#but when it does its like. no go back to jingling the keys!!! but now nothing else is happening | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

carolmunson · 1 year ago

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wake up slow | barista!steve harrington

entry for my fall frenzy requests this request comes in from @superblysubpar: 'there's a scenario with bookstore / library date AND a dialogue prompt that says "what are you reading?"' with steve harrington summary: it's 1990. you're on the opening shift at the bookstore you work at, only to be surprised at a newcomer claiming to be up for an interview for the open barista position in the cafe at the back. sort of put off to start, it's no surprise when things start to bloom over time, and i'm not talking about coffee grounds. tl;dr carol writes a mini romcom.

tw: minors dni, there's nothing too out of whack in this one but i still don't want minors in here. reader is a little sassy but also like, pretty normal overall.

That damn key jams every time it rains -- doesn't help that you left your umbrella at home. Doesn't help that the 'light mist' turned into a heavy downpour the closer you made it to the book store. Doesn't help that you had to park a street over because of street cleaning and had to walk a block in the rain. Now the damn key.

"Come on," you grumble, jiggling an wiggling to no avail. Insert, r-insert, slight tilt to the right, jiggle, pull out a little, turn a little left and then -- nothing. You take the key out only for it to fall to the ground with a fairy like tinkling.

"Come -- the fuck -- on," you nearly growl under your breath while your coat gets heavier and heavier with rain, hood soaking through and dripping water onto your face. You bend down to get the key with a sigh meant for people with back pain, coming back up again to see the coffee bar manager on the other side of the glass door. He chuckles, salt and pepper beared thick over his chin and cheeks. Ruddy skin beams red even in the cool grey light of the morning, 30 years a butcher who pivoted into coffee when he turned fifty and had a really good knack for it.

"Easy morning?"

"Does it look like one, Carl?" you ask, stepping in when he opens the door. He laughs again, a hearty belly laugh that might as well have transported him into a Santa suit in December. "What happened to you?" he asks, following you into the back room where you start putting your stuff in your cubby. You switch out your wet sneakers and socks for the platform loafers and knee highs in your bag. Now that the fall weathers hit, it's all corduroy and knit sweaters, circle skirts and tall socks. If you're going to be on your fifth year working at an idyllic bookstore, you might as well look the part.

"Weather app lied, street cleaning, forgot an umbrella," you shrug, "Just another manic Monday, y'know?" "I know," he nods, "Gimme one second." Carl comes back with a white paper cup and black lid that makes you smile from the inside out, "Is that what I think it is?" "Isn't it always?" he smiles, "I got it ready the second I saw you on the schedule. Caramel latte, hint of cinnamon. Since its -- ya know, fall officially, I put a little maple in there, too." "You spoil me," you sigh, taking the cup from him and letting the warmth radiate through your hands.

"I do," he nods, "But, that latte was the last of my regular milk so I need to run out and grab a few gallons before we open up. You okay to be hangin' out by yourself?"

You nod, of course you're okay to be hanging out by yourself. You take the first sip, letting the caramel flood your tongue. The maple is a good addition. You're about to tell Carl to add this to the seasonal menu but he's already out the break room door with his coat before you can. You hear the jingle of the bell and the lock of the door and eventually the silence settling into the store around you.

You start to re-organize the window display which should've been done last night but 'last night you' said that 'this morning you' could handle it. You wish you could punch last night you in the face, but this is what you get for taking an assistant manager position.

You stack the back to school reads next to your knees where you're sat on them. The dust billows when you move them, making you sneeze with each turn of your head. You rub at your eyes, realizing at that very moment that the mascara you put on this morning has now definitely smudged -- you can't even find the emotional capacity to check considering the store opens in forty five minutes. You wipe down the display shelves, letting the oak gleam under the spot lights. The color is a warm reminder of the cozy moments to come the way that they do this time of year. As you start separating the 'cozy reads' from your 'spooky reads' in the pile on the other side of your knees you hear a knocking at the door --that's not very like Carl to forget his key.

You look over your shoulder, not seeing Carl at all, and if it is, he had some kind of Seventeen Again magic happen to him in that time at the store. You stand up, wiping off your knees and straightening your skirt before getting to the door where the rapping continues against the glass. "We aren't open yet!" you call out.

"M'here for Carl!" you hear, muffled through the panes. "For the barista spot?" you yell back. The guy nods under his hood, the rain picking up in heavy sheets. You sigh, unlocking the door and letting him in. "Carl's not here, he ran out to get some more milk but um, you're welcome to wait in the break room if you want," you explain, wiping a palm over another display through the main hallway and wiping the dust off on your hip. "Thanks," he says, hood coming down to reveal a head full of thick chestnut hair. A gold ring shines on the the hand that runs through it, looks like a family crest type, right on his middle finger.

"I'm Steve," he says with a smile, hand now outstretched to take yours. You look at it and then at him, finally taking in the sight before you. Prominent straight nose, warm amber eyes, lips that definitely use chapstick regularly. He has a nice smile, the kind you read about in the romance novels in the back of the store, the kind people write about.

You take his hand and introduce yourself, he has a business major handshake and you only know that because you dated a handful of them back in college. You try to stifle a chuckle but it comes out airily out of your nose.

"Something funny?" he asks when you both let go. "No, no, sorry, I just thought of something from the other day," you shake your head, "Don't worry about it." He nods, taking off his coat and closing his umbrella following your lead to the back, "It's a cute place."

"Yeah, it's nice in the morning," you nod, "I normally close but -- doing a favor for a key holder today; so you have the pleasure of seeing the troll of the store in her natural habitat."

"What?"

"Nothing -- nevermind," you shake your head, cheeks burning with a wave of embarrassment when you look back and notice that he's genuinely very handsome. You get to the break room, pointing out the spare cubby where he can hang his coat and umbrella. He's in a sweater you swear you've seen on the Cosby Show -- dark green and patterned, a perfect combination of colors against his skin. It cuffs at the wrists, you can see a sliver of his white t-shirt underneath at the collar, a whisper of a gold chain tucked beneath it.

"Yeah um," you start, feeling your heart start to patter in your chest when he takes a seat at the table by the cabinets, "You can just wait here. I'll let Carl know when he comes back."

"Okay," he smiles, "Thanks."

You nod again, heading into the employee bathroom to collect yourself for a moment -- seeing your reflection. You forgot you had rubbed your eyes, masacra smudged in black smears nearly down to your cheeks. "I look insane," you whisper in horror, "Oh my fucking god."

You cover your face for a moment, trying to hide yourself from the embarrassment racking your chest. Definitely looking like the troll of the store, you silently scream into your palms, another dramatic whisper of, "I should just fucking kill myself."

Despite the humiliation, you know it's funny. This would happen to you. This hot guy would come in when your mascaras a mess and your hair is fucked up from the rain, when the weather is bad and your tights have a run, when your allergies are rampant from the dust. Of course he would!

You wet a paper towel and do your best to wipe off the smudges, happy to look a little less insane after a dab of tinted lip balm makes it onto your lips and cheeks.

When you re-emerge he's fiddling with his CD player and his over ear headphones, working on a knot in the wire. You go back over to the counter and take a sip of your forgotten latte.

"What do you drink?" he asks.

"Carl makes it special for me, it's not on the menu," you tell him over the black plastic top before taking another sip. He grins, a soft nod moving his hair with him -- so it's like that. "I didn't ask if it was on the menu. I asked what you drink," he says, leaning back in the chair. His eyes lingering on you sends a zip up your spine, wondering if he's giving you a once over or not.

"It's a caramel latte with maple and cinnamon," you tell him. His confidence both intruiges and enrages you, both making you want to tell him to get out but also learn more about this hot guy that wants to be a barista with a Wall Street handshake, "So why do you wanna work here?"

"Is this the start of my interview?" he laughs.

"No, I'm just wondering," you shrug.

"I'm back in school about twenty minutes away," he says, "Did it for a little when I was in high school -- coffee, I mean. Ice cream shop after that, video store after that. Went to school, took a break, back in it. My dad thinks having jobs like this builds y'know -- character and whatever."

"Jobs like this?" you ask, jaw tensing with annoyance.

"Like, y'know, jobs with the people," he tries to explain, pink building on his cheeks when he realizes he might've said something shitty, "They're not like bad jobs, that's not what I mean -- I mean like, y'know -- not suits kind of jobs. Regular shit."

"Regular shit," you nod, biting back what you wanna say. That gold crest ring should've been enough to tip you off, but your next question is the ace in the hole, "What're you back in school for?"

"Getting my MBA."

Of course.

"Nice," you lie, fake smiling into your next sip -- the latte going cold as your insides when you come to the conclusion that he's just some hot grade A asshole, "Well, good luck."

"Thanks," he calls out while you make your way back to the floor, "I really like your name, by the way! It suits you."

You try not to let that compliment change your mind.

He gets the job, but you don't see him a lot. He opens an then goes to classes at night, you close most of the time -- only catching him really in the first hour of your shift and the last hour of his. You're both too busy to be finding time to talk; him with his mid-shift clean and you with your hourly sales goals and mid-day schedule re-adjustments.

But he does wave when you come in. He calls out your name when you bustle past the coffee counter and weave through the tables to get to where you need to go. It's nice of him, you guess, but the stain of him explaining that the job he's doing is just for regular people taints it for you. Maybe he thinks you're just some menial worker bee that he only knows for now, since his daddy probably has a job lined up for him once he pays through his masters degree.

Job with a suit where the bookstore will be a distant memory for him, whereas you're on a two year track to becoming the manager and likely future owner when the owners get too old to manage it. Job with a suit where he'll pass by the store and shake his head at 'how stupid it was', a 'can you believe people work there?' head toss to a coworker while he get a coffee somewhere else. Meanwhile, it's your entire life, and so are all the stories inside.

A few weeks pass and the days get a little colder, the nights starting earlier as they go. You have an opening shift that chills your bones, hugging your wool coat tight to your body while you fiddle with the key at the door, groaning at the tinkling of it hitting the concrete again.

"Rough morning?"

You look up to the door opening, seeing a pair clean white Nike Air Force 1's singaling who it is.

"It is now," you mumble, grabbing the key and bustling inside.

"Surprised to see you here," he says, following you to the back, "You're not on the schedule." "Last minute switch up, Rochelle has a christening," you say, hanging your coat in the cubby and switching out your sneakers for platfoms again.

"Oh, nice," he grins, "So why is it a rough morning? 'Cause I'm here?"

"Sorta kinda," you shrug, "Did you alread--"

"I got sales report from yesterday on the check out desk, yes," he crosses his arms, leaning against the door frame.

"And th--"

"And the inventory report, and before you ask, yes I checked that all the milk is in stock and that we aren't low on beans. I've been here for a month, honey, I know what I'm doing," he mutters.

"Gross," you pull a face at him over your shoulder, "Don't call me honey."

He shrugs with a smirk, "Rochelle likes it."

"Can you go skulk to your caffeine den and leave me alone?" you snap, "I'm trying to open a store, here."

"Skulk, huh?"

"Too big of a word for you, Harrington?"

"You're on fire this morning," he smiles, that smile they write about.

"I kinda like it," he adds before turning out of the door and back into the warm light of the store towards the coffee bar. You swallow while you watch him leave -- I kinda like it ringing in your ears and floating down to your chest where is settles in, cozy and kind.

The reports are where he said the would be, neat and organized like he was the manager and Carl was his employee. You normally spent at least thirty minutes trying to figure out what Carl had written in chicken scratch on the forms, but Steve's sharp and elegant script was easy to read and perfectly spaced. Annoying.

Even his signature was handsome.

After you get the registers counted and ready you file the forms and mark the reports so they'll be ready for your manager when they get back in store. You check the list of what needs to be done, the chilly late October air swooping in from the cracks under the door. Your face sours while you make your way over to the coffee bar in the back, seeing Steve set up the pastry delivery in the cases on the side.

"Did you come back here to yell at me about something?" he asks, focused on the task at hand, "I got all morning."

"You didn't turn the heat on," you cross your arms, "That's like, the first thing you're supposed to do."

He scoffs quietly, shaking his head, popping back up to lean on glass of the case, "Did you read your morning report or just sit there and admire my handwriting?"

"Excuse me?" you bite back.

"Heats fucked," he shrugs, ducking back down to finishing his display, "They're sending someone to take a look at it later today."

"Whatever," you grumble, turning on your heel to go dust the front shelving and reshelf the returns from yesterday.

"Hey," he calls out, waiting for you to turn around before he continues. Your eyes catch his amber ones, sparkling with a mischief reserved for school boys who are mean to the girls they like, "You look nice today."

You look him over, sucking in your cheeks to kill the smile growing on your lips. His navy sweater hugs a bit across his chest and shoulders, giving way to billow slightly over his midsection and arms. Kahki chinos cut just at his ankles so his sneakers don't even look stupid paired with the outfit, socks just the right height to look cool and not forced. Awful.

"Yeah, you too Harrington," you agree quietly before walking away; and while you killed the smile, he was able to catch that crease in your eyes, the twitch in your shoulders. You thought that was nice, he wonders if he can make you do that again.

You head over to the back of the cafe during your break, no windows near your designated 'break chair'. It's close enough to the fireplace that it always feels like a rainy day even when it's nice outside. Now that Carl started his shift he got your drink ready to go the moment you walked over.

"Well la-di-da," Steve cocks his head when Carl walks over to greet the customer at the register, rag in his hands wiping up the pick up counter, "Expert service and you're not even gonna tip?"

"Here's a tip: leave me alone when I'm on break," you bite. Why did he have to be so handsome? Slight pink on his cheeks from the heat of the espresso and coffee machines, the lights overhead. The heat finally works again and it's almost working too well from the small bead of sweat forming above his brow. He runs a big hand through his hair again, the same way he did when you first met him. You try to ingore the way his bicep bulges in his sleeve when his arm stretches.

His tongue runs over his teeth, settling between them for a second before looking straight at you, "Good one."

"That's what you get when you read books," you say sarcastically, "You should try it sometime."

"You should teach me," he leans over the counter, resting his chin on his palm, "Bet you're a great teacher."

You bite your tongue, pulling in your lips and squinting your eyes to keep the smile from brewing a second time. You pick up your mug and sip your latte while he crosses his arms over his chest. "Nothing this time?" he asks, waiting for you second blow. You shake your head no, occupying your mouth with the rim.

"No?" He asks, you shake your head again, somehow glued to the spot under his stare. He slings the rag over his shoulder, still looking at you. "Well I don't wanna keep you standing here," he teases, offering you a wink that is so soul crushingly charming you could just die, "Enjoy your break."

You've never turned around so quickly in your entire life.

The following week you take another opening shift, happy to settle into the quiet of the cafe now that the morning rush of moms, dads, students, and aspiring writers have cleared out. The fire crackles just right, the leather warmed up to your body heat while the book sucks you in further an further. Thirty minutes pass when you hear a shift infront of you, the subtle squeak of leather being sat in with a soft crunch.

"What're you reading?"

You peer over the top of the spine to see Steve sat in the chair across from you, legs open wide while he leans his forearms on his knees. His long fingers slide together, gold ring shining in the light again to remind you of who he is and where he comes from. As handsome as he is today in his black henley and white t-shirt combo you'll never quite forget the fact that some MBA bro is perched in front of you like a puppy with nowhere to go.

"Sound out the cover, that should tell you," you boredly mumble before tucking back into the chair. His fingers peak over the spine, pushing the book down from the top. He pulls the leather chintz closer to yours with ease -- of course he does.

"Or you could tell me," he says with a softness you weren't ready to hear. Your chest gets warm again, creeping up your neck to your cheeks.

"It's Pride and Prejudice."

"S'that your favorite book or something?" he asks, elbow driving into his thigh so he can rest his chin on his fist.

"One of them," you shrug, "I always read it this time of year, kind of fits the mood of the season."

"Hm," he nods, like he's really listening, "What's it about?"

"Basically," you start, thinking of a way to describe it in two sentences or less, "It's like -- hm -- it's about two people, a love story. One guy is some super rich asshole and he's a jerk because the girl isn't as rich and him. And the girl isn't from the same social standing so she's a jerk because she already assumes that he's a super rich asshole. Like...I don't know, idiots in love who are too stubborn to love each other."

"Hm," he nods again, grin splitting his face, "Interesting."

"What's your favorite book?" you ask, wanting to wipe that smug grin right off his face. His dumb handsome face with that perfect sloped nose, and eyes that look like they're looking directly into you.

"I don't have one," he shrugs.

"You have to have one," you balk, "Like, even if it's one you read in school or something." "Hmm," he sits back up, leaning back in the chair with his hands resting just under his chest.

"You have to know how to read to run a business," you shrug.

"I know how to read, honey," he laughs, "I just don't have a favorite book."

"At least try," you ecourage, albiet annoyed. He taps his fingers on his diaphragm, one knee bouncing while he thinks about it. His shirt rides up just a smidge in the back, revealing a sliver of skin you didn't think you'd ever see.

"Shel Silverstein," he says finally, "Where the Sidewalk Ends."

"You didn't strike me as a poetry guy," you say, closing your book over your finger to hold your place.

"My mom went through this poetry phase -- and I'm my mother's son, so I had a poetry phase with her," he shrugs, "We wore that book out, think we had to get a second copy cause the first one was just like -- destroyed."

"Well that's...you know," you lean your head from side to side, "That's nice. It's cute."

"You'd know, right?" he smiles, that god damn smile Shel would write about in a new book. You'd bring back book burning just to throw it in the flames after it was published. He gets up, disappearing behind you for a moment and reappearing with your favorite green mug. He gingerly places it on the side table next to you.

"Compliments of the chef," he says, presenting it like a Michelin star meal.

You look at it, a perfect pour -- the cream rosetta leaf striking against the warm brown espresso. You can smell the caramel and maple already wafting off it, cinnamon sprinkled delicately on top.

"Um, thanks," you say quietly, taking the mug to your lips. He looks down at you eagerly when you take a sip, waiting for your reaction.

"Did you do something to it?" you ask before you take one.

"No I'm just -- damn, come on. I'm excited to see you try it," he sighs, "I worked hard on it."

"Fine, fine," you murmur, letting the latte flood onto your tongue. Its -- regrettably -- one of the best iterations of you've had in a while. The perfect creaminess without being too milky, enough caramel and maple without being too sweet, the espresso's bitterness cuts the sugar in just the right way to make it smooth. He knows he did it right by the way you go for a second sip without saying anything.

"I did good?" he quirks a brow.

"You did good," you nod.

"Good," he smiles, tapping the top of your chair, "'Cause Carl's putting it on the menu starting in November."

"How come?" you ask into your third sip, the steam billowing over your cheeks.

Steve lets his eyes flicker over your face slowly, offering a half shrug, "I told him to."

November brings the first pre-season snow, not that it mattered now that your favorite drink was a regular menu item now. Caramel and maple always in stock, espresso machine always on first thing in the morning.

You open twice a week now, seeing Steve more often than not. Dropping your key became less common now that he was normally at the door when you'd get there, ready to let you in.

"Another great day, right?" he'd tease.

Now that the holidays were in full swing the bookstore was busier than ever -- sales, bundles, events. You even started carrying children's coloring books and crayons in the kid's section; a whole set up just for kids to sit and color while their parent's browsed.

The stress was getting to you, constantly checking and rechecking the end of day sales versus last year, wanting to make sure everything was on a steady incline with a nice cushion for the next. It helped that the cafe seemed to be absolutely climbing in numbers since September. More and more people wanted to spend time over there, and the more time they spent the more time they looked at books or started reading. It wasn't shocking to see people checking out at the counter with a second coffee and a new book or two in hand.

You don't want it to be true, but you're sure the new barista had a play in what makes so many people stick around. You'd see the way Steve would flirt when he took orders, how he's listen to them intently, make every customer feel like they were the only person in the room.

At least that's how he'd make you feel when he caught your gaze from over the shelving, helping find books for new patrons from the college nearby. You both started to wave at each other at each passing glance, each look caught by surprise, each accidental yearning stare.

Mid-November greets you with a bitter chill, the very early morning doesn't even have the decency to greet with you the rising sun. It'll be atleast another half hour until then.

For the first time in a long time you don't drop the key, pushing into the store with ease. You waste no time turning the heat on, making sure the radiators bled a bit before hand. You rub your hands together while they settle in, putting your coat away in the cubby and switching out your shoes in the break room.

Opening on a Saturday morning isn't common for you, but it's the first event you've planned by yourself. A very simple read-along story telling with some kids from the neighborhood and their parents. You collected three solid winter time reads: The Mitten, The Snowy Day, and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. A solid hour of reading while the parents could peruse, or sit and watch while their kids tuned into a book instead of cartoons on Nick Jr.

Once you've given yourself the onceover for the morning you feel more confident about the upcoming next few hours. Your knit tights fit snugly over your legs, a touch sheered out with the stretch over your thighs but the pleats in your plaid maroon skirt cover that just fine, hitting just above your knees -- still covered, still sensible. Still cute enough to snag a single dad if one were to show up.

Your feet stay tucked in a pair of worn in platform mary-janes stolen from your sister's New York City closet when you went to visit her over the summer. The chunky knit sweater over the whole ensemble completes you, a spitting image of a 'caught on the street' look you saw in a Seventeen magazine that you still get delivered to you despite being well past the age group.

