#and for a few seconds i’ll be like ‘yup makes sense to me’

[dapndots]

my takes and headcanons are pulled from the thinnest of air that’ll make you go “is that even the character anymore”

[formulawolff]

ii. eighteen minutes - t.w.

pairing: reserve fem driver!reader x toto wolff

word count: 2.5k

warnings: morally gray individuals, slow burn, sexual content (intercourse), allusions to sexual content, cursing, marijuana use, references to alcohol use, lots of power imbalance, questionable boss x employee dynamics, light toxicity, slight controlling tendencies from toto

a/n: here’s the second chapter of my new baby. i really like the direction of this fic & i hope y’all do too. also, i really wanna clarify and say that the reader, toto, and max are NOT supposed to be good people. they are supposed to be written as people who have flaws + make mistakes. i hope y’all enjoy! <3

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆:

“look at you! come on now, do a little spin for me.”

sucking in a breath, you swivel on your heel, turning in a tight circle. lewis nods in approval, his tongue swiping along his lower lip.

“who knew a fire suit could look so good on someone? if you’re not careful, you may have quite a few drivers in your dms later. me included!”

“stop,” you hiss through gritted teeth, “it’s a little tighter than i would like in some areas.”

lewis’ lips purse, the british driver eyeing every inch of the suit, “that’s not necessarily a bad thing–”

“could you stop harassing our sweet girl?” 

george strolls through the entrance of the garage, arms folding over his chest. lewis rolls his eyes, mouth forming a pout as george plucks a strand of hair from your right rib-cage, “how come you get to be that close?”

“because i don’t sexualize her every five seconds,” george mutters, shaking his head, “how are you feeling? nervous?”

“nervous?” a dry laugh erupts from the base of your throat, “i’m clenching my cheeks right now. i’m afraid i’m going to shit myself.”

“it’ll pass,” george shrugs, “soon the adrenaline will kick in and you’ll be fine. don’t stress yourself out too much. it’s only qualifying.”

“it’s only my first qualifying in formula one,” you counter, wiping your slick palms on your suit, “it’s only my debut as one of the few female drivers in a male-dominated sport. it’s only the first time the other teams will get to watch me drive and–”

“you just want to look good for red bull,” lewis waves a hand, “don’t act all coy over there. we’ve seen your interviews. we know you have an interest in joining the dark side.”

“the dark side?” you arch a brow, “what does that mean?”

“you’d be under the helm of christian horner if you went over to red bull,” george exhales, his hands settling on his hips, “that’s a no-no in the mercedes handbook. so, we refer to it as the dark side.”

“oh,” a slight wave of shame blazes within you as you sense the subtle scrutiny radiating off the british drivers as they pick you apart, anticipating your response, “i just wanted to showcase my capabilities, that’s all.”

“there’s no harm in that,” lewis whistles, “after all, a lot of seats are up for grabs. several long-term contracts for drivers are going to be up after the season. 2025 is going to be one interesting year. that’s for sure.”

“indeed,” george nods, “not a lot will change around here though. i’ll be sticking around. so will lewis.”

at george’s statement, you notice the way lewis tenses up, almost freezing in place. yet, he loosens up the moment another individual enters the paddock, the driver bearing a meek smile.

“howdy, toto!”

“guten morgen,” the team principal is almost cold, showing no emotion as he approaches the three of you, “i assume the two of you briefed our little hase on our strategy for qualifying this weekend?”

“yep,” lewis dips his head, “she’s chomping at the bit to get a hot lap in!”

“ah!” the team principal’s head turns in your direction, a smug smirk now apparent, “is that so?”

fuck you, lewis hamilton. fuck you big time. 

“yup!” you swallow thickly, shifting in place, “i’m ready!”

in reality, there was nothing more than you wanted in that moment to be in max’s arms, snuggling against his chest as his hands roamed, rubbing gentle circles into your back. 

as much as you shunned those feelings that bubbled to the surface whenever he was near, there was one thing that you could not deny. 

he knew how to make you feel safe. 

and god did you wish he was at your side, your fingers intertwined together. even the sound of his voice was enough to soothe your nerves.

if only he was here right now.

if only.

due to the nature of formula one’s guidelines, in order to replace george, you would have to participate in at least one of the practice sessions on the track. which, since qualifying was considered a practice session, you would be given the okay to compete. however, there was the more petrifying aspect of it all.

qualifying determined the grid.  

if you did not perform, then mercedes would be at the bottom of the grid, fighting their way to the top in order to earn points. if you did not manage to snag a position in the top ten, then you would not earn any points. 

and no team wanted zero points. 

especially at the beginning of the season where a high-caliber team like mercedes wanted to make a statement. 

so, it was up to you to set that tone. 

to prove that you were not only a worthy competitor, but also that you were capable of earning points. 

talk about a pivotal point in your formula one career.

a point which would hopefully last more than eighteen minutes. 

hopefully.

“all right,” toto clears his throat, placing a hand on your shoulder, “come with me. we’re going to go on over to the car. i’m going to have you meet with bono, marcus, and james. they are going to give you a little insight about the new upgrades to the car, along with some adjustments we’ve made since sakhir.”

“sounds good,” letting out a shaky breath, you follow the team principal’s lead, dipping your head to fellow members of the crew as they wave, circling around you like vultures. they appear eager, poised to pounce at any given moment. with every passing second, the tension in the air thickened, a buzz beginning to grow among the garage. 

of course, they were talking about you. 

this was the first time you were going to be behind the wheel of their car. the car that they had worked tirelessly on over the course of weeks, if not months. the car they had poured all of their passion, their energy, and their resources into. the car that required numerous donations and sponsorships to build, craft, and perfect. 

a car that was worth millions. 

and it was up to you to ensure that the car came out unscathed, without a single scratch or dent.

some pressure that was.

and god, was it starting to weigh on your shoulders.

“before you speak to the team, i need to tell you something.”

you pause, cocking your head, “yes?”

toto leans forward, his mouth hovering merely millimeters by your ear. 

“don’t fuck this up, hase. the moment you get behind the wheel of that car you are going to do one of two things for me. one, you manage to qualify in the top ten for tomorrow. or two, you crumble under the pressure and crash the car.

if you crash the car, you’re fucking done. you will never step foot inside brackley ever again. i will release you from your contact the very moment you make it back to the paddock. so don’t fuck this up, yeah? i’m sure you don’t want to lose your cushy little lifestyle in the reserves.”

a shiver courses down your spine, fear bubbling up in the pit of your stomach as he towers over you, wearing a sickeningly smug grin. however, that terror only lasts a second, dissipating as retaliation takes over. it’s fiery and hot, your jaw clenching as your fists form tightly wound balls. 

“fuck you,” you manage to spit out, “fuck you, toto wolff.”

“that’s exactly what i wanted to hear,” he coos, breath hot as it fans against your ear, “good girl.”

“fuck you,” you sneer, “if you utter so much another word to me, i’m crashing the fucking car.”

toto wolff couldn’t help but let the satisfaction course through his veins as you glower, folding your arms tightly against your chest as you make your way over to the huddle of engineers and crew. you were almost stomping, your steps a little louder than usual. 

he had you right where he wanted you.

tensed up, fury filling you to the brim. your brows pinched together with dismay, a frown etched across your features. the toes of your shoe tapping away against the floor, itching to feel the wheel beneath your fingertips. impatient as ever, the fear of loss mixed with the desire to win creating a dangerous yet lethal mix. 

a loaded gun, merely seconds away from firing. 

to toto, this was necessary. 

this was the only way he was going to make you a champion. 

you see, toto wolff made no mistakes.

he was a calculated individual, carefully plotting and carrying out every single move when it came to the decisions made by the team. no detail, no matter how miniscule or trivial was finalized without his permission. no contract was signed without his presence. no calls were made without his knowledge. 

so, the decision to replace george with the reserve driver for the first grand prix was not a decision that was made lightly.

in his eleven years at mercedes, the team principal had witnessed it all. with eight constructors’ championships, seven driver’s championships, and a stake in the team, toto was a dominant force in the world of formula one. he had seen his fair share of controversies, faced backlash from the media, and harbored his secrets. 

although he thought he had seen just about everything there was to see in formula one, that all changed the moment he saw your face. 

that was the exact moment in which toto wolff’s entire world came to a screeching halt. 

that was the moment in which he knew he had to have you. 

he knew he needed you at mercedes. 

no matter the cost. no matter the stakes. no matter the risk.

he had lewis hamilton to thank for that. 

it all happened one race weekend in zandvoort. toto could recall the memory perfectly, down to the exact minute. he could remember the way lewis was toting you around, your arm entwined with his. it was in the garage, as lewis was giving you a tour, showing you around a little bit, introducing you to a few prominent members of the team. 

at first glance, toto was under the impression you were just another fuck for the british driver, another innocent girl that fell victim to the bachelor’s charming ways.

that all changed when lewis introduced you as the prodigy of prema racing, the one who shattered records and obliterated barriers.

the next world champion pf formula two. that was, if you played your cards right.

the next face of the mercedes team, if toto played his cards right. 

as fate would have it, you did earn that title. 

in turn, that achievement ended up changing the trajectory of your life. it opened up numerous doors, more than you ever thought were possible. brands reached out to you through social media, inquiring about sponsorships. fans praised you across social media, stating that you were a trailblazer for the world of motorsports. 

most importantly, it opened the door to formula one. 

you had toto wolff to thank for that. 

with the help of lewis, he was the one who got the ball rolling on your contract. he was the one who took a chance on the hot-headed, bratty driver. he was the one who called you, inquiring if you wanted to sign a two-year deal with mercedes. you would be in the reserves, but you would be on the team, nonetheless. 

although you were not the first or second driver sitting in a seat, toto was well aware of the potential brewing within you. 

which, was partially the reason why you were competing today. 

he wouldn’t have made the call if he did not believe in you. 

as you slip into the car, he lingers at the helm of the control panel, sliding on a pair of headphones. 

“one, two, radio check. hase, can you hear me?”

your voice, so sweet and delicate, floods his ears, “i can hear you, toto.”

“good, good,” he tuts, “okay team, let’s have a good qualifying, yeah?”

as the remainder of the crew finish the check, the team principal’s gaze fixates on the reserve driver. her helmet was a little too big, but he could make out her lashes as they fluttered, her head bobbing along as the team buzzed about, ensuring that everything was in perfect order. 

a member of the crew flashes toto a thumbs up, signaling that it was time.

“all right hase,” with every fiber in his being, the team principal fights a grin as you mimic the wave of a princess, a gloved hand rotating back and forth as the car lurches out of the garage.

“es ist zeit zu gehen.”

the second you sailed on to that track,, your foot pressing on the gas, any doubt or fear dissolved, replaced by nothing but pure, electrifying adrenaline. 

“all right ms. reserves,” marcus’ voice seeps into your right ear, “let’s see what you can do.”

when it came to qualifying, all it took was one lap. 

one singular lap to prove yourself. 

and by god, that’s what you were going to do. 

you were going to prove yourself that you were more than just a body in the reserves. you were going to prove to the world of formula one that you were dominant on the track, just as you were in formula two. you were a world champion. 

the only woman in your sport to ever accomplish that magnificent of a feat. 

one of a kind.

the longer you were on the track, the more you realized how your body longed to be behind the wheel. the bells and whistles of the car came easily to you, really. natural, even. just as you had practiced in the simulator. 

your reflexes were sharp, on point with every turn of the chicane. your feet rotated back and forth between the gas and brake with ease, almost as if they had a mind of their own, like they knew this circuit by heart. 

before you knew it, you were sailing back toward the pits, to the mercedes garage. the chatter of the radio was almost like white noise to you, as you had paid no mind to the voices that filtered in and out of your helmet. part of you felt a sense of guilt for not listening to the engineers or crew. although, at the end of the day, you were the one driving the damn car.

coming to a halt at the garage, you pit, flipping the visor up. members of the crew swarm your car. yet, the only one you really make out is toto. with his broad stature and powerful aura, he was truly hard to miss. 

the team principal leans over, one hand resting against the halo of the car. 

the other taps your helmet, the corners of his lips tugging into a broad smile. 

for the first time, you make note of his dimples. how they soften his chiseled features. 

and for the first time, you can’t help but notice how gorgeous toto wolff is when he smiles. 

“congratulations, hase,” a chuckle rumbles in his chest, his hand lingering on your helmet. 

“with the fastest lap on the track, you’ve made it to the second session of qualifying.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆:

taglist: @sweetjellyfishland @ts1m1kas @bxuzi @racecardilfs @bblouifford @justacornerofmybrain @irishmanwhore @noooway555 @sleutherclaw @okdokeygryssel63 @jeannealicette @marknolee @allyisalright-blog

[wh0reforcoriolanussnow]

A/n: u guys r gonna have to imagine alot w these pics 😭 but i wrote whos supposed to be who so it makes a bit more sense!!!!! THIS ONLY MAKES SENSE IF YOU READ THE FIRST BIT

y/n_y/l/n

Liked by 3,308,252 people

Prepare for the ‘Anastasia’ photo dump 😈

view all comments

tomblyth: yummy cake 🍰😋

↘️ y/n_y/l/n: i'm craving it so bad rn 🤤

user1: THE MOVIE WAS SO GOOD WTAF

user2: Y/n and Tom's on screen chemistry is insane...

user3: her smile in the second picture 🥹

user4: empress Marie was a slay

↘️ y/n_y/l/n: she honestly was

~

y/n_y/l/n

Liked by 2,920,163 people

this is what we gotta say to those who haven’t watched Anastasia yet 🖕🖕🖕 (we’re kidding)

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user1: how was filming in St. Petersburg??

↘️ y/n_y/l/n: had the best time of my life 🙈 St. Petersburg is so gorgeous.

user2: yesss feed us w more Anastasia bts please!!!

↘️ y/n_y/l/n: yes ma’am 🫡

↘️ user3: BAHAHHAHAAH

user4: everyone go watch Anastasia rn. It’s a masterpiece😟

user5: she’s so gorgeous it’s not fair

~

y/n_y/l/n

Liked by 3,027,496 people

pics of me eating the most 21st century food in my 20th century fits 😋‼️

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tomblyth: fun fact, I took ALL of these

↘️ y/n_y/l/n: 😂😂😂

user1: this is so funny to me LMAO

user2: the fits 🤌

↘️ user3: THEY WERE EVERYTHING!

user4: so this is what u guys do behind the scenes? eating?

↘️ tomblyth: yup.

↘️ y/n_y/l/n: pretty much!!

~

tomblyth

Liked by 4,305,262 people

‘Anastasia’ out now in the cinemas!!!! So incredibly grateful to have worked with such amazing and talented people, experiencing it with y/n made it even better 💗

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y/n_y/l/n: i’m tearing up…. It was so much fun, I’m going to miss everything about it 💔

↘️ tomblyth: gonna miss seeing u in ur costume 🥹 you looked absolutely gorgeous

↘️ y/n_y/l/n: awee I love u!!!!

↘️ user1: my parents r so adorable 😣

user2: third pic is everything!

user3: they did so good with the casting!

~

y/n_y/l/n

Liked by 3,947,028 people

St. Petersburg weather was smth else 🥶

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actorwhoplaysrasputin: it wasn’t even that cold y/n 🙄

↘️ y/n_y/l/n: says the person who wore 4 jackets in between takes 😟

↘️ actorwhoplaysrasputin: zip it.

↘️ user1: I love this duo 😂

actorwhoplaysphlegmenkoff: it was a pleasure to work with such young, talented actors like yourselves!!!

↘️ y/n_y/l/n: awee thank you actors name!! It was an honour to work with you!!

↘️ tomblyth: appreciate it man 🤝

user2: them casting actors name as Rasputin was the best decision ever. Can’t see anyone else for that role!

user3: this movie had such iconic actors and actresses 😭

↘️ user4: I just know this movie was expensive 😃

~

y/n_y/l/n

Liked by 4,307,287 people

Anastasia dump pt. 2974822? 😂

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user1: FIRST PIC HAHAHAHA

↘️ y/n_y/l/n: felt xtra cute so I had to 😛

↘️ user2: Tom not looking amused in the back 🤣

↘️ tomblyth: I’m used to it

actorwhoplaysvladimir: miss you guys!!!

↘️ tomblyth: you act as if we don’t live in the same street 🤣

↘️ y/n_y/l/n: literally walk the few steps and you’ll see us lol

user3: I can’t wait for more of your bts vids to come out on yt bc man they’re so entertaining!!

↘️ y/n_y/l/n: I’m posting a 30 min bts vlog tomorrow 😙

↘️ user4: YAYYY

↘️ user5: y/n has a yt channel and I haven’t heard about it?

↘️ user6: she’s had it since she was in high school 😭

~

tomblyth

Liked by 6,958,212 people

Can’t believe ‘Anastasia’ has been nominated for best film adaptation of books!!! Thank you everyone who voted :)

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y/n_y/l/n: THIS IS INSANEE AHHHH

↘️ tomblyth: 🥳🎉

themichaellockshin: 🤩🤩

actorwhoplaysnicholas: hell yeah!!

user1: they’re so cute omg 🥺

user2: actresswhoplaysdowagermarie is such a slay 😭

↘️ y/n_y/l/n: she literally is!

↘️ tomblyth: we love her!

↘️ user2: ahhh you both responded 😭

~

themichaelockshin

Liked by 10,037,297

Cheers again for the love and support for this movie!! To all the cast members I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you are all such talented people and it was wonderful working with you all!

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y/n_y/l/n: thank you Michael ❤️ will never forget this experience :)

↘️ themichaelockshin: you and Tom were spectacular 🤩

tomblyth: what a journey we went through!

actorwhoplaysrasputin: miss you all!

actorwhoplaysolga: thank you Michael!! Filming with you all was a wonderful experience 🫶

user1: ice cream during the winter?

↘️ y/n_y/l/n: yup. What abt it 😛

user2: awe I love this cast sm

↘️ user3: literally the best cast

[mattsenthusiast]

𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠~ Matt Sturniolo

Summary: You finally decided to get your first tattoo. But what if your tattoo artist senses your nerves and tries to make you feel better?

