#cartoon meets reality

[alanshee-keeper-of-realms]

So Chip and Dale Secrets and Lies is about to reach a major milestone, being my longest Fanfiction to date with 30k words(The Master Document has 38k) and with nearly 700 hits. I'm absolutely grateful for everyone showing my wild idea so much love and I am so excited to be writing the next chapters as we get closer to the end.

However, I do have the fear of God when it comes to these upcoming chapters....let's just say that Major Character Death warning is finally gonna come into play and I may have a riot on my hands.

[moe-broey]

Also @ my it takes Sharena to break free from the "Gustav was a good man/Father" Askr family unreliable narrator hivemind. That the Main Reason she can't/doesn't is because it's the One Thing that's protecting her. That's stopping her from having a catastrophic world/life fucking breakdown about it. Heavily influenced by her brother and mother's feelings about it.

There's something else, I think Sharena is specifically protecting herself from too. She was Triandra's sister, too.

[ctkvi]

[R]eality  [M]eets [C]artoon

CTKVI.STORE INSTAGRAM

[kerryweaverlesbian]

You legit have the best spn takes I love the patheticness of Rowena but never actually thought too much about it but your post makes me appreciate that part of her sm

Thank you! People are so nice to me 🥹 she needs to be a little scheming worm who gets maybe two thirds of what she wants maximum. She needs a project. She would be bored of running Hell with no conflict or further goals within about a week. Rowena has wanted the IDEA of running Hell for a long time but from what we've seen of what being monarch of Hell actually IS with Crowley (or, what he made it into) she's going to be bored out of her skull. She looked bored in the episode. She's a schemer!! Let her scheme! It's like if Chandler from FRIENDS just stopped telling jokes forever as his final position on the show and all his (titular) friends agreed it was good for him. Or if Winston from New Girl put down his racoon costume and said "I'm going to become an ivestment banker" and did it with no issues and no silliness that was his endgame. It doesn't feel right.

Anyway!!!!! Pathetic Rowena is so good. When she was trying to build a coven and all the witches were like. Have you forgotten that you're a complete loser??? Or when she "reconnects" with Crowley as his untrustworthy advisor and gives the most obviously scheming bad advice and the only reason he lets her get away with it is because she's his mother and he pities her a little. Or when she manages to get in good with Amara but Amara's like hm. You kind of suck huh. like that's golden.

I would have had, for her final appearance as "queen of hell", she does her whole big grand entrance being carried around by demons (loved that for her), giving (slightly quicker) lofty advice* about working on relationships (because that IS necessary for the theme of the episode) and getting her demons to look for Michael. And THEN after they get the news that he's not in Hell, have one of her demon aides warn her that the actual queen is coming so she's gotta go and the boys are like. The who. What. Meanwhile Rowena is scrambling to get her things and is like 'aye well maybe introducing myself as queen was a tad preemptive, but I will be. Good luck boys, best get out of here sharpish if you want to keep yer heads ❤️" and a specific goodbye to Sam with a kiss on the cheek since she was. His best friend???? and they don't presently have A Moment in the episode. It wouldn't take much. It would also solve the weird place of them being best friends with the queen of hell where - presumably - eternal torture is still happening. Easier to handwave if the position of power is incredibly tenuous like Crowley's was always depicted as.

To conclude. Kiss kiss kiss 💋

*not to be confused with giving Lofty advice, a character from BBC Casualty who crossed over to BBC Holby City and whom I hate with the fire of a million suns.

[spyroz]

i need to make all my characters that live in between realities interact or at least draw them all together. this has been a recurring theme for me for far too long to not have done anything about it

[ithinkthingsaboutstuff]

Ok I saw across the spidervese and i loved it!

But I have been thinking of a mini theory. I think our main spider crew are all are/ have anomaly's in their reality's, (and most of them came from their time with miles)

noir's event was that he brought colour into a world that was not meant to have it (the rubrics cube).

peni's is that her spider suit was destroyed just before she left. (so it could not be destroyed in the 'canon' way on her earth.

Ham had moments of true seniority, he's the one to tell miles "in this job[..]you can't always save everyone." and he has real tears as he leaves, which in the style he is presented in cartoons al a loonytoons by design don't learn/have deep moments of reflection (that aren't jokes/ aren't rug pulls)

pavitr happen when miles saved the captain.

Gwen was not meant to make another friend like her perter again but she found one in miles

and Peter B would not of had mayday without miles influence

I'm not sure about bite and punk, but i do think its interesting that miles has such a profound effect on everyone he meets that they would fight for him and even break the laws of their reality because of him.

[angelhound]

Why does everyone want to take my pants off is this normal. Is it normal for all of your friends to want to fuck you genuinely. I do not think I like it

[toontiedterror]

What is Toon-tied Terror?

In a world where cartoons have their own realm to exist beside reality, you'll meet Bendy, a bright little toon who starred in one of the most popular rubberhose shows and made everyone around him smile with his cheery little grin! At least, he used to.

80 years later, Bendy is now a depressing drunk, violent misanthrope who constantly tries to hunt down the mouse himself to get his revenge for the loss of his one and only pal, Boris.

He'll reach his goal eventually. And no former friends, cartoons from different studios, mobs, sailor boys, knockoffs, or cartoon rules are going to stop him.

First Comic: Toon-tied Terror #1: Bar

[ese1anime]

(Sigh)here we go,my first Au of TADC heheh yaaayyy hope yall like what I got so far of it

If you like BATIM(Bendy And The Ink Machine) then you’ll like what I’m creating for this Au…

Behold!!

Meet the Gang:

Emotion of the others:

🩶:the person

💖:crush

💚:friend/bestie

🧡:normal around

❤️:hate

(For this is the best thing I can come up with on their heights I did my best to keep the height and putting them in a row)

>Lore of the story<><>

For some of us we know that game of bendy and the ink machine has become popular for gamers that have played it or those that seen it along with knowing how virtual reality can bring a whole new side of what’s real but isn’t with headsets.Well what if they both were combined together into a whole new adventure for others to see and experience what it’s like to actually play in a horror game between BATIM and TADC all together called ✨The Amazing

Digital Ink Machine✨

The Digital Studio in a computer that is filmed to bring others that Virtual Reality life that is part of a bendy and the ink machine vibes,where lots of ink flows from the top to bottom and covered in history that is yet to behold of the ink machine.But like most people that get stuck in a virtual world,it takes your soul to another place and into a different body,making it your mission to complete it or be stuck for all eternity (just like jumanji but different 😁).For your soul can contain lots of digital hallucinations when your stuck in a studio for who knows how long and with the ink flowing,places that can be unlocked,and not knowing who you are by then for it makes a person forget their own existence or the life they thought they knew before or what they will become then………

<><><><><><><><><><><>

{}{}The Storyline{}{}{}{

Pomni was put into the system to discover what has happened to those that went missing in the real world and it’s up to her to find the pieces to this adventure she will be taking by Caine 🖤💛🖤

With each path she takes ,she must find each and one of the pieces to fix this mess that has caused a lot of damage to the system and the people that got stuck in the world as well while facing the one that has caused so many to be stuck in this digital world Ink Demon that trapped other players into this place (those that have gone missing and never returned to the real world or to their real bodies)

for Caine[AI] a companion member,comes along to give pomni some company or to help her as he was programmed to do 🖤💛🖤along with the friends that pomni will get to meet as well

Stuff that will be included in this Au:

Studio underground:

For it will bring out circus vibes to it but also make it look like a old cartoon vibe (like bendy and his friends look like)

NPC:

For they are part of the ink and tend to make it a game when facing them or come across their path throughout the quest

ink-Abstractiors:

They are like the abstraction but as giant ink monsters that leave trails of ink when they are found roaming around the area

(For this is what I got so far of the what will be added on here only because I’m working on other stuff more more often,this will be my side project of The Amazing Digital Ink Machine 💛🖤)

<><><><><><><><><><><>

{Boundaries/QnA}

•”Is this a crossover of TADC and BATIM”

Yes it’s kinda like a crossover between the horror game(BATIM) and the show(TADC)

•”Can I draw these characters?”

Sure thing! Love seeing other peoples amazing art As long as you tag me about it cause I don’t tolerate others trying to steal art idea from anyone

•”Can I make an Oc\Fanart of this Au?”

Yes,I would love to see what other bendy vibes for Tadc you come up with for this Au heh

•”Can I write a fic about this Au”

If you got any other ideas of this Au,I would love to see what others like to create of it hehe that would be great ✨

•”Is NSFW allowed?”

Yeeeeaaaahhhhhh Nnnnooooooo thanks but noooo sorrry 😅

•”Is shipping allowed?”

Of course!but most of the ships will be showtime and Bunnydoll more often

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

(If you have any questions let me know just pls be nice cause I don’t tolerate rude behavior on here and I want to make sure others know that as well)

[levshany]

Tandem, this is an AU in which the Collector possesses Philip, and there are a lot of things happening afterwards. but now we’ll just retell how it basically started

@angstyhikka drew a couple of arts and helped me with coloring

This is an alternative development of events after the ending of the fanfic “At The Dawn of The Light” (it's not finished yet, but there is already an AU from the ending, yes). The idea belongs to @lasymit, and I (Lev) picked it up :3

Before King's Tide, all events take place according to canon. And then the following changes occur: the witches capture Philip and lock him in a cave in the Titan's skull. The draining spell is stopped without the help of the Collector, but he himself is not found. His mirror remains lying at the bottom of the pit.

For 10 years, Philip was under a sleeping spell. Everything would be fine, but when the Hexside squad wakes up Philip to make him help them with one super important problem, not only does he become mischievous but he also has problems in his head now. Luz and the team think that Philip is manipulating them (you can't blame them for this, Philip is Philip, even with a leaky memory and a leaking roof, he manages to be such an asshole), and therefore they torture him to force him to cooperate with them.

While Philip was sleeping, a cozy corner appeared in his head, in which there was nothing but a green hill, a small house and an apple tree. There, Philip, in his child form, lives with Caleb, who is a figment of his sick mind. During his 10 years in this mindscape, Philip convinced himself that this was reality. And the Boiling Isles, the cave and the witches who torture him are an endless nightmare. Because, on the Boiling Isles, he sometimes remembers that he killed his brother. But this simply cannot be reality.

At some point, Luz and Hunter realize that Philip is not pretending that he is seriously ill and no matter how much he denies it, he needs help, and they soften towards him somewhat. Although both have rather mixed feelings towards their dementia grandpa.

Even in the moments when Philip remembers himself fully enough, his attitude towards the Boiling Isles, Luz, Hunter and even his own mission has changed greatly in any case. He no longer cares about the destruction of witches and revenge for his brother. Philip is tired. Deadly tired. All he wants to do is sleep. He slept for ten years, and this was perhaps the first time in decades of his life that he felt peace and happiness.

While he is in this state, it happens that he encounter the Collector. This is a difficult meeting for both of them, but it all ends with the forgiveness of all grievances. They both don't want to lose each other now. The collector is still locked in the disk, but Philip has the opportunity to let his friend into his subconscious. Seeing the deplorable state of Philip's mind, he decides that he must help - after all, Philip is still his only friend. Collie asks Philip not to go to "sleep" forever, but Philip replies that he has no joy in waking up here. All he dreams of is never returning to the world of the Boiling Islands. The collector, frightened that his only friend is about to leave him, possesses Philip and promises him that he will get them both out of this nightmare.

This is how Tandem's story begins

a huge amount of detail has been omitted to avoid spoilers for "The Dawn". if you wanna learn more go check the fanfic *wink wink*

[fight-nights-at-freddys]

MASTER POST OF PROSHIP RESOURCES!!! <3<3

this is just for links (bc i just have No Way of formatting this properly), so for more in-depth stuffs and credits, head to the google doc, or the carrd !! :3c

Fiction ≠ Reality

Violent media -

Does Media Violence Predict Societal Violence? It Depends on What You Look at and When

Video Game Violence Use Among “Vulnerable” Populations: The Impact of Violent Games on Delinquency and Bullying Among Children with Clinically Elevated Depression or Attention Deficit Symptoms

Extreme metal music and anger processing

On the Morality of Immoral Fiction: Reading Newgate Novels, 1830–1848

How gamers manage aggression: Situating skills in collaborative computer games

Examining desensitization using facial electromyography:Violent videogames, gender, and affective responding

'Bad' video game behavior increases players' moral sensitivity

Fiction and Morality: Investigating the Associations Between Reading Exposure, Empathy, Morality, and Moral Judgment

Comfortably Numb or Just Yet Another Movie? Media Violence Exposure Does Not Reduce Viewer Empathy for Victims of Real Violence Among Primarily Hispanic Viewers

Fantasy Crime: The Criminalisation of Fantasy Material Under Australia's Child Abuse Material Legislation

Being able to distinguish fiction from reality -

Effects of context on judgments concerning the reality status of novel entities

Children’s Causal Learning from Fiction: Assessing the Proximity Between Real and Fictional Worlds

Reality/Fiction Distinction and Fiction/Fiction Distinction during Sentence Comprehension

Reality = Relevance? Insights from Spontaneous Modulations of the Brain’s Default Network when Telling Apart Reality from Fiction

How does the brain tell the real from imagined?

