#but I at the very least like how this is turning out
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inkskinned · 2 days ago
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lately i've been a feminist killjoy.
2. i pirate all my media, and therefore am not familiar with most tv commercials. i went to a superbowl party. around me were appetizers and bean dip and wine and the rolling movement of people talking - and meanwhile i was sitting there, stonefaced and bonechilled. the extraordinary, willful, in-your-face sexism and racism of advertising. what an odd whiplash: the warm and smiling hosts handing me nachos - in the background, some casual repetition of conservative gender roles. more than once i had to turn to my girlfriend - are you seeing this?
3. often i think of how rainbow capitalism is a canary in a coal mine. i think of what one google employee said when they took down their "don't be evil sign" - he mentioned that while it hadn't really done anything, the removal of it was... eerie. it isn't that i needed pride-themed fast fashion items from target. it's that the pushback to said items has now resulted in the company's looming silence. it's that the pushback worked. target is now among the list of companies aiming to "roll back" DEI initiatives. a false friend, i guess - but a bellwether nonetheless.
4. i remember five, ten years ago rolling my eyes at the faux-feminist faux-activist stuff advertisements would put out. i mean, who can forget that pepsi ad, oh my god. i remember girlboss anthems and lukewarm representation. but it did seem like someone was, you know, trying to be thoughtful. but if we follow the money, i think it's fair to say it used to be a good idea to at least appear "politically correct." now though - who cares? look at the man we chose for politics.
5. i am working my girlfriend through her first watch of FMA: Brotherhood. it should be a sweet deal, and instead, i oscillate from peaceful to pacing. the ads drive me insane. i've been counting - at least three involve a man silencing a woman in some way. two involve a white man silencing a woman of color. in my least favorite, she's sitting at her desk, trying to say the same thing he's saying. but he keeps fucking interrupting her. ha ha. don't even ask me what the ad is even for. i don't understand the plot of the thing. i think the whole idea is just "man talks over a woman. buy our product" but with like, somehow worse pacing.
6. on national tv, in front of millions of viewers, kanye posts an ad for his website that is selling a single white T shirt, a product titled HH. a swastika is emblazoned on it. people can't even talk about how fucking terrible that is - their videos get flagged as soon as they actually say what's happening. i am sitting at home staring at my stupid phone, just quietly stunned. we can make a rapist president, but we cannot say the word rape on most social media platforms. elon can nazi salute on television without consequence, but you can't use the word "female" in your research grant request without being flagged. the enormity of it all is impossible to grasp.
7. there's a company called "his", which sells things for erectile dysfunction. the ads are trucks and masculinity and very gender affirming. the same company has a "hers" line, which is a barely-tested weight-loss injection developed and sold by recently-rebranded absolutely evil company Eli Lilly. in the ad, women who are "overweight" grapple with their barely-visible stomach and smile, beautifully at peace while delivering their own "treatment."
8. i read a lot, though. i spend a lot of time online. someone recently said i write almost exclusively from a place of panic, which they didn't like. it made me laugh though - can any artist say differently right now? still. still! i sat on that couch and watched how casually bigotry is repeated, with no real audience reaction. am i just radicalized and unfortunately very easily annoyed? am i the problem here? can't i just like, relax and let it happen?
9. we stand in line at the movie theatre. i make some snide remark about how the poster we're looking at is basically "sexy trophy smiles knowingly at our hero, nerdy boy". from behind me, some guy snorts down his nose. feminist killjoy.
10. the thing is. i don't want to be like this. it's just like. in my fucking home.
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sageshouldknowbetter · 1 day ago
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Some may be apprehensive that Severance won’t portray Mark’s interaction with Helena in the tent as the sexual assault it was. But not only will they — they already are.
Mark’s behavior toward Helly has completely changed. He doesn’t sit next to her at Irving’s funeral. He shuts down attempts at conversation with offhand, vague snarky comments and a defiantly blank facial expression. When Helly knocks on the door to the bathroom, his eyes dart around like an animal cornered. Where he once would have slowed down for her in the hallway so they could talk, he walks much faster ahead. He’s trying as hard as possible to avoid her. To ignore her. To run away.
Now contrast this with his treatment of “Helly” when she first walked out of the elevator in season two. He waited for her to arrive! He was so relieved she’d come back! And when they were walking down that hallway and he was explaining the situation with Ms. Casey, he stopped mid-stride, turned to her with a smile on his face, and said “Look, Helly—“
He never got to finish that sentence. But some say he was going to confess that though his outie had a wife, his affections lay with her. And I think they’re right.
So why is he acting so differently now? The answer is obvious: “Because they are smarter than us, okay? They know everything.”
After the assault, Mark likely feels like a complete idiot. He spent so much of season one deconstructing his beliefs and breaking free from Lumon’s propaganda. And the minute he believes he’s immune to their lies and no longer a corporate slave, he is taken advantage of and hoodwinked by the very figurehead of said company, masking as someone he loves.
A symbol of Lumon convinced him he was safe. Tricked him. Invaded him in the most intimate way possible, with him completely oblivious, “like an idiot.” Right when he thought everything might be okay.
So maybe Lumon’s right. Maybe there’s no point in fighting. Because if he was stupid enough to not realize his own friend was being possessed by her billionaire doppelgänger, then maybe Lumon is correct about innies being nothing more than pawns. Maybe they are people, and he really is… not. (That’s how Helena treated him, anyway.)
And if that’s the case, of course he wants to give up looking for Ms. Casey and lose himself in work! For a moment he thought he was a human being, deserving of autonomy over his own body and capable of something more than sitting behind a desk — but his assault sends that all crashing down. He is an extension of his outie, made for work and nothing more. Going beyond that gets dangerous. That’s what got Irving killed… and him in Helena’s tent. And Helly? He cannot trust Helly. As far as he knows, his only confirmed moment with Helly since the OTC was when he was holding her in his arms, his jacket wrapped around her shoulders. Why should it be Helly coming back to the severed floor? If Helena could trick him before, who says she can’t learn from her past mistakes and trick him again over and over? Mark refuses to be humiliated and hurt after last time, so he avoids her (and Dylan!) and puts up a barrier of cool, snarky indifference — just like how he deals with grief.
But we know that indifference is a mask. When Milchick walked out of the elevator after revealing he knew about him and Helena Eagan, Mark had no one to pretend for — and he went completely stiff, blankly wide-eyed in an expression extremely reminiscent of his usual innie self. Whatever the reasons for this, one thing’s for sure: Mark does deeply care about what happened in the tent. And at least for now, he will lose himself in Cold Harbor to cope with it.
Lumon certainly got their productive worker back. But good Lord… at what cost?
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nightingale-prompts · 3 days ago
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Little Crush-DCxDP prompt
Damian has a bit of a crush. It started with a trip to the zoo. A small clan of purple-back gorillas had been discovered in the wild by the very same man who saved their species. Danny Fenton holds the title of the youngest animal geneticist in modern day. He was only 20 and was held in high regard in the scientific community.
The family took Damian to meet his hero at Amity Zoo where the scientist worked.
Danny took the boy to heart and let him shadow him for the day. Feeding penguins, watching Danny take blood samples and explaining how DNA can tell them where an animal is from.
"We were able to discover the habitat of the remaining gorillas by looking at the resistance in the captive gorilla's blood. They had a strong poison resistance to a specific plant only found in a region in South America. I took a gamble and figured that such a strong natural immune system must mean that it's a part of their diet." The scientist handed Damian a pointer that was used for touch training and lead him to the beak of the tiger exhibit.
Saba ready for her session.
"Do any of your siblings want to join?" Danny asked beckoning the tiger closer to the barrier.
Cass raised her hand before Damian interrupted.
"No."
"Oh...okay. How about we give her a turn anyway. Saba loves new people."
After getting the chance to give a tiger light pets the tour was over.
But Damian wanted to keep seeing the vet.
At least once a week they had to visit the zoo. They had to take turns going with Damian.
This week was Tim's turned and he learned all about cat coat genetics.
Dilution, Seal point, karpati, folded, agouti, locus, lilac, ticked mackerel, Havana, classic, cinnamon, fawn, and blur. Each word sounded like babble as Danny listed every genetic sequence that made up a coat. Silver fawn ticked was where Tim nodded off.
He could admit that Danny was pretty cute. They were the same age too. Tim kind of liked how smart he was but he was also kind of dumb since he hadn't noticed the demon had a little crush.
"I'm gonna ask him out." Tim said as he sat eating churros near the giraffes with Damian.
"Don't you dare Drake!" Damian growled.
"Oh come on. You're too young for him. But I'm not. Besides it's illegal for you." Tim laughed.
"That doesn't mean you get to ask him out." Damian hissed. "Besides he probably wouldn't accept you. Anyone but you."
"Wanna bet?"
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always---wrong · 23 hours ago
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One of my favorite scenes from season 1
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Gi-hun! Do you know why your life is so pathetic? Because you ask the dumbest questions even in this situation. Constantly minding other people's business with that pea brain of yours, not knowing your ass from your elbow.
#it’s like sang-woo takes his self hatred and pushes it onto gi-hun#like he’s aware that he’s ALSO there but he’s giving gi-hun shit for it. for being an idiot and getting himself stuck there#because when he’s forced to consider whether he’d go as far as pushing gi-hun he can’t figure out the answer#he does still care about him but he knows gi-hun has to die if he’s going to win#they all would’ve died if gi-hun was in front and refused to move but would sang-woo resort to killing him himself?#or would he convince gi-hun to take that 50/50 chance into his own hands?#he doesn’t know and he’s upset at gi-hun for even being there in the first place#and he’s upset at himself for falling this far#so he lashes out at him when gi-hun asks a real question like that#the words aren’t truly out of hatred for HIM but gi-hun still takes it#then he takes the respect and pride he’s been holding for sang-woo and turns it against him#gi-hun says what sang-woo is feeling out loud#everytime gi-hun’s praised him the whole time this is exactly how sang-woo felt. if he was a success story then why was he here?#it’s shocking to him hearing gi-hun say his own thoughts like this. gi-hun of all people. the one who was so very proud of him#but he’s right and sang-woo wants to keep projecting his shame onto him instead of accepting his wrongdoings#shame haunts him in a way it doesn’t haunt gi-hun#(at least not yet)#and he can’t stand that gi-hun’s still thinking with his heart. that he cares about him killing a man who would’ve gotten them all killed#because gi-hun’s too good deep down and sang-woo is nothing like that#gi-hun is there because he isn’t cold and logical like sang-woo. but then why is sang-woo there?#what makes them so different if they’re both here?#sang-woo can’t even respond. can’t lash out again because what does he even say? how could he possibly deflect a truth like that?#gi-hun openly admits his faults. admits why he’s there. and sang-woo just can’t do the same#also they should kiss it out#sorry yapped about nothing there#idk if anything i said even makes sense but idgaf
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monstersflashlight · 1 day ago
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Lusty for love
A/N: Happy Valentine's Day!
Cupid (monster) x fem!witch reader || sex pollen, (light) dub con, breeding, oral sex, dirty talk, praise kink
You were stupid. A bit more stupid than normal at least.
You were trying to get some new potions to work when you accidentally spilled the pink powder he gifted you specially for lust potions. The pink powder was obtained from the cupid species, they produced it on their wings and any human or monster would instantly fall into a lustful frenzy once they touched it. And that’s why it was so hard to get, they had to give it to you specifically with a very clear intent of lust...
Your cupid friend gave it to you as a birthday present, and you were supposed to drop an itty bitty quantity in each potion because every time someone used the powder, he would feel it. You promised not to use much, always controlling how many potions you’d make… But you weren’t expecting for it to slip your fingers and pretty much cover your whole body. Your skin was tingling and your brain was barely coherent when you dialed his number.
“I need your help,” you whispered against the speaker, not letting him even say hello.
His response was instantaneous: “What happened?” You could hear him batting his wings in the background, and you were sure he was already mid air coming to get you. He must have felt the powder activating.
“I- I dropped the pink powder on me,” you confessed, your breathing labored and your skin tingly.
Fuck, you were about to burst and you didn’t even move. You’d never felt such intensity before, it was like every inch of your body was electrified and caressed at the same time, even the touch of the clothes over your body felt erotic.
“Fuck,” he cursed. The air against the phone was enough to know he was rushing to your house, his wings almost deafening in the background.
“Please, please…” You barely made sense, your brain was fuzzy in a way that made your clit tingle and your panties were so wet you could already feel your juices ruining your pants.
“Fuck,” he cursed again. In other circumstances you would have blushed, your unrequited crush on your cupid best friend making you feel all kinds of emotions. But you weren’t thinking straight, and he was talking again: “I’ll be there in a few minutes, take your clothes off, rub your pretty little clit until you are dripping wet because as soon as I cross your window I’m going to be inside of you, and I won’t stop until you are dripping with my come for every single hole.”
His words drove your brain into a frenzy, the effect of the pink powder getting even stronger as you did as you were told, pulling at your clothes so fast and hard you broke something. You didn’t care, you’d deal with whatever tore later on. You laid on your potions table, not caring about everything falling down or the million little pieces of glass that were probably on the ground, you had only one focus: obey. Your fingers found your clit and you started rubbing rapidly, moaning against the phone.
“You sound so sweet, good damn it. I knew you’d be perfect,” his words meant nothing and all at the same time, your inside twisting and turning as your pussy contracted over nothing, making you whine and beg. “I know, love, I know.” You could hear him breathing hard, the powder probably affecting him too, and with each movement of his wings you could feel him getting closer.
The second your window opened with a big crash, you were begging for him and he was falling to his knees next to the table, not caring about the glass, grabbing your ankles and pulling your legs as far apart as possible. He set his big body between them, his wings so wide and soft you felt the tickle against your knees when he pushed your legs over his shoulders.
The first contact of his tongue against your tender flesh feels like lightning hitting your body. And it only turned better when his dexterous tongue found your clit. He ate you out like a starving monster, fucking in and out of your pussy with his forked tongue until you were screaming his name and asking for more. More. More.
You came in less than two minutes, with his fingers pressing against your G-spot and your brain turning into jelly inside your head. It was so much and so little at the same time. You needed more. You needed him inside of you in any way you could. You pushed your torso up, pulling your legs off his shoulders and shoved his chest back until he was a few feet back. You jumped off the table, not even feeling the tiny glasses on the ground as you walked over them.
It was like your orgasm only made you hornier, more desperate, you needed him more than you needed your next breath. “Let me suck you off, please, please…” You begged, your eyes fixated on his dick straining against his pants.
You fumbled with the zipper, and he helped you, looking at you with such tenderness that your heart was about to explore out of your chest. But first: dick.
“Okay, love. Okay. Whatever you want. You can do whatever you want to me.” His words sounded like a promise, and your brain was so fuzzy you could only nod as you fell to your knees. “Open up,” he ordered, taking himself on his hand and caressing your cheek with the other. He fed you his cock and you swallowed it down greedily. “That’s it, such a good witch for me, such a pretty mouth wrapped around my shaft. Fuck, do that again.”
You rolled your tongue over his head, pressing against the underside where you knew he was most sensitive. That cupid anatomy book coming in handy when you were wrapping your hand at his base and squeezing until you felt the ridges inside move. He cursed over you, his hand grabbing your hair so harshly you felt the tiny spikes of pain, but that only made you moan louder around him.
He cursed again, telling you nonsense as he moved his dick in and out of your mouth slightly. “Fuck, your mouth, love. You are perfect. You are so good to me. I’ve been wanting to have you like this forever. Good goddess, your mouth.” You grabbed his ass, trying to get him closer, further down your throat, but he stopped you. “None of that, I… I need you. I need to be inside of you. After that you can play with me all you want.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” your voice was airy and low, and without a doubt you knew your whole body was pink all over.
He helped you to your feet, claiming your mouth in a brain melting kiss before grabbing your ass and helping you back onto the table. His fingers found your pussy at the same time he positioned himself on your opening. “You are so wet, fuck.” He pushed the tip inside, and you were indeed so wet he slipped right in.
He cursed in so many languages you weren’t sure how many words he said, but you were in heaven. You reached Valhalla or whatever other heaven there existed out there. All at once. None at all… You touched the stars and came back to your body when he moved his hips back, pushing right back in and drawing a scream out of your lungs.
And then there was no more playing, only frantic fucking and dirty words.
“Do you like me, love? Do you like the feel of my cock inside of you? Do you like when I say dirty things to you?” You shivered, nodding frantically as you rolled your hips, chasing some of the pleasure he was promising you with his thrusts. “Of course you do, you love to be fucked this hard, this fast… You never had it so good, did you? None of your stupid boyfriends was as good as me. Say it.”
“None were… None as good as you…” Your voice was trembling, his thrusts too fast and harsh, but you couldn’t complain. You wouldn’t. It was that good.
“I know darling, I know nobody was as good as me. But you didn’t let me tell you that, did you? You were always with one or another, never enough time for me to fuck you as you deserved. To treat you as you deserve. To make you fucking mine,” he punctuated each word with a hard thrust that hit right over your G-spot, sending sparks of desire and pleasure to your brain until you were drooling over the table. “Tell me I’m wrong, tell me you don’t like me like that and I’ve been pining over you for nothing,” his anger was palpable in each thrust of his hips inside your pussy, his ridges undulating and massaging you from the inside.
“I CAN’T. I CAN’T. YOU ARE RIGHT!” You screamed as another wave of pleasure washes over your body.
But he wasn’t listening to you, he was too focused on his actions, on driving you insane. “You can’t because you like me. You’ve liked me as long as I’ve liked you and you’ve been denying us both. For what? For some flimsy human dick? No more, love. You don’t go back to anyone else anymore. You. Are. Mine. To. Please.”
“Yours. Yours. Yours…”
And then there’s fireworks behind your eyelids and your brain is short circuiting. You could barely hold your body up as he expanded his dick inside of you, the cupid trick of locking inside your tight pussy was multiplied by a thousand because of the pink dust, and you could only scream silently as he bred you to the brim and your vision turned white behind your eyelids.
You came back to your body resting over his chest, the soft feathers tickling your cheek as you looked down at his wet dick, still half hard. Your body still craved him, and you were about to act on it when he said: “For what’s worth… I really like you like that, too, love,” he whispered against your sweaty forehead, his breathing labored as his dick twitched in your line of sight.
You threw a leg over his middle, rubbing your still dripping pussy over his dick. “Prove it.”
And he did.
(He was also true to his promise to leave you leaking and bred from every single hole, but that’s a story for another day...)
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sincerelybubbles · 2 days ago
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the team noticing how comfortable shy bau reader has gotten with hotch and they all find it very sweet
Slipping Into the Light warnings: brief mentions of cannon typical violence paring: hotch x shy!bau!reader
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The bullpen is its usual brand of chaos—agents moving between desks, papers shuffling, the hum of conversation filling the air. It’s comfortable, routine. Nothing out of the ordinary.
At least, until she walks in.
The team barely notices at first, too caught up in their morning tasks, but then—then, something odd happens.
She walks past Hotch’s office, and without a second of hesitation, she reaches out and knocks twice against the open doorframe—light, quick, easy.
Hotch glances up from his paperwork, and instead of his usual curt nod or unreadable gaze, something soft crosses his face. It’s barely there, a flicker of warmth before he schools his expression. But it’s real.
And then—then—she says, “Morning, Hotch,” like it’s nothing. Like it’s normal.
Not Good morning, sir. Not a quiet, hesitant nod in passing. No, just Morning, Hotch, said with the kind of familiarity that suggests it isn’t the first time.
He returns it with a quiet, “Morning,” like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
And that’s when the team starts paying attention.
Morgan’s head tilts up first, brows knitting together. Emily, mid-sip of her coffee, pauses with the cup just short of her lips. Reid frowns at the exchange like it’s a puzzle he hasn’t figured out yet. Rossi just smirks.
The door to Hotch’s office closes a moment later, and she moves toward her desk, entirely unaware of the looks being exchanged across the room.
Emily recovers first, setting her coffee down and leaning toward Morgan. “Morning, Hotch?”
Morgan shakes his head, almost in disbelief. “That’s not normal, right? She doesn’t talk to anyone like that. Not even me,” he points out, sounding offended. “And I’ve been workin’ on breaking her out of that shell for years.”
Reid blinks, clearly running through past conversations in his head. “She’s never greeted me like that before, either.”
“Or me,” Emily agrees, before throwing a glance toward Rossi. “You?”
Rossi just takes a slow sip of his coffee, unreadable.
“Something’s up,” Morgan mutters.
Emily hums in agreement. “Something.”
||||
It happens again the next day.
And the next.
And the next.
Each time, it’s something small—something easily overlooked if you aren’t paying attention. But they are paying attention. Because once profilers start noticing something, it’s impossible to stop. It becomes a game between Emily and Morgan, noticing the small ways you've warmed up to Hotch.
Easier smiles, passing him in the plane when you would usually wait for a larger gap, conversations continued when he walks into the room rather than screeching to a halt like before.
It's nothing massive to the untrained eye but, well, they are trained to notice breaks in patterns, to see when things change and how they do.
Like today.
Hotch walks into the bullpen, coffee in hand, heading straight for his office. Nothing unusual there. But as he passes by her desk, she glances up from her file, eyes flicking toward his cup.
