#butterfly in shades of gray

[fern-spotting]

Columbo S10E8 “Butterfly in Shades of Grey” (1994)

Boston fern spotted at 1:00!

This episode is notable for featuring a gay character (as the murder victim, unfortunately) and also for having William Shatner back on, this time to play a conservative radio host. He's basically the Alex Jones of his time.

Bonus plant: this sago palm.

[possumcollege]

Columb... o... no.

[tinyriver-neonlights]

Happy 22 anniversary to the best Butterfly Effect

Gerard Way witnessed 9/11, inspiring him to start My Chemical Romance. MCR's music inspired Stephenie Meyer to write Twilight, which inspired EL James's Fifty Shades, whose movie adaptation brought fame to Dakota Johnson who began Ellen's cancellation

[sea-otter148]

Everything is connected to everything, here's how

In 1979, the CIA began Operation Cyclone as a response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which funded and trained the Mujahideen, who were fighting back against the Soviets. A Saudi Arabian millionaire also helped fund and train the Mujahideen. This man was Osama bin Laden, and he would go on to found Al-Qaeda and perpetrate the 9/11 attacks.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, a man walked into his internship at Cartoon Network when he witnessed the Twin Towers fall. He used music to help deal with the trauma and got to founding a band. The man was Gerard Way and the band was My Chemical Romance.

MCR got popular enough that it grabbed the attention of Mormon housewife Stephanie Meyer, who had a dream about a sparkly vampire, who she named Edward Cullen, thus kicking off the Twilight series.

Meanwhile, E. L. James made a Twilight fanfiction called Master of the Universe, which was adapted into a book trilogy called 50 Shades of Grey, and that eventually got a movie deal starring Dakota Johnson in her breakout role.

Dakota Johnson was confronted on the Ellen Show, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, for not being invited to her 29th birthday party, and Dakota made sure to invite her for her 30th birthday party. However, Ellen never attended the party and instead went to a Dallas Cowboys game with George W. Bush, circling it all back to 9/11. And when Dakota had been invited onto the Ellen Show again, she called Ellen out for not going to her birthday party, and this sparked investigations that revealed the toxic work environment and how Ellen DeGeneres treated her guests and staff. This caused the show to run for a 19th and final season. This is how the CIA is connected to the downfall of Ellen DeGeneres.

There is also the story of how the 2007-08 writer's strike caused Georgia to go blue in 2020, and this may be a wilder ride.

The writer's strike of 2007-08 caused the TV series Supernatural to lose 6 episodes of the back half of its third season, which caused Dean to go to hell due to the show being written into a corner. However, at the beginning of the fourth season, Castiel was introduced, and his profound bond with Dean which saved the latter from perdition caused both a ludicrous amount of unhinged fanfictions and 11 more seasons of Supernatural to be made.

Meanwhile in 2018, Stacey Abrams, a fan of Supernatural, founded the grassroots organization Fair Fight, which helped to end voter suppression in Georgia. This and increased voter turnout was largely credited to Joe Biden securing Georgia in the 2020 election by less than 12,000 votes. However, Stacey Abrams credited this success to being able to calm down after watching Supernatural. And in a beautiful stroke of kismet, Destiel culminated on November 5, 2020, while Georgia was still counting votes.

One more example I want to share is how Star Trek is connected to Obama's election in 2008.

In the 90s, Star Trek: Voyager was not doing too well critically, so the writers introduced a new character played by actress Jeri Ryan, called Seven of Nine. Jeri was married to a prominent politician and Illinois state senator named Jack Ryan, and the juicy details of their eventual divorce in 1999 caused Jack Ryan to lose his chance of getting a US Senate seat in 2004 and get someone else to fill in the Republican candidacy for the Senate election. That someone was former MSNBC host Alan Keyes, who was defeated in a landslide vote by the Democratic candidate Barack Obama. This allowed Obama to get a prominent political position, which ensured his victory in the 2008 presidential election.

Everything is connected to everything.

[celestiamour]

‧₊˚✧ ❛[ it's a gift (you keep those) ]❜

ft. logan howlett x f! reader — xmen, marvel

╰₊✧ giving him a plushie that reminded you of him┊1k words

setting: deadpool & wolverine (2024) worst! logan contains: fluff, crushes, probably ooc but he’s so cute & wade is hard to write for, written for dp&w logan so idk if he got gifts in xmen, i forgot about laura, they are in touch and have a wonderful father-daughter relationship, i’m so sorry, edited

➤ author's note: i have so many thoughts but too incompetent to write

logan’s never sure who will appear when he opens the door as wade’s quite the extrovert, either vanessa or one of his many other friends whom he’s now become somewhat acquainted with, but he certainly wasn’t expecting to meet the familiar eyes of the cute neighbor who lived a few doors down. he nervously scratched the back of his head, suddenly becoming aware of his shabby appearance, “uh, are you looking for wade?”

“no, i was actually looking for you!” god, your smile is so bright, it’s blinding. he normally hates perfume of any sort as it’s so overpowering to his heightened senses, but the one that you wore smelled so lovely like always. is that a new shade of lip gloss you’re wearing? it really suits you. (why on earth is he noticing all of these details out of the blue? he needs to snap out of whatever spell you put on him after being introduced when he first showed up and only interacting in passing since then).

“looking for me?” he repeated, in disbelief, trying his best not to allow his surprise to slip into his voice. considering he isn’t from this dimension and not the most agreeable person to be around, he had no friends of his own yet and hasn’t been visited by anyone since he got here. a beat of panic struck him, thinking that he was in trouble for something and you came to complain. he really couldn’t think of any other reason you were here for him even though you were so cheerful.

you were carrying some shopping bags with you, dropping them on the ground before reaching into one and pulling out a large fuzzy plushie of a gray cat hidden under layers of glittery tissue paper, “i saw this cutie when i went shopping with my friends and thought it looked like you!” you held it out for him to take, looking so proud of the stuffed animal.

he hesitated for a second before accepting it, trying to take in the fact that you were reminded of him in your day-to-day life. it made his heart flutter, and he found himself dumbfounded by the feeling. he was frequently teased by his roomate about his little “crush” on you, claiming that it was oh so obvious and that the sooner he accepted it, the better, but he never realized until now how pathetic he was when it came to you. was the wolverine really getting butterflies like a fucking schoolgirl in his old-ass age? thank god no one was home right now to bully him about it, he would never hear the end of it.

“it does not look like me,” he scoffed playfully after a quick examination.

“no, it definitely does! it’s a big, grumpy kitty—” you took a step closer to hold it with him, pointing at all the similarities you observed, although it was clear you were exaggerating for laughs. “see the little frowny face and ears? it could be your identical twin separated from birth! willy mentioned that you act like a cat most of the time, and i think it fits perfectly!”

the smile he didn’t realize was plastered on his face faltered at the last piece of information, grateful that you didn’t notice. that idiot has been talking about him to you? he might as well forget about any chance of getting with you, because knowing how he yaps without a filter and loves to play matchmaker, you probably think he’s a freak of some sort. “only good things, i hope…”

you giggled, the sweetest sound he ever heard. “of course, he’s really fond of you… well, maybe a bit too fond, but you already know about that!” you opened your mouth to continue the conversation or say something else, but your phone started ringing and you excused yourself, looking a little shy as you grabbed up your bags. “i’ll talk to you later!” you sounded so excited about the prospect of it before leaving, your voice and footsteps becoming fainter as you walked back to your place.

“wait, you didn’t take back the cat—”

“it’s a gift! you keep those!”

“oh… right…”

he lingered for a moment, unable to say much in response since you left in such a rush. when was the last time someone gave him a present? staring at this brand new item, he still couldn’t see the resemblance in any way, but knowing that it was a gift from you gave him a rare feeling of happiness which returned every time he looked at it from then on among his few possessions. 

“oh my goodness, what is this adorable thing?!” wade exclaimed when he saw it sitting on the couch where logan slept, picking it up to gawk at before tossing it up in the air and catching it before it hit the floor. “ooh, let me guess, it’s a gift from her, isn’t it?” 

the mutant groaned at his mocking tone. “put it down before you ruin it with your grubby hands,” he commanded, snatching it from his grasp (rough enough to make his point clear, but carefully enough not to tear it apart). his roommate didn’t even bother pretending to be offended like he usually would as he was simply overjoyed that his “ship” was coming true. “it doesn’t mean anything, don’t make it weird.”

“it doesn’t mean anything?! how can you say that when it’s going to be the first gift you give to your first child together—”

“first what??”

“nevermind, what are you gonna name it?”

“i have to name it?”

“have you never owned a stuffed animal before? you have to name it! how heartbroken is she going to be when she asks what you named it and you say that you haven’t done that?! she’s gonna think that you don’t value her gifts!” you would think the world was going to end if he didn’t do so if you heard the way he was speaking.

“fine, i’ll name it…” he looked deeply into the toy’s soulless eyes, noting how soft the outer material was against his calloused hand, “... fluffy…”

“that’s such a shitty name—”

“shut the fuck up, it’s been decided.”

[headspace-hotel]

i was outside for a couple hours today looking and watching the birds and looking at every plant and the huge variety of bugs on the plants

When you consider from the tiny, bug sized perspective of a bug, each species of plant...is its own biome

Each species of plant is food for its own specialist species of bugs that can eat ONLY that plant, (or it's close relatives, sometimes) and cannot eat anything else (E.g. Monarch butterflies with Milkweeds)

You can see this with aphids. Aphids that suck juices of Goldenrod are red, aphids of milkweed are yellowish orange, and aphids of curly dock are slate gray

Each species of plant has its own chemicals that protect it from being eaten by bugs that are susceptible, taking away competition for bugs that don't mind the chemicals

THEREFORE...each species of plant has its own characteristic fauna

And beyond that

Each species of plant has its own "terrain" (the structure of the stems and leaves and how they are positioned, what kinds of surfaces they provide to sit on or hide under)

Flowering plants each have their own nectar and pollen and their flowers are structured and colored differently to be specialized for the favored pollinator. (I wish I was a bee so I could taste how different each flower's nectar is...)

