#eggs and fish are some of my favorites and i’m never living without them again

[thatweirdtranny]

it actually sucks how vegan spaces are so often culty because i love plant based recipes but it’s hard to find spaces that share those recipes that don’t resent me and others for no longer being vegan, it makes it harder to incorporate plant based meals back into my diet 🙃

[chenziee]

Your love, endless like the sky above

First of my three pieces for the @opblondebombshells zine!! It turned out absolutely gorgeous and is available for download for free as of today, so check it out! ✨

[ Read on AO3 | Ko-FI | Commissions ]

—————

As he rummaged through the kitchen cabinets with purpose, Sanji felt a wry smile pulling on his lips. He had never thought he would stand in this kitchen ever again. How many years had it been since he last touched this stove? Thirteen, fourteen years?

It was honestly a marvel this stove even was still here.

They had all this money, all this knowledge, and they couldn’t be bothered to get better and newer kitchen equipment. 

Cosette and her team made such elaborate meals for their royal family every day with tools that were probably older than the head chef herself and they still got treated this way. It made Sanji want to kick their sorry asses to hell and back and there again.

Kingdom of Science my ass, he thought, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

“Sanji-sama, please! Let us cook for you, royalty shouldn’t have to—with this rusty, old equipment no less—”

“Nope,” Sanji said, raising one hand to silence the panicking cook. “Thanks for the concern but I’m a first-rate chef, not a prince.”

“But—”

“By the way, is the pantry still in the back?” Sanji asked, cutting the protests off before they could really start.

“Yes, sir.” The cook visibly deflated as he answered and Sanji huffed.

He supposed it was too much to ask for them to drop the formalities entirely. Shaking his head, Sanji thanked the man before making his way to the pantry—a route he could still walk blind, even after all these years. He could almost feel young Sanji’s heart racing in excitement from being allowed to walk in and grab ingredients for the first time.

Still innocent, still not realizing he was about to get himself—and the head chef—punished.

Royalty must not cook! 

The angry words echoed in his mind despite no one speaking them, forever ingrained deep within him. He never understood the words, never even thought to adhere to them despite the inevitable backlash. Despite the hate and disgust and pain.

Even at six years old, he refused to give this up. And now, at twenty-one… there was no point living if he couldn’t step foot into a kitchen again.

Why was he thinking about this anyway?

Shaking his head, Sanji chased his fath—Vinsmoke Judge’s words away. Instead, he focused his gaze on what was in the pantry, his eyes scanning the contents. He hummed appreciatively at the quality of the food stored inside—even if the kitchenware and appliances were utter shit, at least no expenses were spared on the ingredients.

Not that Sanji would have any trouble working with shit-quality food, but it certainly made his life easier. 

Grabbing two bananas, several eggs, some flour and sugar, and a few select spices, Sanji left the pantry again, closing the door behind him with his foot. He almost expected the old head chef to start freaking out, fretting over Sanji balancing too many things at once.

And honestly, he was right. When he was a kid, he’d barely had any idea what he was doing, always overestimating how much he would be able to carry without dropping anything or hurting himself. A smile on his lips, Sanji wished the old man could see him now, handling everything with ease. The last time they saw each other, it came with a complementary trip to the infirmary to get a bad cut treated.

He left everything on the kitchen counter to head for the fridge, mumbling to himself as he listed off the ingredients he still needed. It’d been so long since he made this combination of foods: grilled fish with some fresh bread, scrambled eggs, and banana flambé for dessert. All her favorite foods. 

He would have wanted to add a small scoop of vanilla ice cream as well but since that would melt, he decided against it. Maybe he should make some mini apple tarts too while he was at it?

Oh, should he make some fried rice? He didn’t see any mice around but he was sure there were some hungry critters scurrying about. Even though he wasn’t there to make food for them anymore…

“Man, what am I thinking,” Sanji muttered to himself, sighing deeply. There was no way the mice he had befriended all those years ago would still be alive after all these years. Mice simply did not live that long.

But…

Well, what was the harm in cooking a little more than needed?

—————

A bouquet of flowers in one hand, a picnic basket in the other, Sanji made his way towards the far corner of the Germa main ship. It was quiet, hidden from view by trees and bushes—trees that had become much larger, bushes that had been left to grow, unkempt in the years of his absence.

Seeing the state of the garden, Sanji half expected to find his destination completely taken over by vegetation but instead, he was surprised to find the gravestone perfectly clean, only with a tiny, impromptu bundle of flowers in front of it, one made up of the wild plants growing in this small, hidden garden-turned-park.

Probably Reiju, Sanji thought to himself, a small smile tugging on his lips.

“Hi, mom,” he said quietly as he carefully placed his own bouquet next to Reiju’s. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come see you sooner.”

He took a deep breath, willing his voice to stay steady. How pathetic; a grown ass man, getting all choked up at being by the grave of someone who had died over fourteen years ago…

“Zoro would have a fucking field day seeing me like this…” he muttered to himself, rubbing at his eyes. He hated how he suddenly missed the insufferable nicknames and annoying demands for booze.

He would take a fight with the Marimo over one second on Germa’s soil any day. Those were actually fun, if infuriating sometimes.

“You know, mom… I think you’d love the pirate crew I’m a part of. Luffy is so goddamn selfish and can inhale a month’s worth of meat before you can blink but he's always so happy with anything I make. It's fun cooking for him. Zoro is an ass and we fight constantly but he can tell the difference between good and shitty rice and as opposed to Torao, he doesn't throw a fit when I experiment with his rice balls. Nami-san never got to teach me how to make her special tangerine sauce… I could figure it out myself but I’d rather die than intrude like that…

“Usopp likes fish just the way you did and honestly it threw me off at first. Chopper. You'd love Chopper so much. He's like a stuffed animal who feeds on chocolate. We'd all be long dead without him.

"I like making Robin-chan's coffee and sandwiches when she's studying in the evening. She's the smartest person I've ever known; she could destroy Vinsmoke Judge in a second. Except she's not a piece of shit like him.

"Then there's Franky… if I wasn't there to feed him something decent, he would probably just eat junk food. And Brook, my god Brook. Mom, his table manners. His fucking table manners. It doesn't matter how many times I kick his boney ass, he still gets curry everywhere.

"And Jinbe—"

Sanji stopped suddenly, cutting his monologue short. Jinbe was their crewmate but…

"I guess I won't learn anything about him now, will I? I'm stuck here. With these shitty cuffs on my hands…"

He gulped heavily, clenching his shaky fists. He really was a fly caught in a spiderweb, wasn't he? Complete with his movements restricted, death lingering just at the edge of his vision, helpless.

Helpless, powerless… hopeless.

"Shit…” Sanji took a deep breath, closing his eyes momentarily before he dared speak quietly again. “Mom, I don't know what to do…"

But were there really any options left for him? The path was set the moment his wanted poster changed from Dead or Alive to Only Alive. There was no other way forward; no Baratie, no Merry, and no Sunny. No All Blue. 

There was nothing but Germa 66, the family he had long since stopped considering a family, and Pudding-chan.

"At least with Pudding-chan, I'll be able to keep cooking. There would be no point living anymore if I couldn't… I want to keep cooking for my crew but Pudding-chan doesn't deserve me making that her problem.”

Sanji paused then, almost as if waiting for his mom to reply. But he knew that was impossible, knew no one would answer. He wasn’t sure he even wanted anyone to answer. Not when he was being so… so lame.

But in the face of his mother’s grave, the grave of the one person he could let himself be vulnerable with when he was a child… it was impossible to keep the facade up. He was tired. Tired of pretending, tired of staying strong, tired of saying he was ‘fine’.

And yet…

“But I’m fine, mom, don’t worry. I didn’t actually explain, did I? Pudding-chan is the girl I’m going to marry. She’s the Emperor Big Mom’s daughter but she’s very cute and very sweet. I might introduce her to you one day…” Or maybe he wouldn’t. He wasn’t so sure he’d even want his real family here—never mind a girl he met once, no matter how nice she was. He supposed time would tell.

As he tried to reach for his cigarettes, Sanji was suddenly reminded of the picnic basket in his hand. He blinked a few times, his gaze dropping to stare blankly at the small woven carrier, wondering how the hell he had managed to forget the most important thing, and he chuckled awkwardly.

“Ah, I hate talking about myself. But—” he paused, fumbling with the basket to pull out the items inside. “I brought you something. You know, I… After I ran away from here, I became a cook. A real, first-rate chef thanks to the shitty old man. My dad—you know, my actual dad—taught me everything I know so my cooking is actually real damn good. So…”

Sanji set the basket carefully on the ground, placing a small black, lacquered box in front of the grave before slowly opening it to reveal the carefully arranged contents of the lunch box—scrambled eggs, grilled fish, bread, and banana flambé.

“Do you remember? I made this for you once. Messed up real bad too. Then I dropped it and it got soaked in the rain, turning it completely inedible,” Sanji said with a genuine laugh. “I still remember Epony’s face when she tasted it.” He was sure he would never forget the face that twisted with disgust and pain from the awful, downright horrible, amount and mix of spices.

Shaking his head, he continued, “I know what I’m doing now though, so I added some bread and vegetables to make it actually feel like a meal,” Sanji pointed out, gesturing to the freshly baked bread that was hopefully still warm, as well as the carrots, radishes, and cucumbers cut and carefully styled into flowers. “Also here—” he added, turning back to the picnic basket to pull out the wine glass and a bottle of the best damn red wine he could find in Yonji’s shittily supplied wine cellar, pouring a perfectly measured glass for her with practiced ease.

A soft smile was still playing on his lips when he spoke his next words. “I know last time I did a terrible job but I—thank you for saying it was delicious back then.”

—————

Reiju wasn't sure how long she was standing behind one of the trees in the overgrown garden that had turned into a park around their mother's grave, waiting for Sanji. She wasn't sure… but she didn't really care. It had been thirteen years since she had helped Sanji escape from this place, thirteen years of Sanji living his own life like he was meant to. She was sure he had a lot to tell their mom, a lot to share about the East Blue, about Straw Hat, and about his friends.

For a while, Reiju wondered whether she should tell him they had come for him… but with Sanji's kindness, he would end up blaming himself for putting them in danger. And Sanji didn't deserve that; not when he was already being put through this foolish marriage plan of their father's.

And so, Reiju didn’t say anything; didn’t say anything when they met, didn’t say anything on their walk here, and she wouldn’t say anything later either.

For now… she would simply let him talk to mom as much as he wanted to and she would be there for him as long as she could throughout this whole mess, looking for a chance to let him escape again, just like she did years ago. After all, the cuffs on his wrist weren’t going to explode and on the off chance that Straw Hat would make it all the way to the very heart of Totto Land, there wouldn’t be any reason for him to stay—as long as Reiju could make sure the hostages in the East Blue were kept safe and as long as Sanji’s kindness didn’t keep him chained to Germa and this family.

Reiju waited for Sanji for a long time, left only with her thoughts and the faint sounds of their soldiers training. There really was nowhere to escape the military aspect in this kingdom, was there?

Shaking her head to make herself focus, Reiju quickly put her usual smile on her lips—the one that showed nothing of her real thoughts, one practiced to perfection over the long years of living with her father and brothers—before she turned to face Sanji once more as he approached her.

“Told her everything you wanted to?” Reiju asked, not commenting on the vulnerable expression on her brother’s face.

“Yeah,” Sanji replied quietly. 

His eyes dropped downwards then and briefly, Reiju wondered whether he was hiding from her. But then he reached inside the picnic basket, pulling out a second, smaller lunch box and handed it to her wordlessly.

Reiju blinked. Her gaze fell to the box she was holding, then turned back to Sanji, who only gestured with his chin, prompting her to open it.

With a huff, Reiju carefully lifted the lid, peeking inside curiously… and soon, the corners of her mouth twitched upwards, her smile widening into a rare genuine, happy one. “Apple tarts?” she asked as if she couldn’t see them. “I can’t believe you remembered I like apples.”

“A good chef takes note and remembers their customers’ favorites,” Sanji noted with a shrug as if it were obvious.

And maybe it was, if this were any other family. But with the Vismokes… Reiju was used to no one besides Cosette even remembering she was deathly allergic to peanuts. After all, as long as it didn’t affect her battle performance, what did it matter?

“Thank you,”  Reiju whispered.

“Yeah.” Sanji nodded, then paused, seemingly mulling over his words—or maybe looking for them. “Thank you, too.”

Reiju didn’t reply. She simply picked up one of the little tarts in her lunch box, taking a bite.

She had never tasted an apple so sweet.

[acepalindrome]

I’ve spent much of 2021 thus far playing Stardew Valley in the hopes of distracting myself from the horrors of reality, and I keep meaning to make a list of mods I recommend! Because I am running a truly embarrassing number of mods and there are some really great ones that really improve the gameplay or add fun content or just make everything look really pretty! So without further ado, here are some of my favorite mods:

- Lookup Anything: This is probably my favorite mod. It basically eliminates the need to have to keep consulting the Stardew Valley wiki while you play. The title says it all: this mod lets you look up anything. Need to know what’s a good present for Shane? You can pull up a list of all his loved and liked gifts, with items you have on hand highlighted for ease, plus his birthday, how many hearts he has with you and how many points you need to get to the next heart. Need to know if you should hoard that pine sap or sell it? You can pull up all the uses for it, items that can be crafted with it, anyone who might like it, community center bundles it’s used for, and how much you make by selling. How many days until your melons are ready to harvest? What items can drop from that stone in the mines? What are all the items you can make with the furnace? It’s such a fantastically handy mod and I refuse to play without it!

- NPC Map Locations: One of the most frustrating things in the game is trying to remember everyone’s schedule and then not being able to find someone to give them a birthday present or turn in a quest item. This mod shows exactly where everyone is on your map and solves that problem for good!

- Automate: This mod automatically pulls items from nearby chests into machines, so you don’t have to keep running back and forth to your furnace to pick up the finished metal bars and toss more ore in there...it just spits the finished item back into the nearby chest, pulls in whatever available items you’ve got in the chest and starts running again without you having to do a thing! Just be careful of where you place your chests and machines or you might end up processing items you didn’t want to. Luckily, you can set individual chests to not have items pulled from them.

- Fishing Made Easy Suite: I suck at fishing. I almost never bother with fishing if I don’t have a mod to make it bearable. I like this one because it has different levels of easy-ness, so you can make fishing just 25% easier, or 50%, or 75%, or 99%! And there are some other fun perks too. You want to catch all fish regardless of weather or season? Want to catch legendary fish multiple times? Want to catch prismatic shards? Go nuts.

- Stardew Valley Expanded: This mod is absurdly huge and adds SO MUCH CONTENT. New areas! New characters! New events! I was a little hesitant to start it just because I knew there was so much to the mod and was a little concerned of how well it would mesh with the rest of the game, but the characters and story and style fit in perfectly with the vanilla content. I could almost forget Andy and Sophia weren’t there all along! The purpose of the mod was to make the game feel fresh and new for people who had already played the game and that’s exactly what it does. I love it.

- Artisan Valley/Project Populate JsonAssets/Starbrew Valley: I’m lumping these together but this is a collection of mods that add a TON of new items, crops, trees, flowers, machines and recipes to the game. You don’t have to download them all! You can pick and choose the ones you want, or download the PPJA content pack to get the bulk of these mods all in one go! I personally really love Artisan Valley because it lets me make floral candles and soaps. And an espresso machine so I can make fancy coffee. And Starbrew Valley so there’s actually a fun variety of alcohol in the game.

I’m putting the rest under a cut because this is getting too long.

- Chests Anywhere: Lets you access all of your chests from the menu! You can add some limitations, like only being able to access chests in the same location you’re in, but I’m dumb and constantly forget that I was supposed to bring a present for a villager with me today, or that I wanted to upgrade one of my tools but left all my metal bars at home. So instead of having to run all the way back to my farm, I can just open my menu and switch through the chests until I find the item I need! Labeling the chests also makes this a lot easier for organization.

- Seasonal Villager Outfits: Finally, the villagers have more than one set of clothes! This mod gives them different outfits in different seasons, different weather and special outfits for holidays! It’s cute and really improves the immersion to see the villagers wearing tshirts in the summer and bundling up in the winter, and dressing up for special events! Some characters will change their hairstyle too, which I love.

- Canon-Friendly Dialogue Expansion: Gives all characters more stuff to say so they won’t just repeat the same lines over and over! Also gives them varied dialogue for festivals starting in year 2, so they don’t say the same thing every year at the Egg Festival or Spirit’s Eve.

- Immersive Elliott: Add more dialogue! Lots more dialogue! I downloaded the Elliott version of this mod because that’s who I plan to marry but I recommend looking up dialogue mods for whoever your favorite characters are (I think there’s one for almost all the marriageable candidates.) You’ll probably be chatting a lot with whoever you’re trying to woo and it’s nice to get lots of new lines!

- Stardew Foliage Redone: There are tons of mods that change the colors and style of trees and buildings and stuff but this one is my favorite. It’s very soft and earthy and pretty without being overkill.

- The Love of Cooking: Actually makes cooking fun in Stardew Valley! It adds a cooking skill, an upgradable cooking tool that lets you cook with more ingredients (at the start you can only make one ingredient dishes), a cooking community center bundle, star levels to cooked items, an animation when you cook...cooking was very bland in the base game, and this mod really spruces the whole system up.

- Medieval Buildings/Medieval craftables: Again, there are so many mods that change up the look of your farm buildings and stuff but these are really pretty and cool and absolutely my style. There’s a mod to make all the town buildings have this style too, but I kind of like keeping the town normal and just living on my mysterious and beautiful farm apart from the rest of the world. My sprinklers are magic moss covered rocks now!

- Elle’s Dog/Cat/Horse/Barn/Coop/etc animals: Super cute animal skins. They look so huggable and soft. Also one of the dog options looks like my real life dog and that’s very important to me.

- Adopt ‘n’ Skin: Pairs well with the mods above, this mod lets you have multiple dogs/cats/horses and lets you use as many different skins as you like. I’ve got four cows and they’ve all got different patterns and colors. I love it. Also Marnie starts taking in stray animals and you can adopt them from her, which is a really cute way of letting you have more pets.

- Seasonal Garden Farmhouse: Its a pinch overkill especially in the early game, but I really like this farmhouse layout. It gives you a small kitchen from the start, a bathroom you can use to restore stamina, big open windows that change with the seasons and time of day...it’s a luxury house and it’s very nice to live in!

- Industrial Kitchen and Interior/Industrial Furniture/Rustic Country Town Interiors: These mods give the interiors and furniture a more rustic style, and the last one changes the town interiors to match. There are many furniture/interior mods, so if this style doesn’t do it for you, check out some of the others! There are lots of very pretty mods!

And I’m going to stop there but that’s only the tip of the iceberg and I highly recommend looking around NexusMods or ModDrop and seeing what kind of stuff is available!

[makerofmadness]

Kirby: The Great Super Kirby Clash Fight! Chapter ☆8: The Biggest and Baddest Swordsman Appears

“Let’s go!!”

“We are Team Kirby Z!”

With raised fists and high energy in their voices, the Kirbys were walking on the beach.

“Let’s sing some a song,” Beam proposed, “how about the breakfast song!

“Ohhhh~! A lovely, lovely breakfast~!”

“A tasty, tasty fried egg~! But omelettes would be just as good~!”

“I prefer a traditional meal~! So nattou’s my favorite~!”

“Ahaha! Doctor’s tone-deaf!”

“Huh?! Like you have any right to judge!”

When faced with unbearable sadness and pain, all one can do is laugh. That’s why the Kirbys were laughing louder than usual. After a while of singing songs together in high spirits, Hammer looked up at the sky.

“Oh... all this singing is making me hungry,” he said. It was a deep, feeling-filled voice. “Really wish I had some of Chef Kawasaki’s boxed lunches right now!”

Beam suddenly looked dejected, starting at the waves breaking under his feet.

“...are we never gonna get to eat Chef Kawasaki’s boxed lunches ever again?”

“Don’t be silly,” Doctor said decisively. “Once this is all resolved, I’m sure that the village’s people will understand. And then we can go back to living at the Port Village again.”

