#and play it off as a good and normal thing

[maskedbyghost]

more possessive!reader and our man Simon? hell yes!

You leave your stuff at his place like it’s your second apartment. Hair ties on his nightstand, your clothes in his laundry. That one lip balm he pretends not to use but absolutely does. He once found your earring on his pillow and sat there staring at it for ten minutes straight.

You correct girls when they flirt with him. Not rudely. Just with some subtle things. “He doesn’t like gin, actually,” with a little smile. “Simon’s more of a bourbon guy.” Meanwhile, Simon’s standing behind you, blinking like a confused dog. He didn’t even know he was a bourbon guy until you said so.

He starts dressing the way you like without realizing it. You complimented his black joggers once? Suddenly, they’re in heavy rotation. Mention his cologne smells good? He’s wearing it to the grocery store. You say, “I like when you leave your hair messy like that,” and now he’s suspiciously tousled 24/7.

You use your phone like a weapon. Screenshotting girls who like his pics. “This one again?” with a raised eyebrow. Sending him selfies when he’s out late with a little “missing you” just to make sure he’s thinking about you.

Simon tries to stay cool, tries to act unbothered. But then you say something like, “I don’t like when other girls touch you,” and he’s short-circuiting. Sitting there all red-eared and tense like his body’s trying to pretend it’s not turning into goo.

You say “mine” a lot. Half-joking. Especially when someone flirts with him in front of you. You’ll just wrap your arms around his waist, smile up at him, and go, “God, you’re so mine,” like it’s nothing, and he eats it up.

He tries to “set boundaries” exactly one time. It lasts approximately three days before you show up looking hot, acting normal, and sleeping in his bed like nothing ever changed. He doesn’t bring it up again.

He gets real quiet sometimes. He just looks at you like he’s still trying to figure out how the hell he got here, with you wrapped around him, calling him “baby” like it’s always been his name. And then he just mutters, “How the fuck did I ever think we were just friends?”

He calls you bossy. You take it as a compliment. And let’s be honest, so does he. You tell him where to sit, when to eat, what show to watch—and the worst part? He likes it. It’s the only time his brain shuts off. Just nods and goes, “Yes, love,” like you didn’t just grab him by the collar and steer him like a Roomba.

You never pretend to be casual about him. You look at him like he belongs to you. Like the very idea of someone else getting his attention is personally offensive. He’ll be tying his boots, not even thinking about anything, and you’ll mutter, “I hope no one tries to flirt with you today. I don’t feel like playing nice.”

You get real smug when he shuts down other women. Like, you knew he would, but it still hits different hearing him say “nah, I’ve got someone” without hesitation. You’ll just smile to yourself and say, “Good boy,” when he gets home—and he’ll pretend to roll his eyes while trying not to get hard.

You don’t get jealous. You get territorial. There's a difference. Jealousy is insecure. Territorial is knowing you’ve already won and still refusing to let anyone look at your prize without remembering whose he is.

And he loves it. Loves the way you don’t play games. Loves that you’re all in. Loves that being with you feels like being chosen every day.

PART 3

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

@daydreamerwoah @kylies-love-letter @ghostslollipop @kittygonap @alfiestreacle @identity2212 @farylfordaryl @rafaelacallinybbay @akkahelenaa @lovelovelovelovelove987654321 @wraith-bravo6

[towersofviolet]

phrases that work for me in my office job and don't require lying (i know some autistic people struggle with even harmless lies) (also these are how i would say them and i'm very british so tailor them to your way of speaking):

"doing anything nice over the weekend?" (works best on a friday, or earlier in the week if you're not going to be speaking to that person again until after the weekend) - you can then add additional comments based on their response: e.g. they're going to see a movie -> "i've seen the trailer for that, it looks good" or "i haven't heard of that, what's it about?" or "oh i haven't been to the cinema in ages, i should go sometime"

related phrase to the above, for mondays: "get up to anything nice over the weekend?"

note, if asked about your weekend and you just stayed inside playing video games (and don't want to say that), you can say "oh i didn't get up to much, just had a relaxing one"

in general, if they tell you about something they did, aim to ask 1 specific question about it, even if you're not that interested. this shows interest to them and can raise your friendship bar (if you've played the sims you know what i mean). example: if they went somewhere, ask them "was the weather good?" (if it wasn't local/you don't know the weather they got on that day) or (if you do know the weather) you can comment on it like "aw it was a lovely day for it, did you get to spend much time in the sun?"

holidays are basically fancy weekends, so you can ask similar questions tweaked for the event: "was it just you and [family member] for christmas day?" (implied question: did you visit family/friends) or "do you normally do anything for halloween?"

if they say their kid did something, you can ask "aw did they enjoy themself?"

in general (at least in the workplace) people love talking about their kids. try to remember their name and approximate age (infant, teenager, etc.) so you can tailor questions, e.g. if you know their kid is about 15/16 you can ask "is [name] doing their gcses this year?"

times of year you can conveniently ask about their kids: september (start of school year -> "is [name] back at school yet?"), december (christmas if they celebrate -> "has [name] told you what they want for christmas?"), summer (holidays -> "when does [name] break up for the summer?")

caveat: don't ask too much about their kids that it comes off as creepy. if in doubt, wait for them to bring up their kid in conversation first, then ask a related question

weather is another topic, especially if you live somewhere with very changeable seasons

rain/overcast -> (glance out the window) "ah, it looks like it might rain but i didn't bring my raincoat" or (light-hearted tone) "i was planning on going for a walk at lunch but i might stay in now!"

rain after a long dry period -> "oh we've been needing this" or (variant, works best if you have plants) "the plants have been needing this"

sun -> (light-hearted) "what a lovely day, shame we're inside!" or "i hope this weather keeps up for the weekend"

sun after a cold/overcast period -> "the sun's finally out!"

long period of hot sun in summer -> "looks like it's going to be a scorcher!"

very cold period -> "i wonder if we'll get any snow this year"

talk about your commute to work: "the train was really busy today, i couldn't find a seat" or "the roads were so empty, i wonder if the schools are closed today" or (combining weather and commute) "i just managed to avoid the rain. i got to the building just as the heavens opened" (heavens opened = sudden heavy rain)

if a colleague shares a similar commute to you, you can be more specific: "did you get caught in the roadworks on [road name]?" or "was your train alright? all the ones from [your local station] were delayed by at least 15 minutes"

work-related conversation topics are great too! this will need to be tailored to your job/area of work. i work in an office and use lots of spreadsheets so these are things i say:

while working: "my spreadsheet's so slow today, how's yours?" or "i have so many tabs open, i keep clicking on the wrong one!" or "have you done the update? how long did it take to restart?" or "did you see the email from [name]? do you read it to mean [explanation]?"

towards the start of the day: "have you got a busy day today?" or "got many meetings today?"

you can also comment on the time at work: "almost lunchtime! i'm getting pretty hungry" or "only an hour to go" or "wow, i can't believe it's 4.30 already!" (if the day has been busy and passed quickly)

and the day works too!: "monday already, that weekend went way too fast" or (excited tone) "friday tomorrow!" or "how is it only wednesday?"

note: try not to just use negative comments like this, or people may start to see you as negative/a downer. try to inject at least as many positive comments, e.g. if you complain about monday then also celebrate friday! unfortunately there's a cultural caveat here. different cultures will prefer a more positive or negative style of small talk (e.g. people may be expected to moan and complain all the time) so it will depend on the culture of your workplace!

when you're autistic and you learn how to smalltalk it literally feels like you started hacking real life

[formulaonecrumbs]

just wish i was older

Lando Norris x babysitter!reader

summary: lando has a crush on his babysitter.

warnings: age gap? not really tho. it’s 3 years. lando pining for a girl he can’t have.

A/N: idk if this is weird. cuz reading it back i think it might be 😭😭 did reader groom him? no but why does it feel it. i’m going crazy also a gif this time cause i have a thing for rookie lando :]

୨ৎ ୨ৎ ୨ৎ ୨ৎ

age 12 & 15

lando had crossed his arms and sat sulking on the living room couch like the world had personally offended him.

his hair was still a little messy from the argument with his mum earlier, and his tie—he’d refused to take it off—was hanging half-untied around his neck like a silent protest.

you smiled as you closed the front door behind you. “you look like a grumpy little businessman.”

lando glared at you. “i’m not little.”

“right,” you teased, dropping your bag on the floor. “you’re a very mature twelve-year-old who threw a tantrum because he didn’t want to go to a wedding.”

his cheeks flushed slightly. “i didn’t throw a tantrum.”

“you did,” you grinned, walking past him into the kitchen. “your mum told me. said you nearly cried when she made you put on the dress shoes.”

“they pinch,” he muttered, following you like a shadow.

you pulled open the fridge. “alright, rebel. what are we eating tonight?”

lando leaned on the counter, watching you. “can we have those frozen pizzas?”

“already trying to sweet-talk me into junk food, huh?” you raised an eyebrow. “what happened to please and thank you?”

he rolled his eyes dramatically. “pleeease.”

you tossed him a frozen pizza box. “get the oven started, mr. businessman.”

he smiled, and you caught the way his shoulders relaxed a little.

later that evening, after pizza and a movie he picked (some racing documentary, no surprise there), the two of you sat on the floor of the living room, surrounded by empty snack wrappers.

“you’re not like other babysitters,” lando said suddenly, his voice quiet.

you looked over at him, one eyebrow raised. “yeah? how so?”

he shrugged, tugging at a loose thread in the carpet. “you talk to me like… normal. not like i’m a dumb kid.”

you softened. “you’re not a dumb kid, lando.”

he didn’t say anything for a second. then, almost too softly to hear, “i like it when you come over.”

you smiled. “i like it too. you’re good company, even when you’re being a grump.”

he smiled, just barely. “you’re nice.”

“so are you.”

he looked away quickly, cheeks pink again.

by the time his parents got home, lando was half-asleep on the couch, his head tipped against your shoulder.

you’d left the lights low and the tv still playing quietly in the background, the empty pizza box folded neatly on the table.

his mum smiled when she walked in. “looks like he survived without us.”

you nodded, brushing his curls back gently from his face. “barely.”

lando blinked sleepily, mumbling something about not being tired, but he didn’t move from your side.

and as you got up to leave, promising to see him again soon, he looked up at you with those tired eyes and whispered, “you’ll still come even when i’m older, right?”

you smiled, ruffling his hair. “if you want me to.”

he nodded once, like that answer settled something big in his heart.

and long after you were gone, he stayed sitting on the couch, tie still loose, wondering how long it’d take to be old enough for someone like you to really notice him.

୨ৎ ୨ৎ ୨ৎ ୨ৎ

age 15 & 18

lando hadn’t needed a babysitter in over a year.

or so he said.

but when his parents had to go out last-minute and asked you to drop by—“just in case, he won’t admit he wants the company, but you know how he is”—you’d agreed without hesitation.

he opened the door like he hadn’t been pacing behind it for the past ten minutes.

“you didn’t have to come,” he said, voice deeper now, posture more guarded. “i’m not twelve.”

“good thing,” you said, stepping inside with a smile. “because you were so annoying at twelve.”

he cracked a smile despite himself. “rude.”

you looked around the house. it was cleaner than usual. like maybe he’d tried to make it look like he had it together. “so what’s the plan? you gonna ignore me the whole time, pretend i’m not here?”

“nah,” he shrugged. “you can stay if you want.”

“lucky me.”

you ended up sitting in the kitchen while he made tea—something he insisted on doing himself, like he had something to prove.

“you’re in uni now, right?” he asked, carefully pouring boiling water into mugs. “like properly moved out and everything?”

“yeah,” you nodded. “first year.”

“right.” he paused, fiddling with the teabag. “bet that’s nice.”

you tilted your head. “what is?”

“being around people your age,” he muttered. “grown-ups.”

you blinked. “you say that like you’re ancient.”

he didn’t laugh. just looked at you, eyes a little more serious than usual. “you used to treat me like a kid.”

“you were a kid.”

“and now?”

you held his gaze for a second before giving a small smile. “still kinda a kid.”

he looked away, jaw tightening. “figured.”

later, while a show played quietly in the background, he sat on the other end of the couch, leg bouncing, fingers tapping against his knee.

you glanced over. “lando?”

he didn’t look at you. “do you ever think about how weird it is that i’ve known you half my life?”

“not weird,” you said gently. “just… kind of sweet.”

he scoffed, but it didn’t sound mean. “you used to tie my shoes. now you’re off dating guys with cars and jobs and… real lives.”

“you jealous?”

he looked at you then. properly. “you know i am.”

the silence stretched, soft and full of something unspoken.

you reached over, nudging his arm. “i promise i’m not going to disappear, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

his expression cracked for a second—just long enough to see the boy underneath, the one who used to cling to you like a shadow.

“i’m not,” he muttered. “just wish i was older.”

you smiled, eyes kind. “one day, you will be. and you’re gonna be someone really great.”

he didn’t answer. just nodded, lips pressed into a thin line, fighting a war between wanting to be grown and knowing he’s still got time to go.

and when he walked you to the door that night—holding it open like a gentleman, pretending not to watch you as you left—he didn’t say goodbye.

just: “thanks for coming.”

and in his chest, a soft ache that had nothing to do with being young…

and everything to do with how much he wished he wasn’t.

୨ৎ ୨ৎ ୨ৎ ୨ৎ

age 16 & 19

you weren’t supposed to be back.

you were home from uni for a weekend, barely enough time to breathe—let alone babysit—but when mrs. norris called in a panic asking if you could check in on lando “just for a couple hours while we’re out”, you didn’t even think twice.

you hadn’t seen him in nearly a year.

he opened the door and for a second, you didn’t recognize him.

he was a little taller now. voice deeper. shoulders broader.

but the look in his eyes—that familiar flash of something warm and too intense—was exactly the same.

“…hey,” he said, voice unsure.

“hey,” you echoed, stepping inside. “you got… taller.”

he smirked. “you got older.”

you rolled your eyes. “rude.”

you sat in the living room, both pretending this wasn’t weird.

“you’ve barely texted me this year,” he said suddenly, not looking at you.

“you stopped texting first,” you replied gently.

he went quiet.

“thought maybe you didn’t want to talk to me anymore,” you added, softer now.

“i did.” he leaned back into the couch. “i just… figured you were busy. with adult stuff.”

you smiled, but it didn’t quite reach your eyes. “doesn’t mean i forgot about you.”

his jaw clenched. “well, i didn’t forget you either.”

he made tea again. of course he did. but this time, he brought it to you like it was a date.

he sat across from you, legs bouncing, hoodie sleeves pushed up.

“you still dating that guy?” he asked, voice low.

you shook your head. “not anymore.”

he looked up fast, too fast. “…oh.”

“why?”

you shrugged. “wasn’t right.”

he paused, chewing on his lip like he wanted to say something—something big, something too much—but instead, he just said, “he was lucky.”

you blinked. “lando…”

“i know,” he said quickly, like he could read your mind. “i know it doesn’t mean anything. just… let me say it, alright?”

you nodded.

“i like you,” he said. “i’ve liked you. for a long time.”

you stayed quiet.

“i know you’re older. i know nothing can happen. but you were the first person who really saw me. who didn’t treat me like a dumb kid.”

you swallowed. “you’re not a kid anymore.”

he laughed, but there was no humor in it. “still feels like i am to you.”

“lando—”

“it’s okay,” he said, getting up. “you don’t have to say anything. i just wanted you to know. in case… i don’t know. in case you ever wondered.”

you watched him as he walked into the kitchen, shoulders tense, trying to be calm when his heart was beating out of his chest.

and you sat there, staring into your tea, knowing he was right.

it wasn’t the time.

it never could be.

