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seungmoroll · 4 years

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Electric Love - Han Jisung

Word count: 2k

Genre: Fluff

A/N: This is the fifth installment of the Electric Love series. If you would like to check the other installments out, you can click here.

You swore that this was done on purpose. Earlier in the week, you, Chan, Jisung, Felix, Minho and Jeongin agreed to have a little 3-on-3 basketball game on Friday. Come Thursday night, the group chat gets a text from Minho saying he had to cancel because his girlfriend was sick, and he wanted to take care of her. Then Friday morning Chan lets you guys know that he has to rain check because he forgot he promised to hang out with his siblings. Later on that day when you get to the basketball court, you only see Jisung and when you reach him, he tells you that Felix and Jeongin won’t be coming because they had some other “stuff” to do. You send the other boys an “I hate you” text as you go and put your bag down.

The thing is, you’ve kind of had a crush on Jisung for the past few months. At first the idea of having a crush on Jisung grossed you out because he has been your best friend since middle school, but even him doing the most ridiculous things made your heart flutter and face flush. Minho being the observant person he is, noticed your change in behavior towards the quokka-like boy and figured out that you had a crush on him, and that eventually led to the other boys in the friend group finding out, sans Jisung. You were 100% sure that the four boys planned to leave the two of you alone today. Checking your phone one last time, you see that Minho sent you, “No you don’t” with a smirking emoji while Jeongin sent you, “Have fun with hyung but not too much fun” with a winky face. Oh, you were so going to kill those boys the next time you saw them. When you turn around, Jisung instantly throws the basketball at you, “Ready to lose?”

Honestly, yes, you were ready to lose. You weren’t the greatest at basketball, but you also weren’t the worst. Originally the plan was to have Jisung, Felix, and Jeongin on one team, while you, Chan and Minho were on the other. Losers were supposed to pay for food afterwards, so you were pretty confident that you wouldn’t be paying, but lo and behold, the situation has changed.

“Jisung, you have to go easy on me.” You go up to him and give him the best puppy dog eyes you could give him. He responds by gagging and pushing you away by your head.

“Nu-uh, those eyes don’t work on me anymore, I’m immune. I was so prepared to pay for food today, but now that it’s just you and me, you better prepare your wallet because I know I’m going to be starving after this.”

Like a child, you stick your tongue at towards him, “You suck.”

Used to your antics, he rolls his eyes, “Oh real mature, Y/N.”

Since it was only the pair of you, you guys decided to play half court. The first person to get 20 points would be the winner. According to Jisung, since he was a nice person, he let you play offense first. You had thanked him sarcastically, to which he returned it by blowing you a kiss.

You start by warming up with a dribble, thinking about your strategy. You knew what type of player Jisung was; he’s the type to exaggerate things, especially his arm movements. When you tried to go around Jisung, he had quickly got in front of you and managed to get the ball. Ball in his hand he goes for a layup, which he makes. You stand there watching him as he does a little victory dance. When he turns to face you, you give him a look that says ‘really?’ and he gives you a cheeky grin.

Feeling bad, he decides to change up the rules, “Okay, how about this, first one to 10 points becomes the winner.”

“And you can only use one hand.” You add.

“What? No. That’s no fair.”

“This game wasn’t fair to begin with.” You say with a pout.

“Okay fine, since my precious Y/N thinks that they can win against me if I play with one hand, then I’ll do it.”

This time it was Jisung’s turn to play offense, and as he ran past you to try to go in for another layup, you had actually managed to get the ball away from him. You decided that he was still capable of getting back the ball, so you wanted to attempt something that you weren’t sure you were capable of. Taking the basketball, you throw it towards the hoop, hoping that it makes it in. You and Jisung both stand there, watching as the ball slowly rolls around the rim and then fall into the hoop.

“Yah! No freaking way. You just made a 3-pointer! I’m not playing with one hand if you can make 3-pointers!” Jisung says, surprised that you actually made the point.

“No way, Jisung! You said that you would play with one hand.”

“That was before I knew you could shoot baskets like that.”

“I didn’t even know I could do that. It was just a luckly shot.”

“Lucky shot my butt.” Jisung huffs. He goes to pick up the ball and then passes it to you. Testing your luck again, you try to go for a 3-pointer, but it bounces off the backboard. Jisung gets the rebound and makes the basket. He lets out a little ‘whoop’ and you proceed to laugh at him as he tries to get in your face teasingly.

“4 to 3, Y/N. I think you should just give up now.”

Pushing him away you say to him, “In your dreams Jisung, I’m winning this game.”

“Oh, I love a confident person. Too bad I’m about to crush that confidence.” He says this right before he shoots for a 3-pointer, making another loud ‘whoop’ as he makes the basket. This time, to be even more dramatic, he makes a small victory lap. You stand there watching him in amusement. ‘Gosh,’ you think to yourself, ‘if he wasn’t so cute, I’d throw the ball at his head right now.’

“Okay, Michael Jordan,” you say sarcastically, “we aren’t done with the game yet.”

“I mean, we might as well be, Y/N. If I make another 3-pointer, you’re done for.”

“That’s IF you make it. Now c’mon, let’s get on with it.”

Deciding that you need to up your game, you decide to change your tactic. As you dribble with the ball a bit leisurely, Jisung sees it as his opportunity to take the ball from you. He comes up to you and attempts to take the ball, but you act like you’re going the other way, so he follows your movement, but at the last second you go back the other way and go in for a layup. Cheering when you make the basket.

“5 to 7 Jisungie, you better watch out, I’m coming for ya.”

“Where’d you even learn to do that?” he asks.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe a certain Aussie named Lee Felix.” Felix always made you practice with him whenever the other boys were too busy to play, so of course you learned a thing or two. You’re just happy that you were able to pull it off successfully.

Pouting, he says to you, “Stop hanging out with Felix so much, I don’t want you to get better at basketball than me.”

“Aw, is Jisung jealous that I learned something from Felix and not him? I hate to break it to you Sung, but he’s a better teacher.”

He replies a beat later, but says, “Pft, me jealous? Never.”

Picking up the ball from the ground, the game continues on. The next point goes to Jisung, who was able to dunk the ball. He hangs onto the rim for a few seconds before you ask him, “You stuck there or something?” Hesitating before jumping back down, he replies, “Nah, I just wanted to bask in my glory. It’s 9 to 5, Y/N, you sure you don’t want to give up now and head to get some food early?”

You aggressively throw the basketball at him, only for him to throw it back, “I never give up.” You stick out your tongue at him as he chuckles at you.

You’re able to score another point on Jisung because some little kids came up and was able to distract him.

“Hey that wasn’t fair!”

“Life’s not fair, pretty boy.”

It’s Jisung’s turn on offense and even though, he could win with a 3-pointer, you know he doesn’t want to win like that. So when he attempts to avoid your block, you somehow manage to steal the ball from you, but before you are able to make a run for it, he grabs onto your waist instead.

You hold onto the ball, but scream, “Yah Han Jisung! What’re you doing?!”

Laughing, he says, “I’m playing basketball, what else could be doing?”

Suddenly, you feel your feet come off the ground and everything starts spinning. At this point, you’re screaming and laughing at the same time. In the moment, as Jisung as swinging you around like an object, you realize that the most beautiful sound in the world is his laughter, and that you could listen to it 24/7. Eventually Jisung put you down, but he turns you to face him so that you could steady yourself on your feet. Finally, everything in your head becomes normal again, and when you look up, you see that Jisung is already looking down at you. To an outsider, you two looked like a couple in love playing basketball, but in harsh reality you weren’t, instead, you were pining over someone who would never see you like that. But the thing is, you were tired, tired over pining over him when you haven’t even tried to make a move. Maybe it’s the adrenaline that’s kicking in from the game or maybe you’re tired and the exhaustion is taking over, you’re not sure, but for some reason as you gaze into Jisung’s eyes, all you can think about is kissing him.

So that’s exactly what you do. As your lips touch his, his eyes widen in shock, but you couldn’t see because your eyes were closed, and you were too focused on the fact that your lips were actually touching his. When Jisung actually realizes what’s happening, he kisses you back and you can even feel him smiling into the kiss, which makes you open your eyes and realize something. Being the person that you are, you use this position that you’re in to do what needs to be done; you pull away from the kiss and chuck the basketball, that surprisingly stayed in your hands, at the basketball net. You can’t figure out if the look on Jisung’s face is from your kiss or from the fact that you just made another 3-pointer.

“Suck on that Han! 10-9. I win!” You do the same victory dance Jisung had done earlier, and while you do that, Jisung watches you adoringly, still thinking about that kiss. Deciding that he too had a victory, he dances alongside you.

Stopping, you ask him, “Why are you doing a victory dance? You just lost, now you got to pay for our meals.”

“That’s where you are wrong, Y/N. I actually won because I got kissed by the most beautiful person.”

You whine because of how cringey his words were, but you can’t stop the blush that forms on your cheeks.

“Oh shut up. Let’s get out of here, you big loser. I want to eat some Shake Shack now.”

The two of you pack up your belongings, and when you leave the court, Jisung wraps his arm around your shoulders, pulling you in closer to him as he ruffles your hair. Laughter coming out of both of your mouths as you recall the look on his face after the last shot.

And now that you think about it, you might have heard ‘Electric Love’ being played by some teenagers having a picnic as you and Jisung kissed. ‘Huh’, you think to yourself, ‘what a coincidence.’

A/N: I'm sorry if the basketball game in this didn’t make sense, I didn’t really know how to describe things, but I tried my best. I hope that you guys enjoyed reading this. I would love to hear any sort of feedback or your opinions if you have any!

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hurricanery · 4 years

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a million ways

A/N: So I know I was supposed to be posting the first part of a multi-chapter AU with amelink as interns next, but I got distracted with this idea from another prompt I saw. I also want to have more chapters planned out before I start posting that AU one! So here’s something else for now- feedback and prompts always welcome! Thanks so much for all the support it truly means a lot :)

_______

There are a million different ways to tell someone you love them without actually saying the three words ‘i love you.’

Amelia and Link utilize several of these alternative ways before they realize what their words and actions actually mean.

_______

1) “Text me when you get home okay”

Amelia laughs in disbelief as she checks her phone. A voicemail from Meredith lets her know that her ride home from the airport has just fallen through. And of course Meredith would tell her this last minute.

This small inconvenience would normally bother her a lot more, but for some reason, her mood had significantly improved over the weekend. She’d even been sat next to an overly-chatty passenger on her flight home from San Diego, and usually that would put her over the edge, too. But, something about her weekend at the conference had undoubtedly affected her outlook.

Maybe it was the fact that she’d run into a particular coworker at said conference. Maybe she’d been impressed by his knowledge of alternative pain relief methods. Maybe it was the fact that they’d flirted all weekend.

Or maybe it was the rebound sex.

Yeah, that was definitely it, Amelia thinks to herself as she walks through the Seattle airport, a smile subconsciously adorning her face.

She makes her way outside of the airport, rolling her luggage behind her, and pulls her phone out of her pocket to attempt getting a cab.

“Dr. Shepherd?” An inquisitive voice gets her attention and her head snaps up to meet it.

Link is standing right in front of her. Equally inquisitive blue eyes match the tone of his voice. Amelia only falters for a moment before her brain seems to catch up to her.

“We slept together less than 24 hours ago and you’re referring to me as ‘Dr. Shepherd’...?” she mutters quietly, smirking at him.

He laughs sheepishly in response, rubbing at the back of his neck and nodding his head in agreement. “Amelia…” he continues, matching her smirk. “Were we....on the same flight home?”

“It seems that way.”

“Well,” he smiles, “I just got a cab, you want to share?”

Amelia nods quickly. “Actually yeah, Mer was supposed to pick me up, but she cancelled.” She looks up at him, and for some reason the eye contact is making her heart flutter. She tries to suppress it. “So, yeah. That’d be great.”

Link stores their luggage in the trunk of the cab and they both settle into the backseat. His apartment is slightly further out of the way, so Meredith’s house is the first stop for drop off.

Amelia tries to restrain a huge smile as Link gets out of the car and lifts her luggage out for her. “Thank you,” she murmurs as he sets it down in front of her on the driveway.

Link just smiles in response. He moves to get back into the cab and some sort of feeling dawns on Amelia. Somewhere between concern and care.

Link almost shuts the car door before Amelia quickly steps forward.

“Link, wait!”

He pauses, hand on the door handle, and looks up at her incredulously.

“Uh,” she pauses. Racking her brain for reasons she’d just stopped him. The sudden anxiousness over Link’s journey home doesn’t make sense to her at all.

Link’s eyebrows furrow in question as he watches Amelia try to make sense of what she’s feeling.

“Just….text me when you get home okay.” Amelia has no idea why she says this or where the sentiment is even coming from.

A smile grows wide across Link’s face at her words. He chuckles.

“What?” she laughs, blushing. Not at all understanding her own words or actions. “Just let me know you got home, alright?”

“Okay, Amelia. Will do.”

“Okay.”

Link shakes his head slowly in amusement as he closes the door and Amelia watches as the cab pulls away down Meredith’s street.

_______

2) “It reminded me of you”

They start seeing each other a lot more often. They work cases together. They have surgeries together. They even fly out to New York together for a particularly ground-breaking case. And all the while, their friends-with-benefits situation progresses.

Link even manages to meet some of her family. In a twisted scenario that includes Amelia attempting to make her family believe she’s still married to Owen, Link ends up witnessing some pretty personal details of Amelia’s life.

But Amelia remains convinced that the relationship between them is very surface-level.

Amelia is in a particularly good mood on this Monday morning. As she walks into the hospital, she notices the new coffee shop across the street is having it’s grand opening. And she decides to treat herself.

She places an order for a latte and while she waits for her drink to be made, she browses the cafe and all it has to offer. She’s particularly captivated by the variety of donuts displayed behind the glass-encased shelving behind the counter.

Amelia doesn’t know why she does it, she’s not even that hungry, but the idea of a box of donuts excites her. And the next thing she knows, she’s asking the woman behind the counter to add a dozen donuts to her order.

When she walks into the attendings lounge a few minutes later, she’s immediately relieved to see Link.

“Hey,” she grins. “Happy Monday.”

“Hey,” he smiles back, equally happy to see her.

She lifts the box of donuts into his view “Want one?”

“You got donuts?!”

Amelia bites her lip, laughing at his ability to get so excited over food.

“Yeah,” she responds. “The coffee shop across the street just opened. I just went in for a latte but then I saw these and-,”

She opens the lid to reveal a dozen glazed donuts.

“It reminded me of you,” she murmurs, surprised by her own words. She instantly attempts to downplay what she had just admitted. “So anyway, here’s to a sugar high to start your Monday off right.”

If any sort of reaction appears across Link’s face, it’s only for a moment.

He reaches in and grabs a donut, finishing it off in two bites, much to Amelia’s amusement. She eats one too, trying to suppress her laughter as Link impressively goes in for a second one.

_______

3) “Put your seatbelt on”

It’s the first snowfall of winter in Seattle and Amelia and Link both happen to be working the night shift. It’s around 5am when Link wraps up his last surgery and goes to find Amelia in the on-call room.

She’s dozing off in the dark room when he enters.

“Hey,” he mutters, approaching the bed. He shakes her shoulder gently. “You want a ride home?”

Amelia sits up slowly. “Mhm,” she mumbles.

When they get out to the parking lot, there’s so much snow they almost can’t find Link’s car. It’s still dark outside, the sun not yet rising, and they walk carefully through the lot until they see it.

Link opens the passenger side door for Amelia to get in and warm up while he shovels the snow off the car. When he finishes up and climbs into the driver’s side, he turns to Amelia and notices she’s dozed off again. He smiles to himself as he begins to drive.

The roads are slick and Link drives slowly down the main road. He curses to himself over the traffic, the road too busy for 5am.

Out of nowhere, the car drives over an unseen patch of ice, and Link loses control of the steering wheel. The car slides into the other lane quickly, and Link subconsciously reaches a protective hand out toward Amelia as he slams on the brakes. He gains control of the car again but slows down immensely.

The force of the moment causes Amelia to rouse from sleep. She sits up slightly, and that’s when Link notices.

Anger flashes through him hot and fast.

“Amelia!” he practically shouts, panicked by another slippery part of the road. “Amelia, put your seatbelt on!”

Amelia takes a moment to adjust to being awake, realizing her surroundings. “Shit,” she mumbles, “Okay…” She slowly pulls the seatbelt across her chest, clicking it into place and then staring ahead of her at the dangerous road ahead.