Warnings: smut, unprotected sex (wrap it up guys), exhibitionism, hand kink, breath play if you squint, needles, pet names, degrading and praising, Dom!Matt, fingering, oral (female receiving), p in v

Word count: 2k

——————————

I looked into the small mirror one last time to make sure I looked presentable before exiting my car.

Today is the day- I was about to get my first tattoo. I’ve been looking forward to it since I was 13, maybe even younger, and my dreams will finally come true.

My legs were shaking slightly from excitement and nerves as I entered the building and made my way upstairs.

The arrangement of the main room was rather dark. Long curtains were covering huge windows that were spread all the way along one wall, and the black drawings decorating any free space on the walls were a perfect finish to the whole vibe.

My eyes scanned the room for a few more seconds before landing on the main desk- specifically on a person sitting behind it.

The man’s gaze was fixated on the computer screen as his fingers swiftly clicked the keyboard. He was wearing a black sleeveless shirt that exposed his slightly toned arms covered in tattoos. His hair was a perfect length, long enough to sit gently on his forehead but short enough to not cover his vision. Dark, circular glasses were sitting on the bridge of his nose. The sight alone made my heart skip a beat and I knew that I’ll be fucked until the end of the appointment.

I approached the desk and that’s when he looked up at me with his blue eyes. I swear I could see them wander down my body for a moment before he cleared his throat.

,,Hey, what can I help you with?”

,,Hello, I actually have an appointment for 6:30. I figured I’ll be a few minutes earlier just in case” I offered him a smile which he returned.

,,oh yeah! You must be y/n, nice to meet you. I’m Matt and I’ll be taking care of you today” he straightened his hand into my direction. I shook it and couldn’t get over how soft and big they are ,,why don’t you follow me to my station and we’ll get to work, sounds good?”

Before I could start my answer he already stood up from the chair ,,yup sounds great!” he smiled at me once again and led me to a different room.

His work room was no different than the lobby- dark and fancy looking. The nerves that were rooting inside of me were showing more and more. I started to play with the hem of my skirt and balancing from one leg to another.

,,Okay so you can make yourself comfortable while I pull up the project from my shelf. Where’d you like to get the tattoo again?”

,,Right under my collarbone. It’s cute and minimalistic so I thought it’ll be a good idea you know” I tried to keep the conversation going.

,,I got ya. Do you have any other tattoos or is it your first one?” He asked while preparing the equipment.

,,No, it’s my first one. I’ve always wanted one so now that I’m finally able to I decided to fuck it and come over here. Now that I’m about to get it done I’m scared” I laughed slightly after realizing that I’m rambling from my nerves.

Matt offered me a soft smile and got closer to me. He started to slide the straps of my top and bra to get a better access to my collarbone. His hands were slightly grazing over my skin and the rings he was wearing left a cold feeling over me. A breath got stuck in my throat at his action, but I tried to cover it up with a cough.

,,Alright, I’m just going to put a stencil on your skin so there’s nothing to worry about. Just try not to move to much, alright sweetheart?” He spoke softly while clearing my skin with an antibacterial gel. His voice as smooth as butter. I wonder if his tongue would also be this smooth on my pu-

,,Earth to y/n, are you okay? I asked if you’re ready for me to start tattooing you?”

,,I- yeah you can start please” I looked away from him, my cheeks burning from the image that my mind just put me in.

,,thank you, I’m just gonna get into it, if you need a break just let me know. First tattoos are always scary. Been there, done that”

He put his left hand dangerously close to my boobs. He had to stretch the skin for a better access, but it still made me wet. The veins that ran through his hands were right at my sight now and I couldn’t get enough of looking at them.

That’s when I felt it. The sensation of a needle with ink being stabbed into my skin. To my surprise the pain was not the only thing I could feel. There was also something else, was it a pleasure? I moaned at the two sensations mixing together and my eyes widened.

,,Sh sh shhh, you’re doing so good princess, so good for me” Matt whispered- almost whimpered- the praises to me. I could feel the hand that was just holding my skin crawl down to my thigh, really close to my dripping core since my skirt as ridden up. He started rubbing small circles on my leg and his other hand was tattooing me like nothing was happening. Like the sexual tension and filthy activity and thoughts were absent.

I could help myself though. I kept squirming in my seat and groaning every time he pressed the needle into my skin.

,,I think I should distract you from the tattooing. A good orgasm would do it for you, wouldn’t it baby? Do I need to touch you or can you cum just from the pain? I know you’re enjoying it, you’re just a little slut”

,,I mmmmm, please touch me Matt, please” I whined and looked straight into his eyes.

,,Good girl, asking me so nicely. How can I say no to such a pretty girl” he smirked darkly and his hand started going further under my skirt, finally reaching my dripping core.

,,Really? No underwear? Such a whore, you’re practically begging to be fucked. Now, you’ll let me finish the tattoo for the next 10 minutes and don’t you dare to cum. Understood?”

,,Yes sir” my mind was already going foggy and him slightly rubbing against my pussy, so when he put two of his digits into me and I let out a loud moan, he wasn’t surprised at all.

The 10 minutes felt like hours. Matt kept mindless thrusting his long fingers inside of me while being focused on his work. Not cumming was a real challenge to me considering that a wet dream of a man was sitting in front of me and touching my body.

,,Okay, and you’re all done. Normally I’d give you a mirror to see the tattoo right away but I’m so desperate to make you come so you’ll have to live in a mystery for a bit longer” with that being said he removed his fingers from me and licked them clean.

Before I could even say a word, his face was already pressed to my pussy, eating me out as his nose perfectly bumped into his clit.

I was a moaning mess. My hands made their way to his hair, pulling him deeper into me. He was like a starving man that hasn’t eaten for the past week. As my orgasm was approaching I closed my legs around his head, definitely cutting his access to air. It was so unbelievably hot, especially since his eyes never left mine. It only took him a few more licks before I was squirting all over his face and the chair I was sitting in.

,,SHIT I’m so sorry oh my lord I didn’t mea-“ I was cut off by his lips being pressed to mine, tasting myself off of his tongue.

,,no need to be sorry sweetheart, that was the sexiest thing I have ever seen” he gave me a cheeky wink and pressed his lips to mine once again.

,,I’ve got a deal for you. I get to fuck you right now and you can walk out with a free tattoo and my number. How does that sound hmmm?”

I actually couldn’t believe my ears, but who I was to resist a hot man who wants me? So I wasted no time and started rubbing his bulge through his pants, as a sign that he can do whatever he wants to me.

,,that’s what I wanted to see” he groaned at my action and placed his hands under my shirt. His palms playing with my boobs and twisting my them.

He definitely noticed that it’s my sensitive spot because soon he was taking my shirt off and throwing it across the room, his plump lips attacking my nipples.

The feeling was unbelievable, but I couldn’t help but want more. I took the matter into my own hands and started to unbuckle his pants, taking it off right with his boxers.

,,you’re a needy slut holy shit. If you want to act like this then fine. I’ll fuck you like one”

The next thing I know is that I was turned around and my whole body was pressed into one of the big windows. It was already getting dark and the studio was on the second floor, but it didn’t change the fact that the street was still busy and if someone looks up, they can easily see what’s going on here.

It only thrilled me more though. I swear Matt was making me learn so much about myself tonight.

His hands found their place on my body, one was on my hips when the other one wrapped right around my neck. The hem of his shirt was in between his teeth and his glasses were slightly fogged.

Wasting no time, he pushed his dick into me, stretching my walls to an unbelievable level. I let out a scream, but he paid no mind to this and immediately started thrusting deep inside of me.

,,I know you like it rough so take it like a good girl. Take the pain of my cock drilling into you. What would all of those people think if they saw you right now? They’d probably take you for a slut and they wouldn’t be wrong”

I couldn’t say anything at that point. All of this was too much for me to think straight and all that was on my mind was that I was already close. Matt could feel me clenching around his cock and brought his hand to rub my clit.

His peace never slowed down and before I knew it, I was cumming all over his dick. His thrust didn’t stop after this thought. He kept going and going until he reached his high and came on my back.

We were both panting from exhaustion and bliss. I couldn’t help but let out a slight chuckle at the whole situation.

,,So, now that you fucked me senseless, can I get your number that you promised me so we can go one a date?”

The silence was broken by our laughter.

——————————

Tattoo artist Matt has finally made an appearance!!! Next up we have that youtuber dating thingy so bare with me😚

Not proofread sorry!!!

Tag list (lmk if you wanna be on it!!!!): @st7rnioioss

[taetr4ck]

from home, to home

yang jeongin x reader, 1.2k words, no warnings — fluff, yearning

a/n : happy jeongin day !! sorry for not posting it on his birthday (it’s already february 9th in my country) :( happy iyen birth aaaaa i almost banged my head against the wall writing this one RAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

“for the passengers of flight A0251, please proceed to gate 6,”

upon hearing the announcement, you grasp the handle of your luggage tighter — trying to calm the anticipation from the surprise you prepared for Jeongin. it’s past dinnertime, and by the time you arrive at your destination, it’ll be past midnight.

being countries away from your lover is no easy feat. the relentless longing to catch a glimpse of their face, to feel their touch, and to bask in their presence and embrace burdens your heart, magnifying the pain of being apart.

before the plane takes off, you message him. it is a casual text, not wanting to spoil the surprise.

“baby, i’m going out tonight. i’ll call you after a few hours, okay?”

“yup, be safe and have fun :)” he replies.

you suddenly laugh at yourself. going out, huh? more like going out of the country.

upon arriving at your destination, it is already 2 in the morning. the streets bathed in the soft glow of the convenience stores' lights, casting long shadows across the pavement. the stillness of the night envelopes the surroundings, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze. despite the late hour, there is a sense of tranquility in the air, as if the world slows down to a peaceful rhythm.

you suddenly realize that pastry shops are already closed at this hour. with a sigh, you make your way towards the cold glow of the nearest convenience store, hoping to find something similar to a cake.

the aisle of pastries beckons with its tantalizing display of sweets wrapped in cute packaging, making your stomach rumble with anticipation. your gaze lingers on the last piece of cheesecake sitting on the middle shelf. its creamy, off-white hue melds with the color of the soft, overhead fluorescent lights.

as you’re about to grab the pastry, a hand swiftly joins – both of you holding the same piece together. there is a second of momentary silence — after that, you step back.

“sorry, you can have that piece,” you say to the man beside you, still looking at the cheesecake.

you’re greeted with a long silence. “...y/n? is that you?” the man looks at you in shock and hesitance.

the familiar voice seems to jolt you from your fatigue — you look at him in surprise. 

“what… Felix?”

“what are you doing here? did you go here all by yourself?” Felix asks, still holding the cheesecake.

“oh, and never mind this… you can have it.” he hands you the pastry.

“thank you,” you take the cake from his hands.

“i came here to surprise Jeongin. and please, don’t tell him,” you utter in a quiet tone.

you explain the details, and he nods in agreement.

“do you know where he is? i can take you there,”

“oh and before that, let’s pay for these items first. it’s on me today.” Felix offers, leaving no room for refusal.

after leaving the convenience store, the clock ticks past 3 in the morning as you navigate the peaceful streets to Jeongin’s condo. finally arriving at the building, the cold breeze greets you, softly washing over your skin.

“here’s a spare key to his unit. i always bring it with me just in case.” he hands the key to you.

“he should be asleep by now, the practice drained him a lot,” he added.

“thank you lix. i’ll treat you to a meal sometime,” you say as he helps you unload your luggage in his trunk. he smiles at you softly and wishes you the best.

the sound of the elevator heightens your anticipation even further, each ding echoing through the hallway like a drumbeat of excitement.

as you leave the enclosed space, the hallway is dimly lit with soft, cozy lights – emitting a warm glow. the sound of the luggage echoes softly in the quiet hallway, their gentle rolling adding a subtle rhythm to the anticipation-filled atmosphere.

the gentle twist of the key upon unlocking resonates through your lover’s living space. you ease the door open, not wanting to disturb his slumber.

you untie the shoes he gave you on your birthday, setting them aside beside his own — your heart swelling with fondness and nostalgia.

you set your things aside carefully, only turning the dim light on to avoid disturbing his sleep.

the drumming sound of your heart intensifies as you take a step, echoing through the quiet space as you make your way towards his bedroom.

you find his figure sprawled all over the bed, his arms snuggling against the pillow — wishing it was you. as you observe his serene expression, the feeling of vulnerability intertwines with the warmth of yearning and intimacy gently embracing your heart. the sight before you fills your heart with tenderness and adoration — the rush of overwhelming emotions that makes your heart feel as though it might burst out from your chest.

you sit beside his sleeping figure, your fingers running gently through his hair — each strand soft and delicate, just like the man he is.

Jeongin slowly opens his eyes, stirring from his sleep. his eyes try to adjust to the light illuminated by the lamp on his nightstand, seemingly confused by his surroundings.

“hi baby,” you can’t hide your excitement anymore. a soft smile escapes from your lips, not wanting to disrupt the peacefulness of the moment.

“hello baby,” he replied. you don’t think he’s fully awake at the moment, so you only smile until the realization hits him.

“...wait, y/n?” his eyes are wider now, realization washing over his features.

“oh my god y/n, you’re here? this isn’t a dream, right?” he sits up and slaps both of his cheeks lightly, seemingly in disbelief as he struggles to comprehend the reality of your presence before him.

you wrap your arms around him, an unspoken answer to his question – sharing the familiar warmth that only your embrace can provide.

“i’m here, i’m home,” you say in a whisper while playing with his hair soothingly.

“y/n, y/n, you’re here. oh my god… this better be not a dream,” Jeongin presses a soft kiss on the crown of your head, his voice filled with mixture of astonishment and delight.

you rub his back with gentle strokes to calm him down. “happy birthday, my love. the cake is in the fridge. kind of a bummer ‘cause it got deformed on the way here.” you say with a chuckle. 

“the cake can wait,” he murmurs softly, his focus entirely on you. your beauty catches him in a daze – his eyes all focused on you. your presence fills Jeongin’s heart with warmth that surpasses any dessert. “i can’t believe you’re here. i missed you so much.”

“it feels good to be home,” you added. you looked at him with such adoration. after being countries away from your lover because of personal ordeals, it feels good to be here – the once almost unfamiliar space instantly turns into a sanctuary in his presence.

Jeongin presses a sweet kiss on your lips, tears almost welling up in his eyes. “don’t leave me again,” he pleaded, making your heart sink.

“mhm, i don’t have the heart to.” you hummed, giving assurance. you won’t leave him again, and the thought of doing so breaks your heart.

Jeongin wraps you in his arms all night — not wanting you to leave any second. the warmth of your embrace lulls him into a peaceful sleep, the comfort of your presence soothing his restless body.

the way back home feels much better – knowing you're waiting for me.

⋆ taetr4ck, est may 2023. / requests open

[estellan0vella]

Sunshine's Guide To Murder│Lee Minho

Chapter Twenty Three: Gil? SS: 5 (ignore time stamps and dates) Word Count: 0.7K & 1.3K Content Warnings: None? Fluff and cuteness Previous Next Masterlist

The car moves through the white landscape, Florence + The Machine playing through the speakers as Hayun sits cross-legged in the passenger seat, her face turned toward the window. Snow blankets the world outside, a seamless stretch of white, and inside, the warmth from the heaters is relentless, filling the car with a cozy, almost drowsy heat.

Minho drums his fingers on the steering wheel, glancing at Hayun. "You know," he starts, his tone half-annoyed, half-amused, "for someone who hates the cold, you’re seriously underdressed. Why would you not wear a coat?”

She looks over at him, a ghost of a smirk tugging at her glossed lips. “I didn’t have a coat that went with my outfit. It’d make me look all puffy.” She tucks her legs up tighter, almost as if challenging him.

He raises an eyebrow, snorting as he adjusts the temperature up a notch. “Right. So, hypothermia’s a solid trade-off for a ‘puffy’ look. Makes total sense.” His fingers drum on the wheel in time with the beat of the song as he shakes his head, amused despite himself.

Hayun rolls her eyes, adjusting her legs even further until she’s completely cross-legged on the seat, leaning back against the door with her knees tucked up. Minho glances at her and then back at the road.

“If I crash, you know your legs will be irreparable, right? Your hips will probably be out of commission, too,” he says, his tone mock-serious.

She gives him a lazy side-eye, tilting her head. “Are you planning on crashing?”

“No,” he admits, a small smile creeping onto his face. “But it’s the principle of the thing.”

As they pull up to a drive-thru, Minho doesn’t even ask for her order, pulling up to the speaker and placing his own before getting her usual honeycomb hazelnut frappuccino, extra shot of coffee. He reaches over to grab his wallet, paying for both drinks without a second thought, and a few moments later, the barista hands him two cups.

As he passes her the icy frappuccino, he gives her a look of exaggerated disbelief. “So, let me get this straight. You’ve got my car heating on full, my heated seats cranked to warm up your spoiled ass, and you order a cold coffee?”

“Yup.” She sips on the straw, batting her lashes at him. “There’s nothing quite like a cold coffee when you’re warm and toasty. It’s called balance, Minho.”

“Lucky you’re cute,” he mutters, shaking his head with an amused huff as he takes a long drink of his iced americano. “Otherwise, I’d let you freeze. Nobody else gets my heated seat privileges, you know. Feel special.”

“I’ll be sure to put that on my résumé,” she replies, her voice mock-serious. “The only recipient of Lee Minho’s heated seats. Feeling very special, indeed.”

He smirks, pulling out of the drive-thru and heading back to the road. The warmth of the car melts away the winter chill outside, creating a small, cozy world for just the two of them. Hayun leans back, sipping her drink, her eyes dancing with humor and a hint of curiosity.

“So, is this our first date, then?” she asks, glancing over at him, her tone teasing.

Minho’s eyes narrow just a little, a smirk spreading on his lips. “I told you I was gonna do this shit properly. Dates, wooing, the whole shebang. Like I’m courting you in Georgian England or some shit.”