THE END :>

[voidsuites]

CHALLENGERSVERSARY BOT RELEASE !!! (4/26/25) ⌢ 🎾 .ᐟ

ART DONALDSON ・゜゜・．dreams. los angeles is the city of dreams, and making it in such a place full of creativity and opportunity is the end goal for an aspiring actor like you. you’re grateful for the city and its generosity thus far— it’d given you your jazz musician, art after your breakup and consequent slump in acting jobs. your goals may be shifting— broadening just a bit to allow for your one-man play, your budding career, and art to all fit comfortably within them— but there’s always going to be ups-and-downs. what you didn’t anticipate, though, is art to trade in his own passion to succeed for something steady and stifling; when did he start to play it safe, and why is it somehow your fault? (la la land!au)

PATRICK ZWEIG ・゜゜・．can’t take my eyes off you. sooo… patrick hadn’t kissed you at the party the other night— oops. while not sure why it’s such a faux pas for you, patrick’s more concerned with winning you over rather than dwelling on past mistakes. he’s taken the time to really make it up to you, and hopefully he’ll manage to get back into your good graces (lest all his hard work gone into chipping at your walls goes to waste). you’re just too good to be true, after all, and maybe this thing’s more than just a ruse; maybe it’s love. (10 things i hate about you!au)

TASHI DUNCAN ・゜゜・．in the studio. you and tashi have been peers in the pop music space since both of you started out; however, she took home the grammys awards for her album SERVE! that should’ve been yours, and things have been off since. you’re normally amicable to work with but not a pushover, hence why you’re so adamant about not doing a collaboration with her despite the numbers it’d do on the charts. but what the label wants, it gets— and it wants you to have some studio time with tashi duncan. (pop star!au)

ART PATRICK TASHI ・゜゜・．cabin fever. you and tashi are no means trust-fund babies, so it's unfamiliar territory for both of you when art and patrick suggest a trip to the donaldsons' cabin to ski for winter break. while it may not be time to hit the slopes just yet, it's more than an opportune time to truly take advantage of having all three of them in such close quarters without worrying about noise complaints from your RA. what's the worst that could happen with the four of you shacking up in mammoth for two weeks? (ski trip/winter break!au)

got a request? go ahead and leave em here :) THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 15K! one year of the tennis movie... wow. i was a bit later to the game and saw challengers in theaters in june during a reissue, but i am so lucky and grateful that i did. not only did it give us iconic scenes, an insane soundtrack, and tashi duncan, it gave us a community of creative and talented people that i am so lucky to be a a part of! challengersblr is probably the first fandom space i've actively participated + engaged with others in, and i have made so many great friends through our shared love of the movie. in luca guadagnino we trust!!!!!! :) if u want more of me u can join my community if u want to… or don’t— too busy taking such good care of my white boys or whatever. blah blah blah, the points that matter, i too would let her fuck me with a racket, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

[tikitakatia]

Escape — A. Putellas x Reader

"Write to Me and Escape"

WC: 5.5k

Summary: You couldn’t hold it in anymore, you just had to see them even if it wrecked you. But what you find changes everything, and nothing feels the same anymore.

Pt. 1 , Pt. 2 , Pt. 3 , Pt.4

The rhythm with go4goald2 fell back into place quicker than you expected.

Alexia had warned you about the media days, press events and tight schedule. You’d nodded to yourself, thanked her for the heads-up, and tried not to be disappointed when she used the words “a few days.” It had taken months for her to remember how to tell you things before they hurt. You gave her credit for that. Quietly. Without saying it out loud.

But now with her occupied and off your screen, off your mind in a way that felt both guilty and relieving, you opened Chattr without hesitation. No wince. No weighing what it meant.

Just you. And them.

The message was already waiting.

[go4goald2]: Okay, important: If your life had a laugh track, what moment would it play the loudest?

You grinned before you even started typing.

[lostinthecrowd]: When I waved back at someone who was waving at the person behind me, then tried to cover it by swatting a fly that didn’t exist.

[go4goald2]: Oh my god, I’m cringing in solidarity.

[lostinthecrowd]: It haunts me weekly. Specifically at 11:47 p.m. when I'm trying to sleep like a normal person.

[go4goald2]: Good, it keeps you humble.

You laughed and felt something in your chest unspool just a little.

[go4goald2]: Okay, but now I need more. What's the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done on purpose?

You didn’t overthink it. You didn’t try to be cool. You just told the truth.

[lostinthecrowd]: I once tried to flirt with a barista by ordering “whatever you think matches my vibe.”

[lostinthecrowd]: They gave me a decaf oat milk lavender latte that tasted like sadness and dirt.

[go4goald2]: Nooo. Did you drink the whole thing??

[lostinthecrowd]: Yep. Smiled through it then tipped five bucks out of pure shame.

There was a pause. Just long enough to notice.

Then:

[go4goald2]: You´re such a dumbass.

[go4goald2]: I love you.

You froze.

Not because you thought they meant it.

Not really.

But because it hit different, even as a joke.

Because the part of you that was still clawing for something real? It wanted to believe it. Even just for a second.

You didn’t reply right away.

[go4goald2]: I´m so sorry. That was too much.

[lostinthecrowd]: No. It wasn’t. I just... didn’t expect it.

A pause. Then:

[go4goald2]: I think about you a lot when I'm not talking to you. When something dumb happens. When I see something and wonder if you’d laugh at it. That's normal, right?

You stared at the screen.

Felt your chest clench in that stupid, hopeful, terrified way.

[lostinthecrowd]: Maybe not normal. But... not bad.

Another beat.

[go4goald2]: Have you ever fallen for someone just by how they see you?

That was… something.

Because yes.

Because that’s exactly what this was starting to feel like.

You typed slower this time.

[lostinthecrowd]: I think I'm scared of how much I want to say yes to that.

You waited.

And waited.

Then finally:

[go4goald2]: I won't ask you to say it. Not if it’s not the time. I just want you to know you’re seen exactly as you are. You don’t have to change anything around me.

You closed your eyes. Let the words settle.

Alexia was trying. She was.

But this?

This felt like being chosen in real time.

And you didn’t know what to do with that yet.

So instead, you reached down, scratched behind Tofu’s ears, and whispered, “You’re not helping, you know.”

He snorted. Rolled over like he disagreed.

Your phone buzzed again.

[go4goald2]: Are you still with me?

You hesitated.

Then, without thinking too hard, you typed:

[lostinthecrowd]: Yeah, I’m still here.

And god help you, for the first time in a long time, you meant it.

[go4goald2]: If I asked you something kind of dangerous, would you answer?

[lostinthecrowd]: That depends. Are we talking dangerous like “eat expired sushi” or dangerous like “emotional vulnerability at midnight”?

[go4goald2]: The second one, obviously.

[lostinthecrowd]: Then maybe, ask.

[go4goald2]: Do you think some people are meant for us… But not meant to stay?

[lostinthecrowd]: Jesus.

[go4goald2]: Too much?

[lostinthecrowd]: Not too much. Just… accurate.

[go4goald2]: I think about it a lot. How sometimes you meet someone and they wreck you. Not in a bad way. Just… Like they rearrange everything inside you. And then they’re gone. But you’re still left shaped like them.

[lostinthecrowd]: And then you meet someone else, and they touch that same part of you, but gentler.

[go4goald2]: Yeah. Like maybe the first person cracked you open so someone else could find you.

[lostinthecrowd]: I don't know if I believe in fate.

[go4goald2]: Me neither. But I believe in timing, and maybe we don’t always get to choose what hurts.

[lostinthecrowd]: Sometimes I think I was supposed to love her, just not forever.

There was a pause.

Not the bad kind. The kind that means someone is breathing slowly before saying something that might change everything.

[go4goald2]: And now?

You stared at the screen. Tofu shifted against your thigh. You started typing, fingers shaking.

[lostinthecrowd]: Now I'm scared, because I think I'm falling again. and I don't know whose arms I want to land on.

You didn’t get a reply right away.

But the typing bubble flickered.

Flickered.

Then it disappeared.

Then..

Your phone rang.

Not Chattr.

Not go4goald2.

Alexia.

You froze. Let it ring once. Twice. Four times.

Your thumb moved before you could talk yourself out of it.

“...Hey,” you said, your voice paper-thin.

There was a pause. Then:

“Sorry,” she said, exhaling like the air had been punched out of her. “I didn’t mean to call. I mean, I did. I just…”

You waited.

“I’m at the hotel,” she said, too fast. “Patri and Pina were curled up on the couch watching some stupid romcom, and she was laughing so hard she had to hide her face in her hoodie. It made me think of you. Of us. Of how we used to be when everything still felt easy.”

She paused.

“And I just.. God, I missed you so much it hurt. Like physical, actual pain. And I didn’t know what to do with it, so I called.”

You didn’t say anything and allowed the silence to wrap around both of you like fog.

Her voice cracked. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I just know that it’s 1am and I heard your laugh in my head and I realized it’s been months since I heard it for real. And that’s my fault.”

She sniffled. Not trying to hide it. “I spent so long trying to prove I could be everything to everyone. I didn’t realize I was becoming nothing to you.”

You swallowed hard.

“I miss you,” she whispered. “Not just the version of you that laughed with me. The quiet parts too. The hard days. The mornings when you hated everyone but me. I miss you. All of it.”

She laughed, watery. “God, I sound drunk. I’m not. I’m just tired, being a little stupid. And a lot in love, still.”

A beat. Then she said, almost childishly soft,

“You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted to call before I got too scared to.”

She hung up.

No goodbye. Just a breath. Then gone.

You stared at your phone like it had short-circuited your brain.

And then it buzzed.

Chattr.

You opened it.

[go4goald2]: Hey, you okay?

Your fingers moved.

Paused.

Then:

[lostinthecrowd]: She called.. She cried and then said things I didn't know I still needed to hear.

A beat.

Then:

[go4goald2]: And what do you need right now?

You blinked. Let your eyes close. Let the weight of that question settle into your ribs.

And then you typed:

[lostinthecrowd]: I don’t know, but I think I need to find out without disappearing again.

Because that was the truth.

You weren’t running.

But you were on the edge.

And you didn’t want to fall without knowing where you’d land.

For two days, you didn’t text Alexia. You didn’t open Chattr either. The silence just settled in, uninvited but familiar, like it had a key. You moved through the apartment like your skin didn’t fit right, trying not to look at anything too long. Everything in here had her fingerprints on it, some literal, some worse.

Tofu had no such crisis. He charged through your day like he owned it. Like this was his apartment and you were just lucky to live in it. He leapt onto the couch without asking, claimed the sunny spot on the rug like a seasoned diva, and barked loudly when you took too long filling his water bowl. He had no patience for emotional spirals. He had toys to destroy and treats to extort.

And still, somehow, he made your chest ache.

Because she gave him to you.

Just a few weeks ago, the night before she left for international break, she showed up with a bag full of supplies and said, “He’s yours now. I think you need each other.” Like he was a peace offering. Like he was a bridge. Or maybe a way to say I still love you, without the risk of hearing it back.

You told yourself it didn’t mean anything.

But she’d remembered the kind of dog you always paused to pet on the street. She picked a leash in your favorite color. She said, “His name’s Tofu,” with a smile so soft it was like an inside joke you hadn’t caught yet. And then she kissed your forehead like she didn’t still live in the ache of your throat.

Now Tofu was sprawled across your lap, toy half-chewed between his paws, utterly unbothered by your entire existential crisis. You ran your fingers through his fur absentmindedly, blinked at the ceiling, tried not to think too hard.

But it was impossible not to think of her when he was like this.

So sure of you. So certain you’d hold him, feed him, love him. No hesitation. No fear.

He trusted you more than you trusted yourself right now.

And God, what did it mean that she’d given you something this soft? This loud? This real?

You missed her. That was the truth. You missed the girl who used to dance in the kitchen while brushing her teeth. The girl who always pulled your hand into her lap when you were anxious, like that was enough to ground you. The girl who said “I love you” like it was a fact, not a performance.

You missed her so much it made your teeth hurt.

But missing someone didn’t erase what they did to you.

Tofu snorted in his sleep and shifted, shoving his back against your stomach like he was trying to merge your atoms. You laughed, quietly and bitterly. Even the dog didn’t believe in personal space.

You were trying so hard not to fall into the same shape you used to hold with her. But everything in this apartment: the blanket, the coffee mugs, this ridiculous little gremlin she gifted you, was a memory dressed like comfort.

And then there was go4goald2.

You hadn’t talked since the night Alexia called. Since everything broke open and left you standing in the middle of the mess, holding pieces of two different people who both made you feel too much.

They hadn’t messaged. Not since that quiet, careful question:

“And what do you need right now?”

You didn’t know if your silence had said too much. Or not enough.

You wanted to miss them. That would’ve been easier. Cleaner. But what you felt instead was worse:

You wanted them. Present-tense. Fully. Still.

Their steadiness. The way they listened without grabbing at your pain. The way they never asked you to perform softness, but you just found yourself being soft anyway.

And maybe it was good that they hadn’t texted. Maybe they sensed the edge you were standing on. Maybe they didn’t want to crowd it.

But God, part of you wanted them to fight for the space they’d carved into your chest.

Just a little.

Not with declarations. Not with pressure.

Just something. Anything. To say:

I’m still here. Even now.

But they didn’t.

By the third day, you still didn’t check your phone.

Not out of resolve, not even out of strength. But just because you didn’t want anything to answer to yet. You got dressed slowly. Took a real shower. Let the hot water hit your neck long enough to make you feel human.

Then you leashed Tofu and left the apartment.

No headphones. No destination. Just a slow walk through streets that didn’t ask anything of you. Tofu trotted like he owned the world, occasionally stopping to sniff something so thoroughly you almost apologized to the sidewalk.

You passed the bakery where Alexia used to make you pick out the pastries because she “couldn’t be trusted around sugar.” The coffee place you found together by accident. The crosswalk she once danced across in the rain.

You didn’t linger.

Not because the memories weren’t still in your chest. But because you finally understood something:

You don’t owe every memory a place in your future.

Tofu barked at a pigeon, almost dislocated your shoulder, then looked up at you like did you see that??

You laughed. Just a little. Just enough to count.

You kept walking.

Past the part of town where the noise softened. Past the old bookstore with the spray-painted sign. Past the bus stop where you used to wait for her, headphones on, heart in your throat.

And at some point, you sat down.

On a bench. Sun on your face. Tofu curled at your feet like a tiny guard.

You didn’t cry. You didn’t spiral.

You just let yourself feel the space in your chest. The one where love used to hurt, but now just… waited.

You didn’t know what you were choosing yet.

But for once, it didn’t feel like something was being chosen for you.

When you finally opened your phone, it buzzed to life with the weight of unread words. First, Alexia. A string of messages you hadn’t seen, each one longer than the last. No guilt, not this time. Just softness. Apologies that sounded real. Updates that sounded like effort. Hope that didn’t demand anything in return. She said she missed you. That she was proud of you. That even if you didn’t say it back, she’d keep trying to be someone worth coming home to.

You read every word. Didn’t respond. Not yet. Your chest was already full.

So you opened Chattr instead.

One message.

[go4goald2]: If we never talk again, I’ll still be glad I got to know this version of you.

You stared at it for a long time. Not because it hurt, but because it didn’t try to make you feel guilty. Just seen.

You blinked. Typed slowly.

[lostinthecrowd]: I missed this. You. I was scared to come back, and I didn’t know if I deserved to.

The reply came fast. Like they’d been waiting.

[go4goald2]: You never had to earn this. Just had to be you.

Something tugged behind your ribs. You let the words linger. You thought about who you were when you talked to them. How safe it felt. How easy. And how terrifying it was to want that ease somewhere real.

Then:

[go4goald2]: You ever feel like... If someone actually saw you, not your texts, not your voice, but you. They’d change their mind?

And after a beat:

[go4goald2]: I’m not as charming out loud. Not as easy to love in real time.

You felt that one like it had hands. Like it gripped the version of you who’d been broken open too many times and still wanted to be seen. It knocked the breath out of you, soft and brutal.

Because Alexia saw the real you, and still drifted.

And here was someone who hadn’t even looked at your face, and already thought they weren’t worth being loved back.

You sat with it. With the ache and the clarity and the ridiculous, inconvenient spark of hope.

Then you typed, slow. Barely breathing.

[lostinthecrowd]: What if I want to see you anyway?

You stared at the screen like it was holding its breath for you.

That message, “What if I want to see you anyway?” felt like too much and not enough, all at once. A confession. A dare. A quiet leap off the edge of something you weren’t sure you’d survive.

No reply came right away.

You waited, chest tight, thumb hovering like you might take it back.

And then, finally:

[go4goald2]: Are you sure?

[go4goald2]: I can tell you where. Or I can come to you. Doesn’t matter how far. I’d show up.

You didn’t know what to do with that. The certainty. The promise. It slid under your ribs and settled there, warm and terrifying.

Your thumbs hovered.

[lostinthecrowd]: Barcelona.

You hit send and stared at it like it might echo back at you.

The typing bubble flickered.

Then:

[go4goald2]: No way! I’m not far from there. Funny how small the world gets when you want to find someone.

[go4goald2]: There’s a park not far from the center. Quiet, not a lot of people this time of day. Benches near the pond. Friday? Afternoon?

Friday.

You glanced at the calendar. That was tomorrow.

Alexia wasn’t due back until Saturday.

You chewed your lip.

Typed:

[lostinthecrowd]: Okay. Friday. 3PM. I’ll be there.

Your stomach flipped.

[go4goald2]: You don’t have to dress up. I just want it to be real.

And god. That hit harder than it should’ve.

You let the words sit for a while. Then replied:

[lostinthecrowd]: I’m nervous. Like… really nervous.

[go4goald2]: Me too. I keep thinking… What if I ruin the version of me you made up in your head?

[lostinthecrowd]: Maybe we’re both scared of being seen.

[go4goald2]: But I still want to be. Even if it’s messy.