The car swerves unwillingly once more and Amelia grips her seat. She turns to Link, who has now gone red in the face out of anger and panic. “Dammit,” he mutters.

Silence falls between them as Link concentrates completely on the road. They are only about a mile from Meredith’s house, but at this rate, it was going to take them twenty minutes to get there.

Link sighs heavily, pulling Amelia’s attention once more. “What were you thinking?!” he mutters angrily. “Why wasn’t your seatbelt on?”

She blinks, pausing. “I...I’m sorry. I was asleep before you started driving. I didn’t even realize-”

“You should have had it on!” He cuts her off, voice raised again.

Amelia looks at him in disbelief. Completely taken aback by his reaction.

“Link, I-”

“Forget it, I’m sorry,” he mutters, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

“It’s on now,” Amelia whispers assuringly, gesturing toward the seatbelt and staring back ahead at the road.

“It’s on now,” Link repeats, more to himself.

Amelia looks at him, noticing his features begin to relax a bit.

“It’s on now,” he says again. “You’re okay.”

_______

4) “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you”

When Amelia finishes up a consult in the pit, she notices Link standing near the nurse’s station. She tries not to think about the instant smile that spreads across her face at the sight of him.

“Hi!” she approaches him.

“Well, hi,” he greets her. “How’s your day?”

“Good,” she grins, “uneventful….I was going to grab lunch in a bit. Want to join me?”

“Uhm,” he pauses, a weird look on his face. “I can’t today. I’ve got a thing.”

Amelia frowns at his sudden indifference.

“Rain check?” he offers, trying to seem upbeat.

“Sure,” she mumbles.

“Alright,” Link exclaims, setting down his tablet at the nurse’s station. “I’ve gotta go, I’ll see you later?”

Amelia frowns, watching Link turn away from her and toward the hallway.

“Wait, Link!” she calls after him, following him. “Your ‘thing’ is now?”

He stops in the empty hallway outside of the ER. “Yeah and I should really get going, I’m going to be late.” He smiles reassuringly. But it doesn’t work on Amelia.

“Wait, stop. What’s this thing?”

Link sighs, pausing again. “It’s just an appointment.”

“An appointment?” Amelia frowns, concerned.

Link just stares at her for a moment, before he explains. “It’s just a scan, Amelia. I get them once a year.”

“A scan?” she repeats, trying to catch up with her own thoughts.

Link just smiles at her again, gripping her shoulders comfortingly. “Yes, Amelia. That’s what happens when you beat cancer as a kid….You still have to go back in to make sure everything’s….still good. It’s just a regular checkup. Come on, you know that.”

Amelia nods. Yes, she knows that. But, for some reason she’s currently filled with dread. She smiles through the feeling. “Okay, go. Go. Don’t be late. I’ll see you later!”

_______

Later that night, Amelia stays over at Link’s apartment. The appointment went well. Nothing to be concerned about. But for some reason, Amelia is wide awake. A nagging feeling fills her chest as she stares up at the ceiling, Link snoring softly next to her.

She rolls into his side, nuzzling her face into his neck until he stirs awake.

“Hm?” he mumbles sleepily. Waiting until his eyes adjust. When they do, piercing blue eyes are staring into his. “What time is it?”

Amelia glances at the clock behind him. “2:30.”

“Why are you awake?”

Silence.

“Link,” Amelia breathes, and her voice is laced with vulnerability. “Will you let me know ahead of time, the next time you have an appointment?”

Link just stares at her in question.

“Amelia,” he speaks slowly, “what’s going on.”

“I just-” Even Amelia can hear her own voice falter as she speaks. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

“Oh, Amelia,” Link gasps, pulling her into him and squeezing her against his chest. “Everything is fine. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know that for now.”

Silence falls between them again and Link starts to think Amelia has fallen asleep.

“Just tell me next time,” she whispers eventually.

Link rubs her back up and down comfortingly. “I will.”

_______

5) “I wanted to make sure you’re okay”

Link overhears it from an intern in the gallery. That ‘Dr. Shepherd had to leave in the middle of surgery,’ that she ‘almost threw up in the OR,’ that it was most likely ‘food poisoning.’

Link frowns as he listens to the interns gossip. He pulls his phone out to send a quick text to Amelia to check in.

He doesn’t hear back for an hour.

When an hour turns into two he decides to just drive over to Meredith’s when his shift ends.

When he gets there, Maggie answers the door. She lets him in and Link immediately makes his way to Amelia’s room. He knocks briefly before peeking his head in. Amelia rests back against the headboard, eyes opening as he makes his entrance.

“Hey,” she croaks, “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to make sure you’re okay,” he states, taking in her appearance. Pale skin and dark circles under her eyes. She doesn’t look great. “You didn’t answer my text.”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles. “I have such a bad headache I can’t even look at my phone.”

Link frowns, sitting on the end of her bed, near her feet.

“You think you have the flu? Or food poisoning or something?”

“Yeah, or something,” she mutters, trying to keep her eyes open.

“Okay,” Link thinks, “Can I get you anything? I’ll go to the store, what do you need?”

“Um,” she pauses. “I can’t think of anything I need right now.”

“Okay, well I’ll just go see what I can find. And I’ll check with Maggie, too.”

Amelia just hums at him appreciatively.

_______

Link re-enters Amelia’s bedroom an hour later.

“Alright,” he exclaims cheerfully. “So I went to the pharmacy. I got you ginger ale and anti-nausea,” he starts pulling items out of the grocery bag. “Advil for your head,” he continues.

Amelia smiles up at him as he starts setting the items down on her bedside table.

“Oh!” he laughs as he pulls the last item out. “And tampons for Maggie.”

Amelia’s eyes widen briefly at the mention of tampons. Link stares back at her. “What? Did I forget something?”

“No, no,” Amelia quickly responds, but Link notices the brief panic she’d tried to hide. “Thanks for getting all of that.”

_______

6) “I brought you breakfast”

When Amelia tells Link she’s pregnant, it happens quickly. In a rush. A passing moment in the stairwell.

It’s a shock to both of them. But, Link’s immediate concern is Amelia. How she’s dealing with it. He can tell it’s not quite real to her yet, like she’s still processing it. And he wants to be as supportive to her as he can be.

So while Amelia does what she can to process, Link does what he can to help. No matter the outcome of the situation, and what Amelia decides, he wants to be there for her in the moment.

So he starts with breakfast.

“I brought you breakfast,” he greets her as he walks into the lab.

Amelia groans.

“You have surgery in an hour, Amelia. You need to eat something.”

“I can’t keep anything down.”

Link sighs. He reaches to rest his hand on her shoulder and she avoids the contact completely. He frowns at this. “Here,” he pushes forward. “Drink some water first. Then maybe a power bar in like 20 minutes?”

Amelia lets a small smile play at her lips as he passes her a water bottle.

A few hours later he brings her a snack. This time he finds her headed to the ER and he stops her, handing her a banana and another water bottle.

Amelia rolls her eyes. “Stop doing this.”

“Stop avoiding it.”

They stubbornly hold eye contact for a moment before she finally takes the snack from his hands. She gives him a smirk before she turns away from him, continuing toward the ER.

“Amelia!” he calls after her, “I’m ready to talk later if you are!”

_______

7) “A little bit in love” / “I think I’m in love with you”

It takes time before the sentiment is actually spoken out loud. And even so, it isn’t fully realized. When Amelia says it for the first time, she tells Link not to say it back.

There’s a lot that factors into Amelia’s decision about the pregnancy. She’s riddled with anxiety and self-doubt when she opens up to Link about Christopher. She isn’t expecting Link’s reaction. And she especially isn’t expecting his words.

He says things that make her feel less scared. And “a little bit in love.”

And she pleads with him not to say it back.

_______

“I think I’m in love with you.”

Link does say it back. But it’s not a surprise. Because they’ve been saying it for so long without actually saying it.

“And I know you said not to say it back, but it’s not something I feel very often.”

Their light-hearted ‘gravity blanket’ situation had suddenly taken a more serious turn and Amelia, focusing her eyes on the ceiling above as she lay across Link’s chest, begins to realize just how much they have been saying lately.

She listens carefully as Link embarks on a similar realization. And she knows she doesn’t have to say it back. Not in those three words. Because there’s a million different ways to say ‘i love you.’

And they’ve both been saying it the whole time.

So this time, she settles for “okay,” and she places her hands on top of Link’s as they come to rest across the slowly forming curve in her waist.

There are a million different ways to tell someone you love them. Link and Amelia intended to try every possible way.

#amelink #amelia shepherd #atticus lincoln #maggie pierce #greys anatomy #greys anatomy fanfic #amelinkfic #amelinkfanfiction #amelink fanfic #amelia x link #my writing #grey’s anatomy

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chicoriii · 3 years

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Season 4, Episode 3 - Le gang des secrets (Gang of Secrets)

So far I've been writing my posts about new episodes just after watching it, but this time I didn't manage to do it. I've seen the episode yesterday, but right after finishing it, I started working on a subtitle file for this episode. It's not that I know French, I'm Polish and I've been learning only English and German in my life (though I haven't used that second language since 10 years after high school). I'm a member of project in which we're trying to provide more literal translation of the French original than the English dub (so also using French names of the characters, with "transform-me" instead of English transformation phrases etc.), but my role is mostly making subtitles and hardcode them. Hopefully, Gang of Secrets will be the the first episode we will complete. I've done 3/4 of the episode till now, but even that took ages, because setting time marks is very time-consuming and tedious work. I also always try to not read others people opinions before, because I don't want to be suggested by them, but this time I've seen a glimpse of some people posts.

It's hard to say something about this episode. I don't know to think about it, to be fair. I can't not get the impression that Miraculous is getting overly dramatic. All three first episodes were like that to some extent and this one the most. Some drama is not bad, but high intensity in a short time would be too much. Too much for me. But I know some people like that the show becomes more "serious". The New York special is popular in the fandom for a reason. Now I know what Astruc had in mind saying that the S4 will have "equivalent to the impact of Chat Blanc on each episode". He meant every episode will be more or less dramatic. I don't think I like it, the more drama, the more tiring it's becoming and the less emotions we feel, because we're getting used to them too much. The balance is very important. It would be better to place some more lighthearted episodes between those more dramatic ones. But I felt that Furious Fu wasn't a dramatic episode. It was important for the plot, but not too "heavy", so maybe it won't be that bad.

At least Ladynoir moment from the beginning was hilarious. Especially Ladybug roasting romantic comedies for being unbelievable and suggesting watching superhero movies instead for lacking of emotions, as Miraculous itself is mix of both genres.

I've seen someone complaining that Marinette's current breakdown should have happened way before, because she's been forced to lie to everyone since she become Ladybug and now that's just a cheap drama. I can't completely agree with it. Prior to season 4 she was not only Ladybug, but she also could live in her dreamed life in which she's happy with Adrien. She's been thinking that she could be with her loved one if she's managed to confess and he won't reject her. But now she believes that she can't have any boyfriend. She can't be even in a "light" rebound relationship like that one with Luka. That's not only fear of rejection, now she can't dream anymore about the future in which she's Adrien's wife, they have three kids and a hamster. She's sure it will never happen and that makes her life destroyed. Is she exaggerating? Of course, she is. But that's completely valid. She's just a teen. Teenagers being overdramatic is completely normal. We all were like that, too! I remember having few short emotional breakdowns (though much lighter than Marinette's), because I could not be with my first crush when I was at her age (at the end, I have never been with him, but I think it was a good thing). I only don't want that to last too long. Then I could start complaining about it as well.

I have nothing more important to add about other aspects of the episodes than the ending of it, so I just let me proceed to it.

It's hard to me to believe that reveal would last. It happened completely out of nowhere and very early in the season. And Alya. She's a good friend and I like her, but as someone said, she's not as much important to the plot. I know that many people loved that she is the first person who learns Ladybug's identity, but that doesn't seem to be the most logical step. I'm not completely against the idea, but before seeing episode 4, I won't believe it's going to last. I think the show could just tricks us. The episode ends with a cliffhanger, so it could be easily undone at the start of the next one. It could turn out to be just daydreaming of exhausted Marinette about revealing her secret to someone. Or the next episode will be another Chat Blanc-like one, in which Alya discovering Ladybug's identity led to a catastrophe (even without Alya’s fault), Bunnix has to get in on the action, and Marinette learns that she can't tell anyone her identity. Even her best friend she trusts a lot. Maybe even teen Alix could get the rabbit Miraculous in it. At first I thought that Fluff could use her power just at the start of the next episode, but then I remembered that Kwamis using their powers without holders has some bad consequences and Miraculous Ladybug can't be used.

I could be wrong and maybe we will see Alya helping Marinette with superhero and Guardian stuff in the next episode. Alya knowing the truth could have zero negative consequences. But knowing the show, I would suggest to try to not be too enthusiastic about it yet, because you could be disappointed at the end.

If it was Alix, it would be more believable to me, because as I've written in other post, Marinette is aware that adult Alix knows identities of them (her, Chat Noir's, Hawk Moth's) and the world is fine despite of it. It always seemed to be more logical to me. But maybe the writers have a different opinion and Alya knowing it is not against the rule of keeping identities in secret. Maybe they claim it's a good time for Alya.

I really hope that none television would release episodes out of order. Even if it means a hiatus. I would be even fine with a little break. Episode 4 needs to be aired next. Since we know nothing about it and the 5th one as well, I think they may be not finished yet.

#miraculous ladybug #ml gang of secrets #ml season 4 #ml spoiler #ml spoilers #ml season 4 spoilers #chicoriii about S4 episodes #chicoriii #original post

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horansqueen · 4 years

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You & Me : chapter 42

A Niall Horan fanfiction ; rated MA

Sequel to AM CONVERSATIONS

CHAPTER 1 || CHAPTER 2 || CHAPTER 3 || CHAPTER 4 || CHAPTER 5 || CHAPTER 6 || CHAPTER 7 || CHAPTER 8 || CHAPTER 9 || CHAPTER 10 || CHAPTER 11 || CHAPTER 12 || CHAPTER 13 || CHAPTER 14 || CHAPTER 15 || CHAPTER 16 || CHAPTER 17 || CHAPTER 18 || CHAPTER 19 || CHAPTER 20 || CHAPTER 21 || CHAPTER 22 || CHAPTER 23 || CHAPTER 24 || CHAPTER 25 || CHAPTER 26 || CHAPTER 27 || CHAPTER 28 || CHAPTER 29 || CHAPTER 30 || CHAPTER 31 || CHAPTER 32 || CHAPTER 33 || CHAPTER 34|| CHAPTER 35 || CHAPTER 36 || CHAPTER 37 || CHAPTER 38 || CHAPTER 39 || CHAPTER 40 || CHAPTER 41

NOTES:

-one chapter is her pov, the next is his -4.4k -im sorry, i never proofread, i hate it. -there WILL be smut. but not only smut. -this is a romance, comedy, smut story. -for the summary, check my MASTERLIST.

READ AM CONVERSATIONS AGAIN ON WATTPAD HERE

- notes: i hope you enjoy this! i really hope its worth a read! please send me requests for the few chapters left. i have the last chapters totally planned and they cant really be changed, but i can add a few things in them. as for the next few chapters, just send me anything you want for them!

if you want to be on the list of blogs i notify when this is updated, just message me :)

requests! : i changed it a bit i hope its ok! i used an other request for the chapter but it was part of many requests in the same ask so im not adding it in case i use the rest too. basically, it says “Louis being upset at losing his roommate”

TAKE A LOOK AT THE CHARACTERS HERE

Chapter 42 : Her chapter

OLIVIA

May 21st, 2018

I was happy that Dylan hadn't asked Heidi to be there the next day since we were about to film the scene I feared the most. Niall had a few things to do but he told me he'd join me a bit later on the set. If I wanted to be honest, though, I was sort of happy he was not there, if only because this scene was going to be tough to play and knowing he would be there when I was filming it would make me even more nervous.

I jumped slightly when someone knocked at the door and walked to it with a frown. I had decided to eat in my dressing room if only to be alone and try to get back in those horrible feelings I had when Niall broke up with me. I remembered the rain, I remembered running away, I remembered the way he was looking at me and the way my heart twisted in my chest, feeling like it was stuck in a vice. I remembered the tattoo I had just got of a heart around his name, on the skin of my back, and how much it seemed to burn. I remembered running to Louis and crying with him. I remembered everything of that night. It was so vivid I felt like I would never forget. I knew this memory would never be blurry, I knew I'd remember every fucking second of it for the rest of my life.