“...you’re right.”

“Anyways, let’s hurry up and find that caped jerk so we can teach him a lesson!”

“Yeah!”

At that moment, from behind the Kirbys, a roar could be heard.

The Kirbys turned around.

There appeared a waterside monster with a round blue body and striped swimming trunks!

“Mr. Floaty!”

The Kirbys readied their weapons.

“Alright, guess we’ll just have to fight off the hunger!” Doctor yelled. “Everybody ready???” “Yeah, this is gonna be a piece of cake! That’ll be enough to fill us up!”

As Hammer said that, laughing, he raised his hammer. Kirby charged straight at Mr. Floaty and slashed at him.

“Take this!!!”

He cut off the swimming goggles on Mr. Floaty’s head in one slash.

“Woooah?!”

Mr. Floaty was caught off guard for a moment, but then his face turned red in anger. He shook his large body on the edge of the water, sending water drops flying.

Mr. Floaty let out a roar and started charging, but the Kirbys dodged with ease.

“TIME BEAM!!!”

Beam’s attack proved conclusive in just one hit, causing Mr. Floaty to stop moving in a stumbling position.

“Alright then! This ends here!”

Hammer gave a hearty swing and hit Mr. Floaty at full force. Mr. Floaty was sent flying toward the sea and quickly disappeared below the surface of the water. 

“Wow, that really was a piece of cake!” Kirby said with a lively voice. Doctor nodded.

“Of course. An enemy like him is no match for us.”

“C’mon, let’s get going,” Hammer said, starting to walk away. “Whew! All that fighting’s gotten me hungry!”

Though he kept up a cheerful demeanor, the tone of his voice was earnest. The other Kirbys nodded without a word.

The Kirbys currently had no way to cure their fatigue. Previously, they had been able to recover their energy after a fight with Chef Kawasaki’s boxed lunches. Moreover, the pride of defeating enemies and protecting the village was more than enough to fuel them. 

But now...

“Parallel Nightmare’s gonna be really mad that we took down Mr. Floaty...” Beam said quietly.

The more they’d fight, the more distress they’d cause the villagers. 

Thinking about that was slowly crushing their hearts.

“Who cares if we make him mad again!” Doctor said with strength in his voice. “We can’t just stop fighting. If we give up, the whole Dream Kingdom will fall under his control!”

“...right.”

Beam and Hammer nodded.

The one to break the heavy atmosphere was Kirby.

“Now, onto something more important: Breakfast! Let’s go eat!”

“Sword... but... the boxed lunches...”

“Let’s dive underwater and catch some fish. Shellfish and seagrass are delicious! Cook them up and we’ve got a seafood barbecue!”

Kirby enthusiastically dove into the ocean.

“Hey, Sword, wait!”

“Let’s make it a competition! Whoever catches the most fish wins!”

Hearing this, the other three, who had previously been gloomy, had a twinkle in their eyes.

“Alright, but I won’t lose!”

“I’m the best swimmer around here!”

“Yeah right! Just wait until you see me in action!”

One by one the four each dove into water, making big splashes as they jumped in.

~

Meanwhile, back in the Port Village after the Kirbys left...

The villagers had gathered early in the morning to begin repairs on the destroyed buildings.  Then, Bandana Waddle Dee came to tell them the news of the Kirbys’ disappearances. For a moment upon hearing the news, the villagers went silent. 

Burning Leo, who was carrying bricks, turned away.

“...h-hmph!”

He gruffly disregarded the news.

“Well, good riddance! Those guys bring nothing but trouble, they’re practically monster magnets!”

“...is that really what you think?”

Bandana Waddle Dee, standing at the heart of the village square, looked around at the villagers.

“You think it’s Team Kirby Z’s fault that we got attacked by monsters? Is that really what everyone thinks?”

“Sh-Shut up! Scram, kid!” Burning Leo shouted at Bandana Waddle Dee. “You’re supposed to be watching the Gem Apples right now!”

Normally Bandana Waddle Dee would’ve panicked and ran at this, but today was different. He was slightly quivering, but he remained, waiting for a response from everyone.

 Chilly, who had been fixing a smashed flower bed, responded darkly:

“...yeah, duh, we know that Team Kirby Z was fighting for the sake of our village, but... those guys were the ones who made the monsters’ boss mad in the first place, that’s how I see it!!”

“And what do you think would’ve happened if the Kirbys didn’t fight?” Bandana Waddle Dee asked, looking around at everyone. 

“...”

“Do you seriously think the monsters wouldn’t have attacked? That they wouldn’t have gone after the village eventually? Do you think they would’ve just let us all live in peace?”

The villagers’ heads drooped.

“No, that’s stupid! Of course they wouldn’t!” Bandana Waddle Dee said. “If the Kirbys hadn’t fought, the monsters would’ve had free rein to destroy everything. This village would’ve ended up in even worse shape than it’s in right now!”

 Then, Burning Leo, who had been saying some of the harshest words, shouted back bitingly:

“We know that!”

“Oh, really!!”

“We know that, but what’re we supposed to do now!?”

“We should help Team Kirby Z!!” Bandana Waddle Dee desperately appealed. “Let’s team up with Team Kirby Z and fight Parallel Nightmare!”

“Don’t make it seem simple!”

The villagers that surrounded Bandana Waddle Dee each had their own two cents on the matter.

“There’s no way we can actually do something like that. How the heck do you expect us to fight that guy?”

“We don’t know the first thing about how to use a weapon! What are we supposed to do?”

“Yeah, all we can do is hold our breath and hope we don’t make Parallel Nightmare mad!”

“...are you so sure about that?”

A voice suddenly came from behind the villagers. Everyone turned around. 

Standing there was the masked swordsman himself.

“Oh... Mr. Meta Knight...!” Bandana Waddle Dee shouted.

Meta Knight, who typically spent his time alone in the tavern avoiding socialization, curiously had come to the village square. The villagers looked at Meta Knight puzzled.

“What do you mean?” asked Burning Leo. “What are you trying to say?...”

Meta Knight just let out a laugh before explaining to him:

“Clearly none of you are able to just pick up a weapon and fight. However, does that really make it acceptable to put all the responsibility on Team Kirby Z?”

“Wh... what... what do you mean...”

The villagers faltered, overwhelmed by Meta Knight’s calm demeanor.

“Picking up a weapon isn’t the only thing you can do to protect the village. You should be able to help Team Kirby Z in your own ways. 

“Huh??” Chilly asked timidly. “Support Team Kirby Z? Us?”

“Then how do you propose we help them?...” Burning Leo asked. “Would... would getting them a meal be good enough?”

“There are more ways to encourage them than that.”

The villagers gave Meta Knight a serious look.

“Then tell us what we can do to help. What should we do?”

“Hmm...”

Meta Knight, after looking around at the villagers’ faces, started explaining calmly.

~

Team Kirby Z continued on their journey, defeating monster after monster as they approached. 

They didn’t have enough good, nor did they have comfortable beds to sleep on. They had no time to rest their bodies and minds. However, the team didn’t let this crush their spirits. If they were traveling alone, they would’ve given up long ago. However, they had each other. And no matter how difficult things got, as long as they could laugh together, they’d cheer right up.

~

It happened one evening, long after they had lost count of how many days had passed since they had left the Port Village.

The four heroes were eating dinner around a bonfire, under the shade of a rock in the middle of a wasteland.

“Well anyways,” said Hammer, “that Parallel Nightmare guy doesn’t seem like he's gonna come out anytime soon. Even though he said he wouldn’t forgive us and he told us he’d be back. Do you think he’s scared of us or something?”

“No,” Doctor said, “remember how he’s fought us so far. He directly fought us as little as possible, instead opting to send monsters after us. He even summoned King D-Mind and made him fight us too.”

“I’m thinking he’s planning something big.”

Beam’s look was strained. Doctor nodded his head.

“Exactly. I bet he’s probably planning something his next move as we speak.”

“So basically, he’s probably looking for an even stronger monster to sic on us?” Hammer said, sounding fed up. “Wonder what kind of monster he’s gonna bring next.”

“We defeated King D-Mind. I bet he’s gonna bring something even stronger than him next.”

“Sigh. I just wanna get this done and over with,” Beam said. “I don’t care what kind of monster he brings next, I just hope it won’t be a long fight. Once we're done defeating them, we can go back to the Port Village.”

“Yeah. Parallel Nightmare!~ Come out, come out, wherever you are!~

-Just then, suddenly, the twinkling stars in the sky disappeared, and a cold wind blew.

A disgusted-sounding voice echoed above the Kirbys’ heads.

“Don’t be so conceited, you foolish spheres...”

Warping the air, wrapped in his cape, Parallel Nightmare appeared.

“You haven’t seen anything yet. I’ve prepared the biggest and baddest assassin you’ll ever encounter, one who puts all those pathetic monsters to shame. Here, this place, shall be your grave!!!”

The Kirbys quickly picked up their weapons and stood ready to fight.

“He really showed up,” Beam whispered. “You actually got him to show up, Hammer!” 

“Lucky, right?” Hammer replied. “Just what we wanted.”

Three of them nodded.

“I don’t think he came out because Hammer called him,” Doctor said. “He said he got the biggest and baddest assassin ever. Be careful, everyone.”

“Got it!” 

“This ends here,” Hammer said, bursting with enthusiasm. “I don’t know what kind of monster you’ve brought, but whatever it is, it’s no match for us!”

“Hehe... Ahahahaha!!!”

Parallel Nightmare let out a big laugh, before suddenly firing out star-shaped projectiles. The sharp projectiles came rushing down on the Kirbys.

“HERO SHIELD!!!”

Kirby calmed down and put up a shield, protecting his friends.

“Great job, Sword!” Doctor shouted. “Once we take this guy out, he won’t be able to call any more monsters!”Let’s take this guy out. He won’t be able to call any more monsters after that!”

“Roger!”

Kirby readied his sword, putting all his strength into it, and kicked off the ground.

“TWISTER SLASH!!!”

Parallel Nightmare blocked the attack with his cape. He sprung up high, looking down on the Kirbys before letting out a chilling laugh.

“Muahahahaha! Take this!”

He readied his hands together, as if in prayer, and then, out of from his fingertips flew a shower of stars. 

“STARDUST CYCLONE!!!”

Many small stars whirled around before swooping down on the Kirbys.

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!”

The four heroes, surrounded by the whirlwind of stars, screamed.

“H-HERO SHIELD!!!”

Kirby desperately kept his feet firm on the ground and put up a shield. 

“I’ll stop the clock!” Beam shouted. “Here we go, TIME BEA-”

“Hahaha! One trick pony, aren’t you!”

Parallel Nightmare avoided Beam’s attack with one midair spin, and then opened his cape.

The Kirbys regained their posture and glared at Parallel Nightmare. Doctor quickly whispered to the others:

“Be careful. Something’s coming. It must be the monster he’s prepared!”

“Alrighty-then!” the Kirbys shouted together.

They were ready.

Even if the enemy would be even stronger than King D-Mind, they weren’t afraid.

However, Parallel Nightmare shouted triumphantly:

“You really should value your own lives more, you spherical brats. But no matter, it’s too late to back out. Now, prepare to take your final bows!”

Parallel Nightmare spread his arms out and shouted:

"COME TO ME! AEON HERO!!!”

A tear in the darkness showed the infinite reaches of space beyond. The Kirbys gasped.

There he appeared from the rift in the darkness-

Radiating a blinding light, a pure white swordsman! Face hidden behind a white mask, holding a sharp sword in his right hand and a large shield in his left. He had two beautiful wings on his back. Parallel Nightmare leaned back and laughed.

“Hahahaha- AHHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! What’s the matter, cat got your tongue? Now, prepare to meet your doom once the Aeon Hero buries you in darkness! He’s the biggest and baddest warrior in the-”

That instant, the white swordsman, without a word, slashed Parallel Nightmare’s body cleanly in half.

The Kirbys couldn’t believe their eyes.

Parallel Nightmare turned to dust and disappeared into the darkness.

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[myficdump]

Love Letters From a Stalker

The Yandere Sam mod gave me the motivation/inspiration to write this. So although I had Sam in mind for this fic, you could imagine the yandere as any Stardew Valley character since I never reveal who it is. Reader/Player is gender-neutral. 

CW: Stalking, Sexual content but it’s more horror than sexy.

Got a request? :)

___________________

Moving to the valley was like a breath of fresh air in the beginning. Although taking care of the farm was hard work, you loved it out here. You loved having a home bigger than the crummy apartment you lived in back in the city and you especially loved all the space up here. Not to mention the quiet and lack of close neighbors. There wasn’t anyone out here to slam their first on your door or the other side of the wall and scream at you for being too loud or stomping a bit too hard on your floors. 

It was great! Until it very well wasn’t. 

Someone was stalking you. You were so sure of it. It was terrifying and you wish you were wrong. But you kept finding things missing. Clothes-  part of you cringes every time you dwell too long on the fact that it’s mostly your underwear that’s been stolen- trinkets like a snow globe or picture frames that contained just you, and some of the gems you brought back from the mines. Originally you had planned on chalking this up to a simple robbery since practically everyone in town knew you weren't home on certain days, but then the letters had started popping up. They started out okay, but quickly deteriorated from innocent to disturbing. 

  "You did amazing at the Egg Hunt! I’m so glad you won. Congrats on the cool hat and for finally beating Abigail. She’s won ever since Alex stopped participating. Which was years ago.”

  “Are you growing strawberries? I saw you buying some at Pierre’s stand during the Egg Festival but they’re going to die soon :(. You planted them too late, you’re supposed to save them for next year so they can be planted at the beginning of spring and give you lots of strawberries.”

  “I wish you asked me to dance with you at the Flower Dance :(. At least you didn’t have to wear one of those dorky suits or the scratchy dresses. I’ve heard Abigail complain that it hurts and really itches. I’ve heard even Haley say the same thing to Alex and Alex in turn complained about how tight the suits are. So you really dodged a bullet. But dancing with you would have been so nice. Your farmer's outfit makes you look so nice :). 

  “Saw you fishing at the beach today! You look so cute, I wish you’d invite me sometime :) <3” 

  “My dear Farmer, why do you keep talking to so many people? I understand that you need to leave the farm to do errands but does getting seeds warrant talking to so many people?” 

  “They don’t know you like I do. I know you better, I know even the things that you don’t ever tell or show anyone. Like your favorite pair of underwear to wear, your favorite seeds to plant, how you like to eat blueberries every chance you get when you grow them. I know more than you might ever know.”

 This was only the tip of the iceberg. You had received far too many letters to show. None of them were ever signed, not even with a “Secret Admirer”. The letters were just written out like notes and the truly long letters just seemed to end when the writer stopped their train of thought. But the worst ones were the sexual ones. Those truly scared you. 

 “ :O Wow you really have stamina! :) Watching you touch yourself over and over was so hot. I promise I’ll make sure to properly please you when we’re together.”

 After this letter, you rushed to buy curtains for the windows in your house. The black ones in your room were never pulled back. You had to buy them from JojaMart and you felt guilty for not going to Pierre, but it had to be done. You felt so violated. No letters like the one above had been sent again. The stalker just expressed disappointment over the curtains but had instead taken to describing their sick fantasies to you. 

You were at a loss on what to do. Pelican Town had no police, only Luis and telling him was certainly not going to help. Not to be rude, but he was a shitty mayor. Besides you, Robin was the only one who tried to actually do anything for this town but there was only so much she could do without the aid of magical beings. 

“Oh Yoba,” you mutter, holding your head in your hands. “Luis would announce to the whole town my stalker problem.”

Definitely not telling him. 

-SNAP-

Hearing a loud noise outside, you shoot up from your couch. Heart racing, you inch over to the kitchen window. Was it your stalker? What would you do if it was? You had your sword but using it on something other than a monster was frightening. Were you really prepared to hurt someone? 

Peeking behind the curtain, you let out a sigh. It was just a wilderness golem. You were safe. For now. What a relief. If it really was your stalker out there you were a goner. Having no close neighbors meant there was no one around to hear you scream.

You sat back down on the couch and once again pondered what you should do about the situation. Eventually, long after your fireplace went dark, you headed to bed. 

****

Your hands shook as you held the note. Would the stalker ever stop? It was Fall and they had sent so many to you at this point. What a great waste of paper. Taking a deep breath, you opened up the letter. 

  “You should stay home tomorrow. I’d make you scream louder than that stupid maze ever would ;).” 

 Oh, that wasn’t so bad. Pretty tame compared to what you’ve been getting recently. Perhaps you really jinxed yourself because what happened next was much worse. As you placed the letter back into the envelope, you noticed a picture. 

Your eyes went wide and a choked gasp left your throat. It was a picture of your underwear, the crotch smeared with cum. Written on the bottom was: 

Can’t wait to cum inside you :). 

 Knowing what your stolen underwear was being used for caused bile to rise in your throat. The picture was quickly shoved back into the envelope along with the letter. 

“Oh shit, oh  shit. What do I do?” You croaked. “Oh Yoba what do I do. I save these as evidence but what can I do?” 

Deciding you didn’t want to be alone you shoved on your boots and dashed to town. You had sprinklers, the crops would be fine. You just needed to hang out at Pierre’s until the Saloon opened and then you could lurk in there, feeling safe with other people. 

A few minutes later, a figure crept out from their hiding spot and stepped onto your porch. A white present in your favorite pair of underwear was left waiting for you on your bed.

[maddiwrites]

The Hybrid (Prologue)

Pairing: JJ x Reader

Summary: The Pogues rekindle their friendship with their old childhood best friend and JJ’s first crush, Y/N. Old feelings resurface for JJ and Y/N, possibly leading to a summer neither one of them could ever forget. Due to past trauma, Y/N is reluctant to let anyone into her heart, but JJ never backs down from a challenge, even if he knows it will come back to haunt him in the end.

Note: So happy to be back with another series!!! I honestly really missed posting. Unlike Secrets of the Shore, updates will be slower because I don’t have them all written out yet. A couple things I wanted to let you know before you read. I based Y/N’s family off of Gilmore Girls. I thought they were the perfect fit for this story and the show in general and I just love their dynamic. (Including Luke who I renamed Steve for obvious reasons). Chapter 1 will explain more obviously but I wanted to give you guys a little snippet of the characters and relationships. So let me know what y'all think!

Word Count: 3.3k

Outer Banks. Paradise on Earth. It's the sort of place where you either have two jobs or two houses. Two tribes, one island. As you know, the Outer Banks is essentially divided into two groups. If we want to be blunt - it’s the rich and the poor. Figure Eight is home to the rich. Aka the Kooks. With houses bigger than necessary with extra rooms that go untouched, boats the size of homes on the Cut - the other side of the island. Most people who live on Figure Eight are your naturally raised assholes. People who don’t know the value of a dollar and take advantage of people who do most of their dirty work that lets them prance around the island with perfectly manicured fingernails. These hard workers are the Pogues. They live on the south side of the island where most Kooks wouldn’t be found dead. They serve fancy meals at the country club for shitty tips, mow lawns, and work their asses off at any other job for minimum wage. The drastic difference in lifestyles tend to cause many spats and arguments between the two communities. Especially between the teenagers who still don’t know how to control their raging emotions or know when to bite back their tongue. For the Kooks, every fight is a fight for dominance where as the Pogues fight for equality - to put the Kooks in their place. Many of these fights happen at summer parties where the two groups clash to find a good time with their friends filled with alcohol, drugs, and good music.

That’s where they find themselves tonight. The infamous Pogues. John B, JJ, Kie, Pope, and now Sarah Cameron. Although born a natural Kook, she’s earned her spot next to the adventurous teens and her boyfriend. Unlike her brother Rafe who basically is the leader of his notorious group. Topper and Kelce are his best friends who follow him blindly.

