#candle boxes with logo

[renthony]

I think my favorite thing in Marie Kondo's work is the section in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up where she talks about branding and labels contributing to visual clutter.

She explains that if you go through the whole tidying process and still feel cluttered and anxious in your own home, one thing that might help is looking around to see how much visible text and logos there are in your home. It can make you feel like you're constantly being advertised to, which makes you less comfortable in your living space, because you're basically in a showroom.

She suggests taking labels off of packages, storing items in different containers if you can, and making sure you take every purchase out of its packaging when you bring it home.

I think about that advice a lot when capitalism starts to get to me and I feel like I'm never gonna escape. Taking all the branding and advertising off of things has genuinely helped make my home feel more like my home. Peeling labels off candles, storing envelopes neatly on a shelf in a plain box, putting flour and sugar in canisters instead of leaving them in the bags, creatively covering logos on my tech...it all helps so much. Like, goddamn, it really made me realize just how much we are constantly being advertised to even when we think we're not.

[lymtw]

Birthday Shenanigans

What business do you have outside of bed—outside of Toji's arms—so early in the morning, on your day off? It never feels right to wake up without you by his side, but today, it feels worse to wake up alone. He's been sleeping on his side of the bed for hours, staying warm, yet, at the discovery of you missing beside him, he almost gets whiplash with how quickly it feels like he's been tossed onto a bed made of snow. He's freezing, and you're to blame. There's a heaviness in his chest that only worsens as he drags his hand back and forth over your side of the bed. None of your warmth remains, meaning you've been gone for a bit. You couldn't have woken him up? Today is supposed to be about him, yet, all he wants to do is spend the whole day with you.

Once Toji fully wakes up, he sits up and prepares to go to the kitchen to fix himself some breakfast. A sticky note that is stuck to your pillow grabs his attention. He peels it off your pillow and takes in the simplistic drawing consisting of two stick figures resembling you and Toji, lying in bed, kissing. This already brings a little smile to his face, but when he reads the caption written in your handwriting-- (Since we didn't get to share our morning kiss, please enjoy this renaissance painting I made of what I think that would've looked like <3) --he lets out a small chuckle and folds the sticky note, before putting it away in the first drawer of his nightstand. He puts on a shirt and some sweatpants and leaves the room, not even bothering to make the bed.

As he's walking past the front door, it aggressively swings open and scares the hell out of him. You're there with your hands and arms riddled with bags. Grocery bags filled to the brim, a few bags from some clothing stores, and one smaller bag from a fragrance store. You have a small box in your hands with the logo of the bakery that is a few streets away from the house.

"Oh, hi, baby! Happy birthday," you say, standing on your tippy toes, which Toji understands as the signal for him to lean down a little. You place a quick peck on Toji's scar, and before he can get a word in, you run off to the kitchen, not even closing the door behind you. Toji shakes his head with a grin and shuts the door, before going after you. He silently watches you scramble to put the bags down in an organized manner. You set the small box from the bakery and the groceries down on the kitchen counter, while the other bags are temporarily set down on the ground.

"Hmm... Oh!" You grab the small box and the pack of small striped candles and take it with you to the counter by the sink. You carelessly rip open the pack of candles and open the box, smiling when you see the single, chocolate flavored cupcake, decorated with a blue flower made of frosting. All is going well, until you can't find the lighter that is usually in the drawer you store the dishrags in. You lift all of the small stacks of towels and can't find it anywhere.

"Where could it be?" You mumble to yourself.

"What's up, ma?" Toji asks, curiosity getting the better of him when he sees you continue to rifle around the drawer, clearly in search of something.

You sigh, defeatedly, and shut the drawer. "Turn around, please."

Toji does as you say and turns around, not wanting to stress you out. He has a feeling this is something for him, too, so he wouldn't want to ruin whatever it is you have planned.

You put the cupcake on a plate and grab one of the blue and white striped candles, taking it with you to the counter by the stove. You turn on the stove and put the candle wick to the flame, watching it quickly light up, before turning the stove off, again. You put the candle on the cupcake and slowly make your way over to Toji, who is leaning on the opposite side of the counter, facing away from you like you asked him to.

"Baby," you call, smiling when his attention goes to you before it goes to the flame you are indirectly holding. He smiles softly at the small pastry you present to him. "The lady at the bakery tried to sell me a cupcake with a red rose and I told her, 'no, he likes blue'. Then she still tried to sell me one with a sunflower on it and I said, 'no, it has to be blue'. So, look, I got you a cupcake with a blue flower, baby. Their specialty is definitely flowers, because I promise you, that green cupcake did not look like a Stegosaurus." Toji chuckles at the rambled, silly recap of your experience at the bakery. "Now, make a wish, before the wax melts and gets all over it," you say, holding up the plate for him.

Toji's gaze remains set on you as he mentally makes his wish. He looks at you for a long time, long enough for the blue and white wax to start dripping down onto the cupcake. A few of those seconds were spent just thinking, because what is there to wish for when he has everything he needs? A home, a job that pays the bills and puts food on the table, something to get around in, and best of all, an unlimited source of love and support.

Then, he knows it.

He considers who you are to him. You lit up his life, again, and he can't wait to spend all the years to come, with you. Because of his big, beefy, tough guy appearance, he knows it would give you a good laugh if he ever told you that being around you makes fluttering little butterflies flood his stomach. He'll say it out loud to you someday, just to hear you laugh. Frankly, you deserve it, because before you, he could count on his hands the amount of times he had laughed so hard and for so long that his stomach felt sore. Being around you has turned it into almost a daily occurrence, and all he can wish for is years, decades, and the appearance of grey hairs and wrinkles with you.

You laugh. You laugh at how he ignored your warning about the candle wax, you laugh at the utterly soft look on his face. You feel giddy as you watch those green eyes of his, tracing your face and taking in every feature on it. Like anybody who can't read minds, you wonder what he wished for, even when you know it's something that is never meant to be said out loud.

Before you can even process it, the candle is blown out and the plate is being taken out of your hands and placed on the counter. Toji wraps his arms around you and pulls you in close enough to rest his forehead against yours. He knocks his nose against yours a couple times, a gesture that lures an unfaltering grin onto his face at the sound of your giggles.

"You're the best, doll. You didn't have to--"

You shut him up, instantly, with a kiss. It's soft and warm and delicate. It's everything that he loves about you, wrapped up in the sweetest touch.

"Yes, I did. Don't even, my love," you assure, smiling as you rub his chest. "I'm so lucky to get to celebrate you, baby. I love you, and i'm happy you're here. Those two reasons are enough on their own for me to willingly wake up at five in the morning and run around store to store like a headless chicken, so I could get home before you woke up. Clearly, you had different plans," you say, reciprocating his smile. Your hand raises to cup his cheek and your thumb strokes his soft skin, tenderly. "All of this is from me to you. Please, let me show you how much you mean to me."

It didn't take much convincing. Toji was on board the moment you killed his denial of these extra things being necessary to celebrate another day of living, another year of getting older. Your trying little kisses don't hurt, though. If this is your way of begging to show him extra love—by showing him extra love—then who is he to reject your affection?

"Please, pretty please, please, pleaseeeee, please-"

"Shh, baby." His index finger goes over your lips. He smiles at how obedient you are—birthday treatment. Normally, whenever he does that, you try to bite his finger in a playful manner. "I woke up alone in bed this morning. That kinda sucked."

"I'm sorry," you say, against his finger.

"I liked your renaissance painting," he says, a smirk forming on his lips when he feels a breath of a laugh from you on his skin. "Couldn't help but feel a little jealous that a few scribbles got more lip locking action, first thing in the morning, than I did." He sighs, almost like he's wounded by the remembrance of reaching for you and being met with an empty space. "How ever will you make it up to me?" His finger slides down your lips, causing the bottom one to bounce back after he pulled it down.

"I'll give you all the kisses and a bonus kiss." You nod, proudly, at your offer.

"Mhm, that's pretty good so far. What else?"

"What else do you want? I'm up for anything today."

You don't miss the movement of his hands on your waist, subtly maneuvering so that his fingers lift your shirt the slightest bit, allowing him to graze your bare skin. The glimmer of mischief that almost immediately appears in his eyes and the unfaltering smirk on his face, make it so that it's not necessary for him to word what he will eventually want to do with you. Your face goes warm at the thought, but you just laugh it off.

"Do you know what time it is, right now?" Toji asks, more to chide you for being out of bed so early, than for the purpose of knowing the time.

"Almost eight, no?" You take your phone out of your pocket and check. "Seven thirty," you confirm, showing him your screen.

"It's seven thirty in the morning, ma. What are we doing awake at seven thirty in the morning, on our day off?"

"I was on a mission, I don't know about you."

He scoffs. "Oh, kill that. You do know about me."

Simple. Toji doesn't like sleeping without you. He likes knowing you're getting your rest next to him and he loves the ongoing, intimate, physical contact. Even if he's not full on spooning you, he's always touching you. Whether it's his face buried in your chest, his legs tangled with yours, his elbow digging into your back or even his head pressed into your shoulder, he's always touching you.

"Let's go back to bed," he says, placing a peck on your forehead, before resting his chin on top of your head. "Just for a little longer."

"You don't want breakfast?"

He shakes his head, in response. "I want you to sleep with me."

"I can make something quick," you insist.

"Do I have to throw you over my shoulder and drag you away?"

"No, sir," you say, with mock seriousness. "I'm going." You wiggle out of his hold and barely manage to take two steps, before you feel his hand swat at your ass. You gasp, dramatically, and turn around to look at him, your widened eyes being the most prominent feature of your surprised expression.

Toji snickers, unable to stay serious when you look at him like he did something life altering to you. "Run. If I catch you, we're staying in bed all day."

Nothing else needed to be said for you to start sprinting towards the room. You've been awake since five in the morning to ensure that these celebratory plans are followed through with, properly. You can't stay in bed all day, so it's a good thing Toji didn't chase you to the room.

Once Toji slides into bed and finds your body under the covers, he completely encompasses you in his hold. His front is flush against your back, his arm strewn across your waist, and his face is pressed to the nape of your neck. He's made himself comfortable, having gone as far as to slightly overlap your leg with his. It doesn't take very long for Toji to fall asleep this way. You're his own personal cuddle bug and the reason he sleeps like a hibernating bear every night, down to the brief snoring he makes you endure before he wakes himself up with the loudness.

You wake up a few hours later, pulling Toji out of sleep as well, because of all your movement. You smile when he grunts and buries his face in your chest, in an attempt to go back to sleep.

"Was that not enough time?" You ask, running your fingers through his hair.

"Mm-mm," he hums, quietly. He's starting to move around more, mostly pawing at you to keep you close, so you don't leave him.

"We have to get up soon. We slept through the rest of the morning," you say, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. The tenderness of the gesture just makes him want to stay in bed with you for longer.

"Mm," he hums, once again, the sound coming off as dismissive.

