#but he also replied that conditioner is better

[scandalousscarlet83]

Did I really just say that to my date while he was staring at me tonight?! Yes, yes, I did because I'm the most awkward fool ever to exist! 🙃

[delulujuls]

the prettiest boy in the paddock | op81

hi there, here comes the 1.3k of wholesome fluff with the pastry boi. its just-uh, i already know that i wanna write a part two for this so watch out!

summary: oscar is feeling a bit down but little does he know that for two people out there he is the prettiest boy in the paddock

warnings: none

pairing: fem!mclarendriver x oscar piastri (ft. lando)

Oscar never had an opinion about his appearance.

Whenever someone asked him if he considered himself as an attractive guy, he would just shrug. Passing by shop windows, mirrors, or surfaces reflecting his image, he never stopped to check if he looked good. The same applied to taking pictures of him. He never needed to have a say in them; he didn't feel the need to improve any shot, as he might not look favorable in it. If the photographer thought he looked great, who was he to judge?

This, of course, didn't mean that Oscar didn't take care of himself; quite the opposite. The Aussie was always neat, smelled good, and sometimes even used hair conditioner, lip balm or even a hand cream. Looking at him, you could notice a handsome, young man with a well-built, slim figure, a pleasant gaze, and an infectious smile.

The fact that Oscar was attractive was especially noticeable on social media. He was adored by fans. The papaya army loved the McLaren duo, and Oscar was no less popular with the ladies than Lando. If anything, sometimes it seemed like his name was shouted even louder.

His teammates also shared the same opinion. Oscar was a good-looking lad, so it wasn't surprising that during conferences, interviews or casual conversations Lando couldn't take his eyes off him and Y/N took every opportunity to throw compliments at him. However, these compliments were one hundred percent sincere and true and Oscar took them very personally, blushing like never before. These compliments were perceived as harmless, friendly jokes by the public, but both Y/N and Lando believed that their friend was the indeed the most beautiful.

However, this didn't change the fact that sometimes Oscar had a bad day. This was one of those days.

With the hood pulled low over his head, the person in the orange McLaren hoodie entered the dining room. Y/N was slowly having her breakfast, scrolling through social media. She usually went for meals early to avoid crowds and have some time to clear her head. Her surprise was evident when someone pulled a chair next to her and took a seat.

"Oscar?" the girl asked in surprise, barely able to see her friend's face under the hood. "What are you doing here so early?"

"I couldn't sleep."

He muttered under his breath and opened a small chocolate packet, pouring it over his pancakes.

Y/N blinked several times, holding her phone in her hand. Clearly, something was off.

"Is something wrong?"

Oscar shook his head and leaned his elbow on the table. He ate in a hunched position, with his back slouched. It looked like he was hiding from someone. Or hiding something.

"You haven't convinced me."

She replied, putting down her sandwich.

The Aussie ate in silence. Only his chin and chocolate-stained lips were visible under the hood. Y/N looked at him, waiting, but when she saw it was better to drop the subject, she returned to her breakfast and scrolling through Instagram.

When Y/N finished eating, she glanced at her friend one last time. He still sat with his head down, swiping his finger on his phone screen. She gathered her things, planning to leave the dining room, realizing there was no chance for a normal chat with Oscar.

"See you around, grumpy."

As she stood up, she heard a quiet question.

"Can you help me?"

Y/N paused and finished her coffee.

"Of course I'll help you, but first I need to know in what matter."

She replied without hesitation, looking down at him. He raised his head and for the first time that day, she had the chance to look at his face.

"Do you have a moment now?"

The girl checked her phone's clock and nodded.

"To my room, then."

Once they were in her room, she sat on the bed and Oscar, after closing the door behind him, walked slowly into the room.

"I'm all ears."

He took his hands out of his pockets and sat next to his friend. He sighed and took off the hood, turning his face toward Y/N in silence. She looked at him surprised, studying him.

"What? You don't have the answer written on your face."

"I do," he replied tartly "You don't see gow terrible i look?"

Y/N furrowed her brows. She had no idea what he was talking about. He looked exactly the same as always.

"You look cute, just like every day."

She said playfully, smiling, but he wasn't in the mood for jokes. He lowered his head and rubbed his face with his hands.

"Acne," he said, resigned, lowering his hands to his knees. "It's worse than ever."

She gently touched his chin and turned his face towards her. Oscar avoided eye contact. He felt embarrassed, unsure whether he was more ashamed of coming to her with such a thing or of his appearance.

"If you want me to help, first, don't touch your face like you did a moment ago."

The girl smiled and brushed the hair from his forehead with her hand.

The Aussie looked into her eyes and, seeing her smile, he felt a little more confident.

"Can you help me with this? I have no idea what to do."

"You're lucky you're friends with someone who has half a Walmart in their makeup bag."

Y/N smiled and stood up, going to the bathroom. After a moment, she returned with a pink headband, which she placed on Oscar's head to keep his hair away from his face.

"Have you washed your face today?"

Oscar nodded.

"What do you use for face wash? Tell me about your skincare routine."

To be honest, there was nothing much to talk about.

"Uh, I wash my face with water, morning and night, when I take a shower."

Y/N blinked several times and looked at him in shock.

"And that's it?"

He just nodded. To his surprise, his friend smiled and clapped her hands.

"Great, I can teach you everything."

"I don't know if I'm ready for that."

Oscar replied uncertainly, but he obediently stood up and followed the girl to the bathroom.

"Don't worry; it won't be anything crazy" Y/N said and took her face wash gel in her hand "It's gonna be Piastri's friendly skincare."

He listened to her even more carefully than when he analyzed the race result with the strategists. He asked when he had doubts, trying to remember every word she said. When he finished washing his face, she applied a gentle scrub and face mask after. After that, it was the time fot rest of the skincare routine. Y/N took a bit of cream on her fingers, which finished off all the major skincare. She crouched down in front of him and smiled, applying the cream to his face.

"Smile, Osc. You are beautiful."

Piastri involuntarily smiled at her compliment.

"Immediately better."

She added, massaging the remaining cream into her hands. For some imperfections, she applied a clear, specialized ointment and removed the headband from his head. She stood up, taking a brush and combing his hair.

"Thank you, Y/N."

Oscar replied, looking at her from below. His brown eyes sparkled as he raised his head to look at his friend.

"You are welcome, pretty boy."

She replied. She wanted to kiss his cheeks but refrained, partly because of the multi-step skincare routine on his face, and partly because Oscar was her friend. But mostly, it was about skincare.

"And you're beautiful, don't forget that."

"Of course, I am" a loud interjection from Lando was heard as he entered the room, making himself comfortable in it, quickly appearing in the bathroom "What's going on here and why without me?"

"You miss everything because you're the last one to get up"

Y/N replied, putting her things back into her cosmetic bag.

"Not true, don't be mean."

Lando retorted, but quickly his gaze turned towards Oscar and the Brit smiled at the sight of him "Wow, Osc, what a glow, mate!"

"Y/N did her hundred-step skincare on me."

"Really? Why are you torturing our friend?" Norris asked, sitting on the edge of the bathtub next to the Aussie.

"I asked her myself," the younger boy replied before the girl spoke up, ready to throw some sort of retort at her friend, "I wasn't feeling very confident this morning, my acne was killing me a bit and it's gotten worse lately."

Oscar admitted, still a little embarrassed by his problem.

"Aw, Oscar," Lando wrapped his arm around him and kissed him on the cheek. "You'd win the competition for the prettiest boy in the paddock."

Piastri blushed and lowered his gaze. A slight smile appeared on his rosy lips.

"Oh yes, you would definitely win."

Y/N replied and put her makeup bag aside, also sitting next to Piastri and kissing his other cheek, feeling a bit more confident after Lando did the exact same thing. Oscar blushed even more and raised his hands to hide his face, but lowered them halfway.

"I can't touch my face, damn it!"

[flseur]

꒰ 𐙚 started it — suguru geto ꒱

⟡ synopsis : when you can't seem to fall asleep, it's a good thing that your boyfriend suguru can distract you!

⟡ content warning : nsfw ( 18+ ), fem!reader, kind of brat!reader and brat tamer!geto, fluff to smut, teasing, cunnilingus, fingering, praising, edging, blowjob, deepthroating, overstimulation, standing missionary, standing doggy

౨ৎ note : i was going to write more to be honest but i also didn't want it to be too long because it's 2.2k words, so if anyone wants a part two let me know! ໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა

when it rains, it pours. and nights like these, with the down pouring rain accompanied by thunder and lightning, you’ve always had a hard time trying to fall asleep.

maybe it’s your nerves, or maybe it’s just the sound of the hard droplets of water hitting the windows of your bedroom.

either way, you can’t sleep.

which is quite the opposite of your boyfriend right now.

you can make out the outline of suguru’s sleeping form in the dark, as well as hear his light snores. he had always slept better with sound, and this storm is allowing him to catch up on the rest he oh so deserved.

you sigh, sitting up from your bed and bringing up a hand to rub your eyes. at least one of you was able to sleep. 

quietly moving your comforter, you slip out of bed and try to leave the bedroom as quietly as possible then make your way into the kitchen.

while starting the kettle for a cup of chamomile tea, hoping it will help with your restlessness.

at first the only thing you were able to hear was the whistling of the tea kettle and the pitter-pattering of rain, then you heard the sound of heavy footsteps and you whip your head around to see the cause of the sound. 

“suguru? what are you doing out of bed?” you ask, thinking that you were quieter when leaving the bedroom.

“couldn’t sleep…” he yawns sleepily, walking closer to you. “heard you get out of bed.”

“oh, i’m sorry.” you rush out, turning back to pour the hot water into your tea cup. “i thought i was being quiet. you can go back to bed without me, i can’t fall asleep right now.”

not hearing a response from your boyfriend, you go to turn around to look at him. instead, you feel his arms wrapping around your waist, and his head resting on your shoulder.

“suguru? are you okay?” you ask, feeling his hair tickle your neck.

“come back to bed with me.” he mumbles against the bare skin of your shoulder, where his shirt that you were wearing sagged. his lithe fingers playing with the bottom hem of it.

you let out a light laugh at your boyfriend’s behaviour. “i’ll come to bed in a bit, okay?”

“why not now?” he pouts. 

“‘cause i can’t sleep, suguru.” you tell him. “i might work on one of my papers or something.”

“i’ll stay up with you.” he says, flipping you around. the small of your back now pressed against the granite of the countertop with his arms caging you in. 

“are you sure? you don’t have to.”

“i want to. i’ll keep you company.” he tells you.

“okay…” you respond, not entirely believing your boyfriend due to the fatigue that shows in his brown eyes.

suguru gives you a quick peck on your lips, “i promise, i’ll stay awake.”

“i believe you.” you giggle.

“no you don’t.” he kisses your temple, then the corner of your mouth, then on your neck before resting his head on your shoulder again. “you think i’m going to fall asleep.” 

“if you do fall asleep i don’t mind, honestly.” you tell him, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“but i’m not going to.” suguru noses against your skin, intaking the scent of your shampoo and conditioner from the shower with him the night before.

“promise?” you ask.

“i promise.” he tells you. “i’d never leave you alone.”

“good.” you kiss his lips.

“go sit at the table,” he says. “‘m gonna make you a snack.”

“‘kay.” you reply, pouring your cup of tea before making your way over to a chair. “are you making yourself some too?”

“of course i am. woke up without my beautiful girlfriend beside me and an empty stomach.” he jokes.

“ha ha.” you reply sarcastically. “what’re you making?”

“apples.”

“apples?”

“yeah, having some sort of fruit always helps with studying,” he replies. “my mom used to do this for me in highschool.”

“that’s sweet of her to do.” 

“yeah, i appreciated it a lot back then.” he tilts his head back and looks at you. 

“thank you.” you smile at him. “i really appreciate it.”

“‘course,” he smiles back. suguru grabs the plate of sliced apples and places it down on the table in front of you. “here, make sure to eat them all. you need to energize your brain.”

you pat the chair beside you, “come and sit with me. i want you to have some too.”

suguru lets out a light chuckle before sitting down in the chair, “i don’t want to distract you…”

“it’s okay, i like being near you. besides, weren’t you hungry too?”

“okay, if you insist.” he jokes before popping one of the apple slices in his mouth. he then leans over and then pecks the side of your mouth.

suguru grabs the edge of your chair, and the wooden legs scrape against the floor as he pulls you closer to him.

“why’d you do that?” you laugh.

“just wanted to be closer to you” he replies coyly, leaning in and pressing another kiss to your lips. the act is sweet but his intentions were anything but. his soft lips press into you more, making your head spin.

just as you were about to pull away, his large hands come up to the side of your head, deepening the kiss.

suguru bites at your bottom lip before running his tongue over the stinging flesh, asking for entrance into your mouth but you pull away quickly, hoping to catch your breath.

“sugu,” you sigh his name, your forehead resting on his. “i need to work on my paper…”

and though you protest, you don’t fully mean your words because when you catch his eyes zeroing in on your lips, you find yourself leaning in for more.

suguru pulls you out of your chair by your waist, making you sit on his lap. you can feel his growing erection in his grey joggers through your sleep shorts. the harder he kisses you, his hands pressing you impossibly closer into him, the more you squirm in his lap.

suguru groans against you then pulls back, smiling slightly seeing how you chase his lips.

“shit,” he gasps, looking down at where you continue to grind against him. your flimsy cotton shorts doing nothing to hide the arousal pooling at your core. “y’can’t keep doing this to me baby, you’re driving me crazy.”

“you started this…” you reply, continuing your ministrations.

“don’t be a fucking tease.” he chokes out. “i’ll make sure nothing else comes out of that bratty mouth of yours.”

“then do it.”

and before you can get another word out, suguru has manhandled you into bending over onto the dining table and removing your sleep shorts, internally groaning about your lack of panties.

god, you looked so fucking good like this. bottom half of your body bare, your ass on display and your arousal was dripping down your inner thighs.

“stop staring and do somethin– oh…” you start then being cut off by a moan, feeling suguru’s large hands grab at your ass and his tongue slither its way to your pussy.

his wet muscle runs between your folds, circling your clit before his lips wrap around it and he begins to suck it into his mouth.

you let out a desperate moan, pushing your hips back further into his face. you didn’t want to beg for more, didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he’s making you feel so good.

so when you feel one of his hands leave your ass and his lithe fingers dance up your inner thighs, you bite back a small smile.

“fuck! oh m’god!” you sob as you feel him push one of his digits into your sopping cunt.

suguru smirked against your pussy, feeling your walls twitch as he pistons his fingers deeper into you. he angled his fingers to hit your g-spot, making sure to hit it with every thrust.

he could tell you were going to cum soon, your moans were becoming more high pitched and airy while your body writhed above him.

“i-i’m gonna cum… fuck! suguru–!” you cry out, ready to tip over that peak until the pleasure your boyfriend was giving you was ripped away. “what? why?”

you whip your head around, glancing over your shoulder to see the shit-eating smirk suguru was wearing on his face. “ah… i guess you really wanted to cum right?” he teases, one of his hands rubbing soft circles on the globe of your ass.

“no shit, suguru.” you groan, rolling your eyes until you feel him pull you up and turning you to face him.

“aw… m’sorry baby,” he coos at you, his hands coming up to rest on your jaw. “but brats don’t get what they want, now do they?” he says, the grip on your face tightening.

“suck my cock.” he tells you, hands moving to your shoulders to gently push you to your knees.

and you oblige, sinking to your knees and your fingers dance at the waistband of his grey joggers before rubbing him through the material.

“don’t tease.” he groans, throwing his hand back.

you begrudgingly pulls down his pants and boxers at the same time. suguru’s cock sprung out and hit below his belly button, it was flushed pink and had precum oozing from the tip.

you kitten lick the head, feeling it twitch against your tongue and tasting the saltiness.