You thrifted the sweater with Steve in mind, it looked like something he'd wear.

Anyway.

As you set up the 'reading rug' in the cafe area you hear the familar unlocking of the door. The sun finally starting to seep in in golden shards through the panes, leaving squares of light on the wood floors and carpets below.

"Hey Carl!" you call out, "I got everything up and running for you."

You hear the keys jingle but not his smoker's cough, not his heavy steps finding their way to the cafe area. Instead you look up to see Steve with his hands on his hips, watching you struggle to move the leather chintz to the back wall as your reading chair.

"Redecorating?" he asks, looking around the cafe. Under his shearling lined aviator jacket is an open hunter green flannel you wouldn't expect to see him in, his white t-shirt underneath hugs tights to his chest and stomach. You unfortunately noticed how great of a view that is for you.

"Um," you started, looking around the room and the dissaray you seem to have made without realizing, "Why are you here?"

"Same reason your here," he says, stepping forward to shoo you away from the chair, "I'm on the payroll."

"You don't work weekends," you say, crossing your arms over your chest while he lifts the chair over the rug with a soft grunt.

"I do today," he says with a slight strain, "Where do you want this?"

"Uh," you start, "Just right in the center against the wall so everyone can see me."

"Oh, so you're reading to the kids this morning?" he laughs to himself after putting the chair down. He wipes his hands off on each other, shrugging off the jacket and holding it in one arm, "Bitter Betty is gonna entertain the young minds of Main Street?"

"Bitter Betty, huh?" you challenge, following him into the back room, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what that's supposed to mean," he shakes his head.

"I am very sweet," you tell him, a serious edge to your voice, "There are so many customer reviews saying how sweet I am."

"Sure," he nods, putting his coat away in his cubby, "I bet there are; since y'know, you're selling them something."

"I'm not just nice when I'm selling something," you say softly, arms coming protectively across your chest. A frustration bubbles in your chest while you look at him, following him back out into the cafe so you can keep getting the place ready before the families start to show up, "You think you know everything."

"I don't," he shakes his head, smiling while he checks over the machines and gets the first pot of coffee started.

"Yeah, you do. You walked in here two months ago and swear you know everything," you huff, getting the cafe back to a place of organized coziness.

"Okay," he chuckles, "Whatever you say, boss."

"You're infuriating," you mumble under your breath.

"Got that caramel latte coming right up for you, by the way," he says warmly.

Your head turns to see him watching you, he smiles, "Maybe you're a little nicer after you've had a coffee."

You smile back, unable to stop it this time.

"So that's a yes, right?" he cocks his head, fingers drumming on the counter while he watches you. That Harringtom charm pumping out at full speed.

"Y-yeah," you nod, "Whatever. You gonna go chop down a tree, Harrington? What's with the flannel?"

He looks down at his shirt and then back up at you with a soft shake of his head, "I better hurry up and get that started for you."

The kids look up at you with starry eyes, their parents smiling along with their coffees, lattes, espressos, and pastries. The Mitten was a hit and The Snowy Day is so far showing up to be a great follow up.

You take your time to really point out the pictures and adding on to the story since all three of them are pretty short. However, you're finding that kids between two and five are pretty easy to entertain if you do enough counting and make enough sound effects. Maybe you should've been a kindergarten teacher -- or maybe not. Maybe you should just keep doing book events.

You're halfway through when you show the illustrations to the group again, listening to them ooh and ahh at all the snow.

"Did um -- Miss -- did you know -- it snowed? It snowed at my house," one of the older kids announces, arm straight up in the air.

"It snowed last week, Michael, that's right," his mom pipes up, "Daddy had to shovel outside."

"Has everyone else seen snow? Raise your hand if you've seen this much snow!" you announce in your perfect parentese, watching while the older kids and parents raise their hands. The two year olds don't really get it so they just sit there and laugh.

You look up at all the hands, an enthusiastic 'Wow!' coming out of your mouth -- but you barely hear it. Behind the hands are a set of warm amber eyes looking at you from the coffee bar, soft and gentle. Enthralled even. You swallow and lick your lips quickly before smiling, catching his smile back as you look back at the book to start again.

After each couple of pages you catch each other, the pink on his cheeks rising when he looks away -- pretending to be occupied with something else. Cleaning, organizing, resetting the espresso machine. He can tell you're flustered by the way you clear your throat whenever you start to read again.

After The Snowy Day you take a ten minute break so that the parents can take their kids to the bathroom or re-up their beverages. The tip jar is full to bursting because nobody knows how to make a single mom feel like Steve Harrington does; and husbands will pay anything to get him to leave their wives alone.

You reset your chair, making sure the books you're reading are on display for purchasing on the shelving close by in your Winter Children's Bundle for a discounted price. As the ten minutes closes up you feel a soft tap on your shoulder.

"Here," you turn around to Steve with a green mug in his hands, "It's just regular coffee this time, but -- figured you could use it."

You take it body first, reaching around for the handle only to feel his fingers brush against yours at the hand of. The soft touch isn't electric like it is in the books, it's like that but better. Warm like an oven, the gooey parts of you rising in a slow bake when you see him look down and turn away -- running that same hand through his hair on his way back to the counter.

"Thanks," you say over the chatter of parents and kids coming back to sit.

"Can I have something ready for you for your break?" he asks back.

"Surprise me," you shrug, sitting back on your chintz chair and taking the final book onto your lap. The kids cheer when they see Snoopy on the cover, a well loved favorite cartoon to finish off their morning. With the crack of the spine you can already smell the sales coming once this little event is over.

You work through your break, ringing up and helping customer after customer on easily one of the busiest Saturday's you've seen in a while. It normally doesn't get busy like this at least for another couple of weeks.

The stress of working through lunch barely matters though because your event was a bigger success than you could've hoped for -- logging in the notes for Rochelle that you should probably start doing this throughout the season just for good measure.

It's starting to get dark by the time your shift ends and the store closes -- early on Saturdays at a tight 4 PM. You let your sales girl go a little early, wanting to take the time to close up the store properly since you were the one who made it such a mess this morning. As you start to put the chairs back that had been moved from the cafe to the children's section you hear him, fingers tapping on the counter.

"You didn't come by for your break," he says, "And I put a lot of effort into that drink."

"Sorry, we can't all be flirting through our shifts like you can, Harrington," you snark with a grin, flipping the last chair over onto it's accompanied table.

"You don't have to clean up the coffee part of the store," he says, coming around with another mug in hand, "That's my job, y'know."

"I know," you say, "But I kind of fucked it up this morning so -- just doing my part."

"Well, here," he says, mug outstretched in his large hand, gold ring gleaming back at you, "For doing your part, I guess."

"You guess, huh?" you laugh lazily, taking it -- he places his fingers in a way that you have no choice but to touch them. You wonder if he did it on purpose, "What do you call this one?"

"'Surprise me'," he replies in a mocking drawl, flipping the rag over his shoulder again and leaning against the counter's edge. The first sip is unfortunately one of the most even temperatured hot drinks you've put past your lips.

"You're good at this," you blurt out, almost offended.

"Well don't look so upset about it."

"I am upset about it," you nod back over the lip of the mug, taking another sip. Mocha -- something. It's like hot chocolate and espresso but better, still caramel, still cinnamon, like a hug from your past but caffienated like your present.

"Consider me surprised," you nod, licking your lips again, "It's good -- it's um -- yeah. It's really good."

"Thanks," he smirks, "A few of the mom's thought so, too."

You let out a sigh through your teeth, rolling your eyes. He expected that, taking a step forward when your gaze comes back to center. You can smell the left over wraiths of his cologne and Old Spice deodorant, count the moles on his neck adorned with his hidden gold chain, see the hair on his forearms from his rolled up sleeves.

"You know something," he says quietly, "If I didn't know any better -- I'd think you like me."

"Like you?" you balk, eyes widening, "You wish."

He clicks his tongue when you get so defensive because it just proves him right. He crosses his arms with another step forward, head cocking to the side slightly while he sizes you up. Why did his creator need to make his forearms so beefy? So perfectly sculpted that you can't look at them without losing your train of thought? Stupid.

"I don't think I have to wish, honey," he says softly, Doc Martins creaking on the wooden floors, "I think...uh, I think I must allow you to tell me how ardently you admire and like me."

Your mouth falls open, staring at him with eyes as glassy at the kids who watched you read this morning.

"You -- no -- you read it?"

"Maybe," he says, another step forward, his arms bumping against your chest.

"Maybe?" you ask back, brow quirking.

"Yeah, maybe I did," he runs a hand through his hair, falling back away from his face to show off his sturdy brow bone, watching you with admiration down the slope of his nose.

He reaches down and takes the mug out of your hand with smooth finesse, arm long enough to reach back and place it on the counter behind him. When he leans back in place he's closer than before, toe to toe, nearly nose to nose.

"Maybe I bought it the day you told me about it," he shrugs, "Maybe I thought it was pretty close to something I had goin' on with a girl I know."

"A girl you know?" you challenge. You know exactly who he means, but it might be fun to hear him say it. "Yeah, sometimes I only see her like, an hour a day. But sometimes I get to watch her read on her break, sometimes I get to close with her on Saturdays," he explains warmly, the timbre of his voice deep against the crackling of the fire in the back corner of the cafe.

"This is the only Saturday you've closed with me," you counter, head tilting up slightly, close enough that the tip of your nose brushes his.

"Who said I was talking about you, honey?" he murmurs back, mischief in his eyes that are half hidden by his eyelids. You feel a puff of his breath over your top lip, still minty fresh like he just brushed his teeth.

"We both know you're talking about me," you smirk, self satisfied while his gaze flickers to your lips and back to your eyes. He steps at an angle, making you step back so you're against the pick up counter.

"So sure of yourself," he he scoffs quietly, leaning over you and getting into your space. Each hand coming to the side of you to lean on the granite, caging you in, "I like that in a pretty girl."

"Most do," you shrug matter of factly.

"Yeah," he nods, "Think that's what I like about you."

"Maybe that's what I like about you, too," you nearly whisper out.

"Maybe?" he asks, lower lip ghosting over yours. "Mayb--"

The hand he uses to run through his hair finds itself flat over the back of yours, sliding down to over your cheek and jaw where he keeps you angled just right. He closes the millimeters between you, warm lips catching yours in a kiss that feels like passion but a power play you want to match.

Your hands find their way to his shoulders, heads moving in soft tilts when you change angles. When you find yourself sat on the edge of the counter he uses the leverage to pull you close to him, hips between the fullness of your thighs.

His tongue skates over yours when it slides into your mouth, free hand ridding up the soft material of your tights, tips of his fingers inching under the hem of your skirt in an innocent tease.

Even the way he breathes through it is sexy, leaving you with a lingering guess of what he can do when he presses his lips against your neck. Tongue flitting and striping while he nearly nips a bruise onto your skin. You let out a gentle gasp, enough to admit defeat to him -- much to your chagrin. Steve comes back up to your lips to meet you with a few final deep kisses before you break apart.

He steps back once, the deep golden light of the sun setting cracks through the panes of the back window in the cafe, adoring him in a glow that shines of his hair and eyes. The kind of glow they write about, the kind of glow you read about.

You both take deep breaths, eyes hungry for each other -- unsure if you should go for more. He lingers, coming forward again to rest his hands on your thighs.

"I didn't read it," he confesses. "Pfffft. Why am I not surprised?" you huff, exasperated.

"But! But, but, but," he argues back, pecking you feverishly, "I had to go to like, five different places to find the movie from 1980 so -- I did actually put some effort into it."

"I love that one," you say back.

"I get points for that, right?" he asks expectantly.

"Yeah, fine. You're luck you're cute," you explain, "But you do definitely have to read it, at some point. If you wanna keep making out with me in the cafe after closing."

"Oh, absolutely," he grins, hand reaching to pull you in by the back of the neck for a final searing kiss, "You'll have to teach me, remember?"

You of course start closing together every single Saturday.

masterlist | fall frenzy | ko-fi

#steve harrington x you #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington x fem!reader #steve harrington #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington one shot #steve harrington fanfic #stranger things #barista!steve harrington #stranger things fanfiction #steve harrington imagine

743 notes · View notes

ilaurabhdh · 3 months ago

Text

| My dove | Ben x reader | chapter 1 |

Masterlist

Warnings : none

Word count : 5.6k

A/N : you’re an alien but you mostly look human but you have halos and wings. English is not my first language but I still hope you’ll enjoy my work

Credits : @cafekitsune for the divider

Loud foot steeps echoed in the halls,the jingles of the many trinkets of its owner followed. They suddenly stopped. In front of a metal door, the owner takes out a badge for the door to scan.

Entering their home, the person found a special communication badge sitting on their table. Whiteout a word, they simply walk towards it and listen to its message.

The self proclaimed savior of the universe, Ben Tennyson, finally arrived back to HQ. Casually slurping his smoothie and walking over to his grandpa with cross arms and partner, Rook, both having waiting for him for too long.

"Sorry I'm late" Ben takes another slurp of his smoothie.

Grandpa Max uncrosses his arms, the little frown on his face still there.

"You're not on your own schedule anymore, Ben. You can't keep your partner waiting." Ben looked tiredly at his uncle, trying to come up with an excuse.

"I was...Off saving the universe !"

His grandpa glanced over at the smoothie cup the brunet held in his hand. Ben looked at where he was staring, not understanding what that look meant.

Grandpa Max smiled. "Good luck on your patrol, maybe with some luck, you two will meet your other partner."

"Wait ! Grandpa Max, what do you mean by other partner ? Don't you just mean Rook ? because I've already meet him !"

Ben did not want to deal with another person, Rook was nice enough but what if his new partner just ends up being bossy ? Plus, he'sBen Tennyson ! The savior of the universe ! On multiple occasions !

"I thought you were aware of our other partner ?"

"Wait, you knew ?!"

Ben looked at Rook with surprise, why does nobody ever tell him anything !

"I was informed of a third party, I do not know their name or face, all I know is that they are a high ranking member of the plumbers."

"And you're only telling me now ?"

"As I've already said, I thought you knew."

Ben sighs, maybe with luck, they won't meet they're other partner.

"Come on Rook, l'est go. I'm parked over here."

"We'll take mine."

Rook show what looks like a high tech plumber vehicle to Ben's interest, only to be disappointed when the vehicle moves to show a truck belonging to his grandpa's shop.

"Wow, I bet the girls all start screaming when they they see this ride rolling down on the block."

Rook only looks at him with confusion. "Females are not afraid of my vehicle. But they probably should be."

Rook smiled, taking his keys and activating his car, it slowly transformed into a more intimidating mini spaceship with the plumber symbol on its wings. Ben's mouth was agape at how cool the vehicle looked. Smiling while glancing at Rook.

"Sometimes, you're actually awesome."

Rook smiled. Ben quickly started to walk over the car. "Sometimes."

Rook followed Ben, not bothered by the cocky brunet's last comment. The vehicle flew off into one of the many secret tunnels, transforming back into a regular truck when it was about to enter a normal traffic.

There was no words exchange between the partners. Ben continuously slurped loudly on his smoothie, earning Rook's attention.

"I'm not familiar with human emotional cues, but are you angry at me ?"

"Nah, just bored. I'm feeling more like a tour guide then a hero lately. Over here, on your right you'll see a city and over on your left, you'll see something that we call water. Careful it's wet."

"Water is wet, I'm familiar with that."

They both smiled at each other. The brunet suddenly felt a bit of guilt for leaving Rook hanging.

"I'm sorry that I left you waiting around. I just don't want to change how I work. I've saved the universe a million times, at least." Ben takes more sips of his smoothie.

"That is why I look forward to this. I hope that the real Ben Tennyson lives up to the legends."

Ben stopped drinking his smoothie the moment he heard his name and legend in the same sentence. He looks back at his tall partner.

"Thy're legends ?" Rook nods.

"They can't all be true thought, for instance, alien X. That's just a rumor a fan made up and put on the extranet, right ?

Ben smirked."Alien X is real." He proudly claims.

"He is ?" Rook turned his head to Ben's direction.

"Show me, change into alien X right now."

"I'd better not." Rook's head turned back to the road.

Ben played around with his smoothie cup."It's a whole things."He then went on to continue drinking his smoothie, Rook gave Ben a side eye.

"Just as I thought."

"Look, find us a little heroing to do and you can tell me if I live up to the legends.

The truck suddenly rolled faster on the road. The two actively searched for any criminals or criminal activity to resolve, only for it to end up with alien eating cars that stopped the moment they saw Ben and a thief that returned the bag to an old lady.

The two heroes only ended up back in Rook's truck, observing their surroundings. Rook eating chips while Ben only lounged around comfortably.

"Some heroeing so far. At least the world is safe from car munching aliens."

Ben put his arms on the solid construct in front of him and rested his chins. He pointed out to a teenager walking by them.

"Look, some normal dude."

Ben got up from his position and sarcastically commented. "Maybe we should arrest him for jaywalking."

Rook didn't respond for some time, his keen eyes could see that the teenager had some kind of alien technology.

"His phone shouldn't be powered here on earth. Is that normal ?"

The teenager with black and red hair, held some kind of phone, wired to his backpack.

"No, that's not normal."

They both got out of the truck and followed the edgy teenager into a dark alleyway in a not so discreet manner. Catching the attention of the teen, who ready himself to shoot them. Ben used himself as a shield to protect Rook, the teen hastily runs away.

"You're welcome."

Ben says to Rook as they both quickly got up and chased down their attacker. The attacker take another turn toward a dark alley. Before the duo are able catch him, the teen gets in his car and drives away. Ben smiles and gets up before Rook.

"Finally, some action."

Ben runs directly towards a wall while using his omnitrix.

"Bigchill, will let me cut right into these buildings."

Only for him to transform into some kind of fire alien and slam himself into the wall. Ben scratches a bit his head, Rook joins his side.

"Heatblast ? Seriously ?"

Ben and Rook both look at the giant building in front of them.

"Time to improvise."

The brunet used his fire powers to fly over the building and catch up to their attacker. The edgy teen tried to shoot the flaming alien, only to barely manage to pass by Rook's truck. The later transform his truck into a flying plumber ship and chased the teen with Ben.

Ben was able to use his flame powers to melt the red car's wheel. His omnitrix started beeping, signaling that it was about to go on cool down. As Ben transformed back into a human, he braced himself for the pain of the crash against the floor.

On the other hand, the edgy teen took that opportunity to run away. Before the teen could get away, a figure appeared in the sky and tackled him.

Rook quickly got out of his car, only to be meet with a [hair color] haired girl cuffing the teen as he protested.

"What is your deal ?! I wasn't doing anything !"

Earning a harsh pinch on the ear from the girl.

"I just saw you attempt shooting two member of the plumber's organisation and actively running away from them with no justification. You'll complain to the judge, not me."

"And a super hero !" Ben joins Rook side, looking as perplexed .

"Who are you ?"

The girl turned her head away from the criminal and the omnitrix user. She handed over the criminal to the taller alien.

The multiple rings above her head shining beautifully under the moon, two of them were golden, spiky and crossed, near the back of her head but still large enough to be visible while another less large golden halo floated directly above her head.

She wore a pair of black short and black shirt that went up to the middle of her neck, the shirt exposing her shoulder with lower frilly [favorite color] sleeves over long black sleeves that stopped at her fingers, only exposing her ring and index fingers . On her thighs [favorite] thigh bracelet, and [favorite color] flat shoes.

The many flower and bell trinkets on her stood out : on the three floating rings near her head, on her ankles, her sleeves and her waist.

"I am [name], no last name. I am a

Magister under the plumber organisation and your new partner."

Rook's eyes widened while Ben still looked unimpressed.

"I am Rook Blonko. You really are magister [name] ? It's an honor to meet you." Rook's eyes shined with admiration.

Before Rook could advance towards you, Ben stopped him.

"How can we trust you ?"

The halo floating directly above her head moves in front of her, she puts her hand through it and takes out a plumber badge.

"Excuse me of my tardiness, the day we were all supposed to meet, I was held up by some extraterritorial affair. Don't get the wrong idea, I would rather not work with you." You pointed at Ben. "I only accepted because your grandfather requested it, I could not refuse a request from him. I owe him a lot."

Rook looked excited to work with you, Ben looked tired and disappointed. You walked over in front of them.

"Also..."

The two boys received a slap at the back of their head.

"How could you cause so much damage on your first mission together ?! Do you know how much property damage you've both caused ? Most of the plumber budget is wasted to fix everything you've both damaged ! Have you also thought of some aliens or people that could've been hurt ? Also about some that cannot afford insurance ?"

Ben tried soothing the pain. "Aliens have insurances ?" You pinched the bridge of your nose, already annoyed and tired. You quickly took out your plumbers badge and sent a voice message. "Send compensation to the aliens that have been harmed or have had property damage and make them sign an insurance, over." Ben only grumbles as he went on to checked the weapons the now handcuffed teen had. You stayed on the sideline while your junior plumber was holding onto the criminal, observing what the so called "hero of the universe" would do.

"Alien communicator, alien weapon...Please tell me you're working for somebody big and dangerous so I could kick his but." A vein popped up on your head, Ben Tennyson had to be one of the most obnoxious person you've had to deal in a long while.

