#for now i offer this cute babie tori

[savingsallow]

To my sweetest wife bean for her exam session:

You can do it, sweetie! ❤️😘

AAAAAA IF IT AIN'T MY SWEETEST WIFE BEAN 🥺❤️‍🔥 THANK YOU!! 🫂✨

i have exams until friday so in the meantime i'm drowning with my reviewers 🫠 but thank you for the cheers! 🎉

here's a quick doodle of this big babie that i did in between my reviews:

— sending much love to everyone!! ❤️‍🔥

drawing reference

[secretsandwritinggs]

Baby, you're my sugar

pairings - Cobra Kai characters x you/non-binary reader

kg's notes - i just wanted to make something that was cute, fun, and overall a new layout of how I would present my headcanons. so here are the Cobra Kai characters sharing their favourite sweets with you, because they love you!

Demetri Alexopoulos - he would really love to share a Whatchamacallit or Cherry airhead with you and tear off small pieces and feed them to you. he goes from doing that to having it in his mouth to 'feed' you like that when you know the truth is he wants a kiss from you which you happily accept with chocolate on your face from the Whatchamacallit.

Miguel Diaz - he would love lots of Spanish candy and would tend to bring you back a lot of it, especially since he makes frequent trips to Mexico to visit family. the different varieties and textures make you both excited (and nervous) to try them and he'll make sure to take note of which candies you prefer so the two of you can enjoy them together, even if some of them aren't in his personal preferences but he likes seeing you happy.

Robby Keene - he's definitely spicier than anything actually sweet, but he tries to get something not so spicy for you to try, which makes you scoff and say you could handle it. he looks at you funny knowing that you're either lying to him or telling him the truth, either way he's intrigued about how motivated you are to try his "spicy" candies. if he doesn't eat candy he shares the corn nuts with you and you say the ranch flavor is your favourite.

Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz - he's the type who really appreciates sour candy and if you don't like it he's willing to share his dark chocolate with you. he wasn't raised eating candy, so you two would share a slice of fruit like: watermelon, apple, orange, or whatever kind he has in his pantry the moment. you actually started his love of chocolate (he would never admit this to your face but he would tell Demetri and Anthony) after telling him to get you some during your period since it helped you with the cramps, even though he retorted with a banana when you asked for the chocolate.

Anthony LaRusso - he would get the little variety packs like Kit Kats, Buenos, or anything chocolate related. he's not a big fan of regular-sized or larger chocolate (like King-size Hershey bars), since it now makes him uncomfortable to eat so much chocolate again. he would unwrap it and feed it to you instead of allowing you to make it yourself, although he would only allow you to take a couple of pieces of chocolate before hiding it in his room. he got better at hiding candy because you were sneaking around while he was trying to hide it once.

Samantha "Sam" LaRusso - similarly to Eli, she would rather eat fruit than real candy, but she sometimes eats real candy and it normally comes from Italy instead of here, America. she's not a fan of chewy or gummy candy, so the cappuccino candy she likes comes as a hard candy to make it last longer, plus she says it's better than the coffee you might get at a coffee shop. you're on the fence about that. it's not your favorite thing while it's hers and you offered her yours to see if she would like it and that is to be determined…

Tory Nichols - she's used to sharing a lot of things especially with her brother (Brandon) because that's all she knows, so it's no surprise when she offers you pieces of her chocolate. she's more on the bitter side of things like something rich—an espresso or a cappuccino if you will for her chocolate, although there are rare times when she would eat Sour Patch Kids or Jolly Ranchers (blue raspberry and watermelon are her favorite flavorus).

[I will add Kenny, Shawn, Aisha, and the adults depending on how well this does and I still need to finish my fic and the last two suggestions in my drafts right now]

[chthonicgodling]

Røkia moodboard by the way💞

teeny handful of specific design inspo pics collected over this whole year even though I had started with a loose idea of how I wanted him to look immediately when EeL got pregnant - plus many components of Tory that made its way in to him. notably in Tory’s spikes n’ spines and color palette etc etc

Literallly I designed him in the wayyy beginning of the year and. then. when Moo Deng dropped into the public consciousness fenixe and I???? Shrieked????? (And I updated my inspo folder LOL). on that note I have do have more lil doodles to post later in the week don’t worry

Okay what else what else!! Røkia posting at last!!! LIVE FROM ELYSIUMMMM

Røkia is wiggly and snuggly and SO00O CUUUTE and he mewls and purrs and kneads like a cylinder shaped kitten. he also squeaks and chirps like a bird. is this not all dragons are, anyway?

bear in mind he's fully sentient and cognizant by the way like!!! he literally is just a dragon shaped baby! He'll be able to fully SPEAK probably the way Fjöer can, and the way Fen and Jor could when they were animal shaped - although who knows I haven't made a decision about this like. sometimesDragons can fully talk!! Idk we'll just see. Either way his parents and siblings will all be able to seamlessly understand him.

his wings right now are crumply and soft - they'll harden, the way a butterfly's does post chrysalis.

hmm what else can I share!!! They picked his name in August. Rokia loosely translates to, quoth EeL himself, something to take care of- to protect.

Maci and him immediately got into an argument over pushing the nickname Røcky onto him fgkfkgkgkgkg EeL said absolutely NOT

(Maci and Tory don't know this but), EeL's been naming his recent children in matching sets haha. He has Fenris and Fjöer, Eisa and Einmyria, Vali and Vrykolakas, Sleipnir and Saunn... and now Rane and Rokia. The only names he'd offered them were "H” N," "L," or "R" - Hela, Nari, and Libby will get theirs next time around uwu

OH ALSO- Figuring out on the fly wtf Røkia was going to eat once he was born??!! (He figured out how to nurse its fine) but that led to this featured this wonderful Canon moment -

Maci: “What do dragons usually eat?”

Tory:  “People.”

Loki: “People, livestock.”

Maci: “Ohh, cutie pie’s too little to eat any sheep and people yet.”

😭 lmfao

What ELSSEEEEE um!!! the kids on either side haven’t met him yet :-) he’s so fucking cute that Rane and Neo will certainly come around

I think that’s it for now. oh it’s so exciting to FINALLYYYYY just say Røkia instead of being vague lmao AHH,, BOUNCESS AROUNDDDDDDD

[t-305tv]

Hello! May I request a fic of Jade and Tori getting ready for the birth of their daughter, and Tori goes into labor and Jade is kinda freaking out, but then it'll be cute and fluff at the end?

sure, here you go:

The day had finally arrived. Tori and Jade, eagerly anticipating the arrival of their daughter, were busy preparing their home and their hearts for the newest addition to their family. The nursery was meticulously organized, the baby clothes neatly folded, and the crib adorned with soft blankets and toys. Tori, with her radiant smile, moved around the room with grace and excitement, while Jade, surprisingly nervous, followed her every move.

As the day wore on, Tori suddenly clutched her stomach, a look of surprise crossing her face. "Jade," she said, her voice filled with a mix of excitement and urgency, "I think it's time. I'm going into labor!"

Jade, who had been meticulously arranging baby clothes in the nursery, spun around, her eyes widening with panic. "Now? Are you sure? What do we do? What if I mess something up?"

Tori smiled reassuringly, her love for Jade evident in her eyes. "Jade, take a deep breath. We've got this. Remember our birthing classes? We know what to do."

Jade nodded, attempting to steady her racing heart. "Right, right. I've got this. I can do this." She took another deep breath, trying to compose herself.

As they hurried to the hospital, Jade's nerves slowly began to ease. Tori's calm demeanor and encouraging words provided her with the reassurance she needed. In the delivery room, as Tori went through the pains of labor, Jade held her hand, offering words of love and support.

After what felt like an eternity but was, in reality, only a few hours, their daughter was born. The room filled with the sound of her first cries, and Tori and Jade exchanged a tearful, joyful glance. In that moment, all the anxiety and fear melted away, leaving only overwhelming love and happiness.

As Tori held their daughter in her arms, Jade leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "She's perfect, Tori. Absolutely perfect."

Tori smiled, her heart overflowing with love for both Jade and their newborn daughter. "She is. And so are you, Jade. Thank you for being with me through all of this. I couldn't have done it without you."

Jade's eyes softened, her tough exterior cracking under the weight of her emotions. "I love you, Tori. Both of you."

Tori's smile widened, her eyes shining with tears of happiness. "I love you too, Jade. Our family is complete now."

And in that moment, surrounded by the love and warmth of their little family, Tori and Jade felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and contentment. They had faced their fears and uncertainties together, emerging stronger and more in love than ever before. As they cuddled their newborn daughter, they knew that their journey as parents had only just begun, but they were ready to face it together, hand in hand, with love as their guiding light.

[harlowsbby]

I have a concept idea, say reader and jack are talking but not really dating yet, and he invites her to the festival and tori was there and everything’s just awkward cause Tori tryna make it seem like her and jack still messing with each other and reader is just like🧍🏾‍♀️

Jack and you were on the verge of being a couple right now the two of you were currently in the talking stage. His friends and family loved and adored you because you were such a kind and caring person.

You stood next to Neelam and Clay as the three of you waited for Jack to go on stage.

“I’m so proud of him this shit is a dream come true.” You smiled over at Clay and nodded, performing at Forecastle was a big and major thing for Jack this shit was history and history was going to be made that night.

You were just admiring and taking in everything Forecastle had to offer and smiled at all the drunk before just living and enjoying life. Well that was until Tori came along. You knew about Tori and you weren’t to fond of her especially since she supposedly had shit on Jack he couldn’t just drop her like that knowing she’s be in the press talking down on his name.

You watched how her and her little posey approached you and Neelam and Clay.

“Hi Neelam, Clay and you must be Y/N, I heard you might be Jack’s little boo? Mhm that’s cute.” She chuckled making Neelam roll her eyes.

“What are you even doing here Tori? I get it’s Forecastle but why are you in this section it’s for VIP only and you aren’t VIP.” You stood there dumbfounded not really sure what to say or do since you didn’t even really know Tori you’ve only heard of her.

“Well I mean Jack’s the one that got me in here. He reserved a spot for my friends and I see.” Tori proceed to show you her vip ticket. You looked at her brows furrowed, Jack claimed he stopped talking to her a week before he met you and nobody else talks to her so how could she have gotten one.

Tori smirked noticing your confused face and decided to push your buttons a bit more.

“He didn’t tell you? We’ve actually been talking for a bit I’d say a good 4-5 weeks pretty much a month. He was just at my place the other day he had to stop by and drop these off.” She stated while waving her vip badge around.

“She’s just lying it’s what she does best Y/N don’t believe her. Besides you’re filled with drama it’s why Jack dropped you.” Neelam sneered at her causing Tori to roll her eyes but pull out her phone.

“Right if I was so full of drama then why has he been texting me and saying he misses me.” Tori handed the phone over to Neelam and You and sure enough Jack was texting her.

You read a few messages of him saying how he missed her and wants to work things out with her. Your vision got a bit blurry due to the tears on the brim of your eyes.

“That shits fake Jack would never do that to Y/N he loves her.” Clay tossed the phone back to Tori.

“Believe what you want but Jack’s a player baby girl you actually thought he wanted you? You’re not even his type you’re too quiet and nerdy looking.” Her friends laughed at her comments.

“I’ll see you guys around yeah?” Tori laughed before walking off. You didn’t know what to do or who to believe you weren’t one to involve yourself with drama so you decided it was best to step back and shut off.

Tori’s words played in your head like a endless loop. Maybe that’s why Jack’s been coming back from the studio so late he was with her and you should’ve known he’d go with someone like her she was everything and more he needed in a girl and as for you well you wouldn’t even date yourself if you were a guy.

Tears blurred your vision as you looked around trying to find somewhere to go Jack’s security guard noticed the tears in your eyes.

“Are you okay Y/N? You want me to get Jack he isn’t due to be on for another 20 minutes.” You shook your head no and smiled up at him.

“It’s okay I just need some fresh air can you lead me to the bus only if you don’t mind?” He smiled and nodded leading you back to the suv. Neelam and Clay were too distracted by some fans to notice which you were thankful for.

Once you arrived to the suv you found a paper and pen and left a note to Jack the entire time you were a crying mess. You didn’t want to leave Jack but you weren’t about to be played like a puppet on some strings.

[adorethedistance]

A Pretty Good Bad Idea - Owen Joyner x Reader

JATP masterlist

Warnings: swearing, peer pressure kinda, very mild n fluffy

Words: 1865

Summary: Touring with the Julie and The Phantoms cast as a dancer has been the best time of your life, and the only thing that could make it better is the reciprocated affections of a cute, blond drummer.

A/N: So this piece is 1) inspired by this interview and 2) entirely self indulgent. It’s something I haven’t been able to get out of my mind every time I’m doing warm ups, and putting it down on ,, digital paper is my only way to get rid of it lmao. I hope y’all enjoy bc I know this scenario makes me really happy and I love sharing my joy with y’all.

I let out an involuntary whine when I roll forward into my almost-center splits. My hips are so sore from yesterday’s performance I had to force myself to start stretching in the first place. Getting a head start, I arrived at the concert venue an hour earlier than call time to get my lengthy stretching routine out of the way before the other girls show up. Slowly but surely, the rest of the dancers arrived and we began getting ready together.

