#got a coursework piece due tonight

[formari]

i’m falling down the nico/jason rabbit hole

somebody save me MY MOTHER RAISED ME BETTER THAN THIS

[blu-joons]

You’re A Stressed Medical Student ~ BTS Reaction

Jin:

He knew the signs like the back of his hand to when you’d had a bad day. As you laid out on the sofa, moments after coming through the front door, Jin was far from oblivious as to how your day had gone and how tired you were.

“You need to look after yourself,” he sighed, taking a seat beside the sofa, pressing his hand against your forehead. “You’re no good training to diagnose people when you can’t even diagnose yourself properly.”

“I’m fine,” you protested, but his head firmly shook back at you, brushing the hair out of your face. “It’s just been a bit of a long day; I don’t need to diagnose myself with anything. I’m tired, that’s all there is to this.”

His head shook, refusing to let it drop so quickly, “if you’re not going to diagnose yourself, then I will. I diagnose you as a stressed out somebody who needs to start taking more rests and listening to their body a little more.”

“It’s nothing that a good night’s sleep won’t fix for me.”

He leaned forwards, pressing a kiss against the side of your face, “you’ve been like this for weeks, it’s not just tonight. Please, get some sleep, and then when you wake up, I’m going to start your recovery and destressing you properly.”

“You really are adorable sometimes Jin, thank you.”

Yoongi:

The end of term was always a stressful period for you, which Yoongi had come to learn all too well. As he watched you flick through yet another book to try and find the piece of information you were looking for, a sigh soon followed.

“How long have you got until this one is due?” He asked you, walking across the room to hover over your desk. “I’ve not seen you do anything else today but stick with your head inside of a book, you’re going to go crazy.”

“The exam is in two days,” you pointed out to him, “which means I have no choice but to constantly read. There’s so many terms that I still have to try and remember, they could ask me anything, and what if I don’t know the answer?”

A gentle sigh came from Yoongi this time around, resting his hands against your shoulders, “it’s impossible that you won’t know the answer. You’re just doubting yourself; you always get like this before any exams.”

“There’s just so much importance placed on the medicine exam.”

His head nodded, having listened to you vent about the pressures of this exam specifically many times before. “I know, but that doesn’t stop me being confident that you’ll smash it, and in two days, you won’t have to worry.”

“I think I need some of your confidence and I’ll be alright.”

Hoseok:

Seeing you in the same position that you were when he left for the studio that morning broke Hobi’s heart. The pile of books you had had grown, as had the stressed expression that was etched across your face.

“Have you moved?” He frowned, quickly muttering an apology when he noticed you jump at the sudden sound of his voice. “Y/N, I get that you want to work hard, but at what cost are you working yourself to the ground?”

“If you’re going to come over here and try and convince me to take a break, then save your breath,” you sighed, not even tearing your eyes away from the case study book that you were reading through to acknowledge Hobi.”

That didn’t stop him walking across to you, “I’m not going to try and convince you to take a break,” he spoke up, instantly filling you with relief. “I’m not going to give you any other choice but to take a break right now and look at something else.”

“You can’t force me; this is a really important chapter to read.”

His hands wrapped around your waist, “it can wait,” he mumbled, scooping you up and throwing you over his shoulder, ignoring your screams to put you down until he reached the kitchen. “There, now you can take a break.”

“I hate you for doing this, you’ll regret making me move.”

Namjoon:

As Namjoon shook his head yet again as you failed to give the right answer to the question that he gave you, you were ready to throw in the towel. Your test was tomorrow, a big one, and nothing seemed to fall into place.

“Don’t beat yourself up,” he warned as you slammed your hand down on your desk in frustration, “I’m sure that you know all of this stuff. Your brain is just trying to put you off because you’re so close to the test now.”

“My brain knows nothing,” you vented, resting your forehead down against the table, “this medical exam is huge, it’s a massive part of my grade. If I fail it, then I might as well kiss goodbye to any plans of a career in the profession.”

He moved himself across, draping his arm across the length of your back, “you’re not going to fail it,” he assured you, squeezing your frame gently. “You’ll walk into that exam hall and ace it tomorrow; I’ve got every faith in you.”

“How can you possibly be so confident that will happen?”

Your head turned up to look across at him. “Because I know you,” he simply stated, “I’ve watched you work your butt off for years to get here, and I know there’s no way that you’re going to end up giving up now.”

“I guess we’ll just have to see how tomorrow goes.”

Jimin:

The several papers that were before you only confused Jimin more. He watched on in admiration at how hard you worked yourself, despite many of the terms and references making absolutely no sense to him.

“Such a brainiac,” you heard him mutter under his breath as he flicked through one of the books you’d picked up. His comment was harmless, but in your tired and stressed state, it was taken in the complete opposite.

“I would give up being such a brainiac if it meant being able to live a much less stressful life like you,” you responded before you had time to think. Jimin’s brows knitted together, surprised by your sudden outburst.

His shock, however, didn’t stop him from understanding that your words came from an exhausted place. “I know it’s hard,” he whispered, standing beside you, “but this will all be worth it when you graduate.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to be so abrupt.”

His lips pressed against your cheek, “I guess I can let you off considering how snowed under you are. Just remember that I’m here to support you though, I’m not here to make you feel worse or add to your stress, I hope you know that.”

“Of course, I do, I couldn’t do this without you Chim.”

Taehyung:

You were convinced when you walked through the door that you’d find Taehyung tucked up in bed, however, you were wrong. After yet another late night in the library, he was still wide awake, waiting for you to arrive.

“I never thought you’d come home,” he joked as he spotted you walk into the living room. “You really shouldn’t be working so late; it’s not going to do you any favours working until the early hours of the morning.”

“I got what I needed to do done though,” you frowned, taking a seat beside him. “It just feels like there’s one thing after the other right now, especially with placement. How do they ever expect us to get anything done?”

He sighed softly, resting his hand against your lap, “you’re making me proud, but you have to make sure you take breaks. I know there’s a lot of pressure on your shoulders, but rests are just as important as the work you’re doing.”

“If I took breaks, I’d end up sleeping at the library Tae.”

His head shook instantly, “I would personally make sure that that didn’t happen. It’s tough right now, but it’s going to be worth it. Now, shall we get you to bed, you at least need some sleep before you start again tomorrow.”

“That’s the best suggestion you’ve made this week.”

Jungkook:

The moment the door slammed shut as you walked in, it was a warning sign to Jungkook as to what was to come. The way you curled into his side as soon as you spotted him was the only other hint he needed to understand.

“That bad?” He questioned, running his arm up and down the length of your back, feeling your hands grip tightly around his frame. “Let’s just try and forget about school for a little while, how does that sound to you?”

“I’ve got to finish off what I didn’t get done today,” you argued, trying to walk away from Jungkook, but he continued to hold you tightly. “My coursework needs completing from the shift that I put in at the hospital.”

