#but how long are we gonna have to watch him overtake the rest of the field every race weekend?

[silentreigns]

If I was Checo I wouldn't have re-signed and retired with some of my dignity intact last season. Like the lashings he's getting now are worse than last year! You can avoid social media all you want but there's no way he doesn't know about how people are talking about him. He's been in f1 long enough to know what he would need in order to be more competitive

[arkhammaid]

— ˚₊‧⁺˖THE LIGHTNING ON TRACK | THE PRE-SEASON TESTING

fandom. formula one & mcu

about. it's pre-season testing time!

content warnings. smau & written parts, written in 3rd person & lowercase, not edited & proofread

word count. 1.1k

notes. we're dipping into the season, slowly but surely... this took me some time to finish, i literally didn't know what to write for testing ://

"we are here in bahrain, pre-season testing for all teams in 2025, welcome everyone!" croft greets the whole world, as live footage is shown across the devices. the camera spans over the whole track, to each individual paddock until stopping at the final one, in blinding white.

"the season is starting with a bang, for the first time in formula one, we will see a stark owned team on the track! in white and chrome they are, an iconic design and everyone is eager to see what the stark manufactured cars can do!"

"how right you are, david! welcome, i'm will buxton and i have someone of interest with me here. right here, in front of the stark racing garage- y/n stark, number 95, one of the drivers for stark racing. so, y/n, tell me, how are you feeling? are you ready for the first time in the car?"

"hello will, thank you for having me. well, it's not quite the first time in the car, we had a testing back in miami at the end of january, but it's something different to be officially here now. but i'm feeling confident- we have our data, the predicted numbers and we think we'll be able to achieve them."

"so, no major upgrades or changes planned?" y/n shakes her head with a grin.

"do you really think i'm going to answer that question? ask me again, when we're done." will laughs at that, nodding his head in understanding.

"understandable, but i will hold you onto that! gonna knock on the garage doors three days later." y/n laughs again, head thrown back. "but, y/n, how does it feel to be on the paddock? have you met the rest of the drivers yet? made any new friendships?"

"well..."

"can you turn that off?", carlos gruffly asks his teammate, who just waves his hand at him as answer. with a groan, he stares at the tv, showing the first driver interview of the day, y/n stark. her voice washes over him, empty answers of being excited to properly meet everyone and maybe even bond with a few drivers.

"i don't know why you're so obsessed, perceval." charles immediatly splutters, waving his hands to deny the accusation.

"i'm not! but it's so interesting! tony stark is literally here, aren't you at least a bit excited? arthur said that y/n is like him!"

"what, arrogant? self-centered?"

"carlos! stop being so negative! i meant like- a genius! someone who raced with her back in f3 is friends with arthur, i forgot his name, but apparently y/n constantly does calculations while she drives. that's why she's so good overtaking." carlos just sighs and leaves charles to whatever he's doing right now. he has no interest in this circus.

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ 🏎️ ˖⁺‧₊˚—

kevin watches the interviews from the sideline, completely satisfied with how everyone is hounding y/n and leaving him in peace. of course he had his fair amount of questions and interviews, but much less than his teammate.

it has been a whirlwind, ever since he joined the team. strange, for a while, everything seeming so futuristic, but now his glasses feel like a another part of his race suit he's putting on every day.

the team has been welcoming, open to his input, but it's very clear to him that y/n is their star driver and he's the support. and he's alright with it. of course, winning a championship would mean everything, but he knows he's not going to continue this forever. especially not when he has a kid, he's missing so much... something he dislikes, because family means everything to him.

this is why his contract is only for two years. if he wishes to continue and his results at the end of the season are steady, tony promised him a seat as long he wishes for. he is incredibly thankful for this offer, fully knowing that this kind of support doesn't exist in formula one.

"ready to go?", he asks, after y/n's press officer ushers her out of the mob called journalists.

"so ready to go", she grins. but they're not alone, the netflix camera's immediately surround them and capture their walk to the garage. people part from them, staring openly at the drivers. one of the most iconic footage later shown in the drive to survive documentary.

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ 🏎️ ˖⁺‧₊˚—

"so, here he goes, kevin magnussen for stark racing, leaving his side of the garage. the car is looking incredible, i really like the color!", comments crofty and the other men immediately begin to chatter as well. throwing in rumors and hearsay about the team, they expertly fill the silence of kevin doing his first lap on the track.

"last to leave the garage and on the track, all eyes are on stark racing- oh and there he goes, picking up the speed!"

"his tyres seem to have warmed up- woah! look at the smoothness! kevin seems to be home in his car, his struggles from the last season are nowhere to be seen", adds jenson, while the cameras continue to follow the white car with the number 20.

"and there he goes! on medium tyres, setting the third fastest lap already, this looks definitely promising." will shares his own thoughts, reminding the viewers that there is definitely a possibility of stark racing going at least one or two seconds faster.

"by the looks of it, the stark racing team seems to be satisfied- honestly can't tell much, the glasses are hiding too much", jokes another man and all of them laugh. "bloody starks, am i right?"

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ 🏎️ ˖⁺‧₊˚—

the testing days are filled with endless laps and data, followed by long hours of debrief. they've already proven that they're fast, slotting themselves on the upper half of the grid, sticking close to the more experienced teams.

speculations are thrown around, is stark racing sandbagging? of course they must be, while others think that this is the best they can do. neither of the drivers or the team principal lose a word on it, instead they repeat always the same statements.

"we delivered what we predicted."

"we tested our theories, confirmed or debunked them, so the past three days have been very productive."

"we're exactly there where we want to be and we know our next steps."

empty words and yet the journalists pounce on them as if they're the next headlines. the whole world watches with eagerness as stark racing finishes up their debut in formula one and they impatiently await the first race of the season.

taglist. @lilypadlover , @adorablezhui , @peqch-pie , @keyz-writes , @obsidianjewel , @aimixx , @themercyverse , @lem-hhn , @akiraquote , @kiiyoooo , @nichmeddar , @nothingfuninthislife , @minkyungseokie , @fionaschicken , @lyrasconstellation , @spideybv28 , @keii134 , @starssfall , @tpwkstiles, @fangirl-dot-com , @nichmeddar , @lady-laura-speaks , @nikfigueiredo , @hinamesgigantica , @brakingboundaries , @almostjollypizza , @yoremins , @raizelchrysanderoctavius , @celesteblack08 , @watermelon-sugars-things , @lighttsoutlewis , @radiantdanvers , @vellicora, @sterredem , @hiireadstuff , @jolixtreesunn , @mypage-myfandoms , @nelly187 @greeneyesandsunshine , @fulla02 , @welovediaaxx , @whyamireadingthis , @67-angelofthelordme-67 , @blueberry64857959 , @winchesterwife27 , @six-call , @skywalker1dream , @mellowarcadefun , @cherry-piee , @peterholland04 , @motorsportloverf1 , @renarots , @msbyjackal , @woozarts , @leclucklerc , @yl90

crossed off tags mean i can't tag you!

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE SERIES TAGLIST? please leave a comment on this post or send a non anonymous ask!

ARKHAM MAID 2024

[the-offside-rule]

Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - The Archer

Requested: no

Swift Series

Warnings: none

Oscar stood in the paddock, his eyes glued to the screen showing the live feed of the F2 race. His girlfriend, Y/n, was in pole position, and he could feel his heart pounding with anticipation and pride. The roar of engines filled the air as the race began, and Oscar's eyes never left the screen. Y/n's car surged forward, maintaining her lead through the first few laps. Oscar watched her skillfully navigate the corners, overtaking with precision and grace. He couldn't help but smile, his pride swelling with every turn she mastered. Unfortunately, due to a slow pitstop and the virtual safety car ending early as Y/n went into the pitlane, she lost her first place by quite a few places and found herself down in 4th instead. "Come on." He muttered under his breath, gripping the edge of the pit wall. As the laps counted down, Y/n continued to hold her position, skillfully navigating her way back to the front of the pack.

Lap after lap, Y/n gained positions, her driving flawless. As the final lap approached, the tension was palpable. Oscar's heart raced with the cars on the track. 5 corners to go, under half a second between her and Paul Aron in fromt of her...then 4 corners.....3....2....Finally, on the last corner, she got him, passing him on the outside and soaring towards the chequered flag. When Y/n crossed the finish line in first place, the crowd erupted in cheers, and Oscar's grin widened.

"She did it!" He shouted, jumping up and down. Her team turned to him, hugging and congratulating him and in turn, Oscar done the same. Without wasting a moment, he joined the team in sprinting to parc fermé. As Oscar reached the P1 board, Y/n climbed out of her car, her face beaming with joy and relief but covered by her helmet. The moment she saw Oscar, she ran to him. They collided in a jubilant hug, Oscar scooping her until into his arms as Y/n wrapped hers around his neck, lifting her off the ground. "You were amazing!" Oscar exclaimed, his voice filled with pride. He set her down but didn’t let go, his hands resting on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes. "I don't think I could watch you do a race like that again." He lifted her visor and placed a kiss onto the hard, dirty surface of her head gear.

Y/n laughed, tears of joy glistening in her eyes. "You have to go do this later, no pressure, Oscar." She smiled, taking off her helmet finally and looking to her boyfriend in pure adoration. He cupped her cheeks in his hands, now being able to kiss her lips. He pulled away, his face scrunching. "What." She asked. "You need chapstick." Y/n slapped his chest playfully. "I'm kidding, but not really." He winked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "How about a photo of the happy couple?" One of the McLaren photographers offered. They shared a look. "Come on, honey. Pose for the camera." As Y/n's hand rested on Oscar's chest, he placed a kiss onto her temple. She could feel his smile on her skin as the cameras capturing the tender moment between the two drivers. "Beautiful." The photographer smiled. "Not to be a buzz kill but Oscar, you need to head soon, mate." Oscar sighed. "You won't stay for the podium?" She questioned, wiping the sweat from her forehead and placing her cap onto her head. "I'm gonna try stay as long as I can, but you know J can't be late to another team briefing. I'll be fined again."

"Well, it was my fault you were late to the briefing last time. I wouldn't want you to be late again." She grinned, remembering a few weeks before where her and Oscar were both late to their briefings when they spent a little too long in the shower that morning. "You sure I can go?" He asked. "I can try stay a little-"

"Bo, I insist. You go get ready so we can both celebrate this later." His heart skipped a beat at her words. "How'd I get so lucky?" They shared another kiss before Oscar bid her farewell and Y/n turned her attention to the post race interviews and fellow podium place holders.

---

Y/n watched on from the back of the McLaren garage. She didn't know how she still had finger nails left since she had been nibbling mervously on them from the start when Oscar lost positions for having a slow start. Since then, the race only seemed to get worse. Midway through the race, while battling for position with Sainz, their cars had made contact with one another, sending him into a spin whilst Sainz went on to race with little to no damage. He crashed into the barriers, his car coming to a sudden, jarring stop. Y/n's eyes went wide, and she froze. She was sure she had flatlined at this stage. Oscar didn't really crash very often, so this was a very scarce feeling she had.

The safety team was quick to respond, and Oscar climbed out of his car, shaken but unharmed. Disappointment washed over him as he made his way towards the Aston Martin parked nearby. His dreams of at least finishing with points today now crumbled. Y/n breathed a sigh of relief as the commentator announced he was fine. She took off her headphones promptly and made her wag towards the medical centre, eager to see her boyfriend as soon as possible. Y/n leaned against the wall as the medical car pulled up. "Oscar?" She called as the door opened. Her boyfriend held his arm, letting out an agitated sigh. "Are you alright?" She asked, walking towards him. "Yeah, just a bit sore. I'm alright, darling." He smiled, reassuring her that everything was alright. "Do you reckon it's broken?" Oscar shook his head. "Nah, wouldn't say so. You should go back and watch the race. The team is gonna be happy, Lando is set to win."

"How about I'll catch up with you in the hospitality?" Oscar smiled. "That's sounds perfect. Give me a kiss before I head in." Y/n leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss on his lips. "I'll see you later." She whispered. "Course you will. I'll be quick." He watched as she walked off, every so often looking back, until Oscar disappeared into the medical centre.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Oscar sighed as he opened the door to his driver room. He looked around at the familiar setting. He looked at the family photos up on his wall, the Aussie flag pinned up, his exercise bands sprawled out over his physio table. He clenched his eyes shut, leaning on the edge of the bench, his head in his hands. The door creaked open, and he looked up to see Y/n standing there, concern etched on her face. She crossed the room quickly, kneeling in front of him. "Hi." She said softly, placing a hand on his knee. "How did it go?" He sat up trying to make himself look less defeated than he was, though the frustration and disappointment were clear in his eyes. "I've sprained my wrist, but it should be fine by the time the summer break is over." He smiled. Y/n looked between his eyes. "And are you okay?" He thought for a moment. "Yeah, just -" Oscar paused before groaning and hiding in his hands again. "It's just not the way I wanted it to go. You got your win, and now you're not gonna celebrate because I messed up my race." Y/n wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a comforting embrace. "That's not- Oscar, I don't celebrate my wins. I literally get on a plane and come back home to you." She laughed, rubbing his back. "You're having a bad day, sk we can have today be bad, and we will celebrate with breakfast tomorrow morning in Monaco."

"Sounds nice." Oscar sighed, leaning into her embrace. "I just wanted to do well today." She pulled away from the hug, cupping his face in her hands. "And you did. You have been perfect all season, and this is just one race. You've had bad days before, and you've always come back fighting. Today was my turn to win, and at the next race week, it'll be yours again." He managed a small smile, her words easing the sting of disappointment. "Thank you, darling. I needed that." She kissed the tip of his nose, her touch feeling calming and comforting, exactly what he needed at that moment. "How about you finish your interviews and get out of here. We'll get a Maccies at the airport." He arched a brow. "Since when do you say Maccies?" He chuckled. "I don't know, I just started saying it a while ago." He shook his head. "Yeah, all thanks to me." Oscar pulled her close, holding onto her as if she were his lifeline. "I love you." He whispered, his eyes filled with adoration and warmth. "I love you too, baby."

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 789: Inheriting wishes

Pag 1

3: Yes, I got it! The last one!!

4: Bon apet...

5: What, Kabu, are you eating trash now?

Guaa- the worst person saw me!!

Th- that's not it, this it- uhm....

Pag 2

1: Have mine

3: Nom nom nom, so good!

You worked a lot for the sprint

Good job following on this climbing while resting and resupplying

5: Imaizumi-san is treating a kouhai kindly!!

Hotshot is rewardina kohai!?

I....

Ho....

What is it, I feel a weird atmosphere

Pag 3

1: I received my orders from Onoda-san!!

2: Climb and pull the team

3: Climbing at a fixed pace as much as possible, while watching the condition of tiredness of everyone's pace, synchronizing our breaths

Pag 4

1: It's the least damaging way to climb!!

The pack is coming!

It's Sohoku!

Pag 5

2: Danchiku... this is a good pace

He's good at watching everyone and matching his performance to them

3: You really are his polar opposite

Ah, person who gave me food

4: Rokudai, watch closely

Ye-yessir, teh!!

5: What Danchiku is doing now is the correct way to “pull”

Yessir, teh

You also

6: got your orders, didn't you?

Pag 6

1: From Onoda!!

2: Mountain King and Manami are overtaking the other climbers who had come out!!

Are they going to the lead like that!?

They-

Pag 7

2: What, how, they're so fast....!!

3: Amazing!

So fast!

They're running at an incomprehensible speed

This is a race between the Inter High's

Pag 8

1: two times finalists!?

2: Sakamichi-kun!!

Manami-kun!!