The Pogues watch them from their spot surrounding the keg. Kie purses her lips in distaste as the boys cat call for the ladies around them. Somehow most of them finding it flattering. Sarah sips on her beer to hide her embarrassment, often wondering how she and her brother grew up to be so different. Pope and John B stay mostly disinterested, only worried if they try to make a pass at an unwilling girl or fire a degrading comment at their short tempered friend. JJ Maybank is known around the island for his trouble making behavior. Usually if he gets in trouble for fights, no one ever asks who the other people were in the scuffle. Because if JJ Maybank is in the fight, he’s the one who started it, right? Wrong. In fact, JJ usually is never the one to start it. He’s good at keeping his head down and only speaking when spoken to when it comes to the Kooks - the only form of advice worth taking from his father. But his short temper is something the Kooks his age loved to take advantage of because they liked getting a rise out of him. It was like an adrenaline rush.

Luckily, tonight both groups were keeping their distance, either only talking to each other or random Tourons that have found their way to the party. This is usually JJ’s favorite part of a boneyard party. Finding his one fish in a sea of many that he can reel in just for the night and never have to worry about seeing them again.

He has his eyes set on a beautiful blonde making her way to the bonfire when all of a sudden Kie’s voice pulls him out of his trance.

“What’s she doing here?”

JJ follows her line of vision, spotting you walking down the wooden steps that lead to the beach, pulling your best friend behind you by his wrist. He first notices your smile and how it brightens up your entire face. Then of course his eyes scan down your slim but athletically toned body. You’re wearing a pair of jean shorts and a cropped white T shirt that says UNC across the chest. Who knew someone could look so good without even trying?

Well JJ did. He’s known it for a while.

“Careful. I think you’re drooling,” John B whispers in his best friend’s ear.

JJ pushes him away and mutters, “Shut up. No I’m not.”

But maybe he was.

Y/N Y/L/N is a unique resident of the island. Unlike majority of the island, she doesn’t fall in either Kook or Pogue category. She’s what everyone calls the Hybrid.

People who work hard for what they have but haven’t fallen to be Pogue status. Quite literally living in the middle in a place they call the Crest.

Your story is well versed among the gossipers of the island (which tends to be just about everybody).  And mainly that’s because of who your grandparents are.  Claude and Doris Y/L/N. Two of the riches people on the island, living in a three story house on the beach. Many people fear them, others envy them. Most feel both. Even Ward Cameron walks on egg shells around them, which is quite often, considering he works for Claude. They’re the kind of people who have never heard of Barefoot wine or Walmart. They keep their noses up and turn a blind eye to the suffering communities around them. Thirty four years ago, Doris gave birth to a daughter that couldn’t be more opposite than them. Lorelai Y/L/N was a wild child. A rule breaker. She snuck out at nights, dated boys her parents would never approve of, dabbled in breaking the law here and there. It didn’t matter how many times her parents disciplined her. She always managed to make her parents’ life a living hell. 

No one was surprised when word got passed around that Lorelai had gotten pregnant at eighteen. Although it was with another Kook, she brought shame upon her family name when she refused to get an abortion, even when her mom tried dragging her by her hair. 

Lorelai risked everything by running away from her parents’ home in the middle of a windy night. With only one suitcase, the baby daddy out of the picture, and less than a grand in her pocket, she managed to make a life for herself on the South side of the island. She worked two jobs, found an affordable apartment for cheap rent, and managed to save some money before her babies were born.

Yes, babies. As in more than one. Five months after running away from home, she gave birth to twin girls and they instantly became her entire life. With the help of her best friend Steve, who she met one month after being on her own, meeting him at his automotive shop when she very much literally rolled her junky car into the garage, she raised you and your sister on the Cut. The two of you are her greatest accomplishment. Every now and then, she mentally throws up a middle finger to everybody who doubted her, proud of who the two of you have become. 

Right before you turned ten, your mom took a business risk and opened her own Cafe. The Bikini Beans cafe, very popular amongst both Kooks and Pogues. The business did so well that she was able to move the three of you out of your shitty apartment into a beautiful one story home with three bedrooms in between the Cut and Figure Eight, aka the Crest, the summer going into your freshman year.

You actually used to be best friends with John B Routledge, JJ Maybank, and Pope Heyward. It was easier being friends with them than the girls, finding more joy in sports and rough housing than makeup and gossip. 

Doing the same summer that you moved, your mom pulled you out of Kildare County High and placed you in Outer Banks Private Academy. Aka Kook Academy. Around this time, your grandparents had also become more involved in your life, and you wondered if they had somehow bribed your mom into forcing you to transfer schools. You tried asking her during one of your many fights that started with you begging her to keep you at Kildare County High, but she quickly shut you down and told you to be grateful. That was ironic coming from the woman who ran away from the people giving her an expensive high school career. 

You had no choice but to do what your grandparents wanted and attend Kook Academy. Making friends was a lot harder there than it was in Kildare County High. You managed to make one friend in your freshman year. Andre Cortez. Due to an incident a couple years back, you built thick walls and Andre was the only one able to break them down. You were grateful for your friendship, but hanging out with him was nothing like hanging out with the Pogues. 

When you transferred schools, you lost touch with the Pogues slowly. Your life became busy with school and playing dress up for your grandparents and the boys were starting to work. Eventually all contact was cut and ever since, you’ve felt a void in your heart.

“Look,” You tell Andre. “I told you I would be your wing woman and I’m not backing down from what could possibly be the most important role in my life.”

You didn’t notice the Pogues or any of the stares around you. It’s true you’re not much of a party girl. I mean, you’ll go out here and there, have a drink or two, but you felt more comfortable at places where you weren’t surrounded by drunk and horny teenagers. 

“He’s probably not even here,” Andre says. He’s trying to look nonchalant but you notice the way his eyes dance from face to face of the people around him. 

“He told you he was going to be here, right?” You ask him with one brow raised. Andre nods. “Then, we’ll find him.”

Sarah and Kie never made any effort to talk to you at school, but to be fair, neither have you. You’ve heard mixed reviews, some people call them spoiled brats, ungrateful...some even go as far as calling them ‘The Cut Sluts.’ Of course you never take any of those things to heart. You can’t judge a book but it's cover. Plus, they’re friends with your old best friends. They can’t be that bad for John B and JJ and Pope to be hanging out with them, right?

“You think she'll come over here?” Kie asks. No one’s ever said it out loud, but her friends wonder if deep down, Kie was a little jealous of you. Because you were their first real girl friend. You were the first girl they ever let in and opened their heart too. That was a tough pill for Kie to swallow when she originally thought she was that girl. Of course the boys don’t like you any more than Kie and vice versa. But sometimes Kie wishes she could have grown up with the boys the same way you had. 

“Probably not. Unless she’s drinking,” Pope says and motions towards the keg they’re near. 

“I have an idea,” John B says and fills up a red solo cup. He hands it to JJ. “Why don’t you go offer her a cup.”

JJ snags the cup out of John B’s hand and glares at him. “Fuck off, dude.” 

“Do you guys ever see her around at school?” Pope asks the girls.

Sarah shrugs. “Not really. She doesn’t really get a long with my old group of friends.”

Kie rolls her eyes. “No one gets along with your old group of friends.”

Sarah playfully shoves Kie by the shoulder and they laugh. 

“I heard she turned down Raymond Easterling a couple weeks ago and he didn’t take it very well,” Pope says, remembering the words he heard from the kids in his class roaming the school hallways. 

Raymond goes to Kildcare County High with the Pogues. He’s known to be a trouble maker and a class clown. He works with JJ at the country club. The kid can make JJ laugh sometimes, but he wouldn’t necessarily say he likes him all that much. He can be an arrogant asshole with an ego bigger than it should be.

“She turns down everybody,” Sarah says. “Some people at my school call her ‘The Heart Sucker’ because she can pull people in with the snap of her fingers and break their heart just as quickly.”

Something stirred in the pit of JJ’s stomach.

“Hey! Where you going?” John B calls out to JJ who’s making his way deeper into the sea of people on the beach. 

“Taking advantage of a good boneyard party, my friend,” JJ calls back and slugs the rest of his beer. Looking left and right, he searches for the blonde he had eyes on earlier. Because right now, he needed a distraction. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

The party starts to die down a little after midnight. Some people leave to find another party, some are passed out in the back of their cars, and others had already found what they were looking for - someone to leave with. 

The boneyard party wasn’t as bad as you expected it to be. You had found a couple of kids from your school who were nice enough to make small talk with you while Andre left to find a guy named Devon, a Touron he’s been talking to who’s renting for the entire summer. 

Now you’re waiting for Andre to come back so the two of you can walk home. You find comfort under a slanted palm tree towards the back of the beach, scrolling through random apps on your phone to pass the time.

“Y/N?” You look up from you phone and smile when you see your former best friend inching closer to you, squinting in the dark to see if it’s really you. 

“Maybank? What are you still doing here?” You stand up and pat the sand off your hands on you thighs. 

Your heart skips a beat in your chest when you look at him. He’s beautiful. Lucious blonde hair, perfectly tanned skin, piercing blue eyes. You always knew JJ was going to grow up to be gorgeous. He was cute when he was younger. At least you always thought so. 

“I was just leaving, but I thought I saw you sitting here and wanted to make sure you were all right.” He knows it’s not like you to stay this late at a party, especially all by yourself. When he first saw you sitting there, he didn’t know if he should say something. Mostly due to nerves of seeing you again. But the other Pogues had already left and he didn’t trust anyone else at the party to be near you alone late at night. It didn’t matter if you were sober or not. 

“Aw. Was JJ Maybank worried about me?” You tease. Talking to him felt easy. As if you never stopped being friends. A few years ago, you and JJ had the best banter. Despite constantly bickering back and forth, John B always swore the two of you would get married one day. The two of you just always clicked like a natural connection. And even now, when only seeing each other every now and then for a few minutes at a time, it felt normal. You smirk when JJ rolls his eyes. “I’m kidding. Yeah, I’m okay. Just waiting for my friend to come back from his little rendezvous,” You say. 

JJ nods. “Did you have a good time? I feel like I never you see at these things.”

“Yeah. Parties aren’t really my thing. But Andre was nervous to meet this guy he’s been talking to for a little while so I came for moral support.”

“Looks like he didn’t need much of the support.”

You shrug. “It’s better that way, anyway. I don’t mind waiting for him. What about you?”

“What about me?” 

“Did you have a good time tonight? I hear your quite the ladies’ man at these things.”

“Come on, Sparky. You know better than to believe everything you hear.”

Your face lights up at the mention of your old nickname. You use to always be busting out the seams with energy. On days where the boys just wanted to chill and play video games, you would drag them to the park for a game of kick ball. Or when they wanted to sleep in after a long week, you showed up at 8 am to drag them out of bed to catch the morning waves. So one day JJ started calling you Sparky, and it stuck with the rest of your little gang. You always pretended to hate it, but secretly you loved it. 

“Oh I don’t believe everything I hear. I do, however, believe what I see. And your arm around that tall blonde in the little black dress looked quite convincing.”

You first saw JJ at the party when he was making his way to the pretty girl by the water. Your teeth involuntarily clenched and there was a twisted feeling in your stomach you couldn’t shake whenever you looked at them. 

In that instant, JJ felt grateful for the dark sky. He felt the rush of heat rise up his neck to his cheeks before he could stop it. He knew the motivation to see that girl was because of you. He just wished you never saw it. But he didn’t know why. 

“I walked her home. She wasn’t my type,” JJ plays it off. 

“I didn’t realize you had a type,” You giggle, but a small part felt relieved to hear this. “So what is it? Your type?”

Hybrids with a Pogue attitude, bright smile, beautiful eyes, and a mouth that could make any sailor turn around, JJ thought. 

“I don’t know. Haven’t figured it out yet.”

You roll your eyes playfully. “Well, when you figure it out let me know.”

“Why? So you can transform into my ideal girl?” He teases.

Now you’re the one thankful for the dark sky. “In your dreams, Maybank. But so far, I do have the perfect wing-woman track record, so if you needed help -”

“I don’t think I need any help in that department. Thank you very much.”

You throw your hands up in fake surrender. “Ooo. Touchy subject.”

JJ rolls his eyes at the same time your phone pings with a text message. You pull it out of your shorts pocket and open the text from Andre, telling you to leave without him because he’s gonna stay out late with Devon and won’t know what time he’s going to be done.

“Everything all right?” JJ says, watching you read the message.

You lock your phone and stuff it in your back pocket again. “Like I said. Perfect wing-woman track record.”

“That was Andre?” 

“Yeah. He’s most likely not coming home tonight.”

“Lucky bastard.”

“At least one of us is,” You joke. 

JJ’s grin slightly falters but you don’t catch it. You have no idea how much he wishes the two of you could be equally as lucky. Together. 

“Well, I should probably go,” You say and bend down to grab your flip flops.

“Let me walk you home,” JJ offers. 

“Oh no. It’s okay -”

“You’re cute. It’s wasn’t up for debate. I’m not letting you walk back by yourself.”

You scoff lightly. “I’ll be fine.”

“Just humor me.”

You roll your eyes and smirk but choose not to argue. In fact, you’re excited to spend more time with JJ. It’s been so long.

“Fine.”

“And here I thought you might’ve grown out of your stubborn phase by now.”

You shove him playfully by the shoulder. “Shut up!”

And just like that, it felt like old times.

[sukorakurai]

@snarkyship is a true genius. I commission this Stark Family Portrait and I couldn’t be happier. I wrote a little fic to accompany this fabulous Picture. hope you all enjoy.

Stark Family Picture Day

 By Sukora Kurai

  Tony sighed over the counter in the communal kitchen. He had been there since dawn when he asked Jarvis what day it was. Then his trusty AI informed him of an importance of this month. Now he was stuck with what to do now.

 “Hey Tony what’s got you down?”

 “Hey Capsicle, I’m doomed.”

 “Oh come on Tony, it can’t be that bad you are an Avenger.” Steve smiled as he got out food to make omelets for the Team, and greeted the in coming members. “Morning Nat, morning Bruce.”

 “Morning Steve, what’s wrong with Tony?” Bruce greeted heading to the stove to put the kettle on for his morning tea.

 “Not sure I found him like this.” Steve stated cracking some eggs into a bowl.

 “His and Loki’s anniversary is this month and he has no idea what to get him.” Nat answered pouring a large mug of coffee.

 Tony shot up in his seat and stared slack jawed. “How could you possibly know that?”

 “It’s my job as a shield Agent and Pepper’s PA to keep tabs on you. So it is well documented when you clumsily asked Loki to be your boyfriend during the Lord of the Rings Marathon where you bought out the AMC Theater for the day.” The Spy shrugged ignoring the fact that all her team mates stared at her in horror. All were now wondering what she had on them in those SHIELD files.

 “So Tony, you have and anniversary coming up? Have you though about what Loki might like?” Steve coughed drawing the conversation back to the main topic.

 “No, I don’t. What does one give a god especially one that has magic and can make anything appear out of thin air?” Tony waved his arms in frustration.

 “That is a tough one but I’m sure anything you get him will be fine. Loki loves you Tony.” Bruce tried to be supportive.

 “I hope you will be putting more thought into the gift you give me next month for our anniversary.” Nat gave the Gamma Doctor a pointed before wandering out of the room to start her routine before heading out to work.

 “Ha, I’m not the only one in hot water now!” Tony crowed at the look of devastation in his science-bro’s face.

 “Tony, knock it off. Now in my day it was the thought that counted most. You should find what Loki cherishes the most. You find that then you can present to him in a meaningful way. It’s true he’s a prince and probably has had his other lovers throw jewels and meaningless expensive trinkets at him to win his affections. You know Loki better because you love him and he loves you.” Steve pointed out.

 “Yeah, Lokes complains a lot about his life in Asgard and that there were many who wooed him just to get to Thor. At night when it’s just the two of us and RC snuggled between us he sighs soft and says what a perfect night it is. He never elaborates but I think it means that he likes just the quiet nights with us.” The genius eyes went glazed as he recalled the many nights he cuddled with his god. Then the idea hit him. “Hey Spangles, can you paint or do you just draw?”

 “Huh,” Steve was caught off guard and almost dropped the omelet he was flipping. “I paint from time to time.”

 “Don’t lie babe you are in your studio whenever can get the chance.” Bucky laughed entering the kitchen. “All the paintings in our apartment Stevie did.”

 “Great! Can you do a portrait if I get you a picture?” Tony asked digging in to the ham and cheese omelet.

 “Yeah, it might take two weeks maybe less depends on if we get called out or if SHIELD needs me.” The captain estimated placing another plate in front of his boyfriend.

 “As long as it’s done before the end of the month we’re good.  Jarvis start looking through my photos and pull out any possible portraits.”

 “Yes, sir.”

 “Delicious breakfast as usual Capsicle. I’ll get you the photo as soon as I find one.” Tony dumped his empty plate in sink and ran off to his lab.

 Two hours later…

 “None of these are good enough J.”

 “Sir, might I suggest you take a new photo of you and Prince Loki.”

 “Yeah and RC too, because she’s our baby. We can’t have a Family Portrait without all the family members. Where’s are RC now?”

 “She is currently with Alpine in his play room.”

 “Cool, I think I got the perfect outfit in mind.” Tony grinned as he ran to his emergency closet in the lab. Tony had put in the closet when he realized he destroyed a lot of his clothes during his inventing and building phases. Also there was a suit or two for the days he forgot he was supposed to be in a meeting and had to make a rush to the board room.

  In the penthouse…

  It had been a quiet morning with no call outs, no calls to Asgard and no need to go anywhere. Loki decided to enjoy the peace and quite lounging in his soft Asgardian casual clothes on the couch reading his mother’s spell journal.

 “Hey there, Bambi! It’s Picture Day!”

 “Anthony, what are you on about?” The prince looked up from his book to see his lover carrying their cat into the living room.

 “Well Picture Day refers to the day school kids take pictures for the yearbook and photos are bought for family distribution. Anyways I want to have a family picture that was honest. I never had that growing up because Howard was an asshole and Maria, my mother, was frail. She loved me but she couldn’t express it because she was always ill. Now we have our own little family and I want a picture to put in the lab.”

 “You want to take this picture now? Anthony, I look a mess and how did you get the bow on the cat?”

 “Aww, you look gorgeous, love, as always. Anyways, I put a bow on our baby because RC loves to look pretty for her daddies. Don’t you sweetie.” Tony scratched under the kitty’s chin as they sat on couch next to the god.

 “Mew,” RC purred.

 “Fine, you win, where would you like to take the picture? Also what are you wearing? I don’t believe I’ve seen that outfit before, and what is on your feet?” Loki set his book aside and took in his lover’s appearance.

 “Oh you like? I dressed in red and gold to match my shoes. I had these shoes made based on my Iron Man suit. I thought maybe putting them on the market for kids but I liked them too much to share. So I have a life time supply in the lab. If you want I can have a pair made for you.”

 “No thank you. They clash with my outfit. Now let’s take your picture.” Loki said taking the cat in his arms.

 “Okay, okay. Let me get out my phone.” Tony fished his Stark Phone out of his back pocket and held it out to make them all fit in the frame. “Okay say cheese!”

 “Click”

 “Okay let’s see how that one turned out.” Tony looked at the photo to see him smiling a black blur and a bland look on Loki’s face. “Nope we got try again. This time smile Loki and RC you need to stay still so we can see you.”

 And it went picture by picture they have yet to take a family portrait.

 “Shit I only got half your face.”

 “Anthony your thumb is on the lens.”

 “RC Stay still!”

 “Achoo! Ow! I dropped on my foot!”

 “Do not eat my hair you Retched Creature!”

 “Okay I set it up on a tripod. Now say cheese.”

 “CHEESE BROTHER!” Thor popped up between the two men who stared at shock at the blond god.

 “Next!” Tony rolled his eyes as Loki vanished his brother to where ever. Tony didn’t ask where the Loki sent Thunder god. He rather liked staying in the tower and wanted to keep it that way.

 “Meow!”

 “No RC! Don’t chase the bunny!”

 Three Hours Later…

 “Okay, this is it I can feel it. Now Jarvis is going to take the picture the bunnies are secure in their room. The penthouse is locked down, so no unexpected guest and RC is filled of milk to keep her calm and relaxed. And I promise after we get this picture I will have Jarvis order you favorite meal from the Thai Palace down the street and I’ll rub your feet, while we watch you favorite Harry Potter movies.”