“Did you eat?” she asks, casually—too casually.
Hotch slows just a fraction, just enough for the team to catch it. “Not yet.”
She hums, glancing at the time. “Bagel shop’s still open. They have fresh bread until nine.”
“I’ll be fine,” Hotch assures, but he lingers. Just for a second.
She gives him a pointed look before returning to her file. “Mm.”
That’s it. That’s the whole exchange. And yet—
Morgan immediately turns toward Emily. “You seein' this?”
Emily nods, hiding a grin behind her coffee. “Oh, I’m seeing it.”
Reid, who has been diligently pretending not to be part of this entire conspiracy, clears his throat. “I mean, she could just be concerned about his health?”
Morgan gives him a look as Emily snorts. “She’s never told us to eat.”
“She’s never told anyone to eat,” Morgan mutters, shaking his head. “Except Hotch, apparently.”
Spencer frowns slightly, watching as Hotch disappears into his office. Then he looks back at her, catching the way she glances one more time at the closed door before focusing back on her file.
“Okay,” he admits. “That was weird.”
“Thank you,” Emily says, throwing her hands up.
Morgan shakes his head, settling back into his chair. “I’m just saying, that’s not nothing.”
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It happens again later that evening, this time in the briefing room.
They’ve wrapped the case, a particularly grueling one, and now it’s the slow process of debriefing, paperwork, and waiting for the jet to be refueled in case they actually need it tomorrow - they've been able to help over the phone today but everyone is certain tomorrow will bring a tragedy the necessitates travel tomorrow or the day after. The team is scattered around the table—some flipping through reports, others making half-hearted attempts at conversation, everyone running on fumes.
She's tucked into the corner of the room, curled over a file, her pen tapping absently against the paper. If she stops moving, she’ll fall asleep. And she doesn’t have the energy to be embarrassed about that.
The door opens, and Hotch steps in. The conversation dulls, but only slightly—it’s always like that when he walks in. Not because they’re afraid of him, but because his presence naturally shifts the atmosphere.
She barely looks up. “Coffee?” she asks, already moving to stand.
Hotch shakes his head. “I got it.”
She pauses, then settles back down, flipping a page. “Okay.”
That’s it. No hesitation, no stammering, no overthinking the fact that she offered in the first place. Just easy.
And that is very interesting.
Morgan narrows his eyes slightly, tilting his head as he watches her. It’s subtle—probably something even she hasn’t noticed—but there’s no way in hell he’s imagining it now.
The old her would’ve never spoken to Hotch without being spoken to first. Would’ve never offered him something so casually, so easily, like it was second nature.
And Hotch—
Hotch, who usually doesn’t acknowledge small gestures like this, doesn’t even bat an eye. Doesn’t make a comment, doesn’t pause, doesn’t do anything other than react without thought.
Which means this isn’t the first time it’s happened.
Emily catches Morgan’s look and raises a brow. You seeing this?
Morgan smirks. Oh, I’m seeing it.
They share a knowing glance, and then—just to test the waters—Emily leans forward, setting her elbows on the table.
“Hey, Hotch,” she says casually. “Since you’re already up, can you grab me one too?”
Hotch glances at her, then at Morgan, who looks far too interested in his answer. He exhales sharply, amused but unamused, and turns toward the door.
“No.”
Morgan barks out a laugh, and Emily grins, triumphant.
And in the corner, she remains blissfully unaware, still flipping through her file, still tapping her pen, still completely oblivious to the way the entire team is slowly piecing this together.
||||
The next moment happens in Rossi’s office.
She hadn’t meant to end up here. It’s late, past the point of pretending she’s being productive, but she told herself she’d finish one more report before heading home. Somewhere along the way, she’d wandered, coffee in hand, and now she’s leaning against Rossi’s doorway, blinking sluggishly at him as he flips through a leather-bound journal.
“Long day?” he asks without looking up.
She nods, then remembers he’s not looking. “Yeah.”
He hums, setting the journal aside. “And yet, you’re still here instead of going home. Or is it that you don’t want to go home?”
“I was going home,” she argues, though they both know she’s lying. “I just… got distracted.”
Rossi leans back, eyeing her with the kind of gaze that makes it impossible to lie. Not that she’s in the habit of lying to him—especially since he’s usually at least five steps ahead of her anyway.
She glances at the clock. 10:42 PM. She exhales through her nose, rolling her lips together.
“You should get some sleep,” he says, but there’s something else in his tone. A lilt. An implication.
She squints at him. “Why do you sound like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you know something.”
Rossi shrugs. “I know a lot of things.”
“Right,” she mutters, narrowing her eyes.
He’s enjoying this. That much is clear. She doesn’t know what he’s enjoying yet, but she’s sure he’ll make her figure it out on her own.
And then—
“Oh.” She blinks. “Wait. No.”
Rossi smirks.
Her stomach flips. “You know?”
He doesn’t answer, just reaches for his glass of scotch, taking a slow, measured sip.
She feels heat creep up her neck, spreading across her cheeks.
He knows.
Which means Hotch told him.
Which means Hotch talked about it.
Which means—
“Relax,” Rossi drawls, interrupting her impending spiral. “It’s not like he gave me a play-by-play. He just mentioned you two had dinner.” He pauses, then grins. “And that it went well.”
She shifts her weight, suddenly too aware of herself. Oh.
It’s not that she thought Hotch would keep it a secret forever, but hearing that he’d told Rossi, that he’d spoken about it in any capacity, makes it feel… real.
More real than the way her heart stuttered when Hotch had smoothed a hand over hers at dinner. More real than the quiet, steady confidence he’d had in their them-ness while she was still fumbling over the weight of it.
Rossi watches her carefully, still amused but softer now. “You okay?”
She nods, pressing her lips together. “Yeah. I just—”
She gestures vaguely, words failing her.
He chuckles, shaking his head. “Go home,” he says again, more insistent this time. “And tell Aaron I said you’re welcome.”
She sputters, eyes wide, and Rossi just laughs, already reaching for his journal again.
She doesn’t know if she’s embarrassed or endeared, but as she slips out of his office, warmth tucked into her chest, she thinks maybe it’s a little bit of both.
||||
The moment is small. Blink and you’d miss it.
Hotch is standing by the coffee maker in the break room, pouring himself a cup. She wanders in a moment later, her movements unhurried, her posture looser than usual. The case they’d just wrapped had been rough, but the team was back home, safe, and exhaustion was settling in around all of them like a thick fog.
She steps beside him, reaching for the sugar, only to find his hand already on it.
She blinks up at him.
Hotch smirks, just barely. “You were going to put in two scoops.”
Her eyes narrow. “And?”
He hands her the spoon, ignoring the way the corner of his mouth twitches. “And you always complain that it makes the coffee too sweet.”
She exhales, glaring at him for being right, and scoops one spoonful instead.
“You should get your own coffee if you’re just going to judge mine.”
“I was here first,” he reminds her. "Making my own coffee, not yours."
“I was letting you make mine for me.”
The words are out before she fully registers them, her lips parting slightly at the realization.
Across the room, Morgan and JJ freeze mid-conversation.
Hotch stills, his fingers tightening ever so slightly around the handle of his mug. He watches her, slow and appraising, and then—
He leans in. Not much, but just enough. “You've got me there. Here." Slowly, he places the cup in her hand, a spoonful and a half of sugar poured in, slowly curling her fingers around the mug for her. Pleased at the reaction he so easily brings forth.
And then he walks out, leaving her standing there, fingers curled around her coffee cup, ears burning.
Morgan lets out a low whistle. “Damn.”
JJ, still wide-eyed, elbows him. “Don’t make it a thing.”
“Oh, it’s already a thing,” Morgan mutters, shaking his head in disbelief. “Did you see that? She flirted back.”
JJ presses her lips together, fighting a grin. "Still, not our business." She insists, despite the way warmth curls in her stomach at the thought.
||||
The jet hums beneath them, a steady, soothing vibration. The case had been long and brutal, but it was over, and they were finally on their way home. The team was scattered around the cabin—Morgan and Emily playing cards, JJ half-dozing with her headphones in, and Rossi nursing a glass of something dark.
And her?
She was sitting stiffly in her seat, her arm propped awkwardly against her side, doing a terrible job of pretending she wasn’t in pain.
The gash on her ribs wasn’t deep. She’d already been patched up at the local hospital—stitched, bandaged, and thoroughly instructed to take it easy. But “take it easy” apparently translated to everyone treating her like she was made of glass.
Emily had tried to grab her go-bag for her earlier.
Morgan had asked if she wanted him to get her a drink—when had he ever done that before?
Even Spencer had hovered like a worried sibling, his gaze flicking toward her every few minutes like he was expecting her to keel over.
She could deal with that. What was harder to deal with was the fact that Hotch hadn’t said anything at all.
Not until now.
“You need to rest,” his voice cut through the low hum of conversation, steady, sure.
She looked up from her untouched cup of tea to see him standing in front of her, arms crossed, expression unreadable to anyone who wasn’t her.
She sighed. “I’m fine, Hotch.”
“You’re in pain,” he countered, not unkindly.
“I’m always in pain after a case,” she pointed out, arching a brow.
His lips twitched in a way that was almost—but not quite—a smile. “This is different.”
He knew. Of course, he knew. She should have expected that.
Her shoulders eased just a little. “I just don’t want everyone fussing over me.”
“They’re only fussing because they care.”
She couldn’t argue with that. But still, she rolled her eyes, shifting slightly in her seat—only to wince when the movement tugged at her stitches.
Hotch sighed and sat beside her. “Case in point.”
She huffed, tilting her head back against the headrest, aware of the small, knowing glances being exchanged around the cabin. No one said a word, but she felt it—the way the energy shifted.
Like they were all watching something unfold, something inevitable.
She kept her gaze on Hotch. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Not a chance.” His voice softened just enough to make her chest ache in a way that had nothing to do with her injury.
And despite the pain, despite the exhaustion pressing down on her limbs, she found herself... warm.
Because he knew her. Knew when to push and when to step back. Knew how much she hated being coddled, but also knew exactly when she needed to be told to stop pretending she was fine.
It wasn’t suffocating.
It was steady.
It was him.
||||
The bar was too loud, too dimly lit, too full of bodies swaying and pressing together in a way that made her head ache.
She’d never wanted to come, not really. But Morgan had a way of making things sound like a good idea until she was already in them, halfway slumped over a sticky bar top, nursing a drink she barely had the energy to lift.
"You look like you’re about to pass out," Morgan teased, leaning his elbow against the bar beside her.
"Probably," she murmured, not even pretending to refute it.
She was wrecked. The case had been long and grueling, every hour stretching into the next with little more than caffeine and sheer willpower keeping her upright. When Morgan had invited her out, she hadn’t been sure why she said yes—maybe just to avoid thinking too hard about things.
But now, with exhaustion weighing her down and the music pounding too loudly in her ears, she wished she’d just gone home.
Morgan nudged her shoulder. "Alright, lightweight. You eat anything today?"
The question barely registered before she answered, too tired to filter her words. "I had dinner in Hotch's office."
It was out before she could stop it.
Morgan blinked. Then grinned.
"Ohhhh," he drawled, sitting up straighter, eyes lighting up in that way that meant trouble. "That’s why you two have been acting different lately."
She frowned, sluggish. "What?"
"Come on, don’t play coy now. Dinner? With Hotch? In his office? That’s why you’ve been all up in each other’s space. I knew something was up!"
Oh, God.
Her stomach plummeted, warmth flooding her face so fast she thought she might actually faint. "Morgan," she hissed, suddenly far more awake. "I—I didn’t mean—"
"You totally meant," he cut in, smug as hell.
She buried her face in her hands, groaning. "You tricked me into coming here. I’m too tired for this interrogation."
"You’re too tired to lie," he countered, tapping the bar. "And that’s the best time to get the truth."
She let out a long, slow breath, willing herself to cool down, to deflect, to not make this worse. But Morgan was already grinning like he’d won something, like he had all the confirmation he needed.
He leaned in conspiratorially. "So, how was dinner?"
She didn’t even bother answering. Instead, she waved down the bartender. "Two shots, please."
Morgan laughed, clinking his glass against hers when they arrived. "Now that is an answer."
||||
"I'm so sorry," she groans, squeezing her eyes closed against the admission.
Hotch has the nerve to laugh, covering his face with his hand. Red peers up and over his palm where it covers his expression. "I'm not mad," he insists, "just very amused."
"How is this amusing?" She asks, exasperated, turning to pace across his office.
"I've been opening flirting with you for months, almost a year. It's been a running joke, darling. It's amusing because you're only just now getting the heat for it. For reciprocating it."
"Reciprocating!" She exclaims, injust.
"Oh, are you not? Should I clear my calendar for tomorrow, then, cook for just me and Jack?"
She scowls, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "No," she pouts, voice near a whine. "I just thought you didn't want the team to know anything was up."
"Oh, so something's up between us now?"
Leave it to him to use this moment to tease you, of course. When she first joined the team, Hotch was broody and withdrawn. It hadn't taken long for her to see his exterior crack, the flaws shining beneath.
He appears as a rule follower, a stickler for what's right and just, but he constantly bends for his team, for the victims, for children. And now, for you, he bends so far from that rigid form people perceive him in she has difficulties seeing his stiffness anymore.
Still, moments like these shock her. Aaron Hotchner is a flirt and an expert one at that.
"Maybe!" She concedes, too flustered to wiggle her way out of his trap. "That's not the point."
"I think that's exactly the point." Hotch catches her wrist, halting her pacing. "But it's okay. I don't mind the others knowing that 'something's up' with us."
"Oh my god," she groans, heat in her face nearly as brilliant as her smile.
381 notes · View notes
nerdycheol · 1 day ago
Text
Love, On Air || Choi Seungcheol (valentine's special)
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♡ Pairing: choi seungcheol x f!reader
♡ Genre: best friends to lovers, romance, fluff, slice of life
♡ Word Count: 7.8k
note: Happy Valentine’s Day! 💖 This is a special Valentine’s edition based on the poll results(so if you voted—congrats, you manifested this 👀). A massive shoutout to @facethesunflower for proofreading and making sure this didn’t turn into a total disaster. 😆 Hope you enjoy this fluffy, slightly dramatic, finally-they-confess moment.
Remember: if your best friend is acting suspiciously like Cherry… maybe it’s time to connect the dots. 👀💕
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The clock hits 9 PM. You take a deep breath, adjusting the headphones on your ears as the familiar hum of the radio booth wraps around you. The room is small, dimly lit by the soft glow of the equipment and the neon sign flashing LIVE on the wall. 
"Alright, we’re live in 3... 2... 1..."
Your hand hovers over the soundboard as you smile into the mic. 
"Good evening, lovely listeners, and welcome back to The Heartbeat Hour, your go-to late-night show where we talk all things love, relationships, and everything in between," you say, your voice smooth and warm, like a cozy blanket on a cold night. "I’m your host, __ , and tonight is extra special because we’re in the heart of Valentine’s week. So, buckle up, folks—this week’s all about confessions, crushes, and, of course, giving you some advice to help you sort through your feelings."
You press the button for the first song request, the soft strains of a romantic ballad filling the room. As the music plays in the background, your eyes scan the requests that have been flooding in. The chat box is constantly ticking with messages—listeners asking for advice, sharing their love stories, or seeking songs that speak to their hearts. You feel that rush, the adrenaline of knowing you’re connected to so many people in real time.
"Now, I’ve got a message here from a listener who needs a little help," you say, pulling up the request. "This one’s from 'Cherry,' who writes in: ‘I’ve been crushing on someone for a while, but I’m not sure how to confess. Any advice?’"
You let out a small breath, your fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk as you think. This one’s a classic. You've seen it all before, but every confession still feels fresh. You smile softly into the mic.
"Ah, 'Cherry,' I get it. Confessing your feelings can be scary, but it’s also one of the most real things you can do. Here’s my advice: Keep it simple. No need for grand gestures, no elaborate speeches. Sometimes, the best way to let someone know how you feel is through a small, sincere gesture. Maybe write a note or give them a little gift that shows you’ve been thinking about them. And when you tell them how you feel, just be honest—there’s no such thing as a perfect confession. Just be you."
You pause, feeling the warmth of the words settle into your heart. The music swells in the background, adding to the ambiance of the moment.
"Remember, 'Cherry,' it’s not about getting it perfect—it’s about being brave enough to say it. And hey, the worst that can happen is they don’t feel the same way. But you know what? You’ve still won because you were true to yourself. So take a deep breath and go for it. You got this.”
You let the silence linger for a moment, Cherry’s words still hanging in the air. Then, with a small smile, you reached for the controls.
"Alright, Cherry, and everyone out there holding onto feelings they haven’t found the words for—this one’s for you. Maybe it’ll give you the courage to say what’s in your heart, or at the very least, remind you that you’re not alone."
With a soft click, the studio filled with the delicate, wistful melody of "From the start" by Laufey—a song that is the ultimate friends to lovers song for all delusional daydreams.
Leaning back in your chair, you glanced out at the city lights reflecting against the glass. Somewhere, maybe Cherry was listening, hesitating over a letter they weren’t sure they’d ever send. Or maybe, just maybe, they had already begun writing.
After an hour of song requests, confessions, and quiet laughter shared through the airwaves, the LIVE sign dims. You take off your headphones, stretching your neck as the studio falls into silence. Another night, another show wrapped up.
Gathering your notes, you stack them neatly before grabbing your now-lukewarm latte from the desk. The faint chatter of coworkers drifts through the halls—other RJs wrapping up, producers discussing schedules.
"Great show tonight, ___," someone calls out in passing.
"Thanks! See you tomorrow!" you reply with a small smile, pulling on your coat.
Near the exit, your producer glances up. "Don’t forget—tomorrow’s segment is longer for the Valentine’s special. Get some rest!"
"Got it. Night, everyone!"
Pushing open the station doors, you step into the cool night air. The city hums in the distance, but here, it’s quiet—still. You take a slow sip of your latte, savoring the warmth against the crisp breeze.
And then, just a few steps away, you see him.
Leaning against his car, hands tucked into his coat pockets, Seungcheol watches you. The street lamp casts a soft glow over him, catching the faint curve of his lips.
You stop in front of Seungcheol, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"
He tilts his head, acting like it’s the most casual thing in the world. "I was just passing through."
You narrow your eyes. "Passing through? Your workplace is nowhere near here."
"Okay, fine," he chuckles, pushing himself off the car. "I thought I’d pick you up. It’s been a while since we had dinner together."
"Ah, I see. You missed me." You smirk, taking another sip of your latte.
"Don’t flatter yourself, " he scoffs, but the amusement in his eyes gives him away.
You let out a laugh, shaking your head before walking around the car. "Alright, alright. Let’s go before you start crying about how I never have time for you."
He pulls open the passenger door for you with a teasing bow. "Your chariot awaits, my lady."
Rolling your eyes at his theatrics, you slip inside, and he shuts the door before making his way to the driver’s seat.
As he starts the engine, Seungcheol glances at you. "Nice show today."
You blink. "Oh? What’s up, Choiseung? You’re complimenting me?" You raise an eyebrow, grinning.
He scoffs, shaking his head. "Forget it. Should’ve just let you believe no one listens to your rambling at night."
"Too late. I’m taking this to heart forever," you joke, leaning back in your seat.
A few minutes into the drive, Seungcheol reaches into his coat pocket and hands you a neatly folded envelope.
"Here."
You glance at it, then at him. "What’s this?"
"Just open it."
Curious, you unfold the letter inside. His familiar handwriting stretches across the page, carefully written, filled with warmth. It’s a simple note—thanking you for being in his life, for always listening, for just being you.
Your heart softens as you read.
"Ohh, Cheol... this is so sweet. Thank you so much, friend." You smile, touched by the gesture.
The moment the word leaves your lips, he freezes—just for a second.
Then, with a short nod, he looks away, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter.
"Yeah… friend." His voice is light, but something about it feels off.
You don’t notice. Or maybe, you just don’t understand.
"Hm? Did you say something?"
"Nothing," he clears his throat, turning into a street. "We should hurry before the restaurant gets packed."
You let it go, tucking the letter safely into your bag as the city lights blur past.
Dinner is simple—warm bowls of stew and easy conversation. You catch up on each other’s lives, laugh over childhood memories, and argue over who should pay the bill (which Seungcheol wins, as always). It’s comfortable, familiar—just like it’s always been.
But every now and then, Seungcheol watches you with something unreadable in his gaze. Something just beneath the surface.
Later, he pulls up in front of your place.
"Thanks for dinner, Choiseung." You grin, unbuckling your seatbelt.
"Yeah, yeah. You can pay next time."
"I’ll believe that when it happens." You laugh, stepping out of the car. "Goodnight!"
He waits until you disappear inside, only driving off once your lights flicker on.
And then he waits.
Seated in his car, he watches as your silhouette moves around the room. It’s only when your lights finally turn off that he exhales, rubbing the back of his neck before driving away into the quiet night.
The next day passes in a blur of work, coffee, and the usual routine. You go through meetings, reply to emails, and try not to fall asleep at your desk. It’s just another regular day—until night falls, and you’re back in the studio, headphones on, mic live, slipping into the comfort of your show.
