#because he deserves it

[jellyfishoreo1206]

Fun in the Sun (Sebastian Solace x Reader)

Notes: Part Four! This was a requested idea by @fishwitthouteyes, who had a wonderful idea for this part of the Slice of Life series! I hope you don't mind that I added some extra parts ^^ Lots of fluff upcoming, ugh I love writing this fishy so MUCH

Also, this is NOT smut. I repeat, it's NOT smut. 100% fluff

Also I forgot to mention that this is an established relationship! I apologize for being neglectful :<

Credit for the divider to @cafekitsune

It's early in the morning, 8 AM in fact, Sebastian, you and Painter all in the living room. Sitting on the worn-out couch while nursing a mug of coffee in your hands, bringing it up every so often to your lips to take a quick sip, the hot beverage waking your senses a tiny bit. The sun shining brightly through the windows and sheer curtains, the rays of light giving the place a cozy feeling, watching as the light reveals the particles floating through the air. A certain glow that can't be achieved with simple lights.

It was a slow morning really. Sebastian was lying on the rug all curled up—like a cat—directly in the sunlight, eyes closed. You watched as his chest rose and fell with each breath he took, it seemed a lot slower than an average human, could be because of a bigger lung capacity. You feel a small ping of jealousy, oh how you wished to at least hold your breath for that long.

His angler lure twitches every so often, along with the fins on the side of his head. If you listened closely, you could hear a low rumbling-gurgling sort of purr coming from him. It . . . it kind of sounds like someone drowning for some reason.

Ah whatever, it's cute.

Painter seemed to be feeling the sleepy early morning vibes as well—despite being a computer—their screen dim as they lazily draw something on the tablet only to erase it out of frustration with a few sleepy grumbles.

Downing the rest of your coffee, you slammed the cup down onto the table, standing up from the couch with a sudden determination filling your veins; your fast movements and loud noise startling both Sebastian and Painter awake, Sebastian's tail hitting the coffee table with a loud *SMACK* as a yelp left Painter. You winced at the loud sound, especially at the loud 'FUCK' that Sebastian lets out, his hand immediately going over to smooth the part of his tail that was just hit.

"Sorry." You immediately say, a glare being all that returned your response, an apologetic smile on your lips. Shrugging it off, you walked over to your room, changing into more comfortable clothing suited for walking, grabbing a bag with some extra clothes and towels in it on your way out to the kitchen, packing plenty of snacks and drinks for the small outing.

Sebastian looks at you in curiosity when you came back into the living room with a different change of clothes and a bag, your hiking shoes in hand, "Where are you going?" He asks with a tilt of his head, his lure bobbing slightly with his movements, eyes narrowed a fraction.