She chuckles, raising an eyebrow at his expression. “Courting me in Georgian England, huh? The honour of it all. I assume a date to the aquarium is the modern equivalent of a grand ball, then?”

“Damn right, it is,” he replies, feigning complete seriousness as he taps the GPS screen. “I don’t just take anyone to the aquarium, princess.”

“Ah, so this is the wooing phase,” she murmurs with mock consideration. “Noted.”

He chuckles, his eyes on the road as they approach a busy roundabout. “Now, shh,” he says, glancing over at her. “I need to focus here. Roundabouts are confusing as fuck.”

“Oh yeah, that really fills me with confidence in your driving abilities, Minho,” she deadpans, but her grin breaks through almost instantly.

When they arrive at the aquarium, Minho expertly reverses into the spot, using one arm to turn around and look over his shoulder, his hand casually draped across the back of her seat. Hayun bites her straw, looking away quickly, eyes scanning her phone as she hides the faint flush creeping onto her cheeks.

Once Minho turns off the engine, Hayun downs the last of her coffee before stepping out of the car, only to be immediately hit by the cold. She shivers hard, tugging her sweater tighter around herself, and Minho raises an eyebrow as he walks around to her side, sliding an arm over her shoulders and pulling her into his warmth.

“Regretting not wearing a coat now?” he teases, a slight smirk tugging at his lips.

She leans into him, shrugging nonchalantly. “At least I still look cute. Isn’t that the point?”

“Unbelievable,” he mutters, squeezing her closer as they walk toward the aquarium entrance. The winter air bites at their cheeks, but she doesn’t seem to mind as much, her eyes already lighting up in anticipation of what’s inside.

“Being a personal heater’s a pretty solid way to woo me, you know,” she says, looking up at him with a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Oh yeah?” he grins. But before he can say anything else, she suddenly slips her ice-cold fingers down the neck of his hoodie, making him jolt. “Yah! What the fuck?! Your fingers are freezing!”

He tries to step back, but she just looks up at him with a pout, and he sighs in mock exasperation, staying still as she keeps her cold hands pressed against his warm skin. “Do you have circulation issues or something?”

“How would I know?” she says with a shrug, but she can’t hide the smile as he winces.

“You should probably see a doctor. Seriously, you’ve got icicles for fingers.” He stops and cups her hands in his, blowing on them and rubbing them between his own hands to warm them up. “We’ll thaw you out in here. Come on.”

The aquarium’s warmth is a welcomed contrast to the cold outside, and they move deeper into the building, stopping first at the jellyfish exhibit, the walls around them bathed in a tranquil blue glow. Hayun’s eyes widen with fascination as she steps closer to the glass, watching the jellyfish drift through the water in graceful, hypnotic swirls.

“Did you know jellyfish have been around for at least 500 million years? Some species are even biologically immortal,” she says, her voice filled with wonder. She points to one of the glowing creatures. “Those are moon jellyfish. They’re completely harmless to humans but still so eerie. And that big one over there? That’s a lion’s mane jellyfish. Its tentacles can grow longer than a blue whale.”

Minho blinks at her, a little taken aback, eyebrows raised. She looks back at him, equally puzzled by his expression, and they just stand there, blinking at each other in silence.

“How the fuck—?” he begins.

“Oh,” she says, understanding his surprise. “I have an eidetic memory. I remember a lot of stuff I read or hear about, especially things that interest me.” She shrugs, but there’s a hint of pride in her eyes.

He shakes his head in disbelief, though his smirk remains. “Of course, you do,” he mutters, still in awe. She’s both unpredictable and fascinating, and he can’t help but watch her as she turns her attention back to the tank, the soft glow of the water casting her features in a delicate, almost surreal light.

Hayun studies the jellyfish for a moment, a nostalgic smile tugging at her lips. “You know, Jisung and I both had the biggest crush on Gil from Finding Nemo when we were kids. You kind of remind me of him,” she says, glancing at him. “Guess some things stick.”

Minho blinks again, thrown off-guard. “Gil?” he echoes. “The moody, scarred fish from the dentist’s tank? How do I- What about me reminds you of him?”

She laughs, turning fully to him and folding her arms, studying him like she’s seeing something he isn’t. “The whole mysterious, broody thing you’ve got going on” She raises an eyebrow, daring him to challenge it.

Minho shakes his head, the corners of his mouth twitching. “You know, princess, I’m not sure if being compared to a Disney fish is the compliment you think it is.”

She rolls her eyes, nudging him with her shoulder. “Take the compliment, Minho. Not every guy can pull off the stoic, scarred-but-softhearted hero. And hey,” she adds, pointing back to the jellyfish, “at least it’s not the blobfish.”

“Fair point.” He chuckles, and they both fall quiet, watching as the jellyfish float, almost in slow motion, across the glowing blue waters of the tank.

For a moment, everything else fades, the cold outside, the darkness they’ve both had to wade through, and the weight of everything hanging in the balance. It’s just the two of them, standing side by side in this surreal, quiet space, surrounded by the strange, peaceful beauty of these creatures.

After a few minutes, Minho tilts his head, glancing over at her. “So, if Gil was your type as a kid, what’s your type now?”

She smirks, pretending to think as she taps her chin. “Dark, and broody. Maybe a little rough around the edges but secretly kind of a softie. Has a mysterious past, possibly related to a tragic, previously unsolved mystery.”

Minho lets out a low laugh. “So basically, Gil. With legs.”

“Pretty much.” She grins, and he shakes his head, that easy smirk of his slipping into something softer as he watches her.

“Good to know I’m hitting all the marks,” he says quietly, almost to himself.

They continue wandering through the aquarium, stopping at each exhibit. Minho listens as Hayun rattles off facts, her enthusiasm lighting up her face in a way that has him utterly captivated.

In the shark tunnel, she watches the sleek, menacing creatures swim overhead, her gaze intense, and in the coral reef exhibit, she leans close to the glass, her breath fogging up the surface as she watches the fish dart in and out of the colourful corals.

At one point, she slips her arm through his, leaning against him. “You’re right,” she murmurs, her voice soft. “This is a pretty good first date.”

He looks down at her, the warmth from her side pressed against his filling him with an undeniable sense of rightness. “Glad you think so,” he replies, resting his hand over hers. “You’re gonna have to get used to it, though. Wooing’s just getting started.”

She laughs, her eyes sparkling as they move on to the next tank. “Fine. But only if you promise not to bring me here every time.”

“Deal. Next time, I’ll take you somewhere way more interesting,” he says, raising an eyebrow, his tone full of challenge.

“Oh yeah?” She crosses her arms, tilting her head. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“You’d better,” he replies, and they share a look, unspoken words passing between them, a promise that neither of them has to say out loud.

As they leave the aquarium later, stepping back into the cold, Minho shrugs out of his hoodie, handing it to her despite her protests and making her pull it on.

“Minho, you’ll freeze-”

“I’ll be fine,” he says, pulling the hood up and tucking her hair beneath it. “Besides, I’m Gil, right? The brooding fish or whatever the fuck. Can’t have you freezing to death on our first date.”

She laughs, rolling her eyes but pulling the hoodie tighter around herself as they walk back to the car. The snow crunches beneath their feet, and they fall into a comfortable silence, the world around them quiet and still.

And as they drive back, the heaters blasting and the car filled once again with her music, Hayun leans her head against the window, a small smile on her face, feeling the warmth of his presence beside her in a way that’s as comforting as the hoodie around her shoulders.

“You know,” she says softly, breaking the silence as they near her place, “you’re really good at this whole ‘first date’ thing.”

“Only for you, princess,” he murmurs, his eyes focused on the road, but the faintest smile tugging at his lips.

Taglist: @hityoulikebahng @drewsandsebastianswife @fackeraccount @lily-loves-kpop @stilldontknowhoiam

@ziggy1221 @justaspoonofjam @tr-mha-fan @candycurshidkwhatthehell

@heeseungspookie @smigcrazy @skzstannie @nightmarenyxx @beaann

[ffernandaa]

champagne coast ⊹ ࣪ ˖

bachira x f!reader ₊˚⊹ ࿔ smau ! chapter list!!

4). perfect pair

bachira wasn’t necessarily upset at the fact that nikko had your number now but in a way he felt uncomfortable with it.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. . ݁₊ ⊹

the weekend went by quicker than expected as well as the school day. you were already walking beside chigiri while talking about how your day was.

“so you and nikko?”

“ew literally don’t even joke about that”

chigiri chuckled.

“isn’t it so weird how it’s only been like 3 days and on the first one he found my number??!!”

“yeah that’s stalker activities”

“thank you!!”

“you don’t find him attractive?”

“uhhh” you thought about for a second hesitating.

“i don’t even remember what he looks like”

“liar” chigiri said before rolling his eyes.

you both made it to the field and were greeted by coach and isagi.

you notice nikko staring and quickly turn your attention back to isagi.

“i can feel him staring at us” isagi whispered.

bachira laughed slightly which made you realize he was right next to isagi the whole time.

“hi y/n” he said when you noticed his presence.

“hi bachira”

anyone could sense the smile on your face by the way you said that including isagi and chigiri which both looked at each other.

“you two make me sick” isagi scoffed before tapping bachiras shoulder to motion that practice was about to begin.

“hey what was that?”

you heard the whistle blow and knew that meant it was time for you to go by the bleachers.

todays practice lasted until 7 and it was currently 3:45 so you knew you were gonna dread how slow the time was gonna go by.

a few boys came up to you asking to inflate the balls and others asked if you could bring out more nets out.

you listened to the boys and did what they asked and by the time you knew it practice was over.

isagi, chigiri, reo and nagi all came up to you.

“hi y/n” reo said while grabbing his water bottle.

you knew reo from nagi so it wasn’t awkward talking to him.

“hi reo”

“all the boys are gonna go get some tacos, do you wanna come with?” isagi asked you while also grabbing a water bottle.

“uhh-” your eyes drift to bachira who was next to isagi.

he was lifting his shirt up to wipe the sweat off his face. it was unfortunately quite a sight and you felt your face warm up.

“yeah sure i’ll go” you said looking down to avoid staring at bachira.

“okay well we’re gonna go get changed and washed up then we’ll walk to the taco place it’s only a 10 minute walk from school”

“okay i’ll wait for you guys at the front”

isagi nodded and the 4 boys walked to locker rooms.

“y/n?”

you heard a voice come from behind you.

“yes?” you said while turning back to see coach ego.

“we have a away game on wednesday and you’re gonna be in charge of giving out the away uniforms”

“oh okay!”

“you’ll be getting them tomorrow and i’ll remind you to not forget them”

“okay!”

coach ego nodded before walking away to head to his office.

you heard the boys come out the locker room and you walked towards them.

“dude it’s so hot im sweating my balls off” bachira whined.

“don’t be gross dude” isagi responded while side eyeing him.

��you’re the one making it weird” bachira said before looking at you.

“so what grade are you in y/n?” bachira asked while not taking his eyes off you.

“oh im a sophomore”

“oh okay so just like the rest of us”

“yup!” you said while smiling and keeping your eyes on him.

you could feel a pair of eyes staring at you and quickly got uncomfortable by the feeling.

“stupid nikko” bachira whispered so quietly you could barely hear it.

the walk felt short due the conversations you had going on with bachira and without realizing you both were behind the group and the last ones to enter the taco restaurant.

“welcome! how many in your party?” a medium height girl asked while eyeing down bachira.

“oh uh we’re with that group” bachira said while pointing over to where isagi and the rest of the team were.

“so unfortunately we don’t have enough space for that table and the only thing we can offer is a table of 2 near the table?” the girl asked politely.

bachira looked at you as his way of asking if you were okay with it.

“yeah that’s fine” you said.

the girl lead you guys to the table next to where isagi and nikko were sitting coincidentally.

the time at the taco restaurant went by extremely fast and by the time you were going home it was already 9:46.

you said your goodbyes to the team before walking back home with chigiri since the two of you lived in the same neighborhood.

“i didn’t reckon you and bachira would be so flirty today my money was on nikko” chigiri said breaking the comfortable silence.

“what do you mean? we weren’t flirting”

“mhm” chigiri hummed before dropping you off at your house.

“see you tomorrow” he said when you reached your front door. you turned to face him before opening the front door and wave to him.

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚જ⁀➴ ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚જ⁀➴ ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚જ⁀➴ ˚ ༘ ೀ

authors note!

HIII a almost mainly written chapter omg.. i literally have the next 3 chapters sitting in drafts and they are so not creative so😕

[eglerieth]

All these posts going around saying that by Din’s logic, the Darksaber belongs to Sidious, here’s my take

the Mandalorians are all gathered together in some cave somewhere. Someone realizes that ownership of the Darksaber was decided on the second Death Star. Din summons Luke because someone mentioned that he was the last person to see Sheev alive.

Luke: yes?

Din: Emperor Palpatine was the last person to own an heirloom that makes a person the leader of my people.

Luke: Um… I don’t know much about your people, but… given that you live in this galaxy, I’m assuming the Empire hurt you in some major way. I’m guessing you are averse to his possessing this heirloom.

Mandalorians: *nodding

Luke: also, he was a Sith Lord, so, again, not an ideal king

those scattered Mandalorians that actually know what a dar’jettii is: 😳🤯😳🤯- no wait that makes sense

some random Mandalorian: also, he’s dead, right?

Luke: yup, definitely dead. I watched him get thrown a reactor shaft myself.

Armorer: by whom? The darksaber is won in combat, so whoever killed him gets it

Luke: Darth Vader

Mandalorians: yeah, that’s not much better. And he’s ALSO dead, right? Who killed HIM?

Luke: …The Emperor

Mandalorians:

Din: if the Emperor killed him, how did he manage to kill the Emperor?

Luke: the Emperor electrocuted him, and then he threw the Emperor down the reactor shaft, and meanwhile the electricity from a few seconds ago was shorting out his life support suit, and then he died in my arms. It was actually very emotional.

Everyone, who thought Luke had managed to walk out of the throne room because he somehow killed the two most powerful people in the galaxy:

Luke: yeah, no, I basically just stood there and got provoked and then electrocuted. I’d be dead if Vader hadn’t died to save me.

Paz: why would he do that?

Luke: because he’s my father.

Mandalorians: 😲

Luke: I don’t let on about it because people might have some things to say about the hero of the Rebellion being the son of the Empire’s worst enforcer.

Armorer: It does not matter who your father is, only what kind of father you will be. This is the Way.

Mandalorians: This is the Way.

Luke: Thanks. I like that.

Paz, who is a Viszla, the House that held the Darksaber for centuries: The Darksaber can also be inherited. Wait- does this make you Mand’alor?!

Luke, with even more horror than Din had in that position: no no no no no. I’m not even Mandalorian, and even if I was, I have enough to do with rebuilding the Jedi order, which isn’t going so great, thanks for asking. The last thing I want is to get involved in any kind of political stuff. That’s my sister’s job.

Mandalorians: you have a sister?

Luke: yeah, Leia Organa

Mandalorians: the Hutt Slayer?!

Luke: I- yeah, the Hutt slayer. Not how she’s usually introduced…

Mandalorians: *agreeing that the renowned Hutt Slayer would be a much better Mand’alor than this jetii twink*

Bo-Katan, who actually knows something about the New Republic: But isn’t Senator Organa a leading member of the New Republic? We don’t want Mandalore to be part of the New Republic.

Luke: Leia is one hundred percent Alderaanian. Her allegiance may be to the New Republic, but her culture and beliefs are her own.

some random Mando: if you’re her brother, are you from Alderaan too?

Luke: no, doofus. I’m from Tatooine.

Din, trying to improve his small talk: I have a friend on Tatooine. Boba Fett? He’s the leader now.

Luke, choking: BOBA FETT’S ALIVE?!

Din: you know him?

Luke: he captured my brother-in-law, froze him in carbonite, and sold him to Jabba. We had to spend a year away from the war effort to rescue him!

Din: *awkward*

Armorer, trying to steer the focus back to the Darksaber: Are you the firstborn, or your sister? The Darksaber passes to the oldest child.

Luke: I don’t actually know. We’re twins, and have no idea who was at our birth who can tell us. Maybe my father would know? I’ll ask him now.

Mandalorians: isn’t he dead?

Luke: yeah, but I can talk to his ghost.

Mandalorians:

Luke summons Anakin. Grogu whimpers and hides behind Din. To everyone else, Luke is talking to thin air.

Luke: hello father, do you know if me or Leia is older?

Anakin: of course not, idiot. I didn’t even know either of you existed until a few years ago!

Luke: oh, right.

Anakin: Obi-Wan would know. He was the one who stole you from me.

Luke: really, father, we’ve gotta work on your tact.

Anakin: why? Obi-Wan was the kriffing Negotiator, not me.

Luke: he was called the Negotiator?

Bo-Katan, wincing at a million memories and knowing exactly who they’re talking about despite only hearing one side of the conversation: I could never get my sister to shut up about Kenobi. Insufferable jetii, always hanging off her arm.

Luke: Ben was a Mandalorian’s escort?!

Armorer: Ben is a Mandalorian name. Was he Mandalorian?

Luke: 😲

Luke: I don’t think so…?

Bo-Katan, reminiscing: I’m pretty sure my sister gave him that name.

Luke: My nephew was named after him. I can’t believe my nephew has a Mandalorian name.

Mandalorians: nephew?

Luke: yeah, he’s adorable. Here, I have pictures. *starts showing pictures of baby Ben Solo*

The Mandalorians, being Mandalorians, are utterly won over by the smallest Skywalker. The idea of Leia is a leader is growing more popular. Luke summons Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan: hello there, Luke. What the hell are you doing in a cave with a gajillion Mandalorians?

Luke: Hi, Ben, we just wanted to know, was I or Leia born first?

Obi-Wan: You. I’ll never forget it. You were both such beautiful babies.

Luke: …right…

Paz, staring at the wall where he thinks Obi-Wan is but is actually Anakin’s elbow: What did he say?

Luke: I’m older -

Luke: Oh.

Luke: Kriff

Din: Dank Farrik

Everyone else: *thinking the same thing but to polite to say it*

Bo-Katan: although…it could still be won in combat.

