#but that is genuinely only for the flavor😛

[love-everlasting]

‼️‼️ i fell victim to watermelon zkittlez‼️‼️

[scentedpepper]

Okok so I have this request that's technically lip x m!reader x Ian where lip and reader are in a relationship but Ian has had a crush on reader since he started hanging out with lip. And once they officially started dating, Ian was pretty much heart broken about it but reader is oblivious to it so they stay friends. Until the relationship starts to get rocky with them arguing all the time (as canon lip high key sucks at being in relationships) and it eventually leads to Ian comforting reader after a dramatic fight with lip and Ian confesses and maybe they kiss 🫶

Bar Fights and Candle Light

IAN GALLAGHER X MALE READER

Summary: You're flawed, but Ian will scream he loves you for it until he's blue in the face.

Content Warnings: Toxic relationship dynamics, reader has been cheated on, impulsiveness, poor attachment styles, sexual implications

Other Pairings: Lip Gallager x Male Reader

AUTHOR NOTE(S):

Hey Anon I'm ngl it's 4:30 in the morning rn

Much to my misfortune, I woke from my sleep at 2am and had an unbearable urge to finish this so lucky for you 🫶

This starting to look a little like a twilight scene..

Anyway, usual shameless stuff, lip is lip, reader is flawed to a determinate blah blah blah

Hope you enjoy 😛

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

Lip Gallagher held the kind of charm that reminded you of drunk bar fights and somehow, simultaneously, roses. The kind of trouble that ends with an eyebrow raise and the kind of kindness that gets you on your knees.

As much as you loved him, the man really had no sense of what loyalty was and instead seemed to revert to breaking the hearts of every girl he had ever slept with.

You knew such things well and your ogling from a distance soon became a thorne in your side that you wished to diminish.

You met Lip when he accidentally stumbled upon a gay pride rally. How he'd got there? You weren't entirely sure of those facts even now.

Four months after you'd befriended him and simultaneously, his red-headed brother, when you'd lost your dignity and, later, your boyfriend, Lip had looked at you with, if not genuine empathy, then interest.

"I know what will make you feel better. " He had urged, and you had just rolled your eyes and pressed your face further into the warm pillow.

You had just been cheated on, and nothing Lip could say would be as appealing as lying in the rundown springs of your mattress to inevitably– sink in with them.

However, the things he could do was a different story.

When you, in a half drunken state amongst the alibi a few days later, admitted to what had occurred in your bed the same night your boyfriend dumped you for a woman, of all people, Ian was –for some reason– under the assumption you would've rejected Lip's idea in entirety.

"Wait, " he laughed, his finger prodding the side of your ribcage until you were squirming with a wince, "you–really?"

And he could not believe his ears when you told him the truth of it.

Ian learned two things that night.

One, his brother had more flavoring within him than he otherwise assumed.

And two, no matter how much he tried to shove his affections for you, they only seemed to grow stronger.

Into the next months, however, where it was not entirely shocking, but rather, indescribably insufferable to Ian, you entered a very hot and heavy romance with a rather short and bitter soon-to-be-ending with his brother.

He was doomed.

He knew it from the moment the blush touched your cheeks and not your ears when you spoke of Lip.

And every second of it felt like searing hot daggers plunged and twisted into his stomach.

Ian wanted to resent you but everything you did, be it picking apart the little lies around his brother or, right down to the way your brow pinched in concentration when you played UNO, had Ian just adoring you more.

It was probably unhealthy how quickly he had fallen and you should've noticed the intensity of his stare.

But, nevertheless, your sight was akin to that of a bat.

And Ian cursed you for it.

What he also cursed you for was not understanding his pain.

Falling for the wrong person.

Sure, Lip was charming and deceptively gorgeous but he was as cold and disfigured as a snowman that seemed to melt no matter where he went.

Oh, and how you were the sun that shined down on him.

"You're just-! Fucking-!"

"What, Lip!? I'm fucking what!?"

The unsavory sound of the two of you came to Ian's ears on a Saturday morning.

Like a dog who's been kicked around, Ian reluctantly walks up the stairs with a heavy sigh and a headache already blooming within his skull.

