#but he can wake up and talk to a bug and promise to move on from dora and finally sees her as unremarkable

[palin-tropos]

I do think it’s a little funny that people still fret about whether Harry and Kim can be “healthy” like first of all who cares the love is still there and second of all yes you can cultivate a healthy relationship with Kim right there in the game if you want to

The big misdirection in DE is how the game tells you over and over that Harry is unfixable because that’s his inner monologue of self hatred and you have to see outside the box and realize that recovery is very possible and the choices are right there

[rafeandonlyrafe]

kiss of death

words: 2.9k

warnings: 18+ only, smut, p in v sex, unprotected sex, alternative universe, soulmates, grim reaper!rafe, talk of death, superstitions, reader kind of dies (its explained in the fic)

you swallow deeply as you step into the graveyard. the darkness is creeping into every corner, but you know it's not midnight, not yet.

you feel a pang of guilt as you walk through the rows of graves, briefly glancing at the names to distract your focus from the anxiety filling your chest.

it's an old superstition, but you're beyond desperate.

you stop at the hole in the ground and the temporary headstone, ready for burial tomorrow.

“sorry mr. crawford.” you whisper. you barely knew him, the town psychologist currently kept in the morgue. you could probably use him right now as you move carefully to your knees.

you recite the words from the local town lure, the promise of your true love showing up to kiss you awake at sunrise if you laid in the grave at exactly midnight.

all your other friends have found love, love that is so pure and beautiful it makes your chest ache with jealousy and wanting.

you look at your watch and let out a sigh. five minutes of looking into the grave until the hands of the clock point straight up, five minutes to change and regret your decision.

the minutes tick by but your resolve only grows. you're beyond desperate and the worst thing that could come of it is you spend the night sleeping in a hole under the stars.

you climb down the second the minute hand crawls to the 12 and lay back in the grave, blinking upwards towards the starless night sky, the bright sunlight reflecting off the moon blocking out any other suns.

you close your eyes, trying to ignore the fact that you're exposed to worms and bugs and whatever else happens to be lurking in the graveyard at night. certainly nothing you want to come across.

soulmate. your soulmate. your one true love is worth one night in a grave as you fall into a deep slumber.

--

you can feel the light against your eyelids, but before you can open them, it's blocked out by a shadow.

you gasp as lips are pressed against yours, cold but soft lips. you want to open your eyes but they feel so heavy as you kiss back, hands reaching upwards but you feel nothing, just pressing into the freezing cold air despite it being the middle of summer.

you finally force your eyelids open and you realize who you have been kissing as he pulls away, more of a black figure then a true human form.

“no.” your voice quivers. “no!” 

“did you not want your one true love to wake you with a kiss?” he smirks down at you, hovering directly over your body.

“my-my true love is not death.” you thought it was just another superstition, the grim reaper, the one to facilitate your crossing to the other side, but when looking up you know that the mans face that looks back down upon you is nothing but pure and utter death.

“then tell me why i was called to this spot only to find you laying here.” his voice is smooth but deep in tone, not what you expected from the grim reaper as you almost find comfort in his soft words.

“this can't be right.” you look around you, realizing that all light from the rising sun has disappeared, along with the walls of dirt around you, replaced with darkness so thick it's like you could reach out and touch it. “am i?”

you can't make the word out fully. “kind of.” the reaper shrugs. 

reality shifts and despite you not changing positions, you can tell in the inky blackness that you're now on your feet.

“come with me.” the grim reapers legs push out from the black mass, appearing and disappearing as he begins to walk, somehow able to find his way, walking with the purpose of a destination that is unseen to you.

“what if i don't want to?” you question, even though your heart is pulling you towards him, telling you to follow and stay close.

“i will give you this option only once.” the reaper turns to you. “you can turn around and walk away, or you may follow me and be with your one true love and rule the underworld as my queen.”

you know your back should be towards the reaper as you begin to walk, but you can't go back to your earthly reality after discovering the grim reaper is just waiting for you to die, for you to take your place.

as you walk alongside the grim reaper, you begin to make out shapes moving through the darkness.

the first one scared you so bad as you whipped your head to the side, trying to make out what appeared to be someone walking the opposite direction.

“what is this place?” you ask, voice quiet, feeling as though you don't want to interrupt the figures pushing through the dark.

“the place between life and death. the farther we walk, the closer we are to death and my-our kingdom.”

“and the people walking the other way?” you turn to look over your shoulder as your feet continue forward.

“some have been revived. by doctors or desperate loved ones. but most made a choice. most got to the final step and realized it wasn't there time.”

“and is it my time?”

“you will not truly be dead.” he states, and you find yourself swaying to walk closer to him, his cold presence comforting as the only thing around you can truly make out. “i will keep you in the state that you are now for as long as you please. you will be in limbo, in status. your earthly body will still be yours.”

“so no one will know what happened to me?” you can tell that your body isn't left in the grave, that you're whole and complete right here, soul included.

“no.” he sounds almost regretful as the blackness ahead of you turns into a swirl of dark grey, making out the rolling hills as you get closer.

“your final choice.” the reaper says, and you don't mention that he already gave you what he claimed to be your final choice before you began walking.

it hits you then. the reaper is in just as new of a position as you are in, and your nerves don't outweigh him.

“what is your choice?” you parrot the question back. “do you want me… to rule with you?”

“i have waited an eternity for you. so long that the memory of how i came to be the reaper is no longer available to me.” the grim reaper pauses for a moment before continuing. “yes. i want you alongside me always.”

you nod and then take a step past what you can tell is the final film, the one separating you from whatever rolling hills of gray grass await.

a weight you didn't realize you were carrying leaves you as the grim reaper steps out next to you, the black mass of his body gone as he appears as a fully realized man, legs and all.

you don't mean to, but you reach out and touch him, seeing if your arms would move through him as they did before during your kiss, but your fingers just press against the soft fabric of his black long sleeved shirt.

“welcome to the underworld.” he says, taking your hand in his and pulling you to continue walking.

you can make out a castle in the distance, and the closer you walk towards it, the warmer the hand in yours gets and the less gray seems to be blotting out the world as the grass turns green beneath your feet.

you gasp the first time you see one, stepping closer to the reaper.

“they won't hurt you.” he clarifies quickly as the large wolf runs past you in the distance, several hills away.

“you control them?” you question.

“yes.” he nods. “and all the wolves on earth as well. they are part of my domain.”

“i thought it was going to be a three headed dog.” you whisper slightly sheepishly as you realize your hand has been intertwined with the grim reaper the entire walk, feeling so natural that you don't question the fingers snug between yours.

“everyone got something partially right.” he says. “the egyptians, the greeks, the christians. they all had pieces.”

“oh.” you don't care to question more, not yet. you're already overloaded with all the information.

you pause as you get to the door of the castle. it's not dead quite like you expected, you can hear voices chattering inside and when you look up you can occasionally see people passing by windows.

“people do what suits them best after death. what would make them most happy. for most, that's reincarnation. for some, that's helping others cross or serving me in other ways. everyone inside this home is dead.”

you like that he calls it a home and a slight smile stretches across your cheeks.

“do not ask them how they died or their life on earth. if they wish to reveal it to you, it will be on their own time.”

“okay.” you nod, looking to the grim reaper, your soulmate. “what should i call you?”

you certainly can't continue to call him the grim reaper, it would just be an upsetting reminder.

“rafe.” he smiles down at you, not the terrifying soulless being you thought he would be. “you may call me rafe.”

--

the tour of the expansive home is long, but you find yourself only half listening as you look at rafe.

his appearance is so different from when you saw him first, he looks less harsh, kinder, more alive.

“are you tired?” he asks as he pushes the doors open to what you assume is the master bedroom. “i know you just awoke but if you need to rest-”

“how does time work here?”

“there's night and day just as there is on earth. it's still morning.” he places a gentle hand on your back, pushing gently to get you to enter the room.

“this is our chamber.” he explains. “you may rest, or bathe, or eat.”

“i…” you look down at your clothes, dirt still covering your pants. “id like to change.”

a maid ushers in, and you try to see if you can get any visual clue that she's passed, but theres nothing as she opens up a cabinet and begins to grab out various jewel toned options.

“i must attend to some business.” rafe says. “ill be back soon.”

you get changed and dismiss the maid, wondering what kind of person chooses to serve like this for all of eternity and actually enjoy it, but you're too distracted with exploring your surroundings to think too hard about it.

you find a sitting room with walls covered in bookshelves, the grand bathroom, and a door that leads to a balcony.

you step out and look over the rolling hills, seeing as they turn to gray the farther away it is from the castle, seemingly encircled completely by the void.

you occasionally see a wolf running, or a figure floating, but you can tell none of them are your reaper. that must be the other helpers he was talking about. despite not being able to see their faces, you know it's not him.

you take a seat on the lush couch on the balcony. they must not have true weather here or it would certainly be ruined by the rain.

before you notice it, now dressed in clean clothes similar to rafes, your eyes are closing and you're falling into a deep sleep.

--

you yawn as you wake up, stretching as you realize you'd been moved to the bed at some point.

you sit up suddenly only to come face to face with rafe who is sitting in an armchair moved from the sitting room to the foot of the bed.

“did you move me?”

“yes.” he nods as you blink, looking outside, unable to tell how long you've been asleep. like he's reading your mind, rafe speaks. “it's the next morning. you were exhausted from the journey.”

“did you sleep in the bed with me?”

“i do not need sleep.” rafe answers, jolting you slightly before you remember who you are here with.

“then why have this bed?”

rafe gives you a pointed look as you replay his words in your head. of course it's for you. he's been waiting.

“come.” rafe stands, imposing his tall height again.

you slide out of bed, only then realizing that your clothes have been changed.

“a maid changed you.” he says quickly. “i will escort you to breakfast and as you eat i will finish my work for the day. then we can…”

he trails off like he doesn't know what the options are. “get to know each other.” you offer. “since you're my one true love i suppose we should… go on a date?”

a smile stretches across the reapers face. “yes. a date.”

--

“what is it you'd like to know?” rafe asks as you're sat in the front of the boat, moving slowly down a river that winds through the hills.

it scared you at first, but rafe certainly wouldn't be taking you anywhere where you couldn't come back.

“uh…” there's a million questions you have about life and death, about heaven and hell, but that's not what you truly want to know. “what's your favorite color? do you have to eat? can you sleep even if you don't have to?”

“well…” rafe chuckles. “i love deep blue. i don't have to eat but i can, same with sleeping. and your favorite color?”

“also blue.” you swallow deeply, eyes turning upward as the invisible force keeps the boat moving steadily in the water. “but sky blue. like on a warm summer day.” 

you're about to wonder if you'll ever truly see the sky again when you can make out a cloud in the distance.

“i-”

“for you.” rafe says as the color of the sky shifts, matching the exact shade you were thinking of. “everything here can be changed for you.”

the conversation flows naturally, you suppose it should between soulmates. every time rafe smiles, you get butterflies in your stomach, and by the time you're back where the river meets the castle, you have a question brewing on the tip of your tongue.

“can we… can we kiss again?” you need to know what it feels like, if it's the same cold lips despite his hands now feeling warm.

the smile comes back to rafes face, and then it gets closer and closer until he's kissing you, deeply.

you almost instinctively wrap your arms around his shoulders, able to fully touch him now as he kisses you, warm lips gliding against each other's.

you pull yourself closer until you can't get any nearer without climbing onto his lap, which you do next as you cling to him.

you thought your friends talking about the instant connection with their one true love was ridiculous, but you know what is between you and rafe is complete and real and right.

there's a woosh of air and when you pull away, you're still straddling rafe, but now in your bedroom.

“please.” he said softly, and the word comes out a little strange, like he's not used to saying it. “i need you.”

your fingers grasp the bottom of your shirt before you lift and pull it off your body, revealing the bra somehow already in your size that the maid got out after breakfast.

rafes hands stop yours when you go to unclasp it. “let me.” he says.

his hands are large and warm as they undo your bra and push the straps off your shoulders so it falls between the two of you.

“can i-”

“yes.” you answer quickly. “do anything you want to me.”

you take rafes cheeks in your hands as you look in his deep blue eyes. “do everything.”

your reaper transports you again, this time only feet as you're laid on your back, head rested against the pillows as he hovers over top of you.

your clothes as well as rafes are completely gone, and you're both silent, breathing heavily as you admire each other's bodies. if someone would have asked you what your perfect mate looks like, you'd absolutely describe rafe in this state.

“i will spend eternity pleasuring you, but you'll have to forgive me for not being able to wait a moment longer.” 

rafes cock lines up with your entrance, and then he's pushing inside, his eyes shutting as he lets out a moan that makes you surge forward to kiss his lips and swallow the sound as his hips glide all the way in, fitting exactly inside of you like he's been your missing part all along.

“you're so- warm.” rafe manages to choke out. “ive never felt warmth like this.”

it makes you sad to think rafe spent so long as the cold and lonely reaper. you pull him into you, pressing your chests together as his hips begin to move, your moans growing and becoming in sync, creating a beautiful chorus even to your own ears.

you don't know what your future will hold. there will no doubt be ups and downs, hard times and great times, but you will face it all together with your reaper, your rafe.

[bluesidez]

Gym Rat Miguel Part 11 | chapter on AO3 for easier scrolling

content warning: fluff, some hurt/comfort?? angst??? bittersweet moments???, recreational use of zaza, some nerd talk, 18+ so MDNI, p in v sex (first time 😗)

word count: 10.1k, halfway proofread (don't ask me NOTHING...)

shout out to @hyjionie and @hwasoup for one of the ideas here! 😗 you guys will know it when you see it!

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GymRat!Miguel whose mom was driving him crazy. The flight for New York was at 7 am and somehow she was up running around the house at 2 am.

“Miguel! Get up, we have to go. Now!”

“Ma, no one is even driving on the road right at this hour. There's no traffic."

"Which is why you need to get up and move. You know Gabriel takes forever. Get up!"

GymRat!Miguel who groggily put on his clothes. It was the hoodie you got for him for Christmas with the doodle of the two of you on the front. If he was going to be stuck in the airport for hours, he might as well be comfortable.

GymRat!Miguel who looked made sure that his laptop was loaded with things to do.

He could catch up on shows he knew you watched so that you could have someone to rant to about them. He could listen to that one podcast you mentioned just because you mentioned it. He could read that one manga you were raving about because he was not going to compete with fictional men, and maybe, he could steal ideas from it.

GymRat!Miguel who went to wake up Gabriel before their mom's voice pierced both of their ears again.

He opened the door to see Gabriel staring bug-eyed at his wall while he ate a bowl of cereal.

“Did you go to sleep?” Miguel asked, closing the door and walking closer.

“No,” Gabriel said. “Couldn’t sleep.”

Miguel ran his hand over his hair, curly strands bouncing back, “Promise me you’ll try to sleep on the plane?”

Gabriel took his bowl to his mouth, slurping up the last drops, “Only if the voices let me.”

“Right,” Miguel says then takes his bowl from him. “Maybe you can have a conversation with them right now.”

“And maybe I will!”