“I have a speaker!” Tori announces to the room upon entering which makes me jump up from my seat.

“Yes! May I do the honors and bless y’all with my musical theatre playlist?” The rest of the group cheers, exposing themselves for the theatre kids that we are. After hearing the chime that signifies the speaker-phone pairing, a few seconds pass before “Cell Block Tango” begins to play. The entire group feigns outrage but we know all the words and soon indulge in such shameful pandering. A good pre-show playlist is what really gets me amped up for performing and after yesterday’s queue of ‘today’s hits’ pop, the musical theatre is a nice change of pace.

Since I’d gotten here so early, I decided to do my makeup before stretching and I still had time to spare. The only thing left for me to do was to get in costume but I’d wait until a little closer to showtime so that I could still eat and drink for the time being. This also meant I was free to roam and bother other people as they got ready, doing what I’d done almost an hour ago.

“So, Y/n?”

“Hm?”

“What’s going on with you and Owen?” I feel my breathing halt for a microsecond before looking up at, one of the other dancers and also my friend, Ella. My eyebrows are cinched in confusion as I try my best to figure out what it is she’s getting at.

“I don’t know, Ella. What is going on with me and Owen?”

“Oh come on. Your Instagram story from yesterday?” Oh. That.

“We just went to lunch?” I seemingly ask more than state.

“Yeah. Just the two of you. Don’t hold out on us, we wanna know what’s going on!”

“Really, Ella, there’s nothing going on. We’re just getting to know each other better.”

“Just getting to know each other better? Or getting to know each other better?” Tori butts in, dusting her cheeks with a subtle highlight.

“The first one?”

“How many times have you hung out?”

“Just the once.”

“Are you planning another date?”

“It wasn’t a date-”

“Do you want us to help wingman you?”

“I really don’t-”

“Hey.” The rapid-fire of questions cease when the gang of us look up to see Owen himself standing in the doorway.

“Speak of the devil,” Tori snickers as the rest of the girls slowly disperse and smugly resume doing their makeup. Owen makes a face in reaction to her comment but chooses not to pry.

“Could I borrow some hairspray? This one piece of hair won’t stay.” Despite each of the girls having a full can of hairspray on hand, nobody makes a move to give him the product, indicating that I should be the one to help him out. Rolling my eyes at the look Ella is giving me through the mirror, I stand from my chair and hand Owen the can of hairspray. He then looks straight ahead and moves to use the product but I stop him before he can.

“What’s your plan?”

“What?”

“Are you just gonna spray the piece?”

“...yeah?”

“That’s not gonna work since the rest of your hair already has product in it. Can I help you?” Owen nods amiably and takes a seat after I gesture for him to sit in my chair. I then realize my mistake as I need the comb on the grey countertop, and have to consequently reach past Owen in a way that wouldn’t be so compromising had I not worn such a low-cut top. Thankfully it’s over as fast as it began, and walking to the sink in the corner of the dressing room, I run the cool water over the bristles. It isn’t until I turn off the tap that I notice how eerily quiet the room had gotten. None of the girls are talking, attentively studying my every move as I cross back to Owen.

“Is this Chicago?”

“Uh, yeah, We’re listening to my musical theatre playlist though, not the whole soundtrack,” I respond in spite of the nervous laugh that falls from my lips. The slight slouch in Owen’s posture doesn’t help me to see what I’m doing clearly enough. Using my index finger and an upturned palm, I tilt his chin up to get a better look at his hair, willfully ignoring the fact that he’s staring at me right now.

Still, silence fills the room as I take the wet comb through the front section of his hair where the stubborn strand won’t stay put. Once the water binds the pieces together, I grab my can of hairspray and struggle to uncap it. The outside is slick from god knows what, but thankfully Owen doesn’t let me struggle anymore and holds up his hands to wordlessly offer his help. I hand him the can, and he pops the top off after barely struggling. Handing the can back to me, he holds onto the lid, and the entire exchange remains completely silent.

I have to work quickly in my next step, but it’s not enough to distract from the fact that everyone in the room is watching me intently. Holding the aerosol can away from the crowd of people, I put some of the product on the comb and quickly work it into Owen’s hair while it’s still wet. Once the comb has formed his hair to my liking, I stop brushing it through in fear of the now dry hairspray ruining the shape. Then, I use my left hand to shield Owen’s eyes from getting any product in them before spraying the offending area to seal in my hard work.

The sound of a cell door sliding closed signifies the end of the song, and I wait for a second, eagerly anticipating the next song to play. Upon hearing the staccato piano notes of “Bad Idea” from Waitress, a smile appears on my face.

“I love this song.” Lunging back on my right leg, I create a little distance between us to make sure I didn’t completely butcher the rest of his hair, singing as I do.

“It’s a bad idea, me and you.”

“I know, I totally agree.” Pleasantly surprised by his joining in, my smile grows bigger.

“It’s a bad idea, me and you.”

“I’ve never known anything so true-”

“It’s a terrible idea, me and you.” The effortlessness that the two of us find in harmonizing is a genuine shock and an absolute thrill all at once. Once Owen sees how excited I am by his joining in me, it’s like a switch had been flipped; the two of us immediately slip into Actor Mode and begin to sing the song as if we were performing it on a Broadway stage.

“You have a wife.” I take a small step back out of the character’s hesitation.

“You have a husband.” Owen mirrors my action.

“You’re my doctor-” I cross my arms across my chest, but release my right hand to gesture to Owen standing in front of me.

“You’ve got a baby coming-” He uses both hands to gesture back to me in my ‘pregnant’ state.

“It’s a bad idea, me and you,” the two of us turn slightly away from facing one another in false bashfulness. When the music picks up, the two of us avidly step toward one another to come together. In perfect synchronization, I grab Owen’s forearms and his hands face upwards to hold onto my elbows.

“Let’s just keep kissing ‘til we come to.”

“Heart, stop racing, let’s face it-” Owen pivots his step out to the side to face forward, extending his right arm which cues me to turn into him and take his other hand to spin out.

“Making mistakes like this will make worse what is already pretty bad.” Then he extends his right arm forward, and I turn into him once again.

“Mind, stop running. It’s time we just let this thing go.” Instead of spinning out again, I stop in front of him where he wraps both of his arms around me.

“It was a pretty good bad idea,” in our harmony I cast my gaze upward to see Owen staring right back down at me, and I feel like I’m seeing stars, “Wasn’t it though?”

The two of us continue dancing and singing with one another as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist. It’s only the two of us, here and now. The other girls in the room don’t miss the way I seem to smile like never before, and I sure as hell don’t miss the way my stomach fills with butterflies. When he holds me so close and dear for each intimate moment of the song, I’m seeing stars. A bold happiness consumes me, the same happiness I felt when Owen and I laughed over lunch in that small pizzeria.

The final harmony draws the song to a close and when it finishes, the two of us fall into a breathless kind of laughter.

“I didn’t take a big enough breath for that last part.”

“Me neither.”

“Your hair stayed intact.”

“I must have a pretty good stylist.”

After recovering from our laughter the two of us wind up in a palpable stupor as we stare into one another’s eyes. A few blinks and my trance is broken, I become aware of our surroundings.

“I should get dressed soon, and you definitely need to get dressed.” Owen nods still somewhat breathless.

“Yeah. See you later for pulse?”

“Save me a spot,” I joke as he backs out of the threshold of our dressing room. Leaning against the doorframe I watch him disappear into his assigned dressing room with a small smile still lingering on my features.

“Just getting to know each other my ass!”

“What the heck was that?”

“Are you sure you don’t want us to wingman you?”

“Do you even need a wingman after something like that?”

Turning on my heel, I face the bunch of insatiable dancers and shake my head in disbelief.

“We were just acting, you guys.”

“Liar.”

“Excuse me?”

“Maybe you were acting, but he sure as hell wasn’t. Did you see the way he was looking at you? He is totally in love with you.” Ella shakes me by my shoulders.

“He’s just a really good performer is all.”

“When is your next date?” she completely ignores me.

“Okay-”

“Oh, and I want to be the maid of honor at your wedding-”

“It was just a song, Ella.”

“-Oh my god you guys are gonna have the cutest kids! I mean, your hair with his eyes and cheekbones? Ahh! The cutest.”

***

A/n: the way that being on tour isn’t the most unrealistic part of this fic, but instead Owen actually knowing the lyrics is? Work diva.

Taglist: @caitsymichelle13​ @kaitlyn2907​ @itz-jas​ @crybabyddl​ @kcd15​ @kinda-really-lost​ @calamitykaty​ @morganayenneferburnham​ @n0wornever​ @dream-a-little-bigger-x​ @mrstodorooki @vicesvsvirturesfanfic @curlybrownhairedboys​ @amazinggracy​ @kaitieskidmore1​ @asdfghjkl-fanfics​ @ghostlygreenbean​ @juliefromaustralia @merceret​ @jemimah-b99​ @ifilwtmfc​ @thesweetestsinner​ @imsydneywalker​ @lovesanimals​ @thebloodthirstyvampress​ @bumbleberry-pie​ @losers-club6​ @tefilovesreading​ @dmcfarland1​@joynerxmercer @kexrtiz​ @talk-on-the-street​ @phantompogues​ @konciousdreamer​ @sunsetcurvej​ @warmnesss0ul​ @celestialmolina​ @lilyjoyner​ 

[k-llama-llama]

A Very Green Birthday

Stray Kids AU: 9th member

Tori x Stray Kids

Tori’s 21st/22nd birthday....a short snippet coming only a few days late

A/N:Please check out my PATREON (patreon.com/kllamallama) for exclusive posts you can’t get anywhere else, as well as lots of other cool benefits!

Requests are OPEN and your feedback is still greatly appreciated!

Masterlist and other Follow Me links in bio!

“How does my butt look?”

“It looks great!” Felix gave her a thumbs up.

“Noona, can you look down a bit more?” Jeongin asked from his position lying on the ground. He was holding the phone upside down trying to get the optimal angle for her photo.

“I believe the company specifically requested a cute photo of your birthday celebrations.” Chan sighed.

Tori smacked her butt. “I’m adorable. Does my outfit go with the background?”

“Obviously, you spent an hour stalking the store’s Instagram to make sure it would coordinate.” Jisung rolled his eyes.

Tori smirked, lowering her cat-eye sunglasses. She had picked out her green skirt and white peasant top specifically to make sure it would match the aesthetic of the store. When the guys had asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday, she’d already had the itinerary planned. And first up was a trip to a plant store she’d been stalking to adopt some new leaf-babies, and take pictures in the greenhouse.

“I think I’ve got a few good ones, Noona.” Jeongin pulled himself up off the floor.

“Thanks, baby.” Tori relaxed from her pose. “Now, let’s find me some plants.”

“A few plants…” Chan cautioned. “You have to show restraint.”

“It’s my birthday.” Tori feigned surprise. “I don’t have to restrain anything. There’s eight of you, and so I shall be picking out eight new plants.”

“I did not agree to buying you anything else.” Minho protested. “I already got you a book.”

“Spoilers.” Seungmin smacked him.

“But I want to get some plants.” Tori begged. “Please? Think of how pretty they’ll look. Think of the air quality.”

“Seriously, Tor? The air quality?” Changbin snorted. “You thought that would convince us?”

“It’s also my birthday and you can’t say no to me.” She smirked. “So, Felix, your job is to find me a money tree.”

“A money tree? That sounds like something I would like.” He looked around, evidently searching for a tree with money hanging from the branches.

“It has little round leaves like coins.” Tori explained. “Jeongin, help me pick out a succulent.”

“What about the rest of us?” Jisung asked.

“Pots.”

“Pot?” Chan exclaimed.

“Flower pots.” Tori clarified. “Go boys, go.”

Tori left the store with nine new plants, the boys carrying her bags and her cradling her newest succulent in her hands.

“So what’s the plan for the rest of the day, my loves?” Tori was absolutely beaming.

“As if you don’t know.” Hyunjin shook his head.

“I made a reservation at the cupcake decorating place you emailed me.” Minho offered.

“You did!” Tori pretended to be surprised.

“Park Heechul, drop this stupid act.” Changbin scowled. “You sent us all a detailed schedule of what you wanted to do, with a link to your Amazon wishlist.”

“You have absolutely no faith in us.” Felix nodded.

“Which is honestly a little disappointing, because we’ve never failed one of your birthdays.” Hyunjin reminded her.

“I just wanted to be sure.” Tori protested. “Besides, this way you don’t have to stress about it, and I know that I’m going to have an awesome day. And anyways, I let you guys pick the dinner.”

“Right, are we still on for salads and water?” Changbin joked.

Tori scowled. “Jeongin!”

“No vegetables, I promise.” He linked arms with her, managing not to tip over the bag of plants that he was carrying. “But it is still a surprise.”

Tori winced. “Well…I’m going out with the girls tomorrow to the restaurant in the Lotte tower.”

“Are we that replaceable?” Chan gasped.

“Sumi’s rich.” Tori explained.

“And Zoey’s hot – OW!” Jisung jumped away from Tori’s punch.