"Correction," A grin tugs at the end of your lips, an air of excitement surrounding you, "-it's where we're going! Now get changed, we leave in 10 minutes."

~~~

The crunch of small twigs and the rustling of leaves filled the air as you walked along the well-worn trail, Painter held firmly in your hands as you avoided all the dips and rocks along the trail to the best of your ability. The sun peaked out from the trees, bringing light down to the forest floor, the life of the forest seemingly becoming livelier.

Sebastian trailed behind you, swiveling his head to take in his new surroundings with of look of amazement and curiosity, stopping every once in a while to observe something for a little longer before catching up to you. A smile stretches across your face when you risked a glance back at him, a feeling of joy buzzing throughout your blood as you continued forward.

"You never told us where we're going." Sebastian mutters, catching up to your side. In his hands was a Baby Blue Eye, bringing it up to his face to examine the delicate bright-blue petals closer. Eventually, he tucks the flower behind your ear, making sure it was secure before taking his hand back, face flushed a pretty blue. "It looks prettier on you . . "

A flush floods your face, averting your eyes away from him as a wobbly smile threatens to break out on your face, "Oh, thank you!" The beating of your heart was loud in your ears, you wouldn't be surprised if Sebastian hears it. Quickly trying to shake off the feeling, you answer his previous question, red still tinting your cheeks.

"We're uhm, we're going to a place I used to frequent before . . before that." It seems that he understood what you implied, nodding before looking forward, his hand occasionally brushing against yours as you walked deeper and deeper into the woods, sun slowly climbing up higher and higher in the sky.

The sound of rushing water could be heard, getting closer and closer the more you walked, your pace slightly increasing in excitement once you saw the familiar tree you used to climb came into sight. Finally coming to the end of the path, a massive grin now present when a large waterfall greeted the three of you. It still looks the same as it did before you left; moss-covered rocks of all sizes scattered around, plants still flourishing as they glowed vibrantly—colors of all sorts dotting here and there, trees towering over the whole entire area as they swayed gently to the breeze, frothy white water gushing towards the lake below surrounded by a shore of gravel and sand.

It's good to come back to this place.

Carefully placing Painter down on a rock without moss and away from the water, you quickly stripped yourself of the clothes you were wearing. Sebastian sputters, looking away hurridely as the blue flush from before comes back in full force, "What are you DOING?!" A look of confusion overcomes your features at his sudden outburst—taking off your shoes and socks, putting them in the bag you brought—before a look of realization washes over you, a teasing smirk now present.

"I have swimwear on, dummy~" Hesitantly, he looks back at you, seeing that you were indeed in swimwear. Embarrassment floods his body once again, a scowl overcoming his features. "I didn't know you had swimwear underneath!" Crossing his arm, he grumbles out a, ". . at least warn me next time." You couldn't help a small snort slipping past your lips, walking over to the grumpy fish, cupping his face once you got close enough.

"Sorry, sorry-" Standing on the tips of your toes, you gave a small peck to his chin as a way of apologizing for the small misunderstanding, giving him a big smile when you moved away. The fins on the sides of his head twitch at the gesture, his features softening just a fraction. He looks at you for a few seconds more, expression unreadable, before grabbing you with all three of his arms. A yelp slips out from you only for it to be interrupted as his lips meet yours for a proper kiss.

Shock fills your senses at what just happened, before smiling into the kiss, eyes fluttering close as you let your hands caress his cheeks, butterflies erupting in your stomach. It's not everyday that Sebastian decides to lead, so you'll savor this.

"AHEM." Or maybe not. Quickly breaking away from the kiss, you both look over to the AI still sat upon the rock, unimpressed look on their screen. You felt a little bit of embarrassment forgetting that Painter was there, but you couldn't help the chuckles that left your mouth, sheepish smile on your lips.

"Sorry, Paints."

"You seem to be saying that word an awful lot today, aren't you?"

"Oh shush! Put me down!"

A low chuckle leaves him as he places you back on the gravel-sand floor, playfully sticking your tongue in his direction as you walked over to the water.

You know the water will be cold, it always was whenever you came here, so without hesitation you took a running start—jumping straight in. For a few seconds, you were surrounded by cold water, prying your eyes open as you observed your surroundings. Everything seemed so peacefully quiet—save for the silent roaring of the crashing water—flickers of sun gave way to the greenery at the bottom of the lake as they gently swayed to the soft current, rocks big and small wedged into the wet earth, a few fishes swimming past you only to flee once you moved.

Breaking the surface, you took a deep breath of needed air, letting out a laugh of joy as you float in the water. Swiveling to face where Sebastian was—about to call him over to join you—only to stop short in confusion when you didn't see him there, only his shirt on the ground and Painter, who had a look of mischievousness when he saw your face of bewilderment.

"Wait, wher-?" A shriek interrupts your sentence when you were lifted up from the water, looking down only to meet those smug fluorescent eyes you've grown to love as he sets you atop his bare shoulders, looking very pleased at what he done.

"Sebastian!"

"Hehe, sorry sweetheart~" Oh he so wasn't sorry.

~~~

After several hours spent within the water, the two of you finally decided to take a break, the sun now high in the sky as it shined down on the two of you. Painter was now atop a towel you brought along in the shade, peacefully drawing with a look of content on their screen.

Not too far away from them, you laid stretched out on Sebastian's tail directly in the sun, the light feeling great on your skin after being in the cold water for so long. Drops of water still littered the both of you, mostly on you since they seemed to literally fall off Sebastian quite quickly after you left the water.

Watching the clouds pass by, you munched on a few snacks that you brought with you—offering Sebastian some every now and then, who happily munch on them. The man seemed to preen in the warmth of the light provided, that same purr he made earlier in the morning coming back full force, you could practically feel them.

Though, it does make sense that he might like sunbathing, since he's quite cold. Like, very cold. It doesn't seem to bother him much, though.

"You really remind me of a cat." You tease, popping a chip into your mouth as you continue watching the clouds high above, watching how some of them began to take on shapes. Hey that one looks like a fish.

"A cat?" He mumbled out, cracking his eyes open a fraction to look at you, a bemused smile on his face. He looks so handsome when he smiles, his hair framing his face perfectly, eyes gleaming with joy.

"Yeah, you purr like one, sometimes you act like one too." Another tease, offering him another chip before continuing, "Grumpy but always looking for affection."

"I'm not grumpy."

"Uh-huh, sure gramps. Let's get you back to bed."

"Oh you are just begging to be thrown into the water, aren't you?"

"Nooooo?"

"Mm, not convincing enough."

"WAIT WAIT WAI-!!"

Last Part, Next Part

[mettywiththenotes]

Sero and wanting to help Izuku

[taleofdaringdo]

You know what, Tommy will be alright.

Tommy will go home and sit in the darkness of his living room and stare at nothing for a while. Tommy will hold back his tears and feel numb for a while.

