#first saturday in a long time that has actually been pretty nice :-)

[phagodyke]

in a veryyyyy strange mood right now 😵‍💫

[reverie-starlight]

happy birthday miya twins!!!!

here’s an atsumu fic to celebrate and also to make up for the fact only osamu got one last year :3

gn!reader, no physical descriptions. very very very very soft because of course it is. also a bit suggestive at the start. not edited, it’s like 1 am :D

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

you’ve had a busy morning.

atsumu’s birthday just so happened to fall on a saturday this year, meaning you get him all to yourself for the first few hours.

you’ve been up since six, finalizing some top secret plans with your friend over the phone and decorating the living room with tons of streamers and a few balloons.

it’s a miracle you were even able to get out of bed- usually atsumu’s got his arms wrapped around you with the same amount of strength a child grips their favourite teddy with, but you managed to escape.

now that it’s nearly eight o’clock and all the preparations are done, you quickly make your way back to the bedroom and slip under the covers so you can be his wake up call.

pressing kisses against his bare chest has always been the easiest way to pull him out of his dreams, and today is no exception. atsumu stirs a bit and slowly opens his eyes, smiling slightly when he realizes what’s going on.

“happy birthday, lover boy,” you murmur right against his heart.

his hand finds the back of your head with one hand and scratches at your scalp while he rubs sleep from his eyes with the other. “thanks, baby.”

you move up a bit so that you’re now hovering over him, face to face. “sleep well?”

he yawns and rests his arms around your waist. “mhm, ‘cause I dreamt about ya.”

you smile down at him and mindlessly stroke your knuckles over either side of his jaw. he’s infuriatingly pretty despite just waking up. his hair is a mess, his eyes are still bleary, but he’s absolutely the most handsome man you’ve ever laid eyes on. “yeah? what exactly did you dream about?”

he snickers. “if I told ya, I have a feelin’ this mornin’d take a very different turn.” his accent always gets thicker when he’s sleepy.

you giggle and kiss his nose, loving how it scrunches slightly. “how scandalous,” you say, then lean closer to his ear. “maybe I can try to recreate it later.”

his grip tightens. “don’t make a man a promise, baby, ‘specially when he’s got a busy day.”

you laugh and kiss him properly this time before peeling yourself off of him. “I know, I know… so why don’t you get ready and have some breakfast with me before we head to your brother’s?”

he groans and reaches out for you, but you’re just quick enough to scurry off the edge and over to the door. “come on, baby, I made your favourite.”

ten minutes later, he’s walking into the kitchen with freshly brushed teeth and an appreciative look on his face as he takes in the decorations. “babe…” he starts, pouting at you. “you didn’t have to do all this for me…”

you scoff and welcome him into your arms as you lean against the counter. “I’ve done much more for much less when it comes to you, baby, a few decorations for your birthday is light work.”

he hides his smile in your neck and presses kisses in a line up to your cheek. “I love ya so much.”

you return the sentiment and turn around to plate his food. “eat up, handsome, you’re going to need your energy today.”

a long day of birthday celebrations followed, starting with a nice lunch and visit with osamu, his partner and mamma miya that lasted well into the afternoon.

after that was a nice private party at the twins’ favourite restaurant (planned by you and your future in-law) with all their friends, old and new, thankfully not lasting too late into the night (suna joked that it was planned this way so they’d actually be able to remember their party tomorrow morning).

now, on your way home with only a slightly tipsy atsumu in your passenger seat, there’s only one stop left to make before heading home.

atsumu perks up as he feels the car slow to a stop and looks out the window curiously, cutting off his little rant about how happy he was to see everyone. “hm? why’re we here, baby?” he recognizes your friend’s house, but doesn’t recall having plans to visit with her and her husband tonight.

you put the car in park and turn to face him, clearing your throat. “baby,” you grab his hand. “I have a few gifts for you to open at home, but this is my main present to you this year.”

the gears in his head are turning, but he doesn’t have much to go off of. you’re being a bit cryptic. “okay… what does that have to do with coming here?”

you just smile and unbuckle your seatbelt, prompting him to stay put. soon enough you’re knocking on the door and he watches you disappear into the house momentarily.

you pop your head back out a few minutes later, sporting a bright, excited smile, waving him inside.

he’s greeted by your friend wishing him a happy birthday, a mischievous look on her face, and he looks between the two of you suspiciously. “what’s going on?”

you both just laugh and lead him to the living room, where a medium sized cardboard box sits on the ground, a red bow strapped to the side of it.

your friend quickly makes her way out of the room, giggling to herself about something, and then it’s just him and you and whatever is in that box.

“go look inside, atsumu,” you nod.

he moves towards it slowly, unsure, the entire situation filling him with both curiosity and nerves.

and then the box moves. and a small whine comes from inside.

he whips his head around to look at you. “no fucking way.”

you giggle and nudge him closer. he’s now looming over the box and staring down at what he assumes is his very own puppy.

“ya didn’t,” he starts, leaning down to pick the poor thing up. “angel, please don’t tell me this is a prank, I’m already attached.”

he can’t believe this is happening. the two of you have been talking about getting a dog for a year now, having long conversations about how it just felt right for you both. his head is spinning, but he knows it’s no longer because of the alcohol.

you grin, clearly proud of yourself for pulling off this surprise, and move closer to him and the dog. the furry bundle stops shaking as soon as you rest your palm on its head to pet it.

despite everything, atsumu picks up on that. “it recognizes you?”

you nod and gesture in the direction your friend went in a few minutes ago. “her dog had a litter of puppies a couple months ago and she offered us one if we wanted. I just never told you because I wanted it to be part of your gift. I’ve been coming over every week to try to get her used to our scents.”

atsumu gets a little teary eyed as he stares at the puppy and turns his head to kiss your cheek. “thank you so much, this is the best birthday ever.”

you watch as he interacts with her, heart warming at his childlike expression. it makes your early morning start time more than worth it.

eventually your friend comes back with a bag of all the doggy supplies you’ve been hiding at her place, and then you’re on your way home, dog in lap, and smiles on your faces.

he spends the rest of the car ride rambling on about what to name her, where her bed is going to go and what tricks he’s eventually going to teach her.

his excitement is contagious, apparently because as soon as you step into the apartment, you finally let it sink in that you have a dog with atsumu.

you stare at him as he “shows her around” and your entire body fills with love.

one more year down and hopefully forever to go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

oh to be doggy co-parents with atsumu 🥹🫶🏻

[insanescriptist]

Cremation is just another fun(erl) service

So blaming random 4am thoughts that have been plaguing me all day for this

----

Jason woke to a bright room, thin sheets and the smell of a hospital embedded in his body.

First as always, assess. Hospital. No affiliation printed on the walls or anywhere. Private room, but small. That door looked like it led to a private bathroom. Generic flower picture, a mounted screen turned off. Really fucking bright sunlight from the windows.

There was no fucking way he was in Gotham then. Everything was too nice. Normal by standards outside of Gotham. There were blinds, not metal shutters. The walls were cleaner than Gotham allowed outside of Downtown and he could see greenery through the window.

Okay. So what had he been doing? Jason remembered and then wished he had his Jerichos to shoot himself with. Mystic Shit™. Okay. Okay. That was not one of his better ideas, but if he's recovering in a hospital, it worked. World saved.

So recovery. How fucked was he?

His skin looked so fucked. Which meant he had been worse. He's had time to recover and lose muscle tone in, going by how twiggy his arms were. His hands looked good. Clearly someone knew he cared about those if they went through the effort of restoring those.

Hmm, that was odd. No matter how much Jason hated the Lazarus Pits and all its by-products, it would have been a faster and more simple way to recover from near-death than the long incarceration in a hospital for a John Doe.

Jason wasn't sure if he'd been abandoned yet again by those who called themselves his family because he could, "take care of himself," or if he had been written off dead. Again.

Hospital beat the coffin by a long shot.

And it was with that cheery thought, a nurse -obvious meta human nurse- came in and burst into excited Japanese, because that was of course, his luck.

It's after the nurse and doctors leave that Jason loses his shit.

It looks like he's sulking in bed, but mentally everything in his head is exploding. Imploding.

Three. Fucking. Years. Coma.

Burn victim so bad they not only expected him to die in the first couple of days, but still expect it because of the infection risk his fucked up skin represents.

Still the conversation with the medical staff -of varying degrees of bizarre- was enlightening.

No, he has no idea who he is. Did he ever get anyone visit? How did he get here?

Of course some amnesia is to be expected. No, some of the nurses visited. No one knows how he got here.

Does he know what his quirk is? Uh?

Trauma blocked amnesia, the doctor mutters.

What's the last date he remembered?

Saturday. Maybe? The last year? No, I'm pretty sure my memory is shit and I'm trying hard not to freak out over not knowing anything. So could I get the year number?

And then there's the fucking year number. Once he got it translated into more normal terms.

Mystic Shit™ said fuck you to the future.

Except Jason knows this is not his future. Again, if it was, this would have been treated as a fucking inconvenience. Effective skin restoration goop -the proper name escaped him- was easily available to those with the right connections. A normal baseline human with 2nd and 3rd degree burns would be fine in less than two weeks with it, with nary a trace to show for it.

Thanks to the three year coma, his muscles were all atrophied as fuck, despite their best attempts at physical therapy. Because of all the burns and later burn scars and infections making it basically impossible to actually do fuck all about maintaining muscle tone until he was basically burnt skin and bones anyway.

He was so fucking weak now. It wouldn't last forever. He'd escape this hospital before he was discharged, before whatever "benefactor" showed up for whatever "purpose," he was suppose to serve now, as they had the medical debt over his head or was threatening his loved ones or whatever. If one didn't show up in the next week, he was losing his genre-savviness, because shitheads always wanted to claim shit, if it looked useful.

And Jason was used to looking useful, until he was no longer useful and they just didn't care. The amnesia made him less shiny, but Jason couldn't pull off the brain dead zombie imitation without actually being a brain dead zombie crawling up out of his grave.

So under the thin hospital sheets, Jason twitched his muscles.

Two weeks of emotional freak outs, watching the news, physical therapy and drugs Jason had had enough.

And he broke out.

----

Yeah, he regretted it almost immediately. Hard not to in the stupid paper gown, barefoot and bare ass.

Thankfully people were people, even with the plethora of meta humans he had seen, so it actually wasn't hard to find clothes. Someone left a hoodie in their car and Jason broke into said car. Put on the hoodie. Hotwired the car and drove off.

Somehow for being in the fucking future by two centuries and change, cars really hadn't changed. More evidence of Mystic Shit™ slamming him sideways.

He drove to the next town over, picked another direction, drove some more. Parked the car near what looked like a chop shop, negotiated the car for some money. He probably got ripped off, but better than nothing.

He walked to a corner store, bought some flip-flops after bullshitting an excuse that his had broken. First aid stuff. You know, for his feet. Hair dye in three different colors, because Rose Wilson could pick out a bad dye job at a hundred meters and so Jason learned how to dye his own hair properly so as to avoid her mockery, only to get mockery (affectionate) anyway.

It was a mix of instinct and lifelong observation that let him find an empty apartment quickly. He stole some sweatpants and passed out on the bed.

----

The thing is, Jason doesn't regret his crimes like Bruce thinks he ought to do, with a massive pity party and flaming self-hatred and punching criminals instead of shooting them. He hates the necessity of doing crimes, even if that crime is a net gain to society, but that's why all his serious crimes are premeditated. He's homicidal, not a psychopath.

Not Pit-mad either, no matter what the rest of them might have thought.

Again, he's homicidal, not a psychopath. And when he doesn't have to be some sort of costume soldier to be discarded by family for the disgrace of disfiguring the memory of a dead boy? He's actually chill and boring.

That is to say, he crashed at that apartment for three days, felt progressively more like himself, especially after the dye job -white hair all over, now a solid and boring black- but it still didn't change all the other issues the Mystic Shit™ inflicted on him.

This body isn't actually his. Too young, scars not right where the burns didn't fuck him over. Thankfully his existing coping mechanisms for dysphoria work and it's shoved to the side.

It's also a shit body. Not even a month out of a three year coma with inadequate -by his standards- of medical care. It's weak and building muscle to do everyday civilian shit, is going to take months to do. Pushing as hard as he did during the escape wrecked him the next three days. Jason may not know what's going to happen, but with his luck, it's going to suck and training is preparing to make it suck less. The only certainty he's got is that his skin or lack thereof is going to kill him from infection if he doesn't fix it.

He's got no legal identity here. Which basically puts him back onto familiar ground of legally dead.

Beyond the lack of paperwork, he's got a lack of funds. He also has no easy target to steal funds and equipment from, even just for fun.

For more disadvantages, he's in a different country, with different laws and a whole different culture. He would be climbing on board a fucking plane to Gotham, if it existed in this world, for some familiar ground.

He really is the unluckiest Robin. It also means he is also the most prepared Robin.

---

The first six months after waking up in this mockery world of heroics were the absolute worst.

He started at one foot in the grave and crawled out of it before the casket could really eat him alive. Jason had experience in casket busting. He didn't wanna repeat it.

He still didn't know who he was -in who was he inhabiting- but it wasn't like Jason had a lot to go on. 'His' quirk was thermo-manipulation, most obviously in the blue fire he could call to his hands but he could do some ice too; it was thanks to Duke's light and shadow manipulation that he had even tried for the duality. He had white hair. Presumably Japanese heritage but quirks had really erased or blurred a lot of racial lines. Also presumed dead and young.

Access to the Quirk Registry took some doing, but again, not everyone followed basic computer security, much less what it took to keep someone bat-trained out of their systems. Again, for nearly two centuries in the future, a lot of the technological development had stagnated. Searching through the Quirk Registry hadn't yielded any result but none of his other methods had struck anything either. And he had looked at the recently dead and/or presumed dead. Sure, he had some leads that looked viable, but he wasn't going to follow those up yet.

He had fixed a few of his most pressing issues the past six months. His ignorance of the local area, the local and national politics and so on. This world supported and had an entire industry catering to making child soldiers and sell their image and reputation to make money and more child soldiers that called themselves Heroes.

His weak ass body no long cried doing daily tasks and only hated him after working out. Yes, Jason was pushing it but he was well aware of how months of preparation could mean shit in the face of seconds.

His infection risk was severely reduced after quick research bender let him make the most generic knock-off brand of the skin restoration goop in a shitty homemade lab. Did it fix his skin being patchwork fucked in places? Some. He wasn't going to get feeling back properly, but at least he looked more normal. Maybe with enough moisturizing he might look a little less Frankenstien's monster.

He also had a cash inflow. It wasn't great, but it supported his apartment. And the second set of papers. And the 2nd apartment.

Which meant in grand old tradition for Jason, time for him to bounce to the next apartment and come up with a new name.

[jennaispunk]

Just Another Saturday Night....

Note: Happy Valentine's Day Ali @pedgito. I'm your Space Sisters secret Valentine!!! I hope you enjoy it!

Summary: Javi invites himself to help you babysit for Steve and Connie on Valentine's Day. What happens between you is completely unexpected.

Pairing: Javier Peña x f!reader

Warnings/Tags: fluff, sexual tension, kissing, touching, Valentine's Day, friends to lovers, language (Javi, who else?), brief smoking, brief alcohol consumption, mutual pining, no significant age gap, brief use of Spanish, Javi and reader work in the same building but aren't co-workers. Reader understands Spanish, Reader is shorter than Javi and has hair long enough to tuck behind her ear, no other physical description of reader is given. The photos in the moodboard are for aesthetic only.

Word Count: ~5.5k

Other notes: This is my first published fic so please be nice! I am beyond nervous about putting this out there.

Special Thanks to @sawymredfox for the amazing moodboard, @beefrobeefcal for your advice, and @fallingforthearch for beta reading and squealing about this with me.

Divider by @saradika-graphics

It seemed everyone in this damn building was talking about their plans for Valentines Day. Everyone except for you. Today was just a normal Thursday. You shook your head, trying to clear your mind as you made your way through the bustle of the DEA headquarters. There was no use in giving it any more thought. Love was overrated anyway, right? You dropped off some paperwork to the director’s secretary and headed back to your own desk in the Embassy. The clacking keys of typewriters and sharp ringing of telephones hummed around you as you crossed the room, and you narrowly avoided a collision with an agent with his head stuck in file.  The sound of your name being called across the bullpen made you stop in your tracks.

You scanned the room to see Steve Murphy, smiling at you from his office door. You smiled warmly in return and made your way over to him. Steve and his wife Connie had welcomed you with open arms when you first arrived in Colombia. They had taken you under their wing and the three of you had become close over the last 6 months, frequently sharing dinners at their apartment with their adopted daughter, Olivia, and occasionally Steve’s partner, Javier Peña.

Javi….he was always an enigma to you. He was handsome and a shameless flirt. He was quick with a line and a smile, and he used it to his advantage. There wasn’t a woman that worked in this building that hadn’t been subjected to his charms, and you were no exception. Of course, you had a thing for him. How could you not, with his aquiline nose and pouty lips that just begged to be kissed.  You’d spent enough time with him to know him pretty well, but he held you at arm’s length, never letting you get too close. He seemed content to keep it that way and you let him. It’s not like you actually had a chance with him anyway.

“Hey Steve, what’s up?” You studied him as he grinned at you in that goofy way he always did. That smile reminded you of your brother and it made you miss him. Maybe you should call him and check in.

“I need a huge favor.” he asked with a soft smile.

You groaned softly. You hoped Connie wasn’t trying to set you up on another blind date. The last one was an absolute disaster.

“I don’t like the sound of this.” Your eyes narrowed. “What did you do this time?”

He chuckled and crossed his arms across his chest. “I didn’t do anything. I need a babysitter on Saturday. I was able to score reservations at that new restaurant downtown for Valentine’s Day. Connie’s been dying to try it since they opened, and I thought that it would be a nice surprise for her.”

You chuckled softly. “And you thought that your little spinster friend would be free on the most romantic night of the year?”

“You just haven’t mentioned any one special lately, so I thought you’d be free.” He cocked his head. “Why are you calling yourself a spinster, anyway? You’re gorgeous.”

The familiar combination of cigarette smoke and aftershave hit your nostrils before you saw him, and your breath hitched. Steve’s eyes darted over your shoulder, and you followed his gaze. “Ain’t that right, Javi?” The turquoise button-down shirt and tight dark wash jeans accentuated his biceps and his cinched waist. Javi appraised you, arching his brow and quickly raking up and down your body. “Sure, you’re at least a 7, princess.” He teased in the way only he could, flashing you that grin that made your knees weak. Your hands curled into fists at your sides.