When I opened the door, Dylan looked up, and my heart skipped a beat when I realized how vulnerable he looked with his sad eyes and his hands in his pockets. I was used to the confident and funny man who had been my rock for so many months. Now he looked exhausted and hurt.

"Can I come in?"

I nodded and licked my lips, moving away to let him in and I closed the door as he turned around to face me. We remained in front of each other just staring in each other's eyes until I moved my arm to show him the couch.

"Please, sit."

We kept silent for a few more minutes after sitting down and all I could hear was my heart thumping against my rib cage. I didn't know why he was there and I didn't want this conversation to turn bad. I knew what kind of person he was though and I knew it would most likely not end up in screams and insults, but he was with Heidi now, and I knew what she was capable of.

"I'm sorry, Olivia." he finally let out with a sigh before rubbing his eyes. "I'm sorry for bringing Heidi here yesterday. I mean, I didn't even invite her she sort of... invited herself. But that's not the point, I mean I knew how you felt about her and I promise I didn't do that to piss you off, or make you uncomfortable."

My lips parted and after a while, they curled slightly. "I know, don't worry about it." I just shook my head a bit. "But Dylan, are you serious? I mean Heidi? Really?"

"Does it bother you?" he asked with a sad smile as he looked up.

"No, it doesn't. You can date whoever you want it's just... I'm surprised. After all you said about her... After all we said about her." I corrected myself. "Just be careful okay?"

"Liv," he chuckled, raising his eyebrows. "I'm not gonna marry her. She just... eases the pain, I guess. Some sort of a rebound."

"Basically, you two fuck."

This time, he laughed and leaned against the couch. "Pretty much." he shrugged and put his gaze into mine, his smile faltering a bit. "She's no you, but she's not bad looking when naked."

This time, I let out a loud laughter that made him smile more. "As long as she keeps her mouth shut, maybe!"

"Yea, that doesn't happen often, unfortunately."

I laughed again and rolled my eyes before tilting my head and pressing my lips together, staring at him some more. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Dylan."

"No, I'm sorry." he lost his smile and closed his eyes for a few seconds before moving closer and leaning his elbows on his knees. I frowned, a bit stressed about why he was acting like that but when he sighed again, I held my breath. "I'm the one who told her. About you and Niall. I told her you cheated on me and that I said it was okay, and she asked when it was and she just.. connected the dots. It's my fault she made that instagram shit. I hope you can forgive me."

I swallowed hard still looking at him. I couldn't really blame him and I was a bit surprised that I didn't think that he could be the one who told her, especially after seeing them together a few days before. It was so obvious now and I mentally slapped myself for being an idiot.

"Done." I just replied with a small smile. "Anything else I can help with? World Peace? Starvation in third world nations? Anything?"

He laughed and sent me a small smile as I became more serious. I didn't want us to be on bad terms and yes, it felt weird to think that only a few weeks ago, we were supposed to get married, but we both needed to move on from that.

"Heidi and I we just... bonded over the fact that we felt betrayed, and we were sad and hurt, you know? We won't spend our lives together. I don't have feelings for her I'm just.. trying to move on."

I stared at him again, keeping quiet for a few minutes, not wanting to say something wrong. We had had good moments together, and I couldn't pretend I didn't miss him but at the same time, I didn't miss the love relationship we had. I was with Niall and no one else made me feel like he did. No one else ever did make me feel like Niall did, not even Dylan, whom I was ready to marry.

"I really hope it works, Dyl." I sent him a fond smile, tilting my head. "You deserve the best."

----

May 22nd, 2018

What woke me up in the middle of my nap in the afternoon was a soft piano melody and before my eyes even opened, my lips curled into a fond smile. I put my pants on and got out of bed, following the music and yawning a bit on my way as I tugged at my hair. When I entered the living room, Niall looked up and sent me a smile as he kept playing and finally licked his lips, taking his hand away from the keys and raised his eyebrows.

"How did sleeping beauty sleep?"

"I don't know about her," I started with an other yawn. "but I slept very well, thank you."

"I was talking about you, silly!" he chuckled. "You sleep all the time, and you're beautiful. This is now officially my new nickname for you."

I raised my eyebrows and my lips parted as he laughed. "If you call me that, I'll start calling you Neil."

I smiled when I saw him grimace and finally sat next to him on the small bench, facing the piano. I've always wanted to play and at the same time, i loved watching Niall play. If only I could be as talented as he was in something... anything, really.

"You're so damn good, I swear, I'm jealous."

"My piano skills are pretty basic."

"Lies!" I quickly replied, turning my head to look at him and raising my eyebrows. "You always say that and we both know it's bullshit." I turned back to the piano and placed my hands on the keys as if I knew what I was doing. "Here's a little something I can play for you.”

I let an amused smile appear on my lips and finally used just two fingers to play a short song on the piano, missing one or two notes as I did. When I turned back to him, he was smiling big, trying not to laugh.

"Is that 'Take Me Out To The Ball Game'?" he asked, unable to stop a chuckle from escaping his mouth. "Played with literally two fingers?"

"Don't laugh! I taught myself that."

He started laughing anyway and I raised my nose up, pushing his upper arm with mine and making him laugh even more. He smelled good and he looked gorgeous. I was trying not to think about the fact that he was leaving in a few days and when I looked up at him, he licked his lips.

"Do you want me to teach you?"

My lips curled into a happy smile but I tried to hide it by pressing them together before nodding. He chuckled and proceeded to take my hands and placed them over the keys. I tried to listen to his instructions but my mind drifted away after a while as I looked at his fingers slide gently on the keys for a while before my eyes moved on his arm and up to his chest and his face. I stared at his lips moving for a few seconds before blinking a few times as I tried to get out of my thoughts.

"Are you sleeping again?" he asked, raising his eyebrows with a smile.

"No... no I just..." I shook my head and chuckled. "Play that song. The one you had in hands in my dressing room. You said you needed a piano well there's one. I want to hear you sing."

"I was teaching you how to play darling." he pointed out, making me tilt my head.

"Play Niall, please."

He stared at me and I felt my heartbeats accelerate. I couldn't believe I was here with him and that he was looking at me like that. After a while, he just nodded and licked his lips before his fingers glided on the keys again.

"Maybe we are the champagne lovers Lay in the dark, we are stargazing now Well, I don’t like it.

Rolling the dice just to feel the thunder Deep in the heart of a downward spiral Falling, we’re falling.

We should twist the knife Put it all to bed, I Need to understand what it takes to love again

So come on love me when the lights burn low Meet me underneath the sheets Cause you got a hold of me baby, enough to pull me back in deep.

You used to love me when the lights burned low Now we’re tearing at the seams We‘ve both had enough of this, baby, so promise me that when you leave You won’t say you’ll come back to me.

Maybe we are the perfect strangers Only the stories left on paper now And I don’t like it.

We should twist the knife Put it all to bed, I Need to understand what it takes to love again

So come on love me when the lights burn low Meet me underneath the sheets Cause you got a hold of me baby, enough to pull me back in deep.

You used to love me when the lights burned low Now we’re tearing at the seams We‘ve both had enough of this, baby, so promise me that when you leave You won’t say you’ll come back to me.

Come back to me You won’t say you’ll come back to me."

I felt a tear roll down my cheek and swallowed the lump in my throat with difficulty. Silent came back in the room and slowly, I brought one of my hands to his cheek, brushing my thumb on it gently. I loved how some of the lyrics really fitted us, and I couldn't explain how perfect it was. He knew how to add things in songs that were only obvious to us two, and I needed to learn how to do that, because when it came to writing my tv show, I knew it was more and more obvious with time that it was based on my story with Niall.

"Those lyrics about the sheets..." I just whispered before licking my lips and sniffing.

"We've been hiding under the sheets since we were kids." he explained even if I already knew what it meant. "Just you and me, in our world. And now I realize that it was our world because you're my world."

I started seeing blurry because of the tears in my eyes and blinked again to let them slide down my cheeks. He brought his hand over mine on his face but his eyes never left mine.

"You're so full of shit, Horan." I just replied in a whisper with a small chuckle.

"I mean it." he quickly murmured before I pressed my lips against his.

He kissed me back deeply and his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to him. His lips parted against mine and he panted, making me whimper low. I let my hands slip under his shirt and I thought he was going to laugh at how impatient I was but instead, he moved slightly away, his lips still against mine.

"I'm gonna fucking miss you."

"How many times are we gonna tell that to each other." I whispered back, sliding my hands up his chest.,

He pulled away a bit to stare in my eyes and something twisted inside me. "I don't know, petal. Now too often I hope."

I pulled his shirt off and let it fall on the floor and I kept my lips pressed against his as he got up slowly, grabbing the hem of my shirt and taking it off too. He turned me around slightly, both his hands on my waist and when he kissed me harder, I leaned against the piano without thinking, hitting a few keys and making an horrible sound. We laughed against each other's mouths and I felt him pull my pants down, along with my panties. I wiggled slightly to take them off and pushed them away from us as I moved a bit and hit a few keys again but higher notes this time.

"Clumsy ass." he whispered with a chuckle.

"Hey it's your fault." I argued in a low tone before smiling wide.

I reached for his pants and unzipped them and when he took a step back, my eyes fluttered as I started at him. He took his pants off and when he pulled his boxers down, my lips parted slightly. I watched him sit back on the bench as I stood between him and the piano and he brought his hand to his dick, stroking it slowly. I ran my hand to my breasts as I stared at him and felt my heart jump in my chest at the sight.

He brought his free hand between my thighs and I propped one of my feet on the bench next to him before two of his fingers ran on my slit. He was staring at what he was doing and I let out a low whimper as his thumb found my clit. I was already turned on but feeling him touching me while looking at him touch himself was amazing and I licked my lips, moaning slightly louder.

"I just want to sit on your cock."

He let go of me but I noticed his fingers pressed harder around his cock as he looked up at me and it only took him a few seconds to make a quick head movement.

"Turn around and sit on me."

I felt my heart jump again and slowly did what I asked. I felt him spank me once as I held myself on the piano to sit slowly on him. His hand reached my right side as his left hand positioned his dick and I closed my eyes as I felt it slowly get deeper inside me until I was sitting completely on him.

"Fuck, bend down a bit."

I did as he asked, holding myself on the piano again and making an other unpleasant noise as I hit different keys. This time though, he didn't laugh. He ran his hands on my back, pushing on it gently again and he finally held my waist to help me move up and down on his cock very slowly, watching it slip almost completely out of me and then back inside me as I sat back on him a few times until he was balls deep.

"I fucking love watching my cock disappear in that pretty little cunt of yours." he admitted in a low tone before groaning low. "Fuck me, petal. Harder."

I started going harder as he asked and I tried to grip the piano with my fingers to get balance, my fingers making an annoying sound as they slid on it. My lips parted and I held my breath when I felt him push his thumb in my asshole and I let out a curse word, my movements faltering a bit.

"Don't you fucking stop." he just let out, spanking me with his free hand. "Nothing I want more than to cum deep inside you, pet. I want to feel you clench around me. Fuck, you're such a perfect little cumdump."

I held my breath at his words, feeling my whole body throb at the way he dirty talked to me, a bit surprised but aroused by his words. I was thinking about touching myself when I felt his arm slither around me to reach between my legs as the thumb of his other hand was still fucking my ass.

"You're gonna cum so hard, yea?" he asked, rubbing my clit and making me clench around him in motion. "All over my cock?"

I felt my eyes flutter and my head fell back slightly as I started shaking over him. He brought his arm around me to hold me against him as he kept rubbing my clit hard and fast and when I started cumming, he pushed me up slightly and started moving his hips up against me to reach an orgasm too. He only kept his tip inside me as he came and his fingers sank on both sides of my waist as he groaned loud.

"Fuck."

One of my hands fell on the keys again and I shut my eyes tighter as I got down from my high slowly. I felt one of his hands carress my back and he tapped my butt gently to incite me to get up, I felt his cum fall and when I turned around, some of it slid on my thighs while I bit my bottom lip, looking at his cum mixed with mine on his thighs.

It took him a few seconds to get up and he bent his head down to reach my lips with his. I heard the few notes from the piano as he kissed me and I chuckled against his mouth, making him smile.

"Loved it." he let out low with a smirk. "We literally just composed the best song ever together.”

I laughed and shook my head a bit, my lips brushing against his. "Yea, I don't think it's gonna be a hit." I admitted with an other laugh.

He laughed too and started kissing me slowly but deeply again until we heard the doorbell and both jumped. We both smiled and chuckled at the same time before the bell rang again and someone starting hitting the door quite roughly. I quickly rolled my eyes, knowing exactly who it was. and Niall frowned at me until we heard the voice.

"OLIVIA! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!" he yelled, making me laugh and roll my eyes. "PUT YOUR PANTS BACK ON AND COME OPEN THE DOOR!"

"Why does he always get here when we're naked?" Niall asked, making me laugh.

"Hey, it's Louis, I expect nothing less." I pointed out as I was putting my pants back. "I'll go see what he wants, you get dressed."

I put my shirt on as I walked to the front door before swinging it open and sending a big smile to my best friend. He opened his arms wide and it took me only half a second before throwing myself at him. He held me close and I buried my face in his neck as I felt his head lean gently against the side of mine.

"So glad to see you, my queen. I missed you." his voice was low and his words seemed sincere. I could hear emotions in his tone and it made me smile as I gripped the back of his shirt tightly.

"It's been weeks." I just let out, making him squeeze me tighter against him.

"Who's fault?"

"Mine." I confessed in a murmur. "I'm sorry it's just... Niall..."

"Yea I know, I was the same the first few months I was back with El."

We remained silent for a few seconds but when I felt Niall's presence close to us, I felt something melt inside me, like him being close made me emotional.

"Okay Tommo, let go of my girlfriend now."

I chuckled and pulled away, my lips curling more when my eyes met Louis'.

"Oh yea, I saw the video at the airport," Louis laughed, nodding. "Told you it was just a matter of time, right Neil?"

"Right."

My boyfriend groaned but didn't add anything and I moved to let Louis walk in and close the door behind himself. He was so close to me I felt his body heat emanate from him. Niall wrapped his arms around me from behind and I felt him lean his chin on my shoulder. Instinctively, I leaned my head against him and it made Louis roll his eyes with a laugh.

"Alright, double date tonight, we're going to eat, and maybe a movie or something." Louis let out quickly. "Non-negotiable, be ready in two hours, I drive."

He winked at me before turning around and opening the door he had barely just closed and walking quickly to his car. Niall and I both watched him start the car and drive aaway and after a while, I chuckled low and shook my head.

"He's so annoying." Niall admitted, mumbling under his breath.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun!"

Niall seemed to think for a few seconds and finally raised his eyebrows with an amused smile. "Okay, but you wear a skirt."

I rolled my eyes and laughed again, just shrugging. "Deal."

---

The restaurant was crowded and suddenly, I was scared people would take pictures and videos. I tried to push that thought away and tell myself it didn't matter but at the same time, I knew Niall liked to keep most things private so I tried not to touch him too much. I felt his hand on my naked thigh and smiled, pressing my lips together as I tried to ignore it.

"What are you wearing exactly?" Louis asked with a frown, leaning a bit against the table. "Is that a necklace with my friend Neil's face on it? How old was he back then? 12?"

"Funny." Niall let out sarcastically. "It's a gift from a fan and she won't take it off."

"That's a proof of love, Niall. Embrace it."

Eleanor rolled her eyes with a chuckle and I just laughed a bit. I looked at them and lost my smile suddenly. They were such a perfect and beautiful couple and it was a shame it had just hit me. I started wondering what people thought of the couple I made with Niall and I felt a bit nervous.

"We haven't done that in a while." Eleanor pointed out, taking a sip of her wine. "I know you've both been busy though. How's tour going? Not too hard being away from each other?"

"It's..." Niall started shaking his head.

"Hell." I finished his sentence.��

He turned his head to look at me before nodding slowly. "Exactly. But we manage."

And we did. It was not easy but we loved each other enough to actually want this to work and we both put effort into it. I knew Niall wouldn't always be on tour, and I wouldn't always be filming either. At some point, we would live together almost every day and I seriously couldn't wait. I could write from home, and he could do the same, and I knew it would go very well.

