#and there’s no one in my life I can rely on to help me or fall back on if I need it

[dontmakemechooseanli]

Zayne is so hopelessly infatuated with you it is almost pathetic. He knows it but he will keep that secret to himself. 

Or at least that is what he is trying to do. But when he sees you breathlessly running down the steps- slightly off kilter in high heels breathtaking in a red dress, your lips slightly stained with the red wine that had splashed over the balcony moments before- it becomes hard to deny. It would be a lie to say that his heart didn’t skip a few beats to see you look at him for an excuse to leave- to see you so openly express that you would rather spend your rare day off in his presence than in your friends. 

Who can blame him for secreting you away to a quiet park he knew- sure his initial destination was a quick stop at a cafe before locking himself and his research in his office. He would be a stupid man to leave a pretty woman alone, especially when he had taken up the habit of calling you “his” when referring to you in his head (he had slipped up and called you his hunter in front of Greyson and Yvonne last Tuesday after your visit to the hospital and he had not gone one day without a teasing remark about it). He did not want to possess you, no, but in his mind there was no way to show just how ardent the feelings about and for you were.

He was so captured by you that he nearly died when your pure energy overshone even his want to spend a rare quiet afternoon with no interuptions. Like a puppy, you commented and pointed out every small creature you saw, told him about the witches that lived in the forest and how you wondered about them. Your energy encapsulated and ensnared him completely.

He would indulge every small fantasy of yours- so to walk through the forest with you, to listen to your happy giggles, to carry you across fencing and mud puddles- well that was easiest thing he had ever done.

So when you tease him- playfully pretending to flirt with him as a witch stuck in the forest trying to convince a human to free her from her prison?

Well- it was easy to be honest at that moment. To say what he meant. Hearing you say that you must be hard to love, hard to be around? Well, he had to nip that in the bud.

He needed your sunlight to guide him, to shine on him endlessly. He relied on it now-

In the quiet secret place away from the eyes he constantly felt on him he let himself feel. He was so helplessly infatuated with you.

So leaning in and capturing your lips in a sweet kiss he had dreamed of at some many points through out his life? The birds chirped, his heart raced and you smile.

He tastes sunshine and he's a man dependent on this sunshine girl for the rest of his days.

He's hopelessly infatuated with you: suddenly you and everyone else (in this galaxy and all the others) knowing isn't nearly as scary as it should be.

a/n: they kiss in secret fairytale and in my hc its their first kiss and you can't convince me otherwise. That man is besotted in the Jane Austen way- I can't help but pull out my overly flowery prose when I write about the sort of love I imagine Zayne has for MC.

[momo-minomo]

Fic Fairy Friday: Tim and Jason Brotherhood

I love Jason and Tim, they're hands down the most chaotic and petty people in their entire family. I wish they'd be teamed up more often in the comics because every time they do the snark and sass is everywhere!

Unfortunately the Batfam fandom has developed a lot of misconceptions about their past and relationship. The main misconceptions are thinking Jason hates Tim and what happened during their fight in Titan's Tower. Fandom thinks Jason came there to murder his replacement and Tim was ruthlessly beaten down and begged for his hero to stop. In reality, Jason had grown to hate the very idea of Robin (a child soldier fighting and dying for Batman's neverending war) and came to Titan's Tower to convince Tim to quit as well as to prove to himself that Tim wasn't better than him and that Bruce didn't just trade up for a better Robin when Jason died. When talking didn't work he decided that to save this kid's life (and prove to himself that he wasn't just an inferior failure) he was going to MAKE him quit.

But if Batman, Alfred, and Lady Shiva can't control Tim Drake Jason didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell so Tim put up a hell of a fight and even when he was bleeding on the floor, barely conscious but always happy to be petty and go for the low blow, he went out hitting Jason where it hurt by defiantly stating that even beaten and bloody he is STILL better than Jason. They've long since patched things up between them, tho, and more than once in the comics Jason has made it clear that Tim is his most trusted brother. There was even that period just before Tim became RR where Jason was trying to recruit Tim to be HIS Robin so Jason could be gun!Batman and Tim was so annoyed and done with him lol. I do still enjoy the accidental brother or woobie Tim fics and will probably link a few exceptional ones here and there but I'd love to see more fics with the two being equals that trust and rely on each other, too.

This Dark Ceiling Without a Star by Miss_Lazy_Tuesday

Summary:

“For fuck’s sake, your chatter is going to drive me crazy faster than this stupid spell.” “Then you talk!” “There’s no point!” Jason snaps. “I can feel it, okay. It’s—there’s no emotion behind it, it’s not using my thoughts. It’s just a bunch of weird Greek echoing in my brain and a compulsion to act. And it’s getting stronger. Talking isn’t going to slow it down.” “Then what will slow it down?” After five long seconds of silence, Tim gives into the urge and viciously jabs his fist into Jason’s leg for the second time. “Goddammit, why?” Jason snaps, green briefly sparking in his eyes before disappearing just as quickly. “You are not seriously going to just sit there and wait to die.” “The hell do you care anyway?” “Because I don’t want you to die! Obviously!” “You fucking should.”

