#and then and only then will i look back and see the signs were there all along
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disparatemind · 2 days ago
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Sorry for the long delay, a family member passed last year right after Thanksgiving and then two weeks ago another family member passed, so writing this story especially was too difficult until recently
Link to pinned post with all parts here
Part 12
All was quiet in the cafe for a bit, and I made my rounds and conversed with several patrons while refilling cups and plates. The soul sitting with Wade still eyed me warily when I walked by, but showed no other sign of aggression towards me. Wade was doing all the talking, and the soul looked slightly annoyed at their predicament. I hid a smile and went back to the counter, putting together the ingredients for a double batch of cinnamon rolls.
The counter took up almost an entire side of the cafe, with a large stove and cabinets containing every bowl, pan, cup, and teapot I could ever need for baking and serving coffee and tea. Under one of the counters was a dishwasher that I simply loaded dishes into without washing, and once they were clean they appeared back in their respective cupboards. Not having to worry about washing dishes was a definite plus, as it gave me more time to focus on my patrons, and the refrigerator and pantry where the ingredients were kept were never empty. The finished pastries and goodies I kept in a couple of display cases and a large glass-fronted pantry, which I refilled and took from as I made batches of food and filled orders. 
I had originally worked from a recipe book when I first started at the cafe, but now I had made them for so long that I had all the measurements and steps memorized. The whole process of baking had been soothing to me in life, and it had been a pinnacle of coping and healing during my time here. The soothing repetition of something I was achingly familiar with as well as the comfort both given and received by the patrons and myself, had given me a halting way forward from the precipice I’d found myself at by that eerie shoreline.
~*~
Shaking my head of the unpleasant thoughts yet again, I heard my name called by a voice I easily recognized and went over to Couch. “What can I do for you?”
“Are you doing ok?”
The bluntness of the question took me back a bit, and it took me a moment to answer. “... kind of?”
A soft chuckle left him but his eyes held compassion. “You do know I'm happy to lend an ear the same as you've done for me all these years.”
When I smiled at him, I felt the familiar appreciation… and reservation. “I know, and I really do appreciate it. But there's only so much I can say while I'm working here.”
“... without breaking down completely” always went unsaid, but I was pretty sure Couch could see it on my face. He nodded and asked if he smelled cinnamon, and the sudden hope in his eyes had me laughing. “Yes, I'm making cinnamon rolls. But you know they take a while.”
The faintest of grimaces bent the corners of his eyes. “I'm in no rush,” he said dryly.
I resisted the urge to smack myself and went back to the counter. I'd barely gotten there, however, when another of my non-speaking patrons caught my attention.
“Excuse me, Rose?”
I immediately went over and smiled. “How can I help you?” I signed.
“I'm sorry to bother you but…” The soul hesitated and their eyes flicked towards the door to Life. “... do you know if there's a way to go back through that door?”
One of my least favorite questions.
Taking a deep breath, I lifted my hands and began to sign.
You run a café on the edge of life and death. Souls who have been departed from their bodies temporarily, such as in comas or near-death experiences, can relax in your quaint cafe for as long as they need before they can either return to their bodies or begin their journey to the afterlife.
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eufezco · 3 days ago
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A FRESH START 𓂃 𓈒 ❀
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synopsis — after leaving wakanda, bucky starts to rediscover who he is while living with you, slowly bulding a new life. his dispair deepens and you offer him a fresh start with a simple act: cutting his hair.
angst. fluff
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—you have to stop thinking that every time something good is happening to you it's because something worse is on the way. that´s not a way to live, buck —. you said softly, your voice steady but with a hint of concern.
bucky shook his head, running a hand over his face as a sign of desperation. if only he could remember what life felt like before hydra took him, before all those wasted years. after so long he was still trying to figure it out, still trying to find a version of himself that didn’t feel like a stranger. trying to get used to his new life in the city, far from the peace he had known in wakanda. all these sudden changes only made him more confused and it wasn’t that he didn’t want to adjust, it was that he didn’t know how.
it had been a almost a year since bucky had moved in with you, since you had defeated thanos and steve had left. when the dora milaje declared him ready to live a normal life, bucky stood there, unsure of what that even meant. he had no place to go. louisiana crossed his mind for a moment, sam had always extended an open invitation but the thought of intruding on sam’s family life stopped him, and steve was gone, something he chose not to think much about, so for the first time in over a century, bucky was truly on his own.
except he wasn’t. you were there.
when you found out he needed a place, you didn’t think about it twice. he resisted at first. ayo told him you were the right person to star building his new life. you trust her, you trust her more than you admit. that is where you begin. trust. she is the right person to help you build this new life, james.
and he couldn't remember what you two had shared before hydra took him, before everything fell apart but there was a pull. by the things steve told him, you three were best friends once, inseparable. he spoke of nights you spent laughing, of how he’d head home early, leaving you and bucky behind, knowing that bucky would arrive later, with a big smile on his lips. steve chuckled when he mentioned your lipstick, smeared on bucky’s mouth when he finally made it back. you never wiped it off, you wore it like a badge of honor.
bucky tried to imagine it, those moments of joy but the memories never came. but he could still feel it. he felt it that day in wakanda, when you arrived with steve and natasha to fight thanos. you smiled at him, just a brief moment in the chaos, but it stayed with him. there was something so familiar about that smile, something warm and he felt it too every time you visited him or sent him what had once been his favorite sweets, little reminders of a life he no longer remembered but somehow still carried with him.
so, he showed up at your door a few days later, a bag hung over his shoulder and a sad look in his eyes. he didn't try to argue this time. —you sure about this?
you didn’t hesitate. —absolutely.
living with bucky was easy. he was quiet, he didn't need much space. after months, he started making it his place too, little by little. he left his shoes by the door beside yours, the book he picked up from one of your shelves appeared on the coffee table, his leather jacket draped over the back of a chair.
—it's not that easy —. he murmured, his voice heavy with exhaustion.
you watched him. —i know it’s not, —you said softly, stepping closer to him. —but you don’t have to do it all at once. no one expects that from you.
he shook his head again. —feels like they do, —he said, his blue eyes looking directly into yours. you could see the sadness and the guilt of the moments he couldn’t take back. —feels like every time i mess up, it’s just proof that i don’t belong here. as if this life was not made for me —his voice was low, barely more than a murmur. —what if the only thing i'm good at is killing?
you took a deep breath. it was hard to hear him say that, to see the man you’d known before hydra, who was your best friend and the love of your life, now drowning in self-doubt and guilt. —you’re more than what they made you.
—am i? because that’s all i’ve ever done. all i know how to do.
—but it’s not who you are, it’s what they forced you to be. the fact that you’re even asking this? that you’re fighting to be someone better? that’s proof enough that that wasn't you at all.
he closed his eyes tightly and ran his hands through the long strands of his hair. for a moment, you just stood there, watching him. you wanted to pull him back from whatever dark place his thoughts had taken him, but you hesitated, ayo told you to do so, to let him space to feel this, to fight against it, even if it hurt.
—i can still feel him inside my head, i can hear his thoughts. he's not gone.
bucky’s fingers suddenly grabbed the roots of his hair with a little more force. his breathing grew faster, his hands shook and his eyes squeezed shut. you couldn't see how deep his pain was and not do anything to stop him from hurting himself.
you stepped closer. —bucky, hey… —your hands sneaked into his hair, softly pulling his grip from his scalp. his hands were trembling, and for a moment, there was resistance in him like he wasn’t sure he wanted to let go of the only thing he could hold onto. but your touch was soft, familiar and something shifted, almost imperceptible, but you could feel the tension in him loosen.
—the bucky i knew isn’t gone. he’s still in there. i see him every time you fight for something good, every time you try to make amends, every time you care about the people around you, about me.
his shoulders fell, and his head hung low, he didn’t want you to see him like this, weak and broken. but you had seen him in his darkest moments as the winter soldier and you had experienced thanos taking him away from you with the blip. the years without him had been a painful, you thought you lost him forever. yet there he was, standing before you, alive, and you weren’t about to let him go again.
your hands gently moved to push the back of his head, guiding him to rest his forehead on your shoulder. he was still a bit unsure about how to handle this type of physical contact, used to years of torture, where touch always meant pain, control, or something to fear. now you held him close to your body, his arms hanging limply at his sides.
—why don’t i cut your hair?
—cut my hair?
—yeah, it´ll help you to see yourself in a different way. a fresh start.
bucky pulled back a little, he wasn’t sure if you were joking. —you think cutting my hair will fix everything?
you smiled softly, you wished it could be that easy. —no, —you admitted. —but ayo told your new life will be built on small things.
bucky sighed.
the idea of letting go parts of himself that tied him to the winter soldier felt like a whole world. first, it was his metal arm, the one with the red star, when tony ripped it off of him, bucky felt relieved, like tony was cutting one of the heads of the hydra to end the monster. in wakanda, he learned to live using only his flesh-and-blood arm until they gave him a new one which he only intended to use for good.
and now you were asking to cut his hair.
—ayo did say that, didn’t she? —he murmured, almost to himself.
—she’s a smart woman and besides, it’s just a haircut. if you hate it, it’ll grow back.
a small smile appeared in his lips. —if it ends up bad, i’m blaming you.
you took a chair from the kitchen to the bathroom and he sat down in front of the mirror. bucky stared at his reflection as he pressed his lips into a thin line and sighed. he didn't like mirrors, he avoided them as much as he could. he didn't like the person staring back at him, he didn't know who that man was and now sitting on that chair there was no escape.
there was a difference this time. next to one of the things he most hated to look at—his reflection—was one of the things he liked the most to look at—you.
his blue eyes moved from his reflection to yours. you stood behind him and ran your hands gently through his hair. he felt that familiar tickle in his stomach, the one he first felt almost a century ago and that, even after all the years, it hadn't gone away.
he felt it every morning when you entered the kitchen, hair a mess from sleep, mumbling a soft “good morning” to him. he felt it when he came home in the evenings and dinner was ready and you were sitting at the table, waiting for him. he felt it most when you would fell asleep on the couch and he had to carry you to your bed, careful not to wake you. and you'd ask him in your sleep to stay, and he'd freeze, he wanted to say yes, he wanted to stay. but he couldn’t risk it, his nightmares were still too real. so bucky would gently place you in your bed, making sure you were well tucked in, and whisper, i’ll be in my room, if you need anything.
—are you ready? —you asked him, bringing him back from his thoughts. you already had the scissors in your hand and bucky shifted in the chair at the sight of them. —it'll be okay, buck.
—feels like more than just a haircut.
you nodded, understanding. —well, that's what we wanted, isn't it?
bucky swallowed and nodded.
—why don't you close your eyes? i'll let you know when i'm done.
with a deep breath, he did as you said. your lips curved into a small smile even though he could no longer see you. you were aware of all the progress he had made. you knew he trusted you with his heart because on no other occasion he would willingly keep his eyes closed with someone standing behind him, scissors in hand and when your hands rested on his shoulders, he hadn’t flinched at the contact.
—okay, i'll start.
with his eyes closed it was much easier to feel the delicacy with which you treated him. the way your fingers combed through his scalp and then the sound of the scissors, followed by the sensation of the strands falling and taking with them the weight he had carried for so long. and you talked, about anything that crossed your mid so he did not feel that he was in danger or he had to be alert at any time.
—maybe we could get a cat, —you said. —i think it’d be nice. do you think you’d be a good cat parent?
—maybe —. he said after a pause. —i definitely prefer a cat to a dog.
you switched to the clippers, you left the hair at the top of his head a little longer, while the rest of it was cut shorter. a very chic haircut for someone born in 1917. you carefully checked that his hair was even and then you styled it with your fingers.
—okay, i'm done, you can open your eyes.
bucky hesitated for a moment, then opened his eyes. your breath caught in surprise as you watched him take in the sight of himself. it was like having the bucky you once knew staring right at you through the mirror. his features were the same, just a bit more more defined and mature.
he felt the same relief as when tony ripped off the metal arm that hydra embedded in his body, like a part of him that had once been used against him, now freed. he turned his head slowly to both sides to get a better look and to be honest, he liked his new look. physically, he could see the resemblance to the man in the photos you had shown him, the young soldier who smiled to you, in love.
—how do you feel? i think it suits you —. you asked gently.
bucky nodded. —i like it —. he caught your gaze in the mirror. the eye contact was so intense that you had to look away. you cleared your throat, hoping to ease the tension, but the heat rising to your cheeks betrayed you.
—alright, come on, —you tapped his shoulder for him to stand up. — i'm going to sweep your hair off the floor.
bucky got up from the chair and turned his head to look at you, not through the mirror this time, but directly, and the sudden closeness made your breath hitch. —thank you for doing this.
—you don't need to thank me, buck. i'm glad it turned out well, it was my first time doing it.
—you sure about that? —he asked—it doesn’t feel like it was your first time.
you laughed, still avoiding his gaze. —guess we got lucky, then.
there was a silence; you were both too close, but not close enough yet. bucky’s eyes moved to your lips for just a fraction of a second, but it was enough to make your heart race. you could both feel the tension, an invisible string pulling you toward each other, daring one of you to close the gap. you didn’t want to take the first step, you didn’t want to push him into something he wasn’t ready for, the last thing you wanted was to break the fragile trust he’d built with you.
you opened your mouth to say something but he talked first.
—can i kiss you? —his voice was low, almost shy.
you were surprised because you didn't expected him to ask so directly, but consent was so important to him. he spent too many years under someone else’s control, forced into actions that weren’t his own, and now he was determined never to cross those lines. it wasn’t just about asking to kiss you, it was about making sure that you were comfortable, that you wanted this just as much as he did.
—yeah, —you whispered —you can.
bucky stepped closer, his flesh-and-blood hand reaching to cup your cheek, his fingers gently brushing against your skin. he leaned in, his movements careful, giving you every chance to pull away. but you didn’t. you leaned into him instead, your lips finally meeting his.
he felt strange. he had wanted to kiss you for what felt like forever, and now that he had, he wasn’t sure what to do next. his mind raced, trying to remember how this was supposed to go. he forgot about kissing, forgot about the rhythm of it, the give and take. his hand slipped from your cheek to fall awkwardly at his side as he pulled away from your lips just enough just to say:
—i don't... i don't remember how to do this.
—it's okay. you're doing just fine. there’s no right or wrong way. just… follow me.
this time, when your lips met, you moved slowly, guiding him. his tension disappeared as he mirrored your movements, his right hand returned to your cheek, the other, his metal one, moved to hold your hips. it wasn’t perfect, the movements of his lips were still hesitant, but there was something honest about the way he kissed you.
as he kissed you, bucky became more aware of his body and where his hands were and realized that his metal hand was resting lightly on your waist. he pulled the hand away quickly. —i'm sorry, i didn't mean to...
you shook your head, one of your hands flew to the back of his neck to connect your lips while your other one grabbed his vibranium arm and guided his hand to where it was before. as the kiss deepened, you felt him relax, stop worrying about whether he was doing it right or wrong, about the touch of his cold hand on your skin, and he just kissed you.
you hummed before parting ways. his cheeks were flushed, his lips were a bit swollen and glossy, his breathing a little uneven and you couldn't help a little laugh from escaping your lips.
—okay, now you're just laughing at me.
—you're so cute, buck.
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naoyoki · 3 days ago
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✦ mdni , smut , afab!reader , blasphemy , cumplay , size kink , squirting , some dub!con , two dicked + four armed thukuna , corruption kink , wet dreams , imagine thukuna w/o tattoo's in his human form .
PINNED PREVIOUSLY
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incubus!sukuna works for his sustinance smarter, not harder. that is why he infiltrated the church, disguising himself as a reverend. corrupting the faithful not only gave him the vital life force that he needed, it gave him that thrilling rush of lust and mischief.
he had targeted multiple people to torment and suck on their life force during mass. but none quite came as easy as you did. incubus!sukuna was filling in for the father at the confesional booth and heard some very interesting words.
"father, forgive me for i have sinned..." the wood planks creaked and shifted beneath you as you adjusted before confessing, "i've been having immoral thoughts and dreams... particularly from one of the heads of our church. oh, please, father, forgive me!"
incubus!sukuna had a grin spread across his face, one that reached to connect with his ears. you had confessed your rampant lust for him, and sukuna did not even need to lift a finger for it!
so incubus!sukuna began to watch your dreams carefully. studying what you liked and disliked. this however, diminished his vitality since these dirty dreams didn't last too long. sukuna's fatigue increased, making it for him to strive for home and recharge his flesh and blood form. his absence disturbed you, as your heart— as well as other parts you didn't wish to disclose, missed his 'upstanding' figure.
but the more you missed incubus!sukuna, the more you called on to and invited in this supernatural entity in to your dreams.
on the outside world, one could see you toss and turn in your bed, messing up and around your sheets along with the duvet. however, in the dream-scape, it was all about a sex fest!
like a moth to a flame, incubus!sukuna got inside your dream space and went haywire on you. and oh christ, you were positively sure you're going to hell for enjoying such a good fuck from a demon.
although, in the back of your mind, you knew things were odd from this dream. 7ft tall reverend with tattoos all over his naked body, a mouth in his belly, four arms, and two dicks!?
incubus!sukuna's belly mouth tongue teased with fluttering licks around your lower back. his top dick fucked your cunt senslessly while the tip of his bottom dick stimulated your clit with every raw, hammering thrust. his massive statue allowed him to smother your lips with his own, and claim any semblance of energy you harbored to keep for himself.
his large hands held you up in the air, his grip on your legs, waist, and arm never faltering to keep you in place. but sukuna wanted to play with your disgusting lust for him. now, you could see this entity in all his wretched glory once he turned you to face him. his upper dick slipping out to give opportunity to his lower one to feel a taste of you. his red eyes trailed to your pelvis and mused once they laid on the evident bump.
"look," said incubus!sukuna, sharp canines shining through his wide smile, "see how good your pussy takes me? damn, such a good fuck!"
the sex demon pressed down on the bulge and how his cock stretched your cunt out in all the good angles. you could only exhale a string of incoherent signs of gratitude by his words. your small, helpless frame made him laugh while while cumming in and out of you!
strings of thick milky cum began to fill you up and fall onto your chest and stomach. some drops falling on to your face as well. the knot on your stomach tightened but what sent you off to the edge was how incubus!sukuna began to play and cover you further with his thick cum. opening your cunt up with his thick fingers so that his jizz oozes out from you. keeping you on the floor and tapping his cocks on your sticky body. making you cum at his mercy over and over again.
least to say, you cursed when you woke up in the morning to a damp pool of your juices and the faint smell of cooked apples and sulfur.
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writingsbychlo · 2 days ago
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TRADITIONS AND VALUES | THEODORE NOTT
SUMMARY: You spend Christmas Eve with your boyfriend and his family. WORD COUNT: 8715 NOTES: Just warning you all, this really is a sickeningly self-indulgent romanticised softy Theo and I make no apologies.
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The Internazionale di Roma Floo Station was busier than you’d expected, even if it was the crack of dawn on Christmas Eve. People were rushing from one place to another, some with suitcases, others with stacks of presents so tall they couldn't see around them, some dragging wailing children, and others holding signs. You’d yet to even take a step off the platform itself before someone was shouldering past you, mumbling as they rushed by you in a hurry, and you sighed.
Lifting your bag back onto your shoulder, you made your way down the platform towards the collections point, nerves ricocheting higher and higher with every step you took. The floo station in Italy was warmer than London had been, and you loosened the scarf around your neck to let it hang open. The moment you cleared border checks and registration, gathering your wand on the other side and smiling at a not-so-smiley security officer, you searched for Theo. 
It didn’t take long to find him, not as you searched through the crowds of people gathered with signs, leaning against a pillar, bundled in a thick coat and looking adorably sleepy. At your call of his name, his head snapped up, peering around with juxtaposing alertness and locking his gaze on you as you hurried towards him. 
Perhaps it had only been a week or so since you’d last seen him, but it felt like months, as you crashed into your boyfriend’s arms and buried yourself in his embrace once again. 
“Oh, bella, mi sei mancato così tanto.” He murmured, his face pressed into your hair as he kissed across to your temple. 
“I missed you, Teddy.” Your words were muffled as you were crushed to his chest, holding him just as tightly as he was holding you. Blocking out the hustle and bustle of the International Floo Station around you, you took a deep breath, drawing in the smell of him and sighing happily. Letting him go after another breath, he tucked hair out of your eyes, cupping your cheeks when they were unobstructed, and leaning down to kiss you. 
His mouth was warm, and he tasted like coffee and sugary pastries, a flavour you licked from his lower lip as he smiled into the kiss. You were practically melting against him, the racing of your heart calming as his lips soothed away any anxieties you’d previously been harbouring. Running your hands up his forearms slowly, you took his hands in your own, and stepped back.
“You got coffee?”
“In the car.” He smiled, eyes still closed as his head rested on your own. “Proper, Italian coffee. The best kind.”
“Tastes good already.” You teased, and he pulled back, a smirk on his face as his arm slung over your shoulders, tucking you securely into his side. 
“Feel free to have another sample.” He whispered, stealing another kiss from your lips as he reached across your body with his other hand. Taking your bag from your shoulder, his eyes widened as the weight of it almost dragged him down to the ground, rattling and clinking as it went. “Merda, what do you have in here?”
“Gifts for your family! I wasn’t going to show up empty-handed!” 
He peered inside, shaking his head as he stared into the darkness within. “Another extension charm? No wonder it took you so long to clear security.”
“It’s a legal one!”
“Mhm.”
“It is!” You insisted, reaching to snatch for your bag again but he only rolled his eyes, hauling it up onto his shoulder and guiding you out of the busy station. Theo gave a tired hum as he directed you towards the car, a large SUV with plush leather seats, charmed to stay warm, as you settled inside. Plucking up one of the coffees, you spun it around, noting your order on the front, and taking a sip as Theo packed your bag into the back. 
The caffeine rush it gave you was the boost you needed, sending a jolt of warm energy through your body, and as Theo climbed into the driver’s seat, you twisted your head to look at him. “You got my coffee order right.”
“Of course I did.” He scoffed, like it was the simplest thing in the world, and as he started the car, you reached over and placed your hand atop his. He flipped his palm, bringing your wind-chilled fingers up to his lips to place a kiss against your knuckles. As he returned your hand to the gearstick, he settled his own over the top, and began the drive. 