Knowing you and his brother, he braces himself for the worst with a wince.

"For fucks sake!" Lips' voice pitches to an all time high when Ian removes the physical barrier of wood between he and the two of you, the first thing he sees being the redness of his brother's neck, and then the vein popping from it as he yells at you. "You're a real piece of work you know? Fucking selfish. "

"Oh–I'm selfish?"

Ah, and your voice, laced with salt and hurt, such a strange contrast from what he swore to be giggling 5 minutes ago.

"Lip.." he begins to warn, though if anyone catches the genuine concern within him, no one seems to bother notice.

"You are so fucking unbelievable, Lip! You realize what a fucking wreck you are, don't you?”

Ian's head spins with a stutter of thoughts.

He doesn't have the fortitude to beg this to stop nor the confidence to storm away.

His only options, and the ones he decided were best, was to wait until the dust cleared–the chances of things growing civil between the two of you was extremely high, when not fighting, you were an absolute sweetheart, however much you looked tough to be –but never once did Ian try to stop the arguments.

Because inside of him, the part that is far too gone for you, was vindictive and wickedly happy with the idea that you were growing discontented with his brother.

He knew –while guilty over the idea– it wouldn't make you easier to have.

"Youre too fucking clingy, Y/N! I can't breathe around you! I can't even stand to look at you sometimes, fuck!”

The pure, toxic rage spews forth from Lip's lips and Ian winces at the harshness of it.

He hated to see people yell like that.

You, however, were unrelenting as you shouted, like an echo through the house, the vicious noise came to him again.

And as you moved in pace, fists tight and feet steaming for the friction with the floor, Ian was in a comatose-like state and had no trouble tracking the beautiful anger you expelled.

"You fucking asshole!"

You started with a shove that sent Lip halfway across the room. There were tears springing from your eyes and the water glistened like stars.

When you shoved Lip again, his back hit the wall and while not very strong, was still heavy enough to make an ungodly thump.

Lip grabbed your forearms with a fierceness sure to burn through your bones, though everything within him was shattered, down, down, to the core of his heart.

Yet, all he could do was continue to yell obscenities right back into your face.

That is, until Ian had had enough.

The redhead stepped forward and finally yelled your name, much louder than he usually did.

Which was a bit horrifying and nerve-racking and every negative synonym to such an event.

He had to force himself in between the two of you to push you apart and without thinking, his palm smacked you square on the chest in an attempt to set you aside and there was barely a beat in between your hit to the floor and Lip's hands thrown around his shoulders.

"What the fuck is your problem, man?!" His elder brother seethes and Ian doesn't flinch.

"My problem?" He grinds and before Lip can let the flame singe him more, Ian shoves him off of him like it's nothing. "My fucking problem is the two of you. You can't keep yelling at each other like this, jesus. Grow the fuck up. "

If he hadn't seen the shame fill the space of where you both were only minutes ago, he might not have expected you to hang your head and break out crying.

"Oh, for fucks sake. " Was the exclamation of exasperation Lip gave to you, sighing angrily at the sight of you sobbing.

It made you cry harder, feeling betrayed by even his outburst.

Ian thought his lungs might explode.

"Hey-" Lip tried but when his hand came near you you were quick to smack it away.

Lip had made an attempt to further his explanation but you promptly cut him off with an ear shattering yell.

"Get out! Get the fuck out! I don't want to see you again you fucking piece of shit!"

The fiery look in his dark eyes contrasted awfully to your words of pure, burning red.

Hurt, is what he showed.

Broken, is what he felt.

"Fine. " He dared and your nostrils flared.

The door slammed shut not long after he finished, the sound leaving your eardrums ringing and your mind racing, filled to the brim with all the hatred you could possibly have for a single man.

The last emotion you thought you would have to battle, however, was empathy.

It was quiet.

With the tears still leaking from your face, your palms lifted to press against the spaces of your sockets and you hiccuped pathetically to no one.

No one except Ian who had slowly, after the initial shock had worn off, carefully inched his way across the floor towards you.

Right now, Ian held the kind of charm that reminds you of drunks that carry with them the very essence of a candle lit room and some kind of naiveté that was hard to put a finger on.

