#as if I'd ever NOT pick him for something like this.

[star2fishmeg]

i feel like luke would want to get married young… like he would probably be with his high school sweetheart and just jump for the gun at 21 bc like? they’ve already been together for so long??

idk..

That's v interesting nonnie! I feel he'd tie the knot at roughly youngest 25-ish with someone he met in university, only bc 21 is so so young and there's factors such as cohabitation too. He's only just started his pro career and your 20s is a lot about navigating the world. He may propose at 21, mind you, if he's 100% certain.

You're lying on the sofa watching a movie when he drops the words. He's leaning back into the cushions while you’re lying on his chest, playing with the toggle of his hoodie mindlessly as his hands soothe over back and under your t-shirt.

"Do you ever think about getting married?" he asks out of the blue, clearly his minds been dwelling on something for days.

You pause, your heart beating just that little bit harder yet anxiety twists in your stomach, "I mean, yeah. One day."

"Cool," you feel him nod, his arms winding around your waist and holding you tighter, "does it scare you?"

You prop yourself onto your forearms, catching a glimpse of the look in his eye. It's apprehension. He's chewing his lip slightly as if he has something desperate on his mind, but the thought itself terrifies him. In the three or four years of knowing Luke, spending a lot of time with him, you've picked up his tells.

"Lu, what is this about? You're scaring me."

"Oh fuck, no." His hands slide to your hips, his eyes steadying on yours, "Y/n...well...um...shit, I love you with my whole heart, and you know that. It's just, uh, I'd be lying if I said I haven't been thinking about, you know...marrying you...as soon as possible."

A deep, shaky exhale leaves your nose, "Oh, Lu...you're so sweet bu-"

"-Wait. I think about it all the time and there isn't anyone I would rather be with for the rest of my life. You've been there from the start and you're still here now, you put up with the schedules and you're everything I've ever dreamed of. I don't have a ring, but would you, at least, consider marrying me?" he manages to fumble out, fingers digging into the fabric of your t-shirt.

In times like this, you really suck at finding the words. You're twenty-one, what are you supposed to say? Your lips part but nothing leaves them, and it worries Luke. He thinks he's screwed up, driven you away, said something he'll regret for the rest of his life because he couldn't just think it through more.

"One day." You smile, cupping his cheek and caressing your thumb over his cheekbone. "Yes, one day, I will marry you. But you better have a more thought through speech than that, mister. And for now, let's take it one step at a time, m'kay?"

" One step at a time." he nods, grinning from ear to ear with a glimmer in his eyes. His chest feels fuzzy, and he has this skittish, electric feeling running through him that makes him was to run laps around his apartment. "And yeah, next time, I'll propose better than that and have ring, I'm working on it."

Somehow, you're not surprised he's already putting that together. You only giggle at him, lying back down on his chest and listening to his heart pound in his chest, his arms wrap tightly around your again and one day, you'll be Mrs. Hughes.

[secretlysimpash]

another Octopus Monster Hybrid König x Marine Biologist/Scientist Reader thing for Valentines Day 💝🐙

!!! MDNI !!!

warning(s): reader has no specified gender, reader thinks about chaining and collaring and implanting a tracker in König so...there's that (reader is a little bit mad scientist-y, obsessed with their discovery...smh why are you like this, reader), reader is a peeping tom,some fluff, some smut

You thought that you'd have to teach your Austrian octo-monster housemate about different human traditions, such as holidays. Today is that one Hallmark heart holiday that so many people celebrate, one that you personally haven't had much time for due to your studies. Specifically tentacle monster based studies as of late, its all you've focused on for about two or three months now.

So imagine your surprise when he's suddenly missing from his tank in his small octopus form again. But instead of being in any of his usual places in the house in his humanoid form, like the kitchen or the bathroom or the balcony that oversees the sea that he cam from, he's just...Gone.

"König...Kö?" You call out, straining to listen for his accented voice.

He's a 6'10" beast, it shouldn't be hard to find him. Silently, you curse at yourself for not investing in a nice collar with a bell and some chains for him, something sturdy to keep him in place...Or a tracker, *something* to make sure he doesn't stray too far or try and return to the sea.

You're checking out the security cameras and all recordings from the past few hours on your phone. There's quite a few situated around the house, some newer ones in the room you've designated for König, all are situated in ways that you can see everything that he does in there. You wouldn't want him out of your sight, not for a minute. Just as you get to the timestamp where he's seen exiting the room, a door slams...Followed by some quiet German words. Ones you recognize to be apologetic.

After setting your phone down, you follow the sound of rustling bags and boots being kicked off. For the first time today, your heartbeat is back to normal upon seeing the towering monster of a man. Thick, purple tentacles flick from the bottom of his makeshift mask, one made from another black t-shirt. As it turns out, he's a crafty one, and you didn't mind helping with making a few shirt-masks for him.

"There you are." You say, startling the man a bit. When he finally sees you, the corners of his blue eyes crinkle in a smile. The tentacles cease their frenzied movements once they're freed from the bottom of the mask. "Where'd you even go...?"

"I wanted to surprise you." He said as he turned his attention to the bags. "But I got carried away...There's too much to pick from."

The plastic bags seem simple enough, there's three of them. his hands work to remove some items, and you're a bit surprised when he pulls out a box of chocolates. A classic heart-shaped box with a gold bow around it. He offers it to you, and once you take it he withdraws another item from the bag. The cutest octopus plush you've ever seen, baby blue with a white underside, made of a soft material.

"So...You *are* aware of human holidays..." You muse, taking it and running your fingers over the long plush tentacles. "I thought I'd have to explain that to you."

"Nien, nien...I've spent more time with humans than you think..." He muses as he withdraws a bouquet of red and white roses from another plastic bag, this one a baby pink instead of an opaque white like the first bag. "Let me put these in a vase, abwarten..."

Once he goes off to find an appropriate vase, you watch after him. It must be a way of thanking you for taking him in...Though you'd prefer if he told you where he was going first. And he's spent more time with humans than you think...? You can't think too much about it before your eyes fall on the final bag. A black one. You set the chocolates and plush octopus down before going to inspect it.

Your hand barely grazes the crinkly material before König returns, setting the cylinder vase down on the table with the roses in it. His purple tentacles flick happily, seeming proud of himself.

"I was going to get a vase to go with the flowers at the boutique but--oh!" The Austrian quickly grabs for your hand, eyes wide. "Not yet, not yet...Bitte warten…"

"...Why? What's in the bag?"

"Ach its..." He clears his throat, eyes averting to glance at the black bag. Silently, he takes out some items.

A bottle of water-based lube...A decent sized box advertising a tentacle toy...A vibrator...A vibrating plug?

"...Holy shit...?" It comes out as a question, and your skin heats up as you look the items over. "Kö, what...?"

The Austrian shifts his weight a bit, rubbing the back of his covered neck. "I've seen the cameras, and the way you look at me, doctor." He admits. "You've watched me through them, haven't you? Haven't you seen me looking straight at them when I'm close?"

Your skin warms even more, pulse pounding in your ears. You can't even play dumb. You have watched him touch himself, the way he works the two long tentacles between his legs. One long and knotted, the other a bit shorter but thick. A deep, purple color...Darker than the ones that protrude from his face. You've seen him getting close, practically strangling the knot as you got close yourself...But did you really miss the way he'd stare at the cameras like he claims to?

"My sense of smell is strong, doctor." He continues, taking your hand. "Remember when I called you into my room after a shower once? The moment you saw me...Your pheromones...So fucking intoxicating."

The way he inhales and moves closer, close enough that his tentacles can curl around your neck...You know he can smell those exact pheromones now.

"I know the kinds of tests you want to run. Let me be your subject, Arzt...Bitte." He looks into your eyes, not moving away when your free hand moves up to one of his tentacles. It gladly wraps around your wrist, suckers surely leaving marks on the skin. "Benutze mich."

Benutze mich....Use me. He wants this. He wants what you want and its driving you mad.

You suppose the toy was to try and attempt to get you used to the feeling of a strange, monster cock inside of you.

Joke's on him...You already bought enough monster-based toys to make the most devout monsterfucker jealous. You're more than ready.

[bokutoko]

2/14

character: atsumu miya (timeskip!atsumu)

wc: 1.4k

cw: valentine’s day (barf), alcohol, cussing, kinda sorta uni!au (uni!reader x msby!atsumu), slight feelings of inadequacy (reader), they kith💋, atsumu thinks the L-word

pt. 2(ish?) to 7/11

Valentine's Day... also known as your least favorite day of the year (besides your birthday, but that’s a whole different story). The holiday made popular by monetizing the idea of setting aside only one day out of the year to show how much you love your partner, with all the godforsaken life-sized teddy bears and dozens of balloons, and all the mediocre chocolate and overpriced flowers. A cock of shit was what it was—someone should not be loved just one day out of the year. 

Of course, its only significance to you was being a milestone to remind yourself how painfully single you were.

But you weren't bitter. Not at all. Not. One. Bit.

The kicker, though? It almost felt like you didn't even want anybody. The mere idea of dating someone—a person you probably didn’t even know at the time and probably (not so) secretly a piece of shit—made you so nauseous that swearing relationships off altogether seemed more tempting as the days passed...

But alas, the small, hopeless romantic peeking through the rose-tinted lenses of your heart unfortunately held out for something beautiful one day... Maybe not for a prince, but a knight in shining armor. Maybe not a man to sweep you off your feet, but instead one willing to help you pick up the pieces when it felt like everything was falling apart at your feet. 

"Maybe I'll just die an old spinster.”

"C'mon, it can't be that bad," Atsumu's Kansai dialect filtered through your headphones as you walked across campus to your morning class. He’d called, asking if you had any fun plans for the night, fully knowing you didn’t.

“There’s carnations and balloons all over campus. It looks like one of those my little ponies took a dump all over the place."

"But ‘m sure them carnations are pretty. Maybe you'll get one from a guy or somethin’."

"I think I'd rather die," you gagged.

A laugh filled your ears, and everything felt okay–what a nice sound to hear. But after feeling your heart do the thing, you quickly shook it off.

It was strange how for years now, it sometimes made you feel all weirdly warm and tingly when Atsumu laughed with you (even sometimes when he laughed at you).

It was best to not even entertain that notion.

"Well, gotta go, 'm at class," you sighed loudly for dramatic effect, "Maybe I'll go bitch to 'Samu later about my woes and personal vendettas. y’know, since you hate me."

Atsumu found himself smiling at your childish whining. "You mean ‘cause I'll be at practice?"

"Same thing."

“Fuck you too,” he grumbled with a scoff, not an ounce of actual annoyance in his voice, “Bye, nerd.”

A small smile made its way onto your face at his jabs. That was how it always was with Atsumu, ever since you two were in high school together. The both of you always shat on each other, knowing there was never any heat in your malicious words. It was nice, being able to feel safe with someone, to feel comfortable enough to be yourself and unapologetically bully your best friend.

As you prepped for lecture, your mind wandered, constantly circling back to your partner in crime. With every moment that passed, you quickly came to realize that Atsumu always only judged you a little bit with your (sometimes questionable) decisions, keeping it real with you while ultimately supporting you and being one of your biggest cheerleaders. Because all he wanted was to see you succeed. All he wanted was to see you happy.

You felt your face heat up just from thinking about him. 

For fuck’s sake—

While it was nice to attempt to delude yourself into thinking something could ever happen, you were easily able to convince yourself that this strange… crush was most likely unrequited.

This was Atsumu. Your Atsumu. He deserved the world.

And yet, you were just… you.

Time seemed to pass as slow as humanly possible: all your classes droning on, your exam sucking the life out of you, your professors assigning loads of busywork for the weekend ahead. The walk back to your cramped, overpriced shithole apartment was bustling with people: couples going on dinner dates, partners buying last minute gifts, and the occasional groups of galentines. Thankfully, your roommates all had plans with loved ones or already left for the weekend, so you had the entire place to yourself to sulk!

Turning the key and walking inside, you were slapped in the face with color. The common room area was decorated with a couple red heart balloons and… a pink “happy birthday” balloon floating around?

Your eyes honed in on Atsumu standing in the middle of the living room, holding another pink happy birthday balloon.

“Happy Valentine’s Day. Y’have no idea how hard it is to find last minute stuff,” Atsumu sighed with a sheepish grin, "and I know it ain’t your birthday, but it was pink—a-and the color kinda matches, so…”

‘What was he talking about?’ he thought to himself, ‘oh god, please shut up.’

And the epiphany came crashing down upon you that maybe you never actually hated Valentine’s Day, you just wanted someone to love you every day, not just for one day of the year. You looked over to the chocolates on the counter and the flowers perched in a vase next to them—it was your favorite everything. On display before you was your favorite dessert, your favorite flowers, your favorite person—

“‘Tsumu…” you struggled to find the right words, “What is all this?”