 “Oh Anthony you spoil me. I love you.” Loki sighed as a soft smile graced his face and he leaned into his lover as Tony joined their hands together. RC who was seated now on the god’s shoulder leaned in and purred soaking up the love of her people. The genius couldn’t be happier in that moment as he had his to precious family members with him and the grin on his face was wide and bright.

 “Click.”

 Two Weeks Later…

 “Sir Prince Loki and Mr. Odinson have returned from Asgard.”

 “Great, I got everything ready. Tell Loki that I have dinner ready and waiting.”

 “Yes, sir.” Tony had the table set with Loki’s Favorite food from the five star steak house, they go to. He paid extra to have the chef come over and cook for their anniversary.

 “Ding.”

 “Thank you, Jarvis. Evening Anthony, never in my life had been so glad to leave Asgard. He talked for hours at the council over stagnant topics. What’s all this?”

 “Well my hard working God of Mischief, today is our one year Anniversary and I have planned the perfect evening. Dinner, a bath and I installed a movie screen in our bathroom so we can enjoy the movie of your choice during the bath and then I plan on us making love until dawn.” Tony pulled Loki over to the dinner table, watching as the god’s magic removed the armor and replaced it with comfortable Asgardian wear.

 “You lovely little man, you spoil me so; I don’t deserve it or you.” The Raven pulled the billionaire into his arms and planting kisses all over the man’s face.

 “Yes you do, because I love you and I got you something, well I got Cap to make it, but it was my idea.”

 “You didn’t have to, dinner is more than enough.”

 “No, I wanted to. Now close your eyes and I’ll get your present.” As Loki closed his eyes Tony ran out of the room and grabbed the portrait from where he hid it. He placed it on the wall then Jarvis turned on the lights illuminating the painting. “Okay open them.”

 “Oh Anthony! It’s wonderful.” Loki’s eyes became all misty seeing their little family together and there was so much love radiating from painting. “It’s perfect.”

 “Happy Anniversary Reindeer Games.”

 “Happy Anniversary, my Man of Iron.” Loki whispered pulling Tony in to the sweetest kiss they ever shared. They didn’t hear the click sound of Jarvis capturing the moment with the sunset background. Another memory to save for another day.

 The End.

[kurinoot]

agape

-> agape (Ancient Greek ἀγάπη, agapē) is a Greco-Christian term referring to unconditional love, "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for man and of man for God". 

pairing: akaashi x gn!reader

themes: fluff with some angst at the beginning, akaashi just taking care of you, bipolar!reader (that’s why please read this fic with discretion), post-timeskip

word count: 1,310 words

trigger warning/s: mentions of mental health-related issues! if you want to talk about it or just want someone to vent out, you can slide into my dms! also, warning for language!

notes: so hello! this is my contribution for the mental health collab, and I chose akaashi! I hope that you have read this top portion before reading the fic just to give you a heads up! anyways, this is to raise awareness on mental health in general (and on bipolar disorder) and to help others who don’t have mental health issues and of course, destigmatize them! a HUGE appreciation to @rosesandtoshi, @nerdynstoned, @vanille--kiss, @meiansmistress, and to my love @ssrated1volleyballplayer 💕 for proofreading this and fact-checking it for me! I really appreciate it considering the subject of this fic :)

chant: all of me - john legend (lindsey stirling violin remix)

“This sucks,” you softly whine in frustration as you fold your arms and lay down your head on the table. Your boyfriend can only look at you in worry as he tenderly caresses your hair, humming a soft lullaby that he knows can help you ease down from your episodes at times.

You huff in frustration at literally everything—the intense shifts in mood swings, medications, therapy sessions, the pitying or judging looks, and the stigma—as tears well up and threaten to spill from the growing swell on your eyes. You just want to live a normal life—a life without unpredictable mood swings, daily medications, and therapy appointments.

And a life where you don’t have to feel every inch of ogling eyes staring right at you.

A life just like everybody else.

And yet here you are.

You never fail to feel envious of almost everybody else. At least they don’t need to take medications every single fucking day just to keep their mood in check. They also don’t need to attend psychotherapy sessions because of something that would stay with them for life. And they don’t have to suffer the stares of other people just because they’re having a fucking meltdown.

“Shh,” he hushes softly. “It’s okay, I’m here if you need me, my love.” Keiji coos with tenderness.

The last week at work has left you in shambles, as an unpredictable depressive episode made its wave to disrupt your routine once again. You were grateful that your boss understood your situation and gave you a time off work, but it has still left you grating with so many thoughts drilling its way into your head. It didn’t help that you were still in a depressive episode today, and it definitely didn’t help that you want to cry at your boyfriend's comforting words and overwhelming support. You can only muffle your cries at the fact that you are so goddamn lucky to have a doting boyfriend like Keiji.

‘What the fuck did I ever do to deserve Keiji? I really don’t deserve him. Not like this,’ your mind slews, overwhelmed with all the negativity you’re feeling. Ever since finding out about the state of your psyche, he’s been nothing short of a very patient and compassionate boyfriend, and once again he proves to you how much he loves you even in your current state.

“It’s okay, my love. Cry your heart out if you have to, my love. I’m here.” You hear his calm voice as he wraps you in a cozy hug beside you, accompanied with a light but meaningful kiss on your temple as you bask together in the silence in solace. After a few minutes, Akaashi goes to check on you only for him to hear the wisps of your soft snores. Only then does he proceed to carry you with all his might and carefully place you on the bed, covering you with your favorite bamboo-scented white comforter that never fails to calm you down in your sleep.

As soon as he’s assured that you’re resting soundly, he fishes his phone out of his pocket, hastily unlocking it. He’s greeted with a photo of you on his screen and he lets out a smile, saying a ‘That’s my girl’ in his head as he opens his browser and types ‘bipolar disorder’ on the search bar.

“So that’s what it is...” Akaashi mumbles in understanding as he scrolls through various credible sources about your condition, wanting to keep himself educated to learn more about you and how to take good care of you. From what he can understand, you experience mood extremes - manic and depressive episodes which can tick off of you at random and unexpected times. It is something incurable, he reads, but taking prescriptions as well as psychotherapy can help reduce its effects.

‘So that’s why Y/N takes her prescriptions everyday...’ he realizes as he clearly recalls the day he found your prescription medications in one of the cupboards.

He searches more about it, adding more and more tabs on his browser when he glances at the clock, only to be greeted with the flashing LED that says 2:58 AM. With a huff, he closes his phone, settling it on the nightstand before he uncovers the sheets and plops down beside you, ensnaring you in a warm embrace as he dozes off into unconsciousness.

A couple of hours later, Akaashi wakes up to the sound of his alarm. He rubs both of his eyes, yawning before his hand goes to turn off the blaring sound to make sure that you don’t wake up. He gives you one last hug, then kisses your temple, cheek, and shoulder before unwrapping himself from the warmth of the sheets you share together.

‘I still have time.’ Akaashi huffs in mind, glancing at the clock that glared right at him at 6:32 AM. He rushes over to the bathroom to clean himself up before he goes to the kitchen to prepare something for you.

The mixed scent of the bamboo from the comforter and the scent of what seemed to be tamagoyaki—your favorite egg omelette rolls—wakes you up and you jolt awake to see the empty space next to you. You frown only to realize that Keiji must be preparing breakfast as your stomach grumbles from hunger. Not for long, Keiji graces your dazed vision as he carries a bed tray with a steaming plate of your favorite egg omelette roll, a bowl of miso soup, and a freshly brewed cup of tea on the side. The icing on the cake, much to your shock, is the bottle of prescription medication placed neatly near the cup of tea with an attached note that said “Don’t forget!”

“Good morning, Y/N. I hope you’re feeling good,” he greets you calmly with a gentle beam, leaving a peck on your forehead.

“Keiji~” you huff out with a slight pout as he places the bed tray on your lap. “You didn’t have to do this for me.”

Akaashi rubs your hands with his, looking into your eyes with love before he takes one of your hands and places a tender kiss on it. “You had a rough week and must be exhausted, so let me do this for you. I’m here for you, okay?”

Your eyes widen at his words and his gestures as your eyes unconsciously become wet with tears. ‘Why is Keiji so good to me? I don’t deserve this I can’t—’

Akaashi must have sensed it, because he wraps you in a comforting hug. Your heart feels like it is going to burst as you hug him in return, crying with full force. It doesn’t help that he is caressing your hair gently with one hand while he rubs your back with the other.

“Shhh. I’m here, my love. Tell me how you are feeling.”

He patiently waits for you as you swallow all the incoming tears and the growing lump in your throat before a smile graces your lips. “I-I just, I don’t know. I feel so loved right now.”

Akaashi smiles, giving himself a pat on the back internally as he hugs you a little bit tighter. You both bask in each other’s warmth and comfort.

“Now come on, let’s eat. The food will get cold. I’ll grab my own food so we can eat breakfast together. The next time you have a therapy appointment, if you’re comfortable, I would like to accompany you. That way, I can understand you better and do my best to accommodate your needs. Only if that is something you’re alright with though.”

The fact that he was so willing to try and see things from your perspective meant everything to you. All that you could do in that moment was cry a little bit harder as he holds you.

remember to keep yourself educated, sisters! destigmatizing mental health is more important than ever! and being sensitive and caring to those who deal with those problems is what those people need :)

back to the mental health collab masterlist (yet to be posted)

[alltimefail-sims]

More Alexander Goth hcs please 🤲

This has been in my inbox for a few days because I kept thinking of new things to add, but I’m cutting myself off! Some of these are fun, some are serious, some are really long... but because you asked for it dear anon, here are some *drumroll*

Alexander Goth HCs:

He has a lot of tattoo ideas, but is a self-proclaimed "needle weenie," so he’s not sure if he’ll ever actually get one.

He is a surprisingly good dancer, but he never dances seriously in front of other people. Every now and again, Cheryl will beg him to learn Tik-Tok dances with her. He always ends up giving in, so long as she doesn’t post the videos. (She posts the videos anyway lol.)

He is always offering his friends food. Coming over his house to hang out? Here’s some food. You’re skipping lunch? Not on his watch! Just not hungry? Well, let me put out some cheese and fruit anyway...just in case! It’s something instinctual - he does it without thinking. (I would consider this a love language of sorts.)

Alexander does not sleep very well - the boy is operating on 2-3 hours of sleep (or less) on any given day.

Aside from his many fish, Alexander is the family guard dog’s chosen “person.” Even though he bickers with their dog quite often, somehow the dog is still closest with Alexander. Alexander named him Cerberus; a nod to the three headed dog that guards the underworld. (5 year old Alexander thought this was very clever).

He carries around a (well-loved) copy of his favorite childhood book everywhere he goes. Whenever he feels anxious, sad, or even just bored, he’ll reach into his bag or guitar case and reread his favorite parts.

Even though he’s a musician, he actually ends up getting a degree in physics. He’s really interested in archeology and geology as well! Basically, he thinks the universe is endlessly fascinating.

His favorite color is yellow, much to most people’s surprise!

Alexander, like his sister, can be a bit melancholy - but he’s always been so sweet. Because of his shy and insecure nature, he had a hard time making friends when he was little. He is also quite a worrier - all the adults said he was “old and wise in spirit.” In my mind, I can just imagine Bella pinching his little toddler cheeks and telling him not to carry the world’s troubles on his shoulders. I also can imagine that the stories of Winnie the Pooh had an impact on him as a child, and he was the kind of toddler to spill something or trip or forget to tie his shoes and he’d just be like, “Oh dear, oh bother...”

His neighbor and friend, Olivia Kim-Lewis, calls him “X.”

Alexander didn’t actually move into the attic until he was about 11. One of the largest factors for relocating was that he hated being forced to socialize/schmooze at his parent’s (many) parties - the attic was farthest away from the action as possible. Plus, he likes that he can climb out his window and sit on the roof whenever he wants to think, stargaze, or have some alone time.

His favorite food is arepas con queso because they’re comforting to him. This was one of the first dishes he learned to make on his own, and he loves to eat them with barbacoa/carnitas/or even eggs sometimes (with breakfast).

That being said, anything that reminds Alexander of his family or his childhood is going to be meaningful to him. He is highly sentimental and values quality time with the people he loves.

Alexander hates coffee. Absolutely haaaaaates it.

He does not like scary movies, he does not like haunted houses, he does not like being scared (he’s very easy to frighten lol)!! His big sister definitely took advantage of this information while they lived under the same roof...😂

He definitely enjoys comics and ”nerdy” stuff, but isn’t super into the whole Disney-Marvel-cash-cow movie industry mumbo-jumbo. He does like Vision, however. But he’d much rather binge a tv series or listen to music than sit through a whole movie.

OKAY, I’m done for now! If you are also an Alexander Goth stan, dear anon, please feel free to come off anon so we can love our pixel child together.

Also, shameless plug: you can peep my Alexander Goth lookbook HERE.

Thank you for your ask! <3

[daincrediblegg]

ALPHABET HEADCANONS: JACK O’NEILL

A/N: This is it!!!! I’ve caved!!!! I need more content for this man and I’ve gotta create it myself, so enjoy these unprompted lil nuggets of fluff! And don’t forget my ask box is always open for more!!

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Jack is super fuckin affectionate, but he’s more of a… show don’t tell kinda guy. He’s got a bit of a hard time necessarily talking about how he feels- usually deflects things with humor. But he shows it in other ways. In warm touches, in playful side-eyes. Unrestrained by being professional he will hug you all the fuckin time. No shortage of funny little pet names either oh my god it’s like he comes up with a new one every fuckin dAY. 

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Jack O’Neill is a really good best friend ok. You’ve seen how he is with the rest of SG1. The dude has so much chill (unless it’s a life-or-death situation obviously), is always inviting you to go fishing. He’s REALLY good in tough situations simply because of his sense of humor and general chill attitude. GREAT at reducing anxiety like guy is a human valium- always knows how to distract anyone before their brain goes into some sort of head-spiral about anything. Loyal as SHIT when you’re in with him he’s pretty much ride or die for you even if you don’t agree with him on everything he would still probably take a bullet for his best friends. Also the biggest hype man- whatever you’re good at he has 100% faith in you to do it right and will always shut down negative thoughts about your abilities. 10/10 on the bestie scale tbh the man is a LIFER.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He’s actually, perhaps surprisingly, a really snuggly guy when you’re in a relationship with him. He may be… a little touch-starved since the divorce, and kinda misses it, so expect an arm draped over your shoulder or around your waist whenever you’re in a room together, and to be damned near joined at the hip when you’re not in public. The man is an actual living cuddle bug and he’s so sweet jesus. 

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

At one point in time he’d have liked nothing more than to settle down, get a dog, just enjoy being retired, but honestly he doesn’t mind that that ideal is a little further away than he thought now that he’s in the Stargate Program. He likes what he does- as stressful as it is sometimes, but there’s never a dull moment. That’s for sure. He’s very good about cleaning and keeping things tidy generally (it’s that military training hard at work), but cooking??? Eh??? He’s passable, can make some basic stuff and ofc he loves to grill (expect very charred meat) but… just don’t ask him to cook anything too elaborate (like… this is a dude who thinks beer is a good omelette ingredient jfc do not let him near a stove for anything more elaborate than a fried egg he’s a fucking gremlin man). 

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Quickly. And probably succinctly. The only time he’d really get blunt about something is if he had to end it with his partner for some reason. Just to spare himself and his partner the pain. It’s not without emotion though. Oh no. He may move on from things with relative ease- more likely than not without malice for the other person, but he’d never leave anyone without saying a proper goodbye if he’s the one who has to end it. 

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Probably not too quick. He’s not even sure he really wants to get married again after how everything with Sarah went down. He’d have to be pretty crazy about someone to want to try all that again, but if that happens… then maybe he won’t be thinking about it like that. 

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

H-… have you seen this man??? How tender he is with his partners??? It’s unbelievable that a guy like him has the capacity to be as gentle as he is but it’s breathtaking, and it’s only a glimpse of what he’s capable of. He may be a military man- but doing what he does requires much more care and dexterity than people think, and his touch only serves to show as much. This is the guy who holds your face or tugs you closer when you kiss him. This is the same guy who can diffuse bombs and wield a firearm like an extension of himself and handles you with the same amount of reverence and care if not more. 

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Oh he loves hugs. Loves them. May not do hugs quite as often as he might like actually. Hugs his close friends plenty and especially when they need it, but hugs you even more. He’s a really good hugger too. They’re just encompassing and strong and warm and if you’re not careful you could get addicted. 

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

He waits on this one. For like… a long while. He probably knows it deep down long before he says it, probably won’t really admit it to himself for a long while even when he realizes that’s what he feels. But one day it probably just… slips out. Unprompted. And it’ll shock you both, but one thing’s for sure; he means it with his whole chest and nothing less. 

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Oh you have no jealousy troubles with this man. He’s an adult, and he recognizes that he’s not the center of everyone’s universe and that people can have just friendly relationships with other people of the gender they’re attracted to. He wouldn’t be in any kind of serious relationship with someone he didn’t trust them implicitly from the start. The man is truly a champ at being chill as hell. If he ever does feel it you’d probably never fuckin know it either. Guy can keep that shit close to his chest if he wants. 

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Warm, enveloping, grounding. The kind that make you feel like you’re sinking into something solid, that nothing could hurt you. If he’s kissing you he’s taking his time. Holding you close. Meaning it. 

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

ARE YOU KIDDING??? HE’S FANTASTIC AROUND KIDS!!!! EARTH KIDS?? ALIEN KIDS??? THEY ALL LOVE HIM!!! HE IS JUST DAD SHAPED!!!!!! TO EVERYONE!!!! He’s… not sure if he’d ever want to try to have another kid of his own, maybe, but he has SERIOUSLY considered adopting some alien kids in the past at MINIMUM and probably would if he wasn’t always going off-world.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

A lot of groaning, at least when he wakes up at first, probably some sleepy kisses while resisting the temptation to uh… get frisky before work. But he’ll get up, clean up, shave and do his silly little crossword (and he DELIBERATELY puts in wrong answers for funsies I know this in my heart). Most days he probably eats breakfast at the base, but on his days off he would probably take turns with you making breakfast- makes egg and bacon smiley faces when it’s his turn (and the occasional beer omelet if he’s feeling lazy). PROBABLY would pick up donuts for the weekend too. 

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Usually with a couple of beers, snuggling up under a nice flannel blanket and watching The Simpsons, or whatever else is on TV. Maybe some take-out from one of the usual places (I’m convinced he’s got like 5 or 6 places in town he’s a regular at that he goes to on rotation) . Probably gets a fire going if things are getting chilly up in Colorado. Just likes to settle in and maybe pass out on the couch a lil. 

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He’s a low and slow kind of guy. Both for his own emotional well-being and for his partner’s. He’s got some pretty nasty demons in his past, and they overwhelm even him sometimes.  He knows that it’s important to talk about it, and while if he really loves someone he won’t mind sharing these things with them… it just takes time for him to work up the courage to face them again himself and put it all into words. 

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

With a partner, he’s just about as far away from easily angered as a guy can get. He’s actually very chill with the people he loves. There’s sincerely so very little that you could do that could piss him off to the point of losing his temper- and even then he’d never shout at you or anything- that’s the kind of shit he has to do and see enough at work, and he pretty explicitly never wants to cross that line with someone he’s in a romantic relationship with. And even if he is angry for some reason he’s never really angry at his partner- at least in affairs of the heart he pretty much always remembers the love he has for you comes first and foremost. 

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Believe it or not he actually is *very* good at remembering things about people. He may be one whole dumbass, and can’t do math, but that’s because most of his brain capacity is taken up with things about the people he cares about. Probably knows you down to your favorite food- enough to know to bring it to you to cheer you up, or suggest watching your favorite movie when you get home after a long day. 

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

He probably remembers the moment you met the most clearly- the moment when you were suddenly in his life even though he didn’t know what you would end up meaning to him down the line. 

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Jack is honestly the kind of guy who would rather die himself than stand idly by and watch someone he cares about die. This man would take a staff blast and so much worse for you and that’s a guarantee. But when he’s down that means he’s a little more vulnerable. He really appreciates it when he knows someone is gunning to keep him alive too. To know that despite his bravado and despite his own hero complex someone’s just as concerned with his livelihood. 