"And that was 'Moonlight' to set the mood for tonight," you say, adjusting the volume on the console. "Now, let’s see what’s on your mind, listeners. Late-night confessions, random thoughts, love letters—I'm here for it all."
A familiar name pops up in the chat, and you smile.
"Ah, a message from ‘Cherry’ again," you muse, skimming through it.
"So, Cherry says: ‘I wrote them my feelings, but I feel like they didn't get the hint. Any advice?’”
You lean back, thoughtful.
"Confessions are tricky, aren’t they? But if words feel too heavy, why not try something else?"
You pause, then smile.
"Here’s an idea—make a playlist. Fill it with songs that subtly express your feelings, and share it with them. You can name it something meaningful, like ‘For You’ or ‘Songs That Remind Me of You.’ Maybe they’ll get the hint, maybe they won’t, but either way… music has a way of saying what we can’t."
A soft melody plays as you set up the next song, your voice lowering.
"Speaking of confessions… Cherry, this one’s for you."
___
After the show, you gather your things, stretching as the familiar hum of the studio fades into the quiet of the night. Stepping outside, the cool air brushes against your skin—and there he is, leaning against his car, arms crossed, waiting.
"You again?" You arch a brow, teasing.
Seungcheol smirks. "What can I say? Madam needs her personal chauffeur." He pushes off the car, opening the door for you with a playful grin.
You scoff, rolling your eyes as you slide in. "More like my chauffeur needs his daily dose of validation."
He chuckles, shutting the door before rounding the car. "Can you blame me? Gotta make sure my most important passenger gets home safe."
You shake your head, biting back a smile as he starts the engine. The familiar warmth of routine settles between you, comfortable and unspoken.
As you drive, soft music fills the space—a melody unfamiliar yet strangely intimate. You pause, listening. It’s not his usual sound. Gone are the heavy beats and sharp rhythms he prefers. Instead, the speakers hum with gentle tunes, lyrics drenched in longing.
You glance at him, amusement flickering in your gaze. "Since when did your taste in music change this much?"
His fingers flex over the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the road. "Dunno. Just felt like switching things up."
You hum along absentmindedly, letting the melody wrap around you, comforting in ways you don’t fully understand.
Seungcheol exhales quietly, gripping the wheel a little tighter, sneaking a glance your way. Because this playlist isn’t just a mix of songs—it’s a confession. One he can only hope you’ll hear.
As Seungcheol pulls up in front of your place, he shifts the car into park but doesn’t make a move to unlock the doors just yet. Instead, he drums his fingers against the steering wheel, stealing a glance your way.
"__, since tomorrow’s the weekend... you wanna hang out?" His voice is casual, but there’s something just a little hesitant in the way he says it.
You turn to him, brows raised. "Sure. Where?"
Seungcheol clears his throat, rubbing the back of his neck as he looks away. "Nothing much… just the amusement park. Maybe a café after, y’know."
You blink before breaking into a small smile. "Huh, it’s been a while since we’ve gone there."
He nods, still avoiding your eyes. "Yeah. Thought it might be fun."
You tilt your head, watching him for a second before nudging his arm. "Well, if you’re paying, I’m definitely in."
He scoffs, rolling his eyes but grinning nonetheless. "Yeah, yeah. Just don’t go overboard with the snacks."
You laugh, reaching for the door handle. "No promises. See you tomorrow, Choiseung."
As you step out, he waits, watching until your lights flicker on inside. Only then does he drive off, the soft hum of the playlist still playing in the background.
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The next day, the weekend air carries a hint of excitement as you step outside, spotting Seungcheol waiting by his car. Dressed casually in a hoodie and jeans, he looks effortlessly relaxed—except for the way he keeps checking his phone, as if trying to act nonchalant.
"Wow, you’re actually on time today," you tease, walking up to him.
He scoffs, sliding his phone into his pocket. "Please, I was born punctual."
You snort. "Sure, if 'punctual' means making me wait at least ten minutes every time."
Seungcheol rolls his eyes but opens the car door for you anyway, his usual playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Just get in, before I make you walk to the amusement park."
You laugh, sliding in as he rounds the car. Soon, you're both on the road, the soft hum of music playing in the background.
"So, what’s the plan, tour guide?" you ask, glancing at him.
He shrugs, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. "Nothing fancy. Just rides, food, and you trying not to chicken out on the roller coasters."
You gasp dramatically. "Excuse you, I do not chicken out—"
"You literally backed out last time," he deadpans, making you groan in protest.
The banter continues, filling the car with laughter as the amusement park comes into view, the vibrant lights and distant screams of thrill-seekers setting the perfect scene for the day ahead.
As Seungcheol parks the car, you glance at the towering rides ahead, the excited chatter of parkgoers filling the air.
"Alright, where to first?" he asks, stretching as he steps out of the car.
You scan the park, lips pursed in thought before pointing towards the roller coasters with a challenging grin. "Since you’re so confident, let’s start with that."
His eyes widen for a split second before he huffs. "I wasn’t the one who backed out last time, remember?"
You laugh, linking your arm with his and pulling him along. "Exactly. Time to redeem myself."
The line moves faster than expected, and soon, you're seated, the bar locking in place. You grip the handles tightly, sneaking a glance at Seungcheol. He looks relaxed, but the way he exhales deeply before the ride starts doesn’t go unnoticed.
The moment the coaster shoots forward, your screams mix with laughter, adrenaline rushing through your veins as you grip the bar for dear life. When it finally slows, you glance at Seungcheol, only to see him looking at you instead of the ride’s descent.
"What?" you ask, breathless.
He shakes his head, a small, fond smile on his lips. "Nothing. Just glad you didn’t chicken out this time."
You roll your eyes, nudging him playfully as you both step off the ride, your legs slightly wobbly from the rush.
The day continues with more rides, playful bets on who can win the most arcade games (he cheats, you swear), and an unnecessary but hilarious attempt at a claw machine.
"Face it, I'm just naturally gifted," he boasts, tossing you a small stuffed bear.
"Naturally full of it, maybe," you grumble, but take the bear anyway, hugging it to your chest.
Finally, as the night settles, you both find yourselves on the Ferris wheel, the gentle hum of the ride filling the comfortable silence. The city sprawls below, glowing under the streetlights, and in the distance, fireworks begin to bloom in the sky.
"Didn’t think today would be this fun," you admit, leaning back against the seat, the cool glass behind you a contrast to the warmth in your chest.
Seungcheol glances at you, something unreadable in his expression. He exhales softly, his fingers tapping against his knee.
"Yeah... I, uh—" He hesitates, licking his lips, his voice quieter now. "There's actually something I—"
But before he can finish, a particularly loud firework crackles in the sky, painting the cabin in flickering colors. You turn quickly, eyes lighting up as you take in the view.
"Oh, look at that one! It’s so pretty" you say, completely missing the way Seungcheol sighs, his half-spoken words swallowed by the moment.
He leans back, running a hand through his hair, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
"Yeah," he murmurs, gaze lingering on you instead of the fireworks. "It is pretty."
Eventually, you both find yourselves at a cozy café just outside the park, the scent of coffee and pastries filling the air.
After placing your order, Seungcheol suddenly pushes back his chair. “Be right back,” he says, flashing a quick smile before heading toward the counter.
You don’t think much of it, scrolling through your phone until the waiter returns with your drinks. As they set your cup down, you notice the delicate heart design floating atop the foam.
You tilt your head, stirring it slightly with your spoon. “Oh? Is this some kind of Valentine’s special?” you ask, amused. “Did you get one too?”
Seungcheol, who’s just returned to his seat, glances at his own plain coffee and shrugs. “Yeah… no.”
You raise a brow. “Huh. Guess they just like me more.”
He chuckles, taking a sip of his drink, but you don’t notice the way he hides his small, satisfied smile. Because the truth is, he had asked for that heart—just for you.
//
The next evening, the soft glow of the studio lights casts a warm hue as you settle into your seat, adjusting your headphones. Outside, the city hums with life, but a sudden downpour has turned the streets into shimmering reflections of neon signs.
"Looks like we’re in for an unexpected downpour tonight," you say, adjusting your headphones with a small chuckle. "So if you're heading home, grab an umbrella—or better yet, find someone who’ll share theirs with you—if not, maybe this is your chance for a classic movie moment. You know, the whole ‘one umbrella, two people’ thing."
With a quick tap, you queue up a slow, dreamy melody.
"Wherever you are tonight—rushing through the rain or just watching it fall—I hope this keeps you warm. Stay safe out there." As the song plays, you sit back, stretching your arms with a sigh. 
As the show wraps up, you take off your headphones, letting out a small sigh as the last song fades into silence. The studio, once filled with the hum of voices and music, now feels still. Gathering your things, you push open the door, stepping into the quiet hallway.
Outside, the rain still falls in soft sheets, blurring the glow of streetlights. You pause near the entrance, rummaging through your bag. No umbrella. Right. You meant to bring one this morning, but in the rush, it completely slipped your mind.
 You pause at the entrance, contemplating making a run for it, when a familiar voice calls out.
"Figured you’d forget yours."
You blink as Seungcheol steps forward, holding out an umbrella, his usual smirk in place. His hair is slightly damp, his coat dusted with droplets, like he had hurried here without much thought.
A small flutter, barely noticeable, stirs in your chest. You shake it off with a teasing smile. "What, no chauffeur duty today?"
He chuckles, tucking a hand into his pocket. "Uhh, not tonight. I have to stay late for that project."
You tilt your head, a little surprised. "So you came all the way here just to give me this?" You motion toward the umbrella in your hand.
"Yeah," he says simply, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
Before you can say anything else, his phone buzzes. He glances at the screen, sighs, then looks back at you. "I gotta go. Text me when you get home, okay?"
You nod, watching as he jogs toward his car, the red taillights fading into the rain.
For a moment, you just stand there, gripping the umbrella a little tighter. You don’t know why, but the weight of it in your hands feels different.
Then, shaking off the thought, you open it and step into the rain, heading home.
//
As morning arrives, the first thing that comes to mind is Seungcheol. You blink at your phone, thumb hovering over his contact.
Texting him isn’t anything new—you’ve done it countless times before. But for some reason, tonight, it feels… different. Maybe it’s your coworker’s words still echoing in your head, or maybe it’s the way he’s been occupying your thoughts more than usual.
Before you can overthink it, you start typing.
You: Did you get home okay?
A second passes. Then another. You bite your lip, debating whether to add something else.
You: And did you even sleep well? Don’t tell me you stayed up all night working.
You press send before hesitation can creep in. Almost instantly, the dots appear.
Seungcheol: Wow, checking up on me? I must be special.
You roll your eyes, already imagining the smug grin on his face.
You: Forget I asked.
Seungcheol: Wait, wait— I did sleep. Kinda. Had a long day, but I’m home now.
You: Good. Don’t overwork yourself.
Your fingers hover over the screen for a beat before you add one last message.
This time, he takes a little longer to respond.
Seungcheol: You too.
You lock your phone, exhaling softly as you sink into your pillow.
Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe you’re just overthinking. But the warmth unfurling in your chest suggests otherwise.
At work, the usual hum of chatter fills the office. You’re halfway through your emails when a coworker slides into the seat beside you, a teasing grin already in place.
"I saw you yesterday," they start, leaning in slightly. "With a guy. Was he your boyfriend?"
Your fingers freeze over the keyboard.
"What? No!" The denial is immediate, instinctive. Too quick. You clear your throat, forcing a casual shrug. "Just a friend."
Your coworker chuckles, clearly amused. "Mmm, sure. You should’ve seen your face just now."
You scoff, shaking your head. "Oh, please. It’s not like that."
They raise an eyebrow, smirking as they lean against your desk. "Right. Just a friend, huh?"
You roll your eyes, waving them off, but as they walk away, their words linger.
Just a friend. 
You’ve said it a hundred times before. So why does it feel different now?
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The soft glow of the studio lights wraps around you like a familiar embrace as you settle in for another night on air. The playlist hums in the background, filling the quiet spaces between your thoughts as you scroll through messages from listeners.
One catches your eye.
“I think I’ve fallen for my best friend. It wasn’t sudden—more like a slow, creeping realization. One day, I caught myself smiling at my phone just because they texted me. I don’t know if they feel the same, and I’m scared to lose what we have. What do I do?"
You hesitate for a moment, the words settling heavier than they should. There’s a flicker of something familiar in them, something that makes you sit up a little straighter.
You take a breath and lean toward the mic. “That’s… complicated,” you begin, your voice even, steady. “Falling for a best friend is tricky. It sneaks up on you when you least expect it. One day, they’re just… them. The same person they’ve always been. And then suddenly, everything feels different.”
Your breath catches slightly. A part of you wants to laugh at the timing, but instead, you clear your throat and lean into the mic.
You exhale softly, fingers absentmindedly tracing the edge of your notes. "I think the scariest part isn’t even confessing—it’s the thought of what happens after. What if they don’t feel the same? What if things change? But… at the same time, isn’t it worth knowing? Isn’t it better than wondering ‘what if’ forever?"
The words come naturally, maybe a little too naturally, and you catch yourself mid-sentence, blinking at the realization. Your fingers tighten slightly around the papers in front of you.
You shake it off with a light laugh. "Anyway, I’m not a love expert. But if you’re listening… maybe ask yourself this—would you rather take the risk or live with the regret?"
As the segment transitions, you queue up the next song, the soft melody of Can't Help Falling in Love by Kina Grannis filling the airwaves. A bittersweet smile tugs at your lips as you lean back in your chair, staring at the ceiling.
//
The idea of a team dinner had been floating around the office for weeks, but it wasn’t until today that your producer finally put his foot down.
“We’re going,” he declared, arms crossed as he leaned against your desk. “No more excuses, no more ‘let’s do it next week.’ Tonight, we eat.”
Your coworker snickered, spinning lazily in their chair. “You just don’t want to go home and cook.”
“Exactly,” he admitted shamelessly. “Besides, it’s been a while since we all hung out outside of work. You in?”
You hesitated for a beat, glancing at your screen before sighing. It wasn’t like you had anything better to do. “Yeah, I’m in.”
And that was that. A few hours later, you found yourself walking toward the restaurant with the rest of your team, the air buzzing with conversation. Your producer was still arguing about food, insisting that this place was “decent at best” while another team member defended it with an almost personal level of passion.
You laughed at their banter, falling into step behind them—until something made you slow down.
A familiar figure stood just outside the restaurant, hands tucked into his coat pockets. Even before he turned, you knew who it was.
Seungcheol.
Your brows lifted slightly in amusement. “Are you a stalker?” you teased as you approached. “You’re literally everywhere I go.”
He turned toward you, chuckling under his breath. “No, I’m here with someone. My cli—”
“Shall we go?”
The voice belonged to a woman who stepped up beside him, her posture poised, her tone polite. She looked… elegant. The kind of effortless elegance that didn’t even need to try.
Your gaze flickered between them, something unreadable tightening in your chest before you smoothed your expression. “Who…”
The woman met your eyes and smiled. “Oh, I’m Lee Hana. I’m working with Seungcheol on a project.”
You nodded, lips curving into something light, something easy, even as something else tugged inside you. “Right. Nice to meet you.”
Seungcheol’s gaze lingered on you for a second longer than it should. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh,” you blinked, shifting slightly. “Our team is having dinner.” You motioned toward the restaurant behind you. “You know, bonding and all that.”
He nodded, but before he could say anything else, Hana touched his arm lightly. “Shall we?”
There was a pause—brief, barely there—before he cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah.” Then he glanced at you again. “Bye, then. Have fun.”
And then he was gone, walking away with her at his side.
You watched them leave, something unspoken pressing against your ribs. It’s not jealousy, you told yourself. Not really. But the feeling stayed anyway.
A voice broke through your thoughts. “Oh, isn’t he the umbrella guy?”
You turned to see your coworker standing beside you, glancing after Seungcheol with mild curiosity before their gaze shifted back to you. “Did he come here with a woman?”
You said nothing, but that seemed to be enough of an answer.
They hummed knowingly. “You really must be just friends.” And with that, they walked inside.
You stayed there a second longer, staring at the spot where Seungcheol had just been, before shaking yourself out of it and following them in.
The night air is crisp as you walk back home, the sounds of the city buzzing softly in the background. Your team dinner had ended a while ago, but instead of feeling full and satisfied, there’s a strange heaviness in your chest—a weight you don’t quite understand.  
As you turn the corner to your apartment complex, you slow down, your steps faltering.  
There, leaning against his car with his arms crossed, is Seungcheol.  
Your brows knit together. “What are you doing here?”  
At your voice, he straightens, slipping his hands into his pockets. “You didn’t look well back at the restaurant,” he says, his tone light but laced with something else—concern, maybe. “So, I thought I’d check on you.”  
You blink at him. “You drove all the way here for that?”  
He shrugs. “It’s not far.”  
Liar. His office is nowhere near your place.  
There’s a brief pause. The usual banter is on the tip of your tongue, but for some reason, the words don’t come out as easily tonight. Maybe it’s because he actually showed up. Maybe it’s because you don’t know what to do with the way your heart stutters at the sight of him standing there, waiting for you.  
You shift your weight. “Do you… want to come in for coffee?”  
At that, he chuckles, shaking his head. “Coffee? At this time?” He tilts his head at you, amused. “You must really hate me if you don’t want me to sleep tonight.”  
You scoff, rolling your eyes. “Then I’ll give you plain water. Just come in.”  
His lips twitch into a smirk before he pushes himself off the car. “If you insist.”  
And just like that, he follows you inside.  
The door clicks shut behind you as you step inside, flipping on the lights. The familiar warmth of your home settles around you, but with Seungcheol standing in your living room, it suddenly feels… different.
“You can sit,” you say, gesturing vaguely to the couch as you move toward the kitchen.
He hums in response, wandering over but not immediately sitting down. Instead, he looks around, eyes flickering to the small details of your space—the stack of books on the coffee table, the blanket draped lazily over the couch, the half-full cup on the counter from this morning.
“By the way,” you start, keeping your voice casual as you pour warm milk, “who was that woman earlier?”
Seungcheol hums in acknowledgment, but when he answers, it’s after a slight pause. “Just a client. I’m handling a project for her company.”
“Ah.” You nod, stirring the coffee a little too forcefully. “Looked like you guys were close.”
He lets out a small laugh. “Are you interrogating me right now?”
You scoff, bringing the mugs over to the table and handing him one. “No. Just making conversation.”
You drop onto the couch beside him, curling your legs under you. He’s been here so many times before, and yet tonight, the usual comfort feels a little different—like you’re hyper-aware of the way he leans back, his long legs stretched out in front of him, the way he watches you over the rim of his mug.
“You seemed off earlier,” he says after a beat. “Something wrong?”
“No,” you lie, but even you don’t sound convinced.
Seungcheol doesn’t press, just tilts his head slightly, studying you like he’s figuring out a puzzle. “If you say so.”
After a while, he stretches, glancing at the time. “I should go.”
You nod, following him to the door. He lingers for a second, hands shoved in his pockets.
“Text me when you wake up, yeah?”
You frown. “Why?”
He shrugs. “Just ‘cause.”
You roll your eyes, but something about the way he’s looking at you makes your chest tighten. “Fine.”
He smirks. “Good.”
And then, with a small wave, he’s gone.
You stand there for a second, staring at the closed door, fingers curling tightly around your cup.
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The theater is dim, the soft glow from the screen casting flickering lights across Seungcheol’s face. The film has barely begun, but the hum of quiet conversations and the rustling of popcorn bags fill the space around you.
You’re not sure who suggested this movie. Maybe he did. Maybe you did. Maybe it was just one of those things—where he casually texted, "Movie?" and you didn’t even think before replying, "Sure."
The movie plays, but your focus wavers. You’re aware of him. Of the way his shoulder is just barely brushing yours. The way his fingers drum lazily against his knee. The way he shifts slightly every now and then, getting comfortable.
And then, his hand moves to the popcorn bag between you.
Your fingers accidentally graze his. Just for a second.
You don’t think much of it—until it happens again.
The second time, neither of you pull away immediately. It’s not intentional, not deliberate. Just… a pause. A moment that lingers for a beat too long before he finally retracts his hand.
Your pulse stutters, but you keep your expression neutral.
A few more scenes pass. You’re getting lost in the film when suddenly—
A jump scare.
It’s sudden enough that your breath catches, and before you can stop yourself, your hand darts out, grasping the closest thing—his arm.
Seungcheol doesn’t move. He doesn’t flinch, doesn’t say a word. Just glances down at your fingers curled around his sleeve.
You realize what you’ve done a second too late. Heat creeps up your neck as you start to pull away.
But then—
His arm shifts just slightly, just enough that your hand slides from his sleeve to his wrist, fingertips brushing against his skin.
You don’t move. Neither does he.
The moment stretches, unspoken, unacknowledged. Not quite intentional. But not exactly not intentional, either.
And suddenly, the movie is the least interesting thing in the room.
The movie ends, and the crowd slowly shuffles toward the exits. You stretch your arms as you step out of the dimly lit theater, the cool night air greeting you.
"That wasn’t as scary as I thought," you say, glancing at Seungcheol.