“I just can’t believe you don’t love us as much as your girlfriends.” Minho shook his head. “I guess we should go return all of these weeds.”

“Plants! And they’re my babies.”

“Noona, we have a reservation at a Mexican restaurant.” Jeongin whispered.

Tori beamed. “I love you guys.”

[sugako]

c+k: tendou

tendou x f!reader

cw: 18+ minors dni, nsfw, smut, fluff, morning sex, orgasm denial, oral (f!receiving), fingering, cumming on the reader, cum play, l-bombs, teasing, exhibition/semi-public (no one sees), car sex, unprotected sex, creampie, aftercare, degradation

wc: 1.8k

a/n: hi again friends!! pls enjoy another c+k (almost done),, also idk why i forgot to post this when it's been done forever

“Good morning, love!” His excited tone roused you from the last bits of sleep you were clinging to. Tendou was such a morning person. You could wake up in the morning, but he just came alive, always telling you that it was because he got excited to wake up beside you each day.

“Morning, ‘tori.” You mumbled and stretched. The warmth from the sun glistening through the window was deceiving in comparison to the brisk chill outside.

“It’s Valentine’s Day.” He said brightly.

Having had to suffer through the past week or so of him working overtime, testing out new recipes and combinations and this and that, you knew it was Valentine’s Day. His arms, still snaked around you from last night tighten as he shifts to lay on top of you, nuzzling his face into your chest.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” you try to match his energy, but to little avail, “I love you.” You crane your neck down just enough to kiss at the top of his head, his buzzed curls tickling under your nose.

“I love you too, y/n.” His demeanor calmed for a moment before almost immediately revamping. Long fingers snaked up your sides under the sweatshirt you stole from him, brushing and prodding exactly where he knew you were sensitive. Yelping and giggling, you thrashed under him, held down by his strong legs that were wrapped around yours.

“If you…” you gasped, “...if you loved me you wouldn’t torture me!”

He pushed the top up and over your head, leaving you completely bare. His lips quickly pressed one little, messy peck after another against your neck, cheeks, chest, anywhere he could.

“We both-” another kiss “-know that’s-” another “-not true.” He slowed enough to press a deep kiss against your mouth and pressed his hips between your legs. Against the thin fabric of his boxers, you could feel the complete outline of his hard cock. “Plus, you beg for me to torture you all the time, love.”

You pouted but kissed him back just as sweetly. “What do you want to do today?” You asked as he pulled away, pushing back the covers to kiss all the way down your stomach.

“Today? I don’t know. Right now? I want to eat my breakfast.” His muffled voice barely reached your ears while he busied his lips with nipping and kissing your hips and thighs.

The comment sent heat straight to your ears. He never ceased to make you feel giddy, especially when he lifted his deep maroon eyes to meet yours just before teased through your folds with a finger.

When he felt you couldn’t take much more of his gentle strokes he licked a thick stipe up your center. A shudder coarse through your body as the tip of his hot muscle landed squarely on your throbbing clit.

“Satori!” You whined, hips already aching to buck against his face. “Please, ah!”

“So sensitive, baby.” He groaned. “Still worked up from last night?” Your cries were not acknowledged as he looped his arms around your thighs and over the top of your stomach to keep you firmly planted in place. Overcome with sensation, you clawed out to grab anything, landing on one of his hands. He offered two fingers for you to grasp while he continued, unbothered.

“G-gonna… gonna,” you try to sputter out the words, feeling the sparks in your stomach coming to a head.

Tendou pulled away abruptly with a fake, quizzical look on his face. “You’re gonna what?” He settled his chin on his hands against your tummy, kissing lazily just against your skin. The slick from your now-aching cunt glistened on his lip under the hazy, morning sun.

“P-please?” You were nearly in tears, so close to release if he even shifted his abdomen the right way against your mound, you might come undone.

“Please what, baby?” He kept up the silly act well. “What do you need?” You, on the other hand, were heaving and panting under him.

“Such a tease, ‘tori.” You squeeze the words out eventually. “I wanna cum.”

“Hmm, that,” he disentangled one of his hands from under his head and traced it down your dripping core. One of his digits easily slipped past the slick and into your entrance. He curled it against the sweet, spongey spot inside of you, making you clamp around him. “I bet you do.”

“I do, I do!” You whine, not caring if you look desperate now. “Please, Satori, wanna cum so bad, please, I’ll do anything, please!”

Wrong answer.

He sat back on his heels, eyeing you down with a dark smirk that made you feel so small and helpless. “Okay, but remember you said ‘anything’.” The pretty red tip of his long cock peeked out from the band of his underwear, precum leaking wherever it could. He pulled his length out and brushed it up and down your slit. “I’m going to cum all over this pretty little cunt, then we’re going to go on a little trip, and if you can stop yourself from making a mess like a little slut, then you can cum all you want.”

It felt like a trap, but you knew he would stick to his word. Your head was nodding before he even finished speaking. As soon as he got your quick verbal confirmation, he lined himself up and slipped into your eager opening. The burn made you clench and quake under him, but he kept a steady, albeit slow, pace of entering you.

“You feel so good, baby.” He pulled your thighs off the bed so he could stay kneeling, and the new angle pushed him even deeper into you. On instinct, your legs wrapped around his hips as best they could. “If you keep squeezing me like that I won’t last very long.”

You wanted to tell him it wasn’t on purpose. Your cunt clamped around him on its own accord, sensitive from being stuffed so full. The words came out instead as just a garbled mess of moans. He smiled down at your form, already so ruined, before he started pistoning into you. His hold on your hips never waivered and he kept you exactly where he needed to.

The lewd sounds coming from between your legs bounced around in your head, making you slump back to let him take you. His eyes left yours when you relaxed into the bed. He was too focused on watching exactly how your cunt swallowed him whole, dragging him in and gushing around him. In no time, a creamy ring landed around the base of his cock, driving a blush into his cheeks. You even, wanton moans were beautiful music to his ears.

Unsure of how much time had passed, you only tensed when his thrusts became sloppier and his tip twitched against your walls. He shuddered out a sigh and let himself slip out of your dripping center, setting you back on the bed.

“Keep those legs open, baby.” He whined, pumping himself quickly before his hot cum shot in ropes against your open cunt. Without missing a beat, he pressed his cock against your cunt, rutting against you, his tip slipping just past your entrance until he was pumped dry. “Good girl...good girl.” He moaned.

...

Four hours later you had some regrets. Maybe more than some. Now you were standing at the top of the hill in Montmartre wishing you could take bake your words. You wore a skirt that was just a little too short for the weather and tight panties Tendou had picked out for you. When a cool wind bruised against the front of your thighs.

You tugged on his sleeve, “Satori.” You whispered.

“What is it, love?”

“Can’t take it anymore, please can we just… I don’t know, can we go home? Please?” Your lips brush against the shell of his ear.

“I can’t say no when you ask so nicely.” He grabbed your hand and rushed you away to the corner you had parked on. Your feet stumbled over the cobble as you tried to keep up with his long strides.

Before you realized you had even arrived at the corner, the back door of the car swung open and you were thrown in. Just as you sat up he was pushing you down again and flipping up your skirt.

"Soaked," he grinned. His fingers slid up the fabric, teasing the mess beneath. You could feel the mix of cum squishing between your legs, threatening to leak out the sides of the too-tight underwear as he pressed against it.

"Di-didn't make a mess." You sighed when he finally pulled them down your legs and tossed them into the front seat.

"I see, love." He traced up your cunt, collecting cum on his fingertips and bringing it to your lips. You took them into your mouth with a second thought. Your tongue swirled around his fingers, sucking tightly. "Good girl."

With his other hand, he reached down and hurriedly unzipped his pants. You wrapped your legs around him, pulling him in just as he took his fingers from your mouth. A trail of saliva connected your tongue to his fingertip that made his own mouth run dry.

"All clean." He complimented and untucked himself.

"Want you, please, wanna cum, 'tori, please." You gasped as his cock slapped against your slit, teasing your entrance.

"Mhmm, course… you deserve it."

Tendou groaned as he slipped right into you. With the amount of cum splashing between your legs and the dull ache of want, he easily molded himself to you. Not waiting more than a second, he started pumping into you fast and reached his thumb down to tweak your throbbing clit.

"Been hard since we left the apartment. Thinking about your fucking cries and moans, whining for my cock. So cute, baby." He shuddered when he hit a particularly deep spot within you and you clamped down around him.

Your head was empty, too focused on how his thumb was kneading just right against your clit. His hips started stuttering with your own and you hit the edge within moments of one another. It came over you in a rushing wave, one jolt after another.

More of his cum spattered inside of you, filling you to the brim. Your damp thighs shook around him in the cold car as they searched for any warmth now that both your bodies had stilled.

He slumped over you and sighed heavily into your ear. "Good girl, felt so good. You okay, baby?"

"Y-yeah, I'm good, just cold. Kinda thirsty." You sputter out. He reached for the discarded underwear and cleaned you up as best he could before he cleaned himself and tucked his softening cock back into his pants.

"We'll get some drinks on the way home," he kissed you sweetly on the tip of your nose. "Happy Valentine's Day."

[strawberryama]

What A Shame, Baby What A Shame

sometimes it sucks having hot best friends

ushijima x fem reader || tendou x fem reader

- will lead to longer individuals maybe, depends

contents : fingering, size kink, imagination/dirty fantasies, petnames, getting caught 

nsfw 18+ minors dni

with a frustrated groan, you toss aside your phone after getting off the group call with your best friends. it was a typical thing to have a call once a week since you three split off for college. you just caught up and hung out, which helped keeping your friendship, certainly.

but on nights like tonight, when they’re being nothing but sweeties, you can’t help but feel a little ashamed..

you’d had a long week and were stressed about midterms coming up. while the guys were nothing but kind and caring, offering support where they could, your mind wandered. the stress was building and building and you knew what the best relief was...but the issue was no matter what you did, when you masturbated, it was him who you thought of. and this particular night, you struggled to keep your mind there instead of in the gutter with every little thing.

so you were relieved once the call was over to say the least. but you wasted no time in slipping down your shorts and panties either. tossing them off your bed, you reached under your pillow, grabbing the bullet vibrator. turning it on, you laid back and allowed yourself to get lost in the fantasies.

--

tendou’s lithe middle finger curled into you, tickling your g spot as you gasped out. he reached spots that you never knew could be touched and that only made you wetter. if you looked down between you legs now you’d see that satisfied smirk he was oh so good at making on his lips. and you just knew that it grew as he slipped in a second finger, upping his pace just a smidge.

“T-Tori!” you’d cry out. in an attempt to silence yourself you bite your bottom lip and groaned. only his fingers were at work, and if this kept up, the whole dorm would know you were getting your shit wrecked. how’d you even show your face to the people on your floor? or your RA for god’s sake? the thought alone had you hiding behind your cardigan sleeve,

as those thoughts muddled your brain, tendou grabbed your chin in his free hand. he was gentle, chuckling as he looked down upon your flustered expression. “ah-ah, princess. either lemme hear those cute little moans or sit up so i can personally keep you quiet.”

you began to sit up, but you were quickly manhandled to the wall, back pressing into the beige walls. tendou’s fingers slipped out your pussy to reposition you brief but were right back down your shorts once you were good to go. it was all so sudden that you gasped but were met with a pair of smirking lips.

hips wiggling as his thumb added to rubbing your clit in achingly slow circles,  you moaned into tendou’s mouth. you wrapped your arms about his shoulders and let go finally, moaning freely just like he wanted. you finally allowed yourself to get lost in the pleasure. from the tongue languidly exploring your mouth to the fingers in your dripping cunt.

“Right..there...T-Tori,” you gasped out loud.

“Right there, princess?”

“Mm..mhm!”

“Where’s that?~ Where your vibe’s touching? Or are you imaging somewhere else?”

No. No. No. This can’t be happening. In a cold sweat, you grabbed your phone. Sure enough, you were still on the discord call. And so was Tendou. You’d never disconnected and thrown your phone away so fast. This could not be happening.

--

ushijima held your hips with a strong but careful grip. you reached between your bodies, positioning his fat cock and looked up to him. ushjima’s gaze is focused between the two of you, bated breath at the thought of you taking him. he was aware of his size and knew that anyone would struggle. and in that very moment his cock twitched when you began to lower yourself.

his gaze and grip were steady but you were trembling as the head pushed past your lips. with a hiss you began to take his cock in and ushijima let out a low growl almost. while your head went down and your breath hitched, his head went back against the walls and he sucked in a breath.

“tight,” he groaned. no kidding, you thought. your finger nails dug into his muscular shoulders as you slowly slid down. and while it took a moment, you eventually were seated fully on his cock, thighs trembling and a pleasure-filled burn in between your legs.

“Toshi, you okay?”

he nods, inhaling, regulating his breathing again finally. he looks down at you and finds tension releasing from his muscles. but he also found his cock twitching when looking at your exposed tits. and looking past you, he had a perfect view of your ass in the mirror across the room. and that sent him feral. he pulled you close and gripped at your ass, lifting you up slowly to only drop you back down.

the noises you made were above all delicious and made him only hunger for more and more. the cries that he’s too big and that his cocks too much were music to his ears. he only sped up, pressing you into his chest, bouncing you to make the lewd wet smack of his heavy balls against that plump ass he clung to. and the view was the hottest thing he’d ever seen.

something in you snapped causing you to cry out his name over and over until you were a mess unable to comprehend anything other than-

“Yes, _______?”

oh, shit. immediately you smacked a hand over your mouth and you threw your vibrator to the other end of the bed.