Each species of plant's leaves shade against the sun differently, each hairy or smooth stem captures drops of dew differently, and the shapes of leaves and stems and how they branch provides different environments that could be easy or difficult to navigate with wings or with legs.

I notice things I never would have read in books. I notice beetles and earwigs tucking themselves between leaves or in immature flower heads waiting for nighttime. I notice tiny spiders making webs in the underside of a folded leaf. I see ants crawling along the stems up to the flowers to drink nectar, and wonder how a tiny ant brain navigates the complicated 3D maze of stems and leaves.

It would be so time consuming to walk all the way up the stem of each and every flower, so the best plants for ants must be plants where the flowers touch and the ants can walk from one flower to the other. I saw ants on Yarrow and Lilac, and both of those plants are like that, with bunches of flowers close together.

Some bugs like to hang out underneath leaves, others on stems, still others beneath petals...bugs are living entire lives, working and eating and resting and having sex and caring for their young, and they need places to do these things. And when you're as small as a bug a plant is like a huge skyscraper or a whole neighborhood, but each species of plant would have different features and amenities.

So by introducing a greater diversity of plants, it allows for FAR more bugs, which explains the huge increase in bugs i've been seeing, which explains the huge increase in birds.

[art]

Creator Spotlight: GDBee Art (@prinnay)

Geneva Bowers is inspired by the wonders of the natural world around us, and enjoys manipulating colors to create art full of mood and feelings.

Check out our interview with Geneva below!

How did you get started with art? Did you originally have a background in art?

I’m going to say yes because that’s all I’ve known how to do. It started because I wanted to draw better horses than my sister, and it just spiraled from there. People started asking me to draw things because they saw me drawing horses. I was like, well, I can draw things that aren’t horses, and then it was just kind of all I did. 

Have you ever had an art block? If so, how did you overcome it?

I have one right now! Honestly, with time, and I also collect art books; I think I have a couple hundred. If I really want to draw something, then I just flip through those and try to steal some ideas.

Which three famous artists (dead or alive) would you invite to your dinner party?

I mean, of course Van Gogh…I’m really inspired by Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, so I would invite Van Gogh, Monet, and Julie Dillon to a dinner party.

Have you ever wanted to dive into another medium before?

Yeah, actually, I currently am! I’m trying to do more traditional painting. I used to do a lot of acrylics, but I haven’t done it in years, and now I’m kind of bad at it. I’m trying to get into actual impressionistic art with oils and oil pastels. I’m like failing, but you know, you get there. Just fail until it looks presentable. 

If there is one thing you want your audience to remember about your work, what would it be?

I guess it’s more of a feeling. I create art because I’m inspired by things around me, like certain video games. For example, I have been inspired by a Japanese RPG called Chrono Cross on PlayStation 1. They make me feel a certain type of inspiration to create something, so that’s kind of like what I’m hoping to leave behind. 

Have any of your projects surprised you with their outcome?

Yeah! I did this Weapon Faerie series where I took three prompts: a weapon, a winged insect, and an herb, which I combined to make different characters. So, a faerie with a spiked club or a butterfly faerie with a katana. I made 13 of those, and they kind of took off! I wasn’t expecting that at all.

What is the hardest part of your process?

My whole art style is coloring, like the way it’s colored… but I hate the coloring process, haha. I like doing the color combos, but I don’t like the blending and shading. That takes like one-trillion years. It’s the part where I’m most likely to give up. You know how art kind of looks ugly before it looks good? I’m trying to trust that process. 

What do you wish you knew when you started creating art that you know now?

I guess one big thing would be knowing how to use lights and darks. When I do color, it is definitely colorful, but when you switch it to black and white, you see that everything’s the same tone of gray. I’ve learned that if you just use some brighter colors and some darker shades, you create a bigger impact in the end. So, now, when I paint something digital, I make it black and white for a moment to see where all the hues are, and if something is weirdly dark or not dark enough, I can change it.

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

Oh, @feefal definitely inspires me. She does a lot of spooky art.

[astralis-ortus]

it feels impossible (it's not impossible)

✱ bestfriend!bc × gn!reader

— 'cause you are the one i was meant to find.

w.count → 2k genre → romcom, fluff warnings → minor cussing (as per usual, heh), chan refered to as chris a.n → i'm usually not the type to write this long simply because i'm easily distracted and have the tendency to abandon projects, but hey! this one prevails :] hopefully next time i can write even longer fics<3 ⋆ see masterlist

honestly, you thought you were going crazy when the same melody restarted on chris’ speaker for the nth time today. it’s not that the song is bad—you do actually love ‘rewrite the stars’. you’re a fan of the movie, much like chris is, but putting the song on loop? for hours a day? for weeks? your sense of fanship isn’t that strong, especially when the song’s been out in circulation for years now.

“you wanna hear a theory?”

your question easily turns chris’ focus away from the endless papers he had to grade by the end of the day and towards you, raising an eyebrow to the sudden break of silence. his eyes visibly twinkled, contemplating if he should entertain the idea of putting on his regular-26-year-old suit over the professional-high-school-teacher ones he’d been in for the past couple hours or so.

well, to be fair, chris hasn't even been focusing on the pages of essays he needed to check. not when his mind has been preoccupied with something—someone­—else.

“shoot,” he eventually replied with a lopsided smile etched on his lips—head cocked to the side when he finally decided to shut the screen of his decorated silver laptop, offering you his entire attention. “it better be funny or entertaining, considering i’m risking losing my hearing to my kids’ complaints for not returning their papers on time tomorrow.”

“oooh, pressure,” you mocked, a wide grin appearing on your face while you try to ignore the rush of tingles under your skin when you noticed the way chris referred to his students as ‘my kids’—something he’d always done and so do you, but somehow had a different effect on you as of recent. “believe me, it’s something fun,” you hummed with a shrug, mirroring chris as you set your laptop aside.

chris’ pair of charming dimples came into view upon your confident reply, fully immersed in the stage you’re setting up. fabric of his gray couch, one where you two had been slowly melting into for a few hours now, gently rustled when chris fixed his posture, less from lazing around and more into focusing on you and whatever nonsense he believed you were going to say. the glint in his eyes grew brighter by the second, both from anticipation and excitement.

“tell me.”

it felt like spring—when the flowers were in bloom, the breeze was blowing ever-so-gently against your warm cheeks, and the swarm of butterflies were surrounding you with its pairs of fluttering wings.

chris made you feel like spring.

“gee, tone down the excitement, mr. bahng,” you inadvertently shifted away, silently praying to whatever force ruling the universe that chris wasn’t aware of the way your heartbeat spiked to his playful grin. “don’t want to disappoint you there.”

”as if you could ever,” chris promptly refuted with a chuckle, chin resting on the palm of his hand. the way his playful gaze was directed right at you, framed by those loose curls of his, proved to cause your heart more problems than ease. “the ever-so-perfect you? a disappointment? really?”

”oh shut up,” you groaned, half wanting to wipe the cocky smirk off his face—or…?

”but then—if you say so, do tell me,” frown on your forehead instantly dissipates, replaced by a mirror of his lopsided grin when you figured you could turn the bullet right back at its owner,

“am i perfectly on point when i say you’re in love?”

despite the slight pang on your heart, you couldn’t help but giggle at the way his face fades into surprise, a shade of blush slowly creeping on the top of his cheekbones.

the topic of love was never really something you discussed with chris. sure, you two met each other in college where hormones were bursting through the roof, but neither you or chris was interested in dating anyone—you with your slowly budding crush on chris, and chris with… god-knows-what he’s interested in. you never pried, for the sake of not making things awkward. that's your norm, and how you’ve spent your last 7 years with chris.

you and chris remained friends, which at some point evolved into best friends (you now, by the hey-i’m-bored-at-2am-let’s-hang kind of standard), and somehow, you two happened to land a teaching job within the same district around the same time. chris went to teach a reputable high school in the area, while you pursue your dream of teaching kids. you hang out at each other’s place every other day, despite the time you spent together consists mostly of being nose-deep in your respective workload.

the topic of love still was something foreign—you wouldn’t deliberately bring it up other than around the occasions when wedding invites stopped by yours or chris’ doorstep.

maybe, it’s time to change that.

”…huh?”

chris is thoroughly perplexed.

”oh come on, don’t even try to lie,” with a smile decorated with victory, you finally teased the man across. “it’s all written on your face, you know,” you continued, fingers gesturing to your own, “but also, your choice of song. god, do you even listen to anything else when you're in love?”

“but i'm not!” he yelped, facepalming himself upon realizing the shift in his tone is a dead giveaway of his true voice. “god—no. i'm not,” he added meekly, shaking his head, “you know i love the song. that's all.”

”fair enough,” acknowledging his plea, you briefly nod, “but that doesn’t justify the way you’ve been keeping the song on repeat! and don’t you think i don’t remember the few other occurrences when you did the same, because i knew for a fact that something happened every time you became distant after going through this rewrite the stars cycle!”

if his face were flushed before, then you’d categorize this new shade apparent on the tip of his ear as a what-the-fuck-i’m-screwed kind of blush and frankly, seeing this new side of him kind of made you regret not bringing the topic up sooner.