He scoffs, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Sure. That explains why you nearly ripped my sleeve off."
You roll your eyes, nudging him lightly with your elbow. "That was one time."
He smirks. "Uh-huh. And what about the other time? And the time after that?"
You narrow your eyes at him, but there’s no real bite behind it. He’s enjoying this way too much.
"Okay, whatever. Where are we eating?" You change the subject swiftly, and Seungcheol hums, pretending to think.
"Ramen?" he suggests.
Your stomach growls at the mention of food, and you nod. "Sounds good."
It’s a short walk to the small ramen shop tucked away on a quieter street. The place is cozy, warm, and familiar—one of those late-night spots you’ve both ended up in more times than you can count. The moment you step inside, the comforting aroma of broth and spices fills the air.
Seungcheol orders for both of you, as he always does, rattling off your usual without even asking. The cashier doesn’t even blink, already used to it by now.
You shake your head with a small smile. "One day, I’m going to switch things up just to mess with you."
He leans against the counter, grinning. "No, you won’t."
He’s right, and you hate that he knows it.
The two of you settle into a booth, the conversation flowing easily between bites of food. Seungcheol steals a piece of your fish cake without asking. You retaliate by swiping a sip of his drink. It's effortless, familiar.
By the time you step back outside, the streets are quieter. The late hour drapes the city in a peaceful hush, the occasional headlights casting long shadows on the pavement.
Neither of you say much as you walk, but it isn’t an awkward silence. Just the kind that lingers when words aren’t needed.
At some point, Seungcheol slows his pace, falling into step beside you instead of slightly ahead.
The street lights flicker above, the air crisp but not too cold. You rub your hands together out of habit.
A beat passes before Seungcheol exhales through his nose and, without a word, reaches out.
His hand brushes yours, just barely.
You think it might be an accident until he does it again.
This time, he doesn’t move away.
And neither do you.
The apartment is quiet when you step inside, the familiar space wrapping around you like a well-worn blanket. You toe off your shoes, set your bag down, and exhale, as if the night still clings to your skin. The soft hum of the refrigerator is the only sound filling the air, but your mind is anything but quiet.
You wander into the kitchen on autopilot, reaching for a glass, but your fingers hesitate over the cabinet handle. The thought slips in, uninvited.
What if he already knows?
The question lingers, settling into the corners of your mind like an echo. You shake your head as if that alone could shove it away, but it doesn’t work.
Maybe it’s the way he laughed tonight—soft, genuine, like the sound itself belonged to you. Or the way he leaned in closer, just enough that his warmth almost touched you. Maybe it’s nothing at all, just the way he exists around you—familiar, steady, yet suddenly… different.
You close your eyes for a moment, trying to chase the feeling away, but it’s stubborn. Because now that you’ve noticed it, you can’t unsee it. Every teasing remark, every lingering glance, every small, meaningless moment—it’s all been leading to this.
And the worst part?
You don’t even know when it started.
You sink onto the couch, pressing the cool glass against your palm, grounding yourself. You try to convince yourself it’s nothing. You’ve always been close. He’s always been there.
But tonight, when his hand brushed yours and he didn’t pull away… when he said goodnight like he meant something else…
Your heart had stuttered.
You bite your lip, staring at the ceiling, willing your heartbeat to settle.
...What if he already knows?
//
The studio is quiet except for the soft hum of the equipment. The city lights flicker through the window, casting faint shadows against the booth. You scroll through the messages, eyes landing on a familiar name.
Cherry.
“I tried everything you said—gave them a letter, took them out, spent so much time together. And honestly? I swear they like me too. But… nothing. What do I do?"
You let out a breath, tapping your fingers lightly against the desk.
"Okay, first of all—don’t give up. I know it’s frustrating when someone doesn’t read between the lines, but sometimes, people need things to be said plainly. No metaphors, no subtlety. Just… real words."
You lean back slightly, eyes flickering toward the dim window of the booth, where the city blurs in the distance.
"Because here’s the thing—what if they do feel the same way? What if they’re just as scared as you are? Wouldn’t you rather know than spend your days wondering?"
The words come easily, almost too easily, and for a split second, you wonder if you’re really just talking to Cherry anymore.
You exhale and push forward.
"So here’s my advice, Cherry. Tell them. No hints, no half-confessions. Just look them in the eyes and say, ‘I like you.’ And if they don’t feel the same? At least you’ll know. At least you won’t have to live with ‘what if.’"
Your hand hovers over the controls for a moment longer than necessary before finally pressing the next song cue.
The melody flows through the studio, soft and steady. And yet, your heart is thudding slightly faster than it should.
The night air is cool against your skin as you step out of the building, the faint hum of the city filling the quiet. Work is done for the day, your coworkers already heading their separate ways after a few lingering goodbyes.
You stretch your arms slightly, exhaling as you adjust the strap of your bag—only to freeze mid-motion.
He’s there.
Standing just outside the entrance, hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket—except for one, which lingers behind his back, hiding something.
Your heart stirs, something instinctive. “Seungcheol?”
His lips twitch in a small, almost nervous smile. “Hey.”
“You’re waiting for me?” You shift your bag on your shoulder, stepping toward him.
“Yeah.” A soft exhale. “I had to.”
You tilt your head slightly. “Why?”
Seungcheol hesitates, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Then, with a slow exhale, he pulls his hand from behind his back—revealing a bouquet of flowers, delicate and vibrant under the streetlights.
Your breath catches.
Your fingers brush against his as you take it, the warmth of his skin seeping into yours.
“Seungcheol…” Your voice is softer now, unsure. The gesture feels too deliberate, too thoughtful. It makes your heart ache in a way you don’t fully understand.
He watches you for a second before exhaling, running a hand through his hair. “I should’ve said this sooner. A long time ago, actually.” His voice drops slightly. “I think—no, I know—I’ve liked you for a while now.”
Your breath catches.
He holds it out to you, a faint chuckle escaping his lips. “I know it’s kind of cheesy, but... I saw this and thought of you.”
Your fingers brush against his as you take it, the warmth of his skin seeping into yours.
“Seungcheol…” Your voice is softer now, unsure. The gesture feels too deliberate, too thoughtful. It makes your heart ache in a way you don’t fully understand.
He watches you for a second before exhaling, running a hand through his hair. “I should’ve said this sooner. A long time ago, actually.” His voice drops slightly. “I think—no, I know—I’ve liked you for a while now.”
The world feels like it slows down.
His eyes flicker with something—uncertainty, vulnerability, an honesty so raw it makes your chest tighten.
“I tried not to,” he continues, voice steadier now. “I thought maybe it would pass, that maybe we were just friends and I was misreading things. But then you started showing up in my thoughts at the most random times. I’d hear a song and think of you. I’d pass a café and wonder if you’d like their coffee. And no matter how much I tried to ignore it… it was always you.”
Your fingers tighten around the flower.
“So I’m done pretending.” His voice is quiet but firm. “I like you. I’ve liked you for a long time.”
You swallow, fingers tightening around the flower as your heart stumbles over itself. The weight of his words settles over you—not heavy, not suffocating, but something warm, something undeniable.
For a long moment, you don’t speak. You don’t know if you can.
Seungcheol watches you carefully, his usual confidence laced with something softer, something uncertain. You can tell he’s waiting, bracing himself for whatever comes next.
So you inhale slowly, steadying yourself.
“You—” Your voice falters slightly before you clear your throat. “You’ve liked me for a long time?”
He nods, lips curving into a self-deprecating smile. “Yeah.” A beat. “I thought you knew.”
Your breath catches.
Did you?
You think back—to the lingering glances, the easy laughter, the way he’s always been there, steady and constant. The way he looks at you when he thinks you don’t notice. The way your heart has been shifting, your feelings unraveling into something you weren’t ready to name.
“I…” You pause, lips parting, your heart beating so fast it’s dizzying. And then you laugh, a little breathless, shaking your head. “God, I feel so stupid.”
Seungcheol blinks, caught off guard. “Huh?”
You meet his eyes, and this time, there’s no doubt, no hesitation.
“I like you too, you idiot.”
For a second, everything is still.
Then Seungcheol lets out a sharp breath—a laugh, almost disbelieving—and suddenly, that teasing smile you know so well is back, but there’s something else in his expression now. Something real. Something unshakable.
“Yeah?” His voice is quieter, laced with something warm.
You nod, lips pressing together. “Yeah.”
And then, he pulls you in—his hand resting at the back of your head, fingers threading into your hair.
His lips press against yours, gentle at first, then firmer, like he’s been holding this in for too long. His other hand stays over yours, the bouquet still between you, petals brushing against your skin.
The city buzzes in the background, but all you can hear is the quiet rush of your own heartbeat. And in that moment, with his warmth, his touch, his everything—
It just feels right.
You pull away just enough to look at him, breathless, your forehead still resting against his. His hands remain on your waist, warm and grounding, as if neither of you wants to let go just yet.
And honestly? You don’t think you ever want to.
A soft laugh escapes you, light and airy. “You know… a listener of mine also loves their best friend,” you murmur, tilting your head slightly. “They tried everything—subtle hints, letters, taking them out—but their best friend was too dense to get it.”
Seungcheol chuckles, his thumb brushing over your wrist. “Sounds familiar.”
“Right?” You sigh dramatically. “So, I told them to just confess. No hints, no half-confessions, just… real words.”
He hums, nodding thoughtfully. “Good advice.”
“Yeah,” you grin, looking up at him. “I wonder how it went for them.”
Seungcheol pauses for a second, then leans in just a little, his voice playful yet quiet. “I’d say pretty well.”
You blink. “Huh?”
His lips quirk up, and suddenly, the way he’s looking at you feels a little too knowing.
And then, before you can process it, he says it—just two words, but they hit you like a ton of bricks.
“I know.”
You stare. “What?”
He grins, tapping a finger against your forehead lightly. “Your listener. Cherry.”
Your brows furrow. The pieces are there, but your brain refuses to connect them. “What about them?”
He hesitates, as if savoring the moment, before finally confessing, “It’s me.”
Silence.
You tilt your head, processing his words. “...You’re Cherry?”
Seungcheol nods, clearly holding back a laugh at your expression.
For a second, you just stand there, staring at him.
Then, with a dramatic gasp, you lightly smack him with the bouquet in your hands.
“Ow—hey!” He feigns pain, stumbling back slightly, but the wide grin on his face betrays him.
“You idiot!” You hit him again, though there’s no real force behind it. “You made me give love advice for your own confession?”
He catches your wrist, still laughing. “Hey, it worked, didn’t it?”
You narrow your eyes at him, but before you can retaliate, he tugs you forward, pulling you into another hug.
This time, it feels different.
Familiar, warm, but with something new. Something neither of you have to question anymore.
You sigh against his shoulder, shaking your head. “I can’t believe you.”
He grins. “Believe it, Baby.”
339 notes · View notes
indexthejester · 1 day ago
Text
01: meh I think. Getting better I suppose.
02: My friend, we say it when ending calls
03: far too much. Sometimes it hits me like a bullet to the chest. Feels like the metal ball in my brain pinballs into a bumper that gives negative points.
04: no definitely not <- she lied
05: single and looking for friends which may turn into queerplatonic relations. Not that I'm crossing my fingers.
06: slowly and calmly enough to analyze the way it feels to die, but not too peacefully that it's otherwise uninteresting.
07: Zaxby's chicken strips
08: tried a few. Not my thing. Except tennis, I liked that one. Not sure if snowboarding counts but I like that too.
09: Yes I do it sucks.
10: never had one, unless wrestling counts
11: I like many people. I love them too. I suppose I have a crush on people that I relate too, especially if I find them interesting. I want to know every part of them intimately. To drink it all in.
12: yes
13: I don't think so, I try not to. I don't think it's very useful for solving my or the world's problems, and it makes me feel pretty miserable in the process.
14: probably somewhat, I'm pretty lonely most of the time so yeah almost always. I work and live better when I'm with someone I like. Whether talking or just present in the same "space".
15: 2 family dogs, one day I'll move out and get a cat probably. Cats are great.
16: chill, minus the usual slight heartburn. Just got our of the shower and am lying in bed, getting messages from a new friend, living well.
17: no, very out of left field question
18: not really. I find them interesting though. They either look like insects or weirdly mammalian despite being neither. Weird that scorpions are more closely related.
19: nah there's nothing for me back there.
20: god I wish
21: talk to a friend and life planning
22: no, I mean I'm good with them and it's very fulfilling I just find it stressful. Right now I have so much I want to do I can't see myself adopting and settling down but maybe idk.
23: 2 for earrings
24: Math and English I suppose. Programming too if college counts
25: Maybe. Not at the moment. In recent past, it was fun to hang out at the lgbtq center in college. Sucks that I'm stuck at home now.
26: more social interaction. I may be anxious about how I reply or generally talk through textual messaging, but it makes me feel all comfy inside :3 also sleep because it is 2:36am for me rn.
27: idk
28: no
29: never had one
30: eye strain and heart burn and social anxiety.
31: I think so. I don't think it's for me to say, I try to love myself at least, though it's really hard.
32: magenta, or some other combo of purple and red. Hence the Melantha pfp. Also she's autistic.
33: yes, very much so
34: can't remember. The last one I remember was very sexual which is unusual for me.
35: cried on a call with a friend of mine I think. Just scared of the state the world's in.
36: I don't know, I don't know if I've had to
37: depends on the person I guess. Sometimes you can't do either. Just gotta learn to live with what happened.
38: So far absolutely not. But in the past 4 days I've had a lot of fun being alive. It is fun to make new friends and connect with people and have fun.
39: excluding my parents it hasn't happened
40: yes
51: chicken alphredo and chicken cordon bleu
52: I don't believe in fate, but I do believe in causality, to an extent.
53: brush my teeth I think. Maybe watch a youtube video or masterbate, though I usually do the latter as I'm falling asleep so I'm not sure if it counts.
54: I'm sure you could invent some crazy scenario where it is, but in general I think betraying your partner's trust is just about the worst thing you can do in a relationship.
55: I try not to be.
56: 0
57: when I am vulnerable and comfortable, I am filled to bursting with love for the world and everything in it. So if "true" means "pure unfiltered" then maybe yeah. Me x The Universe. Me x All My Friends.
58: bright but not too bright, grey skies, no visavle sun, chill in the air. Can move around without sweating buckets.
59: YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS
60: very much so someday. Already planning it out.
61: never had it happen to me though it seems pretty boring standard. Call me your owner, handler, mad scientist, something interesting.
62: a loving community and the ability to freely create art
63: yeah obviously
64: yeah I'm too old for that it's weird
65: what are we role-playing now? I don't know, depends on the context. (Treating "sex" as "gender" for these questions btw.)
66: no, I don't. I wouldn't call any of my friends men.
67: My father but I honestly wonder if he's not a little trans
68: like a really deep conversation? Uhh definitely @thatweirdyellowrat. Haven't felt that much mental clarity after a conversation in a long time. I would not be as happy or geared to make new friends if not for that.
69: Fuck no.
70: I think so yeah, more than one actually. Which is saying something because I value my life a lot.
70 horrible questions ... Fuck it
01: Do you have a good relationship with your parents? 02: Who did you last say “I love you” to? 03: Do you regret anything? 04: Are you insecure? 05: What is your relationship status? 06: How do you want to die? 07: What did you last eat? 08: Played any sports? 09: Do you bite your nails? 10: When was your last physical fight? 11: Do you like someone? 12: Have you ever stayed up 48 hours? 13: Do you hate anyone at the moment? 14: Do you miss someone? 15: Have any pets? 16: How exactly are you feeling at the moment? 17: Ever made out in the bathroom? 18: Are you scared of spiders? 19: Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? 20: Where was the last place you snogged someone? 21: What are your plans for this weekend? 22: Do you want to have kids? How many? 23: Do you have piercings? How many? 24: What is/are/were your best subject(s)? 25: Do you miss anyone from your past? 26: What are you craving right now? 27: Have you ever broken someone’s heart? 28: Have you ever been cheated on? 29: Have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? 30: What’s irritating you right now? 31: Does somebody love you? 32: What is your favourite color? 33: Do you have trust issues? 34: Who/what was your last dream about? 35: Who was the last person you cried in front of? 36: Do you give out second chances too easily? 37: Is it easier to forgive or forget? 38: Is this year the best year of your life? 39: How old were you when you had your first kiss? 40: Have you ever walked outside completely naked? 51: Favourite food? 52: Do you believe everything happens for a reason? 53: What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? 54: Is cheating ever okay? 55: Are you mean? 56: How many people have you fist fought? 57: Do you believe in true love? 58: Favourite weather? 59: Do you like the snow? 60: Do you wanna get married? 61: Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? 62: What makes you happy? 63: Would you change your name? 64: Would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed? 65: Your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? 66: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around? 67: Who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to? 68: Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? 69: Do you believe in soulmates? 70: Is there anyone you would die for?
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florencebirdsong · 3 days ago
Note
Can I request jealous Agatha x fem reader? Reader and reader’s friend aren’t doing nothing even remotely romantic, Agatha is just over analyzing everything they do together and driving themselves crazy over it
Thank you so much for this request!!! I really hope you enjoy the way I wrote it <3
Staying In
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Agatha Harkness x Reader
summary: when you insist on going out with a friend who is clearly into you, Agatha takes matters into her own hands
tags: red flags with hints of mutual obsession, Mistress Agatha, sub Reader, jealous Agatha, magic bondage, light impact play, overstimulation, fingering
authors note: suspend your disbelief for not having a crush on Darcy. I’ve had to as well 😔
she/her pronouns used to refer to r
ao3 | masterlist
You’ve decided that Agatha is being silly. Mainly because her being insecure feels impossible. You aren’t into Darcy. You have never been into Darcy. It’s never even crossed your mind. Something Agatha is well aware of and yet she insists that something is there. At least on Darcy’s end. Which you highly doubt since she would have said something during the decade you’ve known her.
“It doesn’t matter,” you finally snap at her. “Despite what you may believe Agatha, I am my own person. I’m going to go to a nice restaurant with my nice friend and have a nice, platonic night with her.”
Agatha’s face goes blank in a way that makes you nervous. It turning into a slow smirk has you shifting on your feet. Agatha is rarely wrong. It’s a fact that you usually enjoy. Right now it’s too hard to think of your best friend seeing things differently to accept it. Plus, the fact that you have zero interest in Darcy and Agatha has made her claim very clear should defuse things. And yet.
“It’s not what you think, Agatha,” you insist.
“Of course, dear,” she says with that same deadly look and you swallow harshly.
You have to look away otherwise that traitorous warmth inside you is going to take over your rational brain. It’s not fair that she still has such a strong effect on you when you’re frustrated with her.
“I think I’ll retire to my lab for the night,” she says, already turning. You enjoy your nice night.”
You fight the urge to follow her and instead watch her go quietly. That had been a little too easy, especially with your earlier claim. You’re both well aware of how deeply Agatha owns you.
You only debate with yourself for a moment before moving to get ready. Your and Darcy’s schedules haven’t lined up enough for a proper meal for weeks. You’re both busy enough it’s likely to take even longer for them to line up again. You can survive one night of Agatha’s wrath.
—————-
Every other item you try to use disappears. It starts out subtle. Some things not being where you thought you left them, others being in odd but not impossible spots. It escalates until your perfume disappears right out of your hand.
“Agatha!” you finally shout in frustration.
Of course, you don’t get an answer. She’s three floors away. Not that it stops her from watching you but she so does love plausible deniability.
You’re about to rummage through her own drawers (more to make a mess than anything) when her personal perfume bottle appears in a little puff of purple smoke right in front of you. You huff a laugh. Of course.
You don’t try and refuse it. Or deny how much you want it. Every bit of Agatha entices you. Her scent is no different. Even if the perfume doesn’t quite contain every hint of her, it’s enough of a reward for her to use it against you often.
It’s hard to concentrate with her scent surrounding you but it’s something you have to contend with every time you’re around her. You have enough practice to still complete your goal, just not without thinking about her every time you take a breath.
Since Agatha has yet to bind you to the bed, you believe you’re consequence free, at least until you return home. Then you reach the door. The handle turns but the door doesn’t open. You try to flick the lock but it doesn’t move. Frowning, you try to tug it free but it’s too small to get a good grip. It jiggles a little but remains stuck. It’s weird and annoying but nothing Agatha can’t fix. Later. It’s not the best idea to go down to her lair while you still want to leave.
A thought crosses your mind but you don’t genuinely believe it until the back door does the same thing. She really has locked you in. You prefer it when she throws you into bed and traps you there. Huffing, you wonder if it would be too crazy to go out the window. It feels too crazy, and a bit silly. You aren’t a teenager anymore and this is technically also your house.
Instead of creeping out of a window, you creep down the stairs to her basement. While the house may equally be yours, Agatha’s lair is entirely her own. It’s a dangerous place for anyone that isn’t Agatha.
She’s standing at one of her benches, going between a book and some vaguely-witchy item in her hand. You risk a few steps inside.
“You locked the door.”
“Did I?” Agatha asks neutrally, not bothering to look up from what she is working on.
“I could be wrong,” you shrug casually. “If I am then you’ll have no problem forcing it open.”
