#different brand sale on food

[heartepub]

if i loved you less

summary. wonwoo's biggest gamble starts a week before valentine's day. pairing. jeon wonwoo x gn!reader genre/tags. non-idol!au, friends to lovers, bookworm!reader, spoilers for a 210-year old novel, wonwoo wins most creative confession, suggestive at the end wc. 2.9k suggested listening. pretty u, seventeen // dreams, the cranberries // andante andante, abba // i will, the beatles // library card, janani k. jha // aphrodite, the ridleys

notes. late to a hearts day posting, but pls accept this humble offering in between thesis cramming! i first pitched this to kae waaay back, but unfortunately it is not royal/period au (sorry ueueue). i read aspen's accidental one night stand ww and dug around my wip's for this in a fit of madness LMAOOO as always, reblogs are appreciated and come say hi if you're so inclined 🫶🏼

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” Wonwoo hands you a package wrapped in brown paper, tied neatly with twine. Your eyes light up as you accept it with a soft thank you.

“Aren’t you a week early?”

“I know,” he replies simply. “I wanted to ask you to finish reading this by Friday.” Your brow furrows.

“Is it something I can finish by then?” Wonwoo nods. You feel the weight the parcel in your hands, considering his strange request.

“What brought this on?” You ask. 

The shift is subtle, but you notice it nonetheless—a flicker of something passing across his eyes, and his shoulders tensing up before he pulls them down again. Wonwoo looks away, as though steeling himself for something.

“It’s my reading recommendation.”

“Yours?” You straighten. Wonwoo’s never gifted a book to you before based on his own taste. He always based it off your reading list, after being hopelessly lost navigating a bookstore and asking the clerk for help, only to give you a book wildly different from your preferences.

You hold the book close to your chest. “Can I open it now?”

“No.”

“Fine,” you pout, then frown as a thought comes to you. “Wait. I remember telling you I’m on a ban right now.”

Normally, Wonwoo was scrupulous about following your rules, one of which being that he can’t gift you a book if your current priority was reading through the ones you already had.

He seems to weigh his words carefully before replying. “I just thought this one was too important to pass up.”

You catch how his fingers curl and uncurl in his jacket, the poor fabric already wrinkled at his fidgeting. Trying to make your voice as soothing yet nonchalant as possible, you pull your lips up to a grin, thumbing the edge of the twine ribbon. “I suppose I can make an exception for my best friend.”

It seems to have the opposite effect.

There it is again—the subtle shift in his demeanor, the miniscule purse of his lip before Wonwoo speaks. “Do you have dinner plans, or are we doing movie night again?”

“Movie night sounds good. Any requests for food?”

Normally, Wonwoo would ask you to prepare ramyeon, especially after you had figured out Mingyu’s recipe, while he brought dessert. But his reply, like everything else in this conversation, is unexpected. “I’ll handle it.” He checks his watch before leveling you with an apologetic look. “I have to run. There’s a bunch of shit to do at work between, but I’ll see you on Friday?”

If he wanted to talk to you, he would. You’d never push him to say anything he wasn’t ready to share. You repeat this to yourself, even as you nod, maintaining your façade of soothing nonchalance.

“Yeah, see you.”

For the past couple of years, Wonwoo’s gift of choice has always been a book. After your protests at the price of new titles and your steadfast allegiance to your library card, among other reasons, the rules had been laid out as follows:

Copies should, as much as possible, not be brand new. They could be from thrift stores, secondhand shops, yard sales, or those Facebook groups where owners sold their old titles. Only new releases would be the exception, and even then, indie bookstores should be the first place to look.

Refer to the Notion page of your current to-be-read list for possible titles.

If you were on a book buying ban, so is he; it’s bad enough that your shelves continue to groan under the weight of books still unread. 

The first rule was for your indulgence, too. You happened to take home a volume of the Diaries of Anaïs Nin only to find notes scribbled in the marginalia, and fell in love immediately. It’s a rare thing in your collection, but you do have someone’s old Letters to Milena and Giovanni’s Room, the latter with annotations in Arabic, of all languages.

You stare at the unwrapped gift, heart in your throat.

Emma.

Wonwoo must have been lying when he said it was his recommendation; you have your own well-worn copy, annotations and all, sitting in the corner of your shelf dedicated to Austen. Hands shaking, you open your messages, snapping a photo of the book laying on the desk.

You [picture] ??? wonwoo?? (Seen)

He sees it almost immediately; three dots appear onscreen.

aa wonu It’s a gift. Don’t overthink it. But I hope you won’t get mad.

You is it smth I should be mad abt?

aa wonu Up to you.

You you know i’ve read emma, right

aa wonu Have you started reading this one yet?

You turn to Chapter 1, and gasp. There, in black ink, is Wonwoo’s familiar scrawl, remarks littering the blank space between the heading and the text. You flip through the first half, seeing how he’d write anything from a smiley face to bracket off entire passages with an exclamation point. Some brackets and underlines have longer annotations beside them that you have yet to read.

It’s all in black pen—so characteristically Wonwoo, who wouldn’t be the type to use different colored highlighters and page flags, anyway.

You oh my god. wonwoo

aa wonu The last time I read a classic was in high school Don’t judge me too harshly. Please. See you Friday?

You hesitate before replying.

You yeah ofc! see you!!

Your thumbs are shaking too badly as you type the last message; the phone gets thrown on your bed, bouncing once before resting on the pillow. A hand comes up to cover your mouth. You stare at the book, mind whirring.

Years ago, there had been a time when you entertained the thought of dating Jeon Wonwoo. In night-outs where he’d offer to get you home, a hand on your back to keep you from stumbling as you’d fumble for keys that always ended up at the bottom of your bag. He had even taken to keeping a pair of slippers in his car, in your size, for you to change into when your feet were hurting. Wonwoo never told you—he just knew your foot size, just cared in the understated, quiet way he always did. When you found out, you remember thinking that this would be the kind of man you wouldn’t mind offering your heart to. Thought that obviously he’d only do something like that for someone he was in love with.

Now, of course, after his exes and your own, and no confession in sight, you had buried your wishful thinking in the deepest parts of your heart. You’d even grown to appreciate it more, finding comfort in the care that was independent of any romantic expectation.

Wonwoo, your best friend, chose, out of all the books to annotate and gift you, Emma. You know how the story goes. He knows you know how it goes. Yet Wonwoo’s thoughts are here, immortalized and entrusted into your hands, the same hands you have now buried your face in while trying to reel in your breaths.

Today, that bird you had deprived of the sun beats its wings against your ribcage, insistent once more. Your body is simultaneously numb and buzzing with energy, as though it could not decide whether it wanted to freeze up or run a few hundred laps.

It could be nothing—could be like that time with the slippers again where you allowed yourself to be caught in your wishful thinking. You don’t know if your heart can take it if it isn’t. You don’t know if your heart can take it if it is.

You welcome Wonwoo in your apartment with a painfully bright grin, accepting his proffered bag of takeout before ushering him inside. He had offered only a soft hello, barely a smile on his face as he took off his shoes by your entrance. You couldn’t bring yourself to keep up any chatter while he washes his hands in your kitchenette, even as you busy yourself a few feet away with peeling off the tape on the plastic containers and wiping away any grease that leaked out.

“I’ll set up the table,” he breaks the silence, gaze unreadable. He’s already holding the two rice containers, and two pairs of chopsticks from your stash. 

You paste on a smile, tape still sticking to your fingers. “Sure.” 

He walks away. Not even when Wonwoo had broken up with his last partner, who made him choose between them and you, has it been this awkward. Steeling yourself, you join him, setting down the plate of chicken and bowl of steaming kimchi jjigae a safe distance from the laptop.

Before you begin eating, you hold up a hand for him to wait. Reaching into a nearby drawer, you pull out and offer your own present—a beta-release of a game he had been eyeing for some time now. Wonwoo’s eyes soften.

“Thank you,” he murmurs, as though he hadn’t been expecting you to gift him anything.

“Of course,” you respond immediately. Wonwoo glances at you before looking away. He always sits across you when you eat, and you catch the micro-changes in his expression as he shifts, staring hard at a spot on your floor before picking up his chopsticks. He looks at anything but you. The sound of the bamboo breaking seems to echo around the space.

Eventually, it’s too much for you to bear. You square your shoulders, inhaling a quick, sharp breath.

“I thought you wouldn’t come,” you begin, tentatively.

“…I thought about not coming,” he replies, raising his eyes to meet yours, which have not yet looked way from him. He looks away again. Something in your chest twists painfully, even if your body is buzzing with repressed adrenaline.

“Do you still want to watch a movie? Or are we gonna talk about it?”

Wonwoo’s eyes are guarded. “Is there anything to talk about?” he replies, an edge in his voice. “You never messaged after that day.” 

“I thought you wanted today to be the day we talked about it? Seemed like too big of a thing to discuss over text.” And you had spent the last week agonizing over what to feel, how to feel, what to say, and how to say it. He presses his lips together, fixing his gaze on the piece of napa cabbage resting on top of his rice. The broth stains the grains around it with a tint of red. 

He rests his chopsticks against the rim of the bowl before leaning back, running a hand through his hair. “I get it. It’s a lot. I’m sorry.”

You shake your head. “Don’t be sorry.” The response feels automatic, but you do mean it. He has nothing to be sorry for.

You look at him, really look, searching his features. There’s something in his eyes that breaks your heart—as though he had come here already expecting heartbreak, yet showed up nonetheless. 

Just like that, all the questions, any plans you had for today, vanish like smoke. 

“Just—just wait here.” You set your chopsticks on your bowl. The bamboo clacks softly right before the chair creaks as you stand, stumbling back a little as you turn to your bedroom. 

“Where is that—” you mutter. “Aha!” You run back to the table, where Wonwoo is waiting. Under his fingers, the takeout napkin is all but shreds, though he does try to hide it under the table once you arrive. You approach him, dragging your chair so you can sit beside him, nothing separating you.

“Hold out your hands,” you instruct. Wonwoo does, and you set down a copy of Emma on his waiting palms. But not the one he gave you the other day. It’s yours, the one you’ve owned for many years.

Wonwoo stares at it, before lifting his gaze to you. 

“Did you know,” you begin softly. “I used to like Persuasion the most. I loved how it was written, how both characters were more mature than the ones in her other books. Pride and Prejudice had my favorite characters. But Emma…”

You thumb at its spine, and then at the crease on the cover, a thin white line disrupting what would have been solid black. Its careworn edges are familiar under your fingertips, and you know if you fan the pages in front of your nose it will smell like the characteristic scent of old books.

“Emma is the one I reread the most. At least, certain parts of it.” There’s a page marked—the scene where Mr Knightley finally lays his heart bare to Emma. From behind your back, you bring out his gift, flicking through the pages until you find the same page in this copy, Wonwoo’s only highlight in a book annotated with black pen. 

If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.

In your copy, there’s the same, with a note in your handwriting—in the script you first learned in high school and tried to revisit some years ago before giving up: me!!! but also me when!!!!!

Wonwoo looks at both of these, mouth parted. You know how sharp he is, how the pieces have already come together in his mind. 

“Really?” He asks, voice soft, as though he can hardly believe it. The only thing left is for him to believe it. You know, because you are the same. It was only the heartbreak in his eyes, the anticipated rejection at the start, that made it sure for you. 

Tentatively, your hands wander, moving from clasping the book to cupping his hands, cool under your own. You glance down at the book.

“‘If I have not spoken, it is because I am afraid I will awaken myself from this dream.’” Finally, you allow the giddy smile to spread across your face. Your heart flutters against your ribs, so utterly alive. “We’re both idiots, aren’t we?”

His lips twitch upward. After a moment, he begins to chuckle, and the weight on his shoulders seems to dissolve before your eyes. You begin to laugh too, simply out of the sheer relief of finally realizing that the past few days are now behind both of you. 

“In case it isn’t obvious, Jeon Wonwoo, I’ve been in love with you too.” You whisper. He leans forward, resting his forehead against yours. Where before, he was afraid to look at you, now, it seems it’s all he can do. The fondness in his gaze is enough to bring anyone to their knees.

“Thank God,” he whispers back. You just stay there, basking in the moment, letting the joy finally seep itself into bones that have been weighed by resignation for so long. After a while, you begin to pull away, only you catch how Wonwoo’s gaze drops down as you do. You pause, gazing at him questioningly.

There’s a minute tremble in his hands as he reaches for your face, brushing your cheek with his fingers. His thumb traces a line on your jaw. He leans in, but stops, watching your reaction first before closing the distance all the way.

Though his approach was hesitant, the kiss itself is anything but. His hands find your cheek, then your neck, then your waist, pulling you further forward. You thread your fingers through his hair, both to bring him closer and to anchor yourself. There’s the faint taste of spicy broth, but you don’t care, knowing you’re the same anyway.

“That was hell of a gamble for Valentine’s,” you murmur once he pulls away, shaking your head. “Why now? How long have you known?”

Wonwoo just smiles. “It’s been a few months since either of us had a partner. And after the last one, when I was made to choose…they called me out on how unfair I was being, trying to be with them even as they knew I was in love with someone else.”

Your breath catches in your throat even as he continues.