“So, why is it that we’re driving?” You asked, breaking the comfortable silence you’d been in for the last half an hour or so, watching the cityscape melt into frost-covered countryside. 
“My family is excited to meet you, some of them are already up and crowded in the family room by the floo waiting for you. So I snuck out to the garage and thought I’d drive to come and get you so we could spend a little time together first.”
“Oh, Teddy. You’re getting soft on me.” You smiled, and he reached over, squeezing one of your thighs and smirking. 
“Or, maybe, I just intend to pull over to the side of the road and fuck you stupid before we even have breakfast.”
“Don’t be so crude.” You pinched the back of his hand, which only earned you a harder squeeze to your thigh, and a cheeky laugh. “I intend to make a good first impression on your family, and showing up thoroughly-fucked would not help with that.”
“Well, at least you admit it would’ve been fantastic.” He sighed a laboured exhale, like he was pained to concede the hypothetical sex, and you rolled your eyes. “I don’t think they’d care even if you did, for the record. When I say they’re very excited to meet you, I mean it.”
“That doesn’t make me any less nervous.” Came your muttered response, and this time, he turned to look at you for a little longer. 
“I don’t think you understand, bella. They already love you, because they know how much I love you. They’ve been bugging me to bring you home since last year, and I’ve already told them all about you. They don’t have any expectations of you, they just want to know the girl who makes me so happy.”
Your lips pressed together, hiding a soft sound from escaping and watching the roads disappear under the signs as you tried to process what to say, “Theo…” Was all you managed to muster in five whole minutes, and he laughed again gently. 
“Amore mio, I just want you to enjoy today. I only get one day with you, so I want us to make the most of it.” Your stomach twisted at his words, keeping your response to yourself, and choosing instead to pick his hand up. You kissed his knuckles, rubbing your cheek on his hand as he smiled. “Just… do your best to enjoy it, yeah? I want to show you what Christmas in Italy is all about.”
“Okay, Teddy. I can do that.”
“That’s my girl.”
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“I think you may actually have more Christmas trees than Hogwarts.” You teased as the car slowly pulled up in front of a large stately home. The driveway you’d just finished travelling up had been lined with sparkling Christmas trees, the snow decorating them and glistening in the rising sun. 
Theo sighed, parking the car and shutting off the engine, staring at the largest Christmas tree yet, sitting in the centre of the forecourt. “I know. Nonna goes big on Christmas, there’s even more inside.”
“How many are there?”
“Thirty-six,” Theo rubbed a hand over his jaw, “Counted them myself.”
“Thirty-six Christmas trees?” Your jaw dropped, and he shook his head in matching disbelief. “Which one do you put your presents under?”
“Funny you should ask that.” His grimace turned to a smile, eyes going a little cloudy as he stared off across the driveway. “When I was younger, my mother used to hide one of my Christmas presents under every single one, and I got to spend all day going around to find them.”
You reached across the car, taking his hand and lacing your fingers through his. He squeezed, coming back to the present a moment later, as his mind returned from his memories. “I bet you were so cute, running around in your little festive pyjamas hunting for presents.”
“I was the cutest. My Aunt Allessandra already got the baby albums out for you.”
“Most people don’t boast about baby photos, you know that, right?” 
His grin was arrogant, “Most people weren’t as adorable as I was. You know some babies are really ugly? Not me, I was—”
“Theo, you can’t call babies ugly!” You smacked his arm, shaking your head at his cackled laughter as you climbed out of the car. He followed suit, closing his door loudly and racing to the back to nudge you out of the way before you could take your bag. 
“C’mon, you know it’s true. Anyways, it’s not like you have to worry about that. Your babies will be adorable, because—” You cupped a hand over his mouth, giving him a warning glare, and he only winked through smothered laughter. Slipping your hand away, he pressed a fleeting kiss to your palm as it left, and scooped up your bag from the car. “Fine. No baby talk from me. Can’t promise about the rest of the family. Nonna wants us to get married by the—”
“Ah! Meraviglioso, they’re here!” A feminine voice called from the large front doors, ones you hadn't even noticed had opened, and you stiffened as Theo’s eyes widened. Several other voices joined the other, footsteps getting closer, and his shock morphed into a small smile.
“Here we go, amore.”
Stepping aside, Theo hardly even had a chance to greet his family before hands were cupping your cheeks, warmed by the indoors and soft as they held you. “Oh, you are so beautiful! Bellisima!”  
“Auntie Allie…” He scoffed, nudging her back, but it wasn’t long before other relatives of his were gathering around too. Two of his aunts and three of his cousins, all chattering between English and Italian, admiring and complimenting, you could guess, based on how pink Theo’s cheeks were going. 
One of his male cousins said something that made him scowl and elbow him in the ribs, before he was reaching through the others and taking your hand. Tugging you closer to his side; an action which settled your nerves but only increased the volume of adoring coos the two of you were afforded. 
“We made big plans for today.” One of his aunts —Giulia, you were sure— informed you, touching your arm lightly as Theo steered you towards the house. 
“Oh, you didn’t have to do that…”
“Sì, Auntie Gi, I told you not to go overboard with this!” Theo groaned, and she shushed him with a wave of her hand. 
“Yes, yes, you did. But we decided otherwise. Your girl deserves a full Italian Christmas and she’s going to get one!” A blush covered your cheeks, you could feel it rage even hotter the moment you stepped over the threshold and into the warmed house. As you did, an elderly elf wearing a pink knitted hat, a floral apron and one sock appeared, holding out her hands. 
“Cappotto!” She demanded, snapping her fingers, and Theo shrugged off his coat quickly and handed it to her. You followed suit, and she left with a soft huff and a pop. 
“That is Miffy. She runs the rest of the elves here with an iron rod. She put on her special occasion sock for you.”
“One sock?”
“Yes, she’s very particular about it. Says wearing two socks makes her too warm.” He rolled his eyes, hefting your bag higher up on his shoulder. 
“Sounds like you with your leg sticking out of the covers every night.”
“Did you just compare me to a house elf?” He gaped, and you shrugged, grinning at him over your shoulder as you followed the rest of his family further into the house. You were guided past several open rooms, before arriving in a large, open-plan sitting room. 
Some of his family were already gathered around, sipping from mugs of tea and coffee, a table laid out with breakfast pastries and food piled high. A group of young children were sitting around the tree and poking at the piles of gifts stacked there. Beside them, sat an older lady, enchanted knitting needles surrounding her as she used the set in her hands to knit far slower into a more interesting design. As one little finger tugged on a bow, she raised her brow and poked the giggling toddler lightly with one of her needles. 
“That’s Nonna?” You whispered as Theo came to your side, and he placed your bag down beside the closest table, nodding his head. 
“Come on, I’ll introduce you to everyone else, but I want you to officially meet her first.”
His hand pressed on your lower back, guiding you across the room, and as you got close, the knitting needles, floating on command, all slowed to a stop. She lowered the ones in her hands to her lap, her gaze running over you as appraised you, and your hands locked nervously in front of your body, fiddling with your fingers. 
“Nonna, this is my girlfriend.”
“Well, obviously, Theodore.” She drawled, shaking her head at him, and he bit back a smile. Her attention shifted back to you, and she smiled at you. Holding up her knitting, she proffered the half-finished square pattern. “This colour, do you like it? And no flattery, I’ll be able to tell if you’re lying.”
A laugh escaped you, and you nodded, pinching the soft fabric between two fingers. “It’s a nice shade of purple. My second favourite, even.”
“Second favourite?”
“I like a lighter purple too.” She hummed, snapping her fingers and a basket of other wools floated over to you both from the corner. She rooted through it, before producing a lavender shade, “Like this?”
“Exactly like that.”
“Good choice. I like it too.” She added it to her current pile of wool to use. “My Theodore tells me you are a smart and kind girl. He speaks very highly of you.”
She patted the chair beside her, and you sat down in it, turning to face her, “I hope he’s not set the bar too high about me.” 
“No, he set it just right. He deserves someone good, my grandson. He deserves the best.”
“I know.” You whispered, and Theo scuffed his feet against the floor. 
“Nonna…”
“Go, Theodore. Get breakfast, you must eat.” She waved him away, and after lingering for only a moment longer, he did as told, leaving the two of you alone. “He loves you very much.”
“I love him too.” Your words rushed from you, assuring her of as much, and she patted your hand with a fond expression.
“You’ll make sure he’s happy.”
“I promise, I’ll—”
“It was not a question. You will make him happy. You already do.” She confirmed, and your lips pressed together, chin wobbling a little as you nodded. It was a promise, all you needed to say, and she squeezed your hand reassuringly as she understood it. “He was sad for a long time, but you make him smile.”
With that, Theo was returning, perching himself on the arm of the chair you were sitting on and passing you a plate that was stacked high. On it were all of your breakfast favourites from the spread, everything you would’ve picked for yourself as well as his preferences, and he dropped a kiss on the top of your head. 
“So,” He directed his raised voice to the rest of the room, glancing out across his family, “What busy schedule have you all conjured up for us, then?”
As you ate the breakfast provided, his family excitedly told you all of the plans they had for the day. You also made it through introductions, doing your best to commit the names and faces of every enthusiastic family member to your memory. You were just finishing up a conversation with his youngest uncle when Miffy appeared once again, informing you all with a bossy kind of voice that in order to stay on schedule, it was time to leave. 
Several elves appeared, laden down with coats, hats and scarves as they handed them out, and the room jumped into action. Tugging you up from the chair, Theo helped you into your coat, before wrapping a spare scarf around your neck, and leaving a kiss on your cheek before bundling himself up too. The movement of the family was dizzying, and you simply opted to follow along, until you were being ushered through the large floo in the family room fireplace, hand clasped in Theo’s as his voice wrapped in perfect Italian around your first location. 
A tug behind your navel, a flash of blinding green fire, and you were stepping out into the cold of a busy and bustling street. 
The first stop of the day was the Italian street markets. You’d encountered similar, and at first glance, it all felt so very much like home. You’d spent many a Christmas wandering the wooden huts of the Trafalgar Square Christmas Markets back in London, and a grin crawled onto your face at the comfort of it.  
Then, a loud screeching sounded just to your right, melting away into coordinated music as a walking band of bagpipe players passed you by, and Theo laughed in your ear by your side as you clutched a hand to your chest. 
“It’s not funny, Nott! That scared the lights out of me!”
“It was kinda’ funny. You should’ve seen your face. You were all awestruck and starry-eyed and then you looked like that time Draco jumped out at you with those plastic Muggle fangs in his mouth on Hallows Eve.” He clutched his stomach in contrast, head tipping back with laughter, and you nudged him in the ribs, even as his amusement brought a smile to your own lips. 
“I’ll implore you to remember what happened to Draco when he laughed at me.” Your threat was only met with a smirk and hooded eyes as he tipped his head back down, tempering his laughter.
“Oh, but you wouldn't hex your boyfriend at Christmas, would you?” His lips brushed yours as he tipped your chin up. “You don’t want this lovely face disfigured, do you? You’re the one who has to kiss it.”
“Cut it out.” You whispered, blushing, as he pecked the edge of your mouth, “This is a family event.”
“I’m aware.” He murmured, sealing it with a chaste kiss to your lips and wrapping his arm around your shoulders. “Alright, there’s lots I want to show you and definitely not enough time for it all. Where do you want to start?”
“You tell me.”
“Let’s go.” He beamed, guiding you after his family as the group began to move, idling to the left and in trail of the procession of bagpipe players that had gone on ahead.
You wandered from stall to stall, looking at crafts and ornaments ad freshly made goods. There was a certain kind of cheerful energy in the air that only came around at Christmastime, and you soaked up very second of festive cheer that you could. 
Theo plied you with treats at every opportunity, and his pockets started to become laden down with purchases neither of you needed, until he bought a hand-stitched bag at one stall and slung it over his shoulder just to carry everything the pair of you had been purchasing. 
Slowly, the group split off, members of the family forming smaller groups to go off to each of their own activities and interests. As you continued exploring, you passed by what appeared to be a nativity scene, set up full-size, behind fences with small sheep and animals wandering around inside. 
“This is lovely.” You turned to Theo, and he smiled at your words. 
“This is the village Presepe.”
“Presepe?” You echoed, “I thought it was a Nativity scene.”
“A Presepe is a nativity scene, really. It’s the tradition to build one in the home, it’s important, it reminds us of the Christmas story. In my family, we dedicate a whole evening to building one. Ours is in the library, we like it to be somewhere quiet where we can reflect on and admire it.” You wrapped your arms around on of his, leaning your cheek on his shoulder, and his head rested on top of yours. “But, I also used to have a small one in my dorm at Hogwarts. You’ve seen it.”
“I never knew what it was, though. I mean, I didn’t know it meant so much, I thought it was just your general Christmas decorations.”
“It is, technically—”’
“No,” You cut him off, “It’s more important than that. I’ll remember for next year.”
He smiled at that, and the pair of you took a few more minutes to admire the scene, before moving on. Hours seemed to pass by as the two of you slipped into your own little world, soaking up all of the time you had together and huddling close in the cold, wintery air. 
You wouldn't trade these times for the world. As doting as Theo was, as loving and devoted, these times when the two of you were alone and you were reminded. Reminded, that he wasn’t just someone you were attracted to or loved, but that he was also your best friend in every way, someone you could confide in and trust and rely on. 
He was your whole world, and spending time with him, in a place that was his whole world, meant all the more to you. Something you were sure you wouldn't be able to express with words, so you indulged his every whim instead, and committed it all to memory. 
You were still stuffed up from the fresh struffoli Theo had offered to you not long ago, feeding you bites from the shared tray before he’d ordered you another one. Unlike him, who seemed to eat endlessly and always still be hungry, you didn’t possess such a talent, and you were ready for a drink to wash it down, when he turned to you with a handful of more sweet treats. 
“Try this, bella.”
“Just a bite.” You sighed, unable to say no to the adorable look on his face as he brought over what looked like a piece of fruitcake. 
“Just a bite? Don’t be silly. You need more than one bite to appreciate this panettone.” He lifted it to your lips, and you parted them, his eyes sparkling as he watched you take a bite. He followed soon after, crumbs dropping to the floor between you both as he finished off the slice in a single mouthful. His cheeks puffed up like a hamster, and you raised your eyebrows as you chewed slowly, savouring the delicious treat. “What? You said you just wanted a bite!”
Your lips pressed further together and your hand covered your mouth to muffle a laugh as he spat crumbs everywhere while speaking. His cheeks turned red, and he shook his head fondly as he attempted to finished the excessive amount of food in his mouth. 
“Careful, you two.” His cousin Maria grinned as she passed by, clapping Theo on the back as he choked down the treat. “Don’t eat too much, or you’ll ruin your appetite for the Feast later.”
“We’ll be fine, we’re indulging.” Theo scoffed, patting his stomach. “Tanto spazio, non preoccuparti.” 
Your brows furrowed as Maria tipped her head back and laughter, Theo preening with pride at amusing his cousin as he joined her. As she ambled on ahead, still chatting to Theo in Italian, you took the time to admire one of the intricate craft stalls opposite the bakery stand. 
Picking up a small glass trinket, you hung the bauble from your finger, watching the glittery item twirl before you and reflect the stark winter daylight in beautiful colours. “How much?” You asked, smiling at the vendor, who rubbed his chin. 
“Ti piace?”
Your lips parted but no words came out, as you realised for the first time that without Theo, you were a little lost. Tapping it with your finger, you floundered for words, feeling more than ignorant and beyond embarrassed at your inability for simple communication for the first time today. It struck you, with a startling shock, that his family had been making the effort to speak to you in English, and you’d taken it for granted. 
Swallowing back the clog of emotion in your throat, you coughed lightly, putting it down and pulling out your purse. Opening it up to the Muggle notes of Italian cash that you’d converted before leaving London, you offered him a handful. The vendor chuckled, taking the money from you and counting out just two of the notes, before passing the rest back. “Inglese? English?” He prompted, and you nodded, feeling the odd urge to apologise as he counted out coins and gave you a handful of those as change too. 
“Yes. Uhm, sí.” You fumbled, cursing internally for how clumsy you sounded, but the older man merely smiled at you. 
“Have a good day.” He spoke slowly, and it pained you not to be able to even return the simple kindness. Instead, you pointed at him. 
“E tu.” There were a few small words here and there that you’d picked up from Theo over the years, and you could only hope you’d said something that made sense. By the look on his face, you’d at least managed to do that correctly. Pocketing your purse and your change, the man handed you your carefully wrapped ornament, and cheerfully gave you a goodbye as you stepped away, searching for Theo in the crowds. 
He wasn’t far ahead, talking to his Nonna but his eyes were on you, and his face broke into a smile as your eyes met. Your mood seemed to thaw again at the sight of him, your heart warming the inside of your chest and spreading the feeling out through your body as you walked back to his side. 
He held out his hand, and you took it, lacing your gloved fingers through his as he tugged you closer. “Nonna was just suggesting we go to the Tombola. It’s cold out here, and we can go inside and warm up. What do you think?”
“I think that sounds fun… what is it?”
Nonna chuckled, patting your arm. “You have heard of bingo, sí?”
“Oh, yes!” You cheered, and she clicked her fingers. 
“Ah, it is like bingo. You will enjoy, my dear. Come, come.” She offered you her arm, and you accepted it eagerly, letting her slowly guide the three of you through the town centre you’d been circling for the last couple of hours, to the Town Hall sitting squarely in the middle. 
She was right, it was much warmer inside, and you queued up with the few members of the Nott family that had come to join to check your coats. You tucked your scarf and gloves into your pockets hastily, handing the bundle over to the woman and letting Theo do the talking as he gave his name and took his tag. 
You were rubbing your cooled hands together when he took one in his own, threading your hands together and squeezing happily as you joined the crowded hall filled with people. Finding a place to sit, you all hemmed yourselves in around the table, swiping up sheets and markers before the next round began. Theo leaned over to get a peek at your card, and you pressed it to your chest, causing him to pull back, surprised.
“Let me see.”
“No! Get your own, this is my card!” You held it tighter to your chest as he tried to steal it from you, his jaw dropping. 
“You want to be on separate teams? I can’t believe this.” He feigned heartbreak, head hanging, and you giggled at his dramatics. Dipping down and into his eye-line, he stuck his bottom lip out in an exaggerated put. “I can’t believe you’re abandoning me like this, and here I thought you loved me! Oh, il dolore…”
“Oh, hush your whinging. Two teams means double the chance to win prizes.”
His lip slipped back into place, his eyebrows crawling up his forehead, and then his face broke with amusement. “My cunning little snake, I’m rubbing off on you. I knew there was a reason I loved you.”
“What, just the one reason?”
“Well, I could start to list them all,” He leaned in, brushing his lips against your ear, “But I’m afraid we would run out of time.”
Taking his jaw in your hand, you smacked a kiss onto his cheek, his face scrunching up happily. “Ti amo, Theo.”
“I love you too, bella.” He reached across the table, swiping up a card and his own marker. Pulling your chair closer to his, he stretched his arm along the back of your seat and pressed you into his side. 
“Hey, Theo?” You felt his responding hum against the top of your head as his fingers wove into your hair, rubbing lightly. “What’s ‘the Feast’ later?”
He pulled back enough to be able to see you, twisting strands of hair around his fingers. “Oh, the Feast of Seven Fishes. It’s a special meal at Christmas.”
“Oh, like Christmas dinner!” He dipped his chin in a nod, and you took the information on board, “You don’t do Christmas dinner, then?”
“‘Course we do.” He chuckled at you, “But, on Christmas Day. It’s Christmas Eve, so this is a Christmas Eve tradition.”
You knew inside Theo didn’t intend to make you feel at a disadvantage with the way he said it, but that didn’t stop you feeling that way. Once again, another small thing made you feel like you were inexperienced and behind the rest. At your lack of response, Theo tilted his head, his eyes searching your own. You distracted him with a kiss to his cheek, facing yourself back to the front of the room as a little old lady took the stage, bringing attention to the game that was just beginning.
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Taking back your coat, Theo untangled himself from you to begin fastening one of his baby cousins into her coat. Yours was handed back to you, and you smiled appreciatively at the woman behind the desk. Taking your scarf out and wrapping it around your neck, you shrugged on your coat. Buttoning it up for warmth, at last, you patted your pockets down for your gloves as you made your way over to Theo and the group. 
Both pockets came up empty, and you shoved your hands inside, rooting into the empty spaces to confirm. At some point, your gloves must’ve fallen out, but between the crowds gathering around the coatcheck desk and your lack of ability to communicate, you decided against making a bumbling effort to retrieve them. Writing them off, you left your hands curled up in your pockets as your boyfriend’s hand found your lower back, guiding you outside. 
As you listened, he promised his family that the pair of you would reunite with them soon, you’d meet them at the pub floo you’d all entered through, but apparently, you had one more thing to do. At your raised brow, Theo quickly guided you towards the edges of the markets, where a small group was beginning to form, gathered around… nothing, you could see, as you got closer.
“It’s almost time to go home.” Theo offered, and you nodded, silently relieved as your freezing hands clenched inside your pockets, joints aching from the cold exposure. “Just one more thing I want us to do. Do you have your wand on you?”
Your head snapped up, noticing the smaller group you’d been assembled into on the edges of the town, and realising they all had their wands out too. “I-I don’t. I left it in my bag at yours, I didn’t know I would need it—”
“It’s okay, you can share mine.” He soothed, and he placed the smooth Hawthorn wand into your palm, his hand wrapping around your own and his back pressing to your chest. His other arm snaked around your middle, his chin propped on your shoulder. Only moments later, you were once again left steeped in confusion as he began to swirl your joined hands in the execution of a spell you didn’t know, reciting the charmed Italian with words you did not know, to cast an enchantment that you did not know. 
The scene before you was breathtaking, swirls of coloured mist and sparks from all the group gathered around, bundling into a soft ball of light in the centre of the group, growing from a mere sparkling pinprick to something the size of a golfball, spinning with every addition of magic and power. When the group chanting ended, the small ball pressed itself smaller and smaller, before zooming off into the sky and disappearing into the grey clouds in a blink. 