“________?”

“NOTHING! Have a good week Toshi!” you yelled into your phone before shutting it off completely. you couldn’t have thought of a worse scenario to have happened. and sure ushijima was could be pretty oblivious but there was no doubt he’d knew what just went down. and if not, tendou could confirm it for him and then he’d know exactly what was going on on your end of the call. you could only conclude that you were doomed.

[hobeymakar]

Something Better | N. MacKinnon

Words: 2,608

A/N: Since I’m sad about the Avs losing Game 7, I figured the only way to not fall into a depressive state is to write something cute to turn the failed breaking of the 2nd round curse (it’s been almost 20 years) to something positive :) In this, COVID-19 is still going on and yes, the playoffs did go on as it did this year

Warnings: swearing and alcohol use

-

You wake up and feel a wave of nausea run through you. You run straight to the bathroom and manage to make it to the toilet before emptying the contents of your stomach out. After the nausea goes down, you brush your teeth and wash your face before heading to the kitchen to take your prenatals and make some breakfast. Yesterday, officially started your 10th week of pregnancy and you can’t believe how quickly your pregnancy is flying by. It seems like just yesterday you found out you were pregnant alone, while Nate was playing his exhibition game with the Avs in Edmonton.

You didn’t want Nate to find out about your unexpected pregnancy while in the bubble, so you tried to keep it as secretive as possible. The only people beside your family that knew were Mel and Gabe Landeskog and Erik Johnson, because EJ apparently finds out everything like he’s some FBI detective or whatever. Luckily, EJ and the Landeskogs can keep their mouths shut and vowed to not tell Nate. You wanted to tell him in person, not over FaceTime.

You finish your breakfast and clean up the kitchen, before heading back to the room to get dressed for the airport. You shower and wash your hair before changing into one of Nate’s old Halifax Mooseheads shirts, leggings, and Adidas sneakers. You need to buy some maternity clothing soon since you’re almost done with your first trimester and your bump is starting to actually show. You blowdry your hair and put on minimal makeup before grabbing your things and leaving the house. You get into the car and drive off towards the airport. 

After a while, you arrive at the airport and make your way towards the arrivals terminal and greet all the Avs WAGs. The ones who are moms can tell right away that you’re pregnant but vow not to say anything to anyone, until you’re ready. After what feels like forever, but it’s only half an hour, you see the players starting to come out. The second you see Nate you run straight into his arms, throwing caution to the wind. It’s the longest you’ve been without your husband since you two started dating in 2014.

“Y/N!” he smiles, holding you in his arms tightly.

“I missed you so much, baby!” you cry out, a couple tears of joy starting to slip from your eyes.

“I missed you even more, baby!” he replies, kissing your forehead.

You stay in each other’s arms for a few more moments before he gently places you back on the ground again. He takes your hand in his and you guys leave the terminal together and head back to the car. You both get into the car and finally take off your masks.

“How was the flight?” you ask, as you start the car.

“Long and depressing, but I’m glad I get to come home to you again,” he smiles, kissing your hand.

You put the car into drive and leave the airport, while he puts on WHATS POPPIN (Remix) by Jack Harlow, Tory Lanez, DaBaby, and Lil Wayne. You know Nate is back when only rap music is being played in the car again. After a while, you make it back to the house and Nate goes straight to the room to unpack, while you take the time to go to your office and call Mel.

Mel answers on the third ring and you can hear Linnea crying in the background.

“Hey Mel is this a bad time?” you ask, not wanting to take her away from her motherly duties.

“No, not at all. Linnea’s just cranky because Gabe accidentally dropped his gear and woke her up from her nap,” she explains.

“God, he better get her back to sleep then,” you reply, shaking your head.

“Oh he is! He’s in the nursery right now, trying to get her to go back to sleep,” she explains.

“Good! Serves him right for ruining her nap schedule,” you tease. “Anyway, are we still on for Nate’s belated birthday party surprise?”

“Yes, we are! I’ve been in contact with the other girls and the guys and we should all be there for 6. So, you should tell him you’re taking him out for dinner and then when you come back from dinner, everything will be set up! He won’t suspect anything,” she explains.

“Alright, awesome. Thanks Mel,” you smile, glad your surprise party for Nate is gonna go off as planned.

What you don't know is that Nate is outside your door and heard you mention the birthday party surprise. He leaves the hallway quickly so that you don't know that he was listening to you talk with Mel. You get off the phone with Mel and exit the room, glad to see that Nate is nowhere near your office. You find him in the living room, getting his laptop set up.

"Hey babe, are you hungry?" you ask.

"No, I ate on the flight. I'm gonna zoom with my parents and sister if you wanna come join," he offers.

"Of course!" you smile.

You love talking with the MacKinnon family. They all love you and are so glad that you turned Nate into a man. Nate starts the zoom call and you're instantly greeted with the faces of Graham, Kathy, and Sarah. 

"Hi, Y/N! How are you?" Kathy greets, a giant smile on her face.

"I'm great, Mrs. MacKinnon, now that your son is back home. How are you?" you ask.

"Y/N darling, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Kathy? We're family now, sweetheart. I'm doing well. I'm so happy to see you again," she replies.

"It must really suck to have my brother back home, eh?" Sarah teases.

"I won't get peace and quiet anymore, that's for sure," you tease back, causing Nate to groan beside you.

"I don't appreciate this spousal abuse!" he whines.

"This is why you're my favorite sister-in-law, Y/N!" Sarah giggles, having way too much.

"She's your only sister-in-law, Sarah!" Graham informs her.

"I know that, Dad! She's still my favorite!" Sarah shushes him.

Yeah, you definitely love the MacKinnons. You all catch up on what's going on with the MacKinnons informing you and Nate on what's going on back in Cole Harbour. You also inform them what's going on in Denver without of course telling them about your pregnancy. Although with the looks Kathy is giving you, she must already suspect it. Moms tend to have a pregnancy radar like that. After a while, the MacKinnons have to go and the Zoom call ends.

You and Nate take advantage of a lil nap time, since the pregnancy makes you take naps more frequently.

"Babe, get ready. I'm taking you out to dinner," you inform him.

"Why can't we just have dinner here?" he pleads.

"Because we haven't had a date night since the pandemic happened and I want to go out," you explain.

"Whatever m'lady wants, m'lady gets," he teases in a stupid accent.

"You're insufferable," you groan, shaking your head in disbelief.

You two get ready to go to dinner and you had already set up a reservation at a nice steakhouse for 6pm. You arrive at the steakhouse downtown at 5:40pm and valet park it. You make your way inside and wait for your table to be ready, before being escorted by the hostess to your table. You both sit down at the table and look at the menus.

"Hi my name is Alex and I'll be your waiter tonight. Can I get you both started with some drinks?" the waiter asks.

"Can we get a bottle of your best red sauvignon, please?" Nate asks.

"And I'll just have this water," you add.

"No problem," Alex smiles.

He pours you a glass of water from the water pitcher as Nate gives you a look of confusion. Alex then leaves to get the bottle of wine.

"You're not gonna have any wine?" he asks.

"No, not tonight, babe. Not really in the mood for it," you lie.

"Okay," he replies, not totally buying the lie.

Alex comes back with the bottle of wine and you both place your orders. You check your phone and see that Mel texted you saying that everyone is at the house setting up for the surprise party. You two pass the time talking and Nate brings up heading back to the offseason house in Cole Harbour and you tell him you're unsure if you wanna go back since it's basically the end of summer anyway and the offseason is so short this year.

"So you wanna stay in Denver then?" he asks.

"I just don't know if it'll be worth it to only be there a month or two," you reply, when in reality you wanna stay here for your entire pregnancy.

Your food eventually arrives and the both of you dig in. You quickly realize how much you miss date nights with Nate and how much you just missed being with Nate in general. Dealing with the majority of your first trimester alone was definitely challenging and something you thought you would never have to deal with. 

After a while, you finish eating and the waiters bring a piece of cake for Nate and start singing happy birthday, while you record it on your phone.

"Happy belated birthday, baby!" you cheer, after the waiters finish singing.

Nate blows out the candle and everyone claps. The waiters all walk away and Nate throws you a look.

"Really?" he asks in annoyance, shaking his head.

"Stop being a baby! You really thought I wasn't gonna make up for missing your birthday?" you ask.

He starts eating his cake, anyway and you eat half of it. You finish eating the cake and you pay the check, much to Nate's dismay.

"Babe, I can pay for things too. I run my own million dollar business," you glare at him.

"Sorry," he replies, raising his hands up in defense.

You leave the restaurant and check your phone, seeing that Mel texted you that the house is all set up and everyone is there.

You decide to drive, much to Nate's dismay, but you sternly remind him that he had a whole bottle of wine. You arrive at the house and park in the driveway. You walk up to the front door and go in first, seeing the house completely dark. Nate follows in and turns on the lights.

Everyone shouts surprise and Nate acts like he didn't know about it ahead of time. Gabe cues the music and everyone goes up to him and wishes him a happy birthday.

"Thank you baby," he smiles, kissing you.

"You're welcome," you smile back.

All the kids are running around and the girls and guys are chatting about offseason plans. After a while, Mel brings out a cake and everyone starts singing happy birthday. After singing, they take pictures of Nate with the cake, before pictures of different groups with Nate and the cake. After all the pictures are taken, Mel cuts the cake and serves a piece to everyone, even some of the kids. After the entire cake is cut and everyone has finished eating their pieces, you go to your office and take out a bag with Nate’s gifts in it, nervous to see what his reaction will be. You bring it out of the office and bring out to the open area where everybody is. Mel notices this and cues for everyone to be quiet and shuts the music down.

“What’s going on?” Nate asks in confusion, not understanding what’s going on.

“I got some special birthday gifts for you, but you need to close your eyes when you pull them out!” you smile, handing him the gift bag.

Nate shoots you a look of hesitation before opening the bag and taking out the paper. He pulls out the first item and hands it to you, before taking out a 2nd and 3rd item and handing them both to you. You arrange them nicely, so that he can see them clearly when he opens his eyes.

“Okay, you can open your eyes now,” you inform him, biting your lip nervously.

He opens his eyes and is immediately hit with a baby Avs jersey with his number on it that says Daddy in the back, as well as little Avs booties and your first ultrasound photo. His brows furrow in confusion at first before he puts two and two together and his mouth drops at the sudden realization that you’re pregnant.

“You’re pregnant? I’m gonna be a dad?” he asks hopefully.

“Yes, babe! I’m 10 weeks pregnant and I’m due in early April!” you smile, placing a hand down on your little bump.

“I love you so much!” he cries out, before kissing you and lifting you into his arms.

Everyone cheers and yells out their congratulations, with the WAGs already talking about planning the gender reveal party and the baby shower. Nate doesn’t keep his hands off your bump for the rest of the night and doesn’t shut up about how he can’t wait to meet the baby. The team, because they’re all competitive gambling bastards, place a wager on whether or not it’s a boy or girl, and secretly you want a mini Nate running around, even though you know he would be an amazing girl dad.

After a while, it gets late and everyone cleans up before heading home. Once everyone is gone, you guys shower and get ready for bed.

“When’s the next appointment, babe?” he asks you, as you crawl into bed to cuddle him.

“In two weeks for the first trimester screen. You’re gonna be able to hear our baby’s heartbeat for the first time,” you inform him.

“I can’t believe you were going through this all alone,” he sighs, feeling guilty that he was playing in the Edmonton bubble.

“I had Mel here with me and she was pretty awesome helping me out after every freakout and breakdown I had since finding out I’m pregnant,” you assure him.

“How long have you known?” he asks, the “without telling me” implied.

“I found out 5 days after you left. I had missed my period and was feeling like shit, so I bought a few tests and they all came out positive. So I freaked out and figured I’d wait til I saw you again in person to tell you,” you explain.

“I hate that I wasn’t here for you these last 6 weeks, but I’ll be by your side for the rest of this pregnancy, baby,” he assures you, kissing your forehead. “When do we get to find out the gender?”

“In 10 weeks during the mid-pregnancy ultrasound. It’s a 3D ultrasound that will show us every detail of the baby,” you explain to him, in between yawns.

He crawls down under the sheets and brings his face up to your little bump.

“Hey little one, I know you don’t know me yet, but I’m your daddy! I can’t wait to meet you little guy or girl! Your mommy and I make me so happy. I know I haven’t been here because I was busy trying to win the Stanley Cup, but I’m glad I didn’t. You’re already a million times better than winning the Cup,” he explains, leaving kisses on your bump.

You quickly wipe the tears from your eyes so he doesn’t see how emotional that made you. He’s right however. Finally starting a family is way better than winning the Stanley Cup. 

[thejamdergod]

My sweet charmer baby,

you claim I know so many languages, and yet, at the exact moment I need this knowledge, I fail to find the correct words.