The kind of trouble that ends with the tightening of sheets and the kind of kindness that just breaks the dams.

He, unbeknownst to your knowledge, had learned how to treat you for a long time now.

He saw the way the plump of you lips tightened when Lip didn't make it home on time and didn't send word, the way the skin around you eyes grew darker when not sleeping in the same bed and the twitching of your hips when kissed anywhere less than suitable for a child.

From the comfort you sought within yourself and within your friends, to the tears shed all alone in your bathroom, Ian became quite versed in everything that made you, you.

"Hey, " the word comes out as soft as his heart feels and you don't move to acknowledge his presence. The sudden relief that sits beneath your skin has him gaping open with an ache pulling at his heart. "Hey, what did he say?"

You shake, maybe not violently, but enough for Ian's hands to move like magnets toward you.

They rest on the sides of your legs at first because that's where you're tucked, hiding and deserted. All alone in your cave as you try to collect the shattering pieces but all you feel is shame.

When Ian attempts to gather you closer, you fall apart and so he comes together.

"I'm sorry he's such an asshole. " He breathes into the side of your hair, rubbing his thumb along your back.

"He–" You hiccup, your body rising and falling again and again before you could get the sentence out. "He said he wasn't attracted to me. "

Ian thought he should vomit.

Or rip Lips cock clean from his body.

"He lied. " Ian insists and he wonders where that came from but when you sigh it's to shift and press your head down the top of his shoulder. His fingers run along the bones of your spine as he ponders for a moment.

"You're fucking hot, Y/N. " Is the next thing he says, hoping to encourage the confidence, but what takes over Ian when he sees the blush form so fast on your neck, is the absolute need to impress you with his tongue.

"Yeah?" Your tone isn't flirty or surprised, rather, exhausted, in need of someone who's not belittling you.

It's everything Ian is and feels.

You laugh softly next, but it feels sarcastic and cynical.

"Everyones attracted to you. " He tells you then and lets the gentle thumping of his chest bring you to solace. "Even me. "

His statement gives the impression of an abnormality.

Your heartbeat halts its rapid state and Ian tries not to flush when the thought of an engagement or invite forms illustrate inside his head; all from an accidental confession.

You, none the wiser, have the audacity to open your eyes and look up at him from beneath your lashes.

When you see him, he seems as though he himself is an extension of a person made of every emotion there is that you haven't learnt how to properly decipher, yet somehow, you felt connected to him for it.

"You're nice. " You say it like there's a small child in front of you, too young to understand you, too old not to want to speak to you.

Your voice is small and the sound it makes is akin to that of a mouse.

While it amazes Ian and has a great hold on his heart, he also knows you've only used the simplest way to describe his softness.

He stares back at you, frozen in a way he can't describe, his heart hammering like he's been told to run a mile and been given nothing but the anticipation of knowing it was, in fact, coming.

When he cups your jaw, the gesture is out of place for two friends, certainly, though your eyes close, serene.

You did not take his statement to heart.

But he meant it with all of his.

As usual, Ian was drowning.

Into another night of contemplating the intricacies of his next move and of the next possible one itself.

Because, without context, it appeared his brother had left him with his ex, sitting alone together, and would probably be fucking the living daylights out of any girl he could get a grasp on.

Lip had a poor source of regulating his emotions.

But so did you.

However, more than just the want to steal you away as his own, Ian felt the need to help you.

The kind of want that hurts like starvation.

‘You okay?’

Was the thing you'd often say to Ian before slipping into bed beside Lip and watching him slink from room to room.

Back and forth in a weird paranoia and an annoying kind of behavior that you couldn't quite put your finger on.

Every time you asked, however, he was adamant on not opening his mouth for anything but a yes.

And you stared at him strangely, the same way you were now.

Again, Ian's lips parted for just one word.

"What?" He asked with a sort of soft laugh that felt like you were a leaf spinning gracefully in the wind across a green, fruitful park.

"You're sort of beautiful. " You told him, without 2nd thought, and Ian jolted.

"Ha. " He laughed –or at least breathed it in a laughing manner, if the strain against his lungs was of any significance– and the warmth was instant.