"Sounds like you don't want your morning-turned-afternoon kisses, before we get up. You would rather stay asleep, huh?"

Now, that grabs his attention.

He moves away from your chest and just stares at you with his sleep ridden eyes and a pout that you know he would deny is a pout if you mentioned it.

"Oh, you're awake. I knew it," you say, with a teasing grin. You know he's ready when his eyes keep flitting between your eyes and your lips, silently signaling to you what he wants. "Alright, alright. Don't yell at me," you jest. You lean in and press a quick peck on his lips, then another, and another, until it's quick bursts of kisses that make him want to laugh. "Come on. Keep up. You know I try my hardest when you do this to me."

As if he's insulted by your taunting, he rolls on top of you and traps you beneath him, returning all your kisses while you're distracted, laughing at the sudden crushing weight of his body on yours.

"Keep up," Toji throws at you, this time, in his slightly raspy voice. "Come on, kiss me back. Keep up," he repeats, not even giving you a chance to respond before he's back to smothering you, again. He laughs when you end up surrendering, welcoming defeat by just lying there in a giggle fit. "It's like... a million to nothing, ma."

A few more giggles flow past your lips, your smile lingering once you somewhat collect yourself. "Best million to nothing ever. I'll get you, tomorrow." You don't promise or swear it, because just by looking at his face, now, you think you just might lose, again. You have a very strong feeling about it.

Toji simply gives you a low "mhm" and smirks, confidently, because he knows that you will be in this position, again, tomorrow morning.

"Well... now that you're awake, we can finally leave the bed." Toji's reaction to that is the most dramatic groan ever, but when you tell him that he can stay in bed while you "do stuff" in the kitchen, he refuses and follows you. It's great, but he almost makes you burn the food a couple times.

"Toji- Baby." You laugh, when he clings to your back and buries his face in your neck. "Go sit down and eat your cupcake."

"Mm-mm. Saving room for you," he mumbles.

"You're so..." You can't even finish the sentence, the shaking of your head and the curl of your lips doing wonders to reveal your flustered state.

"Romantic?" He asks, pressing a kiss to the side of your neck, as if to give you more proof. He smirks against your skin when you freeze, like you're lost in thought. "Keep stirring, mama," he says, grinning when you snap out of your very brief daze and stir quickly to make up for your lack of focus.

"You're gonna make me burn your food," you chide. You reach behind you with your free hand and try to push him back, but he doesn't budge.

"Nah, nah. I'm looking out for you," he corrects.

You turn off the stove and turn to him. "Listen. You're a very handsome distraction, but you're going to make me burn the entire kitchen down if you keep doing what you're doing."

"Which is?" He questions, standing right in front of you. He loves how easy it is for him to have you cheesing.

"Being romantic. You know what you're doing! Stop being cute," you say, pressing your lips together to stop yourself from giggling and egging him on.

"Just say you need my help, pretty," he says, his voice and the placement of his hands on your hips, indicating that there's a double meaning to the sentence. For now, you choose to ignore the one that doesn't involve cooking.

"Okay, then. Help me wash, peel, and cut the potatoes, please."

It's hard not to laugh at his reaction—the quiet 'tsk' sound and the subtle twitch of his lips. He looks like he was expecting you to stop cooking, to take a brief intermission with him. The disillusioned look on his face is quickly traded for an expression that says 'i'll get you'. It's a smirk and something feral hidden in those dark eyes.

"Sure thing," he replies, squeezing your hips a couple times between his enormous hands.

You would think having help in the kitchen would expedite the process of getting things done, but it was the opposite when it came to Toji helping you out. If he's not distracting you, he's distracted by you.

Instead of finishing the task you gave him, he turns around and watches you cut vegetables like it's one of the most interesting things he's ever seen.

"Damn, ma. Look at you go," he says, watching the smooth, back and forth motion of the knife you are using and listening to the consistent, rhythmic sound of the blade on the cutting board. He's mesmerized—you make it look like art.

You put the knife down, unable to contain your laugh when he keeps watching you. "Almost done, Toji?" You ask, turning to look at him.

"Yeah, yeah," he responds, before turning around, again.

Somehow, after all the pauses and distractions, and the swatting at Toji's hands when he would pick at the food, claiming multiple times that he was doing a taste test, the food was finally finished.

"The house smells fucking amazing, doll. We did that," Toji says, coming up behind you and wrapping his arms around you as you finish washing the cutting board.

"We did," you agree, grinning at how proud he is of the results of your conjoined efforts. "How does it taste?" You ask, washing the dish soap off the cutting board.

"Perfect," he murmurs, in your ear. "Not as good as-"

"Don't say it. Don't say it." You turn off the water and turn to look at the menacing smirk on his face.

"-you," he finishes, without hesitation, and almost instantly, you smack his chest, earning a chuckle from him. "What? You don't wanna be my dessert?"

"Oh my god, Toji," you groan, walking away from him to grab some plates.

The cupcake you got him did not go to waste. You both had one of those 'I need something sweet' moments, once you finished eating. After a couple more eye rolls from you towards his suggestive remarks, Toji being the kind soul he is, shared the dessert. He took one enormous bite of it—bits of candle wax and all—and then gave you the rest. It definitely hit the spot, and watching Toji get frustrated every time he asked if his lips and teeth were still blue, has become one of the many core memories you have with him.

"Gifts?" You ask, drying your hands after washing your plate and putting it away.

Toji sighs. "What did you do, ma?"

You smile at him, mischievously, and beckon him to come with you. You pick up all the bags you left on the floor and lead him to the couch, where you set them down. The second he sees how many bags there are, he shakes his head, and you know what he's thinking—'you didn't have to'. It's written all over his face, so in an attempt to steer away those thoughts, you rub his chest, like you did before, and smile.

"Open them."

For someone who was iffy about receiving gifts, he sure went through the opening process quickly. After pulling out the paper tissue you awkwardly fluffed and placed in each bag to hide what was in it, he scanned what was at the bottom of each bag before pulling the items out as well. Shirts, pants, gym shorts and sweatpants, a new coffee mug—he inspects all of the items, closely, with a soft smile on his face.

"Everything else is in black, why the navy blue jacket?"

"You look hot in navy blue."

Case closed.

"Oh shit. What is this, doll?" Toji asks, picking up the smaller, gift bag with the crispy, bold font on it. This gift in particular caught his eye, because it's something he knows for sure both of you like. You watch with a beaming smile as he pulls out the blue box, a low chuckle leaving him when he reads the name of the elegant cologne. "Remember that time you said just sniffing this would get you pregnant?" He asks, as he rips the plastic covering off the box and opens it, bringing out the even more elegant looking bottle.

"Yeah, you have to stay away from me if you're gonna wear that. From here to the kitchen, that's the distance you have to-"

The fragrance lands like mist on your face. It immediately overpowers the smell of the food you and Toji made, and fills your nostrils with the manliest, sexiest, most perilous scent you have ever smelled. It has your heart racing. It's Toji. You smell it and all your thoughts lock in on him. Toji, Toji, Toji, like a siren blaring in your head.

"How you doing, mama?" Toji asks, grinning fiendishly at your stunned reaction. "Smells real nice, huh?"

You stop buffering and take in the teasing smirk on his face. This would be the second time, today, that you look at him like he did something life changing to you.

"We should go to the beach," you suggest. You're calm and collected on the outside, frenzied and bouncing off the walls on the inside. A trip to the beach sounds good.

"That's random. Why do you wanna go to the beach?" He asks, putting the cologne back in its box.

"Let's catch a sunset and get you out of the house for a while," you elaborate. "Do you really want to spend the whole day in here?"

"I do wanna spend the whole day here," Toji responds, stepping towards you. "Just me and you, relaxing in bed together. Doesn't that sound way better than the beach?" He asks.

You can't even pretend like he's wrong when he looks at you like that. Like going outside after getting so comfortable and reveling in the warm atmosphere created in your home, would be worse than when he woke up alone in the morning.

"Let's stay here and keep each other warm," he says, pulling you into him. His arms act like vines around your waist, tightening to keep you close.

"Sure," you respond, a soft smile on your face as you look into his eyes. "We can stay inside."

When Toji leaned in to peck your lips, he really considered turning it into another competition to see who could get more kisses in. He was going for another win, aiming to overpower you with speed and quantity, to end it the way he always does—smothering your entire face with kisses, while you laugh through your sweet defeat—but when he felt your fingers drag over his back, right before you balled up his shirt in your hands, he decided to mind your gentleness and reciprocate it. He even smiled into a few of the kisses, to settle down the urge he felt to laugh, because he could smell his cologne on your face.

Toji took your hand and dragged you with him to the bedroom, once he broke the kiss. There, you spent your time cuddling, kissing, talking, and making love, each act done separately, but just as easily melted together into one act. You even got to see your sunset through the bedroom window, with your cheek and your hands pressed to the glass that kept fogging up.

By the end of the day, you were both spent, but still remained inseparable—not even a shower called for being apart. When it was time to go to sleep, you kept your face buried in Toji's neck. You pressed so many gentle kisses to his skin, while mumbling quiet, sleepy 'I love you's, that he hummed in response to, when he was't tiredly saying it back.

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[versairic]

Happy Tears | AL12

In which Arthur drives alongside his brother in a Formula 1 car in free practice for the first time and has his whole family there to support him, and his girlfriend y/n in particular is moved to tears by this special moment

pairing — arthur leclerc x reader

words — 3035

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The sixth of December was a very special day. For many people, especially children, this day was so special because St Nicholas came on this day.

But St Nicholas did not make the sixth of December a special day for the Leclerc family, you, Arthur's family and especially Arthur.

The sixth of December was so special for all of you because Arthur finally got to sit in a Formula 1 car in free practice. And not just in any car, but in the Ferrari next to his brother.

The two brothers would also make history today as they were the first brothers to drive together in a team, even if it was only for free practice today, it was something very special.

The tingling in your stomach had been with you since you got up and was getting more intense by the minute.

Arthur was currently in the bathroom of your hotel room, more or less getting dressed up for the day - including a complete outfit in red.

You had also bought a red dress especially for today, which clung a little tighter around your curves and became a little wider towards the floor. Alex, Charles' girlfriend, had helped you pick out the dress and it had quickly become your favourite dress and you couldn't wait to see what Arthur would say about it.

"Are you going to be long?" you called across the hotel room to the bathroom as you reached for the lighter and waited anxiously for your boyfriend's answer.

Once again, his hair probably didn't want to do what Arthur wanted - that often happened and so your friend spent almost longer in the bathroom than you did.

"I'll be ready in a minute!" he called back and that was your cue.

You carefully opened the beige box from the bakery, which wasn't too far from the hotel.

When Arthur had got into the shower this morning, you had scurried over to the little bakery to pick up the pre-order you had placed a few days ago.

Inside the box was a small chocolate cake, with a candle and icing to decorate it.