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He’d put a little effort in. He’s more on the low-key side, not as big of a fan of grand gestures, and of course sometimes the job gets in the way of putting plans into motion (and he’d need a partner who’d understand that), but if that does happen he inevitably finds a way to make it up- sometimes even ahead of time if he has even a shred of warning about some kind of impending earthly peril. But when he plans something it’s usually very sweet, and far from an unfun cliché (but at least one time for valentine's day you *will* come home to rosepettals on the floor leading to the bedroom to find him in some silk boxers on the bed because of course he’s the gift). But usually things with him are… I don’t wanna say spontaneous because he does usually have at least a little bit of a game plan, but he’s all for improvisation and just loves getting swept up in doing whatever with you.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

I wanna take some time to call him out thoroughly on the fuckin beer omelets thing my guy do you???? Have taste buds???? Listen. With other shit in there I might understand. Beer and cheese is a good combo. But???? JUST BEER IN YOUR EGGS AVAJSFHR!!!!!! Of all the stuff you’ve done in this whole series this is probably your greatest war crime and I’m gonna fucking invoke the 3rd amendment for it. Oh also his fridge is nasty and full of “science experiments” (which like... same) but guy I get why you always be getting take out now jesus fucking christ.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Not overly. You’ve seen how this man dresses. He has his little inexplicably fashionable moments, but by *far* he’s more concerned with practicality at least where his attire and physical appearance are concerned. That being said, if you compliment him on like literally anything he will get a major confidence boost about it and will try to do it/wear it more. 

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

No… and yes. With all he’s seen and been through, he knows not everything is certain, not everything is meant to be and nothing is forever. But at the same time… he feels just a little better off with you around. He feels this kind of thing with everyone he’s really close with in their own unique way. He really doesn’t know where he’d be without the people he cares about who care about him back and can’t imagine a scenario in which he’d feel whole as a person without them coming into his life at the time they did. And you’re absolutely no different. 

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

So we know Jack has like the biggest fuckin sweet tooth. Pie, Cake, Donuts, ice cream, all of it. There’s always sweets in the house. And if you *make* some for him??? He will automatically love you forever. Also would probably be ok with you feeding him sweets. Warning tho: He’d probably do it back and get it all over your face and whoops now you’re making out covered in frosting and bits of cake and the only way to clean up is to lick it off each other’s faces oh no oh dear. 

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Petty, pushy people. Just doesn’t have the time. Jack can honestly vibe with just about everyone, even people who are wildly different than him, but the only thing that’s really an outright nope for him is people who are so wrapped up in petty problems they can’t see any kind of bigger picture. Or people who are just generally *too* pushy or overly dramatic about every little thing for little to no reason to the point of being just plain childish. He can handle just about everything else but that??? Nope.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

Kinda sprawls out a lil in his sleep. Typically a stomach sleeper but shifts to his back sometimes (especially to cuddle). He’s always at least touching you in his sleep because no matter how much or little he just likes knowing you’re there.

[elizabeethan]

Spaces Between Us- 1/12

The hardships of real life separated them six years ago, and Emma has been struggling to put that fact behind her ever since. But then, only after she’s convinced herself that she’s moved on and that her new life is enough, Killian Jones comes back.

A Captain Swan Modern AU

A/N: first, the chapter count is a big fat probably, definitely not definite! I’m  really really excited to share this story! i’ve got four chapter pre-written so far, so i’m planning on posting on a consistent weekly basis. 

More tags will apply to later chapters and i’ll put warnings where they're necessary, but if you have any concerns or questions feel free to message me!

Thank you, as usual, to my beta and friend @the-darkdragonfly, and to @donteattheappleshook and @xhookswenchx for listening to my ramblings and helping me figure out the plot to this <3

(also bonus points if you can guess what the title is based on :) it’s a hint)

This story will be rated M

This chapter: ~3200 words

Read on Ao3

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~~~~

She wakes before the sun as she does most mornings, with a start and a jump as she springs her head from her pillow and clutches her hand to her pounding chest. Glancing to her right, she sees her still sleeping husband and breathes a sigh of relief, letting her shoulders sag and her eyes flutter shut slightly. He’s fast asleep, just like he is each time she has one of her horrifying nightmares, never noticing her fearful thrashing. Rolling her eyes, she removes the blankets and lets her bare feet hit the hardwood floor and stands to make her way to the bathroom. After her shower, Emma dresses silently, applies minimal makeup, and sneaks out of their bedroom, still successful in not disturbing her husband. 

 Her son is already on the couch downstairs waiting for her, of course. If there’s one thing the two of them are equally bad at, it’s sleeping. She smiles when she sees him curled up with his picture book, his orange tabby, Abby, purring away beside him. “Morning, bub,” she greets once she’s downstairs, and he grins up at her happily. 

 “Hi, mommy.” 

 Crossing the room to the couch, she leans down and presses a kiss to his cheek and asks, “do you want some breakfast? We’ve got to get you ready for the library soon.” 

 “Is dad coming?”

She shakes her head. “No, bub. Dad has to work today, so it’s just you and mommy. I’m sorry.”

 “Okay!” he says happily, jumping from the couch and disturbing Abby. “Me and mommy day!”

 She giggles softly and grins, following as he bounds for the kitchen and trying to ignore the ache in her chest that accompanies his complete lack of concern over his father being absent for something he enjoys, again. 

“What do you want for breakfast, bub? Eggs?”

 “Eggies!” he calls, crawling up onto his dining chair. “Scrambied.” 

 “Scrambled,” she corrects gently. “With cheese?”

 “Yes! Cheese please!”

 “Very good manners, Henry,” she praises happily as she takes out a bowl, a whisk, and a pan before heading towards the fridge. “Aren’t you going to help me crack the eggs?” 

 His eyes widen and he drops his jaw dramatically, jumping off the chair with enthusiasm and running towards her. “I can crack the eggies?!”

 She smiles down at him, taken by his excitement and his refusal to say real words, and says, “yes, my love.” 

 Choking on her words, she wants to kick herself. Six year and she still finds herself using his stupid phrasing. It sends a jolt of discomfort and a twinge of longing pain through her entire being, the ability to remember small details at the most inopportune times having always haunted her. It tells her how she feels. It tells her she’ll never forget. It tells her how she’ll never feel again. 

 Her husband grumbles as he enters the kitchen, grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl and grabbing Emma’s ass in full view of her son, which makes her stiffen and glare ahead out the window, grinding her teeth. “Morning,” he says. 

 “Do you have to do that, Walsh?” she asks quietly through clenched teeth. 

 She doesn’t need to be facing him to know that he rolls his eyes. 

 Taking a deep, grounding breath in, she bends towards Henry and scoops him up easily, placing him on the counter and handing him an egg. “Remember how I showed you?” 

 “What are you doing, teaching him to cook?” Walsh asks in an incredulous tone. 

 “I don’t know, giving him life skills? Just tap gently against the counter, bub,” she instructs, and he does just that. Well, almost that. 

 He smashes the egg against the counter and she quickly helps him to drag it over the bowl, splitting it open messily and letting the yoke fall in. “I did it!”

 “No shells; excellent job!” 

 “Dad, look!” 

 Walsh makes no effort to turn from his damn phone, instead nodding once and grunting in false acknowledgment. 

 He cracks another egg, this time getting a bit of shell in the bowl but able to fish it out with help, and Emma begins beating them with just a bit too much force. “What exactly are we doing today?” she asks. 

 “Swearing in ceremony. The new sheriff starts.”

 She nods. The new sheriff was appointed by the state, so no one but Walsh knows who they are or what their deal is. Why they’re in Storybrooke to begin with. What kind of town they think they’re going to be protecting and serving. It shouldn’t be as exciting as it is, greeting a new citizen, but Storybrooke is a sleepy little town with very little excitement. 

 She has no idea how she got here. 

 “That’s why you can’t come to the library, dad?” Henry asks sadly, and his father nods without making eye contact. 

 “Yeah,” he confirms. “I have important work to do.”

 Emma rolls her eyes, then smiles softly at Henry and says, “it’s alright. It’s just Henry and mommy day, remember?”

 His face lights up again and he nods, grabbing for the cheese and stealing a slice for himself. She glares at him playfully and he giggles, squirming to the edge of the counter before she assists him down and he runs for the living room. “Food in the kitchen!” Emma calls after him. Walsh looks up from his phone for a moment, then straight back down. 

 Henry returns quickly, holding a small piece of cheese down towards the floor and taunting poor Abby with it as she chases after him. “She wants some!”

 “Henry, we don’t give Abby human food, remember? Why don’t you eat your cheese and give her some of her food?”

 He nods, gobbling his snack and then tossing a small piece onto the floor for the cat when he thinks she’s stopped paying attention. God dammit. 

 “Hey, dress nice today,” Walsh commands from behind his emails. “After the library, come to the town hall. There’ll be photo ops for the paper.”

 “Okay,” she mumbles. 

 “Make sure he doesn’t make a mess of himself.”

 She can’t respond with words without shouting, so she stays quiet. God forbid a child have a little fun and get a little dirty. “Henry, come get your breakfast. Did you feed Abby?”

 “Okay!”

 “Did you?”

 “Coming!”

 She signs and rolls her eyes, plating his eggies and tossing the pan into the sink too loudly before feeding the cat and heading upstairs, hoping her child’s father can watch him for the five minutes it will take for her to pick out a newspaper-worthy outfit for the two of them. 

 ~~~~

 “There it is!” Henry calls as he runs into the children’s section of the library, dodging other kids and parents and beelining towards his favorite. “Mommy! Come on!”

 She apologizes to the people he bumped into and finds him with his book already open to his favorite page. “Henry,” she says seriously. “Bub, you’ve got to slow down. You ran into some people and you have to be careful.”

 “Sorry,” he says, not looking up from the dog in the illustration. 

 She sighs and sits beside him, nudging him over and taking a spot on the oversized bean bag chair. “What is Mudge getting up to today?” she asks him, using the skills Belle taught her to get him to engage with the words and the pictures. 

 He’s quiet for a while, pointing out details to her and trying his hand at a few words. He’s starting to get good at reading since starting kindergarten, and she couldn’t be prouder when he sounds out family without much help, beaming at him and stroking her fingers through his chestnut hair. 

 “Mommy?” he asks after taking in an illustration of Henry and Mudge going up a hill. She hums in response to urge him to go on and he asks, “why doesn’t dad like to read with me?” 

 She can feel her heart plunging to her stomach, dropping like an anvil and sending a cold sweat across her body. Walsh has always been distant. When they first met, he seemed so sweet, and when he proposed as soon as they found out she was pregnant, she thought she had hit the jackpot. But as soon as their son was born, she saw a change in him. He became a different person, never around, never helping much, never showing either of them any affection. She blamed it on his new role as the Mayor of Storybrooke; he couldn’t have had a scandalous extramarital pregnancy on his docket and being a family man helped his chances for election. But knowing that doesn’t make it any easier to know that the man she’s stuck spending the rest of her life with isn’t shy about how little he regards her. 

 She can deal with a lack of love from her husband. What she can’t deal with is his lack of love for his son.

 Through her anger, she responds calmly, telling Henry, “dad’s just so busy, bub. He has an important job and it’s hard for him to focus on other things sometimes, because he’s so tired.” 

 Henry nods softly and turns the page. “So he doesn’t like me?” 

 The tears that spring to her eyes are instant and unstoppable, and she’s grateful that they're sitting side by side so that he can’t see her reaction. Clearing her throat, she says, “no, Henry, of course he does. I think sometimes he’s just… stressed.”

 “You’re stressed, but you love me,” he points out. 

 With a gulp, she says, “and I always will, more than anything. But your dad… he… Well, he just isn’t the type of person to say that like mommy is. That’s why I say it so much,” she smiles. 

 Her son looks up at her and smiles, his enigmatic gray eyes shining despite the sunlight not reaching this secluded back corner of the library. “I love you, mommy,” he tells her, and he gives her a hug that makes her feel more love than she’s ever felt with her husband. 

 She’s always been able to compartmentalize the fact that her husband doesn’t love her. That he never once told her that he does. That he married her out of obligation after knocking her up. But she can’t ignore the fact that he shows no love for their son, either. 

 What’s worse, is that he’s noticed. 

 ~~~~

 The town hall is nothing special, the cinderblock walls and the tile floors enough to keep the cold, fall air inside and make Emma shiver when she takes her coat off. Her husband, miserable as he is, gives her a quick smile and a curt nod that tells her she’s only welcome here because of the cameras and their need to portray a happy, loving family. It’s true, he’s always provided for them and made sure that they want for nothing, but it’s limited only to basic needs and material things. 

 “Hi,” he greets quickly, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek as a camera flashes. She forces herself to smile. “Hi, son.” 

 Henry grunts up at his father, not making eye contact and not letting go of Emma’s hand. “Hi,” he mumbles. 

 Emma knows, as much as she hates to admit it, that Henry should give his dad a hug so that Sydney Glass can snap a photo of the wholesome moment. But after their conversation earlier, she isn’t inclined to make him. So, she bends at the knees and gives him a smile, asking, “bub, do you want to give your dad a hug hello?” 

 He shrugs, looking down at his feet, and reluctantly reaches for Walsh. He laughs happily as he picks Henry up, giving him a squeeze and successfully tricking the few townsfolk here into believing his show. “How was the library, buddy?” 

 Henry says nothing in return, shrugging and then squirming until Walsh puts him down. He runs back to Emma and takes her hand again, holding on tight, and she paints on a smile and runs her fingers through his hair. “Let’s find a seat, Henry,” she suggests. 

 “There's seats here for you,” Walsh tells her, gesturing for the first row where there are three folding chairs, each with a placard on them. Mayor Walsh Oswald is first, with Mrs. Walsh Oswald to the right and Mr. Henry Oswald in the center of the two. 

 Emma takes a seat and has Henry do the same, and after a few more handshakes and photo ops, Walsh sits as well and the ceremony begins. Sydney Glass continues to snap pictures of the crows and of the stage, until the lights dim and the state’s police chief walks on stage. 

 A speech is made, as if this event is anything more than mundane, and then the mayor is called on stage to complete the induction of the town’s new sheriff. Walsh graces the stage excitedly, earning applause from the small crowd as he waves, and takes the microphone. He says a few words about the town’s safety being the number one priority, and assures everyone that the state police chief surely couldn't have made a better decision when he hired their new sheriff. 

 And then he calls him onto the stage. 

 And Emma’s world goes dark. 

 Killian Jones. 

 Her eyes must be three times their normal size as he walks onto the stage, and she’s grateful for the dramatic lights because they mean he likely can’t see her. But she can see him. 

 For the first time in six years, she can see him. 

 Her breathing quickens and her vision feels blurry, and she realizes that in her haste to get ready this morning, she had barely anything but coffee. She takes a deep breath and clings to the seat of her folding chair with white knuckles, gnawing on her bottom lip until it bleeds as she watches the one that got away place his hand on the bible and repeat a vow of servitude to her husband. She wants to die. 

 “Mommy?” Henry whispers in the darkness. “Are you okay?” 

 She swallows against her bone dry throat and nods, giving him a shaky smile, which only serves to worry him some more, likely due to her sudden paleness. “Yes,” she whispers. “Hush, bub. It’s almost done.” 

 The heart in her chest, the one she gave away to the man on the stage years ago, slams against her ribs almost painfully, until Walsh announces the new sheriff and the crowd begins to cheer. Through panting breaths, she claps, and then grabs Henry’s hand and pulls him as subtly as she can towards the exit and into the chilly November air. “Where are we going?” he asks in confusion. 

 “Mommy just needs some air,” she explains, gulping in a breath as she throws herself through the double doors. 

 She squats down and presses her back to the brick wall, burying her face in her hands and trying to steady her breathing before she feels Henry's small hand on her head. He does what she always does to him when he’s upset and begins scratching his fingers against her scalp, and the thoughtful notion brings tears to her eyes. “It’s okay, mommy,” he consoles, and she’s sure he has no idea what’s going on, although he shows her endless compassion either way. She wonders how she got so lucky with such a thoughtful son when he was basically doomed by genetics. 

 “I’m sorry, bub,” she says softly. “I’m fine, really.” 

 She hears the doors open to her right and assumes the ceremony must be over, so she turns her head away from the crowd. She hears someone ask Henry if he’s alright and starts wiping at her tears, intent on interrupting the exchange, but when Henry says, “my mommy is sick,” she laughs and shakes her head. 

 “Shall we get her some help, lad?” he asks, and Emma’s certain that if she had eaten breakfast, she would lose it. 

 “I don’t need help,” she mumbles, breathing heavily and hiding her face in her hands. 

 “It’s no problem,” he insists. Then he makes a joke, his tone light and flirty and exactly like she remembers it. “I don't know if you noticed, but I'm here to protect and serve.” 

 It’s impossible for her to hold in a soft chuckle, cut off by a surprising and breathless sob, and she can’t help but to look up at him. She watches as his jaw drops and his eyes widen; he falters backwards as he takes in the sight of her, denial and shock ever present on his face. He looks like he wants to say something, but words die on his lips and he remains still before he snaps his mouth shut. 

 “Aren’t you gonna help my mom?” Henry asks in disgust, staring up at Killian in a way that makes Emma want to throw up. She never did think that these two worlds would collide, as much as she may have wanted them to. 

 He hasn’t broken his gaze from her until he looks at her son and gulps before staring back down at her. “Uh, aye,” he says to Henry. “Do you need some help, miss?” 

 Without waiting for her answer, he offers her his hand and she takes it. There’s a shock that rushes through her entire body at the feeling of his skin touching hers, and it feels like she’s coming home and losing her sanity all at once. The pains in her chest are overwhelming and she can feel more tears stinging her eyes as he pulls her up from the ground. She nearly topples into his chest once she’s finally standing, because she’s so unsteady that her legs feel like they’re made of the noodles Henry likes in his soup, and he catches her before she can stumble. 

 He asks, “alright?” with such soft concern that she thinks she would smoothe out his brow and kiss him if not for Henry standing beside them. 

 She’s about to answer before she hears, “sheriff,” coming from her husband to her right. Her husband. Right. 

 They spring apart and she looks down at Henry, who is staring up at her with his brows drawn close together and his lips set in a straight, thin line. She gives him a small smile before looking at Walsh and blinking rapidly. “Hi, honey,” she greets. “I just met the sheriff; he was just helping me up. What a great addition to the town.” 

 Walsh glares at her with a look on his face that tells her she’ll be hearing about this later and then turns to Killian and offers his hand. “I look forward to meeting with you, Mr. Jones,” he says as they shake hands stiffly. 

 “Pleasure,” he responds. “It was nice to meet you and your family. I’ll see you next week.” 

 Her husband places a stiff hand on her back, calling for Henry to follow them without bothering to make sure that he actually is, before hissing, “let’s go,” into her ear. 

 Her heart races for an entirely different reason than it had when she saw Killian Jones. 

~~~~

~~~~

[kiirokero]

Nepenthe (KTH)

Nepenthe: A drug used to induce forgetfulness of pain or sorrow; something capable of causing oblivion of grief or suffering.

Part of the “Protect the Village!” Oneshot Series!

Masterlist

Pairing: Baker!Taehyung x Reader

Genre: Fluff, angst if you squint, romance...? Reader has troubles with their emotions and TaeTae tries to help them, ft. a blonde smug Jimin,

Note: Time to sleep. Catch up on writing :)

Summary: Mama always said that sweets give you cavities. But she didn’t warn you about the boy who makes them. Or, having an insatiable sweet tooth has left you spending much of your time in Taehyung’s bakery. But nobody prepared you for the feelings your cold heart caught.

Word Count: 2.4k

      Contrary to popular belief, you did have feelings. You felt happy, sad, angry. You were human. But people tended to forget that. Whether it was because you were academically intelligent or you were just an easy target, you were used to... Well, getting used. 

     You were often the cash cow. The dead horse everyone thought was entertaining to beat. The goose with the golden egg and no farmer would leave you alone before you popped out the next solid gold money maker. And when you gave in and gave them what they wanted, you were the one left behind, high and dry. 

