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kp-alice · 4 months ago

Text

As You Deem Fit

Summary: Ever the generous lover, Yunho knows just the right gift to give you on your third anniversary - himself.

AKA an enthusiastically pliant!sub!Yunho x mischievous!dom!f!reader

Word count: 6 810

Warnings: free use (so seemingly dubious content but everything is fully consensual!!), oral (f rec), handjobs, pegging, butt plugs, ejaculating straps, just a lot of groping and tension in general, playful sex (they love each other so much it's lowkey gross), the tiniest speck of clothed f/naked m, an awful load of pet names

A/N: This fic is the fourth part of my sub!Yunho Kinktober 2024! The event's masterlist can be found here.

You sat on the couch in your dimly lit living room, facing your boyfriend of three years with a huge grin. As always, he'd gone above and beyond to make sure you felt loved and cherished, this time proving it by buying you that beautiful necklace you mentioned almost half a year ago. You didn't dare wish for it, knowing it was quite expensive and something you had only talked about in passing, but you were yet again beautifully surprised.

"Yu, it's so beautiful!" You marveled as you looked down at the necklace he had so eagerly helped you put on, reaching over to hold his soft hand. Much like your neck, his wrist was now adorned with a pretty yet elegant silver bracelet. Of course you got each other matching gifts. After three years together, you were practically one person split into two bodies.

"Not any more beautiful than the bracelet you've picked out for me," he grinned cheesily, mesmerized by the silver gleaming in the soft light. "I was worried my gift would be too expensive, but I see we've both decided to be generous this year."

You tightened your hold on his hand, faux offense on your face. "Nothing is ever too expensive when it comes to you, love!"

Yunho giggled at your reply, though you could sense a smidge of hesitance behind his warm gaze. "Yeah, I guess so..."

"But?" You pressed on, leaning closer to examine his expression. He was definitely hiding something.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Yunho asked back, feigning confusion. And yet, all the telltale signs were there. The slight raise in pitch, the widened eyes, the way he tilted his head to the side just a little too much.

You sighed, but there was no actual frustration to your words. "Bunny, do you really think you can fool me after three years together? I can literally see the cogs turning in your head; you're thinking about something important."

The silence between you lasted mere seconds, Yunho's facade quickly crumbling under your unwavering gaze.

Oh well, not like he wanted to keep this a secret anyway.

"Well, actually, you see," he began, a nervous smile playing on his lips the more he stalled, "I kind of have another present for you, but it's a bit... different, so to speak."

You chuckled, leaning even further forward to support yourself against his thigh. "Yuyu, if you're talking about anniversary sex then I'm afraid we've done that one already... twice actually. Not that I'm against it in any way, of course not! I'm just saying you don't have to be shy about it if that's what you had in mind."

"No! That's not what I had in mind at all!" Yunho exclaimed but then suddenly paused, "or, like, it kind of is, but uh, I had something a bit special in mind this time."

"And what would that be, pretty boy?"

Of course you had to call him that now, of all times.

You watched in amusement as Yunho's cheeks turned a deep shade of red and he began squirming in his seat. "W-well, I was just kinda wondering about what we could do that we haven't tried yet, and, uh, have you ever heard of 'free use'?"

You furrowed your brows, casting your eyes to the side as you searched your mind, but nothing came up. "I don't think so, no."

"Ah, well, it is a bit unconventional," Yunho stammered further, avoiding your gaze at all costs, "which also means that you don't have to entertain it in any way if it makes you uncomfortable! I'm perfectly fine just doing what we already enjoy, don't worry."

"Yu," you said sternly, squeezing his hand, "just explain what it is and let me decide if I'm up for it or not. Like you said, the worst thing I can say is a respectful no and then we'll just enjoy ourselves in a different way."

Yunho nodded solemnly at your words, knowing you were right. Squeezing your hand back, he took a deep breath.

"So, uh, free use is pretty much exactly what the title implies. One person lets the other... well, use them, however they want, whenever they want. You can, like, touch me as much as you like, or make me do whatever. And while this can apply to both people, where they can 'use' each other, I was thinking that, maybe, it could be just me for now? You know, since I'm the one that proposed it and everything, it makes sense you'd be the one in control because then you can do everything at your own pace and stuff."

"Huh," you let out after a short pause, taking everything in. "And you're sure it's not just because you want me to use you and shower you with attention?"

"A-ah, well, uh," Yunho stammered, letting out a nervous chuckle, "yeah, maybe a bit of that too. Only if you want to, though! Like I said, no pressure at all!"

It was your turn to laugh now. Swinging one of your legs over his lap, you shuffled even closer to him. "Of course I want to, love. How could I ever pass up an opportunity to have you all to myself? You'll be all mine to enjoy, ready to please me whenever I want. No matter what you're doing or where we are, I can just feel you up as much as I like. What's not to love about that?"

You watched a visible shiver run down Yunho's spine at your words, an almost pained expression on his face as he imagined the scene. You nudged his crotch with the leg in his lap, swiftly bringing him out of his thoughts and back to you.

"So? When are we going to do this, Puppy? Do we just start now or do you want to set a specific date or signal...?"

Yunho took a deep breath, trying to think despite the growing issue in his pants. "Well, I was thinking maybe this weekend? Since we'll both be staying at home with the day off. And I can definitely wear something to show you I'm, uh, 'up for it', or we can just confirm everything in the morning and go from there? Either is- mmh! Either is fine!"

You suppressed a giggle at his whine, not stopping the way your leg was rubbing against his growing hard-on.

"Alright then, loverboy."

Saturday rolled around sooner than expected, and before Yunho knew it, he was stirring awake in your warm, cozy bed. Even through his sleepy stupor, he could feel your hand running up and down his side, occasionally slipping forward to graze his stomach.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," you whispered tenderly as you snuggled even closer into his back, making him chuckle. "Slept well?"

"Mhm," he nodded tiredly, pressing back into your embrace. "What time is it?"

"Time for you to tell me if you're still good to go with our plan today."

Yunho's eyes snapped open at that, suddenly remembering what specifically this week's Saturday would entail.

"You don't have to agree to anything if you're unsure about this, Puppy," you gently reminded him, kissing the back of his neck. "We can just do this another time, or not at all."

"No, no," Yunho shook his head. "I do want to do this. I'm just a little nervous, I guess? I want this to turn out well since I suggested it, but because I'm not in charge, I don't know how to ensure that."

"Don't worry, hun," you reassured him softly, but then tightened your grip on his hip. "I'll make sure we both enjoy ourselves, okay?"

"O-okay."

Yunho hadn't expected you to "make sure" right after you'd asked him, but here he was, lying in bed with his face planted in the pillows, already worn out. He still had his sleep shirt on but his bottoms were long gone, discarded in the wake of your morning ministrations.

Despite your thoughtful wipe-down afterward, Yunho could still feel a forgotten stripe of lube drying on his inner thigh once he'd finally gotten up. And judging by the first few steps he took towards his wardrobe, he already knew today was going to be a long day. The plug you'd chosen for him was nowhere near the biggest one he owned, but he was still acutely aware of it with even the slightest of movements.

Well, nothing to be done about it now - you chose it for him, and he had no choice but to take what he was given and wait for further instructions.

Just as he'd managed to put on some boxers and lounge pants, the bedroom door creaked open, revealing your curious yet slightly amused look.

"How are we faring, Handsome?" You asked, unabashedly looking him up and down. Of course he chose those plaid pajama pants today, knowing you loved the way they made his thighs and ass look. "Ready for breakfast yet?"

Yunho nodded happily, closing the wardrobe again before moving towards you. "Of course! Just needed a few more minutes to get up, sorry."

"It's okay," you said, holding the door wide open for him. "I didn't start off too eager, did I?"

"Not at all," Yunho chuckled, giving you a playful smile as he passed by you. "If anything, it was actually really-"

All words from your lovely boyfriend were cut off by a startled gasp, preceded by the unmistakable sound of your hand connecting with his ass.

"I'm really happy to hear that, honey."

Just as he'd thought to himself before, today was really going to be a long day.

Despite looking forward to spending the day together, you and Yunho still cherished your alone time. Thus, an hour or so after breakfast and washing up, you found yourself in your study, working on that random report your boss had been bugging you about. Yunho had stayed in the living room, likely lounging around on the couch while playing video games or scrolling on his phone.

Either way, he wasn't doing anything important right now, and you were awfully stressed out with this whole report thing.

Which offered a very easy, enticing solution.

"Yuyu, come here!" You called out, double-checking that your progress had been properly saved before moving on with your plan.

You heard an affirmative shout back, followed by the sounds of the couch creaking and footsteps stomping down the hallway. Even at that, you could already feel your tense shoulders relax, knowing what was to come. Holding onto the desk for leverage, you slid away from it to make just enough space and waited.

A very cozy-looking Yunho appeared in the doorway. "What is it?"

"Come here," you ordered softly, though your voice left no room for disobedience.

Yunho did as told right away, shuffling over to you with curious eyes. What could it be that you wanted from him?

"Get under the desk and make yourself useful, will you?"

Oh.

"There you go, hun," you sighed out appreciatively, tangling your fingers in his hair. "Such a good boy for me, aren't you?"

Yunho just hummed in agreement, too focused on the task at hand to reply properly. His tongue was laving against your clit, nose bumping into your pubic mound every now and then. He almost looked cute like this, trying so hard to please you that it turned him just a little stupid.

Your hand tugged at his hair, angling his mouth away from your clit and down. "Come on, Puppy, let me ride that pretty nose of yours a bit."

Yunho immediately complied, letting you hold him in place while you rocked your hips against him. A moan left him as he felt your wetness spread all over his nose, feeling like a mere toy at your disposal. You gripped his locks even tighter at that, the vibrations of his voice making you clench down on his tongue inside you.

Deciding you were done playing around, you tugged his head up again. Yunho didn't need to be told what to do, quickly diving back in to kiss, lick, and suck on your clit just the way you liked it best.

"Fuck! That's it, baby, I love your mouth so much," you panted as you spoke, feeling the coil in your lower belly winding tighter with every second. "Gonna cum all over that pretty face of yours."

Yunho whined at your words, feeling his cock stir in his pants. He knew this wasn't about him right now, and yet, the way you spoke to him so lovingly yet so condescendingly churned so good in his stomach that he almost curled in on himself just from listening to you.

Unbeknownst to your boyfriend, you were watching him squirm the entire time, already plotting how to fix the obvious ache in his pants.

Soon.

After almost suffocating Yunho between your thighs and sending him off to clean his face, you went right back to work. You had to admit, the quick stress relief was rather convenient, save for the sinful ideas of what you were going to do to your unsuspecting boyfriend next that were now occupying your mind.

Nevertheless, after two more hours of slaving away at your computer, you were finally done and free to join your favorite cuddle bug in the living room. He was re-watching one of your favorite dramas, giggling to himself at the characters on screen. As you approached him and the pile of blankets atop him, he didn't even say a word, just lifted up one of the corners high enough for you to slip inside with a huge smile on his face.

Once you were comfortably lying down on him, you too got quickly invested in the show, accompanied by the comforting rise and fall of Yunho's chest beneath you. With your pending work done and your favorite person under you, you could finally just shut your brain off and relax.

For a while, at least.

As the time dragged on and the episodes slipped by one by one, an exciting mix of mischief and yearning bubbled up inside you. Yunho's body felt so warm under you, so soft and pliant - it would be a shame to just let it be, right?

"Babe...?" Yunho questioned softly as your hand smoothed down his side, thinking you just wanted to ask something. When your other hand began moving as well, however, he started to realize what this might be about.

"Get on top of me, honey," you ordered, leaving Yunho to gently roll the two of you over, now with you underneath him. He tried not to lie down on you with his full weight so as to not crush you, but that was becoming increasingly difficult with your increasingly teasing touches. With each squeeze of his waist, hips, or even chest, he could feel his strength falter, leaning further down into your body.

"L-love, what are you..." he tried to question but trailed off again as one of your hands slid into his plaid pants, skipping his underwear and going straight for skin-to-skin contact. You gripped the full, firm flesh in your hand, massaging it softly before moving on.

Every remaining bit of Yunho's composure disappeared as your hand brushed the base of the plug inside him, re-igniting the fire that had been warming his belly since this morning. He hid his face in the crook of your neck with an embarrassed whine, suddenly feeling too exposed and vulnerable despite still being fully clothed.

"How's the plug feeling, baby?" You murmured softly, brushing your thumb against its base. Your other hand stilled on his hip, holding him in place in case he got too restless.

"It's really weird," he admitted bashfully. "I-I mean, like, nice weird! Like, it feels good, but it's also strange to just... have it inside all day. I keep forgetting about it and then I move even the slightest bit and it just, you know."

"Reminds you of your role for the day?" You finished for him, earning a nod in return. "So you're okay with keeping it in a while longer?"

Yunho nodded again, letting out a shaky exhale as you tapped on the base a few times. "Yes, please. Wanna be your good boy all day, be ready for you at all times."

"Good," you replied, an excited smirk on your face. "Very good."

Before you knew it, the sun was already starting to set. And as much as you'd love to keep cuddling and fondling your boyfriend, the growling in your stomach was getting a little too persuasive.

As expected, Yunho volunteered to cook dinner tonight, getting up and disappearing into the kitchen before you'd even had a chance to argue. Not that you wanted to, anyway. Whenever Yunho got into his submissive headspace, he loved to provide more than anything, and you were not about to take that away from him.