Princess. That word single handedly made your blood boil and your stomach flip at the same time.

“Thanks, Javi.” you shot back, rolling your eyes.  He moved closer to Steve’s office door, crowding you with his broad frame. “What are you two talking about anyway?”

“I’m trying to get our friend here to babysit for me and Connie on Saturday.” Steve grinned, his puppy dog eyes staring you down.

“I’ll babysit for you.” You said. “I’d love to spend some time with Olivia.”

Javi wasted no time and butted in. This was his chance to get you alone and he was going to take it.

Javi smiled, his eyes dancing. “Why don’t I join you? I don’t have any plans for V-day either. What’d ya say, princess? Want some company for babysitting duty?”

Your words failed you and you just looked at him, your eyes wide.  His chocolate chip eyes stared down at you, waiting for you to speak.

“Ummm….” You stammered, your nails digging into your palms. “Sure. Why not?”

He gave you a crooked grin and nothing else.

“What time do you need me?” Your head swiveled back to Steve.

“Six o’clock?”

“I’ll be there.” You flashed a quick smile and turned on your heels.

“See ya then, princess.” Javi shouted to your retreating form.

You knocked on the apartment door at 5:50 pm, tapping your foot rhythmically as you wait. Olivia’s laughter seeped through the door and the tension drained from your shoulders. Connie’s smiling face greeted you a moment later. “Thank you so much for watching Liv for us.”

“It’s no problem at all. You know I love spending time with her.” You smiled warmly at her and walked over to the couch, making yourself comfortable. “You look amazing, by the way. You’re going to have to let me borrow that dress sometime.”

Steve came around the corner bouncing Olivia in his arms while she laughed. The sight made your chest tighten. “Look who’s here, Liv.” The little girl gave you the biggest smile and you stood to take her from her father’s arms.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun tonight, huh?”

Olivia giggled and grabbed for your necklace.

You and Connie chatted idly, while Steve headed into the kitchen. A knock on the door interrupted the conversation.

“Hey, Javi!” Steve ushered him into the living room.

Javi’s eyes settled on you, his hands clenching into fists then relaxing. His chin jutted forward almost imperceptibly. Even in a simple T-shirt and jeans, you still managed to make him want you even though he knew he shouldn’t.

Why did he have to wear that plaid shirt? You thought to yourself as he sat down in the armchair adjacent to the couch. The red and white plaid shirt stretched across the broad expanse of his shoulders. Your heart began to beat a little bit faster, and you bit the inside of your cheek.

“Babe…. we’d better head out or we’re going to be late.” Connie stood and you watched as Steve helped Connie with her coat. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck. You sighed quietly and looked away.

“Have a great time.” You take Olivia’s hand to wave at her parents. “Bye Mommy and Daddy.”

Connie leaned down and kissed Olivia’s cheek. “Be good for your Auntie and Uncle.” She looked at you. “Call us if you need anything.”

“There’s beer in the fridge.” Steve said, his eyes darting between you and Javi. “You two behave yourselves. That’s a brand-new couch you’re sitting on.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

The click of the door latching echoed in your ears, making you painfully aware of the fact you and Javi were alone. The television droned in the background as the two of you looked at each other.

“I…” you both start. The sound of your combined nervous laughter made Olivia join in with her own forced laugh, breaking some of the awkward tension that had been building between you. Your eyes snap back to Javi as he clears his throat.

“You first.” His lips lift into a crooked grin.

“I was just going to say that I’m surprised that you were serious about babysitting with me tonight. I thought you’d have a hot date tonight.” He hadn’t mentioned that he had been seeing anyone lately, but maybe he was just keeping it quiet for now.

His throaty chuckle filled your ears. “Why would I want to shell out big bucks on Valentine’s Day when I get to have two pretty girls all to myself tonight?” He teased. His trademark smirk flashed across his face, but his eyes betrayed him with a softness that made the blood rush directly to your cheeks. His eyes flitted away from yours.

You opened your mouth to ask him what he was about to say but Olivia had other plans. She grabbed at your shirt and let out a whine. You realized she was probably hungry. Connie had told you she’d prepared Liv’s dinner and put it in the fridge. “You hungry, bug?” Her babbles confirmed your suspicions, and you sat her on the floor in front of her toys while you warmed up her dinner.

Although the night had started awkwardly, you and Javi settled into comfortable conversation. The pizza he’d ordered had just been delivered and you put Olivia in her highchair with her own dinner in front of her.

“The pizza here is good.” You told him as he took a bite of his slice, “but it’s got nothing on the pizza back home.”

His brow arched. “Oh yeah?”

You never talked about your home much. The subject never really came up in conversation between the two of you.

“Yeah.” You said with a smirk. “There’s this small pizza joint there…. It’s the best pizza in the world. I would fight anyone on that.”

The sound of his chuckle reverberated through your entire body and his eyes settled on you. “That’s pretty big talk, maybe I’ll have to try it sometime.” He finished his slice and wiped his hands on a napkin. “Anything else special about your hometown?”

You told him more about your hometown, and he told you about Laredo as you finished eating. Olivia, never one to sit still for long, voiced her impatience and you lifted her from her highchair.

“I’ll clean up.” he volunteered, causing you to raise your eyebrows.

“Don’t look so surprised.” he smirked.

You laughed and adjusted Olivia on your hip. “If you insist. Liv and I will be playing in the living room.”

You spread some toys out on the living room floor and sat Olivia down. You stretched out on the floor, stacking some blocks in a pyramid. Olivia babbled and knocked them down, causing you to laugh softly. The sound of his footsteps made you both look up at him. Olivia grabbed a block and held it out to him. “You want Uncle Javi to play? Say ‘Come play with me, Uncle Javi’” Your eyes drifted up to meet his, your eyes twinkling at the double meaning behind those words.

Javi’s hands immediately went to his hips, his left knee jutting out slightly. His eyes darkened as his tongue pressed against his cheek. His eyes darted to the floor then back at you. You smirked as he turned away, your confidence soaring at the fact that you’d managed to rattle him, even if it was only a little. “Maybe Uncle Javi needs a minute.”

Javi stood with his back to you, willing himself to calm down; He wasn’t a man to get flustered easily. The idea of playing with you made him hard. He thought about football…..the amount of paperwork on his desk….anything to stop thinking about you.

A few moments later, he spun back around with the cool, confident mask firmly back in place. He didn’t acknowledge what had just passed between you and you let it slide, not wanting to push your luck. He sat down on the floor with you and picked up a block, smiling at Olivia.

The three of you played on the floor, you and Javi taking turns with the blocks and watching Olivia squeal with delight as she knocked them down. You wondered if you would ever have this……the man and the baby. Maybe it wasn’t in the cards for you. Maybe you were always meant to be on the outside looking in.

Olivia’s yawn snapped you from your thoughts. You smiled as Olivia pouted and rubbed her eyes. “Looks like someone’s getting sleepy.” You sat up and gathered the little girl into your arms. “Let’s get you to bed, little one.” A warm feeling flowed through you as Olivia nestled her head into your shoulder. You cuddled her closer, relishing the feeling of someone needing you.

As you walked the hall to her room, she began to cry. Soft sobs filled your ears, and it broke your heart. “Hey, it’s okay babygirl.” You tried your best to soothe her as you bounced her lightly in your arms. Her sobs only grew louder as you paced her room, murmuring soft words into her ear. It seemed the more you tried, the louder she got. You tried everything you could think of, but nothing seemed to help. The sound of her cries made your stomach drop. You tried to think about what Connie would do if she were here as Olivia’s wails grew even louder. “I know I’m not your mama, but I’m trying kiddo.” Panic gripped you as you struggled to calm her. It shouldn’t be this hard to calm a crying baby, right? You couldn’t just let her continue to cry like this, you had to do something, but you were at a loss. Tears stung your eyes as you desperately racked your brain for the magical solution to your problem.

Javi silently watched you as struggled in vain to soothe Olivia. The nightlight in the corner cast a soft glow over you, highlighting your features in a way that made his breath catch in his throat. You looked beautiful holding a child in your arms, even if that child was currently wailing in your ear. It reminded him of a life he could have had if he had done things differently. A life that he still wanted but was afraid to reach for. He lived in a dangerous world, and he couldn’t ask someone, ask you, to sign up for that; but fuck if he didn’t want to.

“Do you think I could try?” Javi’s voice carried over the sound of Olivia’s cries. A wave of relief washed over you as you saw his unmistakeable frame leaning against the doorway.

“Please….” You said as you handed Olivia to him. “I’m out of ideas.”

“What seems to be the problem here, bebecita?” he cooed. “Did your auntie pinch you?” He chuckled softly at his own joke. Olivia wailed even louder, clearly not impressed by his attempt at humor.

You leaned against the wall as he paced the small room, bouncing the Olivia in his arms. He spoke to her softly, murmuring sweet words in Spanish. Olivia seemed to respond to him, her wails lessening in intensity. The tension you were holding in your shoulders began to slowly melt away and you closed your eyes.

“Duermete mi nino (sleep my child)…..duermete mi amor (sleep my love)…..” Javi crooned quietly.

Your eyes immediately snapped open. He was singing to her. Your chest tightened as the words of the lullaby floated to your ears. Holding a baby looks so good on him. The tenderness in his voice was unexpected and you ached to know that side of him. The image of Javi holding a child the two of you created danced in your head as he continued to sing slightly offkey. You tried to shake the image from your head, but it was no use, it was seared into your brain.

“Duermete pedazo de mi corazon (sleep little piece of my heart)….” Olivia was fast asleep on his shoulder by the time he finished the song. He gently laid her in her crib, covering her with a blanket. He looked to you, pressing a thick finger to his lips and motioned toward the door. The two of you quietly crept out of the room, closing the door behind you.

You couldn’t wipe the smile from your face as the two of you plopped down onto the couch.

“Why are you smiling like that?” He asked. His eyes held a look you’d never seen from him before.

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, the heat rising to your cheeks. “What are you talking about?”

He smirked at you, making your face heat up even more. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, princess. What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

You looked away for just a moment before meeting his gaze again. “You were so good with her. Where did you learn to do that?” His smile made you want to lean in and kiss him, but you held back.

“I grew up in a large family, lots of cousins. There were always babies around.” His eyes fell to the floor. “My mom used to sing that song to me and my little sister when we were little.” The raucous melody of the cartoons you had on for Olivia cut sharply through the sudden shift in your conversation.

“It was a beautiful song.” You offer, not knowing exactly what to say. That was the most personal thing he’d ever shared with you. The silence lingered as you struggled to come up with the perfect thing to say to cut the tension in the room. “Even if it was offkey.”

His eyes jerked up to meet yours, his signature smirk plastered to his face. “You think you could do better?” he teased.  Laughter drowned out the din of the television. “Probably not.” You admitted.

You let go of a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. Your heart raced a little bit faster at the realization of how close you came to confessing your feelings. Did you see something in his eyes before he looked away? You couldn’t be sure, and you certainly weren’t going to ask. You settled back into your seat on the couch and searched for the remote. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough cartoons for a while.”

Javi’s large hand engulfed the remote as he held it up. “Found it.” You immediately reached for it, but he held it out of your grasp. “Finder’s keepers, princess.” he teased. “I’m choosing what we watch.”

Your bottom lip jutted out and you narrowed your eyes. For a split second, you contemplated trying to fight him for it, but your head won out in the end. Sinking back into the couch, you admitted defeat. “Fine” you pouted, “just don’t pick anything stupid, okay?”

He laughed, the sound filling your stomach with butterflies. The smirk plastered to his face as he started flipping channels.

“I’m grabbing a beer.” You stood from the couch, stretching your arms above your head. “You want one?”

You notice his eyes on you and quickly lowered your arms, suddenly aware that your shirt was riding up, giving him the perfect view of your stomach.

He noticed that you noticed, and he cleared his throat, dragging his eyes away from your body. “I’d love one, thanks.”

Javi let out a deep breath. He’d come so close to telling you how much he wanted you. He wanted to take you in his arms and show you just how deeply he felt for you. That was his plan when he showed up tonight, but now that he was so close to you; he was chickening out. He’d only hurt you in the end, he’d find a way to mess it up.

You returned with two cold beers, and you offer him a bottle. Your fingers brush against his, sending sparks through your body. Settling back into the couch, you tucked your legs under you and took a long drag from your bottle. The cool liquid slides down your throat easily as you try to focus your attention on the television. He finally settled on something and leaned back into the couch. His legs deliciously spread wide, dangerously close to yours despite the distance between you. The heat was radiating from his body, and you struggled to maintain your focus on the movie he chose.

The two of you watched in silence, drinking your beer. It’s comfortable in a strange way and you find yourself wanting more of this. Just being in each other’s presence, not needing words. You could almost imagine this being a normal evening at home, curled up next to him on the couch with your head on his shoulder.

His laugh snaps you from your thoughts. Your attention is drawn back to the movie and it’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever seen.

“You actually like this movie?” You grimace at the absurd scene on the screen.

“How can you not like this movie? It’s a goddamn classic!” He took a long drag from his beer and peered at you over the bottle.

Your brow furrowed. “That’s debatable, but whatever you say, Javi.”

“Just give it a chance, princess. It gets better, I promise.”

A playful scoff erupts from your lips. “It better or I’m never letting you pick the movie again.” The heat rises to your cheeks again. This isn’t a date and your eyes dart toward him to see his reaction. His eyes were focused on the screen, but his moustache twitched slightly. You bit your lip and prayed he wouldn’t say anything. He didn’t but you could’ve sworn he moved a little closer to you.

The credits had barely started to roll when you snatched the remote of his thigh. “My turn!” Your lips curve into a playful smirk as you point the remote at the television. He reached for the remote and you swat his hand away.

“Oh….so that’s how it’s going to be.” He smirked back at you.

You weren’t going to back down, even though you knew he could easily wrestle it away from you if he wanted. “Yep.” You responded; the cockiness dripped from the word.

His jaw twitched and his eyebrows raised. Without warning, he leaned forward and grabbed for the remote. You stopped him with a hand to his chest and tsked. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you to share?” she teased. His eyes narrowed as you laughed.

“You’re asking for it, princess…..I fight dirty.” A devilish smirk formed on his lips.

“Ooooh, I’m so scared.” You rolled your eyes knowing that the size difference between you meant you didn’t stand a chance but part of you wanted to see what he would do.

Without warning, he pounced. He reached out for the remote again and somehow you kept it just out of his reach. The sound of your laughter filled the room. His tongue darted out to wet his full lips and then he descended on you.

He grabbed you by the waist and tickled you. Your shriek pierced the silence, and you covered your mouth to keep from walking up Olivia. He was relentless as he leaned into you, pinning your back against the armrest, tickling you mercilessly. You pulled your hand away from your mouth, laughing and struggling to breathe.

“Javi, please….” you laugh as you squirmed in his grasp.

“Oh, now you want mercy?” he teased, tickling you even harder with a smirk on his face.

“Okay, okay. You win. I give up……I give up!” Your breath is ragged, and tears leak from your eyes from laughing so hard.

You suck in a deep breath as he finally stops tickling you, but he doesn’t move away. He had you caged in with his muscular arms.  He just stared at you, and you found it impossible to hold his intense gaze. You can feel the heat radiating from his body. His lips, so soft and full, were close enough to yours to feel his breath against your cheeks. His hand cupped your cheek and suddenly his lips were on yours. You froze, unable to process what was happening and he pulled back. His brow furrowed and his brown eyes searched your wide eyes.

“What are you doing?” You weakly croaked out.

Javi chuckled softly and smirked. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

Your face burns with heat. What an idiotic thing to say. Of course you know what he’s doing. What you want to know is why, but your pride keeps you from asking. You already knew the answer.

“Haven’t you noticed the way I flirt with you is different from the way I flirt with the other women at the office?” His voice is low and husky and for once he’s the one having a hard time keeping your gaze.

You shook your head slowly and your brows furrowed. Maybe you had noticed, but you thought it was because he could never possibly be interested in you romantically. You never let yourself entertain the thought of him wanting you in that way.

“It’s because you’re not like them, princess…. you’re different.” The corner of his mouth twitched into a crooked grin. He gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.

You blinked rapidly, thinking that you’re imagining this. You’ve been wanting to hear these words for so long. Suddenly, it feels like all the air has been sucked out of the room and your lungs fight for oxygen.

“Javi….” He immediately cut you off with a finger to your lips.

His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he exhaled loudly through nose. He shouldn’t tell you this, but it’s too late. He’s already kissed you once and now he wants more; he’s too far gone.

“Just let me say this, please.” You watch his eyes close for a moment, then open again; His brown eyes intensely focused on you. “I have feelings for you, princess……. I want to give you everything.” His eyes narrow slightly. “Would you give me that chance?” His voice is pleading, bordering on desperate.

You nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. You had wanted this for so long and now it was finally happening. The slight hum from the baby monitor filled the room as you continued to stare at each other. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, his tongue darted out to wet his lips.

His thumb brushed your bottom lip as he looked into your eyes. Your skin tingled with the sensation, and you somehow resisted the urge to take the thick digit into your mouth and suck it. The rise and fall of your chest matched the pounding of your heart as he slowly leaned in and captured your lips with his.

His tongue touched your lips, and you parted them without a second thought, allowing him access to your mouth.  

This feels like heaven. You had dreamt about what it would feel like to kiss him and the reality is better than you could have ever imagined. His kiss was surprisingly gentle, his soft tongue probed your mouth with a quiet intensity that made you throb for more.

His large hand cupped the back of your head as he gently pushed you down into the couch. His breath was quick and heavy as he leaned into you. His nose pressed against you as he deepened the kiss, pushing you further underneath him.

The rest of the world was completely forgotten as you pulled him even closer to you, snaking your fingers into his dark hair. Your tongues danced to a perfect rhythm as you both lost yourself in desire.

His hand found the hem of your shirt and his fingers slowly crept under the fabric. A soft moan escaped you as he finally came into contact with your bare skin. His calloused fingers skated across the smooth skin of your stomach, brushing across your ribcage, moving higher at a painfully slow pace surely designed to drive you insane.

The taste of the cherries mixed with the bitterness of the beer on your lips made his head swim. The way you had parted your lips for his tongue......God, he wanted to devour you. He wanted to take you right here on this couch and claim you as his.

He settled into the cradle of your thighs, his growing bulge pressing firmly against your aching heat.  “Fuck, cariño.” The words left his lips in a breathy whisper, the want blanketing you like a thick fog blinding you to anything other than him. Your tongue licked into his mouth hungrily, almost desperately. His tongue pushed back against yours with equal force, letting you know  he was just as much into this as you were. The ornamental clock on the wall ticking to the pace of your breathing as you fell deeper under his spell.