”you remembered?” his voice sounded more of a squeak rather than a proper question, still hiding behind the safety of his palms. “no you don’t! that was ages ago!”

”so things did happen!” your grin turned into a laugh, drowning chris’ groan and series of disapproving no when he realized he just bit into your colorful, glimmering bait. “gosh—why didn’t you tell me you were dating someone? i was kinda hurt whenever that happened you know,” you purse your lips dramatically, “i lost a friend to talk to and never exactly know the reason why until today.”

“oh,” chris blinked, finally looking right at you with a puzzled gaze, “you… were? i mean—i’m sorry i hurt you. for the record, i wasn’t dating anyone. i just kinda assumed, you know, since you were dating someone else anyway i thought—“

”hold up—“ both statements rolling off of chris’ lips inadvertently made you hold up a hand, stopping the latter on his tracks. ”what?”

now both of you are puzzled.

you? dating someone?

”i just wanted to give you space,” chris reiterated, hand now awkwardly resting on his equally red nape, “figured you’d want that since me being around will likely bring trouble for you and the person you were dating.”

”but… i haven’t dated anyone since we became friends?”

you’re thoroughly confused.

”wait, what?” chris shook his head in disbelief, “what do you mean you haven’t dated anyone? what about the notes? and the flowers? and the chocolates too! what do you—what do you mean?”

nevermind, now you’re thoroughly confused.

”the ones from back in college?” your memories were not exactly as clear as you expected it to be, but you do remember receiving those gifts a few times due to its absurdity. “that was all from the rich ass kid i tutored! the one who i told you kept teasing me about never receiving any valentine's day gift? that kid? they sent me those gifts as a prank!”

“…what?”

the amount of ‘what’ you two have said in the past few exchanges is ridiculous.

”god—you thought i’ve been dating and never told you?” you finally pieced the puzzle together, incredulous. “and that’s why you distanced yourself? dude, are you serious?”

”well i just assumed!” chris raised his hands in defense, equally as incredulous as you are, “to be fair, those are usually gifts you get for someone you like! how am i supposed to know it’s from the kid you tutored? you never tried to told me!”

”you could’ve asked?” you stated, as-a-matter-of-factly. sometimes, despite that brilliant brain of his, chris could be quite the foolish one between the two of you. “besides, i thought you knew! you literally read the cards!”

”wha—how do you expect me to digest any of that when i was under the assumption someone i like is dating someone else!”

silence befalls chris’ usually cozy living room, leaving the soft resounding melody that hadn’t stopped as the only sound filling up the space. you’re not even sure if your ears were actually catching the right words falling from his lips; it felt too much like a fever dream. judging from the way his eyes turned wide, however,

you might have heard him correctly.

”you… like me?”

you never imagined you’d piece those words together, much less directing them towards chris. hell, even by remaining as friends was enough for you—having him to yourself was not something you thought would ever happen in this lifetime. you’re happy as you were; you’re content with being friends.

chris, on the other hand, is still visibly trying to digest the events that just unfolded around him. from the misunderstanding to unintentionally confessing his feelings, this was not how he expected his Sunday evening to be. all he wanted to do was be near the one person he’d been secretly nurturing his feelings for, praying that maybe one day he’d finally muster up the courage before everything was too late—but this was not how he expected things to turn out.

”i’m sorry,” he finally croaked, breaking the suffocating silence whilst also being too embarrassed to even look you in the eye, “i know it’s weird—from the misunderstanding to, you know, what i said. i never intended for you to find out about it this way. i understand that you don’t feel the same way, it’s okay, you—“

”oh shut up,” you capped his ramblings short, catching chris off guard. it’s not often you cut him off when he speak, so when you do, he knew you meant it.

“just, what?” you sighed, fingers begin massaging the throb on your temple. it’s hard to decipher what you’re currently feeling as a whole, but one thing you know for sure— you’re especially bothered by his last statement.

“chris, how would you even know what i feel if you’ve never even asked me?”

you watched through his pair of curious eyes as thoughts ran inside his mind, slowly deciphering what you meant with the sudden calmness in your voice.

“uh,” finally managing the train of assumptions in his head, chris then looked at you—only now, with a glimmer of hope reflected in his eyes, “do you... like me? like, more than just friends?”

and to that, you finally nodded.

“yeah, you dumbass. for the longest time.”

watching the way chris’ smile bloom easily turned you into another smiling mess—not missing the giggles nor the flush on your cheeks and all. It feels dumb, realizing that you’ve been into each other for forever but never realizing it because of some stupid misunderstanding.

“and i like you too,” chris reiterated, his goofy smile erasing any trace of worry that was present on his face just a second ago. honest to god—you thought you were falling in love all over again for chris.

“in that case...” he shrugged before outstretching a hand, trying his best to play things cool despite the growing excitement in his eyes,

“will you officially be my partner in crime?”

sound of your laugh only fuels the warmth spreading within chris’ heart—and it felt like the way he spent all those countless nights, wishing that one day the stars would eventually align for him finally paid off as you held his hand in yours, smiling brighter than any stars ever discovered.

“gladly.”

©️ astralisortus, 2024. | likes and reblogs are highly appreciated♡

[crevicedwelling]

I see at least one cool bug a day, and usually many more, but it’s not because I live anywhere particularly rich in strange, wonderful creatures (I live in an unremarkable corner of Pennsylvania, USA) or spend all of my free time looking for bugs (well, just *most* of it). in my experience, finding interesting bugs is less about actually locating them and more about looking closely at tiny things you’d otherwise ignore!

this very long post was compiled over a couple days in late July, although I spent less than 10 minutes at a time searching. there’s a lot of fun creatures just out in the open.

plants are always a good place to start when looking for bugs, and I chose this small fig tree (Ficus carica) with a mulberry sapling friend. feeding on the sap of the fig and mulberry is the first group I’ll take a look at, the planthoppers:

these two are flatid bugs, Metcalfa pruinosa and Flatormenis proxima. flatids are slow-moving bugs that can be approached closely, but once they get tired of circling around stems to avoid you they may launch themselves into a fluttering flight with spring-loaded rear legs.

Aplos simplex, a member of the related family Issidae, also likes fig sap. its “tail” is actually a tuft of waxy secretions, which get shed along with the bright colors when it assumes a lumpy, bean-shaped adult form.

cicadellids, or leafhoppers, are just about everywhere on plants, but can be hard to approach without scaring them.

Agallia constricta on the left is a tiny species that feeds on grass, but many were scared up onto the fig by my footsteps. Jikradia olitoria is a much larger species that does feed on the fig; juveniles like this are curled, creeping goblins while adults’ rounded wings give them a pill-shaped appearance.

this big, pale leafhopper belongs to genus Gyponana. it’s tricky to get to species ID with these.

Graphocephala are striking little hoppers that eat a variety of native and nonnative plants. G. coccinea is the larger, more boldly colored one and G. versuta is smaller but more common locally. they’ll sit on the tops of leaves but take flight if you get too close quickly.

another group you’re almost guaranteed to encounter are flies (Diptera). these are a very diverse group, so much more than houseflies and mosquitoes (though I did run into both)

where I live, any plant with broad leaves is almost guaranteed to have a few Condylostylus, long-legged flies that come in shades of blue, green, and red. despite their dainty physique, they’re agile predators, typically feeding on other small flies.

next, a few hoverflies: the ubiquitous Toxomerus geminatus and a Eumerus that I’ve been seeing a lot of this year (but maybe I’ve just noticed them for the first time). syrphids have varied life histories, but most adults drink nectar and many of the larvae are predaceous on aphids.

the metallic green soldier fly is Microchrysa flaviventris, nonnative here. Coenosia is a fun example of a “fly that looks like a fly,” with big red eyes and a gray body, and you might think they’re just another dung-sucking pest, but they’re actually aggressive predators! this one seemed to have nabbed itself some sort of nematoceran fly, maybe a fungus gnat.

many flies are very tiny, just millimeters long. the first two little fellows are lauxaniids, while the last one, an agromyzid leafminer Cerodontha dorsalis, burrows through grass leaves as a larva.

while moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) are drawn to plants for their flowers or to lay eggs, many small moths can easily be found resting on or under leaves during the day.

these first two are tortricids, many of which are flat, rectangular moths resembling chips of bark or dead leaves. the apple bud moth, Platynota idaeusalis, feeds on a wide variety of hosts, while this beat-up old Argyrotaenia pinatubana would have developed in an edible tube nest of pine needles.

Callima argenticinctella feeds in bark and dead wood (a resource used by more caterpillars than you’d realize!) while the last moth, possibly an Aspilanta, is a leafminer.

although beetles (Coleoptera) are famous for their diversity, I didn’t find too many on the fig. the invasive Oriental beetle Exomala orientalis resting here can be found in a wide range of colors, from this common tan to to deep iridescent black. the other beetle is a Photinus pyralis firefly, sleeping under leaves as fireflies do.

a few spare hemipterans: a Kleidocerys resedae that blew in on a wind, and below, the mulberry whitefly Tetraleurodes mori feeds on its namesake host. as for Hymenoptera, I saw manny tiny parasitic braconid wasps and various ants attracted to the planthoppers’ honeydew excretions—always worth checking underneath roosting hoppers for things having a drink.

a couple handsome spider boys were scrambling through the fig seeking females, a jumping spider Paraphidippus aurantius and an orbweaver, Mecynogea lemniscata.

and to round it off, a young Conocephalus meadow katydid and a Carolina mantis, Stagmomantis carolina.

there’s 31 species of arthropod in this post, and I probably saw some 45, not all of which stayed for photos. if you walk slowly and look closely, you can see a sizeable chunk of your local biodiversity in under fifteen minutes! of course this will depend on where you live and what time of year it is, but there’s almost always more cool bugs out there than you’d expect, even on just a single plant.