Meeting George Bush versus Meeting Cinderella: The Neural Response When Telling Apart What is Real from What is Fictional in the Context of Our Reality

loli/shota/kodocon -

If I like lolicon, does it mean I’m a pedophile? A therapist’s view

Virtual Child Pornography, Human Trafficking and Japanese Law: Pop Culture, Harm and Legal Restrains

Lolicon: The Reality of ‘Virtual Child Pornography’ in Japan

Report: cartoon paedophilia harmless

‘The Lolicon Guy:’ Some Observations on Researching Unpopular Topics in Japan

Robot Ghosts And Wired Dreams Japanese Science Fiction From Origins To Anime [pg 227-228]

Australia's "child abuse material' legislation, internet regulation and the juridification of the imaginationjuridification of the imagination [pg 14-15]

Multiple Orientations as Animating Misdelivery: Theoretical Considerations on Sexuality Attracted to Nijigen (Two-Dimensional) Objects

Positive Impact on Mental Health

Art therapy -

The effectiveness of art therapy for anxiety in adults: A systematic review of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials

Efficacy of Art Therapy in Individuals With Personality Disorders Cluster B/C: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Effectiveness of Art Therapy With Adult Clients in 2018 - What Progress Has Been Made?

Benefits of Art Therapy in People Diagnosed With Personality Disorders: A Quantitative Survey

The Effectiveness of Art Therapy in the Treatment of Traumatized Adults: A Systematic Review on Art Therapy and Trauma

The clinical effectiveness and current practice of art therapy for trauma

Writing therapy -

Optimizing the perceived benefits and health outcomes of writing about traumatic life events

Expressive writing and post-traumatic stress disorder: Effects on trauma symptoms, mood states, and cortisol reactivity

Focused expressive writing as self-help for stress and trauma

Putting Stress into Words: The Impact of Writing on Physiological, Absentee, and Self-Reported Emotional Well-Being Measures

The writing cure: How expressive writing promotes health and emotional well-being

Effects of Writing About Traumatic Experiences: The Necessity for Narrative Structuring

Scriptotherapy: The effects of writing about traumatic events

Emotional and physical benefits of expressive writing

Emotional and Cognitive Processing in Sexual Assault Survivors' Narratives

Finding happiness in negative emotions: An experimental test of a novel expressive writing paradigm

An everyday activity as treatment for depression: The benefits of expressive writing for people diagnosed with major depressive disorder

Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process

Effects of expressive writing on sexual dysfunction, depression, and PTSD in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse: Results from a randomized clinical trial

Written Emotional Disclosure: Testing Whether Social Disclosure Matters

Written emotional disclosure: A controlled study of the benefits of expressive writing homework in outpatient psychotherapy

Misc -

Emotional disclosure about traumas and its relation to health: Effects of previous disclosure and trauma severity

Treating complex trauma in adolescents: A phase-based integrative approach for play therapists

Emotional expression and physical health: Revising traumatic memories or fostering self-regulation?

Disclosure of Sexual Victimization: The Effects of Pennebaker's Emotional Disclosure Paradigm on Physical and Psychological Distress

Kink/Porn/Fantasies

Sexual fantasies -

A Critical Microethnographic Examination of Power Exchange, Role Idenity and Agency with Black BDSM Practitioners

Women's Rape Fantasies: An Empirical Evaluation of the Major Explanations

History, culture and practice of puppy play

What Exactly Is an Unusual Sexual Fantasy?

The Psychology of Kink: a Survey Study into the Relationships of Trauma and Attachment Style with BDSM Interests

Punishing Sexual Fantasy

Women's Erotic Rape Fantasies

Sexual Fantasy and Adult Attunement: Differentiating Preying from Playing

What Is So Appealing About Being Spanked, Flogged, Dominated, or Restrained? Answers from Practitioners of Sexual Masochism/Submission

Dark Fantasies, Part 1 - With Dr. Ian Kerner

Why Do Women Have Rape Fantasies

The 7 Most Common Sexual Fantasies and What to Do About Them

Sexual Fantasies

Pornography -

The Effects of Exposure to Virtual Child Pornography on Viewer Cognitions and Attitudes Toward Deviant Sexual Behavior

American Identities and Consumption of Japanese Homoerotica

The differentiation between consumers of hentai pornography and human pornography

Pornography Use and Holistic Sexual Functioning: A Systematic Review of Recent Research

Claiming Public Health Crisis to Regulate Sexual Outlets: A Critique of the State of Utah's Declaration on Pornography

Pornography and Sexual Dysfunction: Is There Any Relationship?

Reading and Living Yaoi: Male-Male Fantasy Narratives as Women's Sexual Subculture in Japan

Women's Consumption of Pornograpy: Pleasure, Contestation, and Empowerment

Pornography and Sexual Violence

The Sunny Side of Smut

Other -

Fantasy Sexual Material Use by People with Attractions to Children

Fictosexuality, Fictoromance, and Fictophilia: A Qualitative Study of Love and Desire for Fictional Characters

Exploring the Ownership of Child-Like Sex Dolls

Are Sex and Pornograpy Addiction Valid Disorders? Adding a Leisure Science Perspecive to the Sexological Critique

Littles: Affects and Aesthetics in Sexual Age-Play

An Exploratory Study of a New Kink Activity: "Pup Play"

Jaws Effect

The Jaws Effect: How movie narratives are used to influence policy responses to shark bites in Western Australia

The Shark Attacks That Were the Inspiration for Jaws

The Great White Hope (written by Peter Benchley, writer of Jaws)

The Jaws Myth [not a study BUT is an interesting read and provides some links to articles and studies]

Slenderman Stabbings

Out Came the Girls: Adolescent Girlhood, the Occult, and the Slender Man Phenomenon

Jury in Slender Man case finds Anissa Weier was mentally ill, will not go to prison

2nd teen in 'Slender Man' stabbing case to remain in institutional care for 40 years

Negative effects of online harassment

How stressful is online victimization? Effects of victim's personality and properties of the incident

Prevalence, Psychological Impact, and Coping of Cyberbully Victims Among College Students

Offline Consequences of Online Victimization

The Relative Importance of Online Victimization in Understanding Depression, Delinquency, and Substance Use

Internet trolling and everyday sadism: Parallel effects on pain perception and moral judgement

The MAD Model of Moral Contagion: The Role of Motivation, Attention, and Design in the Spread of Moralized Content Online

Morally Motivated Networked Harassment as Normative Reinforcement

When Online Harassment is Perceived as Justified

Violence on Reddit Support Forums Unique to r/NoFap

"It Makes Me, A Minor, Uncomfortable" Media and Morality in Anti-Shippers' Policing of Online Fandom

[alanshee-keeper-of-realms]

Timeline of Mickey Mouse's 'Ages'

This is how I explain certain actions, he may have been physically that age already but mentality wise well he was far from it. I do picture especially in the toon meets reality worlds that Mickey had to grow up so to speak.

1927-1939: 16 to 18 very chaotic mischievous but clearly figuring himself and the world out.

1939- 1953: 19 to 24/25 still exploring but more settled into his nice guy persona, also has a bit of temper from youth, much more interested in Minnie then the younger years where it was like a high-school romance

1953 to 2010: 25 to 30 he's really settled into things, he's slightly insecure and this starts to show, however he also starts showing that temper more, possibly the time frame Minnie and him got married off screen they are in their peak years of loving one another and everyone can see it. He's a devoted husband and Minnie plays the excellent wife,

2010-2024- 30 to 40 this is where he runs into one might call it a midlife crisis he starts to lose himself starts to only portray himself as perfect to the public there's not much characterization yet at the same time there's two shows perfectly encapsulating his younger years with how chaotic they are. It's a delicate balancing act that he does not want to break.

Who knows with Epic Mickey we may get to see his characterization once more.

[whore-era]

glue

☁︎ mean!ellie williams x fem!reader ☁︎ themes: grumpy x sunshine trope, reader chasing after ellie ☁︎ summary: in which jackson's sweetest girl crushes on the town's grumpy asshole. ☁︎ a/n: loosely inspired by the cartoon 'puca puca' lmao, hope yall luv this one ♡ ☁︎ word count: 6,883

spring was coming in swiftly, and you couldn’t be more excited. the snow was beginning to melt, and the town was experiencing small spouts of rain, kickstarting the bloom of some of the most beautiful flowers in the surrounding forest. 

it finally gave you a reason to take out your spring-wear and put your thick and heavy winter coats away in the back of your closet. fashion and clothing was a hobby you found yourself engrossed in, taking the time to carefully curate bright outfits and sew together your own unique pieces, utilizing whatever scraps of fabric you could get your hands on. it certainly took your mind off the reality of what went on behind these walls, a responsibility you could never imagine partaking in. everyone in town held those who went on patrol on high pedestals, thanking them for their brave service of facing those monstrosities and protecting us every day. 

thankfully, maria assigned you the responsibility of the town’s animal caretaker. tenderly providing the animals with food, care, and love. it was a job you absolutely dreamed of, always having a deep fondness for animals, even since you were a small child. 

“oh, jeez, minnie, i think you’re about ready to almost pop,” you mutter, feeding straws of hay to minnie, the beautiful, big, brown cow. she was one of two cows you had on the farm and was currently pregnant, ready to give birth to a cute, little calf. 

minnie doesn’t say anything, and chews on the grain instead. but you like to think that minnie understands your shared conversations, and often expresses her opinions in little ‘moos’. it was either that, or you were actually going insane.

“i think we’ll name your baby….buttercup,” you suggest, rubbing minnie’s ears, “doesn’t that sound lovely, minnie?” and she lets out a little snort, inciting a small smile from you.

checking your wristwatch, your eyes widen. “oops, almost time for patrol. i’ll be back later, sweet lady,” you say as you give minnie’s nose a gentle rub. getting up on your feet, you go to the sink and wash your hands, drying them and using another rag to wipe off any dirt or debris from your light blue overalls. 

this was your usual routine. waking up bright and early, heading to the barn to feed the animals, and making sure they have enough water and are groomed. then, you head over to the stables and help the other stableboys get the horses ready for patrol. yeah, the horses were absolute cuties, but a huge part of the reason you volunteered to go to the stables was so you could see ellie williams before patrol. 

ellie williams was a dream. a dream you’ve been wishing for since you were 13 years old. you were enamored with how fearless she was. she was famous in town for her journey with joel, and what the duo survived out in the open world — causing everyone to heavily praise the two, and think of them in high regard. but you could see there was more to her than meets the eye. yeah, sure, she was a little rough around the edges, but who wasn’t after seeing what she experienced? ellie was usually quiet, and reserved, mostly keeping to herself and her close friends and family. 

the younger folks in jackson think ellie was an ass and a big ole’ grouch. always having a grimace gracing her face or a ‘resting bitch face’ that’d intimidate even the most dangerous of bloaters. but those accusations never startled you.

over the years you’ve tried to get closer to ellie, going out of your way to give her gifts and cooking foods you know she likes. it was your way of helping ellie feel better and relax after a stressful day of patrol, and it was the least you could do. sometimes ellie would get a teensy bit annoyed with you, and would occasionally tell you to tone it down, but you just blamed it on her exhaustion due to patrol.

as you brushed shimmer’s mane, you picked up some baby’s breath that bloomed in your mother's garden and began to tuck it into the creases of the braid you were creating.

“do you feel beautiful, shim?” you ask her, “‘cause you look beautiful.” you giggle, rubbing her nose.

putting down the small pail you used to hold the flowers in, your eyes shift to the exit, raking them over the brunette a few feet away from you. your heart flips in your chest, and you let out a small sigh, fawning over her — ellie williams. 

everything moved in a slow, fluid motion as she turned and headed in your direction. it was like a spotlight was shining right at her, following her every movement. you could only imagine how it’d be to have the privilege of being ellie’s girlfriend, to hold her hand, to kiss her goodbye, to nuzzle into her body during those cold winters. it was a fantasy only your diary had the pleasure of holding. 

there was only one girl in this entire town who held the reputation of being ellie’s girlfriend, well, ex-girlfriend. it was dina woodward. they dated for a brief six months, before splitting up and continuing a civil friendship. you weren’t sure what the real reason was for their breakup, but rumors say they ended things because ellie was a terrible partner, never doing anything ‘romantic’ for her or showing any real affection towards her. others say they only got together because they were fooling around when they were out during patrol, and when word of it got out, they thought they’d might as well be together to save face.

but rumors were just rumors and you were never the type of person to believe such things unless they came from the actual source.

your body reacted before your mind could, and before you knew it, you were jogging over towards ellie, throwing your arms around her neck, “good morning, ellie!!”

ellie rolled her eyes, annoyed by the sudden physical contact and loud voice booming so early in the morning. she took hold of your hips, attempting to pry you off her, “alright, alright, that’s enough.”

pulling away and facing her, you smile sheepishly, “sorry, sorry— forgot you hated it when i got a little loud, especially before patrol.”

she huffed, crossing her arms in frustration. ellie knew you as the girl who had this puppy-sick crush on her the moment she arrived at jackson. as young tweens, you chased her around the school grounds, craving any bit of her attention and bothering her whenever the moment arose, like taking every open opportunity to be her partner during class or science experiments. you were the gum on the bottom of her boot, stuck and stubborn, never budging. 

but as the years progressed, she’s learned to tolerate you, thinking you’d eventually get tired of her somehow. giving up after the unreciprocated feelings and chasing after another unlucky fool.