Luke, ringing up Leia on his comm: Good evening, dear sister. Would you mind flying out to the location on my transponder and kicking my ^*s?

Leia, all blue and wavy on the comm: I never mind kicking your %#s, Luke, but why?

Luke: if you do that, you can be king of Mandalore!

Luke: 😀

Leia:

Leia: Are you kriffing kidding me?! Do you know how hard it is to keep the New Republic from collapsing? And raise a force sensitive baby with shady idols? And save my husband’s skin from every criminal he runs afoul of every other day? I most certainly will not become the monarch of some random nation I’ve never been apart of!

Mandalorians: 🙁

Han, over Leia’s shoulder: so we’re not fighting the kid? I was looking forward to that!

Chewbacca, towering over Leia’s head: *wookie noises of agreement *

Armorer: Actually only the challenger would be fight- *comm cuts out*

*a few minutes later

The Falcon is heard overhead. Han, on comms: We came anyway, kid. I was bored today.

Chewie leaps out and tackles Luke with a bear hug, almost breaking his ribs.

Luke: can’t- breathe- chewie-

Chewie releasing him and patting him on the head: *hello in wookie noises*

Mandalorians:

Chewie, in Shriwook: *what?*

Mandalorians:

Din silently unclips the Darksaber from his belt and hands it to Chewie.

And that’s the story of how Chewbacca became Mand’alor.

[waythroughtheice]

Crossed Constellations, Part 5

As always for @absolutely-normal-about-x!

We get some more background on this Geo and Omega-Xis and ummm it's not good, but they're safe now?

I hope you enjoy!

Part 5

Oof, he was so full! “Thanks, X,” Geo said gratefully, handing over his plate. “Do you need help with the dishes?” 

“Absolutely not. You’re a guest,” X said. 

“Besides, Levi and I are on dish duty tonight,” Harpuia said. “We siblings cycle through the kitchen duties so Dad doesn’t have to cook and clean.” 

“Ah,” Geo said. He yawned, suddenly feeling very sleepy and warm. 

“Bed, I think,” X said. “Volnutt, would you mind leading Geo to a room?” 

“Sure!” Volnutt agreed. “Which one?” 

“On our side, I think,” X said, his eyes glinting. “You chose.” 

Volnutt smiled. “Okay! Follow me, Geo!” 

Geo sleepily nodded. His head felt so heavy. 

Volnutt chattered as they walked. Geo was content to just listen. “The Flutter used to be way smaller, but once Dad and everyone else arrived, we were able to rebuild it to be a lot bigger!” 

“The wood is different,” Geo said sleepily. He could tell where the Flutter had been expanded upon--instead of trying to match the previous darker wood, its inhabitants had instead opted for a sandy tan that complimented it. 

Volnutt grinned. “It was Levi’s idea. Looks great, right?” 

Geo couldn’t really muster up the energy to respond vocally, so he nodded. 

“My family stays in the new side--Roll and Barrel stay in the original end.” They stopped before a door. “There are a couple of extra rooms since Dad insisted on ‘em.” Volnutt waved his hands. “Two of them he’s set up already--did one in what he called a “German style” and the other in a “Russian style”--but there are a few he didn’t decorate at all.” 

Geo winced. Rooms for Axl and Zero then, if they ever showed up. 

He shook his head, forcibly driving the gloomy thoughts away. They would. If X was here, they would inevitably follow. It was practically written in stone with those three. 

Refocusing on the door in front of him, Geo asked. “Guest rooms?” It felt like he was wading through water, desperately sinking down to sleep even as he wanted to stay awake. 

Volnutt frowned. “No, we have those. These aren’t one of them.” 

Geo rubbed his eyes. Something didn’t add up. “But I’m sleeping in this room?” 

Volnutt opened the door. “Yup! Dad said so, and honestly it makes sense to me!” He said cheerfully. “You seem like a good guy. Your partner is really cool, too.” 

Geo flushed. “Thanks, Volnutt. You do too.” 

Volnutt laughed. “I try!” He said cheerfully. He gently pushed Geo in. “You look dead on your feet. Go get some rest!” 

Geo smiled and went in. “Thanks,” he managed. The door closed behind him as Geo fell onto the bed. 

“Hey, Omega-Xis…” He said. 

The alien popped out of the Hunter VG. “Yes?” 

“What did you talk to X about?” 

He paused. “Our normal things. And a few other things too. You’ll find out later. Go to sleep.” 

“Mmmkay….” 