Javi’s thick fingers traced the lace of your bra, the thin material leaving little between his hand and your skin. Your breath faltered as his thumb brushed across your nipple until it sharpened under his ministrations. He quietly moaned his approval into your mouth along with a more forceful thrust of his tongue. Your back arched, pushing your body into his hand…..the desire pooling at your core.

Neither one of you heard the click of the latch as the front door swung open.

“Oh, fuck!” Steve’s voice brought you both crashing back to reality.

Javi’s head snapped up, his eyes wide and mouth agape. You scrambled out from underneath him, tugging at your shirt in a desperate attempt to cover up.

Steve chuckled and shook his head. His eyes danced between the two of you and he smirked. “I knew you two fuckers wouldn’t be able to keep your hands off each other.” His keys clanked against the bowl, and he shot a glance at Connie trying to suppress her giggles. “There better not be any cum stains on my couch.”

Javi’s jaw twitched as he moved away from you but otherwise, he was the picture of calm, not a shred of embarrassment shown on his beautiful face. You, on the other hand, were a different story. Your face burned as your eyes bored holes into the floor. You couldn’t even bring yourself to look at Connie or Steve, even though the smile on your face could have lit up the darkest night. You were embarrassed about being caught but you didn’t regret a single moment of what happened between you and Javi on that couch. You swallowed your feelings of embarrassment and lifted your chin. You weren’t a teenager who’d just been caught making out with your boyfriend by your parents, you were an adult and you had nothing to be ashamed of.

“Did you enjoy the restaurant?” You asked Connie, changing the subject to calm your racing heart.

“Oh my god, it was amazing! The food was ridiculous. You would love it.” Her eyes darted to Javi and the subtle raise of her brow didn’t go unnoticed by you.

“I’m glad you had such a great time.” The two of you chatted briefly about how Olivia did throughout the night. Your eyes darted toward Javi and Steve, the two of them engrossed in their own conversation.

You grabbed your purse and called out to Steve, telling him you’d see him at work on Monday.

“Do I see double dates in our future?” Connie asked quietly as the two of you hugged.

You laughed softly. “Maybe?” Your eyes darted to Javi and the two of you locked eyes for a brief moment.

Your eyes drifted back to the couch. The heat of the moment you and Javi shared spreading through your body like smoldering embers. Your eyes fell on Javi one last time, his lips twitched into a crooked grin.

“I guess I should get out of here too.” Javi clapped Steve on the shoulder. “I’ll walk you out.”

He pecked Connie on the cheek and opened the door, allowing you to exit first. His hand rested gently at the small of your back as he guided you toward the stairs.

“You know, Valentine’s Day isn’t over yet Princess.” Javi whispered in your ear, his breath hot against your skin.

The warmth of his hand at your back made your skin tingle. “No, I guess it’s not.” Your lips twisted into a small smirk.

When you reached your car, he grabbed you by the waist spinning you around to face him, his eyes intense with desire. “I’m not ready to stop celebrating.”

Your breath hitched in your throat as he pressed his body against yours. “Me either.”  He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to your lips before pulling away just enough to look at you.

“My place.” His voice was rough with desire. It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.

You slowly nodded, not wanting to seem too eager. He brushed his lips against yours one last time before releasing you from his grip and walking toward his own car; pausing momentarily to tilt his head to light a cigarette.

Was this the start of something? You had no idea…..but you were damn sure going to find out.

[hockeyboysimagines]

F*ck me like I’m famous

Warnings: phone sex, implied sex, alcohol, swearing, fluff, Vince being a sad boy.

Sorry this has taken so long. I struggled through the phone sex part, so if it sucks. Please be nice to me. Thanks to @cellythefloshie and @jostyriggslover96 for talking me through it.

Enjoy, let me know what you think🤍

J:How’s Canada?

V:Oh you know, Canada is Canadian.

J:Not having fun?

V:I am. But I miss you a little. Not a lot though.

She giggled a little, biting her lip, before she answered.

Vince had left for Canada the week after their official first date. They’d spent every night together until he went home, leaving Josie here in St. Louis. It had been pretty sad, and Josie realized how much she liked him now that he was gone. The days had drug on, and they’d been making it work on the phone, talking when they were able, and nightly FaceTime calls. It was pretty unfortunate though if she was being honest. The most pivotal time in a relationship where you really get to know someone was being done through a phone screen. It had been tough to start, but smooth sailing for the past week. She would be heading to Ontario on Saturday afternoon and staying till the following Sunday. She was excited to see him but also nervous.

J:You miss me, or you miss my lady parts? Cuz she misses you too.

V:Jesus Christ.

J:Your gonna need him when I get to Lindsey next week.

V:🤣🤣🤣no I think that’s you.

J:Oh yeah?

V:Oh yeah. You should start praying now so you can get used to being on your knees.

Josie choked on her water and her whole body shivered.

After having sex everyday for the last two weeks or so, going without it for two weeks sucked. They’d exchanged some flirty banter but this was escalating. The more time Josie spent with him, the more things she learned about herself. And this was a new thing.

J:I’ll get on that right after I get off of you.

V:Just come now. I’ll pay to change your plane ticket.

J:No can do. I still have to finish packing.

V:So what are you doing? Besides tormenting me.

J:Just organizing my underwear drawer for my trip. What’s your favorite color?

She followed it up immediately with-

J:Nevermind. I think I’ll just go without them for the week.

And then her phone buzzed and Vince’s face appeared on the screen.

She answered on the third ring, shaking with laughter.

“Hello?”

“Are you fucking kidding me???” He whispered angrily on the other end of the phone.

“Vince hi!” She said cheerily “What brings you to call me so late in the evening?”

“What brings-you know what.” He was quiet and let out a long breath. Josie felt almost bad.

Almost.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

“No I am not. And it’s your fault.”

“Me?!” She giggled “What did I do?”

“You know what you did.” He mumbled.

She could just imagine him sitting hunched over, arms crossed, pouting so she decided to help him out a little. She bit her lip and took a deep breath.

“You know.” She said softly “I’m not wearing any underwear.”

He was very quiet on the end of the phone but she could hear some movement before he spoke “Really?”

“Mhmmmmmmm.” She wasn’t actually wearing any underwear, just a large T-shirt she’d acquired from his room over the course of the last two weeks. She let a hand trail up her leg “I’m thinking about you.”

“What about me?”

“About how much I miss you. How I can’t wait to see you…how I can’t wait for you to fuck me.” She felt a redness come to her cheeks. Vince brought out a whole new side to her she didn’t even know existed and she was appalled at herself right now. She had never even thought about having phone sex before and yet here she was.

It may have also had something to do with the four glasses of wine she’d consumed but if anything, this conversation was sobering her up at an alarming rate.

He coughed on the other end “And how would you like me to do that?”

“Uhm how about everywhere? How many rooms are in your house?”

“Nine.” He answered a little too quickly “And a pool.”

“A pool? Now we’re talking.” She said lowly with a small giggle.

“FaceTime me.” he said softly “I wanna see you.”

“Uh uh. This is more fun. Are you thinking about me?”

Her voice was sweet on the other end of the phone and she had him so keyed up he was thankful he was alone “I’m always thinking about you.” He responded. It was true. He woke up with her on his mind and went to bed with her on his mind. But she was clouding other parts of his body now besides his brain.

“Do you miss me?” She asked.

“Yes.”

“How much? Cuz I miss you a whole lot.” Josie let her hand slide between her legs and let out a little gasp “She misses you too. She’s been so lonely since you’ve been gone, with no one to take care of her.”

Vince chuckled nervously on the other end of the phone “And what is she going to do about that?”

Josie rubbed her fingers over herself and squirmed a little “She’s so wet. I have no choice but to take care of her myself.”

She heard the distinct sound of a belt unbuckling and Vince adjusting himself in whatever he was sitting in and he cleared his throat “Tell me about it.” He sounded almost a little nervous and she wondered for a second if this was a first for him too, but now wasn’t the time to ask. She felt some confidence exuding now because for once she felt like they were on an even playing field in terms of sexual experience. Most often she felt like he had the upper hand, but today things felt even.

“When I get there next week she’s going to need all your attention.”

She heard his breath hitch on the other end of the phone “You know she’s gonna have it.” He murmured.

“I hope so. Because she’s been so empty, with no one to take care of her.” Her fingers felt good as the moved inside of her and while this whole thing was totally hot, it would have been better if he was here. But this was the best she was going to get.

“Are you touching yourself thinking of me?” She asked sweetly.

“Mhm. I wish it was you though.” His breath was heavy on the other end of the phone and it made Josie hot just thinking about it “Fuck.” He swore on the other end. His voice was ragged like his breathing and Josie too had reached her limit.

“Are you going to cum for me?” She whispered, fingers moving faster inside of her. She definitely was, but she was holding out until he did as well, just like when they had the real thing.

“Yes I-Jesus fuck.” He he ground out from the other end of the phone.

Josie closed her eyes, head falling back “Vince I-“ but the words died as they came out of her mouth. It wasn’t a mind blowing orgasm like she’d become accustomed to, but it was enough to get the job done. It did however bring her down to earth when she realized if things didn’t work with Vince, she might not find another person she had that connection with. But that thought went out the window when she heard him breathing heavily on the other end of the phone.

He was quiet for a few moments before he cleared his throat “Did you-uh-“

“Yes. Did you?” She waited with baited breath for a second before he answered.

“Yeah.” Then he laughed a little “First time for everything I guess.”

She breathed a long sigh of relief and then laughed a little herself “Glad I could pop your phone sex cherry.”

“Can we FaceTime now. I wanna see your face.”

She but her lip “Sure.”

The phone started to ring and Josie took a deep breath before she answered. Vince was a little flushed and disheveled on the other side of it, but he smiled when she answered. She looked down at her lap shyly before she looked back up at him.

“You.” He said brushing a strand of hair from his forehead “Are a very bad girl.”

“Only for you.” She winked and rolled to her side, propping the phone up on her nightstand so she could fold laundry and talk with him at the same time.

“So are you all packed?” He asked, eyes peering at her through the screen. She got lost in them for a second, although the camera didn’t do them justice, and then nodded.

“Half packed.” She turned the phone to show him her open suitcase “It’ll be here before you know it.”

“Yeah.” He said frowning a little with a small sigh.

“I’ll see you in a week okay?” She smiled reassuringly at him through the screen and he nodded.

“Yeah. I’ll pick you up from the airport?” He seemed troubled, eyebrows furrowed.

She nodded and gave him a tight smile, settling into her bed “Just wish you could come earlier is all.”

He actually missed her. Not just the sex part, if that was all it was he wouldn’t be flying her out to Canada for a week knowing his mom would be around. He could find someone at home for sex.

“Cheer up lover. It’s only 5 days. Then you have me for a whole week. That’s a lot of time for activities.” She wiggled her eyebrows and he laughed.

“Yeah you’re right. Next week is going to be exhausting. In more ways than one.”

She giggled and smiled at him “Anything for Lord Stanley. And you too of course.”

They chatted for a few more minutes, as she reminded him of her flight times before they said good night and hung up the phone.

He sighed and set his phone down on the table and leaned back in his seat, arms folded. Josie had turned him inside out and he had no idea how she’d even done it. He’d never really been opposed to have a girlfriend, but he’d also never really wanted one either.

And amidst all that here he was, flying a girl across the country and FaceTiming her goodnight.

Which is why he found himself sitting on his mom’s sofa a short while later.

“So mom. There’s something I wanna talk to you about.”

She froze in her seat across from him “Oh boy. I don’t like where this is heading.” She set down her cup and turned to him eyebrows raised.

“No it’s nothing bad. Just something…good I guess. Well it is good I just-“

“Vince.” She said smiling “What’s going on?”

“So next week on my day with the cup, I’m gonna have a friend from St.Louis fly in and she-“

“SHE?!” His mom said eyes lighting up “She! A girl?”

He rolled his eyes “Yes mom a girl. Anyways she-“

“A girlfriend or a ‘girlfriend’?” She asked air quoting.

“A gir-.” He frowned “Actually to be honest I have no idea. A girl…friend.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what that means, but tell me about her. What’s her name? What’s she like? How did you meet?”

He was definitely going to have to think something up for that last one because he couldn’t tell him mom that he’d taken her home an hour after he met her and then spent every night with her since then. She would yell at him for not being a gentleman but he also didn’t want that to impact the way she saw Josie either. He knew she was great, and he wanted her to think the same.

He couldn’t tell that to his mom.

“Her name is Josie. She’s great, I think you’ll really like her. And I met her out one day.”

She knew he was lying but she didn’t call him on it. He’d never asked but he was sure his mom had seen the photo of them that ended up online, and if she hadn’t he wasn’t going to start admitting to things now. Though he was an adult, technically, he went out of his way to keep his extra curricular activities private from everyone, but especially his mom. He suspected she knew about a lot of it, but it definitely wasn’t something they talked about.

“That’s it? That’s all you’re giving me?”

“I’ll let her tell you the rest. I don’t want to give away everything before she gets here.”

“Well you must really like her if you’re bringing her all the way here. This is a big week for you.”

He shrugged but she shook her head “No no. Don’t shrug at me. You don’t have to admit it, but I know that you wouldn’t fly her here if you didn’t like her…a lot.” She added at the end “But it’s your business. Either way. Looking forward to meeting her.”

***********

Josie usually slept flights away, but she was too amped to sleep. In just a few short hours she’d be seeing the guy she’d not known just over a months ago, but now she couldn’t imagine not knowing.

It was a little scary if she was being honest. Not Vince himself but everything that came with him. The recognition, the sport, the being a citizen of a whole other country.

Which was actually the scariest part to her.

What if Canadian Vince didn’t like her as much as St. Louis Vince did. What if when she got there he realized he’d rather have a girl from back home celebrating with him.

Was there a girl from back home?

She felt silly but the longer she sat on the plane the more she realized she was stepping into a place she’d never been, with people she didn’t know, to celebrate a trophy for a sport she’d never watched.

Given the opportunity she would have parachuted out of the plane but she didn’t think the pilot would be too understanding about her nerves. Though if he knew who she was flying out to see, he might.

The plane was fairly empty, and she had no seat mates on either side, which left her to anxiously bounce her knee without disturbing anyone.

There was too much cloud cover for her to really see anything. Canada would be a complete surprise and for a few minutes her excitement overrode her anxiety.

That was until the plane hit the runway and she felt like she was going to puke. The flight attendant glanced at her and did a double take, holding out a bag.

“Ma’am your green. Are you gonna throw up?” She leaned back a little bit.

“What? No I’m okay. Just…I’m okay.”

“Right…well maybe you should take this anyway.” She pushed the bag forward again and Josie took it.

“Have a good time!” The attendant called “Don’t throw up!” She said pointing at her.

Josie laughed and exited the plane, locating the baggage claim and grabbing her suitcase, when she felt her phone ding.

V: Let me know when your at the doors. I’m parked outside

She started typing to respond as she exited the doors and got a face full of sunlight, blinding her from seeing two feet in front of her.

J:I’m outside. Marco!

“Polo.” She heard from behind her.

She turned and standing some feet away, was Vince leaning against a black BMW, smiling at her. He was just as beautiful as she remembered, and as he had been the first time she’d ever seen him. His smiled widened as she made her way to him. It seemed like it took ages to reach him, her heart beating just a little bit faster with each step. As she came within a foot of him, she dropped her suitcase and he pulled her into a very hot, wet, long kiss right there in the airport parking lot. She wasn’t sure what to expect if she was being honest. In St. Louis everyone had already seen them making out on the news, but this was his home field and she wasn’t sure if he wanted to be kissing her so openly in public.

When he pulled away she was looking at him surprised.

“What?”

“Nothing, just didn’t know if you wanted people to see us making out in the airport parking lot.”

He chuckled and grabbed her stuff “I’m a Stanley cup champion I can do what I want.” He said opening the trunk and putting her bag inside. She felt a little lurch in her stomach as he slid past her to open the passenger door, hand sliding across her lower abdomen as he guided her into it and then shut the door. He’d had his hands on every part of her body and a little touch on the wait was doing her in. She took a deep breath trying to will away the redness that came to her face as he made his way around the car and slid in. She couldn’t believe how nervous she was. But then he turned and smiled at her and she remembered they’d already done a plethora of sexual things in various places and she relaxed a little bit.

“Ready?” He asked brightly, starting the car and turning to her.

“I think so. Unless you’re sick of me already.”

“Sick of you? Never.” He backed out of his spot and left the parking area of the airport. As he drove she saw the buildings start to fade away little by little and they were replaced by some of the most beautiful scenery she’d ever seen.

“So this is Canada?” He glanced over to find Josie peering out of the window smiling a little “The view sure beats down town St. Louis.”

He smiled a little bit and shrugged “Yeah maybe. But Canada doesn’t have you so I guess that makes it even.”

Josie rolled her eyes and blushed “That was so cheesy.”

“I couldn’t help it. It’s true though.” She looked so good after not seeing her for a week. She always looked good, but he realized now how much he actually liked her. And he was pretty sure she felt the same considering that she’d flown all this way to see him for only a week.

“On a scale of 1 to 10 how likely am I to see a Moose?” She asked still leaned forward.

“Probably pretty likely, but I should warn you to not try and pet them. Not the friendliest. And actually just don’t pet any of the wild animals you come across. There’s not many friendly things running around the forests in Canada.”

“I guess I can only find friendly things from Canada on Ice then.”

“Ha ha.” He said with a smile and watched her, watch the outside.

“It’s beautiful here.” she commented glancing at him “I have no clue where I am, but it’s beautiful nonetheless.” The trees were so thick Josie couldn’t even see through them as they made their way down the road. She hadn’t seen a car since they left the airport.

“It is.” He was quiet for a minute before he spoke again “So….is it okay if I kill you?”

Josie turned slowly to look at him for a full 10 seconds before she burst out laughing “Sure. Just make sure I still look good for the open casket if you wouldn’t mind.”

“Okay deal.” He reached a hand over to rest it on her leg “It’s really nice to have you here.”

“It’s nice to be here. I like getting to see where you come from.” She sounded genuine, and she smiled at him, resting her hand on top of his “Thanks for bringing me on my first Canadian adventure.”

“Hopefully with any luck it won’t be your last. Just stay away from the Moose.”

**********

Josie could see now that Vince was just as popular here as he was in Missouri as she followed him along through the place there meeting his friends and family. She hadn’t even had a chance to unpack her stuff, which was still in his trunk, but she was excited to meet them and get it over with. He didn’t know it, and she wouldn’t tell him but her nerves were a live wire.