“what happened to shimmer’s mane?” ellie questioned, poking at the flowers adorning the horse’s hair. 

“i braided some flowers in it,” you smile proudly, “she’s cute, huh?”

she nodded mindlessly, and leaned into shimmer’s ear, “i’ll take those off when we get outta here.” 

you made sure to grab the paper bag and held it out to ellie, “i made you lunch again. i left a little note in there, so make sure you read it, m’kay?” you smiled, nodding towards the bagged lunch. 

ellie apprehensively took the bag from your hands, and gave you a curt nod, “yea,” she murmured, “thanks.”

shoving the bag in her backpack, she took ahold of shimmer’s leads, guiding her out of the stables. but you gently touched her arm, “um, ellie.”

she turns slightly, “hm?”

“be safe out there, okay? i’ll be here, waiting for you,” you bite your lip, “and if something happens to you, i’ll— uh— come lookin’ for ya! and i’ll beat those uglies up!”

you smile widely, feeling a bit embarrassed by your word choice, but she got your message. with an awkward smile, she mutters “thanks.”

before she turns again, you move quickly and wrap your arms around her again, giving her a tight squeeze before pecking her on the cheek. a warm, rush of crimson fanned across her cheeks, turning her a bright, cherry red. 

“okay, okay! that’s enough,” ellie groans.

“sorry, sorry,” you pull off and quickly smooth out her clothes, but she just turns away and walks off with shimmer at full tilt. 

as ellie approaches beside jesse, he does a double-take and gawks at her, his curious eyes scanning the face of the girl next to him.

“wow, dude, you look like a tomato-” ellie cut him off.

“shut the fuck up, jess. just shut up.”

as much as you aggravated ellie, she’d be a liar if she didn’t admit to herself that you made her feel something. something she desperately wanted to despise. 

and if there was one thing that was true about her, it was that ellie williams was no liar. 

- 

after arriving at one of the checkpoints along the route, jesse and ellie tied their horses and settled at the abandoned fire lookout tower, taking a much-needed break.

ellie picked off the white florets from shimmer’s hair, letting the small flowers fall to the ground. 

“god, she put so many in here,” ellie muttered, irritated by how many little flowers tangled in the horse’s mane. jesse peered over at her, amusedly watching her peel off the petals and toss them over her shoulder. 

“she ‘do that?” jesse questioned, referring to you as he rummaged through the saddle bag of his horse.

ellie sighed, “yea.” 

“she did a pretty good job,” jesse smiled, “she’s nice for doin’ that.”

she huffed, rolling her eyes for the hundredth time today, “whatever,” she mutters, “shimmer is a brave and strong woman. this shit just makes her look— like a joke.”

the raven-haired boy shook his head in disagreement, “i just think you try to make yourself hate whatever she does.” 

ellie stopped to glare at him, “not true.” 

she didn’t care what you did. she just didn’t want you to involve your perky, bubbly nonsense in her business. ellie thought of you as the complete opposite of her, and being opposites, she couldn’t manage to be around you. you were sunshine, rainbows, puppies, bubbles, and an optimist. ellie was the moon, darkness, crows, horror movies, and a pessimist. two different things. two things that didn’t mix. 

“lies. you try to find every little thing wrong with her, but you can’t admit the truth. she’s the sweetest.” ellie tried her best to ignore the words coming from jesse’s mouth, but she couldn’t. it frustrated her how much he thought you affected her. it was simply false. 

sure, ellie tries to shake off the feeling of pride she gets when you look up at her with adoring eyes and call her ‘brave’ after a day out on patrol, and yeah, she tries to brush away the heat that rises to her face when she sees your face light up every morning when you first see her, but that’s because it doesn’t mean anything. the way ellie blushed rose red after you kissed her cheek this morning meant absolutely nothing. 

“she’s the nicest girl in town,” jesse goes on as the pair take a seat on the wooden steps of the tower, “and you’re being an asshole.”

“yeah, whatever. let’s eat.” ellie attempts to shift the conversation, feeling uneased about all this discussion of you. jesse shrugged, opening his pack and taking out a wrapped-up pack of bison jerky and an apple and took a crispy, juicy bite from the fruit.

ellie took out the paper bag, taking a minute to stare at the ‘for ellie :)’ written in black marker. unfolding the bag, she takes out a tupperware and opens the lid revealing a roasted turkey sandwich on a homemade french roll, freshly made potato chips, a small salad, and a little fruit tart on the side. she takes the small paper in her hand, reading the note you wrote for her:

let me know how you like the food! everything was made this morning and packed with love. be safe and have a great day ellie!

p.s you look pretty today :) 

xoxoxo

ellie suppressed the tiny flutters of butterflies floating in her stomach, blaming it on her evergrowing hunger, and crumpled the note, tossing it back in the paper bag. 

“woah, where’d you get that?” jesse said with a mouth full of jerky, “couldn’t bother to get me one?”

she rolled her eyes, “she always gives me lunch before patrol. you wanna share?” 

jesse shook his head at her offer, “nah, i’m good. don’t think your little housewife would be happy to hear you didn’t finish your food, ma’am,” jesse teased, letting out a chuckle. 

dragging out a groan, ellie closed her eyes before opening them again, “she’s not my— oh, fuck off.”

she chucked a chip at him, the crispy snack hitting him on the shoulder as he laughed again. 

there were a lot of things ellie’s didn’t like about you, but she had to admit, you were a damn good cook. 

-

the sunshine was something you’ve grown to appreciate during your time in jackson. as the winters can drag out for months, you took every opportunity to bask in the sun outside when the weather deemed it possible to do so. during the hotter months in town, you loved getting dressed in flowy dresses and letting the sun kiss your skin tan. it was a treat you and the rest of the people in town enjoyed, especially when everyone took their loved ones to the lake nearby and waded in the cool, fresh water.

after ellie left for patrol in the morning, the weather decided to look up and the sun beamed brighter in the clear, blue skies today, giving you the perfect chance to change out of your overalls and into a cute blouse with puffy sleeves and a pair of blue denim jean shorts. 

sitting on a bench perched outside the fence of the cow’s pen, you let yourself relax, soaking up the warmth radiating from the sunshine and occasionally taking sips from the ice, cold lemonade mrs. meyers made for the workers. 

your ears perked up at the bustling clanks of the main gates opening. sitting up and shielding your eyes from the sun, you take a look and see that ellie and jesse are back from patrol. jumping up in excitement, you set your drink down and sprint over to the stables, excited to see ellie again.

“ellie!” you yell out as she hops off her horse. with wide eyes, she hurriedly hides behind jesse, taking advantage of his taller height and wider build.

“cover for me.” ellie mutters to jesse. 

winded and breathing heavily from the run, you clutch your abdomen and catch your breath, “where’d ellie go? i just saw her.” 

jesse smirks, and ellie looks up at him. don’t you dare. don’t you dare. don’t you fucking dare. 

he steps aside, revealing ellie, hunched forward in a pathetic attempt to hide from you. 

“she’s right here.” jesse smiles, and walks away, staring at ellie as he leaves the both of you alone. 

ellie throws a quick glare his away, before standing up straight and clearing her throat, “hey— uh— i was just fixing my— uh..jacket.”

it was a wretched sight to see. ellie’s lame excuse for avoiding you. if it were anyone else, she’d have no problem telling them to ‘fuck off’ and to leave her alone. but with you, she didn’t have the guts to tell you she was avoiding you. why? she didn’t know. maybe she didn’t want to see your feelings hurt. 

but you were oblivious to this. it was a regular occurrence for you to miss things and let them go right over your head, but it was because you saw the good in everyone, even ellie. 

“how was patrol? see anything interesting?” you pondered to ellie, walking alongside her as she begin her trek back to her house. 

“nah, just the same old shit,” ellie speeds up her pace, and you struggle to keep up with her long legs, nearly stumbling over your own.

“so, uh, ellie,” you stammered, “i wanted to ask if you were doing anything tonight?” 

this was your corny way of asking her on a date, something you’ve been wanting to do for ages. 

“uh, yeah—” ellie scratched the back of her neck, “i’m real busy tonight.”

false. ellie’s evening consisted of smoking a joint and immersing herself in volume 14 of her favorite comic book. but she already knew, there was no telling what’d happen if she were to be alone with you. 

ellie strictly kept her distance from you and always made sure there were other people around you two while talking. it was her way of being in control. she was terrified of what would happen if her feelings were to rise to the surface and reign sovereignty over her. 

“oh okay,” you thought for a moment, “how about tomorrow night?”

“uhh, not available tomorrow either. sorry.” ellie avoided your gaze, instead letting her eyes fall to the ground, but to her inconvenience, her eyes gravitated to the sight of your bare legs underneath those shorts, only imagining what she’d do if she could feel the smooth skin under her fingertips. 

ellie pushed her thoughts to the side. this is what she didn’t want. she couldn’t let herself think these vile thoughts. she couldn’t let her guard down. she couldn’t allow herself to trust and be vulnerable. ellie had to control herself, doing whatever means necessary to keep you far, far away.

“hmph, okay. it’s fine,” you frown for a moment before forcing a smile on your face, “maybe another time.” 

“mhm, sure.” 

as you turn away and head in a different direction, ellie let her eyes watch you walk away, ignoring the tight squeeze in her heart that occurs every time you leave. she knew whatever she did, her feelings for you only grew, scaring her more than any clicker could. 

that evening, you prepared the farm animal's last meal for tonight and filled up their water basins. but you couldn’t focus, your mind distracted by that certain green-eyed girl. it was almost wearisome having these many feelings for one person, your mind consumed by her very existence, to the point where you couldn’t even focus on work. 

startling yourself, you feel the pointy straws of hay poking your legs as you overfilled minnie’s feeder. 

“ugh, minnie,” you groan, “ what the heck am i gonna do with ellie?” 

you grabbed the broom, and began sweeping the stray hay that fell onto the floor, letting yourself vent to the cow. 

“i know, i know, everyone might think she’s a big ole’ grump,” you begin, “but i don’t see her that way. she’s so brave and she’s so smart! i see her reading her astronomy books all the time.”

you smile at yourself, the image of ellie sitting on the brown wicker chair on the porch pops in your brain. “when it gets late at night, i see her doodling the stars and planets,” you fawn, “shh, don’t tell her i told you that.” 

you sigh, leaning your cheek against the top of the broom’s handle, “she’s just so— amazing. a real special person. she deserves everything in the world for all she does.” 

as silence fills the barn, you gasp, minnie’s eyes widening in surprise. “maybe i’ll do something big for her. to show her how much she means to me.” 

you lean the broom against the wall, “thank you, minnie. for always listening to me.” you rub her head before you scurry out of the barn, heading home to lay out your plans. leaving minnie to chew on the straws of grain. 

- 

february 14th

“fucking shit!” ellie yelled, throwing her backpack off her back, creating a loud thud as it landed on the floor of the weapon’s armory shed. today’s patrol was particularly grueling today as she and jesse were confronted with two bloaters and four raiders. after a gruesome fistfight with the raiders, all the men did was loot their weapons and supplies and left them alive with their horses. they were considered extremely lucky, as in most cases, the raiders would’ve left them dead. 

“c’mon, we did good out there,” jesse remarked attempting to lighten the mood, but he should’ve known there was no worth in trying to cheer up an already pissed-off ellie. 

“yea, talking as if we didn’t almost fucking died today,” ellie snapped, “two separate times.”

“you know what you need?”

“what?”

“to blow off some steam. get cleaned up and head over to the bar,” jesse smirked at her, but she rolled her eyes, not wanting to do anymore socializing after the dreadful day she had. 

“not today, jess. i jus’ wanna go home, get this shit off me, and sleep for ten hours.”

“c’mon, you buzzkill. it’s valentines day after all,” he sighed, “you gonna spend it cooped up alone in your room?”

“yup.”

“please, ellie. just come with me. let’s celebrate our win today.” 

ellie thought for a moment, and knowing jesse would never take no for an answer for things like these, she reluctantly agreed, “fine.”

- 

unlike ellie, you were beaming, reeling in the ecstatic mood your favorite holiday has brought. valentine’s day was a day for love and celebration in the town of jackson. the local kids would decorate the buildings with red and pink heart streamers and maria always hosted a lovely get-together filled with delicious food, good music, and slow dances.

your heart skipped a beat at the thought of slow dancing with ellie — her hands on your waist, your arms slung around her neck, your bodies swaying ever so slowly along the rhythm of the song.

your hands fixed the pink ribbon in the back of your hair and adjusted some strands of hair to frame your face. you swiped some oil across your lips to give them a sheen gloss and adjusted the long sleeves of your red dress. you felt pretty. 

scrambling towards the kitchen, you flip open the white box, doubling checking the cake and making sure it didn’t need any last-minute toppings. satisfied with your baked creation, you closed the box and secured it in your hands, preparing to head out the door and make your way toward the tipsy bison.

during the walk there, you quietly rehearsed the speech you had prepared in your head. you were a bundle of nerves as you anxiously ran through the words over and over again, hoping by the time you made it to the bar, you got it down and wouldn’t make yourself look like a complete fool in front of ellie and her friends.

one of your hands pushed against the doors of the bar, the bell tinkling as you entered the establishment. you greeted a few familiar faces and smiled at barry, the regular bartender. but your mind was set on finding ellie, nothing less, so your eyes scanned the area and settled on a certain brunette who was sitting at a booth, amongst her chattering friends as she sipped on a glass of bourbon. 

you couldn’t help the smile that curled on your lips, “ellie!”

the brunette snapped her head at the sound of her name, but she let out a despondent groan after realizing it was you. she wasn’t in the mood nor did she have the patience to deal with you tonight, but nothing could stop you from heading in her direction. 