GymRat!Miguel who stares at the bags his dad has stuffed into the trunk with awe. 

“Pa, you know we’ll only be there for three days, right?”

George presses against the trunk with a little more force than needed, “You never know what could happen, mijo.”

GymRat!Miguel whose bones shake with exhaustion as he stares out the window on the way to the airport. Maybe it’s due to the lack of sun, but he’s never felt a cold summer night. 

GymRat!Miguel who sighs as his dad argues with the staff over a suitcase that Miguel knew would be too heavy. He’s not even sure what his dad has in there.

GymRat!Miguel who thinks that TSA is having a field day despite his family being one of the few coming in at this hour. 

The man in front of him was taking way too long to pat him down and he got the hint was Miguel scowled at him.

GymRat!Miguel who had about four hours to kill before the plane came, so he decided to walk around the airport with Gabriel and pretend like they were a spoiled set of twins shopping casually in France.

“What do you think about this, Mimi? A little chic, no?” Gabriel held up a Gucci scarf to his green hoodie. 

Miguel stuck his nose up, “No, Bribri, it’s so yesterday.”

“Ugh,” Gabriel put the scarf back like it was on fire, “You’re so right. Thank god you’re here or I’d be so lost!”

GymRat!Miguel who feels like he’s back at home with Gabriel as they try their best to avoid the luxury brand store staff. Every time one would get close, they would giggle and rush out of the store. 

GymRat!Miguel and Gabriel who crash back at their terminal with enough food to feed a family of five. 

“What is all of this?” Conchata asks as Miguel hands her a coffee, a frustrated look on her face.

“Ma, it’s almost the crack of dawn and we’re hungry. Big boys gotta eat,” Gabriel said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

George reached in one of the bags and grabbed a sausage sandwich, “He’s right, Conchata. We can’t survive on two bites.”

Conchata eyed her three boys with her arms crossed, “All of it better be finished and I don’t want to hear one complaint about your stomachs.”

Miguel just snickered. It’s not like she bought the food anyway.

GymRat!Miguel who is watching an older couple meditate at his terminal as the sun begins to rise. 

“Yo,” Gabriel says. “That looks relaxing as hell. I’ma join them.”

GymRat!Miguel who is wheezing as he watches Gabriel plant himself between them to spread his arms and breathe at deep paces.

GymRat!Miguel who is thankful that his parents bought better-than-Economy seats, but that still didn’t stop any of the O’Hara boys from feeling like they were in one of those miniature museums. 

Both his dad and Gabriel were already tall, but Miguel was more than tall with a heavier body to match. If another compartment almost smacks him in the face, he might lose it.

GymRat!Miguel who takes off his headphones when Gabriel grips his arm.

“The voices,” Gabriel whispers. “The voices are here.”

“Are we doing this the whole flight?”

“Miguel, what if they tell me to do something drastic?”

Miguel looked to the window next to Gabriel and then up to the ceiling, “Three hours.”

“Three hours in which my brain could be infiltrated!”

“I’m closing my eyes, Gabri.”

“But-”

“Closing!”

GymRat!Miguel who used the flight to catch up on sleep and listen to the playlist you made for him. You gifted it to him earlier this month and said it would grow more and more. Miguel loved it because it showed that you were thinking about him, daydreaming about him. It also meant that he could connect to you more. 

No sound of crying babies, no smell of the artificial air packed tight, no light from overhead, just you and him in his mind, dancing on clouds. 

His heart felt like it followed the tempo of each song that played, the words and melodies taking over his mind. 

GymRat!Miguel whose mind wanders by the time the second half of the playlist starts. It was sensual and intimate in a way that passed the sticky sweetness of the first half. 

He was thinking about the nights when it was just the two of you and a bed. He could feel your body tangled with his in the sheets and your eyes piercing his skin. He could see you in front of him as the music played, the words glowing on your skin and the harmonies bounding you to him.

GymRat!Miguel who is yanked out of his fantasy of him pressing you up against a wall when his body jerks from the turbulence. 

He opens his eyes to see Gabriel knocked out and not a clue in the world.

GymRat!Miguel who is always reminded how idiotic people can be at the airport. 

Standing in the aisles is not going to make the people in the front move any faster.

GymRat!Miguel who could finally stretch his legs once he exits the terminal.

“If I get on another plane where a kids stares back at me the entire flight again, I’m going to spin my head like an owl,” Gabriel mumbles as he cracks his neck.

GymRat!Miguel who has a time laughing at his dad slowly losing his mind. 

First, he complained because his fabric luggage was lopsided and twisted from its buckled components, extra bag barely hanging on. 

Second, a wheel on his luggage was a few more spins from giving out. Every time the bag would skirt across the shining floors of the airport, George would grunt in frustration and yank it back. Gabriel almost pissed himself leaning onto Miguel from laughing. 

Third, the ride to the hotel almost gave him a heart attack. The cabs in New York were fast and no-nonsense when it came to getting people to their destinations. The cab drivers were also known to bob and weave into lanes like it was nothing. At every switch of a lane, George was mumbling prayers into the air. 

Conchata kept a hand on his shoulder as best as she could from the middle back seat, but George’s grip on the handle was turning white as he tried his best not to yell into the driver’s ear. Gabriel was filming him from the left side, wheezing like it was the funniest thing in the world. 

GymRat!Miguel who dropped his stuff off, took a nap, and used the rest of the afternoon to walk around Times Square. 

“You refused to go to a Broadway show with me but mark my words, you’re going to one with me before the year is over,” Gabriel pointed his finger at Miguel. 

“Unfortunately.”

GymRat!Miguel who watches as Gabriel dance battles with the random people in costumes in Times Square when they try to heckle him. 

At first, Miguel was worried for him trying to navigate such a bustling place, but there are moments like this that show him that his little brother has always been quick on his feet. His little brother was light years ahead of him in so many aspects and he couldn’t be prouder. 

GymRat!Miguel who probably filled his phone with more pictures and videos of Gabriel experiencing New York for the first time than were necessary. 

He couldn’t help it. His baby brother was soaring.

GymRat!Miguel who sends you places that he wants to visit with you. 

Envisioning you in his hoodie or with a fluffy, long scarf and walking down the sidewalk hand-in-hand with you had him excited to see you again. You would shine so brightly under the Christmas lights.

GymRat!Miguel who didn’t get back to the hotel with Gabriel until the evening. His parents both snoring in the room across the hall. 

GymRat!Miguel who still manages to get up early enough to hit the hotel gym before he and his family go tackle Gabriel’s dorm room. 

GymRat!Miguel who feels like the only other lady in the gym is trying her best to follow everything that he does. 

So much room in the tiny cube of a gym that they’re in and she moves to wherever he is after five minutes. 

GymRat!Miguel who is annoyed when she taps him in the middle of his set. He removes one ear of his headphones and tries his best to stop the disgusted look on his face from forming. 

“Hey! Sorry, I was wondering if I could use this machine! I’m kind of in a hurry.”

“After I finish this set,” she jerks back at that. “I’m using it right now.”

“Well, I just thought that-”

“Ma’am.”

“I’m 22! Don’t call me ma’am.”

Miguel’s eyebrows went up. He could hear Gabriel in the center of his mind calling her a “hard 22,” so he just put his headphones back on and continued to work through his set. 

GymRat!Miguel who thinks that interaction ruined the girl’s mood but he really didn’t have the energy to be concerned. 

He had to freshen up for breakfast. 

GymRat!Miguel who feels absolutely cramped when he steps into Gabriel’s dorm. 

“It’s not bad!” Conchata rubs Gabriel’s back as he looks around with his mouth in the shape of a line. “Once we clean it and set up your things, it’ll be just like home.”

Gabriel puts his hands on his hips, “Home doesn’t look like cell block 1.”

“At least the window overlooks the city,” Miguel says. 

The door behind them opens with George poking head inside. 

“Mijo, we need to set some ground rules. Your suitemates have no idea how to organize.”

“Did you go in their rooms?” Gabriel asked in disbelief. 

“It’s not my fault they left the door open!” George puts his hands up. 

GymRat!Miguel who works harder than he did for his own dorm. Every piece of clothing was in its rightful place, every surface was sparkling clean, the bed was made with minimal pillows and a giant RJ churro plushie, and there was an odd-shaped humidifier plugged up on his desk. 

“I’m putting your cleaning supplies in the corner of your closet, so this room should stay clean,” Miguel grumbled as he stuck a mini vacuum against the wall.

“Whatever, mom,” Gabriel replied.

“Gabriel,” Conchata had a hand on her hip and a finger pointed at her son. “Don’t whatever him. He’s right. There’s no excuse for this room to be a mess.”

Miguel and Gabriel stood in shock at Conchata’s quick defense.

“Are we in the twilight zone?” Gabriel asks out the side of his mouth.

“Maybe it’s the air pressure,” Miguel whispers back.

GymRat!Miguel who equates Conchata’s growing softness to the fact that not one, but two of her boys will be leaving the nest. 

The sentiment is sweet, but by the fourth time she just lets him and Gabriel roam the busy streets, he’s internally freaking out. 

It was far different from the woman who pinched their ears when they tried to sneak sweets into the shopping carts or the woman who had her shoe locked and loaded for when one of them did anything to annoy her. 

GymRat!Miguel who stays up late to talk all night with Gabriel about anything and everything.

“Which one of these do you think is better?”

Gabriel reaced into his backpack to unfold two flags, one with Jungkook over the Mexican flag and a Weenie Hut Jr. sign.

“Well, I definitely feel like there’s a clear answer.”

“You’re so right,” Gabriel says and folds up the Spongebob sign. “It’s better to represent.”

Miguel only sighed, “If that’s what you insist, Gabri.”

GymRat!Miguel who hugs Gabriel tight as their parents pack the cab back to the airport.

They’ve dropped Gabriel back at his school and said their goodbyes all morning. Miguel feels like he’s fading away. He bites his lips in order not to cry, but it’s hard when Gabriel's hands grip his hoodie like a lifeline. 

“Knock em’ dead, baby bro.”

Gabriel leans back with a wet laugh, “They won’t see me coming.”

GymRat!Miguel who waves out the window as the cab drives off. Gabriel waves back with both hands and a smile on his face. 

Miguel keeps looking back and Gabriel is still standing there. He wants to tell the cab to turn around.

After the fourth look, Gabriel is no longer looking at the direction the cab went but to a girl who also seems to have said goodbye to her family. He’s talking animatedly, arms moving as fast as the words fly out of his mouth. 

Miguel turns back around and pulls the strings on his hoodie hard, eyes welling up with tears. 

“Ay, pobrecito,” Conchata pulls Miguel into her arms, kissing the top of his covered head. “I know, it’s ok.”

Miguel’s lungs take in chopped breaths, hands never moving from the strings. He doesn’t know how to stop the tears from falling. 

“George, you too?”

To Conchata’s other side, George was looking out of the window, sniffling with a fist covering his mouth. 

“It feels like just yesterday I was teaching him how to kick a ball!”

Miguel blew out some air, “That probably was yesterday. He sucks at soccer. And football. And kickball.”

“How did he ever make the basketball team?” George says, voice riddled with sorrow. 

“His height, pa,” Miguel’s throat was tight again. “I didn’t call him beanstalk for nothing.”

The two of them lean onto Conchata, snot and tears crowding their faces. 

“Lose one baby and I gain two more,” Conchata sighed as she rubbed their backs, barely space in the little cab. 

GymRat!Miguel whose eyes remained puffy and swollen the whole trip back home. 

GymRat!Miguel who had to go back to school as soon as possible. 

He loved his parents, but being in the house without Gabriel took a lot more patience than he was willing to give. 

GymRat!Miguel who doesn’t see you coming while he's looking for you around the Student Center. 

The campus feels a little different since he’s become more familiar with it. Now he’s got shortcuts and pathways down. He knows more places to hide away in and he carries more tips to survive than he did his freshman year. 

A tap on his shoulder has him turning around. He spins, looks down, and his mood immediately lifts. 

You’re standing there with a pretty smile on your face in the midst of the bustling crowd. Miguel bends down to pick you up, arms wrapping around your thighs, mindful of your skirt. You laugh his name out as you cling to his shoulders. 

He kisses your lips, mouth warm and cozy like the sun shining through the window in a cool room. 

“I missed you so much,” he breathes after two heavy pecks. He moved to the corner of your mouth to your nose to your cheek. “‘M happy to see you.”

“I’m happy to see you, too,” you run a hand through his hair and cradle his face, looking into his eyes. “Are you alright?”

Miguel puts you down, knowing your limit for periodic PDA was nearing its end. 

“Better with you here.”

“Really?” You lean into his chin on his chest with hearts in your eyes. 

“Absolutely,” he plants his arms around you. “Been replaying your playlist for me. You want me to be your good boy?”

Your eyes get wider and you bury your face in his chest. 

“Why are you hiding? You should have known I was going to ask about it,” Miguel chuckles as you groan. 

“You’re using it against me.”

“No, I just want to confirm!”

The irritated face you gave him was too much, he had to tease you more. 

“Just say the word.”

“Hmph,” you lean back as Miguel grins. “Well, be a good boy and help me find our friends.”

Miguel let you pull him, smile loopy, “Whatever you say, baby.”

GymRat!Miguel who is glad to see his friends again. Peter, MJ, Jess, and Ben are sitting at one of the high tables and they all greet you both with smiles. 

“The lovebirds are here!” Peter reached to shake Miguel by the shoulders. “Good to see you both alive.”

“Never better,” Miguel replied, holding the seat out for you to sit on. 

“Look at him,” Jess snickered. “His eyes are practically shaped like hearts.”

“It’s ok to look away from her Miguel,” Ben said. “She’s not going to disappear.”

“C’mon guys, leave them alone. Haven’t you ever had someone you’re head over heels about?” MJ asks.

“No,” Ben and Jess say in a monotone voice.

“I’m sure you’ll find someone someday,” Peter quips as he wraps his arm around MJ. “Someone to stare at like they’re the only ones at the table.”

Everyone looked at Miguel talking to you as you tapped on your phone. He would whisper something in your ear and you would push him back with a shy laugh. His hands rubbed on your shoulders and your thighs. 

“Movie night might be insufferable,” Ben sighed.

Jess leaned back, “A girlfriend or boyfriend would suffice. I’m not picky!”

“I am,” Ben says with raised eyebrows. “I need someone to acknowledge my beauty.”

GymRat!Miguel who does in fact become insufferable during movie night. 

Flashing bright colors are painting the white dorm walls, lighting up the room, and the two of you are cuddled together on his bed. It’s way too cramped and Miguel could barely fit on the thing by himself, but somehow, he has you laid in his arms, a blanket covering you both. 

He’s not even sure what movie is playing on the projector because his mind is too focused on you. His hands keep wandering your body under the thick blue fluff. He’s watching you body jump and listening to your breath hitch as he kneads your thighs, your sides, your stomach, your chest. 

He really did miss you and he wanted to take this time to become acquainted with your body again.

But you would kill him if he let his thoughts take over and sink his hands under your clothes. 