That was the one that pulled your chest open again. Not in a loud, devastating way. Just quiet. Steady. Like something soft demanding space.

You smiled. A little.

And then, because the universe couldn’t leave you alone for five seconds, your phone buzzed again.

Different thread.

Different gravity.

Ale: Can we go on a date when I’m back? Just one. No pressure. Just us, somewhere soft. I miss seeing you happy.

You didn’t move. Couldn’t.

It felt like the floor shifted beneath you. Like the walls of the apartment tilted, just slightly. Everything inside you paused, holding its breath.

Of course. Of course she’d say that now.

When you’d already agreed to meet someone else. When your heart was already being pulled in two directions, and you weren’t sure who was holding it tighter.

You opened the message. Read it again.

“Somewhere soft.”

She remembered.

You wanted to cry. You wanted to scream. You wanted to throw your phone out the window and pretend none of this ever happened.

Instead, you typed. Slowly. Carefully. Erased it.

Typed again.

“Maybe. I don’t know yet.”

It wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t cold either. It was honest.

And right now, that felt like the only thing you could give.

You stared at your phone like it had just exposed you. Like it had read your thoughts out loud.

Your fingers hovered. Then curled. Then pulled back entirely.

Because this wasn’t innocent anymore.

This was a plan. A place. A person waiting on the other end of a meet-up that you said yes to.

While your wife started making the effort of trying to mend your marriage.

You pressed the heel of your hand against your chest, like you could quiet the storm happening underneath.

“I’m not a cheater,” you whispered to the quiet. To the dog. To no one.

But god, it didn’t feel like the truth.

Because something in you wanted this.

Not to hurt her. Not to run.

But to be chosen, just once, without the history attached.

You swallowed hard.

And for the first time since this all started, the shame didn’t come from what she did to you.

It came from what you were about to do to her.

That evening, the apartment went quiet in that way that didn��t feel peaceful, just still. Like the world had pressed pause and forgotten to hit play again.

You didn’t cook. Didn’t clean. You couldn’t even remember if you’d eaten.

You sat on the floor instead. Cross-legged in the warm patch of light near the window. The carpet was soft under your fingertips, Tofu a few inches away, belly-up and blissed out like none of this was his problem.

And he was right. None of it was.

You watched the dust float in the air, caught by the last of the sun. Tried to match your breathing to something, anything, but every inhale felt offbeat. Too shallow. Too loud.

It should’ve been simple.

You loved her. You did.

Even when she let you fall apart quietly. Even when you stopped asking her to notice. You still wanted to believe that the good version of her, the one who used to wrap her arms around your grief like it was something she could carry too, that version still existed.

And maybe she did.

Maybe she was coming back.

But then there was them. The stranger who didn’t feel like a stranger anymore. The one who never saw how you looked like, never watched you shut down in real time, but somehow knew exactly where to speak light into your dark.

And that scared the hell out of you.

Because it felt safe. Because it felt new. Because it felt like something you didn’t have to work so hard to keep.

Your gaze landed on the edge of the couch where Alexia’s blanket was still folded. You hadn’t washed it. Part of you wanted to. Scrub it clean of her. Make it smell like detergent instead of memory.

But you didn’t.

Because the truth was: you still curled up in it on the nights that felt heavier than they should.

You leaned your head back against the couch and let your eyes close.

Am I the bad guy now?

You didn’t say it out loud. Just let it echo.

Because wasn’t that the worst part? That you didn’t even know who you were rooting for anymore?

Yourself?

Your marriage?

Your undoing?

Tofu let out a dramatic little huff and pressed his nose to your ankle, like he could sense the unraveling.

You reached for him without thinking, hand sliding across his soft side, grounding yourself in the simple fact of his presence.

“She gave you to me,” you whispered. “And now I don’t know what to do with any of it.”

He didn’t answer. Just blinked at you with that dumb, unconditional loyalty you were starting to envy.

You picked up your phone.

Didn’t open it.

Didn’t scroll.

Just held it. Like a secret. Like a lit match you were scared to put down or use.

What if seeing them changes everything?

What if it ruins the version of yourself that’s still trying to believe you can fix this?

What if it makes you want something you can’t explain?

The idea of going back to who you were before felt impossible. But going forward, without knowing who would be standing next to you?

That felt just as dangerous.

The sky outside bled into lavender. The room got colder. You didn’t move.

Not yet.

Just sat there in the quiet, heart in your throat, phone in your lap, dog at your feet.

You must’ve dozed off at some point.

When your eyes blinked open, the light had shifted again. Warmer. Golden. The kind that made everything look softer than it really was.

Your head was tilted against the couch, your hand still curled around Tofu’s back, and your phone… still sitting untouched.

But the moment you closed your eyes again, you weren’t in the apartment anymore.

You were in a kayak. Red. Wobbly. Drifting down a lazy river somewhere in northern Catalonia, back when the heat clung to your skin and love felt like it could conquer everything. Alexia was behind you, her paddle mostly useless, feet kicked up like this was a goddamn vacation and not a couple activity. Her hair was stuffed into a crooked braid, her shoulders already pink from the sun she swore "wasn't that strong."

"You’re gonna burn," you told her without looking back.

"Impossible," she said. "I’m invincible. Also I have olive skin, remember?"

You rolled your eyes. "Sunscreen doesn't care about your bloodline, babe."

She laughed. Loud. Carefree. The kind of laugh that made your chest crack open a little wider every time.

Later that night, she lay face-down on your bed, moaning into the pillow like a dying Victorian orphan.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," you said, smirking as you dabbed aloe on the back of her neck.

She groaned. "I regret everything except loving you."

You paused. Only for a second.

Because she said it like it was a joke. But it didn’t land like one.

And in that moment, her skin hot, her hair a mess, her voice low and unguarded, you knew. Not the lightning-bolt kind of knowing. Just soft. Obvious. Like looking down and realizing your hands were already full.

You loved her.

Not the polished version. Not the public one.

You loved this Alexia. Burnt and bratty and too proud to admit it.

The memory hit hard now.

Your eyes opened, throat tight, guilt curling low in your stomach.

Because you hadn’t stopped loving her. Not really. Not even through the worst of it. The silence. The distance. The ache of not being chosen.

She was trying again.

And a part of you still wanted to believe in the version of her who once said I regret everything except loving you.

But then there was go4goald2.

Someone who didn’t carry your history like a weight. Someone who made you feel seen in real-time, even if they didn’t know what your voice sounded like out loud.

You sat up slowly, wiped the sleep from your eyes, and looked at your phone.

You still wanted to meet them.

Maybe not to fall in love. Maybe not to escape.

But to say thank you.

For holding space when you couldn’t hold yourself. For reminding you what it felt like to laugh without fear. For showing you that there was still a version of you left worth loving.

You didn’t know what would happen tomorrow.

But you knew one thing, at least.

You weren’t choosing between love and loneliness anymore.

You were choosing between two kinds of hope.

You woke up before your alarm.

Didn’t check your phone. Didn’t need to. Today was already sitting in your chest like static, too loud, too charged, too much. You made coffee with hands that wouldn’t stop shaking. Brushed your teeth twice. Put on a playlist and turned it off before the first chorus.

Tofu stayed close, like he could sense the storm under your skin. He followed you from room to room, tail wagging, expression confused. You kept petting him like that would settle something. Like you could tether yourself to the day through his fur alone.

You showered. Washed your hair. Put on your favorite jeans, the ones Alexia used to tease you about for being “aggressively soft”, then changed into different ones. Stood in front of your closet like maybe it would whisper instructions. Settled on something neutral. Safe.

Breakfast was two bites of toast and a glass of water you forgot to finish.

You didn’t let yourself think about what the meeting would feel like. You just kept your head down. Focused on the little things. Zipping the jacket. Filling Tofu’s travel bowl. Making sure your phone was charged. Reapplying lip balm for the third time, like it might protect you from whatever this was turning into.

You clipped on Tofu’s leash. Reached for the doorknob. Exhaled.

Then you heard it.

The key.

Turning in the lock.

You froze, heart jamming sideways in your chest.

The door opened slowly, hesitant, like the person on the other side didn’t know if they were still welcome.

And then you saw her.

Alexia.

But not composed, camera-ready Alexia. Not the confident girl you used to trail behind like sunlight. This version looked destroyed. Her hair was half-tied, frizzed at the edges, cheeks blotchy from dried tears. There were shadows under her eyes that hadn't been there before. Her hoodie was stained, clinging to her shoulders like it couldn’t decide whether to hang on or fall off. The duffel on her back was lopsided. Her laces were untied. And she was breathing like she’d run every step from the airport to your door.

You blinked. You weren’t sure if you were hallucinating.

“You’re back early.”

She didn’t smile. Didn’t say anything soft. Just stood there, swaying slightly.

“I wanted to surprise you,” she said, like it physically hurt to speak.

Your hand clenched tighter around Tofu’s leash.

She looked down. Saw the bag. The keys. The phone still lit in your other hand, half a sentence still unsent.

You didn’t mean to say it. But it slipped out, sharp and trembling.

“I’m meeting someone.”

She blinked. Like it stunned her. Like she hadn’t let herself believe it was real until now.

“You don’t have to go.”

You stared at her. “You don’t even know who it is.”

“I think I do.”

You stepped back. Confused. “What?”

Alexia reached into her hoodie, pulled out her phone with shaking hands, tapped something. Then she stopped and looked at you, not as a wife. Not as a lover. As something closer to a stranger asking for a chance.

Your phone buzzed.

Chattr.

One new message.

[go4goald2]: Just say the word. I’ll be there.

Your stomach dropped.

You didn’t look up right away. Couldn’t.

You stared at the message, willing it to be a joke, a glitch, anything but what it was.

Then you looked at her.

And the look on her face told you everything.

“It’s you,” you breathed. Not a question, but a realization clawing its way out of your throat.

Alexia didn’t nod. Didn’t move. She just stood there like her bones couldn’t take the weight of it either.

“It’s always been me,” she whispered.

And then everything inside you, every cell, every thread, recoiled.

“No.” You backed up further, voice rising. “No, that’s not.. It can’t be.”

“I didn’t lie,” she said quickly. “I just didn’t say”

“Didn’t say?” you cut in, a half-laugh cracking out of your throat.

“You tricked me, Alexia. You let me think someone else cared about me.”

“I did care about you,” she said, voice breaking. “Every word was real. I didn’t know how else to talk to you without hurting you again.”

“So you catfished your wife?”

She flinched. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Then what was it?” You threw your arms up. “What?! some twisted experiment? You wanted to see if I’d fall in love with you blindfolded?”

“No!” She stepped forward, and for once, she looked scared. “I just... I missed your voice. I missed being someone you trusted. And I knew if I showed up as me, you’d never let me in.”

“You’re right,” you said, and your voice was colder than you’d ever heard it. “Because I trusted you. And you used it.”

She was crying now, full-body crying, not bothering to hide it. “I thought maybe if I gave you space to choose me without the pain, we could start over.”

“But you didn’t give me space,” you said. “You gave me a lie.”

The words hit her like a blow. Her knees almost buckled under the weight of them.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“And yet,” you snapped, “here we are.”

You looked down at Tofu, who was watching both of you with ears pinned back, tail thumping slow and uncertain.

Your throat was tight. Like grief trying to turn into fire.

“I opened up to you,” you whispered. “Whoever you were. I told you things I never got to say to you. And you just... stood there. Letting me think I’d found someone new.”

“I was someone new,” she said, barely audible. “Someone trying. Someone who never stopped loving you.”

You shook your head. Everything inside you was loud now. Blistering.

“I don’t know what the hell I feel right now,” you said, and you meant it. “But I know I can’t feel it here.”

You crouched down, unclipped the leash.

“Tofu, stay,” you murmured, your voice trembling.

He whined, tail sweeping the floor once before going still.

You straightened and looked at Alexia. Not angry, not bitter, just… Tired. Worn through at the edges.

“I’m leaving you,” you said, steady now. “But not alone.”

She blinked. Confused.

You gestured toward the dog, your throat thick. “Because I don’t ever want anyone to feel the way you made me feel.”

You walked to the door, opened it, and left.

Not because you stopped caring.

But because for the first time in months, you needed her to feel what it meant to be left standing in the wreckage alone.

Tofu stayed by the door.

Still. Watching.

Like even he understood that this type of forgiveness doesn’t come with words.

It has to be earned. Step by brutal step.

Pt. 6

[bluewxrld07]

Good Graces Pt. 2 (Jack Hughes)

Summary: The aftermath between Jack and Y/N at the lakehouse unfolds...

Warning(s): Angst, yelling/cussing, light smut, cheating

Y/N takes a quick halt on the ice, trying to catch her breath. She bends over and rests her hands on her knees, looking up at the guys before her as they all still skate around the rink.

Before Y/N could process that she wound up in Jack's room the night before after their time on the boat, they were rudely awakened by Trevor whom wanted to get up for a seven in the morning skate at the rink.

Jack had fought with her, not wanting her to leave the bed as he kissed his way down her stomach and in between her legs, but was lightly pushed away by her. She would've happily obliged if it weren't for how prone Trevor can get about getting to the rink to skate in the morning.

She nearly shit herself thinking that Trevor most definitely caught her in Jack's bed, but after he acted like normal when she went down to grab something to eat she figured she was safe.

She was pulled away from her thoughts when a puck hit the boards hard next to her, causing her eyes to snap over to where it came from.

Jack smirked lightly as he slowly skated towards her, his eyes catching hers as she stood upright.

He stops in front of her, tapping her thigh lightly with his stick. "Haven't seen you this out of breath since middle school. What happened, pretty?" he jokes, earning an eye roll from her as well as a smack to the chest.

"Don't start. You guys do this on a daily basis for your job. I do this recreationally now." she says as she skates towards the bench to grab her water.

"You ever thought of going back and playing? Guarantee UMich would take you as a walk-on." he says as she squirts the water into her mouth.

She furrows her brows and shakes her head before swallowing. "No, I like what I'm doing now. I'm still part of the sport, just not the one playing." she explains, earning a hum from Jack.

"Can y'all hurry up? We've got like fifteen minutes left before the kiddos get here and we gotta head out." Cole shouts.

Y/N gives him a look. "Why does it matter? You said you've been here everyday anyways. Or did you actually have something else more important?" she retorts, causing Cole to rolling his eyes and stay silent.

Cole keeps shooting around with the other boys while Jack and Y/N stood at the bench boards.

Jack turns back from staring at the group, his eyes looking down at Y/N who's still glaring at Cole's direction. "Have you actually been able to call him out?" he asks, and she shakes her head.

"Tried to this morning when we got into the car. He just dismissed it after he tried asking where I was this morning." she explains, earning a scoff from the middle Hughes boy.

"He's such a pussy. He needs to fucking do something before I get involved." Jack says, puffing his chest out as he stares at Cole. Y/N puts a hand on his chest.

"Don't. That'll make things go worse than they already are bound to be." she explains, Jack furrowing his brows.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he shoots, making her regret how that came out.

"I didn't mean-"

"Nah nah I got it," he retorts. She tilts her head as he looks away from her and skates off.

Y/N lets out a puff, making her way back over to the group to finish their time in the rink.

Today should be fun.

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

The crew made it back to the Hughes lakehouse, showered and dressed for yet another boat day, tunes blasting throughout the house as they all got stuff packed and prepped to take out on the boat.

Y/N's current state was contemplating on if she should even go out on the boat for the day. She knew there would be questions asked.

Especially if she took off her shirt.

She stood in the bathroom in front of the mirror, her chest and collarbones covered in purple marks from a certain brown-haired boy. No amount of waterproof makeup could cover it.

The girl sighs before tying her bikini top behind her back, throwing on a larger oversized t-shirt that looked like it belonged to one of the boys.

She decided to leave her hair down in hopes it would cover some of the partial marks you could see poking out from the top of the shirt, making her way out of the bathroom and downstairs.

Once she makes it to the kitchen, she sees they're all conversing as music played. Quinn's eyes found hers and he smiled warmly. "You gonna start us off again today?" he asks.

Her lips purse. "I'm gonna probably keep it on the download today. I'm a little sore from going as long as I did yesterday."

"I'm sure that's why you're sore." Jack mutters, heads turning towards him. He looks up and just shrugs. "Could've been from this morning too is all I'm saying."

Y/N gives him a knowing look when his eyes find hers, making his own eyes squint at her.

Quinn looks back at her and shrugs. "You alright?" he asks. She nods and gives him a reassuring smile.

The group grabs whatever they can in their arms, all making their ways toward the sliding patio door to make their ways down to the boat.

It was another hot and humid day, the sun out fully and no clouds to be seen. Y/N grabbed her sunglasses from the table before sliding on her shoes, almost jumping when she felt a hand on her arm.