“I tried to deny it, at the time, but they knew even before I did.” he finishes. He tilts his head and leans forward, closing the distance again. It’s more insistent now, the hands on your waist fully pulling you onto his lap. Wonwoo’s teeth nip at your lower lip, and you gasp. It shifts from chaste into something more demanding; his hands wander, fingers trailing paths of fire as they run across your back and grip your waist, as though he were finally releasing everything that had been pent up in him until this moment. 

He swallows you into himself, and you allow yourself to be pulled into his passion. His mouth moves, latching down onto your neck and sucking. A quiet, shuddering moan leaves your lips. Wonwoo freezes. He pulls away, stricken, looking at you.

“Sorry,” he rasps. “I took it too far.” His hair is mussed, lips swollen and puffy. Something in your stomach stirs as you look at him like this—a Wonwoo you’d never seen before. A Wonwoo who is like this because of you. “I—”

You kiss him again, just because you can. Just a small thing, a tender reassurance. Pulling away, you smile. Absently, you play with the short strands of hair at his nape. “You’re okay. I don’t think I’m up for anything, er, more, tonight, but can we please keep kissing.”

After a beat, he chuckles, shoulders relaxing as his thumbs trace circles on your waist. Wonwoo leans in, lets your lips meet again in a slow dance, almost lazy. Like you finally have all the time in the world.

“Okay. But maybe after dinner and brushing our teeth. I’m still hungry.”

“Deal.”

Behind your ribs, the bird flies, finally free.

[kaciidubs]

Catnip and Kidnappings

Hi, 🧿 nonnie! This one's been a long time coming, and though it doesn't have much smut, I hope you still enjoy it! ❣ Summary: You just needed to go to the pet store for two things - so why were you suddenly in a car with a man you didn't know? ❣  ❣ Word Count: 2.5k+ ❣ Warnings: Mafia! AU, fluff, meet cute, implied danger, slight humor, cat talk, reader is a bit sassy but so is Minho ❣  ❣ Female! Reader [No use of Y/N] | You/Your pronouns ❣  ❣ Additional Tags: lightly edited ❣ Stray Kids Masterlist ❣ General Masterlist

Two things. You just needed two things from the pet store, then you would be back home with your lovely tabby cat and show you’d been putting off for the better half of two weeks because it just ‘wasn’t the right time’.

So how, you ask, did you manage to find yourself hurriedly escorted away from the storefront of the pet store by a man you’d just met?

Well, you could target the beginning of the end the moment you stepped foot into the pet store, making your way to the cat aisle on instinct with your goal clear in your mind; catnip and premium cat food.

Premium cat food - you wished you could trick your furry child into eating a cheaper form of food, but his picky eater tendencies had set him in his ways ever since your mother decided to spoil him and introduce him to the world of Sheba pate and cuts of various meat and fish flavors; the same woman who claimed she didn’t like cats, yet bought him almost all of his toys.

Huffing out a quiet laugh at her change of heart, you bent to grab a box of the food packs, silently thanking the corporate gods that it was still on sale, before heading deeper into the aisle to grab the second item on your mental list.

You scanned the rack with the box still in your arms, adjusting it slightly every now and then until your eyes landed on the empty spot that usually had the brand of catnip you needed.

“Wonderful…”

“If you’re looking for catnip like that brand, you could go with the one with the red label - they look different because of the companies, but they’re really the same ingredient wise.”

“Oh, really? Thank-” The next word immediately died on your tongue as you turned your head, ready to thank a store worker but, instead, you were met with possibly the handsomest man you’d ever laid your eyes on.

Sharp eyes and a nose that looked like it belonged on a marble sculpture, paired with lips set in a faint frown and the prettiest jawline you’ve ever seen - he was gorgeous.

He seemed to either not notice your brain freeze or blissfully ignore it as he stepped closer to pick up the container before placing it on top of the cat food box in your arms.

“I have three cats and they all like both brands, there isn’t really a difference besides the fact that you don’t have to use as much of this one as the other one, which makes it better considering the price.”

Once his eyes finally met yours, you felt your brain kick back into gear, “O-Oh, okay, thank you so much!”

He hummed out a small sound of acknowledgement, giving you a curt nod and reaching forward to grab a container of his own; his eyes scanning across the small printed words for a moment before he looked to you once more. “Do you need help? Carrying that, I mean.”

“This? No, no, I’ve got it handled.” You adjusted the box once more, the catnip container sliding to the right until you balanced it out quickly, “All good, thanks again, though.”

Before you could embarrass yourself more than you already had, you thanked him once more and shuffled past him and out of the small aisle in record time, mentally cursing whatever line of fate led you down this path.

Placing your items on the conveyor belt, the cashier greeted you as they scanned your items and you typed in your rewards card onto the card reader’s keypad.

“Are you getting this, too?”

“What?” Looking up, you stared at the catnip in their hand with confusion creasing your brow.

“Um-”

“Yes, we are.”

The familiar voice made a chill run down your spine, your head whipping to see the same man from before, the faintest of curves to his otherwise neutral expression alleviating his otherwise stoic demeanor.

Shrugging lightly, the cashier proceeded to scan the second container before announcing the total.

Pressing his black card to the one-tap reader, he seamlessly slid it back into his wallet before stuffing it back into his pocket, “Think of it as a little gift for your cat, they deserve to be treated.”

For being stunned for the second time that day, your recovery was just as fast, “I’ll make sure to let him know a kind stranger cares about his picky habits.”

He huffed out a quiet chuckle, but that was more than enough to inflate your ego and make your heart flutter, quickly taking back your previous curse to thank fate instead.

After grabbing your bag of items, you made your way out of the store with your new companion following suit.

“So… Was that really just a gift for my cat? You don’t have any ulterior motives, do you?” You mused, turning to look at him fully as you stood outside of the storefront.

Shaking his head, he raised his hands in defense, “It’s just a gift - like I said, I have three cats so I know how it can get, better than most. Besides, the picky eater phase is really rough on the pockets at the worst of times.”

“Well, Miso appreciates your generosity.”

“Miso… cute.” He hummed softly, though his true excitement was evident in the small glimmer in his eyes.

“Do I have the honor of knowing your name?” Clocking the possible unintended implication of the question, you quickly backtracked, “Um- Just so Miso knows who he can thank while eating his pate salmon, of course.”

His lips parted to speak but closed twice as fast, his once relaxed smile turning into a firm line as he looked at you - almost enough to look through you, or rather, past you.

As you went to turn your head to gauge for yourself, you were stopped by the warmth of his hand around your wrist, winning your attention for himself like jingling keys in front of a baby.

“Let me bring you home, and I’ll tell you on the way.”

You felt your heart flutter, though you couldn’t ignore the unease creeping up your spine, “I appreciate it, but you really don’t have to-”

“I just want to make sure you make it home safely.” His mouth pressed into a tight lipped smile and his grip tightened ever so slightly, “Trust me.”

Maybe it was the fact that he sounded so sincere, aligning with the image of the kind man you’d seen in the pet shop, or perhaps it was the way his firm gaze flickered with a hint of urgency, but you found yourself nodding softly.

“Okay.”

With that, you were tugged down the sidewalk and around the corner, hurried footsteps falling alongside his long strides in hopes of keeping up.

“Is- Is there something wrong? What’s happening?”

“Everything’s fine.”

You bristled at his nonchalant, clipped tone, falling back on your pace by half a step. “I have a feeling you weren’t lying to me before, so, please, don’t start lying to me now.”

Feeling your resistance, he took a short breath and spoke, “Nothing’s wrong yet, and nothing is happening - I’d rather keep it that way, if you don’t mind.”

“But what did you see?”

“Someone who has no business trying to approach me in public unless they’re looking to start something they have no chance of finishing. I have no desire in getting innocent people caught up in those types of affairs.”

“Those types?” Your eyes widened as you neared a black car - slim, sleek, and a model that you had no chance of owning for yourself on your current pay grade. “Are you-”

“I’m no one.” He shut you down with ease before reaching forward to open the passenger’s side door, “Get in.”

Putting a temporary pin in your conversation, you quickly slid into the car, the faint scent of jasmine mixing with the musk of sandalwood and leather seats filling your nose; watching through the windshield as the black haired man rounded the car before sliding into the driver's seat.

“I don’t think a nobody just casually owns a car like this,” clicking your seatbelt into place and setting your bag on the floor, you shot him a wary glance, “if you’re going to kidnap me, Miso’s going to be royally pissed.”

The car’s engine roared to life, masking his light chuckle but doing next to nothing in hiding the slight uptick of his lips. “I’m not a kidnapper, though I’ll make an exception if Miso’s as cute as you make him out to be.”

With that, he shifted the gear and drove out of the parking lot, using the one-way street to get away from the pet store and the unknown assailant. Buildings and cars passed by in a blur after you told him your address, your hands nonchalantly turning your phone while the silence was placated with the sound of the engine and the radio - though, you had no hope of hearing what the song was from how low the volume was.

Taking a deep breath, you turned toward him, eyes tracing over his unfairly handsome side profile. “So… Is this the part where you tell me who you are?”

“I told you, I’m no one,” he hummed simply, eyes trained on the road ahead.

“And I told you I don’t like liars - you still owe me your name, you remember that, right? Now, since you’re saving me from some unknown evil, you owe me a full introduction.”

He glanced over at you, amused astonishment filling his face, “For someone who’s in the hands of a complete stranger, you make a lot of demands.”

“Think of it as your atonement for giving me two new life experiences in one when I was minding my own business buying catnip.”

You could just barely catch him rolling his eyes, muttering under his breath and hearing the words ‘worse’ and ‘friends’.

“Minho.”

“Minho?”

Minho rocked his head to the side, huffing, “My name is Lee Minho, I have three cats - Soonie, Doongie, and Dori - and I’m a businessman. I like going to that pet store because they donate some of their profit to shelters, and I know about the catnip brands because I have three cats - changing brands is a nightmare whether it’s one cat or several.”

A small smile found its way to your lips at the new information, your mind running wild at the image of this enigma of a man playing with three cats of his own. “Okay… But, when you say businessman, what type of business do you do?”

“The type that prefers to go unmentioned to civilians for their safety.”

“What- Like working for some secret branch of the government? Are you a cult leader? A member of the mafia?” An incredulous giggle bubbled past your lips, though when his demeanor grew colder, your stomach dropped. “You’re… You’re not, right?”

“What’s your name?”

“What?”

The car rolled to a stop at a red light, granting him the grace to look at you, brown eyes locking to yours with a firm stare. “You never told me your name. If you tell me your name, I’ll tell you my job - it’s your repentance for asking me more questions past my introduction. If you don’t want to tell me, then don’t, but I won’t tell you my job.”

Your name for his profession, your safety in exchange for his safety - it was only fair, truly.

Taking a deep breath, your name fell from your lips with a small air of confidence, “You already know about my cat, and my job pays just enough to support his picky eating habits. I like that pet store because they hosted an adoption event that brought Miso into my life, and I’ve been supporting them ever since.”

He made a sound of confirmation before turning his attention back to the road, pressing the gas as the light turned green and continued the journey to your apartment.

His choice of silence was almost enough to have your conscience second guessing your decision, until you noted the way his fingers drummed against the steering wheel; twitching, anxious, compared to the streamlined, firm grip he’d showcased at the beginning of the drive.

Eventually your apartment building came into view, the car slowing to a stop once he reached the front door.

“Well…” Lingering for a moment longer, you looked at him in hopes of seeing him turn to you one final time to honor his end of the agreement, but when he remained staring at the road ahead, you let it go. “I guess this is goodbye - thank you for what you’ve done for me, Lee Minho, I appreciate it.”

As you went to unbuckle your seatbelt, his hand wrapped around your wrist, his touch sending a chill down your spine and stealing your attention just like he did outside of the pet shop.

“I’m part of the mafia,” Minho spoke plainly, his tone emotionless, statement oriented, “the person I saw earlier was someone we’ve done business with before, some low life’s henchman most likely sent to get even, that’s why I wanted to get away like I did. I didn’t want our chance encounter to end with you getting hurt - you did nothing wrong, and I wanted to make sure you would be safe.”

The mafia… You weren’t sure if him being a cult leader would’ve been better or worse than this, but staring into his eyes, you could feel it wasn’t a joke, nor an elaborate cover up.

“What I said before, about not mentioning what I do for the safety of others… I swear to you that you’ll be safe after this - I’ll make it my personal job of making sure nothing happens to you because of this, okay? No lingering ties or deals to be made, you’ll be under our watch until we take care of that stunt they tried to pull.”

His promise eased the first stretch of fear growing within you, though the rest would have to be handled once you had the proper time to process your less than normal morning.

Nodding, you slipped your wrist from his grasp and grabbed your bag, turning to get out of the car until you froze.

“If you’re worried, you don’t have to-”

You leaned across the center console and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, a sign of gratitude, “Thank you, Minho.”

Reaching into your bag, you placed his container of catnip in his hand then quickly left the car - making your way up the flight of stairs to the lobby’s doors,only to turn around to see him patiently waiting for your entrance before slipping your way past the glass doors.

On the elevator ride up to your apartment, you couldn’t help it as your thoughts ran through the events like a film reel, though you weren’t sure if it was to get over the shock of reality, or to commit the image of that man to your memory.