And then Tommy will drag his ass to the 217 again in the morning. Tommy may not fly helicopters for a while for being too sleep deprived in despair, but eventually he will fly again. Tommy will touch the sky again.

Tommy will eventually start enjoying Muay Thai again even if it is without his new best friend. It will hurt for a while to not have a partner anymore but he will enjoy it again.

Tommy will also start going to basketball court again, fly to Vegas to watch sold out fights. Tommy will still have those friends who give him those tickets. Tommy will still have his coworkers who will probably see him sitting alone without his boyfriend and invite him to hangout.

Tommy will still have those bars he frequents to and waiters there who eventually started caring about their older gay patron who seems a little sad lately.

Tommy will eventually meet someone, or several someones who he will call his family. Tommy will eventually find people who don't give up on him the moment he runs, but chases behind him to bring him back.

Tommy will eventually see the clouds of fear, fear of being left alone fade away slowly. Tommy will eventually smile again. And he will pick himself up and dust himself and be upright like he has done thousands of times already. But Tommy will eventually feel a little brighter and lighter.

Tommy had breakups before. Tommy will have breakups again. But it will not break him.

Thomas Kinard, Firefighter Pilot, Muay Thai enthusiast, will be alright.

His heart may be a little more charred, a little more scarred, but it will still be whole. It may take a little while, but he will get there eventually like he always does. And this time he will get there the way he deserves to be.

[blueboldandbright]

Did another commission for Magnus For Gaza!! (The organiser n commissioner were both very sweet!!)

[imjustapoorwayfaringgeek]

Brothers

hope these two see each other again </3

[dangerandbeauty]

“I had this picture in my head where I would wake beside Virginia. I’d let her sleep and rise to make coffee, breakfast. And when they woke, my wife and son would find me reading at the kitchen table, or maybe making something out back.”

“That’s it?” he says.

“That’s it.”