You did eventually start to get a bit bored, though.

About half an hour had passed, the drama you were watching left paused on the TV screen while you checked social media. You could hear the soft knocking of metal against wood as Yunho chopped up some vegetables, along with the sound of water boiling on the stove.

...Nothing wrong with checking in on him, right?

Sitting up with a groan, you raised your arms above your head and stretched. The couch creaked under you as you shifted your weight, but Yunho either didn't hear it or didn't think much of it.

As expected, Yunho had his back to you as you entered the kitchen, focused on pouring all the chopped-up ingredients into the boiling water. After succeeding, he sealed the pot with a lid and set a timer on the stove before resting his hands against the counter. He let out a content sigh, seemingly fully lost in thought.

His daydreams were cut short, however, when he was enveloped from behind, causing him to jump in surprise.

"Relax, baby, it's just me."

Yunho hummed in acknowledgment, all of the sudden tension leaving him again as he leaned back into your embrace. "Missed me already?"

You chuckled at the cheekiness, squeezing him just a little tighter. "Oh, so much, you have no idea." Pressing a soft kiss to the back of his neck, you let one of your hands wander along his body. "Also felt like paying compliments to the chef, you see."

"A-ah, but, don't people- don't you usually do that after the food is served?" Yunho asked in a shaky voice, the hand grazing his inner thigh feeling equal parts ticklish and arousing.

"Hmm, no," you muttered into his back, one hand splayed over his stomach under his shirt while the other teased the waistband of his pants again. "I already know it will taste amazing, so might as well thank you now, right?"

Yunho's grip on the counter tightened as your fingers finally dipped into his boxers, steeling himself for whatever you had in store for him. "I mean- yeah, but- but the food-"

"Just let go, Puppy," you insisted, drawing a meek whine from him. "You've set a timer anyway, you can spare some time for me now."

"I- alright," Yunho finally agreed with a tired sigh, only to gasp when you immediately grabbed his cock in response. Clearly, you were in no mood to stall anymore.

Yunho was fully hard in record time, already pent up from your previous activities. His head hung low as you stroked him, keeping him in place with the hand on his stomach while you pressed up against him from behind. Every now and then, a small whine or whimper left his lips, causing his eyes to scrunch shut even tighter.

"W-wait," Yunho suddenly gasped, wanting to stop you with a hand on your wrist but halting before he could do so.

"What is it, honey?" You asked, brushing a thumb against his weeping tip while you placed another clumsy kiss on his clothed back.

"I need to stir the- please," Yunho tried to keep his sentences as short as possible, not trusting his breathy voice right now.

You laughed at his explanation, finding him utterly adorable right now.

"It's okay, love, do whatever you want."

Yunho was confused by your words, unsure of what you meant. The fog in his brain certainly wasn't helping either, reducing him to a panting, jittery mess.

"But- you're not stopping?" He said half-questioningly, trying to break from his daze just enough to understand the situation.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm definitely not stopping," you said with a sly grin, speeding up your movements. "But you're free to keep cooking if you want, I don't care."

When your words finally clicked in his mind, Yunho thought he was going to pass out. Or cum. Ideally both.

With a pathetic, broken whimper, he nodded in understanding, muttering a simple "Okay, thank you" in response. His left hand gripped the counter even tighter, trying to keep himself still and stable while he removed the pot lid with the other. Just as he was about to pick up the wooden spoon, however, he felt you tugging at the plug inside of him.

You watched in amusement as Yunho curled in on himself with an almost pained cry, dropping the spoon to hold onto the counter again. "Y/N!"

"What? I'm just doing my thing, you can do yours just as fine."

Yunho whimpered as you pulled at the toy again, the widest part threatening to slip out of him. He felt so powerless, your indifferent attitude leaving no room for discussion. He couldn't fault you for it either; it's what the two of you had agreed on, after all. He was yours to touch and fuck as you pleased, whenever, wherever.

Taking in a deep, shaky breath, Yunho tried to regain control of his body as much as he could, though it was near impossible with your unrelenting touches. Even as he neared the stove, he couldn't stop the involuntary twitches of his hips, trying to meet both your strokes on his cock and the pulling at the plug inside.

"There's my good boy," you cooed, watching him finally succeed at stirring the pot. "Told you there was no need to stop, you're a natural."

Whether you meant a natural at cooking or being toyed with, Yunho didn't know. Either way, a groan left his lips at the praise, dropping the spoon again to lean back into you.

"Oh? Is my pretty prince close already?" You questioned, feeling him twitch in your hand at the pet name. Yunho nodded hurriedly, shallowly panting as he rocked back and forth into your hands. The timer was showing two minutes left, giving you just enough time to get your lover where you wanted him.

"Miss, can I please cum? Please?" Yunho begged with audible urgency, brain so scrambled the title came out without him even realizing.

"Of course, honey," you said, tightening your grip on him. "You've been such a good boy so far, you deserve it.

Yunho moaned loudly at the praise, eyebrows furrowing as he finally let himself get fully lost in the pleasure. His hands reached back to clumsily grab at your hips, pressing you as close to his back as possible. He didn't seem to mind the slightly awkward angle at which the hand holding his plug was now trapped. If anything, the way it pushed the toy back in even deeper made everything else more intense.

"Oh my god, I'm gonna cum," Yunho warned through gritted teeth, already sensing this wouldn't be any small orgasm. "I'm gonna, I-"

With a cry of your name, Yunho's entire body tensed up in your hold for a second or two before releasing again, trembling with every wave of pleasure washing over him. You held him steady the entire time, helping him ride out his orgasm with slow, steady strokes on his twitching cock. Your other hand slithered out of his pants, reaching over to turn off the timer before it could startle your spent lover.

Yunho panted as he came down from his high, the fog in his mind finally starting to clear up again. He squeezed at your hip, a silent signal that it was okay to let go of him now. You did so, unwrapping yourself from him to stand by his side instead and examine his face for any signs of discomfort.

"Feeling okay, baby?" You asked gently, drying some of the sweat on his forehead with a nearby paper towel. Yunho just nodded wordlessly, every part of his body feeling like jelly, lips included.

"Good. Now let's get you out of these before you ruin them any further, shall we?"

A small gasp left him as you suddenly pulled both his pants and boxers down, but he stepped out of them anyway. Despite the embarrassment of standing half-naked in the kitchen in front of you, he had to admit it felt a lot more comfortable than boxers full of cum.

"Are, uh, are you going to bring me fresh clothes?" Yunho asked hopefully, turning to give you a quick glance before approaching the stove again. He still had dinner to cook, after all.

"No," you said simply. "I don't think you'll be needing them much in the near future, anyway. I'll just keep you warm during dinner and then we'll see what happens."

Yet again, despite how small and vulnerable he was feeling right now, Yunho knew he had no say in the situation. You clearly weren't waiting for his response anyway, considering how you'd immediately left after your reply, but not before giving his ass a quick squeeze goodbye.

Just as promised, you kept Yunho warm as you sat back down on the couch, eating your dinner together under a warm blanket. You resumed the drama on your TV, letting the two of you calm down again and enjoy the simple comfort of each other's presence. Under the thick blanket, Yunho's legs were strewn over your lap while you kept a firm hold on one of his calves.

He was not going anywhere anytime soon. Not until you'd let him.

Unlike before, you didn't let him wash the dishes this time, pushing him back into the cushions while you put your two bowls away in the kitchen. You checked the clock hanging above the door, which read 22:30. Perfect.

"Ready, Yu?" You called out, returning to the living room. Yunho was right where you'd left him, curled up on the couch. His head rose at your voice, turning back to look at you in slight confusion. "For what?"

"The bedroom," you answered plainly, meeting him with a seemingly indifferent gaze. When he didn't react, you stepped right in front of him. "Come on, Pup. Don't make me drag you over there myself, 'cause you know I will."

Yunho gulped at the vague threat, reluctantly throwing the blankets off his body and rising to his feet. The shirt he had on didn't do much to cover his bottom half, making him resort to covering himself with his hands. That plan was quickly foiled, though, as you just nudged his hands away, leaving him bare again.

The moment he'd entered the bedroom, he could feel a slight tension in the air. Turning to you, he realized you looked somewhat nervous, but fought hard to hide it.

"Well? What are you waiting for? On the bed, hands and knees."

Your command brought him out of his thoughts again, limbs moving pretty much automatically at this point. This wasn't anywhere near his first or last time in such a position, so he had no issue planting himself into the mattress, arching his back just the way you liked it. The effect was almost immediate as he heard a groan from behind him, followed by a smack against his ass. "Fuck, such a pretty boy for me, aren't you?"

Yunho just whined, spreading his legs a little wider at the praise. He could feel you getting on the bed behind him, right after gathering all the things you'd need from the box in your wardrobe. A soft hand began smoothing down his back, making him relax and steady his breathing.

"I've prepared something new for today, if you're interested."

Oh, so that's why you were nervous.

"What is it?" Yunho asked, lifting his head from the pillows to be heard properly. He didn't turn around to look at you, too scared he wasn't allowed to without your explicit permission.

"I mean," you began, your free hand moving to massage the back of his thigh, "it's nothing too new. Just a small twist on what we already do, that's all. I can tell you right now if you want, but I was thinking it might be better as a surprise?"

Yunho shivered at the proposition, feeling excited and nervous at the same time. Being surprised was one thing, but to have you surprise him while you're railing him into the next week? He wasn't sure what to expect. Which, of course, led him to only one possible reply.

"Sure."

After hiding whatever it was you were planning to use from his sight and easing the plug out of him, Yunho found himself on his back, legs spread nice and wide for you while you stretched him open. Thanks to the plug, the process was a lot easier than usual, but that didn't stop you from ensuring his comfort anyway. Not to mention you'd never pass an opportunity to have him moaning on your fingers.

"Alright baby, I think you're ready for me," you said, focused on the way his pretty hole clenched around your digits. "What do you think?"

Yunho whined at the question, trying to push back against the three fingers inside of him. "Please, I need it! I'm so hard it hurts."

You chuckled at his desperation, making the man under you blush even more. He really wasn't lying; his dick had been left alone for way too long, twitching sadly against his abdomen whenever you pressed into him just right.

"Okay, hun," you began, removing your fingers from him at once, "I'm gonna need you to close your eyes for a moment, and when you open them again, you're not allowed to look down, okay?"

Huh. Okay.

Yunho nodded wordlessly, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes. He heard you get up from the bed again before shuffling around. The bedroom was completely silent, save for the sounds of his breathing, clothes rustling, and the soft clinking of metal. The mattress dipped down again, and Yunho was allowed to re-open his eyes.

"Hi," you said warmly, an amused smile gracing your lips as you looked down at his unsure expression.

"Hey," he replied tentatively, scanning your eyes for any clues on what to expect. "I, uh, wanted to ask - how low can or can't I look?"

You giggled at his question, making him smile a bit as well. "No need to worry about any of that, Yuyu. Just keep looking at me until I say otherwise, okay?"

He obliged with a nod, keeping his focus on your face even while you yourself looked down between his legs. It felt strangely exhilarating, not being able to see what was going on down there, what was going to happen to him.

"Hold these for me, will you?" You said as you pushed his legs up by the backs of his knees, waiting for him to get the memo and hold them up for you. Luckily, it didn't take Yunho too long, still lucid enough to remember one of your most frequent orders.

A cold, slick, blunt object was suddenly pressed against his hole, making Yunho flinch at the unexpected sensation. He'd almost looked down then, wishing to see which toy you'd chosen today, but caught himself at the last second.

"I'm gonna push in now, okay?" You warned him, leaning further over his body for a better angle. "Just relax and remember to breathe."

Yunho did just that, closing his eyes and relaxing as much as he could. Still, he couldn't help but tense a bit when you began pushing in, the intrusion familiar yet oddly different at the same time. His eyebrows furrowed at the thought, confused about what it could mean. Did you get a new strap? Is that why you didn't want him to look yet?

Oblivious to the turmoil raging in Yunho's head, you kept pushing further, gaze flitting between his sinful expressions and his hole eagerly welcoming you in. It wasn't until your hips met his that his eyes opened again, watching you with almost alarming intensity.

"Something's different, isn't it?"

You couldn't stop yourself from giggling at your boyfriend's puzzled face but nodded nonetheless. "It is indeed. Do you have any clue as to what it could be?"

Yunho's brows furrowed at the question, fully concentrated on finding out the answer. You could feel the faintest tug from below, watching as he clenched down on the strap-on.

"I- I'm not entirely sure, but the shape feels different. It feels a bit smaller too."

"Is that an issue?" You teased, a wide grin splitting your face. "Maybe it's not about the size with this one, who knows."

Yunho let out another confused sound at that, trying to decipher your words. Maybe it vibrates? Or inflates somehow? Or changes temperature? Okay, no, probably not that last one.

But then what could possibly make this one special?

Despite being very invested in uncovering the mystery of this strange fake cock, the moment you actually began moving, all rational thoughts flew out the window. Big or small, thanks to your skilled hips, the toy still hit all the best spots inside of him just the way he liked it, reducing him to a moaning and groaning mess.

"Miss, please! Harder!" Yunho desperately begged. With each thrust, the hold on his legs slowly began to falter, resulting in him dropping one to hold onto your back instead. You heeded his pleas, snapping into him with newfound force. His nails dug into your back, trying to steady himself while you rocked him up on the bed. His cock yet again lay neglected on his stomach, slapping around in its small puddle of precum with each thrust. This time, though, you felt more merciful, dropping one of the hands propping you up to grab a firm hold of it.