The teenager with a red hair strip only scoffed.

"You guys wouldn't last a minute against my boss." The teen smiled proudly.

Humans are such difficult species to deal with...

There was suddenly a weird noise coming from the teen's car engine. Everyone's head turned towards it.

"This doesn't sound like a typical earth combustion engine."

"Well, lest hurry and find out." The three of you walked closer towards the red car.

"Who's opening it ?" You asked, not wanting to open it in case it was some kind of farce or explosion.

Ben looked at you with a smirk. "Ladies first !"

"Shouldn't the male go first ?"Rook responded innocently.

This poor unfortunate soul, he sadly had to partner up with a doofus.

You sighed as you opened the car engine, only to be meet with a cracking yellow container. And just as you expected there was some kind of explosion. Your wing appeared out of reflex as it shielded you and your teammates. Your right wing was as white as snow while your left one was holographic but able to protect Ben from the explosion.

"What the f-" You put your holographic wing over Ben's mouth.

"No swearing when I'm here." Brook looked amazed and shook at the same time.

"A halo, [eye color] and wings...Arr you perhaps an ornix, magister [name] ? Weren't they-"

"We'll talk about it another time. I think we have a bigger issue to deal with."You pointed at the black and yellow humanoid batteries.The little electric creature turned itself into lightening and quickly jumped onto the red hair streak teen that was trying to run away.Opening the metal backpack to reveal another one of his. There was now two megawatts.

"Megawatts ?I haven't seen these guys in years." Ben said in disbelief.

"They are Nosedeenians's from the Nosideen Quasar planet. They are know for being mischievous, not knowing the repercussions of their actions but do not hold any ill will against humans unless provoked." You take out one of the many trinket decorating your halos, specifically a flower formed only with cubes. The moment you touched it, it recognizes you and formed into a tablet with a special pen provided with it. You starts writing down everything that happened until now.

"We get it Einstein but I think the name I found is way better." Ben proudly proclaims.

"Are they registered in the intergalactic data or library ? I think not. Also, who is this Einstein ?" You said while looking at the official information recorded about the species on your tablet.

"Then I'll have to request it, they'll for sure are going to accept mine immediately !" Ben joked, not noticing the side eye you were giving him.

"I doubt it." You returned to looking through some of the files, taking his words literally .

"Your sense of humour is as dry as the Sahara desert..."

"I do not want to interrupt your conversation but what should we do about these Nosedeenians ? I haven't face a nosedeenians until now. Any advice ?" Rook turned towards you and Ben. You all watch the megawatts electrocute the other teen. Before you or Ben could answer, one of the humanoid batteries used its power to pass through the blue alien's weapon only to shock him afterwards.

Ben looked tiredly at Rook being shocked by the two megawatts.

"Try not to let them zap you."

"Is that the only advice you can give ?" You gave him a disappointed look.

"Got any better, miss know it all ?" He asked with sarcasm laced in his voice.

"Good point." One of the batterie like alien was now attempting to zap you. The electricity only passed through your halos and transferred itself to Ben.

"Ow ! Watch it !"

"I can't control where electricity goes." You feigned innocence.

"Can't control my ass ! I can see your huge smile ! How did it even not affect you ?!"

"My halo's can conduct electricity and transfer it wherever I want." You pointed at them "Also as stated before, do not swear in my presence."

"Well now thanks to you, I took your hit." After having their fun, the two Nosedeenians teleported themselves on an electric post. Taunting the three of you and afterwards trying to escape.

"We need to stop them !"

"Already on it." You and Rook said in unison. Rook and Ben started to chase the Nosdeenians while you used your wings to fly after these two little devils. Accidentally leaving behind the edgy teen, leaving him the opportunity to run away.

Even though you were pretty fast with your wings, the Nosedeenians were faster as the they travelled in their electric forms.

"If only we were in a more isolated area..."

You muttered to yourself.

"Says the person who literally is flying."

Ben's voice popped up in your earpiece.

"Which direction did the Nosedeenians take miss [name] ?" Rook's voice joined.

"Left and then straight" You informed them trying to catch up to the Nosedeenians.

You could see from where you were that Ben had transformed into what he called "clockwork" or a chronosapien. Rook had taken another route in hopes of ambushing the two black and yellow batteries. One of them had seen you catching up to them so casted electric shocks your way. You dodged many of them but they still managed to hit you, leading the little gadget creating your left wing to malfunction.

You safely landed near Tennyson, struggling to run in his clock form.

"Glad to see ya join us in this little chase..." Ben, still able to crack a joke even though he could barely breathe.

"Save it, we're losing them."

Your way was blocked by Ben who took a pause from running, too much out of breath.

"You're blocking my way ! Dam it, we've lost them !" You said a bit pissed, not at Ben but at yourself.

If I was able to dodge that beam then we wouldn't be here...

To both of your surprise, the little creatures returned towards you, taunting you.

"Wait could it be..." Before you could finish your sentence, the Nosedeenians were already back running. You and Ben both shared a glance and nodded at each other. You started to push Ben a bit to make him move faster, you weren't the strongest but you were at least trying.

When you arrived near the stairs, Rook cached up. You all watch the Nosedeenians going into of the warehouse. A beeping sound started to go off and shortly, Ben returned to his human form. He was clutching on you for dear life, taking multiple breathes. You really couldn't car less at the moment. Rook appeared worried as he approached the savior of the universe.

"Are you okay, Ben ?" Ben raised his hand for second to signal for more time.

"Give me a sec, so I don't hurl..." Rook turned his head back at the warehouse. "It's a miracle they didn't escape a chronosapien." Rook commented.

"They must have wanted us to follow them. I see no other reason." You responded. You were starting to get annoyed with the 'savior of the universe' sweating and panting while holding onto you. He better not use you as his personal napkin or puke on you. On the other hand, Rook, being the angel that he is was more preoccupied by Ben's state.

"Do you need more time ?"

"No, but if you see my face turning green, step back."

"Here, have this. It will probably help with your nausea." You take out a [favorite color] flower and handed it to Ben. He looked at you with confusion but you insisted on him sniffing it. As Ben took a few sniff from the flower, his nausea was starting to fade.

"I don't feel sick anymore, what flower is that ?"

You gently put the [favorite color] flower back on your halo. "I think it's best if you don't know. L'est move on, we have noosedeenians to catch up too."

You walked past the boys who only exchanged a shrug with his other partner. The three of you proceeded to run to the warehouse. After carefully entering, you all hid behind crates. The sight of the huge contraption keeping in the Nosedeenians horrified you. They all looked tired and hurt. The two previous Nosedeenians you were after were trying to free their own with no success. One of the two jumped repeatedly and waved his arms at your direction.

"I see it but I don't believe it. The megawatts need our help." Ben said out loud, his voiced echoed through the whole building. You put your hand over Ben's mouth and used your other hand to make a shush sign.

"As plumbers, we need to help every species suffering from the wrongdoings of others and punish them." You whispered.

"Someone has set up a factory that uses them as a power source." Rook whispered. Rook must have seen something as he quickly pushed you and Ben further into the crates to hide. You could feel Ben's little scream on the hand you were using to silence him. Ben pushed your hand over his mouth and gave you an annoyed look. You ignored him and looked at the direction your blue partner was looking at. On the upper level, a boy with a white Mohawk and wearing alien tech passed by. The boy soon noticed the two noosedeenians trying to free the others. He jumps down and uses his machinery to confine the two aliens in it and use them as power sources.

From behind you, you could hear electric sounds approaching you. Your team looked at each other and nodded. Ben kicked the person behind you to the wall.

"Not bad." You commented, quite impress.

"You haven't seen the best-" Ben was cut off, you were all trapped in some kind of electric force field. You gave a deadpan look at Ben while he gave you a nervous grin.

The criminal, Ben had kicked to the wall quickly got up and smiled when he heard the noise of the warehouse door open. A tall men with spiked hair and makeup on his face that resembled a skull entered with the previous edgy teen that ran away before, following behind.

"You better be worth interrupting my workout for." He approached a punching bag.

The subordinates that was holding the three of you hostage in his force field looked at his boss. "Look like spies, Fistrick."

The man named Fistrick throws the towel around his neck off and start punching the punching bad.

"You got spies ? In my house of business ?" He continuously punches.

You took that time to try and fix the engine that helped you fly while Rook was trying to make his electron entanglement disrupter function. He would sometimes silently pat your shoulder so you can help him a bit. Ben on the other hand was having a conversation with Fistrick and his 'business'. By the time they had finished their exchange, Fistrick noticed too late what you and Rook were doing.

The moment the force field was destroyed, Ben had transformed into a segmentasapian or what he called 'Blox' and went to attack Fistrick. Rook was occupied fighting one of the lackeys, you trusted his abilities in combat so let him deal with it alone. You ran towards the main machine that was keeping the Noosedeenians trapped. The system was easy enough for you to hack into it but took some time to load. Before you could actually free them, Fistrick ran towards your direction and pushed you as far as he could from the computer. He activated some kind of button and jumped into a hole that had opened up. Rook and Ben quickly ran your way and helped you get up.

"Are you fine miss [name] ?" Rook asked with genuine worry.

"You did take a pretty violent push." Ben said as he helped you up. You only coughed a bit.

"I'm fine, you get used it with this kind of job." You southed the pain on your butt.

A rumbling was heard from the hole the main criminal jumped into. The three of you took a few steps back when Fistrick reappeared inside a giant robot armor with a smirk.

"You've never asked us why we needed so many of these Noosedeenians." The capsule closes, the little screams of the Noosedeenians could be heard as their energy was forcibly used for the robot. "Lest take this baby for a test drive. It looks like I'm getting my workout after all." The machine starts taking steps towards your team. You all looked a bit surprised but prepared yourselves for the fight.

"A class twelve armored mecha suit. Have any of you dealt with one before ?" Rook looked at both you and Ben. "No, how do you beat it." Ben said seriously, specifically looking at you. "You could try alien X." Rook proposes, Ben sent him a glare. "Stop it."

"I've mostly dealt with diplomatic affairs but even so, our main issues is not how we are going to take down that mech but more like how are we going to take down the mech whiteout hurting the Nosedeenian." Red dots appeared on the three of you. You all looked at where it came from, seeing Fistrick ready to fire.

You quickly ran away before the missiles could shoot you. The last one did hit all of you, you were blown to the other side of the room, the boys were only blown a few feet apart the mech.

"Woooo, I love it !" You could hear Fistrick's happy voice echo, you just wanted to punch him right now. The moment he is out of that machinery, you are so going to pluck out each of his teeth individually...

Calm your murderous thoughts [name]...

Fistrick was more focused on the boys, you used that opportunity to try and fix your wing engine. By the time you had finished fixing it, the fight had been taken outside, with Ben transforming into a Galilean. You activated your engine and your holographic wing appeared, you flew outside and landed on the roof of the warehouse. You didn't know what happened to Rook but you had to help Ben, he was being repeatedly punched by the mech. You used two of your halos to hold back the mech's fists.

"What the...Seems like little lady over there thinks she can play hero." He struggles a bit but manage to take them off and tries to throw them back at you. The halos only come back to their original places and your smirk.

"This pretty lady only needed some extra time."

"What-" He was hit by a crane. You took a few steps aside as the mech was blown away and crashed through the roof and back inside.Rook got out of the vehicle for a second and waved at you "Thank you for your help." You gave him a thumbs up before quickly joining them. Rook turned towards Ben "And you're welcome."

"You guys came in clutch." Your short victory was soon over when Fistrick jumped back outside.

"Weak." He says

"Miss [name], Ben, I think I can separate the megawatts from the suit, but It will be a difficult shot. Try and get the suit to stop moving." Rook yells out

"Yeah, thanks Rook, I'll be onto that."

"We’ll be onto it." You corrected Ben.

"Ok, excuse me but what are we going to do ?"

"Try and submerge him in the nearby water, even though it's a type twelve machine, it has many flaws."

"Already on it."

The red mech ran towards Ben, before it could reach him, Ben used his gravitational powers to throw the machine close by to the water and putting pressure on it. Fistrick tries to relentlessly get up but you used your halos to pin the machines arms down.

"You two got anything else, hero and pretty lady or are you both just one trick ponies." He says mockingly. You royally ignored him, more concentrated on using your free hand to fill out the report for the mission you are currently dealing with on your tablet.

"Hey it's my first time using this guy, and little miss [name] over there probably has more tricks up her sleeve if she is a magister." Ben gave you a sly smile that you ignored in favor of completing your report."You might be able to withstand forty G's, but I don't think the docks can. What do you think ?"

At the exact same time, the docks had crumbled under the pressure. You quickly brought your halos back in their original places before they were submerged in water. Ben continuously put the mech in and out of the water, it looked like Ben was enjoying this a bit too much. You flew to his side and elbowed him.

"Come on, don't be a party popper ! I was just about to stop anyways." Ben laughed a bit.

You gave him a side eye."Tennyson, we have to save the Noosedeenians. Then you can do whatever you want with the perpetrator, that stays in line with the law of course."

"Why do you have to make it sound like I am going to do heinous crimes ?" Ben grimaced a bit.

The mech was now floating in the air, still as a rock. You looked towards Rook and gave him a thumbs up again. The blue alien took a deep breath and shoots his arrows on the back of the red mech. The containers on it all launched into the ground, the glass shattering and freeing all the noosedeenians in it.

"Nice shot !" Ben yelled towards Rook, you quietly applauded. And again, your victory was short lived when multiple missiles were launched at your way. Half of them were after Ben and the other, you.

Before the missiles even had the chance to touch you. One of your halos swiftly moved in front of you, now extended to protect you. All the missiles were swallowed in it with no effort.

"Whoa ! That's a pretty cool trick, mind if I send you more ?" Ben, just discovering his own orbit, was controlling the trajectory of the missiles that were aimed towards him. The same Halo approach Ben's orbit and swallowed all the missiles. A second halo was placed in front of Fistrick's mech.

You looked down at the mech again. Hearing's Fistrick's worry echo in the armor. "This is not good."

You only gave him a cold glare before looking back at your fingers. At a snap, you could launch everything at him.

"Comme on miss, we can make some kind of deal ! I'll give you thirty percent of the profit if you let me go !" The only thing he managed with those words was to piss you off.

"As a magister , my duty is to punish those who harm others and do not abide by the law. Do you think I would stoop so low ? You're only receiving what you deserve."

Snap

All missiles that were engulfed in your halo all come out through the one in front of Fistrick. Sending him and his Mech at the other side of the dock.

You only dusted yourself off as you approached Ben and Rook. They were quite shaken by how scary you looked a few moments ago. You only look at them confused. "Is there something on my face ?" You frowned.

"No, ma'm !" They both exclaimed at the same time. You shrugged it off, and walked ahead of them to go arrest the criminal and clean off the area.

"That wasn't easy." Rook said tiredly.

Ben transformed back into a human and looked at Rook with a smile. "It never is."

"Are you two coming ?" You called out.

Ben and Rook jumped out of fear.

"And also scary." Rook whispered shouted at Ben.

"Talk about new partner..." Ben whispered shouted back.

You all waited for a plumber team to arrive and clean the scene. All the criminals were arrested. You finish off the report and send it off back at HQ. Uncle Max happily walked over to the three of you with his own tablet and pen. You looked up at him with respect.

"I heard there's a colony of megawatts that helps power undertown." He informed.

That's weird, you've never heard of this information before...

"Since when ?" Ben voiced your thoughts out.

Uncle Max pointed at a direction and your gazes follow. "Since now."

All the megawatts that were saved, all entered a tube and waves back with huge grins at your team. It is a pretty nice ending.

"Anytime guys." Ben saluted the megawatts with some kind of earthling sign. You probably will have to study more on human culture...

"Don't the Tennyson legends usually end with some kind of blended beverage." Rook asked curiously.

"Are Tennyson's stories really that popular in plumber school ?" You ask Rook, intrigued by the beverage. Rook nodded and you let out a hum.

"You guys mean smoothies ?" Ben shakes one of his arms. "Nah, they're more of a daytime thing. At night, it's chilly fries!" Ben walked off in the plumber spaceship with one of his arms pumped up upwards

"Are those some kind of frozen meal ?" You ask, you've never heard of such foods before. You quietly joined Ben in wherever you all were going. You had finished all your paperwork currently. Might as well indulge yourself a little tonight.

"Okay." Rook seemed a bit exasperated with the food mentioned.

As the spaceship was taking off Ben had to mention one last thing. "By the way, Alien X is real."

"Why can't I see it ?" Rook asked.

"Mister Blonko has quite a valid reason to not believe you, Tennyson." You retorted back.

"You can just call me Rook, magister [name]. I don't deserve such title from a magister like you !"

You looked the other way. "Fine, mister Rook but I believe I believe your skills are really phenomenal. I am not as impressive as you are."

"Nonsense, you are one the youngest magister in history. You deserve every merit give magister [name]. Do not call me by any title. Just Rook."

You looked down the ground. "Okay, Rook. Then only call me [name] then." You muttered, loud enough for Rook and Ben to hear the hint of hesitation in your voice. Rook smiled and gave your a thumbs up. Now his attention was back on Ben

"But still, why can't I see alien X, Ben ?"

"Guys...there's some things you're gonna have to trust me on."

"Show us some proof then. With no proof , your words are as hollow as your mind, Tennyson."

"Hey ! What did I do ?!"

Chapter 2

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witerh · 7 months ago

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need each other || boyfriend re4r!leon

warning: nsfw, fluff, mention of leon's ptsd, dom/soft leon! phone handjob, on distance, dirty talk, animal names, caresses, orgasm, consolation, comfort.

rating: mature

plot: your boyfriend's long absence from home makes you miss him not only mentally but also physically.

Long-distance relationships, no matter what temporarily or forever, are always an unbearable longing and need. Thoughts are filled only with when he will return and worry about one rustle at home because he can will return at any moment. A couple of days, weeks and months have already been passing for too long, hours and minutes are like honey — they are slowly tormenting you with its slowness. Joy knows no bounds when you hear a notification on your phone, you hope that it’s your boyfriend, but it turns out it’s just a notification about the weather forecast. At night, hiding a pillow between your legs is simply unbearable because the desire to feel real touches is much stronger. Memories of his hands on your body, wanting to console you and calm you down from bitter tears that you don’t deserve make you sad while he consoled himself with a glass of whiskey at the bar. The atmosphere in the house just suffocates you like never before. You are used to coming home from work and smelling the cooked dinner, comforting yourself in the arms of the blond talking about your day. But now it’s deathly silence, broken by the jingle of your keys in the lock.

A stream of cool air blows into your bedroom through the slightly open window while you lie in bed and chat with Leon. The corners of your lips turn up as you can you hear his voice as if it were some kind of treasure. His words through the phone speaker feel like they are say from the heart. Admitting how much he misses you and will be back soon with a gift in the form of a new dress that you saw on Instagram makes your heart beat faster than before. You tell how things are going on with you at work and, in general, the upcoming news in your life. You haven’t seen him for a long time, you haven’t felt his comfort and the warmth for a long time which now replaces blanket. Fleeting conversations with him on the phone warm you more than any fireplace in a harsh winter that does not want to be consoled. This mission is too long for both of you and your cunt is already getting wet from his message: “How is my girl coping there alone at home, hmm?" It torments you, but at the same time it gives you pleasure like never before. Sweet torture that you are ready to endure on your own skin with defeat and hand in panties.

While talking about something new at your work, you didn’t even not right away notice how Leon was half naked and with rosy cheeks. He often worked out in the gym, because you always need to keep in shape, just as you always need to keep the bookshelves in order from dust in your house. He carefully tried and trained his muscles, so that veins almost burst under his slightly tanned skin. I can’t say that you didn’t admire his muscular body, his chest, his abs, but still it was too much. It was too beautiful a sight for your head to see his strong hands, that a pool had already formed in your mouth from your saliva. You didn’t even ask your boyfriend whether he was home from practice or not, because you still knew the answer: “Yes, I was, baby, otherwise it wouldn’t be me.”

— You think so, what if were you at home and touched me right now? Explain yourself for me. — you reproached into the speaker feeling a rather familiar knot inside your lower abdomen. The sound of your voice so alluring made him root for you even more. Leon could imagine the playful smirk on your lips as you teased him. His strong hand ran over his aching cock, which needed you more and more. Kennedy's imagination is simply clouded by excitement and he cannot think right now.

— I would lie between your thighs... and eat you for breakfast, lunch and dinner... I'll make you scream my name until you forget yours... — he sighed softly lost in my imagination. About how you squeeze his skull with your plush hips, how you will cry for release while his tongue carefully works over your body, how your hands grab onto his strands of hair as if it were a sheet that was stained with your juices and his saliva. It makes his skin crawl. Leon threw his heavy head back onto the pillow, which eventually flopped from the big fantasies of your entertainment after his mission.

He will definitely make your pussy happy.

His blond hair sticks to his forehead due to sweat because it's so hot in the hotel room! With every statement and request from Leon, you felt that there was already a lake of your fluids under your ass. There is no point in resisting the temptation, and your hand is already under the lace fabric and circling over your clitoris, caressing you while you imagine that these are his fingers.