Within seconds of putting himself under the covers and putting his head on the pillow, he was dead to the world. 

~~~

(Recollection of the past: Omega-Xis and X) 

X focused on the being in front of him as the child left the room. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Omega-Xis’s sudden bow. 

“I need your help,” Omega-Xis asked. 

X’s brow furrowed. “What?” 

Omega-Xis sighed. “The kid needs your help,” he elaborated. 

X leaned against the counter, his gaze never leaving the neon-green alien. “Alright,” he said. “But I have a few questions of my own that I’d like to ask.” 

“That’s fine. I’ll answer them all, as long as you answer some of mine,” Omega-Xis said boldly. 

“I’ll answer what I can,” X said neutrally. So far the alien didn’t seem to be the devious kind. If need be, X could take him in a fight--but the boy, Geo. How would he take such a thing? 

“This world. Is it safe?” 

X blinked. “Is any?” 

Omega-Xis shook his head, grimacing. “Is it peaceful, X.” 

“I believe so,” X said. “It’s a quiet world we have, but it’s our own.”

“Your son is a Mega Man, though?” 

“It became more of a title,” X said stiffly. 

“But you let him have it so I guess it must be peaceful….” Omega-Xis contemplated. 

“He earned it.” 

“C’mon, you and I both know if there was a real threat you’d take the mantle back.” 

“Why did you ask, then, if you already knew?” X asked sharply. 

Omega-Xis shrugged. “I needed confirmation.” 

“Fine. My turn. Why is he running?” X said. 

Omega-Xis stilled. “A fight from our own world went badly,” he answered. 

X’s eyes narrowed. “Someone’s chasing you?” 

Omega-Xis shook his head. “No. Geo’s running because he has nowhere else to run to,” he said quietly.  

….Ah. X’s face softened. “How many?” He said. His voice was noticeably gentler. 

“All.” 

Rust and verdigris. X sucked in a sharp breath. All? At Geo’s age? How?

“It was an enemy--two enemies, really,” Omega-Xis continued softly at the unspoken question. “If they had been on their own, we could’ve taken ‘em no problem. But the thing was somehow, along the way, one joined up with the other, and--well.” His claws flexed, like he was imagining an enemy. “We joined up with another guy we knew--Cepheus--in order to stop them. We finally did, but not before everyone the kid knew was gone…along with a good chunk of our universe.” 

“...I see.” X said quietly. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He could understand that sort of grief. He still dealt with that sort of grief, even thousands of years later. 

Omega-Xis snorted. “Ain’t your fault. Anyway, we defeated the duo, but their power was so strong that they threatened to get out of our timeline and harm others nonetheless.” 

X’s fingers tightened on the counter, but he kept himself quiet, and listened. 

“They were sealed away, but there was always a chance they could get out and threaten other people, and the kid--” just a hint of a smile appeared on Omega-Xis’s face before wiping itself away again, “didn’t want that to happen. Neither did a lot of people. But the catch was….to close the “door” on any dimension means it has to lock on both sides, not just one. And a lock like that has to be permanent in order to work. No touching the door ever again, especially on the outside, which was by far the more critical of the two.”   

Oh. Oh no. “And the child was chosen to lock it on the outside, never to return home again?” X asked sharply, getting it immediately. “Why not this person that fought with you? Cepheus, you said?” 

Omega-Xis sighed. “It takes a lot of power to cross dimensions,” he said. “Cepheus could do it, but, well….he’s a king. His people were still living.” 

X’s lips tightened. “And Geo had no one left.” How pragmatic. How logical. How cruel. 

“We were--and are--stronger than Cepheus, so we were able to cross dimensions easily,” Omega-Xis agreed. “We were the strongest warrior our dimension ever produced, so it was determined we could defend ourselves, and get far, far away from our dimension as an extra precaution.” He scoffed. “Tch! We’d just won the war for them, and the survivors just tossed us out in the cold!” He sighed. “But the kid just accepted it. Said he didn’t want our foe to ever have the chance to hurt anyone else, said his goodbyes to Cepheus, locked the door, and then we…” 

“Traveled,” X said flatly, anger simmering under his skin. 

“Traveled,” Omega-Xis repeated darkly. “I think it was better this way. The human government was beginning to look at Geo strangely, and I didn’t like it. Getting him away from that timeline where he’d lost everything might’ve been the best thing. He had no one left other than me, anyway, so I hoped that maybe he’d be able to heal.” 

“Has he?” 

Omega-Xis grimaced. “Sort of. Most of the dimensions we’ve gone to haven’t been exactly peaceful, or I didn’t think the adults would help Geo out enough. He needs a home.”  

“What about Dr. Light?” X mentioned, only for Omega-Xis to shake his head. “His dimensions are never peaceful, and the governments are always super nosy around him. Governments and Geo don’t mix, by the way. Is there a government here?” 

Despite himself, X’s lips twitched. “Not an overarching one. Definitely not one that would bother or care about you or him or us.” 

Omega-Xis grinned. “Great!” He sobered. “There was one dimension that I considered bringing up the idea of staying--it was a dimension were Dr. Light had bio kids.” 

X’s eyes widened. “Really?” 

“Yeah. We lived with his son and grandsons for a time. I could see us living there, but….it was too similar to the world we’d left behind. It hurt him to stay in a world that was so similar.” 

“It reminded him of what he’d thought he’d failed,” X said quietly. “That’s understandable.” 

“Plus, it’s weird,” Omega-Xis mused. “We’ve met a lot of adults that have expressed a concern in Geo, but the human ones--they never put up too much a fuss about him fighting or anything. The only adults that ever really did were the you, and the Hunters.” 

“Not even the Dr. Light?”

“He tried, but having dealt with your big brother for so long I think he was tired of trying,” Omega-Xis said flatly. “Also, his government is always super nosy, and not in a good way. I think I mentioned that.” 

“You did,” X responded tiredly. 

“But you,” Omega-Xis said grumpily. “Are always the same, no matter the war or age. It’s super annoying. “Why is the child fighting?” “You should be in school.” “Are you eating enough?” “No, you’re not going out onto the battlefield.” And on and on and on. Zero and Axl did the same thing, just not as verbally.” 

X smiled. “Really?” 

Omega-Xis groaned. “Oh yeah. Same thing with Signas.” 

X barked out a laugh. “Signas did it too?” 

Omega-Xis shivered. “Once was enough.” 

“Fair enough,” X said, a smile still playing on his lips. 

“He loved you all the best out of all the people we met. But your worlds are never peaceful,” Omega-Xis said. “So we’ve never stayed. But you’re here,” he said. “And it’s peaceful.” He sighed. “X. I have nothing to give to you, but please--” He bowed. “I beg for shelter for Geo Doran Stelar and myself.”  

“You two can stay,” X said seriously. “You don’t need to ask.” 

Omega-Xis sighed, and straightened up. “Thank you,” he said. “The issue will be getting the kid to settle down. He’s been running for a few months now and it’s a habit.” 

“Habits can be easily broken,” X responded easily. “And my children will be happy to help.” His eyes glinted. “Let’s help a wanderer settle down.” 

Omega-Xis cracked a grin. “Thanks, X.” 

And despite not having met this alien before, X could sense that perhaps there was a reason why his other selves hadn’t separated him from Geo before. “You’re welcome,” he replied. 

[latoyalestrange]

THE FOOL

p. pascal x reader

Masterlist | Playlist

Summary: Naela doesn’t know if she can take another five months of this. Mandatory bonding time on the beach helps replenish her sense of hope.

Words: 2.3k

Warnings: fluff, pedro being caring and cute af, not edited, smoking, alcohol, mutual pining

Taglist: @marvel-sw-lover , @lokislittle , @red-red-rogue , @babukat

comment if you want to be added to the taglist!

CHAPTER FOUR — METHOD ACTING

Naela normally wasn’t so excited to go to sleep. Friday night was different, though. Knowing she didn’t need to set an alarm was a weight lifted off of her shoulders. She couldn’t wait to go to sleep so she could wake up refreshed and on her own volition.

Except that’s not what happened.

Around 9:15-ish, the sound of someone knocking on her trailer door stirred her out of her very deep sleep. She was drooling and everything. She thought maybe if she turned over and tried to go back to sleep that it would go away. But when did things ever go her way?

Knock, knock, knock!

With a heavy sigh and a groan, she pulled herself out of bed and groggily walked over to the door. It took a few tries to unlock it, but she eventually swung it open. Oh shit.

Pedro, in a half-open linen button up, swim shorts, and a tote bag stood in front of her, his mouth slightly agape and eyes surely wide behind the Ray Bans he was wearing. His expression immediately made her realize she had forgotten to put pants on. To be fair, she was half-awake, and she was a hot sleeper.

“Um- hi…” she said with a tired voice, breaking the silence.

He looked around to see if anyone was looking. “Um, let me— let me come in so people don’t—“

“Right, right, thank you…” She stepped aside so he could come in.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” He was more comfortable now with her alone and his sheepish smile returned.

“You’re okay, I needed to get up anyway, I think,” she replied unsurely, making him laugh. “What time is it?”

He dug his phone out of his pocket to check it. “Nine-seventeen. Did you get the text about Beach Day?” She looked puzzled, so he continued. “Last night they sent out a text, I think it was while we were here. I didn’t see it until I got back to my trailer.”

“Oh, that makes sense. I passed out after you left,” she chuckled.

“Yeah, you could barely keep your eyes open,” he joked.

She looked embarrassed. “You could tell?”

“Yeah. It was cute, though…” Struggling to find that right words, she just chuckled. They were quiet for a moment.

She cleared her throat. “Um, if you wait for like, five minutes I’ll get dressed and meet you outside,” she offered.

“Yeah, of course. No rush.” They just smiled at eachother before he turned to leave.

Naela had never seen herself get ready so fast. Within ten minutes, she had brushed her hair, changed into a bikini and put a tank top and jean shorts on top of it, put sunscreen all over herself, and took a few extra seconds to put her favorite lipgloss on.

Pedro was leaning against her trailer when she stepped out. “Ready?”

“Yup!” She answered cheerfully, sliding her sunglasses down to match his. “Is anyone else coming?”

He started to lead her towards the parking lot on set. “Yeah, Boyd and Joanna are waiting in the car. It’s supposed to be a ‘bonding exercise’ of sorts,” he replied with air quotes and a cheeky smile.

Soon enough they were getting into the SUV that was waiting for them and enduring a bumpy ride to a more private section of each in Puerto Escondido, Córdoba.

Surprisingly the sun was more forgiving that usual and the wind kept them cool. Naela could smell the salt even before she got out of the car. The sound of the waves crashing as they approached gave her a sense of relief that only being at the beach could.

As they were laying out belt towels under an umbrella, Boyd pulled out a frisbee.

“Let’s test out the water!”

“Oh, god, I’m terrible at this game,” Joanna groaned.

“Catch?” Pedro teased. She rolled her eyes.

“No, specifically the throw part.” The group laughed.

“Don’t worry, we’ll look stupid together,” Pedro added, placing a hand on her shoulder as he smiled.

“Pedro looking stupid? Never,” Boyd replied sarcastically. Naela laughed especially hard at that.

Pedro turned to her, “What, is it the mustache?” He contoured his puckered lips with his fingers, trying to make a “cool” face.

Naela giggled, then answered, “I won’t lie, it took some getting used to, but it’s grown on me.” She instantly thought of the moment he revealed his new look to her.

It was the first day of shooting, the day after the whole “manager-purposefully-withholding-contract-details” situation. She was in a funk, to say the least, but she hoped her makeover would lift her spirits. She had no idea what was in store for her, but sometimes change feels good, right?

She could feel the butterflies as she stepped up to the trailer door and swung it open. The first thing she saw was the stylists back turned towards her. Once she stepped in and looked into the mirror she barely saw a glimpse of Pedro before he put his script in front of his face.

She gasped, “Oh, let me see, let me see!” She could see his shoulders shaking as he laughed behind the paper.

“No, she’s not done yet!” The stylist straightened her back, then made a few more adjustments.

“Actually, I am.” She corrected him. Naela smiled, staring at the thick stack of papers separating them.

“Okay, fine…one, two, three,” He stammered out quickly before dropping the script into his lap. Her hand instinctively covered her mouth as it hung open. She was silent for a moment, unsure if she was admiring him or just in shock.

“Muy bonita?” He asked, smirking playfully. She nodded slowly.

“No, muy guapo, Pedro…y muy bonita.” They laughed in unison. Maintaining eye contact, he rose to his feet and she suddenly realized how close she was to the chair as he was sitting down.

Standing tall above her, he replied, “Gracias, princesa.” His voice was lower than normal, more gravely. She blushed as she stepped aside to allow him to pass. He lingered for a minute before turning to thank the stylist. With his back turned, she just stared as he left.

Naela…Naela…Naela!

“Sorry, what?” She blinked away her trance and shook her head.

“We’re gonna get in the water. You comin’?” Boyd asked as she noticed everyone shedding their cover-ups.

“Yeah, yeah, ‘course.” She nodded and followed suit, peeling off her fitted top and jean shorts. Feeling the breeze in places she normally didn’t, she felt exposed and a little chilly.

“That swimsuit is so cute!” Joanna chirped, smiling sweetly at her.

She mimicked her, “Aw, thanks.”

“Yeah, I was gonna wear something like that but I didn’t want to outshine you,” Pedro joked. Naela scrunched her nose at him and nudged his shoulder.

The group laughed at she retorted, “You could never!”

After a few minutes of practice, Naela was getting in the groove. She was throwing and catching the frisbee much more than she expected herself to.

“Naela!” Boyd called out, signifying it was her turn. He flicked the frisbee into the air, accidentally using a bit too much force. Naela tried to chase after it, winding up in a deeper spot than beforex and right as a wave was coming for her.

Just like that, it swallowed her whole and she was tumbling under the water. A few scary moments of this passed before she felt herself being pulled out of the current with ease.

“You okay?” Pedro chuckled, smiling down at her as he pulled her to more shallow water. She took a few deep breaths as the others gathered and she planted her feet in the sand.

“Yeah, I’m good,” She confirmed, a little embarrassed, but still smiling. Pedro stood right next to her, his hands still ghosting over her arm. Then, they traveled to the bundle of string on her side, which was coming apart. He retied it without question, making sure it was secure. She blushed and mouthed a “Thank you”, her nervousness keeping her from being more forward than that.

“Sorry, Naela. If it makes you feel better that dive for the frisbee looked cool,” Boyd added as they got closer. She chuckled, feeling a bit better.

“I was getting hungry anyways. I volunteer the boys to go get us food while we sunbathe!” Joanna cheered as she took Naela’s wrist and began walking back toward their umbrella. Pedro and Boyd looked at eachother, then the girls, seeing them smiling at eachother as they walked away. Who were they to say no to them?

“Sooo,” Joanna began expectantly as she plopped down on her own towel next to Naela. She turned, giving her a puzzled look.

“So what?” Naela asked, chuckling.

“So you and Pedro!” Naela instantly rolled her eyes.

“Ugh, don’t remind me. I can’t believe what Mike did wasn’t technically illegal.”

Joanna shook her head, “No, sweetie, you and Pedro. I see the way he looks at you.”

“Yeah, but we’re just acting then.” She replied, a little quieter now, feeling unsure. “Plus, I have a boyfriend, and Pedro knows that.

Joanna shook her head. “Sure, he knows. I just don’t think he cares,” she teased in a melodic tone. She giggled and let her head fall back, laying flat. “Just my professional opinion.”

“Oh, is it now?” Naela played along, laughing with her.

A while later, the boys returned with two boxes of pizza. (pretend there’s a pizza place here i couldn’t find one in my research) Joanna clapped her hands together as she sat up and made room for Boyd on her towel. Naela did the same for Pedro and they all gathered around the pizza boxes.

“Oh, wait!” Joanna perked up, jumping to her feet to get her bag. The group laughed as she pulled a bottle of white wine out of her bag.

“Perfecto, Joanna!” Pedro smiled and immediately reached out, offering to open it. She oblidged and Naela watched as Pedro put the cork in between his teeth. She noticed the familiar flutter in her stomach as she saw him use the trick she taught him and pulled the coke out with ease. He passed the bottle to her first for a drink. She blushed as she took it in her hands and took a casual swig before passing it on. Boyd had already opened the box and started on his first slice, so Naela followed suit.

Her first bite took her back to being a kid at the pool and being starving after swimming for so long. Then taking the heaviest nap of her life.

After a few moments of silence as they stuffed their faces, Boyd was full and took out a pack of cigarettes, offering one to Pedro, who accepted graciously. Naela watched as he put the stick between his lips and flicked his silver lighter, burning the tip with the flame. His brow furrowed, making for a tempting focused expression. He pulled gently on it as he pocketed his lighter. He exhaled and finally turned to face her, purposefully aiming the smoke away from her. He smirked and took the cigarette in his two fingers, holding it out to her.

She panicked for a second, unsure of what she should do. Before they could notice, she took it in her fingers and brought it up to her plump and soft lips. She inhaled slightly before immediately spitting the smoke out and handing it back to Pedro.

“Yuck,” she admitted. Joanna passed her to bottle as the boys chuckled. She took a generous sip to clear the taste out of her mouth. “I prefer weed,” she added. At this, the other three burst into laughter.

Looking at them, Naela felt special. She felt comfortable, safe. Especially with Pedro.

Ding! Naela felt her phone buzz as it lie next to her on the beach towel. The group’s chatter ceased as she reached for her phone.

Josh: Call me please.

“Oh, I’m gonna make a phone call real quick.” Naela said quietly as she looked down at her phone.

“No worries. Everything okay?” Pedro asked, meeting her eye with a concerned look as she stood up.

“Yeah, it’s fine, I’ll just be a second.” She mustered up a smile as she began stepping away. He nodded, mirroring her expression. Once she was a few feet away, she instantly dialed her boyfriends phone number. It only took two rings for him to answer.

“Hello?” He answered casually. Did you not just tell me to call you?

“Hey, you said to call you…” she trailed off apprehensively.

“Yeah, I just wanted to see what you were doing. You’re off today, right?” She really couldn’t tell if he was angry or not.

“Yeah, we’re doing group bonding stuff today—“

“Group bonding? Like what?”

“Oh, we’re just at the beach right now, we were playing some games but we took a break to eat.” Please don’t be mad about the swimsuits.

“Okay…sounds fun….well, what I really wanted to call and say was I’m sorry. I overreacted. I looked up some stuff about PR relationships and how they filmed intimate scenes and…yeah, I’m sorry. This is just part of your job.” Naela didn’t realize it at the time but getting the smallest ounce of bare minimum from him made her feel incredible. All he had to do was be nice to her and she would be fawning over him in a matter of seconds.

“Oh, it’s okay,” she responded, feeling a huge weight lift off of her shoulders.

“Thank you, baby. Just remember to call me when you can, okay? I love you.”

“Okay. I love you too.”

Maybe everything was turning out exactly as it was supposed to.

reblog if you made it to the end!

[carlsainz]

𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑑𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒 – 𝑞. 𝘩𝑢𝑔𝘩𝑒𝑠

summary: you desperately need a wedding date.

pairing: quinn hughes x reader

note: yup it’s finally here. don’t know when i’ll be posting the second chapter though, but stay tuned!!

warnings: none

word count: 1,5k

lowercase intended.

Act I – The lie

“yeah mom, i’m going to becky’s wedding with a plus one,” you repeated for the thousandth time.

“but who’s the mysterious man?”

“you’ll see him on friday, i promise.”

“it’s really sad you and luke broke up, i wanted to see him so bad,” your mom reminded you of your failed relationship.

“can we please not talk about him?”

“sorry, darling.”

“anyway, i have to go, petey and i were going on a walk with milo.”

“tell him i said hi,” your mom said. “bye darling, have fun!”

“bye mom, love you,” you replied and hung up.

turning to elias, you started laughing like a crazy woman. “elias what the hell was i thinking saying i have a new boyfriend?”

“you were just desperate,” petey shrugged.

“yeah but now i’m supposed to take someone to cali in three days and i have no one.”

“i already said you could take me,” he shrugged.

“ew no, you’re like my brother, i couldn’t pretend you’re my boyfriend. besides, mom knows i wouldn’t date you.”

he stood silent for a few minutes while you thought.

“i have an idea,” elias finally broke the silence with something useful. “you remember quinn?”

“of course i remember him, i’ve spent a whole night making out with him.”

“gross but you could ask him to go with you,” he suggested. “the guy seems whipped.”

“don’t be so dramatic.”

“no i’m being serious, he gets all flushed just at the mentioning of your name.”

“shut up,” you laughed and rushed him, grabbing your dog’s leash.

alone at night, you thought about your situation. you needed someone to take to california with you as soon as possible and, besides petey’s suggestion, there was no one else you could ask. so you texted the last person possible, quinn hughes. the guy you made out while you were both at a team party and, if you were being honest, it was more than good.

hey, you up?

yeah, what happened? was his quick response.

can i ask you a question?

sure

would you go as my plus one to a wedding in california during all star break?

you sent the text and immediately shut your phone down, dreading his response. after a few minutes, there was still nothing from quinn, until your phone started buzzing and you saw his name and a cute picture on the screen. breathing in, you picked up.

“hm hi quinn.”

“hey,” he said and you could sense his nervousness. “would you care to explain the situation?”

sighing, you adjusted yourself on the cushion and started. “okay, a few months ago i was dating a guy named luke, my family loved him and bla bla bla but he cheated on me with my best friend, so of course we broke up. the thing is, my cousin is getting married and i don’t want my family to think i’m a failure, you know?”

“i’m very sorry, he didn’t deserve you,” quinn responded. “but why would your family think you’re a failure?”

“because they’re very traditional and of course for them a woman’s success is directly tied with a good relationship and kids and everything,” you said. “besides, i don’t want people asking me every five minutes why little lukey is not there and what happened.”

“get it,” was all that he said for a while. you two kept just hearing each other’s breathing through the phone while quinn thought.

“so,” he broke the silence. “i would have to pretend i’m your boyfriend?”

“pretty much.”

“all during this all star break?”

“yup.”

he spent a couple minutes in silence. “okay, i’m going with you.”

“really?” you said very loud. “sorry buddy.”

“yeah really, i want to help you,” he said. of course he wanted to help you, but also take the chance of his life with the girl that never left his thoughts since the first time you kissed.

“quinny i owe you my life, i really do,” you happily exclaimed. “i’m going to send you all the information you need, including a guide of my family so you don’t get lost.”

“i’d appreciate that,” he laughed. “well, see you… when?”

“thursday’s afternoon! see you at the airport, quinny, have a good night and thanks for saving my life.”

“it’ll be a pleasure,” he said and, after your goodbyes, he hung up.