Lee Minho, cat owner and catnip expert.

Lee Minho, morally gray mafia member.

Lee Minho, a man you hoped you would see in the pet store again.

✧. ┊Tagged lovelies: Tagged lovelies will now be done within the comments of the post due to Tumblr's tagging system being broken, thank you for understanding.

@luminouskalopsia, @zaethefangirl, @chxnb97, @sometimesleeknows, @hyunjinloverrrr, @rhonnie23, @channieswife, @beautyinhypnosis

✧. ┊If your username is in bold italics that means tumblr won't let me tag you. If you’d like to be added to the taglist, fill out this form!

[thedialup]

grocery shopping (and shoplifting) tips from a cashier

DON'T BUY NON FOOD ITEMS AT THE GROCERY STORE. THEY JACK THOSE PRICES UP SO HIGH. laundry detergent, cleaning products, medicine, haircare shit- it's all better to get these somewhere else.

only buy the store brands UNLESS there's a sale on name brands that makes it cheaper than the store brand (but this is pretty rare). there's no difference.

most vendor coupons are shit, especially if they're trying to get you to buy more than one item. be really careful using these as a lot of the time they're not a good deal.

ignore the entirety of those drink coolers and snacks at checkout. most of them are overpriced and not worth it.

most store brand canned items and stuff like ramen noodles are super cheap.

FROZEN FOODS ARE SO OVERPRICED. BE VERY CAREFUL.

meat is expensive, and don't waste your money on any sort of organic blah blah whatever meat. it's the exact same shirt

same thing with organic produce, especially if it's something like bananas where you don't actually eat the outside. don't buy pre-packaged produce, it's not worth it for the exact same thing without a package.

check if produce prices are per pound or per item. they vary wildly so make sure to check so you don't get surprised at the register.

do you have self checkout? EVERY PIECE OF PRODUCE IS A BANANA :)))))

small stuff is was easier to steal than large stuff, obviously. don't try to fit a 50 pack of chex mix in your coat. it will not work.

most cashiers dgaf about shoplifting. managers do. stay away from them.

don't waste your money on overpriced expensive "organic natural blah blah blah" food unless you really have to bc of a dietary restriction. most processed food is more expensive and this just makes it even worse.

if the store has a membership card and you don't have one, always ask to use the store card. they'll let you, you just have to ask.

ground meat is cheaper and more versatile than whole cuts of meat. also make sure to look out for managers specials on perishable items like meat because they're trying to get rid of stuff so it'll be marked way down.

that's about all I can think of rn, add on if you have any extra tips

[gothghostiie]

being friends with someone from a different wealth class is so weird because. why are you genuinely shocked and amazed as you tell me that your weekly grocery cost is just a third of what it used to be now that you're shopping at a discounter without brand names - and why do you expect me to be as shocked and amazed??

anyways this makes me think of graves so much. that fucker grew up wealthy - not even necessarily rich, but very comfortable. upper middle class and above. it has been this way all his life and still is, he earns good money. house is decently big (far too big for one person), he drives a nice, new car, has a new phone, goes on vacations, shops brand names; whether it be clothes or food or god knows what. he doesn't think twice when he needs something, things that break or need replacement out of nowhere wont leave him with no food for the rest of the month. this is normal, his normal. the people around him are the same, so he doesn't know anything else.

that is until he meets you. you didn't grow up nearly as wealthy as he did. you wouldn't necessarily call yourself poor either, but money was always an issue, you never really went on vacations, never had the newest phone, the newest car, trendy clothes or furniture. brand names are out of question unless they're at the thrift shop for cheap, sudden expenses meant a lot of stress, money almost never went into savings and if it did it got taken out rather quick out of necessity. shopping at the thrift, at discounters, couponing, shopping for specials, planning meals after what's on sale this week. you barely got to get treats or anything out of the regular budget really, no matter how little or big it was.

now imagine graves surprised when you start dating and he sees the cracked phone screen on the rather old model, the old car that's not even second hand anymore, more like 4th hand at this point. the small apartment you live in, the furniture you mostly thrifted or took from your childhood room, the very loud washing machine that seems to be at the risk of falling apart if you look at it wrong. the clothes that are thrifted, hand me downs or even handmade, the shoes that have seen better days. he's shocked and genuinely a bit concerned, because what is this? why and how do you live like this? fridge stocked with a bit more than the necessities, panty full of generic food brands. When he goes shopping with you he's surprised by you not pulling into the same stores he frequents, surprised at how you compare prices, how you seem to only get what you wrote on your list, nothing more. his baffled when your total comes out to be not even a third of what he usually pays - and even more when you take off around 25% more by coupons.

it also breaks his heart when you call him crying about how your fridge broke, sobbing into the phone as he's just stunned - what do you mean you can't afford a new fridge? something you need? he's shocked when you tell him that you found a cheap one on Craig's List but that it's still so much, but you need it and it frustrates you badly - he can barely even comfort you because he's so genuinely shocked. it's only then when it sinks in just how differently you live. how wealthy and well off he actually is. and how you didn't even think to ask him to lend you money for a new fridge, almost cussing him out for even suggesting it because there's no way you can ever pay that back.

the delivery men still knock at your door the same afternoon and graves is getting another equally tearful call, being cussed out and thanked over and over again.

[violetarks]

fooled around and fell in love!

anime: ouran high school host club

characters: fujioka haruhi, suoh tamaki, ootori kyoya

summary: you have enough charm to make even a host fall for you! why haven't you joined the club yet?

a/n: g/n! reader, they/them pronouns used, second person pov, reader isn't necessarily in love with them, they're just unintentionally getting the others to fall for them, but it can be read however you would like

↣ fujioka haruhi:

being the little plaything for the host club was not fun at all for haruhi. she would literally rather do anything else than this.

carrying four bags of food for the hosts, haruhi groans in frustration, "stupid rich people... why do they have to drink so many different brands of coffee?" she reaches into one bag, pulling out an order for hikaru. "he doesn't even like the ingredients in this. he just wanted me to say that long order for no reason..."

people watched the student struggle down the hall towards the host club room. haruhi felt a bit annoyed; didn't rich people have maids or something to do these things? a turn around the corner makes her stop on her tracks, nearly dropping the bags onto the floor.

a hand is held out to catch her elbow, steadying her feet. "sorry, i didn't see you." she apologises, holding the bags even tighter.

"it's okay." you retort, sliding your book bag onto your shoulder. you blink at her, noticing who she was. "oh, haruhi. good morning. you seem pretty busy already."

"good morning, y/n." she replies, nodding her head at you, "yeah, the host club needed a refill on a couple things."

"do you... need help?" you ask, tilting your head at her.

"oh no, it's okay." she spoke, shaking her head with a nervous smile, "i'm nearly there, and club activities are going to start soon."

you shrugged your shoulders, taking some of the bags from her hold. "it's okay, my meeting's been cancelled. i can help." you explain, giving haruhi a smile, "i don't mind spending a little more time getting to know you."

she held her breath for a moment as you led her to the music room that the host club occupied. you were well-known around the school yourself, not as much as the infamous tamaki but still. you shared world history class together and sat in front of her. she knew the sound of your voice by the end of the first month here at ouran academy, and it was no wonder why many of your classmates would seek your help for work. haruhi was good at reading people, so she could tell that you yourself didn't have any bad intentions.

you two became friends quite easily, and you had visited her a few times at the host club. you acted as a cool escape from the strange world of the rich that haruhi had to get used to. you spoke to her as if she was always a friend of yours, sweet and kind. she thought that, if you had tried to, you could knock even tamaki off of his pedestal.

"i heard from hikaru that your theme for this week is the opposite of a 'maid cafe'." your voice cuts through her thoughts, and she drags her eyes to meet with yours. heat rushes to her cheeks at the idea that kyoya had brought up to make a rise in sales. you chuckle at her reaction. "well, i'll have to make sure to stop by to see you."

haruhi rolls her eyes, looking out the window to her left. "please spare me the humiliation, y/n." she huffed out, frown tugging on her lips.

you only grin wider. "c'mon, haruhi, you know that’s the only reason i show up." you say, leaning forward to get a look at her face. she was burning even brighter, and it didn't help that when she glanced back at you, you were staring at her with that welcoming and heart-warming grin you always had for her. "should i switch to always visiting the twins, then?"

haruhi gives you a deadpan look, which makes you laugh. she knows you wouldn't, you literally only asked for her. but she couldn't help the feeling she experienced when you would say her name or look at her like that.

at the host club, you help drop off the bags as kyoya checks everything on his clipboard. at the bell, haruhi escorts you to the door.

"thank you again, y/n, for your help. i'll repay you." she says, knowing full well that all her payments were going to the host club for her initial incident.

you ruffle her hair a little with a smile. "no problem, haruhi. i'll always be here to lend a hand." you say, walking down the hall with your 'goodbye'.

haruhi spares you a wave, closing the door after seeing you turn the corner. when she looks back to her clubroom, she notices kyoya standing a few feet away, back against the wall. "oh, kyoya-senpai. i forgot you—”

“taking a liking to l/n, have we?” he taunts, clipboard under his arm. his glasses gleam with mischief and haruhi gulps. picking it up from the table, he hands her the costume for the day. “is that why they’ve become a regular now?”

she rolls her eyes and grabs it from him. “believe what you want, i’m not doing this out of pleasure.” she admits, hurrying to the change rooms. she passes the other hosts, all standing in the doorway and watching the two interact. haruhi stops on her tracks yet again, furrowing her brows. “what now?”

“what’s this? have haruhi and y/n finally begun dating?” the twins chime, wrapping their arms around haruhi as she begins to heat up, “the love story of the century, two pining young students unable to keep their affections a secret.”

kaoru glances to tamaki, who is fixing up his tie. “what do you say, boss? should we invite y/n to join the host club?” he suggests.

honey jumps up, holding his toy up in the air. “they would be so cute together, right taka-chan?” mori simply nods his head, looking indifferent.

“hmm. perhaps a new addition would spark some rivalry between haruhi and y/n.” tamaki concludes, “many of our guests would love to see the lovers battle to be the best! yes, that is a splendid idea! haruhi—”

turning around, he sees haruhi exit the change rooms in her butler outfit. she huffs back, shaking her head, “i am not inviting y/n to join the host club, you idiots.”

she walks passed them, ignoring the banter they were spouting and the arguments they had for you joining the club. in the end, it was a definite no.

she didn’t know what it was. maybe she just really wanted you to herself.

↣ suoh tamaki:

tamaki, like always, was surrounded by the girls of ouran academy.

if there were any sign that today was just going to be another day, it would be that. the sounds of screams and dreamy sighs, the voice of tamaki swooning them all, and the trail of hearts left behind. another day here at school for you.

but, like always, the club members would make fun of him for his eccentric ideas and whatnot. as they leave to go to class, tamaki stands in the music room with a disappointed look on his face. whenever he would put a frown on his face, the customers would come rushing in! hold his face, cling to his side! why must his friends be so disheartening?

when the door opens to the music room, he expects it to be kyoya to drag him back, and he throws on his frown again. "oh, kyoya! i'm so sad!"

"why is that, tamaki?" you ask, closing the door with your sheet music under your arm and your violin in hand. he blinks at you, obviously not expecting anyone other than the club members. "my apologies, i walked into the wrong room. why are you here by yourself?"

to play it off (although he has never seen you attend any club activities, only ever seeing you in his literature class) he stands up, cheeks burning with embarrassment. he chuckles out, arms thrown to his sides, "o-oh! don't mind me, i'm just a bit down. i didn't expect such a kind student to make themselves known at such a time! how are you on this fine day, mx l/n?"

when you tilt your head, walking closer to his spot at the couch. "a sweet boy like you should never be left alone to sulk." you state, sitting down across from him. he widens his eyes, gulping. "where are your friends?"

"uh... they are in, um, class!" he says as the end-of-the-day bell rings. you only smile. tamaki sighs, dropping his whole get-up and looking to his hands, leaning back against the softness of the couch, "i suppose they left me here while they went home."

"you don't want to go home yet?" you question. he shakes his head. you only exhale, placing your sheet music on the table and your violin next to you. "well, if that is the case, then i'd be happy to keep you company, my lovely."

he widens his eyes as he looks to you. a faint blush paints his cheeks. "you... would?" you nod your head twice. he then smiles. "truthfully, i have no business being here right now. kyoya had called off our club meeting because of exams coming up and the twins failing some classes. and if they fail, they can't be in the club."

"is that so?" you say, making conversation, "well, i suppose you can spend your time with me."

"do you not have a lesson to get to?" tamaki asks, concerned as he glances to your sheet music, "i wouldn't want to keep you—"

"would you like to come to my practice, then?" you offer, smiling softly that it makes him hold his breath for a moment. you were so charming, in such a different way than he was. it was enticing. "i'm sure you wouldn't distract me. not on purpose, that is."

your little joke at the end makes him nervously laugh. "oh, i... i wouldn't want to bother."