He just shrugged, hiding the flush to his cheeks by scratching the back of his neck. “Ya’ve been all down in the dumps that you’re single ‘n shit, so i got some chocolates, some box wine, and ‘Samu’s hulu logged in so we can rot on the couch and watch anything ya want tonight.” 

Atsumu watched you break out in the biggest smile, almost splitting your face in two, and god, he knew he loved you.

You swiped a box of chocolates off the counter. “You know me too well.”

He returned your smile with one of his own, so handsomely crooked. “I know.”

As the hours passed, empty boxes of chocolates were scattered on the table, along with half-drank glasses from a second round of wine. The two of you devolved into sharing a blanket that was definitely too small for the both of you, resulting in you two occasionally tugging on it and grumbling, “gimme.”

“Woulda thought you’d have plans tonight,” you commented as an ad played on the TV, your voice attempting to sound as casual as possible.

He hummed, feigning nonchalance as well. “I do. I’m here, ain’t I?”

You actively couldn’t stop the snort that escaped you. “Be serious, ‘Tsumu.”

“What, can I not make my own kind of plans?” he huffed in reply.

“I meant a date, ‘Tsumu. Y’know, with a girl ya like.”

He hesitated, feeling slightly deflated by her response. “Yeah…?” His voice was uncharacteristically… soft. It may had just been the alcohol talking, but Atsumu wondered if the taste of your lips, now stained a soft pink, was any better than the vino you two shared.

The air in the room suddenly felt way too warm, and you could feel your face flush as you just silently stared at him, like you were some brainless neanderthal. You swallowed, only just now realizing how close the two of you were—no longer tugging on the blanket but practically cuddling. You felt the warmth of his thigh against your own, and you swore you could die right there on the spot, melting right into a puddle of goo. 

Clearing your throat, you mumbled, “Yeah.”

His eyes lazily bounced back and forth between yours, searching for something, and he let out a sigh. “Yer the smartest person I’ve ever known, but God, you can be so damn stupid sometimes.”

Before you had the chance to fire an insult back, you felt a pair of lips on yours, the movements gentle yet nervous. It was instinctual, bordering embarrassing, how fast you melted into the kiss. His tongue tasted of white chocolate truffles and red wine, the heady mixture causing you to let out the softest sigh in his mouth. Atsumu's hands gently cupped your jaw, his thumbs gently running along your cheekbones until his brain finally caught up to his actions.

He pulled away and watched you almost chase his lips, your eyes still fluttering with your skin bathed in the soft lamplight of the room. He quietly whispered, “Sorry, I–”

“Don’t you dare apologize, you dumbass. Just kiss me again.”

And you didn’t have to tell him twice. 

a/n: happy valentine’s day to all the happy couples and all the single people out there—single or not, here’s some atsumu to feed the delulu <33

masterlist | navigation

please do not copy, alter, or repost my work. ©bokutoko 2025.

[shurikensgang]

(For Valentine's Day)

"Aaaand, done," Ai said, holding an applicator and bottle of silicone tint.

Cassidy sighed. "Finally. I can't believe I let you talk me into wearing this."

Ai smirked and smugly said, "Iiiiiiiiii didn't have to do anything. You were happy to let me doll you up for Shuriken."

Cassidy's artificial blush was covered by a real one.

"I-I was most certainly not."

Ai's smirk only grew. "Suuure you weren't. You didn't fight me at all this time. Heheheh, if anything, it threw me off just how cooperative you were. I think I saw you smile as I did your wings." She giggled.

Cassidy grumbled before looking at herself in her bedroom's full body mirror, which Ai had begged her to get, even paying for part of it.

She was in her grey sleeveless dress, her legs in their heels transformation. Along with the usual brushing, her hair had been styled, the long black locks now just a bit wavy. Her visor displayed both of her red eyelights, each with a wing that was a tad bit more intricate and fancier than the usual ones Ai would draw, and her cheeks displayed a faded blush effect. Finally, her lips had been stained with a crimson silicone tint.

"I still feel like the red tint is a bit much," she said.

"Hey, T and Harlow both agreed with me on it being a good choice. And besides, this is a particularly romantic day, so if you're ever gonna get some use out of it, it makes sense to use it now."

"Whatever you say." She smiled at her younger sister. "Now are you done 'dolling me up' so I can leave?"

"Why do I feel like I should be offended in some way?" Ai shook it off. "Yeah, I'm done. I'd love to do more, but I can't hold you up."

"Thank you. I'm pretty sure Harlow left half an hour ago."

Ai stopped her sister. "Wait. Don't forget your purse."

A heavy sigh came from the older sister. She walked back to her desk and grabbed the purse sitting next to the sleeping Kobi's enclosure.

"I hope you have a great time, Cassie. Remember to give them to him."

"Yeah, yeah. Have fun at the festival."

The two sisters left the apartment and smiled at each other before heading their separate ways. Ai back to Door 1 to wait for Spectre to pick her up, and Cassidy to the gymnasium, where her first proper event in her new home was being held.

It was held in the gym. The lights were dimmed low and a bunch of drones were already there. The stage was dark, but it seemed to be getting prepped for something.

Cassidy would see the group hanging out at the now drinkable punch bowl.

Harlow was laughing with Brianna, who was wearing a nice light orange mini dress. Her hair was down and her eyes had wings on them. Abbey, who was wearing a strawberry coloured knee length dress was talking with Shuriken, who was wearing a grey tuxedo with a black tie. His hair was let down, with no beanie covering it.

Jonah was chatting with Maryam. He was wearing a maroon red tux with a navy tie, while Maryam was wearing a dark green tux-dress combo.

Brianna noticed Cassidy and smiled, beckoning her over.

[wheels-of-despair]

Define Romantic Pairing: Eddie Munson x You Summary: Is Eddie romantic? Evil Woman ponders. Out loud. And makes Eddie squirm a little, just for fun. Contains: Lovesick losers, mildly amusing banter, a verdict. Words: 800ish

"Do you think I'm romantic?"

"Define romantic," you say without looking up from your book. This is one of the least shocking random questions Eddie Munson has ever thrown at you.

"I dunno, like… romantic."

"Yes, repeating the word really does the trick, thank you for that, Edward."

He drops his face onto the pillow and groans. You put your book aside, turn your head toward the frustrated boy lying face-down next to you in your bed, and wait for an explanation.

He flips over on his back, putting his hands behind his head, and speaks to the ceiling.

"Two chicks in third period were taking a romance quiz in some gossip rag and I was bored enough to listen."

"Ah, so we're going by Cosmo's romance standards," you surmise. He shrugs. "So like… flowers and chocolate and red rose petals on the bed?"

"Nevermind," Eddie sighs, closing his eyes. "Forget I brought it up."

"Nope." You roll over and nestle into his side like you belong there, resting your head on his chest and slinging a leg over his. "You asked, now you're gonna get it."

"Oh, God." He groans, but wraps an arm around you.

"Do you think you're romantic?"

"I don't know," he whines.

"Do you want to be?"

"Is it like… optional?"

You snort. Eddie shifts uncomfortably, and you collect your thoughts.

"I think you're romantic, but not in a traditional way. And I love that about you."

"Yes, good. Continue," he says. You laugh and proceed.

"I don't think romance means the same thing to everyone," you muse. "To me… it's not gifts that you're expected to give. Flowers and teddy bears and jewelry on Hallmark-approved holidays. It's…" You pause to take a breath and search for your words. "It's little things that make me stop and go, 'fuck, I love this guy.'"

"Like what?" Eddie asks quietly.

You think about it for a moment, and when you realize what the answer is, a smile spreads across your face.

"Like how you always 'forget' the blanket when we go to Weathertop, so I have to rely on you for warmth."

"Bold of you to assume I forget on purpose," he chuckles, giving you a slight squeeze with the arm he has around you. "What else?"

"Hmmm…" you ponder. A laugh escapes your lips. "When you ramble about Middle-earth."

"Shut up."

"I'm serious," you grin. "You get so fired up and animated, waving your hands all around and knocking stuff over. I love it."

"K, I'm just gonna go die of embarrassment now, it was kind of nice knowing you, I guess," he grumbles, trying to squirm away. You hold him tighter. He's not going anywhere.

"It's passionate," you correct him. "The way you rant and rave about something that matters to you. To me. I don't know if I'll ever fully understand the complicated world of Tolkien, but dammit, I love listening to you ramble about it."

"Really?" he asks quietly.

"Yeah!" you laugh. "You know what else stokes the fire in my loins?"

"Oh God," he groans, squirming and pulling his hair across his face and trying to hide how much he's enjoying this.

"The way your good-morning and your good-night kisses are completely different," you say quietly, kissing his jaw. He stills, and you rest your head in the crook of his neck and continue. "The way you look at me when you're on stage. The way you light cigarettes. The way you keep your fridge stocked with my favorite pop. The way it feels like we're the only two people in the world when we're alone together. The way you nuzzle your nose into my neck when it's frozen and I tell you to stop and you know I don't mean it so you don't. And those little drawings you make for me on tiny scraps of paper. You know I keep all of those?"

"You do?"

"Mhm," you hum, resting your chin on his chest to look up at his blushing face. "And I'd pick one of those over a truckload of roses or a box of boring jewelry every time. So yes, Eddie Munson, I think you're extremely romantic. In a way that's probably weird to other people, but perfect for us."

"Because we're weird," he supplies.

"Because we're weird," you confirm.

You let the words hang in the air between you for a moment, unable to break eye contact.

"So uh…" Eddie smirks, shifting beneath you. "Would now be an appropriate time for me to stroke the fire in your loins?"

You narrow your eyes. When his smirk fades and his eyes show a trace of fear, you grin.

"Ugh, fine," you groan.

He pounces.

[contentloadingandstuff]

What is a Husband's Role? - Liyue Girls x Male!Reader

A/N: Exams might be over for me, but now, of course, I got a notice that I have to submit myself to a military assessment, compulsory for all men in their 19th year of life. Wonderful. Anyway, enjoy! CW: None.

Question: Who is a husband to you? What is his role?

Beidou: Well, it's quite simple. Y/N is a tough guy, one that's not afraid of taking the world on his shoulders if need be. He handles things in my absence, keeping the Crux’s land-based businesses afloat. While I don't take him out to sea that much, I'd rather have him well and good just in case, he's more than adequate at running the fleet. Me? Heh, he always has my back. Whenever I drink, he stays sober and makes sure I'm taken care of and back home safely and he keeps my bunk warm at night. He's one hell of a man in the sheets too- Why are you blushing, eh? Not the kind of answer you expected? A gal has her needs, I'll have you know. 

Ganyu: My husband is the light of my life. Y/N treats me like a precious flower, tending to my needs and admiring me like the most beautiful thing in this world. When he holds me, he does so with utmost care and attention. His affection makes me feel safe and loved. Thanks to him, I learned to balance work and life again. But even when I'm on the clock, he visits me everyday for my midday nap. All of his support has been crucial for my self-esteem and my efficiency at work. Without him, I don't know where I would be today. Hm? T-too scientific…? I'm s-sorry, I've just been thinking about it a lot…

Hu Tao: Ah, yes! My partner in crime, my muse, and the man ensuring the continuation of the Hu bloodline! Aiya, whatever would my world be without him? It would be as bleak as the space between life and death, with me - a sad, wailing soul, eager to find the comforting warmth of another… I'm lucky enough to have it already. His role in this marriage is not just being my lover, but being my best friend too! He's always open to my shenanigans and eagerly listens to all of my poetic scribbles, praising me and giving constructive criticism in equal measure. Y/N is not deterred by my work, and never ever turns a cold shoulder towards me. He's there when I want to mess around, when I need help or when I just want to lay in his arms and twirl his hair. Mm, I can already picture our lovely heirs! I hope they'll have his eyes~. 

Keqing: I would like to confess something, if that is alright with you. Before I became a wife and a mother, I didn't truly understand what I was fighting for. I have been taught to work towards the preservation of an abstract idea of Liyue, a homogeneous mass of people and the land along with it. I fought for it, yes, but now I know that I didn't truly comprehend what Liyue is. When I first woke up alongside my husband and when I first held my daughter in my arms, I finally understood. I understood that I'm fighting for the people, not as some vague collective, but as individuals. I'm working and fighting for husbands such as Y/N, wives such as myself, and children like my own. I would give my life for my loved ones a hundred times over, and I can work twice as hard, knowing that I do so for the future of my family and every other family in Liyue. My husband opened my eyes, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

 

Lan Yan: Hey - that's no way to think about your beloved! Love is not inherently about being useful to each other, it's more about feelings and companionship. For example, I can't say that taking Y/N with me when picking rattan is making the process easier or faster; I could easily do it myself. But I invite him just to have him near. Hearing his voice comforts me, and to be honest, I've been by his side so long that I just feel… off without him. What if it stormed, or what if night caught me by surprise? He would be worried sick, I'm sure… Or what if I met a ghoul or a jiangshi while out? I m-mean, I have a Vision and everything, but is it wrong to feel safer around my big, strong husband?

