes, it is remarkable isn’t it?” Janet replied pleasantly. “You’ve all worked so hard, all for this one performance. The pressure you must be under--”

“Not helping, Janet,” Michaels interrupted through gritted teeth.

“You don’t think they’ll lose, do you? They sounded great yesterday. Besides, the entire department is just excited that you though to put those two together. They’re quite the dream team.”

“Yes,” the advisor replied, “But the judges aren’t going to care about the miracle of these kids actually cooperating. They’re going to want perfection. Our department really needs this grant.”

Janet nodded solemnly.

“And we can’t let those posers in Classical show us up,” Michaels muttered under her breath. Janet didn’t quite catch it.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

….

You were in the small women’s dressing room backstage, doing one last makeup check before heading out to the stage wings. Nerves were boiling in your stomach, churning it and giving you an uneasy feeling. But this was normal; it happened before every performance. It was just your body psyching you up in anticipation.

Your appearance in the mirror was joined by two figures coming into the room, and you turned to see Emily and Rhiannon.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“We came to wish you good luck before the competition! Not that you need it,” Emily answered.

“Aw, you guys,” you replied, moved by their consideration. Emily grinned as Rhiannon gave you a tight hug.

“You’re gonna do great,” she told you as you parted.

“Thanks, guys.” You grinned at your friends, happy to see them. Emily stepped forward to fix a few wayward strands of hair around the crown of your head.

“Break a leg, YN. You were made for this.”

You exchanged another hug with both of them before they left, and took one last moment to yourself. The version of you staring in the mirror was Stage You. Pupils wide with adrenaline, hair and makeup immaculate. The high-waisted jeans cinched at your waist and complimented the white t-shirt you stole from Josh. The look was topped off with a leather jacket.

You made your way to the side stage to find Josh and peek out at the audience. People rushed around you, moving instruments and risers. One rule of the competition was no pre-recorded music. So every act brought their own band.

The duet before you and Josh was just finishing up as you arrived. The crowd cheered and clapped, and you felt blood rushing in your ears. You could see Miss Michaels and her secretary sitting in the front row.

A few rows away from them, Emily was grabbing a seat next to Rhiannon. The latter was giggling about something with a guy that you were pretty sure was Josh’s brother. You noticed Rhi leaning over to whisper something in his ear, and briefly wondered if they were a thing.

“Hey, gorgeous,” Josh called behind you, interrupting your mindless distraction. You turned to smile at him.

“Hey.”

“You ready to show them what happens when we team up?” He asked, grinning mischievously. You laughed, nodding without hesitation.

“Hell yeah.”

The smile stuck to Josh’s face as he took your hands into his own. He stepped closer to you and pressed his forehead against yours. You each breathed slowly, deliberately, until your breaths were evenly paced with one another. You were steady and concentrated.

You shared a quiet moment there backstage, in the midst of the chaos, before someone called your last names. Josh squeezed your hands before releasing them, and kissed you softly on the cheek.

The presenter announced your names to the crowd, and you strode onto the stage. Josh was right behind you, laughing and waving to the crowd. He was a natural.

But when he took the microphone off its stand, his hand shook a little. A little bit of restless energy, and a little bit of nerves. You felt it, too. The backing band started up, with the drummer tapping out his one, two, three, four. Then Jake started in with the guitar riff, and the crowd began to cheer already. It seemed he was popular on all fronts.

It had been Josh’s idea to invite Jake to do the guitar for your performance. The piece needed a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll added to it.

Animal was a pop song, after all.

The blood rushing in your ears came to a crescendo just as Jake’s riff segued into the first lines. You took a deep, diaphragmatic breath, and looked over at Josh.

The moment you saw him open his mouth to sing, the noise faded away. The audience, the judges, the nerves, all disappeared. And when Josh looked at you, he grinned around his lines. It was the same for him.

You blacked out for most of the performance, as you usually did. You were pretty sure Josh had, too. But you had practiced so many times, that the performance was learned down to muscle memory.

You and Josh nailed every second of it. Every note, every line, every cue. Your voices blended and complemented each other just like they had that first day in practice. But this time, your hard work paid off, with everything sounding more refined. It was pop, it was rock. It was perfect.