"you're not bothering me, tamaki." you honestly say. he unconsciously leans towards you, eager to get closer. you stay where you are, smiling at his actions. "and it seems you just can't resist me."

he catches himself falling. he almost can't believe it, but he then fixes himself and his posture, standing up straight. "r—right, well, i... you...!"

you chuckle, standing up and taking his arm linked in yours, "alright, prince, let's go."

he gasps as you guide him to your practice room, so confident through the halls. he's scared someone will see him in such a flustered state and his cool prince facade will fade. but luckily enough, you navigate your way easily and shut the door behind you.

except, it doesn't take you to the music room. no, in fact, you and tamaki end up on one of the balconies that overlook the quieter side of school — opposite side from the host club.

"i practice here during our breaks and study sessions." you admit, placing a music stand and clipping your sheet music to it. unlatching you violin, you glance to tamaki. "away from all your fangirls, that is."

he raises a brow, catching himself finding his confidence again, "jealous, perhaps?"

"what do you think?" you say, tuning your instrument.

tamaki blinks, staring at the ground as he sits at the bench in front of you. he states, "there is no possible way you could've gotten the wrong room, you know."

you raise your brows, looking back at him. a slow smile creeps onto your lips. "your club passed me in the hallway before i saw you." you admit, waxing your bow, "i just wanted to make sure ouran's pride and joy was okay."

his heart swells at your words. he doesn't know why, but all of a sudden birds sings for you, flowers bloom in your presence the breeze smells sweeter.

"thank you..." he hums, smiling at you sweetly, "may i hear something?"

you lift your bow, nodding your head, "yes, your highness."

his heart explodes at the first note.

↣ ootori kyoya:

if there was one thing kyoya was good at, it was analysing people's strengths and weaknesses. the smart one, glasses-wearing, everything. he was it.

but one thing he couldn't understand was why you were so popular.

you were a part of the school student committee, and as a part of your duties, you hd to do monthly check-ups on clubs to see if they were still eligible to continue. while the host club never failed, you would still drop by without a doubt.

today was one of those days.

kyoya could tell you were near by the increase in whispers and gasps around the hallway. once heard, he excused himself and walked off to grab the folder that held the statistics for their monthly report.

as if on cue, you enter, herd of admirers behind you.

"ah, good evening, mx l/n." he says, offering a bow, "to what do i owe the pleasure?"

"it's good to see you too, ootori." you chime, bowing yourself, "is your report ready for this month? it is the 31st after all."

kyoya can almost hear the agonising tone in your voice, hidden by your politeness. but he doesn't waver, holding out the folder. "indeed. like always, we are right on time." he tells you.

you take it from him, opening it up and falting. kyoya raises a brow. "is something the matter, l/n?" he questions.

you look up at him with the faintest smile. "perhaps you're pulling my leg here, ootori. this appears to be last month's report." you chime, pinpointing his mistakes at its core.

he takes the folder from you and reviews the dates. you were correct, this was last month's report. he scans the room until he locks eyes with the twins, who shrug their shoulders innocently and walk off.

"i... apologise. it seems the twins have taken it into their own hands to file the report for this month." he sighs, fixing his glasses, "if you'll follow me, i will find it for you."

you agree, smiling as those you pass before you enter the side room with kyoya in front of you.

as the doors shut, you click your tongue, "oh kyoya, those two run circles around you, don't they?"

the host rolls his eyes, taking out the box of reports from the cabinet and setting them on the desk. he does miss how his name sounds on your lips. so soft.

"they are a pain, but we make do." he huffs, "must your enterage always follow you when you come see us?"

"oh it's not just when i come here." you state, hand on your hip, "it's everywhere."

you were so smug it made him scowl. he opens the box and notices that they are all out of order. he groans, "we have to look through every individual file, i'm afraid."

"luckily this is my last club for tonight." you sigh, taking out a couple folders, "i can help you organise these."

"but wouldn't your fanclub miss you too much, y/n?" kyoya speaks, doing the same thing and looking through them.

"you're one to talk." you chuckle.

"i truly don't understand how you manage to gather so many followers. you're merely treasurer." he complains, shrugging his shoulders, "do you like being followed around like that?"

you roll your eyes at his dramatic personality. you and kyoya had been friends for ages now, and it seems the popularity you acquire puts a strain on your relationship.

"i don't mind being followed, but i do like all of my friends." you state, flipping through pages, "i speak to all of them regularly."

"so they talk to you and you enjoy it?" he questions, raising a brow at you. the thought irked him. why did you speak to so many people? he could call bullshit. but you shrug your shoulders.

"everybody wants to be liked by the person they have a crush on." you say, knowing tone. every one of your "friends" have or have had a crush on you, which is why they speak to you in the first place. "it just so happens that i like making friends."

"that's preposterous." he huffs back, "i don't understand the severity. i don't feel the need to be liked by you."

"that's because i already like you, kyoya. we were friends since forever, after all." you state, putting one report into the correct folder as you glance at him working, "do you not feel the same?"

"frankly, it doesn't matter to me." kyoya says, ignoring how his chest felt at what you said. it was reassuring to know you still liked him.

"what, are you saying that you don't like me, kyoya?" you say, overdramatic voice on. you move closer to kyoya, tilting your head and jutting our your lip. he swallows his nerves "even after everything we've been through? i'm hurt."

"quiet." he grunts, pushing you away as you laugh. his face grows warmer. "just... find that report and get out of here. it's almost time for club activities to end."

you stare at him for a moment, watching red grow on his cheeks in frustration. your friend has always been this way, even though he acts more familiar with you in private, his embarrassed look never changes. you just see it more than anyone else. that's just how you were.

"okay, kyo." you chuckle, moving to the other side of the table and continuing your work.

kyoya sighs to himself, fixing his glasses and calming himself down. how could you be so... charming? and effortlessly so? is this why everyone fawned over you in a similar way to how they fawn over tamaki?

a few more minutes pass before you've found the file and managed to organise the rest of them. kyoya breathes in relief, putting the box away and silently cursing the twins out.

"thank you, kyoya." you hum out, tucking the folder under your arm, "i'll let you know what we come to."

he puts his hand on the door and before he opens it, he turns to you. "you're welcome. please do. it's the only time we ever... see you." he admits, seeing your raised brows.

your smile drops for a second before you sigh, patting his back, "i'll be sure to come and visit more often then. just for you."

when he opens the door, tamaki is trying to swoon your crowd to leave. he cheers and waves his hands, but to no avail. when they see you, they follow after.

"i apologise for extending my stay, suoh." you say, nodding at him as you stand in the exit, your crowd behind you, "i'll see you all soon."

with a wave of your hand, you leave, smiling at kyoya one last time. the twins turn to him immediately.

"so, how was your date with y/n?" they chime, leaning on his shoulders.

"it wasn't a date, you morons. you do realise how much trouble you caused." he says, a sly smile on his face, "seems like a punishment is in order."

the twins dash out of the room before he can say another word, the other members talking quietly amongst themselves about you.

but kyoya only looks down at his clipboard, once again counting the days til you come again for your monthly report.

[anipgarden]

Adding To or Starting a Garden

AKA, the beginning of the Plants-Related section of this series.

This is my third post in a series I’ll be making on how to increase biodiversity on a budget! I’m not an expert--just an enthusiast--but I hope something you find here helps! 

Got an area of lawn you’d like to convert to a wildlife haven? An area you can stick some hanging baskets in? Want to know how your garden of tomatoes and zucchinis is already putting in a lot of work? This is the section for you!

It would be dumb of me to not acknowledge that the act of gardening can come with a lot of costs. Buying seeds, buying plants, buying soil, raised bed materials, mulch, etc. … it can all get a bit daunting, let’s be honest! But there’s quite a few ways to get seeds and plants for free or extremely cheap, which I’ll be addressing in this section! The next section will be all about addressing the other Costs in gardening and how to mitigate or eliminate them entirely.

Also, do keep in mind; there’s no need to try and convert a whole area from lawn to garden or unused to garden at once. In fact, it could actually be extremely beneficial to do it a little at a time--maybe four or five square feet to start out.

Front Lawn (or Managing Principles)

If you live in a place where you’re required to have a grass turf lawn (HOA’s come to mind…), try replacing it with native grasses instead! You could even possibly use a low-growing ground cover plant like clover to a similar effect! Reseeding/replacing an entire lawn can be a big upfront cost, but even just letting the lawn be a little messy and tall helps. If the lawn gets patchy, leave the bare spots for a little while and something different will likely pop up! Pioneer species will fill the gaps and provide benefits to other plants around them, support animals, and more! If you want to take the guesswork out of it, you could always research what the pioneer species are in your area and plant the ones you like most. 

Obtaining Seeds for Cheap or Free

The cheapest way to start a garden is by far via seeds. However, seeds can be a bit complicated to grow, and some sources make them… way overpriced. Fortunately there are ways to get seeds for little to no cost! 

Some places sell seeds for as low as a dollar, 50 cents, or 25 cents! The packets may not have a lot of seeds, but it’s definitely a good start for a low budget! I’ve personally bought cheap seed packets at Walmart--the Ferry-Morse and Burpee brands are not what we’re looking for here. Typically the cheaper ones I’ve found are American Seed (which is owned by Green Garden Products, which also owns Ferry-Morse, Livingston Seed, McKenzie Seed, and Seeds of Change. Do with that information what you will), but they’re rarely stocked near the Ferry-Morse ones in the Formal Gardening Section. I’ve most often found them on end caps near the gardening section, so you may have to weave through a few aisles to find them, but once you do there’s an array of flower and vegetable seeds to select from! Alternatively, I’ve found seeds at Dollar Tree sold 2 or 4 for a dollar in Spring as part of their seasonal product; however, when they’re out of stock, they’re typically out of stock for the year. Try to check them out early in the year!

Otherwise, other seed companies like Urban Farmer or Botanical Interests will often have semi-frequent sales in spring and fall, when people are stocking up on seeds--joining their email lists can help you be the first to know when a good sale is going on!

Some foods from grocery stores will provide seeds that you can use in the garden as well. I’ve had the most luck with store-bought bagged beans, peppers, and tomatoes. Some people have had luck with watermelons, apples, citrus, squash, and more. Do keep in mind that you likely won’t get the same variety of fruit/vegetable as the one you bought--the resulting plant may look different and taste different.

Give it a shot! Pick some beans you like--if they don't grow well, at least you can eat the rest!

If you live in the US, food-producing live plants, bare roots, and seeds can often be purchased with SNAP benefits. But what does growing fruits, veggies, and herbs have to do with boosting biodiversity? While food crops aren’t typically native, they still provide valuable shelter for native insects. Some plants even have intricate relationships with native fauna--like the squash bee, a solitary bee which exclusively pollinates cucurbits like pumpkins, squash, and zucchini. And we get to benefit more directly as well! If you’re planting a diverse range of foods in your garden (as opposed to the swaths of single-plant farms that typically produce what’s sent to grocery stores), you’re supporting high levels of biodiversity by providing a variety of plants for creatures to live and hunt around.

Most of the time, when we think of boosting biodiversity with a garden, we think of a colorful flower garden teeming with pollinator species. However, if we’re striving to use native species, it can be a bit difficult to find some species in stores. I can say from experience that trying to find any wildflower seeds other than butterfly weed, purple coneflowers, and black-eyed-susans is… challenging, if you limit yourself to stores like Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s. You might occasionally get lucky with an ACE Hardware or a local nursery, but even then sometimes it can be hard to track down who in your area is selling what--let alone if you live in an area where no one really is selling native plants or their seeds. Not to mention, even once you find a local or online store selling the seeds you want, they can sometimes cost a pretty penny. So what do you do?

If you have the option to, consider gathering native seeds yourself! Get good at identifying the native flora and fauna--or at least, a few target plants and their lookalikes--and get ready to go! Learn where they tend to grow, when they’ll be seeding, etc. Try to identify the plant before it goes to seed (for most plants, it's easiest to identify when flowering), then check back regularly to gather seeds. Typically, if I want to learn how to collect seed from a specific plant, I just search it on Google or YouTube--oftentimes, I'm lead to the GrowItBuildIt Youtube page, so it may be a helpful resource for you as well! Of course, make sure to leave plenty of seed behind so the wild population can repopulate, and seed can feed other creatures in the area. A good rule of thumb is to take no more than 1/3rd of what's available.

Buying seed in bulk is an option if you can afford the upfront cost. Try teaming up with a few friends to buy some bulk seeds and split them amongst yourselves--you’ll get tons of seed! Prairie Moon is a popular site that'll sell seeds by the pound if you can afford the price--though they're in the US, and I believe they focus on Midwest and East Coast natives.

If you want to cheat the system, don’t buy bulk sunflower seeds--buy bags of sunflower seeds being sold as birdseed. They’re typically all black oil sunflower seeds, but they’ll sprout, and they’re fairly cheap for the amount you get!

However, beware generic wildflower seed mixes! Many brands like to sell wildflower seed mixes in big box stores like Home Depot, Target, or even Dollar Tree, but they’ll often include flowers that aren’t native or possibly even invasive in your region! Before you make any purchases, double check to make sure the contained seeds won’t do more harm than good! A quality source of native seeds will provide English and Latin names for all seeds included, and will be native to the region or at least non-invasive. 

See this? I don't trust this.