Ningguang: I find it fairly obvious - he is to support me, to comfort me and to keep me company. If you would like a more personal take on the matter, I'd say that Y/N, for me, is a precious antique - surely the most valuable of all. His role is to be a feast for my eyes and my heart, nothing less, nothing more. I wouldn't want to drag him into my business, as that would be foolishly risking his life. His role is to satisfy my emotional and physical desires - after all, true fulfillment in these areas cannot be bought by Mora. 

Shenhe: Well, I learned that a husband's role is… Hm? You want me to answer in my own words? Oh, I see. Then… I used to think that a husband is meant to give his wife children. It is what I thought for most of my life, until I met Y/N. Y/N’s presence, his words and touch, cause a comforting warmth to spread through my chest. I learned that this is what love truly means. It's a sense of safety, but it is exciting all the same. I want him closer, but my usual dark visions do not appear in my mind. I do not feel the pressure of my soul straining against the red ropes. He calms me, he makes me feel safe. Now I understand the importance of having a soul to share one's life with. I understand now what the word ‘husband’ means. And I am… happy with Y/N by my side. 

Xinyan: I love Y/N because he honestly loves me for who I am. No matter if I rock and roll or feel in the mood for something softer, he'll jam out to it with me. And he's one hell of a guy, let me tell you! He's not afraid to go all in with me, no matter what. I thought about going on tour? He's there with me. I wanna save some Mora to upgrade my guitar? You guessed it, he pitches in as much as he can! I feel like stealing him and partying the night away? He never says no. That's the best man a gal can ask for!

Xianyun: Hmph. Are you implying One's choice of husband is poor? One will have you know that Y/N is of the finest sort - a body that would make the gods of old jealous and a mind that rivals One's own. It is the latter that’s of utmost importance - One doesn't see a husband as a mere nod-along, but as a man that is capable of challenging his wife's character and inciting her to grow. As such, don't be concerned by Y/N arguing my points at any point in time. It is what One desires, and loves about him the most. 

Xiangling: Ooh, where do I start! My hubby is the best sous chef in the world - he makes sure that the kitchen is stocked up, clean and well organised, letting me focus on my favourite part - cooking! Whenever I need to get ingredients, he takes my place in the restaurant. Sometimes we go out together to get some new ingredients and experiment a little. He's good at cutting up meat, hunting down that meat and defending me if any of my ingredients decides it wants to snack on me. And, when we camp for the night, his cuddles are just the best! Both my dad and Guoba approve of Y/N, so I suppose my taste in boys isn't that bad after all. 

Yelan: A woman my age, and in my line of work, can't be blamed for giving up and thinking she'll be alone until the end, right? That was the Yelan my husband met a few years back. And yet here I am today, a married woman. I knew I was missing out, but I just couldn't imagine how delightful it feels to have someone propping up my back - not for a mission, or a profession, but for life. My husband is my safety net. His arms are my hideout where I can rest from the stress of my daily work. I never want to lose him, which is why I have him stay low and always keep the eyes of my most trusted agent on him. Nobody is going to sneak up on my man - not while my heart still beats. 

Yun Jin: His use? Ah, I think I can answer that with a single word - adventure. I always dreamt of journeying across the outside world, and love is such a journey. Y/N is my companion on it, holding my hand whenever I feel scared or unsure, standing steadfast by my side. He lets me experience so many feelings and emotions I could only imagine before he took my heart… Hehe, stories of love I sing in opera don’t come close to experiencing a husband’s warmth yourself.  

Yanfei: Well, who else would listen to me ramble on about my passion other than my lovely Y/N? I swear, no matter how many versions or iterations of Liyue’s legal history I read out to him, he never gets sleepy! He even asks questions and actually remembers what each chapter was about, can you believe that?! Hehe, seriously now; he’s a great partner, both in life and in a discussion. Y/N makes some room in his schedule for visiting me at work every day of the week, and always brings some mean snacks with him. Oh - you have to try his crab cakes, they’ll blow your socks off! And who ever said that guys can’t cook, right? 

Thanks for reading!

[seasidefallenangel]

𓆩♡𓆪 good men die too, i'd rather be with you 𓆩♡𓆪

valentine's day headcanons ft; kanata yatonokami, tenn kujo, sunday, nagi seishiro

notes: fluff, bit suggestive in tenn's

༄ kanata yatonokami:

✣ it’d be a lie to say he’s ever held something so commercial as valentine’s day in high regard. all the overpriced stuff in stores and seeing an onslaught of affection in public made him roll his eyes at best and sick to his stomach at worst.

✣ even after dating you, he’s still not that big of a fan. honestly, he wasn’t even planning on doing much of anything but nayuta nearly crucified him for that idea. 

✣ (nayuta thinks it’s a miracle kanata even has a partner with how unromantic he is.)

✣ gritting his teeth and bearing it, he takes you out to a more laid-back restaurant in hopes that you’ll like it. something on the high end scale would just be uncomfortable and out of place for him, but if you had really insisted he would do it for you.

✣ it’s so cute to see him obviously flustered yet trying to be on his best behavior for you. he’d normally tell you off for acting so smug and lovesick around him but he figures this is the one day he can let you get away with it.

⁀➷ “ugh, can you just… nevermind. don’t expect this all the time. you’re lucky i love you. no shit i said it outloud. you think i’d be doing all this if i didn’t?”

༄ tenn kujo:

✣ obviously trigger’s angel is able to woo his partner. what kind of idol would he be if he didn’t devote every piece of himself into satisfying you?

✣ as much as he’d love to take you out for the holiday, it’d just be too risky. sure he could wear a disguise but he feels as if that takes away from the intimacy of the holiday.

✣ so, the next best thing is to have a catered dinner at his house. how he got aya and kujo to leave is a mystery, but evidently it worked.

✣ everything about him is practiced and perfect, to the point where you tell him it’s okay to be a little more relaxed. it’s not that he’s trying to put up a front, it’s just that he’s so in love with you he doesn’t even know what to do with himself.

✣ at his core, tenn is a giver - to the point where he’d sacrifice his own wellbeing just to see your smile. there’s nothing he values more than making you happy, and it’s evident with every kiss he gives you, setting your heart ablaze as he takes you to his bedroom.

⁀➷ “i’m relieved everything went well. i wish i could’ve taken you on a traditional date, though. maybe sometime in the future? before we get married at least. … obviously i’m marrying you.”

༄ sunday:

✣ the (former) oak family head is no slouch. even if he’s never formally been in a relationship, he was raised right and knows how to treat you. 

✣ granted, the astral express isn’t exactly the ideal location. he’d much prefer to wine and dine, giving you only the best the cosmos have to offer. unfortunately, he’s also kind of broke after the events of penacony and his defecting, so an in-house date it is.

✣ that doesn’t mean it’s any less special than a traditional night out ; in fact, he puts twice the amount of effort into it. from perfecting a meal filled with your favorite dishes, to paying march and stelle to pick up some drinks and gifts on one of their rest stops.

✣ that of course is then curbed by dan heng giving sunday the most distressed look he’s ever seen, because why would anyone trust those two with a task like that? dan heng then takes it upon himself to get the proper gifts instead of the caterpillar farm suggested by stelle.

✣ the upside to the express is that the view is second to none. throughout dinner, sunday’s wings are fluttering a mile a minute as he watches you admire the stars and swirling galaxies that pass by. he can’t be bothered to look out the window when the most ethereal view is sitting across from him.

⁀➷ “can you look at me once more, dearest? no, nothing’s wrong. i just want to imprint this into my memory. if you had told me even a year ago i’d have you in my arms, i’d have assumed it was a terrible joke. i’m simply grateful the aeon’s have led us together.”

༄ nagi seishiro:

✣ reo is easily the most stressed out person in this scenario. for as sweet and clingy nagi is towards you, that boy is romantically dense. he figures he can get you a candy bar and call it a day, and reo is on the urge of strangling him for even suggesting it.

✣ flowers! gifts! chocolate! jewelry! fancy dinner! reo is trying to hammer in some more ideas into nagi’s brain and nagi’s expression grows more and more bored with every word. he even insists that he knows his partner and all of that stuff would probably overwhelm you (and make you think nagi had been kidnapped and brainwashed.)

✣ they compromise in the end. reo uses some connections to have a chef prepare dinner at nagi’s apartment and nagi gets off his lazy ass to buy you some flowers and a box of chocolate. for all his whining about existing being a hassle, he does listen to you pretty intently. he knows you think roses on valentine’s day is a bit too cliche, so he opts to get you something like a mixed bouquet with ranunculuses, dailies, and lily of the valley’s.

✣ it’s sweet and very nagi. even in his own way, he’s able to show how much he adores you. you’re the only thing worth putting effort into in his eyes - all he demands is that you smother him in cuddles afterward.

⁀➷ “i told reo everything would be fine… why does he worry so much? i really like you, so i’m not gonna mess it up. everything is less annoying with you around. … did i say something weird?”

[graci3sb0w]

All yours, baby.

Gracie Abrams x Female Reader Summary : you and Gracie go to Taylors party only for one of Kelce's friend to flirt with you. Let's just say Gracie isn't too happy about it.

Warnings : jealousy, bf Gracie, fluff

Taylor Swift's birthday party was the party of the year, before it even started officially.

Gracie and I stopped in front of my mirror, fussing with our clothes for what felt like the hundredth time. Taylor had sent out invitations with a silent expectation that everyone would be looking their best. I'd wasted twenty minutes debating with myself about whether or not my dress was too much or too little before Gracie cut me down with a blunt, "You look hot. Let's go."

The bows, however, had been her idea.

"Come on, please," she had begged, smiling as she held out the soft silk ribbons she had picked. One in pale blush pink, the other in classic black. "Matching bows, Y/N. It's so us."

I had rolled my eyes, half-exasperated, half-laughing. "Gracie."

She pouted. "Don't be boring. Think about the look."

"You just want an excuse to tie something in my hair."

Her eyes sparkled meanly. "I love to tie things in your hair."

And, since I was a pushover for her (and since she was already leaning in towards my hair), I let her.

We were standing outside now, with our backs to the building, which twinkled with fairy lights and music already pulsating through the walls. A security guard checked our names against the guest list, and then—magically—we were let in.

The party was exactly what I had envisioned: polished but electric, a pack of celebrities mingling, flutes of champagne served by waiters in starched white jackets.

Gracie tugged my hand as we stepped inside. "Let's find Taylor before she gets swept up in the Blake-Selena-Sophie crowd."

"I believe she lives with them now."

We barely had time to take it all in before we heard—

"There you are!"

Taylor suddenly appeared out of thin air, as otherworldly as ever, in some kind of retro-themed, glittery dress. She was cradling a single drink and had an all-out joy look in her eyes as she hugged us both.

"You both look so amazing," she said, stepping back to look at us. And then she caught sight of the bows. She smirked flirtatiously. "Oh my God, matching bows?"

Gracie grinned, pushing hers up like a crown. "So us, then?"

I rolled my eyes. "She forced me."

Taylor tilted her head. "You're playing like she had to fight you. We all know you'd do anything she asks."

I pretended to be shocked. "You betrayed me so fast."

Gracie simply grinned smugly, slipping an arm around my waist. "She knows what's up."

Taylor laughed, shaking her head. "God, you two are disgusting."

A waiter passed by, and Taylor grabbed two champagne glasses from him, handing one to each of us and then lifting hers. "To my birthday," she said, "and to my two favorite lovers in denial."

Gracie gagged on her drink. I nearly spilled mine.

"Taylor!" I hissed, blushing.

She just laughed and walked away, leaving us standing there, shocked.

Gracie was the first to come out of it, elbowing me. "Denial, huh?"

I shook my head. "I hate her."

"You love her."

I sighed, sipping champagne. "Shut up."

The night had gone so smoothly—dancing, laughing, striking a ridiculous number of poses with Taylor, and sitting through Jack Antonoff grumbling about how much he hated getting dressed up.

And then.

He appeared.

Travis Kelce's friend.

Tall. Dumbly arrogant. That kind of charming in an unsubtle fashion that only men who never had to work too hard tend to have.

It started as normal. He came over to greet me, which was okay. But then—he started looking at me like I was the center of attention. Like he cared. (Disgusting)

And that's when Gracie's hold on me subtly clamped down.

He leaned forward, smiling. "So, how do you know Taylor?"