“baby…” he moans, his breath hitching when he finally feels you wrap your pretty lips around it.

you take him as far as you can before wrapping one hand around the rest and squeezing lightly, while the other one massages his balls.

“fuuuck, so good for me…”

suguru’s hands frame the side of your head, using them to guide your spit-covered lips up and down his cock. he fucking loved it when you gave him head. always taking him as deep as you could, sputtering around his cock and swallowing every drop of cum down your throat.

and as much as suguru would like to cum down your throat right now, he’s already decided to save that for when he’s fucking the bratiness out of you.

“‘kay… baby, shit, i’m gonna cum… you gotta stop.” he warns you, but you continue on and quicken your ministrations. you take him as deep as you can, gagging around his dick and you feel it twitch in your mouth.

you knew he was going to be annoyed with you, but you continue to take him further until you finally feel the stutter of his hips, his melodic moans, and his cum down your throat.

“f-fuck! y/n!” suguru groans, his chest heaving until he pulls you off him. “you’re going to regret that.”

though the look on your face held little to no remorse. you grinned up at him, licking your lips then leaning forward and pressing a chaste kiss to the sensitive head of his cock.

“y’sure? i doubt that i am.” you taunt him.

next thing you knew, suguru is pistoning his thick cock into you unforgivingly, your arousal coating his length. he had you pushed up against the wall in the dining room, your legs wrapped around his waist tightly. 

you looked so beautiful. tits bouncing, tears lining the waterline of your pretty eyes and your skin was hot to the touch. his hands grabbed at the plush skin of your hips, grinding you down further on his cock and you sob at the feeling.

your nails scratched at the skin of his broad shoulders before you wrap your arms around his neck. your breasts pressed against his chest and his breath hitches as he feels your nipples brush against him.

“you about to cum, princess?” he coos at you, leaning forward to press open mouth kisses to your neck. “do it… cum on my cock, i want to feel you…”

he could feel your pussy clench around him tightly. he was hitting all of the right places in you, your eyes rolled to the back of your head and you swore you seen stars.

“su-suguru! oh my fucking god! m’cumming!” as you cum, your pussy squeezed his cock impossibly tighter and your vision blurs from the intensity. 

suguru rarely gave you enough time to recover before he sets your feet to the ground and you nearly feel your legs give out. his hands grab at your hips once again, manhandling you into turning around to face the wall.

as you feel his cock sink into you, you moan out once more and you ball your fists against the wall.

“feeling alright?” he whispers in your ear, wanting to make sure you were okay before starting again.

you nod your head, mumbling a quick ‘mhm’ then try to fuck your hips back onto him.

“words, baby.” he tuts.

“yes…now move.” you say, still being able to give him attitude while being fucked out.

“still being bratty, huh?” he scoffs, thrusting up into your cunt abruptly, making you cry out. “the only thing that's going to come out of your mouth is going to be those pretty, little moans, alright?”

“yes, suguru...”

"that's my girl."

flseur © all rights reserved, do not repost, take inspo from my layouts or themes, translate, or claim as your own.

[dolliels]

I’VE BECOME THE FIANCÉ OF THE VILLAIN?! pt4

synopsis: going to bed after reading a horribly self indulgent romance novel, you seemed to wake up as an extra of the series. what stories will unfold while on a mission to find a way out?

author’s note: freaky ass chapter lol

[one] [two] [three] [four] [epilogue]

"why do you come over so often?" you asked leaning back against your couch.

leona was comfortably resting his head on your thighs. "you said you liked your house better than the palace." he replied.

"ohhh so that's what the question was for." you said to yourself out loud. leona just grunted and leaned in closer.

it had been about a week since what you would call 'the incident.' (the kiss. don't be embarrassed!) and you found that leona really did enjoy lounging around your house. it was like he was living here again, except he went home after dinner because after disappearing for months (and hiding at your place) he was apparently scolded very hard and had two sets of guards follow him everywhere.

they were the two royal guards that asked you about leona's whereabouts before. it seemed as if only those two and leona were the only ones who knew (and figured out) that you had been unknowingly hiding him and keeping the royal family very vulnerable with leona’s disappearance. (oops!)

you've heard people whispering about the second prince's whereabouts, which was why you were so insistent that he goes back home to the palace. which he did. way later than he should've.

the two guards were named ruggie and jack. you kinda felt bad that they had to stick around waiting for leona all day so every time you cooked a meal, you'd prepare little lunchboxes for them to enjoy, and gift them books you think they might like, free of charge.

jack, apparently, was new to the job. he looked very righteous, definitely a guy who trained to work for the royal family his entire life. he did not look at least one bit bored waiting around for leona all day long. he was also reluctant to eat the food you made, but after seeing leona wolf it down and snag a few from your plate when you weren't looking, jack started to take them a lot more comfortably.

ruggie, on the other hand, seemed to be a seasoned veteran. not in battle though. just dealing with leona.

apparently, ruggie had been on leona's ass since they were teenagers so everyone thought it would be better to just let ruggie stick with leona even after he was promoted to knighthood.

ruggie was fine with it. he claimed it was easy money and he didn't mind sticking with leona. he said it was a lot easier now that you could take care of him (you flushed at this comment) and greedily took the food you offered without a second thought.

you laid your head back. the fire was cackling and the hot cocoa was letting out steam. winter was really near, and the house was often cold so you mostly stayed around the living room or bundled up tightly in bed. you were too scared to leave the fire on overnight to warm the house, so it got pretty chilly at night.

these were the days you really missed modern living with their heaters and air conditioners. summer was pretty hard to deal with as well, heavy heatstrokes hitting your house every second of every hour. but the cold days were the worst. you could just wear less layers during the summer, but the winter meant you had to be prepared. you thanked the heavens that leona was warm and toasty, as you started to often hold onto him for warmth.

you weren't sure what you'd call whatever you and him had. a relationship? a couple? your boyfriend? you shook your head. you had no idea if this world had some sort of courting tradition and leona just threw away the rules and kissed you right then and there, but you didn't really care. you still had intentions to leave this world, even if that seemed to be way far out of your reach.

sometimes, you'd compare the leona who was hogging your thighs right now to the leona you read in the novel. in the novel, leona rarely showed any physical contact with roselia, nor did he kiss her until the very end of the story, where it was left to a happily ever after. he was often shy with his advances and would rather show his affections and love through the sidelines, doing things for her ambiguously. this leona, however, was very, very handsy. the moment you guys kissed, he hadn't been able to keep his hands off of you. hand on your waist, holding hands, little pecks on your face, a hug, you name it, he's done it. he had zero shame.

"hey, do you want to eat out tonight?"

"sure. i'm tired of cooking. where?"

"isn't there a branch of mostro lounge nearby."

"what? that place costs so much!"

"did you forget who I am?"

there was one thing that the novel got right about leona's preferred way to show affection.

both versions of leona loved to flaunt their money.

-

a month into whatever the hell was going on between you and leona, you were skimming through a book about transmigration. the hope of leaving never really left, even if you seemed to be pretty settled (and even in a relationship)

sometimes, when the body's owner wake up in a completely new body in a completely new life without their consent, they tend to almost never find a way out, no matter what they try.

hah, you'd been there.

however, some speculate that the only way to go back home in those situations is through feeling alone. if the transmigrator doesn't have a 100% unchangeable desire to go back home, the chances are zero to none. this is why those who end up settling down at a life in their new world usually have a hard time getting back. especially those who form meaningful bonds. those who are stuck in the middle are called to have a 'transmigration conundrum.'

you thought to yourself. do you truly like it here? like, before you met leona and started liking him like that. were you truly content? you were mixed with emotion.

if the transmigrator really does have a strong desire to go back home, they find themselves suddenly awake in their beds as if no time has passed and no changes had happened at all. those who claimed that they have experienced this state that they were usually able to go back home after they resolved some complicated feelings they had with those in the other world.

your eyes were starting to get droopy. you were relaxed, lying down on your bed, leona right next to you, snoring as loud as a person would possibly be. it was nearing dark and you wanted to wake leona but you got distracted staring at his face.

for a prince, he looked pretty unguarded. but then again, he did have two royal guards standing right outside of your door. 

you kissed the top of his forehead and looked up at your ceiling.

attachments… what were you attached to in this world?

leona, for starters, was very special in your heart. the bookstore was quite special too, you guessed. you've come to grow fond of the smell of vintage yellowed paper pages or the way fresh ink would glide smoothly from your quill.

you were also a little fond of ruggie and jack, and the fresh produce you were able to get (you eventually became friends with the grocer after bargaining with the guy so much) and the delicious foods you were able to make with it.

but you were also fond of the extremely processed, sugar snacks, and the easily accessible internet, transportation, phones and your bedroom.

you truly did have a transmigration conundrum.

you were getting sleepy and felt like dozing off, but you knew leona couldn't sleep over so you slowly shook him.

"hey. leona, wake up."

he growled and turned to sleep over you. you groaned and smacked his back. no reaction.

"leonaaaa wake upppp you know you're not allowed to sleep over and i don't want ruggie or jack to bust into my house again. if they break my door again you better buy me a nicer one."

you sniffed. something was burning.

"leona. do you smell that?"

you saw him scrunch up his nose, then open his eyes.

"something's burning."

leona stood right up and you followed behind.

your house was fine, so you had no idea where the burning smell was coming from. leona probably thought the same as he grabbed your hand and proceed to head to the back door. the door connected to the bookstore.

the moment he opened the door, a rageful fire bursted through and he immediately closed it back. you eyes widened. the books!

letting go of his hand, you ran out the other door to walk out and see your bookstore in full. it seemed as if both jack and ruggie had just noticed the fire as they scurried right behind you.

the entire bookstore… it was in flames. but how? never mind that. you needed to put the fire out!

-

you had never felt so desolate in your life.

by the time you managed to stop the fire (with the help of ruggie, jack and leona– jack especially) the entire placed was screwed over. the books were pure black in ash, the supports were fallen off and the roof was just, not there.

the fire somehow transported itself to your house as well, so some of the area was burnt off. but you still had a livable house, luckily.

leona offered to pay to rebuild the place but you just shook your head. the words transmigration conundrum echoed in your head and you had a subtle urge to try and let go of this place you've come to love.

you still had some books lying around your house. thank the sevens you had stacks of them at home.

but the comfort of a leatherback storybook wasn't there. just a pitted void of what you used to do. you also didn't have a job anymore. so what now?

leona was beside you once again, this time wide awake. he still did look sleepy.

"i have no job, and i'm deadbeat broke most of the time… what am I to do now?" you laughed weakly. you could still see the hints of burnt wood creeping on your walls and you felt even more devoid.

"you could live with me. then you won't have to work at all. or work at the library archive." leona suggested, leaning his head onto your shoulder.

"living with you? in the palace? me? with the royal family? that's insane. you'd need a good reason to house someone perfectly healthy and fine like me."

"what about amalgamation?"

"amalgamation? like marriage? haha."

"yea."

you turned your head. he looked dead serious.

"...what?"

"i'm saying we could be engaged, or something. then you could live in the palace."

that's right… roselia had no reason to worry about food or housing, because the palace took care of that for her… the pros of being a prince's fiancé.

but you had to be smart. you were just a commoner. the royal family didn't know you, the kingdom's people didn't know you, you didn't even know yourself.

you also weren't sure if people would take it to liking when leona randomly announces a wedding engagement.

the words transmigration conundrum still echoed loudly in your head. the desire to go back home seemed to have been ignited brightly once more.

"...no." you decided.

leona genuinely looked surprised. "no?"

"i can't… i just can't." you fumbled your words. you couldn't bring yourself to explain why. you wanted to spill your guts out with reasoning, but you could not find the right words.

"so if i asked you seriously and proposed, would you say no?"

you felt tense. "I… I guess so…"

leona straightened up. "then you should've said so in the first place. then i wouldn't have bothered with you or this relationship at all."

he walked out the door, his tail swished left and right rapidly. he was upset, you could tell that easily. but you didn't have the strength to get up and chase after him. you were tired. tired of this world, tired of somehow having the worst luck, and being struck with guilt over everything.

huh, so did leona intend to marry you in this relationship?

that wouldn’t be a good idea. right?

you probably wouldn’t be able to fully commit to it— considering your position right now.

were you not able to or did you just simply not want to?

you saw snow fall outside the window.

transmigration conundrum.

-

it had been two or three days since you last saw leona. you couldn't remember, as you laid in bed all day, mourning over who knows what (you felt as if you got over the whole bookstore thing– the responsibility of running it did take a toll on you. so what was making you so miserable now?) (you knew. it was because leona wasn’t there.)

he visited nearly everyday. this was the longest time you've gone without seeing him since the beginning of your relationship.

relationship? what relationship?! what even were you two? he just kissed you and got all touchy with you. and you, being touch starved and miserable without your friends or family, probably just leaned into the attention! and- not even two months in and he asked about marriage. what is this?! is this world really that weird or is leona just a freak?

you groaned into your pillow. being welled up in your own home was suffocating. this entire world was suffocating. you needed a breath of fresh air.

it was nearing sunset, and you decided you wanted to take a quick walk on a whim.

bundling up in your warmest clothes, you stepped outside to experience winter in this universe for the first time. it was truly beautiful, with its flawless, untouched and pristine white snow, the way the sun dimly makes the shadows appear in dark and warm hues of blue… you wished you weren't so frustrated so that you could appreciate it properly.

stomping in the snow, you huffed and breathed in the cold winter air as it entered your lungs. you were suddenly starting to feel better, and your mind was emptying.

however, due to your enjoyment of simply taking a breather outside, you realized it was nearing nightfall. you have to go home as soon as possible, you had no light source with you.

stomp, stomp you could hear your shoes step into the snow as you trudged through them like the total athlete you are.

you could barely see ahead of you, as it was dark at this point, so you were just following the footsteps in the snow you left. but it was snowing again, and your markings were fading away. you had to hurry.

stomp, stomp, stomp…

gotta hurry home…

stomp, stomp, stomp….

transmigration conundrum?

stomp, stomp, stomp…

you laughed at yourself. no way you're stuck in the middle. what conundrum is there?

stomp, stomp, stomp…

you just want to go home. done deal.

stomp, stomp, stomp…

who cares about anything else?

stomp, stomp, stomp…

who cares about leona king- OOF!

you were too engrossed into your thoughts that you ran into someone.

“I’m sorry.” you said, not bothering to look up. the shoes the guy was wearing looked fancy.

“y/n.”

you finally realized what you were doing and look up in hurry. it was leona.

“why are you here?”

“i followed the footsteps from your house.”

“oh. okay then. bye, i guess.”

psh. you didn’t care about leona either. you lost interest in everything. you wanted to go home.

“wait.”

transmigration conundrum.

leona grabbed your wrist. you turned around, both your faces fleshed in red from the cold. you didn’t want to see leona anymore. the more you looked at him, the more the guilt grew.

ultimately, the only thing keeping you from leaving this so called ‘conundrum’ was him.

if you decided to stay all for the sake of him, like roselia did, instead of going home, then you wouldn’t be able to go back. you’d lose everything you’d ever known. your friends, your family… although you were pretty boyfriend-less in your world, you were still happy because everyone and everything you loved was still there.

you missed your bed, your parents, your friends. you missed fast food and sodas and reading comic books. you missed having a cool AC to fight against the summer heat, unlike now where you had to just deal with it while withstanding a wrist-pain inducing fan.

leona was here, but everything else was there. you just couldn’t give it up.

leona’s eyes were wide, his chest heaving up and down as the winter fog surrounded you both.

“i love you.”

you blink.

“y/n. y/n i love you.”

you felt tears well up in your eyes.