When the bathroom door opened, you hurried to quickly light the candle before reaching for the box, which you balanced in your hands and waited for your friend to finally arrive.

Within seconds, he appeared in the hotel room with a puzzled expression, which quickly brightened when he saw the cake in your hand.

The Ferrari logo was painted on the cake with icing and the words 'I'm so proud of you, love'

"Chéri..." he murmured, touched, as you ran towards him to present the cake to him once more, while the candle on the cake slowly burned down and Arthur wouldn't have too much time left to blow out the candle.

"Today is a special day and you know how we start special days, don't you? " you asked with a grin.

In fact, it had become a ritual that Arthur and you always spent special days with a cake.

This tradition was started by Arthur two years ago when he surprised you with a cake that said 'will you be my girlfriend' on one of your dates.

And since then, cakes have been an integral part of such moments.

"That's... that's so wonderful of you," he beamed as he leant forward and then closed his eyes before blowing out the candle and you knew he had made a wish.

"I'm so incredibly proud," you grinned as you leant forward and then carefully placed your lips on his cheek, which was still damp from washing, and gave him a gentle kiss.

"And I'm incredibly nervous," he mumbled and began to scratch the back of his neck, which he did so often when he was nervous.

In fact, he hadn't slept half the night and spent most of his time tossing and turning, which was always the case when Arthur was excited.

Each time he couldn't sleep before a special event, so he usually turned up to these events totally exhausted. Today, however, there didn't seem to be a trace of tiredness, which was probably because all the adrenaline and excitement wore off the tiredness.

"I know, Love. But that's perfectly normal. But you know what? This is going to be amazing! I mean, you've always dreamed about it and today it's finally coming true! " you beamed at him as your hand found its place on his arm, where you slowly stroked it again and again with your thumb to calm him down a little.

"It still feels like a dream," he laughed nervously and glanced at the cake again. " But we'll have to eat it later, won't we? I definitely can't get a slice down now."

Arthur gave you an apologetic look, to which you just shook your head. You were glad that he'd managed to get some scrambled eggs and toast down this morning so that he had a little something in his stomach.

"That's what I thought. And that's all the better, otherwise Lorenzo, your mum and Alex will behead me," you laughed.

Because the three of them had actually told you hundreds of times that they really wanted to eat the cake with Arthur to celebrate Arthur's successful test day at the end of the day.

Arthur joined in with your laughter, which was a good sign because it meant that you had managed to distract him a little from his nervousness.

"We'll just put it in the fridge and we'll all eat it together later when we get back."

You took the cake from Arthur and put it away in the small fridge in your hotel room.

When you turned round again, Arthur was standing at the window looking out between the large white curtains, lost in thought.

From the side, you could see his brow furrowed in thought and he looked rather pensive.

You knew for sure that he was brooding about today - again.

Days ago, he had already told you about his fears and thoughts, which were understandable but unfounded.

He was afraid of making a mistake, wrecking the car or even being the worst.

Of course, it was only a free practice session that Arthur was driving, but for him it was much more than that.

A first step in a direction that could open the door to the Formula 1 world for him completely. He already had one foot in it and the training could open more doors for him.

"Love," your voice rang out softly as you carefully wrapped your arms around his stomach and buried your face against his muscular back.

"Hm?" he merely said, but you could feel his slightly tense back loosen a little and his posture become more relaxed.

"Please stop thinking so much. If your head is so damn full, you can't concentrate on the track and the car and are more likely to make a mistake..."

"And how am I supposed to clear my head, Chéri? Should I meditate?"

You shook your head. "No."

"Then what?"

"You'll see when the time comes. I promise you it will work. And now we have to go, okay?"

You carefully released your arms from him and then reached for your bag, in which you had stowed the most important things.

"Okay, let's go," Arthur agreed after taking another deep breath before grabbing your hand, intertwining your fingers and walking out of the room with you towards the lifts.

——

The Ferrari pit was already a hive of activity. Mechanics were scurrying from A to B, making the final preparations for free practice.

Over the last hour and a half, you, Pascale, Charles, Lorenzo, Charlotte - Lorenzo's girlfriend and Alex - Charles' girlfriend, had done a pretty good job of distracting the youngest of the Leclerc family.

But now, as he came to a halt in front of you, Lorenzo, Pascale, Charlotte and Alex in his red Ferrari suit, you could clearly see the nervous expression on his face.

His eyes darted nervously back and forth, while his lips were pressed tightly together and his hands - which must have been wet with sweat - kept running over the fabric of his racing suit.

Arthur's mum, Pascale, gave you a gentle look that suggested you were just the person to reassure her youngest son.

Of course, she would have loved to take on the role herself and reassure her youngest son, but she knew very well that you had a completely different effect on her son than she did.

"Love?" your voice rang out, causing Arthur's restless eyes to focus on you and his gaze to soften a little within a few seconds. "Do you have five minutes? "

He merely nodded.

You carefully grabbed his hand, which was incredibly sweaty and cold, and pulled him with you into the small driver's room that Arthur had at his disposal that day.

There was nothing in the room except a massage table and a small shelf containing two of Arthur's helmets, several racing suits and fireproof underwear.

"You need to relax," were the first words that came out of your mouth after the door closed behind you.

"It's hard, Chéri. I'm so nervous and my head is still so damn full..." he mumbled as he rubbed his forehead.

"Do you remember what I said earlier?"

He nodded.

You carefully removed your hand from his and then placed it on his cheek and gently stroked his warm skin with your thumb.

This movement caused him to slowly begin to relax. It didn't help one hundred per cent, but it helped a little, so that he came down a little.

"I'm proud of you, Arthur. We all are out there. It's such a big leap you've made and I'm sure this will open new doors for you. You are such a talented racer who deserves to have his talent recognised and nurtured," you began, eliciting a small smile from him.

"Please don't worry about it. Because I know for a fact that you're going to rock it out there. You're going to show everyone what you're made of and what a wonderful racer you are, do you hear me? You're one of the best. And you know what? You're my number one. No matter what happens out there."

Carefully, you began to spread feather-light kisses on his face, so that Arthur began to relax under the touch of your lips on his skin.

"I love you, Arthur. And I'm not only incredibly proud but also your biggest fan. And I've got something else for you."

From your little bag, you pulled out a small photo of you and Arthur together.

In the photo, Arthur has his arms wrapped around you while you look up at him, enamoured and overjoyed, while he looks down at you and returns your gaze.

"This is my favourite picture," he almost whispered as he stroked the photo with his thumb and smiled.

In fact, that was exactly why you had chosen the photo, because it was not only Arthur's lock screen, but now also his lucky charm.

"Turn it over," you told him with a smile as Arthur turned the picture around in his hand and began to read the words you had written on it.

Never forget that I am your biggest supporter and will always stand behind you. Forever. Forever you and me.

Light tears began to gather in his eyes, which he bravely began to blink away before he opened his racing suit slightly and let the picture disappear inside.

"Thank you, Chéri," he breathed against your lips before he kissed you tenderly, pouring all his love and gratitude into the kiss.

And at that moment, you could clearly feel how relaxed Arthur was now. And this merit was all yours.

— —

Half the Leclerc family plus girlfriends more or less took over the Ferrari garage, while every single one of them wore headphones to follow everything closely.

Your eyes were fixed on the monitor, on which Arthur was more or less being followed by the camera as he raced round the track.

In the meantime, Pascale had raked in on you and kept giving you a proud smile, which you were only too happy to return.

She was incredibly proud of her two sons, who were racing around the track together as a team. You couldn't even begin to imagine how proud she must be - as you were already threatening to burst with pride.

As the two of them drove side by side towards the end of free practice and Charles drove slowly alongside Arthur and waved to him, tears began to gather in Pascale's eyes and roll down her cheeks shortly afterwards.

It was a truly heart-warming moment, which also caused tears to begin to gather in your eyes.

Today was not only special, but also incredibly touching, so it was a wonder that you hadn't shed a single tear yet.

You gave Pascale a gentle hug as she gave you a grateful smile while tears began to roll down her cheeks.

And suddenly there was a slight crack in the headphones you were wearing and shortly afterwards Arthur's voice rang in your ears.

" Thanks to the whole team for giving me this opportunity. It was so much fun to drive the free practice session! And I also have to thank someone very special. Chéri? I know you're listening. Thank you for being my biggest fan and always finding the right words that I need to hear. I love you. And I am incredibly grateful that I have you by my side. I love you. Forever. Forever you and me. "

And this radio message made it happen for you too. At first, a few tears began to fall from your eyes and roll down your cheeks, until they became more and more and countless tears of joy began to roll down your cheeks.

Pascale stroked your back again and again, while Lorenzo, Charlotte and Alex joined you to pull you into a warm group hug.

The warmth completely enveloped you, while the tears continued to flow down your cheeks and just didn't seem to stop.

Sometimes it was really difficult to stop crying when you were crying with joy.

Your make-up must have been pretty smudged by now, but you didn't care. Because this was a special moment that would probably never come back and that's why you savoured it to the full.

It wasn't long before the cars were pushed back into the garage and the Ferrari garage was once again as busy as before the race, which was a sign for everyone to slowly move away from you.

Longingly, you stood on tiptoe and looked around, searching for your friend.

Charles was the first to enter the garage and was greeted with a smile by his family. You briefly touched the Monegasque on the shoulder and gave him a gentle smile, which he returned with a grateful smile.

Until he suddenly appeared. Arthur.

He held his helmet in his hand while his eyes travelled through the box searching.

He was looking for someone very special. You.

Without hesitation, your legs started to move, past the mechanics and over to Arthur.

When he spotted you, he carelessly placed his helmet on the tyre trolley before spreading his arms.

Your legs sped up and you started to run shortly afterwards, throwing yourself into the sweaty but warm arms of your friend, who wrapped his arms around you tightly and hugged you to him.

He opened his mouth to say something. But you didn't even give him the chance, because your lips pressed firmly against his.

As he returned the kiss, you kept tasting a few drops of sweat running down Arthur's face, but you didn't care.

Your hands found their way into his sweaty hair, where they buried themselves and ran lightly through the thick hair as you put so much love and pride into the kiss that you hoped Arthur would never forget.

"I'm so proud of you," you breathed softly against his lips as you breathlessly broke away from each other a short time later.

You were still in the same place, surrounded by all the mechanics who paid no attention to you and were completely absorbed in their work.

But one or two of the photographers had probably taken a picture of you, so that one or two of your photos would now be circulating on Instagram. But you didn't care.

This moment belonged only to you. And no one would be able to take this moment away from you.

"I love you, Chéri. And I'm so grateful that you were by my side today. That you are always by my side."

Carefully, he let you back onto your feet and then put his hand to your cheek, running his thumb over your red cheek as he gave you the most enamoured look.

"I love you too."

A wide smile crept onto your lips as you leaned in to kiss Arthur one more time. However, your plans were interrupted by a loud clearing of the throat.