"Fuck!" Yunho cried out, throwing his head back. His chest heaved up and down, trying to keep up with the onslaught of pleasure in two places at once. "Miss, I'm so close, please let me cum, please!"

"Is that so?" You asked back, stalling for time as he thrashed under you, desperately holding back his orgasm until you'd allow it. "Wanna find out about the surprise right now, then?"

Oh, that's right. Yunho'd forgotten all about it, too distracted by you rocking his world like you always do.

Quickly nodding his head, he could only muster a dumb "uh-huh" in response.

"Look down, then."

Eagerly, he complied, even lifting his head up a bit to see better. Just as he'd suspected, this was a completely new toy, looking nothing like the ones you'd used before. From the color and the way it filled him just a little differently, to the strange shape of its base. Speaking of which, he watched as you leaned back and reached your hand - one that wasn't tugging at his aching cock - down to said base, wrapping around it.

"Gonna cum, pretty boy?" You asked, a mischievous glint in your eyes.

"Yes, please let me!" He replied desperately, trying to push back against your hand and strap at the same time.

"Then cum with me."

For a split second, Yunho was confused again. What do you mean, together? Were you also about to cum, completely untouched? But you didn't seem anywhere near affected enough to just cum on the spot like that, so what could you possibly mean?

Yunho was about to ask just that, but then he felt it.

Watching you squeeze the base of the strap, Yunho felt a strange pressure inside him, a bit further than the actual strap itself reached. And then he felt it again. And again.

You were cumming inside of him.

For a small moment, Yunho thought he had died. There was simply no way he could ever recover from such an orgasm, not a chance. His vision disappeared for a moment, and so did his hearing. The only thing he could feel was overwhelming pressure in his core, exploding into the most intense orgasm of his life. His chest and stomach kept tensing and relaxing, making his breath hitch with every shake of his body. Electricity was coursing through his body, from his head all the way to his toes and back.

He had no idea how much time had passed when he finally registered your hand on his cheek, tapping him lightly in hopes of getting his attention.

"Yunho?"

He took another big gulp of air before finally replying, "...yeah?"

"Oh, thank god," you sighed out in relief. "I was beginning to think you'd passed out on me."

"Honestly? I might have," Yunho chuckled incredulously, still in awe of everything that had just happened. His eyes had finally refocused, letting him see the curious yet worried look on your face. You were still naked, though the harness around your hips was gone. Now that his head was clearer, he could also feel a towel under his butt. When did that get there?

"I think that was the hardest I've ever cum in my entire life. Thought I had ascended for a moment there."

You laughed at his dazed response, smacking his chest gently. "Good to know at least one of us was having fun! I was so worried I had hurt you somehow!"

Although you meant it as a joke, Yunho knew there was a bit more sincerity to it than you intended to show. Sighing softly, he beckoned you closer, only to then fully pull you into his arms, chest resting against his. He could feel the utter mess he'd made that was now smeared between you but decided to ignore it for now. That could wait until his brain worked at least semi-properly again. "Don't worry, babe, I'm completely fine. Just need a moment to calm down."

You hummed non-committally, still feeling a bit unsure after having your boyfriend turn unresponsive for like half a minute. "It was good, though, right?"

Yunho chuckled, jostling your body alongside his. "Love, I literally just told you I had the most insane orgasm of my life, how do you think you did?"

Sensing you were still unconvinced, he continued. "You were so amazing today, doing everything I've dreamed of and more, and then you top it all off with this? I'm quite literally the luckiest boyfriend alive. Seriously, you have no idea how much I loved today."

You chuckled, nuzzling your face into the crook of his neck. "Not really, I think you gave me more than enough evidence a few minutes ago. Evidence which should get cleaned up as soon as possible before we get even more sticky and gross, mind you."

"Oh, don't worry," Yunho grinned, holding you even tighter, "that's not up to you to decide anymore."

You stilled in his embrace, lifting your head up to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"Look at the clock, love."

00:04.

Uh oh.

"So, now that our special day is over, how about you get up here and let me repay the favor, hm? I don't think I've had quite enough in your office this morning."

taglist: @justconniez @domribo @another-random-fanfic-blog @imrllytootiredforthis

Thank you for reading! And remember, feedback is always very appreciated! <3

#ateez smut #ateez x reader #sub!ateez #ateez oneshot #ateez hard hours #sub!yunho #ateez headcanons #yunho smut #yunho x reader #ateez reactions #ateez imagines #ateez oneshots #yunho oneshot #yunho scenarios #kinktober

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akaisak · 1 month ago

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SKAM (NORWAY) FIC RECS (all evak)

WAKE UP! (cuteandtwisted) │https://archiveofourown.org/works/10267481

this story is so fucking amazing. i almost threw up when i read it the first time, the characterization is so amazing and the plotline is REALLY interesting. i can only read this so often because it literally tears at my heartstrings every single time, its so beautiful. established evak (kinda?? you’ll see when you read) basically their love is interdimensional !

Burning For Your Touch (cuteandtwisted) │https://archiveofourown.org/works/13958667

Isak has a skin condition where he burns everyone he touches but for some reason even is the only person he doesn’t burn…you can guess where this is going! This story is a new level of beautiful, its so touching and emotional and honestly kind of hard to handle at points. Thank you cuteandtwisted for throwing me into emotional turmoil everytime i read this story!!

us, but we’re… (teatrolley) │https://archiveofourown.org/works/12622332

Short and sweet oneshot, the evak is established and even tells isak stories about their relationship in parallel universes and GIRL this story is preshhh i can’t get enough of it

and so i happily concede, this is all i ask, this is all i need (lovedisak)│ https://archiveofourown.org/works/11317599

Established relationship evak, even wants to propose to isak and thats basically the story! Includes sana mikael and jonas bullying even about his proposal plans and the most adorable ending, could not recommend more!!! Shes also short and sweet but emphasis on the SWEET. Love love love

#hashtag (bellakitse) │ https://archiveofourown.org/works/10187078

This one is literally so short but its still one of my faves,, even downloads instagram and posts literally only isak and yeah. Theyre so cute i love them to death (established evak, are u seeing a trend with these recs??)

ivory (ohsusie) │https://archiveofourown.org/works/11000826

Pretty much just smut for this one, but its also literally so adorable omg !!!! slightlyyyyy ooc (nothing on the author, im pretty sure she did it on purpose) but despite that its still so sweet and i love this one when i need a quick evak fix because it has a bit of everything!! Basic summary, when isak is worked up even helps him relax by fingering him

taking care (orphan) │https://archiveofourown.org/works/9011299

Isak gets a physics tutor and it ends up being a weirdo who lowkey wants isak but is also like super mean to him ??? even steps in and ends that really quickly! Love this story, even is suchhh a good bf i love them forever

in the place of you and me (shaneandadidas) │https://archiveofourown.org/works/10937958

Established evak (i know im obsessed with it, no need to tell me) ANYWAYS this story so sweet basically theyre in love. Thats literally it but its genuinely so fucking precious and i cannot reccommend more!! Please read this i swear youll feel so content afterwards

Nobody Loves Me Like You Do (cuteandtwisted) │https://archiveofourown.org/works/12201243

oh my GAWD. i genuinely cannot recommend this fic enough. Im seriously struggling to find words to describe how good this is. Just trust me and read it. The first time i finished reading this story i actually cried for like a concerningly long time and im kind of worried about my mental state now. Anyways, childhood bsfs evak lowkey angsty but the most SICKENING slowburn and lord its just beautiful and perfect. Please read youll love it i prommy

In A Week (allyasavedtheday) │https://archiveofourown.org/works/13058481

Engaged evak, they make a bet w their stupid (fondly) friends and they can’t sleep in the same bed for the whole week before their wedding!!! This ficccc its one of my OG faves, as ive had this bookmarked for like multiple years but it never loses its spark and it hits every. single. time. Please read this beauty, youll love her !!

Life is Now. (and now, and now) (FlyByNightGirl) │https://archiveofourown.org/works/9080293

Girl strap in. this is abt to be a long ass description of this fic because it is my all time favorite story over ALL fandoms and ALL ships and basically its my favorite piece of writing that i’ve ever read, even over like published novels, its just that fucking magnificent. This author has gotta be some kind of magic fairy because this writing is insane. Anyways lol its a slice of life fic that focuses on evak after s3 of skam. Fucking gorgeous, its long too which is just more to love! Please read it if you enjoy reading literal works of art because that is what this is, thank you. (mic drop)

#skam fanfic #skam norway #evak #skam #isak x even #isak valtersen #even bech næsheim #fic recs #fic rec #fanfiction #ao3 recs #ao3

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pinknightsinmymind · 2 years ago

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【 found family hc's 】

abby anderson x fem!reader & ellie williams x fem!reader

wc: 4.4k

song rec: house song by searows. i listened to this on loop the entire time i was writing.

content: established relationship, modern!au, fluff galore, hc's for both abs and els, christmas with abs!!!!, bbq with ellie and family, minor angst, but this is all fluff so sweet it rots your teeth, hc's AND long blurbs for abby and ellie, mentions of parent loss(in this modern!au abby's mother passed away), mentions of adoption(for ellie's hc's), and sarah is here!! she is ellie's older sister <33 also pls read a/n for more info

a/n: in which you are dating one of the girlies, meet their fathers, and detailing your journey into becoming part of the family. i kinda wrote this with the idea of what it’s like to not come from a healthy family in mind, but it’s also vague and written in a way where you’re able to interpret it and shape it to fit whatever you have in mind and relate it to what you know. the main theme here, though, is finding/making your own family and building a beautiful life despite your past. this is kinda just me hoping i’ll be able to do the same one day. i began writing this while really sad, but i’m posting this in much better spirits. this started with my sadness, but now it makes me feel hopeful. anyways, pls enjoy, and if you think you’ll need them, get your tissues ready. i love you all and you are all so beautiful and worthy of love and good things. and if any of you ever need anything, my inbox and dm's are open <333

GENERAL HEADCANONS — applies to both abby and ellie

It’s an uncomfortable conversation, but when your relationship with her started getting serious, you explained what your family/home life was like and that although you’d love to, your family probably wouldn’t want to foster a close relationship with either of you. You told her you understood if this was a dealbreaker and if it was something she couldn’t tolerate, but that wasn’t her reaction at all. Instead, you were met with complete understanding that almost left you sobbing. You were happy to have someone finally understand that family—and navigating it—hasn’t been easy for you and it was good to not have things out of your control held against you for once.

As your relationship progressed, she made it clear to you that she’d love to introduce you to her family and that they were excited to meet you. She promised that they’d accept you into open arms and that everything would go well, so there was nothing to worry about.

You were nervous, of course, unsure how any of it would unfold because you had never met her family before. You had heard so much about them and knew they must have been amazing people to have raised someone as great as your girlfriend, but you were still scared. What if they could see everything wrong with you with just one look? What if they thought you were too damaged and no good for their daughter? Or what if they just didn’t like you? It was all so worrisome, but your girlfriend assured you it would all be okay.

Meeting the rest of the family was one thing, but meeting their fathers was the scariest part.

ABBY ANDERSON

You met Abby's dad during Thanksgiving—typical and sappy, but just so Abby. Of course she’d bring someone home during the holidays. You had been dating her for almost a year now, so it was about time you met him. You knew that Abby's mother passed when she was very young, and you also knew it would just be the three of you together for the holiday. Jerry did everything to make any occasion happy for his daughter since he knew her life would be hard enough without a mother, and that included holidays. As a busy surgeon—the top one of your city’s hospital, no less—he’s lucky to get this day off, and although he can’t make a whole turkey on his own, he cooks many other dishes to make up for it. He goes all out making desserts as he likes baking more than cooking, and he’s the main reason Abby has such a sweet tooth.

Jerry is nothing but welcoming to you, telling you how he’s heard so much about you (which in turn makes Abby blush, thinking to herself, He wasn’t supposed to say that! but she still keeps her cool). He asks you all about yourself, if you’re in school and what for, what your plans for the future are, then jumps straight into his dad-threats. He tells you in a serious voice that you better take care of his daughter, then lets out a laugh and offers you a slice of pie.

It went well, and you even stayed the night at Abby's childhood home, sleeping in her big and well-furnished room.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“I think it went well,” you said. The two of you were huddled up underneath the covers in her old bed, and it’s comfier than you expected. Maybe it’s because Abby has you pulled close to her chest as her hand rubs comforting circles on your back, but it’s still heavenly. “I just can’t tell if he likes me or not.”

“Please, he likes you,” she assured you. You could feel her trailing her hand down your sides gently now. “Otherwise he wouldn’t have been in such a good mood today. Promise.” You let out a small sigh at her words. You didn’t want to argue with her about this, and you felt the only thing you could possibly do was hope she was right.

You did see Jerry a few times after that, but it was only when Abby invited you to go see him with her. He was always kind and welcoming, but you couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling in your chest that maybe he didn’t actually like you. What if he was faking all of it? You couldn’t think of any good reasons why he’d like you and accept you with open arms. It didn’t make sense to you because all you knew to expect from a parental figure was rejection. Maybe he just didn’t think you were good enough for his daughter. You didn’t tell Abby any of this, though, because you knew she’d be crushed to hear you don’t think her dad likes you. It’s also because she’ll just tell you for the millionth time he does, and you’d hate asking her for the same reassurance over and over again. In the case of her father’s acceptance, it would do nothing to quell your fears.