His hand cupped the side of your face, bringing your eyes up to meet his. “That can wait, but it’s going to get you a massive failure if you start writing in your current state. Give yourself some time to catch your breath, and spend some time with me?”

“Do you really think that I’m going to fail my coursework?”

His head shook with a gentle chuckle, “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that you’re not going to be able to write it to your full capabilities when you’re as tired as you are. You want to get the best grades possible, don’t you?”

“Of course. I guess you make a lot of sense after all.”

---

Masterlist

[a-singleboat]

LA Girl

Word Count: 3.5k

Request: Since requests are open, can I ask for one where Shayne Topp has secretly been dating an Alt girl (piercings, coloured hair, tattoos ect) for months and she has anxiety and is nervous about meeting the squad as she feels like they’re gonna judge her for being so different to him so Shayne introduces her to Damien first alone and Damien automatically likes her and they click really well so she tells him she’s ready to go public and meet the rest of the squad and they all accept her?❤️ - Anon

A/N: I hope you guys like this! It took me a while to conceptualize it at first but then the rest came pretty naturally :D

Warning(s): Mentions of oral sex (male receiving), swearing, mentions of sex, self deprecating thoughts

You never really liked living in Los Angeles. Most days it was too bright and there were too many people, too many tourists. Yeah, you hated living here. That is, of course, until you met Shayne. 

At first, it appeared that you and Shayne were as different as night and day. Literally. He was the perfect LA Boy, with his blonde hair and his trim physique, always looking like the sun while you… you liked your dark colors and vibrant hairstyles, not to mention your multitudes of piercings and tattoos. In the mornings that you did spend together, Shayne liked to trace them with the tips of his fingers before the day started. 

These past few months with Shayne have been euphoric, for lack of better words. It seemed you were forever stuck in your honeymoon phase together but even you knew that it couldn’t last forever. The first fight you’d have, the first disagreement, stemmed from your own insecurities. 

As you’d mentioned before, Shayne looked like the perfect LA Boy, as did the rest of his friends. He didn’t stand out while walking the length of Hollywood Boulevard and he certainly didn’t catch any of the police officer’s eyes when he went to the bank. 

Which is why you weren’t so sure you wanted to meet them, his friends that is. You were sure that they would judge you for your alternative fashion choices, just like everyone else did. 

“They’re not like that,” Shayne tried to convince you for the umpteenth time that day. You had just finished washing the dishes, using your day off to catch up on chores you’d neglected during the week. Shayne was supposed to be completing his coursework for his degree but instead he’d decided to pester you with this topic once more. 

“My friends are super supportive and they just want to meet you,” he tried again. “And if they say anything then they’re not really my friends. They’ll love you, I promise.”

You picked up the laundry basket full of clean clothes from beside your front door, dumping the basket out on the couch. You cleared off a small section on the coffee table so that you could fold your laundry. 

“I’m just worried,” you confessed, folding a cropped shirt in half twice before dropping it into the laundry basket. “You say that they’re supportive and that they just want to meet me but you also just said, ‘if they say anything.’ Shayne, if I really didn’t have a reason to worry, you wouldn’t have thrown that in there.” 

“Okay, that was my bad,” he admitted, “but I’m serious. You have nothing to worry about, they’ll all love you.”

You gave him a weary look, folding a pair of black cargo pants over your arm. A few weeks ago, you’d met Shayne’s parents and while they were two of the most loving and welcoming people you had met, you could still see the discomfort and unease hidden behind their eyes. They expected someone different, with less tattoos and piercings most likely. They probably weren’t expecting their blonde baby boy to be with a neon-pink-haired twenty-something with daddy issues galore. 

“Okay, how about this,” Shayne took the pants from your hands, folding them and setting them onto the coffee table. “I’ll invite Damien over to mine for dinner tonight as a tester. If everything goes well with him, then maybe you’ll consider meeting everyone else?”

You took up your cargo pants once more, settling them in the laundry basket with the rest of your folded clothing. You had less than half the original pile left, the rest of the clothing being mainly bras and socks that still needed to be sorted. 

“Okay,” you gave in. What was the worst that could happen?

As it turns out, completely forgetting that Damien was due to arrive any moment at Shayne’s apartment was the worst thing that could happen. His best friend’s first impression of you would forever be this: you on your knees with Shayne’s dick halfway down your throat while you gave him a before-dinner blowjob. 

Embarrassment burned through your entire being as Damien realized what was happening before he closed the front door and called out, “I’m so sorry, I should have knocked!” 

You looked up at Shayne who couldn’t decide between being mortified and being smug. It took everything within your power not to punch him in the dick, considering it was literally right there in front of you. 

“Go… take care of yourself,” you awkwardly chuckled, patting his thigh lightly. “I’ll let your friend in and hopefully not die from embarrassment on the way.” 

Shayne scrambled up off the couch and into his bathroom while you opened the container of mints you kept under the coffee table for these types of instances. Not that you and Shayne expected people to walk in during any of that normally. You washed your hands at the sink while you chewed the mint, giving yourself a moment to breathe before even thinking about opening the door.

Once you’d calmed down enough, you opened the door for Damien, unable to meet his eye as you let him in. 

“Uh, sorry you had to see any of that…” You closed the door behind him, double checking the lock to make sure it was still working. “We don’t usually do it out here, um--”

“You don’t need to explain yourself,” Damien tried to save the night. “It’s not like I haven’t seen Shayne’s dick before--I mean--Not in the way you’d think--”

The two of you dissolved into laughter, still thinking of a way to dig your way out of the hole you’d awkwardly made. When Shayne was telling you about Damien, he did mention that he was possibly the most awkward of his friends which made him the perfect ‘test monkey’ for the night. 

“I should’ve knocked,” Damien settled, an apologetic look on his face. “Shayne gave me a key a while back and I usually just let myself in but that’s really no excuse. I’m sorry.”

Shayne had also mentioned Damien was the most polite out of them all. Not that the others weren’t polite, because they were. He had meant it in the way that Damien would apologize for existing if he could (which he has done before). 

“It’s okay, really. Though, we might have to tweak the story of how we met for future conversations.” You made your way into Shayne’s little kitchenette. “Do you want anything to drink?”

“Water is fine,” Damien said, moving to sit in one of the chairs at the high table. You grimaced at the couch, making a mental note to grab some disinfectant once Shayne came out of the bathroom. “And yeah, we’ll just leave that part out for future retellings.”

You pulled a glass from one of the cabinets, filling it with water from the Brita. You added a few ice cubes as well, smiling as they clinked against the sides of the glass. 

“So, how did you and Shayne meet?” Damien asked, thanking you for the glass. You took up the other seat, crossing your right leg over your left. 