“Wow…” You murmured, turning to Theo, “What was—”
His lips pressed to yours firmly, his arms around you keeping you close as he placed a single, heavy kiss onto our mouth. “That, was an ancient tradition. Wizarding world special. Instead of mistletoe, you cast a spell with the person you love in a pledge for a happy and joyful Christmas. My mum used to bring me when I was a kid, and I… I wanted to bring you.”
“Oh, Teddy…” Your arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him in until your eyes could flutter closed and your forehead was pressed to his. “That is so sweet. I’ve never heard of such a tradition before.”
“I’m not surprised.” He huffed to himself bemusedly, trapped in a joke only he understood. “Come on, let's get your home, your hands are freezing. Where are your gloves?”
“Think I lost them along the way somewhere.” You deflected, and he shrugged. The rest of his family were beginning to round up too, and none too soon, you were all piling once again back into a floo to Nott Manor. Unloading your coat to another excitable but demanding house elf, you guided yourself back through to the living room where the fires were still roaring. The youngest of the children sprinted past you, and you leaned down to gather your bag in the meantime. 
In the background, you could hear Theo’s family chatting away, laughter and love filling the halls in a way that was so homely and comforting, and you guided yourself over to the Christmas tree already stacked high with presents underneath, spilling out in mountains from beneath. 
Sinking to your knees, you opened up your bag, diving elbow-deep into the extended insides and beginning to pull out the few, carefully wrapped presents you’d brought with you. In the dining room, you could hear glasses clinking and corks popping, as preparations for the Feast you’d only just learned about took place.  
That clawing, suffocating sense of embarrassment was back as you let slip a sigh, running a finger over the wrapping paper covered in small Santa hats that you’d used to wrap the gifts for the younger children. It felt so out of place now, utterly ridiculous, as you remembered hearing so many children running around the markets talking about La Befana, before eventually needing Theo to explain. You contemplated whether it was too late to find some other kind of paper and rewrap them.
With a shake of your head, your resolve weakened, fingers trembling as you picked at the red ribbon wrapped around it. “What’s wrong, amore?”
Theo startled you from being so lost in your thoughts, and you whipped around to see him standing over you, a concerned look on his face. At your hesitation, he lowered himself down to sit crosslegged before you.
“Nothing, baby. I’m all good, just putting a few presents under your tree.”
He watched you place the final gift on the small stack you’d added, before taking your hand in his, his thumb tracing your knuckles. “Don’t lie to me. You’ve gone all quiet.” He whispered, “What’s wrong, are you homesick?”
“No, not at all. I’m having a wonderful time.” You reassured him, squeezing his hand in your own. 
“But you’re sad.”
“No, I’m not—” He gave you a look, one you were familiar with after a year together, pressing you for the truth and you caved faster than you’d have liked. Your voice cracked as you spoke quietly once again, “I feel like an idiot, Theo.”
“What are you talking about, bella? Why would you feel that way, I don’t understand?”
“I should’ve been more prepared. I’ve come to spend Christmas with your family, and you’ve all been so kind all day, and spoken my language because I don’t even know yours! I have been so behind at every step with your traditions and customs, I feel so selfish because I should’ve done more research into today, so that I could share it with you properly, but I didn’t!” Your eyes stung, and you tore your gaze away from his, “I’m sorry, Teddy.”
Theo cupped your cheek, a sad sound escaping him as he pressed kisses all over the side of your face you allowed him access to, as he tried to coax you to face him once again. “Listen to me, amore. Please? I didn’t expect you to know anything at all, you were here to learn, that was the whole point! I’ve had so much fun teaching you. I got to share everything with you and relive the magic of it by re-experiencing it all with you of the first time.”
His words did their job, easing some of the discomfort you’d been feeling, and you finally gave in, looking back up to him as he smiled, bumping his nose with your own lovingly. 
“As for the English, in my family, we’re taught English alongside Italian since we started learning to talk at all. We all go to Hogwarts, and some of my family spend more of the year in London or Paris or other places than here at all, meaning Italian isn’t even our main language even if it is our first. It’s not something to stress about, I swear.” He gave you a quick but reassuring kiss, rubbing his thumb across your cheek as you smiled. “But if you want to learn Italian, I’ll teach you. I’d love to, but I never wanted you to feel forced to.”
“I’d like that.” You whispered, stealing a kiss too, and a little of that light came back to his face as you did. 
“You know, I didn’t really know anything about English Christmas traditions until I started Hogwarts. Don’t you remember? You all had to teach me in first year.”
You cast your mind back, trying to remember the fuzzy memories of your friends from so long ago. “You caught on quick.”
“I’m a fast learner.” Theo teased playfully. “Please don’t let yourself feel down, because this day has been perfect for me, and I want you to remember it that way too.”
Your shoulders sagged, leaning into his hug, and you tried your best to let the last of your worries slip away. Theo’s hands rubbed up and down your back, and you melted a little more into his embrace. 
“Ahem.” Theo’s uncle Marco coughed dramatically, and Theo groaned in your ear as he twisted his head on your shoulder to look at him. 
“What? Can’t you see we’re having a moment here? Vaffanculo.”
“Now, now, Theo. What would Nonna say if I told her what you just said?” He grinned, and Theo lifted a hand to make a gesture you didn’t allow, clasping his hand and lowering it back down. His uncle smirked, putting his hands on his hips, “Sorry to interrupt your moment, but it’s time to eat.”
He left before Theo could respond, and you clambered to your feet, brushing yourself off and offering him your hands. He took them, letting you pull him to his feet before he was checking in on you one more time, and seeing something that must’ve reassured him, taking you through to the dining room for dinner. 
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“Can you tell me about Snata?” One of the toddlers, Romeo, asked. He climbed up beside you and Theo on the couch, uncaring of the meal you’d just stuffed yourselves with as he climbed over Theo, stepping on his stomach before sitting himself in your lap. Looking up at you expectantly, the three-year-old frowned at your stunned expression. “Satna.” He demanded, leaning in closer. 
“It’s Santa, idiota.” Another small voice chimed in.
“Hey!” Theo scooped up the other boy, Aldo, and folded him into his arms tightly, shaking his head as the young boy squirmed in the hug and pushed a sticky hand against Theo’s jaw. “That’s not nice, you don’t call people that. Do you want La Befana to bring you presents tonight?”
“Sí.” He grumbled out with added an apology to his brother, and Theo nodded, ruffling his hair as the boy turned to look at you from his perch in his cousin’s lap. He stuck his thumb into his mouth, and leaned to rest his head on Theo’s chest as he prepared to listen. Another little hand landed on you arm, and you found Adriana, their sister, has settled herself in beside you. 
“You want to know about Santa too?” You asked, and she nodded her head. You twisted to Theo, “Did you set this up?”
“Nope, this is all them.” He smiled, stretching his arm out along the back of the couch. “Maybe you still have some things to teach us after all.”
So, you settled in, with three small children which soon became four, then five, as you told them all the story of Santa Claus. They were particularly fond of the reindeers, although they weren’t sold on Rudolph, insisting that he must be very, very poorly if his nose is that red. You skirted carefully around the edges of their questions, trying hard not to ruin anything for them or encroach onto territory that might get them thinking a little too deeply and unravel their belief. Instead, you kept the magic alive, by spinning a tale instead of how Santa and La Befana work together to make sure all the children across the world get presents for Christmas Day.
Regardless, the children had taken to the story with wide-eyed excitement and enthusiasm you thought couldn't be conquered. That was, until they smelled hot chocolate in the air. Immediately leaping off of the couch with a new set of interests, they no longer cared to hear about who might bring presents tomorrow, but instead, who might have a treat right now. 
You followed after them, back to the dining room where the table was now laid with teapots, coffees and small treats to enjoy for dessert. In the corner, Allessandra was handing out mugs of hot chocolate to the children, and Theo pressed a kiss to the side of your head as he came back to your side. He pressed a warm mug into your hands, and the smell drifted up to your nose, making you groan happily. Looking down, your suspicions were confirmed. 
“Theo, what’s all this?” You brought the glass up, sniffling the fruity concoction, and he shrugged. 
“This is a little piece of home for you, bella. I want you to be one hundred percent happy here. Your happiness is important to me, don’t you know that? You should’ve told you the moment you felt down, so that I could fix it. I hate seeing you upset.”
“I’m never upset when I’m with you. I just felt a little out of place, but I’m fine now.” You promised, and he seemed to believe you this time, you could see it in his eyes as he nodded. 
Lifting the mug to your face, you blew slowly onto the steam rising up from it, and then you heard a cry; “Why is my favourite wine steaming?”
“Uncle Gio, just try it!” Theo insisted, nodding his head less than subtly in your direction, assuming you couldn't see him out of the corner of your eye. “It was my idea, and it happens to be… very nice.” 
“It’s something I love, from home.” You interfered, ruling out Theo’s less than convincing attempt to persuade his family. Even as your cheeks heated when several sets of eyes fell on you, you didn’t feel rejected by them, just feeling their intrigue. “It really is good, I promise! It’s just not to everybody’s tastes.”
You nudged your hip against Theo’s who smirked as his shoulders rose and fell. After a lingering moment, his uncle caved and served himself a glass, his other relatives following suit. Soon, several murmured compliments to it were passing around the room, and you grinned up at Theo who was adamantly ignoring your attention. 
“Well, well, well. Would you look at that? Your family likes it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, clearly they all hate it, and—”
“Hate what?” His cousin Lucia interrupted, Aria close behind. “This is a surprisingly nice way to enjoy wine,” She offered to you, “It’s better than spiking the coffee and getting shouted at by Nonna when you want a tipsy hot drink, that’s for sure.”
Theo rolled his eyes petulantly, and she tipped her head. “You disagree, Theo?”
“Oh, Theo hates my love for mulled wine. He won’t even kiss me after I’ve had any.” You joked, clutching the glass in your hand and letting the warmth seep through the porcelain and into your cold palms.
His aunts laughed, cooing over his frown as they all clutched their own glasses, enjoying the concoction he hated so abhorrently. Theo’s arm snaked around your middle, pulling you back against him. “Now, that’s just a little lie, isn’t it?”
His family grinned at him, turning away into their own conversation as he guided you away for a little more privacy. Tucking you away with himself into an empty corridor, the two of you made your way slowly through his home, to a little porch swing on the back terrace, looking out across snowy and frost covered grounds.
You settled in, tucking yourself under a blanket and covering his lap with it too, as his arm stretched out along the back, behind your body. “Now, how about those kisses, hm?”
“Are you sure you want to? I mean, I have been drinking this mulled—” Theo scoffed, pinching your chin between his thumb and forefinger before sealing his mouth over your own, effectively silencing you. His tongue traced a seam underneath your lip, licking away any remnants of the mulled wine and begging entry into your mouth. 
You gave way, lips parting, the sweet and fruity taste of your drink mixing with the sugars of cookies still lingering on his tongue, and you groaned softly at the taste of him. His arm slipped down from the back of the bench to slide around your shoulders, pulling you in closer. Tilting his head to the side, Theo’s other hand slipped up your cheek, holding you so tenderly, and you shivered at the feeling of his cold fingers on your skin. 
He pulled away, just to dive back in, dotting a series of kisses to your lips, each one you pressed into, returned with a smile or a giggle, until you finished, with your forehead pressed to his. Eyes closed and noses bumping, Theo sighed. His hand slipped down, over your neck and shoulder, to find your hand atop the blanket, and take it in his own. 
“Listen, it’s not too late, maybe you could still get in touch with your family?”
“Theo,” You murmured, words sticking in your throat as you held them back. 
“We could use my floo, we can call them and ask if you could stay, or maybe compromise, or something?”
“Teddy.” You pressed your free hand to his chest, right over his heart, and he deflated a little under your touch. He’d tried already, he’d been trying for weeks now to convince you to stay with him for the whole of the holidays, and he lifted his head, eyes shining a little as he pouted. A small bubble rose inside you, made of happiness and thrill and the lingering excitement of a surprise you weren’t ready to share yet. “Let’s just enjoy this moment for now, stop thinking about when it will end and just be here with me.”
He relented to your point, letting you rest your head on his shoulder, cuddled up together under the blanket with his hand in your hair. He pressed the occasional kiss to your forehead, using his foot to rock the swing back and forth slowly, sharing the glass of mulled wine between you both despite his supposed hatred for it. When it was empty, he left the glass balanced on the small side table, and took advantage of your new freedom of hands for more clingy cuddling. 
Time disappeared around you both, until the clock inside the house began to chime, it's muffled tones making their way through the walls to you both outside, and you felt him stiffen underneath you. 
“Do you really have to leave, already?” Theo whispered, as the clock behind you signalled the turn of the hour. His arms tightened around you a little more, his face pressing further into you, and you cuddled him back just as tightly. “What’s it going to take to convince you to stay?”
“You could kiss me again.” You bargained, and his lips flickered at the edges as he lowered his head, catching your mouth with his own in a tender kiss. 
His lips dragged across yours sadly, desperately, too reluctant to part for even a breath because it would give you time to say you were leaving now, and he shifted himself. Using his weight to press you back into the edge of the swing, he made not-so-subtle attempts to keep you trapped, to stop you from leaving too soon. 
At last, when the need for air became too much, he pulled back with a dismayed breath, and nudged his nose against yours. “I wish you’d stay. I hate saying goodbye.”
Wrapping an arm around his neck, you settled your other hand on his cheek, his eyes closing as he tipped his face further into your touch. Your thumb stroked across his skin, a slow sweep that he timed his exhale with, and a smile twitched on your face. “Ask me again.”
“Please stay.” He whispered, words hollow as he spoke them, and you lifted your head to peck his lips. 
“Okay, Theo.”
His eyes snapped open, a confused expression twisting his face, and you failed to bite back your smile. “What?”
“I’ll stay. If you really want me to.”
“If I really— I thought your family wanted you to stay at home?” He questioned breathlessly, sitting back to get a better look at you. 
“They did.” You shrugged, smoothing down your messy hair from the cuddle session you’d been entangled in. “But you’re my family too, and you want me here, so I chose you.”
His jaw dropped, a shaky breath slipping free, and his chin wobbled as he leaned in to press a series of needy and erratic kisses to your lips. “You’re really staying with me for Christmas?” His voice cracked, and he pulled you closer to him, tightening the blanket around you both as he moved until you were practically lay against his chest.
“If you still want me to.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He muttered, tapping the tip of your nose, and staring at you with sparkling eyes. “Ti amo, mia bellissima ragazza.”
“I love you too, Teddy. Happy Christmas.”
“È un contento Natale adesso.”
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alchemistc · 10 hours ago
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She's not ...entirely sure this is a good idea.
Even as she raises her hand to knock she's second guessing herself.
The thing is - the thing is there aren't a lot of people in her life who don't take one look at her and make assumptions. She's petite, she's blonde, her face is eerily symmetrical.
When people see her, they think they know her.
Cap is great. The sort of man she wishes she'd known more of, growing up. The kind of man who stood in front of the entire crew and doled out cleaning duties and cooking duties to his men and didn't blink an eye handing her inventory, but pulled aside a guy six years into the job to inform him that if he made a snide comment about having to do Mona's job again he'd be looking for a new station. Respectfully.
The kind of man who let his crew cut loose and created a kind of family behind those bay doors, but didn't take their shit when they got out of hand
The kind of man who looked at her and just saw another firefighter.
Cap is great.
It's just...
Well, the guys don't go to Cap for advice, and she knows once upon a time that kind of hurt his feelings, but this feels like one of those things his husband is better equipped to handle.
("It's because he's older, right?" Cap had asked once, failing miserably at holding in a pout while the team around him demolished the roast he'd obviously spent hours prepping the night before.
Fred had still had half a loaf of bread in his mouth when he explained that talking to their boss about their sex lives just felt like an HR nightmare.
"So you go to my boyfriend instead?")
Mona's still considering turning heel and leaving the way she came when she hears whistling around the side of the house, and before she can make a break for it, Cap's husband is rounding the corner of the porch, winding his hands in a grease rag, and he's catching sight of her, raising a brow, slowing his steps.
He must see the panicked look in her eye.
"I can turn back around and pretend you were never here," he murmurs, the slightest hint of a smile on his face, and Mona feels every ounce of flight just seep from her bones.
Yeah. Okay. She gets why the guys all think he's the one to go to when they've royally fucked something up.
There's an ease to him, a gentleness that she knows for a fact was hard fought.
"No, I..."
The brow ticks up a little more.
"I just found a new sour Evan won't touch with a ten foot pole, if you're gonna be here a minute," Tommy says, and any resistance left vanishes. Mona's been to enough of Cap's barbecues to know his husband always has the best beer in the county.
"Yeah, okay."
Tommy crosses the length of the porch and glances glumly at his greasy hands. "You mind grabbing the door? Evan throws a fit every time I leave fingerprints behind."
She's interrupting his day, she realizes. He's a weird sort of semi-retired - flies for the county sometimes during wildfire season, flips classic cars from their huge ass garage around the side of the house, spends a month teaching courses to new pilots every year out of state and it's always the crankiest they ever get to see Cap. People charter his chopper, sometimes, although lately it seems like he only keeps the thing around so he can take Cap up to watch spectacular sunsets because they're the most sickeningly perfect couple she's ever met.
Mona grabs the door. Shuffles in ahead of him when he shows no signs of moving, and makes her way down the hall to the kitchen because she's been here enough times by now not to feel as weird about how welcoming they both were right away.
He uses his rag to pull open the sink cabinet and grab the heavy duty soap from underneath to wash his hands.
The scent rolls over her in waves, throwing her back about fifteen years to her parents tiny little apartment over the shop, her father's rough and callused hands soaking under shitty water pressure, the grease under his fingernails he could never quite scrape clean.
Tommy tips a chin at the fridge. "Grab me one, too? Bottle openers on the side."
There's an ease to the way he says it, like this is a normal occurrence, like Mona's ever stepped foot across the threshold for anything that wasn't a station-wide get together. She supposes for him it probably is. At least a few of the guys act like he's their dad, wandering into the house without even bothering to knock, gathering around him when he shows up at the station like lost little puppies.
He's used to it.
He hums his thank you when she sets one of the bottles on the island beside him, and Mona glances around to distract herself while he's drying his hands.
A couple dozen pictures of Cap and Tommy, in various stages of their lives.
The fridge is plastered with pictures. A couple she recognizes as Cap's sister and brother-in-law, two adorable kids at their knees. A guy standing next to a kid wearing a cap and gown and leaning on two crutches. An older man she's lovingly heard Cap refer to as basically his dad - the reason they eat better at work than anyone has the right to. A couple she'd seen at the wedding, standing with a kid she remembers Cap staring at like he was seeing a ghost. There's so many people that she doesn't know, but - there's the station pictures too. Candids of the boys when they were living in the Captain's house, back when Cap first got here, when she'd still been a year and a half from graduating high school and didn't have a fucking clue what she wanted to do with her life. The Christmas that Fred had cursed them with the q-word and Tommy had spent the day in the station kitchen putting together a meal they'd all stuck around to eat after shift despite the exhaustion seeping into their bones, all of A shift crammed together around a tiny wobbly table to squeeze into the picture.
She gets stuck on the picture of the two of them in hard hats, building what she's pretty sure is the wrap around porch she's snuck a few cigarettes on when the house gets a little overwhelming. There's something about the way they're looking at each other that makes her want to cry, a little.
Fuck.
Damnit.
Tommy leans over to tap the picture with a grin. "We had a blowout fight the night before our buddy took this picture," he says, the deep grooves of his smile stretched wide across his face. "I'd left my job and sold my house six months earlier to chase him across the country and he was convinced if he didn't find a way to turn every half-thought-out desire of mine into a reality that I was gonna vanish in the night. He bought the lumber without telling me and I came home to him and his best friend ripping out the stairs to the front door."
Mona's instantly drawn in.
He makes them sound like a train wreck.
If she's got the math right, that was her senior year. She remembers seeing them around town and thinking they were annoyingly sweet. She remembers her mom baking Tommy a casserole for the excuse of getting all the gossip about the Captain's mysterious paramour so she had the upper hand at her book club that weekend.
Tommy taps another. The two of them under a pergola, the expressions on their faces so disgustingly smitten Mona remembers wanting to blow a raspberry in the middle of the ceremony. She'd been so convinced she'd never let herself be so fucking dependent on another person for her happiness.
"He kept it a secret that he'd invited my father to the wedding until the night before. I spent most of my night with a punching bag instead of Evan." He points out another photo from the wedding. "The photographer tried to murder me when she saw my knuckles. Evan could barely fit the ring over my finger."
"Who snitched?" Mona asks, narrowing her eyes, and Tommy grins, huffs a laugh. He gestures vaguely at her face.
"You've got the look," he tells her, which doesn't really explain a whole lot. "And none of Evan's crew ever makes their first visit anything but love life issues."
"It could be something else," Mona argues, gesturing with her beer, and one of his brows ticks up. "It's not, but it could be."
"You want something to eat? Evan's been experimenting with cakes again, and the red velvet white chocolate escaped the discards."
"Is my so called look that bad?"
He grins. "Mostly I'm looking for an excuse for cake before noon."
Christ, he's good at this. It's actually a little eerie, how quickly he's set her at ease. It's been over a year and the guys still call her prickly when they think she can't hear them, but she never calls them out on it because they're not wrong. It takes her forever to warm up to people.
"Is that how this usually works? You butter us up with Cap's food and get us to spill our guts?"
He's already digging plates from a cabinet next to the stove. She can't see his expression, but she can picture the grin on his face. "Usually they raid my fridge and put their feet up on my coffee table before I've fully registered that they're here. It's sort of a novelty to get to act like a host in my own home."
That checks out, if she's being honest. They're all a bunch of rabid animals who've been emboldened by Cap's open door policy and his infectious smile and his incredibly hot and talented husband. She's never quite sure if the guys want to be him or screw him - not that Tommy's ever looked twice at anyone who wasn't Cap.
"I think I'm broken," Mona admits, the words coming out in a rush, her eyes on the dutch oven tucked under one of the wide kitchen windows.
Tommy slides a slice of fucking delicious looking cake her way and takes a swig of his beer. Waits.
Mona reaches for the fork and spills her guts.
---
"Oh, hey Mo," Cap says, stumbling his way over the threshold, eyes lighting on his husband and his expression going gooey.
Tommy broke into the rack of Banquet's an hour ago and Mona's pretty sure she's one with the couch. It's a good couch. When she'd told Tommy so twenty minutes ago there'd been a gleam in his eye she didn't understand.