— Oh, Leon, — you mutter for him and only him — I want you... — your words were a request and a plea with heavy breathing. Your words and the sounds of your cunt squelching against your finger made the fire inside him flare up. His hand lowered his sweatpants freeing his already hard cock from its confines. Leon's movements were desperate when he heard this symphony of your sighs and sounds.

— What a good girl, — he answered, frowning from the tension in this situation. With every stroke he imagined that you were doing this to him which brought him to an uncontrollable state. Your shared muffled chorus of arousal and moans was heard only by both of you and no one else. — What do you want, baby, now?.. I will do everything I can in my power, —

Your fingers began to tremble due to the way you were squeezing them with your walls. His voice and words were stuck in your head for a couple of seconds while you thought about them while your boyfriend continued to console himself and you heard it perfectly. — Fuck me, Leon... Рlease... I need you so much.. right now, — your thighs began to tremble involuntarily — a sign that your fingers were doing their job well.

— I'm close.. very.. Oh God.. — Kennedy's slight muttering that you couldn't quite understand. Leon was quiet that there were almost no moans for you, but for him your moans were very often. His hand increased the pace of movement, smearing precum from the red tip with his thumb. You both lost your breath and the approach only increased without stopping for mercy. The tension in the lower abdomen tormented him greatly, as did you, constantly reminding him of the long-awaited release. With each passing moment, the intensity of your pleasure grew until it became almost unbearable. It's too much.

— Cum for me, baby, be a good girl for me... — he coos and his voice was hoarse with his desire and need for you. You succumbed to temptation with a hoarse cry, feeling like a knot was untying in the lower abdomen and your pussy ached and ached while your hips stood up slightly in trembling. You are lost and your mouth is dry and there is not enough saliva while your body is all wet from sweat and your own fluids, not to mention the sheet under you and now dirty pajamas. You could only hear his moans and low growls of his release with your encouragement. Thick strings of sperm released into his palm also staining his clothes and his skin.

You both walked away and breathed heavily without saying anything. — You liked it baby, huh? — his murmur was heard with the slight rustling of a napkin as he removed dirt from himself. Kennedy wanted to hear your approval or to hear what he did wrong in this unusual meeting on the phone. — This is not just “good”, it is ideal and only ideal, — you quietly whispered back.

#leon kennedy #leon s kennedy #resident evil #leon scott kennedy #older leon kennedy #re4 #comfort #ao3 fanfic #fanfiction #leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy fluff #leon kennedy fanfic #re4 remake #resident evil 4 #leon kennedy x y/n #leon kennedy x you #leon kennedy smut

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icarusredwings · 4 months ago

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Finding home Au things that are canon (because I said so, and it's MY au so I can do whatever I want. Send me headcanons, and I'll approve them)

Gambit just got back from the void so he's just now meeting everyone. He looks a little different from how they remember since their gambit really was never a full team mate and rather then just some guy that helped Logan a couple of times. This being said hes meeting Rouge as a 35 year old linguistics teacher for a bunch of brats, flirting with her in the halls, trying to impress her all the time, etc. He wanted to have a cool class like how to use a Bo staff or tutor energy weilding kids but instead got stuck with sex ed. Because of this, he now makes a ton of jokes to Rouge about it (she's across the hall) but actually is really excited to start his cooking elective class this coming fall when he's considered a real team member.

Ororos heals click in the hall like they did when you were a kid and you could tell the principal is coming. She's almost always with a tea or a coffee, walkie talkie and keys jingling. She's very sweet but kids shit their pants if sent to Mrs. Munroes office, meanwhile Mr. Summers office is a nothing, just a lecture and a slap on the wrist. Aint no one actually scared of lasik because they know thw worst theyll get is community work for a couple of weeks but they ligit cry the second theyre sent to munroe's (especially if they know theyre guilty of a big prank or something)

The school gives out free hygiene products and depending on what you need you can special request it.

If students get too angry they are sent to Piotr's art room for art therapy. He surprisingly is very artistic and chill.

Forges shop class is working on a car with no weight limit and that can handle their heavy hitters (Colossus and Wolverine) both in the same car (most bust) as well as a car made from plastic recycling. They're working on it. Its only blown up once!!

Gambit makes breakfast for the staff and some students of they beg enough. He keeps bringing Rouge the first cup of coffee from the pot and has made her pancakes shaped like hearts multiple times. Watching her stab them and smother them make him... giggle helplessly.

Gambit🤝Watching their love intrests viscously stab and rip apart their meals with a boner wishing it was them🤝Wade

He's very respectful towards her, though and sometimes is a bit (COUGH a lot COUGH) of a kiss ass.

Hank's students have blown up the lab at least 4 times by now. One of those times was Wades fault for touching stuff he wasn't supposed to.

Kurt is very glad that Wade has taken over his Duel weaponry/swordsman class, so now he has time to start working out a pitch for a world's religion class+ sunday school. He still runs a fencing club, though.

Peter (quicksilver) has tried so many different positions, including music teacher of all different instruments. Now he just kinda lounges around in the game room and speed cleans the mansion after each day in like 2 minutes flat. Imagine being paid a full salary just for 2 minutes of work? And you get to live somewhere for free and play games all day? Fuck yeah.

Positions I've been thinking about:

Beast (Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy) is the Vice-Principal, so he does orientation. He has multiple science classes, including biophysics, and has electives in philosophy and poetry.

Colossus (Piotr Rasputin) is an art teacher and handles art therapy

Gambit (Remy LeBeau) runs a sex-ed class and is hoping to soon get approved to run a cooking class next semester.

Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner) has a fencing elective as well as a religion class, sunday school, and sometimes helps Morph with drama/theater. (Ex duel weaponry instructor)

Rogue (Anna Marie) is a Linguistics teacher who drabbles in social science. “Diction and Linguistics, with Professor Rogue” She can teach just about any language, but russian/german/ french/ spanish and Japanese are her main ones. She's who you go to if you dont understand English and need help. Almost all foreign students have her.

Cyclops (Scott Summers) is the headmaster. He has classes in Geometry, has an elective for leadership and communications (PFFT) as well as being the schools mobility/disability specialist. He, of course, specializes more with children who have trouble with their eyesight.

Storm (Ororo Munroe) is the Headmistress. She has an Environmental Science and Political Science class as well as a multi cultural elective.

Shadowcat (Katherine "Kitty" Pryde) has a comp-sci class and runs an ethics class.

“Ethics 101: Forgetting Everything You Ever Learned From Emma Frost, with Professor Pryde.”

Wolverine (Logan Howlett) is a(n occasional hand to hand combat/ martial arts) PE instructor. (Ex History teacher)

Jubilee is the schools event organizer, event coordinator, event manager, and more broadly, event professional, the ‘hip’ school counselor. "Activities Director & Counselor"

Morph is the director of drama acting and disguises (duh)

Laura is a graduating student In training under the Wolverine (Gabby is a student and is too young to be an understudy)

Yukio graduating student In training Under Storm or Rouge (I can't decide)

Negasonic teenage warhead (Ellie) graduating student In training under Jean Grey.

Mr. Wade Wilson (Deadpool) Is in training under Colossus. Duel weaponry/ swordsman tactics class instructor (plus whatever Logan's doing, he's very nosey and WILL cause issues if bored)

Jean Grey is an english teacher, has a class on psychology, and drabbles in physics.

Ice man (Bobby) is the school financal advisor/accountant and runs a business elective class.

Forge is a Shop teacher.

Quicksilver (Peter maximoff) Janitor, housekeeping, music teacher, replaced original Logan as PE teacher for a while, target practice, teaches fast kids how to avoid running into walls, always in the game room, stock/ errand boy, gets bored super quickly, sports instructor, Read almost all the books in the library, likes swimming, mainly just lays around waiting for something fun to do, his father causes trouble sometimes which he thinks is entertaining but also hella embaressing.

I'm unfortunately left without a history teacher, so shoot me any ideas :)

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gremlin-girly · 8 days ago

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Day 28: Cold Turkey

Pairing: Dean x Reader (established relationship)

Fandom: Supernatural

Tags/warnings: FLUFF, petnames (baby)

Not beta'd. I do not give permission for my work to be translated, copied or reposted or put through an AI machine.

Summary: Dean eats all the cold turkey...

Word count: 470

Divider by @/saradika-graphics

Prev | Next | Fluffcember Masterlist | Navigation

"DEAN!"

Your screech permeates every wall of the bunker. Even the birds close by scattered as they felt the shift from peace to utter rage under the concrete.

Sam, though gigantic he was, shrunk into himself when you burst out of the kitchen with a face like a storm.

"Hey-" he tried weakly but was but off by your growl;

"Where is he?"

Sam eyed the direction of Dean's room and you stomped off without another word. Sam sighed looking back at his laptop. He'd warned Dean to avoid the leftovers you'd decorated with warnings and post-its, he wasn't about to protect him from something he could have easily prevented.

You don't even knock at Dean's door, you angrily shove it open and let it smack against the wall making him startle. You stand in the doorway, heaving breaths of fury.

"You."

Dean peeks at you sheepishly, mid-way through putting a sliver of cold turkey into his mouth.

"Y/N -heyyy." He says nervously as you approach, scowling at him.

"That turkey was for the pie." You try to remain calm and your fists clench at your sides as Dean's eyes brighten at the thought of pie.

"Pie?"

"Yeah, pie. But now you've eaten the turkey." You breathe out slowly, releasing your fists to cup your cheeks. "So now there's no pie."

"'M sorry baby." Dean croons sweetly, giving you a pouty expression. "The turkey was just too good."

Your frown deepens and Dean starts to back peddle when his boyish charm isn't working as usual.

"I can fix it." He declares getting to his feet and standing before you. "I'll go on a shopping run and get you more."

"I'm not cooking a whole other turkey." You grit out and Dean runs his hands reassuringly over your forearms.

"What if I cook it, huh? Just tell me what to do and you can sit back and relax."

There's that boyish smile again. You can feel your anger dissipate and your grasping at it helplessly to try and remain huffy with Dean but you're struggling. The thought of seeing Dean in the kitchen, bossing him around like he does to you on hunts.... it's an opportunity you can't miss.

Sighing, you concede. "Fine."

Dean beams at you. "Just one last thing before I go - to make you feel better."

His lips are against yours before you can speak. When you break, you're holding onto his arms and giggling because he tastes like turkey.

"Forgiven." You chuckle, every shred of anger finally gone. "Now, get going before I change my mind."

Dean grins as he grabs his jacket and slips on his boots, heading out of his room and flashing Sam a teasing wink as he heads up the steps of the bunker with a jingle of his keys in hand.

#gremlin girly #gremlin girly writes #fluff #dean fanfiction #dean supernatural #dean x reader #dean winchester #dean x you #dean x y/n #dean winchester x y/n #dean winchester x reader #dean winchester x you

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tyrantisterror · 1 month ago

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Wherefore Art Thou Clownfucker?

A while back I made a post explaining why vampires appeal to me, and while it was mostly in a more general sense, there was a specific focus on why I find them, you know, hot. And it was that was in part because I had recently discovered that I'm apparently surrounded by Werewolf fuckers on here, much to my dismay as a Vampire fucker. It's like being the only goth kid at a rockabilly concert or something. I felt defensive, is the point! I needed to go to bat (heh) for my pale ladies (and Astarion.... and Spike)!

And now, because Muncher compels me to do so, I'm doing the same for Clowns. My other pale ladies.

Now, keep in mind the fact that I'm a monsterfucker first and foremost, and that my clownfuckery is really more derived from my monsterfuckery. I imagine the middle section of the Clownfucker/Monsterfucker diagram is pretty big, but I also know there are some clownfuckers who are very much NOT monsterfuckers, and vice versa. This is not the case for vampirefuckers, who are nestled firmly within the monsterfucker circle, because while all vampires are monsters, not all clowns are monsters. I bring this up because while I'm gonna try to explain clownfuckery on its own terms, there is likely going to be some monsterfucker bias in my explanations and defense. That's just how it is on this bitch of an earth!

I'm gonna get real pretentious here and talk about the historic role of clowns for a moment. From Comedia del Arte harlequins to medieval court Jesters, the clown's role has always been that of Comic Relief. They are, simply put, here to be tonally dissonant - when everyone else is serious and dramatic, a clown comes in as this weird, silly, incongruously hilarious element that contrasts the gravity of everything around them. "Relief" is really the key word here - a clown's job is to provide levity when otherwise there would be none. When everything is dark, they provide a little light.

That's the core emotional appeal of clownfucking - a clown is/should be someone who can make you smile when you need it the most. Kingdom's at war, family's fighting, your life's in shambles? The clown will make you laugh. Everything feels dark and gloomy and depressing? Here comes a silly little goofball wearing bright, clashing colors and jingling with each step because they're covered in bells, and all they want to do is tell jokes until you start laughing. Clowns are, by intent, that sweet sweet hit of dopamine personified.

Clowns are here to make you smile.

Another important historical detail about clowns is their unique place in the hierarchy of society - namely, being entirely outside of it. A jester was in some respects the lowest person on the totem pole, a fool that had power over no one and nothing, living to be laughed at. Yet, because they had no power over anyone, it was generally poor taste to take offense to anything a jester said, which meant they could talk more freely than anyone else - when everyone else acts like a butt-kissing sycophant, a jester is free to talk shit and speak their mind.

The traditional attire and appearance of clowns plays into both of these traits: the bright, gaudy clothing and makeup is silly, yes, but it's also a sign that the clown does not give a single shit about fashion and other social norms. A clown is, by nature, an anomaly, a misfit, a rebel.

Nowadays we have another word for people with that attitude. Clowns are punk.

Weird makeup, crayola red hair, patchwork clothes...

I would say the very fact that "normal" people look at clownfucking as some sort of inexplicable fetish is, in fact, part of the appeal. It's a form of xenophilia, of attraction to things that are different and othered, a love for outsiders and misfits and oddballs. To fuck a clown is to show love and adoration for something outside of the realm of what is socially acceptable - something silly, goofy, and weird, yet also often harmless. After all, a clown's main purpose is to make you smile.

That's not to say that clowns have to be harmless to be attractive, mind you. Tons of people, many much smarter than I, have talked about the cultural shift of our perception of clowns that began somewhere in the 1980's. Clowns went from being viewed as genuinely fun and cute to primarily being figures of fear and terror - if a clown shows up in modern media, even if it's innocuous, there will always be at least one character who vocally talks about how creepy they think clowns are.

That may in part be due to the fact that clowns have such a benign mission statement - a lot of people, especially nowadays, do not trust a person who claims they just want to make others happy. Anyone who acts like that MUST be up to something - there must be something nefarious going on, some evil plan, some lurking danger.

Which is where you REALLY bring the monsterfuckers in.

You really don't need to do that much with a clown's design to push it firmly into monster territory - "a pale person with sharp teeth" is the bare minimum it takes to make a vampire, after all (and even the pale part can be downplayed).

And a clown's dedication to making things "funny" can make for a very enjoyably-scary persona for a monster - hell, half the appeal of the Addams Family is that they're a bunch of freakish inhuman monsters who react to a bunch of scary shit with absolute delight and adoration. Again, the tonal dissonance element is at play here, albeit in a different way - even when Clowns are the darkness in your world, they still bring light in the sense that they view it that darkness as funny in of itself.

(hell, the word "harlequin" means "five horns," and may be rooted in folkloric monsters like Herne the Hunter depending on who you ask, so in a way clowns have always been monster-coded)

I think all of this is pretty well exemplified in the current Patron Saint of Clownfuckers, the goddess of Clownfuckery if you will, Harley Quinn. Hailing from a story whose main setting is such a Gothic Horror-inspired nightmarish shithole of a city that it's literally called Gotham, surrounded by characters who are at least 60% gothic horror archetypes by volume, opposed by a hero who literally dresses like a Dracula, it is inarguable that Harley Quinn is surrounded by darkness that's both literal and figurative.

But she's always smiling, and not in an ironic way.

Harley Quinn suffers intense abuse, she's drawn into wicked schemes, and in the way of most modern clowns, she causes no small amount of mayhem and suffering herself. But even at her darkest, she's always smiling, always trying to find the bright side.

She's a rebel, she's a punk. Almost everyone thinks she's beneath them. Almost all of those people get proven they're wrong. In a world full of tyrannical hierarchies, she steps outside of them.

She's an outsider, a misfit, an oddball. And she wants to make you smile.

I think you can probably see the appeal of that.

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itgirlgyu · 2 years ago

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txt as types of office romance!

pairing—txt ot5 x fem reader.

word count—4452. (900-800 each member.)

✸ as a self proclaimed romantic—enjoy!

YEONJUN...

that's a hot boss right there!

like everyone physically, verbally calls him as that

oh it's completely unethical.

but he's like flinging his wrist in 'aw stop it' but secretly he's buzzing like a vibrator

brags it to his group chat

completely clueless that everyone does it to get in his good side

and some *cough* *looks away* in his pants..

the type to go jogging in the morning and come to the office right after, glistening with sweat beads on his skin and the end of his hair

in his slutty biker shorts while jingling his pink tumbler and twirling his car keys on his fingers.

everyone just assumed that he'd be a nepo baby

but no!

he earned his way to the top!

everyone knows it because he gives that speech at every dinner party, year end parties, ceremonies, sport meet, team marathon—you just name it and he's there with his mic.

there's literally a mic in the office with his name encrusted in crystals; he bought it himself.

along with the poster of his interview and photoshoot with a reputable magazine for being the hottest boss of 20XX in all of south korea!

soobin: *reads off the smudged ink on his palms* yes our boss *squints* is mega *squints harder* bootylicious…

now you're like a low worker in the office

basically a contract worker

and you need to be hired bc you need to ✨pay your bills✨

so to get on the good side of your coworkers and your boss

you're like yes i'll do extra work

and they are like ok thank you bye and scurry off like little rats.

that's how you're stuck in the office late at night when everyone had left

rotting away in front of a spreadsheet

you're like this close to melting into your keyboard when you hear loud shriek from the far end of the floor

at first youre like it,,, damn am i crazy lol

so you get back to counting money your manager has spent on hoes and try to make it seem like a company spending

and then you hear it again

this times it's a reasonably higher in pitch and sounds a lot like your big boss, the so called hot boss of the branch

you try to ignore it

you really do, you DON'T want to interact with someone

but word in the office is that yeonjun is very generous and getting on the good side of the hot boss might get you a permanent position

also you don't think you can focus on the petty money laundering of your manager rn with your brain occupied by the hauntings of missed opportunities

so you stalk to his cabin and you're about to know when you hear in another loud screech

so on instinct you burst open the door of the cabin, and there's yeonjun perched on top of his expensive chair, with his even more expensive shoes

he points it to you and yells,

"A ROACH!"

you're reasonably hurt because sure you're a low paying contract worker and he's the head of the branch, and super rich but that doesn't give him the right to call you, a living respectable human being a filthy ins—

"there's a fucking roach there on the floor,"

you look at him dumbfounded for 3 seconds before it registers that he did not just call you an insect but there's actually one

so you're looking down to find the said culprit

"and it flies!"

that's when your heart started to beat faster

any insect that flies is a menace to the society but you need to be brave

for him and for yourself, and possibly a permanent position at the office.

you look around the floor and find the cockroach on the floor, without any movement. figuring out this is the time to attack

you take your heels and lunge on it, squashing the vile monster into a small mass of diabolic goo

"sir its gone!" you gleefully exclaim before even looking up

but when you do, you see the expanse of his enchanting eyes brimming with glittery gratification

and that's how you win the permanent working position

and also the hot boss's affection

although you are not quite sure how to handle the attention he has been showering you

especially the extra meaty lettuce wraps he hands you in the company dinner completely unaware of the kind of reaction it emits from his team

if you weren't already aware of the rumors that his eccentric behavior was sprouting, you were sure him giving your lousy manager the stink eye sealed the deal

the chattering around the office was so loud that HR had to be involved and he was explaining how ' you're HIS SAVIOUR! "

right at the moment you entered with some important papers and his eyes met yours once again

and that's when HE realized it was not just the gratitude but also something more

perhaps love,, <3

basically he's the last to know

some of the people who had a crush on him did give you dirty looks here and there but majority of the office were absolutely entertained in the way the hot boss was infatuated with you all while trying to act like himself normally

you found it cute too ngl

you were in love with him too, but you kinda wanna let it go on for a few days more before coming clean to him about your feelings.

when you reciprocate he gifts you a matching pink tumbler.