     Years of being treated like this in college left you emotionally unavailable. You opted to protect yourself from the hurt you felt by not allowing yourself to feel at all. You had built up your walls so thick that you barely allowed yourself to even feel happy half of the time. Many people tried to break down the brick hell you’d banished yourself to, but gave up when the stone didn’t relent. But it's not like you care, right?

      You didn’t care that you had nobody to voice your worries to late at night when the self doubting thoughts plagued your mind. You didn’t care that people avoided you because of your frigid nature that left the happy little people in Bangtan Village uncomfortable. So what if you didn’t have anyone to catch you when you fell? You didn’t need anybody. 

You just needed your comfort foods. 

     Yes, maybe it was an unhealthy habit to drown your self hating thoughts in the taste of sugar and cinnamon. Maybe anyone looking into the state of your mental health would cringe at the way you personally dealt with it. Who cares? This was your life and you would live it however the hell you wanted to. You were tired of others dictating you. 

     So you often found yourself at “Kim’s Confections” sitting in the corner, looking out with window while you ate your danish and sipped your tea. Every single day, whether the sun was up or down, you sat in the same seat, at the same bakery. You changed up the pastry, of course, you could only eat danishes for 3 days straight at most. But the routine of visiting the small shop was one thing that never changed. 

     As leaves fells and winter came, you visited the bakery. As rain fell and flower bloomed, you visited the bakery. You like the atmosphere the bakery gave off. The aroma of sugar and bread that wafted through the air made your body feel like jello as you could easily fall asleep to the smell. The small wooden tables that were scattered around made the shop feel more personal. The food that never failed to melt in your mouth calmed any tension that seeped into your bones. 

But one thing about the bakery that didn’t calm you down was the owner himself. 

Kim Taehyung.

      Nothing was wrong with Taehyung, per se. He was an attractive guy who always had a friendly, boxy smile on his face. He had beautiful brunette hair and majestic auburn eyes. His skin was always shining, 24/7, always looking like he walked off the cover of a magazine. Even if you gave off a cold, icy aura that screamed “Don’t talk to me,” he never once failed to give you a smile and a warm welcome. 

     No, you were never purposely mean to Taehyung. You never snapped at him or showed any sort of distaste towards him, because you didn’t have any. He just confused you. Normal people would stop trying to be nice to you by now. Most people would take your less-than enthusiastic responses as rudeness or dislike. Not Taehyung though. 

      You often asked yourself what was up with him. I mean, who would look at you and think, “Yeah, I’ll give the snow queen a shot,” Nobody. Except Kim Taehyung, apparently. Without fail Taehyung tried to initiate conversations between the two of you that would last more than a few one words answers (Mostly from your side,) He would ask how your day was or what you did over the weekend. To which you would respond with “Good” or “Nothing,”

      It’s not that you didn’t want to talk to the guy. He just made you feel... Weird. His smile made your heart quicken. His laugh made your cheeks heat up. Whenever he had his eyes on you, your hands would turn clammy. It just made you feel... uncomfortable. You were used to feeling 2 things, “Bleh,” and “What am I doing with my life,” not some odd feeling of quickened hearts and clammy hands. 

      But alas, no matter how much you wished to banish the invasive feeling all together, your sweet tooth needed to be satiated. So here you were, standing in front of “Kim’s Confections,” Walking in and chiming the small little bell that hung above the door. The familiar sight of wooden chairs and the glass display case full of confections filled your eyes. But there at the counter was the man himself. 

      “Hello Y/n! Welcome back!” Taehyung said with a smile on his face, enthusiasm laced in his voice. “Hello,” You said, sounding dead compared to his lively way of speech. “What will it be today, sweetcheeks?” Taehyung smirked, resting his head on his hand as he leaned over the counter. “Don’t call me that,” You said, not liking the heat that made its way onto your face the moment he called you “Sweetcheeks,” 

      Taehyung chuckled, saying nothing, just gesturing to the glass case of goodies. Taking a look, you noticed your favorite was in stock today. Red velvet cupcakes. “That one, please,” You said, pointing at the mouth-watering pastry. “Coming right up, sweecheeks,” Taehyung smiled. You decided to ignore the endearing nickname, instead trying your best to cool down the heat on the tips of your ears and apples of your cheeks. 

      Taehyung grabbed the cupcake and put it on a plate for you, sliding it towards you as you handed him the money you’d already fished out of your wallet. “Thanks,” You mumbled, grabbing the plate off of the counter. “Anything for you,” Taehyung smirked. You didn’t say anything else to him as you went to your corner to eat your cupcake. 

Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another.

      You’ve read The Iliad a thousand times before. You know how the adventure ends and what the climax of the story will be. You knew what happened to the characters, and you were well versed in the outdated way of speech. But that didn’t mean you appreciated the interruption of a certain blonde haired male. “What Jimin?” You groaned, putting down your well-worn book, glaring at the man in front of you. “Ah you wound me, Y/n. I just wanted to see you is all,” Jimin shrugged. 

      “See me? Dumb move,” You countered back, face unchanging. Jimin just chuckled, shaking his head with a smile. “You know, I was talking to Taehyung and he said you barely speak a word to him. That’s surprising since your with him every day,” Jimin smirked, swiping off some stray frosting that laid on your plate and putting it in his mouth. “I have nothing to say,” You said, turning to look outside the window. 

      Jimin scoffed, “I find that hard to believe. Tae can make anyone talk, do you not like him?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. “I didn’t say that,” Was your immediate answer, debunking Jimin’s dumb theory. “Well, you kinda did,” Jimin teased. “He makes me feel weird,” You admitted, unable to face the man in front of you. 

“He makes you feel weird?” Jimin asked, confused. 

“He makes my palms clammy and face hot. He’a like a witch or something,” You sighed. 

      You didn’t know Jimin, no. Jimin was one of Taehyung’s friends who tried even harder than him to get on your “Good side,” When in reality, there was no good side. You were just in a perpetual state of saying “Cool,” and throwing up peace signs at everything life threw at you. So no, you weren’t Jimin’s friend. 

So the unimpressed, disdained face you gave him when he burst out laughing at your words wasn’t entirely unwarranted. 

      “Oh my goodness, you’re funny,” Jimin chuckled out. “What did I say?” You asked. “You have a crush on Tae!” Jimin whisper shouted. Your eyes widened, and you flicked his forehead. “What are we? Twelve? A crush? That’s preschool shit,” You seethed, not allowing yourself to believe what Jimin was saying. “Woah, calm down Y/n. Crushes are normal,” Jimin explained, right before Taehyung came up to grab your empty plate for you. 

      “Did you enjoy the cupcake?” Taehyung said in his deep baritone voice that made goosebumps rise on your skin. You nodded your head yes, avoiding looking right into his eyes. “I’m glad,” Taehyung whispered to you, giving you a smile as he walked back to the kitchen with your plate. You watched him go the whole way. 

      “Scratch that, your head over heels,” Jimin spoke up, and you whipped your head around to glare at him. “Shut it,” You spoke through gritted teeth, gathering your book and purse, standing up to leave. “I don’t have a crush. That’s childish,” You countered, but Jimin just gave you a knowing look, a smirk plastered on his face. 

     You never missed a day to visit the bakery. But maybe you should’ve today. It was pouring outside. Thunder rumbled through the air and lighting flashed through the sky. You were without an umbrella or anything to protect you from the rainy onslaught that was happening outside the shop. 

      Sighing, you flipped through the pages of The Iliad. You had just finished the story another time, and the epic was still too fresh in your mind to begin reading again. So you sat in your corner, listening to the pounding of rain that rammed against the shop windows. 

“It’s pouring out there, huh?” 

      Taehyung’s soft, deep voice cut through the rain ambiance that filled the tiny shop. You nodded, tearing your eyes away from him and suppressing the thoughts of his muscular figure from your mind. “Do you have someone coming to pick you up? I don’t want you walking out in that,” He asked, coming to sit in the seat in front of you. 

      “I don’t,” You answered, avoiding his gaze. “Really? No boyfriend coming to sweep you off of your feet?” He chuckled. You shrugged, picking at the edges of your book. “I’m not girlfriend material,” You sighed, finally looking up to meet his gaze. “Not girlfriend material?” Taehyung asked, furrowing his eyebrows. “I just have too much baggage, I guess,” You shrugged. 

     Taehyung chuckled, “Everyone has baggage, Y/n,” Was his answer, looking right into your eyes with his deep auburn ones. “I guess,” You mumbled. The two of you sat in silence for a couple of minutes, just listening to the sound of the rain outside as the two of you just enjoyed each other’s presence without the other knowing it. 

      “I think you’re girlfriend material,” Taehyung spoke up suddenly, startling you out of the thoughts that swirled around your mind. “Ha ha,” You sarcastically laughed, but Taehyung doubled down. “I’m serious, Y/n,” He said, leaning forward on the table. “No I’m not,” You argued, shaking your head at what you believed was a ridiculous claim. 

     “Why do you think that?” Taehyung asked, but you didn’t respond, feeling the walls you meticulously built start to crumble. That scared you. You’ve always been focused on others trying to force your walls down, but you never thought about what it would be like for someone to urge you to bring them down yourself. To want to willing talk about the thoughts that plagued your mind. To let someone cozy up with you inside your walls. It was scary how you wanted to talk to Taehyung. 

      You didn’t know what it was about Taehyung that made you want to let him in and turn your hell into a sanctuary. Maybe it was because he was always so nice. Or maybe it was because he made the best comfort food you’d every have. Whatever it was about him, he was starting to get through to you, and it scared you more than you’d like to admit. So you shut down. 

      Taehyung kept asking you why you thought that or what made you think that you were any less than amazing, but you just kept shaking your not wanting to open your mouth in fear that you’d spill out all of your emotions like a hangover full of regrets and puke. 

     You heard Taehyung sigh as he got up from the chair. You felt your heart squeeze at the thought of him finally giving up on you. You knew it was a bit selfish to expect him to stick around after you gave him no reason to, but it still hurt. You were so out of tune with your emotions that you had a hard time identifying what was what. 

Was this disappointment? It’s been a long time old friend. 

Was Jimin right? Am I in love? Is this what love feels like?

      A hand placed a plate with a cinnamon roll on it in front of you. The aroma of cinnamon filled your nose, and you cracked a small smile at it. Taehyung sat back down in the seat in front of you, giving you a warm smile. “You don’t have to push yourself to answer,” Taehyung spoke up, “I don’t know exactly how you feel, but my friend, Yoongi, is like you.” He smiled as you took a bite of the cinnamon roll. “He says that talking to others about feelings is a monumental task, so don’t feel obligated to answer my question. You have your walls for a reason, Y/n. It’s up to you if you want to let me in. But I will say, I’m waiting at the door with cookies.”

      At his words, you gave him a sincere smile. The first sincere smile he’d ever seen from you and you could tell by his huge, boxy one that it made him happy. “Thank you, Taehyung,” You said. “Anything for you, sweetcheeks,” Okay, so maybe your heart was a bit cold. Maybe the thick walls you built around yourself prevented you from properly processing your feelings. Maybe Jimin was right and the clammy hands and giddy feeling you got from being around Taehyung was love. 

But right now, the two of you didn’t care. 

Because you were in the middle of your first genuine conversation. 

[opalsdarkreadings]

✰𝙅𝙪𝙟𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙪 𝙆𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙣: 𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧✰

Pairings: Gojo, Yuji, Fushiguro, Nobara, x gender neutral reader

Warnings: light cursing

Notes: writers block is a bitch! Took like three weeks to write this ;-; I still hope you guys enjoy this little fluff. As you can probably tell I suck at it and I’m trying to get better 😭

『𝕊𝕒𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕦 𝔾𝕠𝕛𝕠』

This was going to be one of the Christmas you never forget, he promised himself that. Each year you found some way to knock him off his feet, every gift being etched into his memory never to be forgotten.

He wanted the same for you. This need of acceptance and praise from you was bigger then any sweet tooth craving he’s ever had. He wanted this year to be the year that truly left you speechless. After all you were his lover and deserved nothing less.

But whatever he came up with just didn’t sit right. Trips and expensive gifts, just material things like cars or shoes couldn’t possibly bring the punch he was looking for. You needed something that’ll forever be engraved into your mind, something that the mere thought of would bring tears to you.

He didn’t care for his gifts but when it concerned you, only the best was presented and he’ll be damn if he lets it slip this year. But he was pulling at straws at this point, some things were just cliche and cheesy. Dresses, designer clothes, bags etc they all seemed to pale in comparison.

Well till he landed on this rare find.

Satoru was quit persistent in getting you into sharing one of his treats. The Christmas theme cake hadn’t even been cut yet, as he tried to get you into the kitchen. “Come on~ it’s really good I get it every year! So you have to try it.” He said smiling as he stood towering over you. A skeptical glance was thrown back to him as your place a hand over your hip, “And when did you ever share any of your rare sweet treats with me agian?” Not only was this unusual, it’s damn near unheard of. Your lover had a ginormoussweet tooth that’ll leave even large cake corporations at bankruptcy’s trying to cater to Satoru. His sweet tooth always aching for more, turning him into a beast of gluttony when concerning these treats. However he persisted, talking so highly about the cake you were beginning to become intrigued yourself about the delicious gem hidden in the white box on the table. “Alright fine..” you sighed in defeat and allow for your eager boyfriend to drag you out the living room and into your shared kitchen. Something was definitely off, he was eager, excited,...maybe even nervous? His usual demeanor of going with flow and laid back attitude had disappear. He seemed almost like a child getting ready to tell their parents of there recent troubles they’ve gotten into. However, he left no time for you to ponder on his odd behavior, and instead gently pushed the box to you and grins. The box beng small so you was puzzled as to why he was sharing it in the first place. Questioningly you glance to him, before untieing the little red bow on top, and pushing opening the box. A moment of pause, before a soft gasp left you. A bright sapphire as bright as Satoru own eyes stared back at you. The gem being as clear and bright as any beachs ocean gleamering as the kitchen lights shines above. The sliver ring holding the jewel was embedded with little small diamond along the curve of the metal. Giving it a simple yet still elegant finish. You gap to him like fish, gasping for word to form. “S-satoru?!”

You were left speechless and he knew he had outdone himself. Your eyes, so wide that they looked ready to fall out of your sockets as you gasp for sentence or word to fall from your lips.

This cocky little shit was eating up your reaction with the utmost confident air around him. Though it did dispel his nervousness he’s had since he spotted the ring. 

I know right? The strongest being scared? Unheard of, but god was it killing him. He had nothing, robbed of his childhood by the same people that criticize him to this day. His existence used for that to be a tool, looked too at the strongest but was he? Maybe that’s why he felt a need to hid behind his smile, a need to cover up the fucked up shit swelling Internally

He wanted to hide it, but you just couldn’t take no for an answer

You saw past the disguise of his, his cocky and laid back attitude only cushion the many times he’s nearly broken down on a day to day bases. His sweets and little trips only serving as an escape from the cruel world he was born into, from the hurt and betrayal he’s faced.

He loved you so much, and just wanted to make it official. He wants to make it known that you are his, that you are something that he cares deeply about. That the holidays were just days to him until you came around. You turned these days into something special and without you, he wouldn’t find pleasure in this.

“Satoru...are you-.”

“Well? I’m waiting cutie~.” He said back smirking as he rests his chin over your shoulder.

You smile, humming as you examine the ring. “well I’m still quite puzzled mind explaining what you’re trying to say?” You tease and he roll his eyes playfully

“Well sense my little cutie isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed~ I’m asking for you to marry me, now say yes and become mine.” Satoru explained and slide the ring over your ring finger. Glowing at how well it contrasted against you’re skin tone.

He pressed a kiss over the knuckle of the ring finger. “Well if I’m not the sharpest I best be the most well built.” You raise a brow and Satoru grins

“Maybe~.”

“Don’t make me put you outside.”

『𝕐𝕦𝕛𝕚 𝕀𝕥𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕣𝕚』

You peeked over you boyfriends shoulder. His lips presssed together in a fine line as mumbles over the cook book. Little cookie cutters of gingerbread men and snowmen sitting idly by beside him. He was so deeply concentrated in his own work, he hadn’t notice you reaching out and scooping some of the mix onto your finger. “Yuji~.” You called out to him sweelty , your cookie batter, covered finger hidden behind you as you waited for his response . “Oh yeah? What’s-eh!” He turned to face you, smiling till your spread the batter over his nose and cackle in laughter. You jump back, snickering as you pink hair lover went crossed eyed to see the gunck over his nose. Grining you threw up a hand to him and shrugs, “Oops.” He pouts to you and wipes the batter from his nose, “Ah! Babe that not funny, you totally took me by surprise.” He said grabbing the bowel of soft cookie batter , a devilish grin spreading over his lips as he scoops a handful.“That’s the-.” You squeaked as batter came flying at you at rocket launch speed and splat against your shirt. You go wide eyed , and this time, it’s your boyfriend laughing his ass off at your surprises and hurt expressions. “Oh?! This means war pretty boy!” You sneered back to him, both of you eyeing the flower idly laying over the counter. A moment of silence took you both, before chaos was let loose.

Flour, eggs, and whatever condiments you could fine along with cookie batter flew across the kitchen of the apartment. Your laughter and shouts of glee carrying out in the room as you both bounce around like children in the snow

This cookie war ending with both of you near the kitchen doors. Soon enough, having you collapse over the floor in fits of giggles as flour and batter cling to your hair and clothes. Though it did nothing to dampen your sprits, as you both just smile like idiots in each other presence and huff out of breath.

As silly as it may sound, you both just found relief in being in each other presence. Moments like this being few in numbers already with both of your busy lifestyle. As these were the only times that you two weren’t fighting just to live, but to enjoy the life you fought so hard to keep. To be young adults and and enjoy the mundane things that many others would see no joy in. A time where you both could forget the responsibility laid out on you and shrink back to your child like selves again.

For Yuji, you were, In his eyes the greatest gift anyone to give him. He never had lot of people to count on, but for you...you meant the world to him and he wouldn’t know how he survived this long without you.

“Hey...look what we’re under.” Yuji whispered to you, grinning like a lovesick fools as your eyes trail over to the mistletoe hanging lazily from the door frame of the kitchen. A small chuckle left your lips and your glance back to to your eager boyfriend, who was practically ready to pounce on you.

“Oh? Now you want a kiss after ruining my favorite shirt. Clearly I must have become quit the softy.” You teased, but leaned in nonetheless to seal the space between your. Your lips pressed together gently before locking into a sweet kiss. One hand cupping along his cheek while he opt to pull you close to his chest.

Only breaking your contact to pressed another to your temple, “mhm Merry Christmas baby.” He smiles to you

“Yeah, yeah, you owe me a new shirt.”

『𝔽𝕦𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕘𝕦𝕣𝕠 𝕄𝕖𝕘𝕦𝕞𝕚』

Megumi didn’t quit understand your obsession with Christmas. Yes it was quit a fun time of the year with giving and just great things that happen around this time but...it was like any other holiday.

People go out, celebrate, eat, give out some sort of gift with set theme of celebration and party till theirs drunk off their ass. It’s nothing new.

He just wished sometimes you weren’t his weak spot.

“Come on Megumi, I’m sure you’ll look great.” You encouraged as you stood outside your bedroom waiting for your lover. A grunt of distaste was heard from him and you roll your eyes back. “I look like an idiot.” He grumbles from behind the door. Refusing to come out as you huff. “The parties in like 30 minutes, plus we have to catch the train to get there so hurry up.” You told him. It’s silent on the other end before a brief click was heard the door slowly opens. You beam seeing Megumi as he steps out, a loud red sweater with actual ornaments hang off them jingle as he walks by. You stifle your laughter and grin to him, “See was that so hard?” You asked him, snickering under your breath. he grimaced each time he walks and sighs heavily, “you owe me big time for this..” he mumbles, face fix into a that of disgust as once over both of your outfits, “Why did you choose these of all the outfits we could have worn?” He asked you, “Well Nobara and Yuji are all wearing ugly sweaters so we decided to do it as a group things I just found the ugliest ones possible.” You grin to him , taking his hand and dragging your poor green eyed lover. “Y/n I love you, but you seriously trying to kill me from embarrassment.” He groans, earning a laugh from you as you glance back to him. A soft grin already spreading over his lips, though he tried to hid it by turining his face.