[joelalorian]

Fall Into Me - Epilogue

dbf!joel x f!reader | WC: 3.7k | E 18+ mdni

Series Summary: Joel is hanging on by a thread as a single father to a tenacious 10-year-old Sarah. Feeling like he's drowning, like the world is about to spit him out, he needs some help before he breaks in half. At your dad's insistence, you show up in his life and change everything.

Chapter Tags/Warnings: Explicit, under 18 take a hike. No outbreak AU. A wedding, father/daughter dance, tears, laughter, unprotected p in v (reader's on birth control and they're married now so...), Sarah calls reader Mom, mention of Ellie...

A/N: This is the end, folks! They are a real family now. I'm not crying, you're crying. As we all know by now, this fic was inspired by the song Fall Into Me. Another song dear to me inspired a particular scene in this chapter - Butterfly Kisses. Check it out if you'd like. **it always makes me cry, so beware** This story is dear to my hear and I'm grateful for all the love it has received. Thank you for joining me on this journey!

Moodboard by the lovely @mrsmando. Dividers by the wonderful @saradika-graphics

Chapter Eleven | Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

The autumn sun began its descent, painting the sky in beautiful shades of orange and red as it approached the horizon. Joel stared out the double-paned glass, too focused on calming his nerves to enjoy the rolling landscape of the vineyard below. Palms sweaty and heart thumping heavily in his chest, he tugged at the collar of his dress shirt, popping the top two buttons open to help him breathe.

“Cold feet, son?” JB questioned from the doorway before slipping fully into the room. Tommy followed behind him, anxious to see why Joel was taking so long.

Their presence startled Joel and he grimaced. “Not me,” he grunted, still struggling to inhale deep, full breathes as his heart raced.

“You sure about that, brother?”

Joel directed a scowl in Tommy’s direction. “I don’t have cold feet, but I’m terrified she does,” he admitted gruffly. He couldn’t meet the other men’s eyes, feeling vulnerable.

“I promise you, son. Spud does not have cold feet,” JB soothed. “In fact, she has much the same worry about you.”

“A match made in heaven, I’d say,” Tommy chimed in with a grin, bumping his shoulder against Joel’s.

“Come on, now. Get your asses down to the vineyard before Maria comes looking for ya. She’s on a war path, that girl a’ yours,” JB directed with a wink to Tommy. “I gotta get back to Spud, make sure she doesn’t run off to find you before it’s time. Meet again at the altar, fellas.”

The brothers watched your dad leave. Throwing an arm around Joel’s shoulder, Tommy led him toward the door. “The ol’ bastard was telling the truth, ya know. She’s terrified of you getting cold feet. Emily and Sarah have been calming her down for an hour now, insisting that you can’t wait to marry her. That girl loves you more than anything, brother.”

Joel beamed, eyes softening at the thought of you walking towards him in a flowing white dress, wildflowers clutched in your hand, and eyes brimming with tears of absolute joy. The mental image soothed his nerves more than any words could and he finally let Tommy lead him from the room.

Fresh air with the slightest chill met them as they exited the building. The soft hum of a string quartet filled the air while guests arrived and took their seats. A charming wooden arbor adorned with colorful flowers, delicate greenery, and a white sash served as the altar at which the two of you would become husband and wife.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Joel walked down the aisle, nodding at some of the guests as he took his place in front of the arbor. He stood tall, looking undeniably handsome in a slate gray suit sans tie, the top few buttons of the ruby colored dress shirt left open offering a glimpse of his tanned chest and a sprinkle of hair. Thick curls were swept back from his face, facial hair trimmed to perfection with that little heart-shaped bare patch visible.

Stepping up to his left side, Tommy smiled broadly at the small crowd. His longer curls were tied back neatly, and he tucked a few stray locks behind his ears and sent a cheeky wink to his woman sitting in the front row. Maria rolled her eyes playfully. Tommy watched Joel’s hand flex, fingers bouncing against thigh in a nervous tick he had since childhood and braced a hand on his shoulder. “You got this, big brother.”

Before Joel could respond, the string quartet began to play Pachelbel’s Canon and he stood taller, eyes locked down the aisle in anticipation of seeing you. Tommy rushed off to the side to take his place in the processional.

Sarah appeared from behind a row of lush, thick vines, looking like an angel in a white dress with a ribbon of material matching Joel’s shirt tied around her waist. The little girl insisted that her dress match yours, not understanding that, traditionally, only the bride wore white. But you didn’t give a hoot about tradition, helping Sarah to find the perfect white dress, adding the sash as something unique. The recollection of the joy on Sarah’s face when she tried on the dress for the first time made Joel’s heart melt.

Sarah danced down the aisle; face lit up with glee as she scattered rose petals along the way from a small wicker basket clutched in one hand. When she reached the end of the aisle, she spun in a circle, allowing her dress to flutter around her, and tossed the last of the rose petals into the air, much to the delight of the guests and her father.

“Hi Daddy!” Sarah called, bouncing over to the place she was told to stand the evening before. Joel melted at the happiness on his daughter’s face, and he beamed back at her proudly. The little girl’s antics drew a soft rumble of laughter from the guests before all attention turned back down the aisle.

Tommy and Emily stepped past the vines next, looking resplendent in their formal wear, the shade of Emily’s dress reminiscent of a glass of finest pinot noir, matching the hue of Tommy’s dress shirt. Joel nodded at them as they approached, lips quirked in a half smile. His hand clenched at his side as he fought back the nerves again.

Moments later, the rest of the world fell away when you appeared, one hand clasped around your dad’s arm. The charming colors of the setting sun were no match for your beauty. Joel had never seen anyone or anything so perfect in his entire life. A crown of vibrant flower blossoms secured in your hair, the breeze rustled a few locks and the short train of your simple white gown.

Joel couldn’t take his eyes off you – not as you walked down the aisle to him, or when JB shook his hand in that ceremonial way of giving you to him, and certainly not as the officiant rambled through the ceremony. To put it simply, you mesmerized him.

He would almost regret it later, but the entire ceremony was a blur. The only parts he remembered included your face smiling broadly at him, the love in your glistening eyes as you repeated the vows you chose together, and the kiss after being declared man and wife.

“You’re stuck with me forever now, darlin’,” Joel’s gravelly voice rumbled in your ear after the sweet kiss.

Your tinkling laughter carried in air, spreading merriment throughout the vineyard. “Oh no, whatever will I do,” you whispered back.

“Can we go dance now?” Eager to get on with the fun part, Sarah interrupted your little moment.

“Of course, nugget. Let’s go dance!”

The little girl squeezed her way in between the two of you and having tossed her empty flower basket aside without care, slipping her hand in yours and the other in Joel’s to tug you both back down the aisle.

“Someone’s eager to get the party started,” Joel chuckled, lips spread in a jaw-aching grin as his little family made their way to the reception area. Your eyes sparkled back at him, full of happiness and love.

The winery boasted a lodge with an oversized deck suitable for your small celebration and enough rooms for the guest to stay the night. The path from the ceremonial area back to the lodge weaved through thickets of grape vines, plump fruit nearly ripe for the picking as the three of you ducked under and around the vines.

The vineyard was charming, a lucky find in your search for the perfect wedding venue. It was the only compromise Joel willingly made on a venue – he longed for a quiet, backyard wedding, but you insisted on something slightly grander in scale.

Maria and Tommy did a great job of recreating the ambiance of that night long ago in Joel’s backyard for the reception. Fairy lights were strung high across the deck, music playing softly as the guests mingled with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in hand. High top tables were scattered about, centerpieces full of colorful hydrangeas.

It was perfect.

Wanting to save money, you kept the guest list to less than thirty people, mostly family and close friends, and opted for a bulk purchase of disposable cameras rather than springing for the cost of a wedding photographer. In addition, you insisted on a tier of cupcakes over an actual wedding cake, the icing matching the ruby red color of wine. Sarah and JB offered to put together an eclectic playlist for the winery to play through their sound system rather than put forth the cost of a band or DJ. All in all, it was an entirely family run affair that didn’t break the bank and you couldn’t be happier for it.

You and Joel mingled with the guests for a while before it was time for your first dance. Staying on theme, Joel had one request regarding your wedding song – it had to be Fall Into Me. You could hardly deny that one request, especially as the song meant so much to the both of you, practically telling the story of how you came together. Just like that night in his yard, Joel sang the words in a soft, quiet voice meant only for you, your bodies swaying side to side across the floor like you were the only two there.

None too soon, your dad led Sarah onto the dance floor, letting her stand on his feet as he danced around, just like he used to do when you were little. Maria and Tommy soon joined them, along with Emily and her husband. Before long, the party was in full swing.

You fought back tears during the father-daughter dance. Just as Sarah insisted on her dress matching yours, she wanted to dance with Joel during the traditional time. You were more than happy to have them join you. The battle against the tears was lost during the first chorus of Butterfly Kisses.

JB held you tighter as the first tear fell, brushing it away with a calloused thumb. “Feels like just yesterday when you would dance around on my feet like that,” he said, voice rough and quiet with the choke of tears in his throat. “Now here you are, grown up and married, with a family all your own. You’re not my little Spud anymore.”