“i-“

“i love you. i love your tryhard cooking, your shitty medical skills. the books stacked around your house— i did enjoy reading them. i love you. why can’t you understand that? what is blocking you from being with me? is it because i’m a prince? is my status scary? i’m not even after the throne. i have no interest. i just want to be with you.”

wow. so your guess was right. you thought that leona maybe lost interest in going after the throne. this was a red flag.

leona lost interest in all his evil schemes when he finally settled and accepted his feelings of roselia. which meant only one thing— he accepted his feelings for you. from how early on he stopped caring for the throne, he’s accepted his love for you a long, long time ago.

“i— i don’t mind settling down in a small town. i don’t care if my reputation crashes. we- we could rebuild that bookstore together. and not through my family’s money. we can actually work for it.”

this was bad. he was willing to lose everything. the leona kingscholar, who only cared about the throne, was now showing the most emotion you’ve ever seen, in person or in novel— for you.

you heart tightened. you truly did believe that leona could work something out. that you guys could work something out together and live happily, a happily ever after, like he originally did with roselia.

no. he didn’t deserve you. going home was still at the very top of your mind now, more than ever before. he deserved someone like roselia, someone who was willing to loss it all for him, like he would for you.

except you weren’t roselia. you could never be her, and you would live the rest of your life with a huge hole in your left because you lived feeling unfulfilled.

you had to put a stop to this. his desperation tugged at your heart. you couldn’t handle it anymore.

“you don’t know me like you think you do.” you started. you let go of leona’s grip on your wrist.

“i’m not from here.” you sighed. “i can’t explain it. but I’m not from here, and i need to leave. that was my objective from the very beginning.”

“i can’t… i can’t be with you because i don’t belong here. not because of you, but me. it’s because of me.”

leona seemed to understand the situation. perhaps your mannerisms, the way you speak, all the books about transmigration, your current avoidance, it seemingly all connected.

he grabbed both your hands.

“i… okay. i understand. at least, i think i do.”

the crisp winter air danced between you two.

“thank you. for everything.” leona said.

you laughed weakly. ‘you’re saying thank you now? what gives?”

“just because. it feels like i’m never going to see you again.”

you wrapped your arms around leona’s back, hugging him tightly. the soft, fluffy clothes protecting you from the cold smushed between you too.

and then you woke up.

to be continued...?

a.n: thanks for anyone who stuck around all the way to here !! if this was ao3 i would expand on it more but i feel like the romance got a little too rushed (i tried to make it evenly paced as possible but that added the whole doc to 20k words my phone cannot handle all of that i WILL lag and screw something up) so i hope its not too negatively silly!!

[bad268]

maybe a story where kimis gf (reader) has curly hair and she does her curly hair routine on kimi. love your writing!! 💓

Curl TLC (Andrea Kimi Antonelli X Curly Hair! Reader)

Fandom: RPF/F2/F3

Requested: Clearly (Thank you <3 and as someone with curly hair, I had too much fun with this)

Warnings: None

POV: Second Person (You/your)

W.C. 1332

Summary: Kimi needed some help with his curls.

As always, my requests are OPEN

MASTERLIST // HITLIST

~~(^Pinterest)

It was something you always noticed. Kimi’s hair was always unruly after a race, but after being with him for almost a year, you noticed the little things. His curls used to be so well-formed and clean, but now, it’s like he was losing his curl pattern. And given that you also had curly hair, you decided to teach him your tricks during an off weekend. 

“I don’t see why this is important,” He complained as soon as you started rinsing his hair. “This seems like a lot.”

“I haven’t even done anything yet,” You laughed as you made sure none of the water got in his eyes. “This is just water.”

“But the number of things you have is concerning,” He replied as he glanced over at the three bottles and diffuser on the counter.

“That’s nothing,” You dismissed as you grabbed the shampoo specifically for curly hair. “Now, this is my shampoo. The first time I do it-”

“You’re gonna do it more than once?” Kimi cut you off as he tried to sit down, but you put your hand on his shoulder to sit him back down in front of the sink. 

“Yes, the first time, I’ll give you a head massage. It helps get all the dead skin off your scalp and It’s just really relaxing,” You explained as you applied the shampoo to his roots. As you began working it through his hair. You knew better than to explain your process when you were scratching his scalp because you knew he would not be listening. As soon as you started, his eyes shut and that was game over. After a few minutes, you turned the water back on to rinse it. Maybe, you let a little splash onto Kimi’s face, causing his eyes to snap open and look up at you. “The first shampoo is to get everything off your scalp. The second one is to get all the dead skin out of your hair.”

“That sounds gross,” Kimi cringed as he settled back into his seat. “It’s just two, right?”

“Two shampoos, yes,” You answered as you started with the second shampoo treatment. “Then, we’ll condition once and put curl cream in your hair. I’ll show you how to form your curls, and then I’ll help you dry your hair with a diffuser.”

“What even is that?” He asked confused as you turned the water off to let the conditioner sit.

“I don’t know how to describe it,” You laughed as you sat on his lap to pass the time. Kimi immediately tried to bring his hands to his hair, but you grabbed them and held them to his side. “No, don’t touch it! Leave it alone!”

“That’s not fair!” He complained but leaned into you to kiss you. 

“I know what you’re trying to do,” You dragged out as you pulled away and leaned your forehead against his. You felt his arms trying to pull themselves from your hold, so you adjusted your grip, “And it’s not going to work.”

“How long do I need to leave this in? It itches,” Kimi complained with no real heat behind his words. It did not really itch, but it was a different formula than he was used to. The texture was just weird to him, and he wanted it off.

“A few more minutes,” You said as you looked at his hair. The curls were starting to form back on their own, so that was going to make your job easier later on. “If it’s really bugging you, I can rinse it now and we can move on to the cream and diffusing.”

“Please?” He asked he gave you puppy eyes. He knew you could never say no to him then.

“Fine,” You sighed in mock offense as you stood up and walked around to stand at his side to wash the conditioner out. “I just don’t think you’re used to it, bu don’t worry. You’ll learn to love it.”

“That sounds threatening,” Kimi laughed as he closed his eyes when you turned the water back on.

“Take it how you wish,” You joked as you finished rinsing his hair. You grabbed a towel after turning the water off and gently dried his hair a bit. “Here, stand in front of the mirror and I’ll show you how to define your curls.”

“I never knew it was this complicated,” Kimi groaned as he stood up and stood beside you. You removed the towel and inspected the natural curls he had already formed. You were just planning on working with what he had. They were fairly spaced out right and they were already semi-formed. They just needed a little cleaning up, and that’s exactly what the curl cream would do. “What is that?”

“Curl cream,” You said simply as you put a little on your fingers and started to run it through a section of his hair. “It’s going to help your curls hold their shape and be less frizzy.”

“Is it going to make them hard?” Kimi complained as he watched you through the mirror.

“First off, that’s what she said,” You giggle as you move on to the next section. Kimi laughed a little, but he gently slapped your arm in response. “Secondly, no. It’s not. All it does is help them hold. They’ll still be soft. You’ve never noticed my hair being crunchy.”

“Oh, good,” Kimi said to himself. He watched you for a minute before asking, “What are you doing now?”

“I’m using my fingers to wrap your curls, so they will be more defined,” You explained, slowing down to show him. “Look. I take this piece of hair, wrap it around my finger, and then gently, keynote on gently, twirl it off. You try.” He tried it. Did it look perfect? No. Would it work for now? Yes. He’s learning, but it's a good start. “That looks good! You’ll get better, I promise.”

“As long as you’re here to help,” He sighed. “It’s a lot of work.”

“You don’t always have to do all of this,” You explained. “Some days, just washing with shampoo and conditioner works just fine. Your curls just needed some TLC today, so we did the whole nine yards, but normally, I would not do the curl cream or diffusing. Only when I’m feeling extra.”

“Oh, good to know,” Kimi trailed off as you finished off forming his curls and moved to grab the diffuser. “This is next, right?”

“Yes! If you want, I can show you how to do it, then let you. Or I can just do it,” You offered, but he immediately handed you the dryer. You chuckled at his eagerness to get rid of the object but started to blow dry his hair. “Flip your head down.”

“I feel like this is unnecessary,” He grumbled but did so without question. You did not listen to him as you just laughed to yourself and moved on with blow-drying his hair. “Why is it so cold?”

“It’s cold to start with, but I’ll warm it up as we finish up,” You replied. “Heat ruins your hair, so even though we’re blow-drying your hair, it’s going to be cool air.”

“I don’t like it,” He groaned as he tried to lean away from the cool air.

“Well, lucky for you, you don’t have a lot of hair, so you're basically done,” You said as you ran your hand through a couple of strands without separating them, and you noticed they were completely done. You decided to explain the rules as you started putting everything away. “Don’t brush it, don't run your hands through it, and do not put a helmet on for a while. In a way, it’s a good thing you don’t have a race for a couple of weeks.” 

“About that,” Kimi trailed off, causing your face to drop immediately, “I was gonna go karting tomorrow.”