—Dark Age by Pierce Brown, pg 702

~~~~

I just want Darrow to get his happy ending and make breakfast for his wife, preferably wearing nothing but an apron. He stole her cook at the Institute, it’s only fitting he becomes her cook now ❤️

Art inspired by that famous painting by Leyendecker.

[flaccid-rats]

You know as much as I love Dream’s sad pathetic wet cat look I desperately need him to have a Padmé Amidala-esq wardrobe

Lots of silky fabrics and shiny things. Clothing that is form fitting. Clothing that is incredibly glittery and flowey. Clothing that is both all at once. A ridiculous amount of necklaces. An Insane Amount of shoes. Raven feathers are a common motif. Would never be caught dead in the same thing twice. Always looking Immaculate. Hob has never even seen him wear the same shirt more than once and while he can chalk the first 600 years of that up to the fashion changes for their centennial meetings, it’s starting to get Out Of Hand once Dream is popping into his lectures every other day. How does he do it. Where is all this clothing coming from. Hob is just a little too into it.

[pacificwaternymph]

I see people fighting about who to ship Commander Fox with and so I propose: ALL of them.

Fox is dating Riyo AND Quinlan AND Bail AND Breha. All at the same time. Just one big massive polycule.

[im-no-jedi]

☀ it’s May Day ☀

[sheepandpencils]

I just think they're neat.

[screechingfromthevoid]

Dorian with the crown keepers in some quiet taverns in quiet towns as they travel, he's always up late. He can't quite fall asleep well. So he sneaks out to a different tavern than the one they're staying at. He doesn't want to risk someone recognizing him in the morning.

At the new taverns, he goes straight to their stages. The emptier the better but it's not hard for him to convince a half drunk bard to get even drunker.

Sometimes he'd sit on the poorly lit stage and strum his mandolin and not say a word at all as he started to pluck out a tune. The chords are simple at first, something he heard in a dream. Every night spent working, adds another measure. Deeper swells and higher jumps. A mournful reverberation. He was stuck for a while.

Until he hears "glad you're not here... wish you were anyways".

Then, disjointed and seemingly unexpected, a reprise of that first plucking, an octave and a half lower. Still major, still jovial. Just. Deeper. Just... Realer.

I'll fix the transition later, he thought.

That's when the lyrics came. They weren't good but they spilled out of his mouth involuntarily. If it were up to him, those thoughts, those feelings would stay caged in his heart. Instead, a room full of strangers knew him more fully than his intimates.

Protector of air, guard of heart, bulwark of us

His simple plucked out tune, a dreamed up melody for a man he could only dream of.

You say you don't lead. But when I look to you, you're drenched in the boreal crux

A deep and quiet start to the encroaching swell, getting louder and higher.

Crowns of spiders couldn't tempt me astray from your due north

Trilled eight notes that felt like crawling legs and whispy silk on the back of the neck.

I thought you might be the wind caught in my sails. Always only you caught in my fibers

His last word carries a sour note, it sounded wrong, out of tune. Like he was.

A storm by another name, gold and red and melting black, tore us off course

Dorian's run was backwards, like he was free falling from a ledge. Accidentals plaguing it's decent.

It's harder than ever to orient through shades of grey and leave behind no remorse...

That reverberation was accompanied by a strain in his voice. Something that happened every night once he made it to that point. It came next to a swallow of something in his throat. That transition came to him, when Dorian thought about what got him out of his slump, he laughed. Bashfully, sheepishly. He always felt his face burn.

My heart aches. Stay steadfast. Fairer winds...

What a thing to say instead of I miss you.

I have stolen a world away. You are there, I am here. And all I want is to be together when we wake

His melody, their melody, picked up again. His fingers started to pluck staccatos in between the languid chords.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Or so they say. This distance has only made mine bleed icar

Dorian wouldn't allow himself to end this with a confession. At least, not one of guilt. It wasn't supposed to be about his straying. It was supposed to be about Orym. It was supposed to be about the man he-

I look for the direction ivy green grows. I look to you still, to find my way.

Sometimes he ended the song with another reprise of his dreamy melody. Sometimes, his fingers would slip on the strings and rancid mistakes would ring out into the crowd. It seemed to depend on how hard they fought that day. How much more Opal stained.

Dorian would always thanked the crowd before taking up the coins that were haphazardly thrown on stage. He wouldn't set out a hat or cup, it wasn't about that, but there was always coin at his feet by the end.

He'd walk quiet streets and thought about Bertrand. Dorian understood now, what he said about walking alone at night. He stepped carefully up lulling tavern stairs thinking about picking up a bottle for a round of "what the fuck is up with that" with friend that weren't waiting for him. He slid into the room he shared with his brother, acknowledging every time that this was the first time they did that. They never shared a room or a bed as children. They didn't share much. Now fully grown, he felt they were more childish than ever.

Dorian curled into himself on his cold side of the bed and thought about how he used to have a pulsing heart beat on his skin. Whether it was across his legs, against his back, against his chest. He never felt loneliness like this before. He never felt the absence of someone before.

And he was worse for it

[somethingsomethingwords]

Hello everybody. Long time no see, but it's been one of those months, you know. This was something I've been thinking about for a while, but I only finished it because of @nico-di-genova. So this is for you honey.

As always thanks to everyone for reading. Enjoy 💜

Everything was going great. Fernando was at a party, where people were drinking and having fun. All around him, the younger drivers were finally decompressing, enjoying the alcohol, the food and the company.

At the center of the sea of people, there was the brightest star of the night.

Lance had finally won a race, and he was celebrating as loudly as he could, sandwiched between Esteban and Mick.

He envied the joy written all over their faces, and how close they were.

He loved the sport, even after his fake retirement, even after all those years, but there was something about maiden wins that still no other win could recreate.

Jóder, soy tan viejo was thinking Nando, when someone tapped his shoulder.

"I think it's late enough, no?" asked Pierre, and it really was getting late, and the trio seemed to be losing energy.

"Yeah, sounds about right. How about we split them? I'm taking Mick, and you take your teammates?" said Lewis, already stepping towards the boys.

Pierre started following him, muttering some curses that would have made blush a sailor. Nando snorted at the scene, and looked as the Brit took the German, while the French men started bickering.

The Canadian was looking around, confused after losing his partners in crime, but then he turned towards Fernando and smiled, slowly making his way towards the Spanish.

"Hola Lancito. Want to go?" asked Nando, seeing the younger man swinging slightly on his feet.

"I lost Estie and Mickie. Où sont-ils?"

Half drunk out of his mind, and he was still worried about his friends. Lance's loyalty really knew no bounds.

"They're ok, with Lewis and Pierre. I will take you home." and with that, he placed his hand on the younger's lower back.

The reaction was immediate. Lance's whole body shivered and pressed against his side, lowering his head on the shorter man's shoulder.

