#gay stowe
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gaytravelinfo · 1 month ago
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The Lodge at Spruce Peak - Stowe, VT
The Lodge at Spruce Peak | 7412 Mountain Road | Stowe, VT 05672 | 1-888-478-6938 The Lodge at Spruce Peak is an idyllic, luxury, four-season resort, located in the quintessential New England town of Stowe, VT. My colleague Catherine and I recently had the pleasure of experiencing a weekend at this 4-diamond resort. Our entire stay was flawless. From the sun showers that produced an…
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danaris112 · 2 months ago
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What is the best trope in fiction and why is it tragic siblings
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stowaway-society · 10 months ago
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Holy shit y'all my boyfriend- Me when me when he me when they.... My boyfriend y'all My Boyfriend <333
I am so sleepy and I am so gay and MY BOYFRIEND Y'ALL
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lawsbbygirl · 1 year ago
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DEE'S YUMMY LULAWLU FIC RECS
Compiled in this post you'll find all of my favorite LuLawLu fics! Enjoy your reading and make sure to leave kudos/comments on the fics you enjoyed <3 The fics are listed in no particular order other than Completed vs Ongoing. I will update this list as I find more fics that I enjoy, also to add some that I've probably forgotten.
Completed works:
when we go, we go together. by happychi 3,694 words, M "When Law dies, he spends an eternity searching for forgiveness. It was the first time anyone had smiled at him in over a century." Beautifully written fic where Law is cursed with being a reaper. This fic made me cry, it's absolutely gorgeous and bittersweet. The "D" stands for Daddy by bokkuroo 9,033 words, E Bonney uses her powers to age Luffy up, and Law starts gay-panicking! I am insanely weak for dilf!Luffy and this fic hit all the right spots with the delicious smutty goodness. A new favorite of mine!
Fanservice. by Mil0o2 23,169 words, E Law gets a new neighbor who happens to be his favorite dom pornstar "PirateKing56". Incredibly hot BDSM smut and I love the way this author writes both Law and Luffy. Delicious fic, definitely a favorite of mine.'
Keep You Safe by Rei_the_Rat 7,904 words, E "A favor and a threat that could destroy everything they hold dear, bring Law and Luffy a new opportunity to face unspoken feelings from a previous encounter." LuLaw Demon AU! This fic is gorgeous and the ambience is fantastic. Definitely a classic and a must-read!
carve your name (eat you like crème brûlée) by Trashgalore 11,556 words, E Luffy is insatiable and Law has to deal with it. PWP! Check the tags for potential CW!
Slipping Through My Fingers by Camafeu 8,525 words, E Luffy takes care of Law and eats him out. Porn with feelings! Pride is Before the Fall by Heart_Core 2,232 words, E "Law’s pent up from all the stress of traveling with the straw hats. When Luffy offers to help, how can he refuse?" Super yummy PWP by one of my favorite LuLaw authors! Seashell Lovers by cosmicatta 2,020 words, E "Law is learning to be free. Luffy helps him." This fic is so beautiful and soft and I'm smitten with how gentle and understanding Luffy is in it. Definitely a must-read!
Inhuman Potential by sydneyxface 82,094 words, E Exciting thriller featuring vampire!Luffy and pathologist!Law! Bloodplay ensues. Check tags for CW! My Heart Is Still Beating (But I Lost It Long Ago) by betsib 27,097 words, E Post Apocalyptic AU! "Law is travelling alone between quarantine zones when he comes across a young man with three bullets in his torso and an unflinching look in is eyes." Extremely well written and thrilling fic. Read tags for CWs! feel the rythm in my chest by shishiswordsman 9,140 words, Gen Bodyswap AU! "Law and Luffy decide to swap hearts for a moment. They end up swapping much more than that." I love this fic so much, it's funny, has angst AND fluff!
Ashes of Life by chenziee 10,248 words, T Canon Compliant series filled with Hurt/Comfort and lots of fluff where we follow the two captains relationship from Zou until Wano. Beautiful!
melting into you by adore_yuu 9,873 words, E Luffy discovers fanfiction and Law has to deal with it. Gorgeous and delicious one-shot!
Curiouser by xairylle 10,125 words, E Luffy asks Law to read him to him while he fucks him. Law complies reluctantly. Smutty goodness with great dialogue!
Stow Away Captains by xairylle 1,884 words, M Zoro POV. Law sneaks into the men's quarters on the Sunny and Zoro doesn't know how to deal with it. Awkward and funny as hell!
lowkey by gentoopengwyn 6,350 words, T Fluffy and hilarious Modern AU where doctor!Law has a secret husband who turns out to be Luffy.
more than a physical attraction (it's a passion) by gentoopengwyn 11,517 words, M Luffy simps for Law! Fluffy goodness.
I Could If I Wanted To by dunkinicedcoffeebeverage 5,615 words, E Law can't lie due to unforeseen circumstances and Luffy shows up! Smut and fluff. promises under the rising sun by Yakarmi 3,736 words, T "Luffy promises Law freedom." Canon compliant one-shot set on Zou. So sweet and soft!
quote, liquid courage, unquote by naturecalls111 7,475 words, E Law consumes aphrodisiac and Luffy kindly helps him with his problem. Smutty goodness.
Trials and Titillations by Callunar 42,796 words, E Luffy eats a mystery fruit and grows tits. Jealousy and misunderstandings ensue.
cough it out, loverboy by frogsterz 4,029 words, Gen Law comes back from Punk Hazard with a mating bite. Who could the mysterious alpha be that gave him the mark? Fun and cute omegaverse AU!
Saline by pbjnotes 19,321 words, M Modern AU with organized crime! Law is a doctor and has been terrorized by Doflamingo for many years, enter Luffy!
Aurum by bimarian 13,177 words, Gen Soulmate AU where Luffy learns about colors and the feelings they represent for him. Beautiful and soft.
Find Our Place in the Sky by lampalot7 4,615 words, T "Luffy is the Sun, Law is the Moon, and an eclipse brings them together." Beautiful and soft Moon/Sun God AU.
Modern Medicine Didn’t Prepare Me For Transmigration by betsib 17,018 words, T Isekai AU! Law gets transported into the world of the fantasy romance novel he's reading and adventures ensue!
Hook, line and sinker. by Mil0o2 1,323 words, E "Law is drunk and horny and makes sure Luffy knows exactly that." Service top Luffy PWP!
As Warm as the Sunlight by Camafeu 6,160 words, E Modern AU Porn with Feelings! Luffy finally gets to put marks on Law.
How To Top A Cop by initforthelolz 5,895 words, E Luffy is caught speeding and tries to convince the cop pulling him over to forget his crime with questionable means. PWP!
House Call by ZuviosGemini 4,854 words, Gen Sick Fic Modern AU! Law nurses Luffy back to health. Very sweet and fluffy comfort fic.
Meet Me in the Drift by riverofnara 28,460 words, T Pacific Rim/One Piece fusion! Luffy tries to convince Law to become his Jaeger co-pilot.
Shoot Me with a Smile by OliveGardenSafeSpace 42,161 words, M Mafia AU! Law is a mafia family boss and rescues Luffy during a heist gone wrong.
A Shiver of Pleasure by Camafeu 6,805 words, E Modern AU! Porn with Feelings and fluffy blankets.
i think she might be robbing (she can take what she wants) by Trashgalore 13,821 words, E Fem!LuLaw! Everyone is genderswapped in this roomate to lovers story. Fluffy and smutty!
The Straw Hat and Heart Pirates 'Alliance' by KivaEmber 6,706 words, Gen Smoker cockblocks Luffy and Law and hilarious situations happen in this series. Fluff and humor!
What Feelings? by Brewit 2,680 words, E Law is the last one to learn that him and Luffy are in a relationship. A story about how their relationships evolved! Fluff and a bit of smut.
You Don’t Love Me by xairylle 2,312 words, T Hurt/Comfort. Law has forgotten how to be honest.
A Summoner's Worst Nightmare by cringewerewolf 34,199 words, T "Law summons a demon to help him take down a crime lord. It all goes downhill from there." Hilarious AU where Law summons demon!Luffy!
Two Sinners' Conversation by bimarian 7,599 words, M "In which Luffy and Law redefine what a conversation is on their wedding night." This is technically part of a series, but this can be read as a stand-alone one shot. Fluff and smut!
Sick Heart by Cel0x 7,427 words, E Law and Luffy had been apart, missing each other deeply, and they have a delicious reunion. Porn with Feelings!
The Morning Comes Early by Alte 7,813 words, E "Law finds a new way to get a good night’s rest after forming an alliance with the Straw Hat Pirates." Very sweet and one of my comfort fics! Not a Ball or a Chain by HollowIsTheWorld 79,341 words, T Modern Soulmate AU! Asexual Luffy, Demisexual Law. Law grows up hoping he'd never develop a soulmark and tries to avoid meeting his soulmate.
the sea throws rocks together by manhattanvalleys 2,072 words, E Future Fic. Porn with feelings. I would recommend reading the three fics from this author in order. This one first, then the two below.
(but time leaves us polished stones) by manhattanvalleys 3,133 words, E Future Fic. Porn with feelings.
something that you might perhaps forgot to say by manhattanvalleys 4,391 words, E Future Fic PWP. Gorgeously written and a fic I can re-read over and over again.
Bloodied Knuckles by bimarian 9,099 words, E Flower Shop and Tattoo Parlor AU! Porn with Plot. "In which Law saw Luffy punching the life out of his rude customer—and decided right then and there that his ass was getting laid tonight." Dark Luffy, and Law's into it. Read tags for CW!
what the ocean gives by betsib 5,570 words, T Merman!Luffy gets saved by doctor!Law! This fic has a special place in my heart, it's very cute and funny.
To Call Myself Beloved by purplehairedwonder 13,202 words, T Luffy tries to get Law to marry him, and Law tells Luffy he'll have to catch him first. Betrothal Chase AU!
Give Me A Reason by betsib 6,400 words, M Band AU! Law does a cover of the Straw Hats' new single and it gets recorded in secret by Shachi and it goes viral, the attention eventually reaching Luffy who is intrigued by Law. Then they meet!
A Different Type of Hunger by karategal 25,111 words, E Luffy is King of the Pirates and he's "hungry for Torao". A game of cat and mouse begins. Funny and smutty!
Burning by vantrums 8,245 words, E Omegaverse PWP. Law is in heat and Luffy conveniently makes an appearance to help him out. One of my favorite PWPs!
Nothing compares by JustPassingBy19 4,261 words, E "Law and Luffy reunite after a long time away from each other's arms." Dilf!Luffy!!! Porn with Feelings!
combustion by Anonymous 3,799 words, E "Law pines and gets railed, both in and not in that order." Smut with a touch of angst!
Make Me Feel Good by sydneyxface 21,529 words, E Law seeks the help of Luffy, a professional cuddler, to help him get through university. Angst with a happy ending! This is one of my comfort fics and a favorite of mine.
Let's do It! by KhonekoChan 4,659 words, E Law and Luffy enjoy some sexcapades after the liberation of Wano. Smutty goodness.
find me in the shell's whisper by Deleted Account 5,441 words, M Law and Luffy run into each other on an island and Law pines.
Safe and Sound by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead 15,726 words, M Law gets taken hostage and Luffy is on a mission to rescue him. A lot of hurt/comfort with a lot of hurt before the comfort. Practicality is Useless Around Here by Ghosty_Bee 28,248 words, T Modern AU with magic! "Law's luck runs out when a series of events forces him to open his eyes to a world completely different from his own, full of magic, monsters, and danger. Luckily, or maybe not, he's found a crew of seers to help him out." This fic has fantastic world building and is a thrilling ride! Tell Me That You Love Me (I’ll Never Ask You Why) by Itycos 3,557 words, T "After Wano in a nameless port-town two captains reunite. Not all alliances are the same." Very sweet and beautiful fic about the two captain's finding something in each other they didn't quite expect. Like Sails on the Breeze by HollowIsTheWorld 5,115 words, Gen Corazon Lives AU. Luffy kisses Law and then he leaves. What's next for them? Bittersweet and fluffy in the end!
between you and i (the throths, the tide) by shishiswordsman 20,630 words, E ARRANGED MARRIAGE AU! Law is set to marry the future king of Dawn. Luffy is certainly not what Law expected.