Every day you surprise me with the ability to mantain as much as you do - social life, school, so many interests and just being awesome. These are all hard jobs that you fulfill with ease - a talent I truly adore.

I know that only seems to be the case. I know that behind that perfect image stands my dearest Jamie, just Jamie. Not a wonder child everyone shall put their hopes on and not a perfect friend everyone shall dump their issues on.

Behind this all stands Jamie, who is real and true, and willing to be appreciated for just existing, as she should be.

And I wish I were able to articulate how much I admire this Jamie.

This Jamie, who is able to take up so much, endure so much, with her back straight and jaw set, Jamie who will fight her parents to get back to public school, who will offer sympathy for every person who aches for it, and who will be there no matter what.

But most of all I admire Jamie for just being her wonderful tender self. This caring soul, desperately trying to get everybody to sleep at a reasonable time, trying to make sure everyone is okay. This artful nature, always passionate about so many things, with enough passion for each new discovery that comes her way. This hilarious side of her that uncovers such a unique sense of humour!

Nad that cute little queer brain cell we share :)

What I wanted to tell that Jamie is that you are enough. You are always enough. And you are perfect.

Love,

Tori

/have some doodles/

...Fuck Tori, I'm crying now. You're so fucking sweet, and I love you so so much /p I genuinely don't have the words for how much I appreciate this, but it really made my day!

Also, your art is freaking gorgeous!!

Thank you so much for the message, I needed this today <3

[chthonicgodling]

long rambly post incoming💞 had been handed the perfect avenue to find out fast exactly how ~quirky the TaKi baby is: Hecate examining Loki and kindly asking if he wanted her to divine out the nature of said baby-or-babies

me being very eager to reveal The Surprise™ vibrating OoC VERSUS me also absolutely needing to stay In Character when allowing our lil guys to make decisions fgkfkg. of COURSE the latter won and obviously this didn’t happen,

Loki’s twitchy as hell around all his pregnancies, it is a shocking miracle that he hasn’t fully vanished from the second they knocked him up even after promising them he wasn’t going to. sure this is because (SELF ADMITTED IN WORDS LMAO) in the end ✨lust has won out over anxiety✨ but he IS still twitchy and he IS still cagey and that’s coming across in, literally now the only people he’s been letting touch him/near him has been ONLY Maci and Tory - again, a shocking miracle ; he also has not told anyone else he’s pregnant yet!!!

this is the part where I admit to you all again (I said this in that other pregnancy trope post here) that this aaaalllllll is a thinly veiled excuse to create angst really 💞 specifically if he doesn’t come out of this having cried a million times then I haven’t done my job. Actually allow me to quote MYSELF from when I was vagueposting about figuring out a way to make him have a Taci baby back in NOVEMBER before FENIXE BEAT ME TO IT ahemmmm from the beginning I have said;;

…I can’t make Loki do a plot right now cause he keeps climbing past my schemes to climb on top of Maci and Tory and I can’t stop him 😔 Like ok fine just keep doing that I guess! I’m still gonna make you cry no matter how long you try to stall!!

so!! SOOOooO!!!

so this is all fun and games and Loki agreed to let Hecate come by in desperation wrt unbearable morning sickness that Maci and Tory refused to let him just suffer through (and also Hecate can be persuaded to take commission for fun sex curses which Loki was more intrigued by than her involvement for any other LEGITIMATE reason lmfao) but!! there was real anxiety spiked when she offered to magic-look at the baby. well it’s not any of your business I don’t see why it should matter what shape the baby is!! why what are you all going to do to it if it’s not a shape you prefer??? h ey whoa Loki calm down you’re suddenly shaking?????

:( ah

it’s fine happy ending (Maci and Tory pet him until he pulled himself together and she of course immediately did back off) but

oh. yes. more of this.,,,,,,, oh sure this whole thing is Sexy and Cute and Fun and Hot and ✨yayayay new babies✨ (nothing willl happen to baby-or-babies dw!!) but —

make no mistake it has all come upon me for a very specific purpose. and I will force this emotional vulnerability upon him (& dump him upon Maci/Tory) if he it kills me hhhHH-

[yangrr]

dear no one [q.kun]

⇾ pairing : qian kun x reader

⇾ summary : love is worth the wait,especially when it’s your favourite food store aunty’s grandson

⇾ wc : 2k

⇾ genre/warnings : implied soulmate! au,inspired by Tori Kelly’s Dear No One | mild swearing

+if i may add,i want to dedicate this to @nctream​ who has always been the writer whom i admired for the longest time.thank you for being the sweetest person i came across this hellsite,though i never actually communicate with you but you’re so incredible and i hope you know that.much love!

All your life,you’ve wanted nothing more than to meet the one,the soulmate who was allegedly entwined with your soul before your time on Earth even began ticking.Everyone has someone,it was just a matter of time before you meet them.But that was also exactly why you were impatient,counting down daily on the crossed-out boxes of your yearly calendar,most of your friends had met theirs by now.Some married,some even with kids---or just happily dating.All but you.

It sucked really.

Going to work in the wretched company every day was like a punch to the guts when everyone around you was all about love.Mrs Kim on the marketing department always showed off her vacation photos--it was always jolly and exciting,grinning faces of her twin boys seemed to mock you for your lack of relationship.And there was also Mr Lee,a young intern who was at least 4 years younger than you but had already found his one and only.

And how about Mr Park,the old bumbling guy nearing his retirement age?His sweet plump wife never forgets to pack him lunch,constantly reminding him to wear his tweed coat in case he catches a cold in the draughty security room.

What about you?No one to come home to,no one packing your lunch or was there a partner for holidays.Twenty-three pushing twenty-four with no felicity in love.Lady Luck never smiled at you much,you could say.Maybe it’s your resting bitch face,it could probably scare off the fortune bearing deity and leave her quivering in her robes.

The day was cold as it is,heavy rain started its relentless onslaught on the wooden roof of the rickety store off the main road.You were craving hot soup after work and thought it would be a good idea to drive off course to visit the dear old lady who ran the shop on her own.She was an amiable creature,forever ready to offer a radiant smile that let her old beauty trickle through.The granny would probably be one of the few people you were genuinely nice to,which explains your big chunk of discount every time you stopped by.

But it wasn’t a good idea of course.Nothing you ever did was a good idea.

Your engine couldn’t start up after running in the rain for your car.Other than damaging the leather seats of your vehicle,your heels sunk deep into the slushy mud and broke right when you yanked upwards to get it out.Groaning in frustration,your fingers latched onto the tresses of your wet hair,the half-cracking nail getting caught between them.You forgot to cut them last night,and now it had turned its head back to bite you in the arse.

The you that made your way back into the shop shocked the small-framed lady,your disheveled appearance a huge contrast to the sleek you that had left the store a few minutes ago.You probably gave her little heart the dose of pump she never needed.

“Dear,what happened?”She exclaimed,scurrying over to you with two thick towels. “You’ll have to dry off,or you’ll be sick!”

She sat you down on the chair behind the counter,while you attempted to shield your ratty image from the prying eyes of her customers.It didn’t really work though,they still locked glances on you,curious and hushed gossip brewing among the group of malevolent looking ladies who look upon you with their beady eyes.

“Come,”She urged,ushering you towards the baby blue curtains that led into the kitchen,maybe.There was a “STAFF ONLY” hanging above the entrance,and the sound of pans clanging gave it away.

“Qian Kun!”Her frail voice shrieked in Mandarin, “Qian Kun,where are you,you lazy boy,”Tugging you by the arm,she led you further into the cooking area.The smell of cooking was making your full stomach rumble again,and you once again longed for the hot herbal soup with noodles. “Are you on your phone again?”

“I’m not lazy!”Was the reply.A fairly built man emerged out of nowhere,eyebrows furrowed in confusion when his eyes rested on your straggly form. “Who’s this?The new cashier?”He queried,wiping his wet hands on the rag by the table.

You couldn't answer,your usually sharp tongue felt prickly and numb.You only stared back absent-mindedly,but he looked about as enamoured by you like you had been by him.

You knew the old lady told him something,and with the way she was yelling at him,you figured he was too zoned out to concentrate.Both of you tore your gazes away from each other when his grandmother reached up to his broad shoulders to give him a good shake.

“You never listen to me.” She grumbled,huffing indignantly. “All I told you to do is to lend them something to wear,and drop them back.”

The granny gave Kun a small shove, “Naughty boy,and you were so cute back then.”She muttered,retying her apron hastily and hurrying away to wait on the unattended counter.

“I’m still cute now.”He mumbled,looking sheepish in front of you. “I-uh-I apologise,that was embarrassing.”

“No worries.”You let out a small giggle,waving his comment off. “Your grandmother is cute.”

The corners of his mouth pulled up in an amused smile,while he gestured for you to follow him. “I hope you can fit into my granny’s clothes,they are a little old-fashioned but I think you can make it work.”

The door behind the pantry led up to a stairway of wooden steps,and then into a fairly warm lounge.There was a small couch,and a bed accompanied with a shelf of books and board games.You supposed that this could be their resting place of some sort when they closed temporarily for the day,lunch break, or whenever someone feels a little out of it.

“This place looks really comfortable.”You remarked,shifting your black button-up from sticking onto your skin.It clung on like leeches,making this whole ordeal more unpleasant than it already is.The nail was giving you excruciating pain,the shard of the broken end digging vehemently into your fingertips.

“It is,my granny made sure it’s the best condition so all the employees would feel comfy here.” Kun rummaged in the closet to the left of the bed,fishing out a pair of loose black pants and a plain white tee. “Here,she didn’t leave any shirts here,but I hope you’re okay with mine.”

You nodded thankfully,reaching out to take them from him.The shirt smelled nice,your nose picking up on the lavender-scented detergent wafting from the material.

“Then I’ll drive you home?” The warm tone of his voice felt homely, sending hot waves across your body,making you feel like a lightheaded teenager talking to their crush for the first time,tongue heavy with nerves.But yet at the same time,the attraction that bloomed in your chest felt more matured and controlled than the seventeen-year-old you,age muffling the lovesick squeals that you would’ve let out when you’re alone in your room.

You had felt something when you first landed eyes on him,a familiar feeling stemming that made it impossible to wound your mind around.Maybe it was your affection deprived self that was being delusional,and it would pass like one of your many fleeting crushes.

But you couldn’t help but let your mind wander,thinking about what if he was the one you’ve been waiting for?

+

If there was a chance to hit the pause button,you would, in half a heartbeat.The quiet fragments of conversation shared brought you a sense of ease that you’ve never felt in a long time,with white noises and soft tunes of guitar strumming playing from the car radio was almost ethereal.The drizzle of the rain incorporated flavour to the moment like the topping to your favourite dessert,it was the perfect addition that completed the time shared.

“I’ll drop by tomorrow to return the clothes.”You said,unbuckling the seatbelt as he stopped in the lobby of your apartment complex.

“Alright,I guess I’ll see you tomorrow again?”Kun smiled,the kind that made your organs go mushy and all gooey,like someone stuck a ladle in you and began to stir aggressively.

“For sure!Thank you for the lift.” You limped out of the car slowly,careful to not cause more impairment to your shoes.You didn’t fancy going up the elevator looking like someone ran you over with a truck,but there wasn’t much of an option.

All you could think of that night were Qian Kun and his calloused fingers,deep timbre voice and gentle smiles.Maybe you were going crazy,but again,there wasn’t much of an option either.

+

“You seem very happy today.” Mrs Kim from the marketing team mentioned,the cheerful grin almost blinding you.You couldn’t help but spot the striking resemblance of the smile to her sons.Now,it suddenly appeared more kind and less scornful than you thought,and you felt a little bad for always being grouchy towards her.You realised it was nothing but your loneliness coming into play,and you would even admit that you were envious of her happy family life. “Had a great day yesterday?”

“Not really,no,”You told her. “But I guess it wasn’t all that bad.”

So the tales of yesterday’s misfortunes came pouring out of you,from the dreaded engine to the antagonising broken nail,Mrs Kim was more than shocked to see the unconscious tug of your lips upwards.

“And you’re still smiling after all that?”She laughed. “I’m gonna say that you met someone.”

Your eyes widened a bit,trying to cough it off. “I didn’t!It was just the store owner’s grandson.”

“So there is someone?”Mrs Kim waggled her eyebrows at you. “You cannot hide from me,child.That’s the face of an infatuated person.”

+

The bell jingled when you pushed open the glass door.Stepping in,you opened your mouth to greet the granny like usual,but was met with an unknown face gaping at you.It was a boy,around a few years younger,round marble eyes curious yet welcoming.His booming tone greeted you,far too much enthusiasm for your liking.

“Hello,welcome!What would you like today,miss?We have chicken noodle soup for today’s special and--,”

“Lucas,please stop talking so loudly.”Kun’s voice reverberated from behind the thin curtains. “You’re gonna scare all the customers on your first day.”

“I’m here to see Kun.”You spoke to the giant of a human,glancing swiftly at the kitchen entrance,slightly intimidated by his tall stature.He gave you a quick once-over,looking a bit confused.