There’s a good handful of programs online that’ll send you free seeds if you’re planning to start a native habitat project! Poke around online and see what you can find; you might get lucky! The best time to start looking for these is fall and winter, I find--by early spring, many of them are either done or beginning to wind down... though some also start up in spring. Ultimately--just check regularly! You never know what you can find!

Other Ways to Get Plants

Don’t want to start from seed? That’s fair! You can try cuttings! Just be sure not to take too much of the plant while you do so. Make sure you’ve gotten a few leaf nodes on your cutting, and cut any flowers you may have gotten. Make sure to leave some blooms and foliage on the original plant for the creatures in the current habitat--you don’t want to destroy one habitat to make another in your garden. There’s tons of methods of rooting cuttings, many of which have different efficacy rates for different plants, but that’s a topic for another post.

If you find seedlings growing in a place where they won’t be able to sustain themselves long-term, or are in danger of being destroyed, consider relocating them! You may be able to gently dig up and transplant the seedling to your garden. Don’t do this if they’re in a place where they can easily survive--ideally, you’ll be taking plants from sidewalk cracks, heavily maintained public gardens, roadsides, etc. Do be careful while doing this--ensure your safety first!  

You’re totally allowed to join gardening communities like clubs, facebook groups, and more before you’ve even put a trowel to the dirt. These are great places to learn information and advice! Many gardeners are more than happy to help out a new gardener, and will eagerly provide seeds, cuttings, or even baby plants! Talk to some people about your gardening journey and what you’re hoping to do, and you just might find some kindred spirits--or at least get more people interested in the topic! 

Seed and plant giveaways and trades happen all the time in gardening clubs, as well as online! Just poke around and see what you can find! Some are explicitly trades, meaning you’re expected to send something in return, but once you get your feet on the ground with some plant knowledge you’ll be stellar! You may be able to explain you’re just starting out, and someone may send you seeds without expecting a trade, but I’d suggest trying giveaways first. 

Poke around online and see if there’s a local chapter of your state’s native plant society. From there, you’ll likely be able to find a calendar of events--many of them will host plant sales in the spring, with a bunch of native plant seedlings ripe for the pickings if you can make it out and have some money to spare! Fair warning, though, you’ll want to get there early if you can. If they say they’re starting at 10, try to get there by 9:45. Year after year, there’s always record turnout, and they sell out of plants faster than ever. Just trust me on this. I’ve been let down; hopefully you won’t have to be.

Some libraries are beginning to host seed libraries! Check around and see if your library has one! Ideally, the system works best if you also have seeds to contribute in return, but if you’re just starting out I’m sure they won’t mind you taking some seeds! Just consider saving some seeds to contribute in the future and pay it forward. If your library doesn’t have a seed library? Consider asking if they’d be willing to start one! Community interest is a great way to get the ball rolling on projects like these, but they’ll only know the community is interested if the community tells them they’re interested!

Volunteer to Garden for/with Someone Else

Maybe someone in your area wants to garden, but is struggling to find the time/energy. Many elderly people who used to garden simply can’t anymore but still would like a garden. Other people may love to have a helping hand in their garden. You might even find a few people in your area interested in renting and sharing a community garden plot with others, so they don't have to handle it all on their own! They may be interested in increasing biodiversity right now, or may be willing to if it’s brought up to them. You might be just the kind of person someone needs! Since it won't be your garden, you’ll likely need a bit of permission and collaboration to get anything in particular going, but it’s worth a shot and a way to maybe even make friends! 

Again, your mileage may vary with some of these. You may not know where there's a bunch of wildflowers growing in your area, or maybe your local library doesn't have a free seed library. That's okay! Do what you're able to, find what you can find, get what you can get! And there's never any shame with starting small--in fact, starting small can make the project easier to manage and expand when you're able!

That's the end of this post! My next post is gonna be about ways to start growing plants cheaply--low cost seed starting set ups, essentially. There's a lot of good options, many of which I've used myself even! Until then, I hope this advice is helpful! Feel free to reply with any questions, success stories, or anything you think I may have forgotten to add in!

[olowan-waphiya]

of fucking course.....they fucking coated paper straws with pfas......its a fucking nightmare

--

Long-lasting 'forever chemicals', which can cause damaging health issues, found in 18/20 brands of paper straws

In the first analysis of its kind in Europe, and only the second in the world, Belgian researchers tested 39 brands of straws for the group of synthetic chemicals known as poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

PFAS were found in the majority of the straws tested and were most common in those made from paper and bamboo, the study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Food Additives and Contaminants, found.

PFAS are used to make everyday products, from outdoor clothing to non-stick pans, resistant to water, heat and stains. They are, however, potentially harmful to people, wildlife and the environment.

They break down very slowly over time and can persist over thousands of years in the environment, a property that has led to them being known as "forever chemicals."

They have been associated with a number of health problems, including lower response to vaccines, lower birth weight, thyroid disease, increased cholesterol levels, liver damage, kidney cancer and testicular cancer.

"Straws made from plant-based materials, such as paper and bamboo, are often advertised as being more sustainable and eco-friendly than those made from plastic," says researcher Dr Thimo Groffen, an environmental scientist at the University of Antwerp, who is involved in this study.

"However, the presence of PFAS in these straws means that's not necessarily true."

A growing number of countries, including the UK and Belgium, have banned sale of single-use plastic products, including drinking straws, and plant-based versions have become popular alternatives.

A recent study found PFAS in plant-based drinking straws in the US. Dr Groffen and colleagues wanted to find out if the same was true of those on sale in Belgium.

To explore this further, the research team purchased 39 different brands of drinking straw made from five materials -- paper, bamboo, glass, stainless steel and plastic.

The straws, which were mainly obtained from shops, supermarkets and fast-food restaurants, then underwent two rounds of testing for PFAS.

The majority of the brands (27/39, 69%) contained PFAS, with 18 different PFAS detected in total.

The paper straws were most likely to contain PFAS, with the chemicals detected in 18/20 (90%) of the brands tested. PFAS were also detected in 4/5 (80%) brands of bamboo straw, 3/4 (75%) of the plastic straw brands and 2/5 (40%) brands of glass straw. They were not detected in any of the five types of steel straw tested.

The most commonly found PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), has been banned globally since 2020.

Also detected were trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS), "ultra-short chain" PFAS which are highly water soluble and so might leach out of straws into drinks.

The PFAS concentrations were low and, bearing in mind that most people tend to only use straws occasionally, pose a limited risk to human health. However, PFAS can remain in the body for many years and concentrations can build up over time.

"Small amounts of PFAS, while not harmful in themselves, can add to the chemical load already present in the body," says Dr Groffen.

It isn't known whether the PFAS were added to the straws by the manufacturers for waterproofing or whether were the result of contamination. Potential sources of contamination include the soil the plant-based materials were grown in and the water used in the manufacturing process.

However, the presence of the chemicals in almost every brand of paper straw means it is likely that it was, in some cases, being used as a water-repellent coating, say the researchers.

The study's other limitations include not looking at whether the PFAS would leach out of the straws into liquids.

Dr Groffen concludes: "The presence of PFAS in paper and bamboo straws shows they are not necessarily biodegradable.

"We did not detect any PFAS in stainless steel straws, so I would advise consumers to use this type of straw -- or just avoid using straws at all."

[leighsartworks216]

Sour Candy

Sylus x gn!Reader

One of many drabbles that will never become long fics. Instead of hoarding them, I am freeing them from their prison in my notes app

Warnings: fluff, silly, swearing, candy, food

Word Count: 328

Main Masterlist

First Love and Deepspace Masterlist

Second Love and Deepspace Masterlist

AO3

Tag List Form

"Sy~! I got some stuff!"

The man in question watches with a raised brow as you pour a tote's worth of candy across his desk. Paperwork be damned, the confectionary comes first. Still, he can't help chuckling at your contagious excitement.

"What's all this, sweetie?" He picks up a snack-sized bag and reads the label. And another, and another. "Are these all sour?"

"Uh-huh!" You toss the bag carelessly aside and begin sorting out all the candies into a semi-organized mess. "I went to five different shops around Linkon and three shops here. Some of these are nostalgia candies - you know, the stuff branded to be, like, reminiscent of old things they don't really make anymore to make more sales because this is the only way you're gonna find it? A bunch are newer, all claiming to be the most sour candy on the market. And these~" You push a sizable pile to the side. "Are from the N109 Zone and probably are the most sour candy available for purchase anywhere because fuck food regulations."

"We have some regulations-"

"You have Red 40."

"- they're just not as strict as Linkon's. You're not going to get sick eating our food."

"Okay, whatever. Do you want to burn your mouth off with way too much citric acid with me or not?"

He quirks a brow at you. You raise yours back in a silent challenge. But he can never refuse you, can he? "Fine. Should we have your doctor friend on speed dial for when this inevitably goes awry?"

"Absolutely not. I have to nag him about how much sugar he eats already - I don’t need him using this as blackmail."

-

"These aren't bad. Two out of five."

You would gape at him, if your lips weren't scrunched up and your eyes weren't watering. "TWO?! This is the most sour candy we've tried yet!"

He shrugs and casually pops another one into his mouth. "They're not strong enough for me."

---

Tag List:

@the-golden-jhope @huen1ngk41 @armycaratlover @sylusfluffymeow @cheesemachine44 @nyx2021 @angel-jupiter @thelittlebutton @pikachuzhc @pomegranatepip @cordidy @an-ever-angry-bi @thejysemongko 

[rottenpumpkin13]

firsts + Turks ranked least to most likely to play peekaboo with a baby/toddler in the checkout line at the grocery store

Sephiroth: Standing there with his cart full of groceries, completely thrown off guard by this tiny human who won't stop staring at him. Frozen in place as the infant's unrelenting stare pierces his soul. After 3 minutes and 42 seconds of discomfort, attempts a single wave. Baby's resulting shrieking cry makes everyone stare at him. Sephiroth abandons his full grocery cart, including the single cup of yogurt he was guilted into buying by the dairy department employee. Security footage shows him taking the emergency stairs to the parking lot to avoid further human interactions. Never shops at this location again.

Genesis: Immediately sees this as his moment to shine. Crouches down to baby-level, launches into the most dramatic rendition of "Hey Diddle Diddle" ever performed in a checkout line. Adds hand flourishes. Changes his voice for different parts. The baby just... stares. Not crying, not laughing, just staring with that blank baby face. Switches to nursery rhymes, getting progressively more theatrical with each one. Still nothing. Finally pulls out Loveless, because clearly this baby just needs more sophisticated material. The baby chooses this moment to become fascinated with its own toes. Genesis leaves in a huff, but not before telling the mother her child "clearly lacks the refinement to appreciate the arts."

Angeal: Goes all in. Full peekaboo performance with sound effects and everything. Gets down on the baby's level, makes silly faces, the works. The baby loves him. Mom's impressed by this huge SOLDIER being so gentle with her kid. Somehow turns the conversation to his organic garden, gets her number to "share recipes" but accidentally gets asked out on a date with the mom.

Rude: Notices the baby eyeing his sunglasses while mom's digging for coupons. Without a word, slides them off and gently places them on the baby's face. The baby looks cool. Mom tries to return them but Rude just shakes his head and walks away.

Reno: Just trying to check his phone when he notices this baby losing it every time he glances up. The more he ignores it, the harder it laughs. Tries to look boring on purpose; reads a magazine, checks his watch, stares at the ceiling. Somehow this is the height of comedy to this kid. Finally turns to the baby like "yo, what's so funny?" which sends the baby into complete hysterics. Ends up feeling weirdly insulted that his entire existence is apparently hilarious to this tiny human.

Tseng: Smoothly joins mom's conversation about baby food prices, somehow knows every brand and sale price. Tells her about "his boy" who has the occasional meltdown over paperwork and vegetables. They chat about terrible 2's (which in Tseng's case were the terrible 22's), and he doesn't mention that his "toddler" is actually the vice president of Shinra. Suggests educational toys for enrichment that have worked for Rufus, swaps numbers to "share parenting tips." He then offers the baby some candy he keeps on him at all times for Rufus.

[decaffeinatedcandycane]

RANDOM Headcanons: Buying make-up shenanigans

Warnings ⚠ none

Includes: Price, Soap, Ghost, Alejandro, Andre, Konig, Gaz, Horangi, Nikolai

Has "can figure everything out" attitude and confidently enters a store just to get lost in it.

Browses for hours, gets mad when he can't decide, then gets distracted by another item. Rinse and repeat.

The cycle continues until he snatches a sales person, or a manager suspects him of stealing, asks tons of questions, ends up buying himself lipgloss (smells like coconut)

There is just too much stuff in the store, it gets him overwhelmed.

Tries to tactically question you about makeup, gives up and snoops through your bags.

Eventually buys some more "stuff" (gets himself different smelling lipbalms and lipglosses) and gets you something you already have.

Admits what he was doing and drags you back to the store with him.

Bonus: The sales people there are sweating upon his arrival. Even the trainee learnt the makeup brands, just by staying next to Price and listening as he asks his question. And he asks, asks questions - even about the ingredients.

Baby boy loves sparkles and the smell of makeup. The salesmen don't like him that much.

He knows what you like, however he is not permitted to shop alone. Why? His toxic trait is that: he buys in bulk.

You learnt that the hard way, after he came home with 27 eyeshadow pallets.