“ah, shit. she’s coming.” ellie takes a long swig of her drink, hoping the alcohol would make this entire ordeal more tolerable.

“be nice, ellie.” dina snapped as you approached their table. 

you smiled at everyone — jesse, dina, kelly, evan, ellie — and greeted them with a “happy valentines day everyone!”

everyone smiled and held up their drinks in acknowledgment as your eyes flickered on the girl in front of you. “can i talk to you, ellie? alone?”

a mixture of excitement and nerves flooded your body as you were getting ready to execute your plan.

ellie, however, was growing more worried and worried by each passing second. your little red dress was the first thing that caught her eye. the way that it hugged your figure and sat right above your knees to reveal the bare flesh of your legs made her want to protect you from the staring eyes of all the men in here and beat them into a pulp for thinking whatever perverted thoughts that clouded their head. the second thing that got her attention was the shine of your lips and how it managed to make them look pouty and tempting to kiss, an urge ellie had fought so hard to restrain. 

she cleared her throat, and laid back nonchalantly, trying to exude this false sense of confidence, “you can say it here.”

you swallowed thickly, “here? i-in front of everyone?”

“yup.”

looking around nervously, you hesitantly agreed as her friends had their eyes on you, completely immersed in your interaction. 

“alright, i guess i’ll just— come out with it.”

you took a deep breath to soothe your nerves. “ellie, we’ve known each other for years now, and in that time, i’ve– uh— grown to really, really like you. i think you’re so pretty and one of the bravest people in town— and— and you’re so intelligent, the way you know so much about space and stuff.”

if someone were to put a tomato next to ellie’s face, the resemblance would be uncanny. 

“what i’m trying to say is— is that i really hope you could give me a chance— give us a chance— and let me take you out on a date and show you how happy i can make you,” your voice shook, “i swear, ellie. i’d make you the happiest girl in the world.”

you opened the box to reveal a heart-shaped cake covered in pink frosting with the words ‘be mine’ in red buttercream and held it out to her. 

ellie was aghast, and she didn’t know what to say. her mind was going a mile a minute, and numerous emotions were shooting through her body. ellie felt so special and loved, a feeling she rarely ever experienced. she was frozen, yet the next words that would utter in her mouth would leave her regretting ever coming to the bar.

“i’m sorry. i— i don’t think i can do this.”

your brows furrowed, “wh-what do you mean?

“you. you’re too much. you’re always hovering, always around, always calling out my name when you see me. you follow me around and i’m sick of it,” ellie couldn’t stop the words from leaving her mouth, “please, just— leave me alone.”

the moment the words fell from her lips, she immediately felt regret. guilt washed over her the minute she saw your face fall and eyes fill up with tears. fuck. she didn’t know what made her lash out at you like that— perhaps it was the alcohol or the fucked up day this was, but she knew there was no excuse to say any of those things to you.

your lips wobbled, and a tear rolled down your cheek, “ellie williams,” you squeaked, “i never wanna see you again.” 

you dropped the boxed cake onto the wooden floor, the frosting flinging everywhere, and ran out of the bar. ellie wanted to run after you so badly, to take you in her arms and kiss your tears away, but she couldn’t. she was a coward. 

“congratulations, you just got 1st place for being the biggest, fucking asshole.” jesse snapped, but ellie didn’t bother responding, knowing what he said was true.

- 

ellie didn’t see you for a week after valentines day, and that transition from hearing your voice call her name every morning, feeling your arms wrap around her neck to hug her before she leaves, and enjoying your home-cooked meals to nothing at all was like night and day. it was quiet and silent, and all the color that filled her days was suddenly drained to a mere gray without you. 

ellie thought that maybe you were just purposely avoiding her, so she started showing up early at the stables before she left for patrol, but you were never there. then, she started walking around the barns, to see if you were occupying your time by tending to the animals, but no, you weren’t there either. 

unbeknownst to ellie, you spent the entire week at home, sulking in your pajamas and shoveling your favorite junk foods in your mouth while watching your favorite 90’s romantic comedy as an effort to mend your broken heart. you couldn’t bear the embarrassment of leaving the four walls of your home after being humiliated by ellie. 

after spending your days cooped up at home, you finally felt ready to come back to work at the barn. it was currently early in the morning, and you just opened the gates to the fence, letting minnie, the chickens, and a couple of the sheep graze on the grass.

as ellie walked towards the stables for patrol, she caught a glimpse of you from her peripheral vision and nearly broke her neck doing a double take. she knew it was you because you were the only one in this town who owned a pair of bright, yellow overalls. 

there you were, leaning against the wooden fence watching the animals as the sun sat on the edge of the horizon, painting hues of violet and saffron across the sky. ellie appeared next to you, leaning her arms against the wood surface. 

“uh, hey.”

you ignored her.

“how’re things?

silence.

“the animals doin’ okay?”

quiet.

“are you just gonna keep ignoring me?” yes. 

you sighed and turned to head back into the barns, not bothering to look at her. 

“i guess i deserved that.” ellie mutters, watching you walk away. she knew needed to apologize to you and she knew just the way to do it. 

- 

the day after ellie’s failed plan of getting you to talk to her, she conjured up a way to apologize to you.

as ellie was coming back from patrol, she carefully held the bouquet of vibrant, golden sunflowers in her hands. she remembered to bring her switchblade to cut them off of their long stems and tie them together into a beautiful bunch.

she knew how much you loved sunflowers, and remembered how you always used to beg her to take you outside of the gates so you could go collect some so you can plant your own. 

with a little pep in her step, ellie was confident that you would love the gift she got for you and you’d surely talk to her again in no time. everything would go back to how it was before. 

ellie approached the entrance of the barn, seeing you tend to minnie and rubbing the side of her belly. a ghost of a smile made its way onto her lips, and she walked towards you, tapping you on the shoulder. 

your head snapped around and looked at her, a neutral expression on your face. no more bright smile.

ellie coughed nervously, and she handed the bouquet of sunflowers to you, “here, these are for you,” you took them from her hands, “they’re pretty, just like you.”

you cautiously looked down at the posy of marigold sunflowers. 

she fucking loves them. i could tell already, ellie thought to herself. she had to suppress the proud smirk that was about to appear on her face. 

but you did something even ellie couldn’t predict. 

you picked one flower from the bunch, and you began feeding it to minnie. minnie took the floret in her mouth, and smacked on it contentedly, clearly enjoying her mid-afternoon snack.

as minnie chomped on the rest of the bouquet, you turned your heel and left ellie alone to her thoughts. 

“god, i’m so dumb,” ellie groans, and she peers at the small brown mammal, “at least someone likes them,” she comments as minnie looks at her with big, brown eyes.

-��

the next morning, ellie came to the stables early, hoping you’d be there, and to her surprise, you were.

ellie had came up with a new game plan to apologize to you. her first mistake with the bouquet was that she was trying to ‘woo’ you with gifts, but maybe what you needed was for her to just be honest with you and to open up. that was what ellie spent the rest of her night doing, writing a deep letter about her feelings for you and how sorry she is for telling you all those horrible things. 

as usual, you were with shimmer, brushing her coat and making sure she was groomed. from the corner of your eye, you could see ellie coming towards you, and you braced yourself.

she stopped in front of you and handed you a red envelope with your name on it. taking it from her hands, she smiles at you and takes shimmer’s leads from you, gently guiding her away. 

ellie took the time to put on shimmer’s saddle and to pack her bag with some extra treats for her during patrol, but she couldn’t help but think of your reaction to her letter. she imagined the smile that graced your face as you opened the letter and saw the little stickers adorning the border of the paper and reading over the black ink. 

but ellie was wrong. very, very wrong. 

as ellie turned her head to sneak a peek at you, she was startled to see you already looking straight at her. maintaining eye contact, you ripped up the letter and tossed it in the pile of horseshit. you brushed off your hands and walked away, feeling accomplished by your petty deed.

ellie turned to shimmer, “i guess i should’ve seen that one coming.”

- 

after a couple of days contemplating what to do with you, ellie decided enough was enough and that she was going to confront you, no matter what. 

the sun had already set, and the moon had overshadowed the dark, night sky. ellie climbed up the stairs of your house, and pressed three loud knocks against your door, adjusting the straps of the guitar gig bag on her shoulders. 

at first, she thought you weren’t going to answer the door, but after a momentary silence followed by a couple of sounds of shuffling, the door swung open. 

ellie assumed you were about to go to bed, as evidenced by your oversized sweatshirt and pajama pants hugging your hips. 

“hi,” you greeted, the sound of your voice surprising ellie after not having heard it for a while.

“hey,” ellie replied, “can i come in?”

you move aside, giving her room to step inside your home.

“where are your parents?” ellie queries, knowing they’d usually be home around this time.

“upstairs, asleep,” you nudged your head towards the hallway, “we’ll talk in my room.”

ellie follows behind you as you lead the way to your bedroom, opening the door and plopping down on your bed. she closes your bedroom door and slowly walks around, almost as if she’s scared to make any sudden movements.

she finally sits on your desk chair in front of you, taking off her guitar bag and setting it down on the floor next to her.

you weren’t sure what compelled you to finally talk to ellie and let her in your home, but you couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease and anxiety. there was no telling what she was really here for.

“i came here because i wanted to apologize,” ellie murmured, “i’ve been trying to apologize for a couple of days now and i’m gonna keep on trying because what i did was really, really shitty.”

you were silent for a brief moment, “...yeah. it was shitty.”

ellie sighed, “i’ll apologize a million times if you want me to.”

“ellie— you don’t get it. you humiliated me in front of the whole town,” your voice cracked, “i don’t think i could forgive you that easily.”

her heart squeezed in your chest seeing the tears well up in your eyes and hearing the little sniffles coming from your nose. it was her fault you were hurt. she did this.

ellie got up and sat on your bed next to you, letting her feelings overcome her and allowing herself to wrap her arms around your frame, holding you close as you cried into her hoodie.

you pulled away from her chest, looking up at her with glossy eyes, “i was nothing but nice to you, els. you could’ve told me something if i was bothering you,” you wiped a tear, “i would’ve left you alone.”

ellie sighed and brushed your hair out of your face, her entire demeanor softening as she was consumed by your presence, “i didn’t want you to leave me alone.”

“huh?” you gave her a confused look.

“look, i’m not really good at showing my feelings. whenever i try to express how i feel or whatever, it goes sideways and i end up fucking up,” ellie explained, “i really do like you, a whole shit ton. i love everything you do for me and i love how you’re always there and how you wear these crazy bright colors and how you talk to the animals in that one baby voice.”

heat rose to your cheeks and it was impossible to hide the blush that spread across your nose.

“i want to be with you,” she confessed, “i just get terrified of being vulnerable and opening up. love makes you do crazy shit and i don’t know— i hate not being in control.”

you were silent, thinking carefully of what to say next. ellie was internally begging for you to say something, anything.

“love means taking risks and being out of your comfort zone, els,” you whispered quietly, “take the leap.”

ellie soaked in your words. take the leap. take the leap. take. the. leap. 

her hand cupped your cheek and she leaned in, pressing her lips against yours, tasting the salt of your tears. ellie’s lips moved gently against yours, not wanting to show any urgency toward you.

she felt your hand creep up to the side of her neck, rubbing against her soft skin as you deepen the kiss. 

ellie pulls away, leaning her forehead against yours, “i’m sorry, baby. please, i can’t bear being without you,” she whispers, “i’m so, so sorry. i’ll never be an asshole to you again.” 

“i’ll forgive you this one time, williams,” you murmur, “but don’t take my kindness for weakness.”

ellie pulled away, taking her acoustic guitar out of her bag and placing it in her lap.

“here, let me sing you a song i know you’ll love.”

ellie’s fingers strummed the strings, playing a chord.

i’ve never known someone like you

tangled in love, stuck by you

from the glue

her voice sang the lyrics to your favorite song, eliciting that beaming smile she’d missed so badly.

don’t forget to kiss me 

or else you’ll have to miss me

i guess i’m stuck forever by the glue

a tear rolled down your cheek, as you were overwhelmed with joy at the site of her singing. something not too many had the privilege of experiencing. 

finding the right words to use for this song

i have you in mind

so it won’t take so long

never thought i’d find you

but you’re here and so i love you

as the lyrics left ellie’s lips, she knew she’d chosen the right song to sing for you. as this song described everything you both have gone through, being attached to each other like glue.

i’m not wrong when i say i’ve been stuck

by the glue onto you

i’ve been stuck by glue

right onto you

i’ve been stuck by glue

the song came to an end, and ellie placed the guitar down, feeling unnerved from you watching her sing for the first time. you sniffle and smiled, throwing your arms around her and hugging her tightly.