What Is This Thing You Call An Alliance? by cywscross 13,701 words, T Eustass Kidd observes Law and Luffy after the fall of Kaido. Introspection, light angst and fluff!
and all the things that keep us here by qunlat 9,323 words, Gen Law gets a second chance. "(Or: the one where they get married, in secret, at someone else's wedding, and make Usopp late to his.)" Law and Luffy elope!
My Love For You Is Choking Me by ObsidionWingsofMidnight 56,880 words, T Hanahaki disease AU! Very angsty with eventual happy ending.
the white city by tciddaemina 32,328 words, Gen, M "Nika/Sun God!Luffy AU, set during the genocide in Flevance." Very interesting and beautifully written series. Total Eclipse of the Heart by Aspiring_Trashpanda 33,401 words, M "Luffy almost dies, makes a deal with a god, and falls in love. Law's along for the ride." Slow burn-y goodness!
Keep This Close To Our Hearts, Love by riverofnara 3,884 words, T Modern AU! Luffy's prank on Law says everything he hasn't been able to put into words. Fluffy!
sol ex machina by Almageist 3,757 words, Gen Angel AU! I don't want to say too much about this one as I believe it's best experienced going in blindly. One of my faves!
Meat Cute by marimoes 66,823 words, T Modern AU! Law has a literal run in with Luffy's dog "Meat" and they have a meet cute! Long fic with all of your favorite tropes!
king of my heart by frogsterz 7,411 words, E "The AU where rookie Trafalgar Law and the Pirate King walk into a tavern. Things only get better from there." The summary says all you need to know. One of my favorite LuLaw fics EVER.
Sabishigari-ya by Alexgrand 15,943 words, M Modern AU. "Law finds a website where he becomes infatuated with a user named Mugiwara22."
Who, Me? My Hand? by dunkinicedcoffeebeverage 8,903 words, M "5 times Luffy holds Law's hand, 1 time Law holds Luffy's." A getting together fic filled with fluff and beautiful moments between the two captains. The art accompanying this fic is also gorgeous!
Luffy's Law by JadedCoral 32,630 words, Gen Modern AU where Law starts a rumor about himself and hilarities ensue. This fic made me cackle out loud, it's so funny and sweet!
as I hold your hollow heart by betsib 24,962 words, M Soulswap AU! "...Law wakes up in Dressrosa, with Doflamingo's symbol tattooed on his chest and servants calling him "Corazon". Very interesting AU that I loved reading, many twists and turns and suspense!
Grand Line Carnival by Bubblegumbeech 24,140 words, T Modern AU with horror themes. "Law doesn't want to go to a carnival ever again, but his crew doesn't know that and they insist that he has been spending far too much time in the hospital.." Spooky things happen and Luffy and the Straw Hats are unintentionally creepy!
Ongoing works:
from us, to the rain by toricola 10,835 words, E Modern AU LawLu. One of the most beautifully written fics I've come across so far. The characterization of Law is one of the best I've ever read, and I am dying to read more from this author. If you want to feel, definitely don't skip this one!
white elephant gift exchange by happychi 15,184 words, M "Law’s troublesome coworkers are on thin ice after gifting him a male escort for his Christmas vacation. Now he’s snowed in with a complete stranger for an entire weekend." Things aren't as they seem in this Modern AU. The author's portrayal of Law in this is on of my absolute favorites. Excited to read more of this!
Critical Fire Weather Pattern by lettersinpetals 7,787 words, M Journalist AU! Law is an editor at One Piece News, and Luffy is the newly appointed weatherman. A super fresh and unique AU that I immediately fell in love with!
The Beast of Buckden by Callunar 11,537 words, E "Law has moved to a sleepy little countryside village. The people of the village warned him not to go out on the night of the blood moon, but he finds himself lost in the woods anyway." Werewolf!Luffy AU that has quickly become one of my favorite LuLaw fics. Read tags for CW!
The Pirate King's Treasure by Callunar 64,842 words, E Another fantastic work by Callunar, this time it's PWP! Luffy becomes interested in Law after a heated argument. Extremely smutty and kinky.
Broken Heart Syndrome by Callunar 115,597 words, E Surgeon!Law and boxer!Luffy. AND THEY WERE NEIGHBORS. Slow burn!!!! Another one of my favorite chaptered fics.
Chasing the Sun by illusiverose 174,160 words, E Another one of my favorites! Modern AU Surgeon!Law and Firefighter!Luffy. Law has dark secrets but becomes enamored with Luffy, the embodiment of sunshine. Exciting plot with a slice of Mafia!
Red and Yellow by BewitchingDemon 20,214 words, M Pokemon Fusion AU! A true joy to read this fic. Strangers to lovers with a lot of awkwardness and slow burn. One of my favorites!
(We Would Never) Break the Chain by cosmicatta 15,507 words, M A Modern AU set in the 70s-80s where you get to see Law and Luffy grow from childhood friends into something more, with a lot of pining and angst in between. A beautifully written fic.
Haze by initforthelolz 56,381 words, M Fantasy AU with dystopian themes with fantastic world building and intrigue.
Godslayer by initforthelolz 19,611 words, M Fantasy AU where Law is a Godslayer and his purpose is to defeat one of the god's that terrorized the world. Things don't go as planned. Incredibly well-written fic with solid world building and a plot that draws you in instantly.
for a wilted rose not yet withered by ame_kko 45,682 words, T Ancient Greek Gods AU! A strangers to lovers fic with Luffy as Persephone, God of Spring and Law as Hades, God of the Underworld. An all time favorite for me!
Hearts Spring Eternal by riverofnara 34,386 words, E Law performs the Perennial Youth Surgery on Luffy out of desperation, but Law somehow survives. Angst and complications happen.
In the Sultry Summer Calm by Alte 15,563 words, M Omegaverse Flower Shop AU! Two of my favorite things combined. "After the loss of his adoptive father, omega Trafalgar Law is forced to give up on his dream to become a surgeon in favor of taking over his father’s flower shop." Very sweet and I can't wait for this to be updated!
In the Night by TheeGirlWonder 8,273 words, M Fantasy AU! Vampires, werewolves and witches! Law is a vampire and helps werewolf!Luffy escape Doflamingo's clutches after being captured.
Saint Peter's Keys by Aspiring_TrashPanda 52,560 words, E Modern AND Canon Div AU! A story involving parallel universes with a fantastically written story. Slow burn!
It Was Always Blood With You by initforthelolz 14,970 words, E Vampire!Law AU! "Luffy finds a vampire on the side of the road and decides to bring him home... against better judgement that he does not possess." I immediately fell in love with this fic, the summary says it all!
The Compounding Impact of Time by salient17 14,889 words, M Time Travel AU! "It didn't matter where, or when, because Luffy would find him--time and time again." Luffy is lost in time, will he find his way back?
The Years We’ve Lost by Heart_Core 24,618 words, M Time Travel AU! "In the middle of the War on Onigashima, Law wakes up to find himself 19 years into the future. Luffy had long defeated Kaido, believing Law to have died in the war." Love this fic and can't wait for an update. Can never go wrong with dilf!Luffy either.
At the Heart of Worship by Heart_Core 8,014 words, E Sun God Luffy AU! Luffy has had his attention captured by Law.
always too much (never enough) by Jien_o 21,303 words, E Modern AU cockwarming fic of my dreams. This fic has me in a chokehold. CRAZY good!
within & without by Jien_o 68,686 words, E Arranged Marriage AU! LawLu. Enemies to lovers-esque type story, where both Law and Luffy are very flawed and many misunderstandings ensue.
The Omegaverse Clothing Exchange Service by bananabunch 8,162 words, E Super cute A/B/O fic with a really unique plot! I love this fic so far and can't wait to read more.
As Sunflowers Do by martilla 95,283 words, E Modern AU! Luffy is in an accident and gets amnesia and forgets all about his relationship with Law. A lot of angst and heartbreak with an eventual happy ending.
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neolxzr · 1 year ago
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OK so heres some of my favorite things that were talked about during the enter the florpus commentary thing yesterday:
one of jhonen's favorite things in the whole movie is the writing in zim's kitchen that says "do anything is real?"
they clarified specifically that gir was not lying and he did in fact eat a baby at the crazy taco
gir smells REALLY bad. theres like rotting organic matter in his body at all times. he stinks
zim's human suit is made out of actual human skin
zim is acting drunk on nacho cheese during that scene in his house because richard horvitz recorded it while drunk
they planned to have this whole thing with tak's ship only agreeing to go to moo-ping 10 because it knows tak is there. they wouldve shown her in silhouette during that brief explosion and she wouldve stowed away on the ship without anyone knowing and then wouldve shown up towards the end of the movie, but they decided to cut it out
zim did not need to frame membrane for a crime in order to get him into space prison and likely just tossed the guards like 5 bucks for it. its a shady place. they did specify though that if he did frame him for something, it would have been jaywalking
they pointed out during that scene where zim is celebrating peace day on dib's lawn that zim's reaction to seeing dib was very much genuine and that's just how his brain works. he is genuinely surprised to see him pop out of his own house. (they also described his reaction as like "being surprised to see your best friend")
the ham joke was ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL to the film and at some point jhonen remembered it and was like GUYS. WE ALMOST FORGOT THE HAM
there was supposed to be this joke where it cuts to and from gaz and dib in tak's ship and they would've had to stop at like a warp station or something and theyd be waiting in a long queue of spaceships and the radio is broken in the ship so theyre stuck listening to that one song. then itd cut to them like totally braindead drooling from listening to it for so long. and then a little later itd cut back a FINAL time and theyd know all of the words and both be singing along to it. but this was also cut out so only the last bit remained
when asked "who would win: minimoose or mrs. bitters?" the answer was along the lines of "neither, i think all of us lose in that scenario"
the tallest are just two dudes who happen to be the same height and therefore have to share the same job. they are not brothers and they are also not gay lovers ("as much as you want them to be, they are not. there is no love in this universe")
skooge is in fact alive and lives in zim's basement. they wanted to keep the number of "hey remember this thing from the tv show!" moments to a minimum so he was not mentioned in the movie. but he is there
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moriwood · 6 months ago
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Buzzer Beater Heartbeat — l.hs
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lee heeseung x male reader fluff with a lil bit of angst 4k words
Heeseung shattered your belief that straight men could not be friends with gay men, even if he were a star basketball player and you were an editor in your university’s student publication. At one of his standout games, an old flame of his arrives, making you question if your feelings for him could truly remain platonic. In the aftermath, both of you grapple with the blurred lines between friendship and something more.
includes: college setting again woops, a homo and a homie dynamics, aespa’s karina is the drama (???) warning: n/a
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Squeaking sneakers. Cheering crowds. Rhythmic thuds of a basketball against hardwood. Despite the cacophony, you carefully adjust the lens of your camera, capturing every highlight of an intense college basketball game. You focus on your best friend Heeseung, who just scored a three-pointer, already earning his team more than half of their points.
Heeseung blurs past the defenders, making shot after shot with little help from his teammates. You can’t help but feel pride swell within you as he pauses amid the game’s pressure to flash your camera a peace sign and a confident grin. His team is now ahead by over twenty points, and all signs point to another landslide victory for your college. As you lower your camera, you join the crowd’s chants, feeding into the infectious spirit of the moment.
The buzzer signals the end of the first half. You toss Heeseung his raggedy towel as he jogs over to you on the sidelines, hair sticking to his glistening sweat. He catches it with precision and gives you a cheeky wink.
“How’s the game so far?” Heeseung pants. 
“Killing it, man. I’ve got way more photos of you than anybody else,” you laugh. 
“Good! My baby’s eyes should only be on me and nobody else,” he huffs, taking a swig of his water jug before heading back to the coach. Your pulse quickens at the term of endearment Heeseung loves to use on you.
As Heeseung returns to the team, your attention is drawn to a group of girls entering the court. Their ID lanyards reveal them as students from the opposing college, and oh. There’s Karina. Karina, who Heeseung once fervently pursued but had been rejected by, came to the game. Seeing her stirs something bitter within you, knowing how broken she had left Heeseung months ago. You glance at your best friend, who seems to have noticed the new presence as well, offering her an awkward wave across the court. She politely waves back, flicking her hair back as she takes her seat.
The second half begins, and it’s as if a different Heeseung is dribbling the ball. His shots miss their mark, passes go astray, and he almost trips on his own feet. The opposing team has long recovered from the score gap Heeseung initially set, overtaking your college. Your heart sinks as you watch Heeseung’s confidence waver, attention divided, distracted.