He didn’t care for the holidays, but here he was being dragged off to a party celebrating it just to see you smile more and beam in happiness to him. Holidays were once times he spent alone, locked away from the cheerful couples that mocked his loneliness everytime he went out around this year. A time he used to reflect over all the fucked up shit he endure over the year.

When you came into his life, that feeling is bitterness began to melt. He no longer looked to the holiday as bitter reflections on the year but a time that he was able to spend with the person he cared the most with.

Yes he still got caught up in his thought and things he could’ve done and what he should’ve done, but now he had your gently touch to lure him back to the present. To keep his focus on the time that’s in front of him, you were the rock he always needed and no gift could ever replace that.

“Megumi thank you, for coming with me. I know this is out your comfort zone and all but I’m really proud of you.” You told him grinning back to him as you pecks his cheek and grabbed hold of his hand. His large palm taking yours and squeezing it back as he nods, “it’s nothing.” He says back shaking his head. His soft green orbs finding their way back to your face as he sighs. “I’m only going so you want kill me later on so I better be getting something out of this.” He smirked

“I can always grab that collar? Oh you know what I think it’ll go great with the sweater!” You said excitedly

“N-never mind...wait y/n please I was just playing!”

『ℕ𝕠𝕓𝕒𝕣𝕒 𝕂𝕦𝕘𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕜𝕚』

You love the holidays just like the next the person..but Nobara, took holiday shopping to an entire new level

You go into the mall at sunrise and won’t return until the streets light have gone out. Gifts were stack on top of gifts, with even more being carried by you and her(mostly you). Even though majority of them were clothes for herself and you, you still however came out with weeping wallet and empty bank account.

Which leads you into this predicament every year.

Mountain of gifts, wrapping paper, bows, and tape laid sprawled out over the floor. Your feet being buried under shiny red, green, and blue wrapping paper as you sigh heavily from exhaustion. Your been wrapping all night, and have only got to about half of the gift and stuffed under you’re already bloated tree. Your girlfriend, hunched over your couch as she searched for the tape she recently just drop as she mumbles to herself. “I told you you bought to much...again.” You sigh pulling some masking tape off you’re coffee table and handing it to her. she huffed and grabbing the tape and landing back on the floor as she goes back to wrapping. Her hair was slightly clipped back with reindeer clippings, allowing to see her cute little pout as she puffed out her cheek In deep concentration. Smiling you walk over to her and settle down beside her. Head leaning on her shoulder as she finished off the last of her load. “what?” She asked, glancing back to you. “Nothing...you just...look so cute all concentrated like that.” You teased reaching over and pinching at her cheek. “I’m always cute darling~.” She sneered back and swat your hand away playful as she grins slightly. You giggle and wrap you arms around her and rest your chin over her shoulder. She hands the box over to you and you turn and place it under the tree. “Hot coco break?” You suggest, “God yes.” Nobara answer back and you both retreat into the kitchen.

The Christmas spirit never really possessing her like others, she selfishly though of herself and only looked forward to the receiving of holiday. Though you came and shattered that little mindset of hers.

It’s been like that since you came into her life. Pushing her pass her limits and getting her to open up more and more. Her normal confident and brash attitude she gives others, melt away when you gaze to her. Her heart goes ramming into her chest and tightening her throat

You had no idea how much of affect you had on her, the holidays a time she looked forward too. Knowing you’ll be by her side singing those annoying Christmas carols or bouncing around like child to bake some Christmas treats

Her gifts now, being about 1/4 for you and the rest for her but I guess some things can’t entirely change others.

“Babe? Who are all those gifts for anyway?” You question

“Me, and about two or three for you.” Nobara answered while sipping over her hot coco. You sigh in defeat

“Y-you never change..”

[crazy-loca-blog]

heyyyy! I wanted to ask you some newlywed questions for Casey and Ethan! The trick is to answer these as them!

For Both:

Who gets sick more often? Do they follow doctor orders when they're sick?

Their signature dish or drink?

What's your spouse's catchphrase?

Who's neater?

Who's the better kisser?

For Casey

Fill in the blank, My husband is the world’s worst ___________.

Which of his relatives would you say liked you the most? Why?

Ethan agrees to have takeout for dinner from "his favorite place". Where is that and what do you get him?

Describe your first birthday with him. What did he get you? How did you celebrate?

How does he like his eggs cooked?

For Ethan

What is your favorite thing to do for her on the toughest days?

What do you remember the most about the first time you met her?

What does she spend the most money on? What are your thoughts about that?

Describe her using emojis only.

What were the best ten minutes next to her?

OMG Bree!!! This was such a challenge because before the series finale, I think I was one of the very few people who never ever pictured Ethan and Casey as a married couple!! But this is incredibly fun, so let's see how it goes (by the way, I had to cheat on the emojis question, but only because I remembered emojis are different depending on your phone and I don't know if they'll be fully visible, so I had to add a description! 😂):

Masterlist

For Both:

Who gets sick more often? Do they follow doctor orders when they're sick?

Casey: Me. I get sick at least twice a year. But I'm much better at following doctor orders than Ethan because I hate being sick, it makes me feel useless, so I want to recover fast.

Ethan: Casey. And no matter what she says, she's a terrible patient. She is stubborn and wants to go back to work even though she's not feeling OK.

Casey: At least I try to keep positive when I'm sick. When Ethan gets sick... OMG, he is a walking nightmare! You're so lucky that I promised to love you for better or worse.

Ethan: I won't deny it... I only get sick once in a while, but being sick puts me in a bad mood, she must love me a lot to stay around me when I'm not feeling OK.

Their signature dish or drink?

Casey: My cookies recipe, Ethan can't resist it. I learned it from Sienna, but I added my personal touch to it and now they're a must in our kitchen.

Ethan: I like to cook fish and meat, and I can proudly say I've managed the technique for them fo be perfectly cooked.

Casey: Ethan could always try Masterchef if this medicine thing doesn't work... cooking is one of his many hidden talents.

What's your spouse's catchphrase?

Casey: "Interns..." and then he pinches the bridge of his nose.

Ethan: "OMG!" with a very surprised expression on her face.

Casey, surprised: OMG, I don't do that!

Ethan: *laughs* You just did it!

Who's neater?

Casey: At home? Ethan. At work, definitely me.

Ethan: Agreed. We both have our moments. Casey is the most methodical doctor I've ever known and she makes my job as Chief of Medicine much easier, but at home she is... chaos. And I'm the complete opposite.

Who's the better kisser?

Casey: Ethan, he is an amazing kisser! I'm so lucky to say that he's all mine! *laughs*

Ethan: Casey, you can feel the love in each one of her kisses.

Casey: Keep going, Ramsey... I may actually love you a little more after this interview...

~~*~~*~~*~~

For Casey:

Fill in the blank, My husband is the world’s worst ___________.

Casey: Liar. He may fool other people, but not me. He has a terrible poker face, so when the expression on his face doesn't match his words, you know he is lying.

Which of his relatives would you say liked you the most? Why?

Casey: Alan. He says I'm the only person his kid actually listens to, so... 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ethan agrees to have takeout for dinner from "his favorite place". Where is that and what do you get him?

Casey: Pasta from a restaurant that's a few blocks from our home. They have different pasta recipes from all over the world and we've tried almost every single dish on that menu and we both love them all, but his favorite is actually an Argentinian stuffed pasta called sorrentinos. They're like raviolis, but extra large... he likes the ones filled with spinach, ricotta and nuts. And they usually don't have takeout, but we go there so often that they are willing to make some exception when it comes to us.

Describe your first birthday with him. What did he get you? How did you celebrate?

Casey: It was the sweetest birthday ever, so take a seat because this is a long story that deserves to be told. At that time, we were seeing each other in secret and kind of trying to figure things out, but we weren't even official. And we had been dealing with a really tough case in the team for weeks. We couldn't diagnose this kid and I tend to break everytime I must see kids battling for their lives, so we were working late almost everyday, I was exhausted, my energy was drained and I didn't feel like celebrating at all. So I had told my roomies that I just wasn't in a mood. I was also trying to hide it from the team because you know, it's the job, but Ethan suspected that the case was getting to me. And he confirmed it when Sienna told him how much this case was affecting me at home. So he decided to do something about it without going over the top and by keeping things simple. So that day, I woke up because someone was knocking at our apartment's door... and he had sent me the most beautiful bouquet I had ever seen... but as we were secretly "a thing", I had to tell the roomies that it was a gift from my brother, because I didn't want them to think I had a secret admirer or something like that! 😂. And after work he just asked me what I wanted to do because he didn't want to push me to celebrate if I wasn't in a mood... and I just said I wanted to go home. But for some reason, and now that I think about it, I never asked him why, he didn't take me to my place. Instead, he took me to his place, he cooked an amazing dinner, we took a nice and warm bath, and then we cuddled and watched silly movies until like 2am "because even though he hates silly movies, he had realized how sad I was and he wanted to make me laugh". I felt so pampered, so protected, so taken care of... I was happy. And that day I knew it: Ethan was home.

Ethan: For the record, I only took you to my place because I knew that if I took you to yours, you'd be taking the work home with you again and you'd be feeling miserable because solving the case was taking us longer than expected.

Casey: *smiles* Sure, babe, you keep telling yourself that.

Ethan: *rolling his eyes* It's the truth...

Casey: Just remember what I answered about you in the first question...

How does he like his eggs cooked?

Casey: Poached. And he won't tell you this, but he actually enjoys fried eggs more than he likes to admit, so I'd say those are a close second and they'll probably take the first place soon.

Ethan: What can I say? a not so long time ago, a very stubborn intern told me "it's OK to treat yourself sometimes", and it stuck with me.

~~*~~*~~*~~

For Ethan:

What is your favorite thing to do for her on the toughest days?

Ethan: Casey is a person who enjoys the simple things in life. And even though I would bring down the moon, the stars, the sun and every single planet to make her feel better and to show her how much I care, I've learned to know that when she's not feeling OK, she needs something as simple as a hug and a shoulder to cry on. No questions, no judging, just support.

What do you remember the most about the first time you met her?

Ethan: It took me 30 seconds to realize that she was not the average intern. Any other intern, including me, would have failed at dealing with the pressure of an emergency thoracotomy in those circumstances, but she was brilliant.

What does she spend the most money on? What are your thoughts about that?

Ethan: Sneakers. Why does she need so many? She only wears a pair at work, a pair to workout and a pair on weekends. She even owns a basketball pair even though she hasn't played basketball in over a decade! She has enough sneakers to wear a different pair every day for at least two months.

Casey: Guilty as charged, I won't fight you this one...

Describe her using emojis only.

☺️/😂 -> Not only she is funny, she always has a smile on her face. If she's not smiling, then you know something is wrong. 🤓 -> She is a nerd and she is proud of it. 🔥-> Passionate. 🥊-> Fighter. 👩‍❤️‍👨 -> The love of my life. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 -> We haven't talked about it yet, so I don't think she knows it, but I can see this one in our future.

Casey: *surprised* Wait what? Our future? Now you have to show me which ones you chose!

Ethan: Patience is a virtue, Dr. Valentine.

What were the best ten minutes next to her?

Ethan: Every minute that I spend next to her is perfect, how could I choose only ten?

Casey: Aaaand that's how my husband manages to leave me speechless... I love you, Ramsey...

[lunarliza]

Dirty Little Secret | Chapter 3: Bandanas

fuckbuddy!JJ x Kook!Reader

series masterlist | prev. chapter | chapter one

You and JJ are fuck buddies- strictly physical. But what happens when you find yourself falling more and more for everyone’s favorite golden boy even though all he can see you as is a spoiled rich girl?

Your eyes peeled open. You groaned at the lack of sleep as you shifted to your bedside table to check your phone. Almost immediately after your rendezvous the night before, JJ dashed out the window, leaving you to drift to sleep. 

Sometimes, you’d get this weird feeling after he would leave so quickly- like you were being used. Well, you were, but you hated feeling like it. It was like a comedown after the euphoria of sex and it didn’t always feel the best, but you dealt with it. It had be going on for almost three months; you were way too in over your head at this point. 

You sighed, staring at the wall across your bed, thinking back to the remnants of that first night. How nasty and humid the air felt as you both rejoined the party after like nothing happened: 

“You can’t tell anyone about what just happened,” JJ stated as he fixed his shorts. 

His words did pierce you slightly, but you put on a front nevertheless. “Please, I’d rather be caught dead than with you.” 

He chuckled to himself as you both trudged down the beach. “That’s not what I heard back there princess.” 

It didn’t take long for your parents to blow up your phone that night, seeing it was 3 a.m. and their daughter was nowhere to be found. You came home with the smell of alcohol emitting through your clothes.You only hoped you had wiped off enough smeared mascara on the car ride home to deter them. Your mother read you the riot act as Ted stood in the corner of the kitchen. She screamed and hollered before her palm finally came in contact with your cheek. 

The following Monday, you ditched last period and drove over to The Cut, hoping to come across JJ. Driving along a narrow street, you see the shirtless golden boy mowing the lawn in a small yard. Pulling up, you rolled the windows down while a devilish grin snaked its way to his lips once he caught sight of you.

“Couldn’t stay away from me huh?”

You glared at him. “Just shut up and get in.” 

Shutting off the lawn mower, he hopped in your car, smelling of sweat and freshly cut grass . 

“Look,” you began, fiddling with the ends of your blouse, “I’m not looking for anything serious.” 

JJ’s finger tilted your chin up to meet his eyes. It was different seeing them in broad daylight. He didn’t seem like some sleazy Pogue you met at a party. He actually reminded you of a puppy... an annoying one with anger issues. 

“I understand if-” 

“No, I get you,” he answered, biting his lower lip. “After the way we fucked that night, I’m down to... go at it again.” 

“Okay but we need rules,” you insisted to which he rolled his eyes. “What’s with chicks and rules?” 

“This island is small and talk gets around. No one can know about us.” 

“Well duh.” He gave you an annoyed look. “You may think you’re all that and a bag of chips but my friends would totally clown me if they found out I was with a Kook, much less you.” 

“Oh please! What do you even know about me?” you retorted, not having his attitude outburst. 

“Y/n, you’re like bitchiest of them all,” he replied snarkily and your eyes met the ceiling of your car. “Not even the Kooks like you.” 

“Shut up, asshole.” You tried to hide the hurt from the fact that even he knew about your reputation. “Anyways, rule number two: we have to meet on Figure Eight.” 

“Hell no, why do I have to haul my ass to you?” 

You sighed heavily, gripping the bottom of the steering wheel. “My stepdad will literally kill me if he finds me here. Look, I know all the hiding places there and I’ll even get you a keycard to get in through the gate.” 

JJ smiled to himself. “Kill you huh? And yet, here you are, coming here, practically begging for me to fuck you. What will daddy think about that?” 

You contemplated punching him in that moment. “Don’t flatter yourself. You followed me that night remember?” 

JJ shrugged, leaning back in the seat. “I thought you were a touron. It was dark- sue me. Anyways, fine! We meet at the Eight. Anything else?” 

“This goes without saying, but absolutely no feelings,” you stated sternly as JJ snorted. 

“Oh princess, you do not have to worry about that whatsoever.” 

“Fine then, it’s a deal.” 

You both shook on it. JJ held onto your hand a moment longer to tug you onto the passenger seat, colliding his lips with yours. It didn’t take you both very long to undress and climb into the back seat afterwards.

A loud knock on your bedroom door startled you. “Y/n! Breakfast in ten minutes!” 

Peeling off your duvet, you leaped out of bed and started doing some small stretches until you noticed a jumbled up grey bandana on your window seat. 

“Fucking kid,” you muttered to yourself before reaching for it and throwing it in a bin on your shelf. 

JJ was klepto alright. He also had a terrible habit of leaving shit everywhere he went. If he tried to rob a bank, he’d be caught in seconds because he’d leave some trace of him. Over the course of your agreement you unintentionally started making a collection of the things he left. What started out as a bracelet on your nightstand grew to socks, lighters, hats, sunglasses, tank tops, and the occasional perfectly rolled joint (that he’d never see again). You always meant to give back all the shit he left, but he’d always leave so hurriedly that you’d forget and the collection would just grow. 

------------------------------

“Jade!” you blurted unexpectedly as you strolled into the kitchen. “What are you doing here?” 

The small brunette sat next to your mother at the table, halfway done with her breakfast plate. She flashed you her killer sunny smile as your mom chimed in from her seat. “Jade here was in the neighborhood and wanted to take you on a boat ride this morning with the Cameron family.” 

“It’ll be fun y/n!” she insisted, kicking her tiny legs that didn’t reach the floor.

You were a little confused as to why you were invited to hang out with the Cameron kids seeing as they have always ignored you at school and every event. Jade caught on and threw you a look that said ‘just go with it’. 

“Um, yeah. I’m really excited to hang out with uh- Sierra and Ra- her brother,” you babbled, earning yourself an ‘Are you fucking kidding me’ look. You shrugged your shoulders, helping yourself to some eggs and pancakes. 

“Well sweetie, I think it’s great that you’re getting to know more people around here! Don’t forget you do need an escort for the Debutante Ball in a few weeks so maybe you can ask the Cameron boy to take you,” your mother suggested and Jade nearly spit out her fruit at the mention of it.  

You closed your eyes, sighing. “Yes, of course mother.” 

“So when were you going to tell me you’re a debutante!” Jade cackled as you both made way to the Camerons’ boat along the dock.  

���If you ever mention it again, I will personally slit your throat.” 

“You! You y/n of all people!” She had to suppress her laughter to a fit of giggles. “So wait, you’ve been going to Chapel Hill all this time to learn how to ballroom dance and do all that?” 

You rolled your eyes. “Yes! I told you my mother is actually insane. Anyways, what are we doing hanging out with the Camerons anyways? I thought you hated their sister.” 

“I do,” Jade responded as-a-matter-of-factly, “It’s the brother that’s delicious. Oh- and Sarah won’t be there and neither will their dad or any of their family really. It’s just going to be Rafe and a couple of his friends. He told me to bring some friends too so it won’t be awkward.” 

“And you chose me of all people? Jade, you have plenty of other very sociable friends you could have brought.” 

“Shut up y/n! You’re hot as shit okay! You just need to get out there more and meet people. Maybe then you won’t hate it here so much. Trust me, once you experience the OBX the right way, you’ll absolutely love it.” 

You crinkled your nose at her. “You’re just as insane as my mother.”  

“Come on! There are hot guys wanting to take us on their very nice boats. It’s free drinks and maybe some food,” she promised. 

You groaned. “Fine, but if any of them make an unsolicited move on me, I’m jumping overboard and swimming home. Also, now that I think about it, isn’t Rafe like way too old to be hanging around us?” 

Jade shrugged. “A little age never hurt nobody.” The boys whooped as Jade made her grand entrance onto their very large white boat as you trailed behind. Another thing you weren’t well versed in since moving here- boats. To you it was just big and small, windows and no windows, motor and no motor, but it was like a language here. When everyone would start rambling off about engines and fishing and whatnot you would just kindly smile and nod until they got the hint and walked away. 

“Who’s your friend McCoy?” a tall boy with slicked back hair asked Jade as he enclosed an arm around her waist. 

“Rafe, this is y/n! She moved here in October and lives on the east end of the Eight.” 

So this was the famous Rafe Cameron. You’d seen him a couple times golfing with Ted when you would hide away in the golf cart on your phone. Ted would mention a few times about how he was trouble and, telling by the way he still hung out with high schoolers at almost 20 years old, you believed it. 

You smiled uneasily and gave him a tiny wave as two other guys emerged from the front with a cooler. They both coordinated with the colorful short-shorts and printed button ups. They also wore those God-awful tinted sunglasses with the band connecting the backs. You recognized them from school- Topper and Kelce.

“Oh hey y/n,” they greeted tensely, each giving you an awkward smile and one-armed hug. You were in shock they knew your name even.

“McCoy, did you bring anyone else?” Kelce asked, totally not making it obvious of your unwanted presence. 