"Too loud. Je veux du silence"

"Oui mon amour. Let's go somewhere quiet" his French was heavily accented, but Lance seemed satisfied enough.

Nando guided the other man to his car, and drove them to their shared hotel, while Lance napped with his face against the window and his neck in a weird position.

When they arrived, Fernando struggled a little to wake the other enough to put him vertically in the elevator and walk to his room. At the door, Lance refused to lean against the doorframe, and settled only when he was hugging Fernando. "Warm" was the only word he said.

"Lance, I need the key"  Fernando spoke softly.

"Poche" just answered the taller man, with no visible intention to loosen the embrace.

Fernando tried to be respectful, and to not feel the solid curve pressed against his hand. He soon found the key in his back pocket, and opened the door.

Once they were both in, he quickly realised that Lance would not move further, so he just put him on the bed, and went to take a glass and fill it with water.

Returning to the bedroom, he found Lance half naked.

"Where are your pants?" he asked, voice an octave too high, almost dropping the glass, before setting it on a nightstand.

"Lost them. Too hot" he shrugged.

Then, even more bafflingly, he started giggling.

"What is now?" he asked, fondly looking as Lance tried to take off his shirt without opening a single button. He succeeded, but his hair was now a fluffy mess.

"You remind me of Nano"

The use of his nickname surprised Fernando. The younger man refused using it, always sticking with his full name. Then the absurdity of it all hit him, and he started giggling as well.

"Ah, sì? How so?"

He was getting curious, sue him.

"It's your voice. It's soft and warm. Would listen for hours"

Fernando wasn't expecting this answer, but it melted his heart anyway.

"Mhhh. Then want a bedtime story?"

Any more time spent with Lance was a gift and a surprise wrapped in wonder. He was not going to deny himself this experience, even only for blackmail reasons. Jokingly, he was done with mind games and tricks. He would never do them again, especially not against Lance.

"Nah. A secret"

"A secret, mh? Let's trade. You tell me, I tell you" if Fernando was going to indulge him, at least it was going to be funny.

"Ça va...Ah, oui, daccord, j'en ai un. I like him so much" and then started giggling again.

Fernando felt like all of his body had gone stone cold, and couldn't move a muscle. He couldn't believe what the other told him. But before he could say anything, Lance nestled in the sheets, and softly said while closing his eyes:

"I like him soooooo much, even if he doesn't feel the same. It's ok, don't think I'd deserve him. What we have, it's special. It is enough"

And with this, he was done for the day.

And he wasn't the only one. Fernando felt like he was going to explode, too many thoughts in his head and words on his tongue, with no one to talk to. He could feel his hair turning gray.

But a single look to that peaceful face, and his heart stopped beating erratically. Everything was going to be alright. They could face this together.

This and more, hopefully.

They were going to solve this tangled mess, but first they both needed to rest.

So he left a note for Lance, simply writing "Call me in the morning. -FA" on a piece of paper and leaving it on top of Lance's phone, where he was sure the other man would see it, and then he left the room, dreaming of his own bed and a restful night of sleep.

---

He was never going to win another GP ever again, if the results were the pounding headache and the rancid taste in his mouth.

He slowly opened his eyes, careful of the half opened blinds, and looked around.

Thanks to some sort of divine intervention, he had made it to the hotel safe and sound.

He got up and went to the bathroom, peeing, washing his face and brushing his teeth.

When he came back to the bedroom, he started looking for his phone. He almost missed it, but then noticed it was just half covered by a yellow post-it. It simply said "Call me in the morning. -FA".

Ok, so he probably would have to thank Fernando for making it to his bed unscathed. He tried to think about the night before, especially trying to remember his interaction with the Spanish driver.

At first, he couldn't remember anything out of the ordinary, then it hit him.

An echo of his own giggle, soft brown eyes, the whisper of a "like him so much".

Oh, no.

Oh no.

He had done it. He confessed, and now Fernando was going to be overly amused about it. Or overly nice, and Lance didn't know what was worse.

Rejection was always a bitch, but basically having to live with your unrequited crush for 24 week-ends? That was going to be a nightmare to go through for all parts involved.

Or maybe just for Lance, with his stupid feelings and his too-hopeful heart.

Ugh, Lance just didn't know what to do.

On one hand, he wanted to call Fernando and be done with all of this. On the other, he wanted to pretend nothing happened, and everything was fine and normal and good.

He sighed, because deep down he knew he was going to have to talk with Fernando, if he liked it or not.

Ok, let's analyze. He knows I like him, and still wants to talk to me. So, he is going to reject me kindly, at least. Ok, we can totally take it like champs. Basic rule still applied: no tears in front of him. It should be quick and painless. Ok, we can do this.

So he took his time in the shower, and ordered a healthy if slightly generous breakfast.

When he was done, he brushed his teeth, wore his comfort hoodie and left his room in a controlled chaos.

One mess at a time: first his love life, then his room.

He knew that Fernando's room was the one across from his, so he didn't even bother calling. He simply knocked.

When the door opened, Lance was sure he had hit his head badly the night before. Maybe the possible concussion and heavy hepatic failure led him to an early grave.

But if death meant he could get to see a still semi-wet Nando, covered just by a tiny towel low on his hips, well, he lived a rich and full life, if a little short.

He could feel himself staring, but also couldn't take his eyes off the view.

He just waited for the self-combustion to take him.

Then he heard a light chuckle, and a hand gently gripped his sleeve, pulling him inside.

When the subject of his awe turned his back on him, walking to the adjacent kitchenette, his brain seemed to be back online.

He shook his head and closed the door behind himself like a particularly stupid rabbit that voluntarily enters the den of a particularly fascinating fox.

Fernando must have known how nervous he was feeling, because he gave him a glass of water and led him to the couch.

"Wait here, I'll be right back" said the Spanish man, leaving Lance alone, stunned and with the glass still in his hand.

You're being ridiculous, grow a pair and just talk like the adult you supposedly are, a voice in his head that sounded like his sister's gently scolded him.

He drank the water while waiting, and felt slightly better.

When Fernando re-entered the room, calm and collected and clothed, Lance waited until he was seated before looking him in the eyes and starting speaking.

"Thank you for last night. For bringing me here safely, I mean"

Not the smoother transition ever, but Fernando had to be used to how stilted he sounded, and would appreciate it anyway.

"No need to. We are friends, no?" he asked with something in his eyes that Lance couldn't describe, but that made him want to talk more.

"About that... I also wanted to say sorry if I said something weird yesterday"

See Chloe? He was actually talking about things that embarrassed him instead of forever avoiding them. Well, not really being super specific, but small progress was still progress.

"Hmm... And what are you referring to?"

The bastard was actually going to make him say the words. Well, in for a penny...

"That I like you"

Lance could feel his cheeks heating up and could no longer stand Fernando's gaze, so he moved his eyes until he was watching a particularly boring patch of carpet.