“At the tattoo shop I work at, actually,” you played with the end of your belt, twisting the fabric over your hand until it covered your knuckles. For this meeting, you’d decided to tone down your wardrobe--less chains and more softer fabrics. Your pleated skirt had been exchanged for the black cargo pants you’d folded earlier. That paired with a simple side release buckle belt and a structured white top for contrast, this was probably the most “tame” you’ve dressed in a while. 

“He came in with another friend of his, Paul, and sat with him while I worked on a piece for his sleeve. After that, I gave him my number in case he ever wanted to get a tattoo himself and the rest is history.”

“I can’t believe Paul technically met you before I did,” Damien said in disbelief. You heard the toilet flush and the sink turn on which meant your boyfriend would be joining the two of you soon. 

The awkwardness between you and Damien had faded slightly but you could still feel the tension in the air. Shayne opened the bathroom door and you looked over your shoulder to watch as your no longer disheveled boyfriend entered the room. He’d changed his pants, which was fair, and he was holding the disinfectant in hand as if he’d read your mind. 

You hopped off the seat and took it from him, spraying down the entire couch while he greeted his friend. 

“Really sorry you had to see that,” Shayne said, laughing as they clapped their hands together. “We would have disinfected the couch either way, just so you know.” 

Damien laughed as you finished cleaning off the couch, setting the disinfectant on the coffee table. You couldn’t be bothered with putting it away in the bathroom right now. 

“Well, this is Y/n, my girlfriend,” Shayne pulled on your arm until you settled into his side. You gave a small wave. “And she made Italian for dinner so unless you now want nothing to do with me, we can start eating now.” 

“Sounds great.”

Once you actually got over the initial awkwardness, your night actually turned out enjoyable. Damien was extremely funny and nice, just like Shayne had said. He’d even asked about your job and your own tattoos, expressing his own thoughts about getting one or two done himself. 

“If you get it done at my shop, I can get you a discount,” you offered, taking a sip of your water. “Friends and family get twenty-percent off, though that doesn’t include the tip.” 

“Really?” Damien asked. He looked shocked that you’d even offer to tattoo him, let alone provide him with a discount. 

“Yeah,” you grinned. “Just let me know when and we can set up an appointment.” 

“That’d be amazing.”

The three of you were sitting on the couch now, you and Shayne sitting on the side closest to the window while Damien was on the other end. His body was angled toward the two of you as “The Office” played quietly in the background. 

“Does this mean I’ll be seeing you around more?” Damien asked. “Shayne always comes alone to out-of-work get-togethers and Courtney’s been pestering him to bring you around for some time now.”

“She has?” you looked up at Shayne, asking if that was true. 

He nodded. “Why do you think I’ve been so insistent on getting you to meet my friends? They all want to meet you.”

“It doesn’t help that you’re all he talks about,” Damien chuckled. “I swear, every other word from his mouth is something about you. Whether it’s wondering what you’re doing to wondering how you’re doing, it’s always about you.” 

You reached up and patted Shayne’s cheek lightly. “Aw, babe. You think about me? How embarrassing.”

  He swatted your hand away, chuckling as you giggled at the shared joke between you. 

You talked for a little longer, sharing stories between the three of you before Damien caught sight of the time. 

“I should get going,” he said, standing up. You got up as well, giving him a hug before letting him and Shayne say their goodbyes. Once Damien had left the apartment completely, you released a breath you didn’t know you were holding in, you shoulder relaxing. While Shayne was an extrovert, you found yourself physically and mentally drained from hanging out with just one person. 

The entire experience was new for you. Since you’d started dressing how you wanted to dress and expressing yourself accordingly, there have been people less than willing to be nice to you or show you any sort of kindness. It was mostly linked to the fact that people thought that if you wore black, put on lots of make-up, had piercings, and had tattoos you were a bad person and an even worse role model. Not only was that hurtful, it made you very self conscious about meeting new people. 

“That wasn’t so bad,” Shayne said, pulling you in for a hug. You sunk into his arms, wrapping your own arms around his torso. 

“It wasn’t terrible,” you replied, your words muffled by the fabric of his shirt. You turned your head sideways so that you could hear his steady heartbeat, allowing it to lull you into what felt like security. “Though, the beginning could have been better.” 

“We’re never speaking of the beginning again.”

“Agreed.”

Shayne started to sway with you in his arms, pressing a kiss to the top of your head before letting go. “So how do you feel about going to brunch with the rest of my friends on Saturday?”

After meeting Damien, your anxiety had subsided. No longer did you think you would be judged for the type of clothes you chose to wear but this time the anxiety of meeting so many people at once surfaced. When you didn’t respond, he looked down at you worried. 

“Tell me what’s wrong.” 

“I just…” If you said what you were thinking out loud, you knew you were going to sound ridiculous. “It’s nothing.”

“No, really,” he frowned, “tell me what’s wrong. Bottling it all up inside won’t work this time.” 

You sighed. “I--Shayne, you’re perfect, you know that?” 

“I wouldn’t say perfect but…” You dug your fingers into his side, causing him to laugh. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“It’s just that you’re the perfect LA Boy and I look nothing like the perfect LA Girl that you so clearly deserve. I mean, Damien was nice but that’s literally just how he is. What if your other friends think I’m, like, a terrible influence on you with my millions of piercings and tattoos and attention-seeking hair and--”

He cut you off with his lips, arms pulling you in impossibly closer and effectively stopping you in your tracks. 

When he pulled away, you fixed him with a playful glare. “Shayne Robert Topp, you did not just pull a movie cliche on me while I was airing out all my concerns to you. Apologize right now.” 

“I’m sorry,” he said, pressing another kiss to the top of your head. “But, Y/n, you don’t need to be the ‘perfect LA Girl,’ you’re perfect the way you are. That doesn’t mean I’d like you any less if you decided that you did want to become whatever you think is the ‘perfect LA Girl’ because I’d like you no matter what. I just like you.”

“Even if I went bald?”

“Even if you went bald.” 

You’ve said it once and you’ll say it again: you fucking loved this man. 

“I love you,” you said, pouting your bottom lip. You felt the tears prick at the corners of your eyes as you looked up at him in adoration. 

“I love you, too.” 

By the time Saturday rolled around, you were ready to meet the rest of Shayne’s friends. Most of your anxieties had been successfully quelled, though they still lingered. You had gotten your hair done again the day before, meaning you were now sporting a bright neon green. You matched your makeup to your vibrant new dye and picked out a heat-appropriate outfit. 

“Are you ready to go?” Shayne called from your front room, interrupting your self-admiration session. You gave yourself one last look in the full-length mirror in your room before slipping on the pair of DnD dice filled platform shoes that added at least three inches to your height. 

“Ready.” You stopped to pose in the doorway, the bottom of your shirt riding up as you leaned against the wooded frame. “Baby, how do I look?” 