Startled, you staggered back a few steps, seeming to lose your balance for a moment, so Arthur carefully pulled you to his chest and put his arms around you protectively.

The Leclerc family stood in front of you, as did the two brothers' girlfriends, who looked at you with a grin.

At the thought that they had been standing there watching you for a long time, your cheeks began to turn a deep shade of red.

"We don't really want to disturb you. But we've heard that there's cake again? And one of your traditions must continue, right? "

[neeeooon]

Good afternoon, elle. I'm here with my second request. May I request: The Blue Lock men propose to you on camera. Cue their fangirls' broken hearts. (Characters: Chigiri, Yukimiya, the Itoshi brothers)

of course!! thank you for the request 🫶🤍

when they propose to you on camera ;

aged up bf bllk x gn!reader

chigiri hyoma

-> you met on camera… sort of. chigiri just so happened to look up at the screen during one of his games, where you were randomly displayed and waving with your friends. he fell in love after that

-> it only makes sense for him to propose to in the same manner, right?

-> he planned it perfectly, even got the stadium staff to edit a “will you marry me?” logo onto the screen as you appear on one half and he shows up with your ring on the other

-> chigiri just so happened to score the game-winning goal (he may or may not have had help from his teammates), but when he appears on the big screen, you show up right next to him

-> you aren’t even looking, all of your focus on your boyfriend, but when people start screaming, you look up to see the ‘will you marry me, y/n?’ typed out across the screen and gape

-> there are tears as you nod enthusiastically, one’s of happiness from you, and heartbreak from the fangirls (and guys) throughout the arena watching the proposal

yukimiya kenyu

-> he plans everything to the t. the pathway, the flowers, the candles… the camera

-> it’s silly and cliche and romantic, but that’s the kind of guy your boyfriend is. when he asked you to meet him at the spot where you had your first date, you knew something was up. the “hidden” camera guy only confirmed your suspicions

-> “y/n—“ “what are your fangirls going to think?” you tease lightly, causing yukimiya to smile before taking your hand in his. “whatever they want. i’m a taken man.”

-> “just taken?” you say as you eye the small box he’s trying to hide in his coat pocket. knowing his cover is completely blown, yukimiya to reveal the box and hold it out to you. “will you let me ask?” “hmmmm, i suppose so!”

-> while most fans find your banter adorable, others spam about their broken hearts now that yukimiya kenyu is officially engaged

itoshi sae

-> he wanted to surprise you, which means he had to go all out on the cheesy cliches. you’d never in a million years see that coming from sae

-> you were only expecting a little drive with your boyfriend when he suddenly pulled over to a spot overlooking the city, the sun setting over the horizon

-> when you spotted the blankets, strings of bright fairy lights, rose petals, and mini camera crew, you panicked. “sae, we should go. i think someone’s getting engaged.” “someone is.” “??”

-> but your “??” quickly turns into “?!” as sae leads you to the spot, where your name is spelled out in flowers. “this.. what?!”

-> the whole thing filmed, sae gives you his awkward little speech before you interrupt him with a kiss and a million yes’s. flashes decorate you as he slips the ring on your finger, but all you can do is laugh at how extra itoshi sae was for you

-> the video spreads like wildfire, and you can’t help but cackle are your fiancé’s face every time you read a comment from one of his heartbroken fangirls out-loud

itoshi rin

-> the cameras were not planned. he didn’t want them there, but he wasn’t going to let them ruin your moment, either

-> you were enjoying your date with rin, blissfully ignoring the paparazzi following you, when he suddenly stepped in front of you and collected your hands between his. “y/n, there’s something i want to ask you…”

-> your photo, rin on one knee, one of your hands cupping your mouth as the other holds his, is all over magazines and websites the next morning

-> “look at how pretty we look!” rin just grumbles, “they always have to ruin everything.” “come on, look on the bright side! we’re together, and i wouldn’t have it any other way.”

-> you won’t tell rin, since he’s never on social media, but his fangirls were trending for the next two days where they’d post images of themselves crying and sliding down their walls. it was beautiful <3

[ghostofhyuck]

5:32 PM

It always rain during your birthday.

If it wasn't raining, it'll be hit with a typhoon. You never spent your birthday with the sun shining bright enough for you to make plans with your friends and family. It'll always be in your house, with a few guests and front door filled with wet umbrellas and shoes. It'll be a quick dinner, only a few chats, then they'll go home before the rain became a storm.

You're used to it. You never liked celebrating your birthday at all. Every year you just feel like you're getting older, signs of aging are forming and yet you still feel like you haven't changed at all. That's why today, you didn't even bothered telling everyone that it's your birthday.

Of course, there are a few people who remembered. Your family greeted you first thing in the morning, and you were bombarded with a lot of birthday greetings from your friends on social media.

But that's it. You didn't told them about your birthday plans. How can you? When you look at your window, the storm is not going to stop anytime. You thought that maybe, you can make your birthday better by cooking your favorite meal. Right. That will do.

As you stand up from your seat, you hear the doorbell of your front door. A quick raise of your eyebrow had you confused. You wondered, who's stupid enough to go through the storm just to visit you? You already told your friends that you can schedule a celebration next time when the day's sunny.

"Surprise!"

"What the fuck Jaemin!?"

You opened the door wider to let your best friend in. You watched as he removed his sopping wet sneakers along with his socks that's dripping. You couldn't believe it!

"Jaemin, I told you ---"

"That you'll be celebrating your birthday when it's not raining anymore, I know, I know," Jaemin nonchalantly said, brushing you off.

He hands you a box which you confusingly glanced at, turning your stare at him who removed his hoodie which wasn't saved by his umbrella.

"But, I already ordered that cake for your birthday and the bakery doesn't accept refunds, so might as well bring it to you right?"

You glanced at the box, you know that logo. It's the bakery that sells those heavenly chiffon cake with whipped marshmallow as icing. It's your cake ever since you were a kid --- and only one bakery sells it.

Jaemin's smile faded when you looked at him and your eyes started to water, your lips shaking as if you're holding back your tears. At first, there's a hint of worry in Jaemin's expression but eventually, he only gave you an assuring smile.

"I hate you so much Na Jaemin, you're making me cry," you mumbled.

But you were only welcomed by Jaemin's hug. Despite him going through the rain, he still feels warm.

"I know you love me," Jaemin answered back. Hand patting your head.

"I can't believe you."

"It's nothing," Jaemin said, even though it was a lie. It wasn't nothing. He knows how much you hate your birthday and how it always rain. He knows that you're going to mope around and he doesn't want that to happen.

That's why even if he has to take an hour-long bus ride to your apartment just so he can give you your usual birthday cake and celebrate it with him. Jaemin will do anything.

Because he loves the way your eyes lit up when he lights up the candles on your birthday cake.

He watch as you close your eyes, sincerely clasping your hands together as you make a wish.

"So, what did you wish for?" Jaemin asked as soon as you blew off the candles.

You only smiled at him, "For more birthdays like this."

"We can make that work."

But you only laughed, "what? You're willing to go through the rain just to buy me a cake?" "Well, I already did. So what makes you think I won't do it again?"

You only stared at Jaemin, a meaningful smile curves on his lips. You only gazed at it for minute before sinking into you what he was trying to meant.

"Then, thank you for making my birthday wish come true," you only said. Grabbing his hands and lightly squishing it.

[kitschyclown]

ty for tagging me @cadaverre <33

tag game: pick stuff from your room and have people vote on which one they want to take home.

no pressure tags: @auranny @wildwindsaredeathtothecandle @the-aliens-news-network @six-seasons-andamovie @brayde-and-the-bibliophile and anybody else <3

[littleslaywrites]

we need a little christmas | aaron hotchner x reader

summary: aaron comes home after work one day to you decorating for christmas

word count: 1.1k

cw: f!reader, pure fluff

The candle you had lit filled the room with the smell of pine. Boxes of old decorations you brought when you moved in with Aaron sat next to bags from the Target run you took with Jack that afternoon. 

You have always been a decorator, looking forward to every holiday. Even in college, you decorated the door of your dorm at every chance possible. To you, it was never too early to decorate. 

Even though Halloween was your favorite holiday, Christmas started right when the clock struck midnight on November 1st. Your Christmas playlist was in heavy rotation from that point on, and a shopping spree for anything festive would always follow. 

You had restrained yourself this year, it being your first living with Aaron. That was, until you were in Target with Jack, simply there for an after school run for some laundry detergent. Jack dragged you into the section with the blow-up santas and snowmen, causing your eyes to wander to the rest of the decorations in the surrounding area. 

Before you knew it, you had piled the cart with a snowglobe, a nutcracker, two packages of lights, window clings, assorted throw pillows, and a Star Wars ornament for the tree (Jack’s choice). 

Back at home, you opened up the supply closet to get out the boxes of old Christmas decorations that you hadn’t even seen since moving in with Aaron. You were singing along to your favorite Christmas songs while transforming the living room into a winter wonderland. You made sure to keep a space for the tree, ornaments finding themselves in a pile next to the area. Jack sifted through them, choosing his favorites and asking you about ones you’d collected throughout your lifetime.

You’re in the middle of arranging snowflake shaped pillows on the couch when Aaron walks through the door. The smell from your new candle brings back memories of past Christmases, and he smiles at the picture of you and Jack decorating. 

“What’s all this?” he asks, looking down at the half-emptied boxes on the floor. 

“I thought it was about time to get decorating for Christmas,” you say, setting the last pillow down. 

“Are you aware it’s not even Thanksgiving yet?”

“You should be glad I waited this long,” you smile, moving back to collapse one of the empty boxes. “Usually I’d start right after Halloween.”

He just laughs, making his way to sit with Jack on the floor. He looks through the ornaments, each one a reminder of your past before him: the In N Out logo (your first job), an illustration of your sorority house in college, a macaroni one with your fifth grade school picture. His heart feels warmer at the thought of your lives coming together, the potential of all future ornaments being shared memories. 

“Do you want hot chocolate?” you ask, reaching for some mugs in the cabinet above the sink. 

“Sure,” he says, watching Jack hurry to the kitchen to help. Aaron would’ve never chosen to decorate this early, or at all, really. He never had the time, nor the sense of style to do anything beyond put up a tree. Looking around at the half-done decor, he feels grateful for your festive touch. He might tease you for your eagerness to celebrate, but he feels the homeliness that comes with the care that went into the decorations. Seeing you open the powder packets of hot chocolate mix, he feels even happier that you’re bringing some Christmas spirit into Jack’s life. 

Aaron gets up, joining the two of you in the kitchen. He listens to Jack’s retelling of your shopping trip as you all sip your drinks. You smile as you meet Aaron’s eyes, shining with love. Eventually, he tells Jack to do his homework, forcing him to take a break from decorating. 

Setting his mug in the dishwasher, he looks at the way you study the living room. He’s sure you’re thinking of where to set whatever other decorations you have. His hand rests on your shoulder from behind, and you turn to face him, a hand going to hold his jaw. 