"Lance, look at me"

It only took those four words, spoken in a tone so gentle and warm to bring Lance's eyes back to Fernando's.

"Why are you apologizing? Did you lie?" he asked softly.

"No" he half shouted, and then flinched because of the reaction. "No, I do like you" he said, exhaling.

"Then what are you apologizing for?"

Fernando could be soft when he wanted, but that didn't stop him from being stubborn.

"I didn't want to offend you" and also didn't want you to really know, because it's embarrassing and you deserve better and I can't be normal about this nor you.

He didn't say the words, but Fernando must have been able to hear them anyway, because he responded firmly.

"You didn't"

That lifted a huge weight from Lance's shoulders. Maybe this partnership could still be saved.

"Ok. Good, I'm glad" he was being awkward and subtly twisting his fingers. But nothing escaped Fernando's attention.

Seeing how the younger man was spiralling in his own thoughts, he didn't hesitate, reaching out to him and taking a hold of his hands.

"There is no need to be nervous. Just tell me again, tell me properly"

Lance could see in his eyes the want and the patience and something else.

They were in this together, he suddenly realised.

You are not alone anymore, said his mental Chloe.

He inhaled as much air as he could, held it and then exhaled. He found the strength he needed in a pair of brown eyes that were already looking in his own.

"I've been wanting to tell you for so long. I like you. I like how you drive, how you give feedback on the car and how you are always, no matter what, the best. But that's just racing stuff. I like how you compliment me, how you never made me feel less than, or just a spoiled kid, how you make me feel. But those are selfish reasons. I like how kind you are with kids, how ready you are to help any of the other drivers. But most importantly, I like you, Fernando Alonso, two times world champion, menace on and off track, mentor and teammate and friend and so much more. I like you, Nando"

He barely finished talking that there was a pair of lips on his own, soft and warm and gentle.

He realised he closed his eyes only when he opened them, and in front was Fernando, bright and shining and perfect in every way that mattered. To Lance, at least.

"You made me wait a long time, no? Let's not waste anymore" he said before diving in a second kiss that was hot and passionate and demanding.

Fernando broke the kiss and stood up, starting to walk, and Lance could only follow the man leading him towards his bed, and towards a life together.

[strewwwberry]

I'm adding on to - this - thought coz a commenter has made my brain worms activate

Okay so, if binghes biological parents raised him, then the whole birthing process needs to be explained in some way, here's what I've got so far

My idea originates with cang qiong mountain(CQM) and other sects finding huan hua palace's(HHP) quite sudden demand for a heavenly demons persecution to be... At the very least unceremonial

(I like to think that before the issues with TLJ, problems with demons didn't extend past occasional interferences at the borders and when demons and more dangerous/paranormal esc creatures stir issues within mortal grounds, like sower demons skinning mortals, not cool babez find food else where)

In doing so perhaps temporary imprisonment of said heavenly demon is put in order, so an investigation about his possible misdeeds could be opened, in which no transgressions, except for unconventional relations with a cultivating head disciple, could be uncovered and no arguments from HHP could carry any doubt in these insights

So the whole sealing Tianlang Jun(TLJ) is bipassed and he's pretty much told to get his ass back into the demon realm, until further notice, as to not add more fuel to an already blazing fire

During this I can imagine HHP master, Lao Gongzhu, is quite literally pulling his grey hair out and hasn't really had the time to "deal with" su xiyan's(SXY) "issue" (pregnancy), aside from imprisonment, and drugs hidden in food that she knows better then to eat, thus she is starved up until TLJ is kicked back into The demon realm

SXY has now been missing for a few weeks (surviving mainly off of cultivation, and fetus bingbing surviving mainly off of a mixture of SXY's efforts with her cultivation and having demon blood in his veins)

CQM is the first to notice her absence from basically existence due to TLJ's continuous cries over her during his temporary imprisonment

So again they dig deeper as they, and some other sects, having previously already disliked HHP due to their pompous attitude, and now having straight up evidence of questionable decisions/actions, decide that all of these odd happenings gives credence to simply not trust a thing HHP has to say

And what do you know? They find a half starved SXY pregnant in the literal underground water prison infamous for harboring what is supposed to be notorious and dangerous criminals

She Is freed and immediately put under Cian Cao Mountain for urgent care,

In addition a sort of crisis management meeting would be held after further investigation into huan hua palace's connections, motives, and actions, to basically decide if eradicating HHP and not just simply rehabilitating, changing leaders/heads etc, will be a much better idea both for uprooting corrupt yet powerful groups, and also because it takes a lot of time, money, and effort to not just redo mini placement exams to figure out where to move genuinely innocent disciples and cultivators to new sects (if they so desire)

Anywho, that's all ive got so far I'll probs carry this on after over slept lol it's like 1 am and I promised myself id start sleeping earlier 😂, hope use enjoyed this haha

[kakushino]

Imagine making breakfast in bed for Giyuu. His tired eyes widening as the scent of fresh made food hits him and he looks up seeing a warm smile he loves so dearly being the one behind it. Warmth in his chest would bubble up and a tired smile would come to his face as he looked up at you, love glimmering in his ocean eyes as you kneel beside him. He always felt lucky to have you.

I am in tears (happy)

“Good morning, love,” you whispered, mindful of his sensitivity in the morning. You set the low table beside him, his favorite breakfast food spread out on it.

“Mornin’, pearl.” The rasp in his voice sent shivers down your spine. His hand reached for yours, intertwining your fingers and caressing your knuckles with his thumb, the warmth of his skin much more intense than yours, yet it only served to relax you. “You prepared breakfast f’me.”

You smiled, leaning down to bestow a kiss on his forehead, but the action proved to be treacherous as he tugged you down, and you tumbled into his arms with a yelp. His arms embraced you, rolling away from the food with you to cuddle.

“The food will get cold, Giyuu,” you told him as you relaxed in his hold, nuzzling your face into his collarbone, kissing it gently. He placed his own onto the crown of your head.

“What ‘bout me?”

You pulled back slightly, confused, “What do you mean?”

His lips were pulled into an adorable pout, one he refused to admit he always did when upset, or faux-upset in this case, “I got cold while y’were gone from m’arms.”

You could only giggle. “Sorry, sorry, I’ll make it up to you.”

Giyuu’s embrace tightened around you, closing his eyes as he relaxed. “Mhm, y’better.”

It was silent for a short while, the birds’ song the perfect background music to your intimacy.

“But y’know, I am hungry, so we will cuddle after food. Did you eat already?”

[deesmcu]

Omg he’s soooo🤭🤭

[nburkhardt]

There might be a lot of them but I mean, how could I not try my hand at this? Especially after watching this and going “yep that hurts”. Granted, I ended up just using the line (“I know he used to be an asshole but…”) instead of going off the sound a whole lot.

Anyway….timeline is all screwed, don’t think about it too hard. Also clearly not canon. Obviously. Only hints of steddie.