You hadn’t expected the holiday season to help erase these fears, but they did. After a late night of watching movies, Abby brought up visiting her father for Christmas with you by her side. She was excited as she told you all about her and her dad’s traditions: drinking hot coco, watching cheesy Christmas movies, stockings full of gifts, and the works. You couldn’t tell her no. Not when her face was beaming with excitement and she had a big smile across her face. You appreciated how much she wanted to include you—no, scratch that, cherished it—but deep down inside you felt out of place. You felt like an environment as soft and as warm as that was not a place where you belonged. It’s not what you knew, not what you were used to, but you put on a brave face for Abby.

You didn’t believe her when she told you how extensively Jerry decorated the house, but it was exactly as she said. As soon as you walked through the front door, you could smell the vanilla candles and the scent of pine mixed together. You were greeted not only by Jerry, but by the presence of mini-Santa statues and multi-colored nutcrackers. There was a big wreath on the outside of the front door, and an even bigger one hung around the family portrait of Abby and her father. The Christmas tree was huge, probably close to six feet tall, and by the smell of the fresh pine emanating from it, you knew it was real. The tree was decorated with gold and silver ornaments, bright lights, tinsel, and a giant star at the top. The fireplace had stockings lined up against the chimney with other statues, trinkets, and family photos lining the shelf. The tree casted a warm glow over the living room, and it just felt so cozy inside. It’s crazy to think that this is what Abby grew up with, that this is the kind of childhood she had, but at the same time you’re happy it was. It’s what she deserves.

It may be Christmas day, but it’s already 9 P.M., so Jerry suggests hot coco, sweets, and a cheesy movie. Abby, of course, agrees and picks out her favorite movie for you all to watch. You helped her pick it out, specifically choosing it because you’ve never seen it before and because you know she loves it. You all get a slice of Jerry’s homemade apple pie, and it’s so warm and gooey you’re sure you’ve never tasted anything like it before. You wonder where in the mix of being a surgeon he found the time to be so good at baking, but it’s still so endearing. You wonder how many times he practiced these recipes for Abby, and it’s so heartwarming. You hope you can one day offer her a home the same way Jerry has.

Jerry settles into his worn-out, leather recliner with his cup of hot chocolate while you and Abby occupy the couch. There’s a glass coffee table in front of it where your two mugs rest as the two of you are snug in a blanket you’re sharing together. You’re nestled into Abby’s side with her arm over your shoulder as you watch the movie together. It’s comfortable, and the warm, yellow lights make the moment that much more beautiful. They cast a glow on Abby, making her look sweeter than she already does. Her hair is down for once, and you’re lost in the tenderness of the moment. Occasionally the two of you move forward and grab your mugs for a sip, but besides that this wholeness has no interruptions. It’s like you can feel your doubts melting away, and you feel comforted, welcomed, by the warmth of this moment. It doesn’t seem to push you away anymore, but rather it’s something you feel compelled to be a part of now. Well, no, that’s not exactly right either. It’s like you are a part of it now, and it’s accepting your embrace rather than your rejection. You don’t feel the need to push it away anymore, to create excuse after excuse as to why you don’t deserve it, and it’s like you’re finally letting it make its home in your heart.

After the movie finished and you all had your fill of hot chocolate, you hear Jerry get up from his seat and mention that he wants to give out stockings. You don’t think much of it, watching the man as he walks up to the fireplace and grabs two of the stockings that were hanging. You hadn’t paid much attention to them earlier, but when he comes up to you and Abby, you realize you should’ve. One has Abby’s name stitched into it with blue and orange thread, and the other has your name threaded into it with your favorite colors. He gives Abby her stocking first, then holds the one with your name on it out towards you.

“Is that for me?” you asked.

“Sure is,” Abby answered. You glance over at her and she’s practically beaming. She seems so proud of herself.

“Abby helped me make it. She made sure it had your favorite colors and everything,” Jerry explained. You finally take the stocking from his hands, feeling the heft of the weight of whatever was inside.

“I bet she got mad if you suggested a color that wasn’t.” You crack a joke in the face of this moment, because if you think too hard, look at the stocking too long, you might start crying.

“Nearly tore my head off,” Jerry laughed. “But it’s so you know you’re part of the family now.” You nod your head, clenching your jaw as your gaze keeps shifting between the stocking and the floor.

“Thank you,” was all you could manage to say in reply. You’re sure you could burst into tears at any moment, but at the very least they’re happy ones.

ELLIE WILLIAMS

You were never as scared of anything as you were to meet Joel Miller. You had seen him in photos with him and Ellie, and he did not look like he played around. In fact, he looked like he’s never fucked around a day in his life. The man intimidated you, and you had never even met him before.

Ellie’s Uncle Tommy’s birthday was coming up, and you were invited to the family celebration that would include Uncle Tommy, Aunt Maria, Joel, Ellie’s older sister, Sarah, and now you.

You had met Joel in passing with a quick “hello” whenever you visited his and Ellie's house, but you had never formally met him, especially not the rest of the family, either. You had also never met Sarah as she lived in a different city and was older than you and Ellie, but you were excited to. She was a young teen when Ellie had been adopted, and you had heard so many stories from Ellie about what an amazing older sister she was, so that was at least one family member you weren’t scared of. Uncle Tommy and Aunt Maria, though? Maria was intimidating, and Tommy and Joel had both been in the military. Who wouldn’t be afraid?

“Everything’s gonna be okay,” Ellie reassured you. You were both standing in front of Tommy and Maria’s front door, nervous as could be. Ellie held your hand in hers as she rubbed her thumb across your skin. “They’ll love you, promise.” Ellie reached up with her free hand and knocked on the door. A second passed in silence between the two of you before the door opened, and you were met face-to-face with Maria. She had short graying hair and a freckled face that reminded you of Ellie’s, and as soon as her eyes landed on the two of you, her lips turned upwards into a wide smile.

“Ellie, is this [Y/N]?” she asked. Ellie smiled shyly as she nodded her head.

“Yes, this is her,” she answered.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you,” Maria said politely. She was just all smiles, and she was much warmer compared to the scary image of her you created in your head. To be fair, she did seem really intimidating from her pictures, but she was nothing of the sort.

“Nice to meet you, too,” you managed to reply. You were still nervous, feeling like you were choking on the anxious butterflies dancing around your stomach.

“And she’s polite,” Maria prodded. She smiled even bigger as she pulled the door open for the two of you. “Anyways, come in. Joel and Tommy are in the back with the grill set up already, so just follow me.” Ellie walked through the doorway, pulling you with her towards the back of the house. Maria led you through the house’s front hallway into the living den furnished with couches and countless photos and decor hanging on the blue walls, then turned left into the kitchen. Sitting at the table was an older woman at least in her 30’s scrolling through her phone, but her eyes perked up as soon as she saw you all enter the kitchen. Almost immediately an excited smile spread across her face.

“Sarah!” Ellie greeted. The woman jumped up from her seat and gave Ellie a tight hug.

“Ellie, is this her?” she asked. Her eyes kept moving back and forth between the two of you.

“Yes, this is her,” Ellie answered.

“Wow, I’m so happy to meet you!” Sarah cheered. She came over to you and gave you a hug, something you hadn’t expected, but you returned it the best you could. As soon as Sarah pulled away from the hug, she was talking again. The way she carried herself was so confident and firm, and she held great amounts of eye contact while speaking—something you were struggling with at the moment. “Ellie has told me so much! She never stops talking about you!” She had a sweet, Texan accent when she spoke like Joel, while Ellie only had a slight one in comparison.

“Sarah!” Ellie groaned.

“What?” she asked coyly. “Was I not supposed to say that?” The answer was yes, and she knew that, but how could she resist teasing her little sister? Ellie just rolled her eyes.

“Come on, y’all, they’re waiting for us outside,” Maria announced. She nodded her head in the direction of the door behind the kitchen table, and you found yourself taking a deep breath. The door was glass, so you could see the wooden porch outside and the green grass, but no sign of Joel or Tommy—you know, just the two men who terrified you the most.

“Oh, yeah, I was gonna help Dad with the grill,” Sarah sighed.

“You? Helping with the grill?” Ellie teased.

“Hmm, more like standing there and talking to him,” she said.

“That sounds more like what you meant,” Ellie responded.

“Yeah, see y’all out there.” Sarah got up from her seat and was the first to open the back door, the hot air and smell of grilled meat wafting in as soon as she did. Maria followed her soon after, and you knew you and Ellie should follow suit, but you found yourself stuck, unsure what to do.

“Hey, you okay?” Ellie asked. The sound of the door closing shut hung in the air, and you knew you’d have to open it again soon.

“Yeah, just… nervous,” you explained.

“Everything will be alright, promise. I’m gonna be here the whole time, and we’re gonna be eating, too. That won’t be too bad, now, will it?” she asked.

“No, I guess not,” you replied.

“And you’ve got me right next to you. Don’t forget that.” Ellie gave you a sheepish smile, and you did your best to return it despite the queasiness in your stomach.

The barbeque went well, and it wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be. In fact, you felt well-received by Tommy as Maria and Sarah helped encourage him to hold conversation with you. The two women did a lot to help conversation flow and welcome you as much as possible, but the one person you felt like you weren’t getting through to was Joel. He was just so… quiet. It’s as if he was always on guard, always analyzing the situation, but what did you expect from a guy who used to be in the military? That seems to be the exact kind of disposition he’d have. He only really gave small replies in single words here and there, maybe an autobiographical question for you, then he’d retreat back to his silence. It was honestly unnerving, and as much as you did your best to immerse yourself in the conversation, in Ellie’s little jokes, Tommy’s laughter, Joel intimidated you more than anyone else ever had before. Why was he so quiet? Did he see something wrong with you? Did he not think you were fit to be his daughter’s girlfriend? Was he waiting for you to make a mistake? Was he planning how to tell Ellie that he didn’t think the two of you were a good match? All the possibilities were endless, and every single one terrified you to no end.

Despite the anxiety eating you up from the inside, you did your best to maintain your composure. You answered whatever questions Ellie’s family had for you, laughed at the jokes like you should have, all while trying to keep the crushing fear at bay. Ellie seemed to sense it somewhat, because at multiple points throughout the dinner she’d grab your hand under the table or rub your thigh comfortingly. When the night started slowing down, the sun sinking lower and lower, Tommy and Maria declared the end of the dinner and started clearing the table. Joel and Sarah disappeared into the house, carrying trash and whatever else they could back inside. Ellie leaned in close to your ear in order to speak.

“How are you feeling?” she whispered.

“I’m doing okay,” you answered. “Not as nervous as before, but still a little.”

“Did you enjoy yourself, though?”

“I did,” you replied.

“Joel and Tommy are good at barbecuing, huh?”

You laughed a little at her prodding. “Yeah, they are.”

“Look, we’re gonna get you some extra family points, yeah? Let’s offer to help Maria clean up. How does that sound?”

“Sounds good to me,” you said. This time you were the one to offer Ellie a little smile, one she was happy to see on your face after such a long day.

“Perfect.” She stood up from her chair and brushed off her jeans. “Hey, Maria, let me and [Y/N] help you clean up a bit,” she announced.

“Well, aren’t you sweet?” Maria asked.

“The sweetest,” Ellie joked. You were next to stand up from the table, picking up both your plate and Ellie’s while she gathered the left behind cups. Tommy had already retreated inside with the large dishes of food, leaving you with just Maria and Ellie. It was quiet besides the clanking of the dishes as all three of you walked inside. Ellie walked behind you as you reentered the house, slotting dishes in the sink and discarding whatever trash she had. Ellie came up behind you, her back pressing into yours for a second when Maria disappeared into the living room where everyone else presumably was.

“How far do we wanna take these points?” she whispered.

“Well, what are you thinking?” you asked her.

“I say we wash the dishes,” she suggested, and you could just imagine the stupid, little grin on her face. “It’ll make them like me more, too.”

“You’re such a dork,” you said as the laugh spilled out your lips. You turned around to look at her, and there was a goofy grin on her face just like you expected. Her hands ventured to rest on your waist, placing a kiss on your forehead.

“Whatever. Come on, let’s just do it.”

“Okay, you hate doing the dishes, so I’m starting to wonder what this is really about.”

“I… may or may not have promised Maria I’d do the dishes, and she’ll kill me if I don’t.”

“This is why you watch the promises you make,” you said.

“Moving along,” she said in a rushed manner, “are you gonna help me or not?”

“Yeah, because I need you alive.”

You and Ellie slotted yourselves side by side as you were forced to wash the dishes on account of your girlfriend’s promises. She was stuck washing while you dried the dishes. At one point Joel had wandered through the kitchen, muttering a small greeting to you both before disappearing outside. He left the back door open somewhat, but you said nothing, figuring he would be coming back inside soon. Despite the small interruption, Ellie, of course, couldn’t help being a little shit and splashing you with water every once in a while.

“You got my shirt wet!” you’d scold her.

“I’m sorry, baby,” she’d say all fakely. She pulled you into a hug, but once you separated, she splashed you with water again. After washing the dishes and Ellie cleaned the kitchen up a bit, you could tell she was tired and ready to go home.

“You look tired,” you commented to her.

“Yeah, I’m… all tuckered out. You ready to go home?”

“If you are, yeah.”

“Okay, let me find my… Where are my keys?” she asked. She patted at her pockets, looking for any sign of them, only to come back empty. “I think I left them outside.”