You continue to take photos, albeit with less enthusiasm. Your photos now tell a different story from the first half. Heeseung was solely focused on the ball earlier, but now he keeps on glancing elsewhere. His eyes so easily drift towards Karina, and it is painfully clear that Heeseung is far from having moved on. 
The final buzzer reverberates amid the crowd’s silent disappointment and frustration. The game was over, and your best friend just had a monumental loss.
Karina celebrates with her friends, holding hands with a player from her team — you assume her boyfriend. Heeseung looks utterly defeated, shoulders slumped and eyes downcast. The coach is livid, his teammates sympathetic, and you awkwardly sit and wait by the sidelines as people exit the gym. Stowing your camera away, you make your way towards Heeseung as the coach dismisses them.
“Hey,” you softly say, placing a comforting hand on his back. 
Heeseung could only nod. “I messed up big time.”
“It’s just one game,” you reassure him. “You’ve got a lot more coming. Besides, your first half was phenomenal.”
He sighs deeply, packing his bag. “It’s not just the game… You saw her too, didn’t you?”
“Karina? Yeah.” You nod in understanding, trailing behind Heeseung as the two of you leave the gym. “Didn’t get to talk to her though. I think she’s got a boyfriend, she was holding hands with him after they won.”
“Oh, cool,” Heeseung mutters.
“Come on, man,” you gently chide, throwing an arm around his shoulder. “Plenty of women out there. Karina isn’t the end of the world.”
Heeseung looks at you, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “That’s not what I meant, but alright.”
You grin, trying to lighten the mood. “Did you know that there are about fifteen thousand students in our university?”
Heeseung furrows his brows with the sudden trivia. “No?”
“And only three thousand have voted in the student council elections as of three hours ago?”
Heeseung finally lets out a laugh. “What’s that got to do with anything? Suddenly remembered your unfinished drafts?”
“I’m telling you there are thousands of students walking around campus and I don’t think I even know a hundred people here. I’m saying you probably haven’t even met the right one yet.”
Heeseung knew far more people than you did, that was obvious. A fact that he has casually told you countless times is the number of women (and men) that he has rejected. You fear that soon enough, you’ll be one of them.
“You always know what to say,” he whispers as if you weren’t meant to hear it. The tension eases as he squeezes your hand. “I don’t even know what to do without you.”
“Maybe you should date me instead,” you blurt out, hoping your sincerity goes undetected.
“Oh yeah? Why should I?”
“I’m a great listener, I’ve got your back, I take awesome photos, and I’m definitely writing an article drooling about your gameplay.”
“I love you too much," Heeseung chuckles, a sparkle in his eye. “You’ve got me pretty convinced. No take-backsies if I take you up on that offer.”
You could not ignore the bittersweet ache in your chest, conflicted by how to interpret what Heeseung could say so nonchalantly. You wanted to prod further, to ask if any of those words meant anything else, but you kept your mouth shut. Your best friend needed comfort more than you needed clarity. Knowing he loves you as a friend had to be enough. As you drop off Heeseung at his dorm, you can only wish that someday, someone could care for you as deeply as he did for Karina. 
The crushing defeat brought Heeseung to longer workouts and practices, more determined than ever to redeem himself. Meanwhile, the school paper’s hustle never slowed, keyboards clacking over student politics and the recent elections. In the whirlwind of it all, the two of you find solace in your late-night rendezvous at the university’s 24-hour café, almost like a daily routine for both of you.
Tonight, the café is quieter than usual, with the only customers at the moment being you and Heeseung. Sunoo, the friendly barista you both have come to know, greets you with a warm smile as you settle into your usual corner booth.
“Remember the first time we came here?” Heeseung asks, taking a long sip of his iced coffee. 
“Yeah,” you hum, not looking at Heeseung, busy typing away on your laptop. “You were so nervous about your first big game, fidgeting after three slices of chocolate cake.”
Heeseung grins, teasingly poking your warm mug from across the table. “Then I almost spilled your mug ‘cause of the jitters.” He rests his head on his hand. “But it worked. You stayed up all night with me and I played my best the next day.” 
That was a fond memory. Your suave friend became skittish out of nowhere, and you distracted him with endless conversations about everything and nothing. “I’m your lucky charm, after all,” you wink.
Heeseung had finished training an hour ago, and here he was, accompanying you as you rush revisions for an article draft for next week’s publication. You told him that he should sleep early tonight for his game tomorrow, but he insisted, still believing in some superstition that you calm his nerves before matches.
“Because of you,” he murmurs, dazed from his drowsiness. “Because of you, I play well.”
You pause, fingers hovering over the keyboard. “Because of you,” you echo, thinking about how much Heeseung meant to you. Over the few years you’ve had in college, your bond has only grown stronger, and it was becoming harder to ignore that this could all fade away once you both graduate — or that this could all be lost to a foolish confession. 
“You gave me a reason to keep taking photos and writing articles,” you fondly conclude. “I enjoy my job most when it’s about you and your games.”
“I badgered you into joining the school paper, you mean,” Heeseung points out. “It was the only way to make you go to my games!”
“It was,” you clarify, “but now I don’t have to. I can easily start sending out someone else to take the photos now.”
“But you still come, even when I’m not doing my best. So thank you for that.”
Heeseung meets your gaze with a derpy smile plastered on his face, and a comfortable silence sits between the two of you. 
You sip your coffee, savoring its warmth against the café’s muffled music. Despite your attempts to keep your feelings hidden, you know you haven’t been that discreet. The lingering glances, the way your face lights up whenever he is around — people have noticed. As a well-known basketball player, the speculation was inevitable. Whether it was one-sided or mutual, whispers around campus painted a picture of your relationship that was hard to ignore.
Even then, Heeseung seemed unfazed. If anything, the growing rumors had driven him to become more intimate with you. He reaches out to you more often, finding excuses to spend even more time with you like drinking coffee together at absurd hours. The idea of possibly meaning so much to Heeseung terrifies and excites you at the same time.
“You know, I realized something after the last game,” Heeseung breaks the silence. “You mean so much to me, yet I don’t think I’ve ever really shown you how much.”
“Is that why you’re here with me half-awake?” you jest, but Heeseung does not respond. He fiddles with his fingers, hesitating.
“Maybe I just don’t want you finding company in someone else,” he sighs. “What if you come here with Jay instead—”
“Or Jake. He’s asked me out here before,” you butt in, recalling when Jake desperately asked you to help him write an essay here a month ago. “He looked so cute begging—”
Heeseung slams a hand on the table, startling you. Sunoo glances over, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “See! I look away for a second and Jake starts pouncing,” he huffs. “I told him you’re off-limits and—”
“Off-limits? Why would you even say that?” you question, voice wavering in disbelief. “Imagine if I were his boyfriend, oh God, the whole campus would be talking! It’s an explosive headline waiting to be written.”
“Well, you deserve more than a guy like Jake,” Heeseung defends himself, and something tells you this was sincere and not another one of his misleading jokes. “He’s a red flag, trust me.”
“Who should be the standard then?”
“Of course, it’s me!” Heeseung exclaims and you can’t stop yourself from blushing a little bit. 
He reaches across the table, taking your hand in his. His touch was so warm, as warm as his body that is now so close to you. His eyes lock onto yours with an intensity that sends shivers up your spine. “If we win tomorrow… I’ll show you what I mean,” he earnestly promises, voice low and full of conviction. Your heart beats to the echoes of hope and fear within you. 
“Wear my jersey later,” he requests. “It sounds silly but it would mean a lot to me.”
It’s always like this with Heeseung, always delicately dancing between friendly banter and something more. None of it makes sense.
“Okay, cut that off,” you warn Heeseung, withdrawing your hand. “Go to sleep, you’re saying weird shit.”
“Alright, alright.” Heeseung leans back, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. “But I meant what I said,” he says, tone still serious. “I’m gonna take a nap here. Wake me up when you’re done.”
You tilt your head in confusion. “I meant you should go to sleep. Back at your dorms. I’m fine staying here alone.”
Heeseung stretches, yawning. “If I leave you here now, you’re gonna stay here again until the wee hours. If I need rest, then so do you. If you stay up late for me, then I stay up late for you. I’ll wait for you to finish here.”
You give him a half-smile, having nothing else to say to your best friend. “Thank you,” you mutter, hoping you mask the tumult of emotions swirling inside you.
Somewhat against your wishes, you are now wearing Heeseung’s old jersey over your shirt as you wait for the game to begin. It smells faintly of Heeseung’s usual fabric conditioner, a comforting scent that makes you feel all fuzzy and warm. It worries you though, how something as minor as this could be interpreted by the gossiping crowds.
The atmosphere is once again electric, seats rapidly filling with students. You’re already in your usual spot, your camera neatly placed on your lap, ready to capture every moment. As the team warms up, you notice a familiar face making her way toward you. Karina… again. You hope Heeseung won’t be affected by this again.
She cheerfully greets you, but her eyes are fixated on the jersey you are wearing. 
“Which side will you be supporting tonight?” you ask, curious where she’ll sit as her college isn’t playing. 
“Heeseung’s side, duh. We both know he’s ahead of everyone else here,” she replies, then pauses. “Nice jersey. Heeseung gave it to you?”
“Yeah… He asked me to wear it today,” you reply, keeping your tone neutral. 
Karina nods, a genuine grin spreading across her face. “Heeseung finally pulled his head out of his ass, huh? Congrats to the two of you.”
You nod back, unsure how to respond. “I’m sorry, what do you mean by that?”
“Wait, I thought— Well—” Karina stutters, eyes shifting between you and the players on the court, most likely Heeseung. “Did he just tell you to wear his jersey and nothing else?” she asks, leaning towards you.
You blink, having no clue what Karina was talking about. After an awkward moment of silence, you slowly nod.
“Oh, never mind what I said. That dumbass,” Karina mutters, and nothing else. She excuses herself to find a seat elsewhere, leaving you to your brewing thoughts. You can’t shake the feeling that there is something that she and Heeseung know that you don’t, and it bothers you.
The game finally starts and Heeseung seems to be more determined than ever, so focused you doubt he has even noticed Karina’s presence yet. Both teams play aggressively, points accumulating on both sides as the ball bounces across the court like a match of ping pong. You raise your camera and right on time, Heeseung shoots the first three-pointer. His gameplay hasn’t changed much, but his focus is different. Every time he scores, he looks at you, as if he were seeking your validation. It’s as if you wearing his jersey is driving him to play even better.
The first half ends with a tight scoreline, proving tonight’s opponent is tougher than the last. “Sub?” you hear Heeseung ask the coach, calling to be substituted for the start of the third quarter. He then jogs to you, seemingly giddy. “Am I doing good?” he asks you, panting.
“Unbelievable,” you say, passing him his jug. “You’re doing so great, but the score is too close!”
“It’s tough when Jake’s being a dead weight right now,” he whines, sweat dripping into his eye. He sits beside you on the bench, catching his breath.
“They’re really pushing us,” you comment, glancing at the scoreboard. “You just gotta keep up the pressure and they’ll crumble.”
He rests a hand on your leg. “I will. We’ve got this. I got you, baby. I’ll win this for you.”
You beam, feeling a surge of pride for your best friend. “Lean back, I’ll take a photo of you with my phone,” you tell Heeseung, not entirely sure why you need it, other than to have another personal snapshot of him that belongs only to you.
Heeseung reclines slightly, flashing you a confident grin despite his evident exhaustion. The gym’s warm lights cast a golden hue on his sweat-slicked skin, making him look every bit the star athlete he is. You quickly snap a few pictures, capturing the intensity and resolve in his expression. 
“Perfect,” you say, looking at the photos. “You already look like a champion,” you add, showing him the shots. “Might make it my wallpaper.”
“That makes me your champion, you know,” Heeseung mindlessly murmurs, voice soft.
“I don’t think your fans would appreciate me claiming you,” you laugh, aware of the inquisitive crowd behind the two of you.
“Tell them to stay jealous,” he whines. “You’re the one wearing my jersey, not them. That should be enough for them to back off.”
Unable to respond further, the second half begins, and Heeseung is called back to court in no time. The crowds gasp with each shot he makes, your heart pounding along the back and forth of the crowds chanting. Still, Heeseung’s energy is limitless; everything is a blur around him with each shot you take. He is at the center of it all, his relentless aggression dictating the pace of the game.