after that, you and quinn started texting nonstop whenever you could catch a break from your daily routine and, if you were being honest, you were already having fun. he was a quick learner and you called him in your free times to talk more about your family and things he should know.

it was all a secret but it didn’t stop petey to tease quinn every remaining day asking about you and your family, while quinn just sighed frustrated and felt the heat on his face.

thursday idn’t take long to arrive and you were surprised by quinn at your door when you were getting ready. you honestly didn’t expect that when he asked for your address but it was very cute of him. not sure about the greetings, you just awkwardly hug and laughed and you invited him in.

“make yourself at home, i’m just finishing my makeup,” you told him. “you can turn the tv on and watch something or you can come with me to my room.”

he made a funny face and you noticed the double sense of the phrase.

“oh my god no, not in that way, i uh i just mean,” you stopped and started laughing with him.

“don’t worry, i got it,” he said. “we can study more about your family.”

“perfect! okay so yeah, you can come with me and sorry.”

he only giggled and accompanied you to your room and, while you finished your makeup, he talked about your family so you could judge his knowledge.

the way to the airport was good and it didn’t take long for you to arrive there. the waiting for the flight was bigger but you didn’t even noticed because the company was too good. he kept telling jokes and asking about your relatives and your life and you also got to know him more too and it was very good. he was so different from what other people thought it was funny.

at the flight, you’ve slept during most of it, while quinn read a book about something you couldn’t see. also, he was sweet and let you put your head on his shoulder to sleep better.

already in los angeles, you started feeling very nervous. noticing that, quinn held your hand, bent down and whispered “it’s gonna be okay, we got this.” while squeezing the back of your hand. you sighed, nodded and kept walking and it didn’t take long for you to see your mom and aunt already waiting for you.

their eyes shone seeing quinn and you wanted to sadly laugh because they were more excited to see a guy they’ve never heard of before than you, their relative and daughter.

when you were close enough, your mom clasped her hands together and said “so this is the mysterious boyfriend?”

quinn looked at you and smiled, “yes ma’am.”

“oh please, call me rosie! how’s your name again?”

“quinn, quinn hughes,” he shook her hand with his free one while both your mom and aunt looked at him like he was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. your aunt barbie was the next and, when quinn called her by name, she almost melted.

you forced a smile before saying “hey, i’m here too, you know”

“hi, my love,” your mom said less enthusiastically and hugged you, your aunt doing the same after her.

after that, you went directly to the car to go to the hotel where everyone was staying and, while quinn kept being the center of attentions, you stayed silent, just thinking.

you knew your mom loved you deeply, but sometimes you couldn’t help but think she liked the idea of you getting married and starting a family more than she liked you and that makes you sad. however, you kept loving her with all your being.

seeing you vaguely staring down, quinn shook your hand. “you ok, babe?”

“yeah, don’t worry,” you answered.

the interaction was quick and your voices were low but of course your mom and aunt heard everything and were smiling from ear to ear.

later, after your things were already in your shared bedroom, it was already time for dinner, when quinn would meet the rest of your family and of course you were scared.

“quinn,” you got his attention. “what if they don’t believe we’re dating for real?”

“they will, don’t worry,” he smiled.

“but they’re gonna ask everything and-“

“don’t worry,” he interrupted you and said again. “i’ve grown up with two brothers that got in trouble all the time, i know how to make people believe me.”

“really?”

he got up and stood in front of you. “really,” he said. “i would never make you look like a fool in front of your family.”

“thanks, quinn, you're the best.”

he smiled down at you and before he could say anything, you heard a knock on your door. “time for dinner, guys,” your cousin said.

[runningfrom2am]

1. coryo’s reaction at the the beginning is very real. “i thought we were over this.”

2. r trying to get jessup to the open grave reaper organised is everything to me. she deserves all the hugs.

3. her being closest to the person she was when she left district 12, while offering her life in exchange for a few words feels she is trying to hold onto her identity.

4. “My heart was heavy, for its trust had been / Abused, its kindness answered with foul wrong;” there is no way she doesn’t remember the first two lines of this poem but that part is personal and she gets to keep it.

5. not gonna lie, coral made me laugh there. imagine you’re fighting to death and there’s a girl who conveys her every thought through poems.

6. how i love reaper, honestly. he genuinely might be the best of them. it would be horrible if he were to be hit by the drones.

7. “What would be the use in helping her now?” oh, the reality and the corruption it brings.

8. SHE SMILED AT CORAL!! this might be the “death” of our “juliet”, i wonder when will “romeo” “die”.

9. coryo finally seems to have learned how to twist the truth, good for him!

10. TAKE THE GIRL OUT OF THERE! it’s horrible enough to have experienced all of that but to spend a night at the same spot with only guilt to keep company is terrifying.

11. wondering if coryo regrets what he did because she has done things that she isn’t proud of, empathy might become the very thing that keeps her sane. also i think this is the first time she called him coriolanus, internally.

12. her look on everything is being challenged, from her morals to her love. this actually made me cry.

13. is coryo not going to be exiled? with the compact seemingly unnoticed and the note having an explanation to exist there, maybe he gets away.

this one is long y’all- strap in

1. literally lol- he’s like “damn i JUST find out you’re still alive and you’re giving up??”

2. ugh yeah 🥺 and he deserved it too like i literally think she saw no other options. she was sure getting him there would cost her her life and it was worth it.

3. yes this!! i think she had a few minutes of clarity almost- where later on she thinks ab how the “old her” is just a voice in the back of her mind it’s really not! only when her life is threatened not on her terms does she really stray from that relentless empathy that really makes her who she is.

4. yuppp you get it you get it.

5. NO LITERALLY like if i was coral i wouldn’t have patience for that either like i do get it hahaha

6. REAPERRRR he deserved so much better and i LOVED his character especially in the book. he’s so complex and i do honestly think he’s quite similar to r, but he just put up this show that he was a threat and she never made that attempt. all he wanted was to protect dill. i’ll cry for him forever.

7. YUP. i feel like she doesn’t even want to think that way or even necessarily believe what she’s thinking but she doesn’t have time for second-thoughts and is constantly almost in this battle with her mind and her body where she wants to do the “right” thing but her body is doing what it can to protect and save itself before she can think of repercussions. that would be SO incredibly confusing and scary to deal with so her mind almost has to “pretend” to play along to protect itself. (if this makes any sense at all.) i just mean that the more “dark” less characteristically accurate thoughts she is having feel almost performative, she has to trick herself into it so she doesn’t feel as guilty. (this doesn’t work.)

8. now as we go on in the chapter my last point starts to get very blurry. because a smile, a comment like that, literally mocking coral in her last moments are so unlike r that it’s shocking. like you said, the death of juliet, in a sense. so how much of that is genuinely what she is feeling, and how much is what she thinks she should be feeling? she comes across as kind, gentle, even naive, but this interaction makes it obvious that she has never seen coral in much of a positive light- especially after the games started. so maybe she saw no consequence in getting at least one jab in at her, but she does regret this later when that clarity comes back.

9. lol yeah he ATE. (in this one i needed him to have his “i’m just sending water” moment and this was it lol)

10. no LITERALLY like dr. gaul knew damn well those boys in the vents were dead even if she thought it was by the snakes. it feels almost more like a test for coryo than for her, though it is a cruel punishment to just leave her like that.

11. i’m so glad you get it, like this girl bleeds empathy. i think leaving her overnight wasn’t meant to force her to dwell on what she had done, because according to the cameras, she really hadn’t done anything. i think that’s what made it so hard, too. no one knew what she had done besides herself. she doesn’t know or care if anyone besides coryo is still watching by the time she pulls out the compact, intent on taking her own life whether she realizes consciously that’s what she wants or not, and then when he takes that from her she confesses. as far as she knows, she’s confessing to the world bc she really couldn’t live with herself otherwise. she’s just lucky that he happens to be the only one there. she’s lucky, but she doesn’t care.

ALSO the coriolanus thing,, yup. she was VERY quick at the beginning to separate him from his name. as soon as she found out his nickname she clung to it and really decided that he was coryo, not coriolanus. that line is so blurred by now that she doesn’t know who he is anymore.

12. me too 🥺 my heart breaks for her because even if she did technically “cheat”, she didn’t do anything wrong. she was so much more harmless than almost all of the others, she tried her best to stay that way but she just couldn’t.

13. i mean… as long as no one looks over the footage of what happened that night and early in the morning he should be fine 😬

[aspiringauthorintraining]

A Fateful Encounter (8/?)

“I hate potatoes.”

“Nobody hates potatoes, Markl.” 

You were really starting to get worried that he was taking after Howl and his dramatics. “How many times have you even had potatoes to have taken such a disliking to them?”

“...Once,” he frowned, “b-but I just need to have it once to know I don't like something! If it’s bad peeled, it’s gonna be bad cooked anyways.”

You stopped looking at the fish for a second, staring at the boy in front of you. “Markl, did you just eat the potato raw?”

“Well, yeah. Master Howl never has time anymore to make food so I did it myself. I washed it, peeled it, and ate it. It was bleh.”

You shook your head, wondering how this poor boy survived under the care of the irresponsible man-child of a wizard that he called “Master”. Resuming your inspection of the fresh-caught fish, your eyes traveled down to see a huge blue fish displayed on the ground, with its eyes seemingly staring into your soul. Grimacing, you slowly backed away, inching towards Markl.

“Umm, I’ll take this one.” you quickly said, pointing to one of the fish you had been looking at earlier. 

“Great choice, ma'am,” the seller complimented as he took the coins from Markl, before moving to start wrapping the said fish for you.

A sudden commotion from behind, paired with an increasingly strong burning smell grabbed the attention of everyone at the market. Even the fish seller stopped midway in his wrapping, hurrying out of his stall to get closer to the harbor to watch what was going on. 

“But my fish,” you frowned, just staring at the half-wrapped fish with Markl. You looked down at the child and shrugged, before pushing up your sleeves to finish the wrapping. You had already paid for it anyways.

“Can we go look too?” Markl asked, as you placed the wrapped fish in the basket and took the basket from his hands.

“I have a feeling Sophie’s going to need our help back home right about now.” you frowned, remembering what was soon to come. “Also remember, we run away from bombs, not towards them, Markl.”

“Huh?” he replied confused, as you led the way back home with the basket in one hand and Markl’s hand in the other.

When the two of you had reached the castle door, a sudden series of explosions sounded from the harbor making you both jump. 

“Are those-”

“Yup.”

“How did you-”

You merely shrug, opening the door before it started raining flyers on the streets.

“Are you sure you’re not a witch?” Markl asked, suspiciously squinting his eyes at you.

“Do you want me to be?” you laughed, placing the basket near the sink to prepare later. “Sophie?” you called out, wondering what your friend was doing.

“Here!” she called out, from somewhere. A few seconds later, she finally popped out from behind the curtain in the makeshift bedroom. “Just organizing some stuff. Oh,” she noticed the basket, “you should have woken me up. I could have gone too.”

You shook your head, placing a hand on her shoulder for support. “No, no. You need your energy. There’s a greater evil coming upon us soon.” 

And as if right on time, a shriek pierced through the air as the castle shook in fright. Crying sounds accompanied by bumping into the wall noises sounded from above, quickly travelling to the stairwell.

“Sophie, you-you sabotaged me!” Howl shouted, glaring at the young girl. “Look!” And running to her, with no sense of personal space, butted his head to her face in anger. “It’s hideous!” he cried, with nothing but a towel on his waist.

Orange, orange, orange. Keep your eyes on the hair, (Y/N). Do not go any lower.

You definitely were not watching the drops of water cascading down his smooth chest and back, until the droplets disappeared behind the towel. And you definitely did not notice how the towel was barely hanging on to the man’s waist due to his wild movements. Hair. You were only paying attention to his hair. Nothing else.

“Now I’m repulsive. I can’t live like this.” he whined, sagging into the chair behind him.

Black. Now the color was bla- wow, that towel deserved an award for how it stayed on him without falling off. And oh look, there’s his back. His very wide shoulders on full display- no. Focus, (Y/N). Stop ogling.

“I give up. I see no point in living, if I can’t be beautiful.”

Coming to your senses, you looked in disgust as the man sat slouched over, moping. And having a tantrum over what? His hair. 

A child- he was a literal man-child.

Sophie and Markl looked in fear at the shadows lurking along the walls that were growing by the second, encasing the castle in darkness. Calcifer tried to save his logs from the slime that was quickly getting everywhere. Howl didn’t listen, what a surprise, continuing his murmuring- his pale skin turning increasingly green and slimy. You didn’t even want to know what the slime was made up of.

“Alright, that’s enough for today.” Rolling your eyes at the man’s childish meltdown, you stopped Sophie just in time from touching the slime on Howl’s back. “I’ll take of him, don't you worry.” you ensured her.

Suddenly grabbing the back of the chair, you pulled Howl’s weight towards the door. The only sound heard in the castle now was the screeching sound of the wooden chair being dragged across the floor.

The rest of the group remained in their positions, Calcifer really having no choice though, as you turned the dial to the purple color.

“(Y/N), what are you doing?” the fire demon asked, hesitantly. Half curious, half afraid for Howl’s well-being.

You looked up from tugging on the chair, to give him a thin smile.

“It’s raining.” 

“So?”

“Well, I thought since Howl didn’t like the bath, maybe a shower would be more to his liking.” And with a smile, you opened the door to face the pouring rain outside. “Markl honey, can you help me with the umbrella?”

The boy hurried to the door, grabbing the propped up umbrella and going ahead outside. Opening it, he held it up to make sure the two of you were shielded from the rain. Sophie and Calcifer stared from the doorway, as you pulled Howl out of the castle and into the pouring rain.

“She’s not going to kill him outside, is she?” Calcifer whispered to Sophie, while munching on a log.

“No. At least, not in front of Markl.” Sophie responded thoughtfully.

Once fully under the rain, Markl whispered to you from under the umbrella.  “Is he dead?”

“No, he’s just throwing a tantrum.” you responded, watching the green slime wash off his back from the rain. “Are you sure he doesn’t have a spell or something like your cloak, that makes him look older but he’s actually a child. Because I could believe that.”

Markl laughed at your theory. “No, I don’t think so.”

Sudden rustling in the grass made you look over to see Prince Justin hopping over with another umbrella in hand- honestly having no clue where he kept getting his things from- using it to cover Sophie who was coming out of the castle as well.

“Oh, thank you Turnip- Justin.” Sophie smiled, correcting herself.

Hehe, I did that, Justin. You can thank me later by giving me a high-paying, low work job in the palace after all of this is over.

“Justin, are you okay to be out in the rain like this? Can a scarecrow get a cold?” you asked when the two came near. He just bounced up and down a few times, so you assumed it meant he was okay.

Turning your attention back on the moping wizard, you thankfully saw that most of the slime was washing off his body with the rain. 

“Should we just throw him in the lake, and check on him tomorrow?” you whispered to Sophie. She slapped your arm at your suggestion with a forced frown that soon turned into a giggle. “Okay, next time then.” you laugh.

When Sophie and Markl soon left to clean up the mess Howl had made by the fireplace and to start a bath for him, you were tasked to drag him back in once he finished his “shower”. 

The rain felt nice on your face and for the small headache that was forming, once you had decided to forego the umbrella, and it was peaceful with Howl still unresponsive and spacing out. 

Laughter. A child’s laughter. Your headache grew a bit more painful.

“Markl, are you back to play in the rain?” you laughed, turning around expecting to see the boy in a raincoat. But there was no one. 

Another laughter. Two distinct ones this time. You rubbed your temples in an effort to relieve the continually growing headache.

“Markl? Sophie?” you called out, hoping they were playing a trick on you.

But there was still no one. 

“(Y/N).” A child’s voice whispered in your ear.

You whipped around to see only rain and the lake. Now you were getting paranoid. And your headache was feeling like a migraine now. 

Is this place haunted?

“(Y/N).” The same voice sounded from beside you. But only Howl was there, unresponsive as ever still.

With the headache worsening, and hearing children voices in the rain not being a normal occurrence, you quickly grabbed the back of the chair, pulling Howl back into the castle with haste. 

Just as you stepped foot in the castle, the voices and pain stopped. 

Maybe it was the rain that was causing the headache? But the voices? 

“-him up the stairs.” Sophie waved her hand in front of your face to grab your attention. “(Y/N)? I said I need help taking him up the stairs.”

Though still perturbed, you grabbed ahold of one side of Howl, lugging him up the stairs with Sophie’s help. A sudden wet plop sound from behind made Sophie turn her head to see a small wet towel on the floor, making her suddenly lock eyes with the ceiling.

“(Y/N), don’t look down.” she warned, keeping her eyes above and ahead. 

“Hmm, what?” you asked, moving your eyes down to look at what she was talking about. 

Your eyes wandered around until they landed on something that took you a second to realize what you were staring at. Your eyes shot up to the ceiling, face burning red.

“You looked didn’t you?” Sophie laughed.

_________________________________________

*(A/N):  it is currently 2:39 am and i tried to do naked howl justice so just know that i tried.  ty to anyone still out there reading this, this is for you. i wrote this just for you but also for me cause yeah. happy december, stay warm and cozy

[k1ranishf4]

It is 8am, I haven’t slept at all and most likely have all qualifications needed to be declared clinically insane.

BECAUSE WHAT THE FUCK MAN??!,!!?!,!,!,!, KXKKSOZLSKXJDLZKSNICUEJSPMWOZHC

I’M GONNA FUCKING KMS AT THIS POINT

*GOOD OMENS 2 SPOILERS BELOW*

It all started so nicely; the first 30 seconds or so literally showed us Crowley when he was still an angel, happily creating the stars and the galaxy and being so proud of his work to the point where he couldn’t even stop smiling like an idiot.

And Aziraphale was with him!! Aziraphale, who fell in love with Crowley even before Earth itself was created; Aziraphale, who couldn’t take his eyes off of Crowley for even just one second while the other was rambling about the stars.

It just got better and sweeter after that, I literally couldn’t stop thinking about how they definitely seem like an old married couple to bystanders, especially whenever they bicker back and forth!

Not to mention their familiarity. You could tell back in season one that those two have known each other for a really really long time and it just got more obvious with this season.

Their mutual pining was also painfully obvious, as always, but this time it really punched me in the guts. I kept coming back to tumblr every now and then when I needed a giggling-and-kicking feet-break while watching and obviously saw a few posts and gifs. Which didn’t exactly help my kicked-puppy-phase. I’ll come back to this later.

Anyway, I’m also hyperventilating about the “One cast-out Prince of Heaven was already bad enough” or something along those lines and was like “ARE THEY INDIRECTLY CONFIRMING THAT CROWLEY WAS THE ARCHANGEL RAPHAEL BEFORE HE FELL???” Because the way I see it, the answer seems to be yes.

Muriel basically said “I don’t have the clearance to show you these files, I’m really sorry” and Crowley just— the fact that the files can only be accessed by angels of higher status tells enough for us to know, but then again, I could be reading way too much into it and all of that could be something else entirely (which I highly doubt, but we saw that literally anything can happen).

Another thing that I absolutely loved was Saraquael’s floating wheelchair. It looked so cool, to be honest. I also liked that they decided to have a disabled angel, instead of going with “yeah, they’re all at peak physical performance”.

Coming back to the Idiots in Love, I honestly thought that it was hilarious of them to stick their noses into other people’s love lives, yet they’re blind/mute/deaf/whatever you want to call it when it comes to the both of them. Loved how two mere humans had to talk sense to a literal demon.

The Kiss. Oh, the Kiss. That broke me. I was worried at first when Aziraphale came back to the bookshop after his little walk and talk with Metatron and was actually shocked to find out that my anxious worry was right. Angel comes back with a two meters wide smile plastered on his face and suddenly starts talking about Heaven again.

That definitely hurt Crowley on an indescribable level. Imagine most of the current problems in your life have been solved again, you’re daydreaming about a lovely dinner at the Ritz with the love of your life and have (some of) your precious, peaceful and fragile existence back when suddenly all of your hopes and dreams get crushed by the very person that you love because they can’t help Heaven’s brainwashing and their own righteousness.

Imagine them happily talking about the very place that you were cast out of just for daring to question or even make suggestions for God’s Great Plan. Yup, definitely sucked for Crowley. I believe that in that moment, when he kissed Aziraphale, he was hoping to finally open the angel’s eyes and make him see and understand what Crowley truly meant.

He just wanted to be away from everyone and everything and have his love by his side, just like he always had been.

But Aziraphale didn’t—couldn’t!— understand that. He was losing his faith and frankly, I still think he does, but deep down, there’s this something in him that sees the good in everyone. Especially Heaven, because God and the angels are supposed to be the good guys here! Hell is obviously bad and evil, and so are demons, then Heaven must’ve been better!

He’s loved Crowley for as long as Crowley has loved him, but in that moment, he saw his chance to possibly make a change and had to take it. He doubted this decision, obviously!! But he also knew that change was desperately needed, even though he seemed to regret his choices and even considered just going back to Crowley.