Thank fuck for waterproof mascara, you thought as a sob escaped. “Dad,” you drew out the word in a sob, tears flooding your eyes, falling faster. You could barely get out the next words, throat aching and vision blurry. “I’ll always be your little Spud, no matter how old I am.”

Joel danced closer to you, checking in with a concerned look as you cried. “Darlin’, you alright?” His eyes darted between you and JB, the shimmer in the older man’s eyes matching his own. Dark eyes softened into molten chocolate, and he gestured to your dad to switch partners.

JB let you go after a bone crushing hug and a kiss to your forehead. “Take care of my girl, ya hear?”

Nodding solemnly, Joel shook JB’s hand. “Always.” He ushered Sarah into JB’s arms, letting them dance for the rest of the song as he pulled you close. Joel pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. “I told you this song would make you cry, darlin’.  Let me wipe those tears away.”

Sniffling, your lips tilted up in a watery smile as he dabbed gently at your face. “I know, it always does. But it’s so beautiful, I had to include it.”

“Almost as beautiful as you,” Joel murmured, head nuzzled against yours. “Sarah already told me she’ll have this song at her wedding, too. I just know I’ll be crying like a god damned baby during the dance.”

That earned a laugh from you, the tears finally easing as the song ended. “Has she started planning her dream wedding already?” Joel nodded, a chuckle rumbling softly in your ear.

The evening carried on, dancing and drinking and laughing with everyone in celebration of you and Joel. You never really imagined your wedding as a kid, more concerned with being a tomboy and other, more important things. But you think now that if you had it likely would have imagined something exactly like this.

“Come on, Mrs. Miller,” Joel said when the lights finally dimmed, and the notes of the final song faded into the night. “It’s time to say goodnight to our guests.”

“Congrats, brother!” Tommy called cheerfully when you and Joel approached. His eyes large and glassy, a slight slur to his words providing evidence of a thoroughly enjoyable evening. “You two throw a great party. Do you need us to watch Sarah for the night so you can—”

“Alright you,” Maria jumped in, cutting the younger, drunker Miller brother off. “I doubt they want your drunk ass watching Sarah. Do you have someone lined up?”

“Oh, yeah, we’re good there. My dad is hosting a sleepover now that he is officially a grandpa. He’s insisting on being called Poppy just like I called my grandad.” You laughed at the memory of that conversation. JB was so excited to have a new nickname just for Sarah.

“Great! I would have been more than happy to help out but I’m going to have my hands full with this one,” Maria said with a gesture to Tommy where he swayed on his feet with a cheesy grin plastered on his face.

“Alone at last,” Joel whispered, carrying you through the threshold of the wedding suite. “You look beautiful in this dress, but I can’t wait to get you out of it.”

Any exhaustion you felt from the long, exciting day vanished at the smoldering look in your husband’s eyes. Your husband. Holy hell. Suddenly nervous, you slowly slipped the dress from your shoulders. Though you and Joel had been together more times than you could count, this would be the first time you had sex as a married couple.

Would his expectations be different? Should they be? Were you expecting something different? Should you? Fuck, why didn’t you think to ask Emily about this earlier?

“Darlin’?”

You glanced up to see Joel’s brows furrowed, realizing that you zoned out with your dress still around your hips. Warmth spread through your cheeks in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Joel. I’m… I’m a little nervous for some reason and got in my head about it.”

His lips tilted upwards as he stepped closer to help ease the dress down your body with gentle movements, knowing exactly what you needed to hear. “There’s no need to be nervous, sweetheart. It’s just you and me, like it always has been. We just have rings on our fingers now.”

And just like that, all worries fled your mind.

Once your dress was out of the way, Joel helped remove your bra and panties, leaving behind a trail of kisses on your dewy skin. His calloused hands, large but gentle, caressed every inch of bare skin before him, trousers growing tight as his body reacted to the sight of you.

His pupils dilated before your eyes and you pressed your lips to his, tongue teasing into his mouth to tangle with his in a searing kiss. He tasted of whiskey and chocolate and something so uniquely Joel, and you drank in the taste like a starving woman.

Still wearing far too much clothing for your liking, you ripped open his dress shirt, sending the buttons flying across the room. Oops. Manicured nails scratched down his bare chest, along his belly, until your fingers met the confining layer of his pants. After watching you fumble with his belt for too long – which, in reality, was only like two seconds, you swear – Joel brushed your hands aside and, without breaking the kiss, yanked the belt open and practically ripped his pants open to free his aching cock.

“What a lucky wife I am,” you purred, breaking the kiss, as your hand grasped his length. Your thumb traced over the bulbous head, smearing the precum pooling there, before bringing it back to your mouth for a little taste. “I get to experience this for the rest of my life.”

“Don’t tease, darlin’,” he growled low in his throat. “Besides, I’m the lucky one. I have the sexiest wife.”

Pants and boxer briefs shoved to the floor, Joel ripped off his socks and swept you right off your feet. Your legs automatically wrapped around his hips as he walked to the large bed. Kneeling on the mattress, he never let go as he settled you on your back.

Already dripping for him, and too anxious to have him inside you already, you didn’t need any foreplay to be ready. His cock slid, with torturous slowness, inside your warm walls with the slightest nudge of his hips. “Fuck, darlin’, you’re so tight,” he breathed against your neck, teeth scraping against the sensitive skin as he fucked into you.

A pleasurable burn spread through you, his cock splitting you open. “Mmm, so good. Fuck me, dear husband. Fuck me like you mean it.”

“As my wife wishes.”

Hips snapping, Joel set the perfect pace to bring you to the edge, heels digging into his ass with each powerful thrust. Fingernails scratched down his back, piercing the skin as he brought you to the peak, the orgasm causing your back to arch and muscles to spasm.

“Fuck, baby, you’re squeezing my cock like a fuckin’ vise. Gonna make me come too soon.”

The orgasm seemed to last forever, pleasure washing over you in waves until you trembled beneath Joel. “It’s never too soon. Come for me, babe,” you gasped when the ability to speak finally returned.

Joel’s thrusts became sloppy near the tail end of your climax, and he spilled inside you as soon as the words left your mouth. His ragged breaths tickled your ear, sending gooseflesh down your body from neck to toes. Your name fell like a prayer from his lips, praising you for how good you made him feel.

“I love you, Mr. Miller,” you said, peppering his handsome face with kisses when he slipped from you and fell to the side with a heaving chest.

“And I love you, Mrs. Miller.”

You don’t know where either of you found the energy, but you made love twice more that night and once again in the morning. After each time, you admired the sparkle of the rings adorning your left hands, the jewelry a tangible symbol of your commitment to each other in this life and the next.

“Mom?” Sarah asked from where she sat doing homework at the breakfast bar while you made dinner. Joel would be home any minute.

“Yeah, nugget?” You grinned, heart swelling every time she called you that. You lost count in the year since the wedding, but Sarah calling you mom would never get old. It was a treasure you never thought you’d experience before you met Joel.

“Do you and Daddy want more kids?” At twelve years old now, Sarah’s voice lost that babyish tone you used to love. She looked and sounded more grown up each day, but she was still her Daddy’s little nugget.

“I don’t know, sweetheart. We’ve talked about the fact that I don’t want to have a baby and he doesn’t want one either. But I wouldn’t be opposed to adopting a child in need, if he wanted to. I’d have to talk to your dad about it though.”

Sarah went quiet while you stirred the pasta and checked the sauce. It was nearly ready, just another minute or two.

“Why do you ask, kiddo?”

Sarah looked up from her work to meet your gaze and shrugged her shoulders in a way that told you she was searching for words to explain herself.

“I dunno. I guess I always thought it would be cool to have a sibling, but then all my friends that have one or more always complain about them.”

Tilting your head to the side, you dug a little more. “So, you’re just curious?”

Dark puppy eyes gazed up at you again. “Yeah… well, no. There’s…” She paused as the timer went off and you drained the pasta and mixed it into the sauce.

“There’s what?” you questioned, placing the large bowl of pasta on the table along with a plate of warm garlic bread, hearing Joel’s truck pull into the driveway. “Come sit and tell me.”

Before Sarah could begin, Joel walked in and kissed you both hello. He washed his hands at the kitchen sink before joining you at the table and you both listened with rapt attention as Sarah explained her friend’s situation.

“You know my friend, Ellie?” she asked, to which you both nodded.

“The snarky one in the grade below yours? Yeah, I like that one,” Joel replied around a mouthful of food. “What about her?”

Sarah grimaced at her father’s poor table manners, earning a smile from you before she continued. “Well, she’s in foster care but her foster parents are awful. They drink a lot and don’t care about her. She ends up hiding out in the detached garage all the time, even staying there overnight just to get away from them.”

“That’s awful, nugget. I’ll look into her file on Monday, see if there’s anything I can do,” you replied. You didn’t realize she was in foster care. As a fifth grader, you haven’t had her in class yet.

Joel looked at you with big cow eyes, brows arched in question. You could practically hear him thinking – he hated the thought of a child suffering in any way. Before either of you could say anything, Sarah spoke up again.

“Well, I was hoping maybe we could adopt her, and she could live with us,” she said hopefully. “You know, since you don’t want a baby and I still want a sibling. It’s like a compromise or whatever.”

Turning to Joel, you could see the same hopefulness in his dark eyes, and your heart thudded in your chest. “Why don’t you invite her over for a sleepover this weekend so we can get to know her a little more. And in the meantime, we’ll look into what we’d need to do.”