She looked up to see Cole with a questionable look on his face. "What's been going on with you?" he asks, making her eyebrows crease.

"I could ask you the same. I barely see you," she shoots. Cole's eyes fall to his feet. "Just have been dealing with a few things back at home for next season is all."

Y/N scoffs as she swings her bag over he shoulder. "Yeah, alright. If that's your answer, then my answer is that I've been totally fine."

She walks away, ignoring his comment that sounded a lot like "You're unbelievable" from behind her.

Once they were all on the boat and situated, Trevor took initiative this time of driving the boat. Quinn was going to start the group off that day with the watersports. Y/N sat quietly at the back of the boat, Ethan and Luke both sat on either side of her.

She was talking with Ethan as they drove out to the middle of the lake, but she's pulled out of her conversation not too long after.

"Shit Y/N how'd you get away with leaving something like that on Cole?" Trevor says aloud, making her head turn over and look to where Cole was stood as he took his shirt off. Her eyes widened as a quiet gasp left her lips.

There was a deep and dark mauve colored hickey the side of his neck.

Known as his sweet spot.

Cole's eyes widen before he takes his phone out and peers into the camera to see what Trevor was talking about. Cole's eyes whip up towards her, knowing exactly what she was thinking.

He was caught and there was no chance of explaining around it.

Instead of outing him like she wanted to, embarrass him like how she felt in that moment, she chose to play a bit. "Guess he didn't even realize how sneaky I can be." she plays along, poking the inside of her mouth with her tongue.

Cole's brows furrow, knowing that her covering for him could've meant something much bigger than he thought.

Her eyes find Jack's, whom was sitting in the seats across from where Cole sat, his mouth open as he sat there clearly amused. He looks over at her, wanting to know what her plan was.

Y/N kept her eyes on Jack's, lifting her sunglasses onto her head before standing up.

"You know what," she says. "I think I'm gonna wake surf. Too good of a day to lay low. I'll live with being sore."

"That's our girl! Hey Quinn! Y/N's next!" Ethan hoots behind him.

Y/N looks at Jack while holding the hem of the t-shirt she wore. His mouth smirks slyly, poking his sunglasses down a bit mohave his eyes looking directly at her.

He knew where she was going with this.

Y/N lifted up her t-shirt to reveal her bikini below, supporting the familiar red color that matched the famous New Jersey hockey team as they all knew.

"Y/N what the fuck! Fucking shit Cole, you two are absolute animals! And I thought yours was bad!" Trevor hoots out.

"What're you talking-" Cole turns from his spot, his eyes landing on Y/N with the widest eyes ever as she thanked Ethan for her lifejacket. "Y/N what the fuck are those? Are you fucking joking???" Cole bursts, standing up from his spot.

Y/N buckles her lifejacket, and shrugs. "What do you mean? You don't remember? That's so unfortunate, I thought we had a great night, no?" she shoots back, watching his eyes try to tear away from the marks all over her chest.

Cole sputters out a bunch of nonsense and sits down. His eyes in complete disbelief.

Y/N looks over at Jack whom has slouched into his seat, mouth covering an amused smile while his other hand adjusted his lower half while he scanned her figure slowly.

She smiles when his eyes meet hers, the boy mouthing 'naughty' to her. She gives him a wink before turning around to step onto the edge of the boat.

Her hand gets grabbed, causing her to look down and see a proud smiling Ethan. "Atta girl." is all he said quietly, and that is when she knew he knew.

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

It was close to the later part of the afternoon. The heat still blazing just as much as the sun shined.

They decided to take a bit of a break from the boat, pulling into the dock to go grab something to eat.

Once Y/N hopped off the dock and headed inside.

The cool feeling of the air conditioner hits her skin as she begins to make her way upstairs. Then she feels someone grab her arm. Her eyes are met with a very blazingly upset Cole.

"You're gonna tell me when you got those," he shoots. "And more importantly who."

She points at his. "You first, honey." she says sweetly and with fake innocence. Cole's eyes glare at her. "What game are you playing at?" he says, causing her to shrug.

"I don't like games, but I also don't like how you think you and your little secret are slick. I know where you've been. I want to hear you fucking admit it to me, Cole." she snaps, earning a scoff.

Cole's face pales, immediately looking all nervous. "Who told you?"

"Doesn't matter if I was told something or not. I know Cole I just wish you would've had the fucking balls or maturity to admit it!" Her voice raising slightly. "You treat me like utter horseshit, and I'm sick of it! Sick of you thinking it's okay to act like this while you're off doing who know what with her! Admit it!" she pushes.

"She makes me feel something, Y/N! You wouldn't understand!" he finally admits, making her heart stop for a split second. She scoffs.

She looks at him. "You're a fucking coward, Caufield." she mutters before brushing past him, and down the stairs. He follows behind her and into the kitchen where the boys all sat.

"Says the one who won't even tell me who fucking marked you up like a bitch! If anything, it's me who should be feeling betrayed because this could've been going on before I got with Milly!"

She whips around to look at him. "Are you fucking kidding me? You have no right to call me that when you're the one who has been caught in the act not once, not twice, but five times back in Montreal! That's really rich coming from you, Cole!" she spills, making the guys all stop what they were doing and look at them.

"You've cheated on her?" Quinn says aloud, Cole rolling his eyes.

"Don't pretend you guys didn't know." he says. "She was always gone, always working! I had to do something!" he says, making Quinn scoff.

"Then be a fucking man Cole and break up with me! Don't fucking keep me hanging on to something that wasn't mine ages ago!"

"You're one to fucking talk! You'd barely ever let me touch you when you were home. How was I supposed to know you weren't slinging yourself around like some cheap whore-"

"Call her a fucking whore again, Caufield I fucking dare you." Jack snaps, his voice echoing all throughout the house.

Cole's eyebrows furrow as he watches Jack put himself next to Y/N protectively. A moment later, Cole scoffs and rubs his forehead.

"I see," he says quietly, his eyes going back and forth between the pair. "Oh how could I have been so blind! It's you! You fucked Y/N." Jack doesn't falter in his spot, he stands his ground.

"I should've known the day you almost lost your shit when I said I bagged her," he says. "Those scratches on your back this morning. Those from her too? Don't think I didn't fucking notice."

"Yeah, I did. I gave her what she deserves. It was me making her moan. Me she was begging for. Me she disappeared with for the night," Jack finally snaps, walking closer to Cole. "You should've seen the way I made her fall apart. How she begged me to mark her as mine."

Cole was fuming as he rubs his lips with his fingers. He points at Jack before biting his bottom lip harshly. "You're a fucking piece of shit."

Jack smirks and scoffs back. "You're just mad because you and I both know that it was going to be she ended up with at the end of the day," he raises his hands and gestures to all the boys. "We all knew it."

Jack stalks up to Cole, looking down at the blonde due to their height difference. "You were just the decoy, man. From day one. She was mine."

Y/N didn't know whether she wanted to slap, punch, kiss or drop to her knees for Jack in that moment.

Cole shook his head and backs away from Jack. Jack looks him up and down quickly. "Pack your shit, and be out of here by the time we're back from lunch. Go stay with your puck bunny that you're so infatuated with." Jack says, walking away from Cole and up towards his room.

The room was so silent after that, you could hear a pin drop.

Cole looked back at Y/N one more time, shook his head and walked away.

She felt like shit. She never wanted to be the reason the boys split apart like this. A loud sigh leaves her lips that she didn't know she was holding, letting her head fall as she rubbed her face.

"I didn't mean for this to happen." she says to the boys behind her.

"Can I be honest?" Trevor says slowly and cautiously. "We all kind of were aware of it. We all wanted it to happen." he admits.

Y/N's head shoots up and turns back to look at them all. They each nodded sheepishly and hum in agreement.

"Why? Why would you-?"

"It's always been you and Jack. When Cole announced one day that he thought he would be able to bag you before Jack ever had the chance, we all knew it wouldn't last. Especially because Jack wouldn't let that happen, and Cole can't keep his hands to what's his." Quinn explains, making her brows furrow.

"So you all knew this would happen?"

"Yeah eventually."

Y/N scoffs and shakes her head. "You're all unbelievable. I don't even know what to think right now."

"We're guys, Y/N. You love us though. Right?" Luke says, trailing off slightly in a cautious manner.

Y/N crosses her arms over her chest. "I do love you all yes. But I need a minute."

"I'll text you when we are leaving for lunch." Quinn nods, and she looks at him with pursed lips before nodding once.

She turns on her heels and heads up the stairs, walking down the hall towards Jack's room. She knocks lightly, hearing a soft 'come in' as she opened his door.

The door shuts behind her as she crosses her arms, seeing him sitting at the edge of his bed with his elbows on his knees as he is bent over looking at the floor. His hands clasped together while his knee bounced.

"Jack-"

"Don't."

She frowns. "No I will." she argues, making his eyes snap up to hers with a warning look.

"You've had feelings for me? Why didn't you ever say anything?"

Jack stays silent.

"Jack Rowden."

"Fuck, fine. Yes I have, Always have."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I wasn't able to admit it to myself," he admits. "Not until Cole brought up wanting to go after you. That's when I figured it out."

"I wish I would've known sooner."

"Why, so you could give me shit?"

"No, so I could've turned down Cole."

He freezes. "What?"

Y/N sighs and lets her hands fall to her sides. "I chose Cole back then because you weren't showing any signs of wanting me. So I gave up and let Cole sway me instead."

Jack groans and palms his face before falling back onto his bed. "Fucks sake."

Y/N walks closer to him, standing now between his legs and looks down at him. "You also always bragged about the girls you got with, and then when you dated Sienna-" she trails off and shrugs.

Jack peeks out from his hands, letting them fall to his stomach.

"That's because I thought I should try moving on from you after you started seeing Cole."

"Well you aren't the brightest, we've gathered that."

"Watch it, pretty."

"Why? You won't do anything."

Jack sits up as he keeps his eyes on hers, instantly gripping her hips in a harsh motion and pulling her down onto his lap. She gasps at the feeling of him through the thinner bikini bottom fabric she wore, causing him to chuckle as he looked at her.

"Don't think I won't start something. Because I will, and I will make them wait till we're finished."

She rolls her eyes. "Whatever," she giggles, before looking back at him. Her face becoming serious. "I meant what I said Jack. Today and yesterday. I'm yours if you'll have me."

Jack's smile widens, squeezing her hips before he glides them around her body. "Gotta let me take you on an actual date first."

Y/N smiles and nods with a hum in agreement.

"For now I'd like a kiss please."

"Oh you're gonna get a little bit more than that. We've got time."

[siderealglimmer]

Hi there! OP here, now under a different name due to a broken phone/lost email/forgotten password three part punch of doom. I have not forgotten the request on how to do this!

Step 1 was to acquire the sequined cloth. I made sure choose some that would be enough inches wide to fit all the way across me at my widest points plus a little extra, because I am made of a variety of curves and rounds (except my elbows and chin which are all quite pointy).

I had the helpful lady at the cutting counter cut me two equal sized lengths, enough to at least reach the floor from my shoulders. I am 5’2” so I think it was a yard and a half each. Your mileage yardage may vary depending on your own height.

Holding these two rectangles wrong side together, I folded them in half lengthwise to find the center and put a placeholder pin there to mark it. Then I unfolded and held them against my front with that pin against the middle of my throat. I added another pin on either side at the point where I wanted the cloth to join over my shoulders.

I could have just left those points and moved on, leaving me with a very high/close neckline, but I wanted a neckline that would fall lower to favor my mammary bounty. So on just one of the two pieces of cloth, I scooted the edges inward so the middle would sag, and reattached the shoulder pins. I kept poking my head through the hole between the shoulder pins until I was happy with where the neckline fell.

Happy cheat moment: I didn’t sew the shoulders. Still haven’t. I followed the fine example of countless cultures and simply put some Really Good Pins in on the underside of the cloth, holding the front and back together, and moved on. You could also overlap the cloth edges and put a fancy pin or brooch pin on top of them.

Once the neckline was settled, I put the thing on over my head while wearing the bra I was going to have on, and reached under each arm to pinch the cloth together on the side of my ribs to decided where I wanted the bottom of the armhole to be. I pinned there, on both sides. Then I took it off, flipped it inside out, and pinned all the way down.

When I put it back on it was very sacklike. I knew I’d be belting it, but I did remove and replace some of the pins further in so the dress would have at least a little more fit and flare to it.

The I sewed down the side hems, from my underarm pins all the way to the bottom.

The last step was hemming. This can be hard solo. I put the dress on and took a gentle step to catch the cloth under my toe. I bent down, pinched that under, and pinned. I repeated this in several directions, to get it pinned around, and adjusted for evenness. For the back I pretty much pinned straight across. This was meant to be a one-off shenanigan garment, like a personal cosplay where I am my own OC, so I didn’t treat it like something I’m going to wear a lot or get judged on. Plus I was short on time. If you want to be more exact in your hemming or other seams, go for it.

The corners of the cloth that were dangling at the shoulders, I just tucked those in through the armholes and added them to the shoulder pins.

Excess cloth under the hem I trimmed so it would hang flat.

The white mesh at the neckline is literally the selvage of the cloth.

I belted that shit and had a blast hosting the company raffle/giveaway! Apparently HR had been getting a lot of compliments about me, which is fun and cool.

If you ever wanna get a lot of confused smiles, circulate normally at a work function amongst a bunch of fellow employees who are wearing business casual while dressed in glittery Vanna White/Proncess Sparklepants finery. Bonus points for playing shuffleboard and roasting marshmallows.

Oh, and I got the tiara/necklace/earrings combo off of Amazon for like $25.

Singer 99K don’t fail me now

[maskedbyghost]

Hear me out, possessive reader plays a prank, or maybe to see how it would work out and starts acting wayyy less possessive, to the point of being a normal partner..

I NEED SI REACTION

Anon, I love your fucking mind. I had the best time writing this, literally giggling and kicking my feet while imagining Simon spiraling because his crazy girl went "normal mode" on him and he couldn’t handle it for even a second. BASED ON THIS IDEA

You barely looked at him when the waitress called him handsome.

You just smiled to yourself and kept sipping your drink, didn’t glare at her, didn’t grab his hand and lace your fingers through his, didn’t scoot closer in your seat or wrap your arms around him like you used to, and Simon sat there blinking at you like he’d just been slapped across the face.

And then when you walked past a group of girls at the grocery store and one of them giggled and said something about his arms, you didn’t even flinch, didn’t even frown, didn’t even murmur something low and territorial under your breath the way you always did, and Simon actually almost tripped over the cart trying to get a reaction out of you, heart hammering so hard.

You used to get pissed if he so much as looked at another woman too long, used to give him that smug little smirk when you caught someone staring at him, used to lean into him and press your mouth to his ear and mutter "mine" so dark and low that it left him shivering for hours, and now? Now you were just... chill.

Way too chill.

He caught himself thinking insane things like maybe you were losing interest, maybe you were getting ready to leave, maybe you finally realized he wasn’t enough for you, maybe you were pulling away slow and silent to make it easier when you walked out for good, and by the time you got home, Simon’s brain was working overtime, replaying every interaction, every glance, every smile you had given that wasn’t just for him, every time you hadn't touched him when you should have.

You didn’t steal his hoodie when he tossed it on the couch.

You didn’t scroll through his phone and make snarky comments about the girls who liked his photos.

You didn’t pull into his lap when he sat down to watch TV.

You didn’t tell him to shower because he "smelled like other people," which he always secretly loved, even though he rolled his eyes and grumbled about it every time.

You just... existed next to him.

Detached.

Simon sat there on the couch while you scrolled on your phone, completely casual, legs tucked under you, not touching him at all, and he was spiraling so badly he almost convinced himself he could physically see the relationship disintegrating in real time, piece by miserable piece.

He thought about asking if you still loved him.

He thought about proposing on the spot just to lock you down before you could change your mind.

He thought about texting Johnny and asking him if it was normal to feel like your entire world was slipping out from under you because your girlfriend wasn’t being a possessive lunatic for five seconds.

Finally, when you stood up and stretched and said, "I'm gonna head to bed" without even glancing at him, without even saying goodnight or trying to drag him with you, Simon couldn’t take it anymore.

He launched off the couch and followed you, heart pounding like he was about to get left behind at the airport or something, stomach twisted into a knot.

You climbed into bed and flipped onto your side, facing away from him like it was nothing, like you hadn’t spent months curling around him like a vine the second he lay down.

He just stood there at the foot of the bed, breathing way too hard for a normal human being, feeling an honest-to-God panic attack brewing in his chest.

"Love," he said, his voice way shakier than he wanted it to be.

You didn’t even roll over. "Hmm?"

He swallowed hard, hands fisting at his sides. "You don’t want me anymore."

You snorted. Actually snorted. "What are you talking about?"