“Are you his girlfriend?”He questioned,shooting you a broad smirk. “Kun ge is so lucky,I’m--”

“Lucas,what’s taking so long?”Kun appeared again like the first time you met him,drying his damp hands on a small rag. “Oh!”

“Oh,indeed.”Lucas said,mischief written all over his face. “Is this your girlfriend,gege?Should I let granny know about this?”

Kun scowled at him,murmuring something along the lines of ‘if you don’t shut up,I’ll make sure you don’t have a job by the end of today.’

“Hey.”

You passed him the neatly packed parcel, “I’ve washed everything.Thank you again for being so kind to me.”

“I say this calls for a celebration.” Lucas interrupted,peeking from behind the cash register. “Kun,remember that sushi place you wanted to try out?The one near the local university.”

Kun hummed, “What celebration?”

“That someone is finally into you for the first time in twenty-four years?You should appreciate this effort made by this very beautiful individual.”

“Would you kindly shut the fuck up?”Kun hissed,the frown intensifying.

“Well,if you need someone to go with,I know a person who would very much like to.”You interjected,growing more bashful by the second.

“Great!Now you two settle between yourselves.I’ve got work to do!”Lucas said brightly,darting away.

Kun smiled,tucking his phone away in his pocket,glittering irises not leaving yours.

“I’ll call you.” He promised,and somewhere in you just knew he would.

And as you made your way out of the store,the keen sense in your being told you that something very special was about to begin.

Good things truly do come to those who wait,after all.

[cloveroctobers]

GENEVIEVE ALIU —

IG info/bio: @/genevealiu1 | 19k followers | currently on a journey as a junior doctor living in 🇦🇺🤎 | blm.card.co🖤 | sk💛

26 years of age

Born and raised in Glastonbury, England

Pisces sun? + libra moon?

Mother is Guyanese and works for a non-profit organization

Her father is Nigerian and works in property management

has one older brother who is a Prosthetist and resides in Nigeria with his pregnant fiancée

She can’t wait to be a auntie!!!

And a younger sister who is a medical laboratory technician

To say the least, their parents were happy that their children fell into the medical field. Based on their cultures it was a honor to have their children in these professions

Vieve grew up with a sassy demeanor and her parents have old videos on their camcorders to prove it lol, it never fails that the pair brings out the embarrassing vids during the holidays but vieve genuinely appreciates them 

Although thanksgiving is a RACIST American thing, vieve never misses the opportunity to share what she’s thankful for in life and counts all of it as blessings! But it’s still fuck the pilgrims

Has held a friendsgiving before, loves any moment where she can host gatherings or attend them! either is quite fine. She loves being around people

the only time she likes to look back on the past is to see how she and her family carried themselves then and how the evolved into who they are now, it’s interesting to see

Loves “how it started vs how it’s going” posts and might have participated in a few

Always knew from a young age that she wanted to help people in some way, she was always doing something to help around the house and especially her aging/sickly grandparents

Felt offended that many people around school that she thought were her friends would stab her in the back labeling her as this “fake saint” since she rather spend her time volunteering instead of going to house parties in hs

Don’t get it twisted, she still went to those too & had her fun but definitely felt like it was the same routine and nothing ever felt fulfilling at these functions after awhile

Well known with all the cliques around school but had her own group of friends that fit into many of those cliques but she never felt obligated to stick to one social group. If you were nice and cool with her, she was the same to you, if you weren’t? Depending on her mood, she’d ignore you/say things under her breath or be “fake nice” as a form of being the bigger person

Has a curly hair routine that she consistently follows (after struggling to find the right products to make them flourish) and gets annoyed with if her curls don’t turn out the way she knows they can, it’s always frustrating when things don’t turn out the way you want them to but isn’t afraid to at least try

Three times is the charm! Is one of her mottos

loves bright colors, flowy attire, big hats, brimmed hats, bucket hats, berets, etc...

Has faced racism/prejudices and bullying growing up in public spaces—mostly school/uni & some of those same hatred actions online now that she’s dating seb

Because of that there were times where she felt insecure but deff grew to forgive, heal, and rise above the hate, she knows her worth

Has never been happier in a relationship than she is with seb, he’s her “moody long-haired, soft-hearted bby”

they’re both complete fools for each other and vieve is more vocal about her being in love/finding her soulmate whereas seb doesn’t mind showing it rather than speaking it—even tho he’s on a podcast but we mind our business okay?!

Seb is thinking of moving to Australia with vieve, he’s ready to risk it all for this woman, HIS woman 🤩

canon: gives more than she should/taken advantage of/not reciprocating in relationships... ex) how she dated a guy that she did everything for! especially financially and also struggled to find her worth but once she did? Her aura shined brighter than before— Ik chill out there Rocco

Also believes in loving yourself first to attract what you need in this world and found that in her career and seb. I hope they’re endgame! Since they’re the only couple I rooted for this season? Except for tai & ciaran maybe? They’re probably not endgame but whatever

They still get nervous/shy around each other even tho they’ve been together for months now + are in a long distance relationship which is too cute! I think since they’re in this for the long game they can look back on moments and still feel the way they felt in that moment. You know if you get the chance or have already heard elderly people talk about their relationships and how they get all starry eyed? That’s vieve & seb, that shit gets me right in my feels ew

Vieve’s love language is quality time, it’s what she shows and likes along with acts of service from her partner

Makes the best jollof rice & her fav dish is Metemgee

Trying to be on a plant-based diet only but will have her cheat days on occasion—mostly when she’s drunk and forgets her diet plan lmao that’s me getting double cheeseburgers or anything with dairy drunk af

now living in Australia, she tried to like vegemite but...the it’s a no for her, respectfully ofc! She never wants to disrespect anyone

besides the food, the atmosphere is much nicer since she feels like she’s on a holiday almost everyday and that there’s much more to see and do when she has the time

Loves the beaches and is thinking about surfing lessons

yes she enjoys those doctor shows and can agree that most scenarios are not the same as rl ofc but great question!

Since she’s a junior doctor now, and on her way to graduation! She feels so accomplished and having this chance to complete what she’s wanted her whole life in a different place, makes her super emotional

All those stressful all-nighters will be worth it. She mostly did it on her own but is nothing but humble and Is thankful to those that have helped her along the way, what kind of person would she be if she didn’t mention them?

and when COVID hit, she was one of many already on the frontlines. Her studies became altered but this wouldn’t stop her for her mission on this earth, this was her purpose and she knew we would conquer it all—but definitely has empathy and gets angry with how it’s being handled from time to time

She’s been exposed to it first hand which aboustely worries her parents, seb, her friends, and friends from the villa

Keeps up to date when all medical news, has a whole app dedicated to health

Learning French with some of her free time and is doing well at it

It was only natural for her to become closer to elladine since their men are homies and have a podcast together

They’ve hung out a few times on a double dates before the boat vacation & once just as girls before vieve left to Australia

Vieve is always offering advice but knows that every relationship is different and what works for her and seb won’t work for elladine and Nicky, she loves them together and knows everyone has bumps in the road

feels there’s some sort of tension between her and Harry now? Which she found a little off putting since they were supposed to be friends but she realizes that Harry has a condition but it’s also not an excuse for him to treat her shitty sometimes which he does and feels like it comes out of nowhere most times but he always apologizes yet vieve is slowly getting tired of this unhealthy habits

So they’re talking less these days, which he notices!

She wants Harry to find his happiness too! If he hasn’t found it in mc first that is

has met Tim— he’s a great laugh and seems like a nice guy—they follow each other, talia and jake in person when she was out with seb—they were also super nice and congratulated them on their win, she went up to miles once on a night out—he’s still a arsehole, priya reached out to her via dm about her new boutique that she wanted her to model in someday, Hope was just as stunning in person along with Siobhan, Chelsea & mc s2 were also kind, and a couple of the guys also wished her and seb well

She’s also noticed some of the shit talking coming from Elisa, Allegra, Lucy, and mc s1 (subtle shade from mc, basically about how vieve reacted if mc decided to give Harry a go but that was only brought to her attention thru fans) online but again, vieve peeped it and felt majority of it didn’t require a response. She was too happy in life rn and she had a man and they don’t

Plans to get a komondor, thinks they’re super cute! — seb does not “if you love me, you’ll love our child.” “It’s a bloody mop dog! And I’m a cat dad, you know that!” “Don’t talk about him like that, he’s got feelings just like your cat babies!”

I feel like she’s a matcha & Frappuccino lover, tries to keep her drinks simple and feels guilty when she has to make adjustments but the heart wants what it wants

Mini Countryman owner, she also drives like a “granny” better safe than sorry! She hates fast drivers, there’s absolutely no need for it!

Minimal makeup: eyeshadow, moisturizer, & a nude lip and she’s good to go

Secretly obsessed with among us, second life, and SIMS!!!

Celeb crushes? Heath ledger, Tyler posey, KENDRICK SAMPSON, Jordan fisher, Algee smith, Donald Glover, Mack Wilds, Khleo Thomas, Robert Ri’chard, Tahj Mowry, & Hasan Minhaj

Listens to: DaniLeigh, ABIR, Mary J. Blige, TORI KELLY, Us the duo, 11:11, Jacob Latimore, fifth harmony, joya mooi, & Greentea Peng, etc...

Anthem: The Cheetah Girls — Cinderella

[shedreamsofstars]

our union is a secret i’m hoping, dreaming, lying to keep - chapter five

you’ve all heard of ‘pretending to be married when you’re not’, now get ready for ‘actually married but pretending you’re not’

When Tohru and Kyo accidentally find themselves married, they must keep their new union a secret from their friends and family. That’s easier said than done when you’re both newlywed dorks who just want to spend some quality time with one another whilst said friends and family are always one step away from discovering the truth.

Start from the beginning | Previous chapter | Next chapter

[fair warning, if you haven't already finished the series there are major spoilers from this point onwards so please tread carefully <3]

The heat bore down in simmering waves as Tohru and Kyo made their way down the boardwalk hand in hand, Tohru's sandals clacking against the wood with every dainty step as she worked on finishing her ice cream.

Kyo had ordered her multiple scoops after she'd been unable to choose between flavours. He himself had gotten a simple vanilla for himself, but unlike Tohru he had finished his within minutes.

The pair were quiet as they passed between the beach and cliffs, taking in the beautiful scenery around them - although Kyo was a little more distracted with his own thoughts to appreciate them to their full extent.

The last time he'd tried to voice the thoughts circling in his mind to Tohru, he'd clamped up and lost his nerve. But as his gaze shifted to the roiling waves in the sea beyond, the same thoughts pushed against the fringes of his mind, searching for a way out towards freedom.

He glanced towards Tohru as if she could hear the words in his mind, but she was too engrossed in her ice cream to notice his turmoil.

At least for now.

The girl had an uncanny ability to know when something was up with him, and if he didn't work up the courage to speak soon, she'd notice something was wrong. So with an inconspicuous inhale, he squeezed his girl's fingers and she turned to him with wide eyes that almost held an ethereal glow in the daylight sun.

"The last time we were here," he started slowly, trying to feel out the words before they left his mouth. "It was when I first realised how I felt about you, the first time I let myself even think about you as anything other than just you."

His gaze shifted back to the sea, the rise and fall of the water settling his spiking nerves. He could feel Tohru's eyes on him, but if he wanted to get his words out he couldn't be looking at her.

"At the time, I never thought …" He swallowed the uncomfortable lump in his throat. "I never thought I'd ever be back here again, but I was happy. I was happy that my first and last time would get to be with you because I finally knew that-"

He stopped as he heard a sniffle from beside him, turning to see Tohru with melted ice cream dripping down her fingers and tears streaming down her cheeks. He let out a strangled sound of surprise before rushing to wipe at her tears and stare helplessly at her sticky fingers.

"Uh, I'm sorry Tohru. I shouldn't have said any of that. You're supposed to be having a good time on your honeymoon and I'm just upsetting you instead."

"No," she said with a shake of her head, her voice light and watery. "I'm not sad at all. I'm so happy right now. I'm so happy that you're sharing all of this with me."

"You are?" he said, surprised by her response. "Hey, you're gonna … the ice cream …" he started, sighing in defeat as she wrapped her arms around him. "Oh what does it matter," he finished, giving in and squishing her back.

"I'm so happy, but you didn't finish what you were saying."

"I didn't? I … forgot what I was saying," he said with a frown, unable to recall anything beside Tohru's tear stained face.

"You said you finally knew. What did you know?"

"Oh, that." Tohru pulled away and looked up at him expectantly. "It was nothing," he said instinctively, even though he did want to tell her the truth.

"It wasn't nothing Kyo," she pushed gently, staring up at him with red rimmed eyes.

"Yeah … you're right. It took some thinking, and a fight with Akito, for me to realise that I loved you. I loved you so much that I couldn't hold onto you if I wanted you to be happy."

She was silent a moment. "So … you were going to let me go."

"Yeah, I was. I guess coming back here the way we have it's made me a little nostalgic or whatever. It might be a little ironic and even selfish, but I'm so glad you never gave up on me the way I was prepared to give up on you."

She placed her head gently against his chest, a little hiccup sob escaping her as she did so. "Tohru …" he comforted gently as he moved a hand from the small of her back to rest on her head. "I forget you're such a cry baby sometimes."