Pag 9

1: It's true, Mountain King and Manami are racing

Yeah, they're fighting seriously

For this year's mountain prize....

2: You seem to be in good condition!!

Yeah!! Manami-kun!!

3: the first day's mountain is gonna be the most amazing!!

4: There's a lot of people in the audience too

Yeah

A huge crowd, the summer air, and the blue sky

Pag 10

1: I wonder if Toudou-san and Makishima-san also felt the wind like this, on Hakone's mountain two years ago!!

2: The sky is blue!!

There's a lot of people in the audience too!!

4: I'm having so much fun chasing after it it feels like I'm in a daze

Pag 11

1: Even though my body is tired and my muscles are exhausted, it feels like my heart is saying “let's go until our limit” and pushing my blood!!

5: Yeah!!

I think Makishima-san and Toudou-san definitely felt like this!!

Pag 12

1: Shooo

Just get ahead of him by a few millimeters

My heart is pounding

Jinpachi!!

Maki-chan!!

2: About the race between them that day, I heard other people saying:

3: “It was fierce”

“It was a race of their souls”

“I saw a battle of the limits of climbers”

Pag 13

1: But looking at their backs, it looked fun

3: Back then we could only imagine it

4: But now, like this

Running against you, who shares the same feeling

Pag 14

1: It's like we can “experience”it!!

3: Yeah!!

Pag 15

2: I didn't think the mountain on the first day was so freeing, that it would make my heart feel so clear

3: It's strange

4: The thing I longed for from the bottom of my heart... my strong wish....

5: even if I couldn't fulfill it at the time

Pag 16

1: it still came true in another form!!

Pag 17

1: You're right!!

Pag 18

1: Mountain King and Manami accelerated again!!

4: The orders!!

Pag 19

1: It's time, go

Switch with Danchiku

2: Pull the team, Rokudai!!

Yessir, teh!!

I received them from

2: Back-gate slope-senpai....

Pag 20

1: My “orders”!!

2: Rokudai-kun

Yessir, teh

3: Please pull the team on the mountain while switching with Danchiku-kun

Yessir, teh!!

4: My first orders.....!!

I'l ldo it with all my strength

Actually

5: I wanted to say “please climb the mountain together with me”

8: Huh!? Together!? The mountain!?

9: When I was in first year, I didn't see the race between Makishima-san and Toudou-san

10: …. so

Onoda....!!

For Rokudai-kun

Pag 21

1: I wanted him to see the race between me and Manami-kun as a first year climber

2: Onoda-kun

3: But it'a not as easy as taking him along to race together

4: If I don't refine my thoughts I'll never catch up with Manami-kun as he is now!!

6: That's why I have another order for you, Rokudai-kun

Another one...!!

7: Look up at the mountain

Send your heart out to the road before you

Pag 22

1: Imagine it with everything you have!! Our

2: our fight to our limits!!

Their fight!!

Pag 23

3: Back-gate slope-senpai!!

Then... on your first year... or your second year- when you'll have a rival....

4: A ri-rival!? Me!?

5: Hakogaku caught up!!

Pag 24

4: Remember about today, please

5: Ah... the guy who came on Minegayama with Manami-san...

Is this guy really the manager....!?

[nickeverdeen]

Across the Miles | Peter Parker x fem!reader

Pairings: Peter Parker x fem!reader

Type of fic: Romance, Long-Distance, Fluff

Warnings: None

Summary: While Peter’s in Germany you two call at night for a small talk

Tag List: @callsignwidow

———————

Peter Parker lay on the bed in his Berlin hotel room, the dull hum of the city outside barely audible through the thick walls. The room was dimly lit by a single lamp, but the screen of his phone shone brightly as he stared at it, a wide grin on his face.

On the other side of the call, miles away back in Queens, you were lying in your bed, wrapped up in your blankets, a tired but happy smile mirroring Peter’s.

“I can’t believe you’re in Germany,” you said, your voice soft and slightly sleepy. “It’s so weird to think about.”

“I know,” Peter replied, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and exhaustion. “It still feels kinda surreal. I mean, I’m here with Mr. Stark and… it’s just crazy.”

You chuckled, feeling a little warmth in your chest as you watched Peter’s face light up. He was trying so hard to sound casual, but you knew how much this meant to him. “You deserve it, Peter. You’ve been doing such a good job back home—saving people, keeping the city safe. You’re gonna do great out there, too.”

Peter’s grin softened into something more tender as he looked at you. “Thanks. I just… I miss you, though. It’s weird not having you around.”

You nodded, feeling a pang of the same longing. “I miss you, too. But hey, it’s just a few days, right? And then you’ll be back, and we can hang out like normal.”

Peter was about to respond when a loud knock sounded on his door, followed by Happy Hogan’s voice. “Parker! Wrap it up, you need to get some sleep.”

Peter groaned, rolling his eyes dramatically. “Just a minute, Happy!” he called back, clearly not ready to end the call.

You giggled, covering your mouth with your hand. “You should probably listen to him, Pete.”

Peter shook his head, stubborn as ever. “Nah, I’m good. I’d rather talk to you.”

You smiled, touched by his words. “Okay, but you need to get some rest. You have important superhero stuff to do tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Peter mumbled, leaning back against the headboard, still not making any move to hang up. “I’m not tired yet.”

You stifled a yawn, starting to feel the day catching up to you. “Sure you’re not,” you teased gently.

Peter watched you with fond eyes as your eyelids began to droop. “You should get some sleep,” he said softly, his voice filled with affection.

“I will… in a minute,” you replied, but your words were slurring slightly as sleep began to overtake you.

Peter stayed quiet for a moment, just watching you, his heart swelling with affection. He couldn’t help but feel grateful for moments like this, even if they were separated by thousands of miles. You were still here, still with him.

Eventually, your breathing evened out, and Peter realized you had fallen asleep. He couldn’t help but smile at how peaceful you looked.

“Goodnight,” he whispered, not wanting to wake you. With a heavy but content sigh, he carefully ended the call, placing his phone on the nightstand.

He lay back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling for a moment, the reality of his situation sinking in. He was in Germany, about to do something incredible, but all he could think about was how much he wished you were here with him.

As sleep finally began to claim him, Peter’s last thoughts were of you, and how soon enough, he’d be back home—back to where you were, where he belonged.

And with that comforting thought, Peter drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the day he’d see you again.

[granolawriting]

How abt one where Joel misses the reader sm soo he comes to meet her very late at night they both drink leading to smut cause ofc 😭😏 and maybe in the middle joel makes a vid of them but he didn’t remember it cause he was drunk and later after a week or soo he discovers it idk something like that 😫

pairing: NSFW!reader x no breakout!Joel

Summary: Joel brings over liquor and a smile, a situation synonymous for whats to become of every few months of your life filled with drunken sex and family dinners with him. And as you hear the infamous knock upon your door once more, you fall for his southern charm once more.

Content warning: dom!Joel, drunken sex, doggystyle, video without permisson, rough fucking, porn with a little plot, cumming inside, praise, pet names (sweetheart, darling, doll), "good girl", long haired joel because I say so!!!, age gap (obviously..)

word count: 2.8k

A/N: thank you for this request!!! my first Joel req.. of many I hope hehe. I have a special place in my heart for drunk Joel, probably for reasons I shouldent. But I digress, very fun to write :)) I hope you enjoy!

The clacking of your keyboard brings noise to an otherwise quiet evening within your home, finishing up work on your computer was the only thing that troubled your mind at what the clock shone as 12 into the night. 

A ring of your doorbell catches you off focus for a moment. There was no means for a package to arrive or even people for that matter. It was far too late for any reasonable person to be out and especially at your door. Fear overtakes you for just a moment before curiosity outweighs it and the sudden urge to stay where you are is replaced by the insatiable one to see what lies on the other side of the door. 

You check the phone that had been charging at a port out of your line of sight to be greeted by absolutely nothing, zero clue into what the meaning of this visit could entail. 

The creak of the door upon your hands opening its knob do you watch as it reveals a certain Joel upon the other side of the door. Facing him as he faces you, a selfish smile coating his face as he grips within his hand some nondescript black plastic bag. 

Looking upon Joel did you notice the clothes, and general demeanor he held. With salt and pepper hair grown out slightly, traces of product line it's ends as they clump together to create some semblance of unity as they fall upon his face, the gruff lines and wear of an older man are what you find beneath the strands of hair-- a grin complimented by a short and kempt beard. The clothing upon his body was all worn, but good quality. Red plaid complimenting his undershirt as a worn brown leather jacket works as his outer jacket. Dark levis that signified one of his better-dressed pants, as the stains of work grow more apparent upon the lighter colors he chooses for jeans. His belt was fashioned to fit the precise mold of his body with the crease of the belt hole he uses every morning having considerably more wear than the rest of the belt. 

“Hey sweetheart.” 

A compelling southern drawl complimenting a sly smile was almost enough for you to entertain this interaction with outright positivity. 

“Joel, what are you doing at my place this late. Don't you have work in the morning?”

“Got the day off. But I'm flattered yer lookin out for me darlin. Came by just to say hi, that such a crime?” 

He lets himself into your home as the sloshing of the bag he held within his fingers becomes more curious. 

“You at least gonna tell me what's in the bag? Or is that also none of my business.” 

You cross your arms in an attempt at anger, though fall short as he sees right through you, as he always has been able to. 

Two bottles clash with the top of your wooden table providing a clink to follow what he says; 

“Thought we could share a drink, you and I. like old times ‘member?” 

Memories of the ‘old times’ flood your memories as blurs of sloppy kisses and drunken love fill your mind, the reminders of all the times you and he have had together, and all the times you have not had together. The relationship between you and him was special to say the least. He was no boyfriend, but he was definitely not just some kind of fuck buddy. Or was he? There had been times you took care of Sarah, taken her to games, but there had also been times when there was no communication for weeks on end. It all depended on if you guys just showed up at one another's door. All oftentimes ignited by a simple drink, would it grow into flame of passion that extinguished within the coming months to be done once more after well enough time away. 

It was very toxic, sure. But for someone like Joel, part of you was compelled to believe you could just deal. You didn't mind it.

“Well if the drinks are free, I can't say no. and free delivery, now that's something special.” 

You teased with him a moment, as it wasn't discernable what kind of night it was going to be yet. Some nights you and Joel stayed up until the early morning talking about life, the way you two felt about the world and so on. Other times, the early mornings greeted you with a lot less of a profound means for staying awake. 

“You know that's my specialty.” 

He stands to grab glasses from your cabinet, the muscle memory he holds of knowing exactly where they are making a swift shift from shelf to table as he proceeds to pour you a glass. 

… 

The night grows dark as the two of you grow to run out of things to catch up on. Learning about Sarah's most recent academic achievement, or what sport she's picked to do for this spring. He tells you about the things going on at his work, trying to dumb it down but never quite making it understandable regardless. You tell him how your work goes, trying to not mention any school you may still engage in as a means to not remind him how old he is or how the gap in your age could be equally compared to that of the entire rule of certain kings throughout history. 

You grasp at things to say near the end of your last story. Realizing nothing already said can follow up, leading to a lapse of silence to overtake you two as liquor fills your system looked within his dark eyes as they stare back at you. 

“Know what, fuck it.” 

Joel mutters before pushing all casualty and simple conversation out the window as the tension building up inside of him grew too hard to bear. It seemed as if he was just looking, praying for a quiet moment so he had the means to pounce on you. He didn't properly care about any work you had due, as he watched the pink of your lips as they moved with the sound of your voice, the hair upon your head falling into your face and watching sloppy fingers push it behind your ears. The way your chest poured out of the top you wore and above all else, the look within your eyes that yearned and pleaded for the exact same thing. 

He almost jumped on you, the passion deep within his heart that sunk to his legs as he brought himself from the seated table to your left sounds of wood clashing against wood and a disruption in all the items upon the table you two sat at he brought himself closer to you in one move. He knocks you off your own chair in the process, as the two of you fall onto the floor in a fit of passion as his lips interlock with mine. 

“You don't know how fuckin badly I’ve been missin this darlin”

Is muttered as he lay above you, his arms now holding your wrists to the floor as he looks you up and down. He goes into your neck, licking it up and down as his sloppy movements and tongue coat your whole neck with the sensitive kisses bites of his drunken fervor. His hand releases from the right side of your wrist as it traces down your body, his knee propped up against the left side of you he stables himself to feel your body with his hand. Groping your chest desperately as you feel calloused hands trail under your shirt and across your waist. Sloppy grabbing at every part of your naked body as he moves from your neck to your lips once more. Forcing his tongue down your throat as every move he makes is made with unparalleled desperation. 

He lets up for a moment, breath heavy and sweat coating his face as the clothes he wears begin to heat him up. Realizing that you watch him straddled on top of you as he removes his jacket, followed by the unbuttoning of his flannel to reveal the muscle he held underneath. You watched as his chest went up and down to match the sound of his breath as he looked upon you. 

Part of you grows desperate as well, as your now free hands trail to the only part of him that still stays dressed, his pants. Moving fingers to trace the creases and lines of his jeans, slowly going closer to the growing bulge in his pants. Playfully toying with it, getting just close enough to it but never exactly where he’d want you to. 

You watch as every move you make brings him even more tense, small groans are to escape him as you move a single finger over his bulge and you watch as he throws his hands on the sides of the floor next to you. your faces now an inch apart he whispers within your ear;

“Nows not the time to be playin with me sweeheart. Theres no reason I wouldn't turn you right around and fuck you myself now is there?” 

You stay silent for a moment, but he grabs your jaw and asks again. 

“Is there, darlin’?” 

You shake your head no, unable to muster up a word as your arousal turns you into silent awe at the sight of him. Though with his suggestion you allow yourself to thereafter be moved by his hands onto your stomach, leaving your back completely vulnerable to him. You hear what is the clink of his belt as he struggles to get it off in desperation and with the drop of it across the room thereafter. You hear the zipper of his pants signify their drop as well, watching his phone fall to the side of you in the process. 

He removes your shorts and underwear at the same time to reveal just your ass below him as he straddles your lower legs. Feeling as his hands toy with your ass, moving it and smacking it as he wished. 

Though without much more time wasted, you hear a spit into his hand that undoubtedly coated his cock, as you felt his heat meet yours as he teased it between your folds for a moment before entering you. 

He enters you with a long groan, as he goes in and out of you with no pace and little regard for going slow. The first few thrusts are slow and intentional, but he grows much more sloppy with no time. 

He leans his body to curve on top of yours as you lay on the floor with your knees only to prop up an easier means for him to enter you. He begins to bite your ear, groans and whispering into your ear praise and curse words;

“Fuck hnm, darlin’ you’re so fuckin tight for me. Oh my god ya feel so good fer me. You’re my good girl takin it like you should.” 

His drawl comes out even more when he's drunk, he humps you as you feel his breath hitch and grow uneven on the side of your neck. Though he centers himself once more, this time using only one hand to hold you as to hold you still as he fucks into you. His forearm crossed above your chest, feeling the muscle of his bicep on the side of your arm and the thickness of his forearm grip you as he moves in and out of you. 

“Do you like that huh? Tha way I'm fuckin ya? Arent you my good fuckin girl?” 

He demands a response, to a pleading and moaning mess in your reply as you utter out the words;

“Yes, yes I'm you’re good girl. Please, don't stop please” 

“I could never stop when you feel this fuckin good. God I'm,” 

He falls into grunts as he tries to keep his body straight as he fucks into you with even more desperation as you can feel him growing close by just the feeling of him inside of you. And before you know it you feel a final groan escape him that follows hot fluid shoot deep inside of you as he rides out his full orgasm feeling you contract on top of him, your body desperate to keep in every drop. 