Simon clenched his jaw so hard it hurt. "You—you’re not even—you didn’t get mad when that girl flirted with me. You didn’t steal my hoodie. You didn’t call me yours even once. You’re acting like we’re—" his voice cracked and he cursed under his breath, "—like we’re normal."

You turned slowly, propping yourself up on your elbow, and the look you gave him was so infuriatingly calm he almost burst into tears on the spot.

"You mean," you said, so evenly it made his eye twitch, "like a normal girlfriend who trusts her boyfriend?"

He stared at you, chest heaving, entire body screaming at him that something was wrong.

"You’re gonna leave me," he said, absolutely sure of it, absolutely certain this was the beginning of the end.

You blinked at him for a second, like you were trying very hard not to laugh in his stupid, panicking face, and then you moved so fast he barely had time to react—you were grabbing him by the front of his shirt, hauling him down onto the bed, straddling his hips, and pinning him there with your thighs as your hands locked around his neck, firm but not tight, just enough to make him shut up and listen.

"Listen to me, you stupid, beautiful man," you said, voice low and furious in that way that made every nerve in his body light up, "you need me just as much as I need you. You belong to me. You hear me? You are fucking mine. I’m not going anywhere; I’m never fucking leaving you. I don't want normal; I want you wrapped around my fucking finger where you belong. Don’t ever doubt that again."

You leaned in closer, your nose brushing his, your hands still gripping his neck just enough to keep him pinned under you, and you added, your voice dropping even lower, smug and wicked, "And maybe I wanted you to lose your fucking mind for a bit. Wanted you to see how much you love it when I’m unhinged about you."

Simon just exhaled like he’d been punched in the stomach and kissed at the same time, his whole body sagging against the bed.

He groaned, almost whining, burying his face against your chest with a muffled, desperate, "Fuckin’ hell, don’t ever do that to me again, you psycho."

But his arms were wrapping around you like steel, holding you so tight, and when you laughed and tugged his hair gently, he actually sighed in relief, like his whole world had finally clicked back into place.

"You’re crazy," he muttered again, not even trying to sound annoyed, his voice almost grateful.

"You love it," you said against his hair, grinning wide enough your cheeks hurt.

"Yeah," he breathed, voice raw and low and real, "yeah, I fuckin’ do. I need you crazy. Need you to ruin me a little. Keep me yours."

You kissed the side of his head, smug and sweet and savage all at once, and Simon just kept breathing you in, letting that awful gnawing terror bleed out of him one slow second at a time until there was nothing left but you, your hands, your voice, your body wrapped around him like armor, pulling him deeper, anchoring him exactly where he belonged.

And he was fine, better than fine actually, and exactly where he needed to be.

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

i can't even explain how much i love this idea...

@daydreamerwoah @kylies-love-letter @ghostslollipop @kittygonap @alfiestreacle @identity2212 @farylfordaryl @rafaelacallinybbay @akkahelenaa @lovelovelovelovelove987654321 @wraith-bravo6

[theresatzu]

Blue Lock characters and going to the beach

------------o@(・_・)@o-------------

Featuring. Isagi, Bachira, Sae, Rin, Reo & Nagi

Tags. crack, beach

------------o@(・_・)@o-------------

Isagi Yoichi

-> Isagi will definitely be that one person on the beach who makes this huge sandcastle. He'll literally scour the beach for a whole hour to gather materials and come up with ways how to exactly make it as sturdy as possible.

-> When he's done, Isagi will tug your arm and proudly show you the construction, a childlike smile on his face.

-> Isagi also likes to swim or go snorkeling, exploring the wildlife in the ocean.

-> Getting ice cream with Isagi is definitely a must, considering the sweet tooth he has. But as the average human, he'll probably choose like vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

Bachira Meguru

-> This man cannot act normal on the beach.

-> Bachira will most certainly try to scare little kids by wearing a shark costume and chasing them in the water, all while gleefully laughing his ass off.

-> Bachira is also the kind of person who will collect things on the beach. But not the normal shells. No, he'll come back with a bucket filled with crabs or cuttlefish bones, dumping the contents on your blanket with a proud smile.

-> Bachira is the kind of person who would get this huge ice cream. He'll definitely choose to get at least five scoops, and all of them being wildly varied in flavour. Like peppermint with lobster ice cream coupled with pistachio. And he'll like it.

Itoshi Sae

-> He naps on the beach.

-> Sae wouldn't even bother bringing a swimsuit, he'll just beeline straight for the blanket laid out on the sand, put his sunglasses on and promptly fall asleep. He isn't really one for beach activities, and also because football is the only thing he really excels at, so doing something else is ruled out.

-> If Sae gets an ice cream, he'll probably won't even bother with a cone, just a small cup with raspberry and mint chocolate chip flavoured scoops.

Itoshi Rin

-> He does not like the beach.

-> The sand makes Rin's skin crawl, the joy on the kids faces makes his crunch in revolt, and the taste of salt in the air will be the death cause number one for him.

-> Rin will just sit on the blanket, scowl fixed on his face, looking like he wants to be anywhere else.

-> Rin will probably read or go on his phone, but if its really peaceful and not too crowded, maybe he'll try his hand at yoga.

-> If he gets ice cream, because he doesn't like the sticky sensation in his mouth, he'll probably get, similar to Sae, just a cup with two scoops like vanilla and butter pecan.

Reo Mikage

-> Reo is good at everything, naturally, he'll also dominate every sport played on the beach, too. Swimming? He's already swum at least five kilometres. Beach volleyball? He's the renounced champion on the beach. Kite flying? You'll see his dragon themed kite soaring high above all the others.

-> The sky's blue, the air consists of 21% oxygen, and Reo is loaded. So why not spend money on good equipment? Ba-ya will literally lug a whole ass tent, a wind shield, and all sorts of inflatables with, all to properly cater to Reo's needs. It's safe to say that you can never forget anything with Reo.

-> The ice cream flavours Reo will get will probably be black raspberry and butter scotch. In any case, Reo will get something that tastes rich.

Nagi Seishirou

-> Going to the beach is a bit of a hassle for Nagi. Bringing sun lotion, setting up your blankets, and getting sand between your toes, are not things Nagi finds enjoyable in the very least.

-> But it's also the optimal place for Nagi to nap and play video games while being nicely warmed up by the sun, without being nagged to get moving. So that's a pluspoint for him.

-> If Nagi gets in the water, he'll prefer to stay dry, so he'll probably lie on an inflatable, floating on the water, closing his eyes and not even noticing he's drifting off.

-> Nagi wouldn't really like ice cream because it melts fast and it's sticky when it gets on your clothes or fingers, so he'll either get a cup with vanilla flavoured ice cream, or just a nice milkshake.

------------o@(・_・)@o-------------

Masterlist

[ambersinterlude]

Submission Hold

Word Count : 1.4k

Jey Uso x Reader

Warnings : age gap (reader is 22), anal play, pure smut

OMNISCIENT |

You were always running your mouth. That’s what started it.

You’d been backstage at Raw, cocky off a clean win, still glistening with sweat and adrenaline when you started teasing Jey. “That was cute, old man,” you smirked, watching him unwrap his tape.

“Think you can keep up with the young ones like me much longer?”

He raised one eyebrow. You knew that look.

“Old man, huh?” he repeated slowly, stepping closer. “Bet I could still tap your cocky little ass out faster than anybody in that locker room.”

“Oh yeah?” you challenged, biting your lip. “Prove it.”

That’s how the bet started. A friendly spar after hours. First one to get pinned taps out and takes a punishment.

You were fast. Smart. Bratty. Thought you could outmaneuver him.

But Jey Uso was 39, seasoned, and every inch of his body moved like it knew yours—like he’d studied your weaknesses just to break you. He toyed with you for ten minutes before flipping you onto your stomach, face pressed to the mat, your ass in the air. His body was a furnace against yours, heavy, hard, locked in place. His hand pinned both wrists above your head.

“You still runnin’ that mouth?” he whispered against your ear. “Huh, baby?”

You tapped. And immediately regretted it when he grinned.

“Pack your shit,” he said, standing up. “We got dinner plans. You gonna wear somethin’ tight… and what I give you underneath it.”

──

Hours later, you were in the hotel bathroom, palms braced on the counter, panting as jey held you still while inching the plug inside of your second hole—metallic, rose gold, curved just right. Your walls clenched as he eased it in, gasping softly when it popped into place. Jey then slipped the vibrating panties over your thighs. Sleek black, nearly invisible under the tight dress.

You met your own gaze in the mirror, flushed and flustered, chest rising and falling fast. Your pierced nipples peeked through the sheer mesh of your bra.

Behind you, Jey leaned in and tugged your hair to tilt your head back. “Such a pretty lil thing,” he growled. “Full of attitude til it’s time to obey.”

He held up the remote and. “You ready?”

“No,” you whispered as you bit your lip nervously.

He smirked. “Too bad.”

──

The restaurant was upscale, dimly lit, gold accents and crystal chandeliers casting a warm glow. Your heels clicked on the marble floor as the host guided you to a booth in the corner. Private. Cozy. Dangerous.

You tried to act normal. Legs crossed, hands folded. But the plug pulsed low in your ass, and your clit buzzed with every flick of the panties. He didn’t hit you with full power—no, Jey was mean. He kept it just enough to keep you needy. Dripping. On edge.

He sipped his whiskey and smirked at your squirming. “Table too cold or you just achin for attention?”

You glared, voice low. “I hate you.”

“You love me.”

Then he turned the intensity up—slow, steady vibration that made your thighs tremble. Your mouth fell open in a soft gasp. You bit your lip and glanced around. A couple sat one table over. A waiter passed behind you.

“Jey,” you hissed. “Someone’s gonna notice—”

He leaned over the table, voice low and full of threat. “That’s the point. You wanna act like a brat, baby girl? You better learn how to cum quiet.”

You tried. You really did. But by the time dessert arrived, you were shaking, thighs clamped tight. The plug throbbed deep. The panties buzzed mercilessly. And then—he hit the pulse setting.

Your orgasm hit like a wave—slow and intense. You squeezed your eyes shut and moaned low into your wine glass as your body twitched.

“Good girl,” he murmured, brushing your hand beneath the table. “That sweet pussy’s dripping for me isn’t she?”

You whimpered. The waiter showed up just as you tried to compose yourself, cheeks flushed, dress sticking to your damp thighs.

You were wrecked. And he was smug.

──

He drove the car himself. One hand on the wheel. The other on your thigh.

“You still got one more mess in you before we hit the hotel,” he said, rubbing slow circles. “C’mere. Be a good girl. Show daddy how deep that throat is.”

Unbuckling your seatbelt, you leaned over like you’d done it a thousand times, releasing him and dragging your tongue along the thick vein of his shaft. He hissed when you swallowed him halfway, fingers threading into your hair.

“Don’t stop,” he grunted as he bucked his hips up. “Fuck. You sucking my shit up baby.” At this point, Jey’s hand was wrapped in your hair.

You moaned around him, spit dripping down your chin, his dick hitting the back of your throat as the plug inside you kept pulsing. Every bump in the road jolted the toy deeper. You gagged, and he growled.

“That’s it. That’s my fuckin good girl.”

He came down your throat right as you turned into the hotel garage—and made you swallow every drop. You lifted yourself up and smiled innocently at him.

──

As soon as the suite door shut, he slammed you against the wall.

“Strip.”

You peeled the dress off slowly, shaking with need. Your nipples stood hard and pierced, and he groaned at the sight.

“Fuck. Look at those pretty tits.” He dropped to his knees, tongue lapping at your pierced nipples, fingers working the plug out of you with a wet pop.

“Turn around”

Turning around you see yours and his reflection in the floor length mirror. He walked up slowly behind you.

“You want it?”

“Yes” you responded with a slight whimper.

“You better take all this shit”

“Put your hands behind your back”

As you did so, he slightly bent you over. Pulling your panties down and teasingly pulling at the plug. You moaned as he fully removed it. He then pulled out his dick and slid right in—slow, deliberate strokes that made your reflection rattle. He didn’t even give you a chance to adjust. He stared at the mirror as he fucked you hard, one hand tangled in your hair, the other on your throat.

“Look at you. So cocky earlier… now you just a fuckin’ mess.”

As their gazed locked in the mirror he stared beating her insides. The room was filled with skin slapping, and your moans.

“D-daddy” you moaned. He was pummeling your pussy. Hitting that spongy spot. You couldn’t take it.

Soon enough you squirted on his dick and all over the floor. He laughed.

“There she go.”

Legs trembling he shoved his thumb into your ass mid-stroke. You screamed.

Then he pulled out completely. Holding tightly onto you to ensure you didn’t fall. As yall walked over to the bed. You immediately knew what to do. Getting on all fours.

Jey comes behind you, stroking his dick. Looking at your second hole clench around nothing. He snickered to himself as he slapped your backside causing you to jolt foward and whine

“Be still.” He growled

You soon felt his tip inching inside of your second whole. You gasped.

“B-baby” you moaned, looking back at him with watery eyes.

“You like that nasty shit, huh?”

You nodded, crying, voice cracked. “Yes—please—fuck, I can’t take it daddy.. i can’t”

You pushed at his abdomen. Jey didn’t like that. He grabbed your wrist and pinned it behind your back.

“You’re gonna take it. You gonna take all of it.”

He slipped the tip out of your second hole and flipped you on your side. Slow, grinding strokes as he pushed his thumb your mouth and you gladly sucked on it.

“You’re mine. All mine.”

He removed his thumb out of your mouth following behind roughly grabbing your jaw. “Open wide for me baby”

Being the good girl you were, you opened up for him. Letting his spit hit the back of your throat. You happily swallowed.

“Mmmm” you moaned while staring back at jey who was pummeling your pussy.

Jey looked down watching you cream all over him. Her legs shaking.

“Look at you, creaming all over this dick. You love creaming on daddy dick?” He asked as his strokes became rougher.

He was fucking you so good, you couldn’t even respond. You didn’t even comprehend anything he had said.

“I asked you a fucking question! Huh? You love creaming on this dick” as he grabbed your throat and brought your face closer to his. So close you could feel his breath on your lips.

“Ugnhh- yes d-daddy! I love creaming on your dick— ohmygodd”

He fucked you all night—from the mirror to the bed, backshots that made the headboard slam, deep strokes with his hand gripping your throat, spitting in your mouth, cum leaking out of both holes.

──

The next morning you woke up in his arms, legs sore, body wrecked.

He kissed your shoulder, warm and soft now, thumb tracing lazy circles over your thigh.

“You okay, baby girl?” he whispered, voice gentle.

You nodded, voice raw. “Mhm.”

“Need anything?”

“Water. A hug. A new spine.”

He laughed and pulled you closer, kissing the back of your neck.

“Next time,” he whispered, “you better win the bet.”

─────────────────────────

Published : 04/25/25

Okay guys, i really hope yall liked this. Again im a new writer so not too much on me lmaoo but yeah. I really hope you guys enjoyed lmkkk😘

[bearforcecaptions]

I always wished I had a neighbor more like me. Living here felt like I was trapped behind glass — close enough to see everyone, but never quite part of it. Most people kept their distance. And the one person who didn’t? My neighbor across the street — a massive, musclebound military guy who stomped around in full gear like he was still on active duty. Always shouting into his phone, working out in the driveway. We had nothing in common. I barely even waved hello.

One night, feeling lonelier than usual, I muttered under my breath, "I just wish I had a neighbor more like me." I didn’t think anything of it. Just a passing thought. But the world must’ve been listening.

When I woke up, everything was wrong.

First thing I noticed was the weight of the dog tags clinking against my chest. I sat up, disoriented, and the bed creaked under my heavier frame. I looked down — I was wearing only a pair of tight black boxer briefs. And my body... Thick, heavy muscles bulged under my skin, veins tracing over biceps the size of softballs. My stomach was a carved six-pack, my legs like stone columns. Tattoos wrapped around my shoulders and arms — sharp black ink I didn’t remember getting.

I opened my mouth to shout, to ask what was happening — but instead, out came a calm, deep voice: "Situation normal. Good to go." I clamped my hand over my mouth, heart hammering against my ribs. This wasn’t right.

I stumbled out of bed — bare feet slapping the floor — and nearly tripped over a neatly stacked pile of folded camo fatigues. I rushed to the bathroom, gripping the doorframe like it might disappear.

The man staring back at me in the mirror was a stranger. Square-jawed, military haircut, a body like it was carved from granite. Hardened, disciplined. Unshakable. My hands — thick, calloused — shook slightly, but my face stayed stoic, calm, trained. I had to get help.

I yanked on a tight olive-green T-shirt, fatigues, and boots waiting by the door. Everything fit perfectly, like it had been tailored for this new, monstrous body. I bolted outside, desperate to find some scrap of normalcy.

That’s when I saw him. My neighbor. Standing by his truck, grinning wide, like we’d been friends for years.