“I can go get them for you,” you offered.

“Oh, good idea. You get my keys and I say bye to everyone for us. Perfect.”

“Alright, I’ll go find them for you. Be right back.” You gave Ellie a quick kiss on the cheek before wandering outside through the back door. As soon as you stepped outside, your eyes landed on Joel sitting on one of the chairs with a mug in his hand. You had forgotten he was even out here in the first place, and you hadn’t expected or planned for this interaction with him. You took a deep, calming breath. You needed to act normal.

“Hello, Joel,” you spoke up. He turned to look at you, then returned his gaze to his mug. It was dark outside, and the porch light may have been on, but it was a dim, yellow light. Not at all helpful as your eyes scoured the ground for Ellie’s keys.

“Hello.” It was quiet as you wandered to the table, looking across the top of it for Ellie’s keys. Still no sign of them. You pulled the chairs out, and you didn’t find them on the seats either. You sighed as you pulled out your phone and turned on your flashlight. “What are you lookin’ for?” Joel asked.

“Um, Ellie’s keys. She can’t find them.” You squatted down to the floor, shining the light around the wooden porch as you continued your search.

“Oh, you two gettin’ ready to leave?” he asked. You turned your phone to the right, and something silver glinted back at you. The keys. Thank God. You grabbed onto them and got back up from the ground.

“Yeah, she said she was tired and ready to go home.”

Joel let out a small chuckle. “That sounds like her,” he remarked.

“It very much is her,” you replied.

“I heard her splashin’ you with water in there.”

“She can’t help herself,” you said. “She apologized, then she did it again.”

“Does that… make you mad?” he asked.

“No, not at all.” You were wondering what he was getting at with the question.

“You and her seem to get along well,” he pointed out.

“I think so, too,” you said, hoping you were choosing your words well.

“I can tell she really loves you, you know,” Joel said. He took a sip out of his drink, then glanced at you. “And you seem really good for her, too.” The words hit you right in the heart. You knew from what Ellie told you that Joel wasn’t a man of many words, but these were just enough. They seemed to give you the kind of confirmation you were looking for, that maybe you could put down the anxiety plaguing your mind.

“I’m glad you think so,” you said. You glanced at the mug in his hands again. Was that steam? “Can I ask what you’re drinking?”

“It’s coffee.”

“This late?” you asked.

“The girls always tell me that,” he said, and you saw the smallest glimpse of a smile ghosting his lips. You figured by “the girls,” he must have been referring to Sarah and Ellie, and that small detail stuck out to you. Despite how scary he was, deep down inside he was just a dad. A girl-dad, at that.

“Ellie always tells me how much she hates coffee.”

“She never lets that go. I tell her she has underdeveloped tastebuds to make her mad.”

“That’s perfect for getting under her skin,” you replied.

“That’s why I say it. Anyways, she’s probably lookin’ for you by now, or me, maybe.”

“Probably,” you responded. “After I find her, she’ll probably come tell you bye before we leave. I’m gonna do that now.”

“You go do that,” he said. “And you better take good care of her, by the way.” You smiled a little bit. Had you heard him say that earlier, you probably would have shit your pants, but now you were comforted by the dad-threat.

“I will,” you said confidently.

“Or I will… do something. I don’t know, I’ll figure it out.”

“I take your word for it,” you replied. You turned around to walk back inside, keys in hand, a new kind of pep in your step as you looked for Ellie.

#abby anderson #abby anderson headcanons #abby anderson x reader #abby anderson x you #abby anderson x y/n #abby anderson fluff #abby anderson x reader fluff #ellie williams #ellie williams headcanons #ellie williams x reader #ellie williams x you #ellie williams x y/n #ellie williams fluff #ellie williams x reader fluff #tlou x reader

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bangrychannie · 6 months ago

Text

College AU Stay Kids Fanfiction Recs

Hello! You all voted for college AU for my next rec list, so here it is! I just compiled all of my bookmarks into a spreadsheet for easier recs, and I have 31 under college AU (just shy of 1 million words of fanfic omg). I will not put all of them but I'll make a part 2 at some point. Lots of pairings here but mostly Minsung. I tried to do a mix of explicit and non explicit ones.

My other fanfic rec lists:

Misc

Time Loop

Angst free

Demons

love, friendship, and other complications by flying_dream (Sungbin | 1/1 | 18,363 | Teen and Up)

Jisung has never had a date for Valentine's Day. Never. Never. Naturally, as his best friend and number #1 bro, Changbin steps up to the plate and volunteers as tribute. Yeah, this is definitely going to be one for the books.

Classic idiots to lovers. Obsessed with this one

Attachments by bitsori (Minsung | 1/1 | 16,423 | Teen and Up)

“You can do the 24-hour handcuff challenge!” Felix suddenly suggested, and the gears in Jisung's head immediately began to turn. “It's perfect for you and Minho-hyung, and your viewers would love that,” he added. Jisung took pause; he had to admit that their idea could make for amusing content. He and Minho always had fun when they were together, and he knew that his subs love to see him with his best friend. in which Jisung and Minho spend an entire day literally attached to each other, and certain revelations come about.

Youtuber Jisung, dancer Minho, teensy tiny bit of angst I love it

36 Questions to Fall Out of Hate by leebitcore (Minsung | 1/1 | 15,719 | Explicit)

Images of Lee Minho’s stupidly smug face flash through Jisung’s brain as he marches out of the dining hall to go to the faculty building. He can already hear his condescending voice, arrogant as he teases Jisung about them being partnered up. Something along the lines of “Happy to see me? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure we do well.” or, Jisung and Minho are paired together to test the 36 Questions to Fall in Love for a school project. There’s only one problem – Jisung can’t fucking stand him.

Enemies to lovers/academic rivals Minsung what more could you ask for

Sure Strike by falloutgirl (2min | 1/1 | 27,963 | explicit)

Minho's eyes trail down Seungmin’s shirtless body, his toned arms, his lithe form, the bit of lean tummy that Minho has been imagining biting into for weeks. His eyes follow the sweat dripping off Seungmin’s hair and down his chest, rolling down his abdomen as it pools against his bellybutton. His gaze sinks lower, lower, and he sees all of Seungmin, in nothing but the tightest pair of white boxer briefs Minho’s ever seen. A strangled breath breaks its way out of Minho's throat. There’s nothing left to the imagination.

One sided enemies to lovers where Minho is incredibly down bad for Seungmin. Obsessed. The smut in this is insane so make sure to read the tags lol

eight hugs a day (keeps the doctor away) by tuanpark (Seungjin | 1/1 | 20,879 | Teen and up)

Seungmin didn’t want to argue. “Look, can you help me or not? I’m just trying to relieve some stress here, man.” Hyunjin seemed deep in thought. “I can’t help you if you don’t want to hug… But tell you what! We can work up to it. Start small and work our way up to one. Free of charge!” Or Seungmin is a stressed college student, and Hyunjin is a self-proclaimed hug therapist.

I like this one bc Hyunjin is odd af and Seungmin has no clue how to deal with it lol. Very cute

the long game by floraii (Hyunsung | 1/1 16,045 | Teen and Up)

“Anyway,” he continues, voice still sultry, “I’ve been seeing you in class, and I was just wondering—” he moves his hand to curl around a strand of his hair. “Could I get your number?” Han Jisung’s big brown eyes blink again. His gaze darts to his lips, then to his notebook, then up to his eyes. “To study?” “Yeah,” Hyunjin blurts without thinking. What the fuck? Study? What is happening? Why is he agreeing?

Hyunjin has a type. It’s not usually shy boys in his Intro to Statistics class with big round eyes and glasses, but Han Jisung is different.

Nerd Jisung and jock Hyunjin yippeee

reply hazy, try again by mrehk (Chanbin | 1/1 | 14,951 | explicit)

Changbin’s calculus tutor is Bang Chan. Smile wide, eyes shining, curly hair wild around his head. He’s got his backpack slung over one arm, those fuck ass chino shorts with a five inch inseam that make Changbin’s mouth water— and, goddamn, he’s wearing a fucking cropped t-shirt. Jisung and Seungmin are going to string Changbin up and have their way with public humiliation when they hear about this. (OR: solving for the derivative of l+o+v+e)

Changbin drooling over Chan was super funny, I loved this. I don't think mrehk could write something bad though haha

pretty boy, don't you want me to? by sunshinedozing (Seungsung | 1/1 | 11,938 | Explicit)

“You’re cute.” Seungmin says bluntly. “And I kind of want to take you home with me. My shift’s over in thirty minutes, if you feel like waiting.” Jisung blinks at him a couple times. “Really?” He asks incredulously. “Wow, okay. Yeah I’ll um, I’ll wait.” Seungmin grins, and he lets a little sharpness slip into it. “Great, I’ll see you then.” Jisung gulps. “Yeah, see you then.”

Jisung kind of wants the hot librarian who keeps distracting him to take him home and fuck him stupid. Luckily, the hot librarian wants the same thing.

sunshinedozing is also a fantastic writer! love this one, loser Jisung is like the best thing ever

peaches and cream by stellalunar (Minsung, 2/2 | 49,793 | Teen and Up)

Jisung truly doesn't mean to spend his Friday night holding someone else's sopping clothes in the laundry room of the dorm building while said someone else stares at him with an expression that's a mix of amusement, confusion, and pity. But here he is, standing in the laundry room of the dorm building, holding the sopping wet clothes of a very amused college student who's valiantly giving his best effort not to straight-up laugh at Jisung. - Or, in which Jisung's dumb, sleep-deprived self accidentally steals Minho's clothes and then Minho shows up at Jisung's door with an impish grin and a needed favor and accidental feelings ensue.

Jisung is so awkward in this one and it's super cute

falling thru the cracks by liknow (Seungbin | 1/1 | 6862 | Teen and Up)

"Friends don't kiss," Minho says, eyes narrowed. "Uh, sometimes they do? I mean, we're really good friends..." Changbin tries to defend. "Really good friends don't kiss either, idiot."

in which: Changbin and Seungmin accidentally make a habit of making out at parties, then start going to parties just so they have an excuse to make out, then realize that isn't normal.

another idiots to lovers so funny

Ok so that's all for now haha, I will definitely post a part 2 for college AUs but fake dating will be next! That is a much shorter list unfortunately so if y'all have good ones that you think I'd like I wouldn't mind if you sent them over

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openphrase123 · 2 months ago

Note

okay........so sorry for all these questions lol feel free to pick and choose.

73, 65, 45, 32, 26, 20, 11, and 10!!

AH? well don't worry i like answering things :) thank you for the ask >:3

however this shit's going under a readmore (there isssss a preview of tomorrow's four eyes update in here though :3) (and also fic recs)

73. What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?

I think I format things a little differently on ao3 than what i've seen in other fics? me and my doublespaces. sorry if this makes them harder to read it actually makes it easier for me to read with my visual processing

for actual CONTENT... idk i think i have the tendency to take things that are extremely high concepts that veer into crackfic territory and ground them in reality as best i can. but i think it feels more real because i deal a lot in slow boils and longfics, so i take lots of time on atmosphere before immediately coming out with things like "siffrin is a literal star banished from the sky by the universe"

also i think i'm really strong at romance writing especially but that's neither here nor there

65. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

i actually just noticed you left a comment on my seizure-induced post about my future 20 years later fic and it reminded me that i'm so on my high horse about how i named the isafrin fankids i made up for it. you know how siffrin's name is sisyphus but id5 mangled it into siffrin? i did that with all of the isafrin fankid names. took greek mythology heroes and mangled the names. theseus -> thessan and aeneas -> aeney

anyway they're fun to write and i keep writing about them as a treat when i need it :3 they're both forgotten island castaways that washed up on shore as toddlers so they couldn't just learn vaugardian and move on, and everyone in bambouche was like "hey siffrin can you take care of these kids since you're from the same country" and he panicked for a full month before saying yes

45. Do you want to break your readers‘ heart or make them laugh?

por que no los dos? can't i do both? sometimes i do it at the same time, even. i do want to END with them laughing though i don't give hits without a comfort at the end

32. Name three of your favorite fanfic writers.

club of never missing in my heart is entryn17, faedemon (hi @moipale :3), and grech (HI @isuggestwishcraft) although i need to like. catch up. there are fics on grech's profile i haven't read yet. this is a mistake

26. Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

um. :)

it's a tie between inutile and four eyes (curtain call is SO MILD) but they're wild rides in different ways. inutile is like a proper steel roller coaster where you can see what the next drop is going to be if you look ahead. four eyes is a 50 year old wooden legacy coaster that you wonder if it's stable enough to ride on safely the whole time you're on it. (in case you were wondering, the 20 years later fic is like a teacup ride that you get sick on in between breaks and curtain call is a log ride that has lots of drops but you can still take your nephew on it without scaring the shit out of him)

20. Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

when i write in the second person i am so guilty of "you feel yourself/you see yourself/she seemed/she looks" like i need to stop that... however i don't make multiple drafts of fanfiction, i do it a lot less in Fully Original Edited Works

my friends that know me outside of isat would say my biggest writing theme is clones and duplicates and doppelgangers so. [sweats]

isat is lacking in some of my other writing themes which how blood family interacts with found family but [looks at four eyes and starts sweating again] aw beans i didn't realize i was doing that there until now

11. Link your three favorite fics right now

backstitching has been taking over my entire life. i need to start leaving comments on it but i'm shy

@riggedbones has also made me insane about their odile looping au, pspsps you want to read find chance in consequence sooooo bad

i do not know where the wild hunt is going but i am grisping it really hard. i'm eyes-emoji-ing it.