Falling onto the floor, he lays beside you in a sweating, breathless mess as you lay there the same. For a moment you and him look at one another and smile, before you both get up once more to clean each other off, and go in for a shower before you two share a bed for the night. God knows how late it even is now. 

---

“Hey doll, ya know where I left my phone?” 

A voice wakes you up, one of a fully dressed Joel who apparently, is about to leave. 

“Aw, not staying for breakfast?” 

You tease, letting yourself get up a bit and stretching to orient yourself to the morning. 

“Would love to, but Sarah's gotta short day at school today. Hows about ya come over fer dinner tonight? Our treat.”

He shines you an old smile, and your heart melts the same way it's done every time past. 

“Then it's a date. Last I saw, your phone was on the floor in my living room.” 

Pointing him to that direction, he exclaims to have found it, and to follow you hear and opening and shutting of a door to signify that once more, you are alone. Beginning your morning routine you spend some time moving things around mentally, seeing what to do with the day since you now have plans in the evening.

---

Joel stops his car within his driveway, checking the time he realizes he’s much earlier than he expected himself to be. He has around 3 hours to kill before a little girl will be waiting for his beat-up car to take her home early, the best day to ever befall a girl or so it seemed to her. Walking within his home he drops keys into an empty bowl, kicking off heavy boots so the creaking within his home subsides to a much lighter and more sparse sound than that of heavy boots clanking on the soft wooden floors. He sits upon the green couch in his living room, turning on the tv he devises to text you something as a means to make up for the abrupt departure the night before. Though as he opens his phone, it opens to the photo gallery where a new video seems to have been added. 

Oh my god. 

He clicks on it with hesitant hands, and as he does his mind is brought back to a night he failed to properly remember. 

“Do you like that huh? Tha way i'm fuckin ya? Arent you my good fuckin girl?” 

“Yes, yes i'm you’re good girl. Please, don't stop please” 

He feels himself grow at the sight of what's on his phone. 

A video, of last night? 

He never remember taking something like this. Let alone ever saving it. But as he watched as he came inside of you, hearing your begs and pleas for his cock it aroused him in a way he couldn't suppress. As the video ended he lay dumbfounded for a moment. Curious about what to do with such a video. But as he looks at the replay button upon his phone the only thing that fuels him is unquenchable lust. 

Unbuckling his belt once more, he unzips his pants to reveal his hard member once more. Sitting upon that couch does he replay the video. Slowly touching himself at the sight of your body. Watching the way your ass moved on his cock, the way your waist looked curved to get the most pleasure out of his cock. He watched the way you bounced on and off him, the way your body looked gripped by his arm and the desperation that coated your voice as every thrust inside of you elicited a scream or a moan. 

He was obsessed, entranced with watching over and over again as he made you cum, as he came inside of you. And as the pace of his hand around his cock grew faster, it was before he knew it that he finished with closed eyes and a heavy groan once more. 

After cleaning himself up and changing, he looks at the video on his phone once more. Curious of what to do with it. He thinks for a moment, but as a smile creeps upon his face he knows exactly what to do with it. 

“Wanted ta’ let you know I just had a little fun with this. You look fuckin’ amazing darlin’. Might hafta do this more often.” 

*video attached* 

[kat-is-laem-oa]

Chapter 1: PanDEMONium

(Next Chapter)

Mornings always proved challenging, and the comfort of his bed only made the negative feelings about his situation stronger. No amount of sunshine could brighten his mood in recent years, nor could the fluff of his blanket as the light disappeared and his room darkened once more. No extreme or mixture within gave him a sense of comfort.

His oldest friend, Raphael, made it a point to include him despite their opposing heritage. The far-too-old Shadowhunter befriending the vampiric member of Hotel DuMort would be humorous to their kin. The two species couldn’t get along despite their similar situations—being hunted for their blood.

Raphael was unique, just like his people. Eljah wished he could share the same sentiment with his own people, but he’d felt their wrath before and it was a losing game. Although, technically, he was one of a kind. He didn’t have people or true kin because he was an abomination. And abominations don’t get the luxury of friends and family.

“I’m supposed to be hiding in the shadows, not you,” Raphael sighed as he walked into the room. Candles illuminated the room and the blackout curtains prevented the deadly sunlight from getting in.

“I might as well be just as allergic as you, Rafa.”

“Hardly. Up.” Raphael lifted the plush white blanket before grasping onto Eljah’s arm. With multiple complaints and some unkind words, the small boy was upright. His hair was always messy, conscious or unconscious, to the point it became a style. Random silver strips contrasted the shadowy brown overtaking his head. Over the previous months, his hair grew longer, making him feel more feminine than he could have while growing up. If the downworld thought Shadowhunters were bad now, they could rest easy with the image of the Clave’s earlier days.

“What is the nest up to today?” The two had known each other for a long time; long enough to not shy away at the sight of skin and boxers. Eljah crossed to his dresser while Raphael spoke, jumping with the change in temperature upon contact.

“Nothing you have to worry about, even though I know you will.” Raphael laughed at the little hops Eljah made while dressing himself.

“I can’t help it. You guys are stuck with me now, so I have no choice but to care.”

Eljah slid a pair of shorts that rested low against his hips and a t-shirt that drowned him. August was his least favorite month because it was inevitably the hottest one. Manhattan sucked in the humid weather and bubbled it until a rush of cold would pop it. You either stayed in your home or flocked to an indoor business—Eljah’s goal tonight—to beat the heat.

“That is true, my mistake,” Raphael poked fun, receiving a stare from the male opposite him, “but seriously, just enjoy your night and I’ll find something for you to do this week, hm?”

“You said that last week, Santiago.”

“Damn, we are going by last names now, Winterscaar?”

“Oh, bruto gross, no. My mistake,” Eljah repeated. The two shared hushed giggles, but eventually it went silent. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but Raphael’s aura became serious; Eljah hated to watch the swirls switch from bright yellow to mushy turquoise when he went into big-brother mode.

“There’s something out there that will make you happy. I know it. Maybe it’s here in the nest or on the other side of New York. Hell, another continent. I’ll help you find it.”

“How are you gonna find it if it’s on another continent? TSA will have to mark you as combustible material before you step foot on a plane.”

“Not funny.”

“It’s a bit funny, mano…” Raphael choked back a sigh, already used to the flammability jokes.

Raphael seemed to have more to say, but a knock sounded at the door. Raphael went to check it and Eljah activated the LED lights built into all the rooms. Eljah heard basic mumbles and words of confirmation before Raphael exited, saluting to his best friend.

Eljah knew what time it was already. Every day had a clockwork aspect to them, and he’d long since adjusted to the schedule of vampires. As his day started, most ended. It made slipping into night life easier and letting himself deal with emotions in his own way: drunk and/or high.

“You don’t look 22,” the bodyguard argued. Eljah had taken the time to walk his way to the club (and pre-game smoke). He didn’t fully feel the effects, but the immediate boost in confidence after every hit had him ready to make a bold move if needed. He wanted to cave his own head in every time someone accused him of being underage.

“That seems racially motivated.” He enjoyed watching people’s faces when he threw out that card. It was a common misconception amongst those who have never met shadowhunters that they were all pale-skinned white dudes with insane amounts of tattoos. Eljah himself was technically white, but it was the minority of his genetics. His father was Puerto Rican, and he’d grown up in San Juan before integrating into the Mexico City Institute. He found New York bland compared to the colorful buildings, streets, and culture of his hometown.

The man guarding the door was not white either. “Go back home, kid.”

“Este imbécil,” rolling his amber eyes. He placed his hands upon his eyelids, allowing the energy in his bones to circulate. Within milliseconds, the silvery cover slithered over his vision and the energy connected to the bodyguard’s light and powdery one. Eljah focused on forcing a command into the other man’s consciousness.

A voice echoed, “ah, ah, ah, no need,” a veil laid itself over his magic, “it’s not nice to compel random people.”

“Do you gain anything from that?”

“Just slight amusement,” the acicalao with short, spiked hair responded, “I know every warlock in Brooklyn, but I don’t know you. Why’s that?”

“New in town.”

“Are you now? Well, then, why don’t I introduce you to a little New York nightlife, hm?”

“The only thing I need introduced to is something strong.”

“That can be arranged. Come on in.”

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆.

Too many hyperfixations, so much to do! I'm so tired of seeing no malec x reader, they'd totally be poly in another universe.

[totally-bogus-timelady]

Make do and Mend

Fwb!Steve Harrington x Fem Reader

Chapter one : The Same Situation

Screams.

You hear the screams of your best friend. The man that you've come to love, who you'd confessed to loving straight to his face just a few days ago.

Eddie Munson was out there. His screams loud enough to be heard over the wild screeching of Demobats even from this distance. Determination overtakes both you and Dustin and eventually you both make it through the gate to the upside down, each gaining injuries as you do.

As you both finally reach Eddie you realize that you're already too late. Demobats gone, Eddie's screams have now quietened to whimpers and he lays there, small and broken on the ground.

He tells Dustin to look after the others, that it's up to him now to carry on his legacy. He says how much he loves you both and turns his head towards your tearstained face. You manage a watery smile for him as he barely gains the strength to grab your hand.

"You are so beautiful," he rasps, spluttering a little. "I wish I'd told you sooner... I... I love you."

Your words are thick with tears and sadness as you reply, "I guess we were both pretty stupid on that one huh?"

You can still hear Dustin crying next to you but all you see right now is Eddie, soaking him up for however long he has left.

You lean forward and kiss him for the second and last time. His bloodied lips struggle against yours as he tries to find the strength to reciprocate.

"I love you Eddie," You choke out. And as you pull back, you see that he's gone, his eyes staring but not seeing. You and Dustin sit with him a while longer, you still cradling the body of your best friend, the man you loved.

================================================

You gasp and wake suddenly, startled by your reoccurring dream of Eddie's last moments. You lift a hand to your cheek and feel a dampness where the tears in your dream had bled through to reality.

You reach for the glass of water on your bedside table and take a sip to steady your nerves.

It was rare in the last two months that you had a full nights sleep. Not since you had all been in the upside down and Eddie had died.

Nancy, Steve and Robin had all succeeded in killing Vecna, El had managed to close the gates, Max was in a coma and everyone in Hawkins had gone back to normal, or as normal as Hawkins could get.

And then there was you, who was also expected to go back to normal. But how could you when the one person that made everything seem better, the one person who despite being dressed so darkly made each day brighter, was no longer here.

You get up and decide to stop dwelling on your nightmares for now, though they're still there in the back of your mind.

Looking over at your bedside table you find that you have just under an hour to get ready for work at the video store.

================================================

Your car pulls up in the parking lot outside Family Video. You look down at your watch and see that there's still ten minutes before your shift starts and decide to get a well needed coffee from the café next door, picking one up for Steve and Robin too.

Five minutes of queueing and two minutes of frothing later you were entering the doors of Family video to a very grumpy looking Steve standing behind the front desk and a few loud banging noises coming from the stock room that you could only assume was Robin.

His elbow was leaning on the desk whilst his head was resting in his palm, frown plastered on his face.

"You know, I don't think you're gonna sell many copies of Top Gun looking like that," you remark as you walk up to him.

He huffs and lifts his eyes to meet yours.

When you started working here, it'd taken you a while to warm up to Steve. You got on with Robin immediately, like a house on fire. You'd had a preconceived opinion of Steve from all the stories about how much of a jerk he was in high school. But after a couple of weeks working with him and a day where Robin had called in sick, leaving you to work alone together, you'd found that he was very different to the Steve you'd heard about and was in fact, a decent guy.

"Is that coffee?" He asks hopefully.

You scoff, "Help yourself Dingus, I got you the lowest fat option available. I know how you are."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Says Robin, finally appearing from the stock room. "That despite you working in an ice cream shop for a whole summer -meaning you get all the free ice cream you want - the only thing you would help yourself to was the bananas. You, Steve Harrington, are a health Dingus."

Steve rolls his eyes at Robins words.

"Oh! Coffee! Thanks," Says Robin, already downing too much for a steaming hot cup, hence why you requested the barista put more cold in hers.

Steve takes a swig out of his cup, still quiet but he nods his head at you in thanks.

"Well, I'm gonna go hang up my jacket. I'll be back in a sec," You head towards the back to slip your denim jacket onto your hook, a sticky label with your name on above it. Next to yours is one that says Robin and next to hers is a sticky label with Steve scratched out and Dingus written above it instead, courtesy of Robin.

You check yourself in the small, square staff mirror next to the coat hooks. You look tired as you observe your reflection, now twiddling with the pick necklace around your throat.

Wayne had given it to you, saying that after some serious thought that he was sure Eddie would've wanted you to have it. You lift it to your lips, kissing the pick quickly before leaving.

You head back onto the shopfloor, still tugging your dark green Family Video vest over your shirt.

"I swear these things get itchier each day. You know, I don't think Keith ever washes them..." You say as you clock yourself in on the computer behind Steve. He still remains silent. Just you and him behind the counter - Robin having left to help a customer pick out a movie - you move to stand beside him so you can see his face better.

He has a soft frown on his face like he's deep in thought, brow creased and his eyes wide and sad.

"You okay?" You ask him softly. He looks up suddenly and turns his head towards you, as if just realizing that you must be talking to him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, no I'm... I'm fine," You give him a somewhat disbelieving look.

"You sure? You're kinda quiet..."

Steve opens his mouth to reply but at that moment the bell rings. a tall, beautiful, dark haired woman walks in - one of your regulars who always gets served by Steve. Her eyes light up as soon as she sees him behind the front desk and she heads over.

"Hey Steve! I was wondering if you'd be able to help me with some recommendations?" Steve barely lifts his gaze, clearly disinterested.

"What kinda movie you after?" He drawls in a bored tone.

Not quite catching onto Steve's mood, she continues in a light, hopeful and somewhat nervous voice.

"Well I was," The woman clears her throat. "I was hoping you could recommend something good for a date?"

Steve reaches into the trolley of movies waiting to be reshelved, grabs the first one at the top of the pile and hands it to her.

"Try this one."

She looks down at the copy of 'My Little Pony : The Movie' that Steve had handed her and frowns but decides to continue with what must've been a carefully constructed plan.

"The erm... The only problem is that I have no one to watch it on a date with... Any er, any ideas on how to fix that," She sets up his opportunity to suggest he go on said date with her. Her eyes are hopeful as she gazes at him.

Steve, already ringing her up at the till simply says, "You want a bag for that?"

Your mouth drops open in shock.

"Oh... No, thanks," She takes the video from his hand looking quite deflated, turns on her heel and leaves.

Steve's already standing back in his spot looking mopey when you turn to him.

"What the hell was that? She was totally asking you out on a date!"

"What?" He frowns at you again, looking confused.

"Oh my god Steve! What's up with you?"

"Look, it's nothing okay. I'm just not in the mood for flirting with random girls today. Just let it go."

He's avoiding your eyes, something that in the past you had found to be a telltale sign that he was lying to you.

"Hey," Your tone of voice softens and you put a hand on his shoulder making him look at you as you ask, "What's really going on with you? You can talk to me you know."

A look of defeat crosses his features.

"I just... I," He huffs, poking the inside of his cheek with his tongue, "I went grocery shopping before work this morning 'cause I was out of milk, then I realized I was out of eggs and laundry detergent as well so- uh, anyway. I got all my shopping and I was waiting in the checkout que and I heard this beautiful laugh that I'd recognize anywhere, so I look a few tills over and there's... Nancy and Jonathan."