“You better not! I worked hard to make those curls!”

~~~~~

© BAD268 2024. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.

[roosterforme]

Beer Boy and Sugar: The Second Lost Year (Bradley Bradshaw x Reader)

Part of the Lost Years series for Beer Boy and Sugar

Warnings: language, longing, angst (series fits chronologically between Old Habits Die Hard and Right Girl, Wrong Time)

Banner by @mak-32

Year Two

Bradley dropped down on his bed and started to untie his boots while Nat looked around at everything on his desk. They were both about to start flying solo now, and it was such a relief that she was advancing in the program with him. It brought him a little bit of joy every time they left the others in the dust.

"I always liked this thing," she remarked, poking his Navy desk lamp as he set his boots under his bed. "You said it was your dad's, right?"

"Yeah. Makes it vintage," he replied with a grin as he lounged back on his pillows, already thinking about dinner in the mess hall. It was hot as hell outside, especially by Rhode Island standards, and it made him miss Virginia a little bit. "Are you ready for dinner?"

She groaned. "It's too hot to go outside and walk all the way to get food. Your air conditioner works better than mine, too. Can't we just stay in here?"

His stomach growled as he said, "All I got is some protein bars and instant mac and cheese. And I'm starving."

Nat started to poke at the book he was currently reading as she said, "I'll order us a pizza."

This was something he'd never get used to, even though he considered her his best friend. She always seemed to have money from her parents, and he had basically nothing. But she continually offered to share her food with him. Bradley wasn't exactly sure what he brought to this friendship, but she seemed to enjoy having him around, so he didn't bring it up.

"Fine," he agreed.

This seemed to make her happy as she fished her phone out of her pocket. "You want your usual topping choice?"

Bradley froze with his fingers pushed back in his messy hair. At first, he always ordered his pizza that way, because that's how you liked it. Now Nat thought it was his preference. But maybe it actually was?

"Yeah," he replied softly. "Please." 

Then he listened to her call it in while his thoughts drifted back to Virginia. He hadn't seen or heard from you in fourteen months, but he'd thought about you every single day. It hurt a little less now, but all the feelings were still there. He still looked at all the pictures he had saved on his phone. He thought about you when he touched himself. He still hadn't slept with anyone else since you.

"Why would you keep a differential equations notebook from UVA?" Nat mused, but he was barely listening to her as he thought about your body curled up against his while you wore his Grateful Dead shirt. "Did you even take advanced math?" 

When he finally registered what she said, he sat up in his bed and saw her holding your purple notebook. The one with all the doodles and love notes in the margins, and he felt like he was back in the study room with you on his lap. The breath was knocked from his lugs as a sheet of loose, folded paper fell onto her lap, and she picked it up and started to read it out loud.

"Dear Beer Boy, 

I'm bored in my calculus lecture, and I just started thinking about your bedroom door. It's still the hottest thing I've ever seen in my life. Maybe you and I could wait until the middle of the night when all of your fraternity brothers are asleep and sneak out into the hallway and-"

Bradley lunged out of bed and grabbed the note from her hand before she could see the rest. "What the fuck, Nat? That's personal!"

Her dark brown eyes were as wide as saucers as she said, "That was from her."

He knew she was kind of mystified by you, given that he only shared details of the happiest months of his adult life sparingly. She always asked for more information when he mentioned you, always wanted to know more. But Bradley felt like the magic would wear off the more he talked about you, so he always kept it brief. He also knew he wasn't going to get away with saying nothing right now.

"Yeah," he grunted, taking the purple notebook from her hands and returning the folded note to the back pages. The sight of your handwriting filled him with a deep need for you. "And this was her notebook."

Nat's voice was gentle, as if she was trying not to spook him when she asked, "Why did she like your door so much?"

Bradley closed his eyes and laughed quietly. "I painted over all the other girls' names and phone numbers. For her. Or for myself. I don't really know anymore."

Now her eyes were narrowed when he looked at her again. "'All the other girls'. Holy shit, Bradshaw. Were you some sort of fuckboy in college?"

He leaned back against his pillows again as he groaned, "Basically." He didn't really like thinking about it, because that hadn't been him for a long time now. "Before Sugar."

She took her phone out again, and Bradley desperately wished the pizza would arrive so this conversation could end. But Nat asked, "What was her last name again? I want to know exactly what she looks like."

He whispered the word, loving the feel of it on his tongue as he took his own phone out. He located the picture of him with his arm around your shoulders that Dev took the week before graduation. Your smile was too pretty, and your face was too perfect. There was a reason he had to limit himself, and the onslaught of feelings was proof of why: He wasn't over you yet.

"Here," he muttered, stretching his arm out to hand his phone to Nat, but she gasped as she looked at her own phone.

"She's gorgeous. I found her Instagram account."

"You did?" he asked, launching himself off of the bed and forcefully switching phones with her. She gasped again as she looked at the photo on his phone, but Bradley was too busy staring at the tiny thumbnail of your smiling face. Your account was set to private, but this photo must have been more recent. Your hair was styled differently, and the only thing he could process was that he felt relieved you were posing alone instead of with some other guy. He didn't want to have to put a face to that.

He thought about taking a screenshot and texting it to himself, but he couldn't. He wouldn't. And when Nat asked if he wanted her to send you a friend request, he said absolutely not. "You think I want her to know I still think about her every day? No."

Then she said, "But maybe she still thinks about you." 

Bradley didn't see how that was a possibility.

The pizza finally arrived just then, and Nat stood to go get it. She gave him a cautious hug and said, "I think she would be proud of you." She left him alone with both phones in his hands, and somehow he knew it would be easier to talk about you now if he wanted to.

------------------------

It was mind blowing. Three months ago, Chicago was freezing cold and practically encased in ice. Now it was blazing hot to the point that you couldn't get any relief unless you were inside your dorm room. It was Friday, thank goodness. Everyone in your graduate studies group wanted to go out for deep dish pizza tonight, and you had to figure out a way to stop sweating long enough to actually get dressed in something other than the shorts and tank you were wearing now.

You groaned as you carried your computer and textbooks across campus in your backpack. You had the highest grades out of all of the math graduate students, but you still took everything with you everywhere in case you had some extra time to study. But you should have left everything in your room instead on this sweltering day.

The quad was packed with tables and students participating in a career fair, but for some reason, this was where Jared asked you to meet up. Four dates with him, and you still weren't convinced it was a good idea to take things out of the friend zone. Four dates, and you still didn't really want to do anything besides kiss him. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with him, he just wasn't exactly right.

"Hey!" 

As soon as you heard Jared calling out for you, your initial reaction was to hide. You were absolutely going to have to tell him you didn't want to see him anymore, and it mostly made you mad that it would probably disrupt your friend group. 

"Hi," you replied as he squeezed through the crowd to get to you. And then he slipped his sweaty hand in yours, and you actually cringed. Why wasn't this what you wanted? After nearly a year, he wore you down enough that you gave it a try, but this was decidedly bad. Especially since you could picture exactly what you did want.

When you looked up at Jared's face, your gaze drifted to your left. You gasped and dropped his hand immediately. There were recruiters from the Navy. They were wearing flight suits. You caught a glimpse of wavy brown hair and a flash of dark eyes, and you were off.

Jared was calling after you as you fought through the crowd, catching glimpses here and there of broad shoulders and a handsome smile. Oh my god, he was here. Somehow, he was here. Like he'd just climbed out of your dreams and into the University of Chicago campus. 

"Bradley!"

Your voice rang out, but he didn't fully turn your way. You rushed a little faster, no longer caring if you knocked someone into one of the tables. 

"Bradley!"

But you stumbled as you reached the recruiters, and your smile evaporated from your lips. Tears stung at your eyes as he turned to face you, leaving your heart filled with disappointment. 

"Hey, there. I'm Lieutenant Chapman," he said with a grin, and you honestly didn't know how you could have been mistaken. His eyes were hazel, and his hair was too curly, and now you were standing there feeling like you'd just broken your own heart all over again. The disappointment could smother you if you let it.

You nodded and turned away as sweat dripped down your chest and an awful feeling settled into your stomach. You made your way back through the crowd at a much slower pace with no real desire to talk to Jared, but you reached him all too soon.

"What happened?" he asked, grabbing your hand again.

You looked at the ground and tried to hide your tears as he squeezed your hand tighter. "Sorry. I thought I saw an old friend."

He just made an impatient noise and asked, "You ready to go get changed and grab some pizza with everyone else? I thought we could ditch them early and maybe go back to my room and watch a movie? And like hang out... on my bed?"

His voice was distressingly hopeful. You wanted to say no. You knew you should. But you kept your eyes fixed on the ground as you said, "Sounds good," with almost no conviction. You wanted to get past this, so you needed to actually start trying.

-----------------------

Make it stop hurting. Or don't. I don't know. They must both already know they belong together. Let me know if you'd like to be tagged in the rest of this series!

@beyondthesefourwalls @thedroneranger @cherrycola27 @sorchathered @mamachasesmayhem @attapullman @bobgasm @desert-fern @startrekfangirl2233 @shanimallina87 @sylviebell @wkndwlff @horseslovers2016 @sadpetalsstuff @schoollover @jessicab1991 @lex-winchester @bellaireland1981 @sagittarius-flowerchild @marvelouslyme96 @trickphotography2 @goldenseresinretriever @rascallyrascals @auroracaroline @nerdgirljen @redbarn1995 @theweekndhistorybook @averyhotchner @moon42flight @eli2447 @lyn-js @na-ta-sh-aa @mygyn @je-suis-prest-rachel @kcloveswrestling @imnotcreativeenoughforthisblog @callsign-magnolia @eternalsams @lynnestra44 @shinzowosasageyoooo @tgmreader @princessofglitterland @backupbrii @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @averyhotchner @hookslove1592 @callsigns-haze

[rieamena]

I wonder at what point in the "reboot saga" would the other cunning hares step in and help Billy? Like, on one hand you have a convenient way to stop Billy from whatever he is doing, and watching how Y/N is trying to confess without crashing him must be entertaining. On the other after crash 65 it must get worrying :/

finally!—

the first few crashes had been amusing, a source of lighthearted teasing among the group. you’d attempt to confess, and billy, ever the charismatic and responsive robot, would suddenly freeze, eyes flickering as his system struggled to process the influx of data. the scene would end with him rebooting, and the cycle would start anew. after the first couple of crashes, the laughter faded into concern

“i don’t get it,” you muttered, sprawled out on the couch in the cunning hares' common room. “why does he keep crashing? it’s just a confession.”

“he’s not built to handle that kind of emotional intensity,” nicole explained, fiddling with the handles on his jacket, metal body limp after yet another of your failed confessions. “his programming is complex, but at the core, it’s still a machine trying to process human emotions.”

“and you’re very special to him,” anby added, smiling gently. “that makes it even harder for his system to cope.”

the three of you brainstormed solutions, testing different approaches and environmental controls. they installed cooling systems, tweaked his software, and even practiced mock confessions. yet, each time you poured your heart out to billy, his system would crash and reboot, leaving you both in a loop of unfinished sentences and unspoken feelings

one night, after crash number seventy two—a number that was only devised due to your intricate logs of attempted confessions in your mini journal—the serious gravity of the situation hit everyone. billy’s constant reboots were taking a toll on his system, and the risk of permanent damage was becoming too great to ignore

“this has to stop,” nicole declared, her voice heavy with determination. “we need to find a way to get through to him without causing another crash.”

after much debate, the team devised a new strategy. it wasn’t just about cooling fans and air conditioners; it was about creating a space where billy could process his emotions without the threat of overload. they set up a room specifically for this purpose, equipped with not just temperature controls but also calming visuals and sounds designed to keep billy’s system stable

the designated spot was meticulously prepared. soft lighting filled the room, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. the hum of air conditioners and strategically placed fans ensured the environment was cool. in the center of the room, billy sat on a cushioned chair, looking a bit puzzled but the aura he exuded was always happy

anby gave you a reassuring nod as she adjusted a fan to blow directly at billy. "remember, y/n, stick to the script and stay calm. we’re right here with you."

you took a deep breath and approached billy, your heart pounding. "hey, billy," you greeted, your voice steady despite the butterflies in your stomach

"hey, [name]," he replied, the crescents of his eyes lighting up the room. "what’s up?"

you clutched the script tightly, glancing at the words one last time before looking up at him. "billy, there’s something i’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time. it’s been on my mind, and i need you to know."

billy’s eyes widened slightly, his full attention on you. you continued, your voice soft but clear, following the script's guidance. "you mean a lot to me, more than just a friend. whenever i’m with you, everything feels brighter and better. your laughter, your kindness, the way you always know how to make me smile. i cherish every moment we spend together."

billy blinked, processing your words. the fans hummed softly, maintaining a cool breeze. you took another deep breath, steadying yourself. "billy, i like you. a lot. more than just a friend. i care about you deeply, and i wanted you to know how i feel."

for a moment, there was silence. billy’s eyes flickered, and you held your breath, waiting for the familiar signs of a reboot, slower movement, glitched speech, loss of composure, but instead, his eyes displayed bright red hearts

"[name]," he said softly, reaching out to take your hand. "i… i like you too. more than just a friend." nicole crept over to a cooling fan close to him, cranking up its power

unfortunately, the slip of paper didn't have any more words to refer to so you had to improvise. "so does this mean we're like, dating now?"

"are we really?! we're dating now?!" billy jumped up from his seat, practically oozing excitement and happiness, "wait, but i've never had a partner before. what if i do something wrong? what if you don't like me anymore?!" he shook your shoulders, speaking a mile a minute, ranting about all the things he could do wrong and all the things that could go wrong

"also, it's really cold in here, i can almost feel my metal constricting! can we turn the thermostat up or something?"

you couldn't help but laugh. "one step at a time, billy. let's start with the thermostat."

you finally got billy kid after seventy two reboots, and boy, wasn't it rewarding.

its actually so embarassing how long this took and its not even good....

billy kid taglist

@pedrosimp137 @mary-moongood @nyxin-lynx @lemonboy011 @eisblume77

@amaryllisenvy @megan017 @astral-spacepumpkin @corrupted-tale @inkycap

@thurstonw @plapsha @lavenderthewolf @kurakusun @vitaevaaa

@sweetadonisbutbetter @cobraaah @mochiitoby @clickingchip @bardivislak

@h3r6c00k13 @cozi-cofee @apestegui-y @luvuyuuji @theitdoitnobody

@fersitaam @cathrnxxo @monkepawbz @fl1ghtl3ssdrag0n @dabislilbaby

@many-names-yuna @muffin1304 @doort @j3llycarnival @juuanna

@discipleofthem @spookylorekeep @wazkalia @miaubrebmiau @hersweetsstrawberry

[7077070707]

"you're cute."

feat — gojo satoru

content & warnings — fluff, established relationship.

a/n — gojo is my baby tbh.

“you’re cute.” you randomly announce to your white haired boyfriend. you were both doing your own things, with you reading a book and satoru absently scrolling on his phone.

he momentarily looks up at you, a lazy smirk appearing on his face, “mmh, what else have you noticed about me?” he puts his phone down and adjusts himself on the couch, stretching over you like an elongated cat and rests his head on your lap, big blue eyes staring into your soul. 

“oh? alright, let me think…” putting your hand on your chin in an exaggerated manner and staring at nothing in particular. “hmm, your scary blue eyes?” glancing back down at him, you place your hand over both of his eyes, blocking the pathway between them and your soul.

“hey! you were supposed to say that i was sexy or something. or compliment my beautiful azure eyes!” satoru places his palm over your hand and begins playing with your fingers, yet, not removing them from his face.

you stifle a laugh, “azure? i didn’t know you felt so passionate about the specific colour of your eyes. also, i’d argue that they’re more of a sky blue. not azure...” you say, rolling your eyes, your demeanour becoming increasingly more exaggerated. 

satoru peeks through the crevices of your fingers and you both make eye contact, “whatever you say, princess. i’m always gonna be 100% on your side, so i totally agree with you! also, sky blue sounds more.. mystical. so i’ll take that.”

you inwardly gush over the pet name, like a lovestruck teenager. yet, you still had to list the facts. “oh my god, not at all. azure is so much cooler! are you even hearing yourself right now?”

an impulsive thought takes over him, and he grabs your hand and decides to just lick it. he hears you yelp, but still replies, “hey, hold on! you just said that sky blue...” he trails off, catching your eye, which ultimately distracts him. instead, he sticks his tongue out as a feeble attempt of retaliation to your comment.