Momo's Notes: These boys need SO MUCH THERAPY! Tim and Jason are trapped underneath a collapsed building, Tim is slowly bleeding out, and Jason has been cursed to sacrifice himself to help power up a spell. So of course being robins they're going to remain calm, work together, and not spend their precious little oxygen arguing, right? Right? Oh goddammit boys!

Life in the Fast Lane by TheResurrectionist

Summary:

“So, let me get this straight,” Dick said, frowning, “You stole a car, kidnapped Tim, got in a high-speed chase, stole another car, fought a bunch of cartel members, and blew up a chop shop...all to get a minivan back?” “First of all, Timothy was a willing participant,” Jason said, crossing his arms, “And when you put it like that, it sounds bad.” “Jason, it sounds bad no matter how I put it!”

Momo's Notes: It's both refreshing and incredibly funny to see Tim and Jason just being normal brothers that annoy the shit out of each other while they're stealing cars and trying to take down asshole gangs out of costume. This entire fic is just chaotic shenanigans and It's so fun.

Good Fellows by thatcuriouscat

Summary:

After rescuing Bruce from floating around the past, Tim is Not Okay. What comes next after losing everything that really matters? Tim’s got some thoughts. So do the rest of the family. And Ra’s al Ghul. …And the Joker. Jason looks murderous. “God DAMN it, Tim, this was not the situation I had in mind when I generously taught you how to be a younger brother out of the kindness of my heart!” Even more shocked by this, Dick asks incredulously, “You, Jason Todd-Wayne, tried to give younger brother lessons? Where did you even get the audacity?” Jason rounds on him hotly. “Bitch, you wish you knew how to be a younger brother!” “FOCUS,” Tim demands. “We’ve got like, an hour to pull this off.”

Momo's Notes: I know I recommended this one for the Dick and Tim brotherhood recs but this story revolves around the three oldest batbrothers and has equally good characterization and interactions for Jason as it did with Dick. Jason's pov pages are some of the most witty and fun in the whole story and the brotherhood that forms between Tim and Jason over the course of this fic is unique.

The Right Substitution is Key by AddictedApple

Summary:

“The Red Hood has been good for Gotham,” Robin continued. “Crime in Park Row decreased by sixty one percent almost as soon as you showed up, and that’s even taking into account all the crime you commit. Drug overdoses have decreased by twenty two percent in adults and seventy nine percent in minors. Homeless minors are ninety two percent less likely to—” “Kid,” Jason interrupted. “Enough statistics. What the hell is this about?” Robin slowly lowered the tablet with his powerpoint presentation and looked up at Red Hood. “You care about Gotham,” Robin summarized. “Gotham needs Batman. Batman is missing and so is Nightwing. We need you to fill in for Batman.” “You want me to cover Batman’s patrols?” Jason clarified. “No,” Robin said. “I want you to be Batman.” Jason bluescreened. (Or: Batman and Nightwing mysteriously disappear before Red Hood has even started antagonizing them, Robin is desperate, Gotham needs Batman, and Red Hood is Batman-Shaped.)

Momo's Notes: An AU where Jason calmed the hell down before returning to Gotham, both Batman and Nightwing go missing, and Tim doesn't know who this new Red Hood guy is but statistics don't lie, he's making a positive difference in Gotham. That makes him the PERFECT candidate to take over as Batman until they can find him. Jason can't believe ANY of these idiots survived while he was "gone"

a kidnapping a day (keeps the board of directors away) by doingthewritethings

Summary:

And, well. He gets impatient when he’s already in pain. He’s still got fifteen minutes until the meeting is set to begin, and the chances of him slapping Mr. Smith-Harguson so hard that the man’s toupee flies off are rising exponentially by the second. Yeah, that settles it. He needs an excuse to get out of here, and he needs it fast. - for the prompt 'jason todd, lover of fake kidnappings, meets tim drake, lover of chaos', but it... got out of hand. happy pride

Momo's Notes: There are no words for how much I love Batfamily shenanigans and Tim and Jason are always the perfect combo for said chaotic shenanigans! Basically Tim and Jason's version of brotherly bonding is to stage fake kidnappings to get Tim out of whatever soul-sucking responsibility he desperately wants to escape from today starting with a board meeting on a day the chronic pain is especially horrific. This fic also has queer and trans batfam which makes it just chef's kiss

Little Red and the Big Bad Hood by CrzyFun

Summary:

Olivia Draper had been a good idea at first. She could pass for older than Tim could pull off while masculine and women really could get into places easier if they had a pretty face. With makeup and some stylish-yet-inexpensive clothes, Olivia could pull off most undercover ops. She was Tim’s Matches Malone. Then Hood had shown up on the scene. When Jason met Olivia, he hadn't intended to pull a Bruce and take the scrappy teen informant under his wing. She just kept showing up where he was doing business. He had no other choice than to keep an eye on her. And kit her out with armor so she wouldn't accidentally get shot. And make sure she was being treated fairly by her mysterious boss. And, okay, maybe become her big brother.