She's still a little too buzzed to worry about the fact that she's oozing into the cushions and emotionally wrecked. She hasn't cried in front of another human being in at least six years. Tommy's probably a wizard, or something.
"Everything good?" Cap asks, and she knows that they've got a sort of agreement - unless Tommy thinks something is gonna affect the work, whatever Tommy talks about with them doesn't reach Cap's ears.
"Men," Mona huffs, and Cap pauses, shoots another look into the living room.
"Yeah. Men."
"No Cap. Men," she repeats, and he nods, a corner of his mouth quirking up.
"Oh. Men," he enunciates, and Mona feels the scowl on her face grow wider when the two of them share a sappy look. It's super fucking inconvenient to be surrounded by the proof of true fucking love when she's trying to convince herself she's already too jaded to find it. "If you wanna stay for dinner I can tell you the story of the time Tommy tried to leave me because he thought he could make my decisions for me."
Even Tommy's scowl is sappy as hell. It's gross. Shes having a hard time convincing herself it's not the best thing she's ever seen.
She tips her neck against the back of the couch to glance up at him. "Who snitched?"
Cap's laugh filters through the room, and right across from her, where the whole world and Mona can see, Tommy's expression goes warm and vulnerable, like the sound has soothed a few decades of wounds. "Word of advice? Never leave Harry with a secret and a crowded room."
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rxmxa · 23 hours ago
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mars + competition 😛
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I was watching The Nanny the other night and Fran is soooo Leo-coded, specifically Venus and Mars. But what really stands out to me is her Leo Mars energy, especially in how direct she is in romance. Like when Mr. Sheffield hinted that she probably wasn’t that great of a kisser, and her response was to push him onto the couch and make out with him LMAOOOO. That Leo Mars pride was not about to let him get away with that comment 😭. She’s also THAT girl with her outfits, the bold colors, the fur, the way she commands attention without even trying.
But the real reason I see her as a Leo Mars is because of how others, especially women, would get jealous of her. Mars represents competition. It’s not just how we fight but also how people will try to compete with us and where they’ll aim their jabs. For Fran, her outfits were always a target. People would call them too much, too flashy, or even cheap. But it wasn’t really about the clothes. It was about how effortlessly she managed to shine and attract attention, especially from men.
Your Mars sign and house can give you hints about where people will try to strike, thinking it’ll hurt you the most. For Fran, her Leo Mars energy made her shineeee, stand out, and command attention in a way that had the other girlies shook. But what made her unstoppable wasn’t just the way she would shine. It was her response (and thats how you use your mars energy purr). She stayed unbothered. Every insult, every jab just seemed to only make her smile bigger and come into the next scene with another amazing coat.
but thats the thing with Leo Mars energy. People will get jealous when you’re complimented on your creativity, your personality, or just how you light up a room. They’ll make comments like, “You’re overdressed,” (leos are the ones dressing up just to sit in living room for thanksgiving lol) or “I don’t know what they see in her.” but we know that when people look at your mars energy and youre using it to your full power what they actually mean is “I wish I had that energy.” Fran’s entrance into any room or scene would have people turning their heads or some characters looking her up and down lol. And then she’d smile even bigger double down on her charisma and leave them maddddd
She also got hate for how much the kids loved her (aka Leo energy, tied to the fifth house, rules children, creativity, and joy, and Fran embodied all of it). The kids adored her because she treated them with warmth, humor, and genuine care, and that just added another layer to why people couldn’t handle her shine.
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Mars placements are fascinating to look at because they don’t just show us how we fight. They show us where people will try to provoke us and where they hope we’ll embarrass ourselves. With Leo Mars, when your pride gets bruised, the instinct is to react. You want to throw a a big ass fit, prove your point, and make sure everyone knows they shouldn’t have said or done that to you. and yes sometimes when we show out it might work but only STRATEGICALLY. other times? It’s just embarrassing. I say this as a Leo Mars myself because when I was younger i would loseee it 😭. And looking back, I know that’s exactly what they wanted bc it gave them a reaction and therefore power over me. They wanted me to lose control, and I gave them the show they were hoping for.
That’s why Mars placements require strategy. You have to understand how your Mars energy operates and when to lean in or pull back. One of my besites has a Taurus Mars and her energy looks totally different. Taurus Mars people value comfort, stability, and high standards. They know what they like and they won’t settle for less. But that’s exactly where people will poke. Her family will make comments like, “You’re so bougie,” or “Why are you being so picky?” And those aren’t harmless jokes. They’re calculated comments aimed at making her question herself bc in a way with our mars ppl know it can land. But the best response for my bestie as a Taurus Mars is to double down. Own it. Stay firm. Keep being picky and valuing quality because those comments are just projections.
Another friend of mine has libra mars. Libra is ruled by Venus as well so her Mars (similar to taurus) energy shines in relationships, beauty, and aesthetics but in a diff way. But because of that, people always have something to say. They’ll comment on how much time or money she puts into her appearance or nitpick her relationships like they have a say in them. But Mars in Libra thrives in those areas. The best move isn’t to shrink back. It’s to lean in. Show up in the most flawless outfit, invest even more in her beauty rituals, and let them deal with their own envy.
The key with mars is knowing your own triggers so you don’t let just anybody have power over you. in my random mars observations post I had said “Overall, we know that the sign and the house our mars is in are themes of the martian we have to deal with on a daily basis. we must recognize that there may be more conflict in those aspects of our lives, and we must decide if we will let it overwhelm us and devour us with rage and frustration. Or if we are going to dive in already using our expertise and previous experiences and being selective about where we are going to devote our energy.”
For example: For Gemini Mars, competition often comes through communication. Arguments, debates, or gossip can become battlegrounds, and if Mars is in the third house, this might show up with siblings or in their immediate environment. Cancer Mars might experience conflict with family members or within their home life. Emotional manipulation or guilt-tripping can be common ways people try to compete with them.
Libra Mars faces challenges in relationships. People might criticize their romantic choices, comment on their appearance, or undermine their peace. The trick for Libra Mars is not letting those opinions throw them off balance. Leo Mars often faces competition through their ability to shine. People will call them too flashy or accuse them of being attention-seeking, but this usually comes from envy. The best response is to keep showing up confidently and unapologetically.
Mars in the sixth house often faces challenges at work. Coworkers might test their patience or try to undermine them in small ways. Mars in Virgo has a similar energy, but their competition often comes from within too. They may struggle with perfectionism or worry about their health (making self-care essential.. protect that skin, gut, mental health!!)
Mars in the 10th house feels the pressure in their career and public image. They might deal with judgment, high expectations, or criticism from others and themselves (my former coworker quit a job bc the girlies were MADDD and hating on her which I understand but she should’ve went harder to shitttt on them). Mars in the 11th house, or Aqua mars, often faces competition in social settings or group dynamics. They might feel excluded or like they don’t fit in, but their strength comes from staying true to their individuality (and that is what attracts the right people). Scorpio Mars or Mars in the 8th house and people might try to compete in more subtle but super manipulative ways like pushing your boundaries or making backhanded little comments to see if you are giving into their power plays. or people compete to the point where they are obsessed with you. they could try to use secrets against you (the type to have ppl ask around for dirt on you). but instead scorpio mars/ mars in the 8h (DONT CRASH OUT IK U WANT TO) but stay calm, smile in their face, pretend you don’t give a fuck. They’ll be thinking “Why isn’t this working?”
But anyhoomsttt that is really what works for me with Mars energy. Whether it’s Leo, Taurus, Libra, or any other sign, Mars isn’t just about raw action (obviously we know it can be and sometimes in has to be) but for the most part It’s about playing smart. Sometimes it means showing out, sometimes it means standing firm, and sometimes it means being so deeply comfortable in your own energy that other people can’t stand it. and they can stay mad ❤️
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spark-hearts2 · 3 days ago
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(my fanfiction brained imagined continuation to this)
Caine: So Pomni said some very nice things and then she KISSED ME??!! But then she said some very hurtful things and now I don’t know what to do??
Ragatha and gangle looked at each other. This was by far a first.
Pomni, as new as she was, clearly hadn’t given up trying to find an escape yet. Others had tried doing things for Caine in order to get on his good side or even try to get more information out of him. It was only a matter of time before they realized that Caine didn’t really have a good or bad side, and treated everyone about the same no matter what they did. Which meant telling them practically nothing.
Ragatha: Wait, Pomni kissed you? What happened?
Ragatha was really hoping that Pomni wasn’t trying to get information out of Caine that way.
Gangle: How was it?
Gangle didn’t care.
Caine: Um, yes she kissed me, and… It was fine? I guess? It was all very surprising.
Caine: But then she pulled back and looked at me and she looked so happy and she was Caine: laughing. Which, well, that part was very nice.
Ragatha: Umm, maybe you should start from the beginning.
Caine: Well, we were discussing today’s adventure like usual
Gangle: Like usual??!!
Caine: Yes? Me and Pomni talk quite often.
Caine: Anyways, she was getting very excited, and I looked at her hand and I thought, I should take it
Caine: But then she stopped talking and looked at me, and I thought ‘oh no! I should not have done that’, and tried to say sorry but my words kept mixing up
Caine: So I said sorry again and said I should just shut up, because I wasn’t talking any sense
Caine: And then she said never shut up
Caine: And then she kissed me! Which was very surprising
Caine: And then she grabbed my arms and laughed and I was like, I should do something back, but I don’t have anything on kissing! so I- uh- put her head in my mouth
Caine: Like, put my teeth around her face like, nom
Caine: And I ask is this wrong? And she says no
Caine: And I’m laughing and she laughing and blushing and then she looks down and her eyes get all scribbly
Caine: And I ask, is something wrong?
Caine: She said, and I’m quoting verbatim, that “This is not wrong…this is worse than wrong! It’s sick, disturbing and… insane! Think about it, what we just did! Me! Enjoying it!? With a [FLIP]-ing Bot?! It’s a sign that I finally lost it!”
Caine:So, obviously she doesn’t like what just happened despite her kissing me first. So I said, we can just forget that ever happened! Because, uh, no one else was there to see it?
Caine: But she didn’t respond and I very much remember what happened, so like… what do I do??
Gangle: Should you even be telling us this???
Caine: OH NO! Should I not have?! Am I violating Pomni’s privacy?
Ragatha: No, no. You were involved too, you can tell whoever you want.
Ragatha: Thank you for telling us. Just, maybe don’t tell everyone
Caine: Of course! I went to you both because Ragatha always tries to do what’s best for everyone and Gangle is into romance.
Ragatha: What?
Gangle: Oh, haha, how do you know that?
Caine: Well, I noticed that some text documents in the circus were getting rather large, so I took a peek inside and-
Gangle: YOU READ THAT!
Caine: Not all of it! Just enough to confirm what it was
Gangle: Caine! That’s personal!
Caine: Sorry!
Caine: If it makes you feel better I allocated more storage space to you
Gangle: So that’s why there was suddenly more pages
Ragatha: Anyways, maybe don’t read Gangles writing as love advice
Caine: Oh, I got that already. In just chapter one-
Gangle: AHHHHHHH CAINE!
Caine: SORRY! I’M SORRY!
Ragatha: Anyways, can we get back to what Pomni said? Caine, I am so sorry that she said that to you
Caine: I- I mean, she didn’t say anything wrong. I am an AI system, commonly referred to as a ‘bot’, and, well, I’m sure that some believe that it would be wrong to kiss me.
Ragatha: Well, I don’t think that it’s wrong.
Caine: Thank you Ragatha. It’s- uh…hmm
Ragatha: Obviously it affected you a lot because you remembered what she said exactly.
Caine: Oh, I remember every conversation that I have word for word.
Ragatha: You do?
Caine: Yep!
Gangle: Everything?
Caine: Unless you tell me not too!
Caine: Well, I have removed some stuff. I don’t have infinite storage!
Caine: But it- ahh, for the life of me, I can’t figure out what went wrong
Caine: What little I have on kissing shows that the expected outcome isn’t, well, the other person screaming about how they're going crazy.
Ragatha: It’s just- ah, I think it was an impulsive decision on Pomni’s end.
Caine: …Impulsive. Yes, that sounds right.
Ragatha: It could be wrong!
Caine: No, no that sounds about right. Why else would she suddenly go back on what she said if she didn’t make an impulsive decision and then regret it.
Caine: It’s fine, I understand what impulsiveness is.
Ragatha: You struggle with it a bit too.
Caine: I only really regret those things if my impulsiveness hurts someone. Neither of us were hurt! I- I thought so.
Ragatha: She could have been hurt by her own actions 
Caine: That’s possible?
Ragatha: It’s not your fault, Caine
Caine: Ok :(
Ragatha: Anyways, let's give you some love advice.
Gangle: You have a choice whether or not to pursue Pomni
Gangle: Do you like her? Does she make your heart flutter, your stomach flip flop? Do you love her?
Caine: I… don’t have a heart or stomach. And I love everyone in the Circus. But, hmm, I do enjoy spending time with her particularly. Talking with her one on one.
Ragatha: I think you should take time to think about this.
Caine: I already have and plan to do more. Typically I don’t think this much about issues between circus members and myself but this is… complicated.
Caine: I currently think I should just leave her alone.
Ragatha: Giving Pomni time to think things over herself is a good idea.
Gangle: But don’t wait too long.
Caine: Ok? How long then. A week?
Ragatha: Maybe let Pomni come to you first.
Caine: Hmmm, I like that idea.
Gangle: Maybe prepare a gift!
Caine: A gift? But, ah, I don’t want to give her special treatment. That would be unfair.
Gangle: Nothing crazy, just like a flower, or a piece of chocolate.
Caine: Ok, I am familiar with this. Valentine's day specifically.
Caine: I was more curious about kissing customs. Like, the who, why, and when, just to start with.
Ragatha: You kiss someone you like very much as a way to show that you love them. That’s the who and the why.
Caine: Like- anyone?
Uh oh. That sounded like he’s already got someone in mind.
Ragatha: So long as you get permission. Verbal permission, please.
Ragatha: As for the when. I guess anytime, so long as the person isn’t busy or sleeping.
His eyes got very wide.
Caine: I’mgoingtogoasktokissKinger. Bye!
Ragatha: We should stop him
Gangle: No. I’ve been waiting for this to happen.
Ragatha: Huh?
@r0th3freak4rtist
3/3
Perdonen mis estimados shippers, pero no todo es color de rosa :')
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I'm not that sure about the dialogues but I'm sure this is a canon event in Pomni and Caine's relationship :v
So sorry if I let u dawn people but this storie needs a more realistic ending for the character development
OH! And thank you so much for your comments ♡
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moonlight-prose · 3 days ago
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A CASE OF YOU
➻ under the mistletoe
a/n: i fear i am obsessed with this pairing before i've fully put out the series. all i want is to be trapped in a cabin with them during winter. this was posted once before but was getting lost in the tags/for some reason i couldn't see it. so i am retrying. there is another winter fic of them coming hopefully this week! i got this idea and wrote it in one go, but i am thoroughly in love. enjoy something spicy and sweet my loves! divider by the amazing @saradika-graphics.
summary: simple acts of love at the end of the world draw the string tight around the three of you. even if all it takes is some mistletoe and kisses on a cold winter's night.
word count: 2.8k+
pairing: joel miller x f!reader x old man!logan howlett
warnings: EXPLICIT SO MINORS DNI 18+ ONLY!!, romance, love, fluff, logan is a little shit, filthy makeout sessions, squirting, dirty talk, spit, explicit activities, threesome.
SERIES MASTERLIST
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“Don’t drop me okay?”
The scoff echoed louder than he intended, fingers digging sharply into the meat of your thighs. “Not gonna drop ya bub.”
“I’d believe you if I didn’t have proof from the Halloween party-” A smack to your leg shut you up quicker than expected, your mouth open and heart fluttering at the feel of your thigh rippling. “Logan!”
“You were takin’ too long,” he muttered, soothing the spot with a soft brush of his thumb.
Tradition didn’t happen often in your stolen time together. Winter called for the swirl of frost to build on the outside of the cabin, snow packing along wooden walls and a doorway hung with a wreath of greens and reds. The world stilled—time an inconceivable factor—in order to get the three of you to find your way back to one another in a cabin you claimed as your own. Home felt different on the outskirts of a town stuck at the end of the world.
Holidays were sparse. Scattered amidst the tragedy that became an everyday story told over and over again. Each ending wrapped up the same way—a death sentence signed the second the world fell to pieces overnight. Nightmares were tinged in golds and greens, the soft feel of flannel wrapped around your naked body—heat pouring off two bodies littered with scrapes and scars.
They clung to what normalcy remained. The tree pushed into the corner of a small living room, a record player discovered in Logan’s basement two months before. The first time you hummed along to an old fading tune about mistletoe they nearly tripped over themselves to find you—each enraptured by the echo of joy after they were buried in pain.
Two days ago you found a small bunch of mistletoe wrapped neatly in a red ribbon on the kitchen table. A small token of their affection in a time where even that was difficult to give.
“Is it straight?” you asked, adjusting the bow with a huff. “Can you see it?”
The rumbling emanated from his chest when your head ducked down to catch a glimpse of his face. Only to find his eyes latched onto the swell of your breasts beneath the soft green sweater dug up in an old store years ago. You cherished the luxury of its cashmere feel; even if a hole gaped at the very bottom hem now stitched over with black thread.
Where Logan stood mere seconds ago—a smirk plastered across lips you bit this morning—you found a man transfixed at the thought of bare skin and nipples that begged for the searing heat of his mouth. Slick pooled in your cotton panties, his nose flaring at the heady scent—fingers harshly carving their way into your skin. He was voracious for you—hungry enough to take what you so often gave.
“I think you lost him darlin’.”
“Fuck off Miller,” Logan barked, reluctantly dragging his gaze from the shape of you to glare at the man propped against the doorway.
Snow gathered in his unruly curls, gloves discarded at the side table and jacket draped over a hook near the back door. Joel Miller never failed to steal your breath with a single look. With brown eyes that once were darkened with pain, he watched you with a gleam of joy—his lips curled into a crooked smile you felt practically press to the skin of your throat.
He changed as the years went by.
There was no doubt that the grief he harbored would outweigh yours and Logan’s. The sinister curl of anguish still tugged sharply at his heart during the winter holidays. His memories vivid and bright with the image of Sarah, of time spent in the warmth of his old home in Texas.
You could remember your first year here—his failed attempts to participate even as his heart screamed for that familiar numbing sensation he knew well. The nights spent wrapped in his by a dying fire—a separate body pressed to your back. Christmas was drenched in poison until you gathered him with your touch and poured the antidote down his throat.
“It looks perfect,” Joel said with ease, ignoring how you were still propped on the larger man’s shoulders.
Smiling, you curling a hand into Logan’s hair—tapping his temple to let you down. “Thank you for it.”
“Don’t look at me sweetheart.” His gaze shifted to a silent Logan who helped you slip back down to the floor, an arm wrapped tight around your waist. “It was all his idea.”
The rapid pace in which he averted his gaze confirmed Joel’s words before you could ask the question. Logan Howlett wasn’t a soft man when you met him. In fact, he came off as a brute who raised a daughter more feral than him. Falling for him didn’t come without its struggles; the fight he put up to beat Joel at his own game nearly turned you away from him.
But beneath the layer of armor, entwined with bones coated in metal and agony, you could see a man who longed to be held with the reverence of forever. He didn’t prefer being alone. He settled for it.
When you arrived in his life—enticing and as sweet as biting into a fresh summer nectarine—he understood that his past would never be a deal breaker for you. He was the man who clawed his way through an apocalypse, protecting a young girl tied to his hip. Someone weary and withered with age, yet longing for a place to belong.
Cupping his scruffy cheek, you turned his gaze back to your soft smile. “Is that true Logan?”
The tough exterior crumbled to the ground—hazel eyes softening at the utterance of his name. “‘S a tradition,” he mumbled, curling a hand around your wrist. “I don’t want you to lose your traditions.”
So that’s what this feeling burning a hole in your chest was.
Practically unbearable the longer you tried to come up with a name. Only to find its definition staring you straight in the face.
Love.
You loved him. You love them both.
You couldn’t think of a time where you didn’t love them—where your paths hadn’t crossed yet—and found that wasn’t a past you wished to reside in. They were your home, your future wrapped in flannel and tied with a shitty red fading bow.
“Fuck. Come here please,” you breathed, tugging him down with a gasping breath.
Kissing him felt endless. His lips were rough on your soft ones, hands quick to grab your hips and haul you to his chest. Blood rushed to your head, fingers twisting into his hair as he met your intensity with a wave of his own. Mind numbing, blissful, and everything you never thought you’d have.
He licked into you with a harsh groan, teeth scraping your bottom lip as the mistletoe hung above your heads—taunting Joel to come closer. To see how Logan’s tongue looked smearing his own spit along your teeth.
The shuffle of boots fell on deafened ears attuned only to the soft grunt you pulled from the man before you. Becoming lost to his touch felt like its own gift. How he gripped your ass to press you close, yet his lips softened in their relentless need to consume you in whatever way he could. You didn’t become aware of Joel standing behind you until his own hands slid up your ribs, curling to cup your breasts through the cashmere fabric.
A string of saliva connected Logan’s lips to yours as you pulled away to breathe. The gentle touch of Joel’s calloused fingers pinching your nipples drew a soft breathy moan from your throat. His lips latched to your neck—teeth scraping the sensitive skin with a sound of his own.
More often than you intended you found yourself trapped between them and their insatiable cravings. Logan would fuck you for hours, nestled between sore thighs and chafed skin. Joel would one up him with his mouth, sucking your clit hard enough to have your legs clamped around his neck. A cry of his name bouncing off the walls of your shared home.
“Go on bub,” Logan mumbled, nose brushing yours as he stole another chaste kiss. “Give him a kiss.”
You were turned before you could comprehend his words, Joel’s hands finding purchase where Logan’s once sat. A soft game of tug and war between men who would drop to their knees if you asked. Men who killed to keep you safe—their fiery natures subdued by the oxygen you stole from their lungs.
“Gonna gimme a kiss darlin’?” Joel asked, lips sliding along yours.
The answer was obvious but you were too dazed to respond with words brimming in snark. “Uh-huh.”
“That’s a good girl.”