SOOBIN...

he's like the gossip monger of the entire branch

has tea on everyone

literally nothing goes out of his sight, he knows everything—as it is happening.

oh yurim from accounting department is pregnant? he's the first to know

jaeseok from the IT department has been two timing with his colleagues to get his work done for him? obviously soobin knows who the two colleagues are and how he manages to bag them both!

minhee from the editing team has explosive diarrhea—you just know it!

actually the last one everyone knows tbh

you cant frequent a bathroom five times in a hour and keep this things away from your coworkers

they are like your family.

you bet your sweet ass he dropped off pills for the poor girl too

this is why no one can find fault in soobin

even though he knows your dirtiest little secret, you can't hate him because he never gives you a chance to.

he's more like the messiah of his marketing department.

basically he runs this forum on the company website that everyone knows who operates but because of such cult like fan following, no one has the balls to expose him

unless they all want to be canceled overnight

but no one really knows how he works and gets his intels tbh

it's like the third top secret of the company

the first being how the hell did beomgyu get a job and the second being, how the hell does beomgyu keep his job?!?

even though soobin has his eyes on everyone

no one can really find anything about him

like of course he'd be at every company dinner, laughing his ass off at the lame ass joke his superior is cracking but also the karaoke nights right after but come always on time the next day

he's always so prim and proper

vogue 72 question guy called and asked for an interview for it

but his answer? he just has nothing to hide!

but you've always called bullshit on it tbh

everyone has a secret no matter how little it maybe

since he has exposed your tiny little addiction to carbohydrates on his forum for bringing a portable stove from home and making your own fancy ramen late at night during your over time hours

your eye twitches every time he enters your vicinity

you're just waiting for the time get a chance to nab his head using the step stool you keep hidden inside your cubicle

that's when you start to tail him everywhere to find his filthy little secret to expose him

but all you get is him buying fresh bread from a bakery, helping an elderly couple to cross the street, saving a toddler from a car accident, using his height to help get a cat down who was stuck in a tree—

you were almost starting to believe in his infuriating statement, that maybe, he's just such a humble human that he has nothing to hide

until the cat just walks out of the bag right in front of you

he's a weeb lmao

right in front of you, on a weekend night you were walking back home after buying some cheap beer, was soobin

in his gojo satoru cosplay

you can tell that's him even if his eyes are hidden with the black cloth or through that synthetic white wig

at first he doesn't notice you, talking to his friend while he's rocking the whole cosplay

i mean even youre shell shocked like sure everyone enjoys anime, even you do! so could soobin!

but you just didn't expect him to bust out in a full cosplay

after the initial shock fizzles out, you're yelling out to get his attention

you're just curious, the whole revenge thing you had out for soobin didn't even click yet

but as soon as he realized it was someone from his office, man just used his leg power and started to run the opposite direction

and your first reaction was to run after him

"ITS OKAY SOOBIN EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO BE THEMSELVES!"

"STOP FUCKING FOLLOWING ME!"

so after a while he thankfully stops bc you were fr about to puke on the sidewalks

he's begging you to not out him and even if you were mad at him but that doesn't mean that you were such an evil being to blast him like that

not in such a heinous corporate society, you wouldn't even wish it upon your worst enemies!

even though you pinky promised him on the sidewalk while sharing your beers about not telling this to anyone.

soobin has been extra careful around you

man will be stirring his piping hot relaxing tea in the staff kitchen

sees you approach

chugs the whole thing down and scurries out without making eye contact

stops talking in the middle of his sentence when you enter the room

it's kinda fun to see him like that but you also wonder how does he run a whole gossip girl blog when he himself is like that

it would have been all fun and giggles if the office didn't start talking about how you and soobin have beef now

and now they are picking soobins side

bc he has the ability to turn all of their life into hell if wanted to

once again you're reminded of the female oppression in such a heinous corporate world

so you corner soobin just out of the man's toilet late at night and have a serious talk with him

heart to heart

you remind him that you won't tell anyone him about his after work activities also tell him about some of your anime characters for victim solidarity

and you two warm up in the place laced with wafting smell of pee and sanitizer

he even gifts you a whole packet of name brand ramen and a case of butane gas

and youre sure you've fallen love with him, right there and then

and so does he when you buy some white mascara and a better wig.

BEOMGYU...

beomgyu is the enigma of the production department

in the worst way possible

is always seen in other people's business more than his own

"honestly i think you should break up with him, like if he cheated once, he's gonna do it twice."

"i know ri—"

all his past managers have a medical history of chronic migraines and probably some other hidden illness they can't even disclose because of him

has been cited with name for a number of superior's resignations

yet personally he's like the cockroach who will survive anything

also casually steals lunch from the community fridge and tries to blame it on the new intern, huening kai

but everyone knows it's him

everyone thinks he's a nepo baby

but he personally tries to start a rumor that he has slept his way to the top

with an winky face

no one agrees tho

beomgyu just looks like an overactive virgin no matter which angle you look at him in.

probably has scanned his ass on the printer and also might have accidentally replaced actual analysis paper with it

"I might have wasted their time, but they have also seen my ass in it's rawest form, I think it's a win for them either way."

no one really knows how he got that job and how hes able to keep it up

everyone knows that he turns up all his research perfectly with the best rate of efficiency.

that's why the office puts up with him

beomgyu is like, yeah sure it's my intelligence but also this raw sex appeal to raise the attraction quotient of the office.

taehyun is somewhere in the corner, stabbing a pen into his palm with a glare, boring a hole into beomgyus back

beomgyu: see im so hot even my backs burning up

you are from the designing team and you've been recruited recently so you don't really know about beomgyu's whole reputation

but you're paired with him for a project and you two have to come up with the perfect valentine's day sales project

at first beomgyu is like super friendly

like way too friendly showing you the production department

giving little introductions for everyone

'this is jaehyun—he has a severe gas problem, so beware of giving him anything with eggs."

you're very intrigued but also like, a little scared youre not gonna lie

but that soon turns into bouts of sudden admiration for the man when you see him more and more

sure he has the attention span of a toddler and whines at every chance given—but he sure is super, duper passionate when it comes to his job

and isn't it the most important thing?

as you two work on it more privately, his colleagues start seeing a positive change in his behavior

and one night they all lie to beomgyu that they will get off early and once you and beomgyu are out of the office they all huddle up together

putting up a graph, a pie chart and recruit a tarot card reader on zoom on what's the cause of his sudden change of behavior

and everything points to one thing: you

after he started to work with you he has reasonably become more bearable and everyone pledges an oath to do anything to make the most of it

even if it's by setting you two up

they would give you a very fancy dinner of wagyu as a consolation prize if it did work out

so the next day during you guy's meeting the other team members are like

you and beomgyu should go on a few date to see how restaurants do the whole valentine thing

you:wha—

beomgyu: perfect!

that's how you two end up with a list of restaurants to check out for their valentine day schemes

you and him end up doing a lot of couple theme games for stuff

also research ofc ofc

but through all this you get to see him in so many ways that you cannot help but realize that maybe you did end up developing a little crush on the eccentric man

you guys are sitting outside a convenience store, eating popsicles and discussing about the couple game you two were forced to play and how they really blindsided beomgyu or else he would have won surely

you're like sure sure, with all your attention on the melting popsicle in your hands

he's like, this has been so fun it's like we're an actual couple

yk he's joking but you can't help but feel the heat rush to your cheeks

which gives him more leverage to tease you further

beomgyu: you're good at pretending that you like me

you: maybe because I actually do

and beomgyu almost chokes on the stick of his popsicle

but good thing! you two start dating!!!

beomgyu's teammates try to give you a hush hush wagyu beef dinner but beomgyu sniffs the utter betrayal and decides to join anyway

but he can't refuse that they were actually very helpful

oh and the product becomes a massive hit

u guys are the office's it couple now

beomgyu urges the new interns to call you and him, mom and dad.

TAEHYUN...

he's the manager from hell

when you look at him he kinda looks like the flower boy new intern

but in reality he is probably that senior who will not hesitate to eat you whole if you even do as little as give him a report with wrong font

always in a prim and proper attire

you won't ever catch him with one strand of his hair out of place

the talk in the company is that he is probably the owner's son

like why else would you care so much about the company?!?! hmmm sussy

even the marketing team's messiah, soobin, can't get under his skin

beomgyu, coming into the scene spinning in his chair: hm taehyun looks like your thongs are in a twist

taehyun: *kicks beomgyus chair out of his way and doesn't spare a second glance*

he's always on time

like do you live here bro

wasn't caught slacking a day in his entire career

and thats how the owners son rumors died down

he's is so cut throat omg. he has made so many people cry (deserving only.)

like he's so precise with his insults it's kinda commendable

"wow your nails are so pretty, shows you much you've never worked a day in your life :D"

his seniors asks him to come to the office to relay their disappoints to the workers who has been slacking off

he's so nice and precise with his harsh words that it could actually land him a nice paying side hustle

but he will do it for free

not everything in this world has a price!

everyone is scared of the finance department because of him

no one really wants to be trained under him

there are literally rumors about new recruits crying and leaving the company to become streamers and gamers because of taehyun

he only blames it on their weak mentality

taehyun: workplace is a jungle and only survivors survive the jungle.

wow taehyun you're so profound

had a calendar with motivational quotes to provide him energy to conquer each day

keep your head high king

always seen with a protein shake in the office

one time yeonjun who was visiting the office, accidentally drank taehyuns shake kept in the fridge

he couldn't feel his mouth for an hour

you actually trained under him when you were newly hired

and you hated every goddamn bit of it

everything about the devil of finance department was true and you were one of the surviving victim of his boot camp enough to tell the tale

and you did not keep your mouth shut

half of his brutish rumors comes from your mouth

you think of it as compensation from all the harsh treatment you got from him

sure you need to be strict with your interns if you're training them.

but he used to shut the doors at your face of you came late even by a minute or two

safe to say you did hold a bit of the grudge

and taehyun acts as if you didn't exist

now imagine a scene where you two are to do a couple dance thanks to the dumb idea of doing a raft for the cultural program of the company

taehyun: so here's my resignation—

you are like, ok why do you hate me

and taehyun scoffs in your face, like very loudly

and mind you this is happening in front of yall superior's face who are like, wow such chemistry

they'd set fire to the set

even after trying a various attempts of getting away without doing the godforsaken dance

you two are alone in the practice room, brooding over ideas on how to get away

when you finally get up and walk over to taehyun who's sitting in the corner of the room

"so you can break my leg so we can get away!"

and taehyun is genuinely looking at you with concern and sadness

"you hate me that much huh"

and you look at him and he's like a wet kitten who got kicked and your heart wrenches.

"a little" you sigh but quickly add in

"you were an asshole during the training period, maybe if you had toned down little"

he's like, okay but what about discipline

and you tell him about the concept of teaching with kindness and for the first time you have a heart to heart conversation with him and you realize wow okay,,,maybe he's,,, not that bad?

and he's not bad loo—

you slap yourself into consciousness and you lie to him that there was a mosquito

taehyun knows you're lying and he's finds it kinda cute

so you both decide to actually practice

and actually you both fr have a good chemistry

and the whole raffle thing becomes a hit

you two come out as a couple and the interns who are being trained under taehyun now shower you with gifts as the one who tamed the bull and also for being their precious alumnus

HUENING KAI...

now that's a real flower boy intern!

he's like one of those new recruits

always on time, smelling like freshly done laundry and hope that is not yet crushed by the mean managers

becomes a crowd favorite as soon as he enters the department to be trained

people actually try to feed him

like he'd be here to get coffee order for someone

and some elderly workers would be trying to shoot a cookie in his mouth like those basketball chads and he actually let's them!

older lady: *misses*

hyuka, clapping to cheer the old lady like a coach: that's okay! we can do better! we got time!

he actually doesn't got time

even if he's the sweetheart of the department doesn't mean he doesn't have thousands of files to photocopy or get correct order of bajillion coffee orders

messes up literally everything tho

soobin: hyuka why does my coffee taste like soap?

hyuka:...

but gets a "he's a new kid" pass

and one of the dudes who actually deserves it because sure, who cares if he's a little worthless in the office noW HE MIGHT BE USEFUL IN THE FUTURE!

he's a little child and he's just learning

and he makes it up than enough by running around the office every time to run errands to whomever asks him of anything

it's as if… he is… not… the son of the owner of the company..

hyuka was one of the fair breeds of rich

he'd be playing golf with his dad and then he was like dad i wanna join our company

his dad throws away the golf club to go hug his son but before he could engulf him in a bear hug and give a whole speech that is written and edited in a piece of paper

hidden in a special pocket designed in his undergarment for times like this

"as an intern, i wanna try to earn my place."

his father throws a bitch fit like bro i did this all for u and now u wanna be amongst the commoners

hyuka is like, yes

and after a bit more of the bitch fit his dad agrees

and that's where his struggle story starts

even tho getting in was easy but keeping up a whole facade of being a normal boy who just has a dream of becoming big in the corporate world is hard

like imagine the horrors of not being able to wear his cartier in the office!! if only he got caught!!

or drinking instant coffee?!?? commoners coffee?!

although he has quite grown accustomed to that taste

much like everyone you were also unaware of hyuka's high status but considering that you were his direct senior, he had to spend a lot of his time under your tutelage

but the thing is you're not used to training anyone so you're like,,, ok get me two copies of this paper and a relaxing tea

and he's like, on it boss!

at first it was kind of awkward to have him around you all the time but as time passed he started to grow on you

and even hyuka started to grow fond of you

perhaps more than a senior junior relationship

okay basically he likes u and he almost let that shit out but thankfully he passed out before that

and as your direct junior you have to take care of him so everyone leaves you two and goes to any other bar to continue the party

and you are here, groaning while lunging his half conscious body and try to get his eyes open to get into his phone to call someone over

and then you call his speed dial and when they pick up you introduce yourself as his senior

as soon as the words oh are you kai's mother leaves your mouth, hyuka shots up and literally snatches his phone away from your ears

he's like, hahahahaha, im so awake.

devil may work hard but hyukas mom works harder

before you two can wrap up your conversation at the entrance of the bar, an audi comes to pick him up

and two men come out and starts calling hyuka sir and acting like he is their boss

hyuka wanted the ground to open and to swallow him up

so he just settled on coming clean to you

he knows you enough to know that you won't tell anyone about it nor would you use him

and he's so right because since that night you pledge to protect his identity

and he's like

*proud smile, clicks your picture and sends it to his mom* your future daughter in law

hyuka also got the balls to say that he likes you fr and then you two drank instant coffee to celebrate the beginning of your relationship

copyrights 2023— itgirlgyu!!! feedbacks are appreciated! drop a comment on whose love story you liked the best!!

a/n my toxic trait is thinking I could make one shot out of every one of these. also i learned something valuable about me, im indeed capable of writing 3k in 6 hours. if only I could do it regularly sigh.

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descendantsramblings · 3 months ago

Text

Emerald Comfort

Morgie le Fay x Reader

Pronouns used: he/him/his

Literally flipped a coin to decide on the pronouns for this one 😔 (it was between male reader or GN reader)

Summary: Morgie is possibly dating the sleepiest guy on earth, and he adores it

Warnings: no plot just tooth rotting fluff, They technically change clothes in the same room but they're literally just changing clothes, Hook being annoying because he can be, pet names (it’s meee)

Word Count: 2.4K

If you were to walk for about twenty minutes while heading west from Merlin Academy, you’d come across a clearing in the woods. A gorgeous little place, littered with wildflowers and the stars are so bright that you’re pretty sure you can see every single one that the universe has to offer to you. If there was a full moon, you didn’t even need a flashlight or lantern to see, the place would take up the silver hue of the sun’s reflection and seemingly glow. Morgie could stay here until the world ended, or at least until the sunrise. One arm bent behind his head while the other lays limp at his side, his pinky interlocked with the one of his lover as the boy beside him points out constellations to him. The picnic blanket they’re laying on is so soft and he can feel the warmth of the other boy’s body ever so slightly warming him from the little bit of distance between their sides. This was perfect to him, possibly the best thing that had ever happened to him, and if it wasn’t for that sweet little yawn that comes from the boy beside him, he never would leave.

“Tired?” His head turns to the side to look at his lover, a gentle smile present on soft, pink lips. “I’m okay, Love,” despite what (Y/n) says his words are ever so slightly slurred by exhaustion. Eyelids obviously heavy as he turns to look into adoring hazel eyes. Morgie shakes his releasing (Y/n)’s pinky so he can hold the boy’s hand instead, “We can go back to the dorms if you want. You can’t fall asleep on me out here in the woods.” A whine escapes (Y/n)'s lips, the boy turning on his side as he reaches out to grasp Morgie’s jaw, “I don’t wanna leave you.” “Now who said anything about you doing that?” An exhausted little giggle escapes his lips next, leaning over to kiss Morgie’s forehead before he sits up. “Gonna cuddle with me?” “It’s what I live for,” Morgie nods, pushing himself up from the ground and rolling his head on his neck. The motion leaves him with a satisfying pop, rolling his shoulders next to replicate the sensation as he watches his lover rise to his feet.

And that’s how they ended up walking twenty minutes through the woods, Morgie wrapping an arm around his boyfriend’s body to keep him upright as he sways slightly with exhaustion. He spares a glance to the watch on his boyfriend’s wrist when they get back to his dorm, attempting to quiet the sound of his jingling keys as he does. Two fifty-two a.m., nowhere close to sunrise, there was always next time. Either way, he’s getting to spend the whole night next to his boyfriend so it didn’t matter much. Of course, he loved hearing the boy talk about the stars, but that sweet way his breath evened out as sleep found its way to him was just as good. The click of his door’s lock almost feels too loud as it turns, Morgie hyper aware of the sleeping pirate on the other side of it. He lets it slowly creak open, holding a finger up to his lips as if to shush the boy on his side. Like this wasn’t a game of charades they’d played a hundred times before. Tiptoeing into the room, he slowly shuts and relocks his door, letting his eyes flicker up and down his boyfriend.

(Y/n) is perched on one knee, untying a hightop in a pair of jeans and a sweater far too thick to comfortably sleep in. That’s not going to cut it, so Morgie quietly makes his way to his dresser. Holding his breath as he pulls a drawer full of sweatpants open and grabbing the first two pairs he sees in it out. As (Y/n) rises to his feet, a pair of sweatpants hits his chest and as if on impulse he turns to his side to double check that Hook is asleep. Now fully shoeless he strips from his jeans and replaces them with the pants that were thrown to him, watching through his lashes as Morgie rummages through tee-shirts. He’s barely stripped from his sweater before a band tee slams into his chest. It’s not a band he’s ever heard of -probably from some indie show Morgie went to back home- but the softness of it against his chest makes him consider keeping it. Where does that sorcerer find the softest clothes imaginable? Does he spell them to make them that way? He wouldn’t put something like that past his boyfriend.

Morgie is falling into his bed the second he’s changed, the bedsprings making the softest creak as it adjusts to his weight. (Y/n) is hot on his heels, standing above him with a smile as Morgie makes grabby hands towards the other villain. The smile on his face changes to be near teasing as he shakes his head, motioning with one finger for the sorcerer to turn around. It was his turn to be the big spoon, not something that Morgie would argue with. He slides in behind him, nuzzling his nose against Morgie’s neck as he lets an arm rest on the pillows and the other on his waiting hip. A needy hand is finding (Y/n)’s the second it rests on him, playing with the boy’s fingers. It only takes a few minutes for the sound of the boy’s breathing to even out. Coming out in even puffs over the back of his neck and earning a smile from the sorcerer who’s managed to realize he’s absolutely exhausted. Perhaps that was just the effect of his boyfriend though, who’s to say?

Sleeping through the night doesn’t come easily to Morgie, it never has. His home wasn’t exactly the calmest place to rest; (Y/n) helps though, the warmth, the closeness, it leaves him feeling safe in his presence. It makes waking up once an hour fade into waking up once or twice in the night. That one time comes to Morgie at five in the morning, his room still bordering on the edge of pitch black but there’s birds chirping as if threatening the introduction of the sun somewhere on the horizon. He’s managed to roll onto his back at some point in his sleep, (Y/n)’s arm now resting right above his head in a way he’s sure isn’t comfortable while his other arm is resting gently across Morgie’s waist. He’s got the boy’s head pinned to his chest with one hand, the other somehow is wrapped around (Y/n) tugging him closer as if that was something possible. It’s how he prefers to sleep anyhow, close and sturdy. As if you couldn’t pull them away from each other if you tried.

With an exhausted smile Morgie lets his lips fall to the crown of his boyfriend’s head, leaving a gentle kiss in the touch’s wake. The scent of the boy’s conditioner still lingering in his hair, taking over Morgie’s exhausted senses as he lets his eyes flutter closed again. He could do this forever, he’s pretty sure of that. Morgie risks letting out a quiet whisper as sleep attempts to pull him back in, sparing (Y/n) an “I love you” as sleep takes him back over.

He’s very aware that he’s facing the opposite way of when he fell asleep. (Y/n) can feel that an arm has snaked its way under his neck, supporting it in the way a pillow can’t as the hand attached rests on his chest. Morgie’s chest is pressed up to his back, his other arm resting around his hips and pinning him to the sorcerer. Not like the villain had interest in being anywhere else, how could he when his entire world was right there in that bed? Holding him as if he’d never been held, pressing gentle kisses to the back of his head and neck. There was nowhere that could rival being the guest in Morgie le Fay’s bed, being the boy lucky enough to be wrapped up in his adoring arms. And (Y/n) was the luckiest boy at Merlin Academy, he had to be. To have Morgie le Fay wrapped around him as if he’d float away? There was no competition.

The boy shifts ever so slightly, letting a sound somewhere between a whine and a groan escape his lips. It earns him a low hum from the sorcerer behind him, feeling the arm under his neck shift ever so slightly as Morgie props himself up on his elbow. “Good morning, Gorgeous,” his voice is gruff and barely above a mumble as he leans over (Y/n). Sliding the hand that rests on his boyfriend’s hips up his torso to grip his chin Morgie tilts (Y/n)’s head to the side, leaning down to press a soft kiss to his lips from over his shoulder. It’s a quick little thing, the boy barely gets to kiss back before Morgie is pulling away. Fleeting lips being followed for a moment before (Y/n) lets his head fall back to the pillow in defeat. He nuzzles his nose softly against his lover’s and if (Y/n) would dare to open his eyes he would see the gentle smile that rests on his pale pink lips.