“I love it,” he says, his eyes leaving yours to observe your work. 

“I’m glad,” you say, following his gaze. “I was worried you’d think it was too early to decorate.”

He pulls you into a kiss, hands running through your hair. “Not at all,” he replies, “next year you should start even earlier.” 

Your smile widens. The prospect of a “next” always makes you smile, no matter how many times Aaron says it. Your heart flutters just like it did on your first date 3 years ago when he asked where you wanted to go for your “next date”. 

“Someone still needs to put up the lights outside,” you say, hinting at a job for him to do. 

He pulls you closer for one last kiss before intertwining your fingers with his, making your way to the box with the lights inside. You take the box outside while he gets the ladder from the garage. He sets up the ladder, sifting through a small box of pushpins, and you sit on the ground untangling the lights. Slowly but surely, the knotted mess becomes a strand that you hand up to Aaron on the ladder. 

After about forty-five minutes, the house is fully covered with the lights. He plugs them in, lighting up the place with red and green. 

“It looks beautiful,” he says, standing back to admire the way they twinkle. He pulls you close, arm around your shoulder. You look up into his eyes, the brown shining with the reflections of the lights. He kisses you in, the warmth of his activity heating you up in the cold. “I see why you were so eager to decorate.” 

You rest your head on him, absorbing the moment. The two of you stay there for a few minutes, letting the spirit of the season envelop you, before going back inside to continue setting up. 

When Jack finishes his homework, he’s eager to suggest that you go get a tree as soon as possible. Aaron explains, to his dismay, that it would be a few weeks until you all took a trip out to the tree farm to ensure it didn’t wither before Christmas could come. For now, the pine scented candle would have to do. 

That night, when you lay your head next to Aaron, you see the lights illuminating his sleeping face. You smile, content in your love for your little family. You promise yourself that the decorations will go up even earlier next year, or next holiday for that matter. Snuggling up to his chest, you fall asleep to the thought of what gifts your boys would want to see under the tree.

[kedreeva]

There are good things in this world still

The Holidays have had me busy the last few days, so between my last Good Things post and this one:

My brother flew down to surprise my sister with a visit for Christmas.

My elderly, ill bird (Aurora) started showing fast improvement once we switched medications for her!

I spent an evening with my in-laws, who are lovely folks. There was good food, good company, good cheer. I received an adorable homemade sticker from my nephew, with my farm name in the Jurassic Park logo style!

It lives on my computer now so I can look at it whenever I want. They also gave me a laptop cooling pad, which not only cools my laptop, but allows me to tip/raise it only my lap so I'm no longer hunched over to write and game!

I stole all of the wrapping paper and boxes, to be shredded for rodent bedding/nesting materials; they will highly enjoy all of the novel scents and textures!

I made spinach artichoke dip for the christmas gathering, except I completely forgot the artichoke. On the one hand, I felt bad not having a viable dish, but on the other hand, I mixed in the artichoke when I got home, and put it all into a mini-crockpot to heat up and eat at home. Worked great! I've been wondering about the effectiveness of the mini crock for a while (Can I Make Just One Cup Of Soup??), and it seems fairly viable for keeping stuff warm at least- GREAT news for making a small amount of hot mulled cider for cold nights.

I finished two scenes for my next chapter of story, after not having the spoons to write for a while. I also caught myself daydreaming about Final Pack again, so I will be renewing efforts to get the first book cleaned up!

I candled the eggs from my wild type celadon project, expecting that none of them would be growing (because the eggs get too cold in the winter), but there are FIVE of them! growing!! They've got ten more days to go, so we'll see how many actually make it out. I am STOKED to see what the first babies look like.

I baked sugar cookies and frosted them with my partner. It was very fun, and I have enjoyed giving cookies to people (and eating them, myself) since.

There are good things left in this world, however small. This is your opportunity to reblog this and share your good things with each other, or check the notes if you need a reminder.

[lovelytsunoda]

birthday girl | mickey “fanboy” garcia

summary: used to feeling like an afterthought on her birthday (mostly due to its proximity with christmas), mickey sets out to make sure that his sweet lover girl feels treasured and loved

pairing: mickey “fanboy” garcia x female reader

warnings: 18+ content, 'birthday girl' is used in a sexual context, its part of smutmas so idk what yall are expecting but its gonna be smutty

author's note: i totally wasn't planning to write this about eddie rojas from season 3 of the lincoln lawyer before i realized that there was only one post in his tag and not a single gif of his adorable face-

birthdays were seldom easy for people unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on how you looked at it) enough to have their special day land in such close proximity to a major and widely celebrated holiday.

every year, her birthday felt like an afterthought. while her sister spent her birthday with friends, or going out to dinner, her birthday was spent doing housework and preparing the house for when family came over the celebrate christmas eve the following day.

all of that changed when she met mickey garcia.

mickey went out of his way to make sure that she felt loved and cherished on her birthday, and for the first time in a long time, her birthday didn't feel so lonely.

the spent the day out on the town, starting with the christmas market and village, stopping for pictures with all the brightly lit trees. (technically, they started with breakfast in bed, where y/n was presented with a hardback copy of a new book she had been wanting to read, and a silver bracelet that she swore never to take off, but who was keeping track?) and ended with dinner at her favourite italian restaurant. after the meal, the waiter brought out a chocolate cake with 'happy birthday, mi vida', and she almost wept with joy.

she didn't want the night to end, and it would appear that mickey didn't intend to let it end so early himself, a giddy smile on his face as he led her towards the bedroom.

"do you remember when we watched fifty shades of gray and i was slightly drunk and asked what would be in your sex room if you had one?"

"you were more than a little drunk, mickey." she giggled. "but yeah, i remember."

"and you said that all you needed was a soft bed, some massage oils and a few scented candles."

"and a record player."

"right, we can't forget the record player."

"mickey," she raised an eyebrow at him. "where are you going with this?"

mickey just laughed, shaking his head as he reached for the bedroom doorknob. "just you wait."

beyond the threshold, there was a path made of fake flower petals, in a soft blue tone, winding towards their double bed. on top of the bed, was a towel clumsily folded into the shape of a swan, and a shiny gold box. lofi music hummed away in the background, no doubt from the speaker connected to mickey's phone.

"every year we say we're going to get that record player, and we still haven't, so i had to improvise."

"mickey, this is incredible." she smiled, kissing him gently.

"all for you, birthday girl. now why don't you go sit on that bed and make yourself comfortable, while i make sure i have everything i need to make you feel your best."

she sat at the foot of the bed, leaning over to open the box, which was embossed with the logo for the body shop. as she was pulling the lid off the box, the speaker crackled behind her, the lofi soon replaced with george micheal's 1987 solo debut. inside the box, nestled among tissue paper, was an assortment of body butters and balms. she unscrewed the lid from one of the balms, taking a sniff of the pleasantly scented cream.

"still can't bring yourself to go into a sex shop, can you?"

mickey beamed at her, dropping to his knees by her feet, shoulders swaying in time with the music. "i'm a good catholic boy, remember? if my mother even got an inkling that i'd been to a sex shop, i'd end up buried under her flowerbeds. did i ever tell you about the time she found out i'd been to the back half of a spencer's? besides, i know you love the body shop, and i figured we'd get more use out of body butter."

humming along to the words in ‘faith’, mickey took one of her feet into his hands, kissing her ankle before he began to undo the strap on her black high heels. he repeated the motion with her other foot before he began to gently kiss and muzzle up her leg.

he pushed up the long skirt of her black dress before getting to his feet and reaching for the dish of body butter. he lathered up his hands, and she rested one foot over his heart, allowing him to massage the butter into her legs. his hands moved gently, working out the knots in her muscles.

“how you feeling, birthday girl?”

she sighed under his touch. “heavenly”

the higher that mickeys hands travelled, gently pushing the body butter into her skin, the more aroused she got. her chest filled with warmth, her panties growing damper as she thought about just how loved mickey made her feel.

he repeated the process with the other leg, balk soaking into her skin as she wrapped her legs around mickeys torso and pulled him in for a deep kiss. his hands caressed her sides, gently urging her back into the bed and diving underneath her dress.

“you’re so beautiful, birthday girl. I’m so damn lucky to call you mine.”

true to his word, mickey garcia spent that entire evening worshipping every square inch of her body: massaging her achy shoulders, sucking on her perky nipples, eating her out until she saw stars (twice!) before he even thought about sticking his dick in her.

their bodies were intertwined underneath the ikea duvet, her cheek against the pillow and mickeys chest warm and reassuring against her back as he rocked his hips against her, his heavy cock resting a pleasant, burning drag against her walls.

above her head, mickeys hands clutched hers against the pillows, his lush lips leaving open mouthed kissed along her neck and shoulders.

moaning harshly, she turned her head to kiss mickey, his hips spasming against her.

“you’re doing so well, birthday girl. you feel like a dream.” he whispered huskily before hoping at her earlobe. “I love making you feel good.”

“fuck, mickey. right there!” she arched underneath him, trying to roll her hips against him.

he was holding back, purposely going slower and trying to drag the night out. enjoying the moment instead of chasing a high.

he dropped her hands, arms coming around to hug her midsection, holding her close as his thrusts became deeper.

“I love you, pretty girl.” he groaned, biting into her shoulder. she whined under him, a noise his body all too desperately reacted to. “fuck, baby, you undo me.”

he could feel her walls clamping down around him, hear the breathy moans that meant she was getting closer to her peak. she reached for the back of mickeys head, tangling her hand in his hair and pulling down gently.

“fuck, baby, I’m so close. oh my god, I love you.”

“I love you more, birthday girl. te amo, mi vida.”

[oneforthemunny]

a teeny tiny modern!eddie blurb i had rattling around my noggin. loosely based on real events (my ex is a pos and modern!eddie is an angel lol), but made me giggle when i thought about it. kinda smutty but nothing graphic more-so just alluded to. enjoy <3

“Hey, pretty girl.” Eddie grinned, half-lidded hazy eyes lighting up when you walked through the door. 

“Hi,” You mumbled, hip bumping the door to push it closed, shoulders heavy after the exhaustion of the day. 

“Did you have a good day?” Eddie chirped, flicking his mic up on his headset, pulling it off his messy curls. “Sell lots?” 

You snorted lightly, purse sliding off your shoulder onto the coffee table. “Oh, yeah. Dealt with ten year olds wanting foundation matches all day.” 

“Ten?” Eddie frowned. “Can ten year olds even wear makeup?” 

“Apparently they can. And they’re very particular.” You rolled your eyes, rubbing out the growing knot in your shoulder that was beginning to ache. “Did you empty the dishes?” 

“Yep.” Eddie nodded. “Loaded them up for you too, baby. Got you another one of those candles you like. Your stash was runnin’ low.” He smiled proudly. 