Shayne looked up from his phone, his jaw dropping the second he laid eyes on you. A blush settled nicely onto your cheeks, as you grew shy under his gaze. He dropped his phone on the couch and crossed the room in three long strides. He pulled you in by the waist, pressing a kiss to your lips. You melted into his touch, a giddy feeling spreading through your being as your arms looped around his neck, bringing him closer. 

“You look amazing,” he breathed, pulling away. You giggled as you realized that a bit of your black lipstick had transferred off onto his lip. You reached up and wiped his top lip with your thumb. 

“Thank you,” you giggled, rubbing your fingers together until the black rubbed off. “What time did your friends say?”

“We’ve got some time…” his fingers crept up your side, dipping under your shirt and tracing the band of your bra with his thumb. 

You smacked his hand. “Naughty boy.”

You didn’t end up leaving the apartment for another thirty minutes, though you couldn’t complain about it. Still, you ended up making it on time. From where you’d parked on the street, you could see Shayne’s friends spread across two connected tables, laughing on the patio. 

Damien was the first to spot the two of you, standing from his seat and calling out, inviting you into the sectioned off area. You took up residence in the seat closest to him, leaving Shayne to take the seat on your other side. 

“You guys, this is my girlfriend, Y/n,” Shayne introduced you to everyone at the table. There were nine other people sitting at the table. You recognized maybe six of them from the videos you’d watched, while the other three were most likely spouses (considering how close they were sitting next to who you assumed were their significant others). 

“Hi, Y/n!” the blonde sitting next to Damien greeted. You recognized her immediately as the inspiration for Shayne’s alter ego, Courtney Freaking Miller. 

You smiled politely as everyone went around introducing themselves to you, from Olivia and Sam to Sarah and Claudio, you didn’t feel out of place for one second. The hand that had been tightly intertwined with Shayne’s relaxed as you grew even more comfortable around his friends. 

“So Damien told us that you worked at a tattoo parlor,” Ian inquired, propping an arm up on the table and resting his chin in the palm of his hand. On his left sat Anthony, who also looked interested in your answer. “And Shayne did, too, I guess. Did Damien tell you that your boyfriend literally never stops talking about you?”

You giggled. “He did tell me that and I find it adorable that he can’t go a second without missing me.” 

“I wish Peter was like that,” the purple haired woman, Mari, complained playfully, nudging her husband’s side. Peter just laughed it off, casually putting his arm around her shoulders. 

“You do not,” he refuted. “You get flustered when I even mention you to my friends.”

She huffed, though there were no traces of anger to be found on her face. “It’s the sentiment that counts.”

Courtney put her menu down, reaching over to grab her glass of water. “I’ve always wanted to get a tattoo. Y/n, yours are so pretty.”

You felt the heat rise to your cheeks at the compliment. “Thank you! I actually did most of them myself.” 

Courtney’s eyes widened at that. She reached over Damien, who had leaned far back enough in his seat to allow her to do that. She motioned at your sleeve, specifically at the roses that decorated the back of your forearm. They were cliche and most likely overused but you just thought they were pretty. 

“Those? You did those yourself?”

“Yeah!” you said enthusiastically. You offered your arm out, allowing her to take a closer look. “My friend, Alyssa, designed it for me and as soon as I was trusted to wield an actual tattoo gun, it was the first piece I worked on.”

“That’s insanely cool,” she gushed, tracing a finger over one of the larger roses. “And you’re insanely talented.”

“Thank you!”

For some reason, Courtney was originally your biggest concern. Most of the insecurity had sprouted from the constant online presence of the ship Shourtney, which Shayne assured you was nothing but a meme. And you trusted your boyfriend, and though you didn’t know Courtney, you trusted her too. But sitting here, at the same brunch spot as her, sharing the same meal as she was, all your fears washed away. 

It was incredibly difficult not to like her. Not only was she extremely nice, but insanely pretty as well. Though you had to accredit most of your confidence to Shayne, who only had eyes for you despite everything else. You’d thought that you would find yourself vying for his attention in front of everyone but not once did he leave you to flounder. He was always there, ready to step into any conversation you were having. 

When you’d all finished your meals and began to wrap up the late morning, you couldn’t help but show your gratitude for your amazing boyfriend by pressing a huge kiss to his cheek, whispering that you loved him while everyone had grown content in their own little conversations with each other. 

Content, he grinned and his arm around your shoulders tightened just that much more as he used his free hand to tilt your face up towards him. He pressed a kiss to your lips, keeping it short and sweet, before pulling away and whispering, “I love you, too.” 

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[geordiewrites]

Hey i just read exile inspired fic and it is soo good. I think you should write one based on the song tolerate it by ts? With harry plz. The drama, fight, tears.. I think you will reflect the emotion so well omg.

Tolerate It | Harry Potter

A/N: Hi lovely! First off, I adored this request so much and I really hope I’ve done it justice. Tolerate It is such a beautiful song and defo one of my favourites off of Evermore to cry to, there’s just so much detail hidden within the lyrics and I adore that. Harry too!! There’s not enough stuff for Harry, so I hope I’ve done well for you! ( Also this is super short, but I’ve been swamped with coursework xox )

Summary: Y/N is in love with The Boy Who Lived, and due to marry him in the Spring with a beautiful April wedding. Friends to lovers to that engaged couple who are just too in love to function, they share the most perfect story. But when Y/N begins to see their relationship for what it is, her entire world is thrown off key...

Warnings: angst and lots of it, loneliness, sadness, swearing.

~

“You’re coming home tonight, right?” Y/N asks, excitement and anticipation heavy in her tone, cherry red nails clicking against the cold metal of the answerphone.

“Of course, I’ll be back soon, love.” Harry Potter, her beloved fiancé, answered back on the other side from his workplace all the way in central London. His office is almost empty, devoid of any homely photos or colleagues: they had all gone home to their families long ago, and yet he stayed behind. He had no work to finish, no cases glaring to be solved. There was nothing to do but leave, but Harry didn’t.

“You’ve said that before.” Y/N pointed out blandly, her forced smile fading slightly. Many times had Harry said he was on his way home, only to send a letter the next morning apologising for suddenly getting swamped with unavoidable paperwork. “Please come home Harry, I’ve even made your favourite for dinner.”

“That sounds good, I promise I’ll be there soon. I’m just leaving the Ministry now.” Harry replied monotonously, not sounding nearly as happy as Y/N wished he would. Perhaps he had just had a bad day at the office, he must have done. But he had just one too many bad days now, and the reality that he might not want to see her was beginning to sink in.

Shaking off that horrible thought, Y/N inhaled a sharp breath and chewed the edge of her top lip. “Alright, if you say so. I’ll see you then.”