I shifted, aware of Gracie standing by my side. "We met in music. We've known each other for a while."

He nodded, looking impressed. "That's cool. You look cool." His eyes flicked down to my dress. "You look great tonight too."

Gracie's arm around my waist suddenly wasn't resting—it was holding on.

The guy was oblivious. He just grinned at me, all confident. "You know, I was going out, but when I saw you, I'm glad I didn't."

Before I could even think about how to answer, Gracie interrupted.

"She's with me," she said, her voice smooth but unyielding.

The guy blinked, eyes darting back and forth between us. "Oh."

Gracie smiled—sweet, but menacing. "Yeah." She wrapped her hand around my waist, holding tight. "So you can go ahead and try to flirt with someone else."

For an instant, it looked like he was going to slug it out. But then he caught a glimpse in her eyes that led him to do otherwise.

"Uh… yeah, cool. No problem." He grudged an unnatural laugh, nodded, and retreated.

The instant he'd vanished, I looked at Gracie with my brows raised. "That was.. a lot."

She still hadn't let me go. "He was annoying."

I bit my lip, trying not to smile. "You're jealous."

She rolled her eyes. "Wow. Okay. First of all, I am not jealous—"

"You so are."

"I just didn't like the way he was eyeing you up and down. And calling you the prettiest girl here like it was news? Please."

I smiled, a warmth spreading through my chest. "Boyfriend Gracie is kinda hot."

That fazed her. A silence latched onto me before she expelled a dramatic sigh. "Now you're simply attempting to distract me."

I tilted my head, regarding her. "Working?"

She expelled a breath, arms still encircling me. "Maybe."

I moved in, lightly kissing the corner of her jaw, because I could. Because I wanted to, "im yours, baby."

Gracie melted. Fully.

And that's when I realized—

Jealousy did her really, really well.

[encasedinobsidian]

Life According to Joel

Happy birthday @netherfeildren !! This is my gift to you <333 Thanks for being my friend, for being kind and understanding and funny and cool, for entertaining me and letting me freeload. If it weren't for you and your unfathomable talent, I'm sure I'd be illiterate, and Din Djarin would be nothing but a tuna can. I think of you every time I see a mini truck, a rat tail, or Matthew McCououghougohgouneyay. You are my personal Rust Cohle, and I hope my Marty-ness enriches your life like your odd shit enriches mine. YEEHAW AND ILY !!

Summary: Joel having the worst day ever Word count: 2.5k Rating: A for effort

Monday. Joel is startled awake by the blaring scream of a car alarm and a leaf blower outside his bedroom window, at six AM. And to his misfortune, the day doesn’t get much better after that. 

He reasons that he’s been through worse, and that he could’ve woken up to the fire alarm signaling that his own house is in flames, so with some reluctance, he gets up and drags his feet to the bathroom. His electric toothbrush is no longer standing up against the mirror next to the sink where it has been every morning for the last fifteen years. 

Something soft brushes against his bare leg, and he looks down to see Fluffles’s tail curling around his calf, which brings his attention to the litter box. His toothbrush is lying inside of the sand, and the top of the box is sitting beside it, forgotten. 

Just an inconvenience, he thinks, grabbing a temporary toothbrush from the Dollar General that he fishes out of the cabinet below the sink. However, his confidence wanes somewhat when he returns to the bedroom after a shower — a shower with significantly reduced water pressure, that is — and grabs his phone, seeing that the charger is halfway out of the wall socket and that his battery is at twenty percent. There’s a message on his screen regarding his advertisement on Facebook Marketplace for a TV he’s been trying to sell for the reasonable price of three hundred dollars. The message was sent five minutes ago. 

$80? I can pick it up asap

A shitty offer, but an offer nonetheless. He responds back. 

Sure. Can you pick it up in thirty minutes?

Yes, the person says.

He sends his address and leaves the bedroom, goes downstairs and hears the doorbell ring. Two young boys stand on the doorstep, both in ties and name tags, asking if he has a minute to speak about religion. Not wanting to shake their confidence, he lets them stumble through their prepared monologue for a minute, but Joel begins to tense up when he sees a FedEx truck approaching his property, likely carrying a package that was held up for two weeks and is finally due to arrive. The boys’ voices blend in with each other, and Joel watches the delivery driver cast one look at his house, just as the truck slows, before looking ahead and driving off instead. 

Kindly, but a little bit affectless, Joel bids the missionaries goodbye and closes the door behind him while he shakes his head. Two pieces of bread are lowered into the toaster as he looks at the time and notices that Sarah’s alarm has yet to go off, reminding him that she has the day off from school for ‘independent study’. He grabs a large post-it note from a drawer as well as a thick marker, and begins to write. 

PLEASE KNOCK

FOR DELIVERY

I AM HOME 

Joel has never been a superstitious man, and multiple inconveniences can happen at once, so no, he does not consider himself shaken. 

The toaster pops and it smells burnt — Tommy was over on the weekend and never adjusted the thing back to its previous setting, and now Joel’s pieces of bread are one shade away from completely black. He moves on, shakes it off, grabs a knife and scrapes the burnt layer into the sink. The radio is playing on low but the same ad keeps running on loop, likely something glitching on the station’s end. 

When he cracks five eggs into a bowl, the last one shatters and a piece of eggshell, just big enough to be noticeable when he squints, disappears into the bottom of the bowl. He takes a deep breath, blaming himself for poor egg-cracking technique, and grabs one of the shells, dipping it in to chase that tiny piece around. Slowly, he moves it, trying not to create any waves that would wash the piece away, but just as he’s about to catch it, Sarah appears in the doorway and startles him, losing the eggshell to the abyss of egg once again. 

The wrong burner is on for about a minute before he realizes. He notices too late that the grounds in the coffee machine are from yesterday. 

While waiting for the TV-pickup, he checks his email and sees that some test results from the doctor are available in his health portal. The results, however, seem somewhat jumbled and unfinished.

UNSTABLE LIKELY PROSTATE CANCER

The inevitable anxiety gets him for a moment before he can practice any sort of logic, his stomach sinking at the words on the screen. There must be some explanation for this, he reasons, as he grabs his phone and calls the office. 

“Hello?” answers the girl on the other end, “Dr. Ramirez’s office. How can I help you?”

Joel rubs the tips of his fingers across his forehead while he looks at the screen, explaining his shock at the test results that were only supposed to show his blood pressure and cholesterol. 

“Oh, shit,” she says, “Uh—”

Not a reassuring answer. He glances at the time and sees that his buyer is supposed to be here any minute. 

“That is a HIPAA violation, isn’t it?” she asks. He doesn’t answer, doesn’t admit that his heart is racing, but instead clears his throat. 

“It looks like you got someone else’s results,” says the secretary. “I’m so sorry, it also looks like we lost your blood test and results and everything somehow. I’m gonna send you another requisition to print out and bring to the lab, okay?” 

They exchange a few pleasantries, he looks over to the printer to make sure it’s on, and in the paper tray is a document entirely covered in black ink, with a one-inch margin around the dark square. When he presses the power button, it informs him that it is out of ink. 

Fifteen minutes past when the buyer is supposed to arrive, he messages them, and receives no reply. 

His phone rings. It’s the shop where his truck is supposed to be ready today after a week of repairs and Joel having to carpool with Tommy to work. 

“Hey Joel,” is followed by a nervous laugh. “So, this isn’t gonna cost you anything, don’t worry—”

Joel groans. 

“But the repairs will take a little longer. Our apprentice kind of… Well, he fucked up, and now we have to fix it.” 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“I assure you I’m not, but your truck will be ready in two days, alright? We got a rental for you, just come get it whenever.” 

He hangs up without saying goodbye. His message to the buyer is marked as read, ten minutes ago. When his phone does light up as he’s putting on his boots, about to leave for work, it’s from an unknown number. 

hey randy, pls send the $50 for the tournament. jane’s up my ass abt it 

For five years, he has received messages from various numbers, looking for a man named Randy, and despite how many numbers he blocks, they never seem to stop, and this Randy seems to owe a lot of people various sums of cash. 

Joel responds, This is not Randy’s number, sorry. 

And in return, he gets a somewhat hostile message.

oldest trick in the fucking book 

He orders an Uber to the car mechanic’s shop, and is surcharged thirty percent, but at least there’s no lineup at the front desk when he arrives. Maybe his luck has changed, he thinks, looking at the new trucks in the front of the lot. 

However, when the receptionist leads him to the back and gestures towards his options, he realizes his only choice is a Japanese mini truck. “JDM ninety-five Suzuki,” the lady says, and she really is trying to put a positive spin on it, “Very convenient.” 

“Are you messing with me?” Joel asks, flatly.

She smiles at him, and her voice is very cheery when she says, “It has five speeds.” 

“Fantastic.” He rolls his eyes and grabs the keys she hands him. There’s a lizard on the windshield he only spots when he opens the door and crams inside, adjusting the seat what little it allows, and his arms are stuffed in-between his knees when he pushes the keys into the ignition. The seat belt is a lost cause. 

His brother calls him and he picks up reluctantly, though he doesn’t get the chance to say anything before Tommy asks him, “Could you drop by Home Depot and get a few things?” 

“No.”

“Come on, man. Do me a solid.”

“Can’t. Truck won’t be done ‘till tomorrow. I got a rental.”

“And?”

“I’m ass to ankles here, Tommy,” he says, “I’m in the smallest truck I’ve ever seen.”

Then he hangs up. 

At least he doesn’t have prostate cancer, he thinks, as he pulls out of the parking lot and gets onto the road, where he’s stuck in traffic surrounded by box trucks in stop-and-go traffic. Another lizard lands on the windshield with a smack, thrown off the side of the U-Haul in front of him. 

Upon arrival at the worksite, his coworker informs him that their order of concrete has been delayed, and asks if Joel can text their supervisor. He tries to keep it concise. 

Hey. Concrete is delayed so we’re completely halted. Could you call the supplier? Thanks. - Joel

In return, after waiting for twenty minutes, he receives a photo from his supervisor of a clear, blue ocean and golden sand.

Jet ski, it says below the photo. 

Great. 

He makes himself busy until lunch time, when he pulls a plastic container out of his backpack and realizes that the empty container of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! that contained a sandwich was somehow shuffled around in the fridge, getting mistaken for the one actually containing margarine. And so Joel finds himself lunch-less, exhausted, baking in the sunshine of mid-day, wondering what he has done to deserve this. 

He leaves work a few hours early. There’s no way his supervisor would find out, and if he does, he’ll be too drunk by eight PM to remember. Somehow, over the last few hours, Joel forgot about the tiny truck waiting for him a block away from the worksite, but is reminded when he spots it as he turns the corner. 

It’s hot as hell inside of it now, after parking in the sun without thinking, and there’s barely any air circulation when just his body takes up seventy percent of the cabin. 

He drives it to Costco anyway. All of the grilled chickens are snatched from the shelf in front of his eyes, nobody can steer their shopping carts in the right direction, they’re out of everything bagels, and he stands in a lineup for ten minutes only to realize it’s not a lineup for anything at all but merely people standing around. Out he goes, after thinking he lost his credit card only to find it in the wrong slot of his wallet, to the tiny truck now parked between two Range Rovers, with a case of Diet Coke and a sixty-pack of eggs. They fit in the front seat next to him, barely. 

At his house, FedEx has left a package slip on top of the note he left for the delivery driver. Sarah is still home. When she looks up at him from the dining table and her homework, he greets her with a grunt, carrying in the groceries. A can of Coke falls to the floor as he stacks them in the fridge, and it bursts open, spraying soda in multiple directions, soaking his socks and the floor around him. Sarah folds over in laughter, but Joel watches in silence as the can empties, and his arms are full of the remaining ones. 

Finally, while on his knees next to Sarah, mopping up the soda while she tries to stifle her laugh, he comes to terms with the reality that this Monday is simply not his day. He therefore does not take the chance on cooking, and decides to pick up dinner on the way home after putting on a load of laundry and running more errands.

With the package slip in his hand, he steps back into the godforsaken mini truck and starts it. He does not wave when he sees his neighbor passing on the street. At the FedEx store, the door is locked when he tries to open it. There’s a sign on the door asking him to scan a QR code to see the store hours. 

At the barbeque spot down the road, Joel stands in line with the package notice in his back pocket and his arms folded, for twenty minutes. In front of him is a woman speaking on video call to her mother, trying to solve a computer problem. He manages to filter out the repeated words and sentences, enjoying the seemingly only reprieve from his day from hell, wondering if his luck has turned. Again, he remembers that it could be worse. He could have had prostate cancer. 

Inside the restaurant, he’s up next, but the girl ahead of him is asking about every item on the other side of the glass, looking up at the man working behind the counter while he explains. She takes a moment to think, and he asks her, “Are those color contacts?”