When Tohru finally let him go, he felt a lot lighter and free – as if the words he'd confessed to her had held a real weight in his soul. They weren't gone completely, he could still feel some sort of pull deep inside him, but he definitely wasn't carrying the burden alone anymore.

It only took a moment for his wife to notice the streaks of coloured ice cream on his shirt, and she tittered incoherent words Kyo could only assume were apologies as she threw the remainder of her sweet treat in the nearest bin.

"It's alright Tohru," he said, trying to dodge her as she returned and attempted to swat as his shirt. "It's not like it won't wash out or anything."

She huffed as she caught nothing but empty air, and Kyo took the small respite in her attacks to sweep in and capture her hands. "Home?" he suggested, leaning in to nudge her cheek with his nose.

"Sure, let's go," she sighed, her voice soft and breezy as she began to tug him along.

By the time they reached the beach house, the dusky evening light was the only thing illuminating them in the courtyard. Tohru was still holding on to his hand, but it didn't take much to slip out of her grip.

She looked alarmed for a second before his hands slipped around her waist and he spun her around with childish glee. Her laughter echoed warmly within in him, and before he knew what he was doing Kyo was smiling against Tohru's lips as she sighed into his kiss.

"Well, would you just look at the two of you clinging to each other like newlyweds. Isn't that just adorable?"

The two of them jumped apart guiltily as the familiar voice broke through their haze of serenity. Kyo was still holding Tohru by the waist. He pulled her closer without thinking as his gaze shifted to the front of the house.

The door stood open and standing there backlit in a halo of golden light stood probably the last person Kyo would want to bump into out here.

"Shigure," he grumbled, unable to hide his annoyance at seeing the man. "What are you doing here?"

"I was actually talking to Tori this morning - although he may describe it more as bothering - and he might have mentioned you and Tohru were here on an impromptu visit. Anyway, long story short, I was inspired and decided I too really miss the beach and so here I am."

"So you just showed up to be an annoyance," Kyo bristled, tamping down his anger the moment he felt Tohru's light touch against his sleeve.

"It's such a wonderful surprise to see you Shigure-san," she smiled.

"Thank you Tohru. It's nice to see that at least one person appreciates my presence," Shigure said, flashing a pointed look at Kyo who only growled in response. "Well, better hurry it up. Akito's inside getting the table ready for dinner. We've been waiting on the two of you to return for quite some time," he said, waving them towards the door before heading back inside alone.

Kyo and Tohru lingered in the courtyard, watching each other in quiet contemplation as they heard Shigure's footsteps fade away. "Man, I hate that guy," the former grumbled the moment he was sure the older man was out of ear shot. "Why does he have to show up and ruin everything?"

"What a strange coincidence that we're here at the same time again though," Tohru commented thoughtfully. "And with Akito too."

"It's not a coincidence, it's deliberate – Shigure basically outright admitted it. That guy just loves to get on my nerves!"

Tohru placed her hands on Kyo's cheeks, pinching them gently. "You're so cute when you're mad," she said with a giggle.

Kyo flushed instantly, his face heating up so quickly he was sure that Tohru would be able to feel the change. He was about to pull away when her face dropped and a fearful "Oh!" fell from her lips.

His embarrassment vanished instantly at her small sound of alarm and he found his own hands clasping her shoulders in an effort to remind her that he was there, he was hers.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Akito and Shigure, they'll see my ring!"

Kyo relaxed a little. "Is that all?"

"I have to take it off, but my dress … it doesn't have pockets."

"I could always keep a hold of it?" he offered. "I've got plenty of pockets."

Tohru smiled kindly but shook her head, letting her fingers drop to his shoulders and rest flat against his chest. "Thank you, but that feels too much like returning it to you," she explained.

"Okay, we'll just figure something else out," Kyo said as he leaned down and pressed his forehead with hers. "You just want it near enough to know it's there, right?"

"Yes," she replied slowly, attempting to nod but settling for a nondescript movement of her head instead.

"I think I have an idea that might work. Hold still, okay."

With that, Kyo stood up straight. Before Tohru knew what was happening, or could even object, Kyo had tugged at one her hair ribbons hard enough to untie it. One half of her hair fell past her shoulders like a waterfall of silk and Kyo ran his fingers through it before doing the same to the other side.

Her two ribbons trailed along his fingers and he deftly slipped one into his pocket. "I'm gonna need you to turn around," he said, giving Tohru a gentle shove to encourage her to spin.

With the ribbon still in his hand, he lightly pulled the top section of her hair back into a half-up do and tied the ribbon securely. It wasn't as pretty as she'd tied it before, but it was vaguely bow shaped, so he deemed it passable.

"Hey, can you pass your ring to me?" he asked, pulling the second ribbon back out. He slid the gold band along the soft material before draping it across her neck and tying it off at the back.

She lifted a slender hand to touch the ring that hung at her neck and smiled widely as she glanced backwards over her shoulder at Kyo. "Kyo-kun, this is wonderful. I love it," she said, her eyes glittering with what he suspected were unshed tears.

"You're welcome." He dropped his head and pressed a quick kiss against the tender skin at the back of her neck, relishing in the small squeak she let out before spinning to face him. "It looks great, but it's all pointless if you don't tuck it into your dress."

"Oh," Tohru said softly, as if only just realising the fact, and he found himself sighing at how easy it was to distract her. It was endearing, but he also couldn't help but worry over her.

"How's that?" she asked as she tucked it in.

Her dress hid her ring fairly well. Kyo could just about make out the outline of it against the top of her chest, and it wasn't noticeable unless he really knew to look for it. It would work fine at keeping Shigure and Akito from figuring things out too quickly.

And if Shigure did somehow notice it, well then he'd have to answer to Kyo's fists since he would have to have been staring intently at Tohru to do so. It would be even more deserved since he'd have been shamelessly looking at his girl when his own was right there.

"Kyo," Tohru said, bringing his attention back to her. "How does it look?" she asked again, but Kyo wasn't talking about the ring when he spoke next.

"Perfect."

Her honeyed gaze locked onto his and he couldn't bring himself to look away, wondering if it was possible to see someone's feelings as clearly as he felt his were showing right then. He leaned in towards her, but the creak of the door had him straightening up stiffly instead.

He turned towards it, ready to yell at Shigure to wait a little longer, but the words died in his throat as he took in the smaller figure in the doorway. Akito, her dark hair sleek and straight as it brushed against the tips of her shoulders stood leaning against the door.

Her face was blank as she scrutinised him, but he didn't miss the small quirk of her lip as she spotted Tohru in his arms and that alone was enough for him to be okay with her presence.

"If you two are done canoodling out here, dinner's ready. There's …" she paused thoughtfully, "some things I'd like to talk to you about." This last part was clearly addressed at Tohru, and she smiled widely as she slipped out of Kyo's embrace and rushed towards the door.

"Akito!" she squeaked excitedly as she pulled her in for a hug. The other girl stood there reluctantly at first before slowly but surely returning the gesture.

"We're sorry for taking so long. Let's go inside," Tohru said, grabbing Akito's hand as she led her inside. Kyo followed behind the two of them, pausing to hover in the doorway a moment.

The cool night air brushed against his warm skin as he let out a wistful sigh. This was going to be an unexpectedly interesting evening.

... xxx ...

thanks so much for reading! let me know your thoughts if you can, and apologies for the delay (it's been a rough month so i've not really had the time or motivation to write unfortunately but everyone's comments have been so kind) hopefully the next update will be sooner (fingers crossed) <3

[andrea-lyn]

Holiday prompt! Michael's a single dad (mother didn't want the kid so he raises her all on his own.) And he's the cutest fluffiest daddy to his little princess. But he's lonely. Alex has his little princess, his beagle Buffy. But he's lonely too. Michael and Alex have some kind of meet-cute and fall in love. Alex bonds with Michael's daughter and Michael/his daughter bond with Buffy. And they become a sweet little family in time for Xmas! (I loooooooove your writing btw!!!!)

what are you doing new year’s eve?michael/alex, pg-13

“Buffy! Hey! Whoa! Easy,”Alex pleads when Buffy takes off through the park, hellbent on gettingsomewhere, yanking on Alex’s arm as she bolts. 

Usually, she’s a great dog, but when there’s a lot of commotion going on, shecan get excitable. It’s probably Alex’s fault for bringing her to the fall fairlike this, but it’s one of Roswell’s few events – not to mention that Kyle hadtexted him that if he didn’t attend and kept sitting alone in his cabin, therewould be consequences. So here he is, out at the fair, while Buffy tries tomake him lose yet another limb because she wants him to go somewhere.He’s almost got her under control when the toe of his prosthetic digs into adivot in the ground and sends him flying. Alex hears someone’s shout of alarm nearby.He braces himself for the impact, but then it … never comes.Instead, he’s face-first in someone’s chest, hearing a high-pitched giggle nearhim. “Hi doggy!” a little girl says to Buffy, and Alex grabs at a pair ofshoulders (very nice, very strong, very handsome shoulders) to pull himself outof whoever’s chest he’s gone right into. When he looks down, he sees Buffy licking the girl’s cotton candy (she can’t bemore than four and she’s also very easygoing, because she clearly doesn’tmind). Alex stares up nervously to find himself in the arms of a handsome man,which is usually the kind of thing that only happens in his dreams.“Buffy, stop it,” he manages to eke out, even if he’s not looking at the dog. “Tori, don’t let the dog get your cotton candy,” the man says, and he sounds alittle like he’s echoing Alex’s tone. “Hi,” he says, breathless and a littlestunned as he looks at Alex. “You always meet new people like this?”“I think my dog had some designs on your daughter’s cotton candy.”