"Mornin', brother!" he barked, striding over and clapping a heavy hand on my back. I tried to say something casual, anything — but my body snapped to attention, and I barked back, "Mornin', Sergeant! Outstanding day for PT!"

No. No no no. Inside, I was screaming. But on the surface, I was steady, confident, every word crisp like I’d practiced it my whole life.

We talked — about gear, training regimens, upcoming drills — and I just kept playing along, answering perfectly, even laughing when he cracked a joke about "those soft new recruits." At one point, I heard myself say, "Woke up at 0500 hours, got my warm-up set in before chow," — like it was the most natural thing in the world. 5 a.m., I corrected silently. Normal people say 5 a.m. But my mouth would never betray the facade.

"Come on, brother, we’re late for base," he barked, tossing a duffel into the truck. Without hesitation, I grabbed my own — somehow packed and ready — and climbed in.

The base was real. The ID around my neck scanned at the checkpoint. Guards waved me through. Nobody questioned it. We spent the day side-by-side, yelling commands, demonstrating lifts, pushing trembling recruits through brutal obstacle courses. And somehow, everything I needed to know was just there — drilled into me like muscle memory I never actually earned. Every command, every drill, every reprimand rolled off my tongue with perfect authority. And somewhere deep inside, the real me — the scared, confused version — shrank further and further down, screaming silently into the void.

That night, back in my strange, hyper-organized house, I tried to process it all. Photos covered the walls — snapshots of me and my neighbor on deployments, at competitions, at ceremonies. Awards lined the shelves. My inbox was full of congratulatory messages on recent promotions. My memories — my real ones — felt like faint shadows compared to the heavy, real weight of this new life.

The world believed this was who I'd always been. The world demanded I believe it too.

And no matter how much I panicked inside, no matter how much I begged for the old life back, my mouth only said, "Yes, sir." "Roger that." "Mission accomplished."

I guess my wish had come true. I wasn’t alone anymore. I had my best friend. My squad. My calling.

And deep down, under all the tattoos, the muscle, the discipline, the pride, the old me still existed. Still thrashing, still trying to surface.

But each day, that voice grew a little fainter. Each day, it got a little easier to lace up my boots, square my shoulders, and drive out to base. Adapt and overcome. That’s the mission now.

[luvyeni]

TWO DUMB VIRGINS ๑. ( 박지성 )

PART SIX. stomach bug? well no …

𝗦𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗘 ──── you wanted to lose it . he was tired of being made fun by his friends. both of you thinking he’d pull out fast enough… but what can you expect from two stupid virgins ? …

( 対 ) park jisung + fem. reader genre young parent au , smau · contains! mentions of sex. pregnancy talk. crude language. jokes among friends mature content

“maybe it’s something you ate.” yuna walked around the small clinic office. “wait the only thing you’ve eaten this past 16 hours is my soup.. oh my god did i make you even more sick?” she said. “i doubt it was your soup , i promise you it’s probably just a stomach bug , they’ll give me some medicine and tell me to take a nap and then i’ll be fine.”

“you better i’ve covered your shift 3 times already; your regular clients are annoying, yes lauren i know what three inches are im sure you do to given the man you’re with.” the door opened just as you were covering her mouth to keep her from saying thing else inappropriate. “im sorry she normally isn’t like this.” the doctor flagged you both off with a chuckled. “don’t worry about it , it’s better to laugh while you’re sick than to be all mopy, it’s good to be around friends.”

“see told you.” yuna said in a condescending tone. “you need me , i’m literally healing you.” you rolled your eyes. “more like getting on my nerves.” you mumbled. “doctor is she okay?” you slapped the girls leg. “yuna let her talk.” you said. “and i already told you it’s probably a stomach bug.” turning to the doctor. “right?”

“no.” your already nervous smile dropped. “huh?” you said , a nervous chuckle. “what is it then?” you questioned you and yuna both looking at each other then back at the doctor. “well according to the report , miss yn it seems like you’re at least three weeks pregnant.” surely she didn’t say that — no of course not. “hu-huh.” you nervously chuckled. “no , that’s not possible.” yuna stood in the corner, shocked. “no.”

“well are you sexually active?” the doctor asked, you don’t think she wanted an answer but you and yuna were both in shock that she answered. “well answer her.” yuna said. “well it was my first time — and did you use a condom?” clearly not and you’re looking at the consequences of that right now. “yn are you serious?” yuna said. “this might be a lot to handle right now , so i’m gonna send you home with some anti nausea medicine that should help a bit but whenever you decide on what you want you should schedule an appointment with the obgyn.” the doctor stood from her seat. “i’ll give you a few minutes to gather your thoughts before you drive home.”

she left you both in the room; and it was like you could hear a pin drop. “yn how could you not wear a condom?” yuna said. “that’s like sex 101.” it felt like a dream — no a sick april fools joke , instead it wasn’t april 1st. “i need to go home.”

and with that you two headed him, stopping only to get the medicine. the ride home was silent , not even the radio was playing as you tried to make sense of this; what the fuck was this? you stared out the window. how were you gonna explain this to anybody? your mom; sure she’d be happy, she always wanted to be a grandmother… but surely not like this. how the hell were you gonna tell jisung; you don’t even have his number, you’d have to ask chenle; which meant you were gonna have to tell chenle. “oh no.” you said , yuna turned to you , hands on the wheel. “are you gonna puke? please don’t.” she said. “no.”

“chenle.” you said. “what about him? oh shit you do have to tell him.” she said. “no , i can’t.” you said. “well regardless of what happens, i think you should.” she said. “unless there’s a reason you cant.” she asked after seeing your face. “theres a reason you can’t tell him?” you sighed. “the guy who chenle brought to the cafe the other day.” you said. “what about him ; i’m pretty sure he’s one of his friends?” the words fell from her mouth; then a bit of silence , before a gasp. “no.” she said. “how did you manage that?”

“i didn’t know , i never asked who his friends were , i didn’t even ask him what school he went to.” you said. “how could i be so fucking stupid?” you said. “this literally can’t be happening right now.” you said. “i’m so fucked.” you said. “let’s just get you home , we’ll figure it out then — i think i just need to be al— i’m not leaving you alone like this , absolutely not , so either we sit in this car in front of your complex or we go to your apartment and figure it out.”

you two make it to the apartment and up to your floor. “we don’t have to talk about it right now , but i won’t let you be alone.” she said as you unlocked the door. “thank you.” you said softly pushing the door open , noticing the extra pair of shoes. “finally we’ve been waiting.” you heard yunjins voice. “what did the doctor say?” chenle emerged from the bathroom. “let’s not talk about that right now.” yuna tried to stop the conversation , but your poor friends couldn’t read the room.

and it was like chenle asking that question made you realize your reality. “i’m gonna be sick.” you ran back to the bathroom , emptying your stomach. “whoa a stomach bug did that.” chenle said , only for you to let out a sob. “yn.” yunjin ran back to the room. “what’s wrong?” chenle turned to yuna , the only other person who had answers. “well it wasn’t a stomach bug.” she said. “what!.” yunjin ran back to the living room. “did she just say she was pregnant?” your sobbing body , hunched over in the bathroom. “yuna? is she really pregnant?”

you dragged your body off the floor and into your room , dropping down on the bed , not even bothering to take your clothes off , just rolling up in the blanket. “but that’s insane she just lost her virginity.” chenle said as they followed you back into the room. “yn.” he knocked on the door. “can we come in?” they heard you hum; pushing the door open. “you okay?” yunjin said. “what do you think?” you mumbled. “you got a point.” she said , sitting on the edge of the bed.

“can we just not talk about it right now.” you said. “i just want to sleep for the rest of the day.” chenle patted your back. “we can put these questions on the back burner until tomorrow or maybe even the next day.” he said. “but we aren’t leaving you right now , not in this state we’d be terrible friends.” he climbed into the bed next to you. “yeah , but let’s not hold off this conversation too long i have questions.” yunjin said. “yunjin.” yuna said , already laying down next to you. “what?” she said.

“i’m just curious , this shit sounds like a plot to a tv show , of course i have questions.”

( 🏷️ ). @starsungwrld @neverbeurs @chocolate-scoups @delinalovesriize @cupid-ville @maiyhw @cosmicwintr @nctislifue @httpsxnox @hyunjinslongasslegs @andyyjw @kookssecret @ithinkulikeme @meowmeowhoon @jae-n0 @413ktz @httpjiprk @antifrggile @ourshin @itskpopular @smiles4hyuck @jaeminnnanaaa17 @bbyinni @sillypaperspyeagle-blog @n0hyuck @catdonut657 @markleesleftpinky @clean-soap @janjoonty @veilstqr @mikeeel @cigsaftersuh @kittykyuuu @akirawhore

𝕼 ㅤ𓈒ㅤ𓈒 PREV. TDV. NEXT. .ᐟ

©️LUVYENI

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

Oh, Wayne this made my day! Brief aside, I will be getting caught up on Time After Time this weekend after a busy one last. I got some nice girthy parts to enjoy! 😂

Omg I love the Cujo nickname and you found the sweetest little gif of Mr. King! Owen is not only a true narcissistic asshole, he's just a weeeeeee bit off in general. Like no wonder your daddy didn't trust you with the business ya little psycho.

And God, I’m melting here with Russell, the killing machine, taking charge and taking care of her. He’s soft for *us* 🫠❤️‍🔥 Michelle, you’re making me question my morals and they weren’t that high to begin with 😂

If you like this vibe, you're gonna LOVE the eventually Colter x reader series I do 😂

But Russell is soooo annoying here. Like, just help us with the murder, babe. If we wanted you to commit it for us, we would have asked like a big girl.

Awww, he really does like her 🥰 The fact he’s willingly staying in a house with another person says a lot lol

I think Colter at first just saw her as another person to help but grew to enjoy her company and that turned into a friendship, especially when they were both in this weird, angry place with Russell.

They have known each other for only a short amount of time. They’ve already shared more with each other than people during the first ten dates lol

This was definitely my "Speed" movie moment of yeah, you have intense chemistry and been through some intense stuff but y'all gotta sloooow down. They knew each other a handful of days and these are two highly independent people who are used to doing things their own way. I really wanted to throw in that adult moment of let's take a beat, hear each other out and go forward from there.

I have that song constantly in my head anyways!!! Can you not?! Russell’s Swifite is showing again 🤣

Ngl, The Tortured Poets Society played on repeat A LOT during writing on this one 😂 He's My Man actually comes from "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)" as a little play on how Russell doesn't fit with normal people but perhaps with the reader, she could be that person that clicks with him.

I know you've read the books as well (I still need to read the fourth and am so excited there's a fifth coming out soon!) so I extra love your insights! I actually wrote this after only reading book 1 but somewhere in my gut I just knew Russell had a ragtag group of hardcore friends he could go commit atrocities with and they'd be game 😂

God, I’m fucking loving this dynamic so much!!! I’m a sucker for a brutal interrogation 😍😍😍 (Again, yes, I know the mental help. Will get on it soon… -ish)

Nah, we love that energy around here. See Exhibit A, my lovely little serial killer!Dean x reader story (and series) 😂 Owen honestly got off easy for how fucked up he was.

Aww, I’m so happy they made up too and are getting closer 🥰 The most frustrating part of the show is still how they brushed off Russell’s hurt over being accused of murder for twenty years by his own brother lol. I always loved that honest chat they had in the books about it 🤓

While I love how the show gives Russell a little more nuance and makes him this nerdy, fun foodie, they really gloss over that fact. Especially when they get together in Season 2 and it's like nothing ever happened. That scene in the books is one of my favorites and does a very good job of showing that kind, sensitive side to these boys that the show misses out on sometimes. Like especially how that book ends. Gah, it tugs on my heartstrings.

Aaah, loved this little tidbit about Dory!!! 👏👏 I can’t remember if they ever mentioned it on the show as well or if Dory actually lived on the compound till the end 🤔 (Still wild book!Dory has a wholeass husband and kids and goddamn escape plans set in place lol)

I think show Dory went with the aunt and uncle as well? I think? I'd love to see more of show Dory and see if she's like book Dory cause damn, that girl is just living her normal ass life until her brothers call. Then it's all go bags and super spy crap and it all happens OFF PAGE. 😂

I've loved seeing your thoughts on this series! I think you'll enjoy the two timestamps as well since we get to see more of the couple they are later on in their relationship when it's more mature. 😉

He's My Man (Part 5)

Summary: Russell's taken care of the reader's problem but things take a turn and the happy couple may not be so happy after all...

Masterlist

Pairing: Russell Shaw x reader

Word Count: 6,300ish

Warnings: language, gun shot injury/past drugging/brief mention of attempted assault (not shown) mention, angst, fluff, smut, stalker, murder, self-worth issues

A/N: Thank you all for taking this journey with me with writing this new character! I might return to this world someday but until then, please enjoy the finale!

__________

When you pulled up to the dark house, you noticed Russell’s car had been pulled into the garage and covered with a tarp. You swallowed as you pulled in beside it, biting back bile when Owen parked right behind you, preventing any escape if it came to that. You’d given Russell nearly thirty minutes notice to prepare. You really hoped whatever he had planned was going to be over with fast.

“Fuck,” said Owen, dashing from his car in the downpour to inside the garage. He shook himself off like a dog and pulled off his baseball cap. You’d seen the gash on his forehead before but from the overhead light, a skull fracture was very visible. The dried blood had matted into his thick hair and, along with the other injuries, made him look half-dead. 

“Why don’t you go relax inside, honey?” you forced out when you exited, slamming the door shut loudly, hoping Russell picked up on the fact you were here. “I’ll get the bags and then I’ll take a look at those cuts.”

“Thanks, baby. Don’t take too long.” You didn’t like how he kept saying that. He’d hung off of you at the store. Even if he wasn’t a raging psycho, personal space was still a thing.

You pretended to fuss about at the trunk as he went in the door from the garage to the house. It was quiet for a beat, your gaze locked on the open door in the corner.

Two quick shots rang out and you hit the cement floor hard. Nothing could be heard over the rain, your heart hammering away in your chest. Russell wouldn’t have shot Owen, would he? No, Russell would have snuck up on him, taken him out before he knew what hit him.

So had Owen been shooting? Was Russell hurt? You slowly sat up on your hands and knees, crawling along the side of the car until you reached the hood. You peaked your head around the corner and saw a pair of legs lying on the ground through the open door. It looked like Owen so you carefully rose, flinching when Russell came bounding in from behind you.

He held up his hands, your eyes widening at the blood staining his crisp white tee. 

“What-”

“My stitches tore,” he said, turning his bicep towards you, the blood staining underneath the bandage. “Are you okay?”

You nodded, glancing back inside to where the body lay motionless. “Did you kill him?”

“Not yet,” said Russell, inching past you towards a work bench. “Although he did shoot my fucking front door. Do you have any idea how much a custom mahogany door costs? I might kill him for that alone.”

Russell opened a drawer, taking out duct tape and zip ties. He slammed it shut, pausing with his back to you.

“He’s not going to leave you alone if I let him live.” 

“I know. He’s been following me for awhile I guess,” you said. 

“I can frame him for Elpine’s murder if you don’t want me to kill him.” You leaned back against your car, Russell setting the items on the bench and joining you. “I don’t have to…you know.”

“How are you going to kill him?” you asked after a moment.

“Bag over the head. He’s passed out. He wouldn’t even feel it. Are you sure that’s what-” You went to his workbench and ripped off a garbage bag from the roll, Russell closing his eyes. “Y/N, you should stay out here. Let me do this.”

“Owen started slipping roofies into my drinks when I was fifteen.” His head snapped up as you sighed. “He drugged me twice but nothing happened because my dad was around. I had to be more careful once dad started to lose it. Owen’s a good decade older than me I’m sure you noticed. I’ve been scared of this guy for too long. I’m not asking you to kill him. I’m asking you to show me how to do this myself.”

“I appreciate how strong you are but I’m doing it,” he said, taking the bag from you. You dropped your hand, frowning up at him. He sighed, stroking your cheek with his clean hand. “Your soul has enough scars for a lifetime. Don’t add more.”

“You don’t have to kill someone for me, Russell. You don’t need that on you either. Look what you’ve already done.”

“I won’t lose any sleep over him. You can do something for me though.” You sighed, nodding once. “Go back to the store and buy some extra large garbage bags and some duct tape, got it?”

“Um, yeah. Are you-”

“Y/N. We’re on the clock. We’ll talk later,” he said, kissing your temple. “Now go.”

Three Hours Later

“To be perfectly clear, I’m doing this for Y/N, not you,” said Colter with a coldness you didn’t love. You knew Russell’s relationship with his little brother was strained but you’d thought it had gotten better over the past few days.

“Yeah, well it don’t take a genius to see you like her better,” said Russell, Colter rolling his eyes, an uncharacteristic move. “I’ll never ask you for a thing again. You never even have to speak to me. Think what you want about me. Just please do this for Y/N’s sake.”