You and Josh concluded the song with Jake’s guitar wailing and the drum cymbals crashing behind you. You didn’t need to look at the audience to know they were going wild. When you glanced down at the judges’ panel, they were exchanging comments with impressed expressions. Behind them, Miss Michaels could be seen visibly mouthing the words, Thank God.

Looking back up at Josh, you grinned and laughed. He looked just as elated as you felt. It had been the perfect duet, made even better by the perfect duo.

The two of you pushed the mics back onto their stands, and strolled off stage hand-in-hand. Someone handed Josh flowers, and he passed them to you. He then surprised you by picking you up and spinning you around in circles.

“That was fucking perfect,” he breathed, as you giggled into his shoulder. You pulled back to kiss him deeply for just a moment, holding onto him tightly.

Your kiss was disrupted by the sharp voice of your advisor.

“Oh, I knew it!”

You separated from Josh to see a triumphant Miss Michaels coming into the side stage. She didn’t look upset in the least. Behind her, Janet was clapping enthusiastically.

“Miss Michaels, we--” Josh started, but Michaels held up a hand to stop him. It worked, as it always did, and Josh closed his mouth automatically.

“No need to defend yourself, Mr. Kiszka. I’m happy for you two. And I’ll accept any reason that keeps you from hating each other. Now come along, they’ll be announcing winners soon.”

As you and Josh followed Michaels and Janet back onto the stage to join the throng of vocalists, he took your hand again. His palm was sweaty, but so was yours, and you were both shaking a little from the excitement of it all.

It occurred to you in that moment that it didn’t really matter to you whether you won, or not. You had everything you needed. Friends, music, Josh. Just then, it felt like those were the only things you needed to persist. So you gripped Josh’s hand tighter, and waited patiently for the judges to give you their decision.

Whatever it was, you would be okay.

Taglist: @lover--leaver​, @myownparadise96​, @satans-helper​, @songbirdkisses​, @bluewillowmom​, @sweetkiszkadreams​, @mountainofthesunn​, @kissthesun-fightthefire​, @chestinfect-me​, @ohsososophisticatedd​, @seven-seas-of-hi​, @garbagevanfleet​

PSYCH THERE’S AN EPILOGUE BITCHES

Epilogue

“Babe, where does this one go?”

You kicked the front door shut behind you, carrying in the last box from the U-Haul. Josh was in the living room, amongst a sea of cardboard cubes, trying to push the couch against the wall.

“Kitchen!” He called, letting out a grunt as he finally got the couch into place. You chuckled at the disgruntled look on his face, and set the box on the kitchen counter.

“You okay there?”

“Yes,” he replied indignantly. You grinned and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. Skipping to the living room, you handed it to him with a sweet smile.

“Thanks, glory.”

“Of course. Remind me again why your brothers couldn’t help us move?”

“Because Sam and Rhi are on a camping trip with Danny and his new girl. And Jake just sucks,” Josh answered with a roll of his eyes.

You chuckled, not minding it all. You had asked mostly out of curiosity. Moving in together was a big step, and you were okay with having Josh all to yourself that day.

….

“No, put it in the middle.”

“But I like the way it shines with the sunlight from the window! So sparkly.”

“Josh, I’m serious,” you giggled, pointing for emphasis. Josh gave an exaggerated sigh and adjusted the object on the mantelpiece as you directed. When its placement was satisfactory, he turned to you, grinning. You opened your arms and welcomed him into them.

The two of you stood there, in your new living room, enjoying the space and the silence. Sure, the apartment wasn’t much to write home about. But it was yours.

Josh pulled back, beaming at you.

“Happy Anniversary, glory.”

“Happy Anniversary, Josh.”

….

“I told you it looked better in the middle,” you said, raising an eyebrow smugly. You were curled into Josh’s side on the couch, opposite the fireplace and mantelpiece. You had taken a break from packing to relax for a bit. Josh shook his head, but he was smiling.

“You are so stubborn.”

“Yeah? Whatcha gonna do about it, Kiszka?”

Josh answered by pushing you over and kissing your neck. He tickled you, too, laughing against your skin as you squealed. But one kind of fun turned into another, and before long you were a writhing tangled mess there on the couch. Across from you, situated in the middle of the mantel above the fireplace, was the trophy you’d won together a year ago.

Pairs competition. First place.