With a few minutes left on the clock, the tension is unbearable. Heeseung is everywhere — blocking shots, making steals, and driving the ball forward wherever he can. While the scoreboard shows a slim lead for your side, the game is far from over. The opposing team pushes back harder, desperate to close the gap by constantly attempting to shoot three-pointers.
The minutes turn to the last few seconds and the teams are back to being tied. The noise of the crowd has gone downright deafening, but Heeseung has the ball, and he has ten seconds left to stop overtime from happening. In the chaos of it all, on the small screen of your camera, his eyes meet yours.
Heeseung makes his move, dribbling to the three-point line like lightning then he jumps, releasing the ball. The crowd falls silent, the ball sailing through the air as the players watch in anticipation. Finally, the ball swishes through the net just as the buzzer calls for the end of the game.
The crowd explodes, students leaping to their feet in celebration. Heeseung’s teammates swarm him, a barrage of expletives praising him for cleanly closing the match. You navigate through the throng of ecstatic fans flooding the court, capturing shots of Heeseung engulfed by his teammates. As you finally reach them, the coach beckons you over.
“Take a photo for the team, would you?” he requests, voice barely audible over the commotion. You nod, waiting as the players line up in front of you. You then snap a series of shots, capturing the raw joy on their faces. After you take the last shot, you feel a finger tap on your shoulder. You turn around and catch an ecstatic Karina.
“Take one with Heeseung too, just the two of you,” she suggests, snatching your camera out of your hands without waiting. Heeseung catches the scenes and steps forward, eyes twinkling with excitement. He excuses himself from his team and immediately puts an arm around your waist.
“Good evening, Karina. Doesn’t he look cute in my jersey?” Heeseung says with a playful smile. You knit your brows together as you glance between the two, feeling something off.
“Shut up,” she deadpans, positioning herself to take the photo. “Before you pull some shit like this, make sure you’ve already confessed—”
“Okay, Karina, you can take the pic any time now!” Heeseung cuts her off, tone urgent as he pulls you even closer.
Heeseung leans, his breath warm against your ear. “May I kiss you?” he whispers. You turn your head towards him, your surprised eyes meeting his earnest ones. 
Karina’s voice counting down turns muffled, and the crowd around you seems to disappear. For a moment, it’s just you and Heeseung, suspended in time. “Yes,” you breathlessly reply, and his lips meet yours in a soft, fleeting kiss. You hear your camera click, capturing the intimate moment, and preserving it forever. 
You pull away and the cacophony in the gym floods back in. Heeseung’s teammates swarm him again, and you’re left standing with Karina, who approaches you with a knowing smile.
“I think that’s enough for you to put two and two together,” she says, handing your camera back to you. “I think you’ve got more than just a winning shot there. Congrats again, I’m rooting for the two of you.”
Heeseung is being hounded by his teammates for the stunt that he just pulled, but his eyes keep drifting back to you, a silent promise that the night has yet to end for the both of you. As the celebration continues, he finally breaks away from the team with his bag and runs to you.
“Let’s get out of here,” he huffs, taking your hand. “I need to talk to you.”
You let him pull you out of the gym, stepping out into the cool night air. You find a bench under the glow of a street light. You both sit, and you wait for Heeseung to catch his breath.
“I need to tell you something,” he begins, tone apprehensive but determined.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about it. Being more than friends. About me dating you instead.” He pauses, searching for the right words. “I’ve heard people talking, and I can’t find myself disagreeing with them. In the times we have spent together, I’ve felt something I’ve never felt before.”
Heeseung grabs your hand and holds it tightly. You find yourself speechless, struggling to parse the scene that is unraveling right now.
“It’s new and it’s confusing. You’re the first guy I’ve ever felt this way about,” Heeseung confesses. “I want to be more than just your best friend. I want to be your boyfriend.”
He looks down, gathering his thoughts before continuing. “Karina… she was the first one to tell me outright that I might be feeling something for you — that I treated you more than just a close friend. At first, it bothered me, because I value our friendship so much. Thinking about it more, she wasn’t wrong.”
You offer him a reassuring smile. “Heeseung, we can take it one step at a time,” you begin, voice soft but firm. “But people will talk. More than ever. Are you ready to face that with me?”
Heeseung nods, his gaze unwavering. “I don’t care. If it means being with you, I think it’s worth it.”
“I— I feel the same,” you reply. “For a while, I’ve tried not to fall for it. I’ve tried so hard not to misinterpret your actions, but it has become so difficult when I keep hearing about it from others. I had already given up before even trying because it felt like such a pipe dream for someone like you to see me as more than just a close friend.”
Heeseung smiles, relief washing over his face. “I want to be your boyfriend,” he repeats as if savoring the word. “Just to clarify, I, Heeseung Lee, see you as more than my best friend. There’s a reason why I always call you my baby.”
“Always been your baby, but this time it’s official,” you chuckle. Heeseung then leans in and steals a kiss, resting his head on your shoulder.
“I want you to call me that too. You never call me that way,” he teases. 
You respond with a kiss on the crown of his head. “Good game, babe. I’m so proud of you,” you whisper.
You feel Heeseung grin wider on your shoulder and he pulls you even closer in a tight embrace. “I love the sound of that. I’m looking forward to a lot more of that.”
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author’s note: belated happy pride month with my longest fic ever! i said i’d stop with the college setting but i had to write this one down first… because………………………………….. uhh... real life experiences 😭
— moriwood.
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gardenwalrus · 29 days ago
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The Beatles performing at the Olympia Theatre, Paris, 16 January 1964
GEORGE: In January 1964 we played several concerts in Paris. The French audience was dreadful. We had visions of all these French girls, 'Ooh là là,' and all that, but the audience, at least on the opening night, was all tuxedoed elderly people, and a bunch of slightly gay-looking boys were hanging round the stage door shouting, 'Ringo, Ringo!' and chasing our car. We didn't see any of the Brigitte Bardots that we were expecting. RINGO: These boys chased us all over Paris. Before, we'd been more used to girls. The audience was a roar instead of a scream; it was a bit like when we played Stowe Boys' school.
- The Beatles anthology (2000) p.112
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asleepyy · 7 months ago
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no pressure whatsoever but i just wanted to say that I LOVE yichen and i would deeply love to hear more about the silly
Here’s his general background! 💖
Yìchén is a pirate, sort of, more of a tolerated stowaway of the crew but he does decent enough work, and he doesn’t have much other choice. He did come from wealth an privilege, but was outed as a gay man and sentenced to death for it. He managed to make a break for it before they seized him in his home.
the crew that found him stowing away on their ship was sympathetic enough to his plight, and agreed to allow him onboard as long as he could pull his weight enough. They don’t know about him being half-mer. This arrangement doesn’t last very long— he saves a man named Dante (who belongs to @allysdelta !) from drowning, and they later end up leaving the ship together.
The Navy ended up catching up to him however, and Yìchén, Dante and the crew ended up seperated, with Yìchén imprisoned aboard the Navy Ship. Lead by man named Captain Keyne Whittaker.
They found out he was half-mer, and end up torturing him to bring out his latent powers. It works! But Yìchén also uses them to escape, and now he seeks out his old crew and Dante
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Him and another half-mer named Stel he met, who knows what he is and is very confused that he’s trying to hide it.
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tudirkulosis · 1 year ago
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so like... ryuunosuke stowing away on the ship w kazuma was obviously an allegory for being gay right? like i regret not getting screenshots to drive my point home but everyone on this app is gay too so idt i need them. the way they talked abt their secret and how they could get in so much trouble and all that shit abt doing things together and just the two of them and like... okay? i know what you are 🧐
not to mention the idea of running away with your best friend to a new huge metropolis to presumably live together and "start your new life" (i think kazuma even says smth like that at one point but i forget) is just so queer in so many ways. "lets move to this big ass diverse city in a foreign country to live as we please free of judgement... but lets be secret lest we be persecuted and cast suspicion on our mutual friend who knew our secret and supported us anyway" ...aight.
"oh and to protect our secret ryuunosuke u must stay in the literal fucking closet dw abt it :)" THE WARDROBE. THEY NARNIAED HIS ASS. BRO WAS FORCEFULLY OUTED FROM THE LITERAL CLOSET IDC.
+ no way kazuma actually made ryuunosuke sleep in that closet. like so far that just doesn't match his character. i KNOW those bitches were snuggled up. i KNOW ryuunosuke only told susato that so she wouldn't be suspicious 💀
even my nine year old sister who's been watching me play thinks they're dating.
((obligatory "i have only just started playing the game so the first two cases r all i have to work with here."))
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gaytravelinfo · 1 year ago
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The Lodge at Spruce Peak - Stowe, VT
7412 Mountain Road | Stowe, VT 05672 | 1-888-478-6938 The Lodge at Spruce Peak is an idyllic, luxury, four-season resort, located in the quintessential New England town of Stowe, VT. My colleague Catherine and I recently had the pleasure of experiencing a weekend at this 4-diamond resort. Our entire stay was flawless. From the sun showers that produced an awe-inspiring rainbow upon our…
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danaris112 · 1 month ago
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If your babygirl doesn't commit felonies, are they truly your babygirl?
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sludge-saturday · 26 days ago
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crossing the line we walk
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pairing: arthur morgan x charles smith (charthur)
summary: arthur morgan is a simple man with simple needs. he doesn't see himself fit for doing much else than the dirty work of others - and he likes it that way. though used to working alone, he will accept working with other gang members when dutch deems it fitting. this includes the help of the group's newest addition, charles, who has caught arthur's eye since the day he joined. but why? was this admiration? respect? ...attraction?
whatever it was, arthur is confident he can take care of it on his own. we'll see how long that lasts.
tags: nsfw, +18 (MDNI), flirting, yearning, secret hard-on, confessions, fervent kissing, heavy petting, frotting/dry humping, spit as lube, mutual handjob, mutual orgasm, cum eating, slight angst
warnings: brief mentioning of murder/robbery, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, arthur's typical self-hatred, bar fight ensues, brief mention of homophobia, internalized homophobia, possible ooc
word count: ~7k
a/n: hoooowheee this is a long one! first time writing for them AND my first time writing a fic this long, i hope you enjoy! i tried to make it seem more official and professional by actually using capitalization so if it seems out of place from my usual stuff that's why! i also know some parts could have been elaborated upon more and seem a little rushed but this thing is so long already i didn't want to be boring lol. i love my gay cowboys so much these two are so special to me, as always feedback is encouraged!! hope you enjoy love you <3
A “plan.” That’s what Dutch van der Linde always had. No elaboration, no questions asked. And he expected his disciples to follow along. So, for the past week, Arthur and Charles have been tirelessly working towards carrying out his orders as they were always sent to do. They performed stake-outs, planned hits, and executed their take-downs—whatever it took to adhere to their leader's will—all while staying hidden and keeping a low profile. Far away from the rest of the gang and from their home, they couldn’t screw this one up. And come the day of the big hit, they had everything scheduled to a tee. Where they needed to be, who they needed to meet, how it all had to happen was rehearsed and memorized by the two of them on the days leading up to it. The stakes couldn't have been higher, but they trusted each other. They knew each other's capabilities and were confident they would succeed.
With a few distractions, stealth kills (much to Charles’s disapproval), and a bit of thievery and shootouts here and there, Arthur and Charles would walk away from this mission with bruised bodies and bundles of cash. Dutch would be pleased, which is all that really mattered. He gets what he wants, and today was no exception. The ride back to their camp was quiet, a comfortable silence as they both decompressed after the dust had settled. Arthur rolls his shoulder and winces, a reminder of how close they were to defeat today. The sunset was nothing short of beautiful as it cast long shadows across their path, the hoofbeats of Boadicea and Taima being the only sound breaking the quiet. Arriving at their camp which was carefully tucked away beneath the thick boughs of forest, they made sure that they left no trace behind. The smell of pine and dirt clung to their noses as they packed up, saying goodbye to the small sense of safety this area had to offer. Charles turns to Arthur with a quirked corner of his mouth as he stows his belongings on Taima.
"Want to celebrate over a drink or two?" he pulls out a map from a satchel, studying their whereabouts. "The town nearby is sure to have a bar, only about ten minutes from here."