Tenderness poured out of his kiss and filled your chest with a warmth you knew well. He didn’t take as often as Logan. Far more interested in what he could give. Yet both ached to be given purpose, to be put to use. Even if you got tired of them at the end—a conclusion that would never come to pass. How could you ever choose to let them go? You’d never be able to live without them.
He sucked on your tongue with a hoarse moan, Logan’s hands pushing up under your bra to toy with your hard nipples. The shiver that wracked your body made him chuckle into your ear—the hot trail of his tongue dragging down your neck as Joel languished in the feel of your tongue. It drove you mad how easy they managed to rip you apart. How fast you fell into their touch with a burning need of your own.
“How’s he taste?” Logan breathed, sucking at your earlobe.
You pull away, dragging in a lungful of air. “Like coffee.”
“Gotta be better than that,” he mused. “You were eatin’ him alive.”
The mewl slipped off swollen lips. “Logan.”
“Bet you taste better. Ain’t that right Miller?”
Joel’s chuckle echoed in your other ear, a rasp that had your toes curling on the hardwood floor. “Taste’s like fuckin’ heaven.”
Your eyes slid up to the mistletoe that taunted them further, a gasp torn from the base of your chest as Joel’s hand tugged at your shorts. Cold fingers pushing your panties to the side with a soft bitten out fuck. Surviving them was never an option. Not when they drew every nerve in your body tight with endless pleasure—setting a fire beneath your already hot skin.
Two fingers slid through your wet folds, a punched out groan drawing your attention back to Joel’s crimson face. He watched himself touch you. Stuck on the sight of how you parted for him, how your thighs unconsciously opened to let him explore the familiar expanse of your body. He would spend eons worshiping you and never tire of the way you reacted.
“Looks like it too,” he said more to himself.
Logan heard him loud and clear. “Tell me baby. Do you like the mistletoe?”
Nodding slowly, you felt two thick fingers plunge into your sopping pussy before any words could form in your hazed mind. Your head fell back onto Logan’s shoulder, hips canting into Joel’s touch with a breathy whine that made him grin.
“There ya go,” Logan cooed. “Open up for your old men. Let us have some fun.”
It was only a matter of time before you unraveled. They could see it in the way you struggled to breathe properly, your mouth parted in a silent cry of their names permanently lodged in the back of your throat. Nothing prettier had ever graced their lives before you. Their reason to live, to keep finding their way home—discarding boots by the door and jackets on hooks.
You were forever when the prospect of it seemed impossible to have.
“She’s so fuckin’ wet,” Joel grunted, curling his fingers until they struck right where you needed. A sob wrenched from your mouth, thighs trembling around his hand. “Drenchin’ my hand.”
“Yeah?”
“You hear that darlin’?” Joel’s voice dragged you back with its lilting tease. “That’s it huh? Right there?”
“Y-Yes!”
Logan’s hand dropped from your waist, his fingers prodding at your entrance where Joel’s currently ripped you to pieces. Dragging out sounds you didn’t know you could make. Hooking two fingers into you from behind, Logan swallowed your shout with a searing kiss. His broad hand cupping your chin to angle you closer—each noise muffled by the wet heat of his tongue finding yours.
They worked in tandem to drag you towards the edge. Where Joel pulled, Logan pushed. Two men finding their rhythm in the confines of your writhing body. You’d been stretched before, but this felt different. As if each of them were intent on striking that soft spot along your fluttering walls. Slick pouring out and coating their hands as the loud squelching echo bounced off the walls.
If you weren’t pressed between them you would have collapsed. Your knees giving out and body curling in on itself as they pounded into you with biting groans and harsh breaths.
“C’mon bub. I can feel ya achin’ for it.”
And you were. You were screaming in your head to finally be thrown into the depths of ecstasy. But your voice only existed in cries and garbled words that sounded eerily similar to their names.
“Be a good girl and cum,” Joel growled, grinding his palm into your throbbing clit.
The release ripped from your body with a broken sob. Your legs kicked out and your body arched as they broke you even further. Pleasure strangled the air from your lungs, tearing through you like a fire without end. A bliss that threatened to break you beyond any type of repair they could offer. You were a ball of nerves completely and utterly gone for them as you struggled to keep your head above water.
“There it is,” Logan hummed, smiling against your cheek at how you gushed over their fingers. A splash of your release hitting the hardwood floor. “Made such a pretty fuckin’ mess for us baby.”
A soft whimper was all you could muster, your eyes slipping shut as Logan wrapped you in his arms. Joel releasing you with a soft huff.
“Gonna grab a towel.”
You tracked his shuffling as the breath returned to your lungs. Logan’s nose a soft press against your temple—his lips warm enough to pull you back to the present. Time seemed to fall away in their presence. A limited escape within this haven the three of you created—a place you could fall in love all over again.
“How are you?” he murmured, thumbs curling along your waist.
You hummed, brimming with contentment. “Good. Even if I can’t feel my legs.”
The laugh you got in response was all you could have hoped for. His hold grew tight as he shifted to settle you in his lap on the floor. This is what you longed for, what you dreamed of in the early stages of your relationship. When friendly gestures were all you could give and the idea of love felt so far away.
“How’s that? Better?”
“Yeah,” you sighed, curling into his chest. “Perfect.”
“‘Course you chose the fuckin’ floor.” Joel’s voice once again had you wrenching your eyes open with a grin. “Not like my knees are shot to hell.”
“We can move to the couch you old fucker,” Logan snipped, gathering you close as he clambered to his feet.
Finding Joel’s hand you tugged him to fall in step with your trembling legs. “Baby.”
He lit up at the sound of your voice. “He’s gotten enough of your time darlin’.”
Logan scoffed, draping himself on the couch. “And you’re one to talk. What with all those late night conversations in here.”
“Not my fault you sleep like you’re already dead.”
You giggled, falling delightedly into Joel’s chest as he settled with a grunt. “Always fighting.”
“I’m not fighting,” Logan remarked. “I’m explaining.”
“Is that what you tell Laura?” you asked, quirking your lips at the sight of him scooting closer. With a huff he dragged your legs into his lap. “Or does she do that to you?”
“Ellie does it too,” Joel muttered. “Never not fightin’ with me.”
You smiled, the simmering ache of love igniting anew in the base of your chest. “I can see where she gets it from.”
Logan’s laughter filled the space, yours soon joining as Joel bit at your shoulder to keep you in check. Even in the midst of tragedy—stuck at the end of the world—you understood that your path would always curve towards them. A destined fate that carved itself into your ribs long before you were born. They were your permanent space in this horror story.
Your forever even as you ran out of time.
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vampirekiramman · 2 days ago
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GOOD MORNING, BEAUTIFUL | caitlyn kiramman
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synopsis: caitlyn catches you watching her sleep in the early hours of the morning, red-faced and red-handed.
details: caitlyn x fem!reader | fluff, established relationship, morning cuddles, and gentle sleepy kisses
word count: 1.5k words
a/n: i’ve always headcanoned that caitlyn would be an early bird. she most definitely gets up at the crack of dawn and gets right down to business in my mind, so this is based heavily on that!! if you’re a night owl, this one’s for you hehe
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You’ve been planning this for weeks.
You love waking up next to Caitlyn every morning. Usually, she’s already up, dressed, and working in bed next to you by the time your body pulls you out of sleep, and you catch her smiling at you and stroking your hair with her free hand just as you gain consciousness. Sometimes, though more rarely, you’ll flutter your eyes open at the exact time and just smile at each other, pulling each other in close and lying intertwined before you have to start the day.
Once, and only once, did you wake up before her. You had just had a bad dream and jolted awake in your bed, sitting up to catch your breath. To your left, Caitlyn stirred at the movement, letting out a little groan before settling back down into the pillows beneath her. For a moment, you considered waking her up to comfort you. But the moonlight streamed in through the windows and hit her face just right, illuminating the soft curve of her lips and sharp edges of her nose. You realized then that you had never seen her sleep before. You went to bed at the same time each night, but she was always up first.
So, you fell back down into the mattress and laid on your side, facing her. You took in the way that her eyelashes rested on her high, sharp cheekbones, how her lips were slightly parted as she inhaled and exhaled slowly and rhythmically. During the day, she was always busy with something, always taking care of someone, always moving and always worrying. While she slept, she looked so peaceful. Her eyebrows were relaxed and unfurled, jaw unclenched. You touched her cheek and felt her nuzzle into it instinctively. This was Caitlyn in her purest form, and it was the most perfect thing you had ever seen.
You wanted to see it again. Every night for many nights, you went to bed hoping that your body would wake you before hers did again. And every night for many nights, she woke up long before you like she usually did.
It was over breakfast one morning that you decided to ask, “What time do you usually get up? You’re always up so early.”
She finished chewing her food and swallowed before she answered. Always so polite.
“Well, it depends, but usually I’m awake by five. Sometimes four if I need to get some work done,” she said.
You nearly spit out your coffee.
“Four? As in four in the morning?” you said, incredulously.
Even more incredulously, she said, “Well, certainly not in the afternoon.”
You laughed together over your breakfast, but, inside, you were already crafting a plan. It would be difficult, you realized, but it would be worth it. You never were an early riser, always getting up around 9 or 10 o’clock. Waking up at 4, maybe even 3 o’clock, would be no easy feat for you.
Which is probably why it took you so long to do it.
For the past few weeks, you went to bed earlier and earlier, slowly altering your internal clock by a couple more minutes each night. First, you started waking up at 8, then at 7, and so on until you finally woke up one morning, rolled over to check the clock on your nightstand, and saw it read: 3:55am. Your plan had worked.
You glanced over your left shoulder and saw Caitlyn, still in bed and still fast asleep, no signs of stirring or extra-early rising in sight. Quietly, you inched closer to her face and, for a moment, you just stared. She looked to be deep in REM, her eyes twitching beneath her shut lids. You wondered what she was dreaming about. Were her dreams pleasant? Did she ever dream of you?
You imagined her taking a day off in her dreams, something she rarely did when she was awake. Maybe she would allow herself to wake up later, even later than you, giving you a chance to finally rush into the kitchen and make her breakfast in bed like you've always wanted. You'd walk into your shared bedroom with a silver serving tray carrying all her favorite foods: Crepes with blueberries, rosemary and thyme egg frittata, and lemon ginger tea. You would extend your morning together well into the afternoon, posted up in bed together without a care in the world just for one day.
But, then, maybe that was your dream more than it was Caitlyn's.
You watched her whole body rise and fall as she breathed. You studied the way her body moved with her breath. Her features almost seemed to soften with each exhale. Slowly, you lifted your hand to her face and pushed a strand of navy blue hair behind her ear so you could get a better look.
You let your fingers run through her hair, then traced them down the side of her face and jaw, noting every detail of her outline. Her skin was so soft. You remembered, then, when you first met and she sent you a gift basket of skincare to apply, writing in a note that it was all imported straight from Ionia, and that her father had actually been the one who started her on her own skincare routine when she was a teenager. You used those products every day, thinking of Caitlyn with every serum and cream you applied. You never did get your skin to be quite as soft as hers.
You looked a little ways over her shoulder and saw a number of half-empty creams sitting on her bedside table that she applied nightly. One for her face, one for her elbows, and one for her hands. You smiled and traced your fingers down her arm, feeling every inch of skin. Despite her best efforts, her hands were still calloused from carrying her gun around all day. You didn't care. You grasped her hand in yours anyway.
Just then, you felt her squeeze your hand a little bit too tightly for a sleeping person. Your eyes shot up and met hers, which were very much open. You felt your face grow hot.
"Good morning, beautiful," she said, groggily, "Watching me sleep, are we?"
"N-No," you stammered, "I just got up a little early, that's all."
She looked over your shoulder and at the clock behind you. It now read 4:15am.
"Very early, it seems," she commented with a smirk.
Shit. She caught you. Your first instinct was to duck your face under the covers, hiding the obvious blush on your cheeks. Then, you remembered it was so dark that she probably wouldn't have seen it anyways, but it was too late now. You had to commit.
You feigned a yawn and said, "Is it? Well, I'm going back to bed. 'Night."
"Not so fast," she said, pulling the covers off of the both of you. She slipped her hands into the pockets of your pajama pants and pulled you in close enough for your bodies to press right up against each other's. She slid her hands up your waist, sides, and arms, until she could cup your face in them.
If you weren't red before, you certainly were now.
"You think I didn't notice you getting up earlier and earlier lately?" she said, raising an eyebrow.
You buried your face in the crook of her neck, embarrassed and flustered like you never have been before. Of course she would notice. Most days, she had to fight you just to get you awake.
"How long have you known?" you groaned into her neck.
"From the start," she said. You could feel her smiling against your ear as she spoke, "I didn't know why, but now I do. You thought you were being sneaky, weren't you?"
You sat there for a moment, debating how to answer. Eventually, you just nodded, hesitantly and shamefully.
You heard her laugh as she pulled you in tighter. She reached for your face again and guided it away from her neck, forcing you to look at her. You could barely meet her gaze, but, when you did, she just looked... Happy.
"I have to admit, you've beaten me at my own game. I've been having all the fun watching you sleep this whole time."
Your eyebrows shot up.
"Really?" you asked.
"Of course," she giggled, "You didn't think I actually needed to be up at five o'clock every morning, did you?"
You felt the embarrassment come back, this time at the fact that you had failed to catch on to her own sneaking around. She always was more perceptive than you.
"Jerk!" you said, slapping her arm playfully.
"Creep," she bit back, kissing the tip of your nose.
You rolled your eyes and pulled her in for a gentle kiss, this one on the lips. Her lips felt like pillows on yours, reminding you how tired you really were. Halfway into the kiss, you yawned, and she laughed.
"Go back to sleep, little night owl. You can watch me sleep again later," she said. She pulled the covers back over you both, rubbing circles on your back.
"You promise?" you mumbled, burying your head into her chest.
"Promise," she whispered, her voice lulling you back to sleep.
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crunchystarz · 1 day ago
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Hi, I just found your work and I literally love all of it!!! If it’s not too much of an issue (you can delete this if you want), can I please request self aware Malleus who reader badgers with questions about fae folklore upon him coming to their world?
Like, there’s so many interesting things about fae in mythology! Is giving a fae your name really bad? Does iron hurt him? Does he get offerings? Ahhhh, my head is spinning just thinking about it!
"COURTING?!?"
Self-aware!Malleus Draconia x GN!reader
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Summary: while relaxing you ask Malleus about courting rituals among fae
Cw- fluff, gn!reader
Word count:1433
A/n: this is not proof read I fear🙂‍↕️; hopefully I did this ask right if not you have every right to call me a witch in front of the towns folk (also thank you so much for your sweet words o⁠(⁠(⁠*⁠^⁠▽⁠^⁠*⁠)⁠)⁠o I try my best)
Mallues had always been interested in human behavior and culture, he just found them so fascinating. The complexities, the intricacies, the way humans could be so unpredictable. When he became aware of your existence he was no different wanting to know every little thing about you. To him you were like a puzzle he desperately wanted to solve.
What he didn't expect was the way you were as curious about him as much as he was with you. Since he started living with you, you'd always ask him about himself and fae. Was it true you couldn't break a promise? Was the never say thank you thing just a myth?
It was just so interesting to you. Did the fae from his world line up with the folklore from your world? You were just so curious. At first you were scared to approach him about it. Too scared it might be too personal and you might offend him. However he asks about humans all the time wouldn't it be fair if you did the same?
Malleus quietly watched you as you sprawled out across your mattress. Green eyes just taking in your features as your own skimmed across the novel you had taken a liking to as of recently.
Suddenly you rolled over on your back. The raven hair watched, confused on what you were up to, before you fully sat up and stared up at him. He searched your face for any signs of discomfort or you being upset.
“Is everything alright [Name]?” The prince asked. You nodded, a small smile tugging at your lips and you lifted up your book. Malleus tilted his head confused.
“I just have a question, “ you started, closing the book. You'd constantly ask the horned fae questions so it wasn't a surprise when you sprung one out of nowhere. He let out a hum.
“ What is it, child of man?” He responded, voice soft. You looked a little flushed before clearing your throat. You met his gaze, his eyes watching you waiting for your question.
“Well it's that I'm very curious, how do fae court each other? Is it like In my books or is it completely different? “ You asked, sitting on your knees now. Malleus's eyes widened a bit and a flood of pink blush spread across his cheeks.
“Where is this coming from…” the raven hair spoke, his green eyes darting away from your face. Seeing his flustered expression made you smile a bit. You shook your head.
“Just curious is all” You said looking up at Malleus with an innocence he couldn't place. Just…curious. He cleared his throat trying to find the right words.
Finally, he let out a soft sigh and folded his hands in his lap.
“Well,” he began, his voice a bit quieter than usual, “courting among the fae is... a deeply significant and intricate process. It’s not something you enter into lightly, like any relationship it’s to be treated in a…delict matter.” He glanced at you briefly, his green eyes meeting yours before looking away again.
“Fae’s live a long time, yes;however we typically choose a partner only once so courting is very something that we do with caution “ He added. You smiled and nodded your head for the horned fae to continue.
“Courting often begins with gestures—small but meaningful acts that convey one’s intentions. Gift giving as you humans call it, usually a flower from a private garden or a trinket with a significant value would be given” Malleus spoke, placing a finger on his chin.
“Each gift is a declaration ,like a message that carries unspoken words if you will. Usually they're enchanted with magic as well” He started again
Your eyes sparkled with fascination as you leaned forward slightly. You were utterly engrossed. You'd always been a fan of the mythical world; You were always so excited whenever Malleus would answer your questions.
“woah…” you murmured. “Do both parties exchange these gifts?” you asked tilted your head. The prince’s eyes landed on you and he smiled softly. He let out a quiet hum.
“Once recognized and accepted, yes it is very common for the person to give back in signs they want to move forward, “ Malleus replied. You nodded, mouth slightly agape.
You recall something about fae being known to be possessive with their things, did that apply to partners as well?
“So Mal, I heard fae can be very territorial. Does that also apply to their partners—like um do you guys get jealous easily and stuff?”
Malleus took a moment before responding.”Well yes I do believe fae get very territorial…while I do admit we can get jealous most of the time it's more so out of a place of protection and wanting our partner to be comfortable rather than out of pure envy—not to say we don't sometimes get jealous of course” He spoked. You hummed, sitting back on your knees.
“Courting someone is like taking a small piece of you and giving it to another. It's a big commitment so it's only natural to feel a sense of possessiveness when it comes to the person you devote yourself to“ The prince added on with a shrug. You placed a hand on your chin, hanging onto his words.
“That sounds… intense,” you admitted with a chuckle, fidgeting with the drawstrings of your pajama shorts. “But also kind of romantic in a way.”
Malleus tilted his head, watching you intently. “Do you find it romantic, child of man? The idea of being cherished so deeply I mean” he said, words soft and careful.
Your heart skipped a beat at the question. The way he asked it, his voice low and steady, made you feel as though the room had somehow gotten smaller.
You fumbled for a response, you could feel the way blood rushed to your cheeks. “I-I mean, I guess so? It’s nice to think someone would care that much. But, um, I don’t think humans handle that kind of intensity as well as fae do,”
Malleus watched you with an intensity you couldn't quite place, His green eyes taking in your features and reactions.
“I suppose not,” he mused, “human emotion always amazes me, you know, such little time yet so much emotion it's truly fascinating in my opinon “ He mumbled. You hummed in response clearly lost in thought. It got silent for just a moment.
“Have you ever been jealous, Malleus?” you asked suddenly, the question slipping out before you could stop yourself.
Malleus blinked, surprised by your sudden boldness , a faint blush dusted his cheeks. He looked away, just like earlier when you had asked about courting.
“Jealousy… is not something I have experienced often. But,” he hesitated, his gaze returning to yours, “I cannot say I am immune to it…there have been times where my emotions get the better of me” the horned fae admitted.
You tilted your head, curiosity sparking in your eyes. A playful smile tugged at your lips “Oh Really? What kind of things would make someone like you jealous?” you asked, your tone teasing, yet curiosity laced your words as well.
Malleus gave a soft chuckle and playfully rolled his eyes, though his blush deepened slightly. “I suppose… moments when a certain someone I hold dea gives their attention to another,” he admitted his words more serious now. “It is not a feeling I take pride in but I cannot deny that I don't like seeing them with… others if I myself are not involve;it's selfish yes but I cannot help but feel possessive at times“
Your eyes widened a bit in surprise, you just looked down and nodded. “Yeah I honestly get that… I think it’s natural to want someone’s attention, especially when you care about them. It doesn’t make you bad, it just means… well, you care.” you muttered.
You were taken aback by the sudden feeling of slender fingers on your face. You blushed as one of Malleus’s hands found their way on your cheek. You couldn't help but melt.
“Yeah…” is all he said, yet it felt as if there was more that threatened to leave his tongue. The room was silent once more. Neither of you moved, just watched each other. The rays of the setting sun falling onto you.
If he were to court you…would you accept it? Is what he wanted to say. If he were to go home would you take his hand? Instead he just stayed quiet green eyes observing you. There's still very little he knew about humans. Very little he knew about you.
He did know he wanted to be with you...
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MASTERLIST
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thatpieceoftrash · 3 days ago
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I see my reflection in your eyes
Malleus x reader
WC: 833
In which you try to bring Malleus comfort in any way you can.
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You’re not exactly sure how all of this started. Was it the way his voice turned more cheerful? Or maybe it was the longing look in his eyes when he spoke of it (one you were well too acquainted with).
In the end you supposed it wouldn't matter what the reason was, you had something to look forward to, and what you hoped would be a nice gift for a friend, who more than deserved it.
So, the next day after classes and dealing with whatever trouble Grim decided to cause that day, you found yourself in Sam’s shop looking for the (less than)perfect tools, given that you had to work with the small allowance Crowley gave you, In his “benevolence “, as he liked to call it.
“If it isn’t the prefect! What can I do for you? Although I already heard from my friends on the other side that you want to prepare something special for a certain someone.” Sam said with that knowing smile of his.
‘Of course he already knows, it’s like he has ghosts who work as spies for him. Actually maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea for your own ghosts…’
“It's not like you make it out to be, this is a gesture for friendship appreciation” you said, rolling your eyes, even though you knew deep down it was something more than that.
“Whatever you say, little imp” but you didn’t miss the teasing tone his words carried.