He made her nervous that first night but that was nothing compared to this.

“Come here.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her forward behind him through the crowd.

“Mom. This is Josie, Josie this is my mom.” Vince’s mom was smiling at her and waved away her outstretched hand and hugged her instead “It’s nice to meet you, I wish I could say I’ve heard so much about you but Vince only just told me you were coming yesterday and won’t give me any details.” She smiled cheekily at him and then looked back at her.

Josie looked at him for guidance. She wasn’t about to tell his mom that they’d met in a bar and he’d taken her home and had sex half the night.

“We met out one night after the cup.” He said smiling at her “Schwartzy spilled a drink on her.”

“Mr. Stanley Cup Champion over here swooped in like Batman and saved the day.” She gave him a nudge “My hero.”

“I do what I can.” He said with a shrug, but smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist.

The rest of the day went great. She was a bit all around. His friends and family kept pulling him aside to tell him how great she was, which he knew of course. He watched her as she interacted with friends of his, when he felt his mom at his shoulder.

“She’s lovely.” His mom said as she looked at Josie talking with them, laughing like she’d known them for years “And so gorgeous.”

Vince nodded “She is right?”

“How did you meet her again?”

Vince bit his lip and looked at his mom who continued “Because I vaguely recall someone sending me a photo of you kissing some girl that wound up on the news. That would happen to be her would it?”

“Uhm.” He glanced at Josie and then his mom and gave her his best smile, one he usually used to get himself out of trouble “That’s actually from when I met her.”

His smiled faded a little when his mom looked at him flatly. That smile never worked with her “Uh huh. Well maybe next time just think about who you’re kissing after you win a major trophy and remember, the internet is forever.” Then she smiled “You seem happy.”

He nodded “I am. She’s great, and I really like being around her.”

“I would hope so. You flew her all the way out here. You don’t fly someone you don’t like into another country.”

He shrugged “I do. But…I don’t know just seeing what happens I guess.”

“Hmmmm.” She pursed her lips and smiled glancing at him.

“Knock it off.” He said bumping his mom’s shoulder.

“I’m just saying. You seem different with her is all. None of my business.” She pinched his side and wandered away giving him a long pointed look as she did. He squeezed through people saying hello as he did, and found her sliding her glass to the bartender.

“You’re popular.” He said into her ear, one hand reaching forward to grip hers. She smiled at him and felt redness come to her cheeks, both from the wine and from him holding her hand in front of his family.

“Just like back home. I’m sorry you’re so lame and no one wants to talk with you.” She made a pouty lip at him and squeezed his hand. He rolled his eyes, smile widening.

She looked so good in Canada, in a bar with his family and friends, her white dress bright against her tan skin.

“Let’s get out of here. You have two weeks worth of phone sex and dirty texting to make good on.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. They said their goodbyes and much to her delight, he never let go of her hand, and they made their way into his car, driving mostly in silence, and then into his house. It was dark and late, and the sounds of the night could be heard from everywhere as he unlocked his front door and she stepped past him and inside. She heard him shut the door and lock it and a ripple of excitement started to creep through her, sending an electric current into every nerve in her body.

“So.” He said from behind her, causing her to turn. He was half illuminated, half in shadow as he dropped her bag by the door “Which room do you wanna start in?”

She grinned and took a step back “Catch me and find out.”

[harrywavycurly]

Sarah I’m obsessed with SC!!!! I’m dying to see some girl talk between us and Kathy about Harry👀❤️❤️

Hiiii lovey!!! Ohhh this is such a fun request!! I love girl talk between besties that’s when allllllllll the juicy bits get discussed!! So i hope you like this and I’m so happy you’re liking the series!!💖

-find all things Southern Comfort here✨

CW: This conversation talks about wanting slightly rougher sex.

A/N: You and Kathy are having a wine and baking night and Kathy is asking all the important questions, enjoy✨

“So how’s it feel to finally have Harry be your actual boyfriend? It’s been what?….two weeks now?” “Oh lord Kathy it feels so nice it’s been a good two weeks��but it took him so damn long…I don’t think he’s ever actually asked anyone to be his girlfriend before…bless his heart.” “I mean…he does just kinda look like that so….” “He may look like that but that doesn’t mean he gets to just get away with being dumb.” “That’s true…so…you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to be I’m dying to know…how is he?” “You know he’s oddly very…I don’t wanna say too gentle but honestly…he touches me like he thinks I’m made of glass and it’s shocking.” “Like…he’s gentle as in he just takes his time or-” “oh he takes his time…my honey ain’t ever in a rush no matter what he’s doing but I mean…he just hasn’t even smacked my ass or even given my hair a little tiny tug.” “Okay what about the hand thing with the choking?” “Girl if he hasn’t even given my ass a hit you think this man has put his hand around my throat? Come on now…I’m tellin you…it’s like he thinks he’s gonna break me of something I don’t know.” “Maybe…he just wants the first few times to be special? Like…sexy and sensual and stuff?” “Maybe?…don’t get me wrong now….it is great…like really great.” “Makes you all dumb and numb afterwards?” “Kathryn!” “What? I’ve had sex before! I have proof of it he’s just as his dad’s.” “I mean…yeah pretty much..I gotta lay there and remember where I’m at and stuff.” “Damn…he have any friends?” “Oh I’m meeting his friend Niall on Saturday want me to see if he’s up to your standards? He’s Irish.” “Irish? Sounds fun…but you do know you can tell Harry you’re okay with things being a little…rougher right? You don’t need him to be the one to bring it up.” “How do I even go about that? I just don’t wanna scare him off.” “He has songs about how freaky he is…you won’t scare him..honestly I think he treats you the way he does in the bedroom because he’s still scared of losing you…so he doesn’t want to do anything that’ll upset you and maybe that includes pulling your hair and smacking your ass…so just…tell him you like it..communication is important when it comes to sex.” “That’s true..bless him he is so scared he’s gonna lose me…he is so precious oh I could just eat him up!” “Maybe you should?” “I have…he liked it.” “Good…but really just talk to him.” “Okay I’ll see how to bring it up to him without just downright saying toss me around a bit…” “oh to be a fly on the wall for that conversation…oh how long do theses cupcakes bake? Are they burning?” “No..I’ll smell them when they’re done…what? It’s a thing I swear.” “So…tell me more about Niall…”

[ramblingautisticman]

Advent Day 15! A special one for you all!

A Gift In The Making

Chapter 2 - A Weekly Tradition

Summary : Logan has a problem. What the fuck does he get Wade for Christmas?

(Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3.)

(Link the the A03 version in the title! I'll be updating next on Christmas Day (maybe Christmas Eve too..) Hope yall enjoy!)

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

It was saturday, which meant Laura would be coming over for- what Wade called- family dinner. Logan honestly looked forward to these little get togethers every week, it was a nice chance to catch up with Laura while having a decent meal.

And this saturday's family dinner was going to be important, because this saturday's family dinner was going to help him with his issue.

You see, Logan had a plan. A good one.

During their dinner, he was going to casually ask everyone what they wanted for Christmas. If he asked Laura or Al- even if their presents had already been bought- he was positive that Wade would chime in with he wanted. It had to work! Then Logan would know what to get! It was a fool proof plan- atleast- it was in theory.

Of course, that didn't quiet happen. Not exactly.

Laura had shown up at the apartment with Al, Logan finished cooking up this weeks dish- a chicken pot pie with roast potatoes and vegetables- and they had all sat down at the table to eat, casual conversation quickly starting after they tucked in.

"So, how has school been Laura? How are they treating ya at the mansion?" Logan asked, a small smile on his face as he glanced up at her over the food. It had been bittersweet when Laura had told him she wanted to move into the mansion and go to school at Xavier's. On one hand, he knew it was the best place for her. She would get a great education and learn to hone her skills. The other hand though- well- that's where his past came back to haunt him.

He couldn't help but feel like something bad would happen to her while she was there, and he wouldn't be able to help. It had happened before, so why wouldn't it happen again? Wade had helped with the whole panicking if he thought about it thing, and Laura had assured him that if there was ever trouble Logan was the first person she would call. It still made him alittle anxious, but she seemed happy there and that was enough for Logan.

"Oh- pretty good actually. I'm passing all my classes with like mostly A's, and Professor Scott said I'll probably be top of my Combat class." She said, smiling right back up at him as she finished swallowing a potatoe. "And yes, you ask everytime, seriously Da-Logan..I'm fine! They are all very nice! You really do need to come over at some point...they are having a New Year's party I think..maybe you and Wade can come." She suggested, looking away embarrassed at her near miss.

She still hadn't called Logan 'Dad' yet, but she was getting their. Her and Logan were getting there. Laura was still getting used to having a parental (well, two with Wade) figure, and Logan was still getting used to being someone's parental figure. It would take awhile before they were both used to it, but they were doing pretty good so far.

Logan went to respond, to quickly shut down the idea of going and seeing those old friends he really wished to avoid, but before he could managed to- like alot of other times since he moved to this universe- Wade beat him too it.

"Ah! Your both so adorable- lil father daughter conversations! Also yes, we will be there! I promise! We can bring you back with us! We can go out and get some lunch the next day before your classes start back up again!" Wade rambled excitedly, earning a small chuckle from Logan.

Okay, he wasn't really excited about having to go to the mansion, but Laura wanted him too and with Wade there? Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Plus, he had awhile to prepare himself. "Yeah...yeah okay, but we won't stay the whole time. Don't think I can deal with Scott that long." He said with a chuckle, smirking slightly at Laura before eating another vegetable off his plate.

"Perfect! Oooo- are they having a Christmas party? Do they do that? I mean, some of the kids don't have parents and homes they can go back too right? They have Christmas for those kids?" Wade asked, quickly turning from excited to concerned that kids might not celebrate at the mansion.

Logan quickly shut that down though. "They did in my universe. We did Hanukkah too for the few Jewish kids we had, and whatever else the kids celebrated. I'm sure they do here Wade, don't worry." He said gently, hoping to calm Wade down. Logan knew what he was like- if someone didn't say the kids got Christmas- he would probably start crying.

"Is that all you talk about bitch?" Al mutterd, quickly starting a little debate between her and Wade about 'the important of the Christmas spirit' and about how it 'isn't even December yet motherfucker!'.

Logan and Laura couldn't help but share a small laugh as they continued to eat, just watching as the argument unfolded.

Wade really was adorable when he got passionate like this. Wade took every chance he could to talk about anything and everything Christmas- and Logan realised that as the argument settled down- this was the perfect segway for what he wanted to ask.

"Talking of christmas- what's everyone wantin'? Laura? You have anything on ya list?" He asked as nonchalantly as he could, putting his cutlery down and turning his full attention to Laura.

She shrugged in response, continuing with her meal as she spoke. "Not much...maybe some stuff for school? Pens and notebooks and stuff like that? Clothes?" Laura spoke in an unenthusiastic tone, glancing up between Logan and Wade, then looking back down to her plate.

"Come on- you don't want anything exciting? Anything in particular? We can get you school supplies and clothing any time you want or need Mini Peanut! Come on, what is something you want? Not need." Wade asked, neglecting his own meal to now violently wave his hands around as he spoke.

"Yeah, Laura, honey, there has to be something you want! Make sure it's big and expensive! They can't say no to you!" Al chimed in, smirking alittle as she went back to her meal, Laura glancing up at her and smirking back.

Logan really wanted Laura to accept she could ask for things she needed- even things she wanted- and they were making slow process. She pointed out things she liked in the mall when they went, but always refused when anyone offered to get it for her. Luckily, Wade had made a small list of things she had hinted at wanting and they had bought her a few things, but they wanted to get her something she really wanted.

"I guess...I guess a sketchbook would be cool- Miss Ororo said my art was good..and she said I could use her one she wasn't using- but it'd be cool to...to have my own drawing stuff.." Laura muttered, eyes still glued to her plate of nearly finished food.

"You like art?" Logan asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. She had never mentioned that. Sure, Laura had doodle on Wade's hand a few times when they were out and she got anxious, but he never really thought much of it. It was clearly something she was alittle insecure about, but Logan was glad she finally mentioned something.

Laura went to answer, but Wade was clearly too excited for that, so Logan watched as Laura quickly shut her mouth to let him talk. "That is amazing! I think we can manage something like that! Our little artist!" He said dramatically, Laura clearly easing up alittle at Wade being Wade, her and Logan chuckling in sync at his antics. Al couldn't help but laugh alittle too, even if she acted like Wade annoyed her, she did love her little family.

"Yeah, sure we can get you some drawing stuff- and seriously- if you need school supplies or new clothes, just tell us. Even if you just want something, tell us." Logan said, a small smile on his face as he looked over to Al. "And what about you Al? What do you want for Christmas?" He asked, that smile still on his face as he looked over at the women.

"Wade to shut up for more than 5 seconds would be nice!" She said with no real heat behind her words, as she playfully smacked said man's arm. It caused Wade to gasp loudly, placing a hand on his heart as if it was deeply offensive. Even if she couldn't see it, Al knew what he was doing.

"That and a new TV. Mine is on the fritz. Seriously- how am I ment to watch my shows when the goddamn audio is cutting in and out?" She asked, clearly annoyed at the situation she found herself in. Logan and Wade both looked at eachother with a fond smile, glad they had been right about what she had wanted, a brand new TV already wrapped and ready in their spare room.

Logan stared at Wade for a second longer before speaking again, taking a deep breath before asking the person he had really wanted too. "You Wade? What do you want? Sure Laura and Al wanna know what insane shit they need to buy you." He teased, hoping it wouldn't make Wade realise what he was doing.

Wade just smiled at him, and said in a very soft voice, that all he wanted was "A good christmas with my perfect family."

Which was nice. Really nice and sweet- and it made Logan's heart flutter for a second- but how the fuck was that helpful? How was that meant to help Logan?

Before he knew it, the conversation had moved on too a different topic, and once again Logan was sat thinking about what Wade would actually want. What Wade deserved.

Eventually Laura and Al left, and Wade was stood in the kitchen stacking up the plates in the sink for Logan to inevitably end up cleaning the following morning. Logan watched him with a small frown. Why didn't Wade just say something helpful? Tell him what he wanted? Wade loved asking Logan for things! Whenever Wade dragged him to the mall or to go shopping he was also pointing at things, begging Logan to buy them for him. So why wouldn't he say anything earlier?

"So, you want a good Christmas with your perfect family? Is that all?" He asked softly, slowly stepping behind Wade, placing his hands onto the others waist and resting his head on Wade's shoulder. Logan felt the other man's hum and nod, laughing alittle at the response. "That's it? No rare Hello Kitty figures? No new marshmallow squish things?" He asked, smiling softly up at Wade as he kissed his cheek.

"Nope. Just want this Christmas to go perfect. As perfect as I can pull of perfect anyway. Plus- I like getting other people gifts more than getting my own! It's fun! Wrapping them all up, writing the little messages...which you might need to help me with alittle...and getting to watch there face light up! It's the best part!" Wade said happily, turning around and pulling Logan up so he was standing properly. "Promise, that's all I want."

Logan nodded alittle and couldn't help but let his smile grow at the answer. It was such a Wade answer. He was always so selfless- even if he didn't admit it- and the one thing he wanted was making other people happy.

Logan knew, as he looked down at Wade with a smile, exactly what he was getting him for Christmas.

[dollywheeler]

October 23th, 1996

Dear diary,

Let’s see - the last few days have kind of been a blur.

I don’t think I did anything particularly interesting, just following my routine - same old same old. I had to spend all of Sunday catching up on my homework, so nothing special happened there. Mike let me take his old guitar home, though, and the reading for English class is going a lot better now I can alternate chapters of Walden with a moment of playing music. My Oasis tape has been running non-stop.

Cheer practice is going fine - the routines are a bit easier now so I’m having less trouble. I try to practice the harder ones as often as possible, but I still haven’t found a solution for practicing the jumps on my own.

Oh! I almost forgot - On Sunday, I watched Dracula! Danny recommended it and I wanted to watch something while finishing my homework. It was too good - I had to pause it and rush to finish my homework so I could watch it properly; This is exactly why I usually play something I’ve already seen.

I wish we could have watched it together though, but we’ve both been so busy we’ve barely had the chance to spend time together. Whenever he doesn’t have basketbal practice, I have cheer or babysitting, or he has to work at the diner. Mrs. Benson is doing a lot better, at least, so I don’t have to go over as often. Danny joins us for lunch most days, though, and I try to come to the diner as much as possible - it’s nice, just being able to talk to him, even if it’s in snippets between him serving the other customers. Christy doesn’t seem to mind it too much, either, as long as Danny doesn’t leave anyone waiting for too long.

Still, I hope we can go on an actual date again soon.

Mom already hinted at having him over for dinner and I’m… Not sure how to feel about that.

I mean, Danny’s great and I’m sure Dad will like him - I already know mom does because she can’t stop raving about our homecoming pictures. She went to pick them up from the developer on Monday and though I do look terrible in a lot of them, there’s some really cool pictures as well - ANYWAY, what I was trying to say (write? Whatever) was that it feels weird to have him over for dinner with the family.

I was too young to remember the first time Jonathan joined us for dinner - if he ever did before they both went off to college - so it’s not like I can look to my older sister for an example.

Lord knows Mike never brought a girl home.

What I’m trying to say is - I have no idea how Mom and Dad are gong to act. Especially dad - there’s a big enough gap between me and Nancy that I’m sure dad is going to have to get used to his daughter dating all over again.

I might call Nancy and ask for advice - if she has the time, of course. She’s so busy lately running all over the place. When I called on Saturday she said they’d be coming back to the US on Tuesday, but it wouldn’t be the first time their stay got extended. I’ll probably just wait on her to call over the weekend, just in case.

I don’t know what else to write about really, but I’m at the diner and a table in the back is staring at me. I don’t know why - I know their faces but not their names. Pretty sure one used to be the school’s librarian before he retired a few years ago. I see him and the woman he’s talking to around town sometimes, walking dogs, or here at the diner drinking coffee and gossiping as they are now. Most residents always follow everything going on around them, and I’m sure they recognise me in turn from seeing me around one too many times, but today I swear they’ve been looking at me specifically for way too long.

So, I took out my diary and started writing so it seems like I’m not bothered and can’t hear what they’re saying.

It’s strangely unsettling. I don’t know - they seem judgemental, and I feel judged, though for the life of me I can’t figure out why. I’m not doing anything different. I don’t look anything different - I’m not wearing anything special. Sure, I’ve been talking to Danny a lot because it’s so calm today, but it’s not like we’re being particularly loud.

Pretty sure I just heard them say “the Byers kid” - which is strange, because a, I’m not a Byers, and b, I’m not my brother - hell, we don’t even look alike.