Expiration dates who?

Has a mascara from 7 years ago. Refuses to throw it away. Only does so, after you show him a documentary about eye infection.

Please take a moment to envision how tall and scary he looks in the makeup aisle, standing behind you like a creepy statue, dull on black, with his balaclava. I just giggled.

Insist on paying for everything ( didn't say anything about Price, because there is no insisting - he just pays. Ghost, at least pretends he will let you pay.)

Despises the blackhead mask. Did it once, regretted his life choices.

Experimenting king.

He is the dude who will visit a store, several times, no matter where he is at and buy whatever is new, shiny and cool.

Loves giving you his makeup finds and watching you apply/wear them.

Plays with your brushes a lot. ( They are just so soft and fluffy)

Bonus: Buys skincare for you and the team. Forces his team in spa day retreats.

Definitely knows what to buy.

He knows your makeup, especially if you live together.

Gets lost in the brushes sections and touches everything fluffy. (Don't let him shop with Soap)

Smells everything and if he wants to try something new, buys whatever smells best.

Compares prices online, if a salesperson is mean to him, buys the cheaper stuff and returns back to the store. (Petty boy)

Prefers more matte and glossy options, rather than sparkles.

You already know imma gonna say it. But if you think people get scared of Ghost in a store, you should see them around König.

Can he wear civilian clothes and no mask. Yes. Does he. Sometimes. If he feels like it.

You reassure every sales person that he is with you and he is no a threat.

König in a makeup store is like a kid around new shiny things. Touches everything.

Wants to buy everything.

"No, I don't need this" and "Put it back" are your go to phrases.

Does not enter tight stores after a shelf incident.

If you shop for hours he may make friends with the staff and even help them with the heavy lifting. (lil show-off 👑)

Gets shifty easily, so you better have Horangi nearby or be located near a food court.

Steals shit. Not because he has to, but because he can.

Definitely goes shopping alone, or uses you as a mule for his stolen goods.

Absolute creature when it comes to makeup sponges. Tiny, squishy and come in different shapes and colors.

Has a collection of them.

Sample king (loves free shit, espcially of expensive products), but has a deep appreciation of the tiny samples. Keeps them as another collection.

Lost af

Buys whatever the makeup girl tells him to buy.

He will try to figure out your makeup, after trying solo shopping and will buy some stuff. Not incompetent at all.

Hates the stores. Sales people continuously snuck up on him and talk. Nikolai is not a fan.

Sorry, but he has a special place saved for hatred for every store where he has to socialize.

Has enough opinions on products to need any external ones.

Will buy you makeup as a gift, but that's it.

Don't drag him to a store, ever.

Makeup judge. Buys only brands he trusts and ignores the rest.

Goes with you and glares at the sales people, who try to make you buy more products.

Buys his lipbalm at a grocery store to avoid sales pitches.

Huge on skin care and hair products, which he orders online.

Loves when people stare at you at the store, always puts a hand around your waist. "Yup,she is with me" attitude (one of the main reasons on why he shops with you)

[munson-blurbs]

hi!!! i want to send in a request for the meet-cute blurbs!

i would like to be paired with steve! im very outgoing, i love to laugh, and i try to be nice to everyone. some interest/fun facts, i work at ulta beauty as a sales girl (so i love makeup and meeting people) and i love to read (especially autobiographies and spiritual self help books). lastly, my pronouns are she/her and i guess one more thing about me is i always have my hair and makeup done!!

thank you!!! 💕💕💕

You meet Steve while he's struggling to find foundation for Robin!

CW: endearingly awkward Steve, Reader is a bit flirty WC: 606 Divider credit to @hellfire--cult

Working in retail required you to find joy in the simple things. Helping someone find a lipstick shade that made them feel confident and beautiful. A day without any customers complaining about the products you had in stock (as though you were in charge of placing orders). When your boss was in a good mood and treated the employees to coffee from the food court.

Today’s little slice of entertainment was watching a guy stumble through the aisles in search of foundation, nearly knocking over a display of lipgloss in the process.    

“Fuckin’...shit…” he mumbled, brushing the sleeves of his denim jacket as though he could shed his embarrassment. “Fuckin’ Robin…always her goddamn errand boy.”

You stood there, lips tucked into your mouth to stifle your laughter, as he held up two bottles with similar shades. He examined them thoroughly, bringing them up to his eyes and squinting. “What the hell’s the difference…nah, they have to be the same.” He placed one back on the shelf and picked up another, his chest rising and falling as he took a deep breath to summon his patience. “Wait, hold on, is this another one?”

Okay. Time to put this man out of his misery.

“Can I help you with something?”

Your voice startled him from his thoughts. One bottle slipped from his grip, and he caught it mid-air before it could shatter all over the tile floor. His cheeks now splotched pink, he let out an embarrassed laugh.

“Stealthy. Like a ninja.” 

You nodded, your own smile actually genuine rather than the one you plastered on for ‘quality customer service.’ Gesturing to the bottles, you asked, “Do you need help choosing a shade?” 

“Wha–oh, yeah. But they’re not for me. I don’t wear makeup. Except for this one time when I was a kid and my cousin put some on me and made me pretend to be a princess at a tea party.” He cleared his throat and shook his head, a lock of light-brown hair grazing along his forehead. “My friend–who is a girl, but not a girlfriend, like we’re platonic with a capital P–she has a date tonight and asked me to get this for her. But I clearly have no idea what I’m doing.”

You inched closer, enough to smell the musky cologne he sported. “Did she tell you what shade to get?”

“Yeah, it was, uh, the Clinic brand?” He wrinkled his nose. “And she wrote down the number…”

He fished into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled slip of paper, and you saw Clinique 02 hastily scrawled on it.

“We keep the Clinique products over here.” You motioned him towards the next shelf and plucked the correct shade from its spot. “I believe this is what you want.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” he said with an exhale as he took the bottle from your hand. His fingertips brushed yours, and this time, you almost dropped the merchandise. 

You shrugged, acting like that electric spark didn’t pass between you. “Just doing my job.”

“Right. Yeah.” He scratched at the back of his neck. “Well, could I still buy you an ice cream from Scoops Ahoy as a thank you?”

“I can’t turn down free ice cream from a cute guy,” you said. “My shift ends at seven, if you wanna swing by then?”

His face turned an even deeper red. “I can do seven.” He started towards the register, then made an about-face. “I’m Steve, by the way. Steve Harrington.”

You let your gaze linger on the moles on his neck for a moment before you responded.

“Nice to meet you, Steve Harrington.” 

--

[jaemified]

TAKING ME HIGH (ANGEL)

“fuck. you really couldnt wait an hour?”

☆ pairing ; dior employee minghao x flight attendant fem reader

☆ genre ; smut (minors dni!!), porn w plot, est relationship

☆ warnings ; swearing, smoking, oral (m receiving)((giving head under the table)), handjob, haos mean, readers bratty, praise kink if ya squint, degrading, pet names (baby, pretty girl, angel, sweet girl, pretty baby, brat, slut), hair pulling

☆ wordcount ; 2.0k

☆ synopsis ; after being away from your boyfriend for almost a literal week thanks to your job, you want nothing more than him in every possible way. but when he finds himself picking his games over you, you come to a compromise; sneaking under the table while hes distracted.

READ BELOW THE CUT

it wasnt like your boyfriend didnt spoil you.

i mean, you were pretty fucking spoiled considering he was one of diors top employees. he always made sure to bring you home a ‘small’ gift coming out of his bonus after a successful sale at work.

and by small, he means one of the most expensive perfumes or shoes he knows youd love.

of course you were grateful for the gifts and all, it wasnt like it was one sided seeing as you always brought him back some luxury brand when you took part in flights across the world BUT, all you really wanted was his attention.

youre his perfect angel, you both knew that. but no amount of gifts can satisfy how much you craved him and his touch after a long 7 days without him.

finally, you were coming home. not that you were really gone that long. but when you’re a flight attendant for 10 different 12 hour long flights, its without a doubt you’ll be tired beyond belief.

you were so excited to see minghao, wanting nothing more than to cuddle with him in your warm bed.

that was, until you called him at least.

you realized you wanted way more.

you facetimed minghao as you stepped into your taxi on the way to your apartment complex, plugging your earbuds into your phone.

“hi baby. im so excited to see you! im about a half hour away.”

“me too, i bet you did so good at work. i got a surprise waiting for you. where are you? driving?” he mumbled, seeming distracted.

“im in a taxi, ill put it on my card though. what are you up to? you sound distracted. could you turn on your cam for me?”

“huh? oh yeah no problem, sorry. i just- damn it! wonwoo, get mingyu! hes right behind you!” minghao shouted, startling you as his loud voice rang through your ears.

you sighed, of course hes playing games.

“is this better?” he asked with a sweet but slightly confused tone.

there he was, your boyfriend. you couldnt even believe he was yours. he wasnt even doing anything, just sitting there with his phone propped up as he yelled at his computer.

“y/n?”

“huh? oh sorry.. you look..”

“great? i know.” he chuckled.

great was an understatement. hes heavenly. with his black fitted tank top, his sunglasses resting on top of his black cap.

you pressed your thighs together at the way his muscles flexed whenever he gripped his mouse.

minghao glanced over at you, smirking lazily as he lit up a cigarette he pulled from his desk drawer.

“smoking again?”

“coulda smoked with you if you were already here.”

“im not a stoner like you. its occasional.”

“isnt today an occasion?”

“...”

you both kept it short, with you being the one to hang up seeing as you were in semi public and totally not because you were growing more and more horny seeing minghao in that stupid tank top.

you made sure to tip the driver before you had rushed to the entrance of the building, barely able to wait any longer to see minghao (amongst other things).

you opened your door to your shared bedroom, and there he was.

“hey baby, how was work?” he asked half minded as he barely turned to notice you.

“it was so damn tiring. missed you.” you mumbled, walking over to your boyfriend, wrapping your arms around his neck and leaving a peck on his cheek.

“yeah missed you too sweet girl. fuck- chan! oh my god, revive me or i swear i wont buy you food for the rest of the month.”

“i thought itd be us today?” you pouted.

“it is, angel. whatever you want pretty baby. just give me a few minutes yeah?”

and so you waited,

and waited.

and waited some more

it felt like an eternity had passed (it was barely over an hour) yet you were growing needier by the second watching the way his muscles flexed, and the way his voice sounded, or especially the way he’d groan and throw his head back whenever he lost.

‘id kill to see him like that while i was doing something else..’ you mumbled

until,

a lightbulb went off in your head

slowly, you made your way to minghaos desk, pecking his soft lips before crawling under the table to kneel in front of him.

“what are you doing angel?” he asked with a warning tone.

“nothing. dont mind me.” you hummed as you reached out to untie the drawstrings on his sweatpants.

“y/n- god. just keep it down wont you?” he whispered looking down at you, then back at his computer screen as he saw a new game was starting.

you smiled to yourself knowing you were getting what you wanted, for the most part.

you pulled down his sweatpants, pressing a kiss on minghaos inner thigh, mumbling a ‘thank you’ as he lifted up his hips to make it easier for you remove the grey piece of clothing.

you kissed up from his knee, all the way up to his bulge before rubbing your thumb over his clothed tip, where a wet patch began to grow.

minghao brought one hand down to your head, gripping your hair. “stop teasing and just take it out already.” he muttered as he brought your face closer to him.

“i thought it was anything i wanted?” you mocked.

he only rolled his eyes and released his grip on your hair to return back to his keyboard.

you pull down his boxers, sighing in contentment as a drop of precum hits your cheek.

slowly, you wrap your lips around his tip, swirling your tongue around and swallowing what leaked out his slit.

you focused most of your attention on his tip knowing how sensitive he was before going down and taking as much as you could, feeling him deep in your throat.

minghao bit back a choked moan, you were able to feel how his body stiffened up.

“what? yeah im good. i just slammed my hand on my desk.” he brushed it off to his friends.

then, you noticed how hard he was trying to not get caught when you were hardly doing anything. so you wanted to try something — see how far you could go before he snaps.

you bob your head up and down his length, running your hand wherever your mouth couldnt reach.

seeing how he wasnt reacting as much anymore, you slowly pull off his dick. that was, up until you felt your boyfriends tight grip on your hair, moving you the way he wants you.

he held your head still as he fucked up into your mouth, letting out occasional low whimpers.

“hao- seriously, you seem so distracted like we might as well just kick you out the party.” mingyu joked.

“shut up gyu you arent even on our team.”

noticing the conversation between him and his friends, you thought youd stop for a few seconds just to take a breather, before he grips your hair harshly to keep you still, chuckling at how tears formed in the corners of your eyes when he started to thrust his hips up harder against the back of your throat.

“hes kinda right though, you keep dying twice every other round and spend most of your time just standing in the corner.” wonwoo spoke up before everyone else in the team muttered in agreement.

“whatever. im muting, hold on.”

he typed something into his keyboard before removing his headset, and looking down at you.

he stops his movements and releases your hair when you look up at him, his hard dick still resting in your warm mouth.

“what are we gonna do with you, huh sweet angel?”

you whined, rubbing your thighs together before pulling off him and replacing your movements with your hand, stroking him softly, giving him a squeeze.