Arthur smiles softly. "You read my mind. C'mon, now. Let's get going so we can get the goods back to camp soon as we can." 
The two mount their horses as he finishes speaking, taking one last look at where they stayed to make sure nothing looks suspicious. Satisfied with their clean-up job, Arthur nods and the two of them take off. The shimmer of the fireflies around them become ambiguous specks in the evening dim as the men leave the forest edge. They traveled along the roadside packed dirt that crunched under the hooves of the horses, who occasionally would spook at the barking and howling of coyotes.
The repetitive nature of watching their surroundings passing by prompts Arthur to become lost in thought. The donations in the van der Linde gang’s collection box were slim to none, and time was running out to do something about it. Skipped dinners and under-equipped operations could only last so long before things took a turn for the worse. And he wondered just what Dutch was going to do about it. He always spoke highly about their future as a group, but Arthur—and the rest of the gang—still has yet to see those claims come to fruition. He would never, ever question Dutch or falter in his loyalty, though, so he lets this thought float away in the wind blowing past him. Instead, he watches Charles’s form as he steers Taima from right to left on this winding path they tread. With eyes glued to his broad shoulders, his thick black hair hanging freely, and his hips moving smoothly with the horse, Arthur's heart flutters the same way it did when the pair first met. 
But if Charles ever knew about his secret infatuation… it would be over for them. Images of his betrayed face and a future of nothing but distance between the two flashed through his mind. He knew he could never bring it up, so he needed to be careful. Careful about his lingering gaze in camp, careful about the confessions in his journal, and careful about the heaving sighs and quiet gasps coming from his tent when everyone else is asleep and Arthur can't stop thinking about him. He struggled to fight off a feeling of hopelessness that settled into his chest and tightened his grip on the reins. Could he really keep this a secret forever? 
Shaken from his thoughts, Arthur could see the small town come into view, alight with the glow of oil lamps and the bustle of nightlife. The moonlight casts white highlights on the picturesque scene of orange, yellow, brown, and black. They slowed their pace as they approached the town, scanning the buildings for any sign of a bar. Their eyes landed on one in the middle of town with "SALOON" painted in a giant white font across the front. Hitching their horses at the designated spot in front and feeding them in appreciation for their hard work, the two make their way to the front doors and swing them open.
The first second of entering the saloon is a blur of light and noise. The pianist in the corner’s lively tune struggles to compete with the dozens of overlapping conversations. Angry fists bang on tables as they face an unlucky round of poker and drunken bursts of laughter popcorn throughout the room, which was near-full. The air is thick with cigarette smoke and the yeasty tang of spilled beer. The floors creaked probably a little more than they were supposed to as Arthur’s gaze brushes past a few wanted posters. Luckily, no one he recognizes has their face plastered on the frayed yellow paper. He hears snippets of different conversations, some chatter about rival gangs here and rumors of undercover Pinkerton agents there. Walking up to the bar Arthur slaps two coins onto the counter, worn with dried rings of ale and knife gouges. Stories from past patrons. 
“Two mugs,” he says lowly. 
Charles shoots him a look and goes to replace one of the coins with one of his own when his hand is shooed away. "Easy. 's on me tonight."
Before Charles can respond, the barkeep has already taken the two coins and is beginning to pour them both a pint of beer. He slides the mugs towards the men and they grab their respective handles. Arthur raises his glass. 
"To a job well done. Ya did good work out there t'day." Arthur gestures with it, tilting the mug towards Charles slightly. 
Charles smiles and it's genuine. Warm and thankful. "You did too, Arthur."
The two smack their glasses on the bar before tilting their heads back and taking a large gulp. Arthur sucks his teeth and exhales on the swallow. "Strong stuff!" 
Charles hums in acknowledgement and chuckles. "The taste is good, though. Malty and dark."
Arthur watches Charles's eyes close as he savors the flavor and thinks that he has never looked more handsome than in this moment. His pulse quickens when he studies Charles’s face. The warm lamplight of the saloon casts beautiful shadows across his nose, cheeks, and lips. He looks content, relaxed. It’s a refreshing deviance from his usual weathered and stoic appearance. The two sip from their mugs again.
Scanning the crowd Arthur wonders how many of these people are regulars. “These folks, blowin’ their coin on drinks and cards… how d'ya think they do it?”
Charles sighs. “Out of desperation. They’re tryin’ to forget.”
“Forget about what?”
“That they’re not goin’ anywhere.”
Arthur pauses for a second. “Reckon you’re probably right.”
Charles has now joined Arthur in watching the sea of people. “See that woman at the poker table?” He covertly points in her direction. 
“Yeah.”
“She’s better than the whole lot of ‘em.”
“Really? Wasn’t payin’ attention.”
“You should have been. She’s sharper than most men.” 
“I’ll drink to that,” Arthur raises his glass once more. “Reckon the world would be a whole lot better if we quit underestimatin’ folks.”
Looking down at his now empty mug, Arthur palms another two coins to the barkeep as a silent request for a refill. He’s buzzing, sure, but he’s looking for just a little more. “Make two whiskeys,” he notifies the man behind the counter with the wave of his hand. Within seconds, two glasses are pushed their way and Arthur wastes no time in letting his curiosity get the best of him. But not before their fingers brush each other as they reach for their glasses. Arthur hesitates for a brief moment and, unbeknownst to him, Charles notices. They sip from their glasses quietly and refuse to acknowledge it.
Arthur tries to break the ice. “Y’know, you’re good at this—blendin’ in. Not everyone can do that without landin’ themselves in some kinda trouble.”
“You’re makin’ it sound like a compliment.”
“Maybe it is,” Arthur says quietly. He turns to face behind the bar and takes another swig. He notices that Charles smiles more when he’s drunk. It's a refreshing deviance from his usual weathered and stoic demeanor.
His thoughts are paused when the screeching of chair legs and abrupt shouting clamors behind the two. By the time they turned around, two of the men who were sitting at the poker table were now throwing punches at one another and spitting obscenities in each other’s faces. Within seconds, the saloon becomes a flurry of pandemonium. People either joined in on the fight, stood and watched, or hurried out the door. Tables crashed and chairs were thrown as Arthur and Charles exchanged a shared look that read: we need to get out of here. The only problem was that in order to get out of the trouble they needed to go through it. 
They decided their best bet would be to stay on the outskirts of the calamity. If they didn’t initiate they wouldn’t get involved, right? That was the assumption as they quickly walked along one of the saloon walls. Charles led the way and the procedure was going smoothly until one of the inebriated brawlers lunged towards him. Without thinking, Arthur moves to shield Charles from his assailant and pushes the man away with brute force. “Don’t even think about it, partner!” He growls. The man falls into a table that managed to stay upright, shouting at the two who are now jogging out of the completely upturned saloon. The doors fly open as Arthur and Charles mount their disgruntled horses as fast as they can. 
“Hyah!” Arthur urgently knicks Boadicea with his stirrups. He can’t help but think about what they would have done to Charles had they gotten their hands on him. His stomach coiled at the thought. The bluster from the saloon fades into the background as Charles follows Arthur to the nearby post office, which was a safe enough distance from the town. Adrenaline is still surging through Arthur’s body when he hops off his horse, still panting. Charles does the same. 
“You’re damn lucky that didn’t go worse. Try explainin’ that one to Dutch.”
One of Charles’s eyebrows raises in amusement. “You worried about me?”
Arthur mutters under his breath as he looks back in the town's direction. “Someone’s gotta keep you in one piece.”
He paws at his pockets in search of his cigarettes. He needed to distract himself and singe the hell out of these hidden feelings until they finally left him alone. Finally, his fingers settled on the box of cigarettes he kept inside his jacket and he pulled it out, selecting one from the bunch. 
"Want one?"
"No, thank you," Charles waves a hand toward Arthur and he nods in understanding. 
Reaching into the pocket where he usually keeps his matches, Arthur's hand comes up empty and he sighs. 
"Dammit..."
"What's wrong?" he hears from beside him.
Turning towards the other man with just a hint of bashfulness, Arthur's eyebrows raise when he sees that Charles’s hand is already holding a match. 
"Need a light?"
He exhales in relief. "I owe ya." 
Arthur goes to reach for the match but Charles moves his hand away, almost teasingly. 
"Let me." 
The smile playing on his lips is something Arthur can't make sense of. It seemed playful, frisky, maybe even seductive. Like he knew what he was doing. But surely it had to be the drink talking. Surely Arthur was reading way too far into things, like he always did. Surely there was no way Charles was trying to do what Arthur thinks he’s doing. 
He strikes the match against the bottom of his boot and the flame flickers to life. Stepping toward Arthur, Charles holds the open flame up to the cigarette hanging off of his lips. He cups the side of the flame to shield it from the wind and Arthur cannot take his eyes off of him. The flame in between their faces, their proximity to each other, the subtle display of dominance, it was almost too much for him to bear. He has never been this intimate with another man before, let alone with Charles . For a split second, he was frozen in place and all he could do was stare. Luckily Charles was looking at the end of the cigarette—making sure his aim was right—briefly oblivious of Arthur's awe-stricken face. That is, until Charles's eyes met his.
Arthur's heart was in his throat as he sucks in, aiding the lighting of the cigarette. 
“There you go.” Charles shakes out the match.
Taking the cigarette between his thumb and pointer finger and pulling it from his mouth, Arthur exhales the smoke with the slightest shake in his breath. He wipes his brow with the back of his hand and Charles chuckles.
“What’s the matter, Arthur? Can’t handle a little closeness?”
He shakes his head. "We better get a move-on. We'll ride 'til we can't then find a place to sleep for the night." 
Charles nods, already mounting his horse. "Let's go, then."
As they ride along the pathways leading them back to the rest of the gang at camp, Arthur cannot shake the image of Charles lighting his cigarette from his mind. His half lidded eyes, his drunken smile, strands of hair falling in his face… he looked so, so handsome. Not only that, but he looked like he was doing it intentionally . And Arthur had absolutely no idea what to do with that information. Was this a subtle hint at something more than what they currently had? No, no. It couldn’t be. He couldn’t get his hopes up like that.
Arthur knew how people felt about men like him. He’d seen the way they were treated and heard the words that were spat at them: weak, dirty, shameful. And who was he to disagree? For all he knew they were probably right. How could someone like him feel something like this? It’s not right—it's not safe. For either of them. But when Arthur looks at him, laughs with him, it’s as if he finally understands what makes his being here worthwhile. What being alive means. It’s unlike anything Arthur has ever felt before. But if Charles ever found out, Arthur would be risking the loss of the most important person in his life right now. He didn't want to have to hide this forever, but he was preparing for that reality. Remaining hopeful could be the death of him, but so would denial. So hopeful he would remain. Hopeful that Charles felt it too. Whatever it was.
It was easy for Arthur to get inside his own head while traveling on horseback. The sound of the hooves on the ground and the wind in his ears served as white noise, making it way too easy for him to zone out. And when they rode like this for hours on end with little conversation, the circumstances couldn't be more perfect to start ruminating. To start wallowing.
The hours came and went as the pair continued their trek until the moon was high in the sky, the only thing illuminating their path. It almost felt oppressive, urging Arthur to spill everything. The weather was comfortable, late July offering the occasional breeze amidst the humid air. It hung heavy, almost as much as the tension between them when Charles slowed his horse. 
“We should stop for the night. We’re close, but we need to stay sharp when we’re riding with all this loot."
Drowsiness settles into Arthur’s bones. He couldn't tell if the drink was starting to make him sleepy or if the day's events were finally catching up to him. Either way, Charles was right.
"Yeah," he mumbles, scanning a nearby wood. "Let's find somewhere to set up." 
He leads the way through the brush and the forest is alive with sounds of the night. Crickets chirped and leaves rustled, overlaid with the muffled clopping of their horses as they trod over the occasional patch of moss. Arthur thinks of Dutch again. Even when the two of them are this far away from the eyes that pry, he can’t get rid of the feeling that nowhere will ever be truly safe for people like him. Like the chances he and Charles have to be with one another grow slimmer and slimmer as Dutch’s plans grow riskier and riskier. He wonders if the freedoms that come with being in this gang are costing him his own. His thoughts tangled like the canopy above them.
"Good here?" he calls back to Charles.
Charles’s feet land to the ground with a gentle thud . “Perfect.”