Dinner forgotten, Sarah bounced in her seat and asked for your phone to call Ellie. “You guys are gonna love her, I promise!” Bounding away from the table to call her friend, Sarah stopped short at the edge of the room. “Oh, Ellie loves dogs. Do you think we could adopt one of those, too?”

fin

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[imaginidol]

Mingi: Dance Practice

!!mentions of nsfw!! 18 + !! do NOT interact if you’re not comfortable with smut!! okiee here is another naughty atiny request I’ve got for mingi!! this one may be a bit longer than the previous ones but if you stick with it I hope it’ll be worth it ?? 😭 (pls send feedback LMAO) if you’re interested I have a hongjoong ver. smut jongho ver. smut and a san ver. smut, wooyoung ver. smut and a yunho ver. smut ;)

You walked into the dance studio where you and the usual team of ATEEZ backup dancers practiced. Everyone was scattered around the room, stretching and warming their muscles before the rehearsal ensued.

Mingi walked in, wearing a gray hoodie and black sweatpants with large over-ear headphones hanging around his neck.

“Good evening,” he calls out to the room, and a crowd of voices sing a polite chorus of good-evening-Mingi’s in return.

His eyes quickly search the room through the wall mirror until they finally locate you.

A satisfied smile tugged at the corners of his lips at the sight of you. Part of ATEEZ’s current title track called for a very sexy 10-second choreography portion in which each member had a backup dancer partnered to them. You just happened to be picked for Mingi, and you were by all means grateful for the opportunity.

“Okay,” Hongjoong clapped his hands and called for first position.

The practice went fairly smoothly for the first two rounds. Hongjoong called a five-minute break before moving onto the third practice round, and Mingi decided to use this opportunity to talk to you.

“How you feeling?” Mingi grabs your hand and spins you in a circle, watching you twirl in content.

“It’s hard, and it’s definitely interesting, but I think it’s fun,” you pant. “What about you?”

Mingi smiles, taking a sip of his water. “I think it’s fun, too. I think we’re the best duo out of all the members,” he teases.

“There’s no way,” you smirk, nodding your head towards Jongho and his dancer, “those guys easily eat it up every time.”

“Oh, yeah?” he turns, seeing as Jongho placed his hands around his dancer’s waist, practicing the move again even during their break. “We could definitely beat those guys. We should practice more, one-on-one.”

You smirk, nodding in agreement. “That’d be fun, wouldn’t it?”

“Hmm, we could find out,” he says, crossing his arms. “You free to practice tonight?”

“Hmm,” you think, contemplating your transportation assortment to return home afterwards, “could you give me a ride home if I did?”

The boy nods, settling his eyes steadily on you now.

“I could do that for you, definitely.”

—

A few hours after everyone has left for the evening, you and Mingi stay back rehearsing your part a couple times alone.

“Fuck, that could get fun any day,” Mingi pants after the third practice round. He proceeds to pull his hoodie over his head to take it off, revealing a hot peek at his abs as his undershirt went up.

You tried not to stare, but he caught you looking through the mirror before you could turn away.

He scoffed as your cheeks turned a soft shade of red, and proceeded to walk over and plop himself on the floor next to you.

“Wanna take a break?” he asks, nudging your elbow as he lay on his back against the floor.

“We could take a break,” you mutter, deciding to also lie on your back for a moment.

He takes notice, and extends his arm in your direction, offering it as a pillow for your head.

You smile, scooting closer to the boy and resting your head against his shoulder.

Your mind wandered for a moment as you came to the sudden realization that you were practically hugging Mingi… on the floor… alone… during after-hours.

Before you could hobble away to avoid any misunderstanding, his voice softly interrupts the silence.

“Can I tell you something?”

You turn to face the boy, meeting his eyes.

“I like the way you dance.”

Your face felt hot as a reddening wave of butterflies erupted from your stomach up to your cheeks. His eyes grew slightly more hooded as he fixated them on you, a sly smirk crossing his face. The boy winked, and you felt your heart skip several heavy beats trying to read Mingi’s micro expressions.

“I like the way you dance, too,” is all you can foolishly reply, failing to think of any other viable response to the way he was looking at you.

He reaches a finger towards your jaw, pulling your face closer to his. He nodded his head, testing to see if you’d pick up his subtle gestures, and you most definitely had.

You close your eyes as you feel yourself leaning closer to Mingi, bringing a hand up to his jaw as you felt his lips slowly enclose around yours.

You slowly begin to make out with him, feeling your kisses grow messier as each became more and more intimate than the last. He was the first to bring his tongue into it, slowly lifting his body in the process until you were practically underneath him.

He only pulled away for a moment to search your face for any signs of discomfort, but was only greeted by your gentle smile as you reached to wrap an arm around his neck.

“Hey,” he grins. His silver snake chain had found its way out from under his tight shirt and was now flimsily hanging above you.

“Hey,” you giggle back.

“You’re a good kisser,” he whispers.

You smile cheekily at the sight of Mingi hovering over you, one of his arms still cradling your head from the hard floor and the other resting around your waist.

A sudden deep and private desperation for Mingi overwhelms your body, and you can’t help but want to indulge yourself lips-first into the beautiful boy in front of you.

“I can do more than just kissing,” you hear yourself whisper out loud.

Did I really just say that!?

Mingi’s eyes widen at the sudden and unexpected response, a slow smirk forming at the ends of his mouth as he mentally interpreted your words and request.

“Come to my dressing room,” he whispers, tilting his head subtly towards the door.

—

Mingi is the first to take his shirt off as he hovers over you against a soft sectional couch. You sit quietly as you watch the boy’s shirt slide off his arms to reveal a firmly toned torso adorned with his silver snake chain that sparkled under the dim light of a table lamp.

The sight of Mingi’s naked torso is enough to begin stirring heat inside of you, and you feel yourself becoming wet with each touch of his hands against your body.

You outstretch your arms and wrap them around his neck, pulling him into the wide wing of the sectional couch with you. Your lips greet each other warmly, firm kisses bringing your bodies closer together.

“Hey,” he mumbles into your lips. His arms reach towards your hips as he swings your legs around his waist. “You sure you wanna do this?”

You smile warmly at the boy in front of you, planting soft kisses against his jaw as you began removing your top and bra while he helped you slide out of your leggings with ease.

Mingi places his hands between your thighs and slowly spreads your legs as far as you’d go, taking pleasure at the sight of your gracious body in all its glory.

“Fuck,” he mutters, “you’re so beautiful.”

He dives between your legs, his warm tongue caressing the tip of your clit as he blazingly set off every electric nerve of your body.

A soft moan escapes your mouth as the boy traces the curves of your flower’s lips before diving deeper beneath them. You felt yourself getting wetter at the feel of his tongue inside of you, a soft and delicate pleasurable joy overwhelming your insides and lower abdomen altogether.

“Fuck, that feels so good,” you whimper, secretly hoping he’d eat you out for a good minute.

Several soft moans later, you pull his head up from underneath you and gently wipe his bottom lip clean with your thumb.

“My turn,” you smirk, offering him your position on the couch.

You begin trailing a line of soft kisses from his jawline all the way to his bellybutton, fixating your eyes into his as you gently began unzipping and removing his pants and boxers.

You wrap your hands gently around his hardening member, jerking him off slowly and firmly as he leaned his head back against a cushion.

You started deepening each stroke with ease as you picked up the pace, pulling sloppily at his hard cock while enjoying the sight of his scrunching face overjoyed with pleasure.

You’re steadily jacking him off when the first grunts start gradually emerging from somewhere deep within his throat. You smile devilishly as you lean in and wrap your lips around his member, pushing it deep into your throat with every persistent motion.

Your performance really begins to emit as you pick up the pace, sucking and slobbering all over his dick as far in as you could manage it. Tears began forming at the creases of your eyes with every vertical stroke of your mouth as you tried desperately not to choke on his size.

“Fuck, fuck,” he grunts, arching his lower back as the throbbing sensation of pumping blood began pounding into every vein of his cock.

You pulled your mouth away, leaving a sloppy mess of saliva and cum behind as you proceeded to climb onto his legs, positioning yourself around his cock to ride against him slowly.

Now that fucking did it for Mingi.

You hadn’t gotten more than ten strokes in when the boy clasped his hands around your ass and turned you over, fumbling you on your back as he climbed over your body.

He began thrusting into you, and he was thrusting hard.

With every rough push into your velvety inner walls, you released a lusty moan, each growing slightly louder than the last.

“You’re… so… fucking… good…” he huffed with each deepening stroke, the sweat glands around his body glossing his clear skin under the dim light.

A jet stream of tears now fully sloshed out of your tear ducts, your quiet moans now full screams of Mingi’s name coming in a loud, looped repetition.

Mingi’s full concentration failed to take alert of the gentle knocking against his dressing room door, your loud moans drowning out any potential chances of catching it in time.

Which is why, it takes him by surprise when the door flings open and in walks Wooyoung.

Wooyoung’s eyes widen as he covers his face, shrieking in embarrassment and fumbling to locate his car keys somewhere on the vanity mirror.

“Close… the fucking… DOOR!” Mingi yells out angrily as he continues to shamelessly fuck himself into you.

“I’m so— I’m so fucking sorry—” is all Wooyoung yells as he retrieves his car keys and fumbles towards the door knob.

“Get the fuck OUT!”

Wooyoung makes a dash towards the door, slamming it behind him as he ran out, not stopping until he eventually got to his car.

Now Mingi was angry.

His whole vibe was thrown off, and he really needed to release.

He pulled your legs from the sides of his waist and wrapped them over his shoulders, now fucking into you at full throttle.

If it wasn’t possible for Mingi to thrust this fucking deep inside of you before, it most definitely was happening now.