Momo's Notes: I love a good fic with a genderfluid Tim Drake! This is an au where Tim decided his main alternate ID to gather info would be Olivia Draper rather than Alvin. Cue Red Hood getting very annoyed at the obviously underaged girl sneaking into clubs full of dangerous gangsters. This one is a fun accidental enemy to caretaker with a chaotic and sassy Tim that knows he can get on Hood's every nerve with zero consequences with bonus outraged and annoyed Stephanie!

Last Laugh, First Steps by CloakedSparrow

Summary:

Running a large portion of the Gotham underground as a benevolent crime lord was harder than Jason thought it would be, but still well within the range of what he could handle. All in all, it wasn’t that different from being the type of vigilante Bruce had trained him to be become. He was feeling like he was doing a decent job as part of the Bat Family these days. The Wayne family, he wasn't so sure about. Until he receives an unexpected call from Dick while on patrol one night and the words he hears next change everything. Tim's hurt...the Joker's involved. B and Little D are out of town. Cass is here with me and it’ll take us too long t- “Where?” His death. His anger. His father. His role as a brother, as a son, as a grandson. Jason decides its time to take it all on. If he's going to help his little brother recover, then he's going to have to heal himself as well.

Momo's Notes: This is technically part 42 of a series kind of generically called "Collected Bat-Family Stories" that are actually all set in the same AU. Last Laugh is an amazing entry in the series that can be read as a stand alone fic but I'd honestly recommend going into the series page and starting from the beginning. There are fics in there that aren't Tim or Jason-centric but it's all part of one narrative and Tim and Jason are really the main characters of the whole series and it's so fun to watch their brotherhood grow and deepen. If you're a fan of Wayne Family Adventures I think you'll love this one since the characterizations are very similar imho (aside from Damian but he's slowly growing as a person over the story and will eventually get there).

middle children must unionize by Poteto

Summary: Jason realizes no one is taking care of Tim - not even Tim himself. He decides to do something about it.

Momo's Notes: Jason doesn't like how things went down between Tim and Dick when their big brother gave Robin to Damian and decides if no one else is gonna take care of the 16 year old like the kid he is and not the adult they expect him to be then he'll just have to step up and do it himself.

Playlists:

[starryeyedwolves]

The Art of Fussing

The moon hung low, a silver sliver in the inky sky, casting its pale light over the grounds of Hogwarts. The castle stood silent, its towers and turrets shadowed against the night. Somewhere in the distance, the Whomping Willow swayed gently, as if lulled by the whispers of the wind.

Remus sat cross-legged on the rug by the fire, a book balanced precariously on his knees. His brow was furrowed in concentration, his fingers tracing the lines of text as if committing them to memory. His hair, perpetually tousled, fell into his eyes, and he brushed it away with an absent-minded flick of his wrist. He was the picture of calm, of quiet focus—until the door burst open with a bang that made him jump, sending his book tumbling to the floor.

"Moony!" Sirius' voice was a thunderclap in the stillness, his grin wide and wolfish as he strode into the room. His hair was windswept, his cheeks flushed from the cold, and his eyes sparkled with mischief. He carried with him the scent of the night air, of damp grass and something wild and untamed.

Remus sighed, picking up his book and smoothing the crumpled pages. "Padfoot," he said, his voice tinged with exasperation, "must you always make such a dramatic entrance?"

Sirius flopped down onto the couch beside him, sprawling out like a king claiming his throne. "Dramatic? Me? Never." He leaned over, plucking the book from Remus' hands and examining the cover. "Advanced Transfiguration? Really, Moony, it's Friday night. Live a little."

Remus snatched the book back, his lips twitching despite himself. "Some of us have exams to study for, Padfoot. Not all of us can rely on charm and good looks to get by."

Sirius gasped, clutching his chest as if wounded. "You think I'm charming? And good-looking? Moony, I'm blushing."

"You're insufferable," Remus muttered, though there was no real bite to his words. He couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. Sirius had always had a way of breaking through his defenses, of pulling him out of his shell with nothing more than a grin and a well-timed joke.

Sirius leaned closer, his elbow nudging Remus' side. "Admit it. You love it."

"I love it when you leave me alone to study," Remus said dryly, though the warmth in his eyes betrayed him.

Sirius laughed, a rich, full-bodied sound that filled the room. "Liar. You'd be bored without me."

Remus didn't argue. He couldn't. Because Sirius was right—life without him would be dull, colorless. Sirius was the spark that lit up the room, the storm that swept through and left everything changed in its wake. He was chaos and laughter and reckless abandon, and Remus, for all his quiet reserve, couldn't imagine a world without him.

But that didn't mean he had to admit it.

"You're impossible," Remus said instead, shaking his head. "What do you want, anyway?"

Sirius' grin widened. "Can't I just want to spend time with my favorite werewolf?"

Remus raised an eyebrow. "I'm your only werewolf."

"Exactly. Which makes you my favorite by default." Sirius leaned back, stretching his arms above his head. "Besides, I thought you could use a break. You've been holed up in here all night. Even James and Peter have given up on you."