“No,” she says, smiling, holding up the line, and Joel rolls his eyes. 

The man piles extra ribs onto her plate when she moves to the cash register, then reaches under the bench and pulls out a sign that he tapes to the glass in a swift motion.

OUT OF BEEF RIBS

“What can I get ya?” he asks Joel. 

On the way out, with takeout containers in hand, Joel absentmindedly throws his coins into the trash, and the wrapper of his straw stays in his hand. The same straw disintegrates immediately when he takes a second sip of the sweet tea inside. 

After dinner, with a piece of brisket stuck between his teeth, he takes out the laundry from the washer. The pile is soaking wet, dripping onto his fresh pair of socks, and as he turns the corner to wring out the clothes over the sink in the bathroom, the edge of a dresser scratches his side. Somehow, it had been pulled out a few inches from the wall. 

In the kitchen, he opens the freezer to see that Sarah’s forgotten can of soda has exploded and covered the entire drawer. His attempt at salvaging the evening is met with a hollow, overpriced soft serve ice cream, and a chipped beer bottle. An email informs him that he has won a raffle and, well, Joel finds himself thinking that perhaps it’s best to grasp his only good fortune of the day, so he jumps through the hoops, verifies, waits for one-time codes and accepts terms & conditions, only find out he has won a grand total of five dollars. 

He gets a message from the Facebook marketplace lowballer. 

i dropped by at noon but u werent home

Joel rolls his eyes and he puts his phone down while he shuts off his computer, looking at the sprinklers in the yard that have apparently stopped working. His phone lights up again, this time with a text message from an unknown number. 

hey randy. guess u were too busy to visit grandma before it was too late. get fucked

this is dave btw i got a new phone 

It could always be worse.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Chapter 15. Red Catchfly

Summary: He guides you in and closes the door behind him, locking it before turning to you, a smile so disarming you wish you could just make your clothes disappear at once.  Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Words: 2,800 Warnings: SMUT +18 (fingering) I warned you this would come and it's only a bit of the chapter so I'll mark it with the fancy divider Listen to: 'Heaven' -by Niall Horan A/N: I'm sick again besties but we got NEW BENOPHIE CONTENT LET'S GO -Danny

"Am I being desperate?"

"Ah, well, if you are none can say, and I mean that literally," Marie smirks. "No one dares to insult a princess, and the one man that would is currently at your feet."

You blush, but make a face hoping it passes as vexation. "It's not like we'll be left alone, anyway. He's invited me to his mother's house, not his bachelor lodgings, so I can expect the whole unmarried lot to be present. That includes Hyacinth, so you shall be pleased."

"I am," Marie hums. "And you mentioned a younger brother and two sisters our age?"

"Gregory, Eloise, and Francesca," you nod, looking at the window while trying to keep your anxiety in check.

"Splendid. You know, I didn't believe I'd ever say this, but I miss Rowan and Richard."

"Yes," you at her, a sting of affection poking at your heart. "It's weird, not hearing their loud discussions at breakfast, isn't it?"

Your sister chuckles in agreement, gripping the handle as the carriage stops in front of the Bridgerton house. You make your way out smoothly, so hesitant that your movements are slow enough to keep you from tripping or crashing anything.

"This way, Your Royal Highness," says a footman, guiding you inside. "The family is currently in their main tea room."

You and your sister follow, arms locked together more for your benefit than Marie's, and as a pair, you enter the quaint and lively room. It's a soothing variety of blues and whites, with enough room to fit around twenty people comfortably if needed. 

"Princess Y/N," Violet Bridgerton stands, followed by the people around her. 

Eloise smiles awkwardly, not entirely happy to have royalty sharing her sanctuary. In front of the two women, there's young Gregory, puffing out his chest and trying to look as tall as sturdy as possible, Benedict, looking at you with a tiny wicked grin that tells you he's got something in mind, and Hyacinth, smiling from ear to ear at the pair of young princesses.

Movement catches your eye and your gaze follows, finding Francesca and her intended, John, seated at the opposite end of the room, with Colin Bridgerton in the middle of the tea room, holding a plate of refreshments and smiling though not as genuinely as the first day you met him, probably still concerned about the well-being of his wife-to-be.

You and Marie curtsy, then Colin guides you to the seats, one next to Hyacinth, the other next to Eloise. "I hope we're not interrupting?"

"Oh, you are," Colin grins. "And perhaps you could help on this dispute. You see, Benedict is at war with our two youngest siblings over who gets the last chocolate macaron."

"Hyacinth already had some this morning," Benedict argues. "And Gregory would eat anything as long as there's sugar sprinkled on top—"

"Not true!" The boy exclaims.

"And I," Benedict raises his voice, looking at Gregory with eyes full of mirth. "Have not had a single bite of the chocolate ones since we got the box. Don't you think I deserve it?"

Marie and you share a look, your sister already enjoying herself with the uncommon yet mundane disagreement. You realize this is why you like the Bridgertons so much, they remind you of your family.

You ponder. "Maybe Gregory should have it, as he is the youngest and he hasn't tried it?"

Benedict gapes as Gregory's sneaky hand shoots forward and snatches the sweet, and only then you realize he's got about five other macarons piled on his left hand. "You have six in line and you picked those yourself, give it back!" Benedict bickers.

The sitting area is so loud you don't hear the lovebirds at the back whispering to each other and trying to get the group's attention until Francesca stands and raises her voice. "Family!"

They all stop and turn to her like a group of meerkats, silent and attentive. Francesca stops in front of them, twirling a lock of hair anxiously around her fingers and grinning anxiously. "Thank you," she glances over her shoulder at the quiet man patiently coming her way. "John has a small announcement to make in our behalf."

"Very small, indeed," he says, half of his body turned to the side almost as if shielding from the curious stares. "Uhm... we are to marry."

You and your sister freeze as the family moves in unison, laughing, cheering, and wrapping the young couple in congratulations. Your sister mouths to you 'Were we supposed to witness that?' and you shrug, just as pleasantly surprised as the rest of the family.

Benedict turns to you as he goes, gesturing invitingly so you two join the celebration. Both of you stand but stay back a respectful distance, unsure of how to proceed. You wait as the family hugs and kisses the couple, and it is not lost on you how Benedict gives away the last chocolate macaron to John, something that, for some reason, gives you butterflies.

"You shall be the most beautiful bride," Hyacinth beams. "Well, equal to Daphne. And Kate. And Penelope."

"I'm so pleased, you make a beautiful pair," Violet says approvingly.

Benedict, who has found his way to your side without you noticing, playfully nudges you forward with enough force that you stumble, catching everyone's attention. Blushing, you smile and clear your throat, reaching to bring your sister closer.

"Well, I'm not sure we were meant to witness such a tender and private moment, but we're very happy to have done so," you hold Francesca's hand gently and pat it, then nod courteously at John. "Congratulations, and I shall of course send a gift of your liking as soon as possible."

"Thank you," says Francesca bashfully, and John merely nods back, though he's glowing as much as she is. Then, almost on impulse, the girl continues. "Though actually, Your Royal Highness, perhaps there is something better than a gift that you could give us—"

"I would like a moment in private," Violet speaks, her tone kind yet firm enough, "with you two, to make a few arrangements?"

Francesca and John share a look but agree nonetheless, sensing it's better not to push their luck. Colin then takes his food and excuses himself, claiming he needs to write a few letters. Eloise follows, stating the wish to make a few house visits to friends, and then Gregory and Hyacinth quickly get a hold of Marie and Y/N, both talking over one another about chess, card games, and garden activities.

Benedict doesn't object to following them, which is suspicious, and tails the youthful group out of the tea room. He leans closer to you as you reach the hallway. "Mother's been itching to get some ounce of control over Francesca's courting ever since it started—better for them to have it out than on their wedding day."

"What for?" You ask with the same air of secrecy.

"Well, she's got this notion that there must be an overwhelming, uncontrollable fire in a couple for it to work. But in all fairness, Francesca has always been a quiet, gentle soul. I'm not at all surprised that John loves her in the same fashion, he seems to fancy the silence as much as my sister, and if that gives them happiness..." he shrugs as an end to his statement.

"Do you approve of it?"

Benedict wrinkles his nose in disgust. "Approve? Perhaps if I were Anthony, I'd have something to say, but Francesca said yes all on her own, so that must mean she is fond of John, even the most introverted Bridgerton would never agree to unpleasant eternity."

As you reach the garden Marie and the children hurl out directly to the table where cards are waiting to be put to use, but you never get to play, for it's then that Benedict finds his window of opportunity and wraps his arm around your waist, pulling you back from the door and playfully urging you further down the hall to your left, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one has seen you sneak out of sight.

You muffle your giggles as he nudges you up the service stairs two floors up, luckily not running into any of the staff he then breaks into a light jog as he lures you down the hall hand in hand, grinning as he reaches the room he was looking for. He guides you in and closes the door behind him, locking it before turning to you, a smile so disarming you wish you could just make your clothes disappear at once. 

"For what it's worth, I didn't know my sister was planning to announce her engagement today—I hope that wasn't too uncomfortable..."

"Uncomfortable? Oh, it was very sweet," you say as he puts his arms back around your waist. "Your family makes me homesick for my own."

"Your sister is just downstairs," he leans in to place sweet, tender kisses down your neck.

"I have two other brothers," you argue softly, tilting your head back for him, "and a mother and a father, whom I love with all my heart."

He groans, nuzzling the soft skin under your ear. "Let's not talk about parents while I'm trying to seduce you, please? We're meant to be celebrating."

"Celebrating?"

"My sister's happiness, of course," his hand wanders to your bottom as he moves you backwards to a desk.

You stifle a laugh. "I'm fairly certain this isn't how you celebrate another person's engagement. You buy them a present, take the groom for a drink, if you're a man..."

"Ah, well, wedding announcements make me fanciful..." he flashes a crooked grin, sitting you on the flat wooden surface. "And you are the perfect remedy for those pesky butterflies..."

As you take a seat on the edge of the desk, you take a quick glance around the room. "Was this your childhood room?"

"Mhmm..." his bare hand sneaks under your skirts and travels up, never once losing contact with your skin. "The very moment you walked into the tea room, I lost all interest in the chocolate macaron and yearned for nothing more than to bring you here and get a taste of your sweet, tender flesh..."

His hand reaches your inner thigh, turning his palm up as his knuckles caress the union between your leg and hip. You make a light sound approvingly, moving closer to his touch. "Now that's what every lady wants to hear..."

"Can you guess what I want to hear now?" He whispers against your ear, hand diving between your legs without hesitation.

The quietest of moans slips past your lips as his fingers spread your folds apart, exploring the hot, sensitive area in gentle movements. Benedict makes a throaty noise as he sinks his fingers further down.

"I tried so hard not to think about doing this to you..." he admits in a deep voice. "Countless times... But it's even harder not to bury my fingers in you all at once, just to feel you tighten in protest..."

You moan softly again, holding the back of his head with a shaky grip. "Benedict..."

"I should've asked before starting," he chuckles breathily, looking into your eyes. "I apologize, I was in a hurry, but now that we're here, I want to know..." he kisses your cheek, "how should I call you?"

You frown, not understanding his question. "What do you mean?" 

"Shall I call you Princess and Royal Highness while you make a mess on my hand?" He inquires huskily. "Or do you want me to call you Y/N? Darling? My pet..?" He smirks. "Or does being called critter do it for you?"

You chuckle lowly at his teasing, legs curling at his slow caresses. "Call me whatever pleases you..."

"I quite like to call you a critter," he insists with a mocking tone, trying to push your buttons.

"Only if I can call you pup."

He cackles so involuntarily he shuts himself up, lips tightly closed as he glances down at you with feigned annoyance. He then slides a single finger into you in retaliation, curling it and making you gasp.

"Not critter, then," he ponders as if he's not turning your bones into jelly at this very moment. "How about something sweet, like Petal, or—"

"My name," you plea needily as he continues to pleasure you in lazy strokes.

He smiles. "See? It isn't that hard to speak your mind out loud, is it?"

You scoff. "Was that what you did a few minutes ago when you pushed me to speak in front of your whole family?"

"That wasn't my whole family, critter. You're lucky they weren't all there, would've been harder to make yourself be heard," he replies ironically.

Benedict sees you ready to argue and pushes a second finger into you, speeding up the tempo. You arch slightly and he holds your hip in place with his free hand so you don't fall off. "That's better," he mutters, pressing a hot kiss to your neck. 

You let out a breathy laugh that soon turns into a moan, pulling him into a proper kiss, not even angry that this is how he's decided to end your debates now.