“Oh and would you look at that, a morning breath kiss and a nose nuzzle despite the fact that Morgie’s morning breath could wake the dead,” Hook’s announcer voice is getting better, “That might just be what love looks like lads.” (Y/n)’s eyes flutter open, fighting the need to close them again as bright light shines into them. “Isn’t it too early for you to be annoying, Hook?” His voice is scratchy, nowhere near as petty as his boyfriend’s morning voice but he manages to get the words out as he glares at Hook who’s perched on his bed with a walkman. “No, actually it’s noon and your little boyfriend hasn’t allowed me to speak so I wouldn’t wake you. Anything to say on that?” He rolls his eyes, shaking his head in a nearly bratty manner as he speaks. “Oh, poor Hook,” there’s a smirk on his lips as he turns around in Morgie’s arms. Ever so slightly tugging the emerald green blanket further up his shoulders as he nuzzles against his boyfriend’s collar bone.

“How did I end up the little spoon?” Morgie’s hand finds the back of his neck, rubbing his thumb over it in little circles as he lets the other fall to his lover’s lower back. “You turned away from me,” it’s nearly a whine, the boy pouting before he presses a kiss to his boyfriend’s forehead. (Y/n) lets out a hum, sliding a hand up to rest between Morgie’s cheek and his pillow as Morgie tugs him ever so slightly closer, smiling at the way he’s letting his eyes flutter back closed. “Trying to abandon me in your sleep. I thought you said you didn’t want to leave me?” The response comes in the form of a needy hand fisting the fabric of his shirt over his chest and lips brushing over his collar bone. “Never, mine, all mine.”

The serpent is lucky that (Y/n) can’t see the way his face flushes as he buries his face in the other boy’s hair. His, all his, huh? Morgie couldn’t argue with that. He shifts the boy in his arms, moving the hand on his neck so that he can fully cross his arms around his lover. It earns him a content sigh, (Y/n) already falling back into the realm between awake and dreaming. He could sleep for days if given the chance. Yet, his thumb is rubbing a gentle path back and forth across Morgie’s cheek, one of the only signs that the boy is in any form awake. He could go back to sleep too if he wanted, what was stopping him?

“As much as I love watching you two cling to each other, we’re supposed to be going uptown,” Hook grumbles from his bed, pointing a nearly accusatory finger at Morgie. There’s what was stopping him. It draws a nearly pathetic whine out of (Y/n)’s lips, the boy trying to tug his boyfriend closer by his tee-shirt. “Do we have to?” He’s silently begging for Hook to say he’ll go alone, anything to avoid having to leave the warmth he’s found in this bed. “We promised Uli, wouldn’t want to break a promise, would we?” With a sigh, Morgie finds himself withdrawing his arms from his sleeping lover, “How long are we going to be gone?” “An hour, hour and a half tops,” Hook nods, slipping his headphones off his head as he shakes out his hair. He has to all but peel (Y/n)’s grip from his shirt, pressing a soft kiss into the palm of his hand after he does. And as he climbs off his bed, he slips his pillow into the whining villain’s open arms, “You cuddle this, I’ll be back to you as soon as I can. I promise.”

The boy in the bed only gives him a sleepy nod, sliding his head onto the pillow as if he was laying on Morgie’s chest. And as he speeds to get ready, his hazel eyes stay trained to the lump under his emerald green comforter, a smile pressed to his lips. “God, you’ve been with him since classes ended at three o’clock yesterday. You can handle less than two hours away, lad,” Hook playfully scoffs, rolling his eyes as he looks between the two, “Are you ready?” Morgie nods, patting down his pockets to make sure he has his wallet and keys, “Yeah, just one minute.”

(Y/n) feels the bed beside him dip, barely opening his eyes to see the thin wrist of his lover on the pillow before him. Another hand comes out to tip his head to the side, this time giving him a deep kiss that has him sighing into Morgie’s mouth. A hand coming up to cup the one resting on his chin as he kisses back, lips feather light and adoring against each other’s. When he comes up for air, settling back into the pillow Morgie’s lips find his temple. Kissing down his face in a line until he gets to the spot right before his ear. “You sleep well, Baby. I’ll bring you back a croissant from that cafe you like.” And a sleepy smile crosses the boy’s lips as he cuddles further into his lover’s pillow, “I love you.”

#descendants #descendants rise of red #descendants imagines #descendants fanfiction #descendants x reader #morgie le fay #morgie x reader #morgie le fay x reader

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cowgirlcherrie · 2 years ago

Note

hiii :) i was wondering if you could do headcanons of modern! ellie

Hiii lovie of course!!!! ♡♡

a/n: this is kinda drabble-ish but would love to do more of these, so keep requesting them LOL! This is a little sporadic but I love it, so I hope you enjoy <3

warnings(?): not really much mostly fluff sfw, with slight suggestive undertones but really if you squiiint

modern! Ellie headcanons

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

♡ Ellie would definitely be in college, part of her doesn't know fully why she applied but she was giving it a shot

♡ totally an undecided major, science? teaching? psychology? She really doesn't know at first but settled on psychology so she could get her degree

♡ makes you wear a necklace with her initial on it (totally possessive)

♡ magically always had weed, which was also confusing at first but she just had that good of connections around town with local plugs and dispensaries.

♡ always has a blunt tucked behind one ear

♡ makes you trim her hair because she doesn’t trust anyone else touching anything on her body.

♡ always loosing her lighter so you bedazzled it and she literally never lost it after that, she would rather die before losing that lighter now

♡ if you have stuffed animals, she tries to remember their names but gets them wrong every time

♡ A few months into dating when labels were now on the relationship, would gift you little things and act like it wasn't her.

♡ once gifted you pre-rolled blunts and you were definitely confused but before you could give them back would kiss your cheeks before saying "No take backs"

♡ keys jingle when she walks, and it's loud asf too!!

♡ whenever you can't find her she's definitely in the gym

♡ low-key would get addicted to going in her free-time ( gym rat ellie ?????)

♡ definitely rubs your back while you are studying or working from home, keeps one arm rubbing circles in your lower back and another on her phone, she enjoyed the comfort of being close even though you kept shushing her. (she’s definitely playing subway surfers or scrolling on tiktok)

strong believer that she would accidentally get tiktok famous, but everything she would post after that one thirst trap would be just videos of you

♡ loves dressing you up, quite literally sits at the edge of the bed while you try on different clothes leaning back as you come out of the bathroom,

"Twirl for me doll,"

" I love that color, you should wear that more often"

♡ one day when you see her playing guitar and beg on her lap that you want to learn, Ellie will literally take you to the guitar center the next day to get you your very own

♡ spoils the crap out of you!!!!!

♡ lovesss teasing you and resting her hands on your upper thigh especially when you wear something revealing like skirts or shorts, she tucks her hand way too close up.

♡ touchy touchy touchy! always has to be touching you somehow

♡ leaving kisses on your neck 24/7 because of the way you jump when her lips touch your skin

♡ skincare nights go so crazy, took a lot of convincing, but will be right next to you with a facemask on while you watch a good show

♡ definitely dominant 80% of the time

♡ pet name Warriorrrr ( baby this...doll that) she literally doesn't stop

♡ if you ever go to a party together definitely shares alcohol with you so you don't drink too much

♡ if you are drunk after will take your make-up off and do your night time routine for you

♡ wakes up late as fuck!!! totally wakes up at 2pm like its nothing

♡ definitely mean to everyone else but you.

I'm talking about glaring at people 24/7, crazy attitudes, and people basically asking for permission before they speak.

♡ whenever she catches you doing your natural hair, begs to help which results in her wanting to do it every washday

♡ at first, Ellie didn't understand the hype behind matching fits but does it just for you

♡ overall Ellie is just a simp for you like literally only cares about you, weed, and getting money

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whiskeynwriting · 2 years ago

Text

A New Home

Joel Miller x Curvy!Female Reader

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Word Count: 11.5k

Warnings: 18+ (minors DNI)

Brief alcohol consumption, some angst, age gap, size difference, curvy reader, body insecurity, brief body shaming, lil makeout session, mentions of sex, mentions of past trauma and loss, mentions of death

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A/N: Part two is in the works and will be posted next Monday! Co-written with @fishingforpike

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Joel Miller Masterlist

Join My Taglist!

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It’s not safe, not like the world used to be. But in its own way, it will have to do. Not that you have many choices, anyway. And in multiple ways, you can’t complain. The community was welcoming, Tommy especially. It was surprising just how quick they were to accept you. Once your health scans were cleared, they were thrilled to have you. But you suppose a clean bill of health is all it takes to make friends with people these days.

“Anything else?”

“Um…” Glancing around, you take one last look at the truck, now empty. “No.”

You’re almost embarrassed by it. Three boxes? How do you not have more things? But Tommy just smiles, a warm expression you see when turning back to him.

“C’mon,” Jerking his head, he offers, “Let’s go see your new home.” Home.

If it weren’t for the occasional jingle of the box’s items a few paces behind you, his existence would have completely gone over your head. He doesn’t say much, not anything, really. Didn’t even bother to say hi, but you don’t necessarily mind. You like the quiet.

With each of you carrying a box, the walk is easy. Tommy would have driven the truck closer if your house wasn’t already right next to his.

“Right here,” He grunts with a small sigh, setting your box down on the lawn.

“This one is mine?”

“I know she’s not too pretty, but we plan on fixin’ her up. Right Joel?”

His wording prompts you to turn, eyeing the quieter man. All he does is nod, eyes furrowed as they look away into the distance.

“We’ve already got some furniture in there for you.” Tommy redirects the conversation, picking the box up once again. “And the key’s inside.”

The cement porch is small, with absolutely nothing on it. And the door creaks when it’s opened, but it seems sturdy enough to reassure you. Inside, it’s dusty, some of the windows still boarded with wooden planks. Peeling along the walls is a layer of floral wallpaper, the colorful hues faded from the time of its abandonment. It smells funny, too, like a funeral home. But it’s your home.

“I know it’s still a bit dark, but we’ll take care of that soon. We’ll even start today, if that’s alright with you.”

Smiling, you accept his offer with a small nod. “That would be really great, Tommy. Thank you.”

It’s still light out, only early afternoon. The wind is bitter, though, stinging your cheeks until you’re under the cover of this new space. You’re surprised they’re both willing to work in such extreme temperatures. Well, not necessarily extreme for them. But to you, it might as well be Antarctica. You never did like the cold.

Internally, Joel is thanking the Lord when you finally decide to wander about, curiosity leading you upstairs to your bedroom. With a sigh of relief, he sets your box down on the one table Tommy had given you. It has three chairs, and further in the living room sits one couch, and an end table. Not much else, but then again, some people don’t even have a living room.

Joel isn’t a clumsy man, but he’s been fumbling all over his actions and words since you stepped into town. Since Tess’s passing, he hasn’t really focused on other women. Not just because of her but because he just hasn’t had time to. Romance is a luxury he cannot afford, even in Jackson. He’s convinced himself of that. But it didn’t stop his heart from beating just a little too fast when he first saw you, your pretty face quickly distracting him. You’re gorgeous, which shocks him. With everyone struggling, nobody really looks… cute, these days. But you do.

Smitten isn’t a word he’d use, but Tommy definitely would. It was easy to see how taken Joel immediately was with you. Joel’s brother had never seen him act so dumb around a new woman. He was dropping things whenever you came into the room, stumbling over his words whenever you’d ask a question until you just stopped asking. You thought he was strange but really, Joel was feeling shy. He can’t even bring himself to make eye contact with you, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks far too quickly. It’s been ages since he’s been nervous around a woman, and he feels overtly foolish because of it.

Jesus, I need to get my shit together.

Watching Joel avoid you prompts a small feeling of self-consciousness inside of your belly. The first time you came down from your bedroom, he immediately dropped a hammer on his foot, quickly jerking his leg away with a firm fuck slipping from his mouth. Eyeing him suspiciously, you turned in the opposite direction, asking Tommy about your bed.

“I know it’s not much, but we -”

“Tommy, this is amazing. I just wanted to come thank you. I haven’t slept on a mattress in years, years.”

Without hesitation, you step in to hug him, an act Tommy wholeheartedly accepts. And Joel’s jaw clicks slightly when he sees it, finding himself feeling childish and wishing it were him. He’d call himself pathetic if he felt this way in general around women. But he hasn’t. What is it about you?

To distract himself, Joel works on the boards along your windows, tearing them down and fixing up any markings around the glass. It’s repetitive work, tear down, fix, tear down, fix. The wood will likely be used for a fire soon. There’s a fireplace in your living room, off to his right. Maybe he could offer that to you.

“Your name is Joel, right?” Stepping over gently, you approach him, intending to offer the same thanks you gave Tommy.

Straightening up, Joel’s eyes drop from your face to your body; not to ogle at you, but purely from the anxiety ballooning in his chest. Nodding, he sighs quietly. “Yeah.”

“Well, thank you. For everything. I… I really appreciate it.” You offer him your kindest smile and still, he looks away. He doesn’t know what to say.

It almost hurts him, your sweet smile. How he’d love to keep that expression on your face, to continue to be the reason for it. He remembers a time when Tess smiled at him like that, a time when he believed he was the reason for her happiness, a time where he was convinced he was keeping her safe. But that was never the case, Tess didn’t depend on him. Joel wasn’t the reason for her happiness, he wasn’t the reason she was safe. She fought for herself, and in ways Joel would never even know. He felt like a fool, trying so hard for a woman that didn’t need him.

But, but, the fact that you’ve gone out of your way to thank him, plucks at one of his heartstrings. Maybe his help is finally needed. You really can be sweet. And it only makes you more attractive to him.

“O… kay.” Voice wavering slightly, you end up walking away, wondering why he’s acting this way. So far, everyone’s been nice to you. So, what is it about him? Little do you know, Joel is just trapped in his own head.

“Hey,” Tommy nudges your shoulder when you return to the kitchen, testing the sink. Wow, running water.

“Yeah?”

“I know Joel can be a little rough around the edges, but he means well.”

“He’s ignoring me.” You’ve known Tommy long enough to call him your friend, one of the few people who’s allowed you in. You trust him.

“Yeah, I…” Rubbing the back of his head, he sighs. “I don’t know why he does that.” But Tommy does know, he can see the explanation written all over Joel’s face.

The Miller brothers take it upon themselves to make your house a home, Tommy bringing your boxes up to the bedroom before tearing down the old wallpaper scattered throughout the rooms. And Joel continues with the windows, chopping the wood into manageable pieces before tossing them into the fireplace.

“I have a proposition for ya.” Tommy then says, slapping his hands together to knock the dust off of them. “Maria’s making dinner. I’m gonna head over and I can bring some back to you?”

“That’d be really nice, Tommy.” Pleasantly surprised by his continuing hospitality, you grin. “I’ll be here.”

Patting your shoulder, Tommy returns your happy expression. “And I’ll be right back.”

On his way out, he passes by Joel, shoving his shoulder and knocking him a bit off balance. Brows furrowed, Joel glared at his brother, leaning in to ask why the hell he just did that. But before he can get the words out, Tommy’s grumbling, “Go say something to her.”

Joel grimaces, not from the push but from the words. But his brother means well, he should be more welcoming toward you. He’s just… nervous. But he can be friendly, all he has to be is friendly.

Once Tommy is gone, the atmosphere shifts. It’s not a huge change, just a slight… movement. Turning, you catch Joel’s wandering eyes, now immediately darting down. Raising a brow at him, you brush it off, just like you have been.

Originally, you found Joel quite attractive. You felt drawn to him as soon as you’d climbed into Tommy’s truck. He’s tall and handsome, older and growing into a silver fox. He looked hardened, and you pondered whether or not you could soften him. But Joel’s attitude quickly turned you away.

Going about your business, you find the last box, holding an assortment of your clothes. Bending down, your fingers find its bottom edge, and with one breath, you’re lifting it.

“H-Here,” Joel’s guttural voice finally speaks up. Taking a quick step in your direction, he reaches out, placing one hand on the edge. “Let me help.”

“I don’t need your help, I can do it myself.” Your recent thoughts prompt your quick snap. It feels childish, but his unintentional rejection has made you mad.

Your words shove down every ounce of confidence he’d managed to bring to the surface. Briefly, he wonders what he’s done wrong. But he knows this world isn’t as kind as it used to be; you don’t owe anything to anybody. Lowering his hand, he gulps, looking into your eyes before turning away. And something about your first, true gaze stirs something in your bones. But still, you make your way upstairs.

In your bedroom, there isn’t much, your mattress isn’t even supported on anything but a few wooden palettes. But there’s a fitted sheet on it, along with two pillows and a comforter. And the first time you saw it, the sight brought a tear to your eye. This is your home, you have a home again. There’s even a bathroom, there’s two! Two bathrooms in your house. A half-bath downstairs, and a full across the hall from your bedroom. Problem is, when you turn on the faucet, every drop of water sprays directly at you.

Your shrill scream can be heard from down the damn street, and you already feel foolish from it. But it surprised the hell out of you, and apparently surprised the hell out of Joel, too.

“What?! What is it?! What’s wrong?!” Scrambling up the stairs, he slips when he rounds the corner. Looking up, he finds you absolutely soaked. For a split second, he’s surprised, but all too quickly, a laugh is bursting from him. Turning over onto his hands and knees, he reaches for the plumbing beneath the sink.

“Stop! I can do it!” You angrily shout, leaning down and swatting his hand away.

“Please let me help.” He practically pleads, eyes going wide as he stares up at you.

Your hair is sticking to your cheeks and forehead, clothes tightening around your body. Gulping, he eyes you, the curves your clothing is so openly revealing. Immediately, you find what he’s staring at, wrapping your arms around your midsection.

“Does that mean I can help?” That deep voice calls out, watching you rush into your bedroom.

Harshly, you snap back with, “Fine!”

He’s not sure what he did to make you dislike him so much, but the entire situation has him grinning. Something about the interaction has changed the energy between you two. It’s perplexing, really. Even after your rejection, even after his personal turmoil, Joel finds himself wanting you. You seem so genuinely happy, and you've been kind to everyone… except him. But even so, you’re friendly, that much is true, and that’s so very new to him. And his level of attraction to you surprises him. He really can’t ignore it. And he knows you can take care of yourself, clearly, but he sees a pretty woman like you and immediately, he wants to care for you - protect you. It’s in his nature. You may not need it, but he wants to offer it. He wants to be your safety net.

“So, how’d it go yesterday?”

You’re upstairs unpacking, setting up your bedroom. Tommy thought it’d be a good idea to get some paint to spruce up the rooms, extending their stay.

“Fine.” Shaking his head, Joel tries to rattle the memory out of his brain.

“Well… what did you say?” Tommy pries, glancing over at his brother. He’d been painting the space next to your fireplace, stopping mid-stroke.

“Just… tried to help. I dunno.”

“Jesus, were you always this weird?”

“What?” Joel replies, offense in his tone.

“How the hell did you ever get a girlfriend?”

“Well, it hasn’t exactly been easy during a global pandemic.”

“Even before all of this.” Tommy points out, eyeing Joel beside him. “What’s making you so nervous around her?”

Turning back to the wall, Joel releases an aggravated breath. “This is hard for me, Tommy.”

“Why?”

“She’s pretty, alright?” He doesn’t even look at his brother, not quite sure how to explain it. “Pretty like I’ve never seen.”

“Then ask her out.” Tommy’s trying to keep his voice down, but his brother’s attitude is aggravating him, to say the least.

“She just got here, man.”

“Even better! Take her out, introduce her to the town. We just got done upgrading the bar.”

“Really?” Huh, that might not be a bad idea.

“Yeah, really.” Joel offers an unamused glare at his brother’s mockery. “It can’t hurt to try.”

And maybe Tommy’s right. He’s into you, that much is true. Joel’s only known you for half a day and yet, you seem to have him hooked. But while he has one foot leaping forward, he has the other holding him back. There are so many ways this could go wrong, he could ruin this town being your home if he fucks up bad enough. And he doesn’t want to bother you, even though it seems like he already has. There are so many other things he could do with his time but you’re occupying his mind.

What caught his eye before a single word came out of your mouth was your body. Your hips are wide, thighs bigger than most of the women he’s been with. You have a little tummy that makes him grin, that makes him feel the need to grab. Any pair of pants hugs your ass tightly, the jeans you wore today honestly testing his patience. And when his eyes rose to your chest… the sight of you took his breath. He’d give anything to touch you, to cup and squeeze your breasts. It takes everything in him to have a normal conversation when you’re around, because the majority of the time, he’s off in his own dreamland. But is that all this is? Physical attraction? It would be if you didn’t have such a fiery personality, your kindness still shining through. You’re a woman who can be hard when she needs to be, and he admires that, he respects that. Everything he’s seen, everything you’ve said, every fucking ounce of you is drawing him in.

Joel figures, since the two of you haven’t talked yet today, that maybe it could be a fresh start for the two of you. He knows you’re upstairs, so, with a heavy and encouraging breath, he makes his way up to you.