“Bye.” Harry said shortly before putting the phone down and staring at his office, desperately trying to find a reason to stay at work. He did love Y/N, he did. Heck, he had even asked her to marry him and kissed the edge of her lips as they set the date. And then postponed it. And then postponed it another year after that, all because of some urgent work that Harry had suddenly come across. He was just so young, forced to grow up so quickly he didn’t even have time for a scrap of a childhood. Maybe that was why he didn’t want to see Y/N, why going home to their apartment often felt like a chore.

Back at their cosy flat in the nicer part of Greenwich, Y/N put the phone down after hearing an abrupt beep on the other end that let her know he had hung up. She sighed before walking over to a tall cabinet that stood to the side of their kitchen, taking out a set of nice china plates her Grandmother had left her and crystal wine glasses. It was the lovely cutlery only used for things like Christmas and obligatory dinner parties her family forced her to hold.

After setting it out on the table, Y/N checked the time and supposed that if Harry really had left as he said, he would be back in just a minute through the wonders of apparation. Carefully so she wouldn’t somehow spill the food in her clumsiness, a quality Harry once said he loved about her, Y/N moved the food from the oven, to plates and then through to their front room where the fancy cutlery was set up. A smile made its way onto her face, a beaming, gorgeous smile of confidence that her and Harry would finally have the night she deserved. One where work or his reluctance to put effort into their relationship, even if she did pretend she knew nothing about this, didn’t get in the way.

Alas however, minutes passed and there was no sign of Harry anywhere. The food grew colder and that wonderful, rare smile of hers faded into an all too comfortable frown, the crease between her eyebrows deepening with not only disappointment, but anger. A growing resentment for Harry’s lack of care or even acknowledgement of their engagement. He didn’t seem to give two hoots that she had made a lovely meal; after all, he had only called it ‘good’. Not fabulous or decadent or even something praiseful. Just good.

They hadn’t said ‘I love you’ before they hung up the phones. Harry had only said one word. Y/N’s mind began to spiral, her breathing growing quicker and sharper as the thought that it might be time to confront Harry about the buildup of letdowns over the course of the last few months. A year even, since he had properly spent time at home. At their home, the one in which he had knelt down on one knee and told her he wanted to grow old with her by his side, failing at muggle card games on the front porch as they watched their grandchildren play.

Not knowing exactly what to do, Y/N retreated to grasping at the doorframe to keep her body from tumbling to the ground. Her mind whirred with the usual possibilities to try and chase away his lateness. Got caught at work, perhaps Ron called. But none of it compared to the looming threat that Harry was scraping any old excuse together in order to stay away. That he was lying, something she never thought she would have to think about him doing. Harry had always been such an honest person, even as a child.

Y/N remembered how nervous he was when he first asked her out during their fifth year at Hogwarts. He had been on this disastrous date with some Ravenclaw she couldn’t quite remember the name of, and come back utterly defeated. Feeling sorry for a friend she had always harboured a crush on, Y/N had stayed up all night convincing him something better was around the corner. It occurred to Harry quite quickly after that that Y/N was that somebody. She liked him, and at the time that was enough to make him think he was in love. To some degree he was, but not nearly as much as Y/N had fallen for him.

It was almost midnight when the front door to their apartment clicked with the turn of a key, and Y/N, still standing in the same sad place by the door to their living room, finally saw Harry step into their home. It had been hours since they were supposed to eat the food that Y/N had worked to hard to create. There it still sat however, with the plates and crystal glasses and unopened bottle of wine in the same place, completely untouched.

Y/N had a thousand things to say to him. Usually it would begin with her asking him where he had been galavanting off to, but not tonight. Tonight was the final tear in her elastic heart, just enough to finally make it tear into two broken, hollowed out pieces. She stood, silent and just watched as he took off his shoes and put his coat back in it’s place without saying anything. Harry wasn’t even trying anymore, and that hurt more than him being late to begin with.

“Sorry for the delay, something came up.” Harry said, standing a few metres away from her. There was no affectionate kiss to the forehead like when they were fresh out of Hogwarts with teenage dreams and ambitions. No arm comfortably slung around her waist in a protective manner. Y/N missed that especially out of all the things that had faded away. That simple gesture that showed he wanted to hold her above all else, above everyone else who had ever wanted to touch the Chosen One like she did.

“Something.” Y/N repeated, no emotion in her voice. It sounded almost like a recording being played back to him, just with any tone sucked away. “It’s always something, isn’t it?” She continued, not finding quite the right words to encompass the flummox of emotions seeping into her veins. “Work. Ron called. Hermione called. Work. Work again.”

“There really was something.” Harry pathetically added. It was a lie of course, he had spent the hours at his desk alone and staring aimlessly at a fountain pen as it leaked ink onto the black carpet of his office.

“Do you really think I don’t know you at all? Stop lying to me, Harry, just stop it. I’m done with being lied to.” Y/N says, her voice remaining as monotonous as ever as if she’s already grieving something. “I want to know what was so important that you’ve missed the dinner I made. The last thirty dinners, in fact.”

Harry just runs a hand through his messy hair as he tries desperately to think of something to say. But he can’t. There’s nothing to say that would make him any less guilty.

“I’m so sorry, Y/N.” He manages to whisper.

“You’ve said that already.” Y/N points out without missing a single beat. She’s exhausted of pretending that she doesn’t know what Harry’s been doing, drained of all energy to put in effort anymore.

“Just tell me what the problem is and we can fix it.” He begs, but his voice is shaky and the words sound as though he’s reading them from a script.

“Fine. When did you stop being in love with me?” Y/N asks, sadness seeping into her voice. Tears began to form in her eyes but were quickly blinked away; the last thing she wanted was for Harry to see her as weak. She might be pathetic, pitiful, stupid for not realising earlier... but Y/N was not going to be weak. Not now, not ever.

“Why would you think that? Y/N, I could never stop loving you.” Harry said, trying to wrap her into a hug only for Y/N to quickly wriggle out of his cold grasp. His fingers left icy burns where they had briefly touched her arm, and Harry’s face dropped as he realised she didn’t want him anywhere near her.

“But you have, Harry. Otherwise you wouldn’t be coming home at ridiculous times, or avoiding even looking at me like you are now. You don’t love me, you tolerate me because you don’t want to be alone. I feel like I’m begging to be in the footnotes in the story of your life, not a main character anymore.” Y/N explained quietly, neither expecting her to be so frank but once the blunt words were spilling from her lips, not even she could stop them. She watched as Harry’s face crumpled, sadness twisting her gut as she fervently tried not to cry herself.

“Y/N... I don’t know what to say.” Harry trailed off. Y/N used to be so infatuated with him, so desperately in love that she was blind to his flaws, much like his ridiculous fan base. But she had grown up from the teenager with a crush to a young woman with heart and with ambitions, and Harry was no longer apart of what she wanted out of life. She had stopped being a part of his long ago, she just hadn’t realised it then.