"Niall also asked me to move in with him!" I announced with a huge grin, raising my eyebrows. "About to move my stuff soon!"

I saw Louis' face change and he looked down at his plate before clearing his throat. "Really? When are you moving?"

I frowned when I noticed the emotions on his face but simply licked my lips. I didn't want to cause a scene, and I was not sure of how he felt, but knowing Louis, he was probably going to talk to me about it.

"Probably mid june, it's the only time Niall has a few weeks off. Then he'll be on tour for 3 months almost non-stop." I admitted, swallowing hard at the thought.

I didn't want to be away from him and at the same time, I didn't know if I really should follow him everywhere. I didn't want to be that kind of girl anymore but wanting to be with my boyfriend was not being needy, right? I also didn't really want to stay alone in his big house the whole time he'd be gone. It sounded quite sad.

We started discussing old memories, mostly those from the last tour, and I would roll my eyes when Louis would mention how bad I supposedly had it for Harry. I was pretty sure he knew I was in love with Niall even back then but he was trying to get a reaction out of Niall and I couldn't pretend I didn't find it a bit entertaining. Every time Louis would mention a memory of something romantic or sexual between Harry and I, Niall would squeeze my thigh without really realizing it.

I got up to go to the bathroom after a while and when I got out, Louis was waiting for me, his side leaned against the wall.

"Why are you always waiting for me next to the bathroom." I asked with a chuckle.

"I missed you, you know. I missed my best friend." he pointed out, ignoring my question. "And now you're gonna move in with him for the very first time and, I don't know, I feel betrayed."

I took a step closer to him and shook my head. "Louis, you were already supposed to be with Eleanor, remember?"

"That was when you were supposed to marry Dylan."

I tilted my head and sighed, licking my lips. "I know you hadn't changed your plans. I mean, you were going to live with El either way, and it's okay." I just explained. "I want to try it with Niall. I want it so bad, Louis. But we'll always be close, you and I. I think I need you more than you'll ever need me."

"One day every week."

"Mm?"

"I have to see you at least once a week." he specified. "Sometimes with Niall and El, sometimes just us two, but once a week. I'm not losing touch, you hear me?"

"I hear ya." I smiled and tilted my head.

"Good." he nodded, staring at me for a few seconds. "Are you sure you're ready for that? Moving in with Niall, I mean. It's not gonna be easy."

"I know. But I'm sure." I let out firmly. "He's my soulmate. He's always been. And apparently, I'm his soulmate too. Life couldn't get better than that."

#niall horan #niall horan smut #niall horan fluff #niall horan writing #niall horan fanfic #niall horan fan fic #niall horan fanfiction #niall horan fan fiction #niall horan story #my fanfics #yam

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bisexualshakespeare · 3 years

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my ao3 stats

i filled out half of these and then tumblr decided to clear out for no reason 😓

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

61 (if you filter out podfic and filk it’s only 17 that’s wild)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

102,700

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

It looks like over 40 but this is highly inflated due to podficcing collabs where my name is on things I didn’t actually do.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A Wedding of Errors - Teen Wolf Allison/Lydia Wedding Planner AU. First thing I finished that was a longer length (it’s just under 20k) and still probably the most romance of everything.

Not a Rebound - Supergirl Winn/James smut. First E fic I wrote I think. I just thought it was a great ship that needed more written about them. (and mechad brooks is very hot and i wanted to write about his abs)

No Time Like the Present - Young Justice Bart/Jaime. Bart gets traumatized by Blue Beetle Jaime but it’s okay because Jaime is great. I guess you could call it hurt/comfort? but that’s not what I tagged it with.

Handle With Care - HP Remus/Sirius hurt/comfort. I think this was my first podtogether! I just recorded it, all the love goes to the author!

Uninvited - Elementary gen fic. Co-wrote with a British author but I wrote Sherlock and she wrote Joan lol. Also two podficcers! Has ONE less kudos than handle with care.

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Garder le Silence - I don’t love the name but I couldn’t think of anything better at the time. HP gen fic of a PotterWatch broadcast. It announces the death of several people killed by death eaters and then everyone just sits there like oh shit...

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

I don’t know how to quantify the MOST HAPPY but maybe I Love You Too . It’s Teen Wolf, Jackson Character Study. It’s just several scenes of him telling people he loves them and ends with him and his adopted daughter.

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

No I usually prefer an AU to a crossover.

8. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I didn’t for the longest time and now I still mostly don’t, but I wrote 2 fics of Winn Schott Jr getting dommed and I’m working on another. Smut isn’t usually what I think of as a fic prompt but he’s just so fuckable 😔

9. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Sometimes I do but mostly don’t. It just doesn’t occur to me unless it’s a particularly long comment. From my formative fandom experience, people’s comment threads were usually for conversations so I only think about replying when I have more to add on.

10. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not that I remember but someone did comment on one of my Winn smut fics with “I shouldn’t like this but I do” which feels like a back handed compliment? but i still appreciate it lol

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I’m aware of but I haven’t checked

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah! A Wedding of Errors is available in Russian :)

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Only the above mentioned Elementary podtogether project, but I maintain some of the best parts of Wedding are there because of my beta @interropunct

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

(”ou”? the person who made this is british👀 )

Harry/Draco and any pairing that can be said to fit that dynamic.

15. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Probably the fic based on the fake book series I got obsessed with for a hot sec.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I have great grammar and sentence structure. I think the things I write are very readable in that they flow together.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

What are character voices?? What are transitions? How do you visual description?

18. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I don’t even know how to ask where the restroom is in other languages unfortunately. I like reading it in fic where it makes sense but I don’t think I would be comfortable doing it unless there was a really good reason and I had a beta who knew that language well.

19. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Hey Arnold when I was like 10 and it was terrible, like even at the time I knew it wasn’t good

20. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

This Haven musical fic I’m trying to post but I just need to finish the demo songs!!!

Anybody reading this please do it! <3

#tag game #fandom fun #long post

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scattered--pages · 5 years

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So I rewatched Frozer today, and holy hell, I’m not even sure how insanely Lukanette-strong this episode this, to the point that I don’t even know how aware of this even Astruc is? And I don’t only mean the romantic ice rink scene, I mean the episode as a whole serves as a huge sign that very strongly favors Lukanette and also Adrigami, and yes, I say this even considering the ending with Marinette running after Adrien and leaving Luka alone there at the ice rink entrance and even with her eyeing Kagami and Adrien a huge amount of time at the rink. Because it’s hers and Adrien’s words that actually count and explain some things a bit better, including some comments from Luka and Kagami.

This is gonna be a long and analytical ride, so get ready, my folks! ♡ * cracks knuckles *

1. After being rejected by Ladybug yet again, Adrien decides to gave a chance to another girl he spends a lot of time with and kind of likes and decides that it’s time to finally stop suppressing those feelings. Because when Plagg suggests it’s better to move on to someone else, he doesn’t say anything along the lines of “But I don’t have feelings for Kagami” or “But I will always love only Ladybug”, etc., no, Adrien actually says “Why should it be different with Kagami? Maybe I just have the wrong technique?” - meaning, he actually is envisioning a relationship her and he does see her as someone he could or does care about in a romantic way, he’s just afraid that, since Ladybug’s rejections kind of bruised his self-confidence a bit, why would Kagami do anything other than eventually reject him as well? So he doesn’t, as in a few other occasions, explicitly state that he has no romantic feelings for this person (khm, khm, as he does when teased or asked about his feelings for, among other people, a certain someone else), he lets Plagg know that he has actually already considered this possibility and that he is not against it at all, but rather just fears the same ending as with Ladybug.

2. I think that it’s extremely important to take the first note in mind when viewing the scene where he confides to Marinette that he needs help with a girl. Because, it does sound rather applicable to both Marinette and Kagami when Adrien describes, very clearly in a loving fashion in which you wouldn’t describe your best buddy-bud pal, the girl he likes with dark silky hair, deep eyes, with whom he’s been just friends but “...lately things have been different.” And as similar as this all is to Marinette, his close friend for a LONGER time, and much longer at that, than Kagami, with similar features, etc., he does not decide to switch his focus/target on Mari. He doesn’t seem to even consider her as a person he could romantically care for (not counting Chat Blanc when he ‘suddenly’ became aware of random heaps of feelings for her that he’s supposedly had all along when in fact, he’s never shown or said anything about it and he only ‘realizes’ this when he realizes she’s the other half of his beloved Ladybug). He, very clearly, chooses Kagami as his new focus. Out of all of his female friends and people he’s known longer than Kagami, people with whom he’s shared some sweet moments with even, like with Marinette, he still chooses Kagami and this still isn’t enough for him this entire time to consider Marinette as the goal of his new target transition. As much as it would make arguably more sense to a lot of people, and as much as he clearly likes the type of girls like her, appearance-wise, he still doesn’t choose her.

3. There is something very important Marinette says during her talk with her friends. “I always jumble my words around him, so how could I even manage going out on a date? I think we’re actually meant to be friends, whenever I talk to him as a friend, I actually hardly stammer at all, that’s a sign right there, right?” And YES, this is actually a very mature thing for a character in a cartoon, rather than in a more ‘serious’ TV show to say because it’s actually a very mature way of explaining which types of emotions are actually healthier and better for a basis of a proper romantic relationship. And not being able to talk to this person hardly at all for more than a year and getting reactions akin to panic attacks when this person even touches or looks or says something in your direction is something that’s cute for a few days... Weeks, maybe. But the entire time? Oof. And I know that she, I’m guessing, gets rid of her awkwardness when starting to date him in Chat Blanc, at least I hope that’s what’s implied, but a foundation like this to a relationship is not necessarily a really good one... Not when her behavior towards him shows clear signs of obsession rather than love in an alarming amounts of moments, and when her reactions to him are mainly her being stressed out, insecure and panicked increasingly around him through time instead of decreasingly, for well over a year. Now, this is all perhaps too realistic for the judgement of a TV animated series, but Astruc & co. can be serious with certain topics when they want to and portraying this as such only to use it as a comic-reel type of a cutesy, dorky, pre-dating crushing or whatever just makes no sense and ends up looking at the very least weird and at the worst unhealthy for our girl.

Because she can only really be herself with Adrien, and not even that entirely, when they’re just being friends. When anything more is suggested, that’s all at least partially lost, which, once again, oof... With Luka, however, even though she gets those normal shy moments when he looks at her a certain way, makes her blush or compliments her, she feels comfortable enough to remain herself pretty much the entire. time. she’s. with. him. Which is trough several points in the show even more so encouraged by Luka. Luka who fell for Marinette, the klutzy, shy, adorkable and supposedly ‘less perfect’ half of Ladybug. He didn’t need to know she’s Ladybug to love her. He fell in love, actual romantic love with her strongly and quickly just because of *claps* who *claps* she *claps* is. Shyness and clumsiness and all. And he just generally seems to really care about her happiness and well being and is capable of better assessing her emotions than even her best friend.

Even at the ice rink, when she gets twisted up and nervous in front of Adrien and even subconsciously mean towards the fact that he’s here with Kagami (The entire flat out “you have to let her fall thing”, what was up with that?? I mean, she corrected herself but, whut?? That wasn’t like Marinette at all!), to which Adrien is a bit confused and perhaps slightly worried but Luka takes care of her and takes the control of the situation so easily, just to make her feel better. “Try to be natural. Go with the flow and listen to the rhythm.”, and then he softly adds, “Just follow my lead.” , and Marinette, even though slightly smitten, seems to at least feel better and instantly a bit more composed, which than turns to her being completely relaxed with him on the ice. And yet he’s just the second choice/rebound guy and she’s supposed to end up with the other, arguably more confusing and problematic choice (at least viewed from a realistic human perspective?) BIG oof. Not a good sign and not a good message for kids out there, tbh if this is how they portray love and soulmates and how they portray what seems to be nice and lovely, but actually won’t be the ‘truest’ love in the end (meaning, for the latter, they obviously are, ironically, using Luka and Kagami - the HEALTHIER choices)...

4. Same goes for Adrien and his feelings for Ladybug and the comparison of his romantic dynamic with Ladybug and then with Kagami. Because his feelings for Ladybug only ever seem to get him down, he can’t even be happy for her that she has someone else she cares about, usually a big sign of just being ‘in love’ with a person or idolizing the person rather than ‘loving’ the person. Which, okay, this is a cartoon, and perhaps it shouldn’t matter, but unless the whole freakin’ thing is taken to the extreme and portrayed as one giant comedy crack cartoon and as long as some themes are adequately realistically addressed than this ends up as something that’s realistically understood as well and, once again, serves as a really bad example of what’s supposed to be the beginning of the ‘soulmate’ type of ‘true love’. While with Kagami, he just seems more... complete. More himself. When he comes in front of her slightly nervous, unsure of how to ask her for her hand, she’s ends up being the counter-balance to him (much like Luka with Mari) by calmly joking with him to make him feel more comfortable, tying his laces and taking him to the ice, so no further worries or stress necessary.

She’s like the yin to his yang, really, and her composure balances his more emotional, quirky, happy-go-lucky personality really wonderfully, even in moments when he needs an antithesis like this to help him because he’s feeling in doubt or down. And even now, he accepts her hand, smiles, and the situation just goes so well and nice for him because she, like several other times as well, was able to really perfectly compliment his personality with hers in a way that achieves both of them being happy, themselves and relaxed with each other. And Adrien sometimes does this for her, too, and I just think, much like Lukanette, that this is a really sweet and nice example of a proper young romantic relationship and it breaks my heart that, yet again, the better, more natural choice that makes the characters more happier is the secondary one that’s going to most likely end up with someone like Kagami and Luka be cast back into the friendzone and aside for Adrinette to... somehow? happen again.

5. Much like Adrien’s reaction to Kagami as someone new that he has feelings for, it was the same when Tikki questioned Marinette why she was upset. She didn’t say “Well, because Adrien only sees Kagami”, “Because it hurts me a bit to see them together”, etc., oddly enough, she doesn’t even address her feelings towards Adrien here, she immediately and only says, “I like Luka. He’s really nice, but... do you think he’s just like Adrien, just a friend?” By which she actually a) admits that she likes him, most likely as more than a friend due to the next part where she’s worriedly asking Tikki if, b) Luka is just like Adrien towards her, ‘just a friend’. Which is a huge thing and, once again, this could just be Astruc & co.’s way of messing with fans to stir up drama, but by now, this show, and these ships, have had way too many weird and not that healthy or the best examples of ‘romantic’ feelings and crushes for it to just constantly, 24/7 be a random array of stirring up the fans. I mean, knowing Astruc, it’s possible, but once again, if they’re repeatedly doing this with the love hexagon and the majority of these things, including the love square interactions shouldn’t be taken entirely seriously, that’s a bit of a silly thing to do in a show that, like I said, can be more decent and serious when it wants to, and it’s a really immature thing of a bunch of adult writers to do rather than dealing with actual character relationships and personality developments. I mean, I may sound harsh but, come on.

6. “There may be a certain chill now between us.” Once again, I just really don’t like the whole passive aggressive, jealous, pouty behavior that Chat displays in front of Ladybug to, supposedly, try to cause some reaction out of her in his favor and all while separating from her due to this when literal PARIS is at stake here atm. “We don’t always have to do everything together, you know! It’s not like we’re a couple!” That, especially in a situation like this is actually a very manipulative to do, because it seems that the other person deserves guilt-tripping and to feel bad simply for the fact that they are entitled to their own choices, that they simply don’t reciprocate your romantic feelings for them and that they want to be friends but just feel uncomfortable with you advancing with them so frequently even when knowing what the situation is. and while it’s okay and cute-ish for young crushes when it happens once or twice, this was far from being the only time he’s been like that with her and, for the who knows what time in this post: that ain’t love. That ain’t a good example. And that ain’t romantic or cute in the slightest. As someone who dated a guy who acted like that on a daily level, this is not something that should be romanticized or encouraged, but that’s just my opinion.

7. “You should go over and talk to him...” I know this goes without saying because a lot of people already really praise Luka for how selflessly and maturely he dealt with this, but I just have to add this because he is just. so. good to Marinette! And puts her emotions and needs in front of himself every time, even when it means she needs to potentially deal with some things in a way that might hurt him, he cares more about her and her getting her own happiness or at least closure rather than forcing his affections on her or insisting even on the smallest of things, like riding the subway together home. Nope, he cares, in a surprisingly mature and kind way, more about her in this moment, and in so many others, but I won’t elaborate in to too much details like I didn’t in some examples above either because this post is focused mainly around this episode.