Your lips twitched, trying to fight back your own flustered grin. It did make your heart flutter, Eddie always did. “Thank you.” You muttered instead. “I’ve gotta get out of these clothes, and I’ll-” You started to lean over the couch, lips hovering over Eddie’s, his parting lightly to fit yours before you stopped. Halted by a familiar smell. 

“What- What’s that smell?” You sniffed, turning in the air before your nose found the source. “Are you- Why do you smell like that?” 

“Shit, is it bad?” Eddie tugged at his t-shirt, nose pressing towards the underarms of his shirt. “I took a shower today, but then I had to meet up with some people. I didn’t think it was bad-” 

“-No, it’s not that.” You snapped, eyes narrowing down at him. “Why do you smell like Bum-Bum Cream?” 

Eddie paused, blinking at you. “Bum-Bum?” He repeated, brows lifting. “Is this a joke? Like Up-Dog-” 

“-Eddie,” You huffed. “Don’t fuck with me right now. What? Did you have another bitch here?” Your teeth gritted, gaze flickering in seething fury around the apartment for anything- any sign of infidelity. 

“What?” Eddie gaped, turning to look at you. “No, c’mon, you know I wouldn’t do that-” 

“-Then why do you smell like that?” You screeched, throwing an arm out at him. 

“Smell like what?” Eddie countered, voice raising in defense. 

“The most recognizable smell in the world? You couldn’t tell your bitch not to wear that-” You smacked the door to your shared bedroom open, halting in the doorway. 

“I didn’t fuck anyone!” Eddie followed, throwing his hands up. “Why do you always start this shit? I’ve never-” 

Your eyes narrowed, stomping towards the bedside table. There, on Eddie’s side, amongst the phone chargers and empty carts sat a box of tissues next to the familiar yellow tub of cream. Half screwed on, greasy on the lid- recently used. 

“You’ve got to be shitting me.” You huffed, snatching the jar, grimacing at the slick, greasy substance still left on the lid. Pivoting, you turned to Eddie, hoisting the jar towards him. 

Eddie blinked. “What?” 

“This is what I’m smelling.” You snapped. “This is Bum-Bum Cream. My Bum-Bum Cream.” You jabbed a manicured nail onto the logo. 

“Oh,” Eddie quipped. “Yeah, I did use that.” 

“Used it?” You growled. “You used my fucking expensive lotion to jack off?” 

Eddie’s cheeks tinged with pink embarrassment, eyes wide and round like a child caught, still with some mischief that made your skin crawl with irritation. “Well,” He started. 

“Well?” You gawked at him. “Eddie, this is- You can’t use this!” You unscrewed the lid, mouth falling open at the large scoop that was now missing from the middle. “Are you- Do you know how expensive this is?” 

“No.” Eddie admitted, swallowing a smile. “I just thought it was lotion-” 

“-You have lotion!” You snapped. “You have your Nivea or whatever-” 

“-I ran out!” 

“So you use this? My lotion? My expensive lotion?” You growl. “How- How does this not burn your dick off? It’s a fucking fragranced lotion.” 

Eddie shrugged, lips curling in a shit eating grin. “It felt kinda nice, actually.” 

Your nose curled in disgust. “You’re fucking sick, and you’re buying me a new one.” 

“Fine.” Eddie’s hands slid down your arms gently. “I’ll buy you a new one. I swear. I’m sorry, I didn’t know I couldn’t use that one.” 

“Don’t use any of my lotions to jack off.” You glared at him. “And put it back when you’re done.” You shove the lotion back at him. 

“Alright, alright, hey- look at me, baby, please?” Eddie cooed, lips still curled with a smile you wanted to smack off his face, nerves rattled with annoyance. You glared at him, shoving your work jeans down with a huff, not missing the way Eddie’s eyes lingered. 

“I’m sorry, ok? I didn’t mean to. I’ll buy you a new one. We can go right now if you want.” He muttered sweetly, his soft tone making your heart swell. 

“No, it’s fine.” You huff, rolling your eyes, pulling your top off. “We can go later. Just don’t do it again.” 

“I won’t.” Eddie lifted his hands playfully. He waited a second, turning the yellow tub around in his hands. “It is good stuff though. Can see why you like it so much-” He dodged your balled up shirt you flung at him with a loud cackle, scampering to the bathroom to put it back on the counter.

also this is the lotion / sol de janerio's bum bum cream referenced lol. a very canon event i fear. hope you enjoyed!

[foxtriestobiteandmaimandkilland]

piece based on the idea that Dakota might've started learning guitar to play along with Ashe's drums ^_^ Ambigiously timed but was originally gonna be post s2 (tho their designs here look more s1)

Extras under the cut, as usual :3 AND a VERY detailed ID since this piece is a big one

Detailed ID: a drawing of Dakota Cole and Ashe Winters from Just Roll With It: Prime Defenders, sitting in Ashe’s dorm room.

Ashe is sitting on the bed, with one arm behind her head and the other rested on her stomach, while Dakota is lying on his back on the floor holding an electric guitar, legs kicked up on the bed next to Ashe.

Ashe has white skin, long curly white hair, a few freckles, and is looking down at Dakota with an open mouthed smile. She is wearing a dark purple beanie with pins of Madeline from Celeste, the Welcome to Nightvale logo, and the knight from Hollow Knight partially covered by her hair.

She is also wearing a shirt with the album cover of I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning by Bright Eyes. Over the shirt is Dakota's red flannel. She's wearing black jeans, one black and green sock, and one purple and black sock with cat ears at the top and cat paws at the toes.

Dakota has mid-brown skin with a few moles, and medium lengthed, curly, bright red hair thats splayed out across the floor. his eyes are shut tight and his eyebrows are furrowed, whilst hes smiling widely.

He has a black bandana around his forehead. On his neck is a chain, and attached to that is a purple heart with the letter 'A' on it. He's wearing a white tank top, that exposes his shoulder which features a temporary Ms G tattoo of her face accompanied with the words 'Ms G' in a galaxy pattern.

Dakota's wearing beige shorts, and has another temporary tattoo on his thigh which reads 'Teaching Moment' in galaxy text. his socks are white.

The blue and white electric guitar he's holding has a sticker that says 'Prime defenders' in black and white, and another sticker that says 'Just Roll With It' in gold and purple. At the top of the guitar near the tuning pegs, it reads 'Prime'.

They are in Ashe's dorm room. Her bed has a blue mattress and a green blanket that's pushed against the pillow away from Ashe, and draping off the side of the bed onto the floor. On the part of the blanket that's on the bed, there is a plush of Morgana from Persona 5, and another plush of Bacon Man. On the part of the blanket that's on the floor, there is a Nintendo DS, except with the word 'Primtendo' written on it. On the side of the bed there are 3 stickers; one of Hatsune Miku, one of Mae Borowski from Night In The Woods, and one of Tony's Pizza.

On the purple carpeted floor underneath the bed, theres a cardboard box labelled 'Secrets'. There is also an oval rug that Dakota is lying on that has a green, yellow, blue, and red circular design. ontop of this is a pair of headphones with the wire spiralling across the floor, and an amp that Dakota's guitar is plugged into. the front of the amp has the word Prime where the brand name of an amp would be usually

Next to Ashe's bed is a set of shelves. On the flat side facing the bed, there is a My Chemical Romance poster of the album cover of Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. Under this poster are 3 photos, of Ashe and Dakota ice skating, Ashe and William walking on traintracks, and Ashe and William taking a selfie in bed. Next to these three photos are two school schedules, labelled 'Ashe Winters' Schedule' and 'Vyncent Sol's Schedule'.

On the shelves, the top shelf has a lit candle next to a box of matches. Next to these are 4 books titled 'The Carnival Of Souls', 'Planetary Problems', 'The Purps' and 'Overlord'. The shelf below this has a plant with small white flowers, in a ceramic pot with a blue heart, a red heart, and a purple heart on it. Next to this is a bottle of ibuprofen, and a turned on purple lava lamp. Behind these are more books titled 'The New Generation', 'Island Of Amal- [cut off]', 'Ultraviolent Light', '[cut off] -Don't R- [cut off],' and 'Good Cop, Ghos- [cut off]'

Underneath that shelf is an open drawer with two fairylight chains trailing out. One is in RGB colours and the other is golden. On the closed drawer below that, there is a Welcome to Nightvale sticker.

On the white wall behind Ashe, there is a window to her left. outside the light is golden, and there is a street. Behind Ashe's head is a Thank You Scientist poster of the album Maps Of Non-Existent Places, a Car Seat Headrest poster of the album Twin Fantasy, and a trans flag. There are also messages in smudged ink reading: '[cut off] -ncent was here !!!', 'Ashe. W [cut off] -s here :3', 'DC wus here <3', 'wiwi waz here [ghost doodle]' and 'love u man'

End ID.

[little-miss-dilf-lover]

heyyy. Just had a thought about what would tan would be like on reader's birthday but they aren't together. So readeranf the twins are friends so what kind of stuff would they get her. Feel like tan would get something really meaningful and sweet that is something that he must really listen to what reader says in general to know. And when he gives her it he's reaally awkward and a blushing mess cyz he's worried she won't like it and he's saying stuff like'you can return it if u don't like it' 'its a stupid gift so u probably won't like it'. Love ur stuff recently :))

my baby hi!! sorry this has taken me longer to reply to than I usually would. been a little busy last couple days!! I got a little carried away and I couldn’t stop coming up with things😭💌

TAN GIVING READER BIRTHDAY GIFTS.

but

this guy is so thoughtful that no one can tell me otherwise!! he's a good listener, especially when you think he's not paying attention AND he's got cash to flunk which helps aid his gift-giving abilities so so so...

he's a bit of a snooper, so if he sees a tab open on your laptop or computer and it's a shopping website, he'd quickly click on it and take a picture so that he can remember what it is. maybe he deletes the items from your cart so you can't buy them for yourself

if you and the twins are shopping, and tan sees you eye up something, he'd make a note to pick it up (he's come back in a few hours or next day)

it depends on what things you like - ie flashy designer gifts or gifts for things you need/ can't buy. but he doesn't want to disappoint you so he'd get you something within that category (in that safe sweet spot)

maybe he mistakes things, so if he thinks you like a certain candle scent, he'd get it for you in air freshener form, not knowing that you know there's a difference in the smells (hence why you've never bought it for yourself) so he thinks he's being sweet (he is) but you don't really like the smell, but he's so thoughtful that you say you love the scent name (that makes sense right?)