"Thanks.."

Ian knew.

And you were unaware, but you knew, too.

"He doesn't deserve you, Y/N. "

With every inch of his body aching to scream a declaration, what it resulted in instead was a calm sincerity with an earnest kind of gleam in his eye.

"I know. " You spoke it as a whisper, like it was forbidden and someone would have your head for it. But Ian's reassurance is enough to allow your shoulders to slump as they give out under the weight of the world.

Like Atlas, who caved at the sight of eternity, you feel it too.

Feels as though he were holding up, not the moon, not the stars, not the sun, not the planets, not the earth.

But you.

"Ian. " You said it, ghostly.

A call, something dark and heavy inside of you, the kind of dense which reminds you of death, rising and falling, beckoning you in a way that could only end poorly for yourself and any other life you might choose to cherish.

"Yes.." Ian acknowledged, more a breath against your skin than actual words from his heart.

"Kiss me. "

You didn't allow him the patience for one extra second.

Reaching up, you captured Ians lips with a simple tilt of his head, kissing him like it was the last time you ever would.

There was an odd feeling resonating within you.

One that said, this will most definitely not end well, it was the kind of thing you never seemed to listen to, even before, with the way you treated life like it were the ocean and you were trying to find Atlantis.

Like that, Ian became the kind of addict you held.

It started with the gentle way he kissed, his hands running small tracks down the curve of your cheeks and even smaller ones down the line of your jaw.

"What is this?" He managed to whisper between his lips that began to overtake yours, the glide smooth and succulent.

You don't know the words to respond.

Ian is no fool.

But for you, he resigns the right to be.

And he's kissing you like you're made of sugar and honey and he's been starving in a desert for days. The craving is hard to sate when it's been long fulfilled, the love never gone, the want and desire still constant.

How can this be so wrong? You can't even register the thought because it feels so delicious.

Maybe when one door closes, another opens, but neither was meant to be swung with a latch.

Maybe this is wrong; his conscience tugs, but he doesn't care.

You both ascend, but it's pure teenage stupidity that you enter this together, a high reaching just below the clouds, and you couldn't see past his eyes.

Couldn't see further than the feelings and the affections he gives you; that Lip had somehow left so much that Ian could easily fill up the vacancy.

Fill it so well that, this, all of this, is alright.

Just for now.

[queen-scribbles]

......yep okay talk about Mason plz 😛

ALRIGHT THEN, YOU ASKED FOR THIS

Cut again bc spoilers and there will be lots of shouting bc Mason's route is amazing. I think--both friend and romance--he's my fave in book 3.(Nate's still winning overall romance, but Mason wins b3) Warning: this clocks in at about 2700 words, just so you know what you're getting into. It's longer than a lot of my fics. xD

This is gonna be Kasey specific, obviously, even if all the high notes I love in general. There's just some... flavor to it bc of the way she's engaging his romance. (also, this is pretty stream of consciousness, so I can't promise smooth transitions😅)

The way just your touch helps when he's getting overwhelmed in Addie's room feels like a good place to start- NO WAIT. If you try to bluff about not being worried over the bounty and he calls you on it and swears to have your back. Half of why Kasey kissed him so hard there is it's her go-to reaction when Mason incites strong emotion in her, even if desire/attraction isn't precisely the right match for the moment.

I know I already screamed a lot about the bakery scene when the demo came out, BUT I finally settled on which option Kasey would pick there. She's still oblivious/in denial, so there's no hurt to Mason's "She's only seeing me naked," comment, and no confusion either. Lil Miss Snark shot back with the one about him seeing HER naked (which ooooooboy did that pay dividends later :3) and then didn't get anything flirty/snarky/teasing back (poor Haley, watching this unfold) and that confused her. Snark and innuendo has been their Thing since day fucking one. So the weirdness of leaving it like that has her on edge and makes her snappish and downright vicious with Bobby("I'd say it's a pleasure but we both know I'd be lying" and kicked him out of the station, it was great)and she genuinely can't figure out why it's bothering her that Mason didn't play along.