Steve's eye's go big and sad again as his frown returns.

"I know its stupid and they've been together for a couple of years now but... I guess just after everything with Vecna and how we were together it just, it just really seemed like I could get her back for a while there." Steve pauses, running his hand through his hair. "I mean, I wasn't the only one that thought it. I had Dustin nagging me about it in one ear and Robin in the other, even Eddie said-"

He seems to realize his mistake a second too late and pinches his nose between his finger and thumb. You reach up and twiddle your necklace at the mention of Eddie's name, a sharp stabbing pain going right through your heart. Steve, now feeling like an idiot, looks at your fallen expression and your watery eyes.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking... Here I am whining because Nancy doesn't love me when you're going through all this."

Steve continues apologizing, his hand waving around. You grab his shoulder again, this time to stop his apologetic spiel.

"Steve, Steve, it's okay! No I- It's okay Steve!" He stops waving his hands around and finally stops apologizing. "I mean, we're both kinda in the same situation really."

Steve narrows his eyes in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Well, we're both in love with someone we can't have, we're both trying to move on and we're both hurting right now. I mean it's different but kinda the same," You lean back on the counter.

"I guess so, when you put it like that,"

"I've not had much experience in the dating world but, you have... How would you normally get over someone?"

Steve's eyebrows raise in thought and his toned arm reaches towards his neck to scratch it awkwardly.

"Well, uh... Normally... Normally I'd just have a fling," Steve clears his throat awkwardly.

"A fling?"

"Yeah, I'd go on a date with some random girl and just have some meaningless sex. You know, just get it out of my system."

Steve looks over at the sci-fi section where Robin can be heard trying to explain to her customer why Star Trek and Star Wars are not the same and that his date wont be happy if he whips out Star Trek as a substitute.

He sighs and looks back at you, who is currently eyeing him curiously.

"Honestly," He starts, "I don't wanna go on a date with anybody right now. I just got my heart broken again, by the same girl. The last thing I feel like doing is buying flowers and going on a date with some girl I don't wanna be with 'cause she's not Nancy... I don't wanna waste my time or theirs, so I don't know what to do..."

He sighs again and slumps back into what seems to be his new favorite position on the counter. You decide to join him and press your jaw into your palm, your other hand starts to play with the slinky between you on the desk.

"I know what you mean. To be honest with you I don't want to go on a date with anyone unless it's Eddie, not at the minute at least."

Steve turns his attention from your hand toying with the slinky to your face again.

"You're right, we are in the same situation."

You turn to look at him, you mimic the gentle smile lifting his his lips. Your eyebrows furrow as briefly, a thought enters your mind. You and Steve are in the same situation. Maybe you and Steve could-

Robin suddenly appears in front of you both.

"Honestly, I just spent the last thirty minutes serving that guy and he said he'll come back tomorrow... I don't wanna serve that guy tomorrow or today, couldn't he have at least wrapped it up in one visit!"

She looks between the two of you, "Have either of you done any work since I went over there or do I have to do everything?" She says grabbing hold of the trolley of tapes waiting to be reshelved. You snap out of whatever crazy thought you were about to have.

"Oh god, Robin I'm sorry, I'll do that, You go and head off on your break," You say rounding the desk and taking the trolley from her hands.

"You sure you can handle Mr Grumpy while I'm gone?" she asks cheekily.

"Ha ha," Comes as a sarcastic reply from Steve.

"He'll be fine, go enjoy your lunch."

Robin thanks you and skips happily off to eat her tuna sandwich.

"Hey, you good?" You ask Steve.

"Yeah, thanks. I'm gonna head to the stock room and do some inventory. Give me a call if we suddenly get a load of customers."

With one last huff, Steve turns and heads towards the stock room. You watch him as he goes, one thought replaying in your head.

You and Steve are in the same situation...

================================================

A/N Hope you all enjoyed! chapter 2 should be up soon if I can get my arse in gear as It's very nearly done.

I don't know how many parts this will end up being but it is linked to my Fwb!Steve oneshot as well, so give that a read if you're thirsty for more as that will be making an appearance in the fic eventually.

Thanks for reading! xx

[captn-trex]

technical devotion, part fifteen: promises made

a/n: I think I'm gonna start aiming to get a chapter of this out every thursday roughly. I have everything planned out apart from how it's gonna end lmao, but rest assured, it shall be happy. I'm looking forward to you guys seeing what's in store! also, I did not realise how slow burn this would be lol, we're still a way off from first kiss territory, buuuuut... this chapter is one I've been waiting to write since the beginning ! hope you enjoy it (sorry for the long a/n)

warnings: injury & pain (not in any great detail) insecure echo :/

last chapter | next chapter | master list | join the taglist

In the weeks following Kan and Echo rekindling their friendship, Kan slowly began to get a grasp on her new role in the ranks, which was mainly because Echo was now there to support her. He was there to remind her not to let her worries overtake her, and a hand on her arm, or an encouraging smile, usually did the trick. Echo's presence calmed her in an instant, and the task of leading didn't seem as daunting with him around. Not that it was always so simple.

Kan stepped out of the command room, rubbing a hand over her face and sighing deeply. Echo was quick to notice as he exited behind her.

“Have you been sleeping?” He asked, stopping her in the corridor.

“I've been sleeping fine yeah, its just… My mind. My mind is tired” She admitted.

“What's wrong?” Echo frowned.

Kan exhaled a long breath, “I really don't know if I'm meant to lead people. It's really outside of my comfort zone even now, and it's just got my brain going into overdrive. I can't stop thinking about… What if something really bad happened under my watch? Or because of a decision I made? I don't think I could cope Echo”

Echo's expression softened the more Kan spoke, a silent admiration of her showing on his features. He placed his hands on her shoulders, something he noted that helped to ground her and gain her focus entirely.

“M'aira, you're doing a great job, and you'll continue to. Rex wouldn't choose you for this if he didn't think you could do it or handle it, and if it means anything to you, I believe in you too”

Kan let a shy smile lift the edges of her lips, “Thanks, it means a lot yeah”

Echo returned her smile, “Now, come with me, I have a small surprise for you”

“You do?” Kan looked up at him with slightly widened eyes.

“It's nothing special” He said as he took his hands away from her shoulders and began walking towards her office, “I just figured that since you seem to insist on sleeping in your office every night…”

Echo opened the door, showing his handiwork to Kan.

“…That having your bunk in here might be the way to go. That way I can stop worrying about you as well”

Kan grinned up at the clone, wrapping her arms around his waist and giving him a quick tight squeeze, “Thank you Echo, you're too kind to me”

Echo shook his head with a smile, resisting the urge to pull Kan back towards him, “Not really, if I was kind I would have tidied up in here too”

Kan looked around her office, still messy as ever. It seemed that Echo had just pushed the worst of the mess aside to make room for the bed.

“It's fine, I don't mind it like this anyway, the mess doesn't really bother me” She shrugged.

Echo huffed a small laugh, “I don't think I could cope if my office was this messy”

Kan hummed thoughtfully, her eyes darting across the mess.

“When do you leave for your mission?” Kan asked, looking back up into his honey eyes.

“We leave early tomorrow morning” Echo gave a sad smile.

“So I won't see you before you go?” Kan questioned, and Echo shook his head. Kan chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, “I wish I was going with you”

Echo could feel the words tugging at his heart, “I don't”

Kan gave him a stern look, her eyebrows drawn together.

He chuckled, “You can't get hurt if you don't go at all”

“You think I can't handle myself?” Kan asked, minorly offended but mostly confused.

“Oh I know you can, I‘m just happier knowing you're safe” Echo confessed, and he could feel his cheeks heating at the slightly vulnerable admission.

Kan just huffed, “Well it doesn't get much more safe than sitting around in the base all day”

“You'll get your chance to go into the field again, don't worry” He assured, a hand on her shoulder.

Kan smiled. Her eyes didn't meet his for a few seconds, but when they did he could tell there was a certain sadness laced within the gentle expression.

“Be safe, yeah?” She urged quietly.

Echo smiled softly, the edges of his eyes crinkling, “I will”

Without warning and much thought of her own, Kan wrapped her arms around Echo again, more tenderly this time. Echo could feel his heart beating out of his chest as he gently wrapped her in his own arms, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

In the past weeks, Kan had become more physically comfortable around Echo, and though he enjoyed it thoroughly, it was still always a little startling. Especially with a touch so gentle and tender as the hug she was currently giving him, it was hard to not be overwhelmed.

“Don't do anything stupid. Don't get yourself hurt” Kan spoke into his chest, and he was certain she could hear how furiously his heart was beating.

“I won't” He replied, hugging her tighter into his body to reassure her, “I promise”

Kan nodded along, listening intently as Rex detailed the upcoming mission. She was a little disappointed to not seem to be going on this mission, as they were going to be infiltrating the base that she had discovered through listening in on the Empire's long range comms. It was a dangerous job, they knew nothing about what this prison would be like once they were in, but that was the reason they were set on going. There were clones being imprisoned there, and they wanted to know why.

“Now, while all that is going on, me and Kan will be on a separate directive, looking to garner any information about this prison” Rex continued, and Kan's ears perked up, her posture straightening at the mention of her.

Rex hadn't discussed this with her before, but she was more than happy to do it, particularly with him.

“That's the plan as of now, but we'll have to wait until more men are back here to enact it” Rex moved away from the central holotable and crossed his arms, “I suggest getting some good rest tonight, they could be back at any time and I want to get this done as soon as possible”

Rex dismissed the clones, and Kan was immediately at his side.

“Rex, about the-”

“Sorry to spring that on you, I was hoping to speak with you earlier but your door was locked” Rex explained.

“Ah right, yeah, I was… tidying”

“Tidying?” Rex raised an eyebrow, a small smirk quirking his lips.

“Yeah, anyway, I wanted to ask you-”

Kan didn't get the chance to finish her question as the door to the command centre zipped open and her focus was drawn towards it. She did a double take, the sight she took in not registering in her mind at first.

It was Echo. He was back from his mission, but something was wrong. His form was alarmingly straight and rigid, his forearm resting against the door frame and holding him up. Each small movement sent a twitch to his face, his teeth clenched and eyes squeezed shut, nostrils flared.

Kan's heart leapt to her throat, and she rushed over to him.

“What happened?” She spoke hurriedly, paying no mind to the other clones around them who watched on.

Echo exhaled shakily, “Got… shot, in the back”

Kan tried so desperately to remain calm despite the sound of her heart pounding in her ears. She turned to look at Rex over her shoulder, hoping for some kind of support.

“We haven’t got a proper medic” He said, clearly shaken by his brother's condition.

That snapped Kan into gear, “I've got medical training, I've got it”

Kan took Echo's arm and threw it over her shoulder, pulling a pained groan from him. She quickly led him to her office, which was only just down the hall, and smacked the door panel in a frantic hurry. She set him down on the bed gently and instantly went about rooting around in the draws of her desk looking for her medkit. When she had found it, she looked up at Echo, who was trying to take off his armour, and failing as his wound cried out in pain.

“Stop, let me do it” Kan spoke instantly, standing in front of him and shooing his hands away.

Her fingers got working on the clasps, starting with his arms and working her way up, exactly as Echo did it.

“How do you know how to do this?” He asked, fighting through his pain.

“I've watched you do it enough times” Kan replied, a small shrug in her shoulders as she focused. Echo would've smirked but his chest plate dug into his wound as she took it off. “Sorry” She whispered.

“S'fine” Echo managed to hiss out as Kan climbed over the bed to sit behind him cross-legged. She tried to survey the damage, to see how bad it really was, but to no avail.

“Could you take this off?” Kan asked, her fingers playing with the hem of his blacks.

If it was possible, Echo’s body seized up even more. He nervously fidgeted his own fingers along the hem, letting out an exasperated huff. His blaster wound was sending small shocks through his body with every movement, but he was single-mindedly focused on not letting Kan take off his top.

Kan noted his discomfort immediately, and let out a sigh.

“Echo” She spoke so gently from behind him, resting a hand on his shoulder, “It's okay, please let me help you”

Echo relented with a slump of his shoulders, “Okay”

Kan helped to peel off the tight base layer, several pained noises escaping the man she was helping. As she saw the wound, she couldn't help but suck a sharp breath between her teeth. Three blaster bolts scorched into his lower back, creating a cluster of open wounds.

Echo assumed her reaction was to seeing the cybernetic attachments he had in his back. His breath was shaky as he tried to calm himself, but it only became more unstable as Kan traced around the outside of his wound.

“I told you to be safe Echo” She whispered, “You promised not to get hurt”

She sounded so solemn, and Echo couldn't find it in himself to say anything. Thankfully, she then got to work on the wound, but it wasn't without discomfort. She first administered a pain relief injection, and his breath caught in his throat as she cupped the side of his neck to do so. She warned him every time she was going to touch him, the antiseptic wipe against his wound making him flinch and grunt more than he wished, stinging even with the pain relief. She placed a bacta patch over the area when she had cleaned it appropriately, and it stung for just a second before the bacta started working it's magic.

“Does that feel better?” She asked quietly, and Echo just nodded

Kan ran her fingers along the edge of the metal apparatus that climbed up his back, causing Echo to shudder under her touch. The feeling of it was so intimate, yet so tainted by sadness and clouded by self-concious thoughts that Echo couldn't focus on the warmth of Kan's fingers against his bare back.

“You're lucky, they almost hit your spine” She spoke, sounding resoundingly serious.

Echo could only hang his head. He felt so ashamed. He had worked hard to get past this mindset, but with the woman he desired like no other sitting behind him and inspecting the damage done to his body, he couldn't help it.

Kan could understand a little of what Echo was thinking, she just hoped she was wrong. She slid from behind him and knelt in front of him on the floor, but he wouldn't look at her.

“Echo” She said as gently as she could, placing a hand on his knee, “I'm glad you're okay”

Echo looked up to her, and the emotions she saw swimming in his eyes were almost enough to bring her to tears.

“What can I say to make you feel better?” She asked in a whisper, for fear that speaking louder would cause him to break.

“There's nothing to say” He said firmly, looking down to his lap.

Kan couldn't help but reach out. She placed a hand on his face, lightly rubbing her thumb along his cheekbone.

“Please talk to me” She pleaded.

After a moment of painful silence, Echo sighed, “I don't show people my cybernetics for a reason”

“Echo it's okay-”

“But it's not” He frowned, his eyes snapping to Kan’s once more. “It's not okay. The attachments, they- they're not exactly desirable, and no one wants someone with all… this. I-” He puffed out a sad breath, the next admission feeling daunting, “It makes me feel like I'm half a man”

Kan's heart broke.

“That's not true” She said sternly, both hands now on his cheeks, forcing him to pay attention to her words, “You're every bit of a man as any other, and even more than that, you're a good man Echo. Anyone would be lucky to have you”

“Anyone?” Echo asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.

Kan wasn't really sure what he was asking. Was he asking because he just wanted confirmation that she was telling the truth? Or was it something more? She weighed her options of what to say, biting into her bottom lip with her eyebrows pinched. She couldn't just admit to her affections for him right now if that wasn't what he was after.

Instead, she took her hands away from his face, sitting back of her heels with a shy look on her face, “Yes, anyone”

Kan stood up and grabbed the medkit, taking it back over to the desk and placing it in the draw.

“You stay here tonight, I'll take your bunk” She said, turning around to meet Echo's intense gaze once more.

“No, I'm fine, I'll-” He was interrupted by his own sharp intake of breath as he tried to stand.

Kan smiled at him knowingly and walked over, placing her hands on his shoulder to keep him rooted to the bed.

“Please, stay here” She insisted.