“i loved it! you were amazing, els!” you quipped, inciting a small laugh from ellie.

“glad you liked it, babe.”

you pull away slightly to face her, “gosh, how i missed you,” you exasperate, “it was torture having to ignore you for days.”

ellie lets out a laugh, “oh yeah? if anything, i think out of the both of us, you’re the meaner one.”

you smile and shrug your shoulders, “what can i say, williams? you bring out that side to me.”

ellie smiles and pecks your cheek, “and you bring out the softer side to me, baby,” she points out, “isn’t it ironic? we’re total opposites yet we bring these sides out of each other.” 

“yeah, it is a bit funny,” you giggle, “but i wouldn’t have it any other way.”

♡♡♡♡♡♡

[venus-haze]

You're My Best Friend (Homelander x Reader)

Summary: Homelander was a test tube baby, raised in isolation in a cold, clinical lab. But that doesn’t inspire America, does it? Vought tasks you with creating the idyllic backstory for its hero, and what starts as a limited comic run spirals out of control when Homelander himself demands your help in making the story a reality.

Note: Gender neutral reader, but no other descriptors are used. Based on a request by @crash-and-cure as well as a bastardization of one of the sweetest love songs ever written (sorry, John Deacon!) This got kinda meta? Do not interact if you’re under 18 or post thinspo/ED content.

Word count: 2k

Warnings: Emotional manipulation, I guess some gaslighting on Homelander’s part? Do not interact if you’re under 18.

When Vought hired you to create their long-awaited Homelander origin comic series, you were thrilled—until they gave you so little information about his childhood to work with, you weren’t even sure you could come up with one comic, let alone the ten they requested. The details about his childhood were minimal, not even a full printed page—a loving mom and dad, played baseball, did well in school, strong sense of justice from a young age, his friends called him “Johnny.” Your requests to meet with Homelander so you could get some stories from the man himself were constantly denied.

You almost considered dropping the project, until you decided to throw caution to the wind and pull from your own childhood and set it in good ol’ generic suburbia. Some of the storylines were based on your own experiences or things that had happened to people you’d grown up with, though you changed enough names and details to not link it to anyone in particular. Except yourself, of course. Using a pseudonym professionally meant you felt no need to change your own name in the comics. Sure, making your cooler fictionalized self Homelander’s childhood best friend was a bit self-indulgent, but no one would know, really.

To your relief, the editors at Vought loved your ideas, making minor changes before bringing the storylines to their comic artists to bring it to life. The result was Finding Homelander: A Boy’s Journey To Be a Hero. The issues flew off shelves when they were first released, ironically praised for their relatability and authenticity. Vought extended your contract, asking you to produce the cartoon adaptation and another ten issues.

Still, in all of that, you’d never met Homelander. A representative from Vought emailed you to let you know to tune in to his interview on a talk show one day, saying that he’d be talking more about the cartoon project on it. You recognized the host, Tracey, always chipper and having some extravagant giveaway for her audience members. Daytime TV was never your thing, though.

“I think what resonates with so many people is how relatable your childhood is,” Tracey said, holding up a copy of Finding Homelander issue #3, where he saved ‘you’ from getting hit in the face with a baseball at one of his games, catching it with ease. It’d been the happy ending to a short storyline of him struggling to find his place on the team and you encouraging him to not give up. “You and Y/N were pretty close, do you still keep in touch?”

“You know, Tracey, not as much as I’d like, unfortunately. Adulthood can be so busy, you need to cherish those childhood memories,” Homelander said. “I did give them a call when the comics first came out, and wow, the laughs we had over those old antics of ours. Talk about a walk down memory lane!”

You guessed the bullshitting was all part of the promotional circuit for Homelander. Knowing this childhood of his was your own fabrication, you couldn’t help but wonder what else about him was fake. Maybe he wanted to maintain his privacy, you could certainly understand that. You couldn’t shake the voice in the back of your mind that said it wasn’t so simple, that the narrative Vought pushed was a cover to hide something in Homelander’s past.

“Now, I’ve heard rumors of a cartoon show based on the comics in the making, is this true?”

“It is! I’m excited for this project, getting back to my ‘roots’ so to speak. I’ll be voicing myself, of course, but it’s funny you’d bring up Y/N, because they’ve agreed to voice themself, too.”

“How fun!” Tracey exclaimed over the roar of the talk show crowd’s applause and cheers. “I guess this is the hopeless romantic in me, but I hope this reconnection leads to something a little more. I’m just a sucker for childhood sweethearts!” 

Homelander laughed along with the host’s giggles, “Well, you never know.”

You balked at the television, mouth agape. Surely he couldn’t be talking about you. ‘Y/N’ could be anyone with your same features. Vought had probably hired a professional voice actor for the role and were pushing the authenticity angle. The whole situation felt odd. 

When you checked your work email again on your phone, you nearly dropped it on the floor. 

SUBJECT: Meeting with Homelander This Week

The email contained a list of days and times throughout the week wherein Homelander would be free, apparently wanting to meet you to thank you for the success of the comic series and discuss upcoming work. Yeah. That last part you sure as hell wanted to discuss too. You responded with the soonest time available, in a meeting room in Vought Tower the following evening. As soon as you hit ‘send’, you wondered what exactly you were getting yourself into.

Anticipation filled your gut as you went about your day leading up to meeting the supe himself. What would he be like, really be like? Was there even a version of Homelander that wasn’t hopelessly manufactured for the masses? You knew then that his upbringing was a lie, and thus stood the probability that so much else was, too. 

When you stepped into that meeting room, you hadn’t been expecting his face to light up at the sight of you. 

“Homelander, hi, it’s great to—“

“No need to be so formal, Y/N! You can call me Johnny, just like old times,” he said cheerfully, in on a joke you clearly hadn’t been aware of.

“Sorry, Johnny,” you said, playing along. “It’s great to see you again.”

He pulled you in for an unexpected hug that you returned. “Figured we should catch up before things really start getting crazy, don’t you think?”

You nodded, your nose brushing against him as you did so. Just as your lips parted to offer an apology, he smiled, shooing away the assistant who’d accompanied him out of the room. 

He sat down, motioning for you to do the same.

“Gotta say, I’m a fan of your work,” he said.

“Thank you,” you said. “I’m not sure I understand exactly what’s going on, though.”

“What’s there to understand? I’m not allowed to know more about my best friend, our lives together growing up?”

“How did you know it was me?”

“Wasn’t hard for me to put two and two together, but considering everyone else around here has their head up their asses, they have no idea,” he said, before lowering his voice conspiratorially and giving you a charming smile. “I haven’t told anyone. What’s a secret between friends?”

You nodded, overwhelmed by the intensity of his attention on you. “What do you want to know?”

He sighed, resting his head on his hand. “Everything.”

So you told him. Not quite everything, of course, but enough to abate his curiosity. At least for the time being. His interviews were sharper, more specific with details rather than rattling off whatever had been in the comics. You watched in shock as convincing photos of his Little League days were posted to his social media accounts, anecdotes provided by his increasingly frequent conversations–or more like interrogation sessions–with you, but in his style, of course. It was almost scary what the graphic design team at Vought could accomplish, not that you’d ever know how, exactly, as they were all under the same strict NDA that you were.

He started spending more time with you, too, and after a while, it did seem like you were old friends. Part of you flinched whenever you called him Johnny, because Johnny wasn’t even real, but with your complacency, this fabrication was slowly morphing into a strikingly tangible memory. With each conversation, he drew you deeper into the world you’d been paid to create for him until you found yourself slipping up.

You’d been showing him a goofy stuffed monkey on your desk, a cute little thing with big sparkling eyes. A prize for getting two out of three at the ring toss. Probably spent more money winning it than it was actually worth, but it was about the effort, the memories made.

“You remember, don’t you? You won it for me at the county fair,” you said without thinking.

He laughed in agreement, as if he actually had. Except he hadn’t. Your high school boyfriend won it for you a week before graduation. Sensing the mood shift, he set down your prize and looked at you with the same intensity he had when you first met.

“It’s been a while since we were there, huh?” he said. “Why don’t we go back?”

You furrowed your eyebrows. “Go where?”

“Home.”

With a strong arm around your waist, he took off for your hometown. You could hardly tell which way was up or down, he was flying so high, but he didn’t seem to mind the way you clung to him at all. When he finally landed, you recognized the community baseball field where all of his fictional games were set. 

“Geez, it’s like nothing’s changed,” he said cheerfully.

You looked at him in disbelief. How long was he going to expect you to go along with it? Or maybe the question you should have been asking was, how long were you going to enable him? The end wasn’t anywhere in sight as he took your hand, and you walked him through your childhood, further enmeshing him in it until you arrived at the house you grew up in. 

The middle of the day, no one was home, and so you let yourselves in like you owned the place. Suddenly, the house seemed too small for a man like Homelander to occupy, but he was engrossed in the details of it. He scanned the kitchen, no doubt inspecting the contents of the fridge and cabinets with his x-ray vision. Moving onto the living room, he stared at photos on the wall, the magazines and DVDs that were strewn on the coffee table, giving away your parents’ taste in entertainment.

“Which one was your room again?” he asked.

You swore you could feel his breath on the back of your neck as you wordlessly led him to your room. Each step down the hall felt dangerous, as if you were about to walk into a trap. Face-to-face with the closed door, you opened it, standing aside while Homelander looked around, from what you had hanging on the walls to the knick-knacks you’d left behind.

An uncomfortable tension settled over the room when Homelander closed the door of your childhood bedroom. An odd blend of hurt and amusement spread across his face as he observed the way you were eyeing him, body ready to fruitlessly run from him the way a rabbit would a hawk.

“C’mon, after how long we’ve been friends, I would never hurt you,” he said, as if reading your mind. “We’ve been through so much together. I mean, we were each other’s first kiss.”

You froze. Issue #9. That was something Vought’s editors had added, claiming a romance angle would make the series appeal to the younger female demographic. You hadn’t thought much of it at the time.

He slyly backed you into the wall, leaning over you as you slinked down the slightest bit.

“Show me how we did it,” he whispered, his hand caressing your cheek. “So clumsy and nervous, I can even feel you…quivering.”

“Homelander, I don’t know what you’re—“

He tsked. “Y/N.”

You let out a shaky breath, “Johnny—“

He hummed in satisfaction. “It’s alright. I know it’s been a while.”

You let him kiss you, sweetly in a way that put your actual first kiss to shame. His lips were soft against yours, his tender movements intentional as he cradled your face, pulling you the slightest bit closer to him when you kissed him back. 

A sense of familiarity settled over you, warm and comforting like pulling a blanket out of the dryer on a chilly evening. Every time it seemed like you were beginning to overthink the situation with Homelander, he drew you back in with the kiss, a more than effective distraction until you pulled away with a dazed smile on your face.

[basketball-lesbians]

Ease

summary: Paige and Azzi find some down time in the midst of their busy schedules to love on each other.

pairing: Paige Bueckers x Azzi Fudd

contents: smut, fluff, really its just smut ngl, pwp, but its sweet though

wordcount: 6457

Azzi sighs, snuggling closer into the warm crook of Paige's neck. 

She plays gingerly with the fine hair on the blonde's free arm, the other wrapped tightly around Azzi's waist, holding her close as they mindlessly watch television from the hotel bed. Paige's phone, long forgotten on the desk across the room, illuminates the dimly lit room with a presumable notification. Neither of them move to acknowledge it, despite both of them noticing- a gesture Azzi is grateful for.

Paige presses a kiss to Azzi's forehead, letting her cheek rest against the younger girl's head after the fact. Both of the pairs’ eyes are front on the 90s cartoon that dons the screen, the brightness creating barely-there shadows that are cast against the walls as scenes play out.

The taller girl’s long legs are stretched out in front of her, crossed at the ankles, and Azzi’s body mirrors closely, pressed against the older girl from where her head rests on her chest all the way down- the only exception being the leg that’s slung over her midsection.

Azzi isn't sure if it's the subtle musky-sweet scent of Paige's nearly worn off cologne, the ambiance of the low lighting in the room, or the dull hum of the TV droning on, but her eyes are getting heavy as she continues to run her painted nails softly against Paige's skin. The blonde girl slowly loosens her arm from around Azzi’s waist, bringing her hand up to run lightly along the exposed stretch of skin between her sports bra and shorts under the blanket they share.

Her hands are warm and soft, the feeling of her long fingers gently ghosting along Azzi’s skin simultaneously stirring something in her and lulling her further into comfortability. She breathes deep, groggy as she shifts her hips slightly to get closer to the older girl. Once satisfied, she drops a soft kiss to the space between Paige's shoulder and neck before settling again.

Paige draws her head back slightly to look at her, her blue eyes catching the low light of the TV screen and brightening her face as she cranes her neck to look at the other girl. When Azzi feels her move, she looks up to meet her gaze, and even though she’s looked at Paige a thousand times in a thousand different settings over several years, the breath is nearly knocked out of her lungs when she looks at her.