And then we get him actually using her name when she shows up at the Warehouse soaking wet and covered in plaster mud. Felt a little like someone had punched her in the lungs, she had to fight the reflexive urge to call him 'sunshine' and make the weirdness go away. And then on top of that he actually apologized--for something that didn't seem like a big deal to her, at least on the surface, but the way her heart skips a beat, maybe it did matter--and Kasey manages to actually be sincere for five minutes to accept the apology with 0 snark and explain about needing a place to stay etc. Insert some flirting/innuendo/giving Nate a headache while handing out flyers and she feels like their equilibrium is back. They're okay, they're good, still casual, though ngl it does feel nice to hear him say her name every once in a while....

And then. AND THEN. The Trapper fight. And Sin. and OH MY GOD. Mason throws himself in front of Trapper to protect her, gets zapped instead of her and she is just. Terrified isn't a strong enough word. She doesn't realize it's anything more than panic/adrenaline in the moment, but it's a miracle she didn't leap on that Trapper like a feral wolf. Which is only compounded when Sin shows up and Mason is afraid for her. He tries to hide it when he tells her to run, but her main hobby is people watching so good luck with that, buddy.

And with the adrenaline of the whole encounter, she hasn't even really had time to full unwind and process it before Mason is staring down Adam on her behalf.

Not only that but he's insistent on backing her up. Same guy who, what, six months ago(less?) "found this all unnecessary" and barely wanted anything to do with her is now adamant about watching her back and keeping her safe and then waits up super late for her to get home(whole separate screaming session about him considering this home) and doesn't feel a need for innuendo with her when they talk.

"Thrown for a loop" is an understatement. Flabbergasted, maybe works. For Kasey, anyway. I was having a meltdown about him being vulnerable with her wrt what he remembers of his past, and the crystal(he didn't even want her to look at when they first met) and then just saying a genuine goodnight without trying to get in her pants or anything. AMAZING.

And then his mood starts off weird at combat training and he's gruff and irritated(and MASON WITH A BUN. MASON WITH A BUN) and he's being grumpy bc he can't figure out why the thought of Sin taking her away from him is so terrifying.

The patrol loop after the blood drive is just.. hoo boy. Kasey was bitten on the wrist by Murphy and there have been some Moments with those scars on Mason's route and I got another one to add to the list

just that he's so gentle. That would be sweet from any of them but from Mason it makes me scream internally even before we get to the emotional KO that is

I love sO MUCH when gruff/abrasive characters are gentle with the people they care about, and not only is that happening here, he still warns her that just bc Bravo won't hurt her, there's not many other supernaturals that will care so she still needs to be cautious. (It's just a bonus--for me--that he's clearly affected by the conversation even if he's not sure why :3) And also!!! Kasey-specific note here: Her trust is not easily given. It was a cautious thing even before Bobby fucked her over in college, but him using her friendship like that really made her kinda hold people at arm's length, so the fact she trust Mason(and the rest of Bravo) with her literal life and her scars and other vulnerabilities is really uhhhh saying something even if she's denying what that something is

I played around a bit with Kasey's reaction to the stack of missing persons posters, and even if it's not the one I kept, Mason's reaction if you call him crying straight up slayed me

Just that mix of gruff almost-annoyance and "you clearly need me, I'm already on my way". (the others ask if you want them to come, Mason's just "yeah, I'm coming to see you")The beat between saying he doesn't like talking on the phone but will make an exception for you. The return to flirting/innuendo once you seem to be getting back equilibrium.

As I've mentioned, Kasey has Verda knowing about the supernatural, and that dinner with him and Eric was all kinds of awkward(she went slinky for her outfit bc this is Kasey)

BUT I very much enjoy both Eric's 👀👀👀 when Kasey pulled an "Idk what you're talking about" and a)Verda getting Mason to acknowledge there's a "Something" with the two of them even if he doesn't know what it is and b) Mason calling him on his reaction to the supernatural making him a not so-great-friend. BUT THE REAL KICKER came after, when they were leaving, and this happened

Just. He's essentially holding her hand. And he doesn't think to let go. Mason, who hates and is extremely pained by physical contact(he flinches when Adam touches him in one of the bff/ro scenes) willing maintain contact for several seconds and only withdraws when she says something. (I stand by my expectation Mason's gonna figure out What They Are before Kasey does, lmao)

I absolutely loved the car sex scene(she's been teasing him with that long enough xD), especially bc Kasey 100% told him to apologize to her car, but the biggest takeaway for purposes of this is HE HESITATES. He hesitates to just look at her for an extra few moments before kissing her again. (and btw I ran with each taking initiative and HOLY HELL this will be one of the few times I go with letting Mason have initiative instead of Kasey. Whew.)