She found herself lost in Echo's eyes. So many emotions were flitting through them and she couldn't keep track. She absent-mindedly began rubbing her thumb along his bare collarbone, before she realised what she was doing and pulled away.

“I'll see you tomorrow” She nodded to him, leaving quickly and shutting the door behind her.

Echo let out a breath that he didn't realise he was holding and laid back on the bed. His mind was full to the brim with every thought he’d had about Kan since meeting her.

Her distinct scent enveloped him as he crawled into her bunk. He inhaled deeply, letting it take him over and overpower him, washing away his troubled thoughts, and eventually letting it lull him into a peaceful sleep.

[umlewis]

lewis hamilton, p3, during the post-race press conference [part 1], britain - july 9, 2023 (transcription under the cut)

Interviewer: "Lewis, if we could come to you now, great job by you. Your fourteenth British Grand Prix podium. How much did you enjoy being out there again?" Lewis: "Well, firstly, congrats to Max and especially to Lando, 'cause it was great to see… It was a great battle we had, but it's really amazing to see the McLaren back up in competitive form, you know? I think it's been such a long time. And then, for me, really didn't expect to be on the podium today, but when we go through all the different strategy options this is the one you hope for, which is the safety car, and I basically put on the medium tire in the hopes and planned to just stay out on them until the very end, until the safety car potentially would come, and fortunately it did. So our long run pace is really good, and really grateful for the team for continuing to push. We do have a lot of work to do on our car to put ourselves in proper competitive form, to fight the Red Bulls and now McLarens." Interviewer: "You were eighth at the end of lap one. What were you thinking at that moment?" Lewis: "I can't tell you the actual words I was thinking, but it was one of the worst opening laps that I've had for a while, so I think ultimately just trying to gather my thoughts and calm down and not be erratic. But I had a relatively decent start, and then into turn three just seemed to lock the rears for some reason. I think we had a tailwind into there and, for me, I just kept snapping and went wide, and the same thing happened- [upon Lando walking in late] Welcome!" [room laughs] Lewis: "And then the same into turn six and turn seven, and it was very tricky on the first lap, but then after that, just tried to find my feet. And the Ferraris were pretty quick, so it wasn't easy to catch them and overtake, but put us in a good position. But the most impressive part was at the end, following him. Honestly it was amazing to watch how good his car was in the high speed, and I know that we've got some work to do to catch up." Interviewer: "Tell us more about that battle, 'cause at various points we saw you side-by-side going into Copse." Lewis: "Yeah. I threw it up the inside into turn seven in the hope that I can finally… 'This is the moment I'm gonna make it happen', and pressed the overtake button. [To Lando] Did you press the overtake button? So we're both going down the road with the overtake, but he had less drag-so I guess he said they had the smaller wing- and they just started pulling, so I had to back out. But I was relatively quick in the first half of the lap, and I think if you look at our qualifying laps we were very, very close to Max all the way 'til I think it's turn thirteen, and then that's where they pull all their time, so we've got some work to do to improve our high speed performance." Interviewer: "Lewis, final one from me: Do you think McLaren had a faster car than you this weekend?" Lewis: "Yeah." [room laughs] Lewis: "Yes. A hundred percent, and last week, but this is the first time in a long time and they deserve to have the performance they have, as I said, so we've got to do a better job. They've now done a better job than us, and looking for… What I would say is that this is one of the most exciting times we've seen in the sport, where we're finally starting to see the regs pull people closer. You've seen the other day the Williams was up there with Albon, you've seen the McLarens now, the Astons, so we have a lot of teams getting very, very close. Small gaps within qualifying, which is exactly what we need, so looking forward to seeing the rest of the year evolve." Interviewer: "Alright. Brilliant job by you. Well done."

[creators-novel]

Elsewhere, a different team had their own issues to overcome. See, when Straus, Koto, Red, and the others recovered from the initial shock of Vyz’s first attack, they soon realized that he could easily do it again whenever he saw fit. Lightverse was already making their plans, they were the epicenter of this whole mess for goodness’s sake! The least that they could do was make their own arrangements. Before getting anyone else involved, the first order of business was reestablishing contact with the other Incarnates and catching them up. To them, their story had continued as normal. It’s understandable, really. As you may recall, their tale loops back around on itself, one minor difference may not be easily detected.

            The group of blue royalty took the news about as well as one would expect. There was anger, sorrow, and grief all around. Red had to make sure Nathaniel and Kali didn’t immediately run off to enact revenge. Koto silently cradled Melanie while Amadi sat with them, numb. And, of course, Straus knew exactly how Nova and Luna were feeling as they cried in Azura’s arms, knowing their friend was lost to the dark. Unfortunately for them, there was no time to properly lament. It was time to take action to ensure their World wouldn’t be caught up in Vyz’s plans again.

            It was simple for Kali and Nathaniel. In their timeline, they were the soul rulers of the land. All they had to do was prepare a strong barricade around their castle. However, Kali did convince her brother to give at least some form of notice to the general populace. Admittedly, the people they oversaw were confused when the usually overbearing King gave out a warning of grave danger. Most assumed he’d finally gone mad from the power, delusional that some unknown force would overtake his throne. But the few that did believe him did start reinforcing their houses. At least they made some attempt at benevolence this time.

            In some ways, arrangements were easier for Amadi and Melanie. They had no kingdom to rule over, so no worries there. Frankly, they only really had one ally; and even she saw them as nothing more than twisted shadows of their former selves. So, they did what they could. They told their friend to hide in a safe place and to let them take care of the clean-up. After all, everyone knew at this point that the Stygians could bite others. No one had tested what would happen if you sunk your teeth into one of them (yet). The umbral siblings ended up settling down for a long nap. They would need the energy for whatever came next.

            Azura, Nova, and Luna had perhaps the most complicated task. They had a team back home, a team that they loved and cherished. Their little family, who they’ve watched suffer over and over and over again. They had to figure out how to tell them about Vyz; they at least owe them this explanation. They didn’t tell them what happened during the Synthis and Jupiter ordeals, how could they? Even if they did, would the nature of their story let them remember any of it? But the blue trio would remember. They remembered everything. To the Azul siblings, the self-awareness that comes with being an Incarnate is a double-edged blade.

“Sooo…how are we gonna do this??”

The three stand outside the front door to their home base: a large, colorful house that stands firm amidst a redwood forest. The light of the full moon beams down, illuminating Nova’s nervous and confused face. Luna anxiously taps her fingers together, “I think…your guess is as good as mine there…” “We tell them the truth, and that’s the end of it…”, Azura says, albeit with slight doubt in himself. “The more we stall, the less time we have to get ready. I’ll do the talking.” The girls look at each other and then nod at their brother. They face the door and open it together. Unsurprisingly, they’re all immediately caught by the rest of the group.

Arin, a young man who wields Cyan magic, jumps at the sound of the door opening. “AH-…see guys, I told you they’d be back! But SOME of you didn’t believe me…”, he slumps back in his chair and rolls his eyes, trying to regain some form of composure.

This alerts Phoenix, the Red Wanderer, and leader of the team. Even though he has a fiery passion for heroism, he often gets caught up in the organization of everything. Who’s doing what, who’s going where, etc. And judging by the stacks of paper surrounding him and how disheveled he looks, it’s pretty obvious the Azuls were out longer than he anticipated.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re back!”, that thankful cheer came from Amber, the girl of Yellow. She quickly runs to the trio and gives them each a loving hug. “We were all so worried!”, she stands on her tip-toes to kiss Azura on the cheek. “What took you so long? Are you hurt?”, she asks, softly holding his hands.

“Will you let them come in the door first? You’re letting in the cold air…” That grumpy fellow in the corner would be Zack, the bearer of Black magic. He’s still getting used to working with everyone. The constant hustle and bustle of “hero life” hasn’t been kind to him, and it shows.

The last member of the crew hops up behind the siblings. “Tell me you didn’t go on some fun adventure without us!” Victor, the Green Wanderer, is the most energetic of the bunch. He’s quick to go on performative tangents and is definitely the most expressive out of them all.

            Nova laughs apprehensively, “We’re sorry we’re home so late.” “I should hope so!”, says Phoenix, nearly tripping on a paper slip. “You and Azura had a scheduled mission earlier. Without both of you here, it completely threw everything off! Oh- and hello Luna…Wait- tsk! This is exactly my point! Is that why you were out? To wait for her? Certainly, we all could have picked her up together AFTER our shifts…!” Victor nonchalantly leans on Phoenix’s shoulder, “What he MEANT to say was that you gotta tell us what happened out there! Did you have a run-in with Mara!?” “Well, no…”, Luna starts, then looks to Nova for guidance. “It’s… a bit more than that.”, Nova continues, “We had to go talk to some friends who are…uhm…” “Not from around here!”, the duo declares in tandem.

…What in the world are they talking about?

“’ Not from around here’…? Really?”, Arin asks, unamused. “Not that I don’t believe you, but I find it hard to believe you have friends from RealWorld besides me and Amber.” Zack leaves his corner of the room and walks forward, “And if memory serves correctly, this isn’t the first time you’ve gone and disappeared with some sort of lame excuse.” “Everyone, please!”, Amber squeaks, “This doesn’t need to become a big thing!” “Oh, it won’t. So long as your ‘king’ fesses up.” Zack stares intently at Azura, “Answers. Now. What are you three hiding?”

            Amber feels Azura’s grip tighten. “Ok, everyone. Back up, and back off. Nova, can you shut the door behind you guys, please?... Azura, if this is important to you, Nova, and Luna, you’re ok to tell us about it. Whatever it is, we’ll make it a team effort and help. Right, you guys?” There’s a pause… then Phoenix sighs, “Yes, right. I’m sorry. But if whatever you’ve been up to deserves our attention, I think we deserve to hear the full truth.”

            “…’ The full truth’… Sure.” Azura takes a deep breath, looks at the girls, then looks away from everyone, and starts from the beginning.

            “The truth is that all of us, not just my sisters and I, are part of something grander. I know none of you will believe it, but we’re not just constructs of DreamWorld’s spirits, even they have a maker behind them. The makers behind all of us, our…Creators, they live in a place that exists outside here, beyond…everything. Just like us, they’re family who take care of each other and strive to protect those they love. And right now, they’re under attack. We didn’t know because the force they’re up against locked us out for a bit. It’s truly unlike anything we’ve witnessed before. And we’ve seen some…’interesting’ battles alongside them in the past… We need to help them again, now more than ever. And they’re going to need your help too.”

…

“It’s official, they’ve lost it.”, Arin says, dumbfounded.

“But he’s being honest!”, Nova defends.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re convinced or not.”, Azura continues, “They’re going to attack either way and we need to be ready. Our whole world and many others are at risk if we don’t stop this. I know it’s a lot to ask of you all, especially coming from me. But I need you to believe me…please. And if nothing happens,”, he smiles slightly and turns his gaze back to the group, “then you can call us crazy after.”

Another moment of silence.

Phoenix’s footsteps break the tension. He walks to Azura’s side and places a hand on his shoulder. “This is a lot… and I don’t know if certain about all of it yet. However, that is the most genuine you’ve been with us in quite a while. That doesn’t come without respect, cousin. Whatever this threat is, we’ll help you defend against it. You have my word.” Azura exhales and relaxes. Thank everything that was enough. Luna smiles and sighs, “Thank you…”

            “If whatever this ‘evil force’ is does appear, how will we know?”, the ever-skeptical Zack wonders. Azura explains, “Truth be told, I haven’t seen them yet. But from what our friends on the outside have said, they all use this dark…void-like energy. Furthermore, there are three levels to this group. First are the basic soldiers, basically blob creatures that can infect you with their bite. People who have been infected are the second group. Finally, there’s their master, Vyz. We’ll be very lucky if he doesn’t show up here.” “Ok, I’ll be honest… that sounds pretty rad!”, Victor states outright, “And any excuse to keep these old fighting skills sharp is fine by me!” “In that case”, says Phoenix, “everyone should go rest as soon as possible. Everyone will have the same mission tomorrow: preparing the citizens for the possible invasion without revealing too many details. And we should also hope Mara doesn’t catch wind of this… we wouldn’t want her getting any bright ideas right now.” Amber beams, “Sounds fine to me!”

            The group separates for now, going about their nighttime routines. Arin is the last one to be left in the room by himself.

“…So wait- were the RealWorld people right?! Is there a god out there or what-!?”

[khaleesiofalicante]

Okay I'm currently on season 3 of Drive To Survive and I just have one thought: How pissed was Lewis Hamilton back in 2020 with the FIA? I mean he got so many penalties it's kinda crazy😂 Not gonna lie, I think he made his opinion pretty clear on the FIA's decision during covid so I can just picturing him going "Screw the rules". Low key love that for him, I can't stop thinking about it😂 I also adore Gasly, he just really went out there and said, I'm gonna show Red Bull they made the wrong decision and I love that for him! Also, Christian not admitting they made a mistake, and being like, we want to give space to Alex when they dropped Gasly MID SEASON is just one of the many reasons I don't like him. That and him mentioning "Verstappen" every other sentence that comes out of him. And reporting Mercedes. Actually, it's a long list so I'll stop now.

Also, there is a channel in my country that shows the race so I saw it on Sunday and I was watching the comments on twitter as well. Everybody was saying how boring the race was and I was just at the edge of my seat waiting for Hamilton to get past Sainz (really pissed that it didn't happen). Also loved the fact that Max couldn't catch up to Perez, I have to admit I don't like either of them very much, but I really don't like Max so I didn't really mind (please don't come at me, I just don't like him). Also loved Charles he is amazing( I just watched the episode where Ferrari dropped Vettel and I'm a little pissed at that, I really liked him and Charles as team mates).

Also, on the channel back in my country they send a reporter there who kinda gives a tour of the faculties and as he was talking Hamilton passed him and he just stopped talking for a minute and then continued. Personally, I would have dropped everything and ran behind him, rip him but I'm a hoe first and human second.

Okay, that's it for now, also read the latest FMF chapter and I absolutely loved it, I think it's one of my favourite chapters you have ever written and oh god THE VISUALS, sometimes I wish your fanfics were movies because the scene with David standing behind Max, I could just picture it and seriously needed a moment to myself after reading it. Many thoughts about it that I will share with you later. I'm sorry you have a tough month ahead of you, I hope it gets better. Sending you strength and love to get through it(and this real of the cuttest little kitty on earth )🌷🩷

GIRL DO I HAVE SHIT TO TELL YOU.

Fuck the FIA. Seriously. Fuck them. They just love to hate Lewis. Like those bitches banned him (and all drivers) from wearing jewelry instead of fixing actual shit that needs to be fixed (not Lewis getting a new nose stud lmao love him). If you think they are being unfair now, I CANNOT WAIT for you to watch season 4. Please let me know your thoughts when you finish it!! Please! Also the FIA recently (2023) banned drivers from making 'political statements' on the track (Wtf??) anyway this was Lewis' response and I was on my knees oof.

Gasly is lovely! I want him to get more points!!

This race was 'comparatively' more boring than the other ones. Because that track is a tricky one and we expected more crashes (safe ones!) and drama. You should've seen the Aussy GP (the one before this!!) it was total chaos! I hope you watch the rest of the races too!!! I really wanted Lewis to overtake Sainz too and god he tried so hard but he just didn't have the pace. i hope that car gets better with the season!!!!

Fuck Verstappen. He is such a cunt.

Charles ♥️ (did you know he was originally my cast for Lance lmaooo)

I love Vettel. I wish he was still here 🥺

Thank you for loving FMF. I love youuuuu.