So he settled with touching you and kissing your neck occasionally, your mind to preoccupied with the movie before you. 

GymRat!Miguel who insists on a snack run and makes you tag along. 

Does he want snacks? Not really.

Does he use it as an opportunity to make out with you on the outside of his car? Absolutely.

“Mig, mm-” you melt into him as he pries your mouth open. “I thought you said you wanted milkshakes.”

Miguel cages you against the car, pans down to your chest, then back up to your eyes, ���My milkshake is right here, though.”

You scoff, hit his chest, and push his arms to walk around to the passenger seat.

GymRat!Miguel who has milkshakes ready for everyone on their way out to their own dorms. He spent way too long playing with you in the privacy of his car.

GymRat!Miguel who by his second day of classes thinks he has the ideal fall semester schedule planned.

He’s still blocking things out on his calendar, but his classes are a bit more spread out this time, which means more time to be with you. 

With your stacked studio classes, he was going to take every opportunity he could to see you. 

GymRat!Miguel who wanted to take up a basic game programming class as an elective. What better way to nerd out than to get insight on how his favorite games worked?

Learning C++ and Python, breaking down the technical side of things, making his own small games through engines; Miguel was beyond excited, to say the least.

He walked into the empty lab, scoping the classroom out for the best seat. The perks of being early. 

GymRat!Miguel who is scrolling through his watch later list while he waits for class to start. Maybe he could finally watch the Let’s Plays he’s been piling up. Maybe character builds would be better. 

“Hare-Hare, is that you?”

Miguel stopped, that nickname something he hadn’t heard in forever. 

He turned to his right with a smile on his face, “Xina?”

“It is you!” 

Miguel stood to hug her, his body rocking from the weight of her, almost knocking him over. 

“It’s been so long,” she breathes out. Her hands slide down his arms. “Have you gotten even bigger?”

Miguel laughed, “Probably.”

Xina’s eyes flitted over his body and back to his face. 

Miguel sat back down, “You look different, too. Is that a tattoo?”

“Y-yeah! You like it?”

It was some computer code in a spiral shape on her arm. It was really different for her. A far cry from the conservative, shy girl who left the South. 

In fact, the outfit she had on was something she would never wear. It looked like something that Lyla or Tempest would throw on. No collared dresses or long socks over stockings, just low-cut skirts and flowy-sleeved tops. 

“It’s pretty cool. Do your parents know you have it?” 

She shuffled the sleeves of her shirt back down, “They weren’t too fond of it, but what can they do now.”

Miguel smiled softly, “Lyla told me you were coming down here. I guess I just didn’t believe it until I saw you. How have you been?”

“I’ve been pretty good. Just trying to readjust. It’s a lot different here.”

Miguel raised his eyebrow, “From China or from up north?”

“Um, from up north. It’s a lot slower.”

“Really?” Miguel watched as she picked at the mountain of bracelets on her arm. “Hopefully not too much slower. I want you to enjoy your time here.”

More people started to fill up the lab, dropping their backpacks and pecking on their phones. 

Miguel rolled his chair closer to Xina, “What happened up there? Is everything ok?”

Her eyes shifted nervously, voice tight, “Lyla didn’t already tell you?”

“She can say a lot of things, but I’d rather hear it from you.”

Her shoulders dropped and whatever thoughts that were clouding her mind disappeared. 

“I’ll-” the professor heads to the front of the class. “I’ll tell you one day.”

Miguel nods, dropping the subject. 

GymRat!Miguel who is really excited about the future of the class after the first initial day. 

The professor seemed to have a lot of knowledge involving the industry, and even if Miguel couldn’t see himself really tapping into the industry, he enjoyed the banter. 

“Class seems like it’s going to be fun,” Xina says as she walks next to him, bag patting against her hip. 

“That’s a sentence I’ve heard no one ever say.” 

“Oh, shut up,” Xina pushes his shoulder and Miguel fakes being knocked over. “This is coming from the man who got excited about encyclopedias being available for checkout.”

“There was good stuff in there! Not my fault that others didn’t catch on.”

GymRat!Miguel who chats with Xina like old times. 

She looked different, but the core of her was still there. Still the sweet, reserved girl that he remembers. 

“Ah,” Xina looks down at her phone. “I gotta go. Me and my roommates are having a house meeting.”

“You got a quad suite?”

“An apartment! You should come over sometime. We’re going to have a little housewarming party soon.”

“Cool, I’ll be there. See you Thursday?”

Xina grinned wide, hands folding together in front of her, “See you Thursday.”

GymRat!Miguel whose time with you during the day was limited to lunch time. Your studios were stacked along with some general ed classes and he hated it. 

“Miguel, stop pouting, I’m here now!”

“That’s until you have to go mix your paints with others and cut floorboards.”

“I’m not mixing paint with others,” you reach to wipe some salad dressing off of his lip. “I’m mixing paints with other paints. And mineral spirits. And turpenoid.”

Miguel slumped down his chair, petulant. 

“Why can’t I just sit next to you and encourage you?” Call you pretty, stare at you, hold you. 

“Because it’s a college course just like any other class. I just can’t just walk into your labs unannounced.”

“If it were one of my lectures, you probably could.”

You left out a soft breath through your nose, “True. Too bad my classes are three hours long, babe.”

Miguel groaned, “I should have switched my bio class to yours.”

“So you and I both could be distracted all day? Not a chance.”

“No,” Miguel held out the vowel. “I wouldn’t get distracted, I swear! We’d sit at the front of the class to ensure it.”

“And somehow, you’d still find a way to distract yourself.”

Miguel puffed and folded his arms.

“How so?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” you shake your cup, seeing if you had any drink left. “Writing me messages on your notes app, spamming emojis, sending naughty pictures in the middle of class.”

“That was one time.”

“One time that my professor almost saw the hairs leading to your-”

“So what you're saying is, you don’t want my chest in your phone?”

“No! I never said that!” 

Miguel smirks and you fall back into your chair with your heart pounding. 

“You’re so mean, I’m going to class early.”

“Baby, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

Miguel held your hand to stop you from leaving the table, pulling you to his side. 

“Let go, I’m going to class.”

“Let me walk you there at least?”

Miguel wrapped his arms around you and moved his head wherever your gaze went. 

“Fine, hurry up.”

GymRat!Miguel who finished his lunch in two bites and reached for your portfolio. 

GymRat!Miguel whose heart swelled as you swung his hand on the walk to class. 

“I think we can still make more time for just us. There’s the weekends, your birthday, fall break, winter break, our anniversary,” you sang as you looked up at him. 

“You excited?”

“To spend time with you? Always.”

Miguel felt his cheeks warm at the simple statement. 

“Are you?”

“If I’m not excited to be with you, you’ll know I’m being kidnapped.”

“Stop,” you giggle. 

“It’s true!”

GymRat!Miguel who lingers in the art building while you wait for class to start. 

“Is there anything in particular that you wanted to do for our anniversary?”

You fan your eyes up, “Hm. I’m not picky. As long as it’s close to school. We can save the bigger trips for the future or holidays.”

So no sporadic trips across the country. He can check that off his list. 

“Your face is telling me that you were thinking of something else.”

“No…”

GymRat!Miguel who after two weeks of class could definitely say that his elective was taking more brain power than his science classes combined. 

It was fun, but god, he didn’t understand the point of his professor insisting that they learn C#. 

“This is so stupid,” Miguel grumbled after the third failed attempt to get his program to run. “I think I’m in hell.”

“With me here? No way,” Xina snickered beside him. 

“Yeah, you’re right. Still doesn’t change the fact that this is a program that is completely useless to not only me but the rest of this course.”

“It literally can’t be that bad”

“Look!”

Miguel showed Xina his code and the lack of progress that it seems like he made. 

“That’s ‘cause your lines are wrong, silly.”

She leaned over him, tapping at his computer. Miguel noticed that her tattoo was on display today despite the cool chills coming in as fall approached. 

“There. That should fix it.”

Miguel ran his program again and was filled with relief when it actually did what it was supposed to do. 

“You’re a lifesaver.” 

“Anytime,” she beamed and fanned absentmindedly. “I’m always here to help. I definitely need your guidance for quantum physics.”

“What do you need that class for?”

“My advisor suggested it, but I’m starting to regret it and I can’t afford to drop it.”

“Tell you what, you help me with coding and I’ll help you with physics. Fair trade?”

“Plenty equal to me.”

GymRat!Miguel who smells Xina’s perfume as she helps him for the third time that class. 

It’s sweet and earthy. It reminds him of the time you fed him ice cream on a campus bench not too long ago. 

“What is that? It smells good.”

“Really?” Xina looks over to Miguel with a smile. She leans back and twirls the black strands of her hair. “You like it?”

“Yeah, it’s nice.”

“Thank you.”

GymRat!Miguel who gets invited to Xina’s apartment-warming party. 

“It’s pretty small, and I’ve only made a few friends here so far, but I would love for you to come.”

“For sure, for sure. Should I bring something?”

“No, just you and your body will suffice.”

GymRat!Miguel who laughs with Xina as they exit the class. 

“I’m just saying that if you have time to make merch for your games immediately after the first patch of it does numbers, then you have enough time to improve it and make other parts faster.”

“Game developers have families to feed, ya know?” Xina states. “They can’t just sit at a screen all day, they need quick money like the rest of us.”

“So you sell plushies instead? Whatever happened to ‘hi, hello’ or ‘this is how progress is going this month.’”

“Miguel!”

He turned to where he heard his name, that voice like music to his ears. 

“Bebé!”

GymRat!Miguel who runs to you and spins you around like he hasn’t seen you in years. You squeal into his neck, excited because he’s so excited. 

He puts you down and stands in shock, checking his watch, “I thought you had studio right now?”

“Critique ended super early, so I wanted to surprise you!”

“So the rest of your day is free?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

Miguel would punch the air with glee if he wasn’t in public. 

GymRat!Miguel who turns when you peek your head past him to see Xina standing with a small smile on her face. 

He slots his hand into yours and pulls you over. 

“Xina, meet my girlfriend. Bebé, meet Xina.”

You reach your right hand out, introducing yourself. Xina takes your hand with a grip like a blood pressure machine and a quick introduction. 

When you take your hand back, your eyes do a double take between the two, Miguel oblivious to what just took place. 

You clear your throat, “Do you guys take the same class?”

“Yep, we-”

“We go way, way back,” Xina grins. “Like trading silly bandz and Pokemon cards back.”

“Oh shit, really? So you saw Miguel in his baby days. What was he like?”

“Please don’t say anything embarrassing,” Miguel groans out. 

“Yeah, tell me something good. Something juicy.”

“Hm,” Xina tapped her chin. 

Miguel shook his head behind you, hands clasping together in a pleading motion. 

“Miguel had a crush on me.”

That’s not what he expected Xina to say and from the raised eyebrows on your face, neither did you.

“That’s,” you rock on your feet and adjust your backpack, “definitely something.”

“Yeah! He was so cute running around handing me flowers with the roots still attached. I was too busy trying to be the best ballerina around, though. Right, Hare-Hare?”

“Right,” Miguel looked to the door. “Uh, we’ll see you around Xina.”

“Yeah, see you soon,” her fingers twinkled, chains on her nails dangling. 

GymRat!Miguel who kept waiting for you to say something as you both walked to his car. 

He was excited to eat dinner with you for once, but your silence was scaring him. 

“What’s wrong?” He breaks, sick of his aimless thoughts. 

“I don’t know, Hare-Hare, you tell me.”

“Amor, don’t be upset. It was such a long time ago.”

“That’s fine, I don’t care about that. Why would she bring it up in the first place? I don’t even know her like that.”

“I think she was just nervous, she’s not usually like that.”

“Compared to…?”

“Compared to the kind person I know her to be. Look,” Miguel reached for your hand, voice steady. “I’m sure she’ll open up to you as I’m sure you will to her, ok?”

You blew out a deep breath, “Ok.”

“Trust me?”

“I trust you.”

“Good,” he pecked your lips. “Now let’s go get pizza. I’m starving.”

GymRat!Miguel who still brought a gift to the apartment warming. It felt rude to not show up with something. 

You had recommended a candle, so Miguel went and got something that smelled similar to Xina’s perfume plus a candle warmer in the shape of a flower. 

He knocked on the door, a gift bag in his hand.

After a few seconds, it swung open with a guy who he didn’t have to bend down to look at. 

“Woah,” he said. “You’re huge.”

“Uh, thanks? Is Xina here?”

The guy was brushed to the side to reveal a frazzled Xina. 

“H-hey, Miguel! You came!” Xina clung to him, fingers clammy and breath burning through his shirt. 

“Yeah, of course. Was this the wrong day?”

“No! No, no. You’re right, come on in.”

GymRat!Miguel who felt that the apartment was really nice and Xina’s roommates were a rambunctious bunch. 

Although, he expected the event to be a bit more relaxed. There were people crowded together in the living room, some screaming at a game on the TV, some making their mark on the couch, others dancing out on the balcony. 

Miguel was anxious to say the least. 

GymRat!Miguel who was pulled into Xina’s bedroom, the stench of that sticky, sweet perfume filling his nostrils. 

“Sorry about that, I didn’t know it would get this wild.”

“It’s fine,” Miguel shuffles the bag into her hands. “I just wanted to give you this, then I’ll be on my way.”

“Aw, so soon?”

“Yeah, I’ve got some stuff to catch up on.”

He wanted to get out of here. 

His eyes panned around her room, the style of it matching more to her past self. White lace, lilac and soft pink bows, tiny bunny and hamster families sitting on a shelf above her desk. 

A poster from a franchise that she swore she hated but he loved. Funny. 

Xina dug into the bag pulling out the candle warmer, “Miguel, this is so cu-ute! It’ll be perfect on my desk.”

“I thought you would like it.”

“You do know me very well,” she pulls out the candle and holds it to her nose for cartoonishly amount of time. “This smells fucking amazing. It’s like, like the inside of an ice cream bucket. But in a jar.”

“Xina,” Miguel sits the candle down before she moves the wicks up her nose. “Are you high?”

“Only a little…un poco,” she holds her fingers in a pinch. 

He pushed her hand away from his face. 

“They’re not making you take anything, right?” He pointed back to the door. 

“No, I wanted it to. It’s nice. You should try it sometime. Relax a little.”

Miguel watched Xina’s eyes for a moment, searching for anything, something about how she really felt. For the moment, they were only cloudy and unphased. Miguel supposes that he should be like that too. 

“Maybe another time. I think I’m gonna go.”

“If you must,” she pouted and hung on to his shoulder until they reached the door. 

GymRat!Miguel who finally breathed easier once he was in his car. 

He wondered what to get a person to help them come down from a high easier. 

GymRat!Miguel who didn’t care what Lyla had to say, the arcade was a great idea for the 1st Anniversary date. 

He had it all planned out: pick you up at your dorm door, drive you out, about an hour to the closest city, spend the rest of the night exploring the city, come back to the hotel, breakfast in bed, an afternoon at an art class because you wanted to see him paint, an evening at the arcade, and a night to complete out his Mission B: Virgin No More. 