“I’m very busy, dear.”
“It’s very convenient for both doors to be stuck on the night you don’t want me to go out.”
Agatha finally turns around. “Careful,” she says in a low voice.
You swallow hard. It’s not a smart idea to push her but you’re annoyed enough to do it anyway.
“I guess I’ll just go out the window,” you jut your chin out.
Her eyes darken but she doesn’t move. You know she’s waiting to see if you actually try or if you’re bluffing. It pisses you off enough to turn around. You get two steps before your arms are jerked behind your back and purple lifts you off the ground.
“Agatha!” you yell more in surprise than anything else.
“I did say to be careful.” She tilts her wrist and you fly towards her. “Look at you, all dressed up for her.”
“I’m not,” you snap.
What you’re wearing is nicer than usual but it’s hardly your dressiest outfit. You’re going to a higher end restaurant than the usual casual lunches you do with Darcy.
Agatha flicks her wrist and you whimper at the pain that lashes across your thigh. Sharp enough it’s like you aren’t wearing clothes at all.
“Agatha,” you half-whine, not wanting to admit just how turned on you are.
She flicks her wrist again and you squirm in the air.
“Tell me to stop,” she says as she slowly circles you. “Tell me to stop, and mean it, and I’ll send you on your pretty little way.”
You hate when she does this. You can never refuse her attention. It’s all you think about.
Pain lances again when you don’t answer quickly enough. You debate purposely staying quiet longer to feel it again but you doubt this will be the last of your punishment for tonight.
“Stop,” your voice wavers.
Agatha strikes you again and you can feel yourself begin to drip down your thigh.
“Try again.”
“I want you to stop,” your voice comes out a little firmer this time and Agatha raises an eyebrow.
“I almost believe you,” she says, which you highly doubt. “Unfortunately, you’ve always been a terrible liar.”
“I- I want to go to dinner,” you try instead because you both know you don’t truly want Agatha to stop.
“Maybe. But you want me to fuck you more.”
You swallow harshly. There’s no denying that. “You won’t though,” you say quietly.
“Aw, is that what has my pet all upset? She thinks I won’t fuck her silly since she’s been so naughty?”
“Think?” you ask hopefully and Agatha smirks.
“Why, of course. I want my girl to stay, don’t I? Denying her isn’t going to that.”
It sounds like a trap. It feels like a trap. Agatha’s face is telling you that it is a trap and yet, that heat within you rises. With the way your games usually go, she’s probably going to fuck you. There’ll be some sort of catch, especially after you’ve denied her so much. But just the idea of her touching you when you were so certain she wouldn’t has you giving in.
“I -” you lick your dry lips. “I do want you to fuck me more.”
“Well, now you’re just stating facts,” Agatha flicks her wrist and your clothes disappear. “I suppose it’s better than lying.”
Anticipation surges through you as her eyes run over you. They snag on the red welts caused by her earlier lashes before they stray to the wetness soaking your thighs.
“Oh, you poor thing,” she coos and steps closer. “No wonder you’ve been acting out You’re too desperate to think properly.”
You don’t even contemplate protesting with her hands on you. When she looks up at you for a response you nod eagerly. Her amusement doesn’t settle the voice saying there’s a catch somewhere but her touch soothes any growing anxieties.
“I can certainly help with that,” she says and trails her fingers over the red marks as she makes her way towards your soaked core.
Her fingers lightly run through your soaked lips and you shiver. Agatha has been so annoyed about Darcy that she hasn’t touched you like this in days. You hadn’t realised how much the lack was affecting you.
“There we go,” she murmurs as she runs her fingers over your clit, making you gasp. She circles there for a moment before moving down and smoothly entering you with two fingers. “Empty that pretty little head of yours.”
Nodding, you try to spread your legs further apart but Agatha’s magic keeps you still. You wish she would let you down. Let you touch her. But it’s a miracle she’s touching you at all so you don’t risk asking.
Agatha’s pace remains slow until you’re whining with need. She’s so mean, only giving your clit a quick swipe every now and then until you’re begging incoherently.
“Are you going to behave for me now?” she finally asks with a raised eyebrow. Long past words, you nod desperately. Anything, you’d do anything for her. “Good girl,” she says gutturally and you fly over the edge.
She speeds up for the first time and you writhe in pleasure as the orgasm flows over you, the slow build to it having heightened the intensity. She doesn’t slow, even as you come back down.
“Mistress?” you gasp in confusion when she doesn’t stop.
“Don’t worry. I’m just making sure no silly thoughts linger in my pet’s head.”
You don’t protest or plead. You don’t want her hands to leave yet. It’s been too long without them. A second orgasm won’t hurt. Especially when she pays so much more attention to your clit.
As she makes firm circles around your clit, you wish once again that you could touch her. You want to feel her warmth against you and use your teeth to encourage her to fuck you faster and pull her hair when she doesn’t. Instead, you’re stuck whining in the air as she has her way with you.
Her fingers curl and hit that special spot inside of you. Your head drops forward as you moan. She does it again as she makes firmer circles around your clit and you’re coming before you even realise how close you are.
Finally, finally she lets you touch her. Her magic lowers you down and wraps your arms around her. You cling tight and whimper when her fingers curl again.
“One more,” she murmurs soothingly.
You meant to speak but what comes out is a low whine that’s quickly taken over by a moan.
This one is slow and soft. You’re sensitive enough that Agatha’s slow pace builds you up easily. You whine into her shoulder as the overwhelming feeling of coming a third time floods you.
You tend and shudder in her grasp before going entirely limp.
“There we go. You know where you belong, don’t you?” she asks.
She cradles you like you’re something precious. You nod weakly, holding onto her. There was never a question of who you belong to but you don’t mind reminding Agatha. Or, well, Agatha reminding herself.
“You mistress,” you manage to say.
“Good girl,” she says and kisses the side of your head.
You shiver again.
“So mean,” you mutter light heartedly.
Agatha gives you an amused look.
“Three was getting off lightly and you know it.”
You snort at the pun.
“Can we go lay down?” you ask after a moment. “I’ve missed you.”
The dizzying sensation of teleporting envelopes you a second later.
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feeder86 · 23 hours ago
Text
Bossed
Ben huffed as he slouched in his desk chair, gazing at the computer screen. The numbers hadn’t changed but there may still have been some elusive way in which he could process them in order to make the sales figures look less dire than they actually were. He just needed to find it; otherwise, his neck could be on the line. The downward trend had been a worrying phenomenon ever since he’d joined the company almost 12 months ago, and he hadn’t been in the least bit surprised when their boss, Elise, lost her job over it all last week.
Reaching for one of the doughnuts from the box he’d picked up from the store across the street, Ben mulled over the problem, sucking his fingers and thumbs before reaching in for a second.
“Okay, listen up people!” came the call of Rob, the overly perky middle manager, making his usual trip to their office space as the day was drawing to a close. “I want to introduce you to someone,” he announced, motioning towards the tall, strapping older man in his late thirties. “This is Elijah. He’s the company’s new hire and we’re super lucky to have him,” he gushed; sucking up in his trademark style. “He’s taking over from Elise and has lots of incredible ideas about how he’s going to turn things around here!” He began retreating, already starting a round of applause that he expected everyone else to join in with.
With a decent amount of conformists now standing, Elijah stepped forwards and smiled with false modesty. “Thank you,” he nodded, quietly shushing them by gently motioning his hands for them to stop clapping. “I’m very excited to be here,” he began, revealing a slight Germanic accent that made him appear ever so slightly harsher. His body was strong and athletic, not a hair out of place; carrying himself with power and composure. “From what I have seen here today, there are clearly the building blocks of a potentially very strong team.”
Ben listened in, reaching for another doughnut. Sure, Elijah looked the part, but how long could he really survive on this sinking ship?
“Excuse me?” Elijah called out, looking directly at Ben. “Are you just going to sit there eating your doughnuts whilst your new boss addresses you for the first time?” he asked patronisingly, looking around at the others as if in disbelief at Ben’s rudeness.
Ben froze in shock as everyone turned to look at him, still in his desk chair with a half eaten doughnut clutched in his hand.
“Put it down,” Elias nodded at the doughnut, as if Ben was the rudest person he had ever met. “Manners cost nothing!”
Ben did as he was told, rising to his feet like everyone else and brushing the sugar off his chest. He suddenly had the feeling that he was back in school all over again.
Elijah’s warm greeting appeared to have been abandoned and he huffed as if he had suddenly been put in the foulest of moods. “This is exactly the sort of thing I dislike. You all have to realise that how you conduct yourselves in the office has a huge impact. We’re going to have clients coming in and out of here all day long.” Still his eyes were fixed on Ben. “What age are you, boy?” he asked directly.
Ben stuttered a little, feeling a bead of sweat running down his back. “I’m twenty three, sir,” he replied.
Elijah shook his head as if he was disgusted. “Twenty three and you were just slouching there in your desk chair eating an entire box of doughnuts whilst your boss was in the room talking to you. You think that’s appropriate?”
“No, sir,” Ben shot back, feeling that he could be fired at any second.
“So you’ve put on a little weight over the holidays?” the man taunted next, not pausing for Ben to respond. “You know how I can tell? That shirt of yours is too tight around your stomach. Do you think the rest of us want to see that?” he asked.
“No, sir!” Ben stated at once, swallowing hard. He knew he was up ten pounds or so since the start of December, but he hadn’t seen the point in buying larger shirts when, in all likelihood, he’d naturally drop most of it within a few weeks.
“Is this the type of look we want our clients to associate us with?” Elijah asked the staff collectively, motioning from afar towards Ben’s chubby form squeezed into an ill-fitting shirt.
“No,” they all replied, shaking their heads as if each once was keen not to be placed in the firing line next.
Ben could feel the blood pumping to his face. He’d been as skinny as a rake when he started college at eighteen, but he’d gradually thickened up from that tall, slender drainpipe-like boy of 145lbs, to the altogether softer look he had developed now at 190lbs. He’d started to get a little paunch by his second year, spurred on by the cheap, processed foods that made up the majority of his diet. He’d always imagined himself losing it eventually, but the right time had just never seemed to materialise. He’d packed on an extra inch around his waist every year since then, with even his nipples starting to grow softer and more pointed in the last six months.
Elijah stared at him hard. Ben remembered thinking that this could go either way and, in that moment, he imagined himself carrying a cardboard box of his things out of the office for the last time should Elijah choose to make an example of him there and then. What better way to begin a new regime than firing someone within the first few minutes? 
“I want you in a shirt that actually fits tomorrow,” Elijah finally told him, taking a quick glance at the rest of him. “Pants too,” he nodded.
“Yes, sir!” Ben nodded gratefully, straightening up and sucking his stomach in; sighing with relief as  Elijah at last moved on to continue his speech.
Ben grumbled to himself as he saw the money debited from his account for the new work clothes he had been forced to purchase earlier that month. It had been a hard slog to pay day now that Elijah was in charge. Ben felt as though he was constantly under the microscope with Elijah installing software that allowed him to see what was on his screen at all times. 
“I want it put over there,” Elijah instructed the maintenance guys as he pointed to the vending machine that had always been behind Ben’s desk. With a headset on, the man probably assumed that Ben couldn’t hear him as he chuckled and told them that he needed to get it away from ‘that chubby one.’
Inwardly, Ben shouted expletives at the top of his voice, despite knowing better than to react. Six people had already left or been fired so far; even Rob, the master at sucking up to the bosses, had been given his marching orders. In their places, new recruits, more suited to Elijah’s style of management, began to trickle in. The familiar atmosphere had changed. That warm family-like environment had been ripped away. It was unnerving and stressful. Even the vending machine's new location, despite being further away, meant that it was now directly in Ben’s eyeline, making him obsess even more than usual for a quick sugar hit when things were getting tough.
At only 190lbs, Ben was far from being the chubbiest guy who worked there. However, it was the fact that his soft physique was combined with such a youthful age that Elijah seemed to find so intolerable. “I was starting my first business at twenty three,” he’d lectured Ben one afternoon after seeing him returning from a fast food place. “I wasn’t sitting around, stuffing my face with all this rubbish!”
Ben listened, hating every single thing about his new boss. Despite the initial boost Elijah’s harsh criticisms had given him to set up a gym subscription, Ben had actually found his energy completely drained after a day at work. The gym was only across the street, yet it was also where Elijah himself often frequented. Whilst there, Ben could sense the man’s eyes upon him as he sniggered with similarly muscular friends in a way that Ben couldn’t help feeling was directed at him. After only three sessions, he stopped going entirely. His work role had changed under the new system, with Ben practically chained to his desk chair from the moment he arrived at 8.55am each morning. Just like the fifteen pounds he’d gained during his final college exams, Ben’s old stress eating habits were coming back to bite him. He knew he’d put on more weight and, even worse, his boss knew it as well. Ben had tried to confide his frustrations about Elijah’s comments to his cousin who lived close by, however she merely brushed them aside, agreeing entirely with the anecdotes of Elijah’s observations and simply stating that ‘the truth hurts sometimes’.
Often, Ben’s dislike of his boss would manifest in the most peculiar and even counter-productive ways. Only last week he had seen a giant celebration cake on sale and he had gorged upon it all that very night, taking satisfaction in imagining how disgusted Elijah would be. “Fuck him!” Ben had shouted aloud, unbuckling the top button of his pants as he sipped on some chocolate milk to fully round off the experience.
Ben had never had a double chin before. However, it was becoming more and more apparent each time he shaved that the entire shape of his face had begun altering. He’d recently taken a picture of his body for someone he had been flirting with on an app, immediately getting blocked straight afterwards. He couldn’t blame them. He looked awkward and dumpy with his fat stomach popping out. Perhaps it didn’t help that most of his friends here in the city were so large and overweight; enjoying video games and the occasional board game nights, rather than anything active. Instead of focusing on his habits, Ben decided that it was actually his job that was contributing most to his expanding waistline. As such, he began to seriously look for a role in another company. He applied, finding he was rejected time and time again due to what he suspected was a very mediocre reference from Elijah.
With the annual charity fundraiser in December, Ben’s workload increased even more dramatically than the year before. There were so many elements to it and red tape to get through. He knew he would be stuck at the office for at least a couple of hours after everyone else. If only Elijah had left at the same time, Ben felt like everything could have run a lot smoother. He’d had a plan in his head for some time, knowing that he could corrupt the software on Elijah’s computer to disrupt the man’s ability to simply pop up on his screen like he regularly enjoyed doing. If Ben was successful, he’d be a hero amongst the staff by the time morning came around again.
Just before half six, the detestable man finally headed out, dressed and prepared for his usual workout at the gym across the street. He made a snarky comment about the carb-loaded snacks Ben had bought for himself as he continued trying to catch up. Some things never changed.
“This is just between you and me,” Ben winked at Mary who was pottering around cleaning up the office space. 
Mary grinned back at him, having listened to many woes about Elijah’s management style from the others who had stayed late or quit over the last year. “I know nothing!” she laughed, fully prepared to close her eyes and ears to everything that was about to take place.
The system login on Elijah’s computer was easily overcome. The boss had boasted to Ben weeks earlier that he used the remarkable time from his last marathon run as his password; a time that he had repeated to Ben over and over again as he saw him popping backwards and forwards to the vending machine.
And just like that, Ben was in. Elijah’s whole computer opened up to him like a picture book. In fact, it hadn’t even been shut down correctly. There were so many pages and tabs open all at once. But, what was that? Ben had to go back, caught by the most striking image.
“Everything okay, dear?” asked Mary, popping her head inside the office.
“YES! Fine!” Ben exclaimed, eyes wide and startled. He  couldn’t begin to explain what he had just seen, even if he had tried.
A couple of weeks later, Ben was enjoying that blissful period between Christmas and New Year when he didn’t have to think in the slightest about work. He sat around a table with his housemates, Gray and Eddie, alongside their friend Joe; all equally as nerdy as each other, engrossed in a complex board game, surrounded by the tastiest sweet and savory snacks.
“Did you guys know that there are some folks who are really into larger guys?” Ben asked the three others; all of them significantly larger and heavier than himself. 
“Of course there are,” chuckled Gray, looking at Ben like he was simple.
“No…” Ben clarified, trying to rephrase what he was saying. “I mean… did you know that there are some people who really get off to the whole weight gain thing; seeing someone going from slim to really, really fat?”
“Oh, like a feeder, you mean?” Eddie asked him. “Yeah, I’ve had a few girls approach me on dating apps who were into that,” he nodded knowledgeably.
“And me,” Joe agreed. “They get off on wanting to feed you.”
Ben looked at the pair of them, both large and round, weighing no less than 350 lbs each. “And what did you say to them?”
“Depends on how hot they are,” Gray shrugged, chuckling as both Joe and Eddie fully agreed with him. “Why? Have you come across one?” he asked curiously. “You’ve definitely packed on a good few pounds this year,” he chuckled, looking daringly at the others, like he had just said something they had all wanted to mention for weeks.
“You’re getting tits like mine,” Gray laughed, reaching his hand out to poke the softer chest.
“Shut up!” Ben laughed back, snapping away the hands that reached out to him. “I’m not that…” he began, before deciding to refocus the conversation. “It’s just this guy in work,” he began. “He’s vile. I thought he found my weight completely repulsive but… now I think he could actually be into it. Not me, specifically,” he clarified. “But, bigger guys in general.”
“Your first chubby chaser!” laughed Gray, throwing back his beer.
“Yeah,” chuckled Joe, seeming genuinely pleased for Ben. “Chasers are pretty rare!”
Ben shook his head. They’d all seriously misunderstood the point he was trying to make. However, he was at least pleased that he had some friends with some experience in this area. He’d felt like he was going insane for a couple of days after he had seen the pictures of the enormously obese guys on Elijah’s computer screen. Some of them would make even Gray look slender. Then he’d gasped in surprise as he’d read the kinky chat log his boss had been having as he encouraged an already very obese guy from another state to stuff himself with the pizzas; pizzas that Elijah had apparently ordered online and sent over himself. “Like I said…” he mumbled to the other guys. “I hate the guy’s guts. I’d never go there with him. It’s just… interesting.” 
Discovering Elijah’s kinky preferences could not have come at a worse time for Ben. The revelation had sent him into a period of complete thoughtlessness about his eating as he was utterly determined to enjoy himself over the holidays with his large housemates. More dessert? Why not? Another beer? Sure! Ben looked at himself in the mirror, having stepped on the scales to discover that he had gained no less than twenty pounds in a single month. He hadn’t even known that such a gain was even possible. However, it was all there, clearly visible on his 260lb body: the advanced swathe of belly fat that had rounded out into a pot belly, with nipples sagging and resting above. His love handles felt intrusive as they pushed out from the sides and gis glutes and thighs appeared as if they had been pumped with blubber. Even at 6’2, he couldn’t hide the fact that he was a fat guy now. His jawline was non-existent and his double chin had been commented on by several family members on Christmas Day itself. The work pants were tight; far too tight. His shirt clung unflatteringly around his stomach, straining the buttons like it wanted to highlight to everyone just how much more of a gut he had on him this year; the collar almost choking him.
Ben huffed as he further investigated his reflection in the mirror; that shocking side profile with his protrusive stomach and widened rear, exaggerated even more by the tightness of the fabric. His tie would need to be extra long today to try and mask the straining of the buttons. He was turning into a fat fucking monster, he thought, grumbling to himself as he rubbed the arching shape of his stomach.
All he needed to do was make it through to lunchtime, Ben thought, parking his butt down on his desk chair. Then he could head out and buy a shirt that could help him blend in better, and some pants that didn’t make him panic each time he took a longer stride.
“Is Annie in today?” Ben asked aloud to his colleagues as he saw the empty chair.
“We just assumed that you’d eaten her,” came Elijah’s sarcastic tone, suddenly springing up from nowhere and walking across the room towards the main office.
A rolling chuckle sounded around the office, like the boss had just said exactly what they were all thinking. So, everyone had noticed his extra weight then? And he’d been trying so hard to suck it all in as well. He rolled his eyes, knowing that there was so much he could say about Elijah to embarrass him in return. He wondered what everyone would think if he told them all about the things he’d found on Elijah’s computer. Perhaps he would have told them all already, but for the email threatening immediate dismissal to the unknown culprit the day after Ben’s devious computer hack, once the sabotage had been discovered.
Sitting at his desk, Ben's stomach was rumbling and growling. For two whole weeks he had been eating and drinking whatever and whenever he wanted. Now, forced back into the mundane, lunchtime couldn’t come fast enough. Given that he’d fooled no one with his techniques to try and mask the extra pounds, Ben treated himself to one of the giant burritos from the place down the street. His shirt buttons straining, he could see the glances he was getting. Perhaps he should have been more embarrassed, but his mind was still whirring, wondering how many other people were actually secretly into this fat bellied look. Was that person staring because they thought he was gross? Or was it because they wanted to rip his shirt off and see the glorious gut that was under construction? He gasped in realisation as he thought about his Uncle Leon and Aunt Pam over in Detroit. Uncle Leon had been so lean and muscular when he’d got married, yet he’d rapidly packed on an incredible amount of fat in the following years. So much so that he’d had to give up his job in construction and skinny Aunt Pam had been working two jobs for years in order to support them both. So why was it that everyone in the family still hated Aunt Pam? They all knew about this sort of stuff, didn’t they? They knew that Aunt Pam liked him larger and had most likely enabled him to his easily 500lb state. There were others too: his friend Tom from school, with his giant mother and slender father who was always constantly bringing treats home for his wife. What about Bob and Helen in his old neighborhoo? Bob was the only super obese guy in town to be dating a former beauty queen, ten years younger than him.