God, she’s stunning. Especially like this, relaxed and vulnerable, in their own space, just lounging with each other freely. Hers. After a beat, Paige’s voice brings her back to reality. 

"Y' alright, mama?" Paige asks softly, her voice barely above a whisper with a slight dimple forming in between her eyebrows as she furrows them. Azzi does not fail to notice the way that Paige wets her lips after speaking. She also can't help the resulting smile that creeps across her lips in response, a barely noticeable blush accompanying it, spreading across her cheeks in tandem.

She hopes that Paige won’t notice in the low light, but of course, she does- she’s sure of it when a soft chuckle reverberates from her girlfriend’s throat. “What’s that about, hm?” The blonde teases, her eyebrows rising as she brings her free hand to reach up and poke at Azzi’s face. Azzi leans backwards to avoid the blonde’s hand, a giggle escaping her lips as she reaches out and grabs it, stopping its advance by capturing it in her own. 

“Stooop, Paige.” She whines as Paige shifts to chase her into her new position, both of them shrinking into the bed. An eruption of laughter and gentle wrestling ensues, Azzi playfully pushing Paige off of her and Paige borderline crushing her in a straddle, reaching out in an attempt to get ahold of Azzi’s hands so she’s unable to put more distance between them.

By the time they settle, Paige is hovering over Azzi, her hips between the other girls’ legs and her arms just above her head, holding her slightly smaller hands in place there. Paige knows that if Azzi didn’t want her to end up in this position- if she really wanted to keep her off- that she wouldn’t be settled where she is. Azzi knows it too. It leaves a tension between them almost as warm as Paige’s breath.

Azzi breaks first, a smile darting across her face and splitting her lips wide open in a grin, dimples popping on either side of her mouth. At that, Paige groans and ducks her head, her hands losing their grip around Azzi’s wrists. “Stop playin’ w’ me right now,” She drags, dropping her head to Azzi’s chest in weak protest, unable to contain the expression of her captivation with the other girl. 

Azzi laughs, her hands coming loose from above her head to resituate and grab Paige’s face, smoothing stray blonde hair away from her eyes as she cradles her head to her chest. She kisses the taller girl’s forehead, cupping her face and gently pulling her gaze to meet her own.

“What was that about?” She mocks in return, holding Paige’s gaze as she repeats her previous teasing words back to her. Paige scoffs incredulously, in clear disbelief that her girlfriend would use her own antics against her. Her arm resets itself above the both of them, and she shifts her weight to be above Azzi again as she mutters,

“Nah, you’re crazy for that.” She leans down to drop several kisses on Azzi’s face, and despite the initial giggles that come, Azzi relaxes, content, opening her body language up to allow Paige access to her neck as her kisses begin to roam. 

As her kisses descend down onto Azzi’s chest, the younger girls’ hands stay close around the back of Paige’s neck, keeping the pair closely connected. Azzi’s back naturally arches into the contact, enabling Paige to lick a line down into the valley of her chest, the resulting wetness sending a chill down the younger girl’s spine. Paige looks up at the other girl when a small gasp leaves her lips, briefly pausing her efforts before continuing.

“‘S this okay?” She asks breathily, a simple check- normal considering that moments ago they were both minutes from falling asleep in each others’ arms. Azzi takes her lower lip between her teeth, holding the eye contact, and then nods, eyes wide with the slow and intentional movement.

Paige tries and fails to conceal the excitement from painting itself across her face in the form of her signature smirk. She brings the hand that isn’t supporting her weight to Azzi’s torso, running her thumb along the soft skin of her hip before stooping down to litter kisses over her abdomen, licking into the younger girls’ navel. “Fuckin’ piercing kills me,” She mutters to herself, muffled by soft skin between kisses.

Azzi is too preoccupied with her girlfriend’s tongue to formulate much of a reaction, but it sends a flood of warmth deep in her stomach that made it hard to focus. Paige’s efforts remain slow and deliberate as she kisses over every inch of Azzi’s belly, her ponytail falling over her shoulder as she shifts her weight. The ticklish sensation combined with the peppering of affection from the blonde draws a deep breath from Azzi's lips, an attempt to lessen her reactions and keep her hips still.

The sound pulls the older girls’ attention, her kisses stopping as she picks up her head to acknowledge the sound. “You okay?” She asks softly, one eyebrow quirked and an expression somewhere between amusement and genuine care on her face.

“Yeah,” The younger girl breathes, leaning slightly into the blonde’s touch as she watches her girlfriend pour over her body in borderline worship. “Just enjoying the view,” She jokes, half to distract herself and half in hopes that the use of humor would conceal how desperate she’s already getting. Luckily, Paige falls for it, satisfied with the mental image that Azzi’s comment brings forth in her mind. “Mmm, I bet.” She quips, returning her focus to the younger girls’ body. 

“God, I missed this,” Paige mutters, mesmerized by the feeling of her lips brushing against Azzi’s soft skin as she continues to drop kisses of varying deepness across her torso. Azzi’s eyebrows tent at that, knowing she’d missed it just as much. She’s in awe watching the taller girl’s shoulders flex with her shifts in movement as she gradually kisses her way up her body. She kisses a path back up to her braline again, briefly picking up her head as her fingers slip under the band of Azzi’s bra, pulling up slightly on it and looking up at Azzi for permission before continuing.

“You good if I take this off, baby?” She asks, to which Azzi picks up her arms, humming an affirmation in response. Paige chuckles at the gesture, shaking her head slightly in partial disbelief of how cute the spoiled mannerism is. At least I get to be the one who spoils her, she thinks.

She pulls up on the arm that’s around Azzi’s waist, pulling her up into a sitting position, enabling her to bring her hands on either side of the younger girl’s bra and bring it over her head. She wastes no time after it clears over her curls to discard it onto the floor and reconnect their lips once again, grabbing Azzi gently by the arm and leaning back to pull her properly into her lap. 

Both girls work to get closer to each other- Paige wrapping her arms tightly around Azzi and the younger girl arching into the contact, draping her arms around the back of her girlfriend’s neck. The younger girl slips her tongue past Paige’s lips and the blonde moans into her mouth, chasing it with her own. Their kisses get more urgent by the second as they both grow impatient, Azzi grinding her hips into the taller girl’s lap.

Paige’s hands slide down from being wrapped around Azzi’s waist to instead grab her hips, pulling her closer and aiding her movements so they both find more friction. Azzi’s head falls back at the sensation, opening access to her slender neck, and Paige quickly moves to exploit it.

She suckles gently, kissing up to her ear before taking a lobe gently between her teeth, sucking and then nipping teasingly before letting it go in favor of licking around the shell of the younger girls’ ear. Azzi lets a breathy moan fall from her lips, one hand falling to brace against Paige’s chest to ground herself when her girlfriends’ breath in her ear sends a shiver down her spine. 

Paige loosens the arm supporting Azzi to let her lean further back while still keeping her seated in her lap. The additional room allows for the older girl to kiss down her neck to her sternum, reaching up with her other hand to cup and squeeze her breast. Her girlfriend hisses at the increased contact, her hips stirring.

“Fuck, your hands are cold,” The younger girl curses, her abs tightening with the effort of keeping Paige close while leaning far enough out that she can reach where she wants to. The sight in front of her only spurs the taller girl on more, and she pushes her face into her girlfriends’ chest, letting herself be surrounded by the plush tissue momentarily as she suckles the taut skin of the breast that isn’t in her hand before continuing to spread wet kisses across her bust.

She brings her head down to her occupied hand, shifting her fingers apart to allow access to a nipple, which she greedily sucks into her mouth. Azzi’s breath hitches, and she drops one hand from behind Paige’s neck to come behind herself and support her weight against the mattress, unable to hold herself up given her girlfriends’ current ministrations. Paige closes the small resulting gap immediately, following her seamlessly through the shift.

Azzi can tell her girlfriend has her mind made up to lay her out flat on the bed again, and she knows that once she does, her one track mind will get the best of her. Not wanting to progress further without Paige in the same state of undress, she places her hand softly against the blonde’s chest to stall the momentum from moving forward.

“Paige,” She urges, and the blonde lets off of her nipple to look up at her, her mouth leaving it coated in the same wetness that covers her lips. “Hm?” She hums, bright blue eyes big as she meets her girlfriends’ gaze.

Azzi can’t do much besides push her tongue against her cheek to halt the smile that threatens to spread across her face when she sees the look on Paige’s face- eyes hooded, focus obviously only half-intact and pupils blown wide. It was an earlier stage of the exact look she got on her face when she’d position herself between Azzi’s legs- pussy drunk and desperate to make her girl feel good.

As much as the epiphany was an absolutely filthy one, it felt so good to know that somebody loved her that much- even more so that it was Paige. 

The hand that Azzi still has around Paige’s shoulder pulls insistently at the strap of her sports bra. “Off,” She demands, earning a sly smile from Paige. “You want me so bad,” The taller girl teases, pressing a kiss to her girlfriend’s full lips before straightening her back, sitting up on her knees to pull the fabric over her head at Azzi’s request. Azzi scoffs in denial, trying to appear nonchalant, but her eyes track Paige intently as she sits up.

“Shut up and come here,” She says, her hands staying out of the way just long enough for Paige to pull the bra over her head before grabbing her around the biceps and pulling her back down on top of herself again as soon as she’s able to. "Ohhh, someone’s eager,” Paige chides, a cocky smirk plastered across her face as she leans in close to recapture the other girl's lips. Azzi wants to be annoyed, but she can't deny the love she has for the older girl's teasing.

Instead, she puts a conscious effort into forcing a frown, big brown eyes so expressive and sweet and needy that it's almost enough to make Paige regret her teasing. Hell, it’s almost enough to make her want to apologize. "I just wanna feel you," She pouts, the space between them marginal and getting smaller by the second- and Paige's stomach does a backflip, hyper aware of how wrapped around Azzi's finger she really is. 

"Oh, baby," Paige breathes, unable to keep it in, and their lips collide again, both of them eager to feel the heat of the other. The urgency of their kiss extends throughout their bodies, both of them shifting to angle into each other better. Paige’s elbows press into the mattress to support her weight as her hands fix themselves against Azzi's body beneath them, one hand wrapped around her waist and the other supporting her upper back and neck.

The friction and warmth of their torsos against each other with no boundaries separating their skin is intoxicating, and Azzi squirms to get impossibly closer. Her wriggling catches Paige's attention- knowing she's needy, she brings up a knee to push between Azzi’s legs. As she does, she's rewarded with a whimper from the shorter girl, in turn making her groan as Azzi bares down on her knee in response.

Paige feels the heat that's already built itself there through the pair of boxers the shorter girl had stolen from her luggage- and suddenly its all she can think about. She breaks their kiss for a split second, Azzi immediately drawing back at the loss. "Fuck- come here," The blonde mutters, letting her hands slip out from underneath Azzi in order to remove any further clothing keeping her from the other girl.

Azzi picks up her hips cooperatively, and Paige pulls the shorts off, discarding them blindly behind her without a care in the world. Azzi laughs when they land on the entertainment center in front of the bed, Paige leaning down to situate herself between Azzi’s hips when she’s stopped by the younger girl for a second time.

“Wait, wait, wait,” She breathes, sitting up slightly on her elbows. Paige groans in protest and meets the other girl’s eyes, eyebrows drawn together in distress as she hovers in place, impatient and not impressed with another interruption. 

“Now you,” Azzi pouts, running one finger down from her sternum to her stomach before looping into the tied drawstring where her ball shorts sit low on her hips, tugging insistently. Paige chuckles, shaking her head as she leans back on her ankles, deft fingers coming to unfix the knot before standing up at the edge of the bed to slide them off more easily. Azzi wets her lips, waiting patiently for the older girl to finish, watching her naked silhouette framed by the low light intently.

The shorts join the rest of their clothes scattered throughout the room, and Paige crawls forward on the bed to reclaim her previous position. The way her girlfriends’ body moves fluidly towards her makes the air catch in Azzi’s throat, a shuddering breath being drawn as Paige settles between her hips, the touch of her skin warm and full and devastating.

She presses a kiss to the younger girls’ lips softly, the contact between them growing as she relaxes into her and their bodies press together fully now. Azzi’s legs come up subconsciously to settle on either side of Paige, knees bent and feet flat on the mattress. Feeling the movement, Paige brings a hand back to run up her leg, eager to touch more of her, and her hips dip slightly lower, driving into where Azzi needs her the most.

Although her pelvis pressing against her is a duller sensation than the friction Azzi would like, it’s still a welcome feeling when it comes- but it does surprise her, eliciting a whimper that sends a pang of electricity straight to Paige’s stomach. She continues to kiss the younger girl intently, intoxicated by the way her full lips feel against her own paired with the sounds she’s making.

Her hips roll down into Azzi gently, stirring an identical response from the dark haired girl. She’s in awe of the way that her pelvis is immediately covered in slick- but she chooses not to tease the younger girl for once, knowing how needy she is.