Crowley, on the other hand, expected Aziraphale to immediately turn down the offer and when it was clear that he hadn’t, he tried to convince Aziraphale of just calling everything off. He waited outside by his car, because Aziraphale always came back after arguments like this. He came back when Crowley had asked for holy water, despite being against it. He came back when Crowley had offered to run away together multiple times during Armageddon. He always returned to Crowley despite his own opinions and Crowley thought that this might also be just like those times.

Except it wasn’t. He got another “I forgive you” and watched the most important person to him step into the elevator to Heaven. The bookshop was in the hands of a stranger and their countless ‘dates’ became just another thing in the past.

He was lonely again, just like he had been when he had fallen and this time, there didn’t seem to be a solution to his loneliness.

It was absolutely fulfilling to see Beelzebub and Gabriel get together and be happy and I was desperately hoping that we’d see the same with Aziraphale and Crowley, but it was just wishful thinking.

At this point, I think that Neil Gaiman just took everything he saw on Tumblr and Twitter and said “let’s put all of this into the second season, but with extra angst in the ending.”

Which is incredible!! But it still hurt my soul and I’m gonna be thinking about this until we hopefully get a season 3.

It’s 9am now, I’ve been typing this for an whole hour and am incapable of forming any coherent thoughts. If something else should come to my mind, I’ll post it after finally catching some Zs.

[pastanest]

if you’re wondering why I’m having to repost this, or why you were perhaps previously following me but no longer are, please refer to this post. I was able to retrieve this thanks to @iamburdened - thanks so much!! ♡

Spencer Reid x she/her!reader

Cure Your Loneliness

Rain attacks your bedroom window, and a loud roar of thunder causes you to turn over and bury your head in your pillow. Lighning illuminates the room for a fraction of a second before you are plunged back into darkness, and you sigh. Even without the storm, you wouldnt be able to sleep, there’s too much on your mind. Well, that isnt strictly true. There’s one person on your mind, but he encapsulates your mind so completely that it’s impossible for you to sleep now. Shaking your head, you reach over to your bedside table and start smacking your hand against the wooden surface until you find the phone. Turning it on, the light from the screen blinds you. After blinking rapidly, your eyes adjust, and you realise the time. You consider your options as you bite your lip. Is 3am an acceptable time to text him? But before you can even consider turning your phone off again, you’ve sent a text. Nobody has a decent amount of self control at 3am, and especially not someone as hopelessly in love as you are.

You: hey

Anxiety consumes you, and you immediately regret your decision. However, much to your surprise, your phone hums pleasantly a few seconds later.

Spence: Hey, is the storm keeping you awake?

Smiling down at your phone, you sense the same kind and caring tone that Spencer gives you in every conversation you have with him.

You: I guess you could say that, yeah

Spence: 2-3% of the U.S population suffer from astraphobia, the fear of storms.

Spence: Wait, you “guess”? What else is keeping you up?

Your hands cover your face and you sigh into them, here goes nothing.

You: Im honestly suffering from extreme loneliness more than anything else. yeah, I hate storms, but what I hate more is needing someone to makeout with for half a century, and not having anyone willing to take me up on that offer

Spence: Are you at the point in your monthly cycle in which you’re experiencing fluctuations in arousal?

You: hahaha, no Spence! I just want to makeout with someone

Spence: For half a century? That’s a considerably long time.

You: maybe even a whole century, I wouldnt complain about that

Spence: Do you have someone in mind you would like to cure your loneliness with?

You: yeah, he has no idea, and even if he did, I dont think it would change anything

Spence: Why not? What guy wouldn’t want to makeout with you?

Spence: That came across far more flirtatious than I intended! What I meant was, any guy would be lucky to makeout with you for five minutes, let alone half a century.

You: if only you intentionally flirted with me

Spence: ...What?

Spence: Forgive me if I’m overstepping, but are you insinuating that I am the guy you want to spend half a century making out with?

You: yup, and as I said, it wont make a difference

Spence: Why wouldn’t it? I recall saying any guy would be lucky to makeout with you, and “any” includes me.

Staring at you screen in shock, you feel your heart skip a beat, and your stomach flip. He cant be serious, can he?

You: wait. you’re kidding.

Spence: I am absolutely not kidding!

You: so...would you be down to come over and makeout for half a century?

Spence: I’d be honoured. When would you like to see me?

You: depends how fast you can get here

Spence: I’ll be there as fast as humanly possible ;)

For a few moments, you sit up in your bed blinking rapidly into the darkness as the reality of your situation sinks in. Doctor Spencer Reid is on his way over. To makeout with you. At 3am. Oh my God.

Without wasting anymore time, you kick your bedcovers off of your body and turn your bedroom lights on, before you begin scrambling around your house. Darting into the bathroom, you splash your face with water and brush your teeth. Skidding back into your bedroom, you brush your hair and look over your pyjamas. The storm outside is little more than afterthought as you check your reflection in the mirror, wondering whether this set of pyjamas will do. Smiling fondly, you remember when you looked over your reflection in the BAU after wearing a new suit to work. Spencer just happened to walk behind you, he caught sight of you, stopped in his tracks and said “You shouldnt critique yourself, you’re beautiful.”

A knock at your front door pulls you from your flashback, and your eyes almost fall out of your skull as your body freezes on the spot. You’re frozen in shock for a few moments, until you recover control of your body and practically fly down your stairs and hitting the front door at full force. Unlocking the door, you tug it open, to be greeted by the sight of none other than Doctor Spencer Reid. Some of his hair sticks to his face because of the rain, and his clothes are damp from the same cause. You notice that he’s pulled some suit pants on, but left a soft silk button-up pyjama shirt on his top half.

“Was that dramatic thud the sound of you hitting your door because you ran down the stairs so fast?” Spencer chuckles.

You smile sheepishly “You betcha!”

Spencer reflects your own smile back at you. “Someone certainly seems eager.”

Overcome with a sudden shyness, you cast your eyes down. “You betcha, again...”

Spencer takes a step forward and lifts your chin with his finger. “Me too, beautiful.”

Your stomach does somersalts at his softspoken words, and you feel goosebumps rise on your skin as Spencer places a hand at the small of your back.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Spencer whispers, leaning close to your ear.

You nod frantically. “Never been more sure in my life.”

Spencer laughs darkly, turning you around and closing your front door in order to gently push you up against it and shut the storm outside. He licks his lips, his breath fanning your nose as he leans down. His lips ghost yours, just for a second, it’s enough to send your eyes fluttering closed. Spencer notices the affect he has on you, and he feels pride swelling in his chest as he pulls your body flush against his, his lips falling back onto yours in a kiss that is so soft and sweet. You can taste mint in his mouth, he must have brushed his teeth before this just like you did. Your hands shake at Spencer’s shoulders, too overwhelmed with the feeling of his lips on yours to fully concentrate on what to do with the rest of your body. Picking up on your nerves, Spencer uses his free hand to move your hands to the back of his neck. He pulls his lips from yours for a second.

“It’s alright, I’ve wanted this for a long time too. Just relax, there’s no rush.” Spencer whispers gently, placing a kiss on your nose before his lips fall back onto yours.

His soft and subtle dominance leaves you utterly breathless, you never suspected this side of Spencer even existed. Somehow, kissing you makes him less nervous and awkward than every other interaction he has experienced. His lips are soft, his touch so gentle but firm at the same time. A crash of thunder from the storm outside causes up to jump even closer to Spencer, which you didnt think was possible. He chuckles as he pulls away and tucks your head into his neck, rubbing slow circles in your back.

“Thunder cant hurt you, nothing can for that matter, not while Im here.” Spencer coos, and you melt into his embrace.

“Do you...Do you want to take this upstairs?” You suggest shyly.

“I’d love to, (Y/N).”

A warm wave of familiarity rushes over you as you remember the events of the night before. Waking up in the arms of Spencer Reid is something you’re never going to forget. You shouldnt be thinking about this now, in the middle of a restaurant, having dinner with the entire team, but you cant help it. Trying not to be too obvious, you retrieve your phone from your back pocket.

You: hey, Im no psychic but Im pretty sure I can predict that Im gonna be lonely again tonight

Spencer frowns as he feels his phone vibrate in his back pocket, and he’s quick to turn it on beneath the table to read your text. He cant help himself from laughing quietly, using his hand to cover his mouth in an effort to hide it from the team who are all laughing around you. A soft smile overtakes his features as he hits send, and that smile only widens when he lifts his gaze to you.

Spence: I’ll be sure to correct that prediction. Be sure to save some room for dessert.

[redisaid]

The World Will Only Darken Without Candlelight - Chapter 4

Girls like me don’t cry

Ao3 is back and I only had to hold onto this one for a few hours. That’s good, because the second I have to keep anything longer, I will edit it to an unrecognizable death. 

Also yay for Ao3! Also apparently it’s Zelink week, so that’s fun, though this isn’t following any sort of prompt for that.

7467 Words

Read it on Ao3!

Tell me that you’ll keep me safe and never let this fade away I'm hiding out so they don't see this part of me Girls like me don't cry Girls like me pretend we don't cry

Link lived in a bus.

Link lived in a fucking bus in the parking lot. An old school bus painted with a geometric sort of motif of forests and mountains.

Converted, quite nicely, Zelda might add, into a tiny house on wheels in which she now sat, screaming into her cracked phone. “Why are both you and Urbosa telling me not to call the cops? I was just assaulted, dad! Link is still over here bleeding all over his…bus.”

Of course he lived in a bus.

Rhoam’s voice on the other end of the line was still groggy with sleep. He hadn’t bothered to turn off the TV he'd fallen asleep in front of, which Zelda could still hear blaring a cable news station in the background.

“Just trust me on this,” he begged of her. “Trust me and stay with Link until I’m there. I’m getting my keys now and I’ll be there as soon as I can, princess.”

“Are you going to fucking explain what’s going on?” Zelda shouted back at him.

She wasn’t all that confident she could convince her phone to make another call after this one. The cracked screen was flickering in and out, and the touch controls were hit or miss.

She’d wasted that first call on Urbosa, who had first apologized for letting her leave alone, then told Zelda not to call the cops, call her dad, and call her back immediately if he didn’t answer.

And now this.

“Stay with Link,” her father repeated. “I’m on my way.”

He hung up on her. Or her phone stopped working. Zelda couldn’t be sure, but it took every ounce of control she had not to throw it clear across the bus. Maybe at Link, who was standing between her and the door, paper towel held to the worst of his bloodied knees.

But, no, not at him. He’d just saved her fucking life. The mute, short, horse girl of a man who lived in a bus.

At least it was a nice bus. Very cozy. All finished out with what seemed like recycled wood and clean, soft white paint. Something that an Instagram van-lifer would dream of.

Zelda sat at a little dinette of that same recycled wood, on a bench softened by dark green upholstery cushions.

“Here. It’s okay. Come with me,” had been the second thing Link ever said to her.

And, “Do you, uh, want a water or something?” was the third as he noticed her call had ended and she was now the one staring at him.

“You live in a bus,” she observed.

“Yup,” he answered.

“You just saved my life,” Zelda continued stating the obvious, hoping that repeating it would make the words make more sense to her.

“I guess?” was Link’s answer.

“You can talk.”

“Yup.”

“And you’re a wonderful conversationalist,” she noted. “Full of details. Fuck. I’m sorry. You don’t deserve how I’m talking to you right now. How I have talked to you. I’m sorry for everything.”

“It’s okay.”

It was not okay. Someone just held a knife to her throat and tried to zip tie her hands. Link had just presumably seen this across the parking lot, run out of his lovely bus home in just a pair of shorts, and tackled that someone to the ground like some sort of wrestling cage match and fought him off. And for all this, Zelda was supposed to not call the police?

“I’ll--sorry--I’ll take the water.”

He nodded, artfully scooting past her in the cramped space toward the little kitchen area, where a small but not small enough to necessarily be called mini fridge sat built into the white cabinets. It too was green, retro-looking, and very much stocked to the brim.

Link handed her a bottle of water before checking his knee and tossing the bloody paper towel into a garbage can hidden in yet another cabinet.

Whatever wounds had been inflicted on him seemed to be entirely due to the fact that he’d charged through a gravel parking lot half-naked in the middle of the night to save her. Without a shirt, he wasn’t as scrawny as Zelda thought. Obviously, he had to have some muscle on him to do the things she’d seen him do. She just was somehow expecting less.

And blamed her current emotional state for even thinking about that.

“My dad’s coming to get me,” she relayed as she decided it was better to stare at the bottle of water instead.

Link grunted an ascent to this. From the sheer volume of her previous conversation alone, she suspected that she didn’t have to tell him. But she did anyway.

He went over to the kitchen again, wetting a dishrag in the sink before wiping his face with it. The cut there had stopped bleeding on their walk over to the bus.

The bus, the only thing parked in the old RV spots that night. Rhoam used to let performers camp at the site, and apparently still did. For all he’d complained about it looking “trashy”, obviously the hookups still worked to the point where Link’s bus had power and water. Soft LED lighting had made it a haven in the darkness.

A bus. A fucking bus.

“Do you know what’s going on?” Zelda started up again, asking without even popping the cap on the water bottle. “Actually no, I know you do. I know you’ll tell me the same thing as them. Not to call the cops.”

Link winced at this. Actually winced. Maybe it was from stinging the cut on his forehead. Maybe not.

But he’d gone mute again, and gave no other response.

That only set Zelda off more. “You do and you would. You’re standing here bleeding all over your fucking bus and you’re going to tell me to keep quiet about it just like them. Why? Why did I bother coming back to this crazy little fucked up make-believe world you people live in?”

Link offered no answer to that.

Zelda looked down at her phone again, half of a mind to dial for emergency services anyway and defy all of them. Her father, Urbosa, Link. Hell, she had the numbers of the other Champions and would bet money they were in on it too if she bothered to ring them.

But it didn’t matter, because the phone only offered one last weak flicker to her touch before going black.

“I didn’t really mean that. I’m sorry,” was all Zelda had to say after that.

She slumped into the dinette table, head falling into the cradle of her forearms on the varnished wood.

A hand appeared in the sliver of vision that was left to her to slide the neglected water bottle toward her as Link crossed back once again to stand between her and the door.

“Are you okay?” Zelda thought to ask him, not bothering with the water, but turning her head the other way so she could see him out of the corner of her eye.

“Yeah,” was Link’s answer to that. He seemed to think about it for a moment.

Zelda turned her head just a little more, peering through the long blonde strands of her own hair at him. For once, he wasn’t looking at her, but out of the glass of the door, seeming not to trust that they were well and truly done with whatever was out there, lurking in the dark. Or maybe he was hoping to see the headlights of Rhoam’s car appear so he could be done with her. Probably that one, actually.

“I’m sorry for ruining your night,” Zelda told him as she buried her face in her arms completely. “And basically your entire day. But you deserved to at least have the evening to yourself after putting up with my shit and now here I am, sitting at your table.”

“It’s okay.”

It wasn’t okay. She wanted him so badly to say that it wasn’t okay. That he hated her. That he despised her. That she was selfish and immature and ungrateful. That for all he cared, he could have just watched her get kidnapped and done nothing and had a better tomorrow for it. She was just an entitled brat, after all. The boss’ daughter, who didn’t even want to be there.

But instead, Link wandered past again, and pushed the cold water bottle at her elbow insistently.

This time, he went deeper into the bus, and when Zelda looked up to follow him with her eyes, emerged from the back of it, now wearing a faded graphic t-shirt she couldn’t quite make out the wording on. But she could make out the image of a knight on a horse. A different renaissance faire’s logo?

He looked at her, looking at him. He opened his mouth to say something, then reconsidered. He took a step forward, then tried again, “I was going to make dinner. I didn’t eat. You didn’t eat either. I don’t think, at least. Do you, um…?”

Link didn’t manage to finish the sentence. That many words at once seemed like it was too much for him, or maybe just too much for now. Even several feet down the bus, Zelda could see him shaking just slightly as he held his hands up in a bit of a shrug. Shaking just as she had when she’d followed him to the bus, fumbling to find Urbosa’s contact in her dying phone.

Zelda knew that feeling well. The tremor of anxiety and leftover adrenaline. The need to do something with that energy, anything, always. Because if she stopped, she would have to face reality. She would have to face the past and future alike, and watch them tear her apart.

“That sounds great,” she eventually answered. “And you’re right. I didn’t really eat. But…you don’t have to. You don’t have to do anything for me. You’ve already done too much.”

Link didn’t offer any response to that protest, and instead buried himself in the little fridge again. He gathered item after item, holding them to his chest before going over to the stove with an armful of things. A container of takeout rice. Two eggs wrapped between fingers. A bunch of green onions. A bottle of some brown sauce. A green-lidded tupperware whose contents were otherwise unidentifiable. A chunk of butter. A bag of frozen peas.

Zelda cracked open the bottle of water, finally. She sipped it as she watched him chop the onions. She watched him crack the eggs and whip them with a fork. She watched him dump the rice into a wok he pulled out. She watched as the tremors in him seemed to calm, slowly but surely, as the tupperware revealed a chunk of ham that he diced into smaller chunks of ham.

She watched as Link made fried rice that looked better than anything she’d eaten in weeks. She watched him smile to himself as he flipped it in the wok.

Short, horse girl chef man. Bloody knees. Lived in bus. He hummed a little as he cooked, seemingly lost in the process, forgetting all else. In his happy place, finally.

And here Zelda was, drinking her water and watching him, feeling the adrenaline leave her system too. Slowly and steadily, not like the confusing rush that had happened after her attacker ran off. Or the anger-filled void of staring at her broken phone.

This time, she only felt tired. Bone tired. She just wanted this night to be over. This long, terrible awful opening day of the faire. She wanted to just start over, honestly. Start over and try again. Curl up onto this dinette bench and its soft green cushions and wait for morning to come.

So when Rhoam came knocking at the door of the bus, just as Link was setting down a bowl of that delicious-smelling fried rice in front of her, Zelda decided it was not worth trying to explain why she didn’t really want to leave. Not that she could explain it, really.

She didn’t even get to try the rice.

---

“For the last time, I am physically fine!” Zelda shouted at her father as he drove down the mostly abandoned avenue that would lead back to their suburban home. “Mentally, I would be much better if I knew what was going on. Especially why you won’t involve the authorities in, I don’t know, your only child being attacked in the parking lot of a venue you own? One where, let’s not forget, you host a renaissance faire primarily attended by families with--”

“I’m sorry this happened to you,” Rhoam cut her off, repeating the same phrase for at least the fifth time in this awful car ride. “But I’m glad Link was there. And you’ll have to trust that I’m handling it.”

“You and a semi-mute horse girl that lives in a bus are going to keep me safe?” Zelda challenged from the passenger’s seat, arms crossed over her tank top, running parallel to the horizontal stripes that crossed it.

“Horse girl?”

“Link!”

The grimace that had been firmly planted on Rhoam’s face since Zelda began her much-deserved rant softened a little, revealing a smirk beneath it. “The lad is a bit of a horse girl. Good kid, though. And he even watched out for you off the clock.”

“I don’t want to be watched out for, dad,” Zelda told him, unphased by his odd fondness for Link this time. “I want to just work through my summer and get out of here. Right now, I’m thinking I should do that in Hateno. Working at a coffee shop or the campus bookstore couldn’t possibly be as awful as this.”

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Rhoam swept in, scowl back on his face even though he kept his eyes on the road. “Now that this has happened, it’s better you’re here and have someone to look after you. Clearly Link is working out.”

“What is with you and him anyway?” Zelda asked, then thought for a moment before she began outlining her priorities, “That’s low on the list, actually. First, why was I attacked? Second, why won’t you call the cops? Third, why do you trust the weird dude who lives in a bus to keep me safe?”

“What’s wrong with living in a bus? You saw it. It’s a nice bus. I would have loved to have something like that when I was his age,” Rhoam said.

“There’s nothing wrong with living in a bus! Forget point number three entirely!” Zelda demanded, voice raising and pitch sharpening along with it as she clung to the armrest, turned as much toward him as her seatbelt would allow.

“I can’t have you involved,” Rhoam told her, his answer quiet and low in comparison.

“Dad, I’m already involved.”

She was too involved. So involved. So involved she could still feel the knife on her throat. Link’s shaking hand reaching for her elbow. The copper penny smell of his blood. The way her heart beat and beat and her brain somehow did nothing for all the effort.

Zelda had never felt so helpless in her entire life. Losing the internship was the worst thing to happen to her up until tonight. Now, she could have that terrible phone call with her dad any day, everyday, in exchange for never having to experience that again.

Rhoam hit a red light on the intersection before the one that he’d turn on to get into their subdivision. The road was nearly empty, and no one was waiting at the cross street. The light caught them purely on a timer, not for any need.

Well, any need besides Zelda’s. “Please, dad. It’s too late for you to keep me in the dark.”

“You weren’t supposed to be here,” was Rhoam’s answer as he finally turned to her.

“I didn’t want to be either,” Zelda told him.

Though these last two weeks between that fateful phone call and tonight had her questioning if she’d really rather be accepted for the internship at alll. Disease research was fascinating, sure, but it didn’t fill her with the passionate fire that other things did.

Sometimes it was just a brief, fleeting burn. She’d binge watch some shitty series while studying and then become utterly obsessed with it for a week. Then her favorite character would get killed off or do something stupid and her interest would immediately dissipate as if it had never existed at all.