And that, my dears, is the tea. Or at least my potentially overly-invested-in-this-show opinion.

DISCLAIMER: I mean no hate towards any character, I really love everyone from the love hexagon, I just really think some pairings within it are better for each other than others.

#ml salt #mlb salt #lukanette #kagami #frozer #episode analysis #ship analysis #luka couffine #marinette dupain cheng #kagami tsuguri

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cantwaitblog · 4 years

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Studying Abroad in London? Tips and Tricks for Thriving on a Student Budget!

In terms of partying, beauty, and entertainment, London is actually hiding a very important secret that not many people realize - if you're smart about it it's cheap! Here are the best, lesser known tricks to living a budget-friendly life studying abroad, while not sacrificing any fun.

1. Design My Night

Design My Night is a UK nightlife guide where you can discover bars, restaurants, pubs and events. Ranging from boozy brunches in a ball pit to a nice dinner by the Hudson - this website has everything. And the best part is, it has special student deals it advertises, most events don't even cost above 10£. On top of that, some events/venues offer free food or drinks when buying the vouchers from here. Overall, this website is a great way not only to know whats going on, but also for cheap tickets and entry.

2. Club Emails

Now this one may seem surprising, and it was something I stumbled upon completely randomly. All of the biggest clubs in London have email newsletters - and signing up will save you many £££. If you've heard of Ministry of Sound, Egg, and The Gallery, just to name a few, signing up is a lifesaver. Often times, these clubs will send out early access tickets which are cheaper, or even just free tickets. During Easter, I scored 10 free tickets to Ministry of Sound, which has been named the most popular club in the UK, and it was one of the best nights ever! Sometimes they'll even have raffles for tables at clubs. Normally, each club entry is around 20£ per person, so this is the smartest way to get into big night clubs that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere before!

3. Student Nights at Bars

Along with the emails, bars often have student nights. They're normally during the week - but we're studying abroad so it doesn't really matter right? During these nights entry is usually no more than 5£ and they have great drink deals. Here are a few of popular student nights:

Picadilly Instritute Throwback Thursdays: 8£ and 4£ jagerbombs + more

Roxy Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 4£ entry + happy hour all night like half priced pitchers

Cargo Tuesdays and Wednesday: FREE Entry and £2.50 drinks all night!!

4. Treatwell

If someone asked me what was the most surprising thing I found living in London, it would be this website. Treatwell is almost too good to be true! It has offers and discounts for every beauty service you could image. If you are someone who gets their nails done every two weeks, you'll actually save in London. I would get high quality full sets for 15£. Sometimes you may have to travel far out into zone 2, but hey its so worth it, and the double-decker bus rides were very enjoyable.

5. Travel Smart - Do the Math!

The last tip I want to share is assuming your going to want to explore the rest of Europe. Usually this includes flying EasyJet and Ryan Air for the cheapest flights , which honestly is not that bad in my opinion. The most inconvenient part about the ordeal is usually these airports include Stanstead or Gatwick Airport. Normally you can use the National Express Coach bus to get to these locations, however depending on how many people you are traveling with Uber could be cheaper! With six people coming back from Stanstead airport our Uber split between us was only 15£ compared to the 25£ for the bus. The train is even more costly at 30£ each way. When traveling throughout Europe, try FlixBus if your locations are close instead of flying! My friends and I took a 4 hour bus from Prague to Vienna for only 15 euros. It's a great way to see the country and taking buses saves airport transportation fees too, since buses usually travel from city center to city center. Costs add up so it is important you consider all the options when planning your trips.

I hope these tips were new and helpful. Currently, amidst Covid-19, I understand many people's study abroad plans have been halted or uncertainly suspended. I hope that we as a society, will rebound from this better than ever, and that those who are looking forward to studying abroad in London are able to go and enjoy their time there. Studying abroad in London was an amazing experience, so make sure to make the most of it. Saving and being cost efficient can help you enjoy more adventures inside the UK and out!

#london #uk #study abroad #study #study tips #travel tips #travel #travel blog #journey #experiences #adventure #student #budget #budget travel #travel cheap #cheap #saving

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newstfionline · 4 years

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Headlines: Saturday, October 3, 2020

An ‘Awe Walk’ Might Do Wonders for Your Well-Being (NYT) Consciously watching for small wonders in the world around you during an otherwise ordinary walk could amplify the mental health benefits of the stroll, according to an interesting new psychological study of what the study’s authors call “awe walks.” In the study, people who took a fresh look at the objects, moments and vistas that surrounded them during brief, weekly walks felt more upbeat and hopeful in general than walkers who did not. The findings are subjective but indicate that awe walks could be a simple way to combat malaise and worry. They also underscore that how we think and feel during exercise can alter how the exercise alters us. There already is considerable evidence, of course, that exercise, including walking, can buoy our moods. Past studies have linked increased physical activity to greater happiness and reduced risks for anxiety, depression and other mental ills. Feeling a sense of awe also seems to up our overall feelings of gladness and improve health. A somewhat nebulous emotion, awe generally is defined as the sense that you are in the presence of something larger and more consequential than yourself and that this something is mysterious and ineffable.

Trump flown to military hospital (AP) Stricken by COVID-19, a feverish and fatigued President Donald Trump was flown to a military hospital Friday night where he was given remdesivir following treatment with an experimental drug at the White House. The White House said Trump’s expected stay of “a few days” at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center was precautionary and that he would continue to work from the hospital’s presidential suite, which is equipped to allow him to keep up his official duties.

Americans Increasingly Believe Violence is Justified if the Other Side Wins (Politico) At the presidential debate this week, the Republican candidate voiced his concern about political violence—left-wing political violence. And the Democratic candidate likewise voiced concern about political violence—right-wing political violence. They were both right. Our research, which we’re reporting here for the first time, shows an upswing in the past few months in the number of Americans—both Democrats and Republicans—who said they think violence would be justified if their side loses the upcoming presidential election. This growing acceptance of the possibility of violence is a bipartisan movement. Our data shows that the willingness of Democrats and Republicans alike to justify violence as a way to achieve political goals has essentially been rising in lockstep. Here’s what we’ve found: Among Americans who identify as Democrat or Republican, 1 in 3 now believe that violence could be justified to advance their parties’ political goals—a substantial increase over the last three years. In September, 44 percent of Republicans and 41 percent of Democrats said there would be at least “a little” justification for violence if the other party’s nominee wins the election. Similarly, 36 percent of Republicans and 33 percent of Democrats said it is at least “a little” justified for their side “to use violence in advancing political goals”—up from 30 percent of both Republicans and Democrats in June.

Number of Americans who have no trust in mass media hits record high (Gallup) At a time when Americans are relying heavily on the media for information about the coronavirus pandemic, the presidential election and other momentous events, the public remains largely distrustful of the mass media. Four in 10 U.S. adults say they have “a great deal” (9%) or “a fair amount” (31%) of trust and confidence in the media to report the news “fully, accurately, and fairly,” while six in 10 have “not very much” trust (27%) or “none at all” (33%).Gallup first asked this question in 1972 and has continued to do so nearly every year since 1997. Trust ranged between 68% and 72% in the 1970s, and though it had declined by the late 1990s, it remained at the majority level until 2004, when it dipped to 44%. After hitting 50% in 2005, it has not risen above 47%.

California milestone: 4 million acres burned in wildfires (AP) California is poised to hit a fearsome milestone: 4 million acres burned this year by wildfires that have killed 30 people and incinerated hundreds of homes in what is already the worst fire season on record. Flames have scorched an area larger than Connecticut and fire crews at a blaze in the northern wine country were on high alert as forecasters warned of red flag conditions of extreme fire danger into Saturday morning. Winds up to 30 mph (48 kph) were forecast to push through the hills in Napa and Sonoma counties as the Glass Fire, exploded in size earlier in the week, continued to threaten more than 28,000 homes and other buildings. “It’s a time of nervousness,” said Paul Gullixon, a spokesman for Sonoma County.

Hope in the haze (Poynter) In mid-September, as fires spread across Oregon, photojournalist Beth Nakamura headed to an evacuation site in Springfield. The air was thick with smoke at Springfield High School thanks to the Holiday Farm Fire. She found tables set up with food and clothing as she walked around, getting a sense of the site. Outside, behind the bleachers and onto the field, she saw something else. Belle, Batman and Superman were playing recess games. “It was like a mirage,” Nakamura said. The story she wrote the next morning captured that. “Against the backdrop of this grim, bewildering landscape, Belle sits on a bench and, with cheer and calm, begins to read. ‘All of us in this castle were put under a strange spell some years ago by a powerful enchantress,’ she tells the child seated next to her. ‘I’ve seen you in the movies,’ the young girl says, transfixed.” Amid staggering catastrophe, people are everywhere helping people. At a Holiday Farm fire evacuation site, a few dressed up as characters to comfort & entertain children.

Hundreds of earthquakes continue to rattle Southern California, USGS says (Sacramento Bee) Swarms of earthquakes continue to rattle the Salton Sea area in Southern California, with more than a dozen sizable quakes since midnight, the U.S. Geological Survey reported Thursday. Most of the tremors are below 3.0 magnitude, but a few earthquakes registering over 4.5 magnitude have been recorded, the USGS reports. The agency had recorded at least 240 quakes by Wednesday night. The quake swarms “are located in an area of diffuse seismic activity between the San Andreas fault in the north and the Imperial fault to the south,” the USGS says. Previous swarms happened in 1991 and 2012. The swarm most likely will continue for several days, possibly including quakes up to 5.4 magnitude, but there’s a slim chance of a major earthquake registering 7.0 magnitude or higher, the agency says.

New Layoffs Add to Worries Over U.S. Economic Slowdown (NYT) The American economy is being buffeted by a fresh round of corporate layoffs, signaling new anxiety about the course of the coronavirus pandemic and uncertainty about further legislative relief. Companies including Disney, the insurance giant Allstate and two major airlines announced plans to fire or furlough more than 60,000 workers in recent days, and more cuts are expected without a new federal aid package to stimulate the economy. With the election a month away, an agreement has proved elusive. The White House and congressional Democrats held talks on Thursday before the House narrowly approved a $2.2 trillion proposal without any Republican support. It was little more than a symbolic vote: The measure will not become law without a bipartisan deal. After business shutdowns in the early spring threw 22 million people out of work, the economy rebounded in May and June with the help of stimulus money and rock-bottom interest rates. But the loss of momentum since then, coupled with fears of a second wave of coronavirus cases this fall, has left many experts uneasy about the months ahead.

Subway’s bread (Foreign Policy) The Irish Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the bread used by the popular fast food sandwich chain Subway can no longer legally be classified as bread due to its high sugar content, saying it is closer to a “confectionary or fancy baked good.” The case emerged after a Subway franchisee insisted it shouldn’t have to pay a value-added tax on the bread because it is a staple food, which doesn’t require the payment of taxes in Ireland. The law, however, states that in order for a food to be considered a staple, sugar cannot exceed 2 percent of the weight of the flour. Subway’s bread contains 10 percent sugar.

Europe moves to sue Britain over breaching Brexit withdrawal deal (Washington Post) The European Union launched legal action against Britain on Thursday, saying Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s attempt to rewrite the Brexit withdrawal agreement was “by its very nature a breach of the obligation of good faith.” In Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said legislation now moving through Parliament was in “full contradiction” to Britain’s previous guarantee to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland. The E.U. is now sending a “letter of formal notice,” which could lead to a legal showdown in the European Court of Justice. Britain has a month to reply. Government ministers earlier acknowledged that their domestic legislation would violate international law. A British government spokesperson said Thursday, “We will respond to the letter in due course.”

After 2 Years of Paralysis, Belgium Forms a (Very Fragile) Government (NYT) For nearly two years, Belgium has been without a formal government, leaving a country that was already divided by language and politics to endure a pandemic with lame-duck caretakers wielding emergency powers. A fragile coalition government finally took power on Thursday, ending one of the longest political stalemates in the Western world. Cobbled together from seven political parties, the partnership keeps a growing far-right movement at bay for now and should allow the country to finally pass a budget and consider a Covid-19 recovery package. But the transition, which is set to be formally adopted by lawmakers this weekend, is not without risk. The governing coalition is now so large that any disagreement has the potential to topple it. And ushering in a new government means forcing out the ministers who have overseen the pandemic response—at a time when infections and hospitalizations are rising.

France announces new coronavirus restrictions as covid-19 cases rise (Washington Post) The French government Thursday announced a set of measures it said it was ready to impose to contain a rapid resurgence of the coronavirus. For weeks, the country has relied on a regional system to implement restrictions in areas where transmission rates of the virus are high. On Thursday, Health Minister Olivier Véran said Paris could soon join the “maximum” risk category, which would mean another complete shutdown of bars, restaurants and cafes. Some cities, notably Marseille, are already on the list. Paris so far has avoided further restrictions since a lockdown was lifted in mid-May. But Véran said that in the last 24 hours, the capital crossed multiple thresholds that make it a maximum-risk environment.

Vatican snubs Pompeo (Foreign Policy) Pope Francis declined to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his visit to the Vatican on Thursday over concerns that doing so could drag him into the U.S. presidential election. “Yes, he asked [to meet with Francis,]” said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, “But the pope had already said clearly that political figures are not received in election periods. That is the reason.” Pompeo has been pressing the Vatican to condemn China’s human rights abuses, especially in Xinjiang province. Despite not getting an audience with Francis, Pompeo still met with other senior Vatican officials, discussing religious freedom as well as their differences on China.

Harvest workers among COVID world’s last regular travelers (AP) Her hands were hardly visible, so quickly did they press the clippers before dropping grape clusters into red plastic bins. Some distance behind her, in the next row over, Italian students subbing in due to a pandemic-fueled worker shortage tried vainly to catch up. Alexandra Ichim had never worked in vineyards before traveling to Italy’s Lombardy region for the September grape harvest, known in Italian as the vendemmia—the pay is too low in Romania and the working conditions too harsh, she says. For the Italian work, the 20-year-old came on a 12-hour bus ride and returned by plane to her native Arad region when the harvest was done. Eastern European seasonal workers, led by Romanians, are considered essential to getting food on the table throughout the continent. Their willingness to work hard in uncertain jobs for lower wages is sought after abroad, and their income is desperately needed at home. At a time when travel for work is seen as dangerous for everyone, they are among the world’s last regular border-crossers. Around one in five Romanians works abroad. Italy is the top destination for 1.2 million of them, with France and Spain not far behind. Workers can make around 1,200 euros a month working eight-hour days during the vendemmia in Italy, versus around 700 euros for a month of 10-hour days in Romania.

Withdrawal or nothing (Foreign Policy) Azerbaijan has raised the stakes in its ongoing clashes with Armenia, demanding that the country withdraw from the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh as a necessary condition to restoring peace. “We have only one condition,” said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, “the Armenian armed forces must immediately and definitely leave our lands in full force. If the Armenian government complies with this condition, the fighting and bloodshed will stop.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country has strong cultural and military ties to Azerbaijan, echoed Aliyev’s statement while pledging Turkey’s full support for its “brother country.” Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a commander of Turkish-backed rebels in Syria reported that Turkey has facilitated the transfer of hundreds of Syrian fighters from Syria to Azerbaijan; the Turkish government denies the allegation.

Indian phones to have government software installed (Times of London) India is said to be considering a plan to make it mandatory for almost all new mobile phones to have government software pre-installed, raising the prospect of the state being able to closely monitor citizens. The proposal is part of a wider plan for the country to establish its own app store, independent of those offered by Apple and Google, according to The Economic Times, citing unnamed government sources. It would involve pre-loading government apps on to Android phones, which account for 96 per cent of the market in India. One such app is Namo, which allows supporters of Narendra Modi, the prime minister, to view videos of his speeches.

Coronavirus sparks Philippines online barter trade (Reuters) In the middle of a coronavirus lockdown in the Philippine capital, Grace Lagaday was struggling to breastfeed her newborn without milk storage bottles and nursing pads. With shopping centres shut and public movement restricted, Lagaday turned to a centuries-old method of trade with a new tech twist: online bartering. A search of Facebook barter trade groups found the supplies she needed for her baby girl and they were in Lagaday’s hands the next day, in return for bags of M&Ms chocolates and a jar of Nutella spread. “For a mom who gave birth during this pandemic season, bartering helped me find good deals for my baby.” Lagaday, who has since traded clothes hangers for five kilograms of rice and an electric mosquito killer for two litres of cooking oil, is among hundreds of thousands of Filipinos who have joined Facebook barter groups in recent months. Reuters has identified just over 100 barter groups, some with as many as a quarter of a million members, have sprung up since the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, home to half its 107 million population, entered a hard lockdown in mid-March that lasted two months.