You are saying goodbye to the youngest Bridgertons and Benedict when Violent comes up and surprises you by asking for a word in private. You panic, thinking that she heard you and Benedict inside his room, and so you agree and soberly follow her out of hearing distance, wondering if you're about to be called a litany of motherly insults for staining her beloved son's reputation.

It's nothing of the sort when she finally begins talking, an anxious tremble in her voice. "This is  rather embarrassing, Your Royal Highness, but you've been so kind and generous to my family, that I wonder if I could push your considerations an extra inch."

You smile, secretly relieved that she has no clue of what just happened under her roof, then get a wave of guilt as you realize how devious it was to have done such a thing under her roof. All the more reason to give her whatever she asks for. "Of course, anything you need."

She clasps your hand in hers, flushed and agitated. "Well, you see, my dear Francesca is in a hurry to start her married life—which is lovely, of course, nothing makes me happier than to see my daughters looking forward to their unions, but as you may know, or not, depending on how much you've heard, well..."

"John Stirling wasn't approved beforehand by your Queen," you state knowingly. "Yes, she told me."

This only worsens the mother's apprehension. "Oh, she'll exile my child, won't she? She'll think my family most ungrateful."

You can't help the laughter that erupts from you, and rather boldly you wrap your arms around the woman, looking to soothe her in the current state that she's in. "I don't think anyone in their right mind could ever hate you Bridgertons, the personifications of sunshine."

Violet blushes even more, though she does seem tranquillized by your light-hearted opinion. "I'm deeply flattered, Your Highness..."

"What do you need, then? For me to put in a good word for John?"

"No, the Queen isn't sentimental, the man could be a saint and she still would deem him lacking," the woman sighs. "But she's a good ruler, and as such, we want her approval."

"What do you need from me?" You insist pleasantly.

"I would like to speak to her on behalf of my daughter and her suitor. I only ask for a minute of her time."

"And I shall ensure you have it," you pat her hand lovingly. "I'll be there myself if that soothes you, making sure she listens."

Violent sighs, an invisible weight lifting from her shoulders. "Thank you, Princess Y/N."

"I like those lovebirds, I think they fit," you approve, "if it were in Genovia's hands, they'd be married by tomorrow."

The woman appears disturbed by the idea and you chuckle, though this time you keep your thoughts to yourself. Even the best ones here are still British at the core.

You curtsy and return to your sister, but Benedict, who's been anxiously watching the interaction, wants to know at once what transpired between the two of you. You pat his gloved hand and he walks you to your carriage.

"She requires a moment in private with your Queen, to defend the lovebird from her scorn."

"And she asked you for help?" He asks in disbelief.

You scoff. "Believe it or not, your Queen likes me. Your mother thinks I might be able to talk some sense into her."

"You?" He snorts. "Talk sense into people?"

You elbow him. "And just so you know," you lower your voice, "I'm not doing that here ever again. It was terrible of me to disrespect your mother's hospitality like that."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Benedict feigns innocence. "I was only showing you my old paintings, that I keep in my childhood bedroom."

You glance at him sideways. "Yes, well, if you have any more paintings to show me, you better do it at your own lodgings."

He kisses your gloved hand before helping you into your carriage. "Your wish is my command, Princess."

Next Chapter –>

Taglist.

@babypink224221 @Booknerdlife @djsporks @lght-roastcoffee @marii-ren @mythical-goth @omgsuperstarg @creepytoes88 @sarahskywalker-amidala @23victoria @shadowolf993 @squirreljoe @syxtiramishuui @stargirl-mayaa @dolllol2405 @aemondslove @inspiringwaves @optimisticsandwichgladiator @alloof @sydney-m @sirivusblack @mimibookish @marvelouslyme96 @imaginexred @black-kitten-imagines @bands-tv-movies-is-me @justanotherkpopstanlol @Nala @whatasadlittlelife

[strawberryflavoredvenum]

Ticcijack Valentine's fanfic

This is really late lol. Sorry about that, I had school and work!

Here you go!

Jack had never been a fan of Valentine's day. It's not that he was bitter, but more so indifferent. He was not too excited about holidays in general. He saw them as just another day. His love life was doa and he was never a romantic person to begin with. This year was different though. This year he had someone. Someone who loved holidays.

Toby was always the one putting in the most effort during holidays. Him and Lyra used to decorate the house and use leds to match whichever holiday was soon at the time. Now that he was a proxy, he still clung on to his traditions. The other proxies appreciated the sentiment during the holidays

Valentine's Day was different though. Toby has never been with anyone before Jack so he's never fully celebrated. He also knew that Jack didn't care for holidays so he didn't try.

That's what led to Jack's current situation. Frustrated and struggling to get the LEDs to stick to the wall. There was a table with a TV dinner and a Tupperware of kidney. The dinner was nothing special, the table cloth was dusty, the damn LEDs just won't cooperate. Jack signed when he looked at his poor excuse for a romantic scene. It looked nothing like the effort Toby usually put into holidays. Toby was away on mission but would be back soon.

Jack was about to tear the whole thing down and pretend he never tried when the front door jiggled and a tired and bloody figure walked in. He stopped in his tracks when he reached the living room and saw the scene. No reaction at all. Jack prepared for the worst.

Toby was in shock. No one has ever done something like this for him before. Jack even remembered the leds in red and pink. He didn't even know how to react.

He was bloody and gross, yet he sat down at the table. Jack did the same as he studied Toby's expression. Toby looked down at the TV dinner and smiled. "How long did this take you?" Toby asked. Jack shrugged. " Longer than I'd like to admit." Toby smiled as he removed his muzzle. "It's nice". Jack sighed. "You don't have to lie. It looks like a child made this." Toby frowned and looked around the room. Toby didn't see it that way. To him, it was charming and made him feel important to someone.

Toby grabbed Jack's hand and squeezed it. "You're the only person to ever do something like this for me." Jack squeezed his hand back and nodded. "You always put your heart and soul into holidays. I wanted to give you the same effort."

Toby was flushed and absolutely flattered. Getting Jack to be romantic or vulnerable was like pulling teeth. Toby didn't even have to try today. Toby dug into his dinner and Jack followed after.

After dinner, Jack picked up the plates and washed them. Toby got up and stretched. "Man I'm filthy". He said. He was still in the same clothes he went to his mission in. Jack couldn't help but feel sad that toby was going to shower. It marked the end of their date.

Toby made it to the hallway before stopping and turning around. "What are you waiting for?" Those words nearly killed Jack. This was a new step in their relationship. He guessed that it was HIS Valentine's gift. Jack quickly followed after. He already couldn't wait for next Valentine's day.

[blueesnow]

Jinguji Ren's Birthday (Year 1) Voicelines Translation.

-You can look at it again on the Event Log, Mini-Event section (for the other boys messages to him) and Talk section (for a one-on-one conversation with you and him) in Idol Page.

-Also the translations might not be fully accurate since I'm not that fluent on jp/en, so if i ever made a mistake do correct me🙏

<You (Player)> Ren: Thank you, Lady. I feel like I'm going crazy from all of the overwhelming love I'm getting from you. Ren: In addition to feeling giddy with happiness, a greedy thought also comes to mind. Like how I don't want to give you to anyone, for example.

<Otoya> Otoya: Happy Birthday! Ren is so mature that I tend to rely on you for help. You look cool too, I'm so jealous~ Ren: Thank you. …You give me too much praise. I'm sure there are many aspects only you can have, Ikki.

<Masato> Masato: I will offer you my sincere blessing at least on your birthday. Happy Birthday, Jinguji. I hope you have a wonderful day. Ren: That's quite unexpected. Are you plotting something? …Oh well, let me say thank you. In between our unfortunate but inseparable relationship.

<Natsuki> Natsuki: Happy Birthday. We're both an Onii-san among everyone. Let's do our best together! Ren: You're right, I'm sure I could become a good "Onii-san" with Shinomi. How about we hold a meeting between the two of us right now?

<Tokiya> Tokiya: Happy Birthday, Ren. I'm always grateful of your nonchalant attention. Ren: Thank you. I also like the easy-going relationship I have with Icchi. Let's go out together again.

<Syo> Syo: Happy Birthday! You always look so picturesque huh, Ren~ I'll be using you as a reference again. Ren: Sure, if you're fine with me. How about we go shopping? I'd like you to pick out some clothes for me too.

<Cecil> Cecil: Happy Birthday, Ren! Ren is always so kind. You're a wonderful person I look up to. Ren: You're praising me too much. But, thanks. It must be because of Cesshi's honesty that I'm like that.

<Reiji> Reiji: Happy Birthday, Ren-Ren☆ Rei-chan will play with you to celebrate~♪ How about we go surfing! Ren: I'm no match for you. You make me want to go right away if you invite me like that. Thank you, let's set up a date.

<Ranmaru> Ranmaru: Happy Birthday. You might be cheeky, but you always do everything that needs to be done. I think that's one of your good strengths. Ren: Thank you, Ran-chan. Despite what you say, your kindness haven't changed at all since the old days.

<Ai> Ai: Happy Birthday, Ren. Not only in real life, but I will also celebrate it once again in the game. Wait for it. Ren: I'm flattered. I love playing game with Aimi too. I can't wait until I log in to the game.

<Camus> Camus: Happy Birthday. I shall continue to make use of you as an outstanding chauffeur from now on. You should feel honored. Ren: Hehe, that means you enjoy going out with me, right? Sure, I'll accompany you anywhere you want.

<Eiichi> Eiichi: Happy Birthday. I think your beautiful manners is one of your strong points that I should learn more from. Ren: Thank you. Perhaps, it's because you're a leader, but you always pay close attention to things in details, huh.

<Kira> Kira: Happy Birthday… The way you look during work… and how you would sometimes show your true self. Either of them… have the power to charm people. Ren: I'm flattered to hear your earnest praise. Likewise, I think you have a good contrast in your personality as well.

<Nagi> Nagi: You're always playing a sexy role, how about you learn to be cute once in a while? Since it's your birthday, Nagi will teach you! Ren: Learning how to be cute, huh. It seems quite interesting. Thank you. Could I ask you for help right away?

<Eiji> Eiji: Happy Birthday. If you don't mind, I could tell you about my recommended spicy food restaurants. Ren: Thank you. That's a very interesting topic. Since you like cooking, I suppose that means you know a lot about it?

<Van> Van: Happy Birthday! You like card games, right? It would be fun to try it with 18 of us! Ren: That's an interesting idea! I'll have to check out what we can do with a big number of people. …Oh, I won't hand over the victory to you.

<Yamato> Yamato: Happy Birthday! You have such a strong core. Are darts good for building muscles? Ren: Thank you. Although it mainly uses one arm, it's also some sort of whole workout, so maybe it does.

<Shion> Shion: Happy Birthday. I could feel your deep love for everyone… from the way you carried yourself on stage. It was magnificent… Ren: Thank you. It makes me really happy to hear that from someone who makes his own atmosphere with his unique worldview.

[riddle-me-ri]

a/n: Happy Valentine’s Day everybody!! I hope that no matter your relationship status you all love and treat yourselves well because you deserve it! I did Lupin the Third and Gang and figured I'd also try my hand at the roster of Jojo characters I write for lol, enjoy~

Reader Asking Various JJBA Characters to Be Their Valentine

Jonathan Joestar

- Instantly flattered, stumbling over his words.

- Jonathan will likely tease you about how it was his job to ask you first..

- However, he will let it slide as long as you let him treat you-

- Treat you to what? Well, a proper Valentine's Day date of course!

- He was going to treat you even before you asked, but now he's definitely got to make the plans and

- It's a gentleman's duty to sweep the object of his affection off their feet, you know!

Robert E. O. Speedwagon

- Speedwagon is rendered speechless.

- Just how in the hell do you manage to be so damn adorable.

- He couldn't say no even if he wanted to, which by no means would he ever turn you down to begin with.

- When he accepts, it's with an abundance of joy that causes him to pick you up and twirl you around effortlessly.

- Speedwagon's mind is reeling over the next steps-

- Where to take you out, what gifts to get you, what flowers you said were your favorite if you had any…

- Speedwagon couldn't wait to spend the special day with you as your special person.

Joseph Joestar

- Well, Duh! That wasn't already a given?

- Besides, even if you didn't ask Joseph–he already assigned himself the role.

- Will definitely rub it in everyone's face

- (especially Caesar if he's in the picture)

- Through all his teasing, Joseph is deep down extremely grateful.

- Joseph feels like the luckiest bastard in the world…

- And he may even tell you that today when you two are alone…

- Expect to spend the entire day with him and him proudly claiming to be “your” Valentine.

Caesar Zeppeli

- Caesar is stunned.

- Much like Jonathan, he feels it's him who should be the one asking you!

- Caesar, of course, accepts your offer full heartedly.