You let out desperate screams as Mingi manages to successfully and repeatedly hit your G-spot. Your body tightens, your sweat glands release, and your lower spine arches so far back when you feel the sudden burst of immense bodily rapture as an orgasm ensues, leaving you in a heated, electric trance as your insides release and relax around Mingi’s thrusting member.

Mingi lets out a loud groan as his final ejaculation of hot cum seeps all over your lower abdomen, streams of the warm liquid discharging in large amounts inside and all over your thighs.

“FUCK,” Mingi moans, fighting any more dominant urges over you and instead collapses on the couch next to you.

You both take a minute to ease your breathing, closing your eyes as you reminisced the last half-hour of intimate excitement.

“Princess,” Mingi pants, turning his head towards you, “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be,” you offer your best smile, though you could feel already that you wouldn’t be coming into the studio for a few days. Your legs would surely give out by the morning, and you’d be lucky if you could manage to walk anywhere tonight without hobbling around too awkwardly.

“Hey,” Mingi turns, cupping a hand around your jaw.

“Hey,” you smile back.

“Can I tell you something?”

You giggle softly, endearingly looking into the gentle eyes of the boy lying next to you.

“I like you,” he whispers, “I really, really like you.”

You lift your hand towards your jaw where he’s cupped his palm around you, pulling off his fingers and instead intertwining them around yours.

“I like you, too,” you say.

“I want you to be my girlfriend,” he mumbles, “I really want you to be mine.”

You nod gently, closing your eyes for a second to think about your response.

You open your eyes and see that he’s already lovingly staring back at you.

“I could be yours,” you whisper, “I’d be good at that, too.”

maybe a small sfw pt.2 in the future? :)

[nova-amor]

once known as humanity’s strongest soldier, levi ackerman could never be described as a weak man— a man so easily manipulated by emotions and sweet words. he wasn’t even sure how it had even gotten to this point, his heart pounding like a drum in his chest and palms growing cold and clammy. your fingers danced along the buttoned path of his blouse, slowly slipping the buttons loose and exposing his pale torso.

“blushing already?” you peered up at levi with half-lidded eyes, your body situated between his legs as you kneeled in front of him. his usual look of intimidation was absent, replaced with flushed pink cheeks and a softened gaze. “i thought we were over being shy around one another by now.” you teasingly commented, briefly checking to make sure the lock of his wheelchair was on.

levi’s steel blue eye looked away from you, his cheeks darkening in color. there was a flutter of butterflies in his stomach, a silent string of curse words filling his thoughts. he wasn’t a weak man, furtherest thing from it actually— but, something about you always made him fall to his knees, figuratively speaking. he hated how incapacitated he got whenever you were around.

“shut up,” he grunted. your fingers toyed at the waistband of his dark gray suit pants, the warmth of your touch sending shivers up his spine. you spread his legs further apart as you tugged the fly of his pants down, freeing his hardening cock from the restraints of his pants.

your soft hand fisted the base of his cock, the head an aching shade of tanned peach and oozing white pearls of pre-cum. “levi, i’m just playing— look at me,” the rustle of fabric caught levi’s attention, his head tilting back to look at you. your blouse had been unbuttoned, the sight of your exposed breasts making his cock throb harder within your grasp. “i still get shy too, don’t worry.”

your skilled hand pumped his cock, fingers coated in his juices. you flicked and twisted your wrist, giving a few tight squeezes to his shaft that elicited shallow groans from the man in front of you. levi’s eye drank in the sight of you— on your knees, your nipples perky and engorged, your brows slightly furrowed in concentration.

“c’mere, gorgeous,” levi beckoned, urging you to climb atop his lap. two people in a wheelchair was a tight, slightly uncomfortable squeeze but neither you or levi cared enough to move somewhere else, the desperation to consume one another evident in your actions.

with frenzied hands, you bunched up the long fabric of your skirt and sank down onto levi’s cock, the warmth of your cunt pulling a guttural moan from levi’s throat. his hands found purchase of your hips, the tight space only allowing you two to grind against one another. your fingers found themselves laced into levi’s inky hair, tugging at the soft strands of his fringe as you ground your clit against his pelvis, the trimmed pubic hair stimulating your nerves in the way you liked.

“you feel so good,” you whimpered to levi, the sensation of your clit dragging against him making your body grow faint. levi’s cock twitched against your gummy walls, the shuffle of your hips getting faster as you got closer to your release. levi drank in the view, feeble moans leaving your lips and your eyes all wide and starry.

his left hand trailed up the curve of your body, cupping the underside of your breast and rolling your nipple around with his thumb. he could never get enough of this— your desperation making his heart swell. “you feel better.” he promised.

[possumcollege]

What if we kissed on Tracksuit Shatner's Personal Incline Railroad?

[archangeldyke-all]

making "friend"ship bracelets with sev?? she pretends she doesn't care about them but conveniently refuses to take them off because she's cute like that.

GAHHHHh u guys know that trend now where couples and families buy beads to match each other's eyes and then make a bracelet out of it?? gonna do that

men and minors dni

sevika furrows her brow when you turn down the arts and crafts section of the super store.

"where're we goin?" she asks, pushing the cart behind you. you shrug.

"saw a cute video. wanna try something fun." you respond, reaching out and grabbing a few strings of gray beads. "c'mere." you say, crooking your finger at your wife.

she's suspicious, her face pinched in a frown as she approaches you. you hold up your bead strands to her face, pouting as you do.

"nah, not good enough." you huff, holding up another string of beads by her cheek. "too dark..."

"whaddya doin'?" sevika asks. you shrug, pulling more beads off the wall.

"wanna find some that match your pretty eyes." you say simply. "none of these are sparkly enough. ooh!" you gasp as you pull a sparkly string of beads off the wall. you hold them by sevika's face and grin. "these are perfect!"

sevika's still confused, but there are butterflies growing in her stomach at the sweet way you kiss her cheek. "babe, i don't understand." she mumbles as you start browsing the string.

"it's a cute trend, babe. we pick beads that match each other's eyes, 'n we make bracelets outta them!" you say.

the butterflies in her stomach soar, and she tries her very best not to melt right there in the store.

she doesn't have to consider it. she knows your eye color-- she's had it memorized for years. a shade she wants to drown in.

she quickly, easily pulls the perfect strand of beads off the wall, tossing them to you. "here." she grunts.

you blink down at the beads, prettier than you'd ever consider your eyes to be, and something warm inside you flutters.

you didn't really expect sevika to participate.

but, she seems kinda excited, picking out a few charms to add to the bracelets too-- a sword for hers, an 's' charm for yours-- she's so fucking cute it makes you want to squeal.

when you guys get home, you get to work putting the groceries away. you're shocked when you leave the kitchen to see sevika sitting on the floor of your living room, little bowls of beads and thread surrounding her as she strings beads on her bracelet.

you grin, sitting beside her and kissing her cheek as you start your own.

the bracelets are cheap and silly. just something fun for you guys to have. you wear yours for the rest of the day, but then string it on your key chain, so you can always have it with you.

sevika, though, she never takes hers off. she swears it's because she's too lazy, but if you ever offer to untie it for her she'll scowl at you.

you've caught her rubbing the beads several times, a small smile on her face as she does.

(she only ever takes it off when you give birth to little fucker-- and it's only because she needs to make room for her new bracelet-- three different colors alternating around her wrist forever.)

taglist!

@fyeahnix @lavendersgirl @half-of-a-gay @thesevi0lentdelights @sexysapphicshopowner

@shimtarofstupidity @chuucanchuucan @badbye666 @femme-historian @lia-winther

@ellsss @sevikaspillowprincess @emiliabby @sevikasbeloved @hellorai

@glass-apothecary @macaroni676 @artinvain @realgreeniebeanie

[mayajadewrites]

could've been you - shouta aizawa, keigo takami

✦ synopsis: You're the new teacher at UA with a rocky past with one of their beloved teachers, Shouta Aizawa aka Eraserhead. You'd rather never see him again but alas, such is life. You also meet Keigo, aka Hawks, who is the opposite of Aizawa. Smiley, golden retriever energy.

✦ chapter content warnings: angst hehe

✦ relationships: aizawa x fem!reader, hawks x fem!reader

ao3

TAG LIST:

@come-away-with-me87, @kxshdoll, @evilsanzu, @friendly-neighborhood-turtle, @lili-pond,

@the-unhinged-raccoon @falling4fandoms @cherry-cosmoz @kkgraham @big-denki-energy @aphrodite-xoxo @keiweeny @minminroie

chapter nine

Your heart starts to race.

The space where Keigo once was is now empty. His duffle bag - gone. You stand up so quick you almost fall over.

You check your phone. No text.

2:45 AM.

You press his contact and call 1, 2, 3, then 10 times.

No answer.

Tears well up in your eyes as you accept this fate - that Keigo snuck out. Left you.

You tried climbing back into bed but you can't sleep.

You put your softed robe on and pad to Aizawa's door. It's late, sure, but he's probably awake.

And you still don't have his number so this is how you communicate.

You knock on the door as quietly as you can, careful not to wake up anyone else on your floor.

After a few knocks, the door opens.

Aizawa rubs his eye before finally looking at you. He can tell you've been crying.

"What happened?" He grabbed you by your shoulders and brought you into his place.

You didn't answer - you couldn't. How could you explain that you just let a man fuck you and he left?

"Please talk to me." Aizawa's voice was soft now as he set next to you on the couch.

"Keigo left." You sniffle.

"Left? Left to where? What do you mean?"

"We had sex, fell asleep and then he left. He didn't leave a note or anything! I called, no answer."