[hours2hours]

THE HAWKINS PARADOX: CHAPTER FOUR

Miles

Half-laying on the empty table, I continue scribbling aimlessly until my pencil pierces the paper. Drawing is one of the few things that can distract me, but not today. My thoughts downpour as strongly as the rain outside, too much to focus. The library at Matlock Collegiate is tiny compared to the city school I used to go to, meaning it’s usually filled to the brim with students studying. But this window and table are tucked behind a corner in the back. Usually the isolation helps calm me down, but the murmurs of students tell me I’d be alone regardless. 

A bolt of lightning strikes, and thoughts flash to Mateo, what his body might look like, disfigured and cold. How different would today be if I had stayed with him that night? He might be sitting here with me, working on our comic book or talking about new video game releases.

“How is that guy not in jail yet?” 

“Beats me. Just keep your distance.”

The whispers have been driving me insane. If this is what I hear when people think I’m not listening, how much has really been said?

“Can I sit here? Or are ‘ya busy sharing an intimate moment with the window?”

I drop my pencil and slide off my headphones when Joel’s hand smooths over the back of my chair. I wipe the moisture from my eyes and ask, “How’d you know I was here?”

Joel takes a seat. “‘Ya know Miles, you’re one of the most secretive people I’ve met. To know much a anythin’ about you I’ve had to observe. You always come to the library when you’re messed up, this is the most isolated spot in the building with a close window, and I know you like watching the rain.” He finishes wearing a smug grin.

“Not bad detective,” I joke. 

A flash of light, and I’m pulled back to a time when Mateo and I were kids camping with our grandparents. They were fast asleep during the storm and I was so scared, so he came into my bed and we watched for a while. When I was scared of the storm coming close, he taught me how lighting works, how to tell how far away it is. He assured me the danger was far away, and made me feel safe enough to sleep.

“Uh oh, the murderer’s planning something. Look who he’s sitting with!”

“Do people in this town gossip this fucking much? Or is it just for me?” I snap.

Joel leans in close as if to reveal a secret. “In Matlock beach, I like to look at other examples of isolation turning people into animals. Ya’know, lord of the flies and shit. In this case, people have gotten so bored they actually make up any shit they want to keep entertained.”

Chuckling slightly, I resume staring out the window. 

Joel slides his chair closer and stares into my sketchbook, head resting in his arms. “What’re you drawing?”

“Just scribbles,” I say without looking. Joel slides the book close and raises an eyebrow. He picks up the book and stares at it, a confused expression overtaking his face. “Why'd you write this?” he asks.

“Write what?” I reply, reclaiming my sketchbook. The page is still just a bunch of random scribblings. But then Joel takes s pen from the desk and begins drawing on the page, tracing over what he sees. In a way I hadn’t even noticed, the strips of pencil lead have spelled out three words, “HOURSTOHOURS”.

“The hell?” Joel remarks.

“Those words sound familiar.”

“They marked the place where the money was ‘sposed to be.”

“Guess it’s been in the back of my mind.”

“Must be,” Joel appears awestruck. He hesitantly places the book down as if wanting to question further, but doesn’t.

After a long pause Joel says, “... anyway, I came here ‘cause I wanted to tell ya that there’s search parties lookin’ for Mateo. Don’t think they’ve found anythin’ yet though.”

“Figured.”

“Point is they’re looking, an’ they’re gonna find ‘em.”

I don’t answer. It doesn’t make me feel much better, because I know what they’re going to find.

“This place sucks, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess,” I reply.

“We should get outta here,” Joel says with a mischievous smile.

I glance back at the page I continue to scribble, “Lunch period is over in ten minutes, we have to get to class.”

Joel scoffs, “You know that neither of us are gonna do shit today right? How can they expect you to? Let’s go,” he taps the table twice hard with an open hand before standing with his bag over his shoulder. He’s right. If I can’t draw I doubt I’ll be very productive in the classroom. I’m not exactly an advocate for skipping class, but they have to make an exception if my brother’s probably dead, right?

Joel guides me to the side exit of the school, only known by students as the smoker’s door. No one’s out in the pouring rain though, maybe the cold will act as a distraction at least.

Joel pulls out his keys and unlocks his car door in advance. “Ready to book it?”

I hold my backpack over my head and nod. Joel opens the door and we sprint through the rain. Truck in sight, Joel reaches for the handle only to step into a deep pothole, tripping on his face. I manage to tug at his hand to bring him to his feet. But he still keeps a smile while he jumps in. “Are you okay?” I say exasperated and giggling, while Joel is totally soaked and covered in mud.

“Yeah,” He heaves. “Thanks for the help.” He starts the engine. 

“Sorry for getting your car all wet,” I say.

“Oh c’mon, if I didn’t want it dirty I sure as hell wouldn’t’ve come in. This thing is a dumpster anyway.” He doesn’t buckle his seatbelt before driving off  toward the beach. His car is a bit of a wreck with green specks littering the floor and cup holders, the smell of weed still easily distinguishable.

Downtown Matlock Beach is a rectangle of run-down buildings roughly the size of two or three city blocks. There’s the arcade, an old building with outdated games and prizes, the recently renovated cafe where I work, the bank, an antique store, some restaurants, and various self-owned shops. Of them all, the only one which interests me is the comic book store. I wonder if I’ll still be able to go to that alone with how anxious these places make me. Before, Mateo would take me.

East to all the stores is a grassy area with tables and trees. There’s a stage in the middle where a lot of c-tier bands come to play in the summer for tourists.

Today, the water is a jagged sea of white-peaked waves. Normally there are fishermen on the water, some speedboats and a kiteboarder or two, but it’s barren, and not just because of the weather. No one’s really been boating or fishing at all in the past few weeks. In fact, I can recall some warnings not to go in the water at all. Other than being a tourist spot or summer home, this town relies on the lake for fish and summer activities, but those haven’t been possible with the current state of the lake. Parasites making the fish unhealthy, turning their tongues black. Crazy the mundane things you care about when you desperately need to distract yourself.

Joel drives us to a diner I’ve never even noticed before, squished between the arcade and a tackle shop. He parks out front and we run inside.

It’s old as expected. The furniture and interior design all outdated, but not in a nostalgic way. We sit down at a booth with seats made of wood that are faded and chipped all over, right next to a huge dingy window. A waitress comes by and takes our orders, but after that we’re sitting in silence while I spin the salt shaker in circles.

Joel sighs, “I get you’re worried, but they’re going to find him. I promise you.”

I sit with my fist squishing my cheek up, “That’s what I’m worried about. I'm not ready to see what they’re gonna find.” Joel touches the back of his head. “Well, what were you guys up to that night?”

“Why does it matter?”

“‘Cause I get what it’s like for someone to fuck with you, and not just ‘cause of the Toby incident. I’ve dealt with shitty circumstances before, and unlike the cops dealin’ with your case, I give a shit. Maybe I can help.”

“How do you know they dont?”

“I heard the way they talked to you. They think your pain is just another problem in their day, another case they need to solve for a paycheck.”

The waitress drops off some waters, which I swish around endlessly. “If you want to help then I don’t see the harm. We were just filming this stupid video for art class in our backyard. I didn’t see or hear anything weird, he wasn’t acting much weirder than usual that day. Although in the weeks before he had been leaving the house more often than normal. He helped out on my assignment for an hour, until Annie messaged me. I left… and then he was gone.”

Joel barely grazes his finger against mine on the table, he’s leaning forward and speaks softly. “It isn’t your fault.”

“I know, everyone tells me that. But I just can’t shake the feeling that if I were there, it might not have happened.”

“But he was acting unusual you said?”

I look away back at the pouring rain. “He was never really a normal guy, but he’s been leaving for days in the last few weeks. It wouldn’t be odd for someone his age, but Mateo usually kept to himself. When I asked him where he was going he lied to me. But he’s done stuff like that before, I dunno.”

Joel is quiet while he thinks things over. “An’ the cops checked his phone?”

“I don’t know, Dad hasn’t mentioned anything, why?”

“You said he was gonna finish the project after you left, do ya think he might’ve still been filming?”

My stomach drops like a falling elevator. “How did I not think of that? I’m such an idiot!” A fisherman eyes me when I yell, but somehow I don’t even care.

“He left the thing behind?”

“My Dad found it when he went looking for Mateo, but I seriously doubt he knew the password.” Feeling guilty, I leave a small tip on the counter before rushing out the door.

“You mean you actually know it?” Joel shouts over the rain.

“He was my brother,” I reply. “I knew everything.”

***

Joel pulls up to my home, the downpour growing denser until a soft haze covers the ground. As the car slows to a reasonable pace I hop out, and I don’t hesitate to bang my fists on the door when the handle doesn’t budge. “Dad it’s me, open up!” I call.

“He isn’t here,” Joel says.

“Dad open the door!” I cry out, slamming my fists harder. Mateo’s life could depend on that video if he really did record what caught him. There’s no guarantee that it’ll be anything but I have to try. Every second wasted is another where he’s tortured, or sold to human traffickers, or sliced open to be sold for parts. Joel turns me around when I find that the rain isn’t alone in streaking down my face. “This door is too strong to bust down. Let’s find another way in.”

But despite his calm demeanor, I still can’t seem to catch my breath. My breathing steadily grows faster just as my heartbeat. but Joel is eyeing the house up and down. “C’mon.” He gently guides me around the house, while raising his sweater above our heads as shelter. The house is so tiny, practically a trailer home, so there isn’t a lot in terms windows. On the back of the house though, there’s one right next to the back door. I slice open the tips of my fingers trying to pull the thing open, but it barely gives. Joel quickly joins in on heaving the thing, placing a foot on the house to pry it open.

Despite my objections Joel is fine with staying out in the rain while I make a mess of the floor. It doesn’t feel right entering Mateo’s room. People’s rooms are their private places, it’s not something I ever want to intrude on. But I can manage to forgive myself this one time. The phone sitting on his bed is hard to miss and has some battery power left. Just to make sure it wasn’t changed, I type into the password screen, H2H2 and it unlocks. As badly as I’d like to lock myself away in my room, I don’t need to do that this time. Just before leaving I catch sight of something on his desk: Mateo’s sketchbook. I carefully tuck it underneath my hoodie and head back outside where Joel waits.

The trip out from the house, through the rain and to the front porch is only a soaking wet blur, Joel’s voice almost surprises me. “You’re shaking,” Joel notes. I didn’t even notice how violently my hands were vibrating. The fear I haven’t felt in years shows itself with impulses I thought I’d grown past. I open the video and skim past all the school stuff to the part where I left him alone.

The camera recorded the top of our heads as we sat on the grass in our backyard. The sun was just setting while we were talking about how to finish our project, then I received a text. “Oh god, I’m sorry man. I have to go.”

Mateo just laughed softly and said, “No worries homie, we’re basically done anyway. I’ll finish it up.”

“I totally owe you. By the way, is your part of the comic almost done?”

“Five more panels to ink and it’s all yours. But if you really wanna repay me, I wouldn’t mind some help with the last few. I’d value your artistic insight.”

At this point the footage clearly shows me picking my backpack off the ground and heading out. “Awesome, I’ll probably be out late, tell dad not to freak out. See you tomorrow!”

Mateo watches me leave and when I’m out of sight, he simply sits and watches the sun setting. After five minutes or so, he stands and turns the camera to the forest.

“Hmm, sun’s going down. I think I’ll just try to get some b-roll for now. Hey uh, Miles, if you’re watching this I’m sorry but I’m totally not getting this done tonight.”

I laugh as a tear streams down my face. Then the moment it catches my eye I pause it.

“What’s wrong?” Joel asks.

“Do you see that?” I point into the dark of the forest, at the faintly visible glow peeking out of a bush, two pinholes of white light. Joel takes the phone from my hands and examines it closer. “I dunno what I’m looking at here.”

“Nevermind,” I hit play again, and the lights disappear. The only sounds are the creaking trees and Mateo’s breathing. He slowly pans the camera across the trees, and tests various angles and lighting conditions.

Then someone speaks.

It’s difficult to even notice at first, so I crank the volume and both of us inch closer to the speaker. 

“Help… please,” the voice calls. It’s voice chokes over each word as if speaking with a mouth full of water. Unmistakably masculine, but other than that it’s unrecognizable, barely audible. Mateo is on the edge of the frame now looking into the forest with his mouth agape.

“A-are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“Please....”

“Hold on, I’m going to get help.” Mateo turns to run for the house, but he’s stopped in place. I gasp when two arms spring out from the dark and clasp tightly over his mouth. They aren’t visible somehow, the odd lighting of the shot makes it so the arms appear as silhouettes against his skin. Mateo stops wide-eyed before fighting against his attacker. He fumbles over their arms trying to pry them off his face, he tries to yell, but in a moment he’s dragged into the woods all while the person mutters something under their breath. It’s only a few words, but the attacker repeats them over and over while he and Mateo’s muffled screams grow fainter.

The footage is silent for a moment, until louder screams fill the air. Horrifying, pained screams. I turn the phone off, sobbing, unable to breathe. Joel only holds me tight, knowing well that no words could make this okay.

“What was the point?” I ask.

“I dunno, Miles. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was a good idea.” But all this video confirmed was my suspicions of Mateo’s violent end. 

“Maybe we’ll still find something of use on it. If not to save him, to bring you some closure. Can I see that?”

I plop the phone into Joel’s hand, he taps a few buttons and hands it back to me. He guides me back towards his car while I cling tightly to the book in my lap. The last piece of him I still have.

“What’s that?” Joel starts the engine.

“Something of his that I need to finish.”

“One day I’ll get some straight answers outta you.” He wipes the wet hair out of my face. “Now c’mon, let’s get you somewhere dry.”

[casspurrjoybell-25]

Skating on Thin Ice - Chapter 39 - Part 2

*Warning - Adult Content*

Elijah Ellis

"We don't have to go to the pool if you don't want to," Fox said as the two of us walked down the hall toward the elevator.

Joshua and Ian had already gone down with the guys.

Fox decided to take his sweet time getting ready and I had just woken up from a nap, so the other two were sick of waiting for us.

"Are you sure you want to go?" I asked him, quirking my head to the side as the doors closed us in.

He sighed, staring straight ahead at our reflections in the metal doors.

I felt my heart slowly sinking as I waited for his response.

"I just don't want them to treat me any different," he mumbled, biting down on his bottom lip.

Before I could say anything, the elevator doors opened and Fox walked out.

I followed closely behind him as he headed toward the pool, the smell of chlorine overtaking the air around us.

Shouts and splashes from the guys could be heard as we walked down the hall and into the pool area.

We were quickly greeted by the rest of the team when they saw us enter.

I followed Fox over to one of the tables where we put our stuff down, Fox pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it down on one of the chairs.

"Elijah, come play chicken," Alex shouted from the pool, splashing water and hitting Ian in the face with it.

Ian's expression soured and he wrapped an arm around Alex's neck, pulling him under the water.

"Don't drown him," Fox warned as he walked over to the pool.

"We're gonna need him tomorrow."

Ian let Alex up, earning a shove from him.

I slid into the pool after taking my shirt off, Fox following behind me.

"I don't want to play chicken," I told Alex.

I was met with a pout and a splash of water sent to my chest.

"Anyway, are we ever going to get the story about how you two got together?" Alex asked, leaning against the side of the pool while Fox was talking to Ian.

I didn't know how much Fox was willing to tell.

He was freshly out of the closet and I didn't want to upset him by spilling details he didn't want coming out.

"It's a long story," I said with a shrug, catching Fox's attention.

"What is?" Fox asked, looking between Alex and me.

"How you two got together," Alex exclaimed, gaining the attention of the guys around us.