The two of them hitch their horses and begin unloading their belongings: their bedrolls, their tents, and their earnings today which they kept hidden. The forest was dense here—its twisting branches and impenetrable lines of shrubbery making it the perfect location to occupy. Charles, ever the pragmatist, pulls out a knife and begins stripping a tree of some of its bark. While he does this Arthur looks for twigs and low-hanging branches to pull off. The jagged wood is no match for his calloused hands, hardened from years upon years of dirty work. Together the two of them build a cone-shaped construction of everything they’ve gathered and Charles takes out his set of matches. Arthur sharply inhaled a microscopic breath as everything about that moment at the post office comes back in an overwhelm of warmth. In his face, his neck, his chest, and, most unfortunately, his groin.
He panics. He cannot let Charles see this, can't let Charles know how much he is getting to him. The fabric around his crotch feels tighter and tighter as he sits down on his bedroll and takes off his hat. Maybe the change of position will act in his favor. Charles doesn't seem to notice as he lights the match with a spare piece of bark, striking it on the bottom of his boot just as he did before. If Arthur couldn't feel any more flustered, this is what pushed him over the edge. God, he was so enchanting. Charles doesn't seem to notice Arthur’s lingering gaze and with some maneuvering of the bark and a little bit of hope, the fire eventually becomes well lit.
“Should last through the night.” Charles takes a seat next to Arthur on his own bedroll and the two stare into the fire in silence. Arthur doesn't know what to say. He can't move, obviously, but Charles is the first to speak. 
"I've been thinking about what you said, Arthur. “About how you're proud of me 'n everything." O h god . Here it comes . He prepared for the worst. For Charles to question his sudden displays of affection, for him to see right through his façade, for him to understand Arthur for who he really was, disgusted and revolted. Charles turns toward Arthur, eyes cast down towards the ground. 
"I'm proud of you, too." He lifts his head and meets Arthur's gaze. 
As soon as he does Arthur looks away and involuntarily shakes his head, not conditioned to receive this kind of compliment. Or any compliment, for that matter. 
"You don't gotta say that, Charles. Ain't nothing’ I've done’s worth bein’ proud of."
"I disagree." 
Charles is leaning back on one of his hands, his whole body oriented to face Arthur. Now he has the man's attention. Arthur looks at him, unable to tear his eyes away from how tantalizing Charles looks in front of him right now. His normally buttoned-up-to-the-collar shirt is unbuttoned halfway, exposing just enough chest to get Arthur feeling even hotter under the collar. The moonlight reflects in his eyes and they shine brighter than anything this universe could offer. His face is sincere, with a twinge of admiration. 
"You've got a lot to be proud of, anyway."
Arthur sighs. How is he supposed to respond? All his life he has done nothing but steal, lie, cheat, and kill. And where has it gotten him? Sure, he had a place to sleep, food to eat, and a bit of money to spend, but at what cost? 
"I'm not a good man, Charles. There's plenty of things I wish I hadn't done."
"But you're not a bad one either." 
Charles scooches closer to him, closing even more distance between the two. Arthur stares at the fire, afraid that he won't be able to stop himself from confessing if Charles comes any closer.
"No one is perfect. No one is immune to making mistakes and realizing that it's okay to make them is part of being human. I know what you've done. I've seen what you're capable of." 
Arthur shrugs as if trying to shake off Charles's words. Getting this personal makes him more uncomfortable than he'd like to admit. It was like an involuntary aversion to expressing emotions. When it came to Charles, though, he craved it. He needed it like he needed air.
"But what you're capable of isn't all of who you are." Charles's voice is gentle, the soft crackle of the fire accentuating his speech. An owl hoots in the distance and Arthur can do nothing more than keep staring into the fire. 
"You take care of those you care about, even if you know it or not. You're loyal. Your wit is quick. You're as protective as they get and you're a hell of a shot." Charles lifts a hand in emphasis and Arthur turns to look at him. “You’ve got this grit, this air of determination that makes it hard not to watch you at work. With endurance as impressive as yours, it’s no wonder you’re this tough.” 
Arthur decided enough was enough. He needed to know Charles's intentions, if there were even any to begin with. 
"Why’re you telling me this?"
Charles sighs and, for the first time tonight, seems hesitant to speak. 
"Because..." 
Arthur waits with bated breath.
"Because you're different. I've met a lot of people in my life, good and bad, and I've never met one like you. At all. I don't feel that way about just anyone." Charles shakes his head. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you this. must be the drink talkin'." He turns his body back to face toward the fire and yawns. "I can’t stay awake for much longer anyway.." 
Charles moves to lay down on his bedroll and Arthur contemplates. It's now or never . This really could make or break them, but he just couldn't wait anymore. Months and months of this longing and no action meant he needed to grab the bull by the horns and accept whatever consequence may come of it. The knot in his stomach felt like dead weight as he prepared to speak.
"Charles-" his voice wavers.
He is attentive, ready to listen.. 
"I... thank you. I can't remember the last time someone talked to me like that. Feels different." Arthur gives him a half smile. 
"Don't worry 'bout it." Charles is the first to break the silence and leans on his palm, this time towards Arthur. 
"You mean a lot to me, Arthur. Whatever happens in the future, 'm never gonna forget you."
Arthur feels like he could cry. "Me neither." 
He says it quietly, scared that if he said it louder it could mean more than it already does. Heart in his throat, his gaze retreats back to the fireplace. 
"C'mere," Charles reaches out an arm to pull Arthur into an embrace. Arthur accepts the invitation and hugs back with a single arm, patting him on the back.
The pair stay like that for a second before pulling away, but Charles doesn’t release Arthur fully so that their heads are but inches from each other. They lock eyes and scan each other's faces for any hint of this being territory best left uncharted. Neither of them retreat. Arthur is frozen solid, sure that he already fell asleep and was dreaming at this point. He blinks in disbelief. Charles brings the hand that was on Arthur's back up to the side of his neck. His touch is gentle, unsure. His eyes flutter shut and he quickly leans in, pressing his lips against Arthur's.
Arthur's brain short-circuits. This wasn't happening. No, it couldn't be happening. What should he do? How should he react? He can't let Charles know how much he wanted this. How willing he was to accept this. Almost instinctively, he grabs a fistful of Charles's shirt and pushes him away before the kiss lasts too long. His eyes are wide and confused. Charles pulls back with a concerned expression, looking worried that he stepped too far.
"I'm sorry-"
Arthur is practically panting at this point. He feels wild and alive, unable to resist this temptation. but he still contemplates. What will come of this? Will this change the way they see each other for good? How are they going to keep this under wraps at camp, if things don't fall apart first? His thoughts are moving a mile a minute but he can't find it in himself to focus on anything except how Charles's lips felt against his. He needs another taste.
Arthur surges forward, overtaken by something stronger than he'll ever be. He pulls Charles towards him by the shirt his fist is still clenching and locks lips with him again. He was set on a mission of a new kind now. He needed this. He needed Charles . Arthur's other hand pulls him even closer by the waist, clutching the man like he was afraid he would wake up from this dream if he let go.
Charles does not hesitate to return Arthur's kiss and touch, one hand still resting on the side of his neck while the other grips his shoulder just as tightly. Their lips move together quickly and urgently as if every parting of them could have been the last. Taking initiative, Arthur moves on top of Charles and straddles him with his legs. Charles moves to lean back onto his elbows and the feverish kissing never ceases even with all of the movement. One of his legs is still propped up, though, and during the maneuver his knee brushes against Arthur's crotch.
It's at this point that Arthur does something that he is almost certain he has never done in front of another man before. Through parted lips, he moans into Charles's mouth. Sounding more adjacent to a groan mixed with a sigh, his knuckles tighten and he grinds onto Charles's thigh experimentally, just a little bit. Charles pulls away and grabs Arthur by the waist, pausing their interaction. Arthur feels another anxious pang in his stomach. Was he being too much? Was he taking things too fast? Is this not where Charles wanted this to go?
His nerves are soothed when he feels Charles lay down with one leg propped up and begins to move his hips for him up and down his thigh. "There you go, Arthur. 'S okay." He mumbles. Arthur's hair hangs in front of his face and he huffs in pleasure as he rubs his aching hard-on against Charles's leg. Any remnants of disbelief that this was what they both wanted have dissipated. This is real .
Arthur leans down to kiss Charles once more and he's so far gone that he doesn't give second thought to swiping his lips with the tip of his tongue. Now, it's the other man's turn to moan. It's low and rumbly, a grunt of pleasure. He brings his hands up to thread his fingers through the hair at Arthur's nape and he tugs slightly. Arthur moans, fully moans this time and shuts his eyes at the sensation. He rubs his cock against Charles's leg with more purpose now, desperate for something other than this fabric-covered friction. Hearing the other man’s noises was only fuel for the fire.
Charles takes note of this, sitting back up and lightly pushing Arthur back so that he's sitting on his ankles. He smooths a hand from Arthur's pectoral to his shoulder and rubs in that motion for a second while his eyes are directed elsewhere. Specifically, at Arthur's crotch. The print of his hardened cock stood out against his pants and Arthur swore he could have seen Charles's tongue wet his lower lip as he studied his lower half. The hand rubbing Arthur's chest moves down to the side of his waist and slides onto the top of his thigh to rub in circles again.
Arthur sighs and peers shyly at Charles, afraid to make another move. He never expected it to go this far, but he wasn't complaining. Just painfully hesitant. Charles looks back at him and flicks his eyes downward to Arthur's erection. 
"You're really somethin’, you know that?" a smile threatens to play on his lips. 
Arthur moves to close his legs. “Ah, I’m sorry Charles, I didn’t mean to-"
“Shh, let me help. It’s okay.” 
Butterflies swarm in Arthur’s stomach and a wave of heat pools into his cock. They really were about to do this. He slowly spreads his legs again. There was no backing down now. His breath shudders silently as he unclasps his belt buckle, unloops it, and unbuttons his pants. He reaches his hand beneath the fabric and palms himself, groaning at the feeling of his cock finally being touched. Charles hums in approval when Arthur unbuttons the bottom buttons of his union suit and finally frees his length. It springs up and presses against Arthur’s abdomen. 
“May I?” Charles asks, ever the gentleman. “...please?”
Arthur feels as though he could cum on the spot. Here before him was the man whose touch he has longed for for months on end, begging to put his hands on his cock. How could he refuse?
“Yes, yes. Please.” Arthur’s tone is teetering on one of pure desperation. He couldn’t wait any longer. 
Gingerly, gently, Charles takes Arthur’s cock into his calloused hand. He strokes it with his thumb to start and Arthur lets out a puff of breath he didn’t know he was holding. Charles moves his whole hand and pumps the shaft slowly. Arthur guessed that he wasn’t a fan of the friction, because he removed his hand not long after and spit into his palm, returning it to keep rubbing. He moves his confident grip down to the base of Arthur’s cock all the way up to the tip, thumbing the head in order to evenly spread the makeshift lubrication. 
Charles repeats this motion a few more times and Arthur is noisier than he thought he would be. Every movement of Charles’s hand, every time his fingers just grazed near his balls, every time he used his thumb to swipe the top of the head had Arthur squirming. His legs twitched and his abdomen was taut, knees occasionally folding and unfolding as he quietly moaned. 
“Charles, fuck- you’re really good at this. Haah- ah AH!” Arthur keened when Charles hit a particularly sensitive spot, the slit on his cock’s head, white pearls of precome beading at the tip. He was dangerously close to orgasming and didn’t want this to end so soonーnot when they were just getting started. He pries Charles’s hand away from his cock and moves to kiss him instead. Arthur leans into Charles and he is invited in, Charles spreading his legs for Arthur to come even closer. And when Arthur moves to his knees, cock bouncing freely, it’s his turn to accidentally brush his leg against Charles’s crotch. And the poor man is rock hard. 
Another swarm of butterflies flutter in Arthur’s stomach. Not only was Charles pleasuring him, but he was getting pleasure out of it too. He can’t help but smile and look down to the bulge in Charles’s pants.
“Looks like you need some help yourself there.” 
Charles’s face flusters and he looks at the ground for a second. “Maybe I do.” He peers up at Arthur through his lashes, subtly taking his bottom lip between his teeth. 
As if agreeing without words, both sets of hands fumble to undo the buttons and clasps on Charles pants. This time there is more tenacity in their motions, both eager to bring this moment to the next level. Within a few seconds Charles’s cock springs free from his pants and Arthur cannot believe what he is seeing. He lets out a low whistle as he eyes up and down the absolute monster that is the man’s cock. 