He does his best to be quiet, not wanting to spook you. Though, in retrospect he figures it should have been the other way around. Regardless, when he approaches your open bedroom door, he sees you crouched down. And Jesus, seeing you in these jeans forces out an internal groan from within. The way it hugs your curves, your hips, it’s making him lose his mind.

Standing from your crouched position, you sigh, turning to only be startled by him. But you don’t jump, your eyes just widen. And seeing that reaction intimidates him. You can clearly hold your own, and that coupled with your beauty makes him nervous all over again.

“Hey, I, um…” Shoving his hands into his front pockets, he swallows. “We’re almost done downstairs. And uh, Tommy… well, he knows this great bar, and -”

“The only bar in town?” You say, crossing your arms and raising a brow.

“Yeah… the only bar in town.” Joel mutters, sighing. He’s already fucked this up. “Well, I was thinkin’. Would you wanna go with me, there? Sometime? Maybe I could, I dunno, maybe I could show you around.”

At this, your eyes widen, the hairs above them raising. This was him asking you out? After ignoring you, randomly staring at you, and barely even responding to you, he decides to come up and say this?

“Thanks, but…” Turning, you crouch back down, going through your belongings. “No thanks.”

Without another word, Joel is spinning around. His ego is hurt, to say the very fucking least, and to reject his offer is one thing, but to completely reject him as a person is another. Why don’t you like him?

“Hey, how’d it -”

“I’m goin’ home.” Joel grumbles, already making a beeline for the door. He feels childish, but if you’re this adamant about not liking him, he might as well not even be in your home.

Joel’s naturally loud footsteps echo throughout the fairly empty house, his harsh push on the screen door making you look up. Standing, you peer out of the open window, watching him walk off. Turns out he lives kitty-corner to you.

Watching him go makes you feel bad, regret sinking heavily in your stomach. You’ve been so stubborn with him, and without any real reason. Sure, he’s acted a little strange, but maybe you misread him. Maybe he was just being shy. After being in survival mode for so long, you sometimes don’t know what to think about other’s expressions. For years, all you’ve had to do was focus on yourself, on simply staying alive. Will life in Jackson offer you more than that? Will it offer you the luxury of friendship? Of connection?

“Ellie?” He calls out, glancing up at the staircase only to be met with silence. “Ellie!”

Stomping around the house, he searches for her, having expected her to be home. There aren’t too many places to go in Jackson, and not too many kids for her to make friends with. One person she has befriended, though, is Maria. After a while, Joel supposes they just got used to each other.

“Jesus,” Joel grumbles, shaking his head as he storms out of the house.

Closing the door behind him, he makes his way over to Tommy’s, only just across the street. Knocking on the door, the first one to answer is the culprit herself.

“Welcome home.” Ellie greets with a huge, sarcastic smile on her face. It might as well be their second home.

“Why are you always bothering them?” Furrowing his brows, those hands gravitate to his hips, his signature pose.

“Joel! Come in!” Glancing past Ellie, he sees Maria, currently holding a bowl of pasta. “We’re settling in for dinner.”

If he’s completely honest, Ellie did most of the cooking between the two of them. Joel often bought snacks - bags of chips and canned goods. But Ellie enjoyed making meals, and he wasn’t one to complain.

“Well, thanks for havin’ us.” He nods, sitting down at the table after he’s closed the door.

“Any time.” She insists, scooching her chair in. “Do you know when Tommy’ll be here?”

“Not sure. I uh, left early.”

“Why?” Ellie raises one eyebrow, already digging into her food.

“Because I wanted to.” Joel responds sternly, wanting the questions to stop at just one.

Maria grins, twirling her fork. “Is it because of the new girl?”

Joel glances up from beneath his brow, annoyed that this conversation is even happening. He expected to be home decompressing, not talking everything out.

“No.”

“It is.” Ellie gasps dramatically.

“It definitely is.” Tommy adds on, walking in through the front door.

“Tommy.”

“And you know what, she’s got a liking for you, too.” Gesturing toward his brother on his way to the kitchen, Tommy watches Joel’s eyes widen at this.

After Joel left, Tommy took it upon himself to go upstairs and see what the hell bothered him so badly. He found you, still completely wet while searching for new clothes to change into. And after you dried off, the two of you got to talking. Tommy started to explain his brother’s intentions, how the pandemic has really hardened him. He might’ve even told you about Joel’s liking for you, and asked you to give him another chance.

“You think?”

“I think she’s warmin’ up to you.”

“This is so cute,” Ellie smirks, punching him on the shoulder. “The old man has a crush.”

Joel rolls his eyes, though a grin pulls on his lips at the new information.

“Am I gonna have a new mom?” Ellie teases, making Joel sigh.

“Don’t you have homework to do or somethin’?” And his random comment reminds him of Sarah. This type of banter was so typical between them. And he misses her dearly, but especially in moments like these. Ellie is happy for him, that much is clear. He thinks Sarah would be, too.

Maria talks about her garden for the remainder of dinner, that and Tommy’s dam. Every now and then, Tommy mentions the patrols and how they’ve been. Some were riskier than others, and Joel wasn’t looking forward to going back to them. He and Tommy had taken time off to gather things for you, but they still heard the reports. And whether they’re talking about hunters or clickers or the new vegetable they’ve grown, Joel’s just happy the conversation has shifted. Although he’s still grinning from his brother’s comment.

Maria and Tommy can talk up a storm around people they consider family, but after so long, it’s only natural that dinner comes to an end. And Joel’s happy to see Ellie stand when Maria starts to clean. Seems like her manners are finally starting to show through.

“Okay,” Tommy starts in a hushed tone, scooching closer to his brother. “What’s got you all riled up about this girl, anyway? I mean, she’s not exactly your… type.”

Narrowing his eyes, Joel wonders aloud, “What do you mean?”

“She’s curvier than your usual gals, isn’t she?”

For a moment, it looks like Joel zones out. He’s thinking about you. And with a subtle shrug, he sighs. “I don’t know… there’s just somethin’ about the way she looks, way she walks… I’ve seen the shape of her hips.” Briefly, he shakes his head. “Perfect ‘lil divots for grabbin’.”

“Oh…” Tommy grins, “So you’re into curvy girls now?”

Something about the way Tommy says it has him bushing. He’s almost embarrassed because he’s really been caught, he couldn't have hid this if his life depended on it. And it’s such a new revelation for him, so much so that it makes him antsy.

“It’s not just about that.” He explains, “She’s fiery, Tommy. I’ve seen her be nice but she’s got some sass.”

“That she does.” Tommy’s seen it, too. “But you can be pretty sassy yourself.”

Frowning, Joel chews his corner lip. “What do you mean?”

“Your looks aren’t exactly… friendly.”

“What?”

“Kind of aggressive.”

“And judgmental!” Ellie chimes in from the kitchen.

“Hey!” Joel quickly swivels in his seat, eyeing her.

“She’s not wrong. Besides, don’t you want to welcome her to the town? There aren’t many people her age here, it’d be nice if she had a friend.”

“She has you.” Joel comments, raising his brows both quickly and sarcastically.

“Yeah, but she could have you.”

“Wait, wait,” Ellie steps in, strolling into the dining room again. “How old is this girl?”

Tommy shrugs, “Mid-twenties?”

“Holy shit!” Wide-eyed, she stares down at Joel. “She’s like half your age!”

Groaning, Joel leans an elbow on the table and covers his face. He knew this was strange.

“Nothing wrong with that.” Tommy grins, already knowing Joel’s reasoning.

Leaving Tommy’s house, Joel feels… unsure. Not conflicted necessarily but different. He’s attracted to a curvier body now more than ever and it’s because of you. It makes him feel like he’s learning new things about himself. In a world so cold and hard, he just wants someone to hold, someone to hold him. Someone that’s just warm and soft. Someone to let in again.

“Just be nice.” He whispers, rolling his shoulders a bit. “Be nice and smile. Don’t forget to smile.” Small mumbles spill from his mouth as he looks into the mirror, buttoning his flannel. Ellie made sure to wash his clothes last night, wanting him to look nice. Joel insisted it was only him asking, not going on the actual date. But she didn’t care.

Digging deep down inside of him, Joel was able to find that sense of carefree excitement that came along with dating, with pursuing someone. You already said no to him, but he wants to try again, when he can present himself a little better. And knowing that you don’t hate him also helps. If you say no again, he’ll drop it, he wouldn’t want to force anything. And he especially wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable in a new town; you only just got here. But he’s decided that he’s going to try, he’s going to put himself out there with you.

“I can do this.” Nodding in the mirror, he sighs, trying to release his anxieties. “I can be… warm. Friendly.”

Looking to his right, he grabs the cluster of flowers he’d bought at the market this morning. He’d been out shopping for food, Ellie wanted to try a new recipe sometime soon. But when he came across the barrel of flowers, he knew it would be the perfect gift to give you. He’s not sure what kinds you like, but he didn’t really have many options. There was one bouquet that was particularly bright and perky, so he went with that one.

You’re only just across the street, so he doesn’t have much time to gather himself on the walk. He has to be ready pretty much as soon as he opens the door. And when he’s convinced himself that he has the confidence to do this, he makes his way down.

Today, you didn’t request Tommy and Joel’s help. You wanted some time to yourself, reassuring Tommy that you’d come to him if you needed any more repairs, or really, anything. He and Maria were more than willing to help. And while you appreciated this, you were looking forward to your day alone, which is why you were so surprised to hear a knock at your door.

“Joel?” Your voice wavers slightly, unsure of his reasoning for being here. But then your eyes drop to the colorful bouquet, and your brows raise a little.

“Hey,” His voice is deep and a bit ragged, just like it always is. The hand not holding the bouquet is shoved in his front pocket. And then he does something that surprises you, he smiles. It’s a nervous expression, but genuine. “How uh, how are you?”

“I’m doing okay…” Stepping forward, you move onto your porch, Joel still standing on your walkway. “What’s… what’s up?”

“I, well… I wanted to apologize.” When your brows raise higher, he continues with a slight stammer. “F-For my demeanor, the past few nights. I’m, well we… don’t get many women like you here.” Forcing out a small chuckle, he tries to keep his friendly grin. But he’s nervous.

“What do you mean women like me?” By your tone of voice, you’re clearly offended.

“Pretty.” Joel blurts out, deciding on full transparency. “I, I think you’re beautiful.” It’s the first time he’s said anything like this to you, and you’re clearly taken aback. “I wanted to try another shot at askin’ you out.”

“Why?” You ask, crossing your arms. Not defensively but protectively. You haven’t been intimate with someone in years; and pretty isn’t enough, in your opinion, to date someone.

“You seem kind.” Shrugging, he finishes with, “I’d just like to get to know you more.”

Now that, that is enough of a reason to date someone. A small smirk curls on your lips, deciding to respond with, “I’m not very kind to you.”

“That you aren’t.” Joel grins, and it makes you feel bashful. “But I haven’t been the nicest, either.” There’s a sparkle in your eye that makes him grin, one he doesn’t have to force to the surface. “And besides, I like a little sass.”

After his comment, a moment of silence passes, and your smirk only grows with it. It’s only the first time he’s flirted with you and you’re already burning up with excitement. To have this older man be so interested in you is beyond flattering. When you rejected him yesterday, it was because of his attitude, not because of his looks. Even with his graying hair and crows feet, he’s handsome, handsome and broad. Truthfully, you’re interested to see what he looks like underneath that flannel, if you even get that far. But really, you’re interested in getting to know him, too. He’s already shown that he’s not the callous man you thought he was.

“Okay.”

And with that, his insides light up. “Okay.” He returns with a nod, and an incredibly bright smile on his face. One so big you almost work up the nerve to calm him cute. Almost.

After that, things were easier than he could have imagined. Within minutes, you were setting up your date, you finally stepping down onto the walkway so he could give you the bouquet. Joel’s face was lit up with a handsome smile the entire conversation, something you haven’t seen before today.

“Well, I’m not doing anything tonight.” You offer, peeking up at him from beneath your lashes. Was that too eager of you?

If it were even possible, his smile grows. “Me either! I am, would you…” Pointing behind him, he offers, “Would you want to come over? I could make us somethin’?”

The idea of having your first date in Joel’s home, conversing over homemade food while it’s just the two of you, sounds so cozy to you. Nothing too fancy or expensive. Simple and sweet, just like first dates should be.

“That sounds really nice.”

Dreamily, he sighs. You’re already cuter than he’d imagined you to be. “Alright. Well I’m, I’ll go freshen up and… see you in a little bit?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Awkwardly, you exchange eager smiles and slightly wandering eyes, your hands on your bouquet while his are in the pockets of his pants. Slowly, you back away, retreating into your home. But even after you’ve turned your back, Joel watches you, smiling. He has a good feeling about this.

“She said yes?!”

“Yeah, that’s why I need you to teach me!” Joel replies impatiently.

“Joel,” Ellie states, very matter-of-factly. “The instructions are on the box. It’s not that complicated.”

“Well I -”

“Do you know how to work a stove?”

“Well, yeah…”

Slapping him on the back, she stares up into those dark eyes. “Then you should be fine. I’m going to Tommy’s.”

Filling the pot, he then sets it on the stove. “Stop buggin’ them!” He calls out after her, but she’s already through the front door.

“Hey!” She then says, a little too enthusiastically. And when Joel hears your returned hi, he’s spinning on his heels.

“So you’re the woman Joel likes.”

Rushing toward the door, Joel’s eyes scan your figure, your beautiful face. You’re wearing makeup.

“I’m Ellie.” Firmly sticking her hand out, you then take it, giving her your name. But as soon as Joel gets to the door, Ellie’s already running off.

“Sorry about that.” Joel laughs nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

“That your daughter?” You ask, raising a brow while you join in on his small chuckle.

“Uh…” He trails off, watching Ellie make her way down the street. “Somethin’ like that.” After a moment, though, he snaps back to reality. “Oh, come in!”

It’s far too easy to see that this is all so new for him. But he’s trying, that much is true. So, you follow his prompts, walking into his home. And it’s clear to see that this is his home. He’s furnished it quite well, with multiple couches and even a small TV in the living room. The wallpaper is fresh and so are the coats of paint coloring the different rooms. But none of that surprises you. What catches your attention are his decorations, he has decorations. Pictures on the walls and books on the shelves, even a few plants near the windows. There are curtains and throw blankets and candles, too. Oh, how you've yearned for this sense of comfort.

“So I, um…” Joel begins to mutter while walking past you.

You watch him stroll into the kitchen, looking around. “I don’t have much but we… I got, that instant pasta?”

Grinning, you make your way over to the dining table, just beside the kitchen. While sitting, you sling your purse on the back of your chair, staring over at him. He continues to ramble while stirring the pasta he’d already placed in the boiling pot, but you don’t hear much. Oddly enough, you find yourself eyeing him, almost sizing him up.

“That sounds really nice but I…” The way you trail off makes him turn, eyes furrowing with concern. “I um…” Releasing an airy laugh, you then sigh. “I hate to be a burden, but I can’t have um, gluten.”

“Oh, shit.” Widening his eyes, he takes a glance back at the pasta, turning back with a hand held out to you. “I’m sorry I, I had no idea.”

“It’s okay Joel, I haven’t eaten it yet.” Your response makes him grin, happy with your reassurance.

“Well, we’ve got uh… oh! Actually…” Walking over to the fridge, he explains, “We just got some new fish. Uh…” And then he’s reaching in to retrieve a small, wrapped package. “Salmon?”

“That sounds great.” Joel watches as your cheeks plump up with your grin, your adorable expression softening him.

“Well,” Joel replies, releasing a breath while he begins to fry it. “I hope you like it. We’ve got broccoli, too, if you’re not…”

“No,” Laughing, you shake your head. “I’m not allergic to broccoli.”

For how nervous he was to cook pasta, you’re shocked at how quickly he’s able to prepare the vegetables and fish. Not only quickly but easily, so easily that it impresses you. Maybe you’re the reason he was so nervous. After all, that is what Tommy told you. But you can help to wonder… why is that?

“We uh, we’ve got water? Oh, and milk!”

His words make you smile. Nobody has much right now but he’s trying so very hard with you.

“Water would be great.”

The smile he gives you makes your insides stir; he looks so happy, almost careless. Nothing like how he’d been the few days after you met. And when he comes back with your drink, he’s still grinning, humming quietly.

“How…” Starting conversation is a little difficult, just because you’re not really sure what to say. Seen any good movies lately? Do you have any hobbies? What do you do for work? All luxuries of the past. But, you figure you can begin with the obvious.

“How did you make it to Jackson?”

At this, Joel gives his head a single shake. “Long story.” And then, silence. But he doesn’t want that. “How about you? Tommy said you were by yourself?”

“Yeah, I was living on my own. Have been since I was an early teen. My parents were, well… they ate a lot of bread.” You can chuckle about it now, but it wasn’t so funny then. “I have a gluten intolerance, so…”

“It was easy to avoid.” Joel finishes, nodding. “Yeah, I was on Atkins.” And then, he’s laughing too.

But when your laughter dies down, you sigh. Memories of the past bubble to the surface, the remembrance of your life beyond the city walls. With your tone hushed, you tell him, “It was scary out there.”

“Yeah, I know. It still is, if you find yourself in the wrong areas.”

“Where were you? Originally?”

Inside, Joel feels unsure. These are all questions he kept hidden away for so, so long. It was done with the intent to keep himself safe. But he told himself that he wanted this, and that means opening up to you.

“Texas. Made my way here from Boston, though.” He finally responds before gesturing in your direction. “You?”

Nodding, you swallow, staring at your plate. “Arizona.”

“Shit,” Joel cocks his head, “We coulda met even before all this.”

When you started thinking about home, something akin to sadness sank into your bones. But the way Joel changes the conversation’s mood almost changes something about you.

Smiling, you agree, responding with, “Yeah, we could have.”

“What did you do down there? Y’know, before all this happened?”

Looking up, you find those deep, dark eyes. They’re full of excitement and wonder, his full attention on you.

“Well, I… I was pretty young, when the outbreak started.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I was honestly a baby. Only four or five years old.”

Holy shit, Joel internally curses. Ellie was right, she’s so much younger than me.

“Is… that okay? With you?”

It’s the first time either of you have brought it up, your obvious difference in age. While you were attracted to Joel, you weren’t sure about this possible gap in maturity. And if you’re being honest, it was another reason for your initial rejection. But the second time around… you really couldn’t resist.

“You know…” He counters, his expression thoughtful. “Would it be strange if I said it made me like you more?”

His response makes you laugh, a big belly one, too. “Maybe.” Eyeing him, you smirk. “But I don’t know. Maybe I feel the same.”

“Really?” He’s teasing you, you just know it.

“Maybe.”

“Well, tell me about your interests, then. Let me learn about ya.”

At this point, you’re more interested in each other than the food, and you find yourself liking that. It’s honestly astounding how easy this is for the two of you. And at this point, Joel’s forgotten all about the pasta he was starting to make. Looks like that will be Ellie’s dinner.

“I really like to be creative, when I can.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Smiling, you think back to it, to a time when you still had acrylics and a canvas. “I’d paint when I was young, but can only really afford to find pencils and paper now. But still, I like to draw. I like to read, too. Keeps me distracted.”

“Sounds like an alright distraction to me.”

Grinning, you tilt your head. “What about you?”

Taking a sip from his glass, Joel clears his throat before responding with, “Used to be a musician. Loved to play the guitar - did so for a number of years.”

“I can see that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He responds sarcastically.

“I don’t know, something about your flannels and southern accent screams musician.”

“What, you don’t like flannels?” Joel grins, that silly expression warming your cheeks.

“Eh, not always.” Shrugging, you take a drink from your glass in an otherwise nonchalant fashion. “But I like ‘em on you.”

And then Joel Miller fucking blushes.

“I kind of like your accent, too.”

From then on out, Joel swears an internal promise to himself to up the ante of his accent for you. Usually, people disliked when he’d mumble or drawl, but doing so at dinner didn’t bother you. And even when he snuck in his first honey, he saw your shy grin. That beautiful expression made him want to use it more often.

“I really liked the dinner you made.” Striding beside him, you admire his slow gait. He’s trying to stretch out the time, the walk back to your house a pretty short one.

“I really liked having you over.” Joel remarks right back, his walk languid, unhurried. “It was nice talkin’ with you, honey.”

There’s that cute hum again, the hum you purr quietly whenever you’re happy.

You thought it was incredibly gentlemanly of him to walk you back to your house, even if it’s only across the street. Neither of you wanted the date to end but, Ellie had to come back home before midnight if she was going to meet her curfew. And it’s not that she couldn’t be around you, Joel just wanted his privacy with you.

“You know, it’s already really comfortable here.” Stepping onto your walkway, you turn, gazing up at him. “In my own house, my own home… and when I go to yours, too.”

Before he can stop it, he replies with, “I wanna be able to give that to you.” Looking into your eyes, his expression softens. “Comfort.”

It’s a surprising statement to hear, but one that warms your chilly bones. Everything about this night with Joel has just been reassuring you of your decision, the one you made to come here.

“It’s nice to have a home again.” Smiling, your eyes twinkle with affection. “And a friend.”