#headlines #news

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blurglesmurfklaine · 4 years

Text

Cornelia Street (8/9)

(+ an interlude i thought of after reading “Reeni”s comment. Idk who you are bc it was a guest comment, but thank you!)

A/N: oh my god they were quarantined

yes. It’s one of those fics.

AU, obvs

I’m posting as I go and idk how many parts this is going to be, likely won’t be very long but I literally don’t know what I’m doing and should i be starting yet another WIP? definitely not but fuck it lets fucking go

Title is from T-swizzles Lover album, I’m OBSESSED

Summary: Three years ago, Kurt and Blaine went on a disaster of a date and never quite got off on the right foot. Now, just before they graduate from NYADA, there’s a national outbreak and they’re both self-quarantined in a mutual friend’s apartment.

Read On AO3

On Tumblr: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

Interlude

QueenJCedes replied to your story!

Kurt bites back a dopey grin when he opens Mercedes’s snapchat message. It’s a photo of her looking dubiously at the camera, a single eyebrow pointed up, with the caption: Quarantine buddies, huh?

He snaps back a quick photo of himself, eyes rolled upwards. What can I say, he won me over.

She sends back just a message this time—

Mercedes: Yeah, clearly. Mercedes: Head over feet, Alanis style!

—and then a bitmoji of Kurt falling through the air.

Kurt: I mean… You’re not wrong Kurt: He’s sort of everything Kurt: AND a fantastic kisser

Mercedes: OMG REALLY? I was just teasing, but if this is legit, I’m so happy for you!!!

He can’t help but giggle excitedly as he types a reply.

Kurt: Yeah. me too.

New Snap from setroutymouth

Blaine rolls his eyes but still can't school the smile on his face into a neutral expression. This is going to be a lot, he already knows, but nevertheless, he swipes his thumb across the screen to unlock his phone.

Sam’s pacing through Mercedes’s childhood home in Ohio, phone in selfie mode, already rambling at a hundred miles a minute that Blaine’s sure he cut off a few words.

“—cedes just showed me Kurt’s snapchat story and I AM LOSING IT! Did something happen between you two? Oh my god, something totally happened, didn’t it!? BLAINE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED MERCEDES WON’T TELL ME AND I ALREADY FINISHED EVERY BINGABLE SHOW ON NETFLI—”

As expected, it was a lot. But still not enough to burst his happy little bubble. He doesn’t think anything could, at this point.

Through his smiles, he snaps back a picture of himself shrugging, trying to look as clueless as possible, and adds the caption: I have no idea what you’re talking about.

It’s not even a full moment before he gets another video back.

“BLAINE ANDERSON I AM BEGGING YOU—”

Blaine locks his phone shut, mostly because he knows it’ll drive Sam crazy. He can respond later. Right now, there are more important matters at hand.

Blaine’s in the kitchen, putting away what was left of the carton of Cookie Two-Step ice cream they’d demolished while watching another Netflix romcom, when Kurt’s phone lights up.

New Message: From: Adam I saw your sc story You know you could just be *my* quarantine buddy When are you coming?

Kurt actually growls as he types out a reply. How did he put up with this for nearly three years?

New Message: To: Adam I’m not.

Kurt. We both know how this ends.

Not this time. I meant it. We’re done.

Okay, whatever you say I’ll check in with you later When you change your mind

Kurt doesn’t even warrant that with a response, he’s too seething mad to even formulate one with enough bite to put Adam in his place.

But then the door opens, Blaine’s beaming at him, and Adam is completely irrelevant.

“I was just thinking,” Blaine muses aloud, slipping under the covers and snuggling up next to him in a way that Kurt knows will be way too easy for him to get used to. “Do you remember our Junior year when we had to partner up during Stagefighting for that Musical Choregraphy project?”

Kurt explodes into laughter. “Uh, yeah, that was pretty ridiculous. I remember hearing from Matthew that you said I dance like a pigeon that’d been chewed up and spit out by a cat.”

“What!?” Blaine exclaims, shocked. “I swear I never said that. Though, I do remember going on a tangent about how I didn’t know how I was supposed to concentrate when you insisted on wearing those pants with that tight fitted shirt and…”

He trails off, and Kurt can feel color rising to his cheeks. “Oh, that explains it, actually.”

“Explains what?”

“Matthew. He had a huge crush on you.”

Blaine’s eyes double in size. “He what!?”

Kurt lets out a chuckle. “You seriously didn’t know?”

“No! Nobody told me!”

“That’s not how crushes work, Blaine,” Kurt says through a stream of giggles.

“Okay, why does it make more sense for me to just take a wild guess about how people feel about me instead of them telling me, or acting on it? Like, if you hadn’t have kissed me earlier, I would have never known how you felt and kissed you back.”

Kurt opens his mouth to argue that logic, but… he seriously cannot get over how oblivious Blaine is. “So you’re saying that if I hadn't accidentally kissed you then you really wouldn’t have known how I feel?”

“Yeah. And I would most definitely not have acted on my crush.”

“Aw,” Kurt teases. “You used to have a crush on me. That’s embarrassing.”

“And you watch too much Parks and Rec.”

“I’m gonna kiss you again, now,” he announces.

Blaine just grins, eyes crinkling at the sides. “I think that’s a great idea.”

There wasn’t much of a choice because of the shelter in place, but based on the bright spark forming in his chest when their skin meets, Kurt could definitely get used to this living situation.

Blaine finally pulls away reluctantly. If he could stay attached to Kurt forever, stay connected to him, he would. He roams his eyes over Kurt’s face, like he could memorize it if he really, really tried, and notices a scar just above his eyebrow. It would be invisible to anyone else, anyone who wasn’t trying to intentionally map out the image of Kurt.

The scar doesn’t bother Blaine, but the idea that someone ever hurt Kurt bad enough to leave physical evidence that refuses to leave tugs achingly at his heart. Instinctively, he takes his hand from where it rests on the side of Kurt’s face, and gently traces over the scar with the pad of his index finger soothingly, as if it hasn’t been healed for years.

“Sophomore year… two years ago,” Kurt’s murmuring refocuses his attention.

That was a hazy time for Blaine, but he does have a vague memory of hearing from a friend of a friend that Kurt spent some time in the hospital, and he definitely remembers his rival-slash-partner being missing from their stage acting class for a while.

“What happened?” He asks.

Kurt is so calm, so steady when he answers. It leaves him in awe. “It was when all those gay bashings were happening…” he pauses, and Blaine immediately feels sick to his stomach because he knows where this is heading. “I was on my way home from school and saw these guys attacking some teenager, and… I had to help. I ran over and started shoving them, I guess. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but the kid got away. I didn’t. The last thing I remember after that was what I think might’ve been a brick hitting my head.”

“Jesus,” Blaine breathes. His initial reaction is to say I’m sorry, but something tells him that Kurt isn’t sorry about it at all. Instead, he says, “I had no idea. That–that was really brave of you.”

Kurt snorts out a laugh. “I’m glad you think so. I spent most of my hospital stay being berated by my dad about how irresponsible it was.”

“No,” Blaine shakes his head. “If anything it was over-responsible.”

“I’m not convinced that’s a word.”

“Me neither,” Blaine says breathlessly, amber gaze fixed on the boy lying across from him.

He really just can’t help but pull them together again.

Blaine thinks Kurt is opening his mouth to deepen the kiss and, well, he’s certainly not going to complain. Until Kurt sucks in a deep breath and turns his head, chuckling through his yawn.

“Sorry, I really thought I could hold that yawn in.”

Blaine lets out a laugh of his own and glances over at the analog clock on the nightstand. “It’s only midnight, you grandpa,” he teases.

“Hey! Doing nothing all day is seriously draining.”

“I wouldn’t call what we did nothing,” Blaine says cheekily, causing Kurt to flush.

“I’m going to shower before I head to bed,” Kurt responds, sitting up and lifting his arms up over his head and exposing an inch or so of his midriff.

Blaine is trying so hard not to stare. Nevertheless, he can’t help it as he watches Kurt saunter off to the restroom.

He tosses his head back onto the pillow with a satisfied grin on his face. Global crisis it may be, but if he got Kurt Hummel out of it… he could complain about worse things.

A bright ding from his right interrupts his thoughts. Blaine turns his head and sees the screen of Kurt’s phone light up, resting there on the nightstand.

He’s not snooping. He’s really not. It’s just sort of instinct to look in the direction of the sounds.

Then, he sees the succession of messages that make his stomach churn.

New Message: From: Adam Hurry and finish up with the rebound already I miss you Text me when you’re on your way

He stares at the screen for a few seconds before it fades back to black, feeling absolutely sick to his stomach. Of course Kurt was going to run back to his ex the first chance he got. It’s exactly what he did three years ago and Blaine was just kidding himself. This was all too good to be true.

Turns out it wasn’t.

Before he knows it, he’s grabbing his duffel bag and dialing Quinn’s number.

He’s always welcomed there and New Haven isn’t all that far, after all.

Part 9

#klaine #glee #kurt hummel #blaine anderson #klaine fanfiction #wow look at me im writing!#cornelia street

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hookedonapirate · 5 years

Photo

A Glimmer of Hope

Banner by: @resident-of-storybrooke. Thank you so much for making this, Tori! You are the sweetest!

Summary: Killian returns home from visiting his brother, looking forward to asking a question that will change his life. That day, his life is indeed changed. Just not in the way he expected.

A/N: This ended up being really long, but there was not a good place to split it up, so here's the last chapter. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

Rated: M for violence, language and smut

Catch up: Ch 1 I Ch 2 I Ch 3 I Ch 4 I Ch 5 I Ch 6

Also on: A03 I FF.N

Chapter 7

Cake flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, butter and oil, eggs, buttermilk, red food coloring. These are just a handful of the ingredients he needs to make the perfect red velvet cake. The perfect red velvet cake Mary Margaret has been kind enough to help him make. He’s never made a cake before, so she gave him her recipe and offered to come over and help him with it. But he was determined to make it himself, so he took down several notes as she explained the specific techniques she uses, like how she separates the egg whites and whips them before folding the whites into the batter, and how she uses both butter and oil for a moist, soft, cakey texture, and a buttery flavor. She also explained how to make the frosting that pairs nicely with red velvet cake—cream cheese frosting. She told him to add a pinch of salt to offset the sweetness and to chill the frosting for twenty minutes so it will hold its shape before he slathers the white sugary goodness on the cake. He also watched several cake-making tutorials on YouTube to see how cakes are put together.

When the cake is finished, it looks nowhere near perfect, and he’s sure it doesn’t taste nearly as good as Mary Margaret’s, but he sure as hell tried. While the cake is setting in the refrigerator, he cooks the lasagna, another recipe Mary Margaret had gladly handed over to him. She even gave him some fresh tomatoes she picked from her own garden for the sauce, which he found out is her secret ingredient. Fresh garden tomatoes. Who would have thought that would make a huge difference, but it really does. And now Killian gets to replicate it. Okay, maybe not exactly, but he’s sure it will be a close second.

So, why did the lasagna have to perfect, or at least close to perfect? Why did he want to use Mary Margaret’s fresh garden tomatoes to replicate the best lasagna dish that ever existed? And why did he need the cake to be perfect? Why did the cake have to be red velvet, why did it have to have the perfect, light, soft-crumbled texture, why did the frosting have to be silky and sweet, but not too sweet? Why did he have to combine the perfect dinner dish with the perfect cake? Why did he have to go to the jewelry store and pick out the perfect piece of jewelry? Why did the apartment have to be neat and tidy, and why did he have to be so finicky about his outfit for the evening, even though he’s not dressed up per se, but wearing his best pair of jeans and his red dress shirt with a black vest? Why was he so nervous about tonight?

Easy. It’s his best friend’s birthday. And he wants tonight to be perfect. Hence, he made her favorite dish, baked her favorite cake, and he picked out a bracelet that fits her style perfectly. He did all of these things because she is perfect. The perfect roommate, the perfect best friend, the perfect woman. She told him not to make a fuss about her birthday and that she just wanted to come home and relax after a long day at work, so he decided to throw a party of two. He knows she won’t mind if it’s just the two of them.

He and Emma have been roommates and best friends for six months. Six. Amazing. Months. The decision to move in together was easy. They both needed a place to live and they had both agreed to remain friends since they didn’t want to be each other’s rebound. That would have been an ugly situation, and Killian didn’t want to take advantage of Emma. It’s the very last thing he wanted to do. So he settled on being friends. Okay, settled is not the appropriate word. He thoroughly enjoys their friendship.

They talk about everything and do everything together; they go out to lunch and go shopping together. They share the chores around the apartment, they cook together, they’ve spent many nights binge-watching t.v. shows and having movie marathons on the sofa together. Some nights, they even share a bed together, but it took Killian a few months to trust himself enough to not molest Emma in her sleep after the whole incident at her brother’s place.

He’s surprised he never received a fist in the face from David for that. He’s also surprised the Nolans forgave him when they learned Emma and Killian actually met the day they agreed to let him stay at their place. But they couldn’t blame him because he’d told Emma he didn’t want to impose on them, and she was too stubborn to listen. He doesn’t blame her though because she was trying to help him. And he’ll appreciate that gesture until the day he dies.

When neither of them is working, he and Emma are inseparable. The only things they haven’t done together is shower and engage in other enjoyable activities in bed, but he’s totally okay with that. He’s completely in love with his best friend, but that’s neither here nor there. He’s not about to fuck up what they have by admitting his feelings to her, because what they have is too damn good.

Killian grabs two oven mitts and takes the pan of lasagna out of the oven once it’s done. The cheese is bubbling as he sets the pan on the counter. He inhales through his nose, taking in the delicious aromas of fresh tomato sauce, Italian sausage and a mixture of different types of cheeses. If it tastes half as good it looks and smells then he’ll be extremely happy.

He’s smiling in success as he hears keys jingling outside the apartment and the sound of the door opening. He pulls off the mitts, setting them on the counter and strides across the kitchen to meet Emma at the door.

When she steps inside, she looks completely drained from working at the station. She immediately pulls off her boots and when she rises, he can see the tiredness in her jaded, green eyes, which seem to spark to life when she catches a whiff of the lasagna, a weak smile pulling at her lips.

“You made lasagna?”

“I did.” He graces her with a warm smile and leans in, kissing her on the cheek. “Happy birthday Emma.”

Her smile widens and she draws him into a hug, their arms wrapping around one another. “You know you didn’t have to, right?”

Killian chuckles against her, murmuring in her ear. “I knew you would say that. I also knew I didn’t have to. I wanted to.”

She squeezes him tightly, and he groans playfully, pretending to be squeezed to death. She laughs and swats him playfully. “Thank you, Killian.”

He pulls his lips away from her ear to face her, his hand tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re welcome, love.” He lifts his head to press a kiss to her forehead. “Now go and get dressed into something comfortable. You look beat.”

Emma smiles as they pull away, and she lowers her gaze, taking in his outfit before returning her eyes to his. “But if I wore something comfortable, I’d be in my PJs. And you’re all dressed up, I’d feel underdressed, but honestly my PJs sound so good.”

He chuckles. “Love, you are not allowed to eat your birthday dinner in anything other than your PJs. How does that sound?”

Emma laughs and doesn’t seem to be opposed. “Sounds perfect.”

“Good, now go before I eat all the lasagna myself,” he teases.

She starts making her way past him. “I’m going,” she says and spins around when she’s halfway across the room, pointing a finger as she continues to walk toward her bedroom. “Don’t you dare start without me,” she warns with a big smile.

He smirks playfully, his eyes flashing with a bit of mischief. “I would never dream of starting anything without you.”

“Good.” She turns around again and disappears into the hall.

Killian goes into the kitchen and grabs two plates and a spatula, dishing out the lasagna. He takes the food to the coffee table and returns to the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of red wine and two glasses. He sits on the couch, lighting some candles, and he’s filling the glasses with wine when Emma appears in the room, donning a frail smile.

She looks absolutely stunning.