- Somehow, his romanticism goes up by 11, considering it wasn't already there to begin with…

- Of course, he has to seal the romantic union with a kiss-

- Which definitely won’t be the last kiss of the day…

- Caesar has way more where that comes from and more ~

Jotaro Kujo

- Jotaro is speechless…he's never really cared for the holiday…

- He feels you should celebrate your loved ones year around and not just put all your eggs in one basket, so to speak.

- Jotaro doubts you’re being serious…

- But he's known you long enough to see signs of you being nervous and anxious…

- Which you were showing the longer he took to respond properly.

- If it was anyone else, he'd likely ignore them or tell them to leave him alone…

- He quietly accepts as he lowers the brim of his cap over his eyes.

Noriaki Kakyoin

- Huh?

- Kakyoin stumbles with his words, almost pure word vomit.

- W-what does he say? Is just saying yes enough?

- Should he say more? He should probably say more…

- It's okay, his brain is short circuiting from his crush, asking him to be their Valentine.

- After fumbling, he does come out on top and accepts your request…

- Kakyoin can't hide his excitement, though, as he holds your hand, and you're both off to spend the day together.

Jean Pierre Polnareff

- May or may not start tearing up from the sheer overwhelming emotion of love for you.

- Polnareff is so deep in his emotions he may forget to answer the question-

- Although his dramatic response serves as a good reference that his normal answer would be yes.

- Polnareff is quick to sweep you off your feet-princess style as he begins spilling some cheesy romantic lines.

- If you aren't already in a relationship, this is definitely the moment that starts it

- Polnareff will do whatever it takes to be your one and only Valentine for the rest of your life.

Hol Horse

- Hol Horse has been a handful of people's Valentine…

- Yet there was something different when you asked him this year round…

- You and Hol have been friends for awhile, sure you two flirted and had a fun banter going on…

- In fact, Hol almost suspects you of teasing him because of it, if it wasn't for the anxious look on your face.

- He accepts, of course, without any other second thoughts.

- The smile you give him is sweet enough to do him in.

- Yeah, this isn't the first time he's been asked to be someone's Valentine.

- But he can't deny that he hopes he can be yours year round…

Josuke Higashikata

- Josuke has definitely had his fellow classmate or two ask him this.

- While he is flattered, of course, he doesn't really accept anyone…

- This does make you a little nervous to ask yourself, you two were friends, and what if this ruins it?

- When you push through your nerves, Josuke is surprised.

- But only for a minute–

- Of course, he accepts!

- In fact, he's been waiting to see if you'd ask before he had to ask you himself!

- You're annoyed at the shit he gives you–

- But the beaming smiles you give each other is well worth it.

Giorno Giovanna

- Giorno is flattered, so much so he's rendered flustered.

- He never thought he would ever be considered to be someone's Valentine…

- However, if it had to be anyone that asked, he's glad it was you.

- Through his surprise, he does accept your offer–

- You'll likely have to take the lead as to what you two do to celebrate the day and union.

- Giorno has always had feelings for you, but after this, he's come to the full realization.

- He absolutely adores you, and he wants to make sure he's your Valentine every year for years to come.

Bruno Bucciarati

- Bruno tries to shake off the surprise, but he is fairly taken aback.

- He also feels like he should have been the one asking you-

- When he does accept, he admits that he did plan on asking you himself–

- Yet, in the end, he's just content that the feelings were clearly mutual…

- Bruno sets out to treat you and spend the rest of the day with you.

- He may not have got to ask you, but he will make up for it with actions instead…

- Bruno will never hear the end of it from the gang, but he can't care less.

- As long as your hand was in his and your smile was caused by him, Bruno wanted nothing more.

Jolyne Cujoh

- (the fact you're attempting this knowing Anasui could pop up anywhere is honestly pretty daring, you have my respect)

- Jolyne is surprised.

- Granted if it was anyone else, she would likely ignore them, like her father would–

- Yet, she does care about you a lot..

- Plus, Jolyne does think it's pretty sweet thst you asked her out of everyone else…

- Her cheeks are dusted a soft pink, but she does accept.

- There's not too much you two can do locked up-

- But spending the day with one of the few people you care about the most–there's really nothing better than that.

[gayofthefae]

Thinking about this post I just made about how though their feelings are mutual and have been, they only ever mutually flirt in a single two line exchange - "I didn't say it" "you didn't have to" - with completely logical following reactions of "shit, I didn't think I'd get this far" and going awkwardly silent for a second before moving on with the original conversation topic. And that post dives into that moment and motivation for the painting from Will's side...

But now I'm thinking about it from Mike's side. Now I'm thinking, as I periodically do, about the timing of Mike's behavior and the shift in it after El leaves.

Not just after she is physically absent, because he was not this way when they broke up in season 3, but much more akin to season 2 - a time where he also did not expect her to come back to him. "A fight we can't come back from" seals the deal on this perception being the motivation.

Mike becomes more romantically-coded with Will following his belief that they'll break up, we know this already, but I had never before tracked that that wasn't something he'd done before in this way. He had not flirted with Will before, not really.

Their past encounters were 'if we're both having trauma hallucinations, at least we're together <3' 'i'll protect you and make sure you're safe' 'you're the best thing i've ever done' 'you won't replace me, right?' and immediately following this 'i deeply miss you in my life and the unknown is less scary with you'

But they've never had just a little banter-y exchange in this tone like this. What happens every time is Mike gives a borderline love confession and Will says "yeah" or "cool", Will delivers a line a little flirty and Mike just beams, but never responds.

But this time Mike responded. That is yet another sign of what point he's gotten to in giving up on his relationship. It plays as a repetition - not in a bad way - of his past behaviors and heartfelt speeches towards Will. But it isn't. It's a step further. And the timing of it being a step-further is not to be overlooked, because they didn't step them forward one step every season consistently. They didn't do so in season 3. But they did it here.

Here, they had Mike say he did not believe his relationship with El would survive then not only immediately flirt with Will, but in a way he never had before. That changes it from coping or escapism to action. It could have been passive. It could have been entertainment. It could have been fantasy...if he had ever done it before. Because if it were fictive to him, there would have been no consequences to doing it before either

But the withholding of it makes it new and makes it a choice. Mike picked up what Will was putting down in this capacity for the first time. Love may be strong but it's ambiguous and flirting is a hell of a lot more direct. Mike shifted tactics here when given the opportunity.

Whether he knew it consciously or not, he gave up on El enough to pursue Will. By very definition, pursue means to advance. And he advanced into something he had not done before. He responded.

[no-goodbyes-no-regrets]

Happy (belated, sorry, I'm bad at planning and deadlines!) Valentine's day @tellmegoodbye ! Here's your gift for the @tarlos-secret-cupid exchange!

You said you liked different first meeting AUs, and those are some of my favourite things to write, so I hope you'll like this one.

For one weekend only (AO3)

What if Carlos and TK had met in NYC before Owen and TK came to Austin?

----

"What are you doing for valentines day?" Luisa asked, walking into Carlos' town house without bothering to ring the doorbell or even knock.

"Do you mind?!" Carlos demanded, quickly closing his laptop. "I'm busy. And how did you get in?"

Luisa held up a key.

"Mom and dad have a spare key."

"Yes they do. For emergencies. This is not an emergency and you shouldn't have that key."

"I told mom you borrowed something of mine that I needed and you were at work." she sat down on one of the barstools in Carlos' kitchen. "I didn't think I'd be walking in on my little brother watching porn though." she nodded at his laptop.

"I wasn't watching porn!" Carlos protested. "And even if I was, that's none of your business. Now what are you doing here?"

"How would you like to go to New York City?"

Carlos frowned.

"New York City?"

"Yeah. Big city on the east coast. Times square, statue of liberty, Broadway, that kind of thing."

"Yes I'm familiar with it, thanks."

"Ok so, how would you like to see it for yourself?."

"Are you offering me a trip to NYC?"

"Yes. Kind of. You and me together." Luisa told him. "It'll be a nice brother and sister bonding trip."

"You want to go to New York with me... What's the catch?"

"What makes you think there's a catch?"

"Because the last time you were nice to me for no apparent reason was when I was 10 and you got Miguel to put a lizard in my bed on the ranch."

Luisa laughed a little at the memory.

"I never knew you could scream that loudly."

"Yeah, yeah, it was hilarious. So now tell me what's up with this trip to new York?"

Luisa rolled her eyes.

"You're so suspicious. You're just like dad."

"Lu…"

"Ok fine. Remember that guy I was dating? Ricardo?"

"Hmm."

"I dumped him."

"Good. He was a tool."

"You only met him once!"

"And yet I know he's a tool. You only ever date tools."

Luisa rolled her eyes. She knew Carlos had a point but she'd be damned if she was going to admit it.

"Anyway, he was sleeping with two other girls behind my back."

"See? A tool."

"I only found out because one of the other girls DM-ed me and showed me pictures."

"Still not beating the tool allegations."

"So I dumped him but I'd booked a trip to NYC for us for valentines day."

"Ok…"

"And everything is paid for and I'll lose my deposits if I cancel. And the flights are non refundable."

"Right."

"So I thought I'd take my baby brother to the big city." she clapped in her hands. "We can go to a gay bar and get you a guy. And who knows, maybe I'll find a girl who is worth my time."

"Since when do you date girls?"

"I don't. Well. Not yet. I've never been with a girl so I don't know if I'm actually into girls or not. This could be my gay awakening."

Carlos sighed but decided against arguing with his sister about the details of her sexuality.

"Come on Carlitos. You and me and a wild weekend in the big city. There on the Thursday, back on the Monday."

"What if I'm working?"

"You can take a few days off."

"Ok. Fine. But I'm not sharing a bed with you so you better make sure there are two beds in that hotel room."

“Fine. I wouldn’t want to share a bed with you anyway. I’d end up with a black eye. You’re such a restless sleeper. Even as a baby.”

“Never had any complaints.”

“Yeah? And when was the last time you shared a bed with someone for more than a quick hook up?”

“No comment.”

“Thought so.” Luisa said and got up. “Anyway, the flight is booked for 4pm on the Thursday and I booked an airport shuttle to drop us off at the hotel there. You do have a valid ID right?”

“Of course.”

“Good. I’ll pick you up around two. Don’t pack too much, we only have a carry on bag each.”

“You’re driving? You want to pay for airport parking the entire weekend?”

“No. Ricardo is. He just doesn’t know it yet.” Luisa gave him a sweet smile and walked to the door. “Be ready on time. And don’t forget condoms!”

“Lu!”

By the time Thursday rolled around, Carlos had to admit he was getting excited about this trip. It wasn’t every day he got the chance to visit a big city like New York for free.

Even if it was with his big sister.

Luisa picked him up in a car that was definitely not hers, and just grinned when Carlos asked whose car it was.

Their flight was delayed and by the time they got to their hotel in NYC, all either of them wanted was food and sleep.

They decided to grab a quick burger from the place around the corner from their hotel and planned out their itinerary for the next few days.

“Do you want to do the tourist thing?” Luisa asked. “Statue of liberty and all that? The hotel offers all day walking tours.”

“That could be fun.” Carlos shrugged. “We could try to get tickets to a Broadway show. Don’t they have this lottery deal? I read about it online.”

Luisa nodded.

“I kind of want to do something more… active than sit in a theatre though.”

“Like that tour?”

“Maybe. Or we could just walk around and see where we end up? I had all these romantic things planned… but I don’t want to go on a horse-drawn carriage ride through central park with you.”

“I could drive one of those myself.” Carlos commented around a bite of food. “Remember when dad and uncle Emilio let us drive one around the ranch?”

“I hated that thing. You always tried to crash it.” Luisa pointed a fry at her brother. “But you never got in trouble because you were the baby. Carlitos wouldn’t do such a thing.” she mocked.

“You and Ana got me in trouble plenty of times!”

Luisa shrugged.

“Payback is a bitch.”

They spent the rest of the night just hanging out in their hotel room and the next day they decided to do all the touristy things you’d see on TV.

They walked around Times square, went to the Natural History museum, had lunch in central park, and hit up some of the tacky touristy shops for some souvenirs.

Though Carlos drew the line at I ♥ NYC t-shirts, Luisa did convince him to buy a shirt with the NYPD logo and a key chain of the New York city skyline.

“So I got a reservation at this restaurant in Manhattan that’s supposed to be really good.” Luisa said when it was nearing dinner time and they were walking through the city on the way back to their hotel. “It’s also supposed to be really romantic and a great place for couples to get engaged.”

“I’m not fake proposing to you to get free dessert.” Carlos said immediately. “Or have you fake propose to me.”

“I wasn’t going to suggest that! It’s just… that’s why I booked it you know?”

“You were going to propose to the tool?”