Slowly, Paige draws her kisses away from Azzi’s lips and across her face, moving down to her neck again. Jesus, that neck. She nips gently between kisses up to her jaw as she brings her thumb to draw patterns over the outside of the younger girls’ hip where her leg meets the swell of her ass, drinking in the small, breathy sounds falling from her mouth. Azzi’s hips draw up into her more fervently as she inches closer to where she needs her, her hands at the back of Paige’s neck, nestling into the loose hair at the base of her bun.

“Jus’ take it out,” Paige mutters between kisses, knowing her girlfriend liked to have somewhere to put her hands when she fucked her. Azzi nods as she wets her lips, trying hard to focus on the act of bringing her hands up and coordinating her fingers to take her girlfriend’s hair tie out. The burning heat low in her belly and the butterflies that had taken flight at the implications of Paige’s last comment made a simple task feel much more difficult than it was, but she managed.

She runs her fingers through blonde locks as they fall loose around Paige’s frame, draping over the both of them, scratching lightly at her scalp. Paige hums in response to the sensation, drawing the soft skin of Azzi’s neck between her teeth to softly bite. Azzi winces, arching further into Paige, and combs her hair to one side with her hands.

Their hips continue to chase each other in a sensual rhythm, and she cranes her neck to press her lips against the pale skin of Paige’s shoulder, matching the pace of her kisses. “Please stop teasing,” Azzi breathlessly begs in her ear, and it’s all the prompting Paige needs. She kisses urgently down to her girlfriend’s collarbones before picking up her head, looking at the younger girl intently.

“Fingers or mouth?” She asks bluntly, knowing her girlfriend to usually have a preference which changed depending on the night. She takes one of Azzi’s hands in her own and brings it to her lips to kiss her knuckles as she stares up at her, awaiting a response. “Or… both?” She adds, tone teasing with one eyebrow cocked. Azzi’s face flushes at the directness of the question, but she’s grateful for it all the same, given how needy she is.

“Please. I need you so bad,” She whimpers, and Paige thinks she might actually die right then and there, images from previous nights flashing through her mind at her girlfriend’s words. She recaptures Azzi’s lips in a messy kiss before she shifts herself to settle between her legs, leaving wet kisses all the way down her body in her wake. She kisses over her pelvis as she positions herself and takes in the sight of her girlfriend from the new angle.

She kisses the plush skin of the inside of her thighs, watching her girlfriend’s reactions intently- obsessed with the way her big brown eyes track her every moment, her eyebrows furrowed and her expression so needy and desperate. Her legs, a mile long and the most perfect balance between soft and muscled that Paige had ever seen, are settled on the bed, spread and ready for her.

Her mouth waters as she eyes her girlfriend’s glistening folds while she continues to pepper kisses over her thighs, working toward her mound. Azzi’s hands stir to tangle in her hair again, her back arching as her girlfriend presses a soft kiss directly to her clit. “Paige,” She moans, breathy and urgent.

Between her legs, Paige smirks in appreciation of the sound, reveling in her observed effect on the other girl. She separates her folds gently with her fingers to lick from her entrance to her clit, eliciting a desperate gasp from the younger girl. Paige smirks, partially at her girlfriend’s reaction and partially at the immense wetness her tongue finds- the slick coating her tongue and lips with even the slightest contact.

She pauses, bringing her hand up slowly to wipe some of the wetness away from her chin with her thumb. Azzi groans, burying her face under her arms to hide her face when Paige licks it clean, making a show of it. She feels her girlfriend’s arm stretch out, reaching up her body to softly pull at her forearm.

“No hiding, baby,” She chides, pulling her arm away from her face. Her hand stays on the younger girls' arm, thumb running comforting motions against her skin. “Need’a see my girl,” She whispers softly, pressing a kiss to her hipbone as she holds her gaze. Azzi pouts, nodding, and Paige renews her focus on the other girls’ pussy.

The older girl kisses her pelvis before she loops her arms under Azzi’s legs and pulls her closer, resting her wrists over her hips as she settles closer to her core now. The younger girl watches her girlfriends’ ministrations carefully as she brings her left hand to prop over the younger girls’ pelvis, reaching down to spread her lips with her pointer finger and thumb, keeping her open and accessible.

She pauses, admiring the color contrast from the beautiful caramel of her thighs and folds to the soft pink of the center of her cunt- hidden until spread open, a perfect secret kept just for her. “So gorgeous, mama. Prettiest pussy in the fuckin’ world,” She grumbles before letting her tongue delve down again, encircling her clit. Azzi curses, a flush settling over her whole body at the filthy words falling out of her girlfriend’s mouth.

Paige’s other hand comes up beneath her chin, her middle finger teasing the younger girl’s entrance as it gathers moisture running up her slit. Azzi’s breath catches, her hips involuntarily chasing the sensation, and Paige’s mouth separates from her clit long enough to chuckle at her, her resolution fading at the breathy sounds her efforts draw forth from the younger girl.

The vibration combined with Paige’s teasing laugh draws a groan deep from Azzi’s chest, giving way to a gasp as Paige finally lets a finger slide into her, slow and deep. “Paige,” She groans, drawing out her name while her hips rock forward into her hand. The blonde redoubles her efforts, her tongue picking up speed against her clit as she works a second finger into Azzi.

Azzi’s fingers tangle further in Paige’s hair, sweeping and tugging needily as her girlfriends’ motions continue. A sharp whine leaves her mouth when the taller girl strokes deep and curls her fingers, brushing the spongy sweet spot deep inside of her. She feels the impact low in her belly, and it makes her whole body feel white-hot with pleasure.

“Mmm- more of that, please,” Azzi breathes, arching into the contact, her head pressing against the pillows at the top of the bed. Paige remains silent, focused on the task at hand, but she hears her girlfriends’ pleas above her and resolves to do everything she can to make her feel good.

She switches from drawing circles into her clit into flicking her tongue across it in an up and down motion, her fingers pumping in and out of her girlfriend’s dripping cunt with a sure slowness that’s absolutely killing Azzi. Fucking into her faster would make her cum sooner, the blonde knows, but Paige is less concerned with making her cum and more concerned with making her feel good- easing every bit of want and pent up frustration from her body, no matter how much it might exhaust them both after the fact.

She brings her mouth off of Azzi, lips wet and eyes half hooded as she looks up at the curly-haired girl from between her legs. Azzi meets her gaze, blown brown eyes staring into deep blue, and her dimples pop as she purses her lips, a desperate look painting itself across her face. Unbeknownst to the other, they’re both thinking God, she’s perfect. Paige smiles cockily, head slowly lowering and her tongue darting out to toy with her clit while she holds the eye contact.

Azzi whimpers, eyes rolling back and closing at the feeling combined with her long, thick fingers brushing so deep against her inner walls. The sound of Paige fucking into her and the mutual breathiness between both girls fills the room, and Paige can’t help but notice the thin sheen of sweat that covers Azzi’s toned stomach and breasts. She brings her mouth off of the younger girl to get a better look, stretching her hand to press her thumb into her clit in its absence, a move that makes Azzi’s hips stutter.

“Aw, fuck, Azzi-” She mutters, looking up at her in awe as she watches the uneven rise and fall of her sweaty chest, her eyebrows tented as she takes absolutely everything Paige gives to her. She’s so entranced with the girl above her that her hand almost starts to falter, but when Azzi whimpers at the lessening contact, she corrects the fault, doubling down. “You’re so fuckin’ beautiful,” She breathes as her pace quickens, unable to keep it in.

Azzi opens her eyes to peer down at her, almost embarrassed when she sees the way the blonde is staring. She bites her lip, stifling a moan at the increased pressure Paige adds to her clit, glance shifting between her face and the hand that’s actively fucking her, unable to focus on just one thing.

The way her girlfriends’ fingers work against her only makes it harder, despite how determined she may be- but as she looks at Paige’s face and sees the expression of absolute adoration plastered across it, she can’t contain herself either. “I love you,” She moans, and Paige can’t help but smile at that. She leans down, pressing a kiss to her hipbone.

“I love you too, princess,” Her free hand comes up to her breast, thumb sweeping across her pert nipple. Azzi brings one hand from Paige’s hair up to her chest to intertwine her fingers with the other girls’ over the back of her hand, if only for a moment. She squeezes her hand as Paige draws her fingers of her other hand out of her, changing the angle of her wrist slightly, before pressing back in again.

“Ah- you make me feel so good,” She whimpers into the space between them, her lips parted and her expression growing more needy by the minute. Paige wets her lips, her eyebrows now tenting too. She's obsessed with the idea of giving her what she needs, making her feel good, making her needy. There's no better feeling than having Azzi Fudd needy for you.

"Yeah?” She asks, voice low and lips barely parted as she stares up at Azzi. The younger girl hums, eyes drawn shut out of pleasure, curls bouncing slightly as she nods- and there’s something about the mannerism that drives Paige crazy. “I think I’m getting close,” Azzi admits, whiny and a bit breathless as her back arches, her eyes heavy with pleasure.

“Okay, mama," Paige eases as she presses gentle kisses her thighs, her hand still managing to both work her clit and fuck into her, allowing her mouth to comfort the girl in other ways. "Don’t rush it, just let me make you feel good, yeah?” Paige says from between her legs, sultry and full of rasp as she forces her fingers deeper still.

Azzi whines, and Paige can tell she's nearing her climax by the way her hips chase her movements more loosely now, losing coordination due to desperation. "Can you come up here?” Azzi asks, sickly sweet, peering at the blonde through her long eyelashes.

“No more mouth?” Paige asks, and she almost grimaces at how stupid the words sound coming out of her mouth. Luckily, Azzi pays it no attention. "I’d rather have you close,” She explains, voice timid and barely above a whisper, and Paige almost melts. "'Course, baby," She nods, pressing a final kiss to the birthmark on the inside of the younger girl's thigh before briefly stilling her hand, shifting to resituate next to Azzi rather than between her hips.

Azzi's eyebrows initially furrow when the sensation is lost, but then Paige is tucking herself into her side and the feeling of her body pressed against hers is so warm and strong and comforting that she nearly forgets about it, immediately grabbing her face to kiss her. Paige spurs her hand back into motion between the younger girl's legs as she recaptures her lips, their kisses slow and languid.

"That feel ok, baby?" Paige asks between kisses, lips brushing against the other girls' as she speaks. Azzi nods, a breathy gasp interrupting the kiss as it escapes her lips when the heel of her girlfriend's hand presses against her clit at the base of her stroke. She presses her forehead against Paige's, lips parted as she takes her bottom lip between her teeth at the growing heat in her stomach. "Fuck- right there, don't stop," She chokes, her breaths catching in her throat and her walls pulsing around Paige’s fingers insistently as the band in her stomach gradually tightens.

Paige draws her hand back at a steeper angle now, hitting deeper into her cunt and dragging low against her clit with every thrust, and it very apparently is accomplishing the goal she had in mind against the other girl. "Oh fuck- oh, Paige," She pleads, her back arching and her curls pressing into the pillow, a perfect halo around her head as her fingers tangle desperately into blonde hair. "I'm gonna- oh- I'm gonna cum, I'm gonna cum,”

It falls from her pretty lips urgently, and Paige nods along, completely entranced by the sight playing out in front of her eyes. Azzi’s hands run down Paige’s bare back, pulling her closer in a desperate attempt to gain friction- her nails digging into her shoulders just enough to sting. "Yeah baby- God, I know. Can feel you, sweet thing. Give it up for me, yeah? Let me have it, mama."

Azzi whimpers at that, tugging slightly at her hair now as her movements become jerky, chasing the last bit of friction she needs to tip over the edge. "Yes, yes, yes," Azzi moans, all breath. "Please don't stop," she begs, and Paige scoffs playfully, looking at her desperate girlfriend incredulously, never one to let something go.

“When have I ever-“ Azzi shushes her, quick to cut her off, one hand separating from her hair long enough to wrap around her head and push against her lips, effectively shutting her up. “Paige, please don't be a smart ass, just- fuck, make me cum," She whispers, her voice breaking at the end of her sentence as a moan is involuntarily pulled from her throat.

Paige grins at the sound, and kisses her girlfriend’s interrupting hand away from her mouth as she hums sultrily, acknowledging Azzi’s request. “I’ve got you, baby. Gonna make you feel so good, yeah?” She mutters, and Azzi nods urgently, hips chanting up to chase Paige’s hand.

“You gonna cum on my fingers, babygirl? Make ‘em nice and wet for me, show me how bad you love it when I fuck you?” Paige whispers, her breath hot in the younger girl’s ear- and that does it, sending her over the edge.

She cries out as she cums, thighs involuntarily closing tightly around Paige's hand as her back arches and her head kicks back. If Paige’s wrist wasn't already sore and nearing a cramp from overuse, being smashed between Azzi's strong thighs certainly didn't do her any favors- but she can't find herself caring in the slightest, lips parted in adoration as she watches the other girl carefully, pressing kisses all over her girlfriend’s shoulders and chest as she comes down from her high.

“That's it, baby- just like that, show me how good it feels,” She praises, watching the rise and fall of her chest intently as Azzi’s moans gradually turn to heaving breaths and her writhing begins to slow. Her hips chant mindlessly as Paige slows the pace of her fingers, fucking her the whole way through her orgasm.