[bellsybuilds]

[Part 1 of the Truck Stops and Tribulations series (link)]

next part >>

Three men and a baby (T)

Din Djarin, Paz Viz(s)la, Baby Yoda, Jack “Agent Whiskey” Daniels (modern AU, all human, road trips, found family, family reunions)

Wherein Din Djarin is out of options and has to call on his twin for a favour.

The call picks up on the third ring.

“As I live and breathe.” He can hear the smirk of the one who answers; sleek drawl still the same as the day Din left its speaker with a crooked jaw, his own knuckles cut and bruised. Once upon a time, that man’s voice would have soothed him. Today, his gut is churning. “To what do I owe the honour?”

The semi-trailer flies over a speed hump, shuddering hard on its landing, and Din braces himself with a hand against the dashboard.

Beside him, the kid mewls in its booster seat, startled awake, dark eyes blinking large and wide.

Din takes the small hand that reaches for him from within that nest of blankets, and he throws their driver a dirty look.

“Sorry,” Paz rumbles, mouth tense, eyes ahead on the road and hands gripped tight to the wheel.

Din bites back the growl of annoyance.

Paz is just trying to get them as far away as fast as possible. It’s his semi taking them to safety. He’s doing Din and this child a kindness. To think the large man had only met them a few days ago, and now Din owes this trucker more than he thinks he’ll ever be able to repay.

To pile onto that, he needs to ask for one more favour.

“Don’t mean to call out of the blue like this,” he murmurs, phone tight against his cheek. He rubs the kid’s belly to soothe its whimpers, encourage it to burrow back down into the nest of blankets. The kid’s eyelids grow heavy and it wraps small hands around his fingers, keeping him close. He feels a small smile of relief tuck at the corner of his mouth.

“So, what is it?” The audio crackles, but no patchy phone reception can hide the smugness in that tone. “Finally punch the wrong man, Din? Is it money?” A bark of laughter.  “A woman?”

The jibe is good-natured, but his chest draws in tight, palms sweaty, and his jaw is grinding before he reminds himself to stop because he doesn’t need a headache on top of everything else right now.

“I--” Din’s throat catches and he ignores the narrowed look from Paz, swallowing moisture down so the words don’t stick. “I m-might have… killed a man.”

He feels the weight of Paz’s silence and stares hard instead at the snow blurring past in the semi’s wake. It feels unreal to say it aloud.

Finally, he expects to hear. All this time I told you; your talent’s been wasted.

Instead, he doesn’t even earn a laugh: “... And? Did he deserve it?”

Din winces gently, steadying himself with an arm against the door. The window’s glass is cold against his forehead. “Well yeah-- but--”

“Then you did fine,” the interruption is firm, almost kind, and it cleaves through his panic like the rich note of a tuning fork. It strikes Din with a pang in his chest at the rarity of it. “You close by?”

“Yeah,” his voice croaks a little, and it’s too much to hope the other man doesn’t hear it, but there’s grace for him today because he isn’t called on it. 

“Come round. The usual place.”

“Okay.” Din reaches over and checks Paz’s watch. The other man lets him turn his wrist without resistance and the face lights up the dark cabin with the time. “Forty-five.”

“You are close.” The man chuckles gently. “You bringing me trouble, boy?”

“Nothing we can’t handle.”

‘We’. Just one more time.

“Okay,” a concession, he’s still on the fence, but he’s willing to hear Din out. “Forty-five.”

///

“Can you trust this guy?” Paz asks, stealing concerned glances at him from the black road twisting ahead. 

It's a grey day, the clouds hang low and thick, but at least it's not threatening to drop another layer of snow on them. The chill in the cab is cold and wet, the ice melting from their boots to puddle in the footwell.

Din stares at the phone in his hands, screen dark and cracked.

Paz glances at the child dozing between them, buckled low and snug, chest rising with its soft, small snores. Holding the lower lip of the booster seat, Din gazes into the small face relaxed in sleep. It’s been too long since the little one has been able to rest soundly for more than a few hours, and he’s been achingly grateful for the refuge of this truck since Paz materialised into their lives with his small tank of a shotgun for the pack of hunters that found them outside that Waffle House in West Virginia.

The child is exhausted. They all are.

Time to swallow some pride and face whatever tune fate plays for him-- ‘cause he’ll do whatever it takes to keep them ahead of the ones on their tail. 

"I hope so,” he murmurs, and Paz hums in acceptance.