Fox's eyes swept across the team as they awaited his response.

He sighed, looking over to me with a softened gaze.

Before he could open his mouth, a commotion from the entrance caused us to turn our heads to the group walking into the pool area.

My stomach dropped as my eyes widened when I realized who they were.

They were faces I would recognize anywhere.

My eyes locked with Landon and I instantly reached out for Fox, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him toward me.

"We have to go," I rushed out, pulling Fox toward the pool steps.

"What's going on?" he asked as he followed me.

"Is that your old team."

All I could do was nod as I rushed us over toward our things, not even bothering to dry off as I pulled my shirt over my head and grabbed my phone.

Landon watched with amusement as Fox stood close to me, glaring over at them.

"Are they the ones sending you messages?" Fox asked in a low tone, not even looking at me as he continued his stare at the group.

"We can talk about it upstairs," I said, picking his shirt up off the chair and shoving it into his chest.

"Elijah," Josuah called out as he rushed over to us.

"We're going," I told him.

As the three of us tried going for the exit, Landon and his group stopped in front of us.

Landon stood directly in front of me with a blank expression on his face.

I knew what he was capable of, he had beat me up before, getting all of his followers to join in.

He wasn't a nice guy and he wasn't afraid to hurt me.

Fox shoved me behind him and stood face to face with Landon.

Landon smirked, looking behind Fox at me.

"You got yourself a boyfriend sticking up for you now?" Landon asked in a humorous tone.

"Fuck off," Fox spat, stepping closer to him.

Landon raised his eyebrows, looking him up and down.

"Two fucking faggots on the same team," Landon hissed, narrowing his eyes at Fox.

"Fox, let's go," I begged, though I wasn't sure we'd be able to get by them without something happening.

"Call us faggots one more time," Fox seethed in a threatening tone.

By this time, the rest of our team had gotten out of the pool and made their way over to us.

Ian and Ryan got themselves to the front of the crowd beside me as if they were ready to defend Fox at any moment.

"Fucking..." Landon said, stepping closer... "Faggots..." on his last word, Landon shoved Fox backwards and caused him to bump into me.

Fox was quick to react, grabbing Landon by the throat and restraining him in a headlock.

The group behind him looked as if they were ready to fight but thought better of it.

"You really want to start a fight right now?" Fox snapped.

"There's twenty of us and six of you and you want to fight?"

Landon squirmed in Fox's grip, grabbing at his arm to try to get him to release him.

"Fox, let him go," I said and Fox almost instantly did.

I walked ahead of Fox to come directly in front of Landon's beet red face.

The redness was more from his embarrassment than from Fox holding him.

"If you have a problem with me, then you take it up with me on the ice," I seethed, my jaw clenched as he stared at me in disgust.

"But you bring him into it and we're going to have a bigger problem."

[frogtanii]

℗ me and my husband

atsumu x fem!reader (poker face ending)

series masterlist

♡´･ᴗ･`♡

wc. 3.2k (holy shit)

warnings. NOT PROOFREAD, v v soft domestic, marriage :00, smut!! (is marked off!!), soft dom!tsumu, hair pulling (giving), unprotected sex, slight praise kink, pretty vanilla ngl

an. can be read as a one shot but u might be confused lmfao also this took SO LONG OMFG also also heavily unedited, take things w a grain of salt lmfao anyways don’t forget to feed me ahaha m rlly proud of this so i hope y’all like it <33

it was moving day and atsumu was about to lose his mind.

today was the official day of the hyper house disbandment and while most of the members were still figuring out new living arrangements and thus remaining past the deadline, you were one of the few trying to get out as soon as possible.

makki and mattsun were so excited to have you move in, they showed up early that morning to help you pack. now, it was around 1p and it was almost time for you to go. you still had a few more boxes to go but things were speeding right along.

normally, atsumu would be right by your best friends helping you out but he was currently in the middle of a breakdown.

you were leaving. leaving. he had no idea when he’d see you again (even though you promised to meet up weekly to catch up), if he would ever see you again. for all he knew, makki and mattsun would just hide you away forever, never to be seen again.

okay, so he was panicking.

it was just... atsumu was in love with you. he’d known for a while (way longer than he’d like to admit) and he selfishly thought he’d have more time with you so that he could work up the courage to confess. but now? you were like three boxes away from a distance that he didn’t know if he or your relationship could recover from.

it wasn’t that he was bad at long distance but the tragic events that the house brought, brought the two of you closer together and he didn’t want to lose that.

atsumu let out a groan and dropped his head against the wall, his mind running with scenario after scenario, all ending in failure and utter embarrassment.

“hey, you okay?” you called out, a large box cradled delicately in your arms. as atsumu turned from the plaster in front of him, he allowed himself a moment to take you in.

you were wearing short athletic shorts, worn converses, and his t shirt. a thin sheen of sweat covered your skin, the lights above reflecting off of it, giving you a warm glow.

of course you looked hot moving boxes.

you called his name again in concern and he immediately felt his heart clench in guilt. you’d already been through so so much and here he was fantasizing about you instead of being there for you like a good friend would.

atsumu let out a sigh and shot you a wide, albeit empty, smile before walking over to you and taking the box out of your hands. the furrow in your brows told him you saw through his expression but he ignored it and made a show of lifting your box above his head and carrying it to mattsun’s car.

“see, what would ya do without these guns angel?” he joked, placing the cardboard into the trunk. you rolled your eyes and poked him in the side playfully. “die, probably.”

the butterflies in his stomach kicked up at the underlying sincerity in your voice but he tried his best to overlook it. it was much harder than it seemed, especially when you looked at him with such fondness in your gaze that made him want to kiss you senseless.

gulping hard, he quickly turned away from you, busying himself with fitting your things in the truck like a game of tetris.

“atsumu.” your voice was firm but pleading and he didn’t dare look at you for fear of spilling everything right then and there. “wow, ya sure got a lot of stuff, huh? wonder how much of this was bought with ushijima’s money,” he started to ramble but thankfully he was interrupted by makki whooping as he walked out of the house.

“last box bitches!” you shot atsumu one final worried look before running over to makki and mattsun, yelling the whole way there.

atsumu was grateful your back was to him because he couldn’t hide the affectionate look that overtook his face, a soft smile spreading across his lips as he watched you hip bump your friends while cackling wildly.

god, he was so in love with you.

what was he going to do when you moved out and away? what if you found someone, someone how loved you as much as he did (not possible)? he would wish for your happiness even at the expense of his own but... what if you both could be happy?

caught up in his thoughts, atsumu didn’t register you saying your goodbyes to the remaining members until you were finally in front of him.

“i’m gonna miss living with you tsum.” you unceremoniously launched yourself at him, wrapping your arms around his waist and burying your face in his chest. his heart leapt violently at the contact and he prayed to every deity above that you didn’t hear it underneath your head.

he barely managed to hug you back before you pulled away, your eyes slightly teary and red. “um, well, makki and mattsun are waiting for me so uh,” you trailed off looking back at the van and your friends who were so (im)patiently waiting for you to join them.

atsumu’s breath quickened as you scooted a bit away from him, truly getting ready to leave. no, no, it couldn’t end like this, awkward and distant. no, he wasn’t going to let it.

“atsumu?” you asked worriedly, reaching out a hand to touch him when he didn’t respond but he couldn’t hear you. he felt hot all over, like he was going to explode or magically combust if he didn’t get the words out into the air.

“tsum, are you oka-“ “i’m in love with ya.”

you paused, shock written clearly all over your face. the fear of rejection slammed into atsumu like a brick, the feeling settling in the pit of his stomach like a rock but he still didn’t stop.

“i’m in love with ya and i have been for forever. yn, yer beautiful but yer face and body aren’t even the best part of ya, even though they’re pretty damn great. yer just-“

“tsum-“

“-yer so kind, especially when ya don’t need ta be. yer badass but ya care fer others so deeply and ya make me wanna be a better person. ya make me a better person. i know ya-“

“tsumu please-“

“-ya probably don’t feel the same and that’s alright but i needed ta tell ya, before ya leave and fall in love with some other scrub, just in case we can be happy together and-“

all of a sudden, your hands were buried in his shirt and you were pulling him close to meet your lips with his, your mouths meshing together in a soft and passionate kiss.

bliss. atsumu was in sheer bliss. your lips were as soft as he thought they would be as they moved with his, his hands coming up to grip your waist and pull you even closer to him.

sooner than he would have liked, his lungs started burning for air so he pulled back but not very far, instead resting his forehead against yours.

“i was trying to tell you i liked you too, idiot,” you muttered, your eyes still closed as you spoke. he chuckled, a wide grin overtaking his entire face as he really took in what you were saying.

you liked him back. you liked him. holy shit.

but instead of saying any of that, he decided to tease you a bit. “just like? if i recall, i just confessed my undying love for ya.”

you pulled back with a faux scoff, hitting him in the arm with a huff. “shut up you ass. of course i love you too.” you couldn’t keep your real smile off your cheeks while you confessed, your soft expression bringing another wave of desire over atsumu’s body.

“can, can i take ya inside angel?” he allowed his true intentions to be heard in his words, your eyes widening when you figured out what he meant. you nodded vigorously before shooting a look to makki and mattsun. mattsun just waved you off and got into his truck while makki yelled, “get that dick!”

you heated up horribly, grabbing atsumu’s hand and pulling him towards the house and to his room. he allowed himself to be dragged along, sending winks to the other boys as he went until the two of you were standing right in front of his door.

“i love ya,” he whispered, lifting your hand to his lips to place a gentle kiss there. you grinned. “love you too tsum.”

that must have been the final straw because the minute the words left your mouth, he was on you.

••• smut begin•••

pressing you up against the door, atsumu ravaged your mouth, his tongue tangling with yours as he walked you backwards into his room, laying you down on the bed so that he was hovering over you, his hips pressing hard against yours.

instinctively, you ground up into him, rewarding you with a loud groan and a gasp of your name. “fuck angel, yer killing me here,” he laughed breathlessly, rolling his hardness against your thigh. you let out a breathy moan and tangled your hands in his hair to bring him back down to your lips.

as you continued to kiss him, his hands scrambled at your waist, pushing his hands under it to grope at your chest. you giggled at the cold of his fingers but he didn’t pay it any mind, moving down from your mouth to your neck, sucking dark marks into the sensitive skin there.

“ah, shit tsumu,” you tilted your head to the side to give him more access, just as he reached under your bra to tease your nipples. a startled gasp left you, your back arching into his careful touch. “that feel good angel?” atsumu asked, voice low and gravelly as he pinched the delicate bud, drawing another noise from your throat.

you nodded, not trusting yourself to speak. you bit your bottom lip while he pulled your shirt and bra off, tossing them somewhere in the room. as he scanned your half naked body, he noticed you quieting yourself and he lightly shook his head. his thumb found its way to your lip, carefully pulling it from between your teeth.

“wanna hear ya angel, let me hear yer pretty noises, yeah?” without letting you respond, atsumu dove back into your chest, suckling one of your nipples into his mouth while toying with the other, a sigh of his name sending a bolt of arousal straight to his loins.

he grinded against you absentmindedly, losing himself in you, eventually switching sides to give the same treatment to your neglected bud.

while atsumu seemed to be having the time of his life attached to your tit, you were getting impatient, your arousal completely soaking through your underwear. you needed more.

tangling your fingers in his blond locks, you attempted to tug him away from your chest but his reaction was unlike anything you could’ve expected. “aahh!” he let out a strangled whine, his hips bucking against your side.

“please, tsumu, need more,” you breathed, his needy reaction not lost on you as pulled his hair a bit harder. you were not disappointed as his eyes rolled back and his mouth opened in a silent moan before dropping his head to your shoulder.

“fuck, fuck, okay angel, i got ya, i got ya.” atsumu swiftly disposed of both yours and his bottoms and underwear before lifting your leg and positioning himself at your entrance.

“tell me if i hurt ya, alright? i love ya,” he smiled down on you, your heart swelling two times at his carefulness. “i love you too,” you replied, watching as his pupils grew and a low groan broke free from his chest.

“oh angel, ‘m gonna ruin ya.” that was the last thing he said before he pushed into you, both of you letting out whimpers as he stretched you open, the blunt head of his cock just a few centimeters shy of your cervix.

your back arched in pleasure, both of your hands scrambling until they found purchase on his back, your nails digging in just when he started to thrust shallowly into you.

“f-fuck, how’re ya s-so fuckin’ tight?” atsumu growled through gritted teeth, every word punctuated with a roll of his hips. you couldn’t respond as you were too overwhelmed with pleasure, his cock rubbing against your g-spot with every slow movement.

speaking of slow, he was moving way too leisurely for your tastes. you needed him to move faster and you knew exactly how to do it.

sliding your hand up from his back, you grabbed a good chunk of hair from the back of his head and pulled. his reaction was immediate and oh-so gratifying.

an honest to god whimper poured from his lips and he instantly thrusted all the way into you, his length driving into your g-spot perfectly. you both let out twin moans as he started rocking into consistently, every movement bringing you closer and closer to your peak.

“i love ya, i love ya so fuckin’ much, angel—shit—yer so amazing, i love ya,” atsumu rambled while pounding into you, deep curses and whines of your name interspersed with his declarations of love. if you could speak, you would reciprocate but you were too busy holding on for dear life as he fucked you into oblivion.

desperate for some kind of anchor to reality, you grasped onto his locks again, gripping tightly as drawn-out cries of his name slipped from your open lips. you were close, so close and he knew it too.

“feel ya clenchin’ around me like a good girl, ya gonna cum fer me? gonna cum fer me angel?” atsumu’s hand snaked down between your bodies to rub fast circles on your clit, a shaky sob finding its way out into the open air.

“oh shit, yeah, ‘m g-gonna cum for you tsum, ‘s all for you,” you moaned, clamping down on him sporadically as you started to cum, your vision whiting out and your thighs trembling while you gushed around him.

your mind was floating off when you felt him cum with a shout, his warmth flooding you and spilling out as he collapsed onto your chest.

••• smut over •••

the two of you lied there for a while, attempting to regain your brain and feeling in your legs. you vaguely made note of the wet rag cleaning between your thighs and the following weight falling down beside you but it was only after a few more minutes that you really came back to yourself, rolling over to lay on atsumu’s bare chest.

“holy shit, tsumu,” you said in awe, your boyfriend (!!) laughing at your reaction. “i’m just that good angel, what can i say?”

you groaned and hit him in the chest but you couldn’t keep the smile off your face if you tried. “you are such a menace!”

“only fittin’ that i picked a gremlin ta be with then,” atsumu teased while playing with a piece of your hair. mock offense filled your chest as you sat up, fixing him with your ‘angriest’ glare.

“is that the kind of language you’ll be using in your vows, mister?” you were only joking but when atsumu’s eyes widened and a blush spread across his cheeks, you realized your mistake.

you opened your mouth to apologize or to make some kind of excuse but he beat you to the punch. “ya wanna marry me angel?” he asked, looking so vulnerable with hope shining in his brown irises. you couldn’t bear to lie.

“of course tsum, you’re it for me,” you reached out a hand to caress his cheek and he leaned into it, his own coming up to cup yours and hold it against his face.