Once she settles, pushing at Paige’s wrist to prompt her to pull out, the taller girl leans in, capturing her lips in a soft kiss as she slips her hand from between her thighs. Azzi welcomes the affection, pulling her in closer by wrapping her arms around her shoulders and deepening the kiss.

"Did so good, mama. So pretty for me, you’re so perfect.” Paige mutters, letting her kisses wander to spread across her face and neck. Azzi’s hands come up to hold her by either side of her face, and she kisses her again. “I love you so much,” She whispers, and Paige smiles, her hand coming up to rest over Azzi’s wrist, thumb running across the soft skin there.

“I love you too, sweet girl,” She replies, shifting her neck to press a kiss to the hand cradling her face. Azzi starts dropping kisses across Paige’s nose and cheeks, and Paige leans back, rearing away from the assault even as a massive grin plasters itself across her face. The younger girl follows intently, obnoxiously persistent with the way she attacks the taller girl’s face- earning a series of giggles from the blonde’s mouth as she straddled her waist.

Paige’s hands come to settle on her waist, pushing her back as she sits up slightly so she can really look at the girl in her lap. “You’re incredible,” She breathes, looking at her fully. Azzi simply sticks her tongue out at her in response to her efforts being interrupted. Paige laughs, head ducking as she reaches for the other girls’ hands, interlacing them and holding them out to their sides.

“Be f’real right now, you’re so ridiculous.” Paige jokes, and Azzi smiles, leaning in to press their lips together one more time before nuzzling into the place between her girlfriend’s neck and chest. They lie like that for a few minutes in silence- Paige’s hands coming up to run along Azzi’s back and the younger girl’s hands tracing stars across the blonde’s collarbones, breaths growing slower as they relaxed into each other.

“Hey,” Paige prompts quietly, her hands slowly coming to a standstill over her girlfriend’s back, causing Azzi to pick up her head. “Let’s get cleaned up and get to sleep, hm?” She suggests softly, and Azzi immediately frowns. Paige chuckles at the reaction, bringing a hand up to brush a stray coil of curls behind her girlfriend’s ear. “What’s wrong w’ that, huh? Aren’t you tired, baby?”

She asks, looking into the younger girls’ eyes. Azzi shrugs, a pouting expression on her face. She sighs, watching Paige widen her eyes and raise her eyerbrows at her, prompting elaboration. “I guess so. I didn’t wanna be done, though,” She whispers, her hands coming together to fidget under Paige’s gaze. “Don’t think I can sleep yet,” She mutters.

Paige’s expression melts. Azzi was almost always exhausted by this time of night, she didn’t even consider that she might still be feeling needy. “Oh, baby- I’m sorry. You still need some more love, mama?” Paige asks gently, grabbing Azzi’s hands and bringing them to her lips to kiss. Azzi smiles slightly, shaking her head, a mischievous glint in her brown eyes that throws Paige off entirely.

She furrows her eyebrows, tilting her head to the side. “Wh’d’you mean, Az? Whatcha need, mama?” Azzi leans forward, kissing Paige, her hands placed on her chest. She smiles into the kiss, and Paige’s arms come around her to settle over her hips again. The younger girl sits up slightly, repositioning herself, before inching lower to start kissing down Paige’s jaw and neck.

“Jus’ need to make you feel good, that’s all. Then we can sleep. Promise,” She whispers, and Paige’s head is so far in the clouds at the feeling of Azzi’s curls tickling her shoulders as she nips at her neck that she can’t even muster a response beyond nodding, her back arching as her girlfriend’s kisses slip further down her body.

Hey y’all! Finally finished the smut I promised weeks ago lol. This was not beta’d at all, so be warned! Any comments/shares/love is sooo appreciated. Thank you and I really hope you guys enjoy!

[nayziiz]

Hello! Can I request a fic where Carlos and reader are in the early stages of their relationship, and he finds out that reader has a cat? (Since we all know how he feels about cats)

CLAWS | CS55

Pairing: Carlos Sainz x OC (she/her/Sarah)

Warnings: None

Author’s note: This was such a cute request! Thank you! I hope you like it. I kind of realised while writing this that I’m more of a dog person, but I loved this and now I want a cat. Sorry, this ended up being a bit on the short side.

Masterlist

Carlos hadn't been on a date in what felt like years. The string of awkward silences and forced conversations had left him jaded. So when his friends, bless their persistent souls, convinced him to meet their friend for a blind date, he went in with the enthusiasm of a slug crossing a salt flat.

The tiny Italian restaurant buzzed with conversation, the air thick with the aroma of garlic and basil. Carlos fidgeted in his chair, replaying every embarrassing first-date anecdote in his head. Then, she walked in, a whirlwind of laughter and sunshine in a yellow sundress.

The conversation started easily, like a worn path they'd both walked before. They discovered a shared love of terrible puns and a mutual disdain for reality TV. Before he knew it,  hours had melted away, the clinking of plates replaced by their easy laughter. As Carlos walked her to her car, a warm, unfamiliar feeling bloomed in his chest.  He was surprised, not just by the connection, but by how quickly he let his guard down.  Maybe, just maybe, this wasn't another bad date after all.

Butterflies danced a frantic jig in Carlos's stomach as he pulled into the parking spot behind her car. Three dates, weeks of stolen glances and playful texts, and there he was, parked outside her apartment building. It wasn't a fancy high-rise, but a well-maintained brick building with overflowing window boxes and fairy lights strung across the balconies. A hint of jasmine, maybe from the blooming climbers by the entrance, tickled his nose. He wasn't sure if “coffee” was the only thing brewing tonight, and the uncertainty sent a thrill through him. He took a deep breath, the air thick with anticipation, and stepped out, ready to see what awaited him behind that unassuming door.

Carlos found her waiting by the building's entrance, a curious smile playing on her lips. Together, they navigated the slightly creaky elevator to the fifth floor, the silence comfortable as their hands brushed, sending a spark through him.

Reaching her door, she fumbled slightly with her keys before unlocking it with a laugh. Inside, the warm glow of fairy lights strung across the ceiling cast a whimsical light on the room. Carlos's eyes adjusted, taking in the cosy space adorned with mismatched furniture and bookshelves overflowing with novels. Yet, an unexpected detail snagged his attention. Nestled by the doorway sat two small, vibrantly coloured food and water bowls, a splash of lavender against the wooden floor.

Carlos froze, momentarily thrown. Weeks of flirting hadn't prepared him for the realisation that dawned on him slowly. He hadn't considered the possibility of her having a pet, and the bowls, clearly meant for something much smaller than a dog, left him confused. His gaze darted around, searching for a furry companion, but the apartment remained curiously devoid of chewed toys or the telltale signs of a playful canine.  A blush crept up his neck as the truth, both hilarious and slightly embarrassing, began to settle in. These weren't dog bowls – they were for a cat.

Reaching up, she retrieved a kettle from a shelf and filled it with water.  With a practised flick of her wrist, she pulled open a cupboard and retrieved a small, foil pouch adorned with a cartoon cat. With a satisfied smile, she ripped the top open, a pungent aroma of tuna wafting out.  Unaware of the revelation dawning on Carlos, she began meticulously scooping the wet food onto a dish by the door – the very one that had thrown him into a moment of confusion. A strangled laugh escaped Carlos's lips. 

“So, you have a cat?” he asked, the question laced with a hint of amusement that both surprised and relieved him. Sarah's smile widened, her eyes sparkling with delight.

“I do,” she confirmed, “though she's mastered the art of invisibility apparently.”

“What's, uh, she called?” Carlos continued to probe, his gaze scanning the room for any sign of movement.  He was starting to feel a little foolish for his initial confusion over the bowls.

“You're going to laugh,” she chuckled, a hint of mischief in her eyes.

“Please tell me it isn't like Carlita, or something like that,” Carlos retorted, trying to regain some composure. He secretly hoped for a normal, elegant cat name.

“When I rescued her, she was so small, we didn't know what her sex was, so I just named her Bean,” she explained, a warm smile gracing her lips.

“Bean?” Carlos asked, almost cackling as he watched her in amazement. The name did not quite match the image he'd conjured. Just then, almost on cue, a tiny, pitch-black cat emerged from under the couch. It wasn't your average house cat – its sleek form and patterned coat were more reminiscent of a miniature leopard. The little feline brushed against Carlos's leg, startling him with a soft purr. Bean, it seemed, was anything but ordinary.

“There she is,” she commented with a delighted giggle as Bean continued to weave her tiny body around Carlos's ankles, purring like a tiny motor. “And, I think she likes you.”

“Mmmh,” Carlos mumbled, his initial surprise morphing into a hesitant amusement. He glanced down at the cat, who tilted her head up at him with wide, emerald eyes. The little panther-like creature paused mid-rub, seemingly evaluating him in return.

Internally, Carlos was waging a battle. Part of him wanted to melt into a puddle at the feline's apparent affection. Cats, especially aloof ones, were notoriously difficult to impress, and here was Bean, practically begging for his attention. The other, more cautious part, was screaming at him to gently shoo the creature away. He wasn't particularly fond of cats –  childhood memories of getting scratched by his neighbour's tomcat were still vivid. Why hadn't Sarah mentioned she had a cat? Not that it was a dealbreaker, but the whole situation felt...unexpected.

Sarah noticed the almost pained expression flicker across Carlos's face.

“I take it you're more of a dog person, huh?” she wondered, her voice laced with a hint of curiosity. Carlos winced internally. He hated to disappoint her, but honesty seemed to be the best policy.

“Yeah,” he finally admitted, offering a sheepish smile. “Cats… not usually my go-to pet.”

A flicker of something akin to disappointment crossed Sarah's features, but it was quickly masked by a determined smile. Was this going to influence their relationship at all? She really liked Carlos, but if her having a cat deterred him so much, perhaps he wasn't the guy for her.  She excused herself to the restroom, needing a moment to take a deep breath. Surely her choice of pet shouldn't be an issue, but a knot of uncertainty tightened in her stomach.

Her brief absence stretched a little longer than expected, leaving Carlos in a peculiar situation. Bean, the tiny panther in disguise, continued her mission of feline affection. With a soft purr that rumbled in his chest, she hopped onto the couch, her gaze fixed on him. Carlos, still wrestling with his internal conflict, sighed helplessly. This wasn't how he envisioned the evening going. Cats, in his experience, were furry bundles of chaos – all claws, hisses, and disdainful glances. Yet, here was Bean, a picture of feline tranquillity, nuzzling his leg and gazing at him with those emerald eyes that seemed to hold a surprising depth.

He hesitantly reached out a hand, prepared for the inevitable withdrawal or worse, a swipe. But to his surprise, Bean leaned into his touch, her tiny body vibrating with contentment as he stroked her soft fur. It was surprisingly pleasant, the gentle rasp against his palm a far cry from the sandpapery texture he remembered from childhood encounters. A hesitant smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Maybe, just maybe, cats weren't so bad after all.  This Bean, this miniature panther with a heart of gold, was slowly chipping away at his preconceived notions.

A surprised chuckle escaped her lips as she peeked around the corner and saw Carlos, the self-proclaimed dog person, cradling Bean contentedly on his lap. The tiny panther, usually a whirlwind of energy, was nestled against his chest, a rhythmic purr rumbling through her small body. His hand, the one that had hovered hesitantly just moments ago, now stroked her back with a gentleness that surprised even Sarah.

“You're not so bad, Bean,” he whispered to the cat, his voice barely a murmur. “You think your Mom would mind if I called you Chili Bean?”

The question hung in the air for a beat, and then Bean, as if on cue, let out a contented chirp and nuzzled further into Carlos's embrace. A genuine smile bloomed on his face as he continued to stroke her, the warmth of her tiny body radiating against him. Sarah couldn't help but grin. Maybe, just maybe, this wasn't a dealbreaker after all. In fact, it seemed like Bean had a new favourite human. Sarah's surprise melted into pure delight as she witnessed the unlikely pair cuddled on the couch.

“Look at you two,” she gushed, a wide smile gracing her features. It was astonishing how quickly Carlos and Bean had become comfortable with each other.

“She's the loveliest cat I've ever met,” Carlos admitted, his voice laced with a newfound affection. He stroked Bean's soft fur with his fingertips, his earlier apprehension replaced by a genuine fondness.

“Told you she liked you,” she teased playfully, already heading towards the kitchen to make coffee.  The tension from earlier had dissipated, replaced by a comfortable ease.

“Does her Mom like me too?” Carlos countered, a mischievous glint in his eyes.  He was starting to enjoy this dynamic.

“Her Mom most certainly does,” she confessed with a sheepish grin as she grabbed mugs, "”especially after seeing you with her like that.”

Carlos chuckled, basking in the warmth of the moment. 

“Good, because I've kind of already, sort of, dubbed her Chili Bean and I want to take her home with me,” he blurted out in a rush, causing her to erupt in laughter.

"Problem is, we're a package deal," she countered, her eyes twinkling as she moved to take a seat beside him on the couch.

“That's fine, you can come too,” Carlos retorted with a playful smile. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, the air humming with unspoken possibilities. They settled back onto the couch, content to watch Bean sleep, a tiny ball of fur nestled between them. The evening, which began with an unspoken misunderstanding, had taken an unexpected turn, blooming into something far more promising.