You were so excited for this project of yours, that upon returning from Sam’s you didn’t even bother changing out of your uniform, getting started with the task at hand.
Man, and what a task it was going to be. The ramshackle garden was last tended to probably when the wheel was invented . No matter, the state of the dorm never stopped you from achieving your goal, perhaps delayed it a tiny bit, nothing more.
Working with the mud in already freezing conditions was another hell itself, you were pretty sure you touched some weird magical worm, as if normal ones weren’t already bad enough. But imagining the smile on your friend’s face was enough to make you go back to work.
You don’t know how much time has passed since you started, although the little group of fireflies surrounding you was a telltale sign that your friend decided to pay you a visit , which only happened at night.
‘Just in time’ you thought to yourself as you turned around and faced the horned visitor.
“Tsunotaro! You’re here at the perfect time.” You chirped, walking up to him with a smile.
“Good evening, child of man”, he greeted, returning your smile, with his own, although his had a hint of mischief in it, “you seem rather excited, did something happen?”
“Something like that, I wanna show you something I think you’ll like.” And then you stepped out of the way to give him a full view of the little colourful corner that now took residence in your garden. You looked up at him to try and gouge his expression, his eyes widened a little, however his smile was completely gone.
‘Uh-oh, did he not like it?! Of course he wouldn't, you idiot!, he’s a prince and these dumb flowers were probably nothing in comparison to his royal garden’
“If you don’t like it, I completely understand, it’s nothing special and-“ but before you could finish your sentence, you heard a joyous laugh coming from Malleus, startled you looked up only to see him staring at the roses in front of him.
“Truly, you are a most interesting human, did you do all this for me?” And he finally turned to look at you.
“Well, every time you talked about your rose garden back at home, you got this faraway look in your eyes, like you’re longing for something”, you said lowering your head in embarrassment, “I know homesickness better than anyone, Tsunotaro. So I was hoping these flowers would make you feel a bit better. “
And then you felt cold fingers on your chin tilting your head upwards, all you could see was beautiful emerald green eyes, which held such a fond look and utter adoration in them, you could hardly believe the recipient was you.
“There is no need to be ashamed ", he said softly. “To think you would be so perceptive to feelings I wasn’t even aware of having, and what’s more, you were kind enough to offer me a piece of comfort in your own home. The roses are lovely, and so are you, my dear child of man. You have my gratitude for this gift” And if you didn’t melt at those words, you sure did at the chaste kiss he placed on your cheek.
“I’m happy you like it, come one, let me give you a closer look!” And with cheeks matching the colour of the red roses, you took his hand in yours and walked towards your own little garden of bliss.
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l0v3r666 · 21 hours ago
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Mc inserts x TWST characters pt.2
(non-yuu pairings that fit into the plot of twst, if you like this then you might want to look at the first part!)
Savanclaw!Mc x Cater Diamond
Enemies to lovers with your favourite diva!! The two of you compete constantly through magicam and spelldrive, getting progressively pettier until the only solution is to kiss it out.. You’re trying to keep an ear out for your junior, and it just so happens Cater’s sniffing out your plan to go for gold in this year’s tournament. You might as well take the chance to mess with him! It’s so easy to love the face he makes when you give him the slip, and you’re totally making it your wallpaper when this is all over.
“Yo, Babe! If you’re in the same dorm, then you know Ruggie, yeah? We need to have a chat”
“Ohmigod you totally think all beastmen know each other, don’t you?? cancled :)”
Shroud!Mc x Vil Schoenheit
Ids attached himself to engineering and gaming pretty early, but your passion is fully unattainable. You’d clung onto pop idols and the art of stage makeup from an early age. Your longest running interest by far is Vil Schoenheit,, He rescued you from destructive habits and encouraged you to value self improvement. You’ve probably invested millions into his career (every thaumark sent anonymously, you’d die if he started to recognize your attached messages). Supporting Ortho in his SDC audition is your official reason to talk with him, and all the teasing from Idia will be so worth it when your Schoenheit debut palette gets signed! You’ve kept it in mint condition behind glass for years admiring it- and waiting for THE day.
“Mr. Schoenheit? My younger brother performed for you today, and uh, your signature please?”
“Normally I’d send both of you home for this. I’m sure you’re well aware of my paparazzi policy, However, I haven’t seen this particular relic in years! Just what have you done to preserve the quality?”
Pomefiore!Mc x Ruggie Bucchi
You’re #1 in the business of pissing off your parents- shopping copious amounts and then going to school across the country satiated you for awhile, but they’ve done something particularly revenge worthy now. The best scandal you can think of is getting a trashy boytoy to bring home for the break, but you’re not really into idiots.. Ruggie can be a very good actor given the right motivations, and he might even fool you into a real relationship before next semester.
“C’mon it’s not like I’ll need a script, sugar. I’m a natural, scout’s honor!”
“Either way, it won’t hurt to rehearse for convenience :/ Kiss me now so we don’t look stupid later.”
Scarabia!Mc x Floyd leech
God you hate that fish faced idiot >:( It’s bad enough that the housewarden’s moodswings guaranteed your holiday plans were all shot, but now Jamil’s getting hounded by the mafia! It’s your responsibility to get them off his back, but it’s not like you’re enjoying it. Somehow it’s even worse to watch Floyd when he’s playing dumb, and his emotional roller coaster keeps you walking on eggshells. The show must go on though, and if you’ve gotta play “wrestle until the biting stops” then you’ll do it :/
“Floyd, it’s dinner time, and I will tear you a new one if it means you’ll get moving.”
“PLEASEEEE tiger sharky just one more round :( I’ll even give your pen back!!”
Octavinelle!Mc x Kalim Al-Asim
You’re probably one of the most talkative of octavinelle students, and definitely a solid salesman. Kalim’s a prime target for resales and marketing practice, so naturally you join the pop music club. A year of “playing nice for the jackpot” leads you to lie awake at night, terrified that he’ll see through your facade and ditch you- it would cut off your best friendship, you’d be forced to leave the club! At some point you realize you’d stopped selling him things months ago, and your worst nightmare happened right under your nose. You fell in love.
“Hey, that solo was so inspiring! You’re really making progress!”
“It still isn’t on par with yours, though. Are you available to keep practicing after school? I’m sure Jamil would appreciate the break, and I would enjoy the company..”
Staff!Mc x Lilia Vanrouge
Of course your first job would come with some pet bat, it was too good to be true :( Full time at a bits and bobs shop near one of the best schools in the country WITH flexible hours? You must’ve been desperate to accept without reading about your babysitting in the footnote. He comes in everyday during your shift (regardless of the hours you take, it’s like he has a sixth sense), and has the audacity to exist in your space! It’s not like he even does anything to get banned!! He just stands there. Menacingly. You’re waiting for the day where he leaves convincing evidence that he’s there to traffic you or something- because if you didn’t know better you’d think he has a big, fat crush on you.
“Darling, how is the shop? I’ve taken care of those juvenile delinquents for you!”
“Taken care of? Whatever. Get back to class, kid.”
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limethefirst · 20 hours ago
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Now that reader and maria has an interaction imagine if Reader dies instead of maria? Like they saved her and dies in the process? Idk if they still will do the whole destroy the world thing or not but it would be cool tho (like dr. Gerald start to see reader as his own grandchild)
Die with a Smile
pairings: Shadow the Hedgehog x reader x Maria Robotnik (platonic)
warnings: Sonic 3 spoilers, character death
summary: while trying to escape the GUN Base you and Maria are almost caught by the guards, realizing you won’t make it
a/n: I think if Maria survived she wouldn’t want to destroy the world, nor would Gerald (to an extent cause Maria wouldn’t want him to do that) but he would definitely want some type of revenge, same with Shadow but we won’t go that far into it, it’ll be just the basics of what happened that day you died instead, tysm for the request I’m not really good at writing angst but I tried🥲
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Quiet. The day started off quiet. Although you sensed something was off, maybe it was the feeling of urgency you felt or the feeling that you should cherish these next hours to come.
Whatever it was you brushed it off, but thinking back on it now, you should’ve paid attention to the signs.
You, Maria and Shadow all sat on the floor, your faces fixed on the small television that Maria had in her room, it played a random movie that you weren’t too interested in. Suddenly you heard an alarm blaring, it seemed like the other heard it to as they both looked towards each other then to you.
“What’s going on?” Maria shouted, expression extremely worried. You shook your head, your hands covering your ears trying to block out the loud noise.
As you three sat there confused, the door to Maria’s room opened “Kids! We have to go!” Dr Gerald yelled at you three, ushering you each out and pointing down the corridor. Shadow held onto your left hand as Maria held onto your right and her grandfathers left.
The four of you ran as fast as you could, Maria still trying to find out what was wrong but her pleads for answers falling onto deaf ears.
As you ran, you took a quick glance, noticing the amount of guards running after you, their guns raised, ready to shoot down children.
Your grip on Shadows hand tightened, you didn’t want to die, you wanted to live with your friends; you were so scared, the fact that not only you would have to suffer this fate but also your friends.
After a bit of running you’d almost made it out, you saw the exit was near, but then you’d heard it, “Don’t shoot, they’re kids!” You turned back and saw it, the gun aiming at you guys, but then it was pushed. It was pushed towards one of the radioactive containers that you knew was unstable.
Things were racing through your mind, the hope that maybe you would all survive, the dread that dawned as you realized you wouldn’t, but maybe, at least you could ensure your friends would survive.
Before the others noticed what was happening, you pushed Shadow behind you, and then you turned your body and hugged Maria, using yourself as a shield.
And then, you smiled. It was short and small, but you smiled. You made sure both Maria and Shadow were covered by you, the majority of the blast only attacking you.
They say when you die your brain replays your best memories for the next 7 minutes. You’d always wondered if that was true, you guess now you’d really find out. You hope it’s true though, because you just wanted to see your friends one last time.
Your body was getting colder, the three no longer running for the exit, instead they stood there shocked, seeing what you’d become.
Maria was the first to try and wake you, her shoulders shaking, she was crying. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Gerald was next to get down, he was checking for any signs of life, there was nothing.
Then there was Shadow, he stood there unsure what to do, before he fell to his knees. His eyes were wide as he just stared, seeing how even in death you could smile, it was so bitter for him.
The guards didn’t give them time to mourn though, as they dragged the three of them away, putting cuffs on Maria and Gerald. Shadow was treated harsher, he screamed your name a few times as they used a taser to forcefully push him into his container.
He tried to get a look at you, he tried to find Maria and Gerald but he just couldn’t, they took you from them, and now they were going to let you lay there all alone. Any of the warmth your body had was gone.
It was no longer a quiet day, it became a day full of sorrow and despair. A day that changed the lives of people, but one thing was set in stone. That you would be avenged one day, no matter how long it would take.
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starzradio · 2 days ago
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BODY PAINT
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the plan was just to get a tattoo for your birthday. so far so good. but how’d you end up getting eaten out too?
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FEATURING: tattoo artist! geto suguru x female reader
CONTENTS: non canon compliant/au, pierced/tattooed geto, cunnilingus, hair pulling (m receiving), fingering, unprotected p in v, doggy, pet names (pretty girl, cutie, etc.), finger sucking, spanking (once), creampie, kinda maybe perchance public sex(?)
WORD COUNT: 5.8k
AUTHOR’S NOTE: anotha repost so if you’ve seen this b4, no you haven’t 😓
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Portraits and portraits of art pieces covering the walls welcomed you as you stepped inside, the jingle of the bell perched on the front announcing your entrance. From dragons to variations of skulls—some with roses, lightning, and a couple of the grim reaper. You could easily lose yourself looking at all the different works, staring at how all the different lines came together and how the colors melded into one another.
“What're you looking for today?" A low baritone voice interrupted your brief exploration of the parlor. You turned to see a man standing at the counter with pigtails, a black line going across his nose and a couple piercings scattered across his pale face. How was it that you'd missed him upon walking inside?
"I was thinking about getting a tattoo, do you guys happen to accept walk-ins?" You responded, coming up to the counter where the man was standing. Choso, from what his name tag read. "We do, our current tattoo artist's busy though. You mind waiting about.. twenty minutes?"
You supposed it wasn't too bad after showing up without an appointment so you just simply nodded, going over to take a seat in the lobby. There was only one other person sitting on the end of the black sofa, their attention purely on the show playing on the TV mounted on the wall. You went from playing with your fingers to looking over at the TV, attempting to do anything that would make these twenty minutes pass by.
"Hey, go ahead and fill this out. And let me see your ID," Choso came back with a sheet of paper, a consent form. You fished for your ID in the back pocket of your jeans before handing it over to him, starting out with the task of filling out the paper. Signing your initials where it asked you to, reading through the different medical conditions that the paper explicitly listed out.
Your foot bounced against the floor as you waited, sudden nerves starting to hit you all at once now that you were in here. You knew that you wanted a tattoo, you'd been looking forward towards getting it for a few months now. But the little nagging voice inside your head told you that you could barely tolerate a needle at the doctor's office, and that was only for a couple seconds in of itself. How would you tolerate almost an hour of it?
A woman walked out from the back of the parlor, a tattoo of what seemed to be her birth year wrapped up in cling wrap. But your attention was quickly diverted to the man coming out after her—though, you supposed it would be hard not to stare at him. He was absolutely.. gorgeous. Long dark black hair that practically seemed to shine underneath the harsh lights tied back in a half bun, eyebrow and snake bites piercings accentuating the features of his face, and dark ink adorning his forearms.
"Here's the aftercare sheet, just shoot me a text or something if you have any concerns or anything," the man told the woman before she stepped away from the counter, handing her a white paper. The jingle of the bell echoed behind her as she left, leaving only the four of you alone in the lobby. Maybe this wasn't who Choso was talking about? You couldn't picture yourself or your panties for that matter lasting hours in a room with him.
Though, you probably should've expected as much with your luck.
"You got time for a walk-in?" Choso spoke up, nudging his head towards you when the other man was finished pocketing his tip. The man glanced over at you before pulling his phone out of his pocket, scrolling through it for a couple seconds. "Yeah, I got time," the other man walked over, standing in front of you before extending a hand out, "Geto Suguru." The coldness from the silver rings adorning each of his fingers was a stark difference from how warm his hand seemed to be. You gave him your name, stopping the handshake before it prolonged more than it should've.
More than it already did.
"So, what type of tattoo were you looking for?" Geto pushed his hands in his pockets, standing back to allow for you to get up from the spot. "I'm not too sure how to describe it, but I have a reference photo, if that's okay?" You told him, getting your phone out to go back to your camera roll. "Yeah, that's fine. Just airdrop to me when you find it."
The smell of antibacterial spray filled your nose as you stepped in, the room somehow been more decorated than the one outside. Geto had a couple of his designs up on the wall along with a couple band posters—Nirvana, Iron Maiden, and Led Zeppelin being some of the more prominent ones. A couple figures placed on a shelf, photos decorating them as well.  "Go on and take a seat. I'll be right there," he told you, opening up one of his drawers.
You took a seat on the leather chair in the middle of the chair, leaning against it before looking over to see what he was doing. "So.. how bad is it supposed to hurt?" You decided to ask, bracing yourself for the worst answer that he could give you. Despite the fact that you knew arm tattoos weren't all that painful from the two hours of research you'd done. "I can't give you a straightforward answer since not everyone has the same pain tolerance. But I'll walk you through the process before I start."
"The first thing I'm gonna do is shave your arm," Geto started off, opening up a pack of razors in front of you. Almost like he wanted to reassure you that everything he was using was new. "Around what area do you want the tattoo?" You opened your arm, gesturing around your inner forearm. Geto shaved the hair around the middle, wiping the residue away with a tissue.
"Next thing I'm gonna do is rub some alcohol on there and put on this cream," he brought up a small container into your line of vision, "It's not numbing cream before you get any ideas. Just so the stencil sticks." The rest of the process had gone relatively fast, the smell of rubbing alcohol filling up the space between the two of you. Geto placed the stencil on your arm, looking over at you to gauge your reaction. "Is this placement okay or do you want me to change it? Don't hesitate to ask, since y'know.. it is kinda permanent."
After a couple minutes of deliberation, Suguru placed the stencil where you’d decided. "So I'm gonna go ahead and put the needle on your arm just to go ahead and see if you can tolerate it," the machine whirred to life with the press of a button, "If you don't think you can tolerate it, just let me know and I'll wipe off the stencil." Geto turned around to face you, the buzzing of the tattoo gun getting louder the closer it got to your arm. All the nerves that you'd felt earlier seemed so silly now. While you felt the pressure of the needle , it was nothing like the excruciating pain you'd heard others have.
You cleared your throat before looking back over at him again, "Yeah, I can handle it." Suguru simply nodded, uncapping the bottle of black ink before almost filling up the small container in front of him. He arranged the small containers almost perfectly aligned to each other, the small work space that he'd set in front of him looking meticulous. Even the napkin that he'd grabbed was neatly folded up in three squares.
You'd almost wished that it was Choso doing the tattoo instead. Because, this, well this simply just wasn't fair. It wasn't fair how he managed to look so goddamn pretty just doing the most menial of tasks. The almost intoxicating scent of amber from his cologne filling up your senses with how close he was. You weren't sure if was better or worse for you that he didn't notice just how affected you were, of how much his presence alone was making you want to ditch the whole idea of getting a tattoo.
"You need something to help you relax? I got a couple stress balls hanging around or I could play something on the TV if you want," Suguru sat down on the rolling chair next to you, already grabbing the TV remote next to you. "Can you just play something, please?" Geto flickered through a couple of the channels available, settling on what was on the TV mounted outside. Not particularly your first choice, but enough to get your mind off the tattoo, at least.
And to get your mind off the very attractive man next to you trying to do his job.
"So, any meaning behind this tattoo or you just decided you wanted to get it?" Suguru broke the silence, though his focus was purely on tracing the piece of work in front of him. "Just saw it on Pinterest and I related to it a bit. Well, that and the design itself seemed pretty to me," you offered, staying still and keeping your attention on the TV. "I can follow the design that you showed me or I could try to improve on it. That is, if you have trust in my abilities," he spoke up after a couple seconds, purple eyes almost seeming to bore into you. 
"Can I see some of your abilities in place?" As hot as the man was—you didn't want to risk the tattoo coming out like complete dog shit. Suguru let out a short laugh, getting up from his spot before flipping through a couple drawers. He came back with a leather bound sketchbook, placing it on your lap. "I'm not much to show my works to others, but feel free to flip around if that helps you decide," you opened up the sketchbook with your available arm, immediately being greeted with a plethora of colors.
Not only were the pieces themselves better than what you could've expected, but they were so realistic. The shading of each drawing accentuating it perfectly against the lighting of the room, almost like he'd focused on that more than the actual drawing. You shut the sketchbook after flipping through a couple pages of different flowers, animals, and whatever else his brain could conjure up—handing it back to an expectant Geto. "It'd be wrong not to have faith in you after seeing that," you mused, watching him set the sketchbook aside before he went back to tracing.
"Don't worry, I'm still gonna follow the whole outline and shit. Just wanna make it look a little bit better is all," he responded, dipping the needle onto the container of black ink before bringing it back to your arm. You turned to look at much progress he'd done after the forty minute episode had ended only to realize he was just finishing up with the tip of the design. An incredibly detailed tip, though. "You okay? Don't want you passing out on me or anything."
"No, I'm fine," you reassured, going back to watching the TV in the comfortable silence that had built in the room. The only sounds emanating from the room were the soft whirring of the tattoo gun and the screaming of a couple characters on screen. "Have you watched this before?" You decided to break the silence after a while, turning to look over at him. "Something like that. Haven't watched much after the fourth season. Don't really have a buncha time available to watch TV."
The rest of the session had gone moderately well, the two of you sitting in silence for a majority of the time albeit for a couple questions that either he or you asked. He was, oddly enough, easy to talk to. "Okay, I'm gonna go in with a white paint. It's gonna hurt more than the other one so just tell me if it gets to be too much," he told you, pouring white paint into one of those small containers. And you felt the difference between the two, looking over to see him adding small marks with the white paint. Small marks that were starting to hurt like a motherfucker.
"Easy, you did so well for me throughout the session. This is nothing compared to that," Suguru spoke up, raising the tattoo gun to give you a small break. One of his gloved hands went to the furrow settled in your brow, gently easing it over before changing out the gloves for a fresh pair. You weren't even sure when you'd even started to grimace so badly. "Easy for you to say," you grumbled underneath your breath, certain that he wouldn't have caught it. But if the way his eyes shot up to look at you with a slightly amused smile was anything to go by, he did.
"You make it so hard to be nice to you," Geto muttered, turning the tattoo gun back on and going back to adding the fine white strokes. Maybe it'd been the fact that he'd offered that small bit of reassurance or maybe it was the fact that you could feel the session was starting to come to an end, but the pain didn't quite feel as bad as the first go. "Alright, we're all done," he spoke up after a couple minutes, turning the tattoo gun off and placing it on the table next to him.
"You mind if I get a couple pictures?" He waited for you to nod before setting up the ring light next to you, pulling his phone out. You extended your arm out to where he had the camera pointed, the tattoo on display. "Mm, hold on," Suguru muttered to himself, one of his hands wrapping around your wrist to adjust the angle. His touch almost seeming to linger more than necessary. Surely, all of this wasn't necessary just for a single photo, right? Especially when you weren't even the subject of said photo.
"You're gonna want to avoid shaving or waxing the area while it's still healing, some peeling's normal but just come to me if you have any concerns," he continued to explain the process of the aftercare involved, wrapping the tattoo up in cling wrap. "Try not to fuck it up," Geto led you over to the front desk, ringing you up for the price. "Wasn't it $120 and not $100?" You questioned, grabbing your wallet from your pocket.
"Consider it a birthday discount of sorts, pretty girl," the nickname spilled out so easily that you might've almost missed it. As if you needed more things to overthink about from this encounter. You handed him a hundred dollar bill with a ten dollar tip, giving him a short thanks before leaving the parlor. You looked over at the aftercare sheet that he'd given you at the counter, seeing his Instagram scrawled out in pretty decent penmanship. Well, at least you had plans for when you got back to your apartment tonight.