I didn’t even realise they knew who I was, let alone who my brother’s friends are. Anyway, it’s weird how hung-up they are about Mike and Will’s return to Hawkins - I mean, it’s been more than two months, and they were only gone for - what? Seven? Ish? Years? I don’t even know.

I guess that’s the one downfall from living in a small town.

Most of the time it’s an advantage - like havig to go to the post office during the summer and getting to chat with Dylan while she works, or feeling completely at home in a diner because you know every face there. It’s nice knowing your neighbours and your neighbour’s neighbours in turn.

Like last week, with Mrs. Benson, I heard soooo many stories about the people around town. And sure, it’s gossip which isn’t always nice, but more often than not it’s just keeping everyone updated. It’s how we all show we care - how else would Mom know who’s in desperate need of a casserole or a plate of cookies?

That sounds like a hyperbole or whatever - Mike would probably know the perfect term - but it’s more relevant than one might think.

Plenty people don’t know to ask for help - like Mrs. Benson - and they’re just waiting on people to offer it.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from mom, is that more often than not overbearing is just bearing enough.

Anyway, Daniel and his mom are new to town too, but no one’s talking about that anymore either. Now I think about it, it is weird that people seem more hung-up about them than Danny. I mean, Danny and his mom are total outsiders - even if they only came from a few towns over - but at least Mike and Will are known strangers. They came back, which isn’t unheard of.

Mr. Howard, our PE teacher, for example, moved back in his thirties to take care of his ailing father. His father is still kicking around, by the by, even though he’s been back for almost twenty years now. Anyway, even though he’d been gone for seventeen years, everyone acted like he’d simply never left.

Max’ mom, on the other hand, still often gets reminded that she’s not from here, though it’s less obvious because the residents of the trailer park are used to people coming and going more than Suburbians, and also because she at least was here for ’86.

Now I think about it, it’s bothering me more and more.

I’ve always felt like I’m missing something - it’s often clear mom and Mike are talking around me - but I always just assumed it’s them being weird about Mike’s degree. That’s the one thing dad brings up sometimes when it’s about Mike, right before mom sends him a warning glare with pointed eyes at me. I don’t know - I get dad wanted us to do something practical, or at least, Mike, because dad has plenty of opinions on Nancy’s career as well. But he’s from a previous time, and honestly why Nancy wants to work so bad, I don’t understand.

Anyway, this took a turn.

I really keep getting carried away with these things.

The people are still there, but they seemed to have moved on conversationally, and it’s about time I head home anyway. I’m just going to say goodbye to Daniel and get going so I’m back in time for dinner.

Love, Holly

[onlygenxhere]

A conversation between me, @innytoes, @missjoolee, @floating-in-the-blue, and @jatp-spinsb about that grindr post that went around a while ago about needing a screwdriver and not a hookup has led to a Juke version of that prompt. (I didn't think there was one) I'm not sure what to call it.

It was a lazy Saturday morning and Julie was cooking herself some bacon and eggs scrolling through the dating app Flynn had talked her into installing last night after her third glass of wine.

When the talk had turned to how long it had been since she’d been laid her best friend had insisted this new app was the way to break her dry spell. It was marketed as a dating app but was more popular for being the hetero version of grinder. On the plus side the men couldn’t message the women till they messaged them first. It was sexist as hell but when it came to a possible hookup Julie appreciated it.

She sighed as she swiped left on a guy that listed sky diving as one of his favorite hobbies. “Hell to the no.” She muttered under her breath.

She’d actually forgotten all about the app until her do not disturb turned off at nine and her phone started pinging that there were a few matches within the default radius of two miles.

She paused on a pretty cute guy that seemed to be a little too fond of his admittedly nice arms when the smell of her bacon burning finally pulled her attention back to her breakfast that was about to be ruined.

“Shit!” She dropped her phone on the table and only halfway noticed Dahlia, her cat, jumping up as she moved to save her bacon from ruin.

“Dahlia down!” She scolded over her shoulder as she turned the stove off and pulled the bacon out, laying it on a paper towel.

The cat ignored her of course, continuing to sniff at her phone, as she went about making herself a sandwich with her eggs and bacon.

She took a bite and moaned happily as she sat back down, pushing Dahlia’s nose away from her still open screen and froze.

Apparently the cat had sent the guy with the arms a message and he had replied.

Several times….

Me Ooo kiiiop

Luke Oh thank god Hi Hey I’m not actually looking for a date or hook up right this moment Not that your picture isn’t gorgeous But my bathroom sink is currently overflowing and what I really need is a flat head screwdriver I’m not sure if I have enough towels to keep my apartment from flooding. Hello?

Well shit. If his apartment was anything like hers there wasn’t a universal cut off so he’d have to wait for maintenance to get there and, again, if it was like hers, he could be anywhere from a few minutes to a few days showing up.

She checked his location and saw he was literally on the next block over and sighed. Guess she was going to get her good deed out of the way for the day.

Me Be there in five

She wolfed down her sandwich as she pulled out her little tool kit her tia had gifted her when she moved in, grabbed an armful of towels and her keys and was out the door in record time jogging down the block in her bare feet.

She was headed up the steps of Mr. arms, sorry, Luke’s building when her phone pinged twice.

Luke You’re a life saver Apartment 3C

“Of course you live on the third floor.” She grumbled as she started to climb. Realizing halfway up she didn’t have a bra on. At least her tank wasn’t white.

She banged at 3C’s door with her elbow three times as she tried to catch her breath before it was jerked open and she nearly fell in.

Her first thought was maybe he had a right to be proud of those arms because his profile picture hadn’t done them justice.

He also hadn’t been soaking wet in that picture.

Floppy brown hair curling around his forehead and dripping down his face, pajama pants hanging low on narrow hips and a sleeveless t-shirt plastered to an equally impressive torso.

“Oh thank god!” He grabbed the towels and the toolbox out of her hands and rushed down the hall. “Come on in!”

She took a steadying breath as she stepped inside the apartment. It looked much like her own with only a small sofa, books and a decent sized tv in the small living room. But where she had her piano by her balcony door, he had an amp and guitar.

Julie shook her head and moved down the hall to the bathroom curious how bad the situation was.

She tried not to laugh as she peaked around the corner. There were wet towels everywhere and a literal spray of water coming out from under one of the faucets. Luke was on the floor with her screwdriver turning something she couldn’t see.

Whatever he was doing seemed to be working because the deluge of water started to slow and then stop.

He sat up with a sigh, pushing his wet hair off his face and smiled at her. “All better.”

She felt a throb between her legs and her nipples tighten. Fuck, that smile should come with a warning label.

“Glad I could help.” She smiled back at him as she casually crossed her arms over her chest.

He stood up, that smile never wavering and placed her screwdriver back in the little tool kit. He clicked it closed and passed it to her. “Can I buy you breakfast or something?” He seemed to finally be looking at her, probably noticing her lack of shoes, her flannel shorts and her tank top that she definitely had a bra on under. “Or can I make you breakfast?”

She shrugged. “Do you have a dryer?”

“What?” He laughed.

She waved at the mountain of wet towels all over the floor.

“Ah, no.” He sighed. “I’ll have to take them to the laundromat later.”

She bit her lip. This was probably a bad idea, or a really really good one. “I have a dryer.”

“Yeah?” He took a step toward her, his eyes twinkling in interest. “I already owe you for the screwdriver and now you’re offering the use of your dryer too. I’m gonna have to take you to dinner or something.”

She could swear his eyes dropped to her lips as she licked them. “Or something.”

He took another step toward her, forcing her to tilt her head up to meet his eyes.

She let her arms drop to her sides as he slid a hand around her waist ever so slowly, giving her all the time in the world to back up or say something.

Talking was not on her mind right now. All she could think about was that wet torso pressing against her thin tank top as he pulled her tight against his chest, and how she owed Dahlia a saucer of milk for her accidental text.

“Hi.” He breathed across her lips. “I’m Luke.”

“Julie.” She whispered as he closed the distance between them.

[wolfpackenthusiast]

Foxie

Pairing: Embry Call x Fox!F!Reader

Summary: r is a fox shifter, and Embry imprints!

A/N: maybe multiple parts debating on what u guys want or how ts goes.. and sorry i haven’t poster in a while! I went on a little trip to Europe but mow i’m BACKK!!

You’re a fox shifter, and you just moved to Washington. You don’t really have any enemies like the vampires and werwolves, your kind are pretty chill, there isn’t much history behind fox shifters, it just started from religion and happened to be true!

Your fur is exactly like a foxes, bright red with white, and unlike the wolves, you’re a normal size maybe even smaller since you’re still a teenager.

You moved in with one of your close friends, she was a normal person, but she was aware that you’re a shifter, since you two grew up together, and you didn’t know how to keep a secret back then.

You two got an apartment close to La Push, it didn’t seem too bad to live nearby, since there wasn’t many people who lived near here, so the beach wasn’t too crowded on warm, sunny days!

You two’re taking a break from setting things up in the apartment you two share, so you went to this little souvenir shop nearby, just to take a look at what they had to offer.

“GIRL, LOOK!!” Kyara, your friend shout-whispered, pointing to two tall, muscular guys, just fooling around in the shop.

“Girl, there’s no way they’re single, look at them!” You shout-whispered back a bit too loudly, making one of the boys eyes land on yours.

At that moment.. you felt this… pull, to him, who the hell was he?

“Bro! He’s staring right at you!!” Kyara pointed out.

“…sorry.” You choked out, feeling a But embarrassed now that you’ve been caught, the boy just laughed

“All good.”

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

“y/n, you’re smiling like a schoolgirl with a crush right now,” Kyara joker.

“Shut up!! He’s a sweet guy okay, i do really like him..” You said defensively, ever since that day in the souvenir shop, you’ve been talking to Embry a lot lately, always texting and calling.

“Has he asked you out yet?” Kyara asked eagerly.

“Nope.” You said, obviously disappointed, she didn’t want to ask first just in case he was just being nice and only looking for a friend.

“bummer, you ever gonna tell him you’re a shifter?” Kyara asked

“Maybe if we actually get farther than friends.” You sulked, flopping onto the couch, with your phone above your face.

—————————————

You were in your fox form, just trotting through a forest, but then..

You saw a MASSIVE wolf!

“oh! They must be a shifter, too. Wolves usually arent that large.” You thought.

The wolf had gray fur with some black spots, pretty. When you looked into their eyes, you felt that same pull you did when you first met Embry.

You trotted towards the wolf, it was a lot bigger then you, but you didn’t feel scared, you felt safe.

Was this wolf.. Embry?

As the skies got darker, you went off back home, would it be weird to ask him if he was a werwolf?? What if he wasn’t?? What would he think of you then??

Once you got back home, you put some clothes on and hot comfortable, Kyara was out with Embry’s friend, Quil! Silly how you two met Embry and Quil at the same time but they’ve gotten farther than you and Embry, what a shame.

While in thought, your phone buzzed, it was Embry.

Can we talk?

Yea of course.

Meet me at First Beach.

Wait.. in person?? Usually you two talk on the phone. So in person was a bit sudden, but you didn’t mind, it was just Embry after all.

You got to first beach, and soon you saw the one and only, Embry Call.

“Hey, so what’d you wanna talk about?” You asked, curious.

“Are you aware of the Quileute legends?” He asked, thats a such a random question.

“Uhm, not really, no.”

“Oh.”

Was she supposed to know?? She moved here not too long ago, how would she?

“I want you to come to a bonfire this Saturday, you free?” He adked

“Uhh, yeah i believe so, can Kyara come?” There’s no way you could go without your best friend!

“Yeah, that’s fine, me ‘nd Quil will pick you guys up at six.” He said

And then the next day, Saturday, they picked you guys up at six, that was the most chaotic car ride ever!

Soon, they got to the bondfire, it was pretty chaotic already, you met the rest of their little group, they were nice.. for the most part.

And then, Billy, Jacob’s father, was telling the Quileute legends, and everything seemed to click.

You’re Embry’s imprint, he was a shifter, just like you! Well.. maybe a different animal, but definitely a shifter!

Once the “stories” were dine, you turned to your friend

“There’s no way,” you breathed out.

Kyara grabbed your shoulders, shaking you a bit violently.

“THEY’RE SHIFTERS!!” Kyara said, she found this really cool

“Yup- super cool!-“ You said, trying to get kyara to let you go.

Soon, Quil came, dragging her off to talk, leaving you alone.

You were eating a burger when Embry came up to you.

“Here to kidnap me like Quil did Kyara?” You joked, burger still in hand.

“Yup.” He responded, grabbing your habd abd leading you off to a more secluded area in the forest.

“You know i’m a shifter now, right?” Embry asked, looking for confirmation.

You nodded

“And that you’re my imprint.”

You nodded again.

“So.. what’s your decision? Do you wanna be friends.. lovers, want me as your bodyguard?” He asked awkwardly, trying to joke around a little.

“Mmh, well, i mean, i really do like you, Em, i’d love to be your girlfriend, but it’s your final call.” You said

Without a word, Embry brought you into a bear hug, spinning you around. “I was hoping you’r say that.” He said with a smile.

“Question.” you spoke up, and he was all ears.

“Do you know about other shifters?”you asked

“I’ve heard of them, never really seen one before, though, maybe a fox once.” Embry said, he wasnMt sure if you were the fox he saw that day, but he was 99% sure it was you, he’s about to find out.

“Well, that was me!..” you awkwardly giggling, scratching your hair.

“Had a feeling it was,” Embry said, his smile still on his face. “Well, my heart’s all yours, better take care of it, Foxie.” He joked

“Oh you bet i will, Wolfie!”

[emeritusemeritus]

Can I request studying with GoF twins for a new project they’re working on? Like with witty or flirty remarks before they start getting carried away? Just some fluffy young love. It sounds nice

You know GOF twins is my weak spot, that long hair has me drooling every time 🖤

Warnings: flirty banter, implied sexual remarks, mentions of underwear, teasing. More than friends, not quite lovers. Georgie is beautiful when he blushes. Fred has no chill.

Words: 1k

Questions Questions.

It's Saturday evening in the Gryffindor common room and for once it's pretty quiet, with most of the students third year and up still at Hogsmeade. Naturally, the twins and you had crept out earlier that morning through the passageways you knew like the back of your hand to Zonkos, before the rush of the school trip began. They needed some things for whatever they were working on, a new invention they were excited about, something you were trying to help them with.

It was peaceful now, the fire roaring, the proximity between you and the twins. You'd been best friends for years, practically since the moment you stepped onto the Hogwarts Express for the first time and it was no secret that you'd gotten a little closer with the twins over the years, your relationship changing as you got older.

"Can you invent anything that makes Ron's robes look not-nauseating to the female population?" You joke, leaning across to watch Fred's nimble fingers messing about with the contraption he was building. Fred pauses, letting out a belly laugh and George giggles along, face scrunching up in the cutest way.

"Ha! 'Fraid not princess," Fred says with a smirk, getting back to work whilst George makes some notes on a piece of parchment.

"What are you wearing?" George asks, briefly looking up at you, over your body, before jotting something down with his worn down pencil.

"George Weasley! You can't ask a lady that!" You say with a smirk, knowing that pointing out the secondary meaning of his words would rile him up. It works almost instantly, his cheeks heating up to a beautiful pink colour that you take great pride in. Fred snorts out a laugh, flicking his eyes between your delighted face and his brother's blush whilst he tinkers.

"So," Fred drawls out, voice dropping to dangerously flirty whisper. "What are you wearing?" He winks, looking at you up and down as if he had Mad-eye's magic eye to see under your clothes. You can't help but smile at him, his effortless boyish charm always flowing in abundance when he teased.

You raise one eyebrow, testing him and he simply smiles back with a little shrug.

"You said George, gotta be more specific princess."

You laugh along, nudging him slightly on the shoulder, the two of you sharing a little moment as your eyes fix on each other.

"I meant to the Yule Ball," George says quietly, still recovering from his little faux-pas. You turn to George and give him a little smile, always the sweet one.

"Oh I don't know yet," you answer honestly. Truthfully you hadn't really given it much thought, what with the tournament, your homework and helping them with their business, both the inventions and the gambling.

"Not got a date?" Lee pipes up behind you, appearing from over Fred's shoulder as he throws himself down onto the sofa next to George.

"Shove off Lee," you laugh, fixing him with a little mock glare.

"She's got two," Fred says proudly, his smile wide even though he doesn't actually look up from his work. Lee is called away only a few minutes later by someone in the second year and he leaves the three of you alone again, huddled close in the corner by the fire.

"I'm sure whatever you wear you'll look great," George says shyly, "I mean you look great all the time."

"Especially in that sundress," Fred chimes in, mentioning the dress you'd worn the last time you were at the Burrow in the summer. Both Fred and George had commented multiple times about their approval of the dress.

"Well unfortunately for you both, that dress and my yule ball dress are staying on. Guess you'll just have to imagine my underwear Eh Georgie?"

Fred let's out another boyish laugh and George blushes again, smiling to himself.

"So what are you actually working on?" You ask, realising that you didn't actually know what he was crafting, somehow missing the memo on this future prank.

"Never mind that, what colour's your underwear?"

"Fred!" George chastises his twin, even though he's laughing too.

"Red," you reply causally, watching carefully from the side of your eye to see their reaction.

Fred is rendered speechless, something you've never seen before and you're pretty sure you could see a blush forming underneath his drooping bangs, though he tries to hide it. George's mouth had transformed into a little 'o' which he fights to hide pretty quickly and to make matters worse you shoot him a little wink, which brings back the colour to his cheeks.

You sit for a while, falling into a comfortable silence, the three of you working on your divided tasks. You notice Fred wafting his long hair out of his face for the third time in an minute and decide to help him out.

"You'll never see anything like that, come here," you say, twisting around on the sofa and reaching up to gather his hair in your hand. It's soft and smooth, the perfect length for a small ponytail, even the slightly shorter front bits gather nicely until the hair obstructing his view is all out of his face.

He flashes you a thankful smile and for a moment it takes your breath away. Merlin he's gorgeous.

"You gonna plait mine next?" George teases, pulling you away from your focused gaze until you glare at him playfully. Only when you turn around do you notice that Lee has joined you all again, dropping some coins into the briefcase, having apparently been selling.

"Feeling left out Georgie? I'm thinking pigtails for you," you joke, earning a mock laugh from George but his sweet smile after let's you know he enjoys the playful banter. "Actually, please let me," you add with a pleading look in your eyes, actually wanting to get your hands on his hair.

"Only if you tell me something," he barters, smirking at you. You frown but nod anyway.