Alex collects himself and steps back, running through the list of likelypossibilities why this handsome man isn’t a prospect for Alex. Even thoughthere’s no ring on the man’s finger, there’s a daughter, which means that thewife is somewhere around here and though his dog may be trying to be amatchmaking little fiend, even she can’t know about the complications that hehas to face in a town like Roswell where his prospects can be counted on asingle hand. “She’s cute,” the man promises, and ducks down to haul Tori up by the waistinto a flying position. She screams happily and peers upside-down at Alex witha head of blonde curls bouncing. “I’m Michael and this is Tori,” he introducesthem, while Tori waves at them.“I’m Alex,” he says, tugging on the leash to get control, “and this is Buffy,”he says, bending to try and get some of the cotton candy out of Buffy’s mouth.“Sorry, I should let you get back to your family, your wife must be waiting forthe both of you.”It’s the wrong thing to say from the way Michael looks hurt, echoed on Tori’sface.“I don’t have a Mommy,” she says quietly. “Daddy says that she has importantbusiness somewhere else, but one day he’s gonna fall in love with someone elseand I’ll get a new Mommy or Daddy then.”“Tor,” Michael hisses.Alex blinks as he tries to rapidly process all of that. He can’t imaginethat Michael had intended for his daughter to out him like that. “Sorry, I’doffer to unhear that, but…”“It’s fine,” Michael says, even if he looks a little uneasy. “Her Mom and Igrew up together in a group home and a while ago we tried to have something.She got pregnant and she didn’t want the baby, but she had some pretty strictviews on that, so I offered.” His smile softens as he stares at her withadoration. “Best decision I ever made.”“She’s pretty cute.”“So’s your girl,” Michael replies, and when Alex gives a confused look, Michaelgestures to the dog. “Buffy, huh? You must’ve been a big fan.”“Or just a really big nerd,” Alex clarifies. “Are you new to Roswell? I feellike I haven’t seen you around, because I would’ve noticed…” He trails off, hiseyes widening before he admits something really stupid like ‘I would’ve noticedsomeone as hot as you’.“I lived here for a while when I was a kid, but then I got moved to a fosterparent in Albuquerque. Only came back for a job recently, but it’s funny howmuch the town hasn’t changed.” Michael hasn’t shifted his gaze from Alex’smouth the whole time he speaks. “At least, in some ways. I don’t remember ithaving someone as handsome as you around.”Alex glances to the side and blushes, wondering why he’s ignoring the pick upline.“It, um…I…” He’s not used to people flirting with him, so he thinks he’sallowed to be somewhat off balance. “Thanks?”“Yeah, no problem,” Michael replies with amusement. “Listen, Tori dragged meout to this thing because she said I was being Mr. Sad Dad sitting all aloneand working on the car, but I don’t really know what you do at a fall fair. Youwanna…explore with me?” he asks, biting his lip and arching his brow in a waythat has Alex reading all the way between the lines into the other thingsMichael might be asking with a question like that.“Yes!” Tori says, jumping up and down excitedly, already coming over to try andtake the leash. “Please? Please, please? I can hold Buffy,” she says veryseriously. Alex is still stunned that he literally fell head-first into this man’s chest,who happens to be bisexual, and wants to explore the fair with him. His luck isn’tusually this amazing, and yet, here he is, looking down the barrel of an offerhe can’t refuse.“Yeah,” he says. “I think I owe someone a cotton candy replacement.”“Yes!” Tori squeals. “And then we’ll play games, and ride the ferris wheel,”she lists, sliding her hand along the leash that Alex is holding to help, whileMichael falls into step at his side, casually bumping his shoulder ever once ina while, “and we’ll get pictures drawn and go pet the sheep…!”“All that, huh?” Alex teases.“Maybe even more,” Michael agrees, and leads them off into the fair. His dog is a remorseless matchmaker, he decides, but seeing as Michael keepstouching him in all these small little ways, keeps feeding him fair food, keepsgrinning in that sweet and overly perfect way, it’s not like he minds. When the night’s over and they’re parting ways in the parking lot, Michael’sgot a sleeping Tori in his arms, giving Alex an apologetic look.“I’d give you my number, but my hands are kind of full…”“It’s okay,” Alex rushes to insist, not wanting to put expectations on Michaelfor one good afternoon. “I’m Alex Manes, I’m out at a hunting cabin justoutside of town, but maybe I’ll drive in sometime and visit the both of you. Iknow Buffy would love to see you again.” He breathes in and decides to go forbroke. “I know I would, too.”“Okay,” Michael replies, with a considerate nod. “Michael and Victoria Guerin,”he says. “Look us up or we might just have to come find you.”Alex waves them off, thinking about how that threat had sounded far toogood. Maybe Alex will have to hold off on the finding, just to see what happens next.*On Thursday evenings, Alex attends the local library with Buffy for a sessionin the kids’ section. Buffy mills around the kids to soak up affection whileAlex reads stories, plays his guitar, and sings. It's something he’d picked uprecently when the weight of being alone at home had begun to crush him. Hehasn’t really had anyone for years and it’s not like he and his family getalong, which means that other than his dog, he doesn’t really have anyone inRoswell.He used to have Kyle, but then he’d picked up that doctors without bordersrotation last month and Jenna’s off on another tour, so here he is.The kids are great, though. They love hugging and cuddling Buffy (and his dogis an absolute terror who preens as she encourages it) and Alex likes having anaudience, even if it’s children. His day job involves programming, which ispretty lonely in itself, so getting out and doing this is a godsend. He makes it through the first story and song before he looks into the crowd ofkids and sees a familiar head of curls and a beaming gap-toothed grin directedback at him.Tori waves eagerly at him, bouncing in her seat. Alex laughs as he waves back,noticing that Buffy’s decided where she’s going to stay, which happens to be inTori’s lap. Alex pushes that thought out of his mind that where Tori goes,Michael is also probably there. It still affects his next song choice, pickingsomething closer to a ballad than a happy upbeat song.When story time is over, Tori jumps up. “Come on Buffy!” she whistles andclaps. “You gotta go back to Mr. Alex, now,” she says.“Alex is okay,” he says with a laugh and a warm smile for the girl. He digsinto his bag for a treat to get Buffy at his side, patting her head when shereturns to him. “Hey Tori,” he greets her. “You liked story time?” “I did!” Tori agrees. “I never got to do this, but then Daddy found out thatyou were here and he said we should come, cuz you never called us.” It’spetulant and she’s got her hand on her hip, like Alex is in trouble, which he’scertainly feeling even though it’s all turned out for the best.His favorite people in the world have come to see him play music and sing andread stories. Even Tori’s stomping mad mock-fit can’t change that.“I definitely made a mistake,” Alex promises, hand over his heart. “How about Ipromise to take your Daddy out for coffee and bring you, and then I can make itup to you?”Tori squints at him, like she’s thinking about it, but then nods. “Okay, butyou gotta guess what I’m gonna be for Halloween, Alex!” Tori demands, jumpingup and down a little. Alex laughs as he keeps her in, a hand gently on her shoulder to prevent herfrom drifting too much. “What are you gonna be?” he asks, her energy just alittle overwhelming, and he wonders how the hell Michael does this on his own.“An alien!” she says loudly. “I’m gonna have antenna and green skin and…”“Tori, volume,” comes her father’s voice.Alex blushes slightly, knowing that he’s probably been lurking around, butstill, glancing up to see Michael in a soft-looking sweater is enough to catchhim off guard. Alex wants to wrap his hands up in it and tug Michael towardshim, bury his face in his shoulder, and kiss his way up his neck before…He’s in a children’s library section. He should not be having these thoughts.“Hi,” Alex says, staring at him. “Hey,” Michael replies, coming to stand behind Tori. “You never called.”“You said you’d come find me if I didn’t,” Alex replies, heart pounding in hischest. “I figured if you were actually interested, you would.” And here he is. “So,if Tori’s dressing up as an alien for Halloween, what’s her Dad going as?”Michael lets his gaze slide over Alex and shrugs, like he’s not so sure hewants to give it away so easily. “I mean, you could always come with us,” hesays, which makes Tori’s face light up with delight, whispering ‘yes, yes, yes’and tugging on Alex’s hand, even though Halloween isn’t for another week andchange. “Then you could see what I’m dressed up as.”So they’re doing this, are they?“Okay,” Alex hears himself agreeing, because he’d be an idiot not to. “I guessI’ll see the both of you on Halloween.”On trick-or-treating night, Alex shows up in town with Buffy. She’s wearing littlealien antennae to match Tori and Alex has dressed up in his very finest vampirefangs and contacts (mostly because his go-to costume from Rocky Horror PictureShow probably isn’t appropriate for public consumption). Tori is, as expected, an adorable little alien. Her father is dressed up as acowboy, with that black hat looking way too good to be true. The pantsalso happen to be a little too tight and look like a strange material that hasAlex questioning them.While Tori is off collecting candy, Michael fills him in on why that is. “Theyran out of the normal cop costume for adults, so uh, this is the stripperversion from online.”Alex gapes at him as he wanders up to collect Tori, wondering if he’s going tobe able to test out those pants and see how easily they come away. His heartpounds in his chest as he thinks about it, hoping against hope that maybehe’ll get that. For now, he’ll enjoy the view. *It's the day.Today’s the day Alex has to decide if he’s going to attend the family Christmasparty or whether he’s going to turn it down another year in a row. On the onehand, he loathes his father and he knows the feeling is mutual, so the lastplace he wants to be is under his roof. On the other, it’s going to be a lonelyChristmas otherwise. It’s the thought he’d been debating while standing in theliquor store for the last thirty minutes mulling over the same bottle ofwhiskey.“I know it can’t be that complicated to decide on the booze, so whatever’s onyour mind must really  be weighing youdown.”Alex startles, glancing to the side to see Michael standing there with abasket. “It’s not Sunday,” Alex jokes, which is when they meet up to go groceryshopping together. He hugs the bottle of whiskey a little tighter against hischest to try and dispel the way he feels so unsure, wishing that he could makethis decision easily, but he can’t. Obligation and hope that his awful familywill decide this is the year they stop being terrible looms. “What, I can’t stalk you on Fridays, too?”“I would’ve picked a nice restaurant for dinner if that was the case,” Alexjokes, but it feels empty. “What’s up?” Michael asks. “Man staring at liquor like that for as long as heis, it’s never a good thing.”“I have to tell my family today if I’m going for Christmas dinner or not,” Alexsays. “I keep waiting until the last minute and that’s today.” With only a weekto go, they want to know how many places to set and Alex knows that he alwaysputs it off because of his indecision, but he usually folds and goes, only toregret it.“What happens if you don’t go?”Alex shrugs and puts the bottle in his basket. “The same thing that always happens.Buffy and I have a night in where I make something for dinner that she eats offmy plate, I get stupidly drunk, and then I wish I’d gone. It’s why the last fewyears, I do go, and then they call me names, ask me if I’ve thought aboutconversion camps, and are total assholes for the whole night.”It’s a lose-lose situation, basically.“You’re ignoring the very good third option here,” Michael says, his facestormy the moment Alex mentions the conversion came. “Come spend the day andevening with us,” Michael says.Alex had never counted on there being a possibility of a win in thissituation. Yet, it catches him off guard. Even though he and Michael have beenspending a lot of time together over the last three months, it had neveroccurred to him to even ask to spend the holiday with Michael and Tori, but nowthat he’s brought it up, it’s the only Christmas gift he actually wants. He’s sure that his face is filled with a desperate longing (something else hefeels around Michael all the time, which means it’s a normal look for him thesedays).“It’s Christmas,” Alex hears himself protesting, instead of screaming yesthe way he wants to. “I don’t want to intrude.”“My foster siblings are all out of town and you’re Alex,” Michael says, shakinghis head like he can’t believe Alex thinks he’d be intruding. “You’re basicallypart of our family already. Tori adores you, and she loves Buffy. Sometimes, Ithink she loves your dog more than she loves me, it’s causing some realemotional issues…” he deadpans, but he’s still smiling. “Alex,” he says andreaches out to rest his hand on top of Alex’s. “Can you please let me have whatI want for Christmas and come spend the day with us?”He wouldn’t be alone. He wouldn’t be at his awful family’s house.Instead, Alex would get to indulge in the third option, one that he’s neverconsidered until this very moment. “We’ll be there,” he hears himself saying.Suddenly, the whiskey in his basket doesn’t seem half as necessary because there’sgoing to be an air of celebration instead of doomed certainty about what hisfuture holds.“I can’t wait,” Michael says. “Neither of us can. You’re family, Alex,” hesays, before heading to check out.Alex watches him go, fighting that desperate urge to grab Michael by the collarso he can kiss him and tell Michael that maybe they’re family, but Alex wants tobe so much more. He’d be family and partner and boyfriend and lover. He’d beeverything, even a second father to Tori, if she’d have him. By the time he resolves to do something about it, Michael’s out of the store,but with the holidays looming near, Alex knows that he’s going to get hischance. *“There’s only a minute left! Sixty!” Tori begins the countdown, her armswrapped around Buffy as she lies on the floor, watching the television. She’shyperactive on the chocolate that she’s been snacking on all night to stayawake, much to Michael’s chagrin (and Alex’s guilt, seeing as he’s been the onefeeding it to her). She keeps counting down, even as Alex shifts on the couch,staring at Michael.It’s been such an incredible back half to the year. Ever since they met at thefall fair, Alex can’t imagine his life without Michael. Every Thursday he has adedicated fan in Tori in the front row at the library, with Michael lurkingnearby. The Christmas they’d spent together had been perfect in all the mostsurprising of ways, and on a regular basis, Michael had started to take Alexout for coffee once a week on top of their usual grocery store date.Alex’s loneliness has begun to ebb away, almost like it had never existed inthe first place.“So, new year coming up,” Alex says, adjusting the blanket they’re under asTori jumps back and forth with Buffy trying to paw at her feet. “You got anyresolutions you planning on making?”Michael’s attention is fixed on Alex, reaching up to adjust the glittery silverparty hat that he’s wearing. “I’ve been thinking about it,” he admits, “andyeah, I think maybe there’s one that I’m meaning to take on.” Alex absently rubs his fingers over Michael’s hand, massaging out the cramphe’d gotten when he’d been opening up the champagne bottle to have it ready togo. “Yeah?” he murmurs.“Yeah,” Michael says softly.“…five! Four!”“You gonna tell me?” Alex asks, heart pounding in his chest.Tori screams one and the television goes wild wishing everyone a new year, butAlex barely hears any of it because Michael leans in and cups his cheeks tobear him to the back of the couch with the kiss that Alex has been dreaming ofsince they first met. It takes him all of a frantic half-second before Alexremembers to kiss back, parting his lips to deepen it while tangling hisfingers in Michael’s curls to tip his head to the side, pushing back to makethis more equal.Breathing heavily by the time he eases back, Alex sags back in happy disbeliefto see Tori grinning at them, jumping up and down and wriggling withexcitement.He’s fed her way too much chocolate.“Happy new year!” she announces and throws herself into a hug in Alex’s arms,snuggling in and yanking on Michael to pull him in. “Does this mean that I’m gonnaget Buffy at our house too?” Alex should feel like his emotions have been wounded what with Tori only caringabout Buffy’s presence and not Alex’s, but he closes his eyes to feel Michaelpressing his temple to Alex’s head, adjusting the blanket to curl all three ofthem under it. “We’ll see, okay?” Michael murmurs. “I gotta make sure I keep my resolution tokiss Alex every day for the next year going, so maybe if he says yes to usmoving in with him, I can do it.” He grins at Alex hopefully, raising bothbrows. “I know it’s fast, but I also think you know that we’re both lonely onour own and this thing, us? It’s working,” he guarantees. “So…what do youthink?”Alex, who’s already been thinking about them as his family for ages, knows deepdown that it could be too fast. And yet, at the same time, they’ve gone monthswithout a kiss as they built a foundation together that could support this asthey try. The worst that can happen is that it falls apart and Alex loses it. No, that’s not it.The worst is that he never tries and doesn’t get it at all. For that,Alex is willing to take the risk. He cups Michael’s cheek as he leans in tokiss him again the way he’s been wanting to for ages, pressing soft kisses tohis lower lip as he eases back to stare dreamily at Michael. “Your daughter’son a sugar high, so I’m gonna say this real quietly,” he murmurs. “But yeah,you can move in with us,” he whispers, and seals that promise with a kiss.He can feel Michael’s grin against his lips, and the little sound of victoriousdelight sends frissons of pleasure through Alex. He has to let them movein, though. After all, Michael has a resolution to keep and Alex feels verystrongly about making sure that you keep to your word, especially when thereare kisses at stake.