“Look at you…” he breathes. 
Arthur doesn’t want to waste anymore time on timidness. He spits into his hand just as Charles had done earlier and goes to grab the shaft. To say that he is amazed by Charles’s girth is an understatement when he feels the sheer weight of his erection. And it’s so long . 
“Ohmy- Arthur!” Charles is breathing heavily now and throws his head back as he moans. 
Arthur’s cock is leaking from the sound and state of Charles right now. Disheveled and drunk with pleasure, his chest heaving and his mouth hung open, Arthur wonders what else he could do to draw out a reaction like this. He never knew that Charles had this side to him, kept well-hidden underneath an inclination for silence and isolation ever since he met him. He never would have thought in a million years that he and Charles would be where they are right now. Whatever higher power is out there that allowed them to come together like this, Arthur thanks it silently. 
As aroused and excited as Arthur is, he is still just as nervous. He’s never held a cock in his hands that wasn’t his own. He gives a slow hesitant stroke from the base to just underneath the head, just like how he would do in his tent when he was sure there was no one left awake. Charles hisses through his teeth and Arthur shoots him a worried glance, his grip on his cock easing. Does he not like it? Does it hurt? Is he doing it wrong? Anxiously, he waits for Charles to say something.
“Please-” he breathes. “You’re teasing… just- just go a little faster. You won’t hurt me.” He makes intense eye contact with Arthur, eyebrows upturned as he pleads. 
Arthur leans in to kiss Charles and it’s reassuring for the both of them. A means to continue. With a more sure grip this time, Arthur strokes up and down Charles’s cock with a slightly quicker pace. Not too fast, but not too slow either. He knows it’s just the right pace with the reactions he’s pulling out of Charles, too. He bucks his hips, runs his hand through his hair and tries to cover his mouth with the back of it. Almost as if he wants to hide his face. And Arthur can’t let that slide. 
“Lemme see ya. Ain’t nothin’ to be hidin’ yourself for.” He pulls Charles’s hand away. 
Unbridled and unable to control himself following Arthur’s sweet words, Charles takes the hand that was covering his face and wraps it around the back of Arthur’s neck as his cock continues to be stroked. Arthur’s hand moves up and down, back and forth, and Charles squirms while trying not to touch himself too. Instead, he decides to release this energy by reaching for Arthur’s cock, which was red and drooling. Arthur doesn’t expect this at all, he was so focused on pleasuring Charles that he almost whimpers when he feels the contact. 
He laughs quietly at Arthur’s reaction. “‘M sorry, just couldn’t help myself.” 
Sound of slick skin and hushed moans harmonized with the night ambience surrounding them. Their lips were wet with spit as they kissed unabashedly now with open mouths. Arthur’s free hand paws at Charles’s chest, slipping beneath his shirt and squeezing his pectoral. Charles’s grip on Arthur’s waist is firm and shows no sign of loosening as his shirt hangs off of his left shoulder from Arthur’s incessant palming. His eyes squeeze shut. He’s close. 
“That feel good, big guy?” Charles smooths back some of the hair that fell into Arthur’s face. 
He whines in response and moves his hand to clasp behind Charles’s head, pulling their faces together until their foreheads touch. The way Charles was touching him had him dizzy and aching for release. And he could tell the feeling was mutual. Their strokes were faster now, both ready to push each other over the edge as they looked straight into each other’s eyes. The deep brown of Charles's irises as they reflected the moonlight was alluring, pulling Arthur further under his spell. 
“Charles, I-...’M gonna…”
“It’s okay,” he huffs. “Me too.”
With upturned eyebrows and mouths hanging open, the two reached their climax. Arthur threw his head back and looked down with Charles at the sight of their hands on each other’s cocks, spurting silky white ropes.
“Holy shit, Charles- ah AH! Fuck!” Arthur is groaning with each rise and fall of his chest.
Charles chokes out a moan, quieter than Arthur when he comes.
Their cocks twitch as the come lands on their stomachs and rolls down their hands. Milking each other for every last drop, their fingers are coated with a hot sheen of each other’s seed. Charles moves in to kiss Arthur as they come down from their high. They’re gentler now, as if to say: it’s alright, I’m here . He pets Arthur’s head and pushes back his hair to plant a kiss on his forehead. 
Arthur’s head is spinning, still in disbelief of what happened. Charles lifts his hand to lick the cum off his fingers and Arthur swears if he didn’t just orgasm he would have gotten hard all over again. He figures he should do the same, wanting to prove something he wasn’t sure of to Charles. His tongue makes contact with his sticky hand and it slides from the base of his fingers to their tips, and across the back of his hand. He makes a point to keep eye contact with Charles as he does this and he swears he can see Charles smirk. The taste is bitter but he doesn’t recoil, savoring the feeling of him—the very essence of him—in his mouth. He swallows every last drop and secretly wishes there were more. Maybe there would be, in due time. 
Charles’s voice breaks through his wishful thinking, wiping his hand on his pants. “We’ll change into fresh clothes in the morning.”
A yawn moves through Arthur’s chest and throat, his jaw dropping and his eyes drooping. He hasn’t come that hard in a while, if ever and it left him exhausted. But he couldn’t ignore this rising feeling in his chest, the kind of feeling he would get when Dutch was disappointed in him. Like he had done something wrong. The reality of what they had done set in quickly for Arthur and he scowls at the ground. All his life he’s been taught that encounters like this were reserved for between men and women. Any deviation from that and you were defective, in need of fixing. He felt broken . 
“Hey, you alright?” Charles reaches toward Arthur but his hand is pushed away. 
“Don’t you realize what we’ve done?” Arthur frowns. “We can’t tell anyone what happened here.”
Charles looks at him for a moment, taken aback by the sudden shift in mood. “And what exactly did we do, Arthur?”
“You know, Charles. You know damn well.” 
“No… tell me. What are you so afraid of?”
Arthur’s eyes welled up with tears, the lump in his throat threatening to spill them.
“I can’t stop thinkin’ ‘bout you.”
Silence.
“I can’t stop feelin’ like this and it's drivin’ me mad.”
“Arthur-”
“I can’t lose you, Charles.” A single tear falls down his cheek.
He tries reaching for Arthur again, slower this time as not to spook him.
“I’m not goin’ anywhere. I promise.” 
Arthur lets him in this time. He lets Charles hold him in his arms as he weeps and he lays them down on their bed rolls, sheltered by their shared tent and warmed by the fire beside them.
“Don’t know if I can keep goin’ like this,” he sniffles. 
“But now you know that you don’t have to do it alone.”
The two of them are facing each other as they lay, surrounded by the sounds of the night. It was comforting, tranquil and quiet. The fire crackled and popped and fabric rustled as Charles rubs Arthur’s arm, hand coming up to rest on his cheek. He thumbs his tears away and kisses it softly. “Lately I’ve been thinkin’ about what matters to me.”
Physically and emotionally exhausted, all Arthur can do is listen.
“It used to be family. Then it was survival. But now I’m certain of it, and it ain’t Dutch or the money or the goddamn plan.”
Arthur’s eyes threaten to close. 
“It’s you.”
The stars shone brightly above them as Arthur fell asleep in Charles’s embrace. He sifts through the speckling of white on the night sky to find the brightest one and he pulls Arthur closer, fingers threading through his hair. He isn’t one for making wishes, but as he stares he hopes that this is only beginning for them. The thin line they walked had now been crossed, and they were going to weather whatever storm may come—together. 
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talesfrommedinastation · 1 year ago
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My redneck neighbor Doug's interpretations on various 'Bad Batch' characters: Side Character Edition!
I'm chuffed that everyone thinks my neighbor Doug is funny: he really is a gem. I had no idea we'd bond over Star Wars and crappy weather, but here we are.
Naturally, I had to bother him about other characters that showed up on The Bad Batch, so, here we go!
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Phee Genoa: Ah-ha, that there’s Church Lady. You know her, she’s got a big square in her pocketbook and you don’t know if it’s pound cake or a brick, because the Lord saves but He can’t help you in the alley when you’re in Treme and the streetlights just turned on. She has two ex-husbands who are both preachers and they turned to Jesus because they are so scared of Church Lady in court. 
(So I guess he’s saying Phee has raw WHO DAT energy, for my Saints fans out there)
Cid: Looking at this fat lizard bitch makes me hungry. I call that one Houma-BBQ because I’m guessing we could feed a whole parish fire station based on the size of her tail. I wish she’d shut up, she reminds me of my mother-in-law. 
Cad Bane: Homeboy looks like a Sesame Street character who teaches Big Bird about concealed carry laws. I call him Gun Safety Muppet. I don’t like him because he shot my Wife and I’s Boyfriend on the other show and his robot needs to be tossed into a wood chipper. 
(“I’m not gay, but Jenny and I…well, we would make an exception to that man. You ever see ‘Deadwood’? Man is fine. I’m not GAY.”)
Fennec Shand: That’s The Chick that’s in Everything. She was on ER and Boba Fett and I think a Marvel show too? I like her. Hope she kills Gun Safety Muppet and hurls his blue ass into a dumpster. 
Howzer: That’s my niece’s boyfriend, Jorge. We all love Jorge, nice guy, owns an auto repair shop and always remembers plates and napkins for the cookouts after church.
Gregor: Jorge’s cousin, Manny. Met him once at Christmas in Miami, nice guy, only drinks brown liquor and insists everyone arm wrestle him. But he’s got a good job as a PE teacher, we respect education, come on now. 
The Martez Sisters: Aw, man, it’s Jorge’s Unemployed Sisters. I hate it when they show up for Christmas and get into fights with my momma. 
(“Doug, you know they’re not related to the clones at all, right?” “Says who?” “The PLOT?” “Eh, they’ll change it, just watch.”)
Mayday: Aw, I liked this guy so much! That’s Sassy Park Ranger, he’s the type that gives you your camping permits, warns you about the bears, and then is all disappointed when you don’t properly stow your food and the bears destroy the campsite. I need to go back to Little River Canyon, that place was pretty. 
Lt. Nolan: THAT STUPID BLOND JACKASS. (Doug was so enraged by the guy he had nothing else to add. Damn.)
Senator Chuchi: Why does this lady make me want a blue slushie? I’ll call her the Sonic Special. They need more Sonics here in the north, they really do. 
Cody: That’s Obi-Wan’s Boyfriend, he’s sad all the time. We know why. (Confirmed that Doug is a Codywan shipper and I don’t know what to do about that)
Royce Hemlock: Is that Jimmy Neutron after he grew up and became one of those guys that’s on the internet all the time writing creepy things? It’s Jimmy-the-Scientist. He looks like the type of person dogs get weird around.
Rex: That's Rex. He's a king. Respect him.
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matcha-milkies · 2 months ago
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OCTOBER 14, 1977
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Summary: Gravity Falls is a backwards town in more ways than one.
Alternatively: A twenty-something Ford has to listen to the ramblings of two homophobic diner patrons and it is not improving his already questionable emotional wellbeing.
Content Warnings: Homophobia
Tags: Young Ford Pines, Gay Ford Pines, Pre-Portal Incident, Greasy’s Diner, 1970s, Gay Rights, Anger, Loneliness, Estrangement, Ford Pines Has Issues, Ford Pines Needs A Hug, Emotional Constipation
Word Count: 1,013
Link to AO3: Here
A/N: Gay pride is over. Time for gay wrath
Ford is bent over a newspaper at a booth at Greasy’s Diner, hand in his hair, pretending to be focused on the crossword. He taps his pen against the table. If he were actually paying attention he would be done with this “puzzle” in the time it takes to write the answers, but his mind is elsewhere. He picks up his coffee and sips at it tepidly, while the two truckers at the counter rattle off complaints about the state of the country around stacks of pancakes and smiley-face eggs and bacon. Every so often, words like “unbelievable” and “indecent” waft across the space. None of these are the words he needs.
5 across, four letters, unflattering rumors.
Mother. Jobs. School. Children.
5 across, four letters, unflattering rumors.
Right. Wrong. Trees. Fruits.
5 across, four letters, un…
Ford sees the waitress coming his way and flags her down. “Excuse me. Could I get…” A thought occurs to him that almost makes his mouth pull back in a guffaw. He taps his pen a little faster, reconsidering. “…do you have any banana cream pie?”