"Does your bra match your underwear?" He asks casually, as if he was asking for the time. He gives you the cheesiest smile he can and you burst out laughing at his supposed 'payment'. Fred bursts out with another laugh, completely ignoring the thing he was trying to construct as he throws his head back with a laugh.

"Rotten boys," you mumble, looking between the two giggling twins, never more thankful that this is your life.

[httpknjoon]

what a week! | the a-listers finale

plot | Get ready. This is the busiest, craziest, and most intriguing week ever in your fandom with you coming back to the Hollywood scene with a bang, causing more tweets, more memes, and maybe drama about you and Jin.

words | 4.8k (oh my god)

genres | humor/crack, fluff, angst, actors!au

pairing | actor!jin x famous!reader

note | usernames used in the fic are all fictional. (more note at the end) have fun reading!

main masterlist | drabble series

Hollywood Superstar YN to Make Comeback on Her Saturday Night Live Hosting Debut This December 2

‘From The Other Side’ actress and producer, YN will host NBC’s Emmy-winning live comedy show, Saturday Night Live for the first time this Saturday after her hiatus last year.

It was announced through social media today that the Oscar-nominated actress will make her hosting debut on the show this coming Saturday.

Along with YN, Indonesian singer-songwriter NIKI will also be having her SNL debut as the musical guest of the night.

It is worth mentioning that this will be YN's comeback in front of the cameras after taking an unexpected break in April 2022. She pulled out from projects with other big personalities from Hollywood such as Chris Evans and director, Wes Anderson. 

Fans were instantly delighted by the news and expressed their joy over Twitter, with YN’s name being listed on worldwide trends almost immediately after the announcement. 

@/YNUpdates: YN is set to make an appearance on The Tonight Show this coming Wednesday.

Not even an hour after the announcement of your appearance on the live television show, your appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s show was also reported. You also acknowledge your SNL gig by sharing the post on your Instagram Stories. To say your fans were excited was an understatement.

@/uronurownkid: OH YM GOD SHE’S BACK LIKE REALLY BACK

@/l0verynjin: and this is a live show!! We’ll be seeing her on skits again!

@/ynflowerkid: with NIKI as the musical guest???? my two worlds are coming together

Everyone– the fans and the press– truly hyped up the upcoming show, prompting even the general audience to be aware. Some critics shared that you might be able to bring high ratings for the show because of your large and active fanbase. Success was already expected for you and the show.

“Everyone, please welcome, YN!”

You enter through the big blue curtains, wearing a classy Gianni Versace Couture black long bell-sleeve dress from the 90s. You were looking like complete royalty with the matching diamond necklace and earrings you wore as you had your hair in a sleek low bun. The audience welcomed you with cheers and you cannot help but be surprised by everyone’s reaction.

“Oh, wow…” you mumbled, Turning your eyes from the audience to the host.

“Wow, right? That’s a lot of love.” Jimmy said, which you nodded at.

“Yeah, this is a little overwhelming… in a good way,” you said which made everyone laugh. Before you turned and waved to the viewers again, “Hi, everyone!”

They began cheering in response. You giggled with their enthusiasm. 

“This is what you get for suddenly taking a break last year!” Jimmy said, using a stern, sarcastic tone.

You chuckled with that, “This is actually great! Maybe I should take unexpected hiatus every once in a while–”

“No, no, no.” Jimmy cut you off, more worried, holding your hand that rests on his table. You two instantly laughed. “We missed you a lot!”

“So… you’ll be hosting Saturday Night Live for this week…” he began.

“Yes. Yes, I am.” you nod as you shifted in your seat.

“How was it? How does it feel?”

“Oh, it feels really awesome! I’ve been wanting to host for a long time now since I loved the show ever since I was little. And I was really nervous at first when I showed up there. But everyone has been pretty nice and so talented. Everyone works so fast.” you shared, making the viewers laugh. “I’m not kidding! I was with the cast and Lorne Michaels in his office. Then, they asked me if I have any sketch ideas. After I shared mine, everyone just started to pitch like a hundred sketches and I was just sitting there, watching everyone collaborate. It’s amazing to see.”

“Yeah, that’s how it goes in the show.” Jimmy agreed. “It’s the best crew up there. The writers, the cast, the makeup and hair crew.”

“They are all wonderful,” you added.

“Yes. And you are going to be fantastic this weekend. Knock ‘em dead in Studio 8H. We’ll be watching.” he clapped and the audience cheered. Your lips form into a smile as you felt relief growing in your chest. 

Jimmy continued as the applause lies low, “The last time you were here, we were talking about your then-upcoming film, From The Other Side. And now, you got nominations for it and even won a BAFTA’s Best Actress last February! Congratulation on that. You deserve it.”

Everyone clapped while you smiled, “Thank you.”

“And your director, Emerald Fennell, read your speech for you. In which you state that she made you make that speech hours before the ceremony?!”

“Ah, yes.” you chortled. “I wasn’t expecting to win that night. I mean, the lineup of other nominees for that category that night was really incredible. So I didn’t bother to write anything. But Em really pushed me to send something. She always believed in me and knew that I have a chance in winning that award. So I just texted her anything I could think of and said I love Brandon Fraser.”

The conclusion at the end made Jimmy and the audience laugh.

“I mean, who doesn’t?” the host backed you up. “Then, Academy Awards came by March and everyone was expecting you’ll show up. But during the red carpet event, you posted this…”

Jimmy showed a snapshot of you playing the piano. You grinned, “I did. I’ve been learning to play the piano since last year and I know my supporters are waiting for me. So I just showed them I’m at home so they won’t wait up.”

“That’s nice and you were really good with the piano.” Jimmy compliments. “But can we talk about your hiatus?”

You pause and nod. Now, this is the part Hailey gave you a heads-up on. You were aware that your unanticipated break will be talked about tonight. Your manager gave you a guide on how the show and host will discuss everything in order. 

Jimmy, on the flip side, was told earlier by his producers that he can ask about it. Admittedly, he was confused and worried if you knew that you were going to be interviewed about your break since everyone knows you have been private for the past couple of years. He doesn’t want to cause any discomfort to his guests. When he confirmed that you agreed with the topic of tonight’s interview, he agreed to discuss it with guide questions from his writers.

“Yeah, sure.”

The tension was rising in the room at the moment you replied. It was dead silent. But what made it lighter was when the production crew chose to play things off by setting the spotlight just on you two, making it seem like an interrogation scene. It made everyone laugh, even you and Jimmy.

“So… people were saying you took a break last year because of a lot of things.” the host spoke, emphasizing the word.

“Oh, yeah. I heard about it.” you raised an eyebrow. “How about let’s play a game of true or false with those headline rumors?”

The audience cheered with excitement. This is a rare time a big celebrity would debunk or confirm news about them personally.

“Okay, okay. Let's start with this one…” Jimmy reads, “True or false. YN, are you planning to retire from acting really soon?”

“False, Jimmy! I’m hosting SNL this week for goodness’ sake,” you answered dramatically. The host laughed.

“She’s hosting SNL this week, people!” he repeated, looking at the camera. “How about this one? YN, true or false, did you move away from the country and lived in South Korea for a year?”

You grinned, “Partially true.”

“Explain yourself, YN.”

“Okay, the only thing that was right in that rumor is that I did move.” you teased everyone. “And no, I am not telling where.”

“Understood. Okay, let’s move to another one… oooh, this is the most controversial yet.” Jimmy laughed as he looked at you. “True or false, you took an unexpected hiatus because you got into a bad heartbreak.”

The audience’s reaction was all ‘ooh’ in a curious and a little worried way. Like they just saw someone sprinkling salt on someone’s wound. You took your time before answering,

“False,” you replied, shaking your head. “Definitely untrue. I think everyone just knows it when I’m in a relationship.”

“No, I don’t think we do, YN.” Jimmy rebutted, making the viewers laugh as they relate too. With years of everyone romantically connecting you and Jin, they just cannot tell if you two are romantically together or not. The host continued, “But are you not really dating anyone right now?”

“Oh, I’m not. I’m not dating anyone right now…” your voice trailed off as you make a side eye at the audience. They showed their disapproval with that by playfully booing, and you giggled.

He copied your tone and action as he asked, “But is there anyone you’ve been seeing currently or…”

“I don’t know, Jimmy…” you sighed, shaking your head. You acted disappointed in a very obvious way.  “It’s really hard to find someone to date when you’re married. I mean, I think it’s a crime to go out with someone while–”

Big gasps. Everyone in the room– excluding you– gasped at the same time that it was audible. Their eyes were wide, a few have their hands on their chests, and someone screeched in surprise at what you said.

“Wait, what?” Jimmy asked as soon as he picked up what you just said.

“What?” you looked around the room, acting like you didn’t just say something of a big deal. “Oh, yeah. I’m married, you guys!”

Breaking the silence, the band played the drums as you showed off the wedding ring on your finger, hiding below the bell sleeve of your dress. Not just a wedding band, but a blinding engagement ring also sat on top of it. 

“Oh my god! Congratulations!” Jimmy stood up from his swivel chair and walked up to you. You stood up and you shared a hug. He whispered, “Congratulations!”

“This is wonderful!” he added, as he holds both of your arms.

You laughed as you nodded, “I know!”

Everyone laughed while applauding at the fact you are now married. Jimmy hugged you again before walking back to his spot. You can feel your cheeks hurt from how long you have been smiling throughout the interview. But you love it. You love that you finally shared the news with the public.

“When did you get married?” the host asked.

“Two years ago! It was in 2021, Jimmy!” you replied happily and you heard another series of reactions in surprise.

“What?!” Jimmy’s lips gaped. “You were already married when you went here last time?”

You nodded with chuckles, “Yes. My husband and I chose to be pretty private about the whole process. We value enjoying the first couple of years of our marriage without the whole attention of everyone. But now, we decided to share it with you, guys finally!”

“This is really great, YN. Thank you so much for coming to the show.” Jimmy smiled and you can feel that he was genuine. Jimmy turned to the camera again, “YN. Ladies and gentlemen! We’ll be right back.”

The camera still caught you waving to everyone before it cuts to the commercial. With this kind of news, it was expected how everyone will react. Showbiz websites and accounts began writing their articles. Your fans were expressing their emotions and surprise.

@/ynisthatgirl: the fuck you’re telling me yn been married since 2021

@/YNUpdates: Congratulations to our main girl and the lucky guy! 🥰🥰🥰

@/MIDNIGHTPAIN_: BIGGEST PLOT TWIST IN THE YN FANDOM

@/YNJINUpdates: 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️

Replying to @/YNJINUpdates

- @/versaceisyn: what’s with the candles

– @/walkingonsunshine: i think we all know what’re the candles for

@/frannycatfood: but who is the husband though 👀

@/ynilysm: i just woke up…

Linked with you revealing your marital status is the identity of your husband. Everyone began taking their bets on who is your mystery spouse. Of course, topping the list is your three-time co-star and always rumored lover, JIN. One of the most memorable stories in the YNJIN fandom is when you two flew to South Korea with friends back in 2021.

@/outtahere: ur telling me ynjin prolly got married in seoul two years ago?

Then, the theory about you having a secret partner was brought up. Ever since the lockdowns, some people have believed that you are possibly dating someone who is not in Hollywood. They claimed that someone is a successful, private, and young entrepreneur.

It’s no secret that there are people and solo fans who think that you and Jin are only doing the whole ‘dating or not dating’ bit for attention and to keep your names floating on social media and articles. It helped you two become household names in Hollywood, other than your works. You two were everywhere online with your fans making edits, sharing their thoughts, and posting every picture of you. Although accidentally, the general public was always aware of what was going on with you.

And what’s going on with your always rumored lover, you might be wondering. 

Jin is still inactive on social media. His last online update was promoting the final episode of his limited series on HBO, which was a couple of months ago. But he had public appearances since the premiere. Two appearances to be specific.

Friday, almost two days after you announced your marriage and fans made their theories about your husband’s identity. Of course, the number of people who believed that Jin is your spouse was high. They were hoping to see Jin around New York since you will be doing SNL there for the weekend and they will take it as confirmation. But in lieu, he was seen walking out of a coffee shop in LA, where he was kinda hoarded by the press during the morning. He was alone as he tried to make his way to his car.

One of the camera guys cannot help but ask, “Did you know YN is married?”

“I did. She is one of my friends in the industry. Of course, I knew.” he answered simply, not bothering to look at the cameras. He just focused his eyes on the pathway to make sure he won’t stumble because of the press crowding around him.

“Any thoughts about it?” another one asked.

“I’m happy for her. She deserves happiness above all.”

His lips can be seen forming into a small smile as he replied. He finally got to the driver’s seat of his car. Before he hopped in, he answered one last question.

“Any hints about her husband?”

“Nice guy. A little childish sometimes but he makes good jokes.” he chuckled before driving away.

The video was uploaded by the paparazzi on the same day. Jin trended worldwide as fans expressed their thoughts about it.

@/1800JIN: i cannot believe how fast things are going rn this is crazy

@/badnonnie: NOW WHY WOULD HE SAY THAT ABOUT YN’S HUSBAND 💀

@/YNJINUpdates: the first stage of grief is denial. so no, i don’t believe anything that is happening.

@/puhleaseynjin: idk what to feel rn but great to know that jin knows about her marriage after all

Replying to @/puhleaseynjin

- @/livelaughyn: yeah it means they really do trust each other 🙁

And Saturday came. Since you were all over the news the whole week, your name was mentioned during the cold open. Hearing the people’s excitement as you prepare backstage made you breathe a little better. The intro began and the band began playing.

“Thirty seconds left, hon.” one of the staff members, who waits with you behind the door, whispered. “Good luck.”

You smiled at her, “Thank you. Donna.”

And as soon as you send that, you heard the announcer saying:

“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight’s host, YN!”

That’s your cue. Someone opened the door for you, you walked out and everyone sees you in a black blazer mini dress and strappy pumps. Standing in the middle of the stage, you cannot really see the audience properly because of the light pointed at you. Still, you put on a smile and tried to shake off the twisting feeling in your stomach. You jived to the melody and paused when it stopped. The audience was clapping the whole time.

“Thank you! Thank you very much. I am so happy to be finally here on the SNL stage for the very first time!” you began and they cheered once again. “And it’s great to be here, in front of everyone again, after ghosting y’all for almost two years!” waves of laughter erupt. “ Now, some of you may be heard of me from my first movie when I was 9, Little Miss Sunshine–” people cheered.  “Or my most recent film, From The Other Side. Or maybe you just heard a piece of certain news about me…” you winked.

“So in case you’re living under a rock, three days ago, I surprised everyone by announcing that I got married–” the audience erupted with claps and cheers. “–last 2021 to an actual person that nobody knows about.” you rolled your eyes, making everyone laugh.

“And every cast member here has been asking me this past few days: how did you got married? Where did you get married? Who’s the lucky guy? And you know what, let me just go give him a call–”

The audience screamed in excitement. You tapped on your dress’s pockets, searching for your phone. SNL cast member Kenan Thompson got on stage, handing you your phone.

“Hey, YN. You left your phone in the makeup chair.”

“Oh, thanks, Kenan.”

“And since I was the one who found it… can you please tell me who is your husband?” he said it in an excited kid way that made everyone cackle.

You tsked before shaking your head, “Oh, Keenan–”

A series of knocks were heard. A familiar tune from your past suspense movie played in the background. The audience laughed as you and Keenan looked at each other with wide eyes. You slipped your phone into your pocket and began acting alert like a spy.

“Does someone really knocks on that door?” you asked in the serious tone of your old character.

He shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know. You were the last one who went from there.” 

The audience laughed and another knock was heard.

“Lemme go check on that.” Kenan was about to walk to the door but you stopped him.

“What if it’s The Creator?” you asked, referencing the antagonist.

“Who the hell is that? The only creator here is Lorne Michaels.” Kenan quipped, receiving laughs from everyone, before walking to the door.

You waited on the stage and the camera focused on Kenan, who peeked through the door instead of opening it directly. He was teasing. Then, he looked back to you, to the camera, and back to whoever was on the other side of the door. He was grinning. Everyone was wondering what was going on. It was just pure silence. And as he walked down the small set of steps, he spoke:

“Oh, YN! Someone is looking for you!”

You raised an eyebrow, “Who is it–”

Then suddenly the door just opens, showing a man in a dark casual suit and a bouquet of white tulips in his hands. He uttered,

“Hi, I’m actually looking for my wife–” 

Jin was cut off by screams from the audience. He bit his inner cheek to stop himself from smiling. But everyone can notice the corner of his lips forming into a smile. In live shows like this, the actor would usually wait for the intense audience response to die down for a few seconds. But the reactions are not getting smaller, so Jin resumed.

 

“She told me she’s going here tonight.”

“Oh, I’m here! I’m here! I’m the wife!”

You raised your hand with a proud grin on your face and Jin had to walk down with a bouquet in his hand. The audience laughed as the band plays a wedding march. Your husband laughs too. When you two stood next to each other in the middle of the stage, Keenan introduced you two:

“Everyone, please welcome, for the first time ever as a married couple, YN and Jin!”

The audience clapped, cheered, and somebody even whistled. He softly placed his hand on the small of your back before you turned to him. Your hand caresses his cheek as you two lean closer to each other. For the first time ever, you and Jin shared a kiss in front of the public. Everyone cheered louder. Pulling away, you two smiled slowly as you gazed into each other’s eyes. You noticed the slight tint of red growing on his cheeks and ears. It reminded you of so many moments in your relationship. It was like you got lost in the moment for a second before you turn to the camera.

“We got a great show tonight! Stick around. NIKI is here! We’ll be right back!”

The camera pans away as you wrapped your arms around Jin’s neck, pulling him in for a kiss again, while he holds your waist. 

You did a total of eight skits, two of which were pretaped. Your husband made another appearance during the show. He played a character with Michael Che, Colin Jost, and Mikey Day during the Weekend Update segment, playing as paparazzi who never did their job right. Jin had a line that was so ironic, it made the audience laugh and react from their seats.

“Yeah, last week, I heard that very beautiful actress got married…”

Michael asked, in character, amidst the giggles, “Who? What’s her name?”

“I think he’s talking about Scarlett Johansson.” Mikey chimed in, making Colin Jost smile, who replies, “No, I don’t think he’s not.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot she already married that comedy guy three years ago.” Mikey replied, making Jost shake his head as he blush.

Jin finally answered, “It’s YN! You know, the one who posts cat pics all over the internet, won the BAFTA Best Actress this year, has been doing movies since she was nine, wrote songs with–”

“Okay, okay, Frank. I think everyone already knows who YN is.” Mikey cuts him off, making everyone laugh. “Why are you bringing her up by the way? Do you got any snaps from her wedding?”