“god- youre such a fucking brat.” he groaned as you sped up your pace. “fuck- you really couldnt wait an hour?”

“cant. missed you too much. need you so, so badly..” you moaned as you watched the amount of precum leaking from his tip, lowering your head to lick it up.

“yeah? youre an impatient slut huh? couldnt wait for my cock? is that it?” he scoffed.

minghao takes one more puff of the joint he lit earlier before putting it out and throwing away the bud, blowing the smoke up towards the ceiling.

he puts his hand over yours, stopping your wrist before whispering in your ear,

“if you dont make me cum in 5 minutes, youre not cumming at all.”

[baronessblixen]

Eyyyyy, saw your tags! :DDDDD

I will say: knowing more about an actor doesn't change my perception of their work; but I know a lot of people-- older generation, mostly-- who do think the way that he does. To them, the more they know, the more they can't "forget" the actor/actress in a role.

Maybe it's an older generation thing? A thought process left over from the world of 90s-and-before-media, before the advent of smartphones? Or maybe it's a broad audience thing: the type where people aren't so invested in someone's career or anyone in particular, and just want to go to the movies on a Friday-- the normies that fund most of the ticket sales. I do know I've been hearing a lot of sentiment lately from others who are over-saturated with celebrities talking about their opinions rather than marketing the product... maybe that's the modern day equivalent? Maybe that's what he was trying to articulate. (Sometimes he communicates in half measures when trying to work something out.) I think so, anyway.

But today's landscape is also so different: people are selling themselves-- branding, as he called it-- their personalities to sell their products. It just is that way. Hopefully he doesn't feel the pressure to do so, as well (I don't think he does, or would care. But it's a thought.) Maybe there's pressure there, but there's also freedom (or can be): the landscape for his professional fears have changed... but they've also changed in ways that are, to him, a net negative. So. XD

Hope you have a great weekend! :)))))))

When I read your ask, I realized that most people I know - regardless of age - don't care about actors' private lives 😂 that's slightly different though than not wanting to know as it might skew the viewing perception.

I guess it makes sense. DD was born in the 60s when Hollywood's star system was breaking apart. Back then the actors were brands too - though different than today. The studios gave them new names more often than not and a personality. They needed them to be certain types to lure the audience in.

The history of the star system is really interesting. Back in the very early days, actors didn't have a name. Audiences didn't know who these people were - but they wanted to know. Same with the first magazines. They'd be about movies originally, but people wanted to know about the actors instead. That's not at all a new thing.

So I don't think it has anything to do with social media and smartphones and more like you said with the broad audience. Before social media, tabloids were HUGE. That was the only way to glimpse more into the private life of your star. I just don't think any of it is new. The means are just different.

There's middle ground between putting your whole life out there and being private. It's not just DD, but one thing I've noticed with celebrities saying they're private is that usually, they have no problems talking about their kids or their family - people, weirdly enough, who didn't choose to be part of this life. Then when it's about their romantic life they're like, oh no, I'm private. That seems like a cop-out.

This is already half an essay but don't get me started on celebrities becoming a brand these days. Why do celebrities need to sell us products? That is a trend I really hate. Maybe I'm too old to get it and thankful for every celebrity who doesn't feel the need to create a drink/food/candle/skin product.

Hope you have a great weekend too 😁

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

🥩🍴 AITA for lying about my "criminal activity"?

I live with my girlfriend and neither of us has ever had a lot of money. We get by, but we can't save anything.

I'm pretty harshly anticapitalist, and while she criticizes the system we live in too, the difference is I act on it. Everytime I go get groceries, I steal about 1/4 to 1/3 of the total. Groceries are increasingly expensive, and corporations are increasingly taking more and more from the people while continuing to deliver less in return and I'm honestly so fucking fed up with it. I figure if I'm gonna steal anything, it might as well be food that we need to survive anyway.

The problem is, we aren't absolutely broke. We could afford groceries, we'd just have to be more careful about getting things on sale, buying cheaper brands, and buying cheaper quality meat and veggies. I wouldn't mind that but my girlfriend really likes having good food in the house and I want to be able to give that to her. She's also not the best about food waste and she ends up throwing expensive food away because she lets it go bad. She causes us to have to spend more.

I know my girlfriend wouldn't approve of the stealing. And I know she'd be worried if I got caught I'd face heavy consequences, so I've never told her I steal groceries and since we've never worried about who pays for what while living together, she hasn't noticed our grocery bill discrepancies. This has gone on for about 7 months now.

So AITA for keeping her in the dark, and keeping us well fed for less money?

What are these acronyms?

[13916-62mae22]

Payday

fandom: PLAVE pairings: various x reader genre: fluff word count: between 300 to 800 words prompt: what do you think they will splurge on and how will you, their gf, react to it

Ever since you moved in with them, you would work on the budget for the both of you. Always the stickler when it comes to deals and sales. But that’s how it is when you both have jobs and bills to pay.

It didn’t help that your partner is a maniac for buying things. Certain things.

Yejun: Treating you/anyone

One night as you were brushing your teeth, you heard the doorbell to your front door chime. You glanced at your phone, noting how late it was. You weren't expecting anyone and you didn't order any food.

Padding over to the door, you buzzed your intercom and greeted the person at your door.

"Aah, noona!" Bamby's crackled on the other side. "Could you open the door? Your boyfriend went a little overboard tonight."

It suddenly dawned on you. VLAST held a small party after a successful concert and invited the team out to drink and eat. Yejun had told you before, but it must have slipped your mind that it was today.

You rushed to throw on some slippers and grab your keys before booking it to the front of your apartment. When you reached the bottom of the stairs, you saw all five members sitting in the atrium.

Yejun and Noah leaned against each other as the other three tried their best to keep them upright. Hamin was offering Bamby his water bottle, the pink members skin the same color as his hair.

You hurried over, calling them as you did. Eunho waved back at you eagerly and grabbed you by the shoulders to lead you to Yejun.

"Sorry noona," Hamin bowed to you timidly. "Yejun-hyung just kept buying us drinks and then…"

You looked down at your boyfriend, his face in a content smile. In his arms were bags and wrapped boxes. You were confused why had bought so much stuff and bent down to his level.

"Yejuun…" you called, gently holding his hand. "It's me. Are you ready to go?"

Yejun opened his eyes, his smile staying in place. "Aaah, it's my honeey!"

He nudged Noah awake as he tugged at your hand. "Noaah-yaah! Look, it's my beautiful giirlfriieend~!"

Noah grunted a greeting at you and then slowly leaned towards Hamin, resting against the taller one's side.

"Can we leave him here with you, noona?" Bamby swayed as he spoke to you. "We still have to bring Noah-hyung home."

"Yeah, thank you for taking care of him until now." You bowed towards them. They returned the gesture and you saw them off as they exited the building.

After they left, you helped Yejun up and took him to the elevator. He refused to give you the bags and you had to struggle to hold him up. Once inside your apartment, Yejun peppered you with kisses and finally set the bags down.

"Waaah, I missed yooou." He whined as he held onto you. You could smell the alcohol in his breath and you chuckled at his antics. Yejun hadn't gotten this drunk since he had asked you out, so it was funny to see him like this.

“I missed you too,” You kissed his cheek and led him over to the couch, gently helping him down as he sat. “Do you want some water? Are you hungry?”

“Mm, can I have a piece of you?”

“You cheeky siren,” You chuckled, kissing him once before going into the kitchen. “Only for dessert.”

You got him a tall glass of water and set a plate down assorted with crackers and cookies. You eyed the bags still littered across the doorstep. They were all branded with designer brands and the wrapping paper looked expensive. Glaring at them, you went over and grabbed the handles to bring them over to the living room.

“Yejun, what did you buy?” You kept your voice light, trying not to sound angry as you glared even harder at the contents inside.

“I wanted to express my gratitude to my brothers and friends, so I bought all kinds of stuff!” Yejun scooted down onto the floor and began to dig around between the bags and boxes. He began to drunkenly pile the boxes for a different person and then once he was done, thrusted a giant bag towards you. “For you!”

You smiled, worried about the contents inside, and took it gingerly.

“Yejun,” You softly called, setting the bag down. “I love you and I'm sure everyone will love the gifts you bought, but you should be more careful with how much you spend. Did you forget that we’re on a budget to go on a trip with your parents?”

“I remember!” Yejun shook his head. He took your hands and lifted them to your face, nuzzling his cheek against your palm. “I just wanted to thank everyone properly.”

“I know, but make sure to call or text me next time. Then I can help you too!”

Yejun went silent for a moment and then reluctantly bobbed his head. You rewarded him with some kisses and then got him ready for bed.

In the morning, Yejun apologized profusely and promised he would never do that again.

Noah: workout memberships/equipment/ROLEX

You were at home when you heard the front door open. Looking up from your book, you watched as your boyfriend made a beeline to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. His hair was hidden underneath a black beanie and his sweater that he wore earlier was now wrapped around his waist.

"Welcome back~!" You call from the living room. You set your book down on the coffee table and made a move to get up, but was surprised to see Noah already standing next to you.

You quickly got up to greet him and was met with a warm hug. You squirm in his arms, complaining about how sweaty he was, but you accepted the hug anyway. You kissed his neck once, tasting the salt of his skin on your lips.

"How was your workout?" You pull away, straightening your shirt as you did. "Did Eunho join you this time?"

"Mm." Noah grinned, moving back towards the kitchen. He began to pull canisters out of the pantry and line them up on the counter. "I promised him I'd bring him some protein that I didn't want anymore and pre-workout mix too."

"...are you giving him the banana flavor?"

"Maybe."

"Hang on," you laugh and walk over to where he stood, opening the pantry again. "I have one that I don't want anymore…"

"Ah, wait!"

Your voice trailed off as you opened the cupboard, two giant bags staring down at you. You recognized the brand and turned towards Noah, a glare setting in on your face.

"Aah…I was going to tell you about that…"

"When did you buy these?" Your voice lowered several octaves, almost growling as you spoke.

Noah shivered and he raised his hands in defense. "J-just recently…"

"Han Noah," Your eyebrows furrowed deeper and you placed your hands on your hips. "What did we talk about buying expensive things?"

"Well, I-I…we…"

"We talk together first before buying them. Did you forget what happened last time?"

He smiled nervously at the memory. He had somehow convinced the team, VLAST, and the CEO himself to finally buy Rolex watches for the members. Although, he did have to dip into their savings to help. You would never let him off the hook since then.

"Now, now love." Noah mustered up as much courage as he could. "You're not hearing the whole story."

You raised an eyebrow, folding your arms across your chest. You cannot wait to hear what he had to say this time.

"I did buy a bag of this expensive protein, but the other bag was a gift from Hamin. He felt bad for hurting me that one day of training so he treated me. I didn't want to say no, so how could I refuse a precious gift?"

You stare at him with a poker face, showing no emotion as he ran through his spiel. By the end of it, you could only sigh in defeat and take a hold to his hands.

"Alright, I believe you. Sorry for getting mad so quickly."

"It's alright, sorry I bought something without telling you."

You two hug it out and Noah kisses your forehead before moving to the bedroom to take a shower. As you watched him leave, you pull out your phone and send a quick text to Hamin.

If Noah had an alibi, his benefactor better be telling the same story.

Bamby: Games

You listened to your phone ring a couple of times as you sat at the food court, waiting for your boyfriend. Groups of people went to and fro, going on about their lives as they walked past you. It’s been almost ten minutes since he last contacted you and you were growing impatient.

Bamby’s voice rang in your ear, but to your disappointment it was only his voicemail. As you dial his number again, you catch a flash of pink in your peripheral.

“Hey,” He panted, leaning against the table you sat at. “Sorry I’m late. I, uh, got distracted.”

Your anxiety melted away as you stared at him. “It’s alright, I was getting worried about you. What happened?”

You glanced down at his arm, a white bag with a familiar logo printed on the front. You quirked an eyebrow and reached for the bag.

“Oho~what do we have here?”

“Aah! Hang on—HANG ON!”

He tried to pull away from you, catching the attention of the people around you. You held on tight and laughed loudly as you pulled at the bag, peering in. Three fresh clear cases shined up at you and you knew instantly what they were.

“Did you buy the new games?!” You shriek, a wide smile appearing on your face. “Bonggu-yah, I thought you were going to wait till next paycheck?”

Bamby looked at you sheepishly, a pout paired with tinted cheeks. "The new Zelda game was on sale, how could I not buy it?"

You giggle at his cuteness and pull him in for a hug. He reluctantly hugged you back, patting your back a couple times before drawing away and intertwining your hands together.

"Let's go to that bookstore you like and I'll buy you something nice, yeah?"

"Sure, but be prepared." You squeeze his hand as you beamed up at him. "I've got a long list too."

Eunho: Clothes (both)

You had just come home from your job, unlocking your mailbox to grab the mail. There were a couple of bills to remind you to pay them, a letter from your grandparents, and a package stuffed into the back of the box.

You fish it out, trying to remember if you had bought anything recently. As you close your mailbox door and lock it, you get waved over by one of the apartment managers. You suddenly felt nervous. You frantically racked your brain to make sure you paid all of this month's bills for the apartment.