~~~~~~

Look, he knows okay? It’s pretty well known across town. It’s no secret and he’s ashamed of it all, it’s something he doesn’t want to reminisce anymore. He’s grown and he thinks he’s better, hopes he’s better. Swears he hasn’t been like that for a few years now, so why does everyone keep bringing it up?

Why does he have to keep proving himself? What does he have to do for them to stop bringing it up?

The first time it happens, he brushes it off. Mostly because it’s true, he was an asshole and he was still learning and breaking himself from who he was. So, it makes sense for Nancy to say it to Barb and then again weeks later to Jonathan. Truth be told, he thinks neither of them believed Nancy.

(it’s a stab straight to the heart when she calls him bullshit)

It’s months before he hears it again, that he nearly forgot the words. It makes him freeze when he hears it from Dustin as he’s cleaning the Byers’s kitchen. The kid is arguing with his friends about why he’s even here. It’s like he’s hit with a bucket of cold water to hear, “sure, he can be an asshole but he’s here to help!”

Sure those words work to help the other kids lay off Dustin’s back, helps make them grumble less about him. But to him? The words sting and it feels worse coming from the kid who he actually likes, thinks they could be close. Clearly there’s a line between them.

He does forget the words, not even an hour later when Billy fucking Hargrove smashes a plate against his head and beats the shit out of him.

Almost a year later and who he was is thrown directly in his face on his first day of work at Scoops. It’s such a slap to the face, not even a full week after his dad cuts him off.