Remus glanced at the clock on the wall, surprised to see how late it was. He hadn't realized how much time had passed. "I lost track of time," he admitted.

"Obviously." Sirius reached over, plucking the book from Remus's hands again and setting it aside. "Come on, Moony. Live a little. You can study tomorrow."

Remus hesitated, torn between his responsibilities and the pull of Sirius' infectious energy. But then Sirius gave him that look—the one that was equal parts pleading and mischievous—and Remus felt his resolve crumble.

"Fine," he said, though he tried to sound reluctant. "But only for a little while."

Sirius' grin was triumphant. "That's the spirit." He jumped to his feet, pulling Remus up with him. "Let's go."

"Go where?" Remus asked, though he already knew the answer. "The kitchens?" Sirius's eyes gleamed. "Where else? I'm starving."

Remus rolled his eyes but allowed himself to be dragged along. They moved through the castle like shadows, their footsteps light and silent. Sirius led the way, his confidence unwavering, while Remus followed, his heart beating a little faster than usual. It wasn't just the thrill of breaking curfew—it was the thrill of being with Sirius, of sharing in his adventures, of feeling alive in a way that only he could make him feel.

When they reached the kitchens, Sirius tickled the pear and the portrait swung open, revealing the warm, inviting space beyond. The house-elves greeted them with smiles and bows, offering up plates of food and mugs of hot chocolate. Sirius piled his plate high with treacle tart and pumpkin pasties, while Remus settled for a single slice of cake and a cup of tea.

They sat at one of the long tables, their shoulders brushing as they ate. Sirius talked animatedly, his hands gesturing wildly as he recounted the latest prank he and James had pulled. Remus listened, his laughter soft and genuine, his eyes never leaving Sirius' face.

And as the night wore on, Remus found himself fussing—over Sirius's messy hair, over the crumbs he was scattering everywhere, over the way he was talking with his mouth full. But it was a fussing born of affection, of a love so deep and unspoken that it could only be expressed in these small, seemingly insignificant ways.

Sirius, for his part, took it all in stride. He grinned and teased and fussed right back, his words laced with a fondness that made Remus's chest ache. They were a pair, the two of them—opposites in so many ways, and yet perfectly matched.

When they finally made their way back to the common room, the fire had burned low and the castle was silent once more. Sirius yawned, stretching his arms above his head, and Remus couldn't help but smile.

"Tired?" he asked, his voice soft.

"Exhausted," Sirius admitted. He flopped down onto the couch, his head resting against the back. "But it was worth it."

Remus sat down beside him, their shoulders touching. "You're ridiculous," he said, though there was no heat in his words.

"And yet, you put up with me," Sirius said, his grin lazy and content.

Remus didn't respond. He didn't need to. Because Sirius already knew the truth—that Remus would put up with him, fuss over him, and love him, no matter what.

And as they sat there, bathed in the warm glow of the fire, Remus couldn't help but think that Sirius felt the same way.

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV Musings - Unreliable Narrators: Louis

I am SO sick of people in this effing fandom calling Louis an unreliable narrator as a thinly veiled code for him being a LIAR™. Everyone lies, to themselves & to others. Unless you're a literal sociopath, no one wants to be the villain; blamed for things effing up; or take responsibility for eff ups. But there's a patented difference b/t someone OCCASIONALLY LYING, and a HABITUAL LIAR™ whose modus operandi is to willfully deceive, manipulate, gaslight, trick or con(trol). Louis is many things (good & bad); and no, he can't be relied on to tell the story straight, for many reasons (that are & aren't his fault). But the one huge factor differentiating his 1973 interview (a la the book) & his 2022 interview in Dubai is Louis' SINCERITY.

2022 Dubai =/= 1973 SanFran: Odyssey of Recollection / Memory is a Monster

The whole premise of AMC!IWTV is that there are things Louis CANNOT REMEMBER about his past, no matter how hard he TRIES to remember. Back in S1 Jacob Anderson was fighting for his life not to spoil anything about S2, cuz by then he already knew that yes, Louis IS the problem with this whole recounting, cuz HIS MEMORY is the problem. How TF can you sit here tryna tell your life story when you don't even remember wtf happened!? ("You don't need a memoir, Louis. You need a hundred sessions of EMDR!") You're unreliable AF!

JA said "Louis REALLY BELIEVES that a lot of this is the TRUTH." But that deep down he KNOWS something ain't right.

Rolin Jones specifically wanted the 1x7 image Louis presented of him & "the love of my life" Armand to look like the scene from The Graduate. There's ZERO CHEMISTRY with Loumand in this shot, cuz it's not REAL. It's FORCED, a PERFORMANCE, just like JA said Lou is always been forced to do: perform; presenting the cookie-cutter image of a man who's supposedly got all his crap together, when BTS he's a freaking wreck who doesn't even KNOW or love himself ("Who are you, Louis? If there was no me? If there was no him? Who would you be? What do you want? How're you gon' get there?").