“good.” and that was the end of that, that evening’s... extraneous activities having thoroughly tired to the point that you fell completely asleep with your face against one of his pecs.

if you had stayed awake a little longer, you would’ve seen atsumu pull out his phone and start a new note titled, “my angel.”

if i just said i loved you, it would be an understatement. it would be like saying the sun’s surface is just a bit warm or that the arctic is just a little chilly. it would be an injustice to you and to how i truly feel about you. love—

“-is a word that is much too soft and used far too often ta ever describe the fierce, infinite and blazing passion that i have in my heart for ya angel. ya acknowledge my strengths and ya accept my faults. ya make me wanna be a better person every day. so, today i vow ta laugh with ya and comfort ya during times of joy and times of sorrow. i promise ta always pursue ya, ta fight for ya, and love ya unconditionally and wholeheartedly for the rest of my life. ya are my best friend and i’m the luckiest person on earth ta call ya mine- wait are ya crying?"

the audience burst into laughter as you frantically tried to wipe away your tears, punching atsumu softly on the arm. “of course i am, you ass.”

the officiant cleared his throat, grabbing both of your attentions. “it is the bride’s turn to give her vows. if you may?”

you nodded and atsumu already felt like crying. again. he’d cried that morning while getting dressed and then again when you walked down the aisle in the most beautiful dress he had ever seen. now, as he watched you pull a folded piece of paper out of your bra, he knew he’d made the right decision in confessing to you, all those years ago.

he also knew he was definitely going to cry again.

“atsumu, falling for you wasn’t falling at all—it was walking into a house and knowing that you’re home. today, i want to make you promises that i will always keep. i promise to never stop holding your hand or accepting your kisses. i promise to not hit you too hard when you insult me or call me a gremlin. i promise to share my food with you, to never go to bed angry, and to try and understand your obsession with professional men’s volleyball. i promise to love, respect, protect and trust you, and give you the best of myself, for i know that together we will build a life far better than either of us could imagine alone. i choose you. i’ll choose you over and over and over, without pause, without doubt, i’ll keep choosing you.

i used to never truly enjoy moments because i was always waiting for what's next. the next thing horrible thing to happen. now that i have you, i enjoy the moment. every moment.

today seems like it's the start of a new journey, but i already belong to you. falling for you wasn't falling at all—it was walking into a house and knowing you're home. i love you.”

and at least in this lifetime

we’re sticking together

me and my husband

we’re sticking together

taglist - if your name is in bold, i cannot tag you

@boosyboo9206 • @geektastic84 • @elianetsantana • @trashy-simp • @infinitebells • @6mattsun9 • @suhkusa • @katsulovee • @kotarosbabygirl • @fucktheworlddude • @insomniacwreck • @calumsfringe • @saltylettuce • @chai-blu • @al3x1ss • @hawksyoongi • @jooleuuh • @loubells • @kissungjae • @liberhoe • @tetsurocore • @animeoverdosee • @duhsies • @saiKishaircLip • @afire24 • @premiyagi • @kit-kat428 • @doctorspencereid • @daphnxy • @kyomihann • @maer-333 • @sinoflust19 • @peteunderoos • @peachiikichu • @iidanotlida • @yongboxerrr • @kac-chowsballs • @tanakaslastbraincell • @memorableminds • @risjime • @starry-magicshop • @sugavwara • @smuttyanimeslut • @kiwibirbs-library • @haijkk • @airybnb • @crybabygumi • @iwaisa • @decaffinatedtealover • @notameera • @kawaii-angelanne • @rintarovibes • @urlocalsimp • @keiarma • @shrimpypenis

the rest of the tags will be in the replies!!

[mypoisonedvine]

claimed || alpha!Andy Barber x reader

summary: an interrogation with an alpha is no place to have an unexpected heat.

word count: 2.7k

warnings: smut (dub con; the reader goes into heat and can’t think clearly enough to say no), a/b/o dynamics, loss of virginity, mentions of misogyny/discrimination against omegas, vague noncon and violence references, kinda housewife kink, possessiveness, breeding kink, praise, overstimulation, knotting, slight bondage (reader is handcuffed), slight pain kink, implied/subtle age gap, pregnancy mention at the end, kinda soft!dark andy but he's really not that dark

"This would be a lot easier for both of us if you started telling the truth."

You chewed your lip, looking away from the man across from you; it was impossible to keep eye contact when his gaze bore into you like that, when he gave you that stern, dominating look.

Andy Barber was so obviously an alpha, he was one of those types that just reeked of it. Figuratively— with the way he towered over you, his masculine body and strong features— but also literally considering his scent was filling the room now: pine, cinnamon, sage, and something a little bit sweet that made your mouth water.

It made sense for an alpha like him to have a high-powered, high-pressure career like this; he probably got a real kick out of squeezing information out of scared betas who couldn’t stand up to him.

And that was the role you were going to play now, because he was wrong: it would not be easier if you told the truth. If he knew what you really were, you’d be doomed.

You’d been hiding successfully as a beta for a long time by now, and you weren’t about to give it up now, even if it would likely have the charges against you dismissed. Omegas lived sheltered, oppressed lives; sought constantly by alphas, they had their pick of the finest since omegas were so rare, but until mated they were extremely vulnerable— and afterwards they were usually made to be subservient housewives, constantly bearing children as a consequence of their extreme fertility.

Maybe some omegas were okay with that, plenty probably loved that lifestyle since it was sort of the instinctual habit of an omega by nature, but not you. Never you. You wanted a life, a real life, your own life as more than an alpha’s mate. Thankfully you’d found the right mix of suppressants and perfumes to hide your scent, the right work schedule so you could always be home for your rare heats, and voila: to the rest of the world, you were a beta.

Being a beta meant being unnoticed, unacknowledged, never pursued and never courted. And that was exactly how you wanted it.

If Andy Barber knew that the man you’d stabbed was an alpha trying to force himself on you, there was a chance he would understand that it was self-defense and let you go. Then again, a lot of alphas seemed to think that being forced to mate was just par for the course for an omega; surely Andy wouldn’t be one of those types, as a man of the law, right?

“I can’t,” you finally answered.

“Whatever it is, you can tell me,” he assured, some of his anger shifting to a soothing tone. It really did calm you down; he must have been using his ‘alpha voice’ on you, and the fact that it worked should’ve been a red flag but you didn’t notice. “Let’s start from the beginning. You said you were at home but no one has confirmed your alibi. You said you didn’t know the victim but you obviously reacted when I showed you his picture. And, you said you weren’t there at the time of the murder but we found your DNA on the body.”

A little smile pulled at the corner of your lips, exactly not the reaction Andy had been expecting. “You’re lying,” you whispered.

He tensed up as you called his bluff. The DNA found at the scene was in the process of being analysed, sure, but it would be weeks until the results came back. “How can you be so sure?” he pressed.

“Because I.  Wasn’t. There,” you hissed, glaring back at him; he shook his head solemnly..

“No, that’s not it. I can tell when you’re lying, too, you know,” he warned.  “Tell me how you know I don’t have your DNA at the scene?”

“Because… because…” you breathed, blinking a few times as the room started to get warmer. Your head was spinning, your thighs clenched together— and when Andy reached out to rest his hand on yours and ask if you were alright, his touch sent it all into overdrive.

No, no, it wasn't your time yet. It shouldn't have come for a few more days, and you’d arranged to be bailed out tomorrow so you’d go into your cycle safely at home and not in jail. But now it was beginning and you had no way to stop it. Had the smell of an alpha really been enough to start your heat early?

Andy watched you start to pant and sweat with a furrowed brow, unsure what he was witnessing because he’d never had the opportunity to see it before. His ex-wife had been a beta, he'd never even met an omega before— they were quite rare after all.

But what he lacked in experience, he made up for in instinct; his body told him everything he needed to know about what he was seeing. “Omega,” he growled lowly, watching your whole body erupt into shivers at the timbre of his voice.

As far as alphas go, Andy was relatively level-headed, not as preoccupied with instinctual desires to dominate, to claim, to impregnate. A lot of alphas viewed mating with a beta as settling, although it was the much more likely outcome, statistically speaking. Andy, though, never really saw it that way, even knowing how much harder it would be to have a child with a beta. Their fertility was significantly weaker, both the males and the females, and Jacob was the product of years of trying; in all their marriage him and Laurie had never used any contraceptives and she only got pregnant the once.

But an omega? Especially a young one like you? He could knock you up right now, if he wanted. That power was intoxicating. It was exactly what he never knew he needed so badly.

“I don’t need the results of your DNA to know what you are,” he explained firmly. “I can’t believe I didn’t know before— you must have tried really hard to keep it a secret, little one. You must be so afraid of who you are… and who I am, for that matter.  It must scare you to imagine what I could do to you.”

You whimpered, the noise tugging his heart in conflicting directions; to comfort you, or to make you do it again.

“I’m not going to hurt you, if that’s what you think,” he assured. “Not if I can help it…”

Honestly, he wasn’t so sure he would be able to help it; he felt his own sanity slipping as he watched you writhe and cry, instinct overtaking logic in the both of you.

"Alpha, please," you shuddered, the title making his cock harden instantly, uncomfortably filling the trousers of his suit.

"You smell so good," he purred, taking his jacket off as he stood up to cool off a bit. "I can smell your heat, Omega. I bet everyone in the building can—” he glanced to the locked door— “but I'm the only one here."

"Need you," you whined, tugging on the handcuffs that kept you bound to the table.

"Stand up, bend over," he commanded, and he'd barely finished speaking when you'd already done it, bent at the hips with your forearms resting on the table as you waited for him. "Good girl."

He rolled up his sleeves and took his place behind you, caging his body in with yours, nuzzling into your neck to get a deep breath of your scent.

"Fuck, so sweet," he groaned. "Waited so long for this. To feel an Omega on my cock. Never thought it would really happen. Has an Alpha ever taken you before?"

"No, I never… no."

"Not just unclaimed but a virgin. Christ, am I dreaming?"

But he was too far gone to take any more time to appreciate his luck— he needed you now, and he was taking you all for himself.

If he wasn't so overcome with need he wouldn't have thought to tear your clothes off, but now he didn't even think to question the idea, shedding you of your clothes like they were made of paper until you were completely exposed to him, your wet core vulnerable while another wave of your sweet scent filled the room.

"Look at all this," he grinned, kneeling down to lap at your folds and taste your slick. Your eyes rolled back in your head, your channel craving to be filled. "All for me, Omega?"

"Yours, it's all yours…"

"Doesn't it feel good to be claimed, little one? To be owned?"

"S-so good," you agreed. "Want your knot, Alpha. Want your mark."

A growl echoed in his chest when you said that, and he craved nothing more than to bite your neck and bond you to him for life.

But, it would be better if he saved that for a little later.

He stood up again and gave your ass a quick slap— nothing too rough, just enough to make you yelp all cute and whiny— before grabbing your hips to pull them back into his. You gasped and pushed back onto him, shamelessly rubbing yourself against the thick outline of his cock.

"Gonna make a mess on me with all that slick, Omega," he growled, but it was by no means discouragement.

"Want it in me, please," you sobbed. Unable to resist your begging anymore, he hastily opened his belt and fly, sighing with relief when he wrapped his hand around his cock and pulled it out. Your whole body visibly quaked when he swiped the swollen head through your folds, coating himself in your plentiful arousal.

Without any further warning, he pushed his cock in with a loud moan, a cry tearing from your throat as he tore into your body. "Shh," he soothed as his fingers rubbed your spine, "that's my girl, that's my pretty Omega."

But pain wasn't really your issue; it hurt, yes, but what made you cry was that you were already on the edge, about to come from hardly anything. When he thrusted once, you lost it and your legs quivered as a new wave of slick started to dribble down them.

"Are you coming?" he asked darkly.

You could only nod, biting your lip to try to keep from moaning too loudly.

"Oh my god…" he groaned, amazed at how sensitive you were. Clearly he wasn't the only one realizing how powerful and incredible it could be when an alpha and omega mated.

He started to really pound into you then, each brutal thrust knocking you forward.

"Feels good when you come for me, Omega. Do it again."

You couldn't help yourself; his voice had complete control over your body, his words a command you were helpless to resist. With a broken whimper you came again, walls squeezing his cock in a weak and stuttered rhythm.

"It's better than they say it is. Even better than I imagined. So fucking good," he sighed. It felt so right, that was the thing. It felt like your body was made to be claimed and owned by him.

"Want your knot," you whined, "please, Alpha—"

"If I give you my knot, you're mine. My Omega. You will never allow another Alpha to touch you. You will not speak to another Alpha, look at another Alpha, even Betas are off-limits. When I bite you, you'll be bonded to me and become my wife, you'll never disobey me or leave me. When I knot you, you'll give me a child. Is all of that perfectly clear?"

It was everything you'd wanted to avoid just an hour ago. Now it was your greatest dream come true. "Yes, Alpha. Yours, Alpha."

"Want to be bred, Omega? Bred by your Alpha?"

"Please!" you sobbed.

"Then keep coming and I'll let you have it soon," he promised. "I'll give you all my come like you need so badly."

You whimpered as your walls seemed to try to suck him in deeper, gripping him so tight that it made his head spin. Orgasm after orgasm washed over you, too many and too numb to count, each part of you slowly stripped away and replaced with pure, all-consuming pleasure.

The base of his cock began to swell and you mewled proudly— that is, until, it just kept growing and you couldn't imagine taking anymore.

"P-pull it out," you begged instead.

"I told you that you would take my knot, was I not clear?"

But you hadn't realized how big it would get, how far it would stretch you— and it was still going. "It hurts, Alpha, please!"

"You'll get used to it, gonna keep it in you all night and give it to you every day so you'll have plenty of practice. Take my fucking knot while I come inside you and breed your cunt."

When his knot finally grew to its full potential, streams of hot come began to fill you, deeper than you had ever imagined possible. It was overwhelming, apparently unending, and one final orgasm rocked your body as you milked his cock for all it was worth.

He wrapped his arms around your body, holding you close and soothing you as you shivered and cried, his kisses trailing up your shoulder to your neck where, finally, he sunk his teeth into your skin and left his mark on you.

Your walls quivered around him at the feeling of being claimed, mated for life. In that moment you didn't notice or care that it was to a man you barely knew; he was your Alpha now, that was all that mattered.

He kissed and licked over the sensitive bitemark, whispering praises your ringing ears couldn't quite process yet.

At least you were getting bailed out a day early.

//

Andy kept his promise about exactly how owned you would be. For the first few months you didn't even leave the house, he was too busy filling you with his cock every day. Although he was happy to claim you anywhere he happened to find you— the shower where he hopped in randomly, the kitchen where he bent you over the counter, the living room where he pinned you onto the couch— his favorite place was the bed. It was rougher and more animalistic in the other places, but in bed he was possessive in an entirely different way.

"My wife, my sweet little wife," he whispered in your ear as he slowly thrust all the way into you, making your back arch until your chest pushed against his. "My Omega. All mine."

"Yours," you agreed.

The protectiveness increased tenfold when your scent changed during pregnancy, even more when you started showing; he was obsessed with the way you looked full of his baby.

As for you, omega life was better than you'd expected. At times you felt smothered by him, but simultaneously you felt worshipped and loved like you never thought you could deserve. He certainly spoiled you, though he expected your unwavering loyalty in return.

That part was easy, though. Love, not fear, kept you in check when other alphas had a wandering eye. They knew you were mated, the bitemark scar (which Andy never, ever let you cover) and ring (which Andy never, ever let you take off) were sign enough along with the change in your scent to them. Occasionally one would shoot his shot and get unilaterally rejected by you before getting his ass kicked by your husband. If only they knew what you'd done to the last alpha that tried to creep on you; how you met Andy in the first place.

In the end, maybe it wasn't so bad to fall into your instincts, your natural role in society. Andy sure made it pretty enjoyable with the way he brought you to the height of pleasure over and over every night. "Mine," he promised you in deep whispers, "from the moment I saw you."