///

The diner door has barely swung shut behind them when a bright voice rings clear above the patrons' murmurs, uncaring of the disruption:

"There he is!"

A lifetime of instinct freezes Din on the spot with a suppressed wince.

Jack Daniels is impossible to miss at the subtlest of times, and today he is not trying in the slightest: he weaves around the booths with all the grandeur like he’s the second coming, arms outstretched in expectation, smile wide but... genuinely pleased?

Paz pulls up short, expression tightly reined and he cuts Din with a sharp look, jaw cording with tension. 

"You forgot to mention 'twin'," the larger man grits out.

Adjusting the kid sucking on its fist against his hip, Din tilts his head. He blinks. "Oh." He’d said ‘brother’, but the twin part-- did it matter?

A huffed exhale. "Some warning would have been nice," Paz mutters with all the sincerity of a man who's never had to learn to lie, lifting his worn cap to push back his dark curls.

Before he has the chance to wonder why, a body slams into Din and strong arms close around his shoulders, he grunts as the air is squeezed from his lungs in a rough hug. 

Jack laughs in his ear, rich and unrepentant.

"It's been too long. You don't call, you don't write." His brother thumps him warmly between the shoulders and steps back to take his fill of his last living family.

Not that four minutes of age difference count for much. Jack Daniels has never been the signpost for a life responsibly lived.

For all the lives he’s entangled or hearts he’s crushed underfoot, Jack has never learned to course correct, always steering by his own compass. It’s kept Din up at night. He used to wish his brother had stronger morals, less swagger, and more remorse. He gave up when Jack was rewarded for his misbehaviour with job security, too much money, and a clean slate.

He doubts Jack learned anything from the broken jaw Din left him.

“Had to lie low,” Din says, struggling to meet his brother’s eye. He looks at the kid instead and brushes the small tufts of hair on its head. It coos back at him quietly, soothing. “You know how it is.”

Growing up can also mean accepting that growing apart is sometimes the only way you’ll ever come back together.

"Well," Jack’s eyebrows climb towards his hairline taking in the child on his hip. Big, dark eyes blink back at him, and his smile warms, endeared. It’s a rare look for him. “Ain’t you just the most precious thing!” The child wraps its tiny fist around the thumb Jack offers, and Din feels that dull tug in his chest again.

His brother turns that assessing look on Din's other companion towering beside them, and Din does not like the eyebrow Paz earns, nor the amusement that colours his smile. 

"Well well."  Jack’s smile spreads into the insufferably familiar smirk that makes Din want to smack that pure beaver blend hat off his big head. Jack looks from Paz to Din to the child, and laughs. "You’ve been busy!"

Or maybe Din will just punch him again.

At that moment, Paz does what he does best, materialising just when Din needs him and Jack cranes his neck back, looking up and up as Paz steps in, gesturing to the tables with their high seats and privacy.

“It’s been a long drive,” Paz says, voice low and a little impatient. “Could we--?”

But because Jack is Jack, he just thrusts his hand forth with that customary charm. "Hi, I'm Jack Daniels. And you must be….?"

The trucker takes his hand, slow and considering. “‘Jack Daniels’.” The glance slanted at Din is pinched with disbelief. “Really?”

Like the drink? Yes, his brother really did all the legal paperwork and went there.

Din shrugs, the only apology he can muster for the spectacle that is his twin. He couldn’t make him up if he tried.

Jack’s smile doesn’t falter, drawing Paz’s attention back with a gentle draw on the hand in his hold. “And you are?”

"Vizla. Paz Vizla," he says, and Din rolls his eyes at the exaggerated way his brother startles at the strength of Paz's handshake, laughing.

Jack always thought he was so funny. Unfortunately, so did many others, and all that charm had opened doors that Din could only dream of, and preferred not to consider.

“Vizla… you know, that name,” Jack hums thoughtfully, wheels spinning. “It’s familiar.”

"Can we sit?" Paz gestures to their waiting table, because more and more patrons are starting to stare, wondering at this extended reunion blocking all traffic at the front door, and finally Jack steps back.

Slinging an arm around his brother’s shoulder, Jack nods indulgently at the kid. “I want to hear everything.”

///

Jack may be a lot of things, but his discomfort with their predicament is a relief.