Ben’s burrito was gone in a flash as he chewed and mulled over everything. His sweet tooth was driving him crazy and he popped next door to the doughnut place to pick up some treats as well as a large bottle of soda to take back into the office with him. It was only when he made it back to his desk that he’d remembered his intention to pick up a new shirt. He shrugged, noting that there were only four hours left until the end of the day anyway.
“Listen up, people!” Elijah called out. He looked at Ben, frowning at the little stain of burrito filling that had landed on his shirt over the lunch period. “How did you miss that giant mouth of yours?” he grumbled, clearly unimpressed by Ben's unprofessional presentation. “You’ve clearly had plenty of practice getting stuff in there.”
Again, there was a little rolling chuckle amongst the staff. Every month there were more and more new faces as Elijah gradually replaced the old staff with people who were more suited to him.
“Annie’s handed in her notice and won’t be returning,” the boss explained calmly, despite the immediate groans of frustration from everyone else. “I know it’s tough when this happens, but we’re all going to have to pick up the slack. Especially you, Ben,” he nodded. “You’re the only one who’s dealt with her contacts before she left. They're going to be some late nights for the next three weeks until we can hire someone to replace her.”
Ben looked around at everyone else. Was he really the only one who could deal with Annie’s clients? Why did this have to fall to him?
“It’s time to prove yourself,” Elijah nodded. “I know you’re desperate to get to the gym this evening, but that’ll have to wait,” he teased, unable to resist having another joke at Ben’s expense.
Ben rolled his eyes. It wasn’t fair. Still, the overtime would come in handy if he was going to take a vacation that summer, he thought to himself, always keen for a silver lining. He just hoped that Elijah wouldn’t be working later each night as well.
“So, how come I haven’t received an application from you for Annie’s position?” Elijah asked a few weeks later, popping back to the office late to send a few more emails. Dressed in his workout gear, Ben could never help himself from admiring the dedication it must have taken for the guy to build such large, strong arms. The tight compression shirt displayed the fullness of his pecs, lacking even an ounce of fat around his waist and allowing the stomach muscles to really pop out.
Ben shrugged at his boss’ question. “Because I’m not really qualified for it,” he answered simply.
“And yet, you’ve been doing the job, as well as your own, since the start of January,” Elijah shot back.
“That’s only because you reject every application that’s been sent in for the role.”
“Well, maybe I’m holding out for the right person,” Elijah smiled, almost flirtatiously. He looked around at the take out boxes on Ben’s table. Although Ben described his workload as ‘stressful’ at the moment, in reality, it was simply just time consuming. So what if he treated himself to something tasty as he sat at his desk each evening? And what did it matter if all he wanted to do in his sparse downtime was sit on his butt and play video games? Even so, to an image conscious Elijah, the sight of it all still seemed to cause him much amusement. “Apply for the job,” he stated candidly, starting to tidy up Ben’s take out containers and give him more room on his desk without a single snarky comment. “I think you may be pleasantly surprised.”
Ben did as he was told, reasoning that a position, such as Annie's old job, could actually launch him on a proper career. Whilst he was earning a good amount of overtime at the moment, the added income each month could help him save for his own place. With Elijah’s admission that he was happy to promote him, Ben suddenly felt like he had at last entered the guy’s inner circle of those deemed ‘worthy’. Under Elijah, status was granted not by job title, but by how much favor you carried with the boss.
It was exactly the reason why Carol stood beaming beside her new desk chair the following week. “Elijah ordered it for me because of all the back problems I’ve been having,” she boasted, knowing that there were few others that their boss would willingly blow company funds on like this. 
Starved of any other entertainment, one by one, the others in their office space lined up to have a go at sitting in the smart, innovative desk chair, until Ben was the only one still sitting disinterestedly at his own desk. He huffed, knowing that it would be the polite thing to at least try the chair and complement Carol on her good fortune. He lined up his rear, surprised that everyone in the office still seemed so interested. He’d known instantly that he was in trouble, given how tightly the firm arms of the chair had brushed against his hips as he carelessly dropped his entire body weight into it. He could tell by how tightly his love handles were pressed against the sides that he was thoroughly wedged into it.
“It’s nice,” Ben mumbled, trying not to show his surprise at how far back the chair had tipped now his weight was inside it. He turned and swivelled himself, hoping that the performance may be enough to satisfy everyone, shifting their attention to other things before he had to try and climb out of the damn thing. 
However, that was all before Elijah came out, resting his large hands on his strong hips and gazing down at Ben with a bemused expression; a quiet grinning as if he sensed the whirring panic in Ben’s brain as he tried to think about how to get out. “Ben, could I see you for a second?” he called out whilst everyone was still looking.
“Sure,” Ben nodded.”I’ll be there in a second,” he replied casually, already suspecting that Eliah’s timing was anything but coincidental.
“No,” Elijah shot back sternly, folding his arms. “I need to see you right now,” he beamed, perching himself on a desk as if ready for a show.
Ben knew he’d have to get himself out as quickly and undramatically as possible. He placed the palms of his hands on the end of the armrests, shifting his body weight as straight as possible. He shuffled his feet, giving himself as wide a stance as he could, then paused for a moment, summoning all the energy needed to haul his body upwards. Three… two… one…
To everyone else in the room, all they heard was a loud, unattractive and unintentional grunt coming from Ben. They saw the fat boy straining to lift himself upwards, held back by the obvious wedging of his rear against the sides. Led by their boss, the laughter from those around him was almost instantaneous. Someone came closer to try and help, although Elijah quickly told them to retreat, too busy enjoying the spectacle himself. 
His face pumped with blood, Ben lowered himself again, bouncing back up with even greater force. This time, the entire chair came up with him, despite still being stuck around his wider rear. He wriggled his hips and tried to push the chair back. Finally, he could feel some progress, if all far too slowly. His legs were burning, holding himself up in this strange half bent position.
At last, the chair slipped away, clattering to the floor and tipping over onto its side. Carol immediately picked it back up, checking it over for damage as she frowned in annoyance. Ben tucked his shirt back in tidily and straightened his tie, trying his best to ignore the ongoing laughter. He stepped over to Eliah. “Are we going into your office?” he asked, trying to ignore them all.
Eliah continued laughing. “No, buddy. I was just fucking with you,” he replied, as if Ben had been the dumbest person alive to have believed his false urgency to see him in the first place. “Just get that report to me by six,” he stated, turning and walking back, despite his ongoing laughter.
Sitting back down at his own desk, Ben grumbled to himself. What the hell was he doing putting up with this shit? He should just quit and find a job where he wasn’t treated like this just because he was obese. He looked up and saw Elijah still laughing in his office. That was the moment the revelation struck him. Perhaps Carol’s new chair had never been about correcting her posture. Perhaps it had always been intended as a trap for Ben. Had Ben just played perfectly into his boss’ hands? 
Back at home, Gray was dating a new girl, shifting the dynamic in the share-house considerably. Ben and Eddie’s jaws had dropped when they’d seen her; Marie, the stunning blonde girl with such a tight waist and big chest. The pairing with Gray couldn’t have been any more mismatched. Likewise, Eddie’s jealousy couldn’t have been more obvious, biting back at Gray whenever he tried to impart some dating advice on him so that he could one day be as blissfully happy as he was.
“Why does Gray suddenly believe he’s the universe’s gift to women?” Eddie grumbled. “It’s not like Marie is going to stick with a guy like him for long.”
Ben mumbled awkwardly. “I’m not so sure, y’know. She seems pretty serious about him. I heard them discussing pretty much everything: houses, marriage… the lot.”
Eddie huffed. “It’s just not fair, is it?” he complained. “Gray gets to live out his perfect life, whilst fatties like us remain permanently single.”
Ben bit his tongue, resisting the urge to call out Eddie for lumping him in the same category as him. Sure, he’d put on a lot of weight, but he wasn’t in the same league as Eddie, Gray, or even Joe. Yes, he had quite a gut on him now. And, yeah, maybe his chest was pretty flabby since he’d crossed three hundred pounds. But, he still was still pretty skinny compared to the others. Wasn’t he? The more Ben looked at himself in the mirror and assessed the situation, the less he seemed to believe in the differences between his own shape and that of the other guys. His problem had become his sheer width. As much as his stomach appeared to be pushing firmly outwards in one direction, his chunky butt seemed to be swelling outwards in the opposite direction. There was so much fat resting around his neck; his jawline completely swallowed. The cheeks of his face had puffed and broadened to such an extent that he actually found it hard to see his old self hidden underneath it all.
Whilst the promotion at work had granted him many benefits, Ben found the guaranteed extra income made his impulses harder to contain. Take out could arrive at ten in the evening; those premium doughnuts were hardly going to make a dent on his bank balance. But with so many bad habits ingrained in him now, Ben struggled to imagine anyone willing to put up with him in a romantic relationship. He didn’t really want to be active and go out an awful lot. The warmer late Spring days brought him annoyance and impatience as he sweated lethargically in his new office. Although he knew he shouldn’t, he kept a drawer full of candy and snacks, failing every single attempt of his to eat more healthily in the last two years. What difference was there between his own lifestyle and that of Joe or Eddie? Maybe this was something he wouldn’t ever be able to stop, even if he tried.
Being higher up the food chain at work gave Ben a new perspective on how well Elijah had turned the company around in under two years. From losing money each week, to acquiring multi million dollar contracts on a monthly basis, Elijah’s record was as perfect as could be. However, despite his success, there was always something about the guy that meant Ben couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. Perhaps it was the fact that work seemed to consume so much of his life. Being a workaholic was fine if the person enjoyed it but, at times, it didn’t always seem like Elijah did.
“Don’t tell anyone this,” Elijah confided in Ben one evening after everyone else had left. “I’ve been offered a job elsewhere,” he whispered, as if, even now, he had to keep it under wraps. He wouldn’t say where, nor give away much more information other than the fact that the pay increase was to be life-changing.
“But, what would we do without you here?” Ben asked. He’d disliked Elijah as a boss for so much of his time here that he’d never actually considered how awful it would be trying to manage things without him.
“I imagine they’d give the role to Keira,” Elijah pondered.
“Oh, not Keira!” Ben groaned, already picturing the disordered chaos that would inevitably ensue.
“Or, you could come with me?” Elijah suggested next. “I could easily get you on-board. I couldn’t guarantee you the salary you have now; at least, not right away. But, once you’re in, there are so many more opportunities for you there.”
“You want to take me with you?” Ben asked, dumbfounded by the idea that Elijah would want such a thing.
“Of course. You’re the best we’ve got here!” Elijah beamed.
Ben frowned, knowing that not to be true in the slightest. The whole thing didn’t make any sense. Had he secretly been Elijah’s favorite this entire time?
As negotiation between Elijah and his potential new company got more intense, the man seemed to become more intent on getting Ben to make a decision about coming with him. In some ways, the pressure felt unfair and it almost seemed to Ben as if Elijah was quite prepared to turn down the offer were he to refuse to move with him.
“You seem a bit distracted,” Gray nodded to Ben as the pair of them stacked a few boxes ready for Gray’s moving out day tomorrow. With Gray and Marie moving in together, Joe was soon to take the room, saving them all from having to advertise the space. Helping Gray pack up had been a good distraction for Ben, as well as quite lucrative, inheriting plenty of clothes items from the back of Gray’s closet that the guy had outgrown months before. “Is everything okay at work?” Gray probed further, having always been the most intuitive of all the larger guys Ben lived with.
Ben sighed, explaining the entire situation.
“You know, Marie used to come into my workplace pretty much every day,” Gray began afterwards. “She’d make excuse after excuse for her being there but, in the end, it was me who had to ask her out.”
“What’s this got to do with anything?” Ben asked, chuckling at the sudden change of subject.
“What I mean is…” Gray sighed, rolling his eyes. “I remember what you told us about your boss. Sometimes, chasers are no different to the rest of us. Sometimes everyone needs a little help asking for what they really want.”
All at once, Ben knew exactly what he needed to do. He felt confident as he strode into Elijah’s office the next day. The blinds had been drawn and Elijah pulled him in as if he wanted to discuss a top secret bank heist that must not be overheard. “Well, what’s your decision?” he asked, as if every second counted.
Sighing, Ben took a seat, looking up at the handsome guy earnestly. “I’m staying here,” he explained simply, cutting Elijah off the moment the man burst into his sales pitch, trying to convince him once more. “Listen, you don’t need me!” he smiled. “You’re going to be awesome.”
“But you’re the best I’ve got!” Elijah countered. 
“I’m average at best!” Ben laughed. !And you know it!” He could see Elijah trying to redouble his efforts to counter his remark, yet he continued, talking over Elijah as he began to speak. “I’m just a chubby, overfed, under-exercised, nerdy accountant. And… I think I’m also the guy you’ve secretly had a crush on for quite some time…”
Elijah immediately halted trying to speak over him. The man’s eyes widened. He started mumbling, immediately flustered. “I… I’m…” he tried, looking like he had been outmanoeuvred for the first time in his life. “How did you know?” he finally asked.
“I didn’t,” Ben laughed. “That was the problem. I just thought you were being an asshole most of the time! You’re actually not that good when it comes to approaching people you’re genuinely attracted to, are you?”
Elijah shook his head.
“If I came with you, you’d still be my boss and we could never explore whatever this could be between us,” Ben reasoned. “Whereas, if you hand in your notice today… Well, you and I could be out for dinner this evening, with no nasty fallout from HR.”
With a beaming smile, Elijah was soon announcing his departure to the entire office. Ben was sitting, slouched in his own office, picking at a couple of doughnuts and not really paying attention to what was going on outside. He was hardly going to go out there, pretending to be surprised. Besides, it was fairly common knowledge that he didn’t even really like Elijah, which made it even more bizarre when he was sitting across from the man at a very fancy restaurant only a few short hours later. It was so obvious when someone really was making an effort on a date; Elijah received top marks for his charming manner and attentiveness. He thoroughly deserved the kiss he was granted during the cab ride back to his place.
“You’ll know he’s definitely a chaser when you get to kiss him for the first time,” Gray had warned him. “If he’s anything like Marie, his hands will go straight to your belly!”
Ben had found the idea strangely arousing when Gray had said that. However, it was nothing compared to how horny he felt with Elijah’s hands exploring his body with a lust Ben had never before experienced. Arousal leached from every pore of the guy’s body and, when they went inside Elijah’s apartment, Ben felt like he was almost being worshipped. Even so, nothing was ever rushed. The build up was always perfect; the crescendo, always sublime. Despite the stunning physique of Elijah, it always felt as though it was Ben’s rounded, bloated form that was the star attraction. After a couple of weeks, Elijah was permitted to fuck him properly for the first time. Each thrust into Ben’s hefty rear seemed to give the man absolute pleasure. Nothing was ever done hastily, even as Elijah moaned softly and breathed steadily, as if trying to hold back an orgasm that he could summon at any moment. 
Of course Ben continued to pack on weight once he’d got together with Elijah. It was yet another thing that Gray had warned him about when dating a chaser. Elijah was kinky, without a doubt. He took pleasure in taking a can of whipped cream into the bedroom with them and encouraging Ben to lick it all off his muscular body at any opportunity. It wasn’t unusual for them to deplete an entire can in almost no time at all. 
However, just like Marie and Gray, Ben’s relationship with Elijah seemed equally as controversial. Despite the almost fifteen year age gap, folks just couldn’t seem to wrap their heads around why a man as stunning and successful as Elijah was so captivated by such a fat man as Ben; the looks and stares only getting worse as Ben’s weight continued to climb; his body getting more expansive and jigglier; fat building upon already well established fat. Perhaps it didn’t help how ‘touch’ was always Elijah's best love language when they were out and about. Ben was well used to having the man’s large hand attached to his wide rear, or cupping a bulge of back fat. It was obvious how distasteful some appeared to find it; especially some of Elijah’s more refined friends. Not that it ever stopped him. Elijah was simply being himself for the first time in his life.
“She’s a real kinky little thing, y’know,” Elijah had chuckled one evening after Gray and Marie had left, not long after Ben had moved in with his lover.
Ben, who had spent most of the night discussing video games with Gray in the lounge, had almost forgotten that Elijah would have had so much time to get to know the pretty little thing that had ensnared his best friend so completely. “Oh, yeah?” he smirked, feeling like he knew so much more about what it was like to date a chaser these days. “Gray’s certainly looking a lot heftier these days.”
“He sure is! But he’s all belly. Unlike you with that big, cute butt…” Elijah grinned, swooping in for a kiss. “But there’s plenty more to come if you listen to Marie! Gray is going all out for her, trying to get his weight up before their wedding.”
Ben laughed. He’d always assumed that Marie had driven Gray’s ongoing weight gain but, now that Elijah had said it, the amount that Gray had been gorging on the snacks that evening seemed to make perfect sense. “No wonder I feel so full!” Ben laughed, rubbing his bloated stomach. He’d always been easily influenced by those around him and, if he could pinpoint the moment his weight truly began to run away from him, it had been when he’d moved in with the larger guys, Gray and Eddie; being surrounded by such frequent overeating and carefree attitudes towards food. Just like tonight, watching someone else eating so much always made Ben feel naturally hungrier himself. “So, does that mean you were telling Marie how much weight I’ve packed on since we started dating?” he asked, knowing that such questions always brought out the kinky, teasing side of Elijah that Ben had always found rather unattractive; that was, until they had started dating and it’d become funnier, more laid back and always tinged with kinkiness.
“Of course I did,” Elijah smiled back, his hands exploring the pounds and pounds of pure lard that had made Ben’s stomach so large and spherical since he had broken four hundred pounds. “And I told her about your plans to cut down your hours at work,” the man continued to explain, unbuttoning Ben’s shirt to unleash the enormous torso that he got so much pleasure from. His hands grabbed underneath and bounced the giant belly that had amassed. “I think she’s quite jealous of how well I’m doing with my big boy!” he teased.
Ben chuckled back, enjoying the attention. Dating a chaser had been quite a learning curve for him, but the more he had leaned into it, the more pleasure he had gained from it. He’d wanted Elijah to be open about his kinks, which had simultaneously opened up a whole new world to Ben. There were so many people out there getting enjoyment from this. He’d asked Elijah to use his contacts in these communities to find girls for his friends, Joe and Eddie. On the whole, he’d been pleased to see his friends so happy, despite how rapidly Joe’s secretly kinky girlfriend had swollen up the guy’s face and butt to the point where some people no longer recognised him. Similarly, Elijah delighted in having any of the guys over at their place, splashing his cash by ordering mountains of take out for them all and simultaneously messaging their girlfriends to quietly update them on how well they’d all eaten.
“What’s my calorie count tonight?” Ben asked, seeing the pure lust in his lover’s eyes.
“I counted about five thousand since Marie and Gray arrived at six o’clock,” Elijah speedily replied, full of admiration for him.
“Shit! No way?” Ben chuckled back, rubbing his tight stomach. “I didn’t even notice I was eating that much.”
“You never have,” Elijah smiled wickedly.”I saw that greedy appetite and knew there’d never be anyone I’d want more than you!” He wrapped his arms around Ben’s hips, rubbing the broad glutes. “You’re perfect!”
Ben accepted the sweet kiss from his lover. He could already feel Elijah’s hardness rubbing against him, just as it always did whenever the guy had watched him eat so much in one go. Despite all the dirty dishes, they were heading into the bedroom; clothes rapidly disappearing. “Go on, then!” Ben chuckled, already knowing exactly what horny Elijah wanted to ask him. 
The man beamed, bounding away briefly and returning with a fresh can of whipped cream. He lay himself down on the bed, squirting furiously around his hardness.
Ben licked his lips, gazing down at the beautiful physique of his lover; kind, sporty, intelligent and successful. He couldn’t have found anyone better. As for this kinky streak of his… Well, that was something Ben would never want to be without. It was the part of Elijah that Ben had come to love more than any other. Despite his own monstrous, growing form, Ben knew that there would never be anyone Elijah craved more. 
He was, and always would be, Elijah’s dream boy.
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veesidesandrarities · 21 hours ago
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Being creative and even silly in a new language really does help it stick, too!
My now-spouse and I took Japanese together, and he used to come up with bizarre, often nonsensical phrases as soon as we were introduced to new vocabulary words or grammar, and listen, I'm woefully out of practice, but the parts I'm least rusty in recalling?
are almost all inevitably stuff from those silly phrases.