“very mature, ‘toru. very mature.” as you take your hand back (but not without pinching his cheeks) and begin to stroke his ivory locks, weaving little braids in his absurdly soft hair. you often find yourself questioning how his hair results are better than yours, despite the fact that you had the misfortune of finding a '6 in 1' men's hair wash in his bathroom (it consisted of: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, petrol, and face wash). you inquired about this terrible discovery – since he’s absolutely stacked, and could easily afford the best quality products – and he claims that it saves time. you make a mental note to get him to invest in better products, or just offer him yours.

he suddenly gets up, snapping you out of your thoughts, and you raise an eyebrow at him. satoru grins at you and latches his hands onto your waist.

before you know it, you're choking with laughter – pleading for him to stop tickling you. “ahaHA! s-satoru… stop! s-stop it! ehehe–” you beg, in between breaths of laughter. as a form of defence, you start tickling him as well and you both end up in a heap of giggles, his heavy body collapsing on top of you.

red faced and out of breath, you manage to mumble from beneath him, “oomf, ‘toru, you’re crushing me!” 

affectionately, “hah, serves you right. you little–” he cuts off with a yelp as you bite him on the shoulder. “owie!” 

“you’re the one who started it ‘toru!” now, just nibbling on his shoulder, not actually hurting him. 

he shrugs and after a long moment of silence... “you’re cute.” your boyfriend informs you. you found him pulling back to simply stare at your face, revelling in your beauty and the vulnerable position you were in. he felt flattered from the fact that you trusted him enough to be in your most vulnerable states around him, and he absolutely felt the same towards you as well.

however, you don’t take a second to respond, “tell me something i dont know!” sticking your tongue out. 

he deadpans at you and you can’t help but giggle, “now you know how i feel, babycakes.” 

“ohoho, babycakes?” now placing hundreds of little kisses across the span of your flushed face, “but also, giving me the taste of my own medicine, huh? well, since i’m such a nice, honourable, extravagant boyfriend, i’ll gladly list many things, princess!” 

“you’re the princess here ‘toru…” you murmur, still giggling from the ecstasy you feel whenever you're in the presence of your loving boyfriend.

you wouldn't trade this for anything in the world, and neither would he.

[chlobliviate]

Wolfstar Microfic - Cox

Words: 934

@wolfstarmicrofic

🌙✨🌙✨🌙

Remus burrowed beneath the blanket and winced as pain shot through his hip. He could just about hear his laptop, hopefully, he’d be able to nap and somehow wake up magically cured. He huffed out a dry laugh at the thought. Yeah, and then the winning lottery ticket would float into his room through the open window, and he’d finally find someone to publish his book, and Sirius would confess his undying love.

Sure.

When he awoke there was a steaming cup of tea and a bottle of water next to him, with his pillbox beside it. He tipped the pills into his mouth, downed the water and tried to stay awake long enough for the tea to cool, but didn’t quite manage it. When he next woke up, the tea was cold, and Disney Plus had the nerve to ask him if he was still watching. What else would he be doing?

As he sat up slowly, his bedroom door inched open and Sirius poked his head inside.

“Oh, you’re awake.” He said, and Remus swore his cheeks flushed slightly. “Would you like more tea?” Remus nodded, and Sirius came in and grabbed his mug before retreating to the kitchen. When he returned, Remus was half propped up on his mountain of pillows. “You don’t look comfy.”

“I’m not comfy.”

“Can you sit up?” He asked, setting down the tea. Remus sat up reluctantly and Sirius leaned over him to fluff up the pillows and rearrange them. Remus tried his best not to lean in to better inhale the scent of Sirius’ lavender conditioner. “There you go.”

He leaned back and found himself much better supported. “Thank you.” He smiled weakly, “And thanks for the tea and the pills.”

“No problem.” Sirius perched on the edge of his bed. “Is there anything else you need? Food? Chocolate? Company?”

Remus mulled this over for a moment. “Chocolate and company sound good, as long as you don’t mind watching Scrubs.”

“Sounds good to me, Moons.” Sirius patted him on the arm as he stood to go and get the secret chocolate that Remus kept behind the juice in the fridge.

Once they got settled and Sirius got up to press play and then got resettled, Remus felt calmer. Yes his joints ached and his bones felt like lead, but if his body had to feel like this, it was much nicer to be spending the time with Sirius, in his bed, with chocolate, listening to Dr Cox rant.

He used to shut people out when he got flare-ups. He’d felt like he was a burden and he didn’t want to bother people with his issues. James, Lily and Sirius had held a mini intervention, complete with a hysterical PowerPoint presentation about why they wanted to help him on bad days, and good days too, apparently.

“If we were in Scrubs, you’d be Dr Cox,” Sirius said after a while.

“You and James would be JD and Turk.” He replied, “Would that make Lily, Carla?”

They both laughed, Remus, clutching at his ribs. Sirius frowned.

“Don’t laugh if it hurts!”

“Don’t say funny shit to me then!” He shot back with a grin. “It’s fine, it’s nothing compared to the rest of it. I can cope with achy ribs.”

“What hurts?” Sirius turned so he was on his side, facing Remus.

“Hips and knees mostly. Also, my left wrist keeps doing a weird tingle.” He shrugged, angling himself towards Sirius, but not quite rolling over, for the sake of his hips. Sirius was still frowning at him. “Hey, it’ll pass.” He reached out and touched Sirius’ arm. “I’ll be fine in a day or two. Maybe even tomorrow.”

“You slept through two cups of tea earlier,” Sirius said quietly. “That’s concerning.”

“I take sleep whenever I can get it when my body hurts like this. It’s good, it helps me recover.” He looked at Sirius’ face, “Are you worried?” He nodded, “What about?”

“Just… you.” He mumbled, “I just wish there was something I could do to actually help.”

“You don’t think bringing me tea, pills and chocolate and then curling up in bed with me to watch 2000s sitcoms counts as actually helping?” He squeezed Sirius’ arm gently and paused as Sirius’ eyes flicked down to where his hand was resting. “Pads, you’re such a massive help. I appreciate you so much.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one reassuring you?” Sirius huffed, “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“I know it’s frustrating, or concerning, or whatever.” He traced his thumb over Sirius’ forearm. “But it is what it is. Unless you’ve become a wildly rich and determined doctor overnight, you’re doing everything you can.”

Sirius nodded eventually. “Thanks. Sorry for making your illness about me.”

“It’s a nice change from it being about me.” Remus smiled over at him, “I really do appreciate you.”

“I love you.” Sirius’ eyes were wide as he realised what he’d said. “I mean— I—” He sighed, “No, I mean, I love you.”

Remus stared at him before a grin broke across his features, “Yeah?” Sirius nodded, looking anywhere but Remus’ face. “I love you too.”

Sirius’ eyes were on his and the intensity in them made his stomach somersault. “You do?”

“Uh, yeah.” Remus moved his hand up to the side of Sirius’ neck and ran his thumb along Sirius’ jaw. “Two things though. One. If you want to kiss me, you’ll have to come over here, I love you but I love my hips more. And two. Could you check the window for me? I’m expecting a lottery ticket anytime now.”

[shina913]

Nothing | KNJ

Pairing: KNJ x Fem!Reader

Rating: 🔞 M; NSFW

Genre: Established relationship; slice of life; smut; pwp with some fluff

Warnings: Cussing; fingering; oral (F-receiving); hot and sweaty unprotected sex in a committed, monogamous relationship; dirty talk; ass-slapping (his and hers); semi-rough sex; subtle switch behavior; creampie

Word count: 2.1K+ words

Summary:  If there was anything that made you feel un-sexy, it was heat and humidity.

A/N: Nothing like horny word vomit to break my writing drought--thanks, Namjoon for hopping on Weverse live today leading me and @roaminginthenights to collectively lose our shit and spiral into some deep, clownery abyss 🤪

"I told you we should have bought that air conditioner when it was on sale!" You grumble in bed. Your portable tower fan was fighting for its life, failing to cool you both down.

You've both been tossing and turning in bed for over an hour. You’re in the midst of a heatwave this week, and although it usually cools down in the evenings, there was no reprieve tonight. To make matters worse, it was also humid.

"That air conditioner was still $300 even with the discount," Namjoon points out. "Besides, it's a rare hot day where we live. We just need to tough it out for two more days and then it will be cooler again. It would just take up unnecessary space! Plus, who knows how much that thing would add to our gas bill?”

Damn him and his logic. It was great most of the time, but for this particular hot evening, you hated it.

“They make one of those energy-saver models. We shouldn’t have to suffer like this,” you pout.

“Baby, we need to lower our carbon footprint. This excessive heat is an effect of climate change,” he opines, rolling over to wrap his arm around your waist. The warmth radiating from his skin makes you recoil.

"Ugh, you’re too hot." You swat his hand away, unable to tolerate his current body temperature. Snuggling up to him was great in the winter but during the summer? Not so much.

Feeling rejected, he gets up to head toward the bathroom. “That’s it! I’m taking a cold shower.” 

“Again?” He’d already taken three today. “What happened to lowering our carbon footprint?”

“It’s just a quick one. Besides, do you have better ideas to cool off?”

You didn’t.

While Namjoon takes a shower, you suddenly notice your shirt and sleep shorts becoming stickier by the second. In a moment of desperation, you get up to open the windows wider, hoping to increase air circulation in the room. Afterward, you return to bed, strip down to your panties, and flop onto your stomach.

Namjoon shuffles out of the bathroom a few minutes later. Then, you feel the mattress dip and his hand landing on your ass cheek with a smack. 

“Woah–what–”

Your head whips around to find a look of hunger in his eyes. “Were you trying to surprise me?”

“Chill,” you reply with a laugh. “It was just too hot. I had to get rid of some layers.”

“Mm-hm,” he hums skeptically. “You should sleep naked more often.” He continues to squeeze your flesh, his voice husky.

You snort. “Doubtful. You know how much I love my pajamas! Besides, sleeping naked is your thing.”

"I know, but this is an unexpected treat," he purrs. He starts kissing the small of your back and then moves up your spine. The feel of his lips on your skin instinctively turns you on, but if there was anything that made you feel un-sexy, it was heat and humidity.

Namjoon didn’t care. The way he touched and kissed your body, he only had one thing in his mind and he was determined to make it happen.

You sigh, turning to face him. “You know I don’t like having sex in this weather.”

He stares at you with deep, dark eyes, already blown out from arousal. “But you don’t even need to do anything. Just lay there and I’ll do all the work,” he offers. “Please?”

In this heat, excessive movement would only make you more hot and sweaty than you already were.

As for his generous offer to pleasure you without the expectation of reciprocation, how could you refuse? The idea of being a pillow princess for the night was enticing. You nod and acquiesce. “Fine. Continue.”

Grinning, he dips down to kiss you. You kiss him back, sliding your tongue along his, savoring him. He moves to place a trail of kisses down your neck and onto your chest, pausing to flick each hard nipple with his tongue.

You’re nearly lost in the moment when you feel him strip your panties off, his mouth watering to taste you. You put your hands over to block him, attempting to cover up.

“No, I’m all gross down there,” you protest.

Now it was his turn to swat your hands away. “I don’t care. I want you like this.”

He lowers his head before you can say another word. With one broad lick, your back arches off the mattress with a gasp. Weather aside, your body can’t help it. He knew how to make you feel good.

The moans and sounds of satisfaction he hums against your flesh make you writhe against his mouth uncontrollably. He flits his tongue over in slow, rhythmic motions. Once your breaths grow ragged, he rubs the pad of his thumb over your clit in rapid circles, making you cum with a harsh cry.

He kisses your inner thigh before rising to capture your lips. You could taste traces of your arousal on him, but he didn't stop there. His fingers delve right back into your cleft, stroking over your clit and skimming the opening. As you groan with your lips pressed to his, you greedily grind your hips in response.

“Want more?” He mumbles against your lips.

“Yes,” you breathe out.

Smirking, he fingers you leisurely, building your need. You shudder as he cups you in his hand, his middle and forefinger sliding lazily into you. His palm rubs against your clit, his fingertips stroking over sensitive tissues above.

“Fuck, you’re so wet for me,” he rasps.

Whatever he was doing felt inadequate to you now. You needed to feel all of him. “Joon, please,” you beg.

“Please, what?” He teases.

“I want you now.” You reach between you and palm him through his boxers.

“Do you? I thought you hated fucking in the heat.”

You let out a low growl. "I know what I said! I just...please." You curl your fingers around him, giving him a nice squeeze, hoping he'll submit. He bites down on his lower lip, stifling a moan.

In retaliation, he applies gentle pressure to the roof of your core, causing it to swell and inching you closer to the edge.

“Tell me what you want.”

It took you a moment to come back to your senses before uttering, “I want to ride you.”

His eyebrows lift in surprise. Yes, you didn’t want to be all sweaty but you were turned on to the point of no return. 

“You sure? I don’t mind doing all the work.” He continues to tease that same bundle of flesh in you that he’s so intimately familiar with. You clench your insides in response, not wanting to cum just yet.

You slip your hand past his waistband, thumbing the precum beading on the tip. You needed him inside you, but you wanted to be in control.

“Mm, no. I want to be on top.” You tilt your head up and tug at his lip with your teeth.

He laughs low and huskily. “Whatever my lady wants...”

The moment he pulls away to sit up against the headboard, you spring up and pull his boxers off. You reach for his cock, gripping him firmly, pumping him from root to tip. He tilts his head, eyes rolling back in a groan.

You knew his body well, too; knew what he needed and desired. While you straddle him, he catches your hips and looks up at you.

“Ride me hard, yeah?”

The air in the room was thick and you’d be dripping in sweat by the time you were done with him. Still, your core clenches reflexively at the challenge.

He releases you, spreading his arms wide to grip the sides of the headboard. His biceps bulged with the pose. Seeing his bare chest glistening with sweat, his abdomen tightening in anticipation–it turned you on wildly.

You reach over to the side of his head for balance and wrap your free hand around his cock. A muscle in his neck twitches as you rub the tip against your folds, back and forth, coating him with your slick.

You let the first inch push in, letting it stretch you before slowly bearing down, drawing out a moan as you feel him so deep in you.

“Fuck,” he bit out, shuddering once you take him to the hilt.

You lift again, slowly, making you both feel every nuance of that mind-numbing friction. Then, you slam back down, the fullness, the connection, was too delicious to contain. He shifts restlessly, his hips moving in a tight circle, wanting to feel more of you.

“You feel so good,” you whisper, stroking his cock with your aching cunt. Sliding up and down his length.

“That’s the spot, baby. Make me cum,” he bit out, his knuckles white from his grip on the headboard. You wondered if he was just holding on or physically restraining himself from reaching for you.

Your hands snake up to your chest, cupping your tits and tugging on your nipples to egg him on.

“Gimme,” he demands softly, his mouth hanging open, beckoning you to lean closer. You oblige and watch as his cheeks hollow in suction. His teeth graze your nipple, making your insides clench more tightly around him.

You drop your hips again, putting the weight of your body behind it, surging through with a groan. You loved the feel of him.  His breath puffs out of his lungs with every plunge. You were hot, he was sweltering. Together, you were both radiating heat like a furnace. Up…down…up…down. Your thighs, ass, stomach, and core tightening, burning with every lift, squeezing him from root to tip.

You fucked him with everything you had. His breaths hissing out through clenched teeth once your ass claps against his thighs.

Unable to hold back any longer, he releases his grip on the bed. He grabs you by the waist and restrains your movements, holding himself deep.

He squints his eyes at you. “My turn.”

“Yes,” you gasped, wound up tight with anticipation.

His cock pushes into you. You whimper, your entire body thrumming with excitement. He held your hands down, his thighs between yours, keeping you spread wide so he could sink deep. Over and over. His thrusts were unfaltering, determined.

His jaw clenches, brows furrowing as he inches closer to his climax.

“Harder, Namjoon,” you choke out.

You hold onto him for dear life while he pounds relentlessly into you. You hear his breath catch on every muffled groan while he fucks into you.

“Yes, yes, yes…” You sob helplessly with every slam of his hips.

“Fuck, fuck, I’m cum—ahh…” He presses his forehead against yours before finishing his sentence. A long, deep growl rumbles from him as his hips jerk, gasping your name.

His spurting triggers the hypersensitive nerves in you. Next thing you know, your body shivers from another intense orgasm. You let out a long, drawn-out sigh, feeling relief flow out of you.

You collapse in his arms, your flushed cheeks resting on his shoulder. You were both panting and covered in sweat. 

He lifts you gingerly off him, setting you onto the mattress. You lift your head lazily and turn to him. You reach out blindly, suddenly feeling how damp the sheets were beneath you.

“Shit, did we sweat that much?” You sit up to inspect the damage.

“Yes. And you also squirted all over me,” he laughs.

Your hand flies up to your mouth in surprise. “Oh my god, I did? For real?”

He nods, still laughing. “Yeah. I felt it gush out of you.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was fucking hot,” he replies enthusiastically. He reaches for his boxers and moves toward you to clean you up.

You wave him off. “Nah, it’s useless. I’m going to hop in the shower.”

You roll out of bed and walk to to the bathroom in shaky legs. When you stop to grab a towel from the linen closet, you notice him following behind you.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I thought the shower was an invitation,” he smiles michievously.