“A bounty? On a kid?”  Jack blinks at the child bouncing on his knee. Babbling intently, the kid waves its short, stubby arms at the rhinestone dangling from the cowboy’s collar, eyes set on their prize. “Who’s he belong to?”

Din sighs, shaking his head, short of answers. “You know the Code. We don’t ask.”

Jack groans under his breath. “Still working for that stuffy guild, brother?”

“No. They cut me off when I took the kid.”

The corners of Jack’s mouth pull down, and he nods, pleased. “Good.”

No, not  good,  that means Din is persona non grata; nobody will offer him refuge, he’s a walking payday, and he is short on resources.

Which is why he’s found himself right back here.

“This mean you’re finally ready to join a real agency?” Jack smiles broadly, lifting the child to his chest, and Din feels a flush of annoyance at the smugness in his tone. And at how willingly the child wraps its pudgy hands around his brother’s jaw, curling into his short stubble. “You come with us--” Jack snuggles in to smother his cheek to the kid’s temple, and Din has to stifle a possessive growl when the kid giggles. “You’ll have everything you need to protect this little one. Nobody’ll be able to touch him.”

Paz has stopped where he’s hunched over his pancakes and is frowning at Din. “Agency?”

Din flexes what calm he has left to keep his expression still and blank, and not betray how much he wants to reach over the table to snatch his kid back.

“I’m not joining Statesman. I haven’t changed my mind.”

Jack rolls his eyes, his whole body, and plops the kid on the table before him. The kid burbles with delight at the plate of mostly untouched roast now beside his leg.

“Then what the hell are you doing here, huh? I know you don’t need help hiding no bodies when you got--” He gestures significantly at Paz beside him. “This,” he finishes, lamely.

“They stuck the kid with a tracker. It’s in his blood. Too sophisticated and dangerous for me to get out. With the tech you can access, you could do it.”

“Ah, so don’t want to join us, but still want to play with our toys.”

He says it like Din is waltzing up to a boutique and not trying to keep a small, vulnerable child alive.

“This is not a game.” Din clenches his jaw, flushing hotly. “The kid will never be safe until we do.”

“Maybe. Maybe.” Jack’s sing-song tone is infuriating. He nudges the kid gently on its belly where it’s swaddled thick in winter layers. His voice is low and careful, but not uncaring. “What’s so special about you, huh?”

Paz and Din exchange a careful look. Paz’s hands are clenched tight on his cutlery.

The child laughs, a bubble of light among their tense gloom, and smears a meal’s worth of green peas across itself and Jack’s cheek.

Din stares, stunned, and Jack blinks-- then bursts into laughter, swiping the mess up with two fingers and sucking them into his mouth. “Mmm, not bad!”

The kid laughs and reaches back down to the plate.

All three men dive in to block him, plates clattering, cutlery tinkling, drinks are precariously jostled, and the kid’s little round face is pure glee, stuck in a giggling loop as his hands are caught in thick napkins and wiped clean.

“All right, Green Bean, all right,” Jack is smiling, and swipes the napkin across the child’s nose. He leans in, bringing them almost nose-to-nose. His eyes soften. “You know, if my kid had lived, he’d be about your age.”

That pang in Din’s chest morphs into a vice pinching his lungs with guilt. That might be the one wound that could have truly humbled his brother, the one that will never truly heal.

“So, what’s the verdict?” Paz rumbles, moving that plate of trouble away from the kid’s sphere of mischief. “Can you help?”

Jack squints at him, head tilted. "What's in it for you?"

"I used to be him," Paz nods at the child, declared so plainly that Din blinks at him, forgetting to mask his surprise. "Running. Guns. That's no way for a kid to live."

Jack’s mouth shrugs, considering. Those dark eyes return to his brother, and then Din is looking into his mirror, being asked a familiar question. Jack nods at Paz, not bothering to lower his voice, “You trust him?”

They’re both watching him and, initially, Din thinks about lying. But this kid is counting on him, it has nobody else, and he can’t afford to disrespect his brother’s intelligence.

“I don’t trust anyone,” he says, holding Jack’s eye.

In his periphery, he sees Paz sit back from his plate, spine straight and stiff.

Across from him, Jack smiles with approval. “Well, at least we’re all starting from the same square. So, how about it, Green Bean? You up for one more trip?” He nudges the child under the chin and winks. “I hope you like ginger ale.”

next part >>