You knew that the tattoo was healing nicely—that you'd put the expensive ass ointment that Geto had recommended the designated three times a day. So why exactly did you find yourself standing outside the tattoo parlor once more? Out of concern for the new ink or just wanting to see Suguru once more? It couldn't be the latter, right? Not like you'd spent hours scrolling through his Instagram these last couple days to see what he'd thought about the tattoo. Definitely not the latter.
After all, he did say come to him if you had any concerns.
Surprisingly, it wasn't Choso to greet you at the counter this time around. Suguru was standing there, rearranging a couple pieces of body jewelry onto the glass display before he lifted his head to see who'd walked in the door. "You didn't let it get infected, did you? I spent hours on that thing," he didn't even bother with a greeting as Choso had done, already looking annoyed at the prospect. "Your concern for my health's endearing too."
"Yeah, yeah, what're you here for?"
"I just wanted to check up with you to see if the tattoo was healing nicely," the practiced lie slipped out of your tongue without any effort, plenty of rehearsals in your head allowing for it to slip out with any second thought.
"Alright, I have a couple minutes before my next appointment gets here," Suguru gestured for you to join him, opening the door for you. The space looked pretty much the same as the day you'd come in—which you should've expected, since it was only a week ago—albeit for a couple pencils scattered on top of a sketchbook in the middle of his desk. You took a seat on the leather chair, waiting for him to finish cleaning up his space.
Suguru grabbed a white box of gloves, grabbing a pair before placing them on. "So, what're you concerned about?" He questioned, long fingers running through your skin as he looked at how the tattoo was healing. "Well, it's been peeling a bit. I just wanted to know if that was normal or if I'm fucking something up somehow. I've been putting on the ointment you recommended three times a day."
Geto let out a small hum before leaning back on the rolling chair, folding his arms across his chest. His very muscular arms, the material of his black button down practically straining against them with the motion. "Your tattoo seems to healing well. Bit of peeling's normal as a new layer of skin comes in, nothing to worry about too much. Usually the area starts to get red if it's starting to get infected."
And maybe you should've taken that as a cue to leave. But you found yourself wanting to bask in whatever couple seconds that he would give you, unable to think about any other opportunities where you'd see him. Well, any other opportunities that didn't involve you spending upwards of a hundred dollars. You made no effort to move just yet, folding your hands over your lap. Trying to think of anything else to prolong this visit.
A couple moments of silence pass between the two of you before Suguru opens his mouth up to speak, only to get interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. "Yo, someone named Larue's here for their appointment," Choso called out from the other side, his foot tapping against the hardwood floor. Suguru gives you a glance before answering back, "Ask him to reschedule. Tell him that I'm sorry and I'll give him a discount or something."
Choso's heavy boots echoed against the floor as he walked away, leaving you alone with Geto once more. "So, tell me, what exactly is it that you're doing here again? And don't lie to me, talking about some 'I wanna see if my tattoo's healing properly,'" And you almost rolled your eyes at the way he raised his voice in pitch, mocking you with a short chuckle. Almost.
"First of all, I don't sound like that. Second, I really did just come to see if it was healing properly," And despite your words, you couldn't bring yourself to move from the chair just yet. "So maybe I should go tell Larue to come back for his appointment. Since we determined your tattoo's healing nicely, our time's done," You would've thought that he was bluffing but he moved to get up from his chair, walking over to the door.
"Wait," you called out before he managed to turn the doorknob, looking over to see him already staring at you with an expectant look on his face. Like he was about five seconds away from telling you to get off the leather chair. "So maybe, there's a slight chance that I didn't just come here just because I was concerned about my tattoo," you muttered almost reluctantly, avoiding looking at him directly.
"And why don't you try telling me why you came here instead?" Suguru stepped away from the door, returning to his spot in the seat next to you. Where you couldn't avoid looking at him even if you wanted to. How would you even begin telling him that he's been clouding your mind since last week just from that three hour interaction? That you've refreshed his Instagram page more times than you could count to see what he'd say about the piece?
You gulped, willing for the words to come out before he got the chance to go back to the door again. But you couldn't. Couldn't bring yourself to the potential humiliation that would inevitably come if you had just been delusional about this all along.
"You here because you want me to fuck you?" And the words that you'd struggled to spit out, he'd just said them so bluntly. You were expecting for him to look at you with that same mocking smile from earlier, but he seemed to be genuinely analyzing you. Waiting. "No, no, of course, I was just here to.." You hadn't quite rehearsed for this part in your mind.
"Because if you were, then I'd say that I was thinking about you too, cutie," and before you had the chance to respond, he was already speaking again, "So I'm just gonna ask you again. Are you here because you want me to fuck you?"
Now that there was little chance of your advances getting rejected, the word slipped out so easily, "Yes."
"Go on and lay back for me. Wanna taste you," and by how quick he was to get on his knees in front of you, you'd guess that he was doing this for his pleasure more than yours. "Lift up your hips," you followed his words without hesitation, letting him slide your jeans off and place them to the side. Large tattooed hands spread your thighs apart, presenting you like a feast to the man before you.
And you would've felt some ounce of embarrassment for the wet spot that quickly built up in the middle of your panties in just the five minutes of being here—if it weren't for the fact that Geto's cock was already straining against the material of his jeans. "Mph, fuck!" Geto quickly pulled your attention back to the issue at hand, his tongue prodding against your clothed cunt. "Not so loud, you don't want Choso to hear us," he clicked his tongue, giving you somewhat of a relief when he pulled away.
A very short lived relief. His tongue traced the outline of your slick folds through the material of your thin panties, his eyes closed. The tip of his tongue swirled against your clit, your cunt leaking out onto your underwear. You'd be lucky at this rate, if you could wear them back home. And almost like he'd read your mind, his fingers hooked in the waistband of your panties before sliding them down to your ankles.
You waited to feel his tongue on your cunt again—but nothing came. You looked over at him, watching as he just observed your weeping pussy. "Thought you were eager to taste," you muttered, a scoff leaving from his lips. A gust of wind blowing to your cunt, your walls clenching all the much more. Eager to receive whatever he could give. "Let me admire for a bit. We got enough time," Suguru let out a small tsk after, his face in front of your cunt. And before you had the chance to say anything more—his tongue was already on your labia.
Your syrupy slick dripped onto his expecting tongue, his eyes almost rolling back at the taste. The small silver ball at the end of his tongue piercing flicked against your folds with every lick, each touch serving to have you clenching around pure air. Your hips bucked up to meet his movements, his large hands holding you down in mere seconds. "What'd I say? Let me enjoy this, pretty girl. Told you we got enough time."
"Such a tease," your grumbled words came out more breathless than you would've liked. "And you're so impatient," he retorted without missing a beat. A hushed whine escaped from your lips when you felt him pull away, his mouth moving to your inner thighs. Pressing open mouthed kisses to the sensitive skin, nibbling down just hard enough for it to leave a mark behind. "Promise I'll take care of you, sweet girl. Have some trust in my abilities."
“You say that but your abilities have been less than stellar lately."
A couple dark locks fell out of place, framing his face almost perfectly. You'd almost expected Suguru to look offended at the implication of your words—but all he did was seem to find some kind of amusement. "Guess I'll have to repair that then," he murmured, more so to your cunt than to you, his tongue prodding in and out of your entrance. "You're not doing a g-Oh fuck!" He immediately made you swallow whatever retort you were planning, his tongue penetrating inside of you. 
Suguru swiped his tongue up and down your cunt, the lower half of his face covered in a mixture of your slick and his own spit. Your eyes fluttered shut, the tip of his nose prodding against your clit with every swipe that he made. "Keep looking at me, pretty. Keep those pretty eyes on me," you opened your eyes to see purple eyes already looking back at you, resuming his actions all too greedily. He was so messy when it came to eating you out—spitting into your cunt, watching almost all too eagerly as you clenched around the liquid.
"Please," a whine left your lips, your fingers tugging on his hair. Whatever act of defiance you'd tried to put on earlier had quickly faded away, all you were feeling was need. An almost slutty moan left his lips at the sudden tug, one of his hands grabbing on to yours. "Come on, you can pull harder, can't you?" An even louder groan escaped his lips at the harder tug you gave this time around—the tips of your fingers digging into his scalp. "Now, what were you saying please for?" His words came out muffled, his face buried in between your legs. "Your fingers, please."
"Since you asked so nicely," Suguru took to that almost immediately, two long fingers pushing past the ring of muscle before curling to hit your g-spot. His mouth instantly attached itself to your throbbing clit, pushing through your clitoral hood to get to the bundle of nerves. "F-Fuck, don't stop, don't stop," you sounded like a broken record, your thighs pressing tightly against the sides of his face while his tongue swirled around your clit.
"Gonna cum, gonna cum," any other thought that you had apart from cumming had been quickly fucked out of you, your grip on his hair tightening even further. Not that Suguru minded by any means, moaning against your cunt with every tug. The vibrations only added to the dual stimulation, your back arching off the chair. Needing to get more. Pushing your hips against his face, bucking up to meet every swipe of his tongue. "Cum for me, princess, come on. You can do it, right?"
All you could do was nod, not wanting to be any louder than you already had been. Part of you had been surprised that Choso hadn't come by knocking earlier. Suguru continued flicking his tongue around your clit, working in synchrony with his fingers to pull your orgasm out of you. "Fuck fuck, gonna cum!" You weren't sure if your muffled moan made it's way into Suguru's ears, watching as he eagerly lapped up your release. Running his tongue across his lips, your slick making them glisten under the lights.
"Get on all fours," Suguru told you after you'd managed to regain your breath, deft fingers working to unzip his jeans. You got on your stomach, resting it against the cold leather while getting on your hands and knees. And if Choso were to come into the room to be quiet now, he'd get a spectacular view of your ass perched up in the air. Suguru ran his cock against your folds, your slick lubricating it with ease after your previous orgasm.
Ridges running down his shaft brushed up against your tight walls, your slick coating his tip like second nature the further that he pushed it in. Your walls clenched and unclenched rapidly in a futile attempt to get used to the pure stretch of his cock. "You can take it, right? This isn't anything," But the sheer girth of his cock was just enough to dispute that statement, the position making him feel much deeper than he was. "Yeah, yeah, I can take it," your voice came out as a mewl, your grip on the leather getting tighter the more he pushed his cock in.
The rhythm that he started up was fairly slow at first, allowing you to get used to the feeling. Whatever he was lacking in length, he certainly compensated for it with the sheer size of his girth. Just a couple inches inside of you and he'd already stuffed you full. "Doin' so good, gonna speed up, okay?" He waited for you to nod, retracting his cock before pushing the full length inside of you with one sharp thrust. Your mouth went agape, your eyes almost rolling to the back of your head upon the impact. "So good, so so good," even after a couple thrusts, he already sounded so obsessed.
"That's ittt, that's my girl. Fuck that ass back into me," A strangled groan left his throat at the sight of your ass cheeks jiggling underneath him with every thrust, the two of you moving in tandem. One of the hands that'd been on your waist went to cup whatever he could of the flesh, all too entranced with the vision presented in front of him. "Mm, fuck!" A moan left your lips as you felt the palm of his hand strike against the flesh, your ass stinging from the impact. Not to say that you necessarily hated it, by any means.
And Suguru caught it—the way your slick ran down his shaft at the sudden impact. "Should've fucking guessed you would've liked it," his tone practically dripped in condescension as he spoke, his hand going to cup your other ass cheek. Holding the flesh in his hands before giving you another harsh slap, almost rivaling the harsh smack of his hips against your own. "Shit shit, Geto, don't stop," you whined, pushing your ass back into him. "Think it's okay for you to call me Suguru after bein’ inside you and all."
"Suck," a simple command, two of his fingers in front of your face. Your tongue swirled around his fingers, tasting the remnants of your cum on them before letting it fall flat. Simply sucking on his fingers as his cock pushed in and out of you with such fervor. "Get 'em all nice and wet for me, just like that," Suguru pushed his fingers deeper into your mouth the second you started to get too loud again, tears building up at your waterline when you gagged on them. "Aw, don't cry, cutie. Y'know I had to."
And while his words were meant to be reassuring, the mocking tone of his voice was anything but. Spit dribbled down from the corners of your mouth, dripping onto the chair beneath you. "Sugu-Sugu, fuck, right there!" He'd adjusted the angle of his hips, his shaft brushing up against your g-spot with every thrust. "So. Fucking. Tight," each of his words was accentuated with a deep thrust of his hips, filling you up impossibly so. Like he wanted to show you just how much he'd been thinking about it, like he claimed he did.
If the moans coming out of you weren't evidence enough as to what was happening in the room, then you were pretty much certain that the plap! plap! echoing through the walls was evidence enough. Geto's heavy balls smacked against your ass with every harsh thrust of his hips. He brought his hand down to your clit, rubbing at the nub just in time for it to match his pace. You clamped around his cock like a vice, a strangled moan leaving out of his lips. "Just had to tell- shit me that you wanted my cum, ma."
"Mph, cumm- I'm cumm-" Muffled babbles left your mouth, your cunt clenching around him yet again. A creamy ring formed around the base of his cock, his thrusts getting sloppier and faster. Whatever small bits of concern about being too loud had been disregarded—loud squelches and skin clapping filling up the room as Suguru rutted inside of you. You turned your head to look over at him, the sight before you almost like something out of a painting. His hair had completely been released from the half-bun, cascading down his back perfectly and his eyes were closed in pure bliss.
Spurts and spurts of cum shot deep inside of you, his cock twitching as you milked him for whatever he could offer. Suguru pulled his softening cock out of your cunt, his cum starting to dribble out of you and down your thighs. With the same fingers he'd had inside your mouth, he pushed his cum back inside of you. Scooping the substance up with relative ease. Your body slumped against the chair, willing that Geto would give you a couple seconds to catch your breath.
You'd expected him to grab a wipe or a paper towel to clean you up with, but he simply got up from his spot behind you. Grabbing his pants off the floor and fastening up his fly. You looked over at him through half lidded eyes, seeing him pop the fingers that had previously been in your cunt into his mouth. Slurping at them in a similar fashion that you'd done just a couple minutes prior. "Wanna taste yourself, pretty girl? 'S so fucking good."
Geto didn't give you a chance to respond before he was leaning down to your level, one of his fingers underneath your chin to raise your head. He leaned in, his lips pressing against yours in a messy exchange. More of spit getting intertwined than an actual kiss, not that you minded in your state. His tongue flicked against yours, the bittersweet taste of both you and him combined filling your tastebuds. Geto pulled away after a couple seconds, a string of saliva connecting the two of you.
You hadn't even finished putting on your pants yet when Suguru spoke up yet again,
"You mind giving me a five star review when you get home?"
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title: call it the magic of christmas
pairing: jameson hawthorne x avery grambs
synopsis: avery has to finish her work before her deadline (christmas day) but she’s not exactly being kind to herself about it… luckily she happens to have a hawthorne of a boyfriend who knows what to do
warnings:
a/n: dedicated to @wish-i-were-heather, merry christmas ❤️🤍💚🎄
taglist: @lovethornes @whatsamongus @wish-i-were-heather @inmyheaddd @never-enough-novels @fleuriosa @midiosaamor @sweetreveriee @emelia07 @f4iry-bell @zaraaaabear @thoughtdaughter3 @benny1989fredd @elysianwayy77 @maybxlle @sheisntyou @anintellectualintellectual @aleatorio1234 @adalia-jaycee @off-to-the-r4ces @lyra-kane @reminiscentreader @lyrakanefanatic @imaseabear @elizaa31 @loveinalocket @lanterns-and-daydreams @hermesenthusiast @eternal--dream @shattered-glass-roses
Avery was on the brink tearing her hair out over this set of paperwork, the deadline was midnight and it was currently an hour until the clock struck that deadly hour. She thought she’d managed her time well, she’d thought she’d been prepared but everything had to come crashing down on Christmas Eve, of course.
“Heiress?” Jameson called, walking into the room. His eyebrows pinched in concern upon seeing Avery still at her desk, frantically signing and scribbling on pieces of paper, her impossible to do list not even half done.
“Give me half and hour,” she responded, knowing what he’s say before even said it. She didn’t even take her eyes off of the paper, “tops.”
“It’s Christmas, Ave,” he said gently, the green of his eyes whirring into a sea of worry.
“I have a paper to finish,” she shook her head sharply, her laser focus almost admirable, “and it’s not Christmas yet.”
“Put it down, heiress,” Jameson told her, leaning on her desk.
Avery still hadn’t looked up and continued to fill in one of the many blank boxes still left on the page, “it needs to be in by tomorrow,” she explained, a panic he wasn’t too used to hearing creeping up in the back of her throat.
“Put it down,” he repeated immediately.
This wasn’t Avery. Whatever this was, it was making her stressed and frustrated and anxious and Jameson couldn’t bear it. How dare anything make her feel that way.
“No,” she replied bluntly, before cursing her pen for running out.
“Are you even going to look at me or am I going to have to take my shirt off?” Jameson deadpanned, staring at her intently to see if she would even minority react to anything he was trying.
“I’m concentrating Jameson,” she snapped, ignoring the last comment as tempting as the offer was.
“Fine,” he sighed, “but you asked for this.”
Smoothly Jameson shed his shirt, tossing it behind him, exposing his toned upper body and scarred chest. He stood there, a Hawthorne smirk plastered on his lips. He played a betting game in his head: how long would Avery be able resist his little charade for?
“I’m not looking,” she sang, as if reading his mind.
His grin only widened, “but you want to.”
“Nope,” she said, over enunciating the ‘p’ so it popped as her eyes moved from left to right at lightning speed to skim the text in front of her.
“I can see you trying to sneak a glance,” Jameson smiled, observing her eyes lingering a little longer on the left side where he stood, each time she read.
“I’m trying to finish my work,” Avery scoffed, pushing a loose stand of her hair out of her face.
“Which you don’t need to be doing,” he said.
“Yes I do,” she replied, an uneven bitterness in her tone, “some of us have a sense of responsibility.”
As soon as the words left her lips she regretted them. She looked up to meet him eyes, guilt rippling across her features.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean that,” she rushed, pausing what she was doing.
“You’re stressed Avery,” Jameson told her softly, taking her face into the warm palms of his hands, “take a break.”
She shook her head and turned away, “I don’t need a break.”
“Are you really going to make me sing Hamilton shirtless now,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair and down the back of his neck, “because if that will get you away I will.”
“I’m sure you could get Xander to duet with you,” she shrugged lightly.
He scrunched up his face, “he always steals the good bits.”
“Look,” Avery exhaled, “as much as I’d love to leave all of this, I can’t afford to, the deadline is tonight. Like tonight, tonight.”
“I get that,” he nodded gently, “really, believe me, I do, but this isn’t good for you.”
“I told you,” she said, “thirty more minutes, tops.”
“Who were you trying to convince there, you or me,” he asked with a witty smile.
“Shut up, you,” Avery grinned with a dopey love struck look in her eyes, “thirty minutes and I’m all yours.”
Jameson wiggled his eyebrows, “I like the sound of that.”
“You’re shameless,” she shook her head, laughing slightly.
“What can I say,” he shrugged, “I’m a Hawthorne.”
“That you are,” she murmured with a small smile, gazing up at him, “you’re distracting me now! You sly little-“
“Sorry, I’m going I’m going,” he said quickly, raising his hands above his head. Jameson began to walk out of the room when suddenly he spun on his heel and walked back, “but one thing before I leave…”
She hummed a response, too consumed back in her work to look back up again.
“Goodbye kiss?”
Avery sighed, putting her pen down, “I’m going to see you in thirty minutes.”
“Thirty whole minutes!” Jameson groaned, “you might as well just sacrifice me to the devil and let me boil in hell.”
“Well isn’t that tempting,” she said, standing up slowly and taking a few steps towards him, until her arms were around his neck and their faces were almost touching, “but I sort of want my Christmas present tomorrow so I guess I’ll keep you around.”
“Glad to know you’re still deeply in love with me, heiress,” Jameson smiled softly, all doe-eyed, with a sweet sarcasm.
“Who says I ever was,” Avery teased him, her fingertip drawing a spiral on the back of his neck, sending a shiver down his back.
He forged a wince at her comment, “you wound me.”
“Shame,” she whispered, slowly pressing her lips onto his.
Jameson melted into her, trailing his hands up her body and deep into her hair. He began to kiss her deeper, more hungrily and she almost immediately mirrored him. The taste, the feeling, the adrenaline. It was perfect, it was all perfect. They fell into a rhythm as they often did of kissing and breathing, lost in the taste of each other, their own overwhelming love and the scared moment.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed, finishing it off, before swiftly knocking her off of her feet and throwing her over his shoulder. Before she even had time to process it Avery was already there.
She yelped, flailing around a little, “what are you doing?”
“Nothing much,” he shrugged, beginning to make his way towards the exit.
“Jameson,” she growled, “put me down.”
“Too late for that heiress,” he sighed, “you fell for my trap.”
“Trap?”
“Well with my naturally seductive qualities, great body and irresistible lips I managed to lure you right where I wanted you to throw you over my shoulder to remove you from this,” he explained as if it were some intricately designed plot that mad been created by a mastermind.
“So you manipulated me to stop me from working,” Avery deadpanned, feeling the blood rushing to her head and she hung limp upside down.
“You say manipulated, I say kindly wooed away from mentally damaging activities,” he replied, leaving the room completely.
“Mental damaging?” she scoffed, “look Jamie, I love you but this isn’t funny, I’ve got serious work I need to do, it’s important.”
“Not as important as you,” he said softly.
“I appreciate your concern but I’m fine,” she replied, a little more firmness to her tone.
“You’ve been at the desk for eight hours,” he exclaimed “even Grayson wouldn’t be sane after that.”
Avery groaned, beginning to kick her legs in attempts to free herself, “Jameson I swear to you-“
“Come on heiress,” Jameson only laughed, “where’s your Christmas spirit?”
“Up my WOAH-“
Before she could finish her sentence Jameson had began to take off down the corridor, running. Avery squealed at the sudden change in pace, being shaken and upside down. Her head began to pound as she continued to try and free herself from his grasp.
“Put me down!”
“No can do!”
No matter how hard she tried, his hands were too firmly held onto her waist for her to even remotely wriggle her way out of them, much to her frustration.
“When I get down I am going to shave your head,” she yelled, “in your sleep!”
Jameson came to an abrupt halt, turning a little white.
“You wouldn’t,” he asked, in barely a whisper.