She’s wearing a pale pink tank top and a pair of white pajama shorts with pink hearts, her long, golden curls spilling over her shoulders as she plops down on the couch next to him, her eyes widening as she takes in the view of the lasagna, the wine and the candles. “Wow, I really feel underdressed now.”

He sets down the wine bottle and turns his head toward her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her temple. “You look perfect.”

Emma’s blushing as he pulls away. “Thanks.” She gazes at him wistfully, and her eyes start to well up with tears. She looks like she might cry as her eyes return to the display on the coffee table. “Thank you, Killian, this is so great.”

“This is just the beginning, love.”

She lifts a thin brow in bewilderment. “There’s more?”

Killian chuckles and leaves the room to retrieve the gift he got for her. He was going to wait until after dinner, but now’s as good a time as any. A minute later, he’s reclaiming his spot next to Emma as he hands her the gift.

Her eyes widen as she sees the rectangular-shaped gift encased in gold wrapping paper. “Did you wrap this yourself?”

He nods. “Aye.” He smirks and holds up his hands. “You’d be surprised what I can do with these hands.”

Killian notices the light tint of pink in her cheeks and a hint of a smirk on her lips, as though she wouldn’t mind finding out what exactly what he’s capable of doing with those hands. She carefully peels the wrapping paper away, not wanting to ruin the beautiful wrapping paper. She opens the slim black box to find the beautiful, silver charm bracelet inside. Her eyes widen, a gasp leaving her lips as she takes the bracelet out of the box, fingering the different charms.

Emma laughs once she realized what he’s done. “Each charm fits my style.”

He grins, “Aye, it has all your favorite things.”

He had chosen each charm specifically to mirror her tastes. A buttercup, which is her favorite flower, a horse, her favorite animal and a pair of Uggs, which are her favorite type of boots. The bracelet has a Volkswagen bug for the vehicle she drives, a deputy badge for her new job and a swan for her last name. It also has a heart-shaped charm inscribed with her name. But his favorite charm is the one she’s currently looking at, her thumb brushing over it. A tear slides down her cheek. “You included our friendship…”

Killian’s heart flutters. He loves that she noticed what the pair of hands holding onto one another meant. It symbolizes their friendship, and Emma only had to glance at it to know that. “Aye, love, I did. How could I forget such an important aspect of your life?” he asks playfully, hoping she agrees.

Emma laughs. “No, we can’t forget that.” She leans her head on his shoulder, her voice more sincere. “Our friendship is really important to me. Thank you for this. It’s beautiful.” She peels her eyes away from the charm bracelet and leans in, kissing his cheek. Her lips are soft against his skin as she lingers a bit longer than he’d expected. She pulls away and drapes the bracelet around her wrist.

He helps her with the clasp and brings her wrist to his lips, pressing a sweet kiss there. “You’re beautiful.”

Her cheeks tinge with blush, a bright smile curving her lips, as she playfully swats his shoulder. “Stop, you’re making me blush.”

He cocks a brow, smirking vibrantly. “I fail to see the problem. It’s a good look on you.”

She laughs and cups her cheeks in her hands to hide them. “You’re making it worse.”

“Still don’t see the problem, love.”

She shakes her head, still smiling as she leans over, grabbing her plate of lasagna. “Let’s eat before the food gets cold.”

He retrieves the other plate from the coffee table, and the room grows silent for a moment, apart from the noises she makes while she eats. “Mmmmm.”

A hint of a smile plays at his lips. He enjoys watching her as she enjoys the food he made her. Several mmmms later, he finally asks, “I take it you like the lasagna?”

She nods and swallows the food in her mouth with a sip of wine. “Are you kidding? It’s sooo good, it tastes like Mary Margert’s lasagna, maybe even a little better.”

Killian smirks against the rim of his glass as he takes a sip.

Emma turns her head, eyes narrowed at him. “Did she help you make this?”

He swallows the liquid in his mouth and nods. “Aye. She gave me the recipe and her garden tomatoes.”

“When was she here?”

“She wasn’t. I called her and wrote down all of the instructions she gave me.”

“So, you made this by yourself?”

“With her recipe and a bunch of notes, yes.”

“Well, you follow directions well because this is amazing,” she compliments, licking her lips.

“Thank you, love.” He grins proudly, his heart bursting with relief. She said his lasagna was better than Mary Margaret’s!

When they’ve finished the lasagna, Killian brings the plates to the sink and retrieves the cake from the refrigerator. He grabs a candle and a lighter from the kitchen drawer, lighting the candle. He hasn’t mentioned he made her a cake yet.

“That was so good,” she calls from the living room. “I’m ready to sleep now.”

He grabs the platter of cake and carries it into the living room. The sofa she’s sitting on is facing away from him, so she can’t see when he enters the room.

“Not yet, love. You have to try the cake.”

She turns her head around, her eyes widening as she sees the red velvet dessert. “There’s cake, too?”

He chuckles. “What birthday is complete without a cake?” He walks slowly across the room, singing happy birthday, and Emma’s laughing as she watches him. He takes a seat next to her, facing her as he holds the cake, shifting it over slightly so he can lean in and kiss her on the cheek. “Happy birthday, love,” he whispers softly. He pulls away and holds up the cake in front of her face. “Now, make a wish and blow out the candle.”

She’s more serious now, although there’s still a hint of a smile on her face and her eyes are locked on his as she blows out the candle.

“What did you wish for?” he asks, setting the cake on the table.

“If I tell you, it won’t come true.”

He sticks out his bottom lip in a pout but accepts her answer, hoping whatever she wished for does come true. He goes to the kitchen and returns, cutting a slice of cake and transferring it to a small plate.

Emma’s eyes are wide as she looks at the tall slice. “Wow, not only is red velvet my favorite, but it looks amazing. Don’t tell me you made this too?”

He nods, grinning smugly. “Oh, but I did,” he replies, handing her the plate. “Again following your sister-in-law’s instructions.”

“You really shouldn’t have.” She takes the fork he offers her and takes a bite of it. Her eyes roll to the back of her head, a low moan crawling from her throat. “Oh my god, this is sooooo good,” she mumbles with a mouthful of cake. “Like really, really good.”

“Really?”

She nods profusely and takes another bite. “Like better than sex good.” She moans again, filling his mind with unbidden imagery as he watches her.

He lifts a brow, a cocky smirk curving his lips. As happy as he is to hear how much she likes his cake, he has to wonder if it’s really as good as she says it is or if she doesn’t have much to compare it to. “Maybe you just haven’t had great sex, love,” he muses, a warm blush spreading through his cheeks.

She licks her lips, staring at him, as though he might be right. “That’s very possible. He who shall not be named wasn’t very good in the sack.”

“And yet, apparently he was good enough for she who shall not be named.”

“Or maybe she was only faking it,” Emma conjectures, piercing another piece of cake with the fork and offering it to him.

“That’s a possibility,” he replies, wondering if Emma faked her orgasms with him. But he doesn’t wish to dwell on the subject and banishes the thought. He opens his mouth, closing his lips around the fork prongs to scoop up the cake. “Mmmm.” He nods and licks his lips. “That is better than sex.”

“See? I told you.” Emma sits back against the couch, continuing to eat as he grabs a plate for himself and they both eat in silence. “Oh, crap.”

Killian looks over to see what happened and immediately regrets it.

A small amount of frosting had fallen from the fork and landed in her cleavage. He takes one look at her and has to refrain from groaning as he quickly faces forward again. He sets the cake down and is about to get up to retrieve a napkin, but before he does, she scoops up the frosting with her finger and brings it to her mouth, sucking on her digits. “Mmmm, it’s still good,” she comments, licking her lips.

Fuck.

He’s sure it is good. He wonders if she tastes even better than the cake. Killian tries to rid the thoughts from his mind as he grabs his plate of cake again and continues to eat.

Emma finishes her slice and sets the plate down, holding her belly as she slumps back into the couch. “I’m so full now.”

He cranes his neck to look at her and he can still see remnants from where the frosting fell between her breasts.

She catches him staring and furrows her brows in confusion. What?”

“You still have some frosting there, love,” he says, pointing to his chest.

She peers down at herself and laughs, looking up at him again. She must sense his uneasiness because she gives him a lazy smirk. “That doesn’t make you uncomfortable, does it?”

He chuckles and looks away. “Nope, not at all.”

“Mmhmmm,” she nods. “Then I guess you won’t mind if I just leave it there…”

This woman is trying to torture him.

He shrugs nonchalantly. “Fine by me.”

He plans to avoid looking at her at all costs, but the little minx sits up and reaches for the remote, which is on the other side of the cake, and she makes sure to give him a better view of her breasts with the frosting still smudged on her soft skin. He tries not to look, but it’s very hard not to. It’s indeed very hard.

He shifts in his seat, realizing the effect she has on him and he shoots up from the couch as she turns on the television. “Let me get you a napkin.” He flees from the room and grabs some napkins, releasing a heavy sigh. He looks down at himself and he’s as hard as a fucking rock.

Bloody hell.

Reluctantly, he heads back to the couch and sits next to her, handing her the napkin. She takes it and looks disappointed that he’s ruining her fun. Just as she’s about to dab the frosting with the napkin, he reaches out and grabs her hand to stop her before he even thinks about what he’s doing.

Emma’s eyes snap up, meeting his heated gaze. He can see the longing in her eyes. She is the one with the ability to read people, but after six months he’s able to read his best friend pretty damn well.

She wants him.

Hopefully just as much as he wants her. When her eyes drop to his lips, it only proves his theory to be true.

Slowly, he brings his hands to her face, his left thumb brushing over her cheek. When she lifts her eyes and stares directly into his soul, his heart starts pounding mercilessly. He leans in and catches her eyelids fluttering before he closes his eyes, softly capturing her lips. It takes her no time at all to react. She drops the napkin on the floor and curls her hands around the collar of his shirt as she moves her lips against his.

He can’t believe he’s actually kissing his best friend, and it hasn’t really sunk yet. They’ve shared pecks on the cheeks, on each other’s forehead and other innocent parts of their body, but never once has he kissed her on the mouth until now. Those were all friendly, chaste kisses meant to express their affection toward one another, but this is vastly different. This kiss is hot and volcanic, every inch of his skin exploding as he savors the delicate press of her lips; they’re soft and pliant against his own, his tongue darting out to trace the taste of cake at the seam blocking the entrance to her mouth.

She parts her lips, allowing his tongue to swoop in and taste her. She’s more delicious than he’d imagined. Her mouth is soft and tastes like red velvet and cream cheese, and he sucks on her tongue to get more of her flavor. Once he tastes her, he can’t enough. The slowness of the kiss is gone, rapidly heating up, his hands sliding into her hair until his fingers are entangled in her soft curls. Kissing her is everything he imagined it to be. Her mouth is everything he imagined it would be; it’s an intoxicating mixture of soft lips, a warm, eager tongue, playful nips and her sweet, decadent taste.

Emma climbs atop him, straddling his lap, their lips never disconnecting as his arms snake around her. His palms are on the small of her back, fingers digging into her as he pulls her to him until her breasts are flush against his chest. He becomes infused with the couch beneath him, melting in the cushions as her body molds into his.

He kisses her with the intensity of the feelings he’s held for her over the past six months. He’s waited all this time until it was the right time for both of them. He wanted to rebound after what that wretched bitch did to him, but truth be told, he couldn’t stomach the idea of being with a woman who wasn’t Emma. He tried going on dates, but none of the women was his Swan, so he never went further than dinner with them. Emma had the same issue, although she’d never said, or at least never admitted out loud that it was because of him.

He releases her lips, leaving them both panting for air, his breath ragged on her skin as his lips drag across her jaw. He takes some of her hair in his hand, gently tugging her head back so he can kiss down the column of her neck, his lips moving in a blazing hot pursuit. Her mouth is so heavenly, he didn’t want to stop kissing her, but at the same time, he’s eager to taste other parts of her.

His hands slide underneath the hem of her shirt, fingers wrapping around her slim waist as he kisses the tops of her breasts, licking off the remaining frosting off her skin. Both of them moan at the contact, and her fingers scrub through his hair as he savors the added sugary sweetness mixed with the tangy sweetness of her skin on his tongue. He kisses her there with the hunger of a man who’s been fasting his whole life. He’s tasted nothing so delicious, and he’s dying to taste her most secret place because he can only imagine what he’s doing to her and what that tastes like.

He’s back at her mouth, but only long enough to find her tongue again, getting another taste. He tears his lips away to pull off her shirt and sees that she’s not wearing a bra. He growls, his cock twitching in his pants as his eyes glide over her beautiful bare breasts, her pink nipples stiffening under her gaze. He’s touched them before, six months ago while he was half asleep… while he was dreaming of she who shall not be named.

Killian lifts his eyes to Emma’s as he remembers the promise he made to her. His hands are on her hips as she’s unbuttoning his vest, and apparently she can read his thoughts.

“You’re not thinking of Milah are you?” she asks playfully.

He lowers his head and moves in, kissing the valley of her breasts. “Who the hell is Milah?” He breathes in Emma’s intoxicating scent as he wraps his arms around her back and kisses along the curve of her breast, eagerly drawing a nipple into his mouth.

Emma moans, melting into him as her fingers curl around his dark locks of hair. He sucks on the hardened bud, taking her other breast in his hand, squeezing and pulling her nipple. He licks her, twirling his tongue around her areola, and sucks her bud into his mouth, groaning several times at how good she tastes. How good she feels in his mouth. His hands and lips take turns exploring her lovely breasts, switching back and forth between each one. Both of her breasts are perfect—the perfect size, the perfect amount of softness, the perfect nipples colored with the perfect shade of pink—he couldn’t pick a favorite from the two of them if he wanted to.

As soon as he pulls away, Emma’s shoving off his vest, and together they pull off his shirt. Her eyes light up as takes in the view of his body, her hands gravitating to his chest like they belong there, fingers combing through his chest hair. Her touch ignites his skin.

“Do you want to know what I wished for when I blew out the candle?” she asks, lifting her eyes to his.

Killian raises a curious brow. “I thought it wouldn’t come true if you told me, love?” he asks, his voice completely wrecked.

Mischief laces her little smile. “It already did.”

Killian’s heart pounds in his chest. Her statement could only mean one thing.

“I wished for you to kiss me.”

He smiles and wraps his arms around her back, pulling her to him. “Well, then you were wrong in assuming your wish wouldn’t come true if you told me… because I would’ve kissed you either way.”

Emma grins happily, wraps her arms around the back of his neck and smashes her lips against his, kissing him breathlessly. He groans in her mouth when her breasts are pressed against his chest and he can feel how hard her gorgeous nipples are through his hair. With their lips attached, Killian scoops her up in his arms and lays her on the couch, her head resting on the arm of the sofa as he explores her body, his fingers kneading her breasts before trickling down her body. When he reaches her core through the thin fabric of her shorts, he can feel the heat of her dampness gathering at the crux of her thighs.

Emma moans, writhing underneath him. “Killian… I want you…”

Oh, gods.

He didn’t think it was possible to want her more, but hearing her beg for him causes something to snap inside him, and he’s desperate to grant another one of her wishes. He tucks his thumbs under the waistband of her shorts, pulling them down as she raises her hips to allow him to remove them, and once again he growls. She’s not wearing knickers either.

He pulls the shorts the rest of the way down her long, silky smooth legs and throws them carelessly on the floor, his eyes sweeping over her gorgeous, glistening folds as she spreads her legs for him. “Fuck, Emma,” he groans, wrapping his hand around her foot to plant a kiss on the tops of her toes. “You’re trying to kill me.”

She’s grinning devilishly at him from where she lays. “That was the plan.”

He lifts both eyebrows and smirks. “So you put on these pajamas with no underwear, hoping I would find out? Hoping I would see you without them?”

Emma nods slowly, biting her smile. “That was my other wish.”

Fuck.

Knowing she came home and dressed specifically for him, purposely not wearing any underwear with the anticipation of having him see her without them makes his head spin. It’s so fucking hot, he could explode from merely looking at her from his current angle.

His fingers move, finding her where she’s dripping wet, his touch ghosting over her clit, making her back arch. She sucks in a shallow breath and he looks up at her face, seeing her eyes glowing in anticipation.

A low growl crawls from his throat. “I’ve barely touched you and you’re already fucking soaked for me.”

“Told you, you’re what I wished for.”

“So, this is all for me?”

She nods, unashamed of herself. “God, yes.” Her voice is wrecked, and it’s clear how deprived she truly was of him.