“Don’t,” you warn, giving him a stern look. Eventually, a laugh slips out.

“I can keep my hands to myself.” He says innocently. “Besides, we’re in a drought. We need to conserve water.”

You roll your eyes at this practicality and shake your head. “You and your water and energy conservation.”

“Hey, if it wasn’t for me not buying that air conditioner, we wouldn’t have had mind-blowing sex tonight…and you wouldn’t have squirted like that,” he chuckles.

Touché.

But instead of giving him the satisfaction, you glower playfully at him and smack him on his bare ass, making him howl in laughter.

Nothing Masterlist | Main Fic Masterlist

You’ve reached the end! Thank you so much for reading!

If you loved it, please comment, reblog, or send me feedback! 📩. I love hearing from readers! If you didn’t like it so much, I would still like to hear about it. Help me become a better writer! 💜

[wizzdot]

The Patron Saint of One Way Trips

Ch17

Description: we talk about feelings… I repeat - we talk about feelings. Progress FINALLY with Simon. Price is protective. Kyle missed us, sweet boy.

*Laika's (Y/N's) POV*

Alejandro and Rudy lead us to the room we will be staying at. It's nice. A nice big bed, fit for a pack. It makes me feel guilty that I shouldn't be here. I walk in with my head down, trying to stay calm. I roll my shoulder, testing how it felt - it was starting to feel better.

The door closes and we are alone, just the three of us. I stand, silently until the Lieutenant speaks up.

"You can use the bathroom first" he grunts in my direction. I nod and head towards my bag that had already been delivered to the room. I grab PJ's and my soap, shampoo and conditioner. I peak into the shower and check that I can use the water controls, setting it to the suitable heat and pressure, before sliding the lock over and undressing.

Once I'm undressed, I check out my injuries in the mirror. The little cut on my cheek is tiny. I'm amazed it bled so much.. My shoulder looks a bit puffy, but otherwise, fine. Surprisingly, there is no bruising.. I check my leg and that looks a bit irritated but it's fine for now. I silently thank Rudy for helping me clean them up on the helicopter.

I step under the flow of the shower and bask in the warmth. The water stings my leg a little, feeling like sharp needles for a few seconds. I suck air in through my clenched teeth, and lather myself in my nice, floral scented shower gel. I also lather my hair in orange blossom and honey scented shampoo. It smells divine. Once I'm totally clean and the water has stopped running dirty from my body, I close the water off and drip dry for a few seconds.

I step onto the mat outside the shower and inhale the thick steam created by the boiling water I'd just showered in. I gasp when I realise that I'd forgotten my towels. I didn't want to take more time than necessary so I swallow my pride and decide to ask the Alphas in the main space of the shared room for help.

"Uhm.. Johnny..?" I say, softly through the closed door. "He's gone to shower in the main cubicles.. what's wrong?" the Lieutenant replies. I cringe - of course Johnny wasn't there..

"Oh.. uhm - I forgot my towels.. would you - would you hand them through the door..? Please..?" I ask, awkwardly.

"Open the door.." he says immediately. I am shocked at how quickly he had agreed to help. I stand behind the door, opening it just enough for my hand to emerge. I make grabby hands... waiting to meet the softness of the towel. He thrusts the towels into my waiting grasp and I slam the door quickly. "Thank you.." I whisper through the door. He doesn't answer.

*Ghost's POV*

As soon as she opens the door, her scent comes billowing out in the steam of the shower. I have to turn away for a couple of seconds to try and gather myself, refusing to allow the growl that so desperately wants to leave my throat. FUCK! Why did I let Rudy bait me into this... fuckin' hell...

My cock jumps when our hands meet, fuck sake!

She snatches the towel from me and slams the door. Control yourself, LT!

I lay back on the bed and try to think about things that will calm me down. Johnny arrives just in time. "Got started without me, LT..?" he teases, eyeing up the 'issue' in my boxers.

"Fuck off, Johnny.." I growl

She times it to fuckin' perfection. Out she steps in her pajamas, shorts and a vest followed by the steam. Fuck sake.. she makes the entire room reek..

I leap to my feet before she has time to notice my 'problem' and shove myself past her, with my towel over my crotch to hide it. I slam the door to the bathroom.

I set the water to cold and stand under the stream of freezing water. I pump my cock a couple of times but decide against it. I was pissed off and pent up.. I didn't want to take care of myself right now. Didn't deserve it. Creep.. monster.. fuckin' control yourself!!

*Laika's (Y/N's) POV*

I settle at the edge of the bed, trying not to take up much room. Johnny jumps onto the bed and lands on his stomach. He sprawls out, taking up about half of the bed. I hear a growl from the shower. "Is - is he okay in there..?" I ask quietly.. "Aye Lass, he takes cold showers. Can't be nice.. If he took nice warm ones, I'd have waited and joined him.. but I cannae hack cold.. Not for me.."

I furrow my brow at his turn of phrase, "isn't Scotland cold...? Shouldn't you be used to it..?" I ask, light heatedly. He chuckles and turns over onto his back. "Aye, it's cold and wet. But beautiful at the same time. That dinnae mean I want to shower in cold water though, Lass.." he turns to face me.

"I got hosed with freezing water.." I mumble "not nice.." - Johnny goes silent. I realise I'd just accidentally trauma dumped on him a little bit.

"You need to get used to this then.. princess treatment only from now on, lass.." he jokes, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me towards him. He settles behind me as the big spoon, sniffing my hair deeply.

"Love yer shampoo.." he growls gently, squeezing my waist. I squeak and he loosens his hold slightly.

"Sorry, Lass - shoulda' asked.. this ok..?" - I hesitate for a moment and he starts backing away.. "It's fine.. as long as it doesn't bother the Lieutenant.." I whisper.

He immediately re-wraps himself around me. "Good, would probably start cryin' if you told me to feck off.." - I giggle and kick him in the shin gently with the heel of my foot.

I start to relax until the bathroom door swings open to reveal the Lieutenant. He is wearing boxers, a black t shirt and a simple black balaclava. I try not to stare but this is the most I'd ever seen of him. He is huge. Everywhere.. his arms, his thighs, the width of his shoulders, fuck..

My attention is snapped away from the Lieutenant. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Johnny grabs underneath his pillow and pulls out his ringing phone. A picture of a beaming Kyle flashes on screen. "It's oor boys!!" Johnny answers gleefully.

"Hello, MacTavish!!" my face perks up when I hear the smooth voice of Kyle.. I can't catch the tiny happy whimper that escapes my mouth.

"Wait two seconds, I'm switching to video call.." Johnny shouts.

"Johnny, you don't need to shout.." the Lieutenant grumbles, playfully, for him..

"They're you go!" Kyle says happily. "Look Cap, got Johnny on the phone..." he speaks across whatever room they are in. The Captain's gruff voice replies crackly over the phone, sounding like he is further away from the speaker. "He's just coming over.." Kyle says smiling so brightly down the phone.

"How're yous holdin' up in Amsterdam?" Johnny asks "Aw mate, it's been crazy. Think we are moving tomorrow morning though. Managed to catch the smuggler I told you about, at least. The cartel wankers had dressed up as civvies. Got ambushed but we are fine - Kate is organising our next move.. what about you guys.. where's Laika..?" Kyle asks before the phone is grabbed by the Captain and held a little too close to his face. It makes me giggle.

"Are you taking good care of Y/N..? He grumbles deeply, no hello, no how is everyone..His first words down the phone was just concern for my well being.. I blush and whine quietly. That was unusual, no one has really cared about me before..

"Ask her yerself' Cap.. she's right here.." Johnny thrusts the phone into my face. When I see my reflection I hide my face with my hands. "OI..." the Captain shouts, sounding angry. I flinch slightly and Johnny puts the phone back on his face. My stomach lurches - was he angry at me..? It's because I was sharing the room with his pack. He must be seething. I knew I wasn't wanted here.. tears pool in my eyes and I shuffle away from Johnny, creating some much needed distance.

"Love..?" his voice crackles over the line.. "Johnny, hand me over.. now!" he bellows. Johnny hands me the phone - I take it with shaky hands and he puts his face even closer to the screen as if it would make him see me more clearly. It would almost be funny if he wasn't about to punish me for disobeying or breaking rules..

"Love.. what happened to your cheek.. what's that mark..?" My cheek? Is that what he got angry about as soon as he saw my face?

"It- it happened when air support blew a building up.. just a stray piece of debris brushed me.. it's nothing.." he nods, looking grumpy.

"Ok, love, I'll take your word for it - no more near misses though. I expect you all back in one piece.. understood?" I nod.

"Words please, Y/N"

"Oh, uhm.. yes Capt -sorry- John" he softens then, "good girl, hand me to Simon, please.."

I nod and reach over Johnny's body, leaning on his chest to reach Ghost's hand with the phone. His bare fingers graze mine and I shiver. I climb back over Johnny and I swear that I feel a rumble of a purr vibrate through his chest, where my hand supports my body weight.

I whisper to Johnny, once I know that the Captain is busy talking to the Lieutenant - "It's a good thing he didn't see the one on my leg, that's way worse..." I giggle.

Johnny's eyes widen and looks down at my bare legs, trying to locate the wound.

"Fuckin' hell lass, when did that happen..? Why didn't you say anythin'?!" he whisper shouts back at me.

Everything goes silent. My eyes widen.

"Simon.. hand me back to Johnny.." John sounds positively furious. "I hope I misheard that little conversation..?" He accuses. "Aye, Alpha - we wis just messin' around.." Johnny tries to lie. "Johnny, I can always tell when you're lying - you know that.. don't you..?" he gulps. "Aye, Cap.."

"So, what did I overhear while I was talking to Simon..?" - I shakily take the phone from Johnny's hand.

"Sorry Captain. It was me.. I was just joking. It won't happen again.. it wasn't Johnny's fault.." he sighs, clearly annoyed.

"Look, Laika - no one is in trouble. I just like to know when my pack-soldiers are injured. You've got to let me know. I don't send broken soldiers into gun fights.."

I feel guilty again. I decide on four simple words, that I'm not sure are totally true, but decide will put his suspicion to rest.

"I'm not broken, Sir"

He nods, just once, before requesting to go back to Simon. I hand the phone to Johnny.

I'm stuck in my thoughts.

Broken..? Technically, I had lied. I'm quite broken. Very broken, really. Perhaps unfixable.. but you can't see me on the inside like you can if it were a gaping external wound that refuses to heal...

I'd prefer more external scars over the shit I had to deal with everyday. My stupid brain..

Kyle's voice breaks through my depressing thoughts. "Bye, bug.." Bug? that was a new one.. "See you all soon. Sleep well.." He smiles, quickly handing the phone to the Captain to make his farewells. "G'night lads, Laika - stay safe and talk again as soon as we can.."

I can feel the unsaid 'I love you's' - were they avoiding it because I was there? Making things awkward for them..?

Johnny slides his phone back under his pillow once the call has ended.

I turn away from the two Alphas, trying to give them space for their normal pack routine. I didn't want to intrude.

*Ghost's POV*

The girl turns away. I nod to Johnny to come to me - she clearly needs some space. Her scent is sharp with anxiety. She thinks too damn much. Johnny falls asleep quickly, as he always does.

I keep an eye on the girl - she tosses and turns for a couple of hours. She clearly hasn't caught a wink of sleep.

"If you keep moving, you'll never fall asleep" I say quietly, trying not to startle her.

*Laika's (Y/N's) POV*

"If you keep moving, you'll never fall asleep". I freeze. Shit, I'd been keeping him awake.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to disturb you.. I can - I can go somewhere else..?"

"No, tell me what would help. I'm awake anyway.. makes no difference to me.."

"I - I think... no, it's nothing.." I decide not to say that I couldn't find my hanky. It was immature. I had caused enough trouble with the hanky the first night they caught me in Russia.

"What..." he growls, annoyed.

"S'nothin.. I'm fine.."

"You don't look fine.." why does he keep pushing me..? Just leave me alone, goddammit!

"Well, in that case, stop looking" I snap. I immediately regret it when everything goes silent. It sounds like he is about to say something when he just sighs.

"Suit yourself. Just tryin' to help. Message received loud'n'clear.." he says. Is he upset.. is he.. bothered..?

I stay silent for about five minutes, contemplating in my head what to do. I feel awful. He had extended an olive branch and I had grabbed it, snapped it and thrown it away. Stupid, horrible mutt. No one would ever actually want you!

"Sorry Lieutenant.." I whisper through a sniffle.

He just grunts at me. Great..

"I know you probably couldn't care less.. but... it's my hanky. It's stupid.. I know.. but I think I've lost it - I can't find it anywh-"

"Stop" he grunts, halting my sad rambling instantly. I sniffle and feel like running away when I hear movement. He has stood up. He walks a few steps from the bed. I can just make out his figure in the moon light. He picks up my tactical vest - patting the front pockets. "I tried in my vest.. it's not there.." I whine. He ignores me, and as if by magic, removes my missing hanky.

"It - it wasn't there.. I swear.. I checked in my pockets so many times.. I'm sorr-"

"This isn't your vest.." My eyebrows furrow and I start stuttering "Wh-what.. what do you mean..?"

"It's my vest - that's why. I found it on the upper floor of the white house. I wasn't born yesterday. You split from the team and went ahead, didn't you? Took out four or five Alpha guards before we'd even made it through the rest of the village. Nice and clean work. Like an assassin. The only thing you left behind... was this.." he waves the dirty hanky in front of his torso.

I whine, terrified. Was he about to kill me? Punish me?

*Ghost's POV*

Her scent turns rancid.. Fuck sake, I'm scaring her again. Tone it down, Ghost..

I walk to her side of the bed and tuck her hanky into her hand. She is limp and terrified, Her hands shaking.

"I don't mean to scare you, you know..?"

*Laika's (Y/N's) POV*

"I don't mean to scare you, you know..?" he says in the softest voice I think I've heard come from the Alpha.

"But at the end of the day, all a ghost can do is haunt.." My eyes widen and I suddenly feel terrible.

I remember Johnny had mentioned that Ghost had been through some horrific shit. Maybe, just maybe, he is as terribly (un)broken as I am.. but I hadn't taken a second to think of anyone else's feelings.

"Tha- that's not true.." I whisper back.

He huffs a laugh.

"Thank you, by the way.." I boldly say, fighting back the tears, opting to be brave instead.

"Not just for this.." I hold my hanky up "but for earlier, with the Shadow Alpha... and for helping me when I had the nightmare. I know I've sort of said it already for that, but I didn't know it was you until it was too late so it doesn't count.."

"You're rambling now, girl.." he chuckles softly.

"No.. no - I mean it though.. I-I don't want to be scared of you. Deep down.. I'm not scared of you.. when-when you held my neck after- after he scruffed me.. I-I felt so protected. Safer than I've ever felt.. I - I'm sorry. I've said too much .."

He growls. I wince, I'd annoyed him again. I curl in on myself and shiver. It's only after a few more seconds that he is actually purring. Just the roughness of his voice made it sound more growly than he intended.

"You're a stupid girl. You know that..?" A tear escapes my eye and I nod my head. Yeah, I know that I'm stupid. Useless. Worthle-

"Come over'ere, Johnny keeps reaching for you".

I turn and face him and he nods to the gap in front of Johnny. I tentatively move within range of a deep sleeping Johnny. He grabs me as soon as I'm close enough.

The Lieutenant chuckles. "Told ya' he wanted you closer.."

I just wipe the tear from my cheek and swallow thickly.

Johnny squeezes me tightly to him.

He is big spoon. I am little spoon. I quickly fall asleep like this, matching Johnny's slow breathing and deep breaths.

At some point during the night, the Lieutenant becomes the biggest spoon.

[kazumist]

EPISODE 10 ✦ I'LL ALWAYS BE HERE

LOVE, MAYBE — A CHILDE SMAU

masterlist / prev ep / next ep / wc: 442.

“what are you doing here?”

“i should be asking you the same thing.” he chuckles. a poor attempt to lighten the mood honestly—but it still somehow helped. “i-it’s nothing. i just wanted some fresh air.” you replied. your clogged nose makes your voice sound different than usual. “are you okay?” he asks again. it’s almost there—the urge to say no, i’m not. i’m exhausted. it’s really there. 

“i’m fine.” you said, avoiding his gaze.

“fine is what you say when you can’t think of anything better to say.”

you looked up to meet his eyes, childe could notice a million of things already—your eyebags, that seem even darker now, the slight redness in your eyes that makes it visible that you’ve been crying (a fact you can’t even bother to try denying now) and so on. and childe feels his chest tighten at the sight of your state.

swiftly shifting your gaze onto something else, you saw childe take a step forward. and another. and then another. before you knew it, he was right in front of you. you heard the sound of the plastic bag he was holding fall to the ground. and then the warm feeling of his embrace engulfed you.

with your face meeting nearly his shoulder, you feel a hand gently pat your head as childe’s scent takes over your senses. the scent of his fabric conditioner was comforting but you could also sense a hint of… caramel. or something like that. you really needed this, as much as you didn’t want to admit it. but (name), the ever so hardworking student, just needed a simple hug. and you got it (although from the person you least expected, but that doesn’t matter at the moment).

“what are you doing?” your voice is muffled a bit. childe still hasn’t let go of you. “hugging you, obviously. you looked like you needed it.” he says, his hand still on your head but now he’s gently caressing your hair. “did i look that sad to you?”

he sighs. “honestly? yeah. want to talk about it? it’s better to open up to a stranger, they say.”

“not really, and who even said that?”

“no idea,” he chuckles.

maybe it’s because you can’t see each other’s expressions right now or maybe it’s because of everything that has happened so far after you left but… for once, you felt at peace. yet childe couldn’t help but think, just how could the world be cruel to a gentle soul like you?

“i’ll always be here.” he mumbles.

and just for tonight, you decided that maybe it’s fine to give in at least a little bit.