And we gotta talk about Mason not wanting more cigarettes when Felix offers to buy the bc that's... for something that might look like a little moment it's undeniably huge. The cigarettes have been his source of comfort, the way he makes it easier to Deal With Everything and he just casually turns down getting more of them. Bc he has her now(new addiction, indeed). For such a quiet thing, it shouts about the changing nature of their relationship and I loved it.

I--once again--played with reactions to arriving at the warehouse bc Kasey's still figuring out how she feels about that so she has some leeway, and I gotta say I love how Mason just bluntly calls you on your shit any time you try to lie about being fine when you aren't.

I will never be over him having the same calming effect on the detective as they do on him. 🥺🥺🥺Kasey has this whole snarky tough girl thing going and even when she tries to hide it, he sees through the bs and comforts her. He's blunt but gentle and it makes me scream...

..buuuuuut not as much as Mason's POV on the building cave-in. :3

No, no, I'm fine :)

ABSOLUTELY PEACHY :))))))) Totally not wrecked at all, not laying on the floor screaming internally or anything, why do you ask? I'm such a sucker for the whole "joking pet name accidentally becomes actual sincere term of endearment" (see: Taviloth and "city slicker") and this made me just a bit feral. ALSO the parallel to the house Mirrors scene in book 2 is killing me. The day Kasey calls him sunshine with affection rather than teasing I will throw myself into the sun, it will be too much. (Super easy to picture one of those gut-wrenching comics using "You Are My Sunshine" with them, btw)

And the aftermath made me lose my gd mind.

Kasey: *tries to snark as a way of covering how much today fucked her up*

Mason: *calls her on it while also being ready to help.* And he's volunteering to help(after sticking himself in a corner at the breakfast earlier in the story so he wouldn't get asked to contribute)

No innuendo, just support, my HEART. Kasey Irene, HOW are you still in denial, you're smarter than this. Though I suppose I can give you a pass this one time considering how much pain you're in.

He's so worried he's not even thinking, just wants to keep her safe, and I swear somehow every time he uses her name it both add three years to my life and take one away.

This mental image. I can't. I had to go take a walk before I could finish, bc the mental image of Mason standing fully clothed and soaking wet in the shower with her just to offer support is TOO MUCH. It's too much, I can't handle it. (Especially when you put it next to this or the "me being naked is more important to you, right?" comment from the bakery scene. She's naked, he's not, and he doesn't even seem to care. my fucking HEARTTTTTTT )

He's sitting with her. Just the fact that he's staying is *inarticulate yelling* enough, but he's in a chair. Not sitting on the bed, not laying with her, sitting in a chair to be with her and keep an eye on her but give her space. And that "You don't have to stand guard" //"I know, but I sure as hell want to." Mason is so gonna figure out he's in love with Kasey before vice versa.

And now we come to the totally-not-a-date scene, where Mason will ask, unprompted and genuinely curious, what you're thinking about and, this being Kasey, there's some sarcasm/teasing in the following conversation, but it's also so comfortable.

This is just banter. They're bantering and playing around and just comfortable with each other in a way beyond what's usually the case for people who're just seeing each other naked. :3

I do love the lingering obliviousness. Sure, Mason, it's that the crystal's not as full as you thought. Not that Kasey's presence/touch helped you recover faster or anything. Even though that's happened MULTIPLE TIMES. (Nate would be smirking so hard if he'd witnessed this interaction)