he goes overboard and definitely puts lem's gifts to shame (even though he got you perfect gifts (I feel like lem just knows what you want and like, and the presents have funny inside jokes))

he tries hard to find the balance between a friendly and romantic gift - not wanting to overstep that line 

maybe your washing machine broke? so he buys you a new one, but a model better than your one before. maybe you mention how your floor seems empty? so he buys you a rug to match your space (would probs ask lem for advice) maybe you mention how you're running low on a lip gloss you like? but he doesn't know the shade name, so he gets you all the shades in that brand/ line so you can pick and choose when you want (it's your go-to one and you have it out often, hence why he knows the brand - he can read the logo) clear, pinks, purples, reds, browns, oranges - he'd get them all 

maybe you mention how you want to liven up your bedroom to match the season? so he buys you new bedding with colours to match your room (again, he asks lem to help) maybe you had your eye on a pair of shoes or boots but they're way out of your price range? guess what? he's had them boxed up and in his wardrobe the whole time (ready to give you on your bday) maybe there's a foreign snack you like but it's near impossible to find? so you bet when he's away for work he hunts around the shops to see if he can find any. ALSO!!!!! if he can, he'd buy loads, like I mean loads and pay to mail them back home so he can give it to you for your bday (dying)

and when it comes to actually giving them to you, he's all nervy and anxious bc he doesn't want you to hate them, so he puts it out there that he's uncertain about what he got you (even though he knows he did a good job) ALSO he really really values your opinion!!! so he says things like "I got the receipt at home if you don't like it" "that one's stupid. I thought it was alright in the shop, but I dunno" "you're hard to buy for (lie) I'll get you better stuff at christmas (or whatever it is you do or don't celebrate)" “I won’t be offended if you swap it” (or return/ refund)

and the reason you have a slight scowl is not bc of the gifts, but bc of what he's saying. like they're PERFECT gifts and he's saying that they're not 

so you're like "how did you even know I wanted that?" and he says how he has his sources yadayada

he's such a cutie pie <3

[somuch-4-stardust]

ABOUT ME! through blinkies nd stamps ☆ pt 1

source, very brief description, and explanation for each image under the cut

from blinkie cafe, bones w text saying "recovering rexic" - i have anorexia nervosa from blinkie cafe, stars in space w text saying "autistic & anxious" - i am diagnosed with ASD and GAD from blinkie cafe, blue pop up box w text saying "TOMMY FRANKLIN" - thats my first and middle names :3

from here, dark blue blinkie with white wings that says "guardian angel"- i like angels a lot :> from this post, blinkie with skulls and text saying "The Black Parade" - mcr reference/album... i love the black parade from here, brown blinkie with light pink text saying "love cant save you only my new powers can" - i was so excited to find this omg its based off a piece of clandestine merch that quotes a line from star wars

from this post, a bouncing line of bones - i just like bones lol. from here, blue blinkie w text saying "HE/HIM" - those r my prns! from this post, black and red blinkie saying "I <3 REVENGE"- for me personally this is a mikey revenge way and pete wentz's "i <3 revenge" clan shirt reference

from this post, a blinkie w a green alien head and text saying "abductable" - aliens hmu and let me leave this planet... from this post, a blinkie with two plushies saying "SQUISHMALLOW"- i love squishmallows theyre one of my special interests and also i am a squishmallow from here, blinkie of a line of discs - i just like cds !!

from this post, flashing red and white blinkie saying "i dont wanna grow up!" - literally just real idk from here, blinkie with handprints that says "Ghost Lover" - i love ghost i am a ghost real true from this, dark green blinkie w a skeleton that says "kick someone enough and they will not get up HAIL THE SUN"- i fw hail the sun!!!!!!!

from here, blue glittery blinkie w text saying "MADE OF STARDUST" - its true im made of stardust. also i love the stars from this post, blinkie of an ipod and music notes w text saying "i love my ipod!" - its true. i love my ipods :D from here, black and pale blue blinkie that says "always sleepy" - i am truly always sleepy!

from this, blinkie that says "what are you waiting for? KISS HER KISS HER" - lyrics from fob's a little less 16 candles which is one of my favorite songs and i love fob yyayayy from here, blue blinkie with an eyeball and bottle of mouthwash that says "mouthwashing" - i quite enjoy mouthwashing (video game) and also this persons blinkies were GORGEOUS from here, a dandelion yellow crayon- u have no idea how excited i was to find this. i love dandelion crayons (discontinued crayola color) and i collect them !!!!!! YAY!

from here, stamp of van gogh's wheat field w cypresses - i lovee van gogh :3 from this post, stamp that cycles through different emoticons - i like and use emoticons :33 ._. 0.0 <3 from this post, stamp that says "Pluto is a planet!" - i believe pluto is a planet and im from Illinois so.

from this post, stamp of a wii u and text that says "i <3 nintendo wii" - AGREE! dark blue stamp saying "FAGGOT"- self explanatory... im gay from here, stamp of the 3ds logo- i love my 3ds!!!

from here, stamp that says "back from the dead!" - they tried to get rid of me but im back (im a ghost literally fr fr) from this post, stamp that says "I <3 minecraft" - i love minecraft !!! from here, stamp w an apple that says "i love apples" - im lowkey obsessed with apples!!!!!!!!!!!

[kotylynnemerrill]

Alrighty y'all,

Can't believe it but here's ch. 10!

As always I hope y'all enjoy it, and again a big thanks to the wonderful @aquamarine-dreamer for helping me edit this beast.

Your Words I Hold Forever Ch. 10

September 19th, 1968  5:58 pm

Thunder clapped loudly as Lexi turned the page of her book.  She glanced up just in time to catch a brief flash of bright light through the store window.

A whisper of breath escaped her lips as she returned her focus to the book.

She and Ash had finished ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ and were now reading ‘The Inhabitant of the Lake and Less Welcome Tenants’ by Ramsey Campbell, a collection of interconnected short horror stories Ash had picked out.

Normally she wouldn’t be reading while in charge of the register, but due to the storm the Dairy had been horribly barren of customers, so she decided to take advantage of the quiet.

Ash, of course, was slightly annoyed by this.  ‘Light work’ he called it, but Kitty, with a self-satisfied smile, reminded him he was still treading on thin ice.  Apparently, ‘what the hell do you want’ is not something you should say to customers, and Ash knew better than to push his luck.

She glanced up again as the storage room door opened and Kitty walked in holding a medium-sized cardboard box in her arms, along with what Lexi assumed was the day’s mail tucked in her left hand.

“Ash still moping?” she asked the blond woman as she set the box down on the floor beside the counter.

Lexi tried her best to ignore the envelopes in Kitty’s hand, but her eyes darted to them anyway, something she did out of habit now.  Always searching for the familiar red and blue border of an air mail envelope.

Her lips pulled downward a little when the only thing she could make out was plain white envelopes.

“Does he do anything else?”

Lexi softly chuckled, earning a smirk from Kitty.

“Okay, we got some flashlights, just in case the electricity goes out, plus some extra candles, matches and batteries.”

“Should we be worried about flooding?”

“Nah.  Everything is supposed to clear up by tomorrow. We might close up shop early though before it gets too bad.  This is gonna go on all night.”  As if to accentuate her words, there was another rumble, closely followed by a loud crack so close Lexi could feel the vibrations through the surface of the counter where her forearms rested. 

Kitty muttered under her breath and turned towards the storage door, “Ash! Come here and take this box to the caddy please.”

There was a muffled response before Ash appeared a few seconds later with a scowl on his face.  He grabbed the box roughly and headed towards the door.  He spared Lexi a glance as he passed her and noticed the book held loosely in her hands.

“Which story you on?”

“One where the killer uses a meat hook to dispatch his victims.”

“He get Mrs. Rion yet?”

“Not yet – wait, he kills Mrs. Rion?”

“Maybe.”

Lexi let out a ‘humph’ in disappointment. “Well damn.” 

Ash snickered as he made his way out the door.

“Jesus, what are you two reading?” revulsion laced Kitty's voice.

“Some murder mystery…it was Ash’s turn to pick,” Lexi replied with a shrug.

“Oh, fantastic.”  Kitty rolled her eyes.  She began flipping through the mail and suddenly stopped, a smile forming on her lips. “Here, take a break from that – I got something better.”

Lexi frowned, confused, as she closed the book, but then saw what Kitty was holding in her outstretched hand.

Red and blue border -  ‘via air mail’ logo with the eagle wings on either side.

“Oh!” She nearly choked as she shoved the book to the side and snatched the envelope from Kitty's grasp. She read her name in his neat angular scroll and clutched the envelope to her chest.

“Go on, go out to the car so you can read whatever mushy word vomit he's written you, and I’ll have Ash help me with closing up.”

Grinning, Lexi hopped off the stool she was sitting on with as much grace as her excitement would allow and rushed Kitty, pulling her into a tight hug.

“Are you sure?” Lexi asked when she let her go. “I can help before –”

“Go on. You've been waiting for this letter. I’m still gonna kick his scrawny ass.” Kitty finished with a shake of her head, more as an afterthought…a reminder.

“Who’s ass we kickin’?” Both women turned to see Ash standing in the doorway, wiping rain from his face.

“Your brother’s.”

 He quickly shut the door and walked over to the counter where Lexi was holding out a roll of paper towels she had pulled from under the counter. “Here.”

 Ash mumbled a ‘thanks’ before taking the roll, tearing off several sheets, and setting it down on the counter.  He dried the rest of his face, forearms, and hands before handing the wet paper towels to Lexi.

She scrunched her nose as she took the soiled trash and tossed it in the small waste basket under the counter.

 “Yeah.” Ash ran a hand over his short dark hair.  “Dumbass – he gotta make it back first.”

“Well, no matter - in this life or the next,” Kitty grumbled. “Now come on. You're helping me count the register, then we're heading out.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Thanks Kitty.”  Lexi gave Kitty another quick hug before grabbing her hooded jacket and putting it on.  She secured the hood over her head and put the letter in the left large side pocket, then tucked the book in the other pocket.

“Where are you going?” Ash asked, exasperation heavy in his voice.

“None of your business – stop bothering her.” Kitty swatted the back of his head.  Ash opened his mouth to protest when Lexi kissed her fingertips and patted his cheek as she passed him before continuing towards the door.

 She barely caught Ash’s unamused ‘what the hell’ as she made her way out the door.

Thankfully it wasn't raining as hard as she thought, but the downpour was steady.  With a sigh, Lexi hugged the jacket tighter around her and darted down the steps and into the rain.

She quickly made it to the passenger side door and practically flung herself into the seat when she got it open. Just as quickly, she shut the door and nearly cursed when she realized she had nothing to dry her hands on.

Lexi settled for wiping them on her jeans, the only part of her that didn’t get damp, and once her hands were dry enough, she pulled the letter from her pocket.

Her hands were shaking slightly as she released the top fold from its seal and pulled the piece of notebook paper free, discarding the envelope on the dash.

She held it in her hands for a moment, letting the sinking feeling in her stomach dissipate.  Why was she nervous? She shouldn't be, her heart told her he would be nothing but supportive, but deep down a doubt had made a home within her. Ugly and nauseating.

She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly.

Maybe it was residual emotions from the fight with her mom, who still hadn’t reached out. Lexi didn't really expect her to, but she had hoped. She still wanted her mother.

Another intake of air.

Just do it – read it!