It was perfect. Immaculate. Sublime. 

GymRat!Miguel who took the term passenger princess more seriously than he needed to. 

“You sure you don’t want me to drive?”

“Nope. Just sit there and look pretty.”

“I might fall asleep.”

“You’ll still be pretty either way.”

GymRat!Miguel who has the most fun going to random stores with you. Sure, there were some boutiques where the owners looked at you both like extra heads were sticking out of your necks, but there were also stores that were cozy and warm. 

You both stayed in the nooks and crannies of stores looking at trinkets, jewelry, books, anything. 

“Miguel, look!” you hold up the tiniest pair of baby shoes he’s ever seen. “How precious is that?”

“Put those down, I don’t need any new ideas.”

“You had old ones?”

GymRat!Miguel who buys a giant puzzle for you both to complete together. It’s a watercolor painting of the night sky and the bright day blending together. 

It was the two of you together in one piece, he had to get it. 

GymRat!Miguel who is giddy that you bought a set of matching silk pajamas for you both to wear. 

He knew you were definitely going to get hot in them, but what are hotels for if not turning up the A/C and cuddling together under the thick, starchy comforters? 

GymRat!Miguel who keeps staring at you through the mirror as you brush your teeth. There’s a fluffy headband keeping your hair out of your face, and you’re only wearing the top of your pajama set. 

He’s no better, only rocking the pants. 

“What?” you say with foamy toothpaste flooding your mouth. 

“Nothing. You’re cute.”

You spit out the toothpaste, “You’re cute!”

GymRat!Miguel who holds you close as you take a bunch of mirror selfies before you both head to sleep. 

GynRat!Miguel who knew this day was starting off right when you came out of the bathroom with your stomach showing. The shirt is like a blessing, mesmerizing in multiple areas, hugging your skin tight but loose enough for him to stick his hands under it. 

“Amor, I don’t know if you know this, but,” Miguel pulls you in between his legs. “We’re supposed to actually make it out of the hotel room today.”

“And we will,” your eyes sparkled. “So until we get back, be good.”

Miguel groaned and peppered searing kisses across your skin, hands hot on the pocket of skin he could see, squeezing and gripping. 

“Do I get a reward?”

You lean and whisper in his ear, breath tickling his skin, “A really, really hot one.”

Miguel's eyes are opened wider when you stand back, neck burning. 

“You’re killing me.”

GymRat!Miguel who really sucks at painting. 

“I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong.”

“Well, to start off, your brush isn’t even clean.”

You guide his hand to his water cup with a giggle, “None of your colors are going to show up if you keep dipping them willy-nilly.”

“Ok, but how come your hearts are so much better than mine? We both followed the teacher.”

Your eyes looked from your uniformed artwork, colors tangling together intricately and shapes flowy to Miguel’s canvas that had dripping paint, a bad mix of oversaturation, and wobbly shapes. 

“You know, I’m not completely sure how you managed that, babe. What matters is that you did it with love,” you say noticing both of your initials in one of the best hearts on the page. 

“Maybe you’ll be better at pottery? Mosaic?”

“I think you just enjoy laughing at my expense.”

GymRat!Miguel who rolled the sleeves of his sweater up when it was time to play arcade games. 

He had to look good, show off, and earn prizes. 

You watched with heavy eyes as he geared up to play the boxing game. 

He made the boyfriend outfit look even more yummy, with his button-down peeking from under his blue sweater to match your outfit and his big jeans hugging his waist. 

With a heavy swing, the machine seemed like it lifted off the ground with the force he gave it. His face was so serious as he waited for the score and you were inching closer to insanity. 

The machine faltered, red dashes dancing across the screen. 

“Did you break it?”

“Uh. I hope not.”

After what felt like a moment in which you both probably should have run away or called a worker, the machine blinks back to life. 

“No way.”

A max score of 999 stared back at you both and the card machine lit up with rainbow colors. 

You held his hand in yours, looking at his knuckles for any bruises or blemishes. When you stared up at Miguel incredulously, he had a goofy smile on his face. 

GymRat!Miguel who may have been more competitive than he needed to be. 

You yelled as his score kept inching away from yours on the basketball arcade game. 

“You’re, like, as tall as the machine! You’re cheating!”

“It has nothing to do with height, chiquita.”

You groan out a sound of frustration as you miss your shots, messing up your streak. 

The timer goes out, Miguel winning by a landslide. 

You push your head back as Miguel celebrates. 

GymRat!Miguel who keeps this song-and-dance up for the rest of the night. Sometimes you would win, sometimes he would win. 

His final strike was when you both were in one of those FPS games that required you both to be crammed inside of a dark box. 

“Miguel, stop taking my fucking shots!”

“Oo, she’s getting feisty with me now.”

You thought quickly and leaned over. With an eye on the screen and the intention to rile him up, you moan his name right in his ear, breath needy and warm. You lick at his jaw to seal the deal and turn back. 

Like paper, Miguel folds, and his aim becomes absolutely terrible. 

“W-why would you do that?”

You couldn’t bring yourself to feel that bad as “Player 1: Bunny WINS” and “Player 2: Bear LOSES” jumped across the screen. 

You kiss Miguel on his cheek as he readjusts his pants with a frown on his face. 

GymRat!Miguel who could hear his heartbeat in his ears on the elevator ride back up to the room. 

You were holding onto the giant plushie he gave blood, sweat, and tears to earn, saying that it reminded you of him. 

Miguel, on the other hand, was digging his nails into his palm and opening the collar of his sweater sporadically. 

“You alright?” you say, placing a hand on his elbow.

“I might pass out.”

“Miguel,” you hold him close as you both walk to the door. “You gotta calm down.”

“I am! I’m just nervous.”

“You’re shaking.”

Miguel’s hands tremored as he ran the key card over the censor.

GymRat!Miguel who let you hold his hands as you kissed over his wrists. 

He was so dear to you. His presence, like a beautiful spark.

“You’re so sweet.” A kiss to his palm. “The sweetest there is. I adore you.”

Miguel took a shuddered breath as he watched you, heart rushing to his ears.

GymRat!Miguel who is more calm when you both start to remove your clothes. It wasn’t steamy and desperate like he imagined. It was slow, intimate, and quiet. 

It was like seeing you all over again for the first time when he helped you take off your shirt. It was like stepping into new territory when you held his jeans so he could step out of them. You both took turns taking off an article of clothing, savoring the moment. 

Miguel fumbled a bit when he was met with you the clasps of your bra, fingers knocking against each other.

When the time comes, after what was an hour or so of touching, feeling, and existing within each other, your hands fumble with the condom.

Miguel feels out of his body as you slide it down with care, hands moving as if you were molding clay. 

It wasn’t until he was on top of you that he felt that this was really happening. The foreplay between you a spot of comfort and habit.

After so long, he finally slid in deep, the pit of his stomach quivering. You were so unbearably tight.

“Y-you ok?” Miguel squeezed onto your hand, watching your eyebrows knit together. 

“Yeah, it’s just,” you chuckle, breath almost gone from the feeling of him. “You’re really big.”

Miguel’s face shifted from worried to shocked. 

“Oh! Well, I guess that’s a good thing?”

“You don’t have to guess, I can feel it.”

Miguel twitched and jolted involuntarily, causing you to whimper, your words going straight south. 

“Miguel! Stop moving.”

“Sorry! You’re really tight right now and I’m trying to focus.” 

“God,” you sigh and let your head drop to your pillow. “Are we even doing this right?”

“No clue.”

Miguel kissed your collarbone as you wrapped your arms under his. He continued to kiss across your shoulders, lips light and airy. Up your neck to your jaw, he could feel you relax and breathe a little easier. 

He grazes his mouth to your cheeks, humming as you move them closer to his lips. He kisses your temple, your eyebrows, your forehead. At your nose, you start to giggle, Miguel’s kisses leaving flutters on your skin. 

Miguel joins in on your joy, grinning as you try to return the pecks. 

“Ok,” you whisper. “I think I’m ready. You can move now.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. I want you to make me feel good. I want you to feel good.”

Miguel looked at your eyes, waiting, wanting, open. He couldn’t help but to think how lucky he was to have a girl like you who was just so beautiful and lovely. 

His body is pressed against yours, the plush of your chest molding onto his. Your legs were wrapped around his thighs and your fingers danced across his back. 

He takes a hand to hold the side of your face while the other one is pressing you even closer to him. He moves out as best as he can, the warmth of you an addicting feeling, and slides back in slowly, a shallow thrust to start off. 

Your breath was hot against his mouth as you shuddered. Miguel groaned, feeling the heat of you through the thin condom. 

He moved again, watching as your face twisted and turned. Your hands are pressed against his back, palms applying pressure until the feeling stretches to your fingertips. The pricks of your nails dig softly into Miguel’s skin, muscles moving as he tucks your hair away from your face. 

By the third thrust, Miguel is moaning out, overwhelmed with you everywhere. When he breathes, you breathe. When he tightens his hand on your back, you tighten yours. When the feeling of you becomes too much to bear, you’re right there with him, eyes heavy and wet. 

Everything was heightened, from the sound of the bed squeaking as Miguel’s hips moved, to the little sounds you made when he inched in deeper. He’s scared he might shout in your face due to how good you feel so he presses against your lips, grunts coming out with each thrust. 

You take him with stride, hands balling up to fists as he gets deeper and deeper. 

His name from your lips is broken down from two syllables to four, enunciation clear enough for Miguel to know that he’s doing something right. 

“Don’t stop,” you plead, gaze reaching Miguel’s soul. “Please.”

“I won’t.” He would never leave if he had the choice. “Am I, shit, am I doing good? Do you feel alright?”

He shifts back to see your face and his heart speeds up watching you under him. Your arms fall to the bed and your mouth stutters open as Miguel continues. 

Your eyes drip as you let out staccato moans and Miguel leans down to kiss away your tears. 

“C’mon, bebé, let me know.”

You nod your head and cry out when Miguel goes even deeper. He hums against your mouth as a thank you. 

“Miggy, I,” you stop as you take a breath. 

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

A rush of heat from top to bottom filled Miguel’s core. The air left his lungs swiftly and came back in twice as fast. His back shook, nerves like a spring. All he could hear was your breaths, all he could smell was your warm skin, all he could taste was the lingering touch of your tongue, all could feel was the hot valley of you, all he could see was you.

He dies and comes back to life, sight piecing together that the stars and hearts were not part of you but they were just his muddled brain taking you in like the first day he met you. His throat burns like he swallowed hot coal. 

Your mouth is moving but he still can’t connect the words yet. He feels himself floating away. 

“Baby?” the way that your hands grip his body ground him. “Can you hear me?”

���Yes,” Miguel nods, eyes blinking fast. “What just happened.”

“I think you came?”

Miguel looked down, and sure enough, you were right. 

He doesn’t remember you getting any relief. 

“Can I-” he groans as you clamp down on him when tries to pull out. “Can we do that again?”

You nod your head, “Please.” 

GymRat!Miguel who, after a brand new condom and a clearer mind, realizes that he has a lot of work to do. 

He knew that you were his everything, but he couldn’t deny that he was a little embarrassed. You swore to him that it was ok, flattering even, but Miguel isn’t buying it. 

Your legs were bent at his sides as he lifted your hips off the mattress. He held them up as he stroked deep and focused on the sound of your breaths. 

“B-baby,” your voice is stunted as Miguel keeps a steady tempo. “Look at me”

Miguel groans into your neck, shuddering from the sound of your voice and your hands rubbing his sides. Your moans were high in your throat, breaking as Miguel’s hands pushed and pulled at your skin. 

“I can’t.”

“Why,” your words fizzle as Miguel hits a sweet spot. “Why not?”

“If I look at you, I’m gonna cum.”

Miguel goes faster as he feels you constrict against him. The bed creaks as the sound of him delving into you gets louder and louder. 

“Oh,” your nails scratch his back. Miguel matches your voice, desperate to please you. 

You open your mouth again, a three-letter phrase ghosting your tongue. 

“D-don’t,” Miguel’s hips freeze and unfreeze as he hears the first vowel leave your mouth.

“I wanna see you.”

Miguel shifts, eyes finding yours, and he knows he won’t make it. 

He tells you just as much and you pull him closer. 

“Te amo, mi luna.”

Miguel cries as he feels the air leaving him. He reaches down to touch you, your body jolting when his fingers graze your clit. 

You cum around him and he pushed through, waiting until you were shaking to let go. 

“You,” Miguel leans his forehead on yours. Both of you are shaking, blood pumping with adrenaline. “Play so unfair.”

“But you love me?”

He cuddles into your thumbs wiping at his eyes, “So much. I love you so, so much.”

You kiss him, feeling warm and satisfied, sighing as he melts on top of you. You run your fingers through his wild hair and scratch at his name. 

After a while, Miguel perks up, eyes sparkly and big like a little puppy. 

“A-again.”

“What?”

GymRat!Miguel who pulls you to the edge of the bed by your legs. You yelp at his strength and the icy pricks of the hotel A/C coating your overheating skin. 

Miguel slides back in with a practiced ease, the angle different, but not unfamiliar. 

He held your legs and hips from the bed, watching as your body moved from the faster momentum he produced. 

Your voice reaches the ceiling as your hands grip for anything. Seeing your reaction, Miguel grips your hips and your stomach, angling even deeper. It was fulfilling until your hands landed on your chest, stopping them from jerking so.

Miguel pulled your wrists together and down, watching as your arms framed your chest. He moans out your name, eyes stuck on the picture presented before him. 

How could anyone ever believe you were not beautiful? 

GymRat!Miguel who can’t help but to ask for one more round. In your disheveled state, you tell him it’s the last one. 

The sounds leaving your bodies were enough to make the bed blush. It was something so perfect about the whispers you mewled into each other's skin contrasting the wet sound of Miguel slapping into your wet entrance. 

Somehow you were nearly bent in half, knees almost next to your ears, as Miguel’s feet were planted on the bed. You didn’t even know your body could do that. 

At every smack of skin, Miguel was moaning your name louder and louder, mind completely gone. 

“I’m, ngh, gonna cum!” Your voice comes out at a volume that matches his. 

Miguel nods, encouraging you to release, kissing along your skin. 

You shout as he swerves his hips, melting your cour as he slides along your sweet spots. 

“So good,” Miguel says, balls twitching against you as crumbles to the bed. “So amazing. Mi luz, mi sol.”

The two of you catch your breath in the dim hotel lighting, jolting with aftershocks of your anniversary. 

GymRat!Miguel who held you on his chest as you slept, lips pressed against the top of your head. He checked his phone before going to sleep, wanting to set a timer for the morning. 

A Game Exchange’s Worst Nightmare

Miggy Mig MC: I did it

Winner-Winner: ???