And Loumand doubles-down on that fake AF performance in 2x2, cheesing & hamming it up as if they're the perfect Stepford Family. And Daniel calls that ish out immediately; "keep selling it;" cuz he's "built this way," to dismantle BS, and Louis KNOWS this, and WANTS it to happen. The person constantly tryna STOP them is ARMAND, (Daniel effing pounced in 2x5 to sort everything out while Armand was AWAY. Daniel realized what/who the REAL PROBLEM was!).

Lou called Daniel for a reason, to help him UNPACK the jumbled mess ("he's good at his job"), cuz Lou KNOWS something's wrong with the way he's telling the story. Lou KNOWS he's unreliable, that there's a very real problem with him, and that he needs HELP. Louis is not a LIAR™, he has AMNESIA. That does NOT make him the villain or the bad guy, or the one to point malicious ableist AF fingers at as a gotcha! every time it's repeatedly said that YES, Lou's NOT the most reliable source of information; cackling like hyenas when Dan asked if Lou's schizophrenic and totally missing how that's the crux of the matter: Louis is mentally unwell, and CANNOT process his traumas all by himself; for reasons that both ARE and also are NOT his fault.

And what's more is that Lou HATES himself--his Confession Booth monologue lays out everything he hates about himself and will continue to hate himself for, even for the things that legit aren't even his fault (Louis: "I failed my brother!" Father Matthias: "NO, son!"). Lou's suicidal & all-too-willing to accept & internalize the NEGATIVE things people who HATE him say ("maybe I am arrogant!"), or what people actively plotting AGAINST him say ("You should go with Lestat's version, for the book, I think. I'm sorry!").

Self-loathing is at the very core of The Vampire Chronicles, and precisely what Prince Lestat finally teaches the vampires to get rid of at the end if the book series: the self-destructive self-sabotaging tendencies rooted in self-loathing that led vampires like Nicki & Louis (AND Lestat) to kill themselves, rather than to seek help or help themselves get better & love & accept themselves. Accepting that they're vampires doesn't mean they have to act like soulless monsters--they DO have a soul/conscience & CAN/SHOULD take responsibility for their actions, esp. their effs up, to become BETTER.

Louis is the antihero of IWTV, but DANIEL is the actual hero. Louis couldn't save himself from any of the situations he was in; he needed HELP (Claudia in S1, Armand & Lestat in 2x7, Daniel in 2x8). Without Daniel getting Sam's script, Lou would've just accepted how "that's the end of it. There's nothing else;" assuming he finally had all the answers & everything was sorted out, when CHIIIIILE~! 💀Lou was still in the Sunken Place!

After Armand's seismic lies were exposed, Louis finally started "learning to live honestly" without the toxic sludge of literal mind control keeping him back anymore; and esp. without Armand's narrative spoonfed to him that Lestat hated him & wanted him dead.

1973 SanFran: lies on top of lies

The 1973 interview was a whole steaming crappy heap of lies Louis told Daniel but most importantly HIMSELF. Cuz the SEISMIC LIE Armand told him about "Banishment" had a ripple-effect, dominoe implications. If Armand saved Lou and NOT Lestat, that means Les must've really hated Lou and was fine with him being executed at the Trial. So Lou spiraled, thinking Les didn't love him (anymore?), and that Lou himself was an idiot for falling for what must've obvs been lies Les fed him the entire time about their oh-so-sacred "cord you cannot see, loving you with ALL of myself," if he could let that disgusting lynching happen and NOT save his "Companion Heart."

Louis SINCERELY WANTS to remember & give the more "nuanced portrait" about his life. But if the person at the center if his life is Lestat, and Lestat screwed him over, what does that mean about Louis' whole life? He picked the wrong person--he chose Lestat over Paul, over Claudia, over himself, and THIS is how Lestat treats him? No, Les must've manipulated TF outta him, he's the devil, Claudia was right that Les is the "Father of Lies!" What "love?! I bled him like a pig and waited for the death rattle!"

BUT!

Lestat was MORE than Louis' Maker. They really were companions. Their hearts beat in sync the way Lestat & Claudia's obvs NEVER did. Something MORE than the Vampire Bond tied them together. It WAS real. Right? Lestat did love him, right? So wtf? The math ain't mathin. ARMAND is the love of my life.

Right?....

That's not a LIAR. That's what a real library of CONFUSION looks like.

[lamentationsofalonelypotato]

@zepskies

Wow this was such a surprise! I had no idea you were reading this today LMAO 🔮😉

God YES. This is the same idea I've explored in my sequel fics to ESC. It's the idea of wanting more time with a man who by necessity of his job, has to pop in and out of your life. As endearing as Russell is, that would be such a difficult obstacle to overcome in a new relationship.