As you enter the office, you were suddenly given a big bag full of packages.

“These were all left in front of the mailboxes, so I just collected these for you.”

They were all addressed to your home. No name in sight. You thanked the manager and began to lug the packages to the elevator where you took it up to your apartment.

You set the bag down to look for your keys, but the door opened before you could find them. Eunho’s giddy face greeted you, pulling you in for a hug and smattering of kisses. You laughed and tried to get out of his vice grip.

“Eu-Eunho! Hang on!” You giggled, failing to do so. “I’ve got a lot of stuff to bring in!”

Eunho suddenly stopped and looked down at your feet, seeing the bag of packages and the parcel underneath your arm.

“They’re here!”

“Huh?”

He stooped over and grabbed the bag, holding the door open for you as you walked through. He giddily led you over to the living room and grabbed a pair of scissors, chattering about how excited he was to show you what he got.

You frowned at this. What did he get this time? You remember the last time he splurged on something, he was convinced to get a Rolex to match with the other members of PLAVE. You mentally sighed at the memory. Noah really was the CEO of nos-lighting.

Patiently, you sat on the couch as you watched Eunho sit on the floor and open the packages, like a child at christmas. He began to pull out even more packaged things from the packages and reached out to grab one, the soft package limp beneath your fingers.

“Clothes?” You cocked an eyebrow at Eunho, a small smile ghosting over your face. He was a fashionista when it came to clothes and accessories, which was cute. Until he began to buy Rolex watches.

“Not just any clothes.” Eunho’s smile was infectious as he beamed up at you. “Look!”

He handed you more packages, these ones looked smaller. You traded the one in your hand for these ones and unzipped the packaging to get a look at them.

Layers of clothes piled high on your lap, all folded neatly. They all came in fall colors: red, brown, black, and orange. And the clothes were all made in your size! Looking up, you noticed that Eunho had the same colors, clothing style, and matching accessories to go with it.

“Did you–”

“We got a recent PPL with a designer brand,” Eunho shyly rubbed his neck, a blush creeping up his neck. “And I asked if I could get a matching set. They said I could, so I picked the ones I think we’d look good in.”

You looked at the chaos that was there living room now; ripped packaging strewn about the floor, jewelry and shoes set aside to avoid getting dirty, and the clothes that sat in your lap. You felt a mix of emotions go through you, but the one you couldn’t ignore was the overwhelming feeling of love for your boyfriend.

Eunho scooted closer, worried about how quiet you got. Reaching up to touch your hand, you clasped it tightly and then brought him in for a hug.

“Thank you,” You kissed the crown of his head, pulling his head close to your chest. “I love it.”

Eunho wrapped his arms around your waist and nuzzled into you in return. “Anything for you.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Hamin: Food

As you get off of the bus, you get a text. Your phone blinked at you, showing your boyfriend's contact smiling at you. You bit back a smile and checked the message.

did you just get off work?? I’m nearby, so wait for me!

You giggle a little at this and snap a pic of the restaurant you were near before sending it to Hamin, taking a seat on a bench nearby. It didn’t take long before you were overshadowed by his tall looming figure.

You greeted him with a wide smile, tugging at his hands to help you up.

“Are you hungry? I haven’t eaten yet.”

“I could go for something,” You mused, taking a look around at the shops and restaurants nearby. “Are you craving anything?”

Looking back at him, Hamin gave you a knowing smile and bounced on his toes as he rocked back and forth. You sighed at this, knowing exactly what he wanted.

“Again?” You playfully shook his hands. “What is this, the sixth week you’ve eaten this?”

“But it’s so good!” He whined. “Why would someone make something so good without anyone eating it?”

You placed your hands on your hips, pulling out your famous scolding frown. Hamin pouted at this and sulkily lowered his head. You could practically see cat ears folding against his head.

“Alright,” You sighed, lacing his fingers in yours. “But this is the last time.”

He perked up at this and peppered you with kisses before hugging you. You hug him back, feeling safe within his large embrace. You both made your way to the shop down the street from your apartment.

“What should I get this time?” Hamin sang.

You giggled at his cute behavior and tugged his arm into a small hug. “Don’t you get the same thing every time anyway? Cheese ramen?”

“Sure, but I can always have some at home.”

“Sorry to break it to you, but you can’t buy any take-home ramen either.” You laugh at the incredulous look he gave you. “I’ll be watching you if you do.”

[purpleqilinwrites]

old rose.

a/n: i had this written a while back, and i almost forgot to post! here's my piece for the pixel café network's secret santa. a special gift for the lovely kandy @kandyshoppe!!! ❤ happy holidays! sending you a virtual steaming hot mug of cocoa with marshmallows and all your fave toppings!!! i hope the winter season has been treating you so well so far. sending you good vibes only for the rest of the season, and i hope it overflows even into the whole of next year!!!

fandom: haikyuu!!

character: aone takanobu

genre: fluff

info: established relationship (aone is your boyfriend); post-time skip

warnings: -

synopsis: you were stuck on what to get aone for the holidays.

word count: 1.9k

Aone Takanobu

Aone, for all his overwhelmingly positive characteristics, had one glaring weakness: he was quite impossible to shop for.

This was your first holiday season as a couple, and somehow, you felt the need to give him a gift that was better than all the gifts you've ever given him combined. You realised that this winter would just be one winter in the many you'd have with him by your side, but realising something was different from acting on it.

You found yourself browsing the outlet mall again after work, idling in front of aisles and aisles of things on sale. From after a quickly scarfed down dinner to the time the retail workers would politely ask you to leave, you loitered about a plethora of stores selling different things and hoped that there would be that one thing in particular that stood out to you as the best gift ever.

Aone was a very self-sufficient man, and you loved that about him. He always bought multiples of every product he used, even going so far as to shop in anticipation of needing a replacement to make sure that he never ran out of anything. His place was always clean and organised, even when you dropped by unannounced because your grandmother made some food and you wanted to share it with him. There was always sufficient food in the fridge and ingredients in the pantry, and nothing expired in his place under his watchful eye.

You loved that he took such good care of himself, and that his care extended to you too. But it made it all the more difficult to shop for him, because there was really nothing that he had need of. You'd offer to pay his rent for the next month or two for a gift, but you knew he wouldn't accept it.

After spending hours scratching your head and mumbling to yourself while window shopping, you decided to go to Aone's friends for advice.

Futakuchi pointed at you like a bully did in those old American coming-of-age movies and began cackling when you asked him, having caught him refilling his water bottle during a break. You had it in mind to stomp on his apparently brand new volleyball shoes before he stopped his witchy laughing fit long enough to say, "Big guy'll like anything you give, dummy! You're like made of gold or something to him." It tickled you to have Futakuchi's vote of confidence, but it wasn't what you were looking for. What would be a good thing to get Aone for the holidays was still very much a mystery.

You would've asked Moniwa who was there to watch VC Date's practice match with another of the prefecture's municipal teams, but his partner – or were they already engaged? You'd have to prod Futakuchi a bit to find out. – was sitting with him. They seemed to be enjoying listening to Moniwa explain every move made by the players on the court, so you refrained. Kamasaki arrived sometime after the match had started, but he was too busy exchanging quips and shoulder shoves with Futakuchi after the game for you to cut in.

"I got it! Why don't you make something for Aone-kun?" Nametsu slapped you on the back lightly when she spoke, and you looked up from the amigurumi you were crocheting.

She threw you an encouraging look, holding up both her thumbs to drive the point home. Something in your brain paused at her suggestion. Your eyes went from her to the almost-complete project in your hands and then back to her. Her smile never faltered in the time it took for her words to register.

"He's not a plushie kinda guy. But—" The vibrant colour of the pink afghan you recently blocked grabbed your attention when you turned your head to face Nametsu properly. You secured the working yarn of the amigurumi in your hands with a stitch marker from the coffee table, before you lifted the corner of your pink afghan. "One of these would be nice, wouldn't it?!"

She nodded vigorously, smoothing both her palms across the cabled pattern of the afghan as it lay prettily across the back of your couch. "He'd love it so much!" she said. "Bet he'd love it even more if you made him one that matches."

The next time you could leave work a little earlier, you rushed to the local yarn store on the other side of town. When you got there and found that there wasn't any more of that specific shade of pink in the yarn you used for your own afghan, you deflated slightly. The colour code was the same, but the batch code wasn't. All you had was a picture on your phone for reference, but you were sure that the difference in shades would be more obvious in person.

Sighing, you wandered the aisles of the store. Running your fingers over some of the fancy hand-dyed and hand-spun wool skeins in the corner with the premium yarns definitely cheered you up a bit. With your heart settled and your wallet ready, you ventured back to the section that held yarns with price tags that wouldn't break the bank and make a nice afghan for Aone.

He was careful about washing his woollen winter garments, so you didn't have to pick a superwash yarn. He also didn't get cold easily, so you didn't have to pick a 100% wool yarn. The large row of sale bins drew you away from the wool yarns at standard price. Within these bins, you were pleased to find several discounted bags of pink cotton and wool blend yarn in a shade that was more old rose than your preferred Barbie pink. The muted pink would work beautifully on his beige sectional!

You got to work on Aone's afghan immediately after locking the door and toeing off your shoes. Crocheting occupied the bulk of your free time after work and even on the weekends, and you felt a panic come over you when you started noticing shops putting up Santa Claus and reindeer-themed décor.

There was a pang of guilt in your chest each time you had to tell him that you couldn't meet him when asked on the day of, simply because you already had plans to rush home and continue working on the afghan. You didn't want your gift to get between you and your boyfriend, but with the way time was rushing past, you really, really wanted to finish it as soon as you could. It was already getting to mid-December before you knew it.

Nobu ❤ >>> If you're very busy with work, I can meet you where you are. It's been a while since we had a meal together. I miss you.

It dawned on you then that this must be the reason for the Crocheter's Curse: devoting so much time to the project that the intended recipient felt forgotten. You didn't expect to let it get this bad—

Nobu ❤ <<< i miss you too, pookie!!! really!!! ❤❤❤ i'm really sorry that i've been unavailable lately. let's meet for dinner at that restaurant you like this friday! my treat!!!

The day of the holiday dinner was upon you just as you removed the afghan you crocheted for Aone from your makeshift blocking board. It was the miracle you needed for the season that your gift was completed, washed and blocked on time. You admired it for a minute before you folded it into a thick rectangle for easier packing and wrapping.

Now all you had to do was to give it to him!

You were riding the high of both a met deadline and a completed project despite the string of recent sleepless nights. Until you arrived at his place and felt yourself sink into his sofa, you were confident you'd be awake enough to witness Aone's reaction. The decorative pillows were newly fluffed. Judging from the sweet orange scent that hung in the air, the sofa slipcovers, among other things, were freshly laundered too. These sensations worked together to make your wakefulness all the more easy to slip away.

Aone's head whipped around to your direction when he heard the sound of your palm colliding with your cheek. He washed and dried his hands before he stepped out of the kitchen and sat by you on the sofa. Taking your face into his hands, he examined the sight before him. "You haven't been sleeping well," he said.

The words to let him know that nothing was wrong and that you were feeling alright sat on the tip of your tongue. But you couldn't get them out when he was stroking his thumbs over your cheekbones so sweetly. The motion was so soothing that it was lulling you to sleep even if your eyes were still wide open and you desperately needed to blink. "Would you like to take a nap? It'll be a while before dinner's ready."

Shaking your head, you patted him on the thigh as a means of reassuring him. Aone's upper lip jutted out almost imperceptibly at your action, and you laughed. "I'm alright, really! I was just working on your gift these days. I didn't want to give it late, is all!"

His little pout deepened into a recognisable frown. You jumped up a little in your seat, placing both your hands on his chest and rubbing small circles about his collarbones to assuage his concern. "Ah, it's no big deal! I'm not sleep-deprived. We don't celebrate the holidays in my family but I know your family does, so I just wanted to do things right!"

Aone closed the distance between your face and his with a series of light kisses, and you closed your eyes at the first touch on your lips. When he was satisfied for the moment, he pressed his forehead to yours. "I'm very grateful. But you didn't have to do anything at all. I will never be disappointed by you, or by your gift."

Your heart positively swelled at his words. "But I wanted to do things right! You deserve it," you said. "I wanted this first gift to be extra special, is all."

The two of you shared a few more whispers and kisses before you pulled away, giddy with excitement and extremely eager to hand him his gift. You walked to the sideboard by the entryway where you left the afghan and returned to his side by the sofa.

"For you, Nobu!" You pushed the wrapped box into his waiting hands, bouncing on the heels of your feet in anticipation. "Will you open it for me, please?"

He nodded, thanking you in a hushed tone that you could only describe as reverent. Your palms began to sweat, even if you knew you didn't have to be nervous about his reaction. You put all your love into each stitch.

The stick-on bow and the wrapping paper came off, and next was the lid of the box.

You would never have predicted the love-struck gasp that escaped him once the lid was off. The wonder in his eyes was clear as day, his hands appreciatively tracing the cabled pattern lines of the afghan, still folded neatly within the box. "Do you like it?" you asked, though the answer was quite clear. You just wanted to hear Aone say it.

"I love it," he said, leaning over to brush an appreciative kiss in your hair. "This is the best gift. Thank you."