His hand falls to her entrance, her nectar coating his fingertips. He wants to lick up her goodness and tongue her into oblivion. His cock twitches at the thought.

Gods, he can’t wait to taste her. He presses two fingers inside of her cunt, her muscles tightening around him, begging for more contact.

Without warning, he pushes the two teasing fingers deep inside her, watching as Emma’s mouth opens, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she rocks her hips into his touch. Her cheeks and chest are already flushed red, her chest lifting and falling sporadically as he rubs that little sweet spot inside her wet heat. She’s completely naked and her lips are swollen, her eyes darkened with lust. It’s a glorious sight to behold.

She’s so tight around him, and he can’t wait to feel her around his cock, but first, he’s dying to taste her. He climbs atop her and begins kissing his way down her beautiful, writhing body. Her breasts, her nipples, her stomach. As he thrusts his fingers deep in her cunt, he makes his way lower and lower until he’s off the couch, kneeling on the floor. He’s leaning over her, planting soft kisses on her nub, which is clean-shaven and smooth under his lips. Her legs are spread wide for him as he tenderly kisses each of her inner thighs, inhaling her lovely feminine scent. He growls in anticipation of having her in his mouth.

He wraps his arms around her thighs and lifts her legs over his shoulders for better access, his teeth biting along her soft flesh, indelibly marking her skin as her dripping pussy is only centimeters away from his mouth. Not wasting any more time, he swipes his tongue out to lick her. Even though she knows it’s coming, Emma lets out a small gasp of surprise as he drags his tongue from her soaked entrance to her clit. He smiles to himself at the sounds she makes before capturing her clit with his lips, his tongue flicking over her flesh, sucking softly, making her hips jolt.

He’s so glad to realize he was wrong before when he thought she tasted as good as the cake. She tastes much better than the cake. He groans against her sensitive flesh, already in love with her flavor as he tongues her with long, languid strokes, eagerly laving up her arousal. He sucks at her lips, experimenting with different techniques around her clit. But it doesn’t matter how he licks her; the results are the same. A slew of moans pour from her lips as her hands are buried in his tousled hair, her knuckles probably white from how tightly she’s gripping onto him as she rolls her hips into him, desperately riding his face, and presses firmer and closer until he has to regulate his breathing, surrounded by the taste and smell and feel of her cunt.

Killian doesn’t let up, his mouth and tongue exploring her thoroughly, working wonders on her. He can tell Emma is completely helpless on the other side of the couch, her breathing accelerated as she feels one of his hands slide away from her thigh, to her opening. Two fingers dive deep with little effort, her own slickness and how soft her inner walls are make a perfect combination in aiding him in his endeavor of making her cum in his mouth.

His cock is aching to take her, but he’s too focused on her pleasure to do anything about it. He knows she’s close to coming when her legs start to shake on either side of his head. Killian increases his ministrations, tonging and finger fucking his best friend into submission.

“Killian… oh god…” The nails of her fingers dig into his scalp, but not deep enough to hurt him. In fact, he loves how restless she is, how much she craves his tongue whenever he pulls away slightly, making her squirm for more. “Killian, please… I’m so fucking close,” Emma whimpers, her muscles twitching around his talented tongue.

When he curls his fingers inside her, she flies over the edge, her delicious ambrosia exploding in his mouth. Her entire body wrenches, her moans dying down as she falls from the precipice of her orgasm.

He’s not finished when her body goes limp from her climax and keeps torturing the sensitive bud between his lips with a slow, circling tongue. Soft whimpers pour from her lovely lips, her eyes closed, mouth parted slightly as she basks in the afterglow of her orgasm. His fingers keep working in and out of her, coaxing more stimulation with each coordinated stoke.

He doesn’t want to stop, he could do this all night, but he knows all good things must come to an end. He leaves a lingering lick along her slit and a gentle, wet kiss to her nub, making her wince with sensitivity. He groans as he removes his fingers from her core, sliding them into his mouth, eyes fixating on the eyes smiling over at him. She lifts her hand and croaks a finger, beckoning to him. He responds to her summons and climbs on the couch, gently laying on top of her. She cups his cheeks in her hands, bringing his lips to hers, pressing his wet scruff against her lips so she can taste herself. She moans into his mouth as he brushes his tongue against hers.

She reaches between them and undoes his pants, slipping her hand inside his boxers. He lifts himself up just enough to allow her to wrap her hand around his cock. They both moan at the contact.

“Take your pants off,” she demands, giving his shaft a few firm pumps. He groans and thrusts his hips into her touch. “That’s another one of my wishes.”

He chuckles against her lips. “You’re a demanding little thing, aren’t you?”

She smirks slyly. “It’s my birthday. I’m allowed to be demanding. I want your pants off and your dick inside me.”

Killian growls and wastes not another second, practically leaping off the couch and lifting her up. He tries to navigate across the room with her lips latched onto his and her legs wrapped around his waist as he carries her to his bedroom and lowers her feet to the floor once they’re past the threshold.

They’re still kissing as Emma pulls his pants down, and he removes his shoes and tugs off his pants, tossing them aside. Emma tears her lips away, her eyes scanning over his throbbing erection, tongue sweeping hungrily over her lips. This is the first time they’ve seen each other naked, and it’s glorious. Killian doesn’t wish this night to end so quickly and he’s afraid once he’s inside her, he won’t last long. So, he pulls her into his arms, his hands sliding down her backside and over her butt, squeezing firmly as Emma’s lips make a trail down his neck and over his chest, every kiss burning his skin. She moves her hands up and down his body, both of them exploring each curve and contour of the other. Emma curls her hand around his cock and strokes him as he fingers her. The noises they make fill the room, and before he explodes in her hand, he lifts her up and brings her to the bed, depositing her onto the mattress.

His mouth is back on hers, and they’re kissing again, their bodies writhing, hands continuing to explore each other until they’re panting profusely, heartbeats slamming against their chests.

“Shall we use protection?” he asks, remembering he has an old pack of condoms in his sock drawer. “I have some condoms, but they’re more than six months old.” He hasn’t used them since he was with what’s her name? He honestly can’t remember, he’s too enamored with the woman beneath him.

“That’s okay, I’m on birth control and I’ve been tested since I found out that asshole was cheating on me.”

“I got tested as well.”

Emma smirks mischievously. “Good, because I want to feel you inside me. I want to feel it when you cum inside me. That’s my next wish.”

Killian groans and crushes her lips with his. He’s so fucking hard, he can’t wait a second longer to have her. In one fluid motion, he maneuvers the head of his cock at her entrance, pushing himself into her. Emma moans and wraps her legs tightly around him. She reaches behind him and grabs his ass, her fingers squeezing him, pushing him in deep so he’s stretching her wide. He groans, finally feeling those soft, slick walls around his cock and he thrusts into her, his eyes rolling back in his head. She’s so tight and warm and it doesn’t take much for him to feel like he’s on the verge of his climax. He lowers his head and mouths her breasts, hoping to distract himself from coming too soon, but it’s not working very well. She feels too damn good.

“Gods, you feel incredible,” he groans, pulling away from her breasts, his fingers clutching at her soft thighs. “I’m so close already.”

“Me too. Fuck me harder, Killian. You feel so good inside me,” she moans, her voice completely wrecked as her hands move to his biceps, fingernails digging into his skin.

His heart is pounding erratically in his ear but somehow he manages to make out her reply, changing the angle of his hips in answer and snapping into her. He reaches between their bodies to where they’re joined and he strokes her clit to take her with him. A string of curses and moans pour from her mouth as he fingers and fucks her at the same time, bringing them both closer and closer to the edge.

He can feel it; the pleasure that had been roiling low in his belly since they started kissing, finally releases. It spreads through him, burning away anything else, the outside world fading away until the only thing that remains is them here together, making love. He looks deeply into her eyes, which are full of warmth and perhaps something else as she gazes up at him, and he can think of nothing but the two of them. He buries his face in the crook of her neck and she places her hands on his back as he moves inside her.

“Emma… oh, gods,” he whispers in her ear, his words shattered. The building pressure spreads inside him until it becomes unbearable and he rocks into her relentlessly until he explodes inside her, filling her up with his cum, just as she’d wished for. Emma cries out and shudders beneath him as her own orgasm catapults through her body, fingernails digging into his skin, her toes curling against his thighs.

When they finally come back to themselves, Killian collapses into the mattress beside her, pulling the blankets over them. Emma lays her head on his chest, placing her hand on his stomach as he presses soft kisses through her hair.

“Gods, Emma, that was…”

“About bloody time? Worth the wait? Fucking incredible? Better than cake?” she laughs languidly. “Did I forget anything?”

“Agreed, agreed, agreed, definitely agreed. And nope, I think that about covers my thoughts exactly,” he chuckles, running his fingers up and down her arm. Although, there is one thing she didn’t mention that he wonders about. “I’ll be sure to tell Mary Margaret, my replications of her recipes were a complete success.”

Emma laughs. “She’ll be happy to hear that. Though you may not want to tell her just how successful they were,” she adds, combing her fingers through his chest hair.

“Ah, so you’re saying my cooking abilities determined how the night played out?” he teases playfully.

She shakes her head against his chest. “No, I think we’d end up here in bed regardless of how you cooked lasagna and baked the cake.”

He cocks a brow, peering down at her. “So, I would have been able to lure you into bed without my cooking skills?”

She swats him playfully. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’ve got some talent in the kitchen. In fact, I think you’re in the wrong profession and should’ve been a cook instead. But let’s face it…” Emma pauses in hesitation as her soft, green eyes look over at him, “we would have ended up together regardless of how tonight panned out.”

Killian’s heart flutters underneath her hand. “You’re sure about that, huh?”

“Yeah, why do you think I never went on those dates Mary Margaret tried to get me to go on?”

“Because I know you have a hard time trusting men after being burned twice.”

She nods. “I do, but I couldn’t even talk myself into having a one night stand with anyone,” she confesses, her eyes flicking to his. “You’re the one guy I do trust. You’re my best friend.”

Killian is relieved to hear her say those things. He’d imagined that’s how she felt, but hearing her say it out loud and knowing he wasn’t alone in his feelings, gave him a huge sense of relief. “Well, love, I haven’t been able to be with anyone else either. How could I when I’m in love with someone else? You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. The feistiest woman, the most beautiful. No one else could possibly compare,” he murmurs, lifting his hand to her face, his thumb caressing her cheek.

Emma lifts her head from his chest. “Killian, did you just say you loved me?”

Shit. He did. He didn’t even realize he’d said it.

Taking in the embarrassed look on his face and the rosy blush crawling up his cheeks, Emma can’t help herself and starts giggling. As to be expected, this doesn’t improve the situation and, if possible, he blushes even more.

He gulps thickly, clearing his throat. Is she laughing because she finds it funny that he could be in love with her or is she laughing because she thinks he’s joking? He guesses it’s better than if she had a negative reaction. But, if she finds out that he’s not joking, will she run? Will she be scared or mad at him? Does she even feel the same way he does?

“I didn’t… I… no, ugh...” he stutters, sinking his head into the pillow, and runs his hands over his burning red face. He’s not actually embarrassed by his confession, but he’s afraid if he tells her the truth, he’ll lose her.

“Oh, come on, Killian,” she tries again, completely flustered, burying her head under the pillow.

This is not how he wanted to express his feelings for her. He also hadn’t planned on taking her to bed before he told her. He would have been content on spending the rest of her birthday cuddled up on the couch and catching up on The Good Place on Netflix while trying to build up the courage to confess his love for his best friend.

So much for that.

Emma replaces the pillow under her head and takes his hand into her own, intertwining their fingers. Her giggling slowly fades into a whole-hearted smile as her eyes with his and places a soothing palm on his cheek to calm him. He stares into her eyes trying to read what she’s thinking, but maybe he’s not as good at reading her as he thought.

“I love you, too, Killian,” she says with a grin.

“You do?”

“Of course I do.”

Killian breathes the longest sigh of relief he’s ever breathed before. “Thank God. I was afraid that after my Freudian slip of the tongue, I’d lose you.”

She shakes her head against the pillow, still donning a smile. “You could never lose me.”

He turns on his side to face her and plants a brief, but tender kiss on her lips, all the frustrated tension he’d built up during the conversation easing up. He takes a deep, shaky breath and looks her straight in the eye, the tranquility in her emerald orbs giving him the courage he needs to tell her the truth that he’s spent the last few months trying to tell her, and apparently already has. But she needs to know his slip of the tongue wasn’t a mistake. “I love you, Emma.” He smiles and lifts his hand to stroke her hair. “You are my light and I am so glad we met. So glad you were at my door that day six months ago. You stopped me from making a big mistake by going into that apartment. And you’ve stayed by my side ever since.”

She smiles and raises her hand to his cheek, her thumb gently caressing his skin. “Well, you know what they say… sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”

He nods. “This is definitely better. Much better. And it’s only the beginning.” He kisses her again, his heart exploding with joy. He feels like a huge weight has been lifted from his shoulders since he told her. Since he knows she feels the same as he does. Breaking the kiss, he rests his forehead against hers as she licks her lips. “So… anymore wishes for your birthday?” he asks with a mischievous smirk.

Emma laughs and presses her body into his, hooking an arm around his waist and nuzzling her face into his chest. “No, I have everything I need right here.”

Her words warm his heart, and he wraps her up in his arms, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. “I’m glad. Happy birthday, Emma.” He’s lulled to sleep by the sound of her soft breathing and thoughts of how much his life has changed over the last six months.

When he arrived at his flat in Boston six months ago, after the flight from England, the woman he thought he would spend the rest of his life with was betraying him on the other side of the door. Little did he know the woman he would actually spend the rest of his life with was on his doormat. When his plans all went to hell, when everything around him had a crack in it, he found the light that shone through. When he should have been hopeless, falling down an endless spiral of misery and sorrow, he instead found a glimmer of hope.

He found Emma and never looked back.

@onceuponaprincessworld @ilovemesomekillianjones @artistic-writer @resident-of-storybrooke @kmomof4 @followbatb @teamhook @darkcolinodonorgasm @nikkiemms @mariakov81 @kingofmyheart14 @kday426 @withheartfulloflove @takhisismb @ohmakemeahercules @bugheadswanjones @tiffanyyy-ma @authorarsinoe @idristardis @balckwolf98 @xarandomdreamx @thejollyroger-writer @mamegank @whatthehell102082 @myswan-myhappyending-mylove @yasbio2015 @squidvisious @leftbeyondthestars @hallway5 @andiirivera @spartanguard

#cs ff #cs ff au #captain swan #cs smut #a glimmer of hope #my fic

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pbwsports · 4 years

Text

The all-time starting five for every NBA Western Conference team

What if the Splash Bros. had Wilt Chamberlain playing center? How many titles would the Lakers have won if Magic Johnson was running the break with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal? Imagine Hakeem Olajuwon and James Hardenteaming up in Clutch City.

We asked our NBA writers to come up with an all-time starting five for every current NBA franchise, along with one additional blast from the past. Only a player's contributions during his time with that franchise were considered. (So, no, LeBron James doesn't crack the Lakers' all-time list ... yet.)

In this era of "positionless" basketball, traditional positions don't matter quite as much as they used to, so we allowed some flexibility in choosing a lineup -- but you won't see teams with four centers or three point guards. The idea was to dive into each team's history and create a group that could at least potentially share the floor together.

We rolled out the Eastern Conference on Wednesday. Here is the Western Conference:

Dallas Mavericks

G: Derek Harper G: Jason Terry G: Rolando Blackman F: Mark Aguirre F: Dirk Nowitzki

Terry joins Nowitzki as the only players on both of the Mavs' Finals teams and was the second-leading scorer on both squads. There's a reason Harper and Blackman, the backcourt for some good teams that just couldn't get past the Showtime Lakers, have their numbers in the American Airlines Center rafters. Aguirre's jersey probably won't ever be retired in Dallas because of his bitter departure, but you can't dismiss his 24.6 points per game in eight seasons with the Mavs.

The toughest cuts: Michael Finley and Jason Kidd, one of whom helped a young German kid find his way in the NBA and the other who helped Nowitzki finally deliver a title to Dallas.

-- Tim MacMahon

Denver Nuggets

G: Fat Lever G: David Thompson F: Alex English F: Carmelo Anthony C: Dikembe Mutombo

You're probably asking yourself the same question I debated for roughly 48 hours: Wait, no Nikola Jokic? There's a good chance Jokic eventually becomes the greatest player in franchise history, but he's just 25 years old.