Exactly! I think that it would be frustrating and a little bit sad to be in a long distance relationship especially with Russell, because he has a dangerous job and there are parts of it that he'd probably want to keep from you. I don't want to think that you couldn't rely on Russell, but I think there would be a little bit of disappointment when he couldn't make it back to you because there were complications or him having to leave suddenly for an emergency. It's funny because it kinda reminds me of how it would be to date Dean if you weren't a hunter and he was. I still need to read Every Second Counts! I'm going to add that to my tbr, which is getting longer every day 😅

Ugh I'm so glad she's got a man in her life that actually loves her and considers her the way she deserves. And if you ever write more of these two I would love to see this exploration of how Russell helps her feel beautiful and appreciated again. 💕

I know! This reader really deserves it, especially from what we all saw with her ex-husband 😒 But I really do want to make a series with these two because it would be really wonderful to show how Russell treats her so differently than any other man she's had in her life and does make her feel "beautiful and appreciated again." I feel like it would also kinda be like what you did with the reader in Midnight Espresso 💗

*snorts* yeah, like a mule, I'd imagine. 😆 But there's something so endearing about Russ wanting and insisting on fixing things around the house for her. Though of course I sympathize with her side of things. She just wants a nice healthy piece of her man. The showerhead can wait! 😏

I am obsessed with fix-it Russell! Imagining him getting his large hands dirty for me, working around the house WHEW🥵! And I can imagine him thinking of all the things this reader does at work and for her kids and him just wanting to make her life easier for when he's not there 🥹 But oh yeah, no, she likes when he fixes things but she really missed him (I would too tbh).

Oh how I cackled! 😝 She's playing dirty and I love it lmao! Girl get him!

She knows just how to work her man 😉 She will go to any level to get what she wants 👀 I don't judge her for that because it's what we all want lol.

💀💀 Get himmmmm!

Man does not know what hit him 😂

LMFAO. Okay, Russ took me out with that one. The audacity. 🤣🤣 Side note: but I love the word "salacious," especially because it fits so well with most Jackles characters. lol

It's a little bit of payback for her making him all hot and bothered 🤣 And oh yeah, I was really proud of that descriptor because we all know Ben or Dean would be throwing around some "salacious" winks 😉

Omg yay he's moving in!! That's a big step and I love that for them.

Yes! It's another step in the right direction to give Russell a more permanent place in her life and her in his! 🤗 Plus I like to think that she's the kind of person that would hate that Russell is more nomadic, doesn't have a place to call home, and that he doesn't eat a home cooked meal.

Girl Yessss - I love the body positivity in this storyverse so damn much. Thank you for continuing this giving me more Russell goodness, I really enjoy how you write him! 💜

Aww thank you so much my lovely friend 🤗 I'm so happy you enjoyed it! I really love this reader and Russell and I'm hoping that I'll get to write out more of their story and build their relationship more between this fic and Long As I Can See the Light soon! ❤️

It's Not A Wet T-Shirt Contest

Pairing: Russell Shaw x f!reader, Reader POV

Prompt: “Is that supposed to be leaking?”

Requested by: @luci-in-trenchcoats

Summary:  When your boyfriend comes into town to surprise you one weekend, you thought that you’d spend it together, turns out he has other plans. Reader is a single mom and is the niece of Teddi and Velma. Reader is described as curvy. (Technically takes place in my Long As I Can See The Light Universe, but can be read as a stand-alone.)

Tropes: Established Relationship

Word Count: 2.1K

Warnings: I'm going to label this 18+ because I made it more spicy than I meant it to, References to Sex, Sexual innuendo, Little bit of self-deprecating thought (reader), Cursing, Kissing, Idiots who love each other lots. I think that's everything?

Note: This is told from Reader's perspective. Any references to the reader is made using you or your. There is minimal use of y/n if any. I tried my best to proofread, but nobody's perfect. If you don’t like, don’t read, but if you do like, you’re my favorite!

Internal monologue is in italics and is in first person.

Main Masterlist

Tracker Masterlist

A/N: Alright, y'all this is my first fic written for my prompt celebration requested by the wonderful @luci-in-trenchcoats 😊 ENJOY!

You took another long sip of coffee from your favorite hand-painted "World's Best Mom Mug" and tried to block out the symphony of the colorful curse words and banging coming from your upstairs master bathroom.

When your boyfriend showed up this morning out of the blue to surprise you, this was not what you expected to be doing. Well, his appearance was a surprise to you, but you had a sneaking suspicion that your Aunt Teddi and her wife Velma had gotten a heads up that Russell was coming. They'd shown up about an hour before Russell had to take your son and daughter for a movie and a sleepover at their house.

But the bigger surprise was your current dilemma.

You'd expected to be tangled up with Russell in bed for hours trying to convince him to never leave you again, not be waiting downstairs while he tried to install a new shower head in your master bathroom.

You only blamed yourself.

You'd let it slip that the water pressure wasn't quite right and something that you'd thought would take a plumber twenty minutes had turned into an all day affair for Russell. 

Instead of taking you to bed, Russell had dragged you out to his car and to the nearest hardware store where he let you pick out a new shower head and where he got supplies, all the while you told him that he didn't need to, and Russell only kissed away the frown on your lips leaving you wanting more.

You always wanted more.

Russell and you had been together for five and a half months, and each time he left you found yourself wanting more. 

More of him and more time.

It was frustrating to be with a man who had a job that would pull him out of your arms as quickly as he’d appeared and leave your bed cold once more. 

It had been cold before and you didn’t want to go back to that. Didn’t want to be reminded of the cold bed over the final years of your marriage when your husband’s favorite phrases echoed through your bedroom after you put your children to bed:

“I’m tired” and “Not tonight baby, I have to work.”