“I already…” huffed Colter when you side eyed him with narrowed eyes. He let out a slow exhale. “Fine. You owe me, Russell. Big.”

“Colter,” you said, nodding towards his truck. You left Russell as he went back to taping the large cooler in the garage shut. You assumed he’d put Owen inside and cleaned up while you were gone at the store. The rain had paused momentarily but there was another batch of storms coming through soon. You sighed as you stopped next to the younger Shaw, Colter crossing his arms. “I’m not letting you do this. I know Russell asked but I can’t let you move a body for me.”

He narrowed his eyes, face turning into a scowl. 

“I’m not moving…Russell!” Russ’ head popped up, Colter becoming increasingly annoyed. “Tell me what is going on right now or I swear you and me are done. Forever.”

Russell sighed, throwing his head back. “I may have lied about the Y/N wanting to tag along with you so she can tidy up her place in Virginia.”

“You what?” you asked, storming over to him. “You were trying to pawn me off on Colter again? For what! Owen’s dead, there’s no one left to bother me.”

“Sweetie,” said Russell, closing his eyes. “Owen should not have made it out alive and the fact he did isn’t good.” 

Slowly Russell met your gaze, ignoring Colter behind you. “So is this how it’s going to be? Any time everything’s not perfect you’re going to drop me on your brothers doorstep at the drop of a hat? News flash, Colter isn’t my babysitter. I’m a grown woman who has seen and handled more crap than you know. I thought you didn’t think of me as a damsel.”

“I don’t but-”

“But you don’t want me around for the hard stuff. I got the message.” 

“Y/N, someone else could still be left. They could kill you-” You held up your hand, Colter heading back to his truck to give you some space.

“I think I finally understand how you’re so perfect but alone. You live this life like you’re this happy go lucky guy but it’s a mask. All you actually see is the dark side of it. Of everything. You are more than happy to step into my dark side but you won’t let me see yours? You wouldn’t let me kill Owen. You won’t let me help clean it up. Even when it’s because of me. You have to always be the hero. Honestly, thinking about it, it’s been all my shit we’ve talked about. All you say is your got a dark past but you haven’t shared diddly squat. Is this how it’s going to be Russell? Because frankly, I want more than that. I told you I don’t need you to do things for me, I just need you to help me do them.”

Russell swallowed, face going stoic. “Maybe this was a mistake.”

Your heart dropped like a rock into the pit of your stomach, Russell’s jaw clenching. “You should pack up your stuff here and go with Colter. Go back to Virginia. You’re probably right. This was just attraction, plain and simple.”

“Russell, that’s not what I was saying-” 

“Yeah, it was. Just go. Please. I’ll deal with Owen. Just go back to Virginia and start your life over away from people like us.” With that he brushed past you for Colter, ignoring his repeated calls. 

“Asshole,” you mumbled as you went inside and shoved the few belongings that weren’t in the trunk of your car into a bag. You very purposefully left every pair of underwear, bra and pajamas he’d bought you behind. The cheap sports bra and cotton underwear you’d bought earlier would get you through until you were home.

If that’s how Russell wanted to end things, fine. You were free of the mafia. Free of guys with fucked up pasts. Your options were limitless.

And thank god Colter was smart enough to not ask about your red rimmed eyes by the time you were on the road.

Five Days Later

You gave Colter a wave from your front step as he drove off down the street. It’d taken only two days to drive cross country this time. Apparently you drove faster when you were upset. Or you didn’t sleep as much. Either way, Colter didn’t ask and was happy to get to Virginia where he had a missing accountant to find.

He used your kitchen as a base of operations and you let him crash in the guest room. In exchange, Colter got you hooked up with the basics of reward work. There were some extra perils to the job being a woman but also advantages that Colter didn’t have. He went over finding jobs, finding a team, learning how to get access to tools and databases. You didn’t have a lot of confidence in going after a full fledged disappearance yet but Colter mentioned it wasn’t always people that were what was missing.

By the end of his short stay, you had information overload but were grateful for the chance to start doing something good for once in your life.

Meanwhile, Russell hadn’t reached out once. You had to assume he’d disposed of Owen. You weren’t sure why you were still waiting for a text or a call. It was pretty clear things were over. Russell was too protective and you weren’t going to let another man tell you what to do again. 

Yet, you knew you were at fault too. Russell had just killed a guy in his house for you and he knew a hell lot more about getting away with a murder than you did. Russell had points for not wanting to involve you. And you had to be an asshole and pressure him for more when there was literally a dead body at your feet.

“I’m an idiot,” you groaned, leaning against the kitchen island with your head lowered. “Why did I do that?”

The doorbell rang, your head slowly rising. You sighed as you went to it, pulling it open quickly. 

“Did you forget-” You cut yourself off when you didn’t see Colter standing there. No, instead stood Russell in a trim black suit, his hair slicked back and a bouquet of orange and red flowers in his hands. “Russ? What-”

“Let me get this out and then I’ll get out of your life forever if that’s what you want,” he said. You leaned against the door jam, Russell taking a deep breath. “Y/N, I like you. A lot. Too much probably for how long we’ve known each other. Everything you said was right. I avoid my problems because it’s a hell of a lot easier to fix someone else’s in my experience.”

He swallowed, glancing at his feet. “Owen could have hurt you at that store. He could have taken you, shown up at the house and killed you. I fucked up and you don’t seem to understand that Owen’s obsession and how fucking smart you are is the only reason we’re still here and he’s not. I told you I took care of it and I didn’t. I was angry at myself and wanted you somewhere safer than with me so I pushed your buttons on purpose. I lied on purpose so you’d get mad and leave with Colter. You deserve a good man and I’m not him. I kill people. I use sex as a way to be close to women but then never let myself be in a relationship because I don’t want them to see beneath the surface and see the shit that’s in there. I want better for you than me.”

Russell looked up, a tiny smile forming on his face. “Can we try being friends again and maybe I can become that man that deserves you along the way?”

“Russell,” you sighed. You stepped forward, cupping his cheeks, green eyes full of caution. “We can be friends. I’d like it if we were more than that, though.” 

He slowly smiled, his lip ticking up when you stroked his cheek. 

“I’m sorry for jumping down your throat. You do not have to share your deepest darkest secrets with me, never mind the first day we’re actually together. That was unfair of me. I just want you to know you can share them with me if you want to.” 

“I’ve killed a lot of people, Y/N,” he said softly. “Dozens. Some of them, most of them, I never gave two shits about. No nightmares. No trauma. That’s not normal. It’s been years since I’ve felt all that bad about killing.”

“You don’t need to feel bad about killing monsters,” you said. He closed his eyes and you leaned in, kissing his forehead. “S’that why you didn’t want me to kill Owen?”

“Moral and practical reasons,” he whispered. “I don’t kill out of revenge. I don’t think I ever have. It always has another purpose. Protect someone, protect a group or the general public from a threat. Some psych told me once that’s why I don’t struggle as much with what I’ve done as some other folks. The way I grew up helped me with that. But I do struggle with it still and you’ve struggled enough. You don’t need that on you.”

“I understand. I’m so used to being controlled and told what to do…I can never go back to that.”

“You never will,” he said, opening his eyes. You tilted your head, Russell turned into your touch to match. “I’m sure I’ll fuck things up again. We can be friends if that’s all you ever want.”

“I don’t want to be just friends. So what if we fight? That’s what couples do.” You took his hand in yours and the flowers in the other, leading him inside behind you. 

“I quit my job a few days ago.” You froze, spinning around on your heels. He shrugged, still holding your hand. “I can’t change my life without making some changes.”

“You still want to do that home brew for a career?” 

“Yeah. I’d like to give it a shot.” He spotted the stacks of papers on your kitchen table and open computer. “Colter offer you a spot on his team?”

“He did at first but I want to try doing it my way, stop patching up the bad guys and doing something good. He warned me it can be dangerous work though, especially as a woman flying solo.”

“He makes very good points,” said Russell, thumbing at your lip when you smiled. “What’s that look for?”

“Maybe you could be on my team sometimes, show me a few moves from the expert.” You started to walk backwards towards your bedroom, Russell’s eyebrows raising. “If you want to.”

“I’ll show you any kind of moves you’d like, qark.” He held his ground though, stopping you in place. You waited for the but to come, for him to push back on getting back together. Instead, he took the flowers from your hand and went into your kitchen, finding a tall glass and filling it with water. He set the flowers on the island before rejoining you, resting his hands on your hips. “I like the idea of working together as partners.”

“But…” you said, Russell kissing the top of your head.

“But you are far too kind, my queen of darkness. I was expecting to get told to get lost tonight and I have plans I can’t get out of with my friends very shortly.”

“Oh,” you said, Russell’s finger tips finding the ends of your hair and playing with a few strands. “If you have plans, we can meet up another-”

“You want to know my dark side?” Your eyes flicked to meet his, your head nodding once. “You can’t unknow what kind of man I am once you do. I don’t blame you if you change your mind about me.”

“I want to know you. All of you.” He closed his eyes and nodded.

“Go change into something discreet. Dark clothes. Leave your phone home. If at any point you want to leave, say so and I bring you right back here, understand?” You nodded, Russell backing away. “Mind if I change in your bathroom?”

“You can change in the bedroom with me.” He smirked but backed away.

“Another time. We have an appointment to keep.”

“Where are we going?” you asked, Russell glancing away.

“Don’t be mad but we need to pay Owen a visit.”

Twenty minutes later you quietly followed Russell into what looked like a decommission warehouse that should have been torn down a decade ago. The building was pitch black apart from the single light coming from the end of a hallway. You stuck behind Russell as you entered the room, stopping when you found six different men and a woman inside, most carrying a weapon on their hip or tucked into their jeans from what you could tell.

And smack in the center of the room tied to a chair was Owen very much still alive. Although…alive was being generous. He didn’t look more injured than when you’d last seen him but his color was off and his eyes were red and puffy. He wasn’t even angry when he saw you, just…scared.

“He behave while I was gone?” asked Russell to a man and woman nearby.

“Tried bribing Doug and then all of us to let him go,” said the woman. She gave Owen a nasty look before turning gentle as she looked towards Russell. “I think you scared the poor boy, Shaw.”

“Oh, who’s afraid of little old me?” said Russell, giving Owen a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “So. Owen, my friends. Friends, Owen. You’re already acquainted with Y/N.”

Owen’s gaze flickered to you when Russell grabbed a chair from the wall and sat it a few feet away from Owen, facing him. Russell sat down slowly, nodding when you moved closer so you could see both their faces.

“Why’s he still alive?” you asked quietly. Owen’s eyes widened, Russell tsking him.

“On me, big guy,” said Russell, snapping his fingers, Owen reluctantly looking at him. “You got some options. Prison. You die very quickly. Or…me and my friends can make sure you die very slowly. Your choice.”

“Why didn’t you kill him yet?” you asked again. Russell sighed, glancing down. “Russell.”

“There were some things that never sat right with me that I wanted answers to. The stuff with your family’s accident and your dad’s paranoia, him attacking you. I had a paranoid father too. I know the signs, know that they want to protect us in their own way. The coincidence of meeting someone just like me was too high so I started to dig. You mentioned Owen’s drugged you a few times in the past and tried to hurt you.”

“Yeah…I’m not following,” you said. Russell stood slowly, staring down Owen like a predator with it’s prey firmly caught in a trap.

“I figured if he drugged you, who else had he slipped something to? What good man, good doctor, could a prescription drug running family slip into his drinks? The more I researched, the more my friends helped, the more we found.” Russell clenched his fists by his side, knuckles turning white. “Should I tell her Owen? Or do you have the balls to tell her yourself?”

Russell ripped off the tape over his mouth, Owen wincing as he breathed deeply. Russell was on him like that, grabbing his throat, not squeezing but adding enough pressure that it was going to be uncomfortable. “I told you to talk, you sack of shit.”

“Y/N, this guys is lying. I never did anything to you!” Russell’s jaw clenched and you watched him squeeze, only backing off when you laid a gentle hand on Russell’s shoulder. 

“He’s psycho!” said Owen, Russell backing up a step. You looked up to him, Russell’s face unreadable. “Y/N, baby-”

“Shut the fuck up before I stab you in your spine,” you said. Owen’s jaw snapped shut, a flicker of something in Russell’s eyes. Pride? Amusement? It quickly flittered away, replaced with worry when you held out a hand. “Can I have your knife?”

Russell slowly took it out of his pocket, handing the engraved handle out to you. You flicked it open and took a seat in the chair, holding it pointed down at the concrete floor.

“Owen. Tell me the truth and I won’t kill you. I swear. But I can get the answers from you if you don’t cooperate. Don’t make me get my boyfriend’s knife bloody.”

You heard a muttered damn from someone behind you, your focus on Owen. He sagged in his seat and closed his eyes.

“Our old fixer wanted out, wanted to go to the feds so my dad had him killed. I was eighteen and he told me to start earning my place as successor. He told me to find a new fixer. Your dad was one of the best doctors in the city. Things were…arranged. Two weeks later we-” 

Russell smacked the back of his head. Hard. Owen grunted, shaking it out.

“Two weeks later I…put a hit on your family. Your mom and brother specifically. We only needed one kid to survive and I thought a girl would be easier to control. I started drugging your father that night with antipsychotics to create paranoia,” said Owen, his head hanging low. “I orchestrated the whole thing. We fed him the drugs for years, it made him stay close if not a little extreme. It kept taking more though.”

“Do. Not. Skip. Ahead,” growled Russell, grabbing a fistful of Owen’s shirt.

“O-okay. I-I…I started thinking about how to get your dad to stick around once you grew up and you were pretty and smart and I thought you’d be happy with me.”

“How old was she when you decided this?” barked Russell. Owen whimpered, trying to curl in on himself. “Fifteen you disgusting waste of space.”

“You started drugging me then,” you said. Owen shook his head.

“Not with that stuff. Just roofies. But not enough for you to be completely out of it. Your dad started keeping a closer eye on you and I tried waiting for you to come around on your own but it was so hard when you went away to college. I knew I couldn’t let you run off like that again so…” Owen’s shoulders shook, mouth snapping shut.

“So you roofied her, attacked her and she fought back. Her father protected her and you fucking killed him for it. Your dear old daddy found what you’d done and wasn’t happy, was he? He covered up your murder and blamed her father knowing Y/N wouldn’t remember a thing. Y/N was forced to go to med school and learn crap she didn’t want to all while daddy had you banished away from her. You tried to keep tabs on her but it wasn’t until dad died that you could finally take Y/N like you wanted. It’s pure fucking luck I showed up when I did to make sure that didn’t happen. Would you like to tell Y/N about the fucking padded door locks and bars on the window in her old room back at the house? About your plans for her?”

Russell grabbed Owen’s hair, forcing his head up. Owen was trembling, whispering apologies and saying how he didn’t mean it, over and over.

“So…you killed my family…and tried to assault me more than once over the years…and were planning on keeping me as a…pet in the house until I magically fell in love with you. I think that sums it up,” you said. You stood up, handing Russell his knife. “I’m not going to kill him.”

“Thank you,” sighed Owen in relief. “Thank you. I-I knew you’d be able to forgive me-”

“Oh, I don’t forgive you and I wouldn’t be thanking me,” you said, smiling up at Russell. ““Papa Elpine and a few guys made it out I heard. Bobby was his favorite son, right?”

“Y/N! I killed Bobby! They’ll-” Russell shoved some tape over his mouth and hummed.

You crossed your arms, Russell tilting his head at you. “You know they’re going to torture Owen to death.”

“I said I wouldn’t hurt him and I’m keeping my word,” you said, Owen shouting under the tape. “I’d tell you to confess but Elpine’s connected. He’d just have you killed in prison. So. Elpine it is.”

“You sure?” asked Russell. You pursed your lips, Owen pleading with his eyes. Everything in you wanted to say yes, let him get what he had coming. 

So why couldn’t you say it? 

You looked to Russell, nodding. “Get rid of him, please,” you mouthed.

“Look away,” said Russell. You turned around, Owen panting hard before there was a loud crack and the room was still. Russell’s hand found your shoulder, rubbing it softly. “We took care of Elpine’s guys. You know that.”

“I just wanted him to be as scared as I’ve been. I-I just…why’d it have to be my family?” You found his face, Russell smiling sadly.

“I’ve asked myself that question a lot over the years. Best I came up with is you got to try and let it go. The world’s good and bad and that’s all there is to it.” He wrapped his arm over your shoulder, walking you towards the door. You nearly looked back but he blocked you with his body. “No. He’s gone for good, you don’t need to give him anything more. I’m sorry for not killing him back in Washington. I just thought you deserved the truth. Your dad was a good man.”