Aizawa's eyebrows almost reached the top of his forehead. "He didn't say goodbye? No explanation?"

"No. His bag is gone. He's gone."

Shouta's face was full of anger. You observed his body language - he was tense.

But then he held you. No words were exchanged. His body heat was against yours as his body mended into yours.

His hair was pulled back into a low bun - your favorite. He pulled you on top of him so your back was on his chest.

You took a deep breath as his arms tightened around you, almost like a weighted blanket. He kissed the top of your head as your eyes started to feel heavy.

"I'm sorry, Shouta." You murmured as your eyes began to close.

"For what?" His calloused hand caressed the soft skin on your cheek.

You mouth parted as a quiet snore left your lips.

-

When you woke up the next morning, you were in a bed.

Not your bed.

Your face is buried in a large, soft pillow with a dark gray pillowcase. The blankets are shades of gray and black, the fabric so soft against your skin.

You heard the sizzling of oil in a pan, along with soft music playing through the apartment.

"Good morning." You emerged from the bedroom, watching Shouta cook breakfast. "Hope I didn't wake you."

He was shirtless, his hair up again, flipping a pancake with a spatula.

You shook your head as you yawned, padding towards the kitchen. Shouta half-smiled as you approached him. He wanted to kiss you so bad. He wanted to take you on the counter, pulling your hair as he watched your ass cheeks jiggle against his cock.

"You didn't." You looked down at your robe that you were still wearing. "I'm gonna grab clothes from my place quick, I don't want to wear this robe anymore."

"You can wear something of mine." Shouta walked to his room, opening a drawer with crewnecks folded perfectly, then another drawer with sweatpants.

He handed you the clothing, your nose instantly recognizing the scent of Shouta.

"I'll leave you to it." He turned around and went back to cooking.

As you changed into his clothes you couldn't help but notice the feeling in your stomach. Butterflies fluttering.

A feeling you haven't really felt with Keigo. Especially with the shit he pulled.

Speaking of Keigo, you checked your phone to see if he text you.

You had 40 missed calls from him, 55 texts.

Why even bother reading them? He left you with no communication. It takes 4 seconds to say goodbye.

You make Shouta's bed for him, laying the pillows nicely along the headboard. You left your phone on his nightstand to join him in the kitchen.

Shouta served you your breakfast with an iced coffee - he remembered from when you were observing his class how you liked it.

"Thank you." You dug your fork into your pancakes, letting the sweet taste hit your tongue. "I didn't take you for a cook, Eraser."

"I'm full of surprises." He smirked, his half lidded eyes finding yours.

You heard a hand banging on a door a couple doors down from Shouta.

Your room.

Both you and Shouta walk to the door, him opening it as his body rested against your back.

And there you saw a peek of red feathers.

"Leave." You stepped out of the doorway. "You took all your stuff already, so you're free to go."

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you, that was a mistake. I-"

"She said to leave." Shouta emerged from the doorway, standing behind you again. "You didn't have the decency to say goodbye, it's embarrassing that you even try to show your face here again."

"I was on call, there was an attack, I had to-"

"All of which I would have understood if you used your words and told me. You may be a grown man but you act like a child." You press your back to Shouta's muscular chest for comfort. "Only an absolute asshole fucks someone and dips in the middle of the night. That will be the last time you're ever inside of me." You turned on your heel to walk back into Shouta's place.

"Baby bird, I-"

"She was pretty clear on what she wanted. If I see you here again, you will have hell to pay."

After a few minutes, Keigo left. You heard his heavy footsteps walk out of the building, then he took flight into the air. You watched from the window, but he didn't look back.

"Stupid fucking bird." Shouta sucked his teeth as he took a sip of his coffee. "You're gonna stay with me today. He's probably gonna try to come back later."

You didn't bother to argue. "Okay."

It really bothered Shouta that Keigo left you at such a vulnerable time. It's scary giving yourself to someone and then they leave. It fucks with the psyche.

"You know, I never got your number." You looked at Shouta as he cleaned the kitchen.

"Because you told me I was never getting yours."

"Well, I changed my mind." You crossed your awms over your chest.

"Hm, what makes you think I want your number?"

"Come on, Eraser." You grab his muscular arm, wrapping both of your arms around it. "You know you can't resist me."

"Tch." He rolled his eyes, but still smiled. "You just like my place more than yours."

"It's cozy, unlike you. You have these hard muscles that are terrible to lay on." You looked up at him with your doe, Disney princess eyes.

"They're good for other things." He smirked as he picked you up by your waist, sitting you on the counter.

You can't help but smile as he cages your hips with his forearms, his chocolate eyes boring into yours.

"You're cute from up here." You tuck a piece of his hair behind your ear.

"You're cute in my clothes." Shouta's thumb traced circles on your plush thigh. "Your ass looks way better in them than mine does."

You playfully slap his arm, hooking your ankles together to pull him closer to you.

The feeling of Shouta being so close to you makes your stomach flip with a mixture of butterflies and anxiety.

It was so easy to kiss Keigo, but you're more excited when you're around Shouta.

You were expecting him to go in for a kiss, but instead he rubbed his nose on yours, interlacing his fingers around your ass.

It was an intimate moment. No pressure, no fear of him leaving.

Your memories with Shouta begin to flood your mind, how he betrayed you. How he didn't listen to you. How he assisted in putting you in a coma.

Can the past truly stay in the past? Can you look beyond what was done?

You sigh and wrap your arms around his neck, letting your body fall into him.

You will try.

[lou-struck]

Room For Two?

Eijirou Kirishima x reader

~Love is all about sacrifice, you learn this on a hot summer's day when your alone time is lovingly interrupted.

Prompt: Hammock

~This is one of the requested prompts for my Summertime Fun Event. Feel free to check it out. 

It is a picture-perfect afternoon in the height of summer. Although the sun is beating down, you are nestled comfortably in your beloved hammock in the shade, taking advantage of a glorious day off from work.

Your water bottle is nice and cold, and you have several good books tucked away in your tote bag. Needless to say, you are all ready to hunker down for the rest of the day. 

A slight summer breeze rustles the leaves of the two great trees you are tied to, sending the last of the season's blossoms fluttering harmlessly to the ground around you.

In complete bliss, you take a long sip of your water and turn the page.

'This is the life,' you think to yourself.

If only you had more days like this. Maybe you could actually complete your Goodreads challenge this year. Briefly, you wonder why you haven't been able to complete it these last two years when your work hours have been basically the same.

The thought harmlessly flutters away like a passing butterfly as you get engrossed in the novel you are reading, tearing through it with a hungry speed. 

"Hey there, beautiful. Whatcha doing?" a familiar deep voice calls, yanking your attention away from the scene and back to reality.

Oh, right, that's why…

Eijirou Kirishima, your sweet, chivalrous distraction and loving boyfriend stands above you. A big, loving smile on his face that you can't help but reciprocate. 

"Hi, Eiji," you grin, taking in his appearance; he has changed out of his hero costume and into some gray sweat shorts and a black Dynamite t-shirt. But you notice that his handsome face seems to have gotten quite an interesting tan line. "Looks like you got some sun today."

His bright red hair frames his now pink cheeks as he flashes you a shark-toothed grin. "No kidding, that face mask of mine is no joke," he brushes his crimson locks back to show you just how bad it is. You can see the pale outline of his chin where his black face guard sits, contrasting against his sun-slapped skin. 

Your eyes bug out of your head as your jaw drops with stunned amusement. Although you should at least pretend to be concerned, your urge to giggle overpowers your common sense. "Oh my god. Eiji. That's so bad."

"Could be worse," he shrugs, throwing his hands up and walking closer to your hammocked paradise. He runs his fingers along the taught strings that tether you to the trees and presses down on it lightly like he is testing its security. "You've got a nice little setup here Babe. Got room for one more?"

You blink… "On the Hammock?"

"Yeah, it looks cozy," he says, already kicking off his slides and trying to climb onto your little multicolored hammock. Although his quirk is not activated, his ridiculously hard muscles squeeze against you as he lowers his full weight on top of the hammock. 

On top of you…

The hammock rocks back and forth as you giggle and squirm under him. "Eiji, this hammock is small. There is no way we are both gonna fit."

"No way babe, you are not Titanicing me right now," he laughs, blowing you a raspberry. "There is more than enough room for us to have a serious cuddle session."

You are stunned into silence as you try to process him turning Titanic into a verb and pray that if the hammock snaps, you won't be flattened between the ground and Mt. Kirishima.

"This is nice, he hums, lying completely on top of you, although it is not at all cuddling weather.

"Is it?" you wheeze, feeling the spin of your hardcover book pressing into your gut. "I feel like I'm dying?"

He leans off of you slightly and looks at you caged under him. The flustered look on your cheeks brings a smirk to his lips as he presses an apologetic kiss to your sweaty temple. "Oh, Sorry. I guess I should be the one on the bottom." He flexes his bicep for show, "These muscles of mine make a better pillow than a weighted blanket.

"Please…" you rasp, your book still making it difficult for you to breathe.

"There we go," he murmurs, wedging himself between you and the bottom of the woven pattern beneath you until he ends up lying completely under you. Your limbs are pretzeled together cutely, and your book has fallen safely onto the dry grass with a thud. "All better?"

You look at his innocent expression and cannot bring yourself to roll off the hammock and create a new space bubble for yourself.  You relent and lay your head down on his chest and breathe in the subtle smell of his cologne. His arms wrap around you, and the whole odd situation feels awfully comforting. 

You close your eyes and think to yourself that although it's hot outside, maybe sharing a hammock with your favorite person isn't the worst thing in the world. 

"Much better."