“Thought an asshole like you would on his way to college with daddy’s credit card”

The smile he had on his face just barely falls, mostly because he forces it to stay in place. It also stays because he’s frozen mid-step to introduce himself. Instead, he drops his hand and moves around her and starts working. The words swirling in his head all day, making him stay quiet and just do the job. Even when girls flirt with him, he ignores and works through it.

The “You Suck/You Rule” board came to be a few days later and he sucks it up and is civil with Robin over it, gives it his all to be friendly. If only just to make this job easier and so he doesn’t get fired for being rude. It isn’t until Dustin comes back from camp and the whole Russians and drugs on the floor for Robin to say it again

“You were such an asshole…”

He doesn’t fully hear what she says, it’s hard with the ringing in his ears and his brain froze the minute the word came out.

After it all, even with his brain screaming at him to run away to lick in his wounds, he doesn’t. Forces himself to see one of the EMTs and to help Robin find her parents and promises that she can call whenever she needs something. It’s only after that, that he makes his way home to have a breakdown over it all.

Despite it all, he does call Robin and Dustin his best friends. (Probably his only true friends, if he’s honest.) And he regularly hangs out with them, and sometimes drives Dustin and his friends around. It stops only because he and Robin get jobs at Family Video and the kids start high school.

He breathes easier now, he thinks. He’s been out of high school for a while now, hasn’t been “King Steve” since ‘83. Robin and him are close enough now that he doesn’t freeze anymore, only overthinks their friendship a little bit.

Spring Break rolls around and the moment Dustin and Max storm into Family Video, he’s immediately on edge. Doesn’t show it, of course. The whole search for Eddie Munson, he’s on edge.

He can’t tell if it’s because of the upside down or if those words will make itself known, again.

Everything is a blur, to be honest. Especially after he’s dragged under water and choked by the bats. Nothing really processes for him, it should worry him, actually.

What he does remember is thanking Eddie and being called metal and Eddie saying, “I guess I couldn’t accept the fact that Steve Harrington was actually a good dude”

That somehow swirls in his head after and he doesn’t get it. He’s spiraling over it, to be honest. Even if he’s also on autopilot making sure no one dies. After it all, rushing everyone to get their wounds checked and to make sure Max is alive, Eddie’s words are still swirling and he’s still confused.

He thinks about it every single day that he visits Eddie in the hospital. The other man isn’t awake, much like Max. He doesn’t speak much during the visits, too busy in his own head. Sometimes he mumbles the words back to a too-still Eddie, sometimes he questions the words and in turn, questions Eddie. Never getting any answers to his questions.

If he’s being honest, he doesn’t actually want answers. Maybe Eddie didn’t mean it, maybe he was just being nice in the moment. And he doesn’t want to hear Eddie say “thanks for saving me, but you’re still an asshole”

If he heard that, he’d probably break.

So, he stays quiet. Much like all those other times his friends called him an asshole.

Weeks go by and he doesn’t bring it up. Doesn’t even mention anything that happened in the upside down, even after Eddie wakes up and they’re friends now. Even after Max wakes up, nearly three months later.

They all regularly hang out together, including Eddie’s band mates. Who he can tell definitely don’t like him. So when they’re around, he doesn’t even bother Eddie. Even if all he wants to do is be near the metal head. But he can see it on their faces when he does stand close to Eddie, they never say anything in front of him and he can’t tell if he feels better about that or if he’d rather they do say with him near.

Ultimately, he hears the words again and causes him to actually have that breakdown he knew was coming.

It’s like the world hates him. Because he was having a good time, he was starting to actually believe Eddie’s words and was inching his way to the man, and of the places it happens at his house.

He’s sitting on a lounge chair watching Dustin try and fail at pushing Lucas into the water. Eddie’s curled up in the lounge chair pushed next to his, they’re talking about nothing in particular and he’s hyper aware of how close they’re getting right now.

“I don’t know, man, maybe-“ Eddie had started to say when someone else’s voice is louder and catches his attention.

“Oh, I know. Steve’s definitely an asshole”

And he freezes immediately, his body going rigid and growing hot, tears well up in his eyes. He can’t hear anything else and his eyes are blurry now but he has to get away. This is too much, he can’t breathe anymore.

He nearly falls into the pool in his rush to get up and away from everyone. He doesn’t even know who said it, not that it mattered right now. All that matters is getting away, he can’t be near them anymore. Needs to be alone, to breakdown by himself.

Why do it in front of all of them when they so clearly think it’s true?

“Steve’s definitely an asshole” swirls in his head as he forces himself to rush to his room. Clearly, they were just keeping him around as a buffer- because why else would any of them keep him around? Better to let the asshole get beat up instead of kids, right?

He falls onto the floor as soon as his door is shut and let’s out the sob that was stuck in his throat.

~~~~

Well that hurt 🥲

(Part two) (part three) (part four) (part five)