“No! Well… maybe?” Luisa groaned and dropped her head in her hands. “Things were going so well between us. I really thought… well…” She sighed. “I thought he was the one. That I was the one for him… but I was just one of many.”

Carlos’ face softened.

Despite her questionable taste in men, he did love his sister and wanted nothing more than for her to find a guy who was actually worthy of her and be happy.

“I’m sorry Lu.” He let her link her arm through his. “Tell me about this restaurant. Can we eat there and not max out our credit cards?”

She smiled.

“It’s not that bad. I looked for mid range prices. Something nice but not too expensive… Not gold plated truffles, but no fast food either.”

“Alright. I’m in. But I’m still not fake proposing to you.”

After a quick stop at their hotel to change and freshen up, they made it to the restaurant and Carlos had to admit it was a nice place. Though they definitely had gone all out for the holiday and there were pink and red hearts all over the place. They even had a guy sell roses at the tables.

Carlos declined but Luisa ended up buying one for him and calling it feminism.

The food was nice and they talked about everything and nothing and just enjoyed catching up, not paying much attention to the couples around them.

That was until Luisa excused herself to go to the bathroom and Carlos was alone at the table. He played with the swizzle stick in his drink and tried to subtly look around.

He didn’t want to be the weirdo openly staring at people.

There was an elderly couple at a table to his left, holding hands and looking every bit as in love as Carlos imagined them to have been when they first got together.

A little further away there was a couple who were barely looking at each other. She seemed bored and looked longingly at the exit, but the guy didn’t seem to notice. Or maybe he just didn’t care.

He shifted his focus to the other side of the restaurant and saw a guy by himself at a table. He seemed nervous. Constantly looking to the door, playing with the table decorations, his leg bouncing up and down, and taking deep breaths to calm himself; which didn’t seem to be working much.

After a minute another guy walked in and the first guy’s face lit up. He smiled and got up to greet the second guy with a hug and a kiss.

Oh. They’re on a date.

Carlos kept watching them. He figured it must be a first date, given the first guy’s nerves, though they seemed comfortable around each other.

Maybe they’d been friends for a long time?

“Next time I’m going to the men’s toilets. There was a line a mile long for the ladies’ and the entire time I was waiting, only one man went into the men’s.” Luisa complained when she got back to their table. “I’ll pee in a urinal if I have to, I don’t care.”

Carlos scrunched up his face in mild disgust.

“Can we not talk about you peeing while we’re eating please?”

“We’re not eating anymore.” Luisa pointed out. “Do you want another drink or dessert?”

“No, I’m good.”

Luisa nodded and put up her hand to call over a waiter and ask for the bill.

They paid and made their way outside, but as they were trying to decide what to do next, Carlos was suddenly knocked to the ground by someone rushing out of the restaurant.

He wanted to yell at them, but the second he gathered his bearings enough to do so, he noticed it was the nervous guy from before and he didn’t look very happy. The date must not have gone well.

"Are you ok?" he asked, getting up and holding out a hand to help the other man up.

"I'm fine." he said, dusting himself off and avoiding Carlos' gaze and ignoring his outstretched hand. "Just look where you're going next time."

"Uhm you ran into me." Carlos pointed out. "You couldn't get out of that restaurant fast enough.”

"Exactly. So please move aside so I can get out of here. I haven't had the best night ok, I just want to go home."

Carlos stepped aside to let the man pass, but then saw a small box on the pavement.

"Hey, wait, you dropped this."

The man glanced over his shoulder and Carlos swore he saw tears in his eyes.

"Keep it." he said and started walking again.

Carlos frowned and opened the box, revealing a diamond ring.

"That's an engagement ring." Luisa said, looking over his shoulder. "Go after him."

“I don’t think he’s really in the mood for company, Lu.”

Luisa rolled her eyes and ran a few steps after the guy.

“Hey, we were thinking of going dancing somewhere, want to come with us?”

The man looked at her like she’d lost her mind, Carlos thought she might have but still went after her.

“Why would I do that?”

“To improve your night? To show a few helpless tourists a good time?”

“Wow, hold it right there.” the man stopped walking and looked back between her and Carlos. “I don’t know what your deal is.” he motioned to the two of them. “But I’m not looking to be anyone’s third. And I don’t do women. I’m gay.”

“So is Carlos.” Luisa said happily, like that was the best thing to come from the entire exchange.

“And she’s my sister.” Carlos clarified. “We are not together. Not like that.” he shuddered and Luisa punched him on the arm. “What?! You’re my sister. I’m not supposed to find you hot.”

“You didn’t have to be all disgusted. Way to make a girl feel special!”

“I apologise for my sister. Obviously I’m the only normal one in this family.” Carlos explained. “But the offer does still stand. If you’re maybe in the mood to forget what happened in there?” he nodded at the restaurant.

“I don’t know, I don’t think I’ll be very good company tonight. And I’m not much of a dancer.”

“Neither is Carlos. He does a little shimmy, puts on a tight shirt, and turns on the fuck me eyes, and thinks that counts as dancing.”

“Whereas Luisa is obviously America’s next top… dancer?” Carlos said and laughed a little.

The man smiled.

“Alright. I think I know a place. I’m TK.” he said and shook hands with both Reyes siblings when they introduced themselves.

They followed TK and ended up in a bar where he seemed to know everyone. The bouncer let them in without question and once inside several people came to say hello. He introduced them to some people and soon Luisa was dancing with a girl with green hair and a drag queen in 9 inch heels.

“Looks like your sister is enjoying herself.” TK commented. He and Carlos were standing by the bar, nursing a drink, and watching people let loose on the dance floor.

“Yeah. She usually does. She’s a people person.”

“And what about you? Does it run in the family?”

Carlos smiled.

“Sometimes. But I tend to prefer smaller groups of people.”

“Yeah? How small?” TK’s eyes flicked down to Carlos’ lips

“I think… two people is probably my limit.”

TK took Carlos’ drink from his hand and put it on the bar, before running his hand up Carlos’ arm until he reached his neck, and pulled him in for a kiss.

Somewhere in the back of his mind Carlos knew it was a bad idea. The guy had just broken up with his boyfriend (Probably? Maybe?) and a weekend hook up was definitely not his style, but TK was kissing him like a man possessed and Carlos would be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying every second of it.

So he decided to just let go.

They ended up on the dance floor, kissing, grinding, groping, not caring who saw them.

At some point TK’s shirt had become unbuttoned, and Carlos’ own shirt was hanging from his back pocket.

He’d felt exposed for about .03 seconds after he’d taken it off, but TK running his hands over his chest and abs had quickly made him forget any discomfort.

And when TK started kissing his neck and slipping his hands into the back of his jeans to pull him even closer, every coherent thought Carlos had ever had went out the window.

“Do you want to get out of here?” TK asked him, breath hot on his ear.

Carlos could only nod and let TK drag him to the toilets.

They ended up in the last stall, and before Carlos’ brain had caught up with what was happening, TK was on his knees giving him the blowjob of a lifetime.

He grinned and wiped his mouth after he was done and pulled Carlos’ in for a lazy kiss, letting him taste himself on TK’s tongue.

“I bet you didn’t expect that when you came to NYC with your sister.” He said, sounding rather smug.

“I really don’t want to talk about my sister right now.” he pushed TK back against the wall and slowly kissed down his chest as he sank to his knees. He undid TK’s jeans and looked up at him as the other man ran a hand through his hair and tugged on his curls.

He had better things to occupy his mouth with.

---

A few months later.

“Morning.” Lexi greeted Carlos as she walked into the locker room to change into her uniform before their shift. “How was your weekend?”

Carlos shrugged and finished the last of his coffee.

“Not bad. It was my nephew’s birthday. He turned 5. So I kind of helped my sister and her husband wrangle twenty hyper five year olds.” he said and Lexi winced. “The kids had fun, that’s what matters.”

He waited until Lexi finished changing and the two of them made their way to the precinct garage to get their patrol car for the day.

“I’m driving.” Lexi insisted, and after the weekend he’d had, Carlos was happy to sit back and let her.

"Did you hear about fire station 126?" Lexi asked, fastening her seatbelt while Carlos did the same.

“Yeah they lost the whole crew a couple of weeks ago, didn't they?”

"Yeah, my sister is AFD, she said the whole department took it pretty badly. Only one guy survived."

"Damn…"

“Yeah...” she trailed off. “But they brought in this big shot fire captain from New York to rebuild the place. It's in our jurisdiction so I figured we should go say hello? We're going to be working with this guy and his crew, might as well get to know them.”

"Sure."

They drove to the fire station where somehow every builder in Austin seemed to be working at the same time.

"Officers, what can I do for you?" a man in his 50s in an AFD uniform approached them as they walked in.

"We're just coming to say hello to the new neighbours. Welcome you to the neighbourhood." Lexi told him and extended her hand. "I'm Lexi Mitchell, this is my partner Carlos Reyes. We work this part of the city too so we'll probably run into each other in the field from time to time."

"Oh well thank you for the welcome." the man shook her hand before moving onto Carlos. "I'm Owen Strand, I just moved here from new York City with my son... Who should be around here somewhere." he looked around. "TK!"

"What?" came a voice from further into the fire station.

"Come down here a second."

They heard footsteps coming closer and someone walked down the stairs. When TK came into view Carlos had to remind himself how to breathe.

TK the new fire captain's son, was the same TK he'd spent the weekend in New York with. One of the best weekends of his life.

He was vaguely aware of Lexi introducing them and shook hands with TK on auto pilot.

He remembered the way those hands had felt on his body. How it had felt to kiss those lips.

"Nice to meet you both officers." TK said politely.

But apparently TK didn't remember him. Or didn’t want to remember him.

It wasn’t like they’d kept in touch after that one weekend, or even exchanged phone numbers. TK didn’t owe him anything. They didn’t owe each other anything. They weren’t dating.

“You too. You work here too?” Carlos asked and TK nodded. “Yeah, I’m a firefighter, just like my dad.”

“Yeah it’s a family affair here.” The fire captain joked. “We’re working on getting the house back in order and getting a new crew together. Hopefully station 126 will be back in business soon.”

Carlos gave him his most professional smile and nod.

“I look forward to working with you, sir. Station 126 has always been an important part of our city.”

They exchanged pleasantries for a few more minutes before Carlos and Lexi left the station to continue their shift.

“What was that?” Lexi asked, pulling out of the parking space by the fire station.

“What was what?”

“You sucking up to the new fire captain and his son? Are you switching teams on me Reyes?”

“What are you talking about? I just said hello. Welcomed him to the city.”

“Please. The guy is probably wondering when your application will be coming in.”

Carlos rolled his eyes and debated telling Lexi about his weekend with TK, but decided against it. TK clearly wasn’t interested in a repeat performance and Lexi didn’t have to know everything about him.

“Whatever.” he mumbled, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.

The rest of their shift was thankfully uneventful, as was the rest of the week, and by Friday Carlos had convinced himself he didn’t care about TK Strand and accepted the invitation from some of his coworkers to go out for drinks after work.

Jason from Missing Persons wasn’t bad to look at after all.

The place was busy when he arrived, and he looked around for Jason and the other guys from work. When he didn’t see them, he figured he was the first one there, and ordered himself a drink. He sat down on a free stool at the bar and watched a group of people laughing and line dancing in the middle of the dance floor.

He recognised the new fire captain and found himself looking around to see if his son was there too.

“Fancy meeting you here.” A voice in his ear made him jump. He turned around and came face to face with TK.

“Oh… uh… yeah… hi.”

TK smiled.

“Hi. You come here often?”

Carlos raised an eyebrow at the cheesy come on.

“Sometimes. I’m supposed to meet some people from work.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. But they’re not here yet.”

“Good. That means I’ve got you all to myself.” TK said, and didn’t give Carlos more than a second to think before he put his drink on the bar and pulled him in for a kiss. The move so much like what he’d done in New York it gave Carlos a sense of deja vu.

And also he remembered he really liked kissing TK.

“I was hoping I’d run into you here sooner or later. I heard a lot of cops come to this place too.” TK admitted after they’d come up for air.

"Wait… So you do like me?" Carlos asked, confused. Between TK’s kisses and the cold shoulder from earlier in the week, he had trouble keeping up.

"Yeah... I thought that was obvious. Especially after what we did in New York.”

“But you pretended not to know who I was when I came into the fire station.”

“I know… but you were working. And my dad was right there. I had to keep it somewhat professional."

Carlos nodded. He understood keeping up appearances while on the job.

“So… if this had been the first time you would have seen me again… what would you have done?”

TK grinned and pushed open Carlos’ legs and stepped between them, hands coming to rest on his thighs as he leaned forward, face inches from his.

“I think you know.”

[oceans-beloved]

Meme dump yayyy🥳✨️

(off to make more now muhahaha >:3)