10. Cltr+f "blinks" on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up

hahaha. lol. from the four eyes chapter i'm formatting right now, that's coming out tomorrow:

#thank you :3 i like talkin

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autistichalsin · 9 months ago

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A fic writer's guide to leaving comments

I'm sure you've seen posts from fic writers expressing dismay at the death of feedback culture, and especially lamenting the phenomenon of people making private Discord servers to share fic recs, so that instead of having a chance to stumble on nice comments in the wild on Tumblr, Twitter, etc, fic writers are increasingly less likely to see good comments left about their work.

I also see the comments on those same posts flooded with people with concerns about commenting, so I am writing this as a guide for those new or unsure.

Firstly: some of you are probably asking, "why do fanfic writers need feedback at all? Shouldn't they be writing just for themselves?"

Well... No. Not really. People can and should create things for themself, yes, but that doesn't mean "continue to post content when no one seems to be engaging." Imagine cooking for someone who eats in utter silence and never says a single word about the meal. Imagine putting on a concert and receiving not a single applause, a cheer, nothing at all. It sounds utterly horrifying, doesn't it? Maybe even humiliating?

Writing for oneself means that positive reviews shouldn't be the sole factor in deciding whether to write/post/continue a story, not that a writer should feel obligated to write thousands of words for a story no one really reacts to in any way, especially when the writer sees creators of similar content (edits, fanarts, fanvids, fansongs, etc) get praised effusively for their work without this expectation being placed on them. It is very rare that artists are told they should draw for themselves the way fic writers are.

Further, and this may be a hot take, but I actually don't think it's inherently wrong to make positive reviews the main or even sole reason for writing or making art to begin with. People like being praised for things they do well. It's one of the most basic parts of human psychology. Human beings want to be praised, encouraged, validated, and celebrated sometimes; why do you think we celebrate birthdays? It's not egotistical. It might, perhaps, be setting oneself up for disappointment, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it, anyway.

Basically, all that to say: it's nice to tip your Uber drivers and baristas. It's nice to thank/compliment your spouse when they make you dinner. And it's nice to thank fan artists and fanfic writers when they make arts/fics that you enjoy.

Moving on: I also know some of you have some specific things you worry or are confused about, and those things might be stopping you from leaving feedback. So here is an FAQ of sorts:

Q: What if the story has a lot of chapters/the author has written many stories? Won't it be weird to go and leave so many comments on them?

A: You definitely can review only the latest chapter/fic and future installments if you so choose, but for the record, fanfics aren't like Instagram/Facebook; mass-commenting and kudosing old stories and chapters isn't seen as stalkerish. It's seen as a sign you're enjoying the content we made. Think of it this way: if a new Star Wars came out, and you were new to Star Wars, it would only make sense for you to go and watch (and post about) the previous movies, right?

Q: What if I don't know what to say?

A: That's perfectly okay! I have a guide at the bottom of this post if you need some ideas. But honestly, writers would rather a single ♥️ than nothing at all, so if you really can't think of anything, that's a good last resort.

Q: I'm afraid of saying the wrong thing and upsetting the writer.

A: There is almost no chance that you will say the wrong thing, unless you are giving unasked-for criticism (see below).

Q: What if I don't like the fic? Should I still comment?

A: No, it's definitely better to silently move on when you didn't enjoy it at all.

Note that while in the past, giving criticism was common practice, this has generally become less of something authors enjoy over time (perhaps tied in with the general lack of feedback; getting fewer comments in general can make it far more frustrating to get critical ones). If you are close to the writer, or if the criticism is just a SPAG issue, you can try asking the writer if they'd like to hear it, but otherwise, leave it be unless the author has indicated somewhere they're open to it. But please be nice. Anything you wouldn't say to an artist, don't do to a writer, please.

Q: In the past, I commented and the writer got mad at me.

A: If you weren't leaving unasked-for criticism, then likely the problem was that particular author. Don't let it deter you from commenting on others. Every group of people has assholes, including writers.

Q: I saw an author who requested no comments on their fic/turned off comments on their fic.

A: Not every writer ultimately DOES want comments, though the majority do. Likely that person was having anxiety, or had recently been harassed/received rude comments and didn't want to bother with it.

Q: An author limited comments to registered users only.

A: See above; likely they did this either as a harassment mitigation member or to prevent minors from reading their fics, especially if it was an NSFW work.

Q: I saw a note that a writer had "enabled comment moderation" on their story. Does that mean they don't want me to comment?

A: Not at all! It means they likely have been harassed/received rude comments, or have reason to fear they will (I.E. have recently posted a story dealing controversial themes, or have received such comments on other sites), and are activating a setting where you can comment, but they need to manually approve the comment before it shows up, which will prevent nasty comments from being read. In these cases, a nice comment might actually mean even more to them, because it shows they have support- so by all means, show them some extra love!

Q: Are there any cases where I shouldn't comment?

A: Yes, but these are mostly individual cases, not a hard rule. In addition to the circumstances listed above (author preference or leaving a negative comment), please do not comment if you are a minor and the fic is rated higher than teen (you shouldn't be reading these to begin with, but if you are, please don't make it obvious you did so), or conversely, if you write higher-than-teen-rated fics and the fic is written by a minor. Also, if the author has blocked you on other platforms, do not comment, as this is block evasion.

Q: Is it okay to comment just to ask for an update/to prompt another fic?

A: It depends largely on context, tone, etc. "I hope this updates soon" is 100% fine. Guilt trippy messages, like "it's been two years, I know you have been going through a lot but you have an obligation to your readers" are NEVER okay. Similarly, with prompts, saying "I hope you explore (thing) one day" is fine, especially if you know the author, but if your first comment to them ever is requesting a fic for a completely different scenario, ship, etc than they wrote, with little or nothing about the actual fic you're replying to, it will come across as rude.

Q: Is it okay to ask an author for permission to translate the fic into another language or make another derivative work?

A: Absolutely, but not every author will want this to be done, and you need to be prepared to respect their no if they give one. Think of it like asking a restaurant for one of their recipes. Some will happily give it out, others consider it a personal/guarded secret.

That said, do not even dare ask about feeding the work to an AI. Fanfic writers DO NOT want AI touching their work. Same for artists. Yes, this includes trying to make an ending for an abandoned fic. Do not do it.

Q: The author of this fic has held their story "hostage" by refusing to update until they get a certain number of reviews. What should I do?

A: This is a hard one. Of course, no one owes an author reviews, and this sort of thing is considered cringey, and endlessly mocked, for a reason. However, please try to do some perspective-taking and practicing empathy here. Authors are having to put out PSAs on this site and others just to try and get people to engage with their content. Imagine being a musician, getting on stage, performing song after song, and being met with silence, or maybe a single courtesy golf clap here or there. You'd start to doubt yourself, wouldn't you? You might feel inclined to stop playing unless you start getting an indication people actually care about your music, because performing to utter silence is absolutely humiliating. The manner of doing so is all wrong in this case, but try to show a bit of compassion, and imagine how awful, how utterly crushed the author must have been to do this in the first place.

It is definitely your right to not engage with the fic/author anymore, especially if you had been reviewing before the fic got taken 'hostage' and felt the author wasn't grateful for your comments. But if you wanted to be especially kind, you could take some time to try and lift the author up instead, and show them that even if others are not leaving comments, the fic ultimately does mean something to you. It just might be enough for the author to rethink their position.

Q: Why isn't a kudos enough?

A: It's not that a kudos isn't enough, per se: we all enjoy getting likes. But to continue my metaphor above, well... when you perform music, a cheer does feel very different than a courtesy golf clap, you know? You appreciate the golf claps, they are very kind and always welcome, but cheers, "YEAH!"s, and such are what you really live for. And a standing ovation? That could literally change your entire opinion on your art.

Q: I want to leave a comment, but I'm really scared/don't know how/don't know what to say.

A: That's totally okay. Below, I give some ideas of what to say, but keep in mind that if you really don't know what to say, emoji are totally fine! A ♥️ is still really great and will make us smile. Put some keysmashes! Put in just a ton of exclamation points and nothing else! "AHHH OMG!" Those are all perfectly fine!

BUT, if you want to leave something a little more in-depth, here are some great places to start! Trust me, fanfic writers LOVE all of these and would be delighted to get these comments.

ASK QUESTIONS! "Does this mean x?" or "I'm curious, when x said y, is that a sign that z is at play?"

Tell us how you felt while reading the story/chapter. If we made you cry in a particularly sad scene, PLEASE TELL US FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! WE LOVE THAT!

If you are in a Discord or other space that's talking about the story, tell us what you/your mutuals/your friends are saying about it. This is a great idea for if you don't know what to say! Even just a "we never shut up about this fic in the Discord" is wonderful to hear.

Tell us what drew you in to the fic (did you like the summary? Was it recced somewhere?) and what made you stay.

Say something you found unique/intriguing about the fic. Maybe you liked the characterization, or the author did a really good job of setting the scene. Let them know!

Make a personal connection to the text, especially if the author wrote something that felt very real to your lived experience.

YELL IN ALL CAPS THAT YOU WANT TO HURT THE VILLAIN OR HUG THE SUFFERING WOOBIE OR SMACK THE MAIN PAIRING FOR BEING OBLIVIOUS ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS!

If this story has changed something for you, tell us. If it changed how you see a character, made you ship a ship you never thought of before, changed how you see canon, opened your eyes to a societal issue, gave you a line you think about a lot- please tell us!

Indulgently play along with our cliffhangers. Pretend you don't know that the character will be fine. Pretend that we would actually do it and you're SO SCARED RN for this character.

Wanna know a secret? Wanna know a writer's catnip? Want to know an instant way to make a writer print out your comment for motivation to read later? Quote/paraphrase/reference a bit of text that you loved and tell us your exact thoughts and emotions on it, why you loved it, etc. Quote half the damn chapter back at us in the comments and we will probably propose marriage to you on the spot tbh.

Remember, if you truly can't think of anything to say, just a single emoji still does wonders!!

Hope this guide helps! Happy commenting!

#fanfiction #ao3 #archive of our own #fandom #fandom culture #fanfic

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din-jarhead · 2 years ago

Text

Daylight

Cross My Heart Chapter Two

Javi Gutierrez x f!reader

Rating: E 18+ (minors skedaddle)

Warnings/tags: fluff, brief mention of anxiety and therapy, lots of smut, sundress (iykyk), oral (m and f rec), unprotected piv, lil bit of dry humping, riding, cockwarming, the tiniest dash of dom!Javi, cuddling, Javi being a Taylor Swift stan because I said so

Word Count: 2.8k (most of that is porn ngl)

Summary: It’s the day after you and Javi crossed the line. What now?

A/N: It’s here! It only took me 13 months…

I hope y’all enjoy this next part of the series! I’m pretty proud of it! I am trying to decide on a consistent nickname for reader but a lot of the nicknames I think of have already been used in several other great fics and I don’t want to copy anyone/overuse one. I’ve tried out a couple options in this chapter, but feedback and/or ideas about this would be super appreciated!

MASTERLIST SERIES MASTERLIST TAGLIST

Sunlight streams through the window, slowly warming you and pulling you from sleep. For a brief moment, you’re not sure where you are. This isn’t your bed—

Oh. Right. It’s not your bed, it’s Javi’s bed. That wasn’t a dream, you really did sleep with Javi last night.

As your mind reaches full consciousness you register the weight of him behind you, breathing softly. You turn, seeing his peaceful face upon which his soft curls rest, slightly ruffled from sleep but still gorgeous.

You want to let him sleep, but you can’t stop your hand from reaching out to card through his hair, unable to resist now that you have the freedom to do so. You’d wondered for so long if his hair was really as soft as it looked. It isn’t, it’s softer.

He stirs, slowly opening his eyes and softly smiling as he realizes what had disturbed his rest.

“You’re still here” he whispers, looking happier than you’ve ever seen him.

“Of course, you didn’t think I’d leave, did you?” You move your hand from his hair down his arm, taking his hand in yours and pressing it to your lips.

“No, no I just— I worried I had dreamt the whole thing.” He squeezes your hand as if to check again that you’re real.

“Me too, for a minute. But here we are” you smile, leaning in to kiss him.

Neither of you have any inclination to get up right away, content to sit in this moment as long as possible. You continue to kiss, not in a hurried way or with any desire to go in a particular direction, just enjoying your opportunity to explore each other.

As Javi moves closer, however, you feel him hard against your stomach, sending a spike of arousal straight to your core. You know it’s a natural physical response, but why not take care of him since you have the opportunity?

You pull Jevi gently by the shoulders and begin to roll fully onto your back, encouraging him to get on top of you. He goes willingly, taking up the space you make for him between your legs.

It’s quiet, save for Javi whispering “you’re sure?” before you enthusiastically tell him yes and he slowly slides into you.

He presses deep, taking his time. You move together like waves on the beach, knowing you’ll both find your release and just enjoying the moment.

You cum with the help of Javi’s fingers circling your clit just as he stills inside you, filling you up.

Javi extricates himself from you to retrieve a washcloth, returning wearing a t-shirt and boxers. He gently cleans you before taking your hand to help you out of bed and handing you one of his shirts to wear.