“Is this in my head? Tell me I’ve got it wrong somehow, Harry. Because please believe me, I could do it. I could leave.”

“I can’t.” Harry finally said. “I did love you once, Y/N. I’m not even sure what happened to us if I’m being completely honest.”

“That’s the problem: you don’t really even want me to stay. But that’s the thing... you built an entire new wizarding world after you defeated You-Know-Who, and where was I? I’m sorry for being dramatic and shit but I’m taking this dagger out and finally going where I need to be.” Y/N continued, not pausing as not to give him any time to ask her to stay, not that he would. Her mind was made up, and even Harry could see that.

“I’m sorry, Y/N.” Harry whispered, his voice trailing off as Y/N went to get her coat from a peg just beside their front door.

“It’s alright, really. I know you don’t hate me, but both of us know this isn’t working anymore. I deserve someone who celebrates me and my love, and that isn’t you. I’m not really sure that it ever was.” Y/N said, a sad smile gracing her delicate features. She looked almost relieved. Utterly broken-hearted, but relieved all the same. “I’ll come back for my stuff tomorrow.”

“You’re leaving me?” Harry said. Even though she had told him why, it still came as a shock. Y/N nodded. “I’m so sorry I didn’t treat you how you deserve.”

“I’m sorry about that too.” Y/N replied, both warmly and coldly at the same time. “Goodbye, Harry Potter. All the best.”

“Goodbye.” It was all Harry could fathom to say as she pressed her engagement ring back into his hand, the final recognition of their relationship officially being over. It was a beautiful piece of jewellery, one she at one point she thought she would never take off her finger. There were no more words exchanged about the gesture for none were needed, all had been said already.

One simple word that locked the door on their relationship, the one that Y/N had finally gained the courage to close in the first place. It had taken her so long, so pathetically long, to realise that something wasn’t right. That Harry was meant to love her, that love shouldn’t and can’t survive while being one sided. It shouldn’t have to be tolerated, and Y/N had finally learned that through all those lonely nights of wondering where Harry was, what he was getting up to at work, if he even was there.

But as Y/N’s grandma used to tell her every Christmas, as one door closes, another always opens.

-

A/N: hoped you liked it anon!!!

Nancy xx

[jimvasta]

Vulnerability - that moment when you choose to risk everything for a connection

Lee was single for a long time, not of choice but to protect his daughter from the dangers of when dating went wrong.

Once again, Del was surprised. He had never stepped into a narrowboat before and he did not know what to expect, but a bright, modern, interior was not it. He found himself in a kitchen which was, of course, narrow, but also fully fitted with everything he would expect to see in his flat, including the kettle that Lee flicked on as he walked by.

“Did you remember that I’m going out tonight with the club?” Lee asked of his teenager daughter.

“Yes, Dad.”

“And that you have coursework due tomorrow?”

“Yes, Dad, I’m working on it now.”

“Good girl. Del’s driving so I’ll have a couple of beers, I won’t be back until late. Make sure you and Dizzy both have dinner, I’ve left you food in the fridge. I’m trusting you to behave, can you do that for me?”

“Seriously?”

Del saw the head of a teenage girl emerge from behind a partition further down the boat. She had the same eyes as her father and the same colour hair.

“Dad, you have a better social life than me, this is so insulting. I’ll do my work, watch tv, chat to my friends and go to bed. Yes, I’ll feed Dizzy and make sure he stays with me, I promise I’ll behave.”

Lee smiled and ruffled his daughter’s hair as he stepped by her. “There’s my little girl.” he turned back Del. “I’ll be two minutes.”

“No problem.” Del found himself being stared at as he leaned against the kitchen worktop.

“Are you Dad’s boyfriend?”

“No, no we’re just friends.”

“Oh.” the girl did not sound convinced. “You like him though. Hurt him and I’ll set Dizzy on you.”

Del smiled softly as he decided he liked the girl. “I considered myself duly warned and I have no intention of becoming dog food.”

“Good.” the girl ducked back out of sight.

When Lee emerged in fresh trousers and a clean shirt, Del found it hard not to smile, he looked good in sports clothes but in tailored wear he was model like.

“Fancy a cuppa before we go? We’re a bit early.”

“Why not? Have we got time for a tour? When you said you lived on a boat I wasn’t really expecting this.”

“What were you expecting?”

���I don’t know, something a bit more rustic, I guess, but this is luxury apartment type stuff.”

“You’ve gotta live and my daughter needs a comfortable home.”

“It looks comfortable, it’s bigger than I expected too.”

Lee turned away as he made the teas, hiding his face. “It was meant to be a family boat, she was commissioned before I was widowed.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make that awkward.”

“It’s fine. It was a few years ago, I’m used to being the single parent now.”

Del accepted the offered mug and the guided tour of Lee’s unusual home, before they returned to the stern of the boat where they could look out of the garden. “How much time does it take to look after all this?”

“Oh, I don’t know, I just amble about doing bits and pieces when I get the time, it’s a hobby and it pays for itself when it’s harvest time.”

“There’s nothing dodgy in those greenhouses is there? They’re pretty big?”

Lee laughed. “No, just fruit and veg. I’ve had police round to check.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. They get a couple of calls every year from people on the holiday boats who think it’s dodgy, it’s funny really, I don’t mind.”

“It’s nice, I like it. It’s a bit isolated though.”

“It’s peaceful.” Lee corrected. “But now Lilly’s a bit older I can get out more.”

“So you joined the sports club.”

“Exactly.”

“She seems like a smart girl.”

Lee gave another of his perfect smiles. “She is, but she doesn’t have a filter. I heard what she said to you. Sorry about that, she just loves trying to be matchmaker and we don’t get too many visitors so she just assumed,” he shrugged.

“She said boyfriend.”

Lee shrugged again.

“I know you’re gay, I figured that out weeks ago.”

Lee looked Del up and down. “Your Gaydar works just fine.”

“We don’t have to go to the sports social, you know, we could blow them off and go get an Indian instead. Or you could come round to my place for a bit if you fancy it.”

Lee went still. “I, er,”

“Was I reading you wrong? I thought we had a thing going.”

“So did I, it’s just this is the awkward bit and I’d rather not do it on the boat.”

“Do what?”

“Tell you what you need to know before anything happens. This boat is my safe place, it’s where my daughter is, I don’t want her hurt.”

“Okay.” Del spoke slowly, following Lee into the garden.

Lee took a deep breath, making sure he was out of arms reach before he spoke. “Some guys take this badly, if you don’t like it just walk away and I won’t make a fuss or anything.”

“You’re a nice bloke. What have you got going on here that I shouldn’t like?” Del was genuinely confused.

“It’s not what I’ve got going on here, it’s who and what I am. I’m a gay man, I’m also a trans man.”