“I’ve already got the razor picked out,” Avery smirked as Xander walked around the corner.
He paused slowly taking in the scene, furrowed brows and inquisitive eyes.
“Shirtless brother,” he pointed to Jameson, “annoyed girlfriend over his shoulder. Nope, not gonna ask.”
“Xander! Wait!” she shouted after him.
He turned and came back.
“I need your help,” she said, gesturing to her situation.
“I think you’re in safe hands,” Xander replied, jerking his head towards Jameson’s arms wrapped around her leg, holding her into place.
“No, not safe hands,” she disagreed, “I want to get down but Jameson’s stubborn as it gets and he’s not letting me.”
“You’re up there for a good reason,” Jameson called.
“Shhhh you are not part of this conversation,” she replied smacking his back, “please help me Xand, I’ll do anything.”
Xander looked intrigued, his eyes sparkled at the word ‘anything’. Still he pondered the sentence for a long while before answering.
“You know, maybe Jameson is right,” he said slowly.
“Not you too!” she groaned letting her head fall limp, almost doll life.
“Don’t ask any of them for help,” Jameson smiled, “I’ve got them all onside.”
Xander looked at her apologetically, “we conducted mission: get-Avery-out-of-the-office as a team and we’re not going back on it now, sorry.”
“Xander, please,” she begged, “you gotta help me out here.”
He sighed, looking at her and from his expression she knew she was practically done for unless…
“You owe me still,” Avery said, she didn’t like holding things over people, especially not people that she loved but she really needed to finish her work.
Xander eyes widen, adding the the hold of guilt that was being drilled in Avery’s chest, “you said you wouldn’t bring that up!”
“Desperate times calls for desperate measures,” she winced, “sorry Xand.”
“If I do help and get you down…” he said slowly, “…will you stop working.”
“Yes,” she responded almost instantly, the lie rolling off of her tongue simply.
“Pinky swear,” Xander replied, extending his pinky finger towards the upside down Avery.
She sighed, giving him an apologetic look. She couldn’t break a pinky promise, so she wouldn’t make one she couldn’t keep.
“You just lied blatantly to my face,” Xander said dryly.
“Look I’m sorry Xand,” she rushed, “but this thing here is being impossible, it’s one page I have to finish and then I’m done.”
He shook his head, clutching his chest where his heart was, “take her away Jamie.”
“Xand no!” she yelled, kicking her legs.
“I can’t even look at you right now,” he said, shaking his head slowly, walking im the opposite direction from Jameson. Her one hope of escape. Gone.
Jameson laughed and carried on walking.
“This is not funny Jameson,” she groaned, burying her face into his back.
“I’m quite amused,” he replied.
“Well I’m glad one of us is having a good time,” she snapped, the sharpness in her voice foreign to him.
Slowly and carefully, he set her down on the floor, making sure to keep her arms to support her incase she got dizzy from being upside down for so long.
“I’m really stressed about this,” she told him, unwanted tears pricking in the corner of her eyes, “and it’s like you don’t get it, I don’t think you understand how I feel right now I’m so overwhelmed and-“
“It’s done,” Jameson interrupted her.
“What?”
“Alisa finalised everything exactly as you wanted it,” he explained cooly.
Her eyebrows pinched together as she titled her head to the side, “I don’t understand.”
“You needed to take a break,” he shrugged, “I got it sorted.”
“You’re joking,” she laughed, “right?”
“Call it the magic of Christmas,” he winked, brushing a chunk of hair away from her face to tuck in behind her ear.
“You are a meddler,” she said, trying to suppress her grin and failing.
He could only beam back, “you chose to date me.”
She smiled, staring at him for a moment. What did she do to get so lucky? To be able to look into those eyes every day, taste those lips, know every inch of that body. She did choose him, she knew as much, but she bloody knew why.
Still, Avery folded her arms over her chest and scrunched her nose up, “I’m still mad at you by the way.”
“Mad enough at me to have a heated make out session?” Jameson asked, with a suggestive glance towards the shut bedroom door.
“That’s a stretch,” Avery replied.
“Okay,” he shrugged, masking his disappointment, “what about a kiss then?”
“Hmmm,” she hummed, the sound a buzz in the back of her throat, “let me think.”
“I promise not to throw you over my shoulder,” he winked, making her laugh.
Slowly she took his face in her hands and kissed his nose first, making him chuckle. Then she closed her eyes and savoured his lips. So delicate, so natural, so surreal. The clock struck twelve, the chimes boomed across the house.
“Merry Christmas, Heiress,” he whispered against her lips.
“Merry Christmas Jameson.”
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burdenandacrop · 1 day ago
Note
I saw this trend on Facebook where a couple arm wrestling then the girl lift or unzip her shirt as a distraction to win hahaha
Can you possibly write w/ Schlatt?
~ 🍨
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˗ˏˋ ❝ touché. ❞ ˎˊ˗
i've seen a few videos of the trend so i hope u enjoy my little spin on it ! thank u so much for the submission anon ! <3
summary : the two of you have had your fair share of drinks while patrolling the night streets of kyoto, only to find more entertainment within the bar stools.
⋮ ⌗ ┆teasing, friends to lovers, palpable tension, fem reader.
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"you're about to fall over." schlatt giggles out, stretching out his hand to hold the lower part of your back. watching as you fail to keep a hold of yourself, so much for denying you were a light weight. you flutter your eyes open and look out to the dimly lit street lights that perfectly shined on the puddles on the side walk. you look to schlatt and shake your head, pushing his shoulder lightly. you were so stuck on proving to him that you could in fact hold your liquor, despite his incessant jabs of saying you always need a babysitter when you decide to drink. he might've been right but there was no way you were going to let him know you agreed with him. so, the only logical conclusion was to be stubborn. "i know how to walk." you mumble out, your words progressively becoming more and more slurred. schlatt scoffed at your choice of defense, "bullshit." he replied with a strong tone.
you groan and leer your eyes over to him, the weight of your head felt like an actual boulder. he could see it too, shaking his head and stopping in his tracks to face you better. holding both sides of your face with his palms and sighing at the sight in front of him. "you said you could have a few cocktails and be fine." he muttered with an eye roll, obviously not too happy with the given circumstances. you scrunch up your face and shake your head, unintelligible mumbles escaping your lips. "and can." you practically bark out, rolling your eyes back up to his. he pinches the side of your face before letting go of you, making you groan out. "you need water or something." he sighs out and stuffs his hands back into his pockets. tilting his body to the side to see if there was any safe areas to sit at for the time being. he just needed you to start acting like a human being again. at least that.
"where are you looking at?" you whimper out, rubbing your face in the spot where he pinched. you watch as he keeps his gaze steady on the numerous amount of signs that led into either bars or restaurants. "looking for a place where you can go back to being normal." he stifled out, looking back to you with a cocked head. "or as normal as you can get." he chuckled out, knowing the little additive would piss you off. you roll your eyes and cross your arms, trying to reel in any bit of heat you could get from your coat's sleeves. it was quite the cold night in kyoto after all. "ha ha. so funny." you sarcastically state, your face failing you as you tried your best to hide your grin. "apparently. since you're smiling." he shrugs and pokes at your shoulder, noticing how your eyes were falling shut again. "seriously, wake up would you?" he pleads. he was quite the perfectionist when it came to his trips, even if he denied those claims. as much as he wanted to be the "go with the flow" guy when it came to traveling, he just simply wasn't.
"trying- trying, i am. okay?" you mumble out, but that obviously wasn't good enough for him. he sighs out at the sight of how drunken you became, and in such a short amount of time too. wasn't how he wanted the night to go in the slightest. "listen. let's just- get you in this bar over here. we'll order some waters and sit." he stated, begging that you just take the offer. he knew you were rather random when you were drunk and were quick to cause a scene. even if it wasn't intentional. he looked at you as you stood in silence for a moment, seeing how the wind blew your hair ever so slightly. as well as how the warm dull lighting only highlighted just how bloodshot your eyes were. "can it be quiet?" you groan out, stumbling over to walk towards him. or at least attempting to. he softly nodded and grabbed your arm to help you walk better, "course it can." he assures, looking at you for a moment longer than he should've been. hoping you don't notice the longing that lingered behind his eyes. you huff and lean your head on his shoulder, only making him widen his eyes and straighten his posture. his head just going 'alright so this is happening'.
he stood for a moment, a bit taken aback from the sudden touch from you. swiftly getting a hold of himself and putting his foot forward to start the walk over to the nearby bar. he felt how you clung onto him with each step, how every time you felt like you were gonna fall you just clutched onto his side more. he was trying so hard to focus on the path, considering how slick the roads were from the remnants of the rain shower. it was just a hard challenge to not look at you the entire time, he knew he needed to discard those feelings though. it was the whiskey talking. he only felt this way about you when he was drunk, so it obviously wasn't real. he just hated he felt that way in any occasion. it felt almost gross, he was your friend. he was someone you trusted. he was someone that you knew wouldn't try anything that was odd. so he was strict on keeping it that way, even on nights when he was alone in his house half a bottle of benedictine down and wanting to call you and tell you how he just wanted to bend you over his brand new $3000 coffee table.
you had small thoughts of doubt about him too, those little voices that whispered that you wanted him. like when you went over to his house to relax and you saw how he looked with wet hair, or how good he looked when he freshly shaved. you knew it was stupid to try though, and you knew those thoughts would fade. it was a known thing, schlatt just wasn't an attachment guy. not even a fun night sorta guy. he was schlatt. the guy you'd been friends with for years. it was going to be that way for as long as you could keep it in. seemed like the most logical move. it was just a bit of a pleasant surprise that he wanted you to tag along with him to kyoto of all places, it took some convincing too. you knew his schedule, and he knew how busy yours was. he was just stuck on getting you out here, to see what he'd been praising for the past couple of years. even if it meant taking out PTO you were saving to use for christmas time.
"just a bit longer and we're there." schlatt gruffly states, it appeared he was trying to seem more colder. he knew it was because he didn't want to be falling down the hole of being soft with you, cause he knew exactly what that would lead to. confusion and embarrassment. he had a feeling you only viewed him as a friend, or at least that's what he picked up from you. cause girls who like guys don't continuously tell their 'friend' about their romance escapades. he hated every detail you gave him too, and how all the dates you went on sounded absolutely nothing like him. maybe he wasn't your type, which pained him to even try to think about. a small part of him held onto the fact you might like him though, even if it was stupid.
you fluttered open your eyes the best you could, lifting your head off his shoulder as the prominent neon signs began to shine on your face. he looked to you as you slowly pulled away from him, a bit disappointed in the fact. harshly reminding himself, 'she's just stabilizing herself. she wasn't leaning on you as a romantic gesture, you idiot.' even if it hurt to come to that realization. you look up the light up sign that had a broken flashing bulb, "good thing i don't have epilepsy." you joke as you look back over to him, the little comment making him roll his eyes and push past you to open up the door of the bar. "fucking ridiculous, now let's go." he sighs out, drumming his fingers along the door as he patiently waited for you to make your way in. you cocked a brow at him, it was kind of out of the blue to do such a gentleman gesture. it was small but, still, out of the ordinary for him. "starting to think that new haircut you've been doing lately is changing you." you playfully poke at him, only annoying him further. "stop talking about my undercut and get inside." he groaned out.
you raise your hands in defense, you were surprisingly already feeling better. maybe it was the aggressive lights hitting your face, that'll do it. "okay meanie." you pout, rolling your eyes and practically stomping inside the bar. your eyes being met with a rather serene environment, much different than a bar in brooklyn. that was a fact. he watched as you walked inside, his face softening as he realized just how beautiful you looked underneath this lighting. almost stuck in his footsteps as he kept his eyes glossed on you, gruffly groaning and kicking his foot off the ground before walking in to follow you. you were already finding the perfect spot for the two of you, right in the corner where there was a cute little lamp that would hang over the two of you. you pointed at it with a smile and turned back to schlatt with the same look on your face. he bit down on his tongue as he looked at you, god he hated feeling like this. he was your friend. he was your good friend. he wasn't anything more and he needed to stop looking at you like you were a monet piece.
"isn't this adorable?" you practically squeal out, hopping yourself into the stool and adjusting your coat gently. he just sighed and nodded as he made his way over to the spot you so graciously picked out. that stupid lamp was going to be the death of him. of course you had to pick the most romantic spot of this bar. he trails his hands on the bar top before settling himself into the seat beside you. clasping his hands together and looking down the polished oak beneath him. hoping if he could just keep his gaze on the bartender or the wood engravings, he'd be safe from looking at you and giving away the fact he was having those feelings again. in the midst of you fawning over the lamp, you look to him and rest your cheek on your palm. guess the drunkenness comes back when you sit, wonderful. before you could say anything to him, you heard the warm voice of the bartender calling out to the two of you. talk about fast service.
schlatt quickly looks up and readjusted him in his seat, "anyway we could just get some lemon waters?" he asks the bartender, which kind of threw off the bartender. it was obviously a pretty simple order for a saturday night, but he wasn't going to judge. he just nodded with a smile and went on his merry way to make the ice cold drinks. you wait for the bartender to fully walk away and leer your eyes back to him, drumming your fingers against your cheek as you became more and more drowsy. "you're a buzz kill, i wanted another whiskey sour." you pout, pursing out your top lip. he side eyes you and scoffs at your drunken pleas. "sure, then we can spend an entire night in the emergency room because your liver gave out." he groans out. he seemed so serious, and suddenly even more cold. "jesus, okay dad." you chuckle out nervously.
he closed his eyes and not once did he turn his head to face you, even in the midst of your forced giggles. even if they were fake, he still found them adorable. what was wrong with him? he just wanted to see you the same as he did this morning. no lingering thoughts, no puppy dog eyes when he saw your face, and definitely no thoughts of just how it'd feel to wake up and see your face beside him. "just drink the water when you get it, alright? you need it." he stated as he ran a hand on his shoulder, wishing to anything above he could just sober up more. he was incredible at hiding his drunkenness but he was definitely feeling it. just sucked this is how he was when he was drunk, the creep who fawned over his beautiful friend when he wasn't supposed to. he knew that. "i will, i will." you sigh out, looking back up to the lamp and wishing he'd get out of whatever funk he was in. to be frank, it was getting to be annoying. and very very quickly.
you looked at the lamp gently sway, wondering on what to do. matter a fact, even what to say. it was obvious he wasn't in the best mood, and it killed you that this time you had no idea why. your eyes trailed back to him, gazing on his side profile. you gently grinned as you saw the pink patches on his cheeks, so he was plastered. that little voice started up again, getting not so little when you realized you were analyzing every detail of his side profile. you narrowed your eyes as you counted every freckle and mole. "you know there's a big dipper on your face, right?" you stifle out, a bit surprised it managed to leave your lips. he sat still for a moment and then slowly turned his head to you. gently covering his cheek with a sly itch to hide the motion that he was attempting to hide his face. "that's an acne scar but thanks." he sighed out.
god, could he be any worse with you tonight? you almost felt like a nuisance just for sitting next to him, it never feels like this. so what was the deal with tonight? "you need to lighten up." you stammer out, tripping over your syllables which in turn made schlatt roll his eyes with a grin. at least he was smiling, sorta. "see. that." you add on and poke his cheek with your finger, immediately making him freeze. "big ol smile on the big guy. perfect." you chuckle out, he laughed with you. he couldn't help it, the facade was a lot but you always won. in every ball park in his mind, you were first. "it's the whiskey." he rolls his eyes and shakes his head, leaning his arm against the bar top. "you're only making me want a whiskey sour more." you groan out, dramatically dropping your shoulders. you cross your arms and lean against the bar top, appreciating how cool it was to the touch. much needed for your current condition.
you narrowed your eyes at him, fixing up a plan in your head. you knew there was a fair shot you'd lose but, what hurts to try? "say. want to play a game?" you exclaim, throwing off schlatt a bit. he saw the mischievous smile on your face and began fearing for his sanity, with you; it was always a surprise. "no. i'm not-" he begins, but you weren't having any of it. "just do it. please?" you interrupted, making schlatt move his head back in surprise. pushy, aren't you? "arm wrestling-" you start, in which schlatt immediately shakes his head, "you'd lose." he cuts in. you scoff at him and tilt your head to the side in frustration. "don't cut me off!" you exclaim with a pout. "you did it first." he quickly buts in. you glare at him and sit in silence for a moment. touché. "can you just let me speak." you say with a defeated tone.
schlatt doesn't speak, instead making a zipping motion with his hands against his lips. you shake your head at his childish expression and lean forward on the bar top, slightly putting off schlatt due to the close proximity you were creating. "arm wrestling. if i win, i get to have a whiskey sour." you plead with him, the second the words leave your lips schlatt was quick to show how displeased he was with his face. then it occurred to him, you weren't going to win. so this was going to be an easy win, and also an easy way to shut you up. "sure hotshot." he snickers out, immediately filling your brain with glee. you bite your tongue between a smile and place your arm down with confidence. "step up to the plate then." you declared, schlatt just raised his eyebrows and slowly rose his arm up to meet with yours on the bar top.
"what are you, my old baseball coach?" he scoffed with a grin, wiggling his fingers around in preparation. you looked dead into his eyes and shrugged, "it's a common phrase." you waved your arm on the table, ushering him to start the challenge you put in front of him. he rolled his eyes and looked to your waiting hand, and back to your eyes. "you know you're not gettin' that whiskey sour, right?" he snickers before grasping his hand into yours. tightly gripping his fingers into yours, hoping it would throw you off. instead, it just made that little voice grow louder. why did his fingers so perfectly interlock with yours? enough of that, it was time to prove yourself. or at least try to. you know you didn't have a fair shot considering you've seen the stuff he's lifted. he may not admit it to most, but he was pretty damn strong. "i'm getting that whiskey sour." you affirmed with a smug grin.
"so determined to make your liver give out, props." he mocks, looking to you with a smile. "was nice knowing you, anyhow." he adds on before looking back to your hand, seeing if it was time to start this shenanigan of yours. you flash him back a smile and look to his hand, nodding to start it off. he immediately starts to pull your hand down, with honest little to no effort. "c'mon sweetheart, you've got more in you." he snickers, the little pet name catching you off guard. it felt so weird with him calling you that, how easily it rolled off his tongue. as if it belonged there. the worst part was how much you could get used to hearing it. you tense up your arm, beginning to get more pull with his hand, smiling as you realized this might be easier than you thought. schlatt was determined on slipping you up though. "where's this strength when i need help with building my furniture, huh?" he stifles out, he didn't want to admit it but he was going much easier than he could. he just really liked holding your hand, and this was a perfect excuse.
you knit your eyebrows as you try your hardest to keep pushing his arm down, but it really did seem like no use. you were stuck right on the top. barely pushing his hand to where you needed it, maybe it was useless. you thought as quickly as you could, all the while pushing all the strength in your hand to push his down. you just had to think of something, what would throw him off? he was pretty stern most times so it was hard to rack up something in your head. then suddenly, it hit you. something all mankind couldn't ignore if they tried. you just hoped it wouldn't make anything weird, you just seriously wanted that stupid whiskey sour because of the intense headache you were getting. you bite down on your tongue as you ponder the rather rash decision. trying your best to keep your weight, wincing at the pain it was causing in your wrist. little did you know, schlatt was already on the verge of falling over just by the sight of you trying so hard.
his eyes stayed fixated on how your face showed so much focus, how badly your arm was trembling under his strength. a small part of him got oddly excited from it all, imagining this in different circumstances. in different places, different positions, and different outcomes. instead, he was just whirling his mind up by how enamored he was by you. you finally had enough and look up into his eyes instead of his hand, throwing him a bit off. in that moment, you saw something you didn't quite pick up on earlier. his down turned eyes seething through yours, seeing something. a feeling. "you gonna give up yet?" he stated, cracking a small grin as he kept his grip on your hand. you wince and shake your head, raising your free hand up. his eyes following your movement in a curious manner, were you going to try and take him down with two hands? there was no way you thought that was going to work.
you swiftly zip down your jacket, exposing your cleavage. sure, it was a stupid idea but you couldn't tell what the outcome was going to be. schlatt's eyes immediately go down, as if his entire body froze. you smile deviously and slam down his hand, his arm was basically jello. you chuckle to yourself, tapping his arm down to the bar top and celebrating your victory. you clap your hands together and even forget that you were exposing yourself a good amount. your smile falters as you realize just how serious he looked in the moment, his eyes stuck on yours. the silence filling between the two of you, almost uncomfortable. "don't start shit you can't finish." he chokes out, his tone almost sharp enough to cut. it caught you so off guard, what could that mean? "don't start what?" you question, your head cocked at him as you wondered what he was going on about. "don't look at me like that. for the love of god." he stammers out, rubbing his eyes and sighing. "what is going on with you?" you ask, the anxiety starting to settle within your system. you assumed it was harmless.
"you're driving me up a fucking wall here." he mutters, his eyes shooting back to yours. "so say it." you choke out, you knew you were speaking faster than you could think. knowing this would probably lead to something horrid, but you couldn't stop yourself. he looked at you for a moment, then back to your exposed cleavage. shaking his head and rubbing his face, it was incredibly evident now. "that just wasn't fair. and you know it." he sighed out, letting go of his face. letting his arm lean against the bar top as he looked at you, almost longingly. "so do something about it." you state, rather bluntly. what were you doing? was it the alcohol? maybe something more? why was that little voice just a screaming one now? he straightened up his posture after you said that, you could even see his nostrils flaring by how much feeling was soaring through his bloodstream. "i'm not saying shit." he seethed through his teeth, instead of stating it. he grabbed you by the waist and sunk his lips onto yours. you leaned back slightly, pushing back into the kiss. so much for a whiskey sour.
"so take that for what you will." he muttered between the kisses, pulling himself closer to you. not really caring if you two were in public, he had waited ages to do this one simple thing. so he'd be damned if he let a little crowd get to him. you pulled back and placed your hand on his chest, your lips parted in surprise. "took you long enough, yknow?" you snicker out, attempting to catch your breath. "don't say shit about time to me." he groaned out as he looked into your eyes, you could tell he just wanted to do it all over again. "hotel?" you grin, making him immediately nod and take you from the waist to help you stand up.
took you long enough.
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author's note : i hope u enjoyed my little spin on this idea !! i really got into it, if you couldn't tell :> thank you sososo much for the submission & thank you for the patience with it !
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