Ly(ability)la: Only you would announce losing your virginity like that

Tempie: omg

You’re not a baby anymore 🥺

What am I gonna do

Winner-Winner: WAIT

LESGOOOO

Tempie: I never thought this day would come

Winner-Winner: you was tearing it up wasn’t you? 🤪

Ly(ability)la: you’re so annoying

Tempie: like I didn’t prepare fast enough

I

I WASNT READY

Winner-Winner: I hope you did that trick I taught you

It gets em every time

Guaranteed banger

Tempie: This actually ruined my night

Ly(ability)la: Temp is losing it and so is Wins

Congrats to you ig

Winner-Winner: I bet she’s KNOCKED OUUOOT

Ly(ability)la: is being normal like not in your cards or…

Tempie: I think I’m sick

Miggy Mig MC: .....

Gabri 🤏🏽🤡:

“I did it”

“No fucking way"

"NO FUCKING WAY"

"AND? AND SO?"

“It was just as good as you say. That’s all I’m saying.”

"I feel like I need to throw something on the grill"

“Not too much Gabri”

GymRat!Miguel who wrapped his arms around you as you fixed up something the next morning. 

“G’morning,” you say to a heavy Miguel leaning down on you. 

“Super good morning,” his hands reach to cup your left breast and your stomach under your robe. He left a long kiss on your shoulder. “Whatcha doing?”

“‘M getting your gift together.”

“Another one?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Well, let me step up my game.’

GymRat!Miguel who sits with you on the bed as you both trade gifts.

“Aw, Miguel! How am I supposed to eat these? You look so cute here,” you took a piece of candy in your hand and looked his face planted on it. 

“Like this,” Miguel takes your hand and guides the candy to his mouth. 

You smile watching him, body warm. 

GymRat!Miguel who watches your eyes glow when you see the dolphin charm with the date that you two took our first date. 

“Put it on me?”

Miguel slid the jewelry over your skin, watching as gold danced against your skin.

GymRat!Miguel who feels like crying when flipped through the scrapbook you made. Each section matched a song in the playlist you made for him. 

It was so thoroughly crafted and thought out that Miguel couldn’t stop the waterworks. 

“Why did I think that outfit was cool?” Miguel laughed wetly as he saw a picture of you both at a pumpkin patch.

“You look adorable,” you catch his tear on your thumb and hug his side.

GymRat!Miguel who drops you off at your dorm with kiss after kiss to your lips. 

Jess opens the door with a dramatic sigh, “The two of you are glowing. How cute.”

GymRat!Miguel who reaches back to his night with you every time he’s sick of the class he’s in. 

A little bit dangerous when it comes to his labs, but everything is reminding him of you. He can’t even look at his blanket without thinking about the way your shirt draped your body. 

Maybe he should make love to you with it next time.

GymRat!Miguel who is in a daze during his programming lab. 

“Earth to Miguel. Did you finish the mini code?”

“Uh, yeah,” Miguel replied to Xina. 

“Good, because I need you to check this equation really quick. I need to turn it in later this week.”

Miguel leaned over to Xina’s laptop, arm reaching across her. 

“So,” she slides her nails up his arm. “What do you think?”

“It’s fine. This part is very wrong, though.”

She squeezes at his muscle, chest pressing on him.

“Are you cold or something?”

“No, why do you ask?”

“Because,” Miguel slides her laptop in front of him. “You’re really touchy today.”

“Miguel, I’m always touchy.”

She puts an arm on the back of her rolling chair and leans on her wrist. 

“True.”

“Is there a problem with friendly touches?”

“No, Xina. I’m not like that.”

“Ok,” she holds her hands up in defense. “I’m just trying to understand.”

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“That,” Miguel says turning to her, “Being weird. Overstepping.”

Xina folds her arms and nods her head, “I got it.”

GymRat!Miguel whose time with you dwindles within the next couple of weeks. If it’s not studying, it’s the robotics team. If it’s not the robotics team, it’s his class schedule never matching yours. If it’s not your studios, it’s his study sessions with Xina. 

Currently, she was sitting beside him on the first floor of the library, head on his shoulder as she sighed over a new formula. 

“This is so gross,” she said, wiping away eraser shavings.

“Did you even try?”

“Like, once. That was enough.”

GymRat!Miguel who gets your text and looks up to where he knew you’d come from. He felt like he could feel you close, but the entrance was so far away he couldn’t see. 

He got up for a second, turning and standing tall to catch a glimpse. 

“I know you’re not about to give up this. You said it was easy! That’s not the Miguel I know,” Xina grabbed his wrist, hands unbearably hot. 

His phone buzzed again. You said you were going back to your studio. 

He sighed and sat back down, mind foggy.

divider by: @thecutestgrotto + @adornedwithlight 🩵

a/n: Y'all know that gif with the smoking duck? I feel like that but I would replace the cigarette with an Icee or something.

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[muffinsin]

LISTEN, sisters dimi with s/o having a pet spider (in case it would be like a part 2) the spider finds one of the many hidden passages that has in the castle and one of these in particular leads to the sisters' room and the spider ends up climbing on their face and they are extremely nervous about it, in my head it was very funny. - anon miranha 🕸️🕷️. curiosity, miranha comes from the spider man, only that in Brazil has a meme of it and we call him miranha because of this meme and it’s pretty cool, as if someone asked you if you watched the movie of the miranha that came out and the other person will know (possibly) that he is talking about Spiderman

Haha awhh, poor bug babies and Donna XD!🙌🕷️ turning this to meme reactions👀 Oh? That’s really cool, hon! :) we love the insider memes👀

Let’s get into it :)

Masterlists

Bela

She awakens to a light, almost ticklish feeling

Momentarily, she thinks it might even be your fingertips tracing her face

When she reaches up and feels something small, almost hairy, though, she knows better

Instinctively, she flings the spider off of her, screaming and kicking away all blankets and pillows to ensure the thing can’t return under them

She desperately wipes her hand on the covers, panting, gagging

She can’t believe a spider was on her face!

Having nearly a full blown panic attack, and not knowing where the animal is due to flinging it away, she’s left with only a few options

Releasing a banshee-like scream, it thankfully doesn’t take long for Alcina to enter the room, visibly tired, but with her claws drawn

Clearly ready to slice whoever managed to intrude her daughter’s room and scare her into ribbons

What she doesn’t expect is to see Bela sat on the farthest corner of the bed, looking around anxiously with silent tears running down her cheeks

She attempts to move closer, and Bela quickly shoots out her hand

“Mama, spider!”

The following day, of course, she confronts you

Yet, she cares not for your comforting words or apologies

Instead, she gives you an ultimatum

To keep the thing locked tight or she will kill it

Or rather have Alcina or a maid kill it, really

She’s entirely serious about this, her arms crossed angrily. She never wants something like that to happen again and is in a good mood to kill the nuisance herself

Alas, she knows you like the animal, for a reason she cannot possibly imagine

You promise, you will get a new terrarium and ensure your pet will never simply roam around free

Satisfied, she at last allows you to comfort you, albeit with a small glare pointed at you

Cassandra

Generally speaking, Cassandra is quite the heavy sleeper

Of course, any physical attack is enough to wake her, physical touch, even

Aside from this, though, she can sleep through pretty much everything

Still, she stirs when she feels something move on her

Not yet fully awake, she battles with sleep as she feels the strange, light feeling move up her body

Sleepily, she tries to swat it away, and momentarily she thinks it has worked

Then, the light feeling returns, almost ticklish against her chest

She opens her eyes eventually, finding your beloved pet spider climbing up her throat and chin

Immediately- despite her fear of spiders- she grabs the thing and flings it against the wall

She turns on the light immediately, summoning her sickle

Beloved pet or not, the stupid creature is dying, she thinks

How dare you let it roam free after she’s already done you the favor of allowing you to keep the thing?!

She’s furious!

Swarming out of her room quickly, she wakes you instantly, and none too gently

You gasp as you’re shaken awake, a sickle immediately pressed to your neck

She’s practically trembling with anger and frustration and- unusual for her- fear and disgust

That thing was on top of her! She almost pukes at the thought, feels ill

You’re about to talk when she presses the sickle harder against you

You know, she loves you, you’re safe. But you also know something massively riled your girlfriend up, and not in the good way

Eventually, she speaks, angrily, her teeth nearly grinding together in anger

“Get your pet under control or I will dispose of it, and you!”

Immediately understanding what must have happened, you jump up and spend the rest of the night finding your pet spider and convincing her not to kill it, and, as she suggests, to prevent her from maiming the poor thing

She’s still furious, incredibly so, makes you check every single evening that the thing is where it’s supposed to be, has even hired a maid to specifically wake you up three times a night just to ensure the spider has not left

It seems, your sleep schedule is to suffer in order to keep your beloved pet alive. Cassandra will not have a slip up again

Daniela

She sleeps so comfortably, so happily

Not a care in the world

Still, she stirs when she feels light movement on her

She whines, thinking it must be one of Cassandra’s flies, another time the woman comes to annoy her, quite possibly as payback for the last time Daniela was a little troublemaker

Alas, there is no buzzing…

Groaning, she opens her eyes at last, seeing first only darkness, then…

She screams, swarms automatically

She cries out as she finds your stupid pet snatched two of her flies as she did this

Seeing the monster on her pillow, Daniela can only think of one thing: to flee

She swarms fast, crying, panting, trying hard not to throw up as she feels your stupid spider draining her poor flies and devouring their insides

Bela shrieks when she feels someone jump into her bed, confusion written across her face as she finds her sister, crying and shaking, curling up under her blanket and hiding against her stomach

She’s ready to kill you, certain that it must have something to do with you, but shivers instead when a single word is uttered by the younger woman: “spider”

In the morning, you’re given trouble

Finding Daniela with dried tears on her cheeks and two very angry looking older sisters behind her, as well as a maid with your pet spider held securely under a glass

It’s handed to you, and all three sisters shiver in disgust as you hold the animal and allow it back into its terrarium

“Destroy it, or keep it locked up!”, Cassandra snarls the moment you lock the animal up

Daniela refuses to talk, only stares in disgust, knowing parts of her are in the small animal’s belly. Your love for the spider is about the only thing keeping it safe

Alas, secretly, all three of them hope the animal won’t make the winter

Donna

Being a light sleeper and having countless dolls to watch out for her, it’s no surprise she awakens the moment she feels something move up her body and graze her arm lightly

Something…almost ticklish

She awakens immediately, turns on the light and glances around

No one there, nothing

Then, another ticklish sensation

She shudders and quickly swipes her hand across her neck, unintentionally slinging the spider there onto the bed

She notices it’s yours immediately

Being a doctor, seamstress, scientist and gardener, Donna has no fear of spiders

Despite this, she isn’t a fan of having one right by her face

She picks the small animal up gently, commanding dolls and such to turn the lights on for her

As she enters your room, she gently places the spider back in the tank, then turns to you and attempts to wake you as gentle as possible

Alas, she is rather ghostly, so that you gasp and nearly shriek in surprise upon seeing her in the middle of the night

She draws back, holding back a giggle at your reaction

When you realise all is fine, you drown in confusion. Donna isn’t known to sleepwalk, nor does she casually stroll into your room for no reason in the middle of the night

She clarifies soon enough, though, asking you to please keep your spider contained to your room only

Shyly, you promise her it won’t happen again

[astrophileous]

currently i just keep thinking of derek talking to little bug while bug is still pregnant and bug thinking it's hilarious but also adorable

OMFG yesss hear me out, I personally think derek persuades bug to move in with him as soon as she comes out of the hospital because her place is trashed during the investigation of her kidnapping (at least that was the excuse derek gave, even tho everyone knows he just wants her around 24/7) and since THAT FIRST NIGHT he's been doing this

Love Bugs Masterlist / Criminal Minds Masterlist

You awoke to the sound of gentle whispers against your stomach.

This wasn't the first time that it had happened. You had been waking up in the middle of the night to Derek murmuring things to your belly. The first time it occurred, you kept your eyes shut throughout the whole thing, discreetly listening to the conversation Derek was having with the baby. At first, you thought the whole ordeal was a one-time occurrence, until it had happened again the next night, and the next night, and the next night after that.

This time, it was no different.

"Hey, Little Bug," Derek said softly. "Just checking in. How ya doin'?"

You clenched your jaw to keep the laughter at bay.

Waves of cool air from the AC flowed against the skin of your abdomen, courtesy of Derek rolling your night shirt up to expose the bump that had grown even bigger in the last couple of weeks. You could feel his large hands cupping your belly, seemingly trying to coax a movement from the baby despite Spencer previously telling him that he wouldn't feel anything for at least another month.

"I'm just making sure you're doing okay in there," Derek continued. "Now, I know you've been through a lot for such a small bug, and I know it wasn't easy what you've gone through. But I just wanna say how proud I am that you held your ground through it all."

Your heart stirred at Derek's statement.

"Stay strong and healthy in there, Little Bug. Just gotta hang on there for a few more months and you'll be out in the world. Once you're here, I promise, you won't need to fight for anything else 'cause I'll do that for you. There's a whole lotta people here who can't wait to meet you. Me and your Mama, we can't wait to meet you. So you hang on tight, alright?"

Derek peppered dozens of tiny kisses on your belly. The scracthy sensation of his stubble made your abdomen constrict involuntarily.

"You know," Derek's voice suddenly erupted, "it's rude to eavesdrop in a private conversation."

You opened your eyes to see Derek staring mischievously right at you.

"As long as this baby is still inside of me, privacy is sadly a privilege you can't have, Derek."

Your reply earned an impish grin from him.

"You hear that, Little Bug? That's your Mama for you. A very sneaky--"

"Hey!"

"--impatient--"

"You know I can hear you, right?"

"--and hot-headed woman. But God, if she isn't the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen."

A stealthy smile slipped onto your lips. "You're trying to sweet talk me, Derek?"

"I'm tryna teach our child to appreciate their Mama's beauty." Derek grinned.

Unable to resist the flutters in your stomach anymore, you pulled Derek closer with the collar of his T-shirt before connecting your lips in a deep kiss. His hand creeped up your waist with a touch that burned your body to its core. When the two of you finally pulled apart for air, the fire you saw inside Derek's eyes was unmistakable.

"Hey, Little Bug," Derek said, bending himself down so he was leveled with your belly once more. "I'll get back to you in a sec, yeah? Me and your Mama got some important business to attend to."

[estrellami-1]

If I Should Stay

Part 1 | . . . | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

After pizza—and after El wakes up and eats her own pizza—everyone gathers around again to listen to Steve and Robin. “So I think by now we’ve proven we’re from the future,” Steve says. “We’re here, four years in the past, because a lot of bad things happen, and if we can, we’d like to stop those things from happening. The big one, and really the recurring problem, is a guy named Henry Creel who essentially took control of an alternate plane of existence we call the Upside Down.” He motions El over beside him, and she goes gladly, tucking her feet up onto the couch as she leans into his side, trusting him to hold her up. He does, sliding a protective arm around her shoulders as he says, “He’s also One.”

He watches as one by one the lightbulbs come on. “Oh, shit,” Dustin whispers, and Steve doesn’t even call him on it, just nods.