But other things…they felt like the only things keeping her alive. Breath and blood. Each new fact or concept she grasped about archeology filled her with energy that vibrated her very bones and sinew. Reading papers on new discoveries was her guilty pleasure. Normal people didn’t subscribe to several scientific journals to get their daily serotonin, but Zelda did.

In fact, a good paper was just about the only thing that was going to calm her down enough to even get a shred of sleep tonight. That or some fried rice.

Fuck. She was starving.

But her father was cracking, looking down at her from across the cab of his truck. The information would have to fill her for now. “I received some threatening letters a few weeks ago. Several of them. Threats to me, to you, to the faire. Me, I could care less about. The faire, well, I can get help there. You, though. You, I won’t negotiate on.”

“Wait, what?”

She hadn’t expected this honestly, despite receiving it. But clearly, her father was feeling guilty enough to keep talking, so Zelda let him.

“I thought it was just some kids at first, threatening to pipe bomb the faire or whatever. I didn’t call the cops then because I couldn’t afford to have them shut us down if they decided to take things seriously. So I didn’t,” Rhoam explained.

The light turned green again, and he used the need to press down on the accelerator to take a pause.

“But they threatened me?” Zelda asked to keep him going.

Rhoam blew a sigh out of his nose. His beard didn’t ruffle much for it, having been flattened from its kingly glory by his nap on the couch and subsequent rush to come get her. “Eventually. Clearly whoever it is knows a lot about me.”

“What do they want?”

The eternal question. But Zelda wasn’t used to being the center of it. She’d watched her father deal with the many dramas of running the faire over the years. Dealing with high maintenance vendors and performers alike. Someone always wanted something from him. More space. More money. More time on stage. More, more, more.

“The castle,” was Rhoam’s answer.

He turned onto their street, into a neighborhood of simple, modest homes, most of them several decades old. Theirs was no exception. Tan brick, white siding, blue shutters. Three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Badly in need of a kitchen renovation. Hardly a castle itself.

“They want me to put the castle ruins up for sale,” Rhoam continued. “By midsummer. In the middle of the faire.”

“The midsummer festival is the busiest week of the faire,” Zelda noted. “Why would whoever this is think you’d be okay with that? It’d ruin you.”

“I’m not okay with it. That’s why they’re threatening me and my family,” Rhoam concluded. “Again, if it were just me, it’d be different. But people depend on that faire. People I’ve known for years and years. People you’ve grown up with. And you…”

His hands gripped at the leather of the steering wheel until it creaked. Zelda had no doubt in her mind where she’d gotten that bad habit of clenching her fists and crushing water bottles from.

Rhoam turned into their driveway with the steering wheel still under threat from his meaty fingers. “Link came to me looking for work,” he went on. “Exactly on the day that I got the letter that made a threat on you. And then you called me about the internship when he was still sitting in my office.”

The fact that the timing of all this was terribly convenient wasn’t lost on Zelda. But it paled in comparison to the deep sinkhole of embarrassment she was falling into at the idea of Link hearing her sobbing on the phone and begging her father for rescue from her own failure.

“He offered,” Rhoam told her. He pulled into the garage, shutting off the ignition and pressing the remote he kept clipped to the mirror to shut the door. “He promised me he’d keep you safe.”

“He did,” Zelda told him. “But you also could have told me. You could have given me options.”

“I wasn’t thinking straight at the time,” Rhoam admitted. His massive frame slumped against the seat of the truck. He made no move to open the door.

“I still don’t know if you’re thinking straight,” Zelda told him, unbuckling herself so she could lift her own much smaller body to twist in the seat and face him fully. “If you just told the police--”

“About a bomb threat? Kidnapping? Murder? Sure, they would definitely let me keep the faire open, Zelda. They definitely wouldn’t shut it down and leave hundreds of people without a source of income for the summer. And that’s even if they didn’t just laugh this off as some prank, even with what happened to you,” Rhoam said, shaking his head. “No, I can’t have that. I’m working on it. I promise I’m working on it.”

“How?” Zelda pried. “How can you fix that? Have Daruk go mean mug every slightly suspicious person that goes near the castle? Have Purah install some facial recognition system that scans police databases or whatever?”

“She did rig up some surveillance cameras for me.”

“Is that it?”

“No,” Rhoam told her with another shake of his head. “The good thing about working with all kinds of people for fifteen years is that you get to know, well, all kinds of people. Some of them are shady people who are good at investigating shady things. Trust me. They’re taking care of it for us, and I don’t need you sticking your nose into it.”

“You’re asking me to trust carnies in tights and armor--”

“--that you grew up around,” Rhoam reminded her. “That I consider our extended family. Don’t forget that. As much as I know you want to, please don’t forget that. It’s important to have people who have your back in life, Zelda. Sometimes, they’re not exactly the type of people you had imagined they would be, but that doesn’t change what you mean to one another.”

“It’s just--”

Rhoam finally looked over at her, turning to her. In a rare moment of contact between them--Zelda couldn’t remember the last hug she’d gotten from her father, maybe high school graduation--he took hold of her hands with his, encompassing them as he looked into her eyes.

“Zelda, please. Promise me. I told you this because it didn’t feel fair to leave you in the dark. You are involved now, yes, but I don’t want you any more involved than you are. Keep yourself safe. Don’t go off alone anymore. Stay with Link. I wrote an entire new plot for the faire to keep you with someone at all times. I know it’s not what you might want, but for now, until we figure this out, please just stick with him, all right? Stick with him and leave fixing this to me, all right?” he asked.

She looked down at his hands. So much bigger than hers. Rough and warm. A sincerity bled from his touch that went beyond the barrier of resentment between them. Beyond not being enough and being too much at the same time. Beyond being absent and too present at the same time as well.

“Okay,” Zelda answered, surprised by the shaking in her own voice.

Equally surprised by the fact that she had to run into the house after this, so that he wouldn’t see the tears that finally fell freely from her eyes then. After all that had happened, all the fear and frustration of the day, it had taken her father holding her hand to make her remember how to cry.

---

Zelda woke the next morning at seven. She’d fallen asleep maybe somewhere around four in the morning, so it wasn’t exactly a graceful rising. More of a battle against her alarm and the sandpaper consistency of her eyelids. But she won it, somehow.

And while she’d hoped to get more information out of her father over coffee, she instead came out into the kitchen to find that there was both no coffee to be found, and a note waiting for her next to a phone.

Had to go in early for a horse emergency up at the barn. Sorry, princess.

Urbosa drove your car back this morning. This phone is already activated with your number and restored from a cloud backup thanks to Purah.

Remember what I said about the people you know. And please remember what you promised.

I hate to ask you to go to work today. I really do. But please at least come to the castle so I know where you are.

- Dad

The only thing worse than having a control freak for a father was having any inclination to agree with that control. But, Zelda didn’t want to be in the house alone. So much so that she left early and made a beeline straight for the castle.

Well, with just one very short stop. Both because she very much needed to have coffee to make it through today, and because she needed to fix what she was allowed to fix. What she could fix.

It wasn’t exactly her fault she liked fixing things.

And this time, fixing things had her knocking on the door of a bus with a bag of breakfast burritos in hand.

Probably too many breakfast burritos, but she was starving, and Link clearly liked to eat.

Initially, there was no answer. Enough time passed for Zelda to think to herself about how stupid this was. How he was probably up at dawn to exercise his horse or whatever. Or help her dad with whatever horse emergency had been going on. Though she had her reasons to believe there was no such horse emergency and he just didn’t want to deal with her yelling at him in the car again.

And what if Link didn’t even like breakfast burritos? Nonsense. Everyone loves a breakfast burrito. But--

Zelda looked up from her own thoughts to find the door swinging open. A bleary-eyed Link stared down at her from an unusually high vantage for his short frame atop the steps up to the bus, loose hair wet from a shower and longer than she thought it was, but still clad in the same shirt and shorts she’d left him in last night.

The shirt she could read now that her brain was functioning normally again. The faded letters stretched across his chest spelled out, “Hateno Renaissance Festival”.

It all clicked at once. Her father’s nearly instant trust of him. His very specific set of skills relative to his young age. The brief mentions of her having met him when they were both small.

Link was another ren faire kid. Just like her.

Zelda remembered herself for a moment and held up the bag of burritos. “I um, hey. I wanted to--no, not, I don’t know--thank you? I guess? And also apologize for being awful to you. I was awful. I’m still pretty awful. But, I brought us breakfast burritos. Do you even like breakfast burritos?”

Link seemed to need a second to process that. It was early, terribly early still. Not even eight in the morning early. But also, she had been terrible to him. He had no reason to accept any sort of apology.

Especially not this early in the morning.

But, despite it all, a little closed-mouth smile appeared on his face, and he stepped aside, beckoning her to follow him up into the bus.

It was a really nice bus. Zelda had to admit that. She’d noticed the matching horse trailer parked on the side of it this morning--complete with the same paint job of the mostly green, blue, and brown geometric forest and mountain motif over white.

The full-length bus still felt oddly cozy, but at the same time bigger than she’d remembered from the night before. The little kitchen was at the front, with the dinette she’d sat at being just behind the driver’s seat. Beyond that, Zelda could see a little living room area, complete with a decent-sized couch. A wall stood to partition most of the rest of the bus beyond that, clearly for a bathroom that was big enough to fit the shower Link must have just come out of. His soap smelled nice. Very woodsy. A tiny glimpse of a bed lay beyond that, big enough to take up the entire back of the bus and scattered with an overabundance of pillows.

“I guess that’s a yes on breakfast burritos,” Zelda noted as she set the bag on the dinette table.

Link turned from where he’d retreated back into the kitchen and nodded to her, then offered, “Yes, sorry. I should have said something.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” she told him. “I’m the one who came here to apologize, and clearly you aren’t a talker. That’s fine. It’s all good.”

Zelda busied herself with setting out what was very much too many breakfast burritos in order to avoid any lingering awkwardness. She could easily house two herself, but didn’t think about doing that in mostly polite company. But there were six here. Not to mention the secret order of tater tots she ate in the car and chased with coffee.

But she didn’t know what Link liked. That was her excuse. Maybe he couldn’t do cheese, so she got some without cheese. Maybe he wasn’t a fan of the somewhat spicy Gerudo sausage that came in most of the burritos, so she had to get one with bacon instead. And then she wanted the bacon, so there were two with bacon now. And green and red salsa. Hot sauce too. Sour cream. Another order of tater tots for Link, of course, though she was definitely going to snag some. She should have gotten him a drink too. Oh well.

The dinette table was just about full from the spread by the time she looked up to see his eyes go wide from it.

“I bought way too much food,” Zelda told him and herself as well. “Don’t you dare say, ‘It’s okay,’ again either. For the record, some of this is for me. You just seemed really into food and--I don’t know. I’m sorry, okay?”

“It’s--” Link stopped himself before he could finish the phrase, and instead sat down at the dinette rather abruptly.

Zelda swallowed a breath she didn’t know she was holding and snatched one of the bacon burritos for herself. “Cheese, no cheese, bacon. Their hot sauce is amazing if you like spicy stuff. Sorry I didn’t get you a drink. I’m not very good at apologies, I guess.”

Link shrugged and took the other bacon burrito.

Good. Noted. Everyone loves bacon. Even weird little horse girl ren faire boys who Zelda just realized she likely had way too much in common with.

“I um, my dad told me a bit about what’s going on, last night that is, on the way home,” she started as she sat down on the other side of the table, on the same soft green cushions that had nearly lulled her to sleep the night before. “Not enough. He probably will never tell me everything, but I know about the threats. The letters. What you promised him. What you’re trying to do. How hard I made that for you. And I’m sorry.”

How many more times would she have to say it for things to feel right? Because it certainly didn’t sink in yet. Not even as she stared at him over the pile of burritos, trying to decide if it was weird to reach for the salsa to cover the silence.

“You said you didn’t want me to say it’s okay again,” Link finally piped up as he reached for that exact container of salsa and eased her of yet another burden.

“I don’t, but I realize that’s kind of what you’re supposed to say. At least if you mean it, that is. And I’m sorry for that too. And for bringing you a mountain of burritos to try to fix it. This was stupid. I’m being so stupid about this,” Zelda said, standing up with the full intent of leaving her half-unwrapped burrito behind and letting Link eat in peace.

He deserved that much, at least.

“It’s not stupid and neither are you,” Link affirmed, reaching out to lay just the very tips of his fingers on the back of her hand to stop her. “I love burritos.”

“Everyone loves burritos,” Zelda concluded. She looked between him and his stupid little small hands on hers. Just about as big as hers. Not massively intimidating like her father’s.

At least his touch didn’t draw tears from her.

Zelda sat back down and took the hot sauce instead. “I just--sorry--I talk too much. You’ve realized that by now, I’m sure, so I don’t know why I keep talking to tell you that. Anyway, I’m sorry. You were just trying to look out for me and I’m very grateful that you did. I understand why now and I feel like shit about it. I just want to start over with you.”

“Okay,” Link mouthed around his first bite of burrito.

“Really? It’s that easy?” Zelda asked.

Link shrugged and kept eating his burrito, clearly enjoying it, or maybe as hungry as she was.

At least he’d gotten to eat the fried rice he’d made for them. She should ask him for the recipe.

All things considered, though, Zelda couldn’t believe him. She needed more than just that shrug, but didn’t feel she could truly ask for anything else of him. She was just so used to fighting for everything and anything she’d ever wanted for herself. Her archeology minor, which she’d had to swear up and down to her father wouldn’t get in the way of her pre-med program or affect her grades in the classes that “really mattered”. Hell, even living outside of the dorms had been an argument for the ages. Going to prom with her first girlfriend. Having the girlfriend at all, as her father was worried that would distract too much from her studies. Going on a date with a guy after that had been entirely another thing too. Even getting her driver’s license. Doing anything for herself or by herself or just because she wanted to.

She wondered if Link had his own oppressive ren faire dad. If his perfect jousting was the result of the same pressure. The same…

Their hands collided again over the green salsa.

“Go ahead,” Zelda told him, quickly snatching hers back. “It’s really good. This is from one of my favorite spots. They do authentic Southern Gerudo style breakfast and lunch and are always fast. Urbosa knows the owner, because of course Urbosa knows anyone who’s so much as even been near the desert. I should have gotten you a coffee too. I didn’t know if you liked coffee. Their coffee is amazing. Sorry, I’m talking again.”

“I don’t mind,” Link told her as he doused his burrito in the green salsa. “You always have interesting things to say.”

Not shut up Zelda. Stop talking Zelda. Okay no one cares Zelda. I’m sorry Zelda, but you lost me there. That’s nice, little bird, don’t you have somewhere else to be right now?

People were always trying to get her to shut up. No one had ever been interested in her rambling before. Even most people’s politeness had a limit that she would very quickly and easily exceed.

So, “Oh,” was all she could say to that, along with taking a bite of burrito with maybe a little too much hot sauce on it to cover that up.

Definitely too much hot sauce. To the point where she was coughing from it and Link had to get up to get both of them a bottle of water.

This time, at least, Zelda was self-conscious enough to avoid crushing it. Link’s little laugh at her struggle helped, as did the fact that he seemed to take this as his cue to dunk his second burrito in the offending hot sauce, and then have his own personal battle with the spice level of it.

“It’s really good,” Zelda repeated between bouts of spicy laughter.

“Yeah,” Link choked back at her.

Halfway through her bottle of water and a bite into a sauceless burrito to tame the last of the flames, Zelda piped up again, throat finally clear enough to speak, “Anyway, I wanted to again just apologize for being awful to you and for evading you. And thank you for last night. I don’t really want to think about what would have happened if you weren’t there.”

“Me either.”

Link didn’t say much, even with him now breaking his seeming vow of silence around her, but when he did say anything, the words always packed a punch. Somehow, they struck a chord on the very sinew that held Zelda together, playing her like the faire musicians would their lutes or fiddles.

She wondered why, then, had he not spoken to her at all before, or presumably to anyone but her father. Clearly he could. Clearly, even if he wasn’t comfortable with it, he knew how to make his words matter.

“Can I ask you something?” she questioned as she let her wondering spill from her lips. “You don’t have to answer if it’s a difficult answer or at least difficult to explain. But, um, why don’t you talk to anyone?”

Blue eyes looked up from her beneath a mop of dirty blonde hair drying to a slight wave. He still had half a burrito in one hand, a tater tot in the other, and a streak of green salsa down his chin.

Link swallowed before replying, slow and low, “It was easier, I guess. If I wasn’t supposed to talk to you about what was happening. Your dad said it might be better just not to talk to you at all. And then it didn’t seem fair to talk to anyone else. Keeping the secret was my burden to bear. I don’t talk a lot anyway, so it was easier just not to talk at all.”

It was the most she’d ever heard him say at once, but exactly no more than what needed to be said. Succinct and to the point. The enraging, aggravating, and forever annoying point.

“It seems you and I have the same problem,” Zelda told him. “And it wears a fake crown, has a shitty beard, and thinks it knows better than us.”

Yet another thing she could blame her father for, then. Link had felt so pressured by the circumstances that he couldn’t even speak. And on top of that had presumably been made to promise not to speak of them to her, yet still be around her day in and day out.

No wonder her father had him playing the Silent Knight.

A quiet rage simmered within her at this notion. For all of her father’s good intentions in trying to keep her away from the threats to the faire, he could have easily gotten Link killed for it.

“What if he had a gun?” Zelda asked out loud. “Both of us could have ended up dead last night. For all those secrets. I promised my father I wouldn’t go to the authorities, as stupid as it seems. I also promised him I’d stick with you, and frankly, I didn’t need to make that promise. I don’t really want to be alone again after last night.”

A new paranoia had her looking around her all morning for red and black hoodies--anyone dressed uncharacteristically for the summer heat, really. Somewhere around three in the morning, as she was trying to lull herself to sleep the night before with a lovely paper about ancient Hylian pottery and just how rare it was to find a piece of it intact at any given site, Zelda had the thought that if they knew about her, then presumably they knew where she and her father lived. Maybe even where her apartment in Hateno was.

And suddenly the rare bliss of being alone and quiet with nothing but the constant ramble of her own thoughts was a thing she could no longer enjoy.

Good as it was, she was quickly losing her appetite for the rest of that second burrito, and set it down.

“Let’s…let’s not get shot about it, all right?” Zelda asked of Link, who was still eating despite the serious nature of the conversation. She was pretty sure he might still be eating if he was actively being shot at, but that was beside the point.

Still, he took a break to nod at her.

“I will warn you that I am going to be sticking my nose in this to some degree,” Zelda went on. “And you can tell on me if you want. If you must. But I’ll tell you as well that I’m going to do it in a way that keeps my promise. I’ll stick around and do my job here at the faire and not wander off alone. But, if I see something suspicious, or find some way I’m able to get more information about what’s going on otherwise, I’m going to pursue it. Just to be perfectly honest with you.”

Link gave her another nod and reached for his third burrito.

And although she was trying very much to be mad at her father and the situation he’d put both of them in at the moment, Zelda couldn’t help the smile that pulled at her lips.

That boy really did love to eat, huh? Well, at least she could always bribe him with food, if she needed to craft another apology to him for some reason.

Only when he leaned over to grab the hot sauce again and gingerly pour just a small amount onto his burrito this time, did she finally notice the thin red line that still marked his forehead from the night before. No longer actively bleeding, yes, and likely to scab over within the next few hours. It wouldn’t scar.

But still, it was there because of her.

Zelda didn’t even realize she was leaning over to brush it with her thumb until she was midway through the action. Link’s hair was soft and still damp as it parted way for her hand. His soap did smell good, at least, for a men’s product.

Link, for his part, didn’t so much as flinch, and let it happen.

“That cut doesn’t look too bad, actually,” Zelda noted as she tried to be graceful about suddenly leaning back to her side of the little dinette booth. “It’s fine for now. But you know, there’s a fine line between courage and recklessness. As brave as you are, that does not make you immortal.”

And as worried as she was for herself, Zelda certainly didn’t want him getting hurt over her either. Or worse. True enough, he had come to her rescue, but if things were only going to escalate from there, she didn’t think that his valiant, shirtless charges into battle would do either of them much good for long.

“I’m afraid things might only get worse from here,” she told him.

Link hadn’t started eating again since she’d touched him. He just looked at her, listening. Waiting.

She probably shouldn’t have touched him.

Still, Zelda went on, “So, from now on, let’s work together to make sure it doesn’t come to that. Deal?”

Link gave her another nod, then stuffed the rest of the third burrito in his mouth.

Well, at least he was easy to work with. And he appeared to very much appreciate her peace offering. She had to give him credit for that much.

And he smelled nice. For a boy, that is.