Those last few years of your marriage were frustrating and did little to boost your self-esteem. Especially when your husband made you think you were annoying him and made you feel stupid for wanting more. 

With Russell there was no such thing.

When the two of you started dating and Russell realized exactly what your husband had done to you, he'd spent every waking moment making you feel more beautiful than you ever had. He listened to you, understood you, and did more for you than your husband had done in all the years that you'd been married.

But each time he left, Russell always took a little bit of yourself with him. You didn't sleep well when he was gone doing God knows what, God knows where, only that when he finally called or showed up to tell you he was okay, you didn't let go of him for hours.

There's another loud bang followed by a string of curses that make you sigh into your mug.

For fucks sake, that stupid showerhead is getting more action than I am.

You loved your boyfriend to bits, but you hated how stubborn he was sometimes.

You straighten up from where you lounged against the countertop in your kitchen, taking one more sip of coffee, before you make the trek through your living room and up the stairs towards your bedroom. 

This wasn't the first time that Russell fixed something in your home. He liked it when you made him a list of things to do when he visited, things like cleaning the gutters, nailing down the front step that always caught underfoot, mowing the lawn, etc. Things that Russell wanted to do for you because he knew how busy you got at work and with your children.

It made you love him more, because you’d never met someone so selfless before. 

When you enter the bathroom, Russell is standing in your shower, just inside the large glass double doors, soaking wet, and holding a wrench.

His usual easy smile has slipped into a frustrated frown while he stares at the bright silver shower head hanging on the wall. 

“I see things are going well.” You snort out a laugh, admiring the scene before you. 

Russell’s dark hair drips forward in lazy strands against his cheeks, his t-shirt clings to his chest like a second skin, catching in the dips and curves of your boyfriend’s muscular torso, and his usual blue jeans are stained a dark navy. The edge of his t-shirt pulls up from the top of his jeans with the stretch of his arms, giving you a view of the delicious stripe of skin just below his belly button.

For the love of french toast, the guy could win a wet t-shirt contest without batting one of those ridiculously perfect eyelashes of his.

At this point you were still trying to figure out how the hell you landed this man and why the hell he kept coming back for more of you.

“Smooth as silk.” Russell gives you a lazy smile that makes you feel like butter on a pile of buttermilk biscuits. “I just finished.”

 “Really?” 

“Mhmm.”

“Huh.” You take a step closer to admire his handiwork, so close that you can feel the warmth of his breath ghost along the side of your face, making goosebumps trail over your skin. All it does is remind you of what the two of you could be doing instead of standing inside of your walk-in shower fully clothed and the things the two of you had done in this very shower the last time he was in town.  

"Is that supposed to be leaking?" You ask, pointing to the place where the plate of the shower head fastens to the wall and where there is a trickle of water dancing down the white subway tile backsplash.

"Oh shit." Russell sighs, his shoulders drooping when he notices the stream. “I can fix that."

You note his sheepish smile. “Rus, please let me call a plumber. You’ve been up here for two hours!” 

“No way! They overcharge you and it’s what I’m here for!” He argues.

Maybe I should try a different approach.

“Rus.” You say sweetly, putting both of your hands on his stomach. Russell’s familiar green eyes flick to your hands as you begin to move them up the wet t-shirt. “When you showed up today I thought we’d be doing something a little different with our time.” 

Russell swallows. “Baby-”

“And the longer you stay in here-” You breathe taking a step forward as you continue to move your hands up, tracing the hardened muscles beneath your palms. “The less time we have together.” You gently press a kiss to the space where his shirt meets the base of his neck and you can feel the bob of his throat as he swallows again. 

“I-” He tries again, but you feel his hands come down to the curve of your hips to ground himself there. 

“Don’t you want to spend time with me?” You murmur into his skin, pressing your chest against his as your hands work up to the back of his neck. The water from his clothes soaks into yours, but you’re not cold. 

“You’re fighting dirty.” He half groans, but you don’t feel bad. Judging by the way his hands have begun to squeeze your hips and pull you tighter against him, Russell was enjoying this as much as you were. 

“But it always works.” You purr against his throat with a smirk. 

“Fuck, baby I-“ 

“Yeah?” 

Your smirk grows the more you tease him. By now you could feel your own heartbeat thudding in your chest calling out to his and despite how cold Russell’s wet clothes are, heat was dancing along your skin. 

“I really want-“ There’s a grit along Russell’s voice, as if he’s trying to hold on to some shred of self-control.

You loved that you were able to do this to him, it made you feel powerful and sexy. Two things that you hadn’t felt in a long time. 

“Hmm?” You moan softly, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck while your lips continue their path along his skin.

He groans. “I really want to do this for you, but you’re making it kinda hard-“ 

“Really?” You mutter nipping along his jaw. “That’s what I’m making hard?”

Russell pulls back from you, holding your wrists in his large hands. But he looks far from angry. His green eyes flash a darkened pine, and dance with mischief. “Baby, trust me. There is nothing more that I want to do than show you how much I missed you.” 