“Beyond Henry, though, there are creatures in the Upside Down that can and will kill you.” He rolls his eyes fondly at the boys. “For some inexplicable reason, you came up the names, so they’re called demogorgons, demodogs, and demobats. Demogorgons are what took Barb and Will, but they both got away. That doesn’t mean they’re safe, though. Like El said earlier, Barb was safe in the moment, but it’s still a very dangerous place. There are vines everywhere that are connected to a hive mind. You step on one, and Henry knows you’re there.”

He continues telling the story, Robin interrupting when there’s a detail he misses. It’s silent when they finish. Finally, El speaks up. “So, it is… my fault?”

“No, El,” Steve says softly. “None of this is your fault. Things out of your control happened that made you who you are. Those same things created all of this.”

El frowns. “So I am bad? Like One? Like the Upside Down?”

“No,” Mike says sharply. “You’re good, El.”

“He’s right,” Steve murmurs. “You made yourself good.” He pokes her arm teasingly, and she smiles, leaning back into him.

Steve looks around, catches Nancy’s eye, and sighs. “Nance? A word?”

“Steve?” Robin asks.

He shakes his head. “I’ll yell if I need you,” he promises, rubbing her head as he passes. She squawks and bats his hand away.

“Asshole,” she mutters, and he laughs as he disappears down the hallway, Nancy in tow.

They end up in a room Steve thinks was meant to be a study. “You have questions.”

“Understatement of the century. There’s just one that’s really bugging me, though.”

“Us?”

“Yeah.”

Steve sighs and leans against the wall. “On Halloween, Tina throws a party. We didn’t know what we do now, about the Upside Down, and you were still looking for her. I was an asshole, self-centered and unhelpful.” He blows out a breath, crosses his arms, and looks away. “You got drunk, called me, and my love for you, bullshit. Left. I tried to talk to you the next day at school about it and you couldn’t say you loved me. I was still hopeful. I’m a romantic at heart, y’know? I thought maybe if I could be everything you needed, if I changed enough, if, if, if…” he shakes his head. “So we stayed together. I tried. You slept with Jonathan Byers, then broke up with me.”

Nancy looks horrified. “Steve-”

He shakes his head. “I made my peace with it. And maybe this makes me an asshole, I dunno, but Nance, I can’t go back. We’re okay, we’re friends, but I can’t pretend I still have feelings for you. I’m sorry, but we both know I was just convenient for you.”

Nancy takes a breath. “So that’s it?”

Steve shrugs helplessly. “I don’t know what you want me to do. I tried and got my heart broken for it. I moved on, found someone I think I can really be happy with, without changing who I am. And for the record? It gets rocky for a second, but I think you and Byers are it, too.” He smirks. “Plus Mike likes him better than me.”

Nancy rolls her eyes. “Oh, well, if Mike likes him better…” they both laugh, and she looks at him. “No more feelings?”

He shakes his head. “We make much better friends.”

Nancy grins lopsidedly. “And Robin?”

Steve snorts. “Purely platonic, I promise. Neither of us want anything else with each other.”

Nancy looks at him then. Studies him. “You’ve been through some shit,” she decides. “But you look happy.”

He smiles. “I am, for the most part. I know who I am.”

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Fic Taglist: @blondlanfear @do-you-want-something-more @str4wb3rry-guy

[literalite]

mistki's the land is inhospitable and so are we (2023)!! as edits featuring mine and some of my friends ocs 😁 had a lot of fun with this project... rough explainer of how/why each song corresponds to each character/s under the cut because i love symbolism and talking! sorry it is long

bug like an angel - sapphire

without spoiling too much of her story and arc... sapphire's life is not easy. she's hurt by people she cares for and who care for her, although inadvertently, and in turn hurts people who she cares for and who cared for her, also not by her own volition. it's kind of a terrible truth that you will harm and be harmed by the people you love, even when you and they truly don't want to. it's up to you how much you're willing to take and deal. you can't keep every promise you make and you can't right every wrong. but you have to keep trying anyway. that's sapphire's strength, and the core of her goodness and why i personally consider her one of my favourite ocs. i chose to depict bug like an angel in mitski's more positive interpretation here and in that light i think it works best for saph

buffalo replaced - heiya

well first and foremost the vibes of the song fits heiya perfectly fhgjk but also lyricism and tone... yep. quick breakdown of heiya's background since i doubt i'll ever be able to do it properly she's an interesting character for me because she like a lot of my other characters has lost. everything. she had a wife and a child and they were both killed and she had to leave her home again and again and unlike how some of my others would have taken this she has never flagged in her unwavering dedication to preserving hope. for herself for her people for the future etc etc. which is a very fucking difficult thing to do! the world changes faster than you can keep up with it sometimes but for heiya she will not let herself tire and be swept away in it all. people rely on her. she's a guiding star as much as she is a woman. she's a lover and a fighter and thats what buffalo replaced means to me! so

heaven - vinny and caleb

i feel like of all my oc couples so far they have like. the sweetest most kind of simply mutually trusting dare i say straight forward love. they just love each other so much and thats all. the world could end around them when theyre together and it'd be okay truly. also yeah vinny is ostensibly in heaven now bye angel i feel like this one was pretty self explanatory. me and who WHEN

i don't like my mind - sunny

he just like me fr (said in denji voice) anyways wow ha. unstoppable unending guilt due to past actions that haunt your every waking moment? throwing yourself into any and all distraction just to take your mind off it, filling your time with other shit so that past sin doesnt for once echo in your awful and hollow brain? this song is perfect for sunny honestly just that sentiment also the "please don't take this job from me".... sometimes the coping is worse. you can be proud of something because you can do it better than anyone else even if that thing is terrible

the deal - wolfgang munch by @gunthermunch

Wolfgang Amadeus Munch. umm this will make more sense later on but it still kind of makes sense now i think. he doesn't want to be himself he keeps . leaving and moving and running away from his own memories his own self in reaction to others. if he could pawn it all off he would. if he could be better in an instant without having to feel every agonising second of change he would! but thats not how the world works. or is it. read munch by gunthermunch thats an order

when memories snow - lilian

i feel the older you get the more your past kind of swells up and trails behind you... at least for lilian that is shes very linked to the different versions of the girl/young woman she used to be. for her its a double edged blade, a lot of her own strength is drawn from who she was and what happened to her throughout her life. they haunt her but she's haunting it back in her own way

my love mine all mine - saige, bellona, ari

stares you down okay so usage of this song very much almost verges into spoiler territory but uhm. uhm. starts twitching basically the whole dynamic here is . sometimes when you love you will sacrifice. and while that is usually a good thing sometimes it is not but sometimes it still is. sometimes you pay your dues for love and sometimes someone else has to pay for your love as well. and whether that is worth it to them remains to be seen. but it's all about love still. whether that's a worthy cause is up to you i suppose

the frost - yoshiki and hikaru from hikaru ga shida natsu

fun fact (or not so fun fact since i had it listed as such) this slot was originally meant to be taken up by a gojo/geto edit and while it still works for them frighteningly well i swerved to do another black and white haired doomed gay pairing gfhjkl; i really recommend yall to read hikaru ga shinda natsu/the summer that hikaru died because honestly it speaks for itself! it's SO good i love it so bad

star - ari and luca by @anjitrait

wow these two did not deserve the horrors the narrative (me) slammed down onto their heads. they're kind of the most married of all time to me but like of course under pressure even the strongest most loving of bonds will warp. they've been together for roughly a decade and a half now. they know and love each other as totally as you could possibly imagine. despite it all i am yours, no matter. are we picking up what i'm putting down chat

i'm your man - nayef and sióar by @lucidicer

after the album dropped like at least 3 people swung into my dms with a ?this you?? about this song which. i mean the fucking dogs that start barking halfway through the song. are you kidding me. but anyways sioyef and devotion. sioyef and putting yourself in your lover's hands and looking to them like they are a god. this is super self explanatory. you know

i love me after you - redacted and ophelia

HM.... all i'll say here is that sometimes the homoerotic tension filled high school friendship where both parties have something very wrong with them but in totally different directions can be. scarring. bad. sometimes love just isn't enough when you don't know what you're meant to do with it and when you've lived in survival mode all your life. but that once the dust clears you can scrape yourself off the ground get up keep going and that isn't gonna be the end for you there. or for love, even. sometimes shit just ain't meant to be and thats ok

[nickeverdeen]

The ATLA gaang reacting to reader having a nightmare

Request: “Hello!

I was wondering if you could do an imagine (kidna like the bug one) on how the Gaang would react to gn reader having nightmares. Have a lovely evening,

- V”

Requested by: @verybadatwriting

(The person meant preferences so you wouldn’t get confused)

Aang

Aang sits quietly beside you, offering silent support during your nightmares

Aang wraps you in a gentle embrace, providing a sense of security and comfort

He listens attentively as you share your nightmares, offering empathy and understanding

Whispers words of reassurance, reminding you that you are safe and loved

Guides you through calming breaths to help ease your racing heart

Aang strokes your hair or rubs your back, offering physical comfort

Suggests simple activities like stargazing or cloud-watching to shift your focus away from your nightmares

He establishes comforting bedtime routines, like reading a favorite book or sharing a cup of tea

Praises your courage and resilience, highlighting your inner strength

Aang expresses his love for you, promising unwavering support through your struggles

He ensures the bedroom is a peaceful sanctuary, free from distractions or triggers

Aang gently suggests seeking professional help or trying relaxation techniques to manage nightmares

(The professional help would be Katara, though)

Shows patience and understanding, earning your trust over time

Reminds you that you are not alone, standing by your side through the darkest nights

“I’m here for you. You’re safe with me. You’re not alone in this. I’m right here beside you, Y/N”

Zuko

Zuko wakes up immediately upon sensing your distress, his instincts kicking in to soothe you

He pulls you close, wrapping his arms protectively around you and whispering reassurances

Zuko gently strokes your hair or back, offering comfort through his touch

Listens attentively if you want to talk about your nightmare, offering understanding and empathy

Just like Aang Zuko suggests techniques like deep breathing or visualization to help calm your racing thoughts

He stays awake for a while after the nightmare, keeping a watchful eye on you to ensure you feel safe

He shares stories from his own past struggles and how he overcame them, offering hope and encouragement

He offers to stay up with you until you’ll fall back asleep, providing a sense of security

Zuko surprises you with your favorite comforting food or drink to help them relax

He makes a mental note to be extra attentive to your emotional well-being in the days following the nightmare, showing them extra affection and support

Zuko softly sings or hums a calming tune to help lull you back to sleep

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe now, I’m right here. I’m here to protect you, always. You don’t have to face this alone.”

Sokka

Sokka suggests having a late-night snack together, whipping up some of his favorite comfort foods like savory meat pies or sweet fruit tarts to help lift your spirits

He offers to tell you a humorous story or joke to help lighten the mood

And to distract you from your troubling thoughts, using his quick wit and playful humor to bring a smile to your face

Sokka suggests going for a moonlit walk together, strolling along the beach or through the quiet streets of their village as they share stories and enjoy each other’s company under the night sky

He encourages you to express your feelings through creative writing

Or journaling providing you with a safe outlet to process your emotions and reflect on your experiences

Sokka suggests practicing some basic self-defense techniques together

Just teaching you simple moves and strategies to help you feel empowered and capable of protecting yourself

He offers to build a makeshift fort with you using blankets and pillows

And that creates a cozy and comforting space where they can relax and feel safe from their nightmares

He suggests engaging in a friendly competition or game together

It can be a board game, card game, or sparring match, to help distract you and boost your mood with some lighthearted fun

Sokka uses his storytelling skills to craft an original bedtime tale for you, weaving together elements of adventure, humor, and inspiration to captivate your imagination and ease your troubled mind

He ends the night by simply being there for you, offering you a reassuring hug or comforting presence as you drift off to sleep, knowing that you are not alone and that he will always be there to support you

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe here with me. It was just a bad dream.”

Katara

When you have a nightmare, Katara would immediately notice your distress and offer her support

She’s the group’s mom so she’s kidna used to it

Plus she had tons of nightmares when Aang almost died numerous times

And later when he did…

Anyway

Katara would sit beside you, gently placing a hand on your shoulder or back to offer comfort and reassurance

She would encourage you to share your feelings and thoughts about the nightmare

Assures you that you can trust her with your emotions

Katara would offer words of reassurance, reminding you that you are safe and that the nightmare was not real

She might suggest calming techniques

Like deep breathing or visualization to help you relax and ease your anxiety

Katara would offer physical comfort by hugging you if you’re comfortable with it

And providing a sense of warmth and safety

She might create a soothing atmosphere by dimming the lights, playing soft music, or offering a warm cup of tea to help you relax

Katara would offer affirmations to help you feel empowered and supported

Remindes you of your strength and resilience

Katara would stay with you until you feel calm and ready to go back to sleep

She’s ensuring that you don’t have to face your fears alone

In the morning, Katara would encourage you to engage in self-care activities that help you feel grounded and at peace after experiencing a nightmare

Throughout the day, Katara would check in on you to see how you’re feeling and offer continued support and encouragement

“I know it can be scary, but nightmares aren’t real. You’re strong enough to overcome them. I’m here for you. You don’t have to face this alone.”

Toph

Toph’s first instinct might be to offer some tough love

Like telling you to toughen up and not let the nightmare get to you

Toph might offer practical advice

Suggesting techniques like grounding exercises or focusing on your breathing to calm down

Despite her tough exterior, Toph is fiercely protective of her friends

She might offer to stay with you until you fall asleep again, ensuring you feel safe

Toph is known for her blunt honesty

So she might reassure you that nightmares are just tricks of the mind and not something to be afraid of

Toph might suggest distracting activities to take your mind off the nightmare

Like practicing bending moves or sharing stories of past adventures

Toph might share her own experiences with nightmares

Just letting you know that you’re not alone and that everyone struggles with bad dreams sometimes

Toph often uses humor to lighten the mood

So she might crack a joke or make a sarcastic comment to help you feel better

Despite her tough exterior, Toph can also be surprisingly gentle when it comes to comforting others

She might offer a reassuring pat on the back or a comforting hug if you are open to it

Toph might use her unique perspective as someone who has faced her own challenges to empathize with you and offer understanding and support

Toph’s approach to comforting you might be more straightforward and direct, reflecting her no-nonsense attitude

“Quit your whining. It’s just a stupid dream. Focus on something real. Like the feel of the ground beneath your feet.”

[base0h]

HOW HAIKYUU CHARACTERS REACT TO BUGS

a/n - watched a TikTok vid by @emmafischer8 about how setters would react to a spider and it was hilarious so I had to do everyone else too 😀👍

Warnings ⚠️ - g/n reader, s/o reader, crack

- he’s not very scared of them so you can probably count on him to kill them for you if you ask 😭🙏

- but honestly he’d probably name a spider Fred and give it a leaf to sit on when he puts it outside

- and in the morning when he wakes up he’d also say good morning to Fred even if he doesn’t see him because he thinks Fred might still hear him

- “Bokuto who’s Fred..?” -you

- “That spider fella from last week! The one that was on the ceiling :)”

- “…You named it?”

- “Mhm!”