You wrap your arms around his neck, kissing him again.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

Javi treats you to an unnecessarily extravagant breakfast, and while you eat your eggs, bacon, waffles, and French toast, you make a plan for the day, namely moving your belongings from the guest house into the main house.

Normally moving in with someone so soon would feel completely crazy, but you’d been practically living there anyway and though the romantic aspect was new, your relationship was not.

You decide it would be best to still keep some of your things in the guest house just so you’d always have your own space, knowing there are times when both of you really need some quiet time to yourselves.

Despite your comically large breakfast that morning, you and Javi work up an appetite from all of the lifting and walking back and forth between the guest and main house while moving your stuff.

Given that it’s a beautiful spring day, Javi suggests that the two of you have a little picnic, knowing how much you love to visit the nearby botanical gardens.

You excitedly agree, informing him that you’re going to shower and change into something a little more date-worthy.

Making your way to the bathroom, you turn back to Javi with a mischievous smile.

“You’re welcome to join me” you wink and continue to walk away, a little more swing in your hips than usual.

Javi can’t form words to respond quickly enough, practically running across the room to catch up with you.

You help each other undress as you wait for the water to warm, unable to keep your hands or lips to yourselves. Your kisses heat up as quickly as the shower does, and as soon as you step inside you’re sinking to your knees.

“What are you doing, cariño?” Javi asks knowingly, hardening quickly as he realizes what is about to happen.

“Just wanna thank you for breakfast, baby” you respond, stroking his now very hard cock and placing feather-light kisses along his length and kitten licks to his tip.

Javi groans as you take him as far into your mouth as you can, hand stroking what you cannot.

“So good, bebita. Don’t stop” Javi moans as you continue to take him deeper.

You hum around him, pleased he’s enjoying himself so much.

Soon you’re taking all of him in, breathing through your nose so you don’t choke on the thickness of him.

Javi’s hand flies to your hair, breaths ragged.

“Mierda— I’m close, can I—”

You respond by grabbing his thighs and pulling him even closer, telling him exactly where you want him to cum.

You bob your head a few more times before Javi’s hips are stuttering and you swallow down his release.

As you pull off of him, he looks down at you with amazement.

“You are incredible. Let me take care of you now.”

You certainly don’t argue as he helps you stand and leads you toward the marble bench, which of course his ridiculously large fancy shower includes, and as you sit he takes his turn on his knees.

His strong arms pull you forward and his broad shoulders spread you wide for him, as he slowly kisses up your inner thigh toward where you’re aching for him.

He licks at you like a popsicle on a 100 degree day, with an excitement that makes you think he’s enjoying it more than you are. That’s not to say you’re not really enjoying it, the movement of his tongue is dragging you to the edge ridiculously fast.

You’re already so close as Javi adds two fingers, curling them perfectly as his tongue expertly circles your clit.

“Javi oh god— right there pleasepleaseplease”

Your hand grabs his hair as your orgasm slams into you, maybe a little too roughly but Javi doesn’t seem to mind, in fact the noise he makes indicates he might really like it.

He works you through it, free hand gently stroking one of your shaking thighs, until you come back to yourself.

You pull him up quickly for a kiss, tongues tangling as you taste yourself on him.

You rest your foreheads together as you both catch your breath.

Both realizing you still have to actually shower, Javi helps you stand, though your legs are practically jelly.

“Not sure if I’m totally stable,” you tell Javi, huffing out a laugh.

He smiles and tightens his grip on your arms, holding you upright.

“Don’t worry, bebita, I’ve got you.”

Once done with the actual cleaning part of your shower, you and Javi find some comfortable outfits for your picnic. Javi throws on a linen shirt and some blue pants, while you opt for your favorite sundress. Not only is it light and perfect for today’s weather, you also know you look great in it and expect Javi will really enjoy it.

When Javi sees you, he checks you out rather obviously, but says nothing indicating he’s thinking about anything particularly salacious, simply stating “you look lovely, querida.”

While the gardens are not particularly busy with it being a weekday, there are still people around and you’re mindful of Javi’s recent anxiety around strangers.

You squeeze his hand as you find a picnic spot in a more secluded area, asking him how he’s doing.

“I am just fine, but thank you for asking. It is much easier when I’m with you.” He smiles as he helps you lay out the blanket and set up your food and drinks.

“I’m glad I can help,” you respond, “but I do think it might be a good idea for you to find someone to talk to about this. It’s good to work through it.”

Javi’s smile falters briefly, his lingering fear of being seen as weak or unstable making him worry for a moment that you don’t think he can take care of himself. But he quickly reminds himself that you care so much about his well-being, and you’ve told him in the past how helpful therapy was for you.

“Okay I will start looking for someone, as long as you help me. I have no idea where to start,” he replies.

“Of course.”

Your conversation moves on to many other topics as you eat, conversation flowing easily as it always has between you. Even if you don’t have something to talk about for a moment, you enjoy just sitting with each other.

As you look around the gardens during a pause in your conversation, you notice some butterflies enjoying the flowers. You tell Javi to look, but he doesn’t take his eyes off you.

“Javi, why aren’t you looking? They’re so pretty” you ask, glancing back at him to see the way he’s admiring you with so much adoration.

“I don’t wanna look at anything else now that I saw you” he responds, placing his hand on your cheek and pulling you in for a kiss.

You roll your eyes playfully at the cheesy line but let him guide you forward, but pull back slightly when you realize why that phrase was familiar.

“Are you quoting Taylor Swift?”

Javi smiles and shrugs his shoulders.

“She has a way with words.”

You can’t argue with that, so you let him close the small distance between you, slotting your lips against his.

You pack up your things and leave the gardens as the sun begins to set, not having realized how long you had spent there already. You had been enjoying each other's company so much, it felt like no time at all.

You walk in the door still smiling like a fool, because Javi is so perfect, and you can’t believe this was only your first day as a couple and your first actual date.

Which is why you’re surprised when Javi closes the front door and abruptly pushes you up against it, grabbing your hips tightly and kissing you with a fierceness you hadn’t expected from him.

You definitely don’t mind though, not when he’s kissing and nipping your neck, moving his hands up to rub his hands over your covered breasts.

“Javi—” you gasp, “what’s gotten into you?” You grab his hair, gently tugging him upward so he’ll look at you and explain his sudden change in mood.

“I just— mierda this dress is driving me crazy. Wanted to be— be respectful and have a nice date but the second I saw you in this I knew I had to have you as soon as I could”

You smirk, knowing your little plan had paid off.

“Wore it all for you, baby, knew you’d love it” you confessed, already working the buttons of his shirt open so you could get your hands on his chest.

You yelp when Javi runs his hands up the back of your thighs to your ass and hauls you up, carrying you to your room. You can’t help but smile to yourself thinking about how in just 24 hours it had gone from Javi’s room to your shared one.

Javi sits on the edge of the bed, allowing you to settle in his lap and feel just how much he needs you.

He groans as you grind yourself on him, feeling the warmth of you already through the layers of clothes.

He palms your ass, pulling you down on him even more, trying to alleviate some of the pressure that’s been building all evening.

You gasp as Javi sucks a mark into your neck, enjoying this rougher side of him.

You slide your hands down his chest to unbutton his pants, pulling out his aching cock and slowly stroking it.

Javi practically growls as you touch him, suddenly pulling away and pushing you to stand as he does the same.

You’re confused for a moment before Javi starts pulling your dress off, and you follow his lead and help him remove his shirt the rest of the way before he steps out of his pants and boxers.

Once you’re both bare, Javi moves back to the bed, mumbling “c’mere” as he pulls you with him, this time laying down and pulling you on top of him.

He leans up slightly to take a nipple into his mouth, making you whine and grab his hair as he licks and sucks. You’re completely dripping now, completely desperate to have him inside you.

“Javi, please, need you to fuck me” you whisper, grinding yourself on him for emphasis.

“Okay, bebita, it’s okay I will, I will” Javi responds, kissing you hard as he lays back down and lines himself up.

You sink down on him, burying your face in his neck as you stretch around him.

“Won’t last long,” Javi manages, planting his feet and fucking up into you harshly, hitting just the right spot to have you speeding to your own orgasm as well.

Despite being so worked up, you collect your thoughts enough to tease him just a little.

“Dress really got you going, huh? Guess I need to wear that more often” you say lowly, earning a loud groan from Javi.

“Yes— fuck— please, wear it every day. Don’t even bother with panties, I will want to take you every chance I get,” Javi mutters as his hips stutter, indicating how close he was.

“I’m all yours, baby, use me whenever you want.”

As you say that, the combination of his cock hitting you so deeply and the friction on your clit rubbing against his pelvis, you fall over the edge. You wrap your arms tightly around him, pushing your face impossibly further into the space between his neck and shoulder as you pulse and shake around him.

“You are squeezing me so tight bebita— fuck—” that feeling combined with your words pulls him over the edge with you, stilling inside you as deep as he can get and filling you, arms wrapped tightly around your waist.

You both feel completely boneless as you recover, sleep quickly catching up to you.

You realize Javi might not be entirely comfortable with you on top of him, so you ask “wan’ me to move?”

In response he tightens his hold on you, shaking his head.

“No, need you to stay right here. Want to stay inside.”

Some time later, you wake, shivering slightly when you realize the room is a lot colder when you’re not exerting so much physical energy, and neither of you wanted to move enough to get under the covers before.

“Javi?”

“Hm?”

“M’cold”

“Sorry, chiquita. It would probably be a good idea to get cleaned up—”

You raise yourself up on your elbows and pout at him then, having no desire to move out of your current position and lose the feeling of him inside you. But he looks up at you with those damn big brown eyes and you cave, also knowing logically that it’s best for your health to clean up and go to the bathroom before you actually go to sleep for the night.

Slowly, you peel yourself away from him, both of you groaning a little as he slips out of you.

Javi grabs a warm washcloth as you lay on your back gathering the energy to stand up, and once he carefully cleans between your thighs, you drag yourself to the bathroom to pee.

When you return, Javi is already in bed laying on his side, having created space for you under the covers.

You slide in, your back to his chest, and he wraps his arms around you.

“Warmer now?” Javi asks.

“Mhm, much better,” you reply, snuggling further into his hold and feeling sleep pulling you under once again.

“Goodnight, Javi,” you whisper.

“Goodnight, bebita” he replies, softly kissing your cheek, quickly falling into the second best night of sleep he’s had in months.

Taglist: @littlemisspascal @mswarriorbabe80 @thevoiceinyourheadx @pedrostories @your-voice-is-mellifluous

I'm considering following what others have done and making a writing blog instead of keeping the taglist, but still tagging for now.

#pedro pascal #javi gutierrez #tuwomt #javi gutierrez smut #javi gutierrez/reader #javi gutierrez x reader #javi gutierrez/reader smut #javi gutierrez x reader smut #javi gutierrez fic #pedro pascal fic

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arafinwean-week · 4 months ago

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Arafinwëan Week?

Arafinwëan Week is a week-long event to celebrate the House of Finarfin and its decendants.

When is Arafinwëan Week, and where is it happening?

Arafinwëan Week will be hosted on this blog January 5–11, 2025. You can also post to our AO3 collection.

I think I've seen this event before.

@arafinweanweek ran until 2019. This is a new event run by a new mod but still with the goal of celebrating the House of Finarfin and its descendants.

Who's modding this?

@emyn-arnens but likes will come from her main blog @starsuncounted.

How can I participate?

You can participate by creating fanfic, fanart, edits, gifs, rec lists, playlists, headcanons—you name it.

To have your work shared on this blog, mention @arafinwean-week (mind the dash!) in the body of your post and include the tags #arafinweanweek and #arafinweanweek2025 in the first ten 10 tags.

You may also submit a post to this blog.

How can I make sure you'll share my work?

See the answer above.

Your post should be reblogged within 24-48 hours. If you see a like on your post from @starsuncounted (the mod's main blog), your post is probably in the queue. If it’s been 24 hours and you don’t see a like and your post hasn’t been reblogged, feel free to message or send an ask to this blog. Tumblr’s tagging can be wonky, to say the least.

Do I have to participate every day?

Nope! Participate as much or as little as you want, whether that's creating your own works or engaging with others' works and cheering on creators.

Do I have to follow the prompts?

Nope! The prompts are there to inspire, not to restrict. All Arafinwëan content is welcome, regardless of whether or not it follows the prompts.

Additionally, prompts can be combined (whether from the same day or different days), so don't feel restricted by the set of prompts for each day.

Does my work have to focus solely on Arafinwëan characters, or can I include other characters, too?

You're more than welcome to feature Arafinwëan-adjacent characters like Edhellos, Bëor, Andreth, Celeborn, Túrin, Gwindor, etc., as long as there is a focus on the Arafinwëans.

Does what I share have to be completed?

Nope! Don't worry about meeting a certain word count or only sharing completed pieces—we'll happily take short posts, drabbles, drafts, sketches, WIPs, etc. Feel free to update or promo ongoing Arafinwëan-centric WIPs or re-share older Arafinwëan-centric works, too.

Is there an AO3 collection for this event?

Yep! You can find the AO3 collection here.

Can I focus my fanwork on my OC(s)?

Absolutely! This is an OC-friendly event.

Can I post NSFW works?

NSFW works are welcome as long as the Tumblr post itself is SFW (or the NSFW content is placed below a read more) and the content is appropriately tagged. The easiest way to share would be to post your piece to the AO3 collection and create an SFW promo post for Tumblr.

Can I use generative AI to make something for this event?