“Then why-" You begin to say.

“Because I know that the second I do that, we’re not going to do anything else the rest of the time I’m here. And I want to do this for you.” Russell’s eyes shift a little lighter. He releases your wrists and cups your cheek with his large hand. You can see the love you have for Russell reflected back at you in his gaze

You sigh again a little disappointed. Today really wasn’t going the way you wanted it to.  “But I missed you.” 

“I could tell.” He smirks. “Maybe your shower head would last a little longer if you didn't wear it out." Russell sends you a salacious wink that makes you blush bright red.

“Shut up!” You slap him on the shoulder, cheeks flaming. 

Russell only smirks wider at you. “You know… I’ve got a solution for that.”

“Oh do you?” You ask innocently. 

Finally, we’re getting somewhere.

Russell hesitates, his hand still stroking your cheek softly. "I could move in."

It was the last thing that you were expecting him to say.

“See I've been thinking about this for a bit." Russell  clears his throat. “I know you can’t move because of the kids but... I want to be here in your life. I hate leaving you and each time I get done with a job I always find myself driving back to you. I don't want to be anywhere else.”

Your mouth is still open in shock, eyes wide. You couldn’t find the ability to speak.

In the months that followed your divorce you’d been on a couple of dates before you met Russell, where the mere mention of your kids sent your dates scuttling into the shadows or back to whatever swamp they crawled out of, but here, standing in front of you was a man who didn’t just want you, he wanted you, and he wanted your children. 

It was a combination that you thought you’d never find, and then you’d met Russell. A man who not only loved you, he made you feel beautiful, alive, happy, and seen in a way that you hadn’t been in years. 

Not to mention that both of your children absolutely loved Russell, and he did a good job of scaring off your skeevy ex who refused to come around whenever Russell was in town because the last time Russell had broken his nose and threatened other bodily harm.

Russell’s soft smile drops a little the longer you remain silent. “But if you think that’s a bad idea or if you think it’s too fast-”

You pull him down to you for the searing kiss that you’d wanted all day long, feeling the drag of his beard against your soft skin, and the warm pillow of his lips moving in tandem with yours. 

His hands run along the curves of your body, trailing fire in their wake, the same curves that you’d hidden under long cardigans and oversized clothes, the ones that you cursed each time you caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. But not since you’d met Russell. 

Not when he’d taught you that each blemish or curve you once cursed was something that could make him lose his last shred of self control and in turn, make Russell lose himself in everything you were. 

“It’s not too fast! I hate when you leave. I hate waking up in my bed each morning and not having you there holding me. ” You breathe before you kiss him again, soaking in everything that is Russell as you do. The roughness of his hands pushing up the shirt hung low on your hips, the smell of mint and gunmetal, the taste of the coffee he had this morning, and gentle drag of his wet hair against your cheeks that dip between the two of your faces when you kiss. “I want you here with me all the time.”

“Then I’ll stay.” Russell smiles so wide you can feel the click of his teeth against yours when he pulls you back in for a kiss. 

“Wait.” You smirk, leaning your forehead against his, your hands gently cupping his bearded cheeks. "If I say yes, I have one condition."

"Anything."

"Please let me call a plumber."

Russell rolls his eyes at you, but squeezes you tighter against him, green eyes flashing with mischief. “Not a chance baby.”

A/N: It was so fun to write this prompt and also to come back to these two! Thank you so much @luci-in-trenchcoats for requesting this one 🥰 If anyone else would like to ask me a prompt for my prompt celebration, here is the post:

Prompt Celebration

As always, thank you so much for reading! Reblogs, comments, and likes are not required, but are always appreciated 😊

Taglist:

@roseblue373 @livya99 @mrsjenniferwinchester @zepskies @louisanalady

@yvonneeeee

[ratatatastic]

Vanha Kauppahalli date: en full, a 2 minute 50 second masterpiece...

Primetime Panthers | 11.6.24 (x)

[insanechayne]

~ ~ ~

[candy-fae]

IiiiIIIIIIIIITS MY BIRTHDAY!

I’m. Having a not great birthday!!

But I am a year older today none the less, and will try to get my hands on some cake, and try to have a good time.

Please send me some art requests, perFERRABLLY of blorbos. Or ponies. Or like. My ocs. I wanna talk about my little guys on my birthday.

[ariesvibe]

.

[imminent-danger-came]

Man the Amazing Digital Circus ep 2 like, fucking slaps

[johndonneswife]

someone really should be talking about how difficult it is to plan a wedding - a gay wedding - when both of your families fucking suck

[chiistarri]

what if instead of messaging me in the middle of the night about your stupid fucking girlfriend and your stupid fucking problems with her you actually act like my fucking friend and message me like how you message everyone else in our group

[widevibratobitch]

moments like this when im really glad im a sad little cynic who always considers the worst possible outcome and never lets herself truly get comfortable and trust the good things in her life to stay there and builds her life around trying to soften the blows of the eventual disappointments just waiting around the corner lol never leaving my edgy teenager era peace and love

[professionaljester]

how the fuck do people make friends online lol

[nippular]

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