She doesn’t read the news. She takes the request at face value. “Sure thing! I’ll have it right out.” Hefting a stack of empty plates from another table, she saunters around the counter. Ford watches her leave without really watching her, head perched glumly in his hand. His mouth pulls taut again, and this time it’s in a thin, fleeting frown. The truck drivers are washing their breakfast down with a couple of glasses of orange juice. Ford fixates on the color, his mind beginning to wander as their conversation finally, finally fades to blissful background noise. He sips his coffee.
5 across…
He remembers when his father used to sit him down and explain certain universal truths about the nature of humanity. To watch out for people who would try to tell him lies. Ford had believed so wholeheartedly back then. And how easy it had been, how good it had felt, to be on the right side. The good side.
Maybe he should call his mother. Maybe there are things that she should know. Maybe if he explained them to her, and she explained them to Dad… 
He closes the newspaper. On the front page is a picture that’s supposed to be indecent. Stanley would probably find it funny. Wouldn’t he? Ford thinks about writing in the margins with a Sharpie and looking up Stanley’s address and mailing the paper to him. “Look at this. Look what happened. Isn’t this just hysterical?” That was absurd, they hadn’t spoken in years, why would he send this to Stanley?
The corner of the newspaper is pinched between his fingers and he realizes they’re trembling. Too much coffee. He stows his hands in his lap and waits for his banana cream pie. Unfortunately, somehow, this brings the truckers’ conversation back into full focus, and God, they just will not shut up. Ford has a very active imagination. In his mind’s eye he shoots out of his chair and waves the newspaper around in a half-crazed tirade and starts shouting them down with logic and common sense. He does what he knows he will also do in the shower next week and gets into a full-blown argument with himself, acting out some imaginary scene where he plays all the parts. He tenses in his seat and his fingers curl against his thighs and—
A plate clatters onto the table next to his coffee.
“One slice of banana cream pie!” the waitress chirps. “Can I get anything else for ya?”
“Uh,” Ford says, blinking. “No. Um. No. Thank you.”
“Alright then, enjoy!” She smiles and walks away again. He picks up his fork and just stares at the thing, like he’s going to somehow consume it with his eyeballs. That’s an odd mental image.
It’s a very tasty-looking pie. The white cream on top looks light as a cloud, the crust is golden and crumbly. He can’t remember the last time he treated himself to something like this. Of course, one cannot have the thing and eat it too. He frowns, side-eying the truckers not for the first time. They’re laughing and nudging each other, maybe at someone else’s expense.
He gets up from the cushioned seat, plate in hand. He realizes his hand is still shaking. Too much coffee. Is he really about to do this? His feet move without his permission, one after the other, oh my god I’m actually doing this. He slips into the seat right next to the truckers, an odd smile on his lips. He leans over like one of them is about to tell a joke and he wants to hear it. The two of them stutter and eye him with mostly confusion. The plate lifts in Ford’s hand, heavy at first and then suddenly weightless as momentum builds. He pushes it into the nearest truck driver’s face, and it smears white chunks all over from his dark eyebrows down to his beard.
“Hey!” shouts the other one, shooting up from his seat and knocking the stool over in the process. Ford somehow can’t bring himself to care. He’s doubled over laughing, and he can’t stop, clutching his sides, giving himself stitches, practically suffocating. The first trucker, the one who got hit, is in shock, picking sugary bits of pie out of his beard, more confusion than confection smeared across his face.
Ford wakes from the daydream. He’s still seated at his booth, his pie still sitting neatly in front of him. The truckers are still blabbing on, although they’ve moved on from talk of the press conference. Maybe they did a long time ago. The moment passes. He doesn’t want to get banned from the diner is all.
Still, Stanley would have done it.
What an absurd thought to have. Stanley would never be here.
Ford stabs his fork into his pie and eats it, and to be fair, he does enjoy it very much, although maybe he would’ve enjoyed having it a little more.
A/N: I wrote this to work out some frustration I’ve been feeling lately with gay acceptance, which is better than it used to be but I still encounter people online comparing it to alcoholism which almost makes ME want to dive headfirst into alcoholism so
It was either this or smash mailboxes with a baseball bat
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oathkeeper-of-tarth · 3 months ago
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Pictures taken seconds before disaster.
You might have received alerts about this mod updating a bunch over the past few days, after me saying I was done with it, in true aylin_origin_final_final(2)final.pak spirit. Well, now I am done with it, unless someone finds some glaring issues.
You might also notice the little icon pop up that says the mod uses Osiris scripting - that's because I now run a little start-of-game script to handle Aylin's tags and some general setup, so she gets tagged as an aasimar in dialogues no matter what race you pick to play as stat-wise, and also to remove the "Baldurian" tag from her, because it just didn't make sense for her to have it. She also, like all origins, now has her own unique "Aylin"/"Really Aylin" tag. This doesn't do much. For now.
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Note, since I've seen some confusion about this: there is no new dialogue or reactivity added to the game with this mod. It's all stuff that was already there. Aasimar are simply considered to fall under the "rare races" tag group, which means you'll get a bunch of these "oh, we don't see your kind around here much!" reactions and responses. You'd get the same ones if you were, say, a dragonborn or githyanki. I also don't have the power to change the game's fundamental storyline - this is mostly a cosmetic mod. I say this primarily because of the lovely person who commented to ask me what would happen when they arrived in Act 2 and if playing as Aylin meant the "real one" wasn't imprisoned anymore, which genuinely made my day but also made me vaguely sad.
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Alas, no, it will all happen as it always has, no matter my personal willingness to fistfight Balthazar and Ketheric in a parking lot for that face up there. You'll just have two Aylins on screen during some segments which, yeah, is kind of immersion-breaking, but is also honestly a win in my books.
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Also redone: her starting equipment! Again, since other origin characters have their own personalised sets, I thought it fitting to have Aylin start with the Vengeance Paladin equipment, except the warhammer is replaced with a greatsword. She also gets a bag with her iconic armour safely stowed away (primarily so that the helmet doesn't interfere with customising her hair in the character creator). It's got the stats of basic plate and no special abilities - it's mostly there for cosmetic purposes.
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I also thought she should have a little souvenir.
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Wings Unlocked over on mod.io is a nice and simple and noninvasive way I've found to have wings you can turn on and off, aasimar style. This is accomplished by making them an item and equipping them in the underwear slot. You know, truly putting the ass in aasimar.
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As a final little starting inventory tidbit, I decided there wasn't enough gay yearning in the game, so I made sure to sprinkle some more in there - while also figuring out the letters/books system. This is something that's probably way too wordy to actually be an in-game text, but I saw a chance to have a bit of fun and I took it.
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Full text under the cut.
[Worn Letter]
[A carefully creased and pressed bit of fine stationery, yellowed with age. It appears to have survived much, with parts of it stained and worn beyond legibility despite its owner's clear efforts to preserve it.]
My dearest angel, The days and nights without you at my side have been long, though I try to fill them as best as I can. While I shudder to think what dangers you wade through and what sinister plots you leave crushed in your wake, the thought of you taking the time to write in the midst of it all fills me with warmth beyond compare. We are all as well as can be. Father is as he always is, and I admit to an increasing desire to inform him of our plans to leave for our pilgrimage. But I'm getting ahead of myself; those are words best spoken in person. You asked for tidings - I cannot hope to match your poetic turn of phrase, but I'll relay what sleepy little Reithwin has been up to in your absence. There was an accident with a snapped pulley while some of old master Morfred's men were lifting marble blocks for carving. Miraculously, though I was called to assist at the House of Healing immediately, there were no injuries save for scuffs and bruises. The masons are back on their feet, fretting over ruined scaffolding and delayed statuary work. I took the liberty of trying to reassure them that the Moonmaiden won't mind too badly. In more pleasant news, we found a loving home for the last pup from Squire's litter, so both of you can rest easy at last. She and the potter's children took a shine to each other so quickly, it was a true joy to behold. I'd wager you'll spot them frolicking around when you fly over the riverside fields on your way back. I picture the looks on your beloved, handsome face as I regale you - always so wonderfully expressive! - as we sit huddled together before my fireplace at day's end. Selûne willing, I will have you back in my arms soon. I gaze up at her every night as I await your return, knowing you must be looking upon her yourself, and I pray she keeps you safe in her light. Though your duties to Our Lady send you questing far and wide, I know, as surely as the tides turn and the moon cycles through her path in the sky, she will always guide you back to me, and me to you. Until then, I do the one thing I can, and pour onto this paper whatever feeling these poor words can hold. I love you. I lov--
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octuscle · 2 years ago
Note
Dear Chronivac Support
Is chronivac active or shut down? I'm a wealthy guy looking for some fun and adventure. There is a hot Latin poolboy in our neighborhood inspiring me to enjoy holidays as a latino. I searched the internet and found eric gustavo Oliveira as hot guy. A spring break as a latino like him would be great. I hope I can swap back later?
I recommend Chronivac Travel for this. I have a very cool offer for Cartagena. If you allow, I will put everything together for you. You don't even have to pack. You get your luggage with your boarding pass at the American counter in JFK.
The flight departs at 06:50. So, according to your habit, you will be at the airport at 05:50. But sorry, you fly low cost in economy. Fortunately for you, we have already checked you in and checked your luggage. Here are your boarding pass and your backpack. You can give me your Louis Vuitton laptop bag, you won't need it for the next two weeks.
The queue at the security check is annoying. You are used to the fast lane. But I want you to have the ultimate Latino experience. Of course, your backpack will be patted down. Grinning, the officer flips through the Spanish gay magazines. He asks you something in Spanish. You begin to regret the whole action.
Before boarding, you have just enough time to get a beer and a sandwich for the first leg to Miami. You look for your wallet. Actually, it should be in the inside pocket of your jacket. But you realize you're not wearing a jacket anymore. Shit, did you forget it at the security checkpoint? But why do you have the hip bag hanging in front of your chest? You look, there is a cheap nylon purse. With a cannabis leaf in front of the Colombian flag on it. And inside, next to your Colombian ID and driver's license, a few old dollar bills. And a credit card. Apparently your name is now Diego Gonzales. When you ask the flight attendant at boarding if you could get an upgrade, you can hardly remember the English words. The flight attendant does not understand your request, but smiles friendly and tells you in broken Spanish your row and your seat.
Fuck, the lad next to you is a real beauty. You find it hard not to look at him all the time. At some point he asks you in English, smiling, when you are already on approach, if Miami is your destination. You shake your head, show your chest and answer "I Cartagena home". He answers you "You follow me". You understood that. And you do that in Miami in the airport. With a little distance. But the splendid ass always in view. The man disappears in a toilet. You follow. The door to a stall is a little bit open. You open the door and behind it the stallion is already waiting with his pants down. You understand the command. You kneel on the dirty floor and blow the fellow. He moans a little too loud for this place. Someone rants something about gay perverts. Your seat neighbor blows his load in your face. But even that is not new for you. You lick the hard-on skillfully clean, suck off the last drop and stow the cock in his pants. Without giving you a glance, the fellow throws you a few dollar bills. And quickly leaves the toilet. Almost 50 dollars. Not bad. You would have done the blow job for free. But now you should hurry to get to your connecting flight.
On the flight to Cartagena, you'll finally get your upgrade. Crossing business class on the way to your seat, you make eye contact with a gentleman in row 2 for a little too long. And no sooner have you stowed your carry-on luggage than a flight attendant stands next to you and tells you with a wink that your uncle in row 2 invites you to spend the flight next to him. As soon as you reach cruising altitude, your newfound uncle invites you to become a member of the Mile High Club. He raises the privacy screen, activates the "do not disturb" sign. And unbuttons his pants. An upgrade to business class. And $600 in freshly printed bills. Your stock is soaring.
Home at last! Three weeks of vacation in your homeland, until you have to go back to the gringos. Where vacation means you'll be working at the Bomba Beach Club. In the service. And maybe there will be some extra income. Usually the three weeks are enough to pay your rent for half a year in New Jersey. Whereby it certainly won't be long before your mother will ask again if you wouldn't like to find yourself a nice young Colombian and be happy here.
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You are already smiling at the thought. Your parents have picked you up from the airport, you have freshened up and are already wearing your work clothes. Your vacation begins with the evening shift. That is good. Then the tips are more generous. It's going to be a great three weeks! Thank you for traveling with Chronivac.
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