No. Original, handmade work only, please. We want to see what you come up with!

What if I don’t finish my fanwork in time for the event?

Feel free to post what you have and tag the event anyway—in-progress works are welcome!

Alternatively, tag the blog whenever you are finished and ready to post it—we're happy to promote Arafinwëan works year-round!

I'm not up to creating something, but I still want to participate.

Awesome! Reblog creations you love and let their creators know how much you enjoyed their work. Or you can head over to AO3 and leave kudos and comments on fics you couldn't get enough of. Or, if you really want to share the love, you can create a rec list of your favorite Arafinwëan pieces/creators, or drop a note in their inbox telling them how much you appreciated their work.

Are there any rules?

Just a few. Please be a respectful and positive community member! Here's what that involves:

Do not repost content by other creators without their explicit permission. Please reblog instead to support their work.

Respect other people’s headcanons and interpretations, even if you don’t share them.

Content and creators espousing any form of negativity, bigotry, aggression, or discrimination against others will not be tolerated.

Disrespecting these rules will lead to being blocked from the event.

I have another question.

You can drop it in the ask box.

The event info page is accessible here.

This FAQ has been adapted from @nolofinweanweek run by @melestasflight and @tolkiengenweek run by @arofili.

#mod post #faq

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becausebuckley · 3 months ago

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michelle's buddie fic recs: week 50!

another lovely round of fics for you all <3 full disclosure i did not double check this with my masterlist of recs so while i doubt it, it's possible that i've recced some of these before... i guess that could just be a sign that they're extra good lol.

this is a mix of fics with all ratings, so some include NSFW content. please take a look at both the ratings and the fic tags before reading! some might also contain spoilers for season 8.

if you come across something you like in this list, remember to show some love to the author by leaving kudos and a comment!

75 best knitting puns that will have you hooked | iphigenias/@oatflatwhite | 4.1k | GA

Buck—Buck is knitting. Eddie blinks, rubs his eyes. Yeah, Buck is knitting: thick fingers a little clumsy as Bobby shows him how to purl stitch with a soft-looking ball of pink ombre wool. softest most domestic little fic <3

all the lights are coming on | sharpbutsoft/@sharpbutsoft | 1.2k | GA

What good is having a key to your best friend’s house if you can’t use it to spread a little holiday magic? spreading the holiday magic <3<3 this was everything i needed and wanted and i love it so very much

any other bodily sense | kiwiibiird/@buckevanley | 10.2k | GA

Post-s2 sickfic. Buck is stuck with a broke leg and a bad cold. Maddie and Eddie help him out. forehead kisses and maddie and buddie and hurt/comfort... literally what else could a girl (me) need? the answer is nothing because this fic is everything!!

born with a weak heart | foxwatson/@eddiediazes | 7.5k | T

the one where eddie won't touch buck once he wakes up in the hospital, and buck goes absolutely bonkers bananas about it. is it truly a michelle rec list if there's no touch-starved fic on there? i don't think it is lol. i've reread this several times now and it's just the absolute loveliest <3

don't break | odysseus_calls | 2.4k | T

5 times the 118 is tired of Buck and Eddie acting like a couple, and the time they find out they've been dating the whole time. i LOVE hijinks and shenanigans <3 this captures them so perfectly!!

hooker | mansikka | 3.9k | T

When Eddie's life turns to hell, he turns to hooking. Crochet hooking. i've been attempting to crochet again (made a little cat today!) and it's only half because i want to be cool and crafty and half because people make it sound so cool and crafty in fics. anyway point is this was brilliant and so eddie and i loved it v v much!!

i sleep so i can see you ('cause i hate to wait so long) | turquoiseviolet/@turquoisevioiet | 25.7k | T

eddie’s not sleeping and buck’s worried. after all, he’s supposed to be the one who fixes everything, isn’t he? platonic cuddling! homoerotic friendship! getting together! if buddie fic had a bingo card, this would tick all of the boxes <3 so good!!

loves a game, wanna play? | 42hrb/@exhuastedpigeon | 57.5k | M

In the aftermath of Chris leaving for the summer, Buck convinces Eddie they should apply for Love Island together. okay so admittedly all my big plans to read my marked for later list this week failed miserably, cause this is the only fic from there that i actually read... on the other hand, what a brilliant one it is!! it's so funny and so good and i loved the social media elements in there. also, maya and maria <3

sub drop city, population: eddie diaz | peaktotheocean/@peaktotheocean | 4k | T

It takes Eddie longer than he cares to admit to realize that Buck has been giving him aftercare on the sly. i'm such a sucker for aftercare and this has SUCH a lovely buddie dynamic <3

swinging there, in the corner of our haven | anti_romantic_cherub | 1.6k | GA

Eddie bought Buck a hammock, and now he's reaping the rewards (Buck napping in his backyard). buck napping in eddie's backyard <3 such a lovely image and this is executed so so well, i love it!!

the city is a jungle and i'm a beast | putanauhere/@putanauhere | 42.8k | M

Eddie has enough on his plate this summer – a newly empty nest, a terrible new captain, and a new mustache – without adding a new werewolf to the mix. the most fascinating werewolf au <3 i love the buddie dynamic here and how they approach the werewolfism with such different attitudes. so good!!

toss up | saucerfulofsins/@saucerfulofsins | 3.5k | E

Eddie is caught browsing bad gay porn, and Buck takes it upon himself to show Eddie the good stuff. most glorious brilliant fic concept to ever fic <3 this is fantastic!!

trivial pursuit of love | niemi | 6.2k | T

Buck attends Tommy’s trivia night with Eddie, his newfound feelings for his best friend bottled up and ready to burst. As it turns out, he’s not the only one with a secret. buddie at trivia night!! i loved this fic so much, it was a real highlight on a rainy morning bus ride <3

weaving in our loose ends | PretentiousSwanQueen/@hotcinnamonsunset | 8.6k | T

Eddie is a knitter with the Loose Ends Project and he's assigned to finish the project of a loved one of Buck's. the gasp i let out when i realised what buck's project is... gorgeous fic!!

white sheets, you and me start to lay close | effervescentwolf/@effervescentwolf | 1.5k | T

He thinks of his empty bed at home, and his chest feels tight. It’s just that—it’s okay if it’s Buck. He can let Buck catch him. give me all the bed-sharing fics, please and thank you <3 this is one of the best uses of the trope i've seen in a long time, it's so lovely <3

#buddie #buddie fic #buddie fic rec #911 abc #911 fic #911 fic rec #michelle’s recs #fic rec list #more winterberry glade coming tomorrow folks #i cannot wait for winter break so i'll have time for fun fandom things #i am. so tired #just one more week #anyway enjoy your reading <3

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spaceorphan18 · 4 months ago

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Hey, I remembered your displeasure with Agatha Christie's book covers!

I'm so annoyed by all the boring covers of romance books right now, for example. I don't know if it's just the German editions or in the U.S. too, but we have a glut of kind of monochrome covers right now, mostly pastel (but sometimes dark if it's supposed to be spicier) with the (often boring and bland) title on it in a fancy font.

It's so boring, it says nothing about the book, it's not individual at all and it looks like the ten books next to it. It doesn't make me want to read it at all. Also, when I see ads or recs I can not even remember the book by cover, because they are all the same!

I just had an ad on Insta that reminded me of it again, I've attached it here to show what I mean.

Oh my gosh, dear! Where's @ckerouac -- we have had numerous conversations about the distaste of certain genres of fiction lately. And, you know what, I'm gonna diatribe a bit, it'll be good since I have to go back to work today.

Book cover marketing has always been a thing but lately everything has become more homogeneous -- which is intentional by the publisher, so it'll get you to buy the same kind of book that you've read before. I do agree that it's boring, and takes away a book's individuality. But nowhere is that more apparent than the romance genre. Why? Because these books are (for better or worse) a dime a dozen. Publishers, and even readers, don't necessarily take these books very seriously, and consider them all, in some respects, to be interchangeable.

The romance genre, right now, can be broken up into three-ish big categories (there are some side ones, I'll talk about that in a second) -- and I've labeled them Rom-Coms, Soft-Core Porn, and Hard-Core Porn respectably. (No, seriously, at work, this is how I label them in my head.) Now, all of them have explicit sex in them (that didn't used to be the case actually) but you'll see why I've broken it up that way in a sec...

The Rom-Coms

These books are basically your equivalent to Hallmark movies -- cheezy plots, lighthearted shenanigans, and reliant on very tropish things like -- there's only one bed! (Though a ton of them are friends to lovers and/or (lite) enemies to lovers). There's also this trend right now where sports related books (especially hockey, interestingly) are becoming popular. They are also all guaranteed to have happy ending -- just look how happy the couple is on the cover!

Anyway, the covers of all these books are cartoonish in nature -- implying that they're supposed to be light and fun and easily digestible. They kind of imply comedic hijinx (though the comedy in most of these is questionable). But mostly, if you trip over one of these covers - it's basically like a rating system, you won't have to worry about tripping over any kind of hard core kinks in the smut.

The Soft-Core Porn

Okay, so first of all, yeah - I know I'm not using 'soft-core porn' entirely correctly. Let me be clear, these books are just as explicit as the other titles I'll get to in a second, but these are kind of the middle range of romance books. (And, the one you posted above - the second I saw it, I was like, oh yeah - I know exactly what type of book it is.)

These books are all the drama focused books. There is a range from -- soap opera-y love dynamics to somewhat twisted love situations, but they're going to stay in their somewhat mellowdramatic lane. These are also the books where they may not guarantee a happy ending.

These covers are usually the worst in that they're so bland, but they are doing something. They're simple, and somewhat melancholy (as either the situation or the ending will probably be sad), hence the pastel colors. They also kind of evoke that CW Teen drama-esque feel (while some of these books origins might be YA, none of them are YA in content).

The Hard-Core Porn

You can thank EL James's Fifty Shades of Gray (or maybe Stephanie Meyer's Twilight) for the uptick in popularity for these books. These books are rough -- dealing with very dark subjects such as rape, incest, and death. But also sometimes some supernatural elements. But also, these are going to have the kinkiest types of sex -- such as BSDM, etc. (It's also an interesting aside, that these books have always been around -- but it wasn't until Fifty Shades that made them come out into the light a little more. This stuff used to be saved, mostly, for things like fanfiction).

The covers are all black, with pops of bright colors (usually pink - to signify the feminine romance angle or red due to the color's sexual connotation), to incite a warning to the reader. They're intentionally striking so to let you know that these books aren't playing around.

Also. It should be noted that, unlike the first two categories where you get a story involved, these books are primarily just smut. The story is loosely there as a framing device, and only a backdrop for the huge amount of kinky sex going on in these books. These books don't care about plot. They're intention is to be porn.

So, those are the big three, but there are other things to note....

Historical Romance

Alright, so, historical romance has always been popular, and twenty, thirty years ago, it was what really sold. Even during my tenure of selling books, there was a large array of historical fiction -- I once did an entire display of books with the word 'duke' in the title.

The reason I'm using the same Julia Quinn novel as an example is that there's been a shift in design of romance covers. The one on the left is what it used to be -- kind of evoking that materialistic femineity of a time long past. They also often featured two hot people on the cover, usually in some state of undress (see below). It was meant to be provocative -- and, as marketing really hasn't changed all that much, show you exactly what you'd be getting.

These days, historical romance is now designed like the cover on the right -- and usually falls more into the rom-com genre of book design, only having a more historical twist on it.

The other funny thing about these books is that they were once supposed to be the most scandalous and are now kind of quaint. Even the rom-com genre of books have more explicit sex than the Julia Quinn books from twenty years ago. (It's kind of funny -- we had a discussion at work about how Bridgerton would basically be PG-13, if it weren't for a few steamy scenes.)

[Also as an aside, there are the Harlequin Mass Markets -- which are the cheapy, dime a dozen books. Historical romance and the Harlequins were kind of the same thing, and that's all the romance genre used to be. Harlequin is mostly forgotten these days, at least by anyone under the age of fifty.]

And... then there's a gap I'm missing when it comes to romance, but that's because it kind of crosses two genres - romance and fantasy.

Romantacy

Thank you Sarah J Maas for this craze. The thing about these books is that while there are definite patterns to them (and there are...) these books get to be a little different. The reason for this is that they fall into the fantasy category -- and one element of the fantasy category is aesthetic.

They have to get you on board with their fancy designs because they're selling you a different kind of product -- one that relies on unusual worlds and more supernatural and fantastical elements. So, almost by design of the (sub-)genre, they're going to stand out.

And it's funny -- while these books do cross the genre barrier, they are more romance than fantasy, they're just using fantasy as the packaging instead of the real world.

*****

So there you go - a run down of the romance genre and it's marketing. Like I said above, the whole point of all of this is to tell you what kind of book it is, rather than what the story is. It's purposeful in that -- you'll pick up the book and know whether you're getting a happy or sad ending, or what level of smut you're going to get. It's purposefully intentional to keep the reader coming back to get more of the same thing as before.

But, yeah, it does strip the books of individuality (you want individuality? go read general fic - the publishers say).

I did not know that the outside of US markets did it, too, but I'm not wholly surprised. And every genre and category of books do this.

Anyway - thanks for letting me indulge! :)

#books #romance books #guys thinking about this stuff is literally my job #or the part of the job i really enjoy #lol #btw did you guys catch that used the color blue to illustrate all of these covers? - i picked a theme and ran lol #i do love talking about books

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