taglist (open): @xianyoon @blue-b3rries @kizakiss @kissingkzuha @aethion @phtogravi @ell1e2010 @esthelily @b4tm4nn @hcmay @ivvieene @morganadorodo @kaitfae @kentply @scaranthropy @kyon-cherri @kookiibun @kochothehoe @mekiiiii @ibyobi @iuspired @tetsuskei @kunikuzushis-darling @morgyyyyyyy @chluuvr @scaradooche @kissmiere @a1-ic3 @bubblegum-angelquartz @tiredjxnna @levlucs-kiru @angeilix @cerisescherries @saeskiss @a-talkative-corn @briluvspnk @kamisatoyato @bbysatoruuu @viviixoxosblog @bambisz @chemiru @eternal-dokja @bflyprincess @jamieexistss @monocerosei @enjisthings @jangyung @hahalame @cupid-spams @snzhrchy @ukinya @luciledreamz @bisatanica

[raz-writes-the-thing]

The Way You Look Tonight (Good Omens Drabble)

Crowley x GN!Reader / requests are open

Summary: You might be sick, but you'll be damned if you don't get this dance.

GOMENS: @coffee-and-red-lipstick @quickslvxrr @clarina04 @motionlessindoubt @stevekempscocktails @go-bonkers-go-foolish @peytonpenguin37 @florduarte @complimentary-breadbasket @thekirbishow @jaziona92 (send an ask to be added to a tag list!)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“You’re just being dramatic,” Crowley grumbles, getting up anyway to do as you’ve requested. You’re sick. Like, really sick. 

Like, if-you’re-not-careful-you-might-drown-in-a-puddle-of-your-own-snot sick. It’s gross, yeah, but if a certain someone hadn’t left the air conditioner on, like, minus eight hundred degrees all night, you’d probably be fine now. Yes, that person was you, but if you couldn’t blame the imaginary criminal who takes on all your heinous crimes for you then what was the point of it all?

“Which one?” Crowley asked, flashing two records at you to choose from. You coughed into your tee and scrutinised the options harshly. 

“Sinatra,” you eventually replied before blowing your nose into a soft aloe tissue. “Please,” you added hastily. 

Crowley just grumbled quietly as he put the record on for you. As soon as the notes started to play through the room, you sighed with relief. It was like a balm on your chest, making you feel better with just a few words and some pretty sounds. 

That wasn’t to say it made you feel physically better, but mentally- the chords and keys and tones had an uplifting effect. As though you might not actually die here on this lounge today. 

“Dunno why you even listen to this,” Crowley said, giving the very old record player the hairy eyeball. You rolled your eyes and stood up. You quickly used the hand sanitiser and gestured for him to meet you in the middle of the room. 

“Dance with me,” you offered in answer. Crowley looked suspicious but took your arm and waist as instructed. You swallowed a sneeze and gave Crowley a very sheepish smile as an apology. Crowley’s hands felt so warm where they touched you, and you found yourself realising just how much you craved his touch and attention. 

The two of you swayed together, listening to Frank as he sang about love and heartbreak and all the things in between. You also realised that at some point, you’d closed your eyes, letting the music surround you. 

When you opened them, Crowley was peering at you in a completely awed expression. One he was clearly trying to hide but doing a terrible job at. 

“What?” You asked, feeling shy all of a sudden. You weren’t so used to being perceived this… obviously. Crowley stumbled over his words for a moment, a litany of strange noises escaping him. 

“No, no,” he deflected. “I just- I get it now, all right? No- don’t get sappy on me,” he scowled. “Stop it or I’ll stop this dance right now.” 

You still couldn’t hide the massive grin on your face even if you tried. 

He didn’t stop dancing with you, though.

[butwhyduh]

Another Year’s End

Summary: New Year’s Eve was never boring. This is told through multiple perspectives. Cuts between each individual. The only warning is fire.

Jason x reader

It was honestly hard to believe that you were currently living in a penthouse overlooking the glittering side of Gotham. You had moved out of a lace that should have probably been condemned with a broken heater and leaky windows and non-existent air conditioner in summer.

It had been an interesting year, as you were learning all of them were being connected to the bat family. Jason was currently asleep on the couch nursing a broken arm in a new sling Alfred had fashioned only a few days previous. You had practically forced him to take pain medication this morning because he was almost in tears while trying to cook.

Now you could get ready in peace. You could never get used to turning on the bathroom heater while walking comfortably on heated marble floors before stepping into a massive shower bigger than your old bathroom. You had a row of soaps and could turn without knocking a single one over. It was an everything shower so upon leaving the bathroom hours later, you felt like a new person.

Jason was up and moving in the bedroom. He was pulling clothing out of the fancy side of his closet. You also now had a fancy side of the closet. Jason had no less than 5 different ties laying in front of him and 2 different jackets.

“Which one for tonight. These are the pants and shoes,” Jason said without turning. You could never be silent enough to trick him.

“This jacket and one of these two ties,” you said after a minute. You held both ties up to his chest. Jason had a silly little half smile on his face as you looked at them both. “This one. Brings out your eyes.”

“Were you just using that as an excuse to stare into my eyes?” He teased.

“Of course.”

“We’ve got about an hour before we go. I’ve still got to shave and probably shower-“

“Definitely shower,” you corrected. “Do you need help covering your cast?”

“How about joining me and helping me wash my back,” he said with a glimmer in his eyes.

“Not even close. I just dried my hair,” you replied. “After the party,” you added with a wink.

“Hmm,” he replied before going to the bathroom.

You moved to the fancy side of your closet and looked at the clothing Jason had bought you over the past year. He didn’t tell you how he got paid so much more and you didn’t ask. You paused for a second. Were you basically a mob wife just enjoying the money brought in from nefarious activities without a thought?

Jason singing from the bathroom broke your thoughts and you continued on getting dressed. No, he wasn’t working as a crime lord anymore. (Your parents would probably love to hear that one.) not to mention you had a thought that Bruce was giving Jason anything he wanted to have a better relationship.

“The red one,” Jason said and you jumped. He stuck his head around the corner of the bathroom. “Please?”

“Sure. Finish your shower and don’t get the floor all wet,” you chuffed. He grinned before going back in the bathroom. It was only a few minutes later that he came out dressed in only a towel. You tried to ignore how ridiculously fit he was, it really didn’t matter how many times you saw it, he was distracting.

“Zip me up?” You asked. He nodded and kissed the back of your neck before slowly pulling the zipper up your spine. You could feel goosebumps forming. That was before he comically grabbed your ass. “Jay!”

He shrugged before tossing you your jacket. “Couldn’t resist.”

———————————

Dick x reader (different character)

Dick was running late. His fiancé was all dressed and he was running out the doors of the precinct to the Porsche.

“No, no, no,” he gasped as he saw the yellow boot on a tire. Yeah, he double parked but he was just dropping something off. Dick looked around and saw no one. It wasn’t his proudest moment but he pulled out a set of lock picks and took the boot off. That took him 5 more minutes behind.

He drove like he stole it while haphazardly throwing off his normal jacket to put on his fancy evening jacket. Trying to put a tie on one handed while speeding on the highway was not easy. You called him as he passed a cop car.

“Fuck!” He said.

“Excuse me?” You answered.

“No, I’m getting pulled over,” he said as the familiar red and blue lights shines behind him.

“Wow. We were supposed to leave 15 minutes ago,” you reminded him. He cringed.

“Yeah, give me like 10 minutes and I’ll be there,” he promised. You hummed a reply before hanging up.

A cop came up to the window and Dick answered with his badge out. “Sorry officer. GCPD business.”

The cop stared at his badge uncomfortably long before nodding. “Be safe.”

Dick showed up to the apartment a little frazzled but otherwise okay. You met him at the car. You took one look at his tie before reaching over to fix it. It was atrocious. You also fussed with his hair a bit.

The drive over wasn’t bad. It was dry and the roads had been cleared of snow recently. And Wayne manor was as glittery and fancy as always. Other people had long since arrived and you both avoided the crowds by coming in the serving entrance.

“Oh hi,” you said to Jason and his girlfriend who were coming in at the same time. “I’m glad we’re not the only ones a little late.”

“Fashionably late,” Jason replied. “Jesus, Dick. What did you do to your collar?” Jason reached over and straightened it.

“I came straight from work. Alright now?”

“Yeah you’re fine. Have you seen Tim?”

“Didn’t see his car,” Dick replied. The ballroom was packed as usual with Gotham’s richest and most influential. The colors this year were rose gold and bright diamond. In fact, there was a display of some of Gotham Museum’s finest diamonds to one side. They were donated for the night after Bruce’s ridiculously high yearly donation. On the opposite side sat a huge Christmas tree decorated with what looked like more glittering gold and diamonds.

Security was posted all around but to Dick, there was far too many people for the few guards. Bruce was to the side of the display with Selina. They were quite the pair with her long black dress with an impossibly high slit and his perfectly tailored suit. He seemed happy and relaxed but Dick knew that could be an act.

“I found Damian,” you called. Damian was sitting with his date at a table towards a back corner. He was wearing a turtleneck with a blazer and his date wore a nice sweater over her dress. They looked cute and more importantly warm, you thought. You wished that you had thought to wear a jacket. You weaved your way to the pair.

“Hey!” Dick said to Damian before forcing the boy into a hug. “How are you?” He hugged Damian’s girlfriend as well.

“There isn’t enough security. I told Father,” Damian replied. Secretly Dick agreed.

“You worry too much. Have you seen Tim?”

“Not yet,” Damian replied. “I don’t know why we insist on having balls here.”

“Preaching to the choir, kid. Let’s go get some drinks,” Jason said to his date.

“You can’t have alcohol with pain meds,” she reminded him and he grumbled while pulling on his cast.

Dick grinned at you while mouthing ‘good luck.’ Telling Jason no was like it’s own extreme sport. You sat next to Dick and grabbed a pair of champagne glasses from the waiter carrying a tray. Dick looked at his watch with a frown.

“You haven’t heard anything from Tim? He’s usually timely,” Dick asked Damian.

“He mentioned something about checking out a case before the gala. I’m not my brother’s keeper,” he replied.

“That’s what Cain said about Abel after he killed him,” Dick replied dryly. You smacked his arm at the snark.

“I didn’t kill him if that’s what you mean,” Damian replied.

“I wasn’t-“

“I would have done it long ago if I wanted to. He probably forgot about the gala with how wrapped up in the case he was,” Damian replied. Dick sighed.

“I’m sure you’re right. Want to dance?” he asked you. You took his arm and let him lead you to the dance floor. Dick was a fantastic dancer. The song was slow and he pulled you close to sway with the music.

———————————

Tim x reader (different reader)

“Timothy Drake please answer the damn phone,” you grumbled as it once again went to voicemail. You had called him 5 times and texted him many more than that. You had gone from mad that he was running late to concerned something happened. Dick’s girlfriend had texted you asking where you both were. You hadn’t responded.

You heard a clattering in the bathroom and you ran to see Tim dressed in his Red Robin suit slide into the window on fall to the floor.

“Tim!” You gasped and tan over to him. He yanked his hood off. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah just late,” he said before standing up too quickly and swaying. You grabbed him to steady him. He started walking to the bedroom. He grabbed a suit and started stripping off his costume. He had a fresh red bruise forming on his side.

“Were you really fighting right before a gala?”

“There’s a case. I’ve almost got it. Met some thugs. Nothing to worry about,” he said while moving to jump in the shower. Normally Tim was much more private than this. It was weird.

“Are you hurt? That bruise looks painful.”

“I’ll be fine. You want to drive?” He asked. He quickly showered and brushed his hair and threw on the suit in record time with practiced ease.

“I guess I can drive,” you said after a minute.

Ten minutes later you parked by the side entrance to a party in full swing. There’s something very intimidating about going to a fancy party in Gotham. You’ve always gotten the vibe that anything could happen at anytime and danger was one step off. Tonight the thought was even greater.

Tim just wasn’t himself as he pulled you into the building. He was a little less refined and a little clumsier.

“Tim, what is going on?” You asked.

“Nothing. We’re just late,” he said.

“Well maybe don’t drag me around when I’m in heels. I almost fell down,” you chided. He sighed.

“Okay, I’m sorry. Let’s go inside, okay?”

“Yeah,” you replied softer.

The glittering gold and diamonds were blinding and the building was incredibly full of people. You weaved through the crowd. You held Tim’s hand tightly in fear of losing him.

“Let’s dance,” he said and that’s when you knew something was wrong. He usually needed at least a full glass of champagne before dancing. You let him guide you to the dance floor. He was sloppy and you had to pull him back a few times as he almost hit people with his wild movements. He looked drunk and seemed to be less coordinated by the minute.

You saw Dick and his fiancé dancing and steered Tim towards them. They were dancing beautifully and you regretted interrupting them.

“Dick!” You called out. He turned to see you and Tim dancing. He smiled.

“Already a glass deep, I see,” he teased Tim.

“No, he’s not,” you said, worried. Dick’s brow furrowed.

“I’m fine,” Tim replied but Dick had already seen the sloppy movement and slower reaction timing.

“Why don’t we get a seat,” Dick replied. He mouth a ‘sorry’ to his date. The four of you moved to a table. “Buddy have you had anything to drink tonight?”

“No and I don’t like the accusation that I have,” Tim replied.

“Okay I believe you,” Dick said. He asked you a bunch of questions and tried to ask Tim who was becoming less coherent by the minute.

—————————

Damian x reader

“Sorry, I am in a poor mood. I just haven’t slept in 31 hours,” Damian admitted after you grew angry at his attitude.

“Why not?” You asked.

“There’s a case that I have been helping Drake with. We’ve been taking turns with surveillance. I didn’t have time to take a nap. I’ll be fine. A few hours shouldn’t be a problem,” he said confidently.

“We don’t have to stay at this party,” you replied. “Seriously if you need to sleep.”

“No Father needs me here. He needs someone watching after him,” Damian replied while looking around the room.

“Don’t you ever get tired of it, caring for everyone?” You asked gently. “Are you going to watch after your father forever?”

Damian suddenly stopped his surveillance and looked over at you. “I’m sorry. This case is getting to me. There’s… a lot on the line.”

“Like what?”

“Drake thinks there’s trafficking involved. A new drug to low inhibition,” he practically whispered. “I can’t really talk about it.”

“Take the night off. It’ll be there tomorrow,” you retorted with a smile. Damian nodded. “Do you want to get some snacks?”

“Sure,” he replied before grabbing your hand and pulling you through the crowd. As Damian walked towards the drink station, his relatively new height afforded him the ability to see over many guests. He spotted Dick fussing over Tim. Damian immediately pulled you towards them.

Just as Damian was arriving at the table, down from them around the Christmas tree, a group of older men lit cigars as they talked business. Jason and his girlfriend happened to be nearby. Jason wanted to quit smoking, he really did. But the fact that they were lighting up as he was quite stressed about the event was hard to ignore. He pulled his cigarettes from his jacket pocket despite his partners protest.

“Can I get a light?” He asked.

At the tables Tim was becoming angry at the concern the others had for him. He suddenly stood up and stormed off towards the tree. His arms swinging wildly as his balance was compromised. And fate for Bruce Wayne had never been kind. Because just as Jason was lighting a match to light up his cigarette, Tim Drake crashed straight into him and directly into the Christmas tree.

Jason jumped back with a yell in pain as his injured arm was jostled but the damage had been done. The tree that Alfred had bought a month previous and had painstakingly decorated with glittering bobbles and dried flowers went up in flames. The tree was incredible flammable.

Tim froze as he looked at the sudden bonfire. Jason dragged him away as the heat seared the air. Screaming could be heard all around and the mass of bodies scrambled for the exits. You froze in fear as the flames tickled the streamers hung from the ceiling.

“We need to leave,” Dick said. “Go to that exit,” he pointed. “I’m going to help them.”

“I’ll come too,” Damian said.

“No, get them out,” Dick commanded. Dimly they could hear Bruce announce something over the loud speakers. Chaos ensued especially around the diamond display. Damian grabbed your hand and you grabbed Dick’s fiancés hand who grabbed Tim’s girlfriend’s hand and the four of you made towards the exit. Bodies pressed all around as people panicked. Your ears rang from the screaming your lungs began to burn from the smoke.

Across the room Dick had just barely made it to Tim and Jason and Jason’s girlfriend. The pair were trying to drag Tim towards an exit with no luck. Jason was furious that he couldn’t use one arm. Dick simply scooped Tim up fireman style before marching towards an exit.

The sprinkler system finally kicked in. The fire remained on the tree but any spread was quickly stopped.

You shivered in the cold Gotham air outside the ballroom. People ran to their cars or stood watching as the tree continued to burn. Damian pulled off his jacket to wrap around your shoulders.

“Thanks,” you replied and he pulled you into a hug.

Tim’s girlfriend paced and stared at the exits hoping they would come out soon. “I don’t understand what is going on with him. Tim was not himself.”

“They’ll be out soon,” Dick’s fiancé replied. She looked terrified. Jason was injured and Tim was altered and there were so many civilians. Dick would try to get everyone out.

Fire trucks sounded in the distance as they raced towards the manor. Black smoke billowed out the doors and obscured any view. Inside was chaos as the sprinklers flooded the room. Dick finally made it to an exit and all but tossed Tim on the lawn before running back in to help others.

“I see Tim!” You cried and his girlfriend ran over to him. Visibly uninjured but very altered Tim sat on the grass in a daze.