“Ah, yes. I do!” Jin replied almost immediately as he acts clicking on his camera. The audience squealed, elated to catch a glimpse of whatever he was going to share. The TV screens in the studio glitched, causing confusion to the viewers. “Oh, I think my camera’s broken.”

“Let me see.” Mikey, in character, acted desperate as he reached for the camera. He checked and clicked on it before turning to Jin, “The memory card is not here, man!”

The bit ended with them arguing. NIKI performed two songs for the night. For the closing of the show, you had a graphic shirt on with pants. 

“Thank you so much to NIKI!” you began, turning to the singer beside you. You clapped along with the audience.  “To Lorne, to the amazing cast and studio crew…. And to my lovely husband,” everyone, including the cast members, cooed. You looked back at him who was standing in line with the cast members. He smiled as he saw your eyes sparkling with joy. You looked back to the front.

“Thank you so much, everyone!”

After the show, you and Jin were photographed together, walking hand in hand, as you enter the afterparty venue. As usual, you were wearing something Versace. You stun everyone with a light-reflecting metallic sparkly mini dress. It literally reflects with the flashes of the cameras pointed at you and your husband. You matched it with silver strappy heels and a small metallic Prada tote bag.

“Congrats, YN!”

You stopped in your tracks and turned your head when you heard that voice. Turning around, you spotted Greg in line with other paparazzi.

“Thanks, Greg!” you winked and Jin also waves at him.

You also posted a photo a day after.

YN and JIN are married *Apparently For Almost Two Years Now*

It’s been a busy week for the whole YNJIN fandom this week! 

Just last week’s Saturday, it was announced that YN will be hosting the second show for SNL’s season 49. More than a year after her last public appearance and hiatus.  It was later followed by the actress-songwriter appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, in which she talked about her BAFTA win and cleverly announced her marriage. Although she didn’t disclose who’s the lucky guy, happiness was evident on her face as she replied to Jimmy’s questions. The fans were taken in surprise by the news, showering her with lovely congratulatory messages.

And just tonight, during her monologue as the show’s host, YN finally revealed who it was. Surprise, surprise! Joining her on the SNL stage is her longtime rumored lover, JIN. The ‘Still Alive’ actor showed up on stage unexpectedly, causing a loud reaction from the live viewers. SNL cast member Kenan Thompson, who was also in the bit for YN’s monologue, officially introduced the two as husband and wife. The couple shared a liplock to seal the news.

According to the shared statement of the A-lister couple’s publicists, YN and JIN were wed in an intimate ceremony two years ago, last November 2021, in their shared residence in Massachusetts. 

It was unclear where or when YN and JIN got engaged or began dating. But all we know was the two initially met for the production of their first movie, Cornelia Street, back in 2016. It was a hit, mainly due to the lead actors’ powerful chemistry, and birthed many supporters for the duo. But the rumors about their relationship began in 2018 when the two were seen hanging out often. 

The two never confirmed anything and trolled everyone about it. Even reaching the point where they became Instagram official. YNJIN even made a joke about buzzes about them breaking up when they posted a clip about it before. The two got crazier rumors over the years: living together, cheating (and breaking up again), and the actress writing love songs based on her relationship with JIN.

YN, 28, has previously dated other known names in the industry such as Jordan Fisher, Kim Taehyung, and Niall Horan. Meanwhile, JIN, 31,  was more private with his past relationships. But he was formerly linked to model Lee Sung Kyung and briefly to Selena Gomez. The wedded A-listers have worked together in a total of three films: Cornelia Street, Maybe Yes Maybe No, and Lonely People.

We are probably late but… Best wishes to Hollywood’s favorite couple!

It was a big event in both social media and celebrity newsrooms. People shared their reactions online and even talked about you two in their real-life conversations. A lot of people made memes about the whole thing. The reveal of your husband was called iconic in one of the articles written. The number of edits, pictures, and just any type of content flooding all commonly used social media sites is crazy.

@/YNJINUpdates: YNJIN officially confirms marriage during SNL appearance 💚

@/thisislove: IM CRYING THEY LOOK SO GOOD TOGETHER

@/IMMANEEDSP4CE: ynjin hard launching their relationship on snl is not in my 2023 bingo card

@/KellyDelaCruz: I just lost fifty dollars to my sister because of this whole thing!

@/bellisimayn: the whole fandom right now:

@/tanginuhynjin4ever: we never got any dating confirmation but it’s all worth it!! 💗💗

Replying to @/tanginuhynjin4ever

- @/0283ynjinfan: TOTALLY WORTH IT

Two days, after you publicized your marriage, it was Jin’s birthday. As to keep up with the tradition, you posted a simple greeting on Instagram. You literally just greeted them but you added some photos.

The first pic was taken during your trip together months before the reveal.

The second image is your hand, showing off the engagement ring, while Jin can be seen in the background grinning.

Then, on the third slide, a polaroid picture of you and Jin. It was taken through a selfie. You were grinning as Jin plants a smooch on your cheek. Unbeknownst to everyone, it was taken during your first wedding back in November 2021, in your then-newly bought home in Massachusetts.

And for the fourth one, Jin was seen carrying two babies, both heads turned away from the camera, on each arm. He was sat on a familiar couch with Francheskat resting beside him.

In the last slide, a screenshot of your conversation from a year ago. You did not put any context so the fans are left to think about it.

author's note | that's it, folks! that's the end. oh my god, I didn't expect the love this series got. writing this series always brought me joy and it honestly brought me back here in tumblr. thank you so much for all the love you sent out for the a-listers. i truly appreciate everything. as always, my asks are open for questions about the whole series. also, if you have questions for the a-listers, feel free to send 'em. I'll be responding in a few days. also, just want to let y'all know, i'm planning for a spinoff. thank you so much, loves. 💕✨

taglist rules

THE A-LISTERS TAGLIST

@jub-jub @yoontaethings @kissme-ornot @sleepy-daydreams @veronawrites @cuteipat @ratherbefangirling @babystarcandy-gcf @akirawhore @alpacaparkaseok @rjsmochii @lovesickbangtan @rapmonie2047 @btsiguess-kpop @angelarin @walkinganxiety0 @bloopkook @yoooonie @amara-mars @firesighgirl @zwiehe @hiii-priestess @lojocas @juju-227592 @singukieee @eshtravagent @canarystwin @petalsofink

PERMANENT TAGLIST

@dunixxd​ @cixrosie​ @jksjx​ @embrace-themagic​ @buttvi​ @starbtslove​ @missseoulite @vanntaesworld @kenqki @pixybear @miyukihoshi @stopeatread @seolaquotes @greyrain23 @chimchimmarie

[alaskan-wallflower]

Hey friend, it’s been a minute! School has been so busy so I haven’t been on here as much as I’d like but I’ve been slowly starting to write a Sodapop sickfic and since I know you also like hurt/comfort, I was wondering if you had any hcs about Soda with a stomach bug. My fic is gonna include him being taken care of by Steve, Darry, and Pony if you feel like including them :) have a great day ❤️🎞️

hi hi hi!! it’s nice to hear from you again!! 💜 of course i got some!! sorry i didn’t answer till now, i usually save some asks for my queue haha

for one he either 1. got it from doing some stupid shit with steve or 2. he ate bad food

regardless bro is NOT happy

he probably tries to hide it because he doesn’t want to miss work because he knows how hard he needs to be working but uh

his stomach has never heard of “subtlety” and 100% rats out his attempts at going to work

Darry and Pony both had to go to school/work but I feel like Pony would pass the message to Steve at school and Steve would literally just,,,skip school and work to be able to take care of him

Hes a very physical person and at first I feel like Steve was NOT having it because he didn’t want to get sick but he can’t say no to Soda and his puppy eyes

So Soda is curled up in Steve’s lap while Steve just pets his hair and runs his tummy a bit

He gets freaked out by how vocal poor Soda’s stomach is-like Pony and Darry are used to it but Steve is oblivious as hell lol

He feels SO terrible if Pony has a track meet that day too and tries to go but Steve is like “if you get out of that bed I won’t cuddle you” and Soda just relents

Poor boy has VICIOUS bouts of nausea. Like he can’t even keep his eyes open.

You always know when he’s gonna vomit because he kinda does that thing dogs do where they make that sound and their chests heave-he also gets real hiccupy

He hates vomiting and always ends up crying because he’s just straight up miserable

By the time Pony and Darry get home, Darry tells Pony to go shower and he gets in bed on Soda’s other side

He gets a lot more outwardly nurturing post book I think? Like he’s just down to eye level with Soda and is like “Hey, buddy…you okay..?” and Soda just whines and puts his head in Darry’s lap

Its bad enough that Pony and Darry can’t cook food because the scent of it makes Soda vomit

I think Soda also has very heightened senses when he’s sick for whatever reason so they can’t even go out to get food because he’ll just vomit when he smells it

So they just opt to not have dinner and Soda feels even WORSE because he knows Darry came from a long day at work and Pony came from a track meet but they both just tell him it’s okay and that they’ll be sure to eat a big breakfast the next day (let’s say the next day is Saturday lol)

While both of them usually get hangry as hell they just don’t in Soda’s presence because they know how tough it is on him and they don’t wanna make him feel worse

They try to make him some soup, or at least some broth and it sits pretty okay. He can’t hold down more than broth but Steve tells them it’s progress because he “couldn’t hold down the chocolate cake earlier” and they’re both like “bro what”

(Steve does not know how to care for people and it takes him a bit but he’ll try as hard as he can for Soda)

Steve stays at their house that night because he knows if he goes home he’s probably just gonna get kicked out again but he’s more than happy to stay

Darry gives the best belly rubs I think because his hands are big and warm

Pony tries rubbing his back too which actually works fairly well

Pony insists on sleeping on Darry’s other side tho because god forbid he starts kicking in his sleep and he kicks Soda he’s never forgive himself

Pony isn’t as openly affectionate with Steve around but he’s still trying

They all end up falling asleep together and Soda’s smiling for the first time that day because he’s with his best friend and his two brothers who have been getting along a lot better than normal and he’s just so happy

Hope these are good!! might make some for Darry, Pony and Johnny later cause they’re my other favs haha

[palmtreesx3]

GET OFF - The V-Card

The V-Card

<- Prologue || Next ->

Series Masterlist

Get in the mood for this installment:

Series Playlist

The V-Card Mood Board

Summary: (3.7k) Everyone is nervous for their first time, right? Steve and Robin are busy tackling a lot of their firsts - first day in the shop, first week in the city, first friends (or something) in the city. It’s all a little intimidating and both quickly find that old habits die hard - particularly for Steve. It’s going to take more than just a new city to really give these two a new life. Be sure to read the Prologue before reading! 

Warnings: it's a sex shop, guys - so it's generally just NSFW 18+. In this AU Hawkins is weird and cannon events happen to some extent, but not to all familiar characters. If they are present in Chicago for this AU, they have no ties to Hawkins. Absent parents, excessive drinking, poor coping mechanisms, M/F hookups and implied/light smut, mentions of female oral, our boy on his King Steve shit, one night stands, careless hookups, and a coming out. 

Shout out to @loveshotzz for the blatant Whatta Man nod in this chapter. IYKYK. 

Chicago: That Saturday, 1993

The sun was beating in through the front apartment window as Steve sat on the couch with a can of High Life, taking a breather from all of the unpacking. He has been hyper-focused all weekend on getting settled and unpacked - a complete 180° from Robin's settling in approach, which looked more like making sure her sheets were on her bed and simply ignoring the rest of the boxes stacked up inside her doorway than anything else. 

For a split second Steve considered picking up the phone and calling home just to check in, let his parents know they've got their bearings and are all safe in the city, but as that thought settled, he realized how absolutely ridiculous it was. They never cared where he was and what he was doing before, so there's no reason for them to actually start caring now that he's finally gone. Worming it's way deep in his brain another thought occurs to him - if he just would have packed up and left, it probably would have taken them months to even realize it. 

Plus, the second he talks to either one of them he knows they're going to ask about a job, and he's not quite ready for how that conversation might go. Yeah Dad, we're all set, start at the sex shop 10am on Monday!  He shakes his head and laughs to himself at the thought before throwing his head back letting the beer, just starting to warm and lose its crispness, run down his throat. It's tasting a bit bitter now…and Steve can relate. 

Pulling him from his self-deprecating thoughts, Robin swings open the door with the sound of jangling key chains being shaken like maracas, the soundtrack to her grand entrance. 

"Got your keeeeys, Dingus! It's officially official now!" She tosses the key ring over to Steve, who has his eyebrows raised as they land about 5 ft to his left on the other side of the couch. 

"Nice one, Robs. Maybe one day we'll find you some aim."

"Long shot, buddy. Better chance of me confidently shooting my shot with Stevie Nicks than that ever happening. But good on you for thinking I have any potential whatsoever."

"S'wat friends are for, Robbie." He grins at her sideways before leaning over to pick up his new set of keys. "The hell is this?" He asks, dangling the keys up in the air. 

Hopping up and down with incredibly youthful glee, Robin beams at the boy and exclaims "A TAMAGOTCHI. I got one too. Orange for you. Blue for me. Pretty sure even if we could have a pet in this building it wouldn't end well, so I got us these!" 

"This is ridiculous. I can't believe you got us a toy." Robin slips on the couch nestled up close to Steve, pressing the button on both to initiate their hatching as she presses her shoulder into his side. A beat of silence goes by before he throws his arm over her shoulders and says, "Show me how to do it, Robs. Can't wait for mine to outlive yours." He smiles down at her. 

"Eat shit. Whoever kills theirs first buys the other a drink."

The twinkling sound signaling the hatching of each of their eggs echoes through the apartment as they eye up their pets and glare back at one another.

"Oh, it's on. Never been more confident about a deal before in my life."

"Speaking of drinks … " Robin muses. " Whaddya wanna do tonight? "

Steve's not quite sure how long it's going to take for him to get used to the sheer quantity of people here in Chicago. He's pretty sure there's as many people in this club right now than there is in the whole of Hawkins. 

When they arrived, Steve was feeling a lot. It was overwhelming and nothing in Hawkins flashed so bright and shook so loud… except maybe the 4th of July Carnival and their fireworks on the outskirts of town, but that was nothing compared to this. 

One drink in and finding a place to hunker down near the bar at a table, he felt more comfortable. He was enjoying Robin's running commentary while she spent the better part of an hour people-watching, still passively feeling the heat radiating off of the dance floor, when he decided to switch over from the lukewarm beers to a sweet and sharp whiskey and soda. 

Three drinks in and sufficiently loose, Robin is fluttering around the edges of the bar and the dance floor - now making friends with some of the people she's been eying up all night with her inhibitions down as far as Steve has ever seen them. He's drunkenly grinning at his friend, happy to see a kind of social side of her that feels new, even though he knows the roots of it have been buried deep inside her for her whole life, interwoven through her heart and her brain stem, just waiting for permission to come out and untangle itself. 

"Steve! STEVE!" She shouts over the thumping bass of the music, wildly gesturing for him to come over to where she now stands, in the center of a group of people who look friendly enough for him to oblige. 

Four drinks in and now the group is laughing, hollering and leaning in hard to catch an ounce of what the others are saying. Steve's eyes are squinting trying hard to read their new friends lips as they try and converse over shots and the loud music in the dark. Turns out Robin found a whole group of people that live in the same building as they do and, as one does when they're absolutely shit faced, they all immediately began talking about how they're all new best friends, curling arms around one another's necks and slurring "I love you guys" over drinks number five and six. 

Steve is feeling a familiar twinge. It's not his fault that he has no idea that there are ways to make friends other than people pleasing or trauma bonding. Now relishing in the ease of finding city-friends over an open drink and the immediacy of acceptance that comes with puffing out his peacock feathers and playing the delicate social hierarchy game he mastered in his teens, he barely even notices that he's dusting off his King Steve party tricks. The stress of the last few years that have him wound up tighter than a watch melt away as the coy and flirty remarks start flowing like a waterfall and the locker room talk comes back like riding a bike. 

Six drinks down the hatch and Robin can't find Steve. Any other time, and Robin would be absolutely losing all the marbles in her basket worrying over Steve. Especially in this new city. She'd assume he was dead. That someone finally came to whisk him away and lock him up for all the things that he's not supposed to know. Sure, Steve can handle things. He's definitely the most capable person she knows and he quite literally raised himself, and saved himself more than once, but none of that even matters right now because she's just swaying to the beat of Janet Jackson pumping through the club speakers with her new soulmates who live on the top floor. 

Instead Steve is at the bar, queuing up drink number seven for him and drink number who-knows-what for the absolutely smoking girl at his side named Melissa, who apparently lives just up the staircase, too. She's reminded him three times so far that he can just call her Missy, but not without leaning in close, just next to his ear to make sure he hears just how sweet she sounds. And boy does he want to know more about how sweet she sounds. 

Steve's eager hands are hooked in her belt loops, the girl's bright red tube top riding up her stomach as she pushes herself into him. Her fingers are tangling through his sweaty hair and his are ghosting over her collarbone and down her arm. His lips are on hers before drink seven is even delivered, so he caps off his night with her tongue down his throat instead. 

He has no clue what time it is as they tumble through the apartment door, Melissa Missy still giggling at his orange Tamagotchi keychain as his lips chase hers once again and the door slams shut. Perfect. Robin's not home, he thinks. Completely forgetting he was there at the club with her in the first place, he tugs at the girls long blond hair at the roots, runs his hands over her glistening and glittered shoulders and shoves her down into his plush comforter the second they reach his bedroom. 

He's so caught up in this big-city hottie he managed to get into his bed on his first weekend in town, he doesn't hear Robin come in the door, nor does he notice her clanging around the kitchen to chug down a few huge glasses of water in hopes of being at least a little conscious tomorrow morning. Robin, however, does notice Steve clanging around the bedroom, especially after she hears a deep and throaty moan that is unmistakably female. 

"Ha. Fuck yeah, Stevie. Losing that Windy City V-Card." She says quietly while wobbling to her room. Meanwhile, Steve's got his head buried deep under the sheets, blindly grasping at the girl's perky tits while he lavishes at the thought of this being the kind of opportunities that present themselves here in Chicago. His first time in this big sprawling city made him feel like he was on top of the world. 

The confident bubble he found himself in all night popped when he later woke to feel the warm summer breeze from the open window tickling his now exposed back, comforter slipping down and exposing his hips along with a peek of his ass to the girl who was accidentally pulling it off as she stood up from the bed. Unabashedly naked, she stretches her arms in a yawn, Steve rolls to peek at the clock. 4:36am. "Where are you off to?" his raspy, sleep laden voice cuts the silence as she finds herself caught gathering her things. "Are you try'n't sneak out on me?" He mumbles with a smile, thinking he's being flirty and cute. 