That last word would have his heart sinking if you weren’t already leaning up to hug him, nuzzling your face into his neck when he returns the act. Those strong arms hold you against him, wrapping around your back. He’s so sturdy and broad, and feels so good pressed up against you. His smell is more apparent, too, an earthy scent that reminds you of the forest. But it’s also sweet, a few spices close to sandalwood mixing in. And while you’re taking him in, Joel is doing the exact same to you, memorizing the softness of your skin and the smell of your hair, the way you feel beneath him. To finally be touching you, hugging you, feels surreal to him. It’s only been a few days and still, he’s thought about you, dreamt about hugging and just holding you. All night, you talked about home, but for Joel, this is it.

Before he can even register it, you’re pulling back. Just barely, your lips brush over his ear, whispering a gentle goodnight Joel, before moving over the scruff of his jaw so you can kiss his cheek.

It’s a foolish thought, you should be happy with your new home. And for the most part, you are. But with everything running efficiently, that meant no more Joel coming by. You haven’t seen him since your first date, and that was about four days ago now. Of course, you could just ask for another date, but would that be too… desperate? Needy? After more than an hour of thought, you’ve decided that yes, it would very much be needy. So, what the hell are you gonna do to get him back over here?

“Joel?” You couldn't help it, your feet carried you his way before you could even think twice about it. It was hard enough to keep yourself from not showing up on his doorstep for the past four days.

“Oh,” His unsuspecting expression turns joyful as he walks up to the door. It had been open, with only the screen keeping the brutal wind away. Ellie probably didn’t care to lock it. “Hey.”

That quirky little smile pulls on his lips, those large hands propping open the door for you. Shifting your weight, you feel a small sensation fizzle in your veins with nerves growing in your belly. It’s strange to think that only a couple days ago, you couldn't stand him.

“Hey um… my, I’m having trouble with my sink again. And I was, well, I was wondering… if you could…” It’s the only excuse you could make up in your head. And it’s not like it’s anything major, just a small white lie.

Almost instantly, he sees through your little act. His knowing glance makes your pulse pound a bit harder in your neck, one hand moving to balance itself on his hip.

“Sure, honey.” Honey. Lord, you’re swooning so easily. “Give me a minute, and I’ll be right over.”

The fact that he said yes right on the spot makes your heart skip a beat. And your feet nearly do the same as you make your way back home. Smiling from ear to ear, you trot up to your bedroom, awaiting his arrival. Your first instinct is to clean, to make everything neat, but there’s not much to do. There’s not much here in general. So, you just sit and wait.

While you’d been thinking about him the past four days, you weren’t the only person on Joel’s mind. Sure, he thought about you, thought about your pretty face and fiery attitude, your amazing body and witty personality. But he was also thinking about her, about how he lost her too soon, and so abruptly. So tragically and violently. She made him feel safe when no one else could. When he was supposed to be everyone’s rock, Tess was his. Is he ready to move on from that? Is he ready to find someone new? Someone to hold and care for and protect? He’d be lying to himself if he said he didn’t long for companionship, for someone to warm his bed and fill his days with fun and just… simple happiness. Someone who can swap out the bad memories in his head with ones he can return to at night that won’t make him cry. Someone that makes him want to continue on with life.

“Hello?”

“Hey! Come in!” You’d left your door unlocked, feeling safe with the knowledge of his visit.

The front door creaks open as Joel steps inside, stomping the snow off of his boots and onto your mat before leaving them beside the door. Something jingles beside him and it sounds heavy, maybe he’d brought a toolbox with him. And that jingle only amplifies as he walks up the stairs, heavy footsteps thudding against the dark wood.

“There you are.” Joel grunts as he reaches the top step, striding down the hall to your open bedroom. For just a moment, he stands there, taking a look at you. You’re sitting on your bed, a sketchpad laying beside your hip. Your hair is down and you’re wearing an oversized hoodie, something he hadn’t seen beneath your coat when you came to him. With no makeup on your face, you look refreshed, refreshed and cozy.

When he doesn’t say anything, you chuckle awkwardly. “What? Did you expect to find me wet again?” Almost immediately, heat rushes to your cheeks, not realizing the double meaning until it’s already been said. And immediately, Joel is smirking, laughing at your reaction.

“Maybe.” He mutters to himself as he turns, walking down your hall.

It’s only a few feet to the bathroom, and as soon as he steps inside, he’s getting to work. Settling on his knees, he leans forward to mess with the valves, trying to see where the problem is. He’ll play along. And after only a moment, you follow him, standing behind his bent form as he works.

Eyes traveling down, you nibble on the corner of your lower lip as you take him in. He’s wearing another flannel, of course, with a pair of dark-wash jeans hanging on his hips. And with him facing away, you’re able to wander down a bit further without him noticing. Huh, he has a pretty cute butt.

“What did you say the problem was again?” Cocking an eyebrow, he looks back at you with confusion.

“Oh, um…” Shit, I didn’t think about that. “It wasn’t… there wasn’t any hot water coming out.”

Standing, he flips on the faucet, turning it to the hottest setting. “Seems to be workin’ just fine now.”

Shutting it off, Joel grabs the hand towel to wipe the water away while turning to look at you. And… wow, he’s so much taller than you. So much taller and broader, too.

“There any other reason you wanted me here?” That eyebrow stays cocked and it just makes you feel dumb.

Shrugging, you glance down. “I kinda… missed you.”

Instantly, a bright grin cracks across his face. “What was that?”

Glancing up at him from beneath your brow, you smirk at his teasing. “I missed you.”

“Well color me surprised.” Raising his eyebrows, he placed the hand towel back on its hook as he says, “I thought you couldn’t stand me.”

“Yeah well, I found out you’re actually kind of cute.” Shrugging, you turn, wandering into your bedroom. It’s like your cheeks have been set ablaze.

Slowly, Joel follows, leaning against your doorframe when he gets back to your room. Again, you’re sitting on your bed, sketchpad and pencil in hand. He nods at you, crossing his arms.

“What’s that?”

“Some of my drawings. Haven’t really had time to look at it since I got here.”

Strolling over to the side of your bed, Joel looks down at you, wondering aloud, “Can I see?”

Nervously, you hand it to him. No one’s ever wanted to look at your artwork before, so you're curious to see his reaction. To your surprise, Joel lays down on your bed, resting on his stomach across the end as he flips through.

“You can definitely see the progress.” He comments, nodding. “Your flowers are so detailed.”

“You think so?” Grinning, you orient yourself toward him, folding your legs up on the bed.

“Yeah, I really do. But…”

Frowning, you tilt your head. “What?”

“I think addin’ some portraits to your collection would make it even better.”

“What? Why?”

“I dunno, just think fillin’ it with pretty people would make it nicer to look at.”

“Oh, yeah?” You chuckle, “Like who?”

Turning his head, Joel gives you a knowing look. “You.”

And no matter how hard you roll your eyes, you can’t hide your smirk. “You’re so cheesy.”

“Made you smile though, didn’t it?”

Another eye roll and he’s closing the book, tossing it on the ground before climbing up to sit beside your smaller frame. Resting his back against your headboard, you again turn to face him, barely an inch away now.

Joel sighs, those warm eyes staring into your own. “Don’t you know how pretty you are?”

He’s yet to be so forward with you, and it’s making your limbs tingle with a gentle sense of bashfulness. And this sensation only intensifies when he sits up, crossing his legs and leaning toward you just a bit. Gently, his hand lands on your knee, thumb rubbing you kindly.

Licking his lower lip, his eyes dart down to your mouth before returning to your entrancing orbs, taking in a deep breath when you say, “I think I’m starting to.”

And after that, his hand is lifting to your face, each of his advances made with slow intention so you have room to deny him at any point. But you don’t, you only lean into him.

Keeping your hands in your lap, you let him take the lead, swallowing timidly just before your lips meet. It feels like taking a breath of fresh air, but it also feels like you just jumped out of a plane. Something about Joel is so exciting yet calming, so new yet reassuring.

Joel’s hand settles warmly on your cheek, holding you close to him as he experiences you this way. To know that you accepted this advance makes his heart soar with pride and gratitude. He hasn’t felt something like this in so long, and it’s been calling out to him; ever since she left. And he thinks Tess would’ve liked you.

“Why don’t you come here?” Joel mumbles against your lips after only one kiss. And like the love-struck girl you are, you do as you’re told.

Joel only intends for you to shift closer to him, to lean into his lap, but you interpret his request differently. Taking things to a new level, you climb onto him, his legs straightening out as you do. And even though his eyes widen in surprise, he doesn’t reject you. Your pulse is drumming an erratic rhythm in your ears, your lungs quivering inside your chest as you situate yourself over him. But then, you’re not quite sure what to do, your hands dropping to your thighs awkwardly. But Joel knows what he wants from you. Grabbing them, he urges you to place your palms on his shoulders, and once you do, both of his hands quickly reach out for you.

“C’mere…” It’s a small whisper, one said as his eyes flutter shut and your lips meet again.

The scruff of his graying facial hair rubs against your lips and cheeks, but you don’t mind; you actually like the sting. Your thighs tense on either side of his hips, chest resting against his while your palms run across the soft fabric covering his shoulders. It’s the first time you’ve done this together, and Joel decides to take his time with you because of it. Slowly, his lips run across your own, repeatedly returning to your mouth. Tilting your head, you move with him, sighing into every single kiss he gives.

He almost has to refrain from being too forward with you, from lowering his hands to paw at your ass. Jesus, he’d love to just grip you in hand, kiss you breathless while you rub yourself down on his lap.

Before Joel has the chance to do so himself, you’re sliding your tongue across his bottom lip, leaning even further into him. It takes him by surprise, but he accepts it, and does so wholeheartedly. Lowering both hands, they easily find your waist, his fingers squeezing you gently. And when you moan, lord, when you moan into him, it takes everything he’s got not to toss you down on the bed.

Your breaths are already heavy, feeling the first true slide of your tongue across his. Joel’s warm sigh hits your skin when it happens, a small groan slipping from his throat. And those fingers tighten on your waist when you do it again, your lips curling into a smile at his reaction.

“You’re really doin’ things to me.” His voice is low - rough and gravely. And it only stokes the flames burning in your belly.

“You know,” Wiggling slightly, you hum playfully, feeling him grow between your legs. “I can kinda tell.”

He doesn't think he’s ever been more embarrassed. Already rosy cheeks turn a full, bright shade of red, his neck following suit as he flushes before you. But all you do is grin, leaning in to kiss him again.

“And I kinda like it.”

Usually, you wouldn’t be so forward with a man so early on. But honestly, what do you have to lose? The unwavering dominance Joel so openly exudes is something you’ve admired since you met him. And you’ve continued to discover more of his attractive qualities ever since. He’s strong, mentally and physically; he could make you feel safe, safe and cared for. You can already imagine it, him holding you in bed, his warm body protecting you through the night. You haven’t felt this sense of security in such a long time and you want that, you’re dying for that.

Joel’s hands curl around to your back, caressing you fondly while your own slide down to the back of his neck. And for just a moment, Joel stills against you, taking a breath.

“You know,” He sighs, swallowing quickly. Lifting his hand, he brushes it over the side of your face, cupping your cheek again. “I’m really taking a likin’ to you.”

“I really like you, Joel.” Leaning in, you rest your forehead against his, fingers petting timidly at his neck. “At first you were kind of an ass,” And at this, you both breathe out a laugh. “But I think I’m starting to see through that now.”

“I’m sorry.” His expression is genuine, a small ounce of hurt in his eyes. He never wanted to push you away.

Shaking your head, you reassure him, “You don’t have to be.” And then, a thought wanders into your head. Timidly, you glance down, licking your lower lip. “How, um… how long has it been? For you?”

When you look back up you’re met with a somber expression, not outwardly, but you can tell by the wrinkles in his face that he’s hurting. “Couple years.” Comes his quiet mumble, his own eyes darting away, too. “Lost her pretty quick and I, well… it’s been hard.” He nods firmly at this, as if to show his own agreement with the statement. “You?”

“A while,” You have nothing to hide from him, and feel that this is the time to truly be open. “At least six years since I’ve let someone in like that.”

“It’s hard to trust.” Joel comments, warm eyes looking deeply into your own.

“Yeah…” Sighing out your emotions, you try to keep yourself collected. “There are just so many things that have happened around me, to me, I just… I didn’t exactly have a normal upbringing.”

“I can imagine.” He can’t even comprehend how difficult it must have been to grow up during this pandemic.

“On top of my own insecurities,” Shaking your head, you breathe out a laugh of disbelief. “I don’t know how I survived long enough to get here.”

“Insecurities?” Cocking his head, his forehead crinkles with confusion. “What do you have to be insecure about?”

Shrugging, you close your eyes, feeling your emotions bubble inside. “Haven’t always been happy with how I look, I guess.”

“Has a man never told you how pretty you are, honey?” Joel asks, his words warm and caring. And it makes your cheeks tingle.

“Not just my face.”

“Your body?” All you do is nod. “Jesus…” Turning his head, Joel takes in a breath. “Honey, if I’m speaking freely… my hands feel like wanderin’ every time I see your body.”

At this, your eyes widen ever so slightly, your heart lurching into your throat when he says it. You’re not sure what you expected him to say from your timid confession, but you definitely weren’t expecting that. Though, it’s not like you don’t favor his reaction.

“Really?” You giggle in disbelief, raising a brow at him. You’d always been insecure about your body, mainly your midsection. There are some rolls on your sides that extend to your back that you’ve always despised. And no matter how hard you tried to get rid of them, they never left.

“Hell yes.” He emphasizes with a firm squeeze on your waist again. “You’re just the type of woman I wanna curl up with at night.”

Grinning, your arms slide up and around his neck, bringing you even closer to him. With the tip of your nose rubbing against his, you reply, “Maybe we can arrange that sometime.”

Joel grins at your offer, humming happily while his palms run down your back. “I’d like that.”

A breath of contentment leaves him, both of you enjoying the brief silence that then consumes the room. He’s sturdy beneath you, fingers continuing to move slowly over your covered skin. And you don’t move your faces away, either, simply resting in each other’s embrace.

“I’ve been thinkin’,” Joel then says, staring down at your lips. “How about I take you out? Really take you out. Maybe buy you a drink?” He feels like it’s only right. It doesn’t sit well with him, knowing that you’re on his lap kissing him breathless before he’s even taken you out to eat.

“Oh? At the only bar in town?” You tease, referencing the first time he worked up the nerve to ask you out.

Chuckling, he nods. “At the only bar in town.”

It’s not exactly a fancy establishment, but you still change into nicer clothes for your small outing. And while your pair of jeans and black long sleeve may not seem so special to you, Joel is having a hard time not outwardly ogling you. Everything just conforms to your body so nicely, fitting snugly along your hips and backside, up your tummy to your full chest. You’re such a pretty thing to look at, such a sexy thing to look at.

“You feelin’ hungry?” Joel asks, releasing a sigh at his inner thoughts.

Shrugging, you climb onto one of the bar stools with Joel taking a seat beside you. “I could eat.”

The bartender comes by, introducing himself as Grant. He seems nice enough, an older gentleman wearing a thick jumper that makes him look larger than he actually is.

“Just an IPA.” Joel nods, offering a friendly grin.

“And for our new lady?” Grant asks, having not been introduced to you yet.

“A vodka tonic?”

“Comin’ right up.” He nods, turning to walk off.

“There’s a menu here,” Joel tells you, reaching over to grab and then hand it to you. “They’ve got some ‘lil appetizers.”

In less than five minutes, your drinks are on their designated coasters, and your food order is in. You’d picked out the spinach artichoke dip, the dish happening to be one of Joel’s favorites.

“So, how’re you likin’ the town so far?”

While Joel takes a sip from his bottle, you watch him, eyeing the way his Adam’s apple bobs when the drink is swallowed.

“Haven’t seen much of it other than an angry cowboy and his brother.”

“An angry cowboy?” Joel snickers, “That what I am?”

“Well, I mean, you’ve got the accent to match.”

“You like my accent.” He remarks sassily, looking away with a cheeky grin.

“Maybe.” Stirring your own drink, you then comment, “This is nice. But… I kinda miss your food.”

He’s surprised by this, turning back to you as he says, “Really?”

“Yeah.” Smiling, you reminisce on the recent memory. “I really liked having you cook for me.”

“Honestly, I liked doin’ it.”

“Seems like she’s had enough to eat.”

Immediately, your eyes widen, blood running hot beneath your skin.

The comment came from behind you, and was made by a man you’ve yet to see or meet, but one that Joel has interacted with quite frequently. And not in the most pleasant of ways.

His friend then returns, “Clearly. Haven’t seen a girl that size since I came to Jackson.”

Forcing away the sting in your eyes and the lump growing in your throat, you internalize your rising emotions. You’re angered you’d even let their comments affect you. According to most of the men you’ve interacted with throughout the pandemic, you should be much smaller than you actually are. What with there being food shortages. People even had the nerve to call you greedy.

But while you’re trying to brush off your reaction, Joel can’t hide his anger. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see him. It almost scares you, the way his face twists, the furrow in his brow and the scowl on his face. Turning in his chair, Joel glares at the men. They’re sitting at a table only a few feet away from you.

“It’s okay, Joel.” You really don’t want to make a scene.

“I don’t think it is.” Standing from his chair, he takes a step toward them, but you reach out with a pleading hand. Placing it on his chest, his eyes shoot down to your face upon feeling the contact.

“Joel.”

“Are you sure?” He asks, and there’s real worry in his eyes.

Nodding, you release a saddened and defeated breath. “I’m fine. Can we just… could you walk me home?”

You’ve gone quiet and it breaks him, it fucking breaks his heart. He only just convinced you of his attraction for you, for your wonderful mind and gorgeous body.

“Okay.”

After asking Grant for a box, he packs up the rest of your food and pays the tab, leading you towards the door. For the first time, his hand moves to your lower back, already feeling a sense of protectiveness overcome him. And he keeps it there on the walk back, allowing you to snuggle up against him.

As you continue you on through the snow, Joel’s hand gradually moves from the small of your back to fully wrapping around your frame, hugging you to his side. He’s warm, keeping you snug against him while he walks you home.

Turning his head, he presses his lips to your temple once your feet reach the front door. “Would it be alright if I came in?”

“Sure.” You’re still quiet, timid.

Stepping into the warmth of your home, you both kick off your shoes, Joel following you into the living room. He watches you sit on the couch, folding your arms around yourself. And he sits, too.

“Were you… embarrassed?” You can’t even bring yourself to look at him.

“What?” He asks, something akin to disheartened concern washing over his face. “Sweetheart, no.” Your insides jump at the new word. It’s the first time he’s ever called you that.

Shuffling closer to you, he swallows, trying to compose himself. “You, you have to know how beautiful you are.”

Almost unable to help himself, he reaches for you, but hesitancy then takes over. Retracting his hands, his thumbs shuffle over the knuckles of his fingers, feeling nervous but determined.

“You’re the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen, even before I came to Jackson.” He expresses wholeheartedly to you, briefly referencing the man’s comment but trying to make it better with his own twist.

“I think, I mean…” Rubbing the back of his neck, he sighs. Will his next words be comforting, or too much? “I think your body is amazing.”

“You don’t have to say that.”

“Exactly.” His response is immediate, his tone prompting your eyes to find his. “No one’s making me say that, I’m sayin’ that.”

You can tell he’s trying his damndest to reassure you, to make sure you know how lovely he finds you. And not only this, but he wants you to feel better about yourself, too.

But inside, you’re crumbling. You’d distanced yourself from people for so long and for so many reasons. You were barely Ellie’s age when you so suddenly found yourself alone. Traveling across state lines with absolutely no sense of direction, no indication of where to go or what to do. All you knew was you had to get away from people, you couldn’t trust anyone’s intentions, and you were scared to death of the disease. For the most part, you camped in the woods, and it’s been quite a while since you heard a comment like that. It seems silly to worry about now, about someone’s words instead of finding food for yourself. But if you know anything about people, it’s that they can gossip. You’re new in town, after all, it was only a matter of time.

“I just…” Sighing out a small shiver, your eyes drop again. “I think I need some time.” Joel’s compliments are overwhelming, in both good and bad ways. You’re not sure how to feel.

“Did I do anything wrong?” He feels like he’s breaking inside, like his emotions are so swollen they could burst right in his chest. This hasn’t lasted long but he doesn’t want this to end, please don’t let this end.

“No, it’s not about you, Joel.” You’re muttering, feeling shameful. You’re embarrassed you’re letting your own insecurities and pasta traumas get in the way of this, of the most exciting thing you’ve experienced in years. “I just need to think about this.”

Without even meaning to, Joel’s head hangs a little low. The fabric of your faded brown couch looks pretty interesting right about now; it serves as a small distraction, and is the only reason he can think of to prolong his time here. But he won’t overstay his welcome.

“Okay.” He returns, voice quiet and low. And if you think on it, you swear you heard it crack, too. “I’ll uh, um… I’ll go, if you want me to.”

Tears pooling in your eyes, you can’t even look up when you say, “I think that’d be best.”

With another timid nod, Joel stands, and slowly, too. Rubbing his hands together, it takes him a second to turn, but when he does, he keeps walking until he’s through your front door. And once he closes it behind him, the havoc inside your mind consumes the quiet space around you.

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