The whole scene with Roshaun(sidenote: RAT BABIES! <3) and how Mason reacts to even the suggestion of being sedated/vulnerable has me 200% sure I'm gonna want to kill some people when we learn his backstory. This is practically a full on panic attack, like, what level of hell did he go through that it incites this strong an instinctive reaction even when he can't remember the details?! (Unfortunately, since he's been a vampire ~100 years, there's decent odds the people responsible are already dead, unless they're also supernatural. But if they're still alive they WON'T BE after Kasey and Mallory get their hands on them)

The way Kasey's touch settles him(again), the way he deliberately takes her hand and doesn't let go, like she's a lifeline(she probably is) "I asked you to come because I wanted you here" alksdafbalfbjabslk

onefear.jpg There was a patreon short story that touched on that, too, and I really wanna go dig it up now >.> I smell plot threads. Angtsy, angsty plot threads.

Someday I'll make Kasey be more genuine(orrrr maybe it'll happen if I do a Janine/Mason run) in the convo when you get back to the warehouse, bc you know my girl went with the

even if it led to a moment of what could be taken as genuineness, even if she meant it more as flirting. "When it comes to you, you know I am." KASEY. GIRL. Yes, sure, that applies in a "kiss/sex me right now, you handsome bastard" sense, but also in the sense of her just always leaping at the chance to spend time with him, regardless of if it will involve sex or not.

And then you get an actual genuine smile out of him, and more gentleness, and she doesn't know how to deal.

And then we come to this

where Kasey kisses the vampire harder to not have to deal with the possibility this is almost definitely more than just seeing each other naked. "No, no, nothing more than just that he's hot and we enjoy having sex and he's a really good kisser. No deeper than that."

*clutches chest* SOFT MASON, GENTLE MASON, HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE AND DOESN'T REALIZE IT YET MASON

AND THE LEAD UP TO THE AUCTION JUST UGHGGHGHGH

Pardon me while I go lay down and just... melt into a puddle of emotion. The compliment that's not flirtatious. The confidence in her abilities. "YOU THINK I'D BE ABLE TO COPE WITHOUT YOU NOW?" ?!???!?!?!?!

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

SIR. I'm loving this progression from "it's just sex" to "idk what I'd do if I lost you", but my heart can't take it. You being so vulnerable--in front of so many people--is gonna be the death of me.

my heaaarttttttttttt. "Can I have tonight?" CAIT.EXE IS NOT RESPONDING And then--if you do the detailed scene with him taking initiative--it's slow and gentle and deliberate and he doesn't pull away when you wrap your arms around him, the significance of which will escape Kasey for a while. and there's a gentle lil neck kiss afterwards and they CUDDLE until she falls asleep

And then. THEN THEN THEN *pounds table repeatedly*

he FUCKING.

STAYS.

I am so beyond emotionally compromised by that I just *screams*

He stays and

and then when he leaves he tucks her back in and runs his finger down her cheek without even realizing what he's doing and SIR. HOW DARE.(If she'd been awake enough to know he did that, her denial would have several very large cracks in it istg.)

I have hit the image limit(RIP), so text! The bff convo with Adam is so good, and Mason doesn't deny that the way Kasey "has him" is different from the rest of UB, and isn't sure how she feels about that and calls himself "too much of a fucking coward" to find out and aaaahhhhh this would have been Kasey's "tu omnia" moment if she would just WAKE UP and OVERHEAR the conversation. Why do you have to sleep so soundly baby girl???

Wrapping up with the party. oooh boy. "I wouldn't survive thirty seconds in this circus without you." Kasey, he's definitely serious and not joking. Mason, babe, the "in this circus" was unnecessary bc you've mentioned needing her/not knowing what you'd do without her several time in general already. And he TAKES A FUCKING SHOT during NHIE on the "nhie fallen for a colleague". I think I rb'ed a post yesterday where someone in the notes said Felix must've been in the bathroom or something and missed that to not raise absolute HELL about the implications. LIKE. Silent but very very obvious admission this is Not Just Sex anymore, even if he doesn't know what it is, even if it's just a "something" it's THERE in his opinion. So yeah. 100/10 romance, I need more desperately, and will be sitting here vibrating until we get book 4 or at least teasers. xD

And here are several cookies (and cake!)for anyone who made it this far through my borderline-unhinged commentary 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🎂🎂🍰🍰🍰🎂