- “I love you Bokuto 😭”

- “Oh I love you too y/n :D”

- He has a lot of bug friends

- especially during summer he gets a lot of ladybug and butterfly buddies

- he prolly has named them after which friends he thinks they remind him of

- theres a praying mantis named kuroo 🙏

- he’s scared of them

- he hates them with every fiber of his being

- never take him to Australia or ANYWHERE remotely outdoorsy 💀

- he’s the type to get even quieter when he’s afraid— and he can’t even bring himself to move away from said danger he just stares at it helplessly 😭

- he could be doing homework or something and then all of the sudden his pencil will stop, and he’s just frozen in place

- you can’t even tell if bros still breathing

- “Akaashi..? You ok?” -you

- there’s no answer

- no acknowledgment

- just dead silence

- then you see why, and it’s a tiny little spider on the wall in front of his desk

- you have to kill all the bugs or take em outside, akaashi will do everything else but that for you so yeah 😭

- you also might have to comfort him for a while after because he’s so scared he gets nightmares about em 💀

- I swear yk those jumpscare vids on TikTok where the bug legit jumps out at you and that Asian dude is like: hey, you ok?

- BUT THE MF COMES WAY TOO FREAKING LATE SO IT DOESNT EVEN HELP

- yeah akaashi has beef with him

- he wants to set his house on fire and lock the doors with the guy still inside :)

- seriously you could be just chilling and all of the sudden he’ll chuck his phone across the room and he looks like he looked at Medusa or sum 💀

- those vids that try to like make you feel bad for bugs because they’re just trying to exist mean nothing to him

- “Ok then exist somewhere else? Preferably nowhere near me?” -Akaashi (probably)

IM TALKING ABOUT THIS GUY. (JUMPSCARE WARNING)

- ok see— he doesn’t call it ‘fear’

- he calls it ‘disliking things with more than 3 legs’

- he acts all tough and mighty until you’re faced with the final boss…

- summer

- Idk why but I feel like he’d have a tiny little dog— like a corgis or a terrier or something

- it sometimes eats flies and stuff— and Kuroo worships it 😭

- he’s totally the type to like try and create some intricate trapping system for bugs so that his dog can take care of it for him

- Kenma thinks he’s insane :) (he is)

- side note he also probably cuddles with his dog and has good dreams whenever he sleeps with it nearby him 🥲🙏

- anyways, you’re basically his knight in shining armor now, congrats! :D

- “Oh y/n you look absolutely gorgeous today—“ -kuroo

- “Where’s the bug.”

- “…..Corner wall.”

- sly mf 💀 bro thought he could fool you

- don’t worry he’ll make it up to you however you want 😭

- you name it and he’ll do it

- anything for his knight in shining armor

- his heroic insect slayer

- his courageous promised messiah—

- yeah you get the gist lmfao

- you should probably start taxing him for it

- he MIGHT boycott you though 💀

- I honestly think they’re scared of him

- I feel like no bug has ever escaped osamu’s sight

- like if a fly lands on his food it’s genocide time

- he will find its cohorts and kill every single last one

- kinda scary ngl 😭

- in the kitchen he’s probably armed with a fly swatter 24/7

- not one of those plastic flimsy ones though, the heavy duty high voltage shit, only the best

- Let’s be real though, if a fly noticed Osamu looking at it— it’d run and not be able to escape 💀

- Those vids that are like: “no but the bug was just existing— what if it had a family?” Yeah no Osamu doesn’t give a shit

- “It’s their fault for touching my food. Not my fault they might not have a parent anymore.” -osamu

- “Yeah but you didn’t need to like— chop it up like an onion—😭”

- “It reminded me of Atsumu so I was extra pissed at it.”

- “Hey! :(“ -Atsumu

- “Ah I see, makes sense.”

- “HEY! >:(“

a/n - I need an osamu to kill the mosquitoes in my house I can’t kill em all myself— I’m losing the war here 😭

[blacklegsanjiii]

Some hc about ASL x fem Sanji

Sanji is these type of person whose hair when tied looks shorter than how it actually is and also straight, but actually has the most fluffyest wavy hair who goes down to the waist. The fact she always ties her hair does not help.

Even ASL believed her hair was straight, until Baratie docked on Foosha the first time and they convinced their girlfriend to sleep in the treehouse with them. Since they stay late talking, none of them notice Sanji loose her hair before sleeping.

They just notice the morning after, when all of them are waking up and Sanji is with her hair down. It's so fucking fluffy that makes them want to put their faces on her hair. Or just stay fluffing it.

After this, ASL don't stop asking Sanji to let her hair down.

Fem!Sanji just looks like Sora. She wears her hair in braids and buns, it's never just loose like when it's down or in a ponytail so the only who knows have to be Zeff, Carne, and Patty. Tell me otherwise. Also they all know how to braid, Zeff learned it specifically to bond with the eggplant. Patty and Carne when she was getting used to being around so many men again.

So yeah, when the Baratie finally docks in Foosha and she waves to Zeff and Patty and Carne and runs to meet her boyfriends with an overnight bag packed(and a locked cooler of food). The boys meet her and hug and kiss her and swing her around and cheer about the good. Sabo gives her a piggy back and Ace carries the cooler up to the tree house so the bears don't get it and looks at the lock with sadness as Luffy whines. Sanji just laughs at them and promises to show them later. Luffy demands Sabo hand her over and now the boys are fighting over her but they're all laughing about it. Sanji knows they won't hurt her but she can also kick all their asses.

The boys fall asleep before her, after dinner and cleaning up and a very thorough bug sweep because she demands it and they're weak to her even if they're in a jungle, there's bugs all over. Sanji, babe, please. She lets her hair down as she lays next to Ace because he's the warmest and Luffy is already curled up with Sabo under what appears to be the only two blankets in the treehouse. Sanji rolls her eyes and smiles fondly and she quickly brushes her hair and then lays down and falls asleep with Ace.

Sabo wakes up first and sees a mess of dark hair first and then sits up and looks at Sanji and Ace and blinks. That can't be their girlfriend. She has straight hair, not whatever cotton cloud is attached to her. That's impossible. He crawls over quietly and touches it and it is so soft. He just threads a hand in through the locks and rubs her scalp. Ace wakes up next and looks at Sabo who holds a finger to his lips and pulls one of Ace's hands up to her hair and he tiredly pets it, he's mostly asleep still but mutters about how pillowy her hair feels and his fingers catch some of the tangles in the waves of her hair. Sabo and Ace pet her until Ace wakes up more and blurts out questioningly it isn't straight. Which wakes up Luffy and Sanji because why so loud? It's her day off? Zeff said.

"Your hair isn't straight?" Luffy asks as he crawls over.

"What the fuck you mean?" Sanji asks back as she stares at them.

"It's so soft." Sabo coos at her.

"We haven't gotten to really touch it." Ace agrees as Luffy sticks both his hands in her hair and is amazed at how soft it is.

"Yeah, this is so nice, Sanji!" Luffy cheers as he starts running his hands through it. Sanji keeps staring at them before sighing and sitting up and letting them play with her hair as she moves to start preparing breakfast. She doesn't realize what she has done after she leaves the next day.

They keep asking her to let her hair down when they see each other, bar that she doesn't then they will steal her hair ties and bobby pins. Zeff tells at Garp to control them or reimburse him because look at Sanji's hair! It can take a long time to do! Even Garp and Bogard feel it and don't see what the problem is for her to wear it down.

[mara-xx217]

Baldur's Gate 3 Companion Sleeping Positions/Habits

Every time I long reset in the game, I think about this and I've come up with some pretty good headcanons for them all, I think

Astarion

The man is dead, darling.

He is totally silent, still, doesn't even breathe while he's sleeping.

Is he even sleeping...?

Astarion sleeps stiff as a board, his arms flat at his side and his ankles touching one another.

He dead ass looks like a corpse on display.

It scared Karlach so bad during her first night at camp that she all but picked Astarion up and shook him violently, screaming his name in his face as she cried about him 'not breathing' and 'dead, dead, he's bloody dead'!!!

Astarion was not pleased the first night Karlach was in camp and was less impressed the massive tiefling had him a foot off the ground, laughing with relief that 'he's not dead after all, just playing at it'!

He was not playing but he won't say he enjoys the attention at least a little bit as well

Gale

The type to sleep with an eye mask.

Has a routine that he follows, to ensure that he gets all his rest.

Uses pleasant perfumes and oils on his pillows and blankets. (Much to Astarion and Lae'zel's chagrin)

Has a nice, soft robe he sleeps in, along with slippers.

Starts sleeping on his back but always flips onto his stomach and wakes up like that.

Shadowheart

Hands down the most 'normal' sleeper of the entire camp.

No overtly loud snoring, no sleepwalking, no sleep talking, nothing.

She does sleep with a dagger under her pillow and her hand curled around the grip, but has yet to 'accidentally' stab anyone that wakes her up as of yet.

Sleeps either on her side or her back.

Lae'zel

Sleeps in an extremely tight fetal position.

Likes she's reverting back to egg.

Her knees are to her chin, which looks uncomfortable, but she sleeps soundly so... Good for her?

Also sleeps with a dagger under her pillow, like Shadowheart. Only Lae'zel will actually just hold it out in the open, like a threat full of promises.

Karlach and Wyll would throw a blanket over her, thinking she's curled up from being chilled, only to have her throw it off rather violently, totally in her sleep, of course.

As silent as a mouse, but will hiss, snarl and growl occasionally, especially if sounds are present while she's asleep.

Wyll

Sleeps flat on his back like a weirdo.

Usually crosses his arms over his chest too.

Sleeping with horns after he's turned into a devil was an... interesting learning curve. (Read: totally fucking annoying)

Switching from sleeping onto his back to his stomach was extremely uncomfortable.

Ends up sleeping sitting upright for a while, as he simply cannot get comfortable to save his life.

Brings a box over to his bed role so he can lean against it while resting.

Karlach

She's everywhere.

No, she doesn't sleepwalk thank Gods but she moves so much that she damn near does.

Karlach acts out her dreams and talks in her sleep, but stops just shy of speaking complete sentences and walking about punching random trees (or people-).

Clive, her trusty bear, has been at her side for as long she could remember, and it remains true even now.

Belly, side, back, side, belly-

The blanket has caught on fire not because of her unnatural heat, but because she has yeeted it into the fire in her sleep.

Halsin

99.99% of the time, he is in his bear form, the rest he's in his 'natural', elven state.

SNORES

Growls and grumbles both as a bear and as an elf.

Otherwise, he's pretty 'normal'.

Snuggle bug supreme

Jaheira

Another 'normie' when it comes to sleeping.

She's an extremely light sleeper, mostly out of necessity.

Hears movement, cracks an eye open, assesses possible threats then goes back to sleep.

Usually sits up/leans against something when resting, which is the strangest thing that she does.

Is it actually comfortable? Who knows! Jaheria won't tell and just says to 'leave an old woman alone'.

Minsc

Good Gods, it's like this man and Halsin are trying to out snore one another at night.

And it's like he and Karlach are trying to have a conversation with one another while sleeping as well...

At least he's not a sleepwalker.

Minsc will grab any poor passerby and wrestle them into a bear hug while sleeping, so everyone has learned to stay clear of him after Astarion was the poor bastard to learn this first hand.

Yes, he was trying to snoop through Minsc's things so he pretty much had this coming.

Boo is always on his person as well, of course, and somehow manages to remain safe from any accidental crushings.

Minthara

Another that's as still as a statue while she sleeps.

Somehow, she looks just as serious asleep as she does when she's awake...

It's sort of cute

Another incredibly light sleeper, and yet another that sleeps with a dagger under her pillow.

What's the strangest about her is that she sleeps little at all, almost always awake when other's get up in the middle of the night to take a leak or fool around.

The last to fall asleep and the first one to wake up, even beating Lae'zel to the early worm.

@prettycutebunny, @infinitewhore, @kennbb, @cherrysodalite, @space-arsonist, @pink-soft-shadow, @sinlessdesire, @hoemine, @memoryofheather @horny-3

[nostalgic-woodwind]

Medicine Yucky

CGs! Ragatha and Kinger and Regressors! Pomni and Gangle 🍼

Plot: One thing that everyone knows is that age regression and illness do not mix well at all.

Request by @Little_Miss_Bleeding_Heart on AO3

Pomni was in her room, curling up into a ball and holding her stomach. She was feeling under the weather and had recently lost her lunch for the third time in a row.

A gentle knock was heard at the jester’s door.

“Pomni, it’s Mama,” Ragatha said.

“Mama…” Pomni responded raspily.

Ragatha opened the door with a spoon and a bottle of anti-nausea medicine. She also had a clean trash can in case Pomni threw up again.

“Hey, sweetie,” Ragatha said. “Let’s take some medicine.”

“Medicine?” Pomni questioned.

“Yeah, so you can feel better.”

Pomni shook her head.

“No, medicine yucky,” the little jester grumbled.

“I know it doesn’t taste great, but it’s going to help your tummy,” Ragatha explained as she poured some medicine into the spoon. “Now sit up and open wide, okay?”

Ragatha moved the spoon closer to Pomni’s mouth, but the jester wasn’t having it. She scooted away from the spoon and turned over, facing the wall.

“Come on, let’s take this and you can have something to wash it down,” the ragdoll said.

“No!” the jester huffed as she whacked the spoon from Ragatha’s hand and hid under the covers.

Though irritated by the little jester’s behavior, Ragatha kept her cool and set the medicine aside.

“Pomni, we don’t whack things from other people’s hands. It’s not nice. I need you to take your medicine so you can feel better, please.”

“No!”

Ragatha sighed, not knowing what to do. Pomni was never usually cranky when she regressed. Maybe she could get some advice from another caregiver.

“Pomni, I’ll be right back,” Ragatha said as she got up.

The ragdoll then walked out of Pomni’s room and went down the hallway to Gangle’s room. Gangle was sick, too, and Kinger was taking care of her.

Gangle was lying in bed with a thermometer in her mouth. When it beeped, Kinger became startled by the sound.

“Oh, it’s just the thermometer,” Kinger said as he pulled the thermometer out of Gangle’s mouth. The temperature read 101.5 degrees.

“Papa…” Gangle sniffled as she began crying.

“I know, baby bug, I know,” Kinger empathized. “Why don’t you rest for a while?”

“No sleep…”

“Why not?”

“Blankie…”

“I know you want your blankie, but it’s in the laundry right now.”

Gangle cried once more, which pulled the chess piece’s heartstrings.

“I’m sorry, little princess. I know it’s hard, but I promise your blankie will be clean when you wake up,” Kinger said as he then grabbed Gangle’s butterfly stuffie from the foot of her bed. “Do you want to sleep with Gracie?”

Gangle looked up and nodded, wiping her tears away.

Kinger handed Gangle her butterfly stuffie named Gracie while Ragatha knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Kinger said as Ragatha opened the door.

“Hey, Kinger, can I talk with you?” Ragatha asked.

“Oh, sure. I’ll be back, Gangle.”

Kinger then walked over to the ragdoll.

“What’s up?” Kinger asked.

“I’m having trouble with Pomni,” Ragatha said. “She won’t take her medicine. Do you have any ideas on what I should do?”