I can't forget that you turn a noun into a verb with adding "wo shimasu", because the goofball started saying "haambaagaa o shimasu", which roughly translates to "hamburgering" and it's just. so stupid! so silly!! what does that even mean?? Lol
I only recall the word for "window" is mado, or how to say "that thing over there", because he used to proudly (and deliberately nonsensicallly) declare "ano mado wa boku no desu", which literally means: "that window over there is mine" (with, if you are curious, a youthful masculine pronoun vibe, because Japanese is way more interesting and nuanced with first person pronouns than English; boku is used by young boys and men, and sometimes by tomboys and butch lesbians, apparently, as it's got a kinda butch energy to it that the gender neutral polite watashi doesn't)
part of the reason i recall the verb hanashimasu so well and the only reason I recall the words for "hospital" (byouin) and "corpse/dead people" (shinin), or that the grammatical particle equivalent to the English preposition "at" is de.... is because he came up with the absurd question:
"what language do dead people speak at the hospital?"
(Which, iirc, is something like: "shinin wa byouin de nani go wo hanashimasu ka?", or, most literally: "dead people [subject marker] hospital at, what language [direct object marker] speak [optional question marker at end of sentence]?", because Japanese as an agglutinating language has VERY different grammar from English lol)
(btw we jokingly decided the only "correct" answer to that would be: "ratingo", aka... Latin. Because, you know, it's a dead language? Har! Yeah, we're dorks lol)
(but also that's the only reason I recall how to say the word for "Latin language " in Japanese either, which also helps me recall the pattern to referring to languages in that language, soooo...)
Anyway, POINT IS
Both he and I remember way more random bits of vocabulary and even crucial bits of grammar, because of those "silly, nonsense" phrases!
So, tldr:
Go ham!! Make up silly stuff in the languages you're studying!!! It's fun AND shockingly helpful!! And to language teachers out there, keep in mind that not only does this practice encourage deeper and more permanent understanding of the language, it ALSO means they have enthusiasm for it... and a good reason to add more and more of the language to their repertoire. Like??
I don't know the German for "my hobby is tax evasion" (because I never studied German) but
boy, that is absolutely a construction of the kind my spouse would have come up with
and if he had, I would definitely remember the Japanese terms for "hobby" and "tax evasion"...🤣
I told my students they're allowed to be creative and don't have to be factual when writing about themselves in German because I keep getting questions like "what if I don't have roommates or what if I don't have hobbies" and I'm like guys just make something up! Have fun! I won't fact check you!
So now I am grading homework where a student is claiming to be from North Korea and his hobby is tax fraud
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philosians · 12 hours ago
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ɪɴᴅᴜʟɢᴇɴᴄᴇ
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a three week paid-vacation provided by your captain gave rise to the opportunity to finally show you the gift sylus had gotten you. and no, it isn’t the yacht you’re on—but he wouldn’t be opposed to giving you that either.
[ !! ] — mdni | established relationship, smut, breeding kink, pregnancy mention, fingering, oral (female receiving), praise kink, mating press, unprotected sex, sylus is soft in the bedroom okay now hush ;; alcohol mention (sylus drinks whiskey), fluff. oh did I mention soft! sylus?? uhhh maybe more tags than this idk there’s a lot going on lmao. unedited af I know that’s a warning. if y’all see cut sentences just know it’s a brain glitch >.< lol
a/n: Happy Valentine’s Day! phew i got this out before it ended hehe just in a nick of time. I do wanna forewarn everyone I don’t actively write smut so I deeply apologize for any sort of repetitiveness or just it being inaccurate and rushed overall, my apologies. but please enjoy reading! bc i wanna curl up and die and delete this after writing it actually lmao I’ll probably never write anything like this again haha
word count: roughly 4.8k
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The starry expanse of sky moves quickly outside of the window of the car, nothing but a blur of cosmic colors. Where you’re going you’re not quite sure, with all the secrecy from Sylus and the twins. It’s something Sylus has clearly planned for awhile, from the way he wanted you to dress tonight, but you’re still unable to put your finger on it.
At the very least, you’re glad that Kieran is the one that’s driving instead of Luke.
“Are you two going to tell me where we’re going yet?”
“Afraid not, Miss,” Kieran replies. “That’d be against orders from Boss.”
“Are we at least almost there yet?” you ask.
“We have about ten more minutes,” Luke chirps. “Then you’ll finally get to see Boss, don’t worry.”
You’re stunned into a mild fluster and look at your hands in your lap. You heard the twins snicker and you can’t help but shake your head incredulously. Oh well. You’re almost to your destination anyway.
After the last two months of an increase in Wanderer appearances, you could most certainly use a break. It’s been nothing short of hectic, battles here and evacuations there and the occasional dumbass that doesn’t want to listen to the warnings given out that an area is too dangerous to go into.
You softly sigh. You really shouldn’t be thinking about work.
You tug the large coat on your shoulders over you further, closing your eyes and sinking into the warmth and the smell of the man it belonged to.
Whatever in the world Sylus had planned must be big, even so that he couldn’t be bothered to tell even the twins exactly what he had in store. All the three of you knew was that he had a surprise, and the two brothers were more than happy to have the opportunity to have the base to themselves.
You just wish you knew where you were going.
“Is this it?”
“I think so. Ah, there’s Boss.”
Oh, already?
True to word, you open your eyes and see a familiar patch of silver against the darkness of the world. And you also happen to see a very, very large yacht not far from him.
A marina? You blink incredulously. A private fucking marina. Good lord, how much money does this man really have?
Upon stopping, you watch as Sylus turns his head slightly to the car. Luke quickly jumps from the passenger side and opens the door for you, ushering his hand outward dramatically and says, “After you, Miss.”
The heel of your shoe clicks against pavement as you step out, holding Luke’s hand for stability until you find your balance.
“Thanks, Luke.”
“Not a problem! Enjoy the honey— Uh, vacation!”
Luke jumps back into the car, more than likely to save himself from your questioning eyes. You can’t help but shake your head and make your way toward Sylus and the man in uniform, more than likely the captain of the yacht.
“Ah, Mrs. Sylus,” greets the captain with a tilt of his hat. His eyes blink as he does a once-over on you and then laughs. “I was wondering what kind of woman would tie such a man down, and now I understand. Please, come aboard.”
Your brows raise at Sylus as the captain pivots and boards the yacht. “Care to explain that?”
Sylus, in all his audacity, simply shrugs and smiles. “Nothing to explain, sweetie. He came up with that himself after I told him my lady would be joining me.”
You scoff in disbelief, but can’t help the small smile that falls to your lips. You take Sylus’s arm, wrapped your hand in the crook of his elbow as he leads you onto the ship.
“It’s beautiful,” you murmur, gazing around as he takes you to the deck. And you could only imagine what it would be like when you went out to sea.
“I figured you would like it,” he murmurs. “Glad to see my instincts weren’t wrong.”
You don’t miss the way his red eyes look to you, knowing he’s waiting for your words of affirmation. You laugh behind your hand, because yeah, he’s right.
You hum, taking his hand in your own. “Thank you for considering me.”
You also don’t miss the way his large fingers eagerly twine with your own, nor the way his eyes soften and blend with devotion and affection.
“Always.”
Thirty minutes pass before the ship takes off into the open sea. You barely feel it until Sylus has you stand to take you back outside from the dining area.
“So, where are we going?” you ask, gazing up at him.
Sylus’s mouth twitches into a smirk. “It’s a surprise.”
You grumble, humoring the man. “Of course it is.”
Sylus’s coat never leaves your shoulders the couple hours you’re both out on the deck. He seems to enjoy that, too; you wearing his clothes sparks something behind his eyes that you’re all too familiar with. The thought itself has your cheeks warming and thighs pressing together.
He flicks his wrist to check his watch when a timer beeps twice. You can’t help it when your eyes linger on his hand. You’ve always had a fixation on his them—on how big and warm they are in comparison to yours, on how his long fingers stretch across your body, and how they gently wrap around you and pull you close like he’d die without touching you. Those hands that had once forced you to attempt to resonate with him for three days had become soft, remorseful and loving. And he’d more than earned your forgiveness.
“Dinner should be ready.”
You grin. “You brought your chef?”
“Just for this trip,” he retorts, standing to full height. “Come.” His hand outstretches to you and you take it without hesitation.
You don’t miss the way his eyes briefly light up at the way your fingers immediately interlace with his. It’s a small joy to you, but to him it means everything—a testament to how far the two of you have come.
Dinner, as always, is perfect. Dessert even more so. You’re not too full, but more than satisfied. You give your compliments to the chef, who in turn happily skips back to the kitchen like he’s on cloud nine. And you can’t help but look at Sylus and smile as he downs his whiskey like it’s water.
“You don’t compliment your chef enough,” you comment. “One sentence from me and he acts like he’s never heard praise.”
Sylus hums as his brows raise, humored. He chuckles with the whiskey in his mouth before swallowing it to retort, “He knows his cooking is excellent. I suppose I just have a limit to how many compliments I can give out in a day.”
You place your chin in your hand. “Oh, really? Then how many do I get to have in a day?”
Adoration fills his ruby orbs. “As many as you want, my beloved.”
His hand reaches for your left over the table. Sylus’s thumb rubs over your fingers, resting atop your ring finger.
“Have I told you that you look exquisite tonight?” he whispers.
“You haven’t,” you reply cheekily. “I think you owe me a few more, don’t you think?”
The soft music in the background dies as you begin to hear your heart thunder in your ears. You do hope that Sylus can’t hear it pounding away like you can.
“Seems like I do,” he says in an exhale, leaning back in his seat but not letting go of your hand. His eyes have changed—once filled with adoration, now filled with a fire that makes heat rise to your cheeks and desire burn between your legs. “I don’t think I’ve shown you the bedroom yet, have I?”
You grin. “You haven’t. I’d like to see it.”
But what you don’t anticipate is your man standing and abruptly lifting you into a one arm carry. Your sharply inhale in surprise, arms immediately weave around his neck for support, but you know he’d never drop you anyway.
You trail your nose under his jaw, pressing a long kiss to his skin by his ear. Your fingers dig into his shoulder, the subtle presser making him hasten his long strides.
“Sweetheart—” Sylus gulps as you press two fingers to his mouth to silence him.
You pepper slow kisses down his neck, nipping at the skin every other kiss. It’s when you reach his collarbone you hear the click of a door. And seconds later you find the plush fabric of blankets underneath you and Sylus’s firm hand cradling the back of your head as he tilts your head back to capture your lips with his.
Between each heated kiss you attempt to catch your breath, only for your lover to devour your mouth with his own again and again.
“Mmmh— Sylus, let me—” another kiss “—catch my breath.”
He has a hard time pulling away. Sylus rests on one knee at the edge of the bed, hands grasping at the back of your bare calves as he catches his own breath and tries to pull himself back to his senses before he finishes himself off early.
While you toss your head back and close your eyes, trying to let oxygen catch up to your brain, Sylus lifts his head to look at you. He drinks in your appearance—the starry night sky sewn into the strapless obsidian dress (one that he had specially made for you) accentuated your body exactly the way he envisioned.
As he watches your breasts rise and fall with every breath, he feels his pants tighten even more. He’s so painfully hard just from simply kissing you—a testament to what you do to him, how deeply you affect him.
He rests his head against the plush of your thigh. As he trails his hand down your leg, he realizes you still have your heels on.
Your head snaps up at the feeling of one heel coming off, then the other.
“Sylus, what— Oh, shit.”
The momentum of him lifting your body further up the bed and hiking your dress up catches you off guard. His mouth latches to your thighs, kissing and biting all the way up until he reaches the fabric of your panties—the only thing between him and what he wants.
“Such a dark red, darling,” he hums. “Was this for me?”
“It might’ve been,” you tease.
As his finger loops around the red fabric covering you, Evol ready to help rip it off, your hand makes its way into his hair and tugs, forcing his eyes to attention.
“Rip these, I’m okay with that. Rip the dress, and I’ll kill you,” you say, half-joking. But damn did you really like this dress.
He chuckles, eyes glazed with lust. “Understood.”
As soon as he tears them away and hikes your dress even further around your hips, Sylus’s mouth does nothing short of devour your pussy. You let out the loudest, wanton moan you’ve ever heard from yourself as his tongue buries itself in and against your folds. Your head falls back against the pillows, hands moving to grip the sheets beneath you to maintain some semblance of being grounded as Sylus eats you out like a starved man. Your legs are over his shoulders, allowing him the best access to your womanhood.
“Oh— Fuuuck, Sylus. Ohmygod, please don’t stop,” you beg, threading one hand through his hair again, grip tighter than earlier.
His reply comes in the form of him pushing his thick middle finger inside of you and mouth sucking on your clit. You wail, bucking your hips into his mouth. His ring finger promptly follows, stretching your cunt and sinking deep inside of your walls. Tears of overstimulation line your eyes as you grasp at then pillow behind your head.
Both hands twine into his silver locks of hair, pressing him deeper into you. What you miss amidst your own haze of ecstasy is Sylus grinding himself against the mattress to find some sense of relief. His mind is at war, wanting nothing more than to cum right then and there versus wanting to watch his seed spill from your hole. It takes every ounce of self-control of his own body to not climax while he simultaneously loses his mind while his mouth is attached to your cunt.
“Don’t— Please— Sylus! Sylus, I’m gonna—”
Your back arches off of the bed, and you can’t help but press him further into you and grind against his face. Sylus’s arms wrap around your thighs, holding you steady. The deep groan of his satisfaction that leaves him only spurs you on further and further and further until your thighs clench around his head and you cum. Hard.
And Sylus more than enjoys sucking and licking away at your release as you climax, prolonging it as much as he can. He lifts your lower body into the air as he continues his onslaught of your pussy with his mouth and tongue, the pressure of your thighs on either side of his head making him dizzy. Your essence coats his chin and nose, your scent driving all his senses wild and pulls the remainder of his blood down to his cock.
He gains a free hand as you tighten your legs around his shoulders. He unbuckles his belt and slips it off with practiced ease before moving to unzip and unbutton his pants, tugging away at them.
When your hips stop shaking is when Sylus grabs your thighs with both hands and sets your body back down on the mattress. He hovers over you once again, taking in your disheveled appearance and partially-lidded eyes. His long fingers brush your skin and cradle your jaw.
“Still with me, sweetheart?” he asks.
You pant and gaze up at him. “Barely.” You swallow. “That tongue of yours is brutal.”
Sylus laughs. It’s almost enough to make him forget about the painful fact that his cock is straining against his pants. Until your knee brushes against it when you lift yourself from the bed and he groans.
You giggle as his head presses against your shoulder.
“You really shouldn’t neglect yourself like that,” you hum, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.
Sylus’s lips meet your neck opposite of your arm wrapped around him and presses a long kiss to your sweaty skin, murmuring hotly into your ear, “There’s no one to blame but you, beloved. And I highly suggest you take responsibility.”
You moan and arch into him as his hands work on your dress, unzipping the back entirely and lowering it just below your breasts. You arch your back so he can undo the bra, and as soon as it’s on the floor, his mouth is on your chest. Sylus sucks and bites at your nipples, worshipping them and your breasts as he grinds his clothed erection into your bare pussy, soaking his dress pants in your juices.
You begin unbutton his shirt through the haze of your desire… before you slip your hands through the remaining buttons and fully rip his dress shirt apart, exposing his thick torso. You both chuckle at the sound of the buttons hitting the floor.
“Impatient?”
“Like you aren’t,” you remark.
Sylus shrugs off his shirt in a fluid motion and tosses it to the side from one arm. You manage to slide off your dress within a few moments, just as Sylus manages to get off his pants and briefs and… Oh…
You’d almost forgotten how big he is. Sure, the two of you have spent a couple more… sensual evenings together since you had him use your place as a safe house (and then him bringing you to his), but it always makes you shudder when your eyes land between the apex of his muscular thighs.
His tip weeps with precum, heavy cock red and flushed and—
Sylus’s breath is hot against your ear as he asks, “Like what you see, darling?”
—goddamn it you need it inside of you.
Your nails dig into his bicep, your other hand wrapping around his neck to pull him into a heated kiss, and Sylus is more than happy to oblige. His kiss is deep and reverent. A small moan escapes him as you two briefly pull apart for air before diving back into one another.
Everything is hot; your cheeks are flushed with the heat of desire and your pussy aches to have Sylus buried inside of you.
You pull him down on top of you with the arm around his neck, your other hand grasping his cock and positioning it at your entrance. Sylus hisses, hips bucking slightly as his fingers clench at his attempts at restraint.
“Fuck,” he pants. His red eyes clear for a moment, turning into a gentleness reserved for you as he asks, “You think you can take it?”
“I think you ate me out enough earlier I’ll manage,” you joke. Then your nails dig into the meat of his back, the sensation making him softly hiss again. “But if you don’t I’ll be doing it for you then.”
Sylus chuckles, nose dipping to your collarbone.
“My beloved is always so greedy, isn’t she?”
There is no retort from you—only a loud moan as Sylus’s tip enters you fills the room. He stops after that though, and as you look up to him to ask him why he stopped, you’re stunned at the sight before you.
Sylus is flushed red, panting and sweating as his muscles flex.
“Sylus?”
“Don’t,” he warns, shaking his head. “Give me… a moment. You feel… too good.”
The implication is clear. Sylus’s head falls as he inches himself a little further, delighting in hearing you gasp as he sinks more and more inches of himself inside of you. It takes all he has not to just cum at the feel of you; every ounce of self-control he has is being tested. He’s never been harder in his life, and being inside of the woman he loves—who feels like heaven wrapped around his cock—only proceeds to spiral him into a deeper pit of pleasure.
“Sylus… Sylus, more, please,” you hears you beg.
He’s halfway in, trying to take his time and let the romance of the evening last. But at that, and the sensation of your nails digging into his back, he finds himself a goner and lets his hips fall into yours, sinking the remainder of his fat cock into the depths of your wet pussy. A deep shudder passes through him, bliss running through his body.
“Fuck. Fuck, you feel divine,” Sylus says in a deep exhale.
“You’re so big,” you gasp, eyes clouded with the haze of lust. “Oh, Sy, you feel so good.”
The praise goes to his head immediately. He drags his cock back out slowly and a whine escapes you, hating the emptiness. But when Sylus places your legs over his shoulders and leans over you, it’s over for you both.
Your eyes roll into the back of your head as Sylus rolls his hips, sliding his full length back into the warm expanse of your pussy. His head falls back, and the pace he sets proceeds to bury you both alive underneath overwhelming ecstasy.
“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” he pants, clenching his fist into the sheet. “How I feel every time I look at you? Utter perfection is all I see. Do you feel what you do to me, darling?”
All you can feel is Sylus’s weight on top of you and the feel of his heavy cock inside of you as he stretches you open on him, carving your pussy into the shape of his cock. His pelvis rubs against your clit deliciously, spurring you on further. As much as you want to drive your hips up to meet his thrusts, Sylus has you pinned down into a mating press and all you can do is take what he’s giving you.
The papping noises of your bodies meeting filled the room, sending your thoughts into an even dirtier place. He feels so good reaching so deep inside of you, tip rubbing against that special spot perfectly, like you’re made to be perfect for each other. You clench around Sylus at another thought and he inhales sharply.
“What’re you thinking about?” he questions.
You shake your head. “N-Nothing.”
His long fingers grab your jaw gently. “Tell me.”
And then he slows his pace. “No, Sylus—”
“Then tell me what my beloved is thinking in that pretty head of hers,” he murmurs into your ear. “Or else.”
“I was thinking… about… Uhm…” Sylus rolls his hips back into you, his heavy balls pressing against your ass as he awaits your answer.
“Well?”
“I, uh— A baby.”
At the word, you shy away into your arm. But Sylus doesn’t say anything, which makes you confused. After a couple seconds, you gaze back up at him. His eyes show how stunned he is, pupils blown as no doubt the word also revolves around his own mind.
“Sylus, I— Oh, fuucckk.”
His body weight presses your body into the mattress further, leaving you at his mercy as Sylus’s pace becomes brutal, like he’s let his base instincts take over. His big hand finds yours and twines your fingers together as he drives his cock into your pussy over and over and over again, the squelching noises only growing louder and louder in your ears.
“My kitten… wants a baby then?” He hums into your ear. “She wants me to cum inside of her and carry my baby, is that right?”
“It was… just a thought.”
He laughs as your pussy clenches around him more at his words.
“Seems like it’s more than just a thought.”
Sylus’s mouth meets yours in another kiss, powered by something more than just lust. Your brain turns fuzzy and hot, reality beginning to finally blur as another climax ascends from the depths of your core.
Your eyes shut as his mouth finds the sweet spot on your neck. He sucks and nips at the skin with his teeth and you’ve no doubt that there’ll be plenty of love bites scattered across your skin for days after tonight.
When he nips at your ear, you squeak and clench around him again. Sylus groans into your ear, “Do that again.”
You oblige, clenching down on him and making him piston himself in and out of you faster. Every thrust turns into one that pushes the air from your lungs. All you can see, all you can feel is Sylus—feel his body heat as he presses your body down with his; feel the thickness of his cock stretch you open and the weight of his balls as they slap against your ass.
And it feels so good. The shlick and pap noises are getting to you. The coil that’s been winding up all night finally feels like it’s about to burst. Your back arches off the bed, breasts pressing into Sylus’s firm chest.
“Ohmygod, Sy, gonna cum, gonna cum fuckfuckfuuucckkk!”
He nips at your earlobe, biting down on it gently before whispering into your ear, “Indulge, my love. Indulge and I’ll fulfill every single one of your desires tonight.”