"That's exactly what I'm doing, hon." She winks, as she snags her cheeky hot pink thong off the back of his desk chair and shoves it in her pocket on the way out the bedroom door. "I'll be quiet on my way out. Don't worry. Maybe I'll see ya around. Maybe I won't. It was fun though. You were a KING with that tongue so I wouldn't be opposed…but it's honestly unlikely." 

And Steve is there, left tangled and alone and feeling stone cold sober after that dose of honesty from Melissa, left wondering if this is how all the girls back in Hawkins felt after he dipped out on them. Having his fun but knowing it wouldn't go any further than that. Getting off under Skull Rock, in the back of his BMW, atop their pink frilly pillows with their parents in the room next door - all hanging on to the hope of just a little more - the potential of being needed and wanted and good enough for the likes of King Steve, but waking up empty and disposable instead. If he didn't already hate himself before, he definitely does now. 

"Sooooo." Robin sings out, while twirling her spoon through her milky cereal. "We gonna talk about that little Bedroom Rodeo last night or what?" 

"Robin. Please. It's too early for this." He presses his palms into his eyes, trying to stave off the pulsing just beyond his sinuses. "and did you just say Bedroom Rodeo? The fuck?"

"Well, yeah. Bedroom Rodeo… ya know. Crushing the buns? Two person pushups? Horizontal Tango? Please tell me with all that racket you at least got off?" 

"Ew Rob, where the fuck are you coming up with these?" He looks at her as she shrugs, slurping the last of her sweet cereal milk straight from the bowl as she did it. "This may be shocking, but… probably the most annoying thing you've ever said. Crushing the buns? Are you serious?" he says as he walks over and face plants dramatically onto the couch. 

Rolling over to his back and sliding on the wire rims of the glasses he never lets anyone but Robin see him in, the apartment comes into focus and so does his best friend, sitting at the counter grinning from ear to ear while tugging up her eyebrows to him in a taunt, chomping on her cereal and looking far to comfortable in his own goddamn yellow sweatshirt. His hand jutting out abruptly and gesturing to her morning attire with a furrowed brow and a questioning look, she says absolutely nothing in response. "Are you serious? Get your own clothes!"

"Eh, yours was already unpacked and my box of cozy stuff is on the bottom. I didn't get to it yet." She says casually. 

“Yeah okay. The box pile huh? Well don’t think we’re going to be sharing everything around here.” 

To which he watches her lips curl up in a Cheshire cat grin as she responds “Aw man, not even the ladies?” 

He hates this already. 

"Need some coffee, tiger? Probably a little sluggish after testing out that mattress."

His groan was loud at that one. "ROBIN! "

"Fine, I'll leave you alone…for now. But we're gonna talk about some rules for when we're Jamming the Clam later over a smoke, ya got me? Roommate ground rules at all." She winked as she sauntered down the hallway to her room. 

"Sure Robbie. Whatever you want. But do me a favor… if you're so goddamn chipper this morning maybe you can unpack a freaking box from that mega-pile. Won't be bringing back some hot piece to your room to Jam the Clam in that fuckin' disaster zone!" He shouts at her back. 

Throwing up a peace sign and swaying her hips a little more (albeit awkwardly) she makes a show of acknowledging her friends request before shutting her bedroom door behind her. 

"Robin, right? And… " Murray looks at him up and down.

"Steve" the boy scowls. 

"Wow. Okay then. Cheer up Rico Suave. Robin! You didn't tell me your friend had this much charisma when you stopped by last week."

Murray Bauman is the manager of The Hideout. Maybe he owns the place, it's not entirely clear, but what is immediately crystal is that Murray is always ready to dish it out. "Alright then, welcome to The Hideout. I wanted to name it Murray's Pleasure Emporium but that got shot down pretty fuckin fast by my partner, so it is what it is."

With his salt-and-pepper hair, neatly groomed yet slightly disheveled, and a well-maintained beard framing his jawline, Murray's appearance hints at a man who has seen his fair share of adventures. Despite his brash exterior it's quickly clear that Murray effortlessly creates a comfortable atmosphere, so it's no wonder he finds himself successful in an environment where he can push boundaries and help others to explore their fantasies and fulfill their desires.

"So here's how this is gonna work. You two are gonna work retail. You'll need to run the register, oversee the displays, manage the inventory and help the customers. Peace-a cake, right?" He spurts off while simultaneously counting the money in the register for the day. 

Robin and Steve spit out a garbled acknowledgement while Murray looks back and forth between the two. "Red, did you say you two were... roommates?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

Eyes knocking back and forth to look between the two friends, Steve can already see where this is going. Been there a thousand times. So he cuts off Murray's silent analysis and offers up the information needed to satisfy his curiosity. "No, we aren't dating. And .. ah ah. Wait." He cuts him off as Murray starts to open his mouth, ready to counter back "...and NO, before you go there, we aren't fucking either. Didn't happen. Won't happen. Platonic."

"With a capital P." Robin finishes the end of Steve's sentence. "We can't promise we won't be weird, but we can one hundred percent promise there will not be any lovers quarreling with us."

"Well alright then. Loud and clear." Murray says in response. He claps his hands loudly and rubs them together before continuing on with his sex shop monologue. 

"Back to business, then. Covered the retail bits - Ah, yeah here we go. As you can see, the shop offers an extensive selection of adult toys, lingerie for the ladies…or the men, sensual massage oils - a personal favorite - and other products that cater to a wide range of tastes and sexual preferences. I like the good stuff, because I have taste. So that's what I sell. I also like to have all the latest shit because I'm progressive. Call me sexually innovative, if you will. If it's new, we're gonna have it."

Steve and Robin follow dutifully behind him taking it all in. Robin's eyes are as wide as saucers and she's distracted by all of the things she does not yet understand as Murray continues to spout out information on products, business and his own personal sexual philosophies. Steve poked her shoulder and she grimaces, and returns to planet earth to hear the rest of Murray's great new hire speech. 

"The people who come in here are not sex freaks. You got that? They're normal people. Don't gotta be some pervert to want to get off and feel good, so if you can't be open-minded and nonjudgmental then you might as well not even clock in after this. Got it?"

Both nod in agreement and the edges of Murray's lips curl up in a smirk. "Perfect. Come." He directs as he walks to the register and it's adjoining display case where a wide array of colorful dildos stand spread out for selection. 

"Not that it's a job requirement or anything but, I'm assuming if you're wanting to work here and my pleasure palace your… ahem.. sufficiently experienced. Cause you're gonna need to sell the product if you get my drift. People have way more questions than you could imagine. Just yesterday I had to tell a kid that Anal Beads are, in fact, for your anus..."

Robin's mouth is aghast. Steve looks around again taking it all in and he finally laughs at Murray, who is looking them over as if he can't believe these two kids standing here in front of him know anything about the kind of sex he sells. "Listen, Murray. I didn't set out to move here to this city and work in a shop full of dildos. Surprisingly, my incredibly inexperienced friend here signed me up against my will to hawk condoms like morning coffee. Robin doesn't know shit - sorry Robs, but you don't." She shrugs her shoulders, looking at Murray and nods in agreement at her friends words. "And while I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that I'm not what you might consider all that adventurous, I've got more notches than I'm proud of and unlike most guys I can find a girl's clit. SO… I'd appreciate it if you stopped talking to me like this is 6th grade health class and let us get to work."

"I have very little to add." Robin says, "and after what I heard the other night, I'll attest to what Steve says. He sure can make 'em moan." 

Murray stands behind the counter looking Steve up and down. He lets out a loud, boisterous laugh into the still air of the shop before he starts again "Well then, Steve. I can respect that. I think you both are going to be a mess, but I can work with it... So let's hop to it."

Beyond the merchandise, the pair learn that Murray hosts educational workshops and events at The Hideout for its patrons and the community and often has specials and promos going inside for shoppers. After the first half of their day, it's clear that Murray runs a business that he is proud of and his customers are loyal. Steve decides that when people ask, he's just going to tell them he works retail. Because he in fact… does. 

As their training winds down, Murray comes out of his back office carrying a giant tray and welding some embarrassing dance moves as he delivers it delicately to the counter. "Hey, hey, hey assholes! Before we head out, we have to set up this display for tomorrow. Let's rock and roll my friends!" Robin scans the contents of the tray curiously, not so sure how all of the items fit together to make anything that resembles a display. "Uh, okay but like… what is it?" She says. 

Steve snickers as he takes in the tray full of cupcakes, bananas and condoms. "Well Robbie, despite what it looks like I don't think Murray is letting us set up snack time. I'm not sure what the cupcakes are for, but these here look like they're to practice getting the condoms on the banana."

"Bingo! Rico Suave gets the points! We're doing a condom demo tomorrow, so he's right on that. What he's wrong about though, is that the cupcakes ARE for a snack." Murray fist bumps Steve and turns to see Robin's gears turning at maximum speed. 

“What’s the matter, first time, Red?” Murray spits out, through a wide gleaming smile that Steve swears sparkles in the light, like some goddamn cartoon. 

"Actually.. ." She draws out "while I don't have the clit-finding prowess of my friend Steve here, I only strive to one day be able to eat pussy as well as he apparently can. So yes, this is my first time sliding on a condom, thank you very much." 

Murray nods and his grin never ceases, although now there's a bit more approval and admiration than taunt behind it. "C'mon then, lemme show you how to slide these on like a fuckin pro." 

Steve is beaming watching his friend speak so casually about it. Murray really is good at what he does and making people feel comfortable, or this city really is just what Robin needs, either way, the way Murray doesn't skip a beat and starts teaching Robin the art of rolling on a condom like it's just any old day makes Steve think about how many wild things they're going to get into here. And honestly it's all fine, because there’s a first time for everything.

Divider by @firefly-graphics

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[corrodedcoughin]

Thinking about steddie future where they're both just average guys. No rockstars, no basketball players just two Normal men living a normal life because honestly? they deserve it. They deserve soft domesticity and happiness.

They both have jobs they like but don't love and they're happy with that. Eddie maybe becomes an electrician, working for someone else's company. His coworkers are chill, he gets to get out and work with his hands and that's more than he could have asked for. Steve is a physical therapist, or a manager in some business. He likes his team and the steady hours. He's not working for his dad which is a plus.

They buy a house together, that's not a mansion but it's not a trailer either. Steve does a lot of the dishes because Eddie hates it, hates the feeling of old food on the plates and cutlery. So Eddie will kiss Steve on the cheek and does the laundry because Steve fucking hates laundry. And sitting on the floor watching TV while he folds clothes is honestly sort of relaxing?? Love is doing the chores your partner hates.

Steve and Robin go out for brunch at least once a month, where they catch up and gossip for hours and hours and Steve comes home lighter with updates on Robin and Vickie. Eddie will have nightly phone calls with Wayne, where they talk and laugh and Eddie will eventually hand the phone over to Steve so he and Wayne can talk sports together. When he's in town Dustin will come over and stay in their spare room and they laugh and joke so much it's just like old times. They go over to Jeff's house for dinner on a semi regular basis, and it's nice having normal friends.

They adopt a very annoying cat who will climb all over them in bed and meow in their faces when they don't wake up to feed it breakfast in time. Steve will go for jogs on a Saturday morning, coming home to Eddie reading in bed. Some old western book Wayne recommended to him. There's a steaming cup of coffee waiting on their bedside tables that Eddie's prepared.

They take time off of work and go on a week long vacation because they can do that now. They do dorky touristy things and Eddie buys a mug to send to Wayne. Steve takes a lot of dorky photos of the two of them.

Idk they deserve to be normal and alive and happy with no upside down anymore <3

Oh I love this! I had actually been thinking about tradesman Eddie for a little bit I am so, so glad you’ve come up with this!

I can so completely see him learning a trade and just getting employed and put through his time by a small local employer! He has to go through his exams and that part of it worries him when he first gets the job but his team end up being really supportive and Steve stays up late with him, practicing circuits and wiring and quizzing him on currents and volts. Eddie returning the favour, letting Steve mark up his muscles and be a living anatomy dummy. Sure it gets a little sexy from time to time but more often than not it’s just them testing each other as Steve identifies bones and Eddie talks about parallel circuits.

The monthly brunches mentally and physically revive Steve after working extended hours with patients that he really does want the best for but a jobs a job and it can get pretty tiring. They joke that they rebalance each others chakras but they really do feel realigned after their meet ups. Eddie can see it to, sometimes he’ll come pick them up when it’s been a boozy brunch and delights in seeing them happy and light, clambering over each other to tell Eddie something about one of the waiters or an especially good dish they ordered. When he drops Robin home Steve sits in the front and looks at peace and Eddie feels the same way.

Their weekends are for them, sometimes that means staying home and cleaning the whole place between ordering food in and sometimes that means going on a day trip and taking Wayne around all the antique spots around the county and seeing what horrors they can uncover. Top spot currently sits with Wayne’s find of a doll whose limbs had been replaced with horse legs and had the head of a fish. Of course they bought it.

Every time they go on a holiday they make sure to send postcards to everyone, including themselves, seeing if they’ll get home before the postcard does. Steve keeps them in a photo album, each with a Polaroid of them next to it. Sometimes taken by a stranger, sometimes just a close up of their faces squashed together. It’s Eddie’s favourite thing to go through on their anniversary, or any day really, just loves being reminded that this is the life they get to have.

It’s mundane, dare say even normal, but they love it. Steve comes home every night, happy to put his scrubs in the washing machine next to Eddie’s uniform, happy to be where he feels loved.

[becomingkatie]

We had an absolutely fucking insane day yesterday.

Includes probably more information than you've ever wanted to know about a niche bread, and a description of a dog attack (on a human, not another animal).

So back up - I've been trying to make salt rising bread. It's an Appalachian historical recipe/food and it's not easy to make. Like sourdough, it is leavened by naturally-occurring bacteria and not yeast. The bacteria at work in salt rising bread likes it hot, so when you make the "starter" (usually some sort of combination of either potatoes or cornmeal or both and milk or hot water) you need to keep it at around 100deg F while the bacteria wakes up. When the starter stinks like a high school gym locker room and has foam on top, you add flour and maybe other ingredients to make a "sponge." Again, keep it hot while the bacteria feeds on the flour. It will continue to stink. When it doubles in size, more flour and maybe shortening or other ingredients are added to make the actual dough. The dough should also be kept warm while rising until baking. The result is a very unique bread that tastes a little like cheese and makes amazing toast.

This has been an ongoing thing and I am going to skip over it all because it's long enough for its own post, but suffice it to say I've made a half-dozen attempts, trying different recipes and warming methods, and I was trying again this weekend. I started the starter around noon Saturday because previous attempts led me to believe I would need 20-24 hours for the starter. This one worked (yay) but it worked twice as fast as expected (oh no). This means that when I was going to bed Saturday night, I checked on it and realized I needed to use it right then. It isn't like a sourdough starter that you can just feed again and use later. So I had to make bread at midnight. I was up every 2 hours for the different steps. Bread came out of the oven at 7:30 yesterday morning, and I got maybe 4 hours of sleep over 5 "sessions."

Good news is the bread turned out almost correct, and certainly good enough to eat. Bad news is the sleep deprivation.

This sets the scene for our morning, when we had a 10am appointment an hour from home to go visit a cat we're adopting (more on this later!). It's 9:03 and we're rushing out the door running a couple minutes late. As soon as we step out onto the stoop, someone screams. At the end of our street a man was being attacked by two dogs.

I ran over first because Ken had been in the middle of locking the door when the guy screamed. The man continued to scream, both screaming in pain and shouting for help. We see this man walking his own dog all the time, but there were two other dogs that were attacking him and his dog. It was hard to see what was going on, but then I got over there and realized, "holy shit I am terrified to try to pull an attacking dog off a man and have the dog then attack both me and the man," so I called 911 instead. As I dialed, Ken ran over and was a hero. He did pull the dogs off the man. They didn't go for him, though I was certain they would and was so scared. Once the dogs were off the guy, they acted like nice/normal dogs. When the man and his dog started to walk away (their own house is half a block from where this happened) the dogs ran at him again, so Ken grabbed them again until he was away.

Once the guy was gone, Ken didn't want to keep holding the dogs since he didn't want to upset them or cause further issues and they weren't acting generally aggressive, but then the dogs started running around the neighborhood and in the busier street nearby. They kept running up to me, and I sort of used my purse as a barrier but tried not to do anything that would excite them. Police showed up pretty quickly.

The dogs very happily jumped into the back seat of the police car. I suspect they will be put down, which makes me sad for them. They were pits of some sort. Enormous pitbull heads but really short and stocky. One was an intact male and the other was a female whose nipples were hanging down low - it makes me wonder if someone bred them and then released them once they had puppies, but they had some sort of collars on (that's how Ken was able to grab and hold them). The collars could have been trackers or could have been shock collars; it wasn't clear to us.

The man got his own dog back to the safety of their house, then walked back over to where Ken was talking to the police. An ambulance and firetruck both came, with EMTs for the man. He did end up going to the ER and getting stitches, but I don't know if he left in the ambulance. Ken had blood on his pants and shoes; it wasn't a little bite, or just one bite, that the man suffered. As far as we know, he's awaiting information on whether the dogs had rabies vaccines to see whether he needs to get rabies shots. We saw more cars than usual in front of his house later in the day, so we're reassured he has family or community support around. Still, I want to bake him something and take it over there just to tell him we're so sorry something this awful happened to him. I can't imagine the trauma and how it will feel to walk his dog again after this. Luckily his dog was not injured. It seems something about him and his dog set these dogs off, but they only attacked him. Weirdly, his dog wasn't going crazy fighting back or trying to protect him. His dog was pretty calm through it all. I'm not sure if the dog trying to protect him would have made the situation better or worse - probably worse.

A few other neighbors came out of their houses to watch/make sure we had called police/see if the guy was okay. I still feel guilty I called police instead of actually physically helping like Ken did. It was so scary.

I was on the verge of tears from the adrenaline the whole hour drive to our appointment, to which we were late. I let the foster know the situation and she was very nice about it. And then we met a cat and are adopting him, and then a few hours later we met some more kitties and are trying to adopt one of those, so soon we will have two kittens in our house. We wanted to have two cats so they have a companion and we can watch them play together, and we wanted to adopt younger cats so we stand a better chance at leash training them. The older kitten is 4 months old and the younger one is almost 9 weeks. Pictures and more on this later. For now I'm still feeling like crap after losing Saturday night's sleep and reeling from the dog attack.