Del stared. Lee was a chisel jawed, square shouldered Adonis, it hardly seemed possible that most manly man began life as a woman. He was not sure how to react, so he went with instinct. The mug was carefully set down on the mooring block and he took a step towards Lee.

Seeing the advance, Lee took a step back.

“You don’t have to do that.” Del said as he closed the gap between them and reached out.

Lee was cautious, but let Del take his hand.

“You don’t have to run.”

“You don’t mind?” the question was quiet, hopeful.

“You’re a man.” Del responded firmly. “And I don’t see anything here that’s not to like.”

Lee let himself be drawn in for the kiss, relief making him forget everything but the moment. Risking it all by telling the truth he rarely spoke out loud was something Lee always found especially painful. Being rejected was hard, being rejected with violence made any further revelations frightening. Del’s response to him was better than he could ever have hoped.

“Eww, get a room!”

Del nearly choked laughing as Lee shouted back to his daughter, reminding her that she should be working.

“I’m trying, but you’re putting me off. Go on your date already.”

“Sorry.” Lee cringed.

“She’s got a point,” Del was still laughing. “Maybe we should just go on a date.”

“You said something about going out for an Indian.”

“Or coming round to mine.”

Lee hesitated. He knew what he wanted but he could not bring himself to not be over cautious. “How about we go out tonight and you can maybe come round here at the weekend? Lilly’s going out with friends on Saturday.”

Del was more than happy to agree to that.

[duvgaleni]

Quick update because I have many things going on here tonight: I started shards of honor and already designated Cordelia BAMF status. I have NOT had a chance to bang out some raspberry rugelach and won't this weekend due to school and life stuff. Also I should probably limit the sweets as I'm trying to build muscle.....but also I want it and if I make it myself I kinda deserve it, right? Anyway, hope your week is going well.

Wait, I nearly forgot. I wanted to ask about your tattoo! I liked it when you first showed it off but I kept forgetting to actually ask the usual (why you chose it, how long it took, did it hurt a lot (I'm thinking about a tattoo for myself atm)).

I'll update you when I've finished the book if you like. It may be a bit, only because I'm swamped with coursework and this whole conference thing I'm attending.

Sincerely,

MAB

The thing about the Vorkosigan Saga is that, often in fandom ppl have the tendency to exaggerate moments and character traits but it is Impossible to exaggerate this because everything is So Much All The Time, I always try and describe exactly how badass and incredible Cordelia is and there are literally no words to do her justice except for the entirety of Cordelia's Honor lmao. You take your time reading it, and let me know when you finish because I can't wait to hear what you think of a few certain parts.

Sorry you never had the time to make rugelach, I know it'll happen for you someday but this has been a crazy few months in a lot of people's lives, and specifically a crazy week so 🤷🏻‍♂️, with that said, fuck limiting sweets, you can build muscle while you bake imo, and we all know there's nothing more satisfying than something you've been craving and make yourself. If you really feel bad about it, make something with a bigger bitch of a rolling process and call it a tricep workout lmao

I'm glad you like the tat, im still as in love with it as I was when I first got it. I love geometric art, and art deco and geometric tattoos in particular, id been dreaming about getting a big art deco shoulder piece for a solid 5 years so I found an artist who specialized in blackwork and geometry and wicked sharp lines and asked for an abstract art deco expression of mountains with a sense of weight, and was absolutely thrilled with what a got. It took I think 3 and a half or 4 hours, and different sections of it were varyingly painful. The little lines felt like a mechanical pencil being dragged across my skin, which took a minute to get used to but weren't that bad, but the thicker lines were a little worse. The parts close to my armpit HURT, I HIGHLY recommend avoiding that area, it's sensitive as hell, but I very much brought it on myself lmao, I asked my artist to shift it forward a ways so it would really look good when I play violin and it certainly does that. The easiest part was the dotwork, I found it really relaxing and nice, though part of that might be that it's very similar to the feeling of a stick and poke, and I've got many many of those lol. And the healing process was really easy, I didn't have any of the aggressive moisturizers they recommended but classic Aveeno lotion did just fine, overall it was a really great experience, im already planning my next one, if you've got a tat in mind I say absolutely go for it, just avoid the armpits 👍

[ally-127]

idée fixe

(noun) an idea that dominates one’s mind especially for a prolonged period.

genre: College lover AU! smut ++ a little fluff

pairing: college students OG character Hailey x Kai

summary: just a regular night in college, except he had an idea. an idea that was rather different and gave both of them a break from coursework

warning: smut

word count: 2.9k

song: electric love - alina baraz feat. khalid

a/n: my imbecile ass deleted the original post thinking it was a repost so here it is once again.

based on this moodboard made by yours truly

one-shot continues under the cut!

hailey props her head on her hand, leaning to the side to see what jongin is doing.

on the wooden desk beside hers, his head has fallen into the crook of his arms, fast asleep. his soft snores drift out his pink lips, a look of serenity and peace. the only problem is, his three paged essay is due tomorrow.

hailey looks at the clock. it’s half-past midnight.

“jongin,” she reaches over to shake him lightly by the shoulders. “you have to wake up.”

“hm?” he hums with only one eye open.

“we’ve got work to do,” she murmurs quietly, her voice echoing off the vast hall of the library.

they’ve been here since eight and she’s finished up majority of her homework. jongin, on the other hand, has another page of his thesis essay to go. she pushes his ashy brown hair away from his eyes.

“c’mon,” she looks at him adoringly. he’s adorable, especially at this time of the night. “there’s only a page left.”

he groans, like a child. “but i really don’t want to.”

“i think you have to,” the tiny giggle that escapes hailey’s lips causes a smile to stretch on jongin’s lips upon hearing his lover’s laugh.

“okay, fine.” he sits up, swiping his finger on his laptop to wake it from its prolonged sleep.

“i’m almost done,” hailey probes him. “let’s see who finishes first.”

“and if i do?” jongin eyes her sideways.

“you’ll be showered in my love,” she mumbles sarcastically and picks up her pencil to continue making annotations in the piece of literature she was given to read.

“in what way?”  

hailey can just hear the smirk in his voice without even having to look at him.

“jongin, there are people listening.”

“says who?” the chair creaks as he turns around to get a three-sixty view of the library.

she sighs and taps her pencil against her temple, completely ignoring him.

throughout the next hour, jongin tries his best to get her attention—by tapping her foot with his, by twirling his finger on the loose strands that frame her face—all while working on his own essay. for someone who had just woken up from a thirty-minute nap, he is crazy energetic.

with earphones plugged into her own ears, hailey tries her best to focus. aside from having to occasionally push jongin’s hand away from her face and kicking his feet to the side, she finds herself surprised at how focused she really can be—even with an annoying boyfriend.

“hailey,” he whines, so loud it leaks through her earphones. “are you done yet?”

she removes one side of her earphones, eyes glancing at the ash-brown haired boy who’s lips puckered up into a pout. he’s awfully childish tonight and hailey has no idea why.