At long last, the coil snaps. Euphoria pilots itself to brain and all across your body. You shake from the intensity, having to wrap your arms around Sylus to ground yourself as you reach your high.
Your orgasm sends him over the edge. He thrusts a few more times before he finds himself pressing himself as deep as he can possibly go and releasing his seed inside of your pussy. It’s almost too much, even for him. He doesn’t think he’s ever cum harder than tonight.
Your bodies rock together as you both fall from the heights of cloud nine. Sylus peppers your sweaty skin with kisses, across the bruised love bites he’d left earlier.
It’s only when he feels himself soft enough to slip out of you does he ask, “A family?”
Sylus’s voice is soft. So soft in fact that you barely hear him. You take a moment to reply, only to find yourself being easily lifted from the bed and onto Sylus’s chest.
“It’s… Something that’s crossed my mind a few times,” you admit bashfully.
Silence fills the air for a moment before he asks again, in the same, quiet tone he’d just used.
“With me?”
Your smile stretches across your face instantly. Your lips meet his chest, right over his heart. Your eyes meet his—uncertainty meeting unconditional love.
“And no one else.”
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The next three days after are filled with you and Sylus partaking in all the activities that his yacht has to offer (plus more intimate times across the boat and it’s other rooms). He’d told you at one point that he would’ve just used the one he sails on regularly. But due to him wanting to spend more time with you than anything, and for you to have fun during the trip, he’d bought another and hired the captain to ensure safe passage.
Tonight however, was the night that you both were supposed to be arriving at your destination. You tried to help the anxiety and giddiness inside of you, trying to flatten it under a cool demeanor but Sylus just saw right through you.
Of course he would.
“There’s no reason to be nervous. It’s not like I’m taking you into enemy territory,” he jokes, gaze flicking to you from the stars in the open sky.
“I know that. I just can’t help it,” you mutter.
You shiver from the cold breeze, and Sylus shrugs off his leather jacket and places it over your shoulders. He leans down and zips it partway, resting his chin atop your head.
“Those hunter instincts of yours need to settle down,” he hums.
“I wish they would— Sylus!”
A hearty chuckle leaves him as you bounce away from his hold. Your eyes narrow at his treachery.
“What? Did I do something wrong?”
“Don’t you try and tickle me,” you warn playfully. You slip your arms through the sleeves of his leather jacket, trying to pull the sleeves back from over your palms to point at him. “Or I’m gonna tickle you back.”
Sylus smirks and rubs his fingers together. “Is that a challenge?”
“Mr. Sylus, Mrs. Sylus,” greets a familiar voice.
Embarrassment makes you duck your head away from the captain for a brief moment before you look at him.
“Just thought I’d come and let you know we’ll be docking soon.” The captain takes his hat off and bows before you both. “Thank you for allowing me the chance to sail you both for the last three days.”
Sylus nods his head in acknowledgment “Thank you for giving us safe passage, Arthur.”
Arthur nods, reapplies his cap and heads back to steer the ship into the upcoming port.
You don’t get to watch as he disappears since Sylus wraps his arms around you, pulling your chin to his chest. He presses a sweet kiss to your temple and murmurs, “I do believe we’re here.”
The distraction of the captain was long enough that the scenery before you had changed into the moonlit sea into a large landmass illuminated by the full moon above.
Your jaw drops open at the sight, eyes lighting up as you get closer and closer to the port where the ship would dock.
“Sylus, where are we?” you ask quietly.
“It’s an island,” he states. “One that I bought awhile back and was making… renovations for.”
“Renovations? For what?”
He laughs softly and looks at you like you’re a goddess. “For whom, you mean.”
Your eyes widen into saucers. Is he…? Could he seriously mean…?
“Sylus, you bought me an island?” you inquire, utterly flabbergasted.
“I can’t exactly un-buy it, so I do hope you’ll like it,” he replies. To your ears and yours alone you can hear his wavering tone, like he’s awaiting your disappointment. You can’t have that.
You cup his cheeks and force him to look at you again.
“Sylus, I love it; even if it’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever been gifted, I love it. It’s just going to take me time to get used to it,” you tell him. Then you step on your tippy-toes and give him an eskimo kiss. “Thank you. I love you.”
You kiss him there at the front of the ship, wrapped in his warm, protective embrace, momentarily oblivious to the world and your surroundings.
What you’re also oblivious to, and have been since the start of the trip, is the fat diamond ring that’s been tucked away, hidden in Sylus’s bottom drawer to his dresser. And also to the fact of his other reason of being nervous.
To him hoping that you’ll say “yes” when he gets down on one knee to ask you to marry him.
But he’ll save that for later. Right now he intends to indulge and savor your lips on his and you being tucked into him, safe from the world to be loved and worshipped by him.
And hopefully, for the rest of this lifetime.
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letssofia3006 · 2 days ago
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Fanart from the most recent chapter of the fanfic: The harmony of the spark. Written by @just-joeja
The piano scene was super intense, thou, I couldn’t help but imagine Optimus literally fuming. He is a semi-truck altomode, of course he fumes when angry. It comes with the package and nonone can’t convince otherwise.
Additionally here I drop my thought process for the comic + 4 paragraphs worth of yapping:
The chapter never explicitly states how or why Megatron was there to listen to Optimus. What we do know is that Optimus, for once, didn’t bother checking the auditorium—he went straight to the piano. This means Megatron could have been there from the very beginning without Optimus noticing. However, there’s also no mention of Optimus closing the door behind him, so the sound of the piano could have easily reached his ears and drawn him into the auditorium. Both possibilities are equally plausible.
And since there’s no strong evidence to prove one over the other, I choose to believe the first option (as is obvious in the comic) purely for funny reasons.
Let me set you the scene. Megatron, after enduring 60 auditions in a row! He is bore out of him mind, he is tired. Perhaps, after judging the last pianist and finding no clear standout, he simply gives in and falls into a deep, deep sleep. And I mean very deep—so deep that the entire auditorium is vacated and the lights are turned off, likely by Soundwave, who probably gave up on trying to wake him.
And then, bam! He is suddenly awaken by the world angriest stumps he’s ever heard, accompanied by the most jaw dropping, tear jerking, breathtaking rendition of Prelude in C Sharp Minor from Rachmaninoff. And then, another bam! The source of the music is no other than Optimus Prime. The fragging maestro who Megatron spent the entire audition process internally mocking. But primus be damned, Optimus is good! Better than the 99% who audioned just earlier.
So now, Megatron has to put on his most professional, smug expression and act like he totally planned for this. But more importantly, he cannot let anyone realize that he literally just woke up. Least of all Optimus Prime
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betweenthescarletmoon · 3 days ago
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THANK GOD AVELERA HAS SPOKEN AND PUT BOTH SILCO AND JINX IN THEIR PLACE
look they're amazing, super well-written characters. but they're such Morally Corrupt characters. They reaped what they sowed—Silco lived in bitterness and anger over the death he narrowly avoided, and out of sheer hatred killed Vander as well as their dream. He nurtured a weapon instead of a woman, which led to the death of the Council on the cusp of the independence he longed for! I am Glad that he is dead! Even Jinx seems to have stabilized mentally in s2 after his death.
Tbh, considering how a good and respected man like Vander—who tried to protect and keep the peace for his people—died a monster, broken beyond recognition, because of Silco, WHO THEN turned around and poisoned and impoverished and massacred said people… I'd say Silco got the consequences of his own actions. To die forgotten and in the grave Vander had almost put him in.
Never mind the Felicia retcon. I don't think Vander should've ever tried to kill his brother. But there is a reason why this man chose to try and kill his brother. (At least in s1, we don't see this supposed grief in Vander when nodding towards the corpses of Vi and Jinx's parents. And the timelines of Felicia's death and the attempted murder of Silco don't add up bc Vander didn't have facial hair there, therefore he was younger compared to the time he chose to leave violence behind and adopt two girls. Furthermore Silco didn't know about these girls and was dead-set on killing all the children before Pow-Jinx tackled him into a hug 🙃)
Now, Jinx deserved better than to be raised as a ticking time bomb. But she chose to remain with that bitterness and spite that Silco offered her. She chose to be Jinx instead of a sister. She chose to wreak violence and pain instead of trying to heal. Both Jinx and Silco decided to spread their pain and choke the rest of the world with it, and that only worsened the situation that Piltover had already put Zaun in. Which is why Jinx being a heroic symbol/martyr for Zaun didn't make much sense to me? She'd attack her own people and make messes for years, and everyone knew Silco would rather the world burn than keep his daughter in line. I assume the attack on the Council led people to forget all the pain she and her father caused?
Anyway. Like I said before, both Silco and Jinx give us astounding observations on trauma, grief, identity, change, and forgiveness. They are masterclasses of character writing in s1. I love watching these characters. What I don't love is seeing their malicious and spiteful acts be completely erased and for them to be made out into helpless victims of their situation. At some point, you gotta stand and choose who you want to be. After the event that traumatizes you passes, you keep living. So i don't understand why we must blame Piltover for every problem in this show when these two also caused enough of them. When Cait said, “I suppose topside is to blame for all your misfortunes,” Vi herself said, “No. Not all of them.” This could be interpreted in so many ways, but I think we can all come to three conclusions.
Vi blames herself. For the initial heist leading to the search, the kidnapping, the bombing, her imprisonment. It is very in-character for her to blame herself for things she couldn't have foreseen or controlled.
Vi hallucinates Powder and says this, which could mean her acknowledging that Powder, by accident, caused her Vi's misfortune of losing her family.
Vi blames the real culprit who created the environment for violence and death, who made Vi and Powder turn to their weapons to save their family: Silco.
Like @avelera said, let's use the text itself to analyze these situations. And let's fairly throw the responsibility where it's due. I recognize all of Jayce and Mel and Caitlyn's failures. Let us recognize the Zaunites' failures as well.
Cassandra Kiramman is one of many powerful people in Piltover. she is afforded a massive state funeral and memorial. her body is carefully restored and preserved to its most perfect state. she is placed in an expensive high-tech coffin
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Silco is THE wealthiest and most powerful person in Zaun. and his corpse is simply sunk to the bottom of the river like any other garbage
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l-starsz · 2 days ago
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Billie sees reader doing yoga early in the morning and can't contain herself
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a/n: this was actually quite fun to write even though i’m clueless about yoga😞 got a bit carried away writing it if i’m honest..
i turned over in bed and squinted as i opened my eyes. too early, but i needed to get up. i smiled as i noticed billie. her eyes were lightly shut, her mouth open the tiniest bit, and her hair messy around her face as she slept. she looked beautiful. with the small smile still on my face, i stretched, then stood up out of bed, heading towards the bathroom. i washed my face before heading downstairs for some breakfast. i wasn't usually a breakfast person, but i decided i needed some food in me since i was planning on doing some yoga. i'd recently started getting into yoga, and quickly discovered the hard way that i couldn't do it on an empty stomach no matter how much i hated breakfast. i didn't want to keep getting lightheaded halfway through..
i quickly made myself a bowl of cut up fruit with yogurt over it. it didn't take me too long to finish it, waiting for a little bit for my food to settle before going back to the bathroom to brush my teeth, changed, put my hair up, and then back downstairs to do yoga. i'd set my mat up, and began stretching, and doing different poses. i had gentle music playing through my headphones because i knew i wouldn't have been able to focus if i was doing it in silence. since my music was pretty loud, and my headphones were noise cancelling, i didn't notice at all when the door at the back of the room opened, and billie walked in. i had no clue how long she'd been in the room, but i only noticed when i saw a shadow nearby. obviously, i panicked, not expecting her to be in the room with me. i flinched and rushed to take my headphones out, looking up at her as my heart pounded in my chest.
i placed my hand over my heart, feeling how quick it was beating, and giggled as i spoke.
"billie, you scared the shit out of me."
she laughed and shook her head, then crouched down beside me. i was honestly still pretty confused about what she was doing, she never usually watched me, she only came in the room every so often to check on me and tell me how much she missed me, but she hadn't said a word yet. my eyebrows furrowed as i spoke again.
"how long have you been in here watching me, hm?"
"hmmm, not long." she smiled.
i reached over and grabbed my water that was nearby, taking a few sips and processing her words. i still had more poses i needed to do, but first had a question.
"what's up then bil? usually you come in and tell me you miss me, then go and wait for me to finish. what's going on in your pretty mind?" i smiled back as i spoke.
"well you just look so beautiful. look so perfect in that outfit. you look so perfect in everything. i couldn't help but watch." i saw a small smirk appear on her face while she spoke.
"oh really?" i raised an eyebrow, then sighed, "i need to carry on now, you can stay and watch if you want baby?"
she was very quick to nod at my suggestion, sitting herself down on the floor next to me. the whole time she was there, her eyes didn't leave my body. i could feel her eyes watching my every move, but i just continued. i knew why she was really there. i took another short break after a while and turned to face billie. she had a smirk on her face, and was making direct eye contact with me. i rolled my eyes and laughed, knowing exactly what that look meant.
"i still have a little more to do, baby. not long left now." i laughed as i heard her groan at my words, but something must've clicked in her head. she had a plan.
"can i at least have a kiss?" she smiled innocently.
"when i’m done. i have like ten minutes left."
"pleaseeee. pretty please with a cherry on toppp?" she whined.
i giggled at her words and shuffled a little bit closer to her, leaning in and waiting for her to kiss me. i couldn't say no to her. it obviously didn’t take her long to press her lips gently against mine. when i tried to pull away after a few seconds, i felt her hand come up the back of my head, deepening the kiss and causing me to let out a quiet moan into her mouth. i really didn't expect her to deepen the kiss. i felt her smirk against my lips as we began making out. small whines left my mouth before she pulled away, causing me to groan. i looked into her eyes, practically begging her just by looking at her.
"i thought you had ten minutes left, angel? what happened to that, huh?"
she was getting cocky because she knew she'd got her own way. she knew that it didn't take a lot to convince me to stop what i was doing and give her even more attention, and she knew her plan all along.
"please bil.." i whispered, my lips hovering over hers.
she didn't reply, just carefully laid me down against the mat on the floor.
"in here?" i mumbled.
"just for now, okay? are you comfortable, love? if not i'll take you to our room right now."
"please just touch me. i'm comfortable billie. i need you now." i breathed out.
she soon enough pulled my leggings down. she paused when she saw my underwear. there had to be a spot where i'd practically soaked through them, there was no doubt about it. i felt her fingers run over the damp no, soaked spot on them, lightly brushing over my clit, before pulling her fingers away. i glanced up at her, noticing that she looked mesmerised. i laid my head back once again when my underwear was being pulled off almost immediately. she wasted no time, leaning down, laying on her stomach on the floor, hooking her arms under my thighs and pulling me closer before diving right in.
her tongue separated my folds as quiet, breathy moans came from me. she made her way towards my clit, but then moved back down and pushed her tongue inside me. i clenched around her and moaned loud. whilst i was busy moaning, i didn't even notice her move one of her arms from uner my leg, allowing her fingers to find my clit. her movements were quick, and precise. we both knew i wasn't lasting long at all. i couldn't even stay still as both her tongue, and her fingers worked against me, bringing me right to the edge of my orgasm. my moans were more frequent and high pitched as i squirmed around, trying not to cum until she told me to.
conveniently enough, just as i was focusing on not finishing, she tapped my thigh with her free hand, signalling to me to cum. and best believe i did. all over her face, and her fingers, and the mat beneath me. hopefully it wasn't ruined.. but at that moment in time, i had no time to think about that, my mind was filled with my pretty girlfriend. as she carefully moved away from my pussy, and closer to my face, i took notice of my arousal that coated her lips and her chin.
"such a good girl for me, waiting for me to tell you to cum." she whispered against my lips, "upstairs now?"
i desperately nodded and tried to stand up, but stopped when i heard billie tut.
"ah ah, let me carry you, baby. cmon." she giggled, carrying my all the way up to our bedroom and laying me onto our comfy bed.
"just relax, okay pretty girl?" she whispered against my lips, placing a gentle kiss against them before moving towards my neck, and peppering soft kisses there too.
it wasn't long before my shirt was discarded on the floor, her lips all over my tits and working their way down my body. as her kisses trailed all over me, her fingers lightly pressed against my entrance, slowly pushing into me.
"still so wet and needy for me, hm baby?" i heard her mumble.
"yeah- yes. all for you bils. all yours." i whined.
"good girl." she praised me.
her fingers curled inside me, making my back arch. i was still so sensitive from my last orgasm, and was ready to cum again within only five minutes.
"that's it, my love. doing sooo good for me. taking my fingers so well, isn't that right?"
i moaned from the tone of her voice alone, my walls tightening around her fingers as i resisted the urge to cum already.
"what was that?" she spoke clearly.
"yes! taking your fingers.." i breathed, unable to think straight.
"that's right, baby. so well." she smiled, watching me struggling.
she knew how bad i needed to finish, how difficult it was getting to hold back, she just wanted me to ask her. to tell her. and of course, she got exactly what she wanted.
"please!! please- bil- billie. need to- for you, please. let me cum?" my words were broken, i could barely from a sentence, all that filled my head was how good billie was making me feel, and how bad i needed for cum over her fingers.
"there you go. just needed to ask me, honey. cum." she spoke in a soft tone, sending me further over the edge.
she sped up her fingers, resulting in my cum coating them, and dripping down her wrist, onto the sheets. broken moans and light sobs left my mouth as i started to get overstimulated. i grabbed her hand, urging her to gently pull out and place her hands against my waist. her fingers ran up and down, before she moved to lay against my chest. meanwhile, i was still trying to calm my breathing down.
her clean hand ran through the sweat covered strands of hair that stuck to my forehead. my eyes had been shut for a while, but as soon as i felt her hand on my cheek, i opened them, both of us smiling as my eyes drooped from how worn out i was.
"let's get you cleaned up, okay baby? then we can have a nap, and spend allll day together. how does that sound?" she ran her thumb across my cheek.
"perfect. thank you billie." i lazily smiled.
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deathofacupid · 4 hours ago
Text
opposites attract, they say. they attract, but they don't last. at least, not satoru and you.
"'toru," you tug on his sleeve, the silk cool against your clammy skin. he glances away from the gaggle of people surrounding him, a practiced smile flashing across his face. it doesn't reach his eyes.
"yeah, baby?"
you inhale, the bass of the music vibrating through your chest, making it hard to breathe, let alone speak. "can we — could you…" the words catch in your throat. what were you asking for? sanity? a moment of quiet? "um," you stammer, "when's this going to be over?"
"over?" he echoes, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes, as if the very concept is absurd. "babe, the party just started."
your party. the party you hadn't asked for, the party you dreaded.
"i know," you say, treading carefully. you knew he'd put effort into this. it's just… the room felt like it was closing in. it wasn't his fault, not really. he thrived in this environment, the center of attention, radiating that effortless charisma. people were drawn to him like moths to a flame. and tonight, the flame was burning too bright.
"but… it's just really, um," suffocating is the word that claws at your throat, but it feels too dramatic, too needy. "it's just kind of a lot."
he laughs, a booming sound that seems to amplify the noise around you, and says something you can't hear over the music. "'toru," you sigh, the sound barely audible, "i can't hear you."
he clicks his tongue, a flash of annoyance crossing his features, before he leans in and excuses himself from the group. he takes your hand, his grip a little too tight, and pulls you out onto the balcony of the penthouse. the city lights sprawl beneath you, a dizzying panorama that mirrors the chaos in your head.
"okay," he says, his tone impatient, as if this whole conversation is an unwelcome interruption. "go ahead."
the resentment simmers. you swallow it down. "toru, this is… nice and all, but, uh — i'm just not sure… not sure this is my scene."
he squints at you, his brow furrowed. "what do you mean? it's your party."
"i didn't want one, though. don't get me wrong, this was… thoughtful, i guess. it's just too much for me."
satoru blinks, genuinely surprised, as if you've sprouted a second head. "but…i mean, i thought you'd like it. look at how many people showed up for you."
"'toru, those people aren't here for me. i don't even know most of them."
"it's a party! like, a party party. of course, you won't know all of them."
"i probably don't even know three of them!" you snap, the frustration finally breaking through. "you know i don't like these things," you add, the words softer now, pleading.
"yeah," he scoffs, the sound laced with something you can't quite decipher. "i do."
"well, what's that supposed to mean?"
"nothing. it's just," he groans, running a hand through his hair, "frustrating."
"frustrating? it's frustrating? me wanting to spend my birthday with you, that's frustrating?"
"you are with me!"
"and, like, one hundred other people! what's frustrating is that you're not listening! i told you i wanted to spend today, just the two of us!"
"but that's what we always do," he mutters, the words barely audible.
"what? oh, i'm sorry, is quality time annoying?"
he pinches the bridge of his nose, a muscle twitching in his jaw. "that's not what i meant."
"that's what it sounded like."
"look, it's just… boring doing the same thing all the time. we like different things."
"yeah," you whisper, the words heavy with a sudden, sinking realization. "we do, don't we?" you shake your head, the movement small and defeated, and turn to walk past him.
"wait, where are you going?"
you shrug, unable to meet his eyes, "to go to a different thing."
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