“Are you okay?” His girlfriend asked and before he could respond, he vomited on the grass. It was electric green and Tim seemed to sag in relief.

“That’s something,” you replied.

“Yes, I think it’s our mysterious substance from the case,” Damian replied.

The last of the people had filtered out of the building and the fire had dimmed down. The firefighters quickly put it out. Dick and Jason and his girlfriend came out finally. Alfred found the group and sighed in relief.

“Thank heavens,” he said. “Let’s get you lot inside.”

They walked to the opposite side of the manor that wasn’t damaged by the smoke and moved into an informal den. Bruce and Selina soon joined them.

“There’s a problem,” Bruce started.

“Other than the fire,” Dick asked.

“And Tim?” Jason added.

“Yes, someone stole about 100 million dollars in diamonds tonight and the drug you were tracing made it’s way into the party tonight. This is now an open investigation,” Bruce said.

“Happy New Years,” Tim said from the couch as the clock struck midnight.

Part 1

[justwritedreams]

Blankets | Chanyeol

Chanyeol x Reader

Word count: 1.781 Genre: fluff, smut Author: maari  Warnings: Sex, Chanyeol is kinda horny lol MINORS DO NOT INTERACT this is a 18+ story Note: This is really the smut I'm most proud to have written so far. I wrote listening to give me love by ed sheeran Request: can I request for a Chanyeol smut (soft vanilla sex on a rainy day) kinda theme 

⫷ Exo Masterlist

Y/N opened the door with a huge smile, she knew who it was even before she saw it, she knew the ring on the bell that only her boyfriend did.

She saw her boyfriend smirk before taking a step towards her and shaking his head from side to side, causing the remnants of water in his hair to land on her face, and she put her hand up to stop it.

"Park, don't do it like that!" she said, trying her best not to laugh but seeing his face turn into a pout, it was practically impossible.

"I'm not Park to you." he complained, stopping shaking his hair and closing the door behind him, he took off his shoes while still looking at his girlfriend. "I'm baby, love, sweetie, even yoda. Except Park."

Y/N laughed, shaking her head, not only was he serious but his expression was also serious.

“Okay, babe.”

"That's better." he smiled slightly and reached over to cup her face with one hand, which practically took her entire face, and kissed her softly.

"So is it raining a lot outside?" she asked as soon as he pulled away, feeling his icy lips as well as the tip of his nose.

"It's starting." he replied as he took off the thick coat he was wearing.

"Come on, I'm going to make you some hot chocolate to warm you up." she said, holding out her hand for him to take.

"I know a more efficient way to warm up." he raised his eyebrow and smirked, holding her hand.

Y/N frowned, looking at him in disbelief.

"Can't you settle down for a minute?" she asked in disbelief and heard him chuckle.

"I was talking about blankets!" he defended himself and Y/N stopped to narrow her eyes.

She knew her boyfriend very well.

“Yeah, right.”

Chanyeol continued laughing and took the opportunity to hug his girlfriend from behind as they went to the kitchen.

While she made hot chocolate, they talked about their jobs. And after enjoying the hot chocolate while still in a lively conversation, Chanyeol went back to the living room while Y/N went to get a blanket to share while watching tv.

He was already waiting for her on the couch and held out his arms for her to sit hugging him, Y/N didn't think twice about doing this and covered her own body and Chanyeol's with the blanket while burying her face in his torso.

She smiled as she felt him wrap around her waist, she was practically being crushed by her boyfriend's embrace but that didn't matter because smelling the perfume and feeling the heat of his body was enough.

Whatever movie was playing on tv wasn't getting the attention it deserved from either of them.

Y/N was too busy feeling her boyfriend's heavy breathing as he directed a hand inside the blouse she was wearing, he smirked as he felt her skin tingle between his fingers and Y/N released the breath she was holding when noticing that his fingers were against the clasp of her bra.

"I still know how to take my clothes off, you know." she spoke softly, Chanyeol's free hand was making an almost imperceptible caress on the bone of her waist.

"But I do it so much better." he spoke low, in the same tone as her.

Y/N had to close her eyes when she heard his deep voice so husky.

She bit her lower lip as he undid the clasp on her bra and his fingers played with the patch of skin.

It didn't matter what the temperature of the air conditioner was, the living room started to get a lot hotter.

"Come on, baby." he whined. "Just look at me."

She swallowed hard because she already knew what Chanyeol's eyes would do to her but even so, she opened her eyes and turned her head to face him.

His eyes were fixed on her and the hand that was on her waist went up to her face, making a soft caress on her cheek, he seemed to want to record every detail of her face, although he knew every inch.

Chanyeol's dark eyes were like a black hole that pulled Y/N closer and like a magnet, their lips moved closer together.

She sighed with the contact of his soft lips and her heart accelerated even more, Chanyeol took the opportunity to use the hand that was on her face to position her head to the side and deepen the kiss a little more without losing the sensual and slow rhythm that made her head spin.

His kiss was addictive and it didn't seem to be enough, not when Y/N's hands went to his strong shoulders and she realized the sweater he was wearing was getting in the way.

She was lifting her trunk so she could sit on his lap when Chanyeol broke the kiss, making her look at him confused. He pressed his nose to hers and made an Eskimo kissing motion, eliciting a discreet smile from her.

"Let's go to the room." he whispered, looking at her.

Y/N frowned. The boyfriend never minded having sex on the couch, in fact he loved it.

She nodded and before she could do anything, Chanyeol had her in his arms, getting up from the couch and carrying her as if she weighed nothing.

She laughed and rested her hands on the back of his neck, Chanyeol had a different sparkle in his eyes.

He didn't let her say anything and went back to kissing her with a little more intensity, she responded with the same desire as she was carried to the bedroom.

Gently, as their tongues met, Chanyeol placed her on the bed and positioned himself on top of her slowly, their tastes mingled and Y/N's hands did the work of ruffling the boyfriend's hair.

She laid down on the bed and brought Chanyeol with her, she needed to feel his body glued to hers and already without air they separated.

One more intense exchange of glances ensued before he started kissing her face, first the tip of her nose, then her chin, followed by her cheek, her eye and finally her forehead.

She smiled completely silly in love as she brought her hands to the back of his neck, caressing the skin.

When he pulled away, he raised his arms and she got the message, taking the opportunity to remove that sweater at once.

As soon as she did, her eyes were lost on Chanyeol's torso as her fingers caressed her boyfriend's skin, which contracted at the touch.

Taking her face in his wide, warm hands, he began another kiss. A little faster this time as her hands roamed the length of his broad back.

The kiss didn't last long as both of their breathing was ragged, he directed the kiss to Y/N's neck who dropped her head to the side, giving him full access.

But Chanyeol was having difficulty with the collar of her shirt, even pushing it away with his hands he couldn't reach the point he wanted.

So before he ended up tearing it, as he had already done a few times without meaning to, he reached for the hem of her blouse and pulled. Y/N helped and felt her body tremble and heat even more at the same time when she saw Chanyeol's eyes completely mesmerized by the crooked way her open bra was covering her breasts.

Chanyeol hugged her and buried his face between her breasts, distributing short kisses over her warm skin and Y/N just sighed loudly as her hands went back to his hair, this time pulling every time she felt his wet lips place kisses on each inch of her bust. Until the bra was no longer an impediment, as he took it off.

He thought it was cute how he could feel how fast his girlfriend's heart was beating, because he was no different, he felt like a volcano about to erupt.

He kissed every inch of her body, hearing her moan softly as he removed every piece of clothing that would get in the way of contemplating the sight of her bare in front of him. So beautiful and pure.

Y/N felt her cheeks burn when she saw him looking at her so intensely, as if he was drunk with love, so she took the opportunity to take his clothes off too.

When nothing else stood in the way of their bodies finally being together in the most intimate way possible, they wasted no time. Chanyeol rested his elbows around Y/N's head as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

She closed her eyes tightly and scratched the skin on his back as Chanyeol entered her slowly, he groaned hoarsely close to her ear when he felt how hot and wet she was. She pulsed for him.

They created their own rhythm, sensual and slow in exactly the same way they started that night as they began to exchange love vows and low moans.

Y/N even bit Chanyeol's shoulder when he refused to pick up speed but forced him after contracting her muscle inside, that's what he needed to grant her request.

The sound of skins clashing together was addictive and the combo of Chanyeol's husky voice speaking in Y/N's ear was enough to knock the air out of her lungs and make the familiar knot in her lower abdomen appear sooner than she wanted.

She wanted him to go on all night. Sex with him was wonderful but making love was even better.

But she knew it wouldn't last long, so she brought her mouth to his ear and started moaning, making him take one of his hands to her waist and squeeze the place tightly while closing his eyes.

Sweaty and out of breath, Y/N laid her face against his shoulder just as the peak hit her like a hard wave and she rolled her eyes in pure pleasure as he continued thrusting to reach his own peak.

Chanyeol groaned when that happened and let his body fall over hers, taking a deep breath.

Partially recovered, he lifted his head and saw Y/N smile widely at him, Chanyeol then kissed her once more sweetly.

"See? I said my method was more efficient."

"I thought you said you were talking about the blanket." Y/N raised an eyebrow and he shrugged.

"And I was." he nodded towards the bed, making Y/N look.

They'd had sex on top of the blanket laid out on her bed.

[thesimulationswarm]

Double Shot

Joel Miller x f!reader x Tommy Miller

Pairing: pre-outbreak!Joel Miller x f!AFAB!reader x Tommy Miller Rating: explicit, 18+ MDNI Summary: A gorgeous man walks into your coffee shop and introduces himself as Tommy Miller. Then his equally gorgeous brother shows up. You can't decide which you like better... but maybe you don't have to. A/N: This will be in four parts, building up to the smut. Hopefully released daily. It's dumb filthy shit I couldn't get out of my head, okay? Then I'll be back to my ongoing serious series. Word count: 1.5k warnings/tags: threesome, shameless flirting, sibling rivalry, PWP

Part 2 , Part 3, and Part 4 are available now.

Part 1

“It’s going to be another hot one out there today folks— topping out at 105 this afternoon. Remember to drink lots of water, stay in the shade, and of course, wear sunscreen!” The opening beats of Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) followed, and you whacked the radio off in annoyance.

You were sick of this summer. Sick of the record-setting heatwave. Sick of the shitty little building you’d found for your coffee shop, which had seemed so cozy in February but turned out to have the world’s lowest-output air conditioner. Sick of sweat staining through your t-shirt as you worked the morning rush.

You were proud of your business, sure. You’d started from nothing and managed to get it off the ground. Now you had a steady clientele that came for their morning coffee but also for your homemade pastries— your pride and joy. But to keep things afloat you worked like a dog. And this summer was killing you.

The flow of customers finally let up for a minute and you sat on your stool, leaning into the breeze from the countertop fan. 

You let your eyes flutter closed, dreaming about the ice cold Lone Star you’d have when you finished tonight. You could almost feel the condensation on the can as you pulled it from the fridge, could hear the crack and hiss of it opening…

You just about jumped out of your skin when the front door flew open, chime tinkling.

“Sorry to interrupt. Looks like a well-earned break, sugar.”

The man standing in the doorway was tall, bronze-skinned, with thick dark curls tumbling around his face. His biceps were visible below the sleeves of his gray t-shirt, his thumbs hooked on the belt loops of his jeans as he stared at you. He was smirking, and then— when you met his eyes— he fucking winked at you.

You raised your eyebrow at him. “It was, as a matter of fact.  Been at it since 5am. But what can I do for you?”

The man ambled over to the counter, inspecting the chalkboard menu on the wall. “Well, I heard this is the best place in the neighborhood to get a coffee and a little breakfast. And I’m going to need both to start my day.”

He ordered an iced latte, double shot, and one of your cinnamon buns. You set to work preparing them, only too aware of his eyes on you as you moved behind the counter. You got a lot of flirts in here, men looking for a little ego boost on their way to work, and for the most part you didn’t mind—as long as they don’t take it too far.

There are times, though, when it’s not just about not minding.

Times when you decidedly enjoy the attention.

And this would be one of those, because this man is fucking gorgeous.

You feel your hips swaying more than usual, and you wish you’d worn something more alluring than jeans and an old t-shirt. At least this pair of jeans does a good job of highlighting your ass, especially now that the denim is clinging to your sweaty skin.

“So is this a summer job, or do you work here year round?”

“Honey, I don’t work here. I’m the co-owner,” you reply, whipping around to set his drink down in front of him. You were vaguely aware of the door chime tinkling as another customer walked in, but at that moment you only had eyes for this one.

The man let out a low whistle. “A business owner and a beauty? Color me impressed.” He leaned forward against the counter, looking around at the pastry case, the neat racks of cups, the espresso machine.  From this distance you could appreciate his freckles, like a dusting of brown sugar over his sculpted face. “You know, I’m in business myself.”

“That so?”

He held out a hand to you and broke into a wide smile. It was dazzling. “Tommy Miller, of Miller Construction.”

You were about to shake hands with the beautiful Tommy Miller when you were both interrupted. The customer you’d been ignoring had materialized at his side, and smacked him— hard— on the arm.

“Tommy, quit your bullshit!”

“Jesus, Joel, I’m in the middle of somethin’ here!”

You watched with interest as the two turned to face each other. The second man— Joel, apparently— was about his same height, but looked a little broader through the shoulders and a little older. He had a strong jaw, painted dark with stubble, and an impressive mustache. 

Jesus Christ, it was hot enough in here already.

“You’re in the middle of wastin’ precious time, is what you are,” Joel scoffed, before turning to you. “I’m sorry about my brother, ma’am. He thinks he’s god’s gift to the ladies.”

You laughed, looking from one man to the other. You could appreciate similarities now— the dark curls, the strong but trim bodies, the deep eyes you could get lost in.

“And you should know,” Joel added, “It is Miller Construction, but I am the sole proprietor. Tommy here works for me.” Then he held out a hand across the counter, with a close-lipped smile that was less flashy than Tommy’s but no less devastating. “Joel Miller. Of Miller Construction.”

Tommy glared daggers at his brother as you reached across to shake. Joel’s big hand swallowed yours, his grip firm and warm. You felt something electric go down your spine, the hairs standing up on your arms.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Joel,” you said, looking into his rich brown eyes. Then you turned, and held out your hand again. “And it’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Tommy.”

Tommy’s hand was smaller than Joel’s by just a hair, but it was softer, too. You looked at Tommy as you shook, but out of the corner of your eye you could still see Joel— watching you touching Tommy.

The dampness you were feeling between your legs— it wasn’t just sweat anymore.

It was mid-afternoon and the cafe had started to feel like the ninth circle of hell. There weren’t many customers after lunch, so you used that time to work on baking for the next morning. The problem was the ovens, which put out way more heat than your crappy little AC could counter. You had about 30 minutes left before you could pack it in for the day, but you thought you might just spontaneously combust if you stayed inside.

So you grabbed a paperback and a cold coke from the drink case, and went outside. Your place was on the corner of a little strip mall in South Austin, and it bordered on a gravel lot with food trucks and picnic tables. Everything was closed up this time of day, but that was all the better to have a quiet moment to yourself.

The sun was fucking brutal, but you sat in the shade of a live oak, and you could feel a little breeze lifting the hairs on the back of your neck.

You looked around at the sun-baked street, watching people come and go. Mostly in cars in this heat, but some brave souls were walking or on bikes. Next door, a work crew was taking a break from the building frame they’d been erecting. You watched the men downing gatorades and wetting bandanas to tie around their necks. Now that was a tough job on a summer day.

Then you noticed something.

Off to the side was a makeshift table, papers spread across a piece of plywood balanced on two saw horses. Two broad figures stood beside it, looking down.

Joel and Tommy.

This was goddamn Miller Construction.

You knew you shouldn’t spy, but you couldn’t help watching. The brothers looked deep in conversation— Joel with his arms folded across his chest, Tommy with his head tilted to one side. Tommy pointed to something; Joel nodded, and then pulled a pencil out from behind his ear to note something down. Tommy said something else and Joel shook his head, tapped his finger on one of the papers emphatically.

Both men, taken separately, were impressive items. But when they were together, Christ almighty. There was something magical in their practiced ease, their good-natured jockeying for dominance. You couldn’t pick just one to admire.

You heard your oven timer go off inside the cafe, and you reluctantly peeled your eyes away from Miller Construction to head back inside. You hummed along with the radio as you checked on your croissants, suddenly a lot less annoyed by the interminable summer.  With their building site right next door, you ought to be seeing a lot more of the Miller brothers.  You were going to make the most of it.