Not even the Kooks like you. 

You knew you’d have a hard time the moment you stepped foot onto Figure Eight. You had a very humble upbringing, which was unfathomable to the kids at school, so it was hard for you to make any real friends besides Jade. During the school year, you ate lunch by yourself and sprinted home as soon as the final bell rang. It got to a point where, when anyone would try to talk to you, you’d either roll your eyes or just simply ignore them. 

“Nope! Just me and my girl.” Jade flung an arm around your shoulder and handed you a beer. She raised her eyebrows at you to check if you were okay, and you smiled reassuringly, taking the bottle. 

“Let’s hope she knows how to hang,” Topper added as he started the engine on the boat. 

You sipped on your beer as you rode down the marsh. Kelce tried to make small talk with you as Topper drove and Jade macked on Rafe. It actually wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be, Kelce did have the occasional funny story or witty thing to say even if it was about swinging a golf club or purchasing some extravagant item no one ever needed. 

“Woah Pogue alert,” you heard Topper warn as he steered next to a smaller boat hanging on the side

You glanced over and immediately met eyes with JJ who was casually laying back with his friends- two dudes and a girl. When he wasn’t acting like a complete jerk, he actually looked down to earth and kind of innocent. Cans of cheap beer littered their deck and a cute little ‘HMS Pogue’ lettering hung from the back. 

You turned back to Kelce, thinking it was just a quick pass by until you heard something thump on the side of the boat from their side. 

“Fucking rats!” Rafe barked at the group and hurled an open can of beer over towards them. 

“That’s for the van you sons of bitches!” you heard JJ holler as Topper slowed down the boat so they were eye-to-eye. 

“Hey that’s payback! I know it was you that fucked up my bike, filthy Pogue!” Topper snarled, pointing at JJ, tumbling more shit in their direction. 

The throwing escalated into an all-out war. You screamed and joined Jade who was clearly outraged as she ducked under the cooler for cover. 

“Rafe, just fucking drop it and let’s go! You’re wasting shit at this point,” she urged also throwing Topper a stern look to get moving.  

“This isn’t over!” Rafe roared at the group as Topper sped up the engine again. 

“That’s right, just ride along you fucking Kooks! And take your hoes with you!” JJ shouted. 

You threw a glare his way at the vulgar name he called you and stuck up middle fingers his way, sailing off. 

Fucking tool. 

------------------------------

chapter four

tags: @starkeybaby​ @obxlife​ @everydayimfangirling​ @iamaunicorn4704​ @tangledinsparkles​ @poguesrforlife​​ @thx-quxxn​ @obxmxybxnk​ @rororo06​ @poguesforlife​ @ilymarkchan​

[chemist-ana]

Chapter 11- The Shopping Trip— Sams POV

Book: The Nanny Affair

Characters: Sam, Ana Schuyler (MC), Robin

Pairing: Sam Dalton (male) x Ana Schuyler (MC)

Rating: 18+

Content Warning: NSFW, Sexual Language, Adult Language, Sexual Situations

A/N This is a brand new series that I was inspired to write. I am going to go chapter by chapter in Sam Daltons POV. This story is completely inspired by Choices The Nanny Affair. I have used most of the dialogue from the actual story, anything written in BOLD was taken directly from the book and therefore is not my writing- credit to our good friends over at Pixelberry! All characters are credit to Pixelberry except for my OCs

Summary: Sofia corners me into taking Ana for the day on a shopping trip, what happens next is anyones guess.

Word Count: 3500

Tag List: @txemrn @secretaryunpaid @lifeaskim @aussieez @pixie88 @thefrenchiemama @sfb123 @mainstreetreader @shewillreadyou @khoicesbyk @lady-calypso @choicesficwriterscreations @somersetmummy @melalicious8383@chrissythadon

I eye Sofia warily as she sticks her hip out, arms crossed, her brown eyes not leaving mine.

“I don’t see what the problem is, Sam. I just want to borrow Ana for the day.” Her voice has a measured evenness that makes me question her true intention.

“Alright, I will take the boys out.” A smile curves her lips at my words.”But, Sofia, please treat her with respect.”

My hands grip the marble counter as she turns to walk away, her heels clicking as she rounds the corner towards Ana’s room without another word.

This is a bad idea…

I quietly follow Sofia, stopping right outside Ana’s door. I can hear their muffled conversation. I take a step closer.

“Fine. Give me the card.” I hear Ana say reluctantly.

“You’re a lifesaver, Ana. I will see you very soon.”

I dart into my open bedroom door before I hear Sofia leave Ana’s room. I wait until I hear the elevator doors close before walking back over to Ana’s room, knocking softly on the partially open door.

“Is it safe to come in?” I ask with a crooked smile.

“Sam, you really are scared of Sofia, huh?” Her lips curve up into a mocking smile. “You’re a grown man sneaking around his own fiancee. You see that, right?”

“I wouldn’t call it ‘sneaking’. More like… walking with discretion.” I slip into her room. “But I am sorry she ambushed you like that. I owe you, big time.”

“Good thing I know just what I want as compensation.” She looks me up and down, her eyes lingering.

“Oh? And what’s that?” I lean against her dresser, crossing my arms across my chest.

“I want you.” She takes a step towards me, her eyes darkening. “Just you, all to myself. Send the kids to spend the weekend with their grandparents, and leave us the penthouse…”

My mind instantly jumps to every fantasy I have ever had of her, spread in front of me on the kitchen counter, her moans echoing through the living room as I pin her to the floor to ceiling windows, and her wet and screaming my name in my shower. I push off of her dresser, taking a step towards her.

“That seems like a… dangerous proposition.”

“That’s what makes it fun.” Her gaze slides up to mine and I can see every speck of gold mixed with her emerald eyes.

“Ana…” I can feel the desire growing before my brain finally takes back control. I lean back, clearing my throat. “For the time being, maybe there’s something more immediate I can do to make it up to you?”

“I’m listening… intently.” Her eyes travel down, lingering on the now-obvious bulge in my pants. Damn, woman.

“I was thinking I could make you breakfast with…. You know, pancakes, eggs, bacon, the works.”

“Sofia would never approve.” She smiles as her eyes rise to mine.

“Sofia isn’t here. I’m willing to risk it. What do you say?”

“I guess making me breakfast is the least you can do.” She says with a sigh.

“Right this way. Chef Sam is at your service.”

I follow her out to the kitchen, my eyes glued to her hips as they sway left to right, her perfect peach of an ass daring me to grab it. I swallow as I watch her slide into a bar stool, my eyes snapping up to hers as she turns her gaze on me.

I take a deep breath, grabbing the apron from the pantry and knotting it around my waist. Alright, it’s been a while, but you know how to do this, Dalton. Impress the lady. I can at least fake it til I make it, right?

I grab some butter and set it to melt in a nonstick. I can feel her eyes on me and I give her a crooked grin.

“Normally I’m the one enjoying the view while you make breakfast.”

“I didn’t notice you were taking in the scenery.” She smiles as she squirms slightly in her seat and a blush spreads across her cheeks.

“I do try to be subtle… even if I don’t always succeed.”

Alright Dalton, pancakes first. I start adding the ingredients to a bowl.

“You have a favorite thing about what you saw?” Her voice breaks the silence.

Ahh, fishing now are we Ms. Schuyler. I will gladly take the bait.

“I’m not sure I can narrow it down to just one thing… between your adorable bedhead and cute little pajamas, my eyes just don’t know where to look.” My eyes flick up and notice her nipples have hardened under her thin t shirt. “But I definitely appreciate how sweet you are with my boys… even when they’re loud and rambunctious before coffee.”

“Sam… I care about them.” Her cheeks warm even more. “That makes it easy.”

“I’ve met my boys, Ana. I’m under no illusion that taking care of them is easy, even if you do have a magic touch.” I give her a wry smile before looking back down at my breakfast preparations. “Would you like to help, or would you prefer to relax?”

“I’ll watch you from over here. This is my treat, remember? I intend to enjoy it fully.”

Oh well, I tried to get her to come closer to me. My eyes swing up to hers and she is giving me a devilish grin as she leans back in her chair.

“Good. I hope I… live up to your expectations.”

“You’re doing a pretty good job so far.”

“That’s because I haven’t set the kitchen on fire yet. I’ve always been a little helpless when it comes to this sort of thing…”

I grab some walnuts for the pancakes and chop them on the cutting board, all while trying to ignore the heat from her gaze.

“You know, for someone who claims to be ‘helpless’, you seem to know your way around a chef’s knife.”

“The chopping part comes naturally from years of working hands-on in a lab. You need the same sort of steady strokes for both. But when it comes to the rest of it… I swear, I’ve never met a chicken I couldn’t burn to a crisp.” Why did I offer to cook for her again?

I flick the walnut pieces into the batter and stir them in.

“Should I be worried about these pancakes? You are going to have to cook them…” She chides.

“You can supervise while I attempt to not burn them.” I give her a small chuckle as I start pouring the batter. Expertly flipping them and cooking them to a beautiful golden brown. I plate her a stack of steaming pancakes. “A little cinnamon, a little honey, top with strawberries…” My eyes rise to hers as she watches me with a smile. “I hope you like ‘em sweet.”

“You know I do. Don’t forget the secret ingredient… lots of love!”

My chest tightens at her words as I turn to present her pancakes.

“Looks delicious.”

I watch as she delicately places a small piece of pancake in her mouth, her pink lips wrapping around the fork as her eyes flutter closed. Who knew watching someone eat could be so erotic…

“Mmmm… so good.” She moans as her eyes open again and meet mine. “Are you sure you’re bad at this?”

“Pancakes are the one dish I’ve perfected over the years. Theres’s a reason I offered to make you breakfast and not dinner.” I smile at the satisfaction on her face.

“And here I thought it was because you wanted to lick syrup off of me.” Her tongue darts out to lick the syrup off of her bottom lip.

I can’t help but groan at her words. “Ana…” Our gaze lingers on each other before I watch her reach for the syrup. I would lick syrup off of every single inch of your skin if I could…

“Whoops! Sorry…” Her eyes grow wide when she knocks the bottle over. She smiles sheepishly as rounds the corner of the bar to help clean up the spill. The sweet smell of jasmine and syrup fill my senses as she stands close to me.

“I’ve got it.”

“No, let me help…” She insists.

I turn to watch her as she insists on wiping up the mess with a napkin. Finally she turns to me, and I realize just how close we are standing to each other. The familiar arc of electricity flowing between our bodies, charging the air.

“Did I get it all?” I ask her breathlessly.

I watch her tongue dart out and lick her lips as she swallows heavily.

“You missed a spot on my neck.” She tilts her head to the side and my gaze narrows in to the delicate curve of her neck and throat.

I lean in, bringing my tongue to her sweet skin. I can feel her heart beating at her pulse point, and she tilts her head further to give me better access.

“Mmmm… so delicious.” I smile into my kisses on her neck. So fucking sweet.

“Wait until you taste the rest of me.” She says, her voice low.

“Oh god…” Her words send desire surging through me as I imagine the small taste I have already gotten. My hands find her delicate waist as I bunch up her shirt trying to expose her soft skin. “Ana…” I moan as I continue kissing her neck.

She twines her fingers into my hair and pulls my lips to hers, kissing me with a sense of urgency and passion that I match stroke for stroke.

“Touch me, Sam…” She whispers against my lips. “I need to feel you…”

My hands find the hem of her shirt and I reach under to explore the planes of her bare skin, relishing in the curves of her back.

“Like this?” I whisper.

“God yes…” She moans.

My hands continue exploring all of the muscles of her back, pulling her tight against my body and my growing desire. Her breathing is accelerating as I can feel her nearing the edge. Oh beautiful girl, the way you respond to my touch is unbelievable… where have you been all my life?

I completely forgot that we weren’t exactly alone in the penthouse when I heard the thunder of bare feet running down the hall. I immediately drop my arms from Ana and take a step back.

“Crap!” She says breathlessly.

I reach up and run my hands through my hair as my eyes scan Ana’s face. Her lips are swollen from our kisses and she is trying to catch her breath.

“I thought Aunt Sofia threw away all our good food!” Mickey yells as he rounds the corner.

“Boys! We made pancakes!” Ana says quickly averting her eyes from mine.

“Score!” Mickey cheers as him and his brother slide into the seats at the kitchen bar.

I watch Ana carefully as she serves two plates of pancakes for the boys, blushing furiously.

“Boys, what do you say to Ana?” My eyes fall on Mickey and Mason as she slides their plates in front of them.

“Thank you! It’s really good!” Mason says with a mouth full of pancake.

“Mmm. Yeah, way better than Aunt Sofia’s- I mean, thank you!” Mickey stops mid-Sofia insult as I narrow my eyes at him.

Ana studiously ignores me for the rest of breakfast as she slowly regains her composure.

When the kitchen has been cleaned and pancakes have been finished, she makes her way towards the foyer.

“Ana, wait! Before you go…” I walk up quickly behind her holding a travel mug with fresh coffee. “Something tells me you’re gonna need the extra caffeine to get through your day.” I smile as our fingers brush.

“Thanks.” She brings the cup to her lips, taking a small sip. “I’ll see you later.”

“Thank you, again, Ana.”

She gives me a small smile before the elevators close between us.

I let out a sharp breath before walking back into the kitchen with Mickey and Mason.

“Well, boys, what should we do today?”

***

I check my phone for what seems like the hundredth time since Ana left the penthouse this morning. My mind wanders to all the possible things Sofia could be saying to her. I turn my gaze up as Mason and Mickey put their batting helmets on.

“Alright boys, are you ready?”

“Ready, dad!” They say in unison.

I shove my phone in my pocket, it will all be over soon… right?

***

Mason and Mickey dash into the penthouse as soon as the elevator doors open. I pull out my phone… still nothing from Ana.

I sit down on the couch, turning my attention to the trees swaying in the wind in Central Park.

Suddenly my phone pings with a text message. I grab it and look at the screen, Ana.

Ana: I don’t think Im gonna last a whole afternoon w/Sofia

I sigh and sit back on the couch.

Sam: What did she do this time?

Ana: What HASNT She done?

Ana: I’m trying to not let her get to me but…

Sam: She wears you down.

Sam: I know the feeling all too well.

Sam: What can I do? Would a distraction help?

Sam: Ana? I lose you there?

When she doesn’t immediately respond, I text her again… what are you? A fucking highschooler.

Ana: Ok, I have to ask… Is our relationship all in my head?

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. Fuck

Sam: No, definitely not. Where’s this coming from?

Ana: Just something Sofia said…

Damn it, I knew this was going to be a problem.

Sam: Ana, please don’t listen to her.

Sam: She doesn’t know anything about our relationship. And she’s a master at manipulation.

Ana: I kno I kno, its just she found a sore spot I guess.

Sam: I should’ve know she’d pulls something like this. She was so insistent when she asked. I didn’t want to arouse suspicion by resisting too much.

Ana: Her mind games are seriously next level. At this point, I wonder if her assistant even has a kid.

Sam: Ana, I WILL make this right. Sit tight.

I stand up, sending a quick text to Carter to let him know I am running out and leaving the boys at home. I stuff my phone in my pocket, grabbing the keys to the Porsche and ignoring the many incoming texts as my phone pings in my pocket. Hold tight, Ana. I am coming for you.

***

After stopping at Laudree and getting a box of macarons, I park the Porsche outside of Viver and make my way inside.

“Did you know there’s a gourmet bakery just down the street from here?” I smile as I walk into the back, Ana is bent over her phone on the chaise.

“Sam!” I watch her face light up as stands up, her long legs stepping up to me as she throws her arms around my shoulders.

“I should surprise you like this more often.” I smile as she steps away from me.

“If our think you’re gonna get away with pawning me off on Sofia for an entire day ever again…” She rolls her eyes.

“I guess I’ll just have to come up with another way to surprise you.” I give her a nudge with my elbow.

“Sam, you know how to turn my day around. Thank you for finding a way to show that you care.” She grabs the box from my hands.

“It’s the least I could do, given what you’ve done for me today to show that you care.” I place my hand on her arm and give her a long look. “You need me, I’m here. Okay?”

She gives me a small nod and I watch her melt at my words.

“Is that my boo-bear?” I flinch slightly as I hear Sofia’s voice call from the dressing room. She rounds the corner with a smile on her face. “And you brought… cookies! That’s very sweet, literally. I’ll have to save it for my cheat day.”

“I’m told they’re the best cookies in the city. Consider it my way of thanking you two, since you spent all day preparing for an event on my behalf.” I look at Sofia with a smile. “But since it looks like you’re done already, maybe I can kill two birds with one stone and take Ana home with me?”

“Hm? Oh yes, that’s fine. I have an appointment soon anyway.” Sofia grabs her phone out of her purse and barely spares me another glance.

“Ana? Shall we?”

I watch Ana give Sofia a weird look, which I decide to ignore, before she follows me out of the shop.

I open the passenger side door for her and she gracefully slides into the seat of the Porsche, her long legs look so damn good in this car. I bite my lip before I close her door, climbing into the drivers side and I put the car into drive.

My hand is resting on the center console. I feel her fingers gently brush mine before she intertwines our fingers. I glance down at our hands with a small smile.

“So, you’re going to a charity gala this weekend?” She asks casually.

“It’s not as fun as it sounds, believe me. Even though it’s not official business, it’ll be all shoptalk, all night.”

“With fancy food and fancy drinks and fancy dancing? That doesn’t sound all bad.”

“You’re right, it’s not.” I squeeze her hand lightly. “And with the right date, it could be downright fun. But-“

“You’re going with Sofia.” Her voice sounds sad as she shifts her gaze out of the window.

“Yeah. She has her moments, but she tends to stay laser-focused on business events like this.” I wish you were coming with me though…

“I wish I was going with you. You’d have so much more fun with me. Just like at your engagement party.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing I’m not bringing you, then. You were dangerous that night.” My mind wanders back to her body pressed against mine, the dark look in her eyes.

“Just that night?” I can see her look at me out of the corner of my eye.

“And every night since.” I flick my eyes to hers. “It’s not fair to tease me when I’m supposed to keep my eyes on the road.”

“I never said I play fair.”

“Ana…” My voice almost sounds like a growl as I try not to imagine her body pressed up against me, her hips pressing into mine.

“Fine, fine. I’ll be good… for now.” She smiles before facing forward, our fingers still interlaced.

***

“Are you serious, Sof? You know how big of a deal tonight is.”

“I know, Sam, and I really do apologize. I do not feel well enough to attend.” Her voice sounds quiet and subdued. “I have an idea that would keep my seat filled at the table.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. I could bring Ana…

“You should bring, Ana.” My eyes widen at her words. “She was with me when I was practicing, she should know who everyone of importance is.”

“I don’t know, Sofia.”

“I do, Sam, I insist. She won’t look as good at me on your arm, but she is better than nothing.”

I pause for effect.

“Alright, well, I hope you feel better.”

“Thank you, Sam. Don’t have too much fun without me tonight.”

“Bye, Sof.”

I am glad she can’t see the grin on my face as I end the phone call, sending a quick text to my assistant to order a gold dress from my personal shopper at Nordstroms in Ana’s size and to change my tux to one that will match.

***

The doorman delivers the suit bag and the dress box to the elevator and I walk quickly into my room, changing into the tux with the gold accents and gold tie. I take one last look in the full length mirror before turning to the box.

I carefully unbox the dress, damn this is going to look so fucking good on her…

I make my way to Ana’s room and knock softly on her closed door.

I hear her voice on the other side of the door before she swings it open. Her brown hair cascading down her back and chest, wearing that thin t shirt that leaves nothing to the imagination. I clear my throat as I remember why I am even standing here in the first place.

“Sam… you look amazing.” She reaches out and adjusts my lapels and runs her hands down my chest. “There. Now you’re perfect.” Her eyes find mine again with a sigh,

“What would I do without you?”

“Walk around with a wrinkled lapel, I expect.” She laughs softly, such a beautiful sound…

I clear my throat and her face turns serious.

“Ana, I know this is terribly short notice, but… will you be my date to the gala?” I hold my breath as surprise flashes across her face, followed by confusion.

Oh god, say yes.