“Ah, yes, I’ve had this exact problem with Gangle and Jax. I usually offer a choice of how they want to take their medicine, like a syringe or spoon. Works for them every time.”

“I never thought of it that way. I just hope it’ll work for Pomni.”

“You never know unless you try.”

Ragatha walked to the kitchen and grabbed a clean spoon, along with a plastic syringe. She then walked back to Pomni’s room.

“Hey, Pomni, can we talk?” Ragatha asked as she sat on Pomni’s bed.

Pomni groaned as she sat up in bed.

“I know the medicine can be yucky, but we all have to do things we don’t want to do because it’s good for us.”

“Like taking naps?” Pomni asked.

“Exactly. Taking medicine may taste yucky, but it’s going to help you feel better in the long run.”

Ragatha then held up the spoon and syringe.

“How about we choose how you take your medicine, hm?” Ragatha suggested. “Do you want to use the spoon or syringe?”

After a minute of deliberation, Pomni chose the syringe.

“Alright, syringe it is.”

Ragatha then filled the medicine up with the syringe and fed it to Pomni, who took the said medicine well.

“Good job, Pomni!” Ragatha praised. “I knew you could do it!”

“T’ank you, Mama,” Pomni smiled.

Ragatha got the little jester some ginger ale in a baby bottle to help ease her stomach. The rest of the day was filled with sleeping, and Ragatha was glad Pomni was going to get better due to the medicine.

[cthulhusstepmom]

Another dichotomy Soap finds is just how jarring it is to wake up from the best sleep he's ever had in the arms of the man he's been obsessed with since they'd first collided. He doesn't slip out while Ghost is still asleep but it's an embarrassingly near thing, largely stopped by the tight grip his Lt has around his middle. He doesn't register drifting back to sleep but the next time he wakes a heavy hand is jerkily stroking through his hair in absentminded movements. It's the best thing he's ever felt. He doesn't want it to end, especially considering the talk that would follow it, awkward at best and soul crushing at worst. Soap doesn't want to lose this, not when he'd just barely got it.

He can't remember what he'd tried to say, something stupid he's certain, but before the first syllable is even out of his mouth Ghost drops the hand from his hair, he doesn't even have time to be disappointed before the same hand is cupping his jaw and the rough pad of a calloused thumb is passing gently over his lips. Soap feels more than hears the quiet, content sigh from behind him. Normally he would rail against being hushed, he's grown goddamn man for gods sakes, but all he can bring forth is an answering sigh as he feels the tension leave his shoulders. Soap doesn't remember falling asleep again but when he wakes up, the bed next to him is empty and he feels a bolt of cold dread before he hears the quiet sounds of a rain shower from the attached bathroom. At his feet on the bed are two sets of clothes. He doesn't feel much like showering, unless it would be with Ghost and that idea appeals to him all too much, so he simply forces himself up. Both of the offerings are Ghost's clothes though one could be considered slightly smaller and Johnny quickly slips them on before he has to explain himself. He sits quietly as Ghost finishes his own routine and no words pass between them as Ghost slips on his own clothes as well as what Soap has dubbed the "around base" balaclava and they leave side by side to get breakfast from the mess to eat in the rec room. And if they stand closer together than would strictly be appropriate, it's no one's business but their own.

Johnny grabs his bag of arugula from the communal fridge as Ghost gets up to follow him, snagging a couple of strawberries from Gaz's side of the fridge to loud protest. There's somewhat if an awkward pause at his door and he can see doubt start to well in Ghost's eyes. Can't fucking have that, Soap decides.

"I wasnae lying when I said it's a mess."

"S'alright" Ghost replies quietly, angling himself to leave.

"But if you want ta come in you can meet mah wee babes?" He offers. "Course got a couple snakes wouldnae want to make you uncomfortable, Wee Man is a big bastard but I promise yeh he's-"

"Ok."

Blue meets brown and there's a momentary heavy silence before Soap nods and reaches to unlock his door.

It's surreal, seeing Ghost in a space he's dedicated himself to keeping Ghost-free. At the same time it feels so right, like a missing piece he'd just realized was gone. Soap stands by the door as his Lt moves forward into the room, partly for a ready escape and partly because neither of them are small men and it would get very cramped very fast.

"What eats that?"

Soap sits there for a long moment blinking dumbly before he realizes Ghost is pointing to the arugula in his hand.

"Oh uh this is for the lizards, blue tongue up there named Yzma and the Beardie next to her, her name's Freya" shortly after receiving Yzma the skink he'd been able to hook up a home for Bart the leopard gecko and even quicker after that ended up with Freya, an 8 year old leatherback bearded dragon. "They also need some bugs, hope you don't mind roaches."

It's an awkward dance to get past Ghost to his closet and it ends with Ghost sitting cross legged on his bed for which Soap isn't complaining. It's easy, slipping into prepping the salads with easy familiarity. Ripping greens into smaller bites for the baby skink and slicing the strawberries as a treat. As he preps the salads he finds himself talking at Ghost as he usually does, unsure if the man is listening but not necessarily needing him to. He talks about his childhood and his Da's reptiles, Martha and Bowser back home, he talks about his first snake bite from a wild grass snake he'd found when he was 10. He talks about his rescues as he rummages around in the dubia roach bin for the right sized bugs, talks about why he does it and a little about each animal as he dusts the bugs with calcium powder. Soap undoes the lock on each cage, dropping them in and smiling as the lizards jump after them, before relocking the tanks and turning back to face Ghost, startling at the intensity in his eyes.

"You really love them don't you." It's more of a statement than a question but Soap answers anyway.

"Aye."

"And he's the one who bit you?" Ghost looks a little unsure nodding towards the corner of the big tank where Wee Man is barely visible curled up amidst the plants.

"Och it's a stupid story, poor lad just has shite depth perception s'all. He's the friendliest fucking snake though I'll tell you what. "

"Friendly?" Soap's heart hurts at the confusion in Ghost's voice.

"I know you haven't really had a...good experience with snakes but I promise most of them are the sweetness things."

Ghost looks deep into his eyes for a while before turning back towards Wee Man. They sit in silence for a long moment before Ghost nods minutely.

"I'll try." He turns back to Johnny. "For you I'll try." Johnny feels a weight in his throat and can only bring himself to nod.

"Thank you."

[jellyfishloveletterghosts]

So I saw this post and well you know how it goes…

 Now I’m thinking about Entomologist Ganondorf and traveler Link

 Link in one of the rare times he is home for a few days and finds himself without plans turning on the old television that came with the place. Flipping through the channels absently and finding nothing of interest until he sees this giant of a man with butterflies clinging to him as he talks about them. Link recognizes the butterflies, he tasted on a few years back when he was traveling death mountain. Spiciest bug he ever tastes and the effects were great, he could barely feel the heat of the lava as he climbed higher and higher.

 Ganondorf calls them Smotherwings and talks about all their benefits and how the locals use them in potions they sell to visitors to help them stand the heat of the volcano. From there he moves onto another region and another bug Link’s eaten while visiting. He watches entrance and fascinated as the man interacts with both live and mounted specimens talking about all of their benefits Link had unknowingly been taking advantage of.

 Link posts about the show as he watches it. How attractive he finds the butterfly man how he wants to eat bugs with him and listen to him talk about them for hours. How he wants to marry the butterfly man.

Once the show is over Link is immediately trying to find the episode so he can track the butterfly man down. Unfortunately other than using the one social media app to post pictures from his travels he’s no very good with the internet. He texts Zelda in frustration. She laughs as his continued ineptitude with technology that isn’t the one app he bothered to learn. She does manage to find his name and then Link is able to find him too.

 Link starts following the man looking forward to more bug related content from him in the future.

 He wakes up the next morning to find that Ganondorf has followed him and gone through all of his stuff likening all of his bug eating posts. On the post where Link expressed wanting to marry the man, sure it would never be seen by more than a few friends Ganondorf has replied with - I’m flattered 💍-

 Zelda being the little shit she shared it with her own massive following with – You’re going to say yes right? -  She is not the only one commenting on it, hundreds of people Link does not know have opinions on their supposed upcoming nuptials. It is a little unsettling and he promises himself to get revenge on Zelda for unleashing her followers on him. He has a massive uptick in followers since last night because of all of this.

 He doesn’t respond publicly instead sliding into Ganondorf’s dms - Do you want to go on a date? – Nervous and hopeful, stomach feeling like he has tried swallowing a live butterfly again. It tickles too much he will not make that mistake again.

He is not left waiting long, phone pinging near immediately with a response - Will there be bugs? -

 That is an easy question to answer – Yes – and he hopes it will be well received. He is pretty sure it will be but there is still a nerve racking second before he gets his answer.

 - I’d love to – Link is giddy with excitement.

 They both go radio silence for a while, no bug facts from Ganondorf, no pictures of Link’s travels. When they do finally show up online again they both post the same picture. The two of them smiling and feeding each other bugs in some remote location.

 Zelda once again has her followers in a frenzy when she replies to their pictures with – There better not be any bugs in the wedding cake. – They laugh when they read it and go back to enjoying traveling together, ignoring their growing follower count.

[cyberneticlagomorph]

You must have fallen asleep in the middle of your work without noticing. 

When you suddenly sit bolt upright upon waking a shower of assorted documents fly everywhere like some angular mockery of snow in a blizzard. You blink one eye and then the other several times until your face figures out how to sync the motions, were it not for the fact that you were watching this happen from OUTSIDE of your body you might have just assumed that you’d woken up energized to the point of mania.

"MAN! It's good to be back!" Said your mouth without your permission, your voice stolen and strange to your now ghostly ears.

Ma leans in through the kitchen doorway and squints, sizzling pan in one hand and a spatula in the other. You watch your body make eye contact with your mother, a big stupid smile spreading across your face. Your smiles have always looked ‘off’, kind of lopsided like you weren’t used to the motions, but the way your lips moved now bordered on cartoonishly silly. Your nose crinkled, and so did the corners of your eyes, like a kid smiling for school pictures before the concept of ‘cool’ and ‘ugly’ took over their entire brain. "Hi Ma, I think I've had an epiphany! You keep an eye on the kids while I have a talk with tall dark and blondie, but first..." You watch your body look down at itself, "I should really freshen up.”

Your body gets up and skitters into the bathroom like an awkwardly shaped bug with very little control of its limbs.

 Ma frog blinks and mutters something about how ‘morning people should be illegal’ before retreating back into the kitchen.

You hover uneasily over the spot you’d been sleeping in, and watch your body abandon you. One of the hyenas (Bruce, the littlest one) stares at your disembodied ghost expectantly, you wave at him awkwardly and watch him wiggle with excitement, stretching up to sniff you and beg for pets. You expect your hand to go right through him, and it does, but for a second you ARE him and it freaks you out beyond all imagining. 

You bolt like a scared squirrel.

In the bathroom, Zilch is getting handsy with you, and not in a fun way either. You can feel echoes of what he’s doing and it makes you nauseous. He probes his fingers into your mouth, prying it open as far as it’ll go and then some, marveling at the elasticity. He stretches, he bends, twists and grins with your now misshapen mouth. “Man oh MAN, and here I thought Pine Tree’s whole deal was deluxe, this thing is DECADENT!” Zilch says as he looks your body over in the mirror, running his hands down your thighs and wiggling your hips just to watch you wobble. “HAHAHAHA, gross! You look like something ModeSeven would draw.”

The second you get your meat suit back, that isosceles asshole is done for.

Zilch looks at you, head turning a full 180 to do so, “Reeeeeeelax, I’m a triangle of my word, I’m gonna fix your beef with blondie and give you your disgusting flesh prison back, but I wanna have fun with it first.”

“I. Am. Not. A. Toy.” Your voice, your wretched detached ghost voice, sounds too organic. It sounds too human. Your ectoplasmic exterior itches and burns with discomfort. 

“Right you are! You’re not a toy,” Zilch smiles with your mouth, tilting your head at such a sharp angle your neck looks broken. “You’re my puppet.”

Your spectral fingers twitch, and Zilch chuckles with your broken bitcrushed midi laugh. “But before I make good on my promise, I can’t go out in public looking like THIS!”

Zilch turns to face the mirror again and inspects your body’s face with new interest, “Eugh, too blue!” He runs his fingers through your hair and you watch the color drain away, leaving a bright buttery yellow behind with black roots. He gives you black lipstick and gold eyeshadow. He leans in closer to the mirror and your eyes start to spin like a slot machine, when they stop your pupils are glowing golden triangles. With a snap of his fingers, you’re dressed in a faded button down with a moth at your throat, a cane in your hand, and Zilch’s big stupid shades over his eyes. “Now then, let’s get this party STARTED!”

[panie-wanie-dean-bean]

I'm very tired and now my brainworms want to know about morning cuddles with cult town boys. Who lets us sleep in and snuggle? Who's gone when we wake up? Who is not letting us get up cause it's cuddle time? 🧡

Well let's get one thing clear, Jack will try to wake you up on time if you're sleeping together, but if you pull out the puppy eyes and maybe call him dad a few times he'll get back in and cuddle with you. Though, he's wide awake now, and his hands are already starting to wander

Rory's all about sleeping in and cuddling but he almost always wakes up hard. He won't make you deal with it obviously, but if you want to cuddle he needs to either be grinding on your thigh or sleepily fucking you

Jean is barely a person in the mornings. He needs a good cup of coffee before he can do anything so he can be easily talked into staying and cuddling with you. He's really soft like this actually, so long as you turn the heat up slow you could make him do anything, so long as neither of you have to get up

Joseph is so. fucking. warm. in the mornings. A huge cuddle bug too, in both senses. He'd love nothing more than to stay with you and cuddle the day away, and he'll say as much. He doesn't have all his anxiety in the mornings so he'll actually tell you what he wants, it's a great time to ask him what he would like from you since he's not trying to spare your feelings as much (Like he'd say anything upsetting anyway)

Bo is almost always the one you wake up to unless you spent the night with one of the other guys, and almost every morning is a struggle to make your cute pup let you go so you can start the day. A few kisses will make him relent or the promise of showering together, other wise you're staying in cuddle town until Bo wakes up enough to have to start moving

Nick makes sure he wakes up before you so he can watch you sleep. Once a stalker always a stalker, he just loves the thought of you being unaware of him looking or touching you, with consent of course. Though, if you have consented to that don't be surprised when you wake up to him giving you head

Shaun is a slow riser, he needs a solid 15-30 minutes just lying in bed to sike himself up for the day and what better way to spend that than cuddling! He's got a good grip on him and he has his kitty eyes so don't expect to be let out early either

Ian is not Ian before he's had his coffee. You know just as much when you try to get up and he slams you back down on the bed for a make out session. You'll have to tell him no if you'd rather not have your insides rearranged first thing, but then again, when else are you going to get rough dom Ian?

Barry is long gone by the time you wake up. He's got shit to do and the guy hardly sleeps anyway, you'll be hard pressed to get him to stay in bed long enough to cuddle let alone sleep

Sorry this is so horny but all of them are horn balls and I'm in a mood