Lexi unfolded the letter, and her hand instinctively went to the growing swell of her stomach as she began to read.   

*****

Lexi,

It feels like it’s been forever since I last wrote to you.

Wish I could have written sooner, but the past few days have been busy…more like hell, if I’m being honest.

We’ve moved away from our post at Da Nang, and we've settled just outside a small village about thirty clicks (18 miles) south of Hol An.

 This place is beautiful.  It’s incredibly isolated and, of course, surrounded by a ton of jungle, but it's beautiful.  There’s a constant thrumming and everything is incredibly vibrant.

Reminds me a little bit of those fantasy books you've been telling me about. If I can, I'll be sure to start sending pictures so you can see for yourself.

I got your letter on the 1st and I’ve been trying to figure out what to say.  I’ve probably started this letter a hundred times by now, but I keep scrapin’ it every time.

I guess God didn't see it necessary to bless me with the gift of words…not like you. Maybe I don't need them to be all fancy, but I wanna say the right thing, you know?

I’ve never really allowed myself to want things…big things.  The farm, and the family we talked about, those were just dreams…never goals I actually envisioned for myself. 

My life in Cali – the choices I made, a part of me I think kinda always thought maybe it was too risky. Plus, Kitty always made it a point to tell me love was an instinct you couldn’t trust.  And if it did happen…I don’t know, I was always too afraid to let myself find out.

Until now.

Now I find myself thinking about those things all the time…and more and more I’m realizing I want these things – I want them with you.

Something about you…how you make me feel.  The way you treat me like I’m equal, like I’m someone valuable, has changed that. 

And now you’re having a baby.  Our baby – that’s wild.

I’m still trying to process the gravity of what that means.  I can only imagine how you’re feeling.

I want you to know I’m scared too…nearly threw up the first time I read your letter.

This is not how I wanted things to go.  I never meant to get you into any kind of situation. And I sure as hell never meant for you to have to deal with something like this on your own. I will never be able to tell you how sorry I am, especially if things get messy…if they haven’t already.

I can’t stand the thought of being the reason your family is put out with you. I already have a pretty good idea how they gonna feel about me after this. 

I hate that too…

I don’t want that for you.  I don’t want them thinkin’ you’ve ruined your life or that you’re stuck with some deadbeat’s kid.

It makes me angry because a part of me fears that it’s true. I caused this mess and left you to pick up the pieces…not intentionally but…

You deserve a lot more than that…a lot more than me, and I’m sorry I wasn’t more careful.

But I don't regret it. And I could never be mad about something like this.

I can't. Not when it feels like fate, like this thing between us was predestined.

Call it love, or whatever you want - it is what it is, and I can't change it now.  You're it for me.

I want to be able to reassure you that everything will be okay – I hope it will be. But I don’t want to make you a promise I can’t keep.

 But I will promise this….

 You’re not alone in this.  We did this together, and I’m gonna support you no matter what.

I probably don't gotta say it, but if things aren't good with your mom after you tell her about the baby…or if something happens to me, I want you to go to Kitty. She'll look after you – both of you. Whatever you need.

And I have some money saved up…nothing impressive, but it'd be enough to give you a good start - help Kitty and Ash out a little bit too.

It's the best I can do for now.

I imagine Kitty will have a few choice words to say about this, but she loves you just as much as I do. She’s not going to blame you, that’s for sure.

But I don’t want you to worry about that.  Just keep up the prayers (they might actually be working) and do what you need to do to keep yourself right. 

A couple of the guys in my platoon have kids and I thought about asking them for advice…help me prepare a little bit, I guess, but I haven’t done it yet.

I don’t know, I kinda like being the only one here who knows…like it’s my lucky rabbit’s foot or something.

Sometimes it’s hard not to pipe in though when the guys are talking…

My friend Hardy was telling me a story about his little boy the other day, something he doesn't do often - says it's bad juju to talk about personal stuff when you're at war.

It was his son's first day of kindergarten or something like that. I didn’t get too caught up on the details, but he had this look on his face…

Love, pure devotion, pride. He was practically glowing and it floored me a little bit.

I hope I get to experience that, to share that with you.

For now, I guess the letters will have to do, so I want lots of them. Let me know how our kids doing . I’m sure soon you’ll  be learning all kinds of facts.

You should have Kitty take some photos too…one every month so I can see the progress of the bump.

It’s getting dark now, too dark to write, and this torch I got hanging from my bunk is doing a piss poor job as a lamp.

I don’t know what else to say anyway…but I love you and I miss you.

Tell Kitty and Ash I love them too and I'll write them a letter soon. And make sure Ash behaves - he's the man of the house right now and needs to start acting like it. Tell him to keep up with his schoolwork too.

And I want you to tell Kitty about the money - she's not exactly oblivious to my little side hustle but tell her (if she asks) I did it because I wanted to be able to give something back.

P.S.

Kiss the belly for me.

Forever yours,

Fez

*********

Lexi’s eyes stung as she finished the letter, and her hands began to shake again. She slumped back into the seat, letting out a long breath she hadn’t realized she was holding in.  She let the letter slip from her hands as she brought them up to cover her suddenly very warm face.

Kitty opened the driver’s side door as Lexi let out a sob. Ash opened the passenger door a second later…

“Hey –” he paused seeing Lexi was crying. “What’s the matter with you?” Lexi could hear the alarm in his voice, but she couldn’t speak. She was only making soft whimpering noises in response.

“Ash, get in the back seat.”  Kitty scolded, motioning with her thumb.  He spotted the letter in Lexi’s lap and understood. Without another word, he made his way to the back passenger door, opened it, and climbed in.

Kitty climbed in the driver’s seat very slowly, like she was approaching a wild animal or a bomb and shut her door.

“Well, what’s the scoop? He okay?”

Lexi hiccupped and sniffled slightly, as she let her hands fall to her lap.

“He said…he loves us and,” Lexi let out a long sigh.  “And he said sorry it took so long to write. His platoon has moved out of Da Nang apparently. He…,” she swallowed thickly trying to loosen the lump in her throat, but it was too tight and hard to breath.

“Lexi… breathe doll.”

Her lips began to quiver as she swallowed again and took a couple of deep breaths.   “And…” New tears filled her eyes. “He said kiss the belly for him.”  Then the dam broke, and tears flowed down her cheeks again.

“Well, shit.”  Kitty’s own eyes became glassy. “So, he’s on board? Well, of course he is.”

Lexi nodded. 

“Oh Lexi, that’s great.  And he’s okay?”

Lexi nodded again.  Kitty leaned in grasping her by the face and gave her a big kiss on the forehead.

“Oh shit.  I got lipstick on you.”

Lexi let out a watery laugh.  “That’s okay.”

“Someone wanna explain what’s going on please?”

“Nothing bud. Everything’s going to be just fine.” Kitty smiled wide, gently pinching Lexi’s cheeks.

“Yeah…it’s going to be fine.” “He…there’s something he did want me to talk to you about…”

“When we get home. Okay?”

“Okay…”

Kitty nodded and took the keys from her pocket; they rattled as she stuck them in the ignition. With a twist of her wrist, the caddy roared to life.

[invidiia]

Me. I want a darker part 2 of Tachihara x shy/quiet reader. (Not forcing)

i can be your best yet future favorite regret.

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ "d-a-r-k, do it my way." 𖤐 yandere tachihara x reader

tachihara is tired of stalking you. sure - he loves how shy and quiet you are, but in his opinion, no one else should be able to see you that way. he wants to be the only one.

m.list // now playing

[ a/n ; HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAAA i lobe waterparks giys i looobe water0pralsmvv, ignore my tachihara headcanons about how i think his room would look like, and i'm also sorry abt the end being a lil rushed, something shitty happened as i was finishing and yeahh ]

[ warning ; yandere, stalking, kidnapping, obsessive themes, pm!reader, rejection ]

it was a few days after the little date between you and tachihara, and he was restless. he really did love you.

tachihara usually followed you around, going unnoticed while you shopped for things that caught your eye. he was used to seeeing you in random stores in the mall, looking for pretty candles, or shopping for jewelry that you liked.

more times than often, you'll see the exact jewelry you looked at sitting on your desk in a nicely wrapped box. wasn't this too expensive to get? did you buy it and not remember? or was this a gift? it had no notes attached, so who got this?

nonetheless, it was for you, and you found yourself wearing a beautiful sapphire ring on your fingers often. you even wore it on your little date with tachihara! it took almost everything in him not to brag about how he got it for you, but he did compliment it!

you didn't talk a whole lot during the date. tachihara didn't think you would, so he talked enough for both of you! he was so nice, but you just didn't see him the way he saw you.

tachihara was surprised when you turned him down.

"wait, why?" the orange-haired man's confused expression was what you saw when you looked up at him, before quickly looking back down at the floor. "i thought you liked the gifts."

you put your hands up to tell him the truth. "no, no! the gifts were nice, it's just-" tachihara unintentionally interrupted you while you explained. "was it something i said? i'll fix it, i promise."

"let me talk!" the other fell silent. "i just don't see you that way! i wanna be your friend, not.. that!" you stammered out nervously, watching tachihara's expression change.

tachihara nodded, seemingly getting your point now. "you're right, ah.. just forget i told you that, 'kay? i still wanna be your friend.."

and the two of you left it at that. you agreed to keep being friends, but tachihara was distant for a few days. he avoided you like the plague! maybe it was best to just forget about him for now, and you'll talk later. instead, you could go hang out with higuchi and gin! they're both cool as hell anyway, it's not hard to make new friends. maybe it'll help you come out of your shell.

where were you again?

it was someplace new. a darker room, but you could make out a bunch of posters of rock band logos on them pinned to the walls. all the lights were off except for a lamp on a dresser somewhere in the corner. it was dim so you couldn't make out anything beside a few things around it. the room was actually pretty cool, aside from the fact that it wasn't yours.

"hey, wait," a familiar voice called out to you while you tried to sit up. a cold metal slammed against your wrist, keeping you in place. "don't move for a sec, 'kay?" tachihara's voice.

"what happened..? who did this?" you couldn't remember anything from before you passed out, so you assumed someone knocked you out on a mission or something.

your vision was blurry, but you could see a head of orange hair hovering above you. and even though you couldn't tell, tachihara had a worried look on his face. "i mean, it was me.. but it's fine! just chill out for a few, i'll explain later," tachihara sighed, taking your shoulders and moving you to sit up so you wouldn't pass out again.

"let me get up myself," you tried to raise your hands and slap his away, but you still couldn't move your hands, or legs for that matter.

tachihara sat you up, reaching a hand towards your face to rub your eyes for you, since you couldn't. "look, i'm sorry," now you could see clearly and look at the face in front of you. "why would you.." tachihara spoke when your voice trailed off. "i brought you here cause i still love you, i don't just wanna be your friend. i know you don't want it, but i just.." he didn't know how to tell you he wasn't giving you a choice in nicer wording, but you both knew it was what he meant to say.