“Thank you,” you said, closing your eyes. “I wish I realized that sooner.”

“Come on,” he said, walking you out to the hallway. “Let’s get you home.”

One Month Later

You smiled from your chair when Russell let out a single tiny snore from the couch across from you. He hadn’t gotten much sleep the past few days and honestly, it was kind of adorable the way this incredibly dangerous man made the cutest cooing noises while he slept.

“You’re staring at me,” he mumbled without opening his eyes a few minutes later. You looked around, holding up a finger. “I can feel you watching, like a creeper.”

“Well, you make these cute sounds when you sleep,” you said. He smirked, slowly flicking his lazy eyes open.

“And who’s fault is it that I haven’t been sleeping, hm?” You shrugged and slid down in your chair with your book, grinning behind the pages. “I can see that smile, you know that?”

“Don’t blame me for the amazing orgasms you give,” you said, flicking your eyes over the top of the book, Russell propping himself up on his elbows with a predatory gaze. “Down boy. Later.”

“You better,” he said, plopping back with a huff. “Remind me to never help Frank with a favor ever again.”

“Frank helped you with Owen,” you reminded him. Russell scoffed.

“All he did with Owen was stand there and look scary. I didn’t make him build a fucking deck in the pacific northwest in forty degree weather.”

“Aw, is baby boy cranky?” you teased. He growled, playfully tossing his pillow at you. “You guys should wrap up tomorrow, right?”

“That’s the plan. Then I’m going back to waking up at a humane hour,” he said, forcing himself to sit up and stretch out with a few grunts. “How long was I out?”

“About an hour and a half. You needed it,” you said, flipping a page. Russell glanced over to the dining table, taking in the decorated spread. 

“You set a place for Colter?” he asked. 

“Yes…right next to Dory’s,” you said, closing your book and setting it aside. “You still think he won’t come?”

“He’s not the kind of guy to come to a housewarming party. Especially his brother’s housewarming party. We still haven’t talked since…” 

“I know,” you said, standing and pulling him to his feet. He was still sleepy as you ruffled his hair, Russell turning into the touch. “I’m excited to meet your friends and family properly.”

“They want to know all about you, that’s for sure,” he chuckled. “You can’t imagine the amount of shit they’ve given me after I said I’d never settle down.”

“I moved in a week ago. We’re a ways from settling down,” you said. He titled his head, smiling at you. “Don’t give me that face.”

“What face?” he teased, leaning in close, dipping his head, kissing under your jaw.

“Shaw! Do not give me a hickey! I do not want them seeing-” You sucked in a breath, brain going fuzzy when he nipped at the soft flesh. 

“Too bad, qark. If I have to have hickeys all over my neck then so do you,” he said, suckling the skin. A buzzer went off in the kitchen and he groaned when you slipped away so the rolls wouldn’t burn. “Y/N…”

“Saved by the bell,” you said, taking out the pan and leaving them to cool off. Russell was by your side quickly, hands on your hips so you couldn’t escape. “Okay. How about you can give me as many hickeys as you want later if you’re a good boy this afternoon?”

“Hm, I do like being your good boy,” he said, squeezing your hips. “Deal.”

“Good. Where do you keep-“

The doorbell trilled, your heads turning towards the front windows. A familiar pickup truck was out front, Russell raising his eyebrows. You nodded for the door, Russell cautious as he answered. Colter stood on the front porch with an awkward forced smile and a pink box.

“I uh, picked up some dessert for dinner later,” he said offering the box. Russell took it, setting it aside on the front table. “You going to invite me in?”

“I thought you…” Russell shook his head and opened the door wider, letting his younger brother inside. Colter gave you a brief smile before clearing his throat.

“I uh, can help you get ready or cook. I just…last time we talked Russell…”

You smiled to yourself when Russell closed the gap between them, giving Colter a strong embrace. “Let's leave that shit behind us. Thanks for coming, Colt.”

“Yeah,” said Colter, returning it for a moment before the boys broke apart. “How’s the girlfriend situation working out for you?”

“I’m telling you man, find the right girl, you’ll never want to go back to being a loner,” said Russell, giving you a smirk. “They do come with a lot of rules though, fair warning.”

“I asked you to put the toilet seat down, Shaw,” you chided. 

“Like I said, rules,” teased Russell. You picked up a knife by your cutting board, narrowing your eyes. “We should help before she starts using that on us.”

“Yes you should,” you said, Colter shrugging out of his jacket and boots, joining your side after washing up. “Can you cut up the veggies into strips?”

“Can do,” he said, swapping places with you. You smiled when Russell took the dessert box and started to arrange the treats on a platter over on the dinning table. “I’d like to apologize for my behavior the last time we were all here.”

You frowned as you peeled a bag of potatoes into a bowl. “You mean when I lost my cool on Russell? You have nothing to apologize for Colter. We were asking you for a favor. Again. I’m honestly surprised you don’t hate me. I know you value your alone time.”

Colter was quiet, chopping neatly and pushing the scraps into a discard bowl. “Did Russell ever tell you how he got that gunshot he went to you for in the first place?”

“Someone kidnapped Doug. He went to save him.”

“Did you know I helped him with that?” You shook your head, setting the peeler down. Colter had stopped dicing, a barely there smile crossing his face. “If it weren’t for my brother asking for my help with his friends, I’m not sure we ever would have spoke again.”

“I know there’s a complicated history there.” He hummed, watching Russell across the room. “It means a lot to him that you’re trying too.”

“S’all we can do is try, right?” he said, going back to his cutting. “So. My brother is clearly head over heels. What about you? Should I expect a wedding invitation soon?”

“Uh, no,” you said, laughing to yourself. “We’re certainly not traditional but we’re nowhere near ready for that. We’ll see how living together goes for awhile before we talk about anything like long term plans.”

“Yet you moved in already.” You rolled your eyes. “Just an observation.”

“For convenience sake. Russ is looking into land for the brewery around here since he left his job and apartments in town are limited.”

“Right. I’m sure that’s it. Silly me,” he said. You held up your peeler to him, Colter raising his hands. “Russ, I think I broke one of your girlfriend’s rules.”

“It was nice knowing ya,” said Russell with a chuckle. “Give him a swift death for me, qark.”

“Qark?” asked Colter as you turned your attention to the potatoes. 

“Queen of darkness. Now hurry up with those so you and Russ can have some alone time before dinner.”

Six Hours Later

“This is going well,” said Russell to you in the kitchen as laughed and a smoky scent filtered in from the back porch. “Everyone really likes you.”

“I suppose I have met them all before, except for Dory. She’s such a sweetheart. I don’t know what I was expecting but-”

“She was much younger than us when our dad died. After she went to live with our aunt and uncle. She’s tough but normal in a way Colter and I won’t ever…” You rubbed his back, his strong arm wrapping around your waist to keep you close. “Did you like, drug him? Or bribe him? I seriously can’t believe he’s still here let alone came.”

“Of course he came. No matter what’s happened in the past, he loves his big brother.” Russell tucked you into his side, smiling when you rested your head on his shoulder. “I found a job in Wyoming. Missing prized show dog. I was going to head out in the morning, see if I’m any good at this.”

“You’ll be wonderful,” he said, kissing the top of your head. “Be safe though.”

“I will be.” You turned in his hold to face him, wrapping your arms around his back in a hug. “It’s been a long time since anyone cared if I was safe. It’s nice. This weird little family you have is…I’m jealous to be honest.”

“You shouldn’t be. It’s yours too.” You raised your eyebrows, Russell raising his own, eyes going wide. “No! No, I don’t mean like, officially yours. Like metaphorically. I’m not ready for anything official. Someday but so not right now.”

“Me either,” you said, the tension running out of his face. “I want to know who we are without our old jobs, how to be a happy queen of darkness.”

“We’ll figure it out together,” he said. “Speaking of which, I got you a present for helping organize all of this and cooking for ten people after literally just moving cross country. I know it was stressful so I wanted to make it up to you.”

“I don’t need a present, Russ,” you said, a sneaky smile forming on his face. “Oh. This is a present for the both of us.”

“I got you a new pair of jammies, the lilac set this time,” he said. Russell’s smile grew as yours did, his arms lifting you off the ground, bringing you to eye level. “You deserve all the good things in life, qark.”

“I think we got something pretty good starting right here,” you said, kissing him once, Russell humming.

“I couldn’t agree more, baby. Couldn’t agree more.”

__________

[doodler16]

viv just made a tweet that said, "hey guys, just a reminder. stolas is still alive! and if that upsets you, good, lol? just be normal." and GOD she pisses me off so bad.

1) why can't she just shut the hell up when someone makes fan content that doesnt effect her or her shows success/popularity what so ever? is she just genuinely that insecure knowing that people are starting to REALLY not like stolas, (because in every episode he appears in, it becomes more and more obvious that he's a creators pet), that she has to say something that's passive aggressive and completely unneeded? to put this in perspective - imagine if someone like goose or tracy made a comment like this?

2) this is EXACTLY what i mean when i say that the fandom is great at making dark fiction unlike other fandoms that treat it as call-out post worthy, but only if that dark fiction gets your dick hard.

angel being raped by val? awesome! angel being hypnotized into being raped by vox? even better! merchandise of val and his rape buddy for valentine's day? epic!

ozzie being called out for fully being prepared into letting his best friends lover die? let's throw a like to a fan and treat it as gospel to make another fan feel like shit, for wanting to explore the messy unbalanced dynamics of royals/citizens and mlm angst, who's main couple that took over the shows premise, is nothing BUT messy unbalanced dynamics of royals/citizens and mlm angst! (it's because fizzozzie has to be a perfect ship in comparison to stoliz that makes the most merch money because they're a "wholesome ship" and we can't have any critical thinking from our own fanbase challenge that, despite the having glaring flaws of codependency in both episodes they're focused on. worth mentioning here, but someone made a post here that said, "these shows aren't about standing up to the royals, it's about submitting to the right one," and that describes those two bird bitches to a t.

stella icon spotted? uh oh, im the creator of her and made her an unlikeable abusive bitch to make a guy who coerced the man character of one of my shows into sex every month, look better in comparison! which is rape btw! better say something mean to them on main, because they're not as popular and can't do anything if they're harassed by my standom!

charalastor fan? fuck you. fan of my fat villians? fuck you, no sexy pinups, i hate money if it's not coming from a place that validates only what i like. i won't even make merchandise of angel dust, the guy who's been the most popular and well known character for nearly a decade now! im getting bored of that toy, i need a new mean fictional slut to play with - the one that brings me the most negative attention is just a bonus!

3) "just be normal." viv, you hired someone with a rape fetish to storyboard scenes for the character who's entire conflict is that he's being raped, and someone who ships rick and morty romantically, to do visdev work on oops. rules for thee, but not for me!

i can't wait until everyone looks back at the way she acted 10 years from now, and sees how the way vivziepop has publicly acted has aged just about as well as spoiled milk in the california sun. but i still NEED hbomber guy to make a tommy talerico styled video on her, the only thing that could challenger her power is a universally beloved straight white funny internet man.

Vivziepop expanded said thoughts regarding her bluesky tweets (whether it makes her look better or worse is up to you guys):

Then there’s her liking Dani Draws (and other users) tweet as the icing on the cake.

[biancadoes1]

Hi Bianca,

You don't have to post this if you don't want to. I woke up yesterday and realised I needed a break from sm. I was getting more annoyed by the things I was seeing.

The more I look at everything the more staged it all seems to be for all of them. Most of them are actors but don't seem to be able to get the job done. It looked like they took notice of all the comments that people made about previous outings. Then acted on them to make it appear as if it was legit. The only thing off was Jake not seeming to be able to look her in the eye. We all know she is comfortable holding hands with all of her friends and touching them.

In an interview both of them said they would find it hard to be disingenuous. Which now seems to be in my opinion exactly what both Nicola and Luke are doing. They are coming across as not very nice. I do think there is other stuff in the background we will never know but hope it ends soon.

I still don't for one second believe the narrative they are putting out there but it is very frustrating at the same time. I am 99% certain there will be a good outcome. If I am wrong, life will go on as normal.

Hopefully she will stop playing with people trying to hide the picture on her phone now. There is nothing wrong with having your friend there no matter what capacity that friend is. I think we all liked the fact that the original photo was one we liked.

I have been on the ship since season one which feels like a long time with lots of highs and lows but it has been fun for the most part.

I enjoy your blog and your comments and hope you continue doing it. Thanks for taking the time to read this long ramble.

Better times ahead.

Listen, I feel optimistic about this.

I want yall to understand that I don’t normally feel that way in this fandom. I usually lean on the negative side with most things (not in general life but with this) we see but I’m feeling optimistic with this because I really do think we’re at the tail end of whatever shit has been going on.

A lot of this could be CAA involvement and with the huge media push, that’s likely what it is, but I still believe this narrative can successfully be reversed because they’re not talking.

Everyone can see it’s fake. Next week, this shit will be old news if it’s already old news. They can bury it, the HP comment will be gone, and they can continue on.

This is not sustainable, whatever the fuck is going on and I still think there’s a deadline at play with the sides.

[0ghostyyy0]

The room was decorated in a simple but nice way. The bed sheets changed to a dark red, rose petals scattered on the bed, and a sandalwood-scented candle lit on the bedside table. It was a little cliché, but it worked for you. You’re sitting down on the edge of your bed, legs pressed together, and your hands resting on your lap. You’ve been sitting in that same spot for, say, ten minutes now? Patiently waiting for your husband to come home from work. You’ve been eager to show him the surprise since the moment he left the house.

Even though you and Nanami have only been dating for about four months, it was pretty obvious that he has always been a busy man. He is never really home as much, and even when he is home, most of the time he just wants to rest. So today, you decided to do something special. Not only for him, but for yourself too, in a way.

Early in the morning, not long after Nanami left for work, you left the house to shop for some lingerie, finding a beautiful dark red lace set in the store, just to match with the bed sheets.

And that’s led you to where you are right now, bouncing your leg in nervousness and fidgeting with your fingers. So many thoughts are running through your head. What if he doesn’t like it? What if he’s not ready? What if I’m not ready?

 “Love? Where are you?” A familiar voice spoke, tearing you away from your thoughts.

 “Bedroom!” You shouted, quickly tying the robe you had on to cover what was underneath and crossing your legs. Your hands rested on top of each other on your knees, and you put on a small smile when Nanami walked into the room.

 “Evening Lo-“ He paused his sentence midway, examining the room. “What’s all this about?” And right there and then, you got lost. Just seeing Nanami did something to you, especially when he’s still in his work clothes. And the way he adjusted his tie. Yeah, just take you away in that very moment.

 “Love?” His words took you out of your trance once again.

 “Hm? Oh right.” You stood up and pulled down the silk robe a little bit. Your heart was pounding so hard against your chest that you swore its beating was visible. Your fingers played with the hem of your robe.

 “I know that you’re normally really tired and probably stressed out when you come home from work, so I decided to do something a little special to help take your mind off of things.” Slowly, you pulled the string that tied the robe together, undoing the big bow, to reveal the lingerie underneath. You dropped the robe off your shoulder and let it rest on your inner arms.

 A nervous smile appeared on your face, waiting for Nanami to say something. But he just stood there, completely taking in your body. He felt a pang in his chest just looking at you.

Nanami walked closer to you, his rough calloused hands gently cupped your soft face, lifting your head up for you to look at him. Man did he look good, and smelt good. Everything about him was good. Perfect even.

“Do you like it?” You asked softly.

“Like? Darling, I love it.” He placed a kiss on your cheek.

“And I love you” and then he placed another on your jaw.

“I love you so much” and then he started peppering your body with kisses. All over your face, shoulders, chest. So much it started to tickle, making you laugh a little bit.

“Ken!” You shouted through laughter, making poor attempts to push him off.

“Yes?” He brought his face back up to yours, one of his hands holding your cheek and the other slowly rubbing your back. Even with the happy/giggly aroma in the air, there was still tension, a lustful tension, lingering around. Both of you felt it, but you waiting for Nanami to act on it, feeling too nervous to do anything.

His thumb dragged across your bottom lip. You looked at his face, like really looked at him. He looked so handsome, even if he was just focused on one simple thing. For an oldish guy, it was so obvious that he ages nicely.

He tipped your chin up a little higher, leaning down to pull you into a kiss. He kissed you with urgency and desire. Hands roam freely over your skin, pulling you closer as if he wasn’t able to get close enough. The room started to fill with soft sighs and murmurs of pleasure as he deepened the kiss. As he finally pulled away, both of you breathless and flushed.

“Are you sure you’re ready?” Nanami whispered. You gave him a small nod, and that’s all it took for him to pull you towards the bed and lay you down on it.

He kissed down your body softly, being patient with you and making sure you were comfortable. His warm hands rode up your torso and you felt his cold rings along with.

“Promise, I’m gonna treat you so well.”