“i am,” she closes her book and takes out the other side of her earphones so that the only sounds filling her ears are jongin’s voice and the hum of the tungsten lights above.

“oh thank god,” jongin shuts his laptop and gives her the brightest grin. “we can go home now.”

“of course we can,” hailey quickly tucks all her materials into her bag. she has to grunt when she lifts the bag onto her shoulder due to all the weight from the textbooks.

“here,” jongin wraps his fingers around the strap of her bag, immediately taking it from her. “i’ll help you.”

“thank you,” she breathes.

“those washboard abs don’t come from nothing,” he winks then winces immediately after realising what he said. “i sound like an asshole, don’t i?”

she laughs a laugh so loud it bounces off the walls of the empty library. “you did,” she kisses his cheek. “but everyone knows you’re anything but an asshole.”

“thanks, baby,” he slings his arm over her shoulders.

“you’re welcome.”

together, they hurry to the parking lot where his car was parked. rather than studying in their dorms, they always preferred studying in the library located in the city. to do that, they always have to take fifteen minute drives.

jongin keeps one hand on the steering wheel, one hand on her lap. her eyes are fixed on the outside, at the darkened scenery while she fiddles with his fingers between her hands.

“i don’t feel like sleeping,” jongin says amidst the comfortable silence that lingers between them.

“neither do i,” she redirects her gaze to him, eyes catching the way he seems to glow at night. his brown eyes are focused on the road, his lips turned up into a small smile.

“i’ve got an idée fixe,” he gushes.

“you do?” she raises her eyebrows, her own lips twitching into a smile.

he nods. “but i won’t tell you just yet.”

“you better tell me when we get back,” she warns him teasingly.

a chuckle left his mouth, adam’s apple bobbing as he’s swallows. it’s probably something risky.

“i think it’s something we’ll both like,” he says quietly.

“at this point,” she sighs heavily. “we like anything that isn’t college coursework.”

at this jongin laughs aloud. his laugh always sounds unexpectedly high-pitched, especially for a man who looks like this. people are constantly caught off-guard by it. “okay.”

they make it to the his dorm smoothly without bumping into any drunk students. hailey is in his dorm so much it’s practically hers now.

they enter jongin’s front door with ease, all with a quietness hailey found strange. they’ve been together for so long it’s so easy for her to sense if something is off.

“hey,” she says and turns to face him, who has his back towards her. he tosses the car keys onto his desk. it lands with a loud clatter. “is everything okay?”

“why wouldn’t it be?” he asks, turning his head so his eyes meets hers.

“i don’t know, it just seems like—“

she’s cut off by his lips on hers, forcing her to drop all the bags she’s carrying. his lips moulds into hers perfectly, like each and every time he kissed her for the past three years. his hands cup her jaw to pull her even closer.

“jongin,” she breathes against his lips.

“that’s my idée fixe.”

“to kiss me?” she laughs.

“and to do much more than that,” he says, hands running down to her waist. he angles his head down and attaches his lips to her neck.

a small sound escapes her lips when he reaches the spot behind her ears, knowing very well it’s the most sensitive place to go when he’s kissing her neck.  

in this moment of time, hailey thanked the gods above that he doesn’t have a roommate. meanwhile, loud music from the room next door resonates through the paper thin walls. this music was slow and sensual, as if everything is planned.

“i love this song,” hailey suddenly says, immediately recognising the low vocals. the weeknd was playing, and the timing can’t be any more perfect. the slow thrum of the beat builds up a fire in her, builds up a need to make herself and her lover feel good.

he hums against her skin, hands reaching for the waistband of her leggings.

she clutches his hands abruptly, stopping him. he breaks away and looks at her, lips parted in surprise.

“wait,” she says softly, close to a whisper.

the next thing jongin knows is that he’s being pushed back by the girl he adores, back onto the armchair located in the corner of his dorm. she looks at him with a dangerous gaze. he can feel himself go hard in the sweats he’s clad in upon thinking about the things she’d do to him.

“sit,” she instructs. captivated by her brown irises, he does exactly as she says.

hailey lets her hair down from her messy bun, hips swaying to the music in the process. leaning down with both hands clutching the arm rests, she whispers,

“so tell me, jongin, what exactly is your idée fixe?”

he shudders under her touch. “i want to make you come—” he reaches forward to hold hailey by the hips, bringing her down onto his lap. “—more than once.”

she obliges and circles her arms around his neck. his grip on her isn’t rough, but it’s definitely firm.

firm enough to let hailey know just how much he wants her.

she straddles his lap, knees resting on each side of his hips. his eyes seem to sparkle as he looks at the view above him. her dark hair, already a hot mess, drapes down her shoulder brushes against his chin when she settles on top of him.

he pulls her further down onto him, until her crotch is positioned against his groin. his hard-on presses against her sensitive core through the thin material of her leggings and underwear.

she curses in his ear and he grunts, tugging her down even harder.

“jongin,” she moans as he begins to guide her hips to move back and forth against himself with large hands gripping her hips.

his fingers press so hard it began bruise hailey’s skin. she doesn’t mind, though. she is jongin’s and he is hers. at this point in time, they belong to each other.

hailey throws her head back as she develops a rhythm, eyes rolling back from ecstasy from the feeling of her clit against his erection.

jongin stops her movements with his hands, making her eyes snap open in shock that the feeling of pleasure under her is gone.

“baby, ride my thigh.” he whispers into her ear. “i’ll come in my pants if you keep this up.”

she nods subtly. with the help of his muscular arms, she manages to shift onto his thigh. he thought that moving her position might help to keep his arousal at bay, but feeling the fabric of his pants already drenched by what’s between her legs, he thought wrong.

oh, so very wrong.

she rocks herself on his thigh, pleasuring herself and herself only. jongin doesn’t care if it isn’t reciprocated. he stares at her with a smirk on his face and feels her heat rubbing against his thigh. he’s doing all this while trying to hide his magnified desire for her.

he scoots forward until his chest is pressing against hers. they’re still clothed, and to him, it’s a problem. jongin removes his shirt with one swift movement, the piece of useless fabric tossed to the ground.

through her half-lidded gaze, the sight of jongin’s carved out abs, of his sexy smirk, made her mouth water and push her closer to the edge of a climax. her lips are caught between her teeth a she keeps her arms wrapped around his neck, both their faces only an inch apart.

“are you close?” jongin breathes into her ear when he detects her movements on his thigh speeding up and his sweatpants soaked.

“yes—” hailey drawls on as she reaches her high, tilting her head back. he kisses the exposed base of her neck as she rides out her climax on his thigh. she rests her head on the bare crook of his shoulder, chest heaving from the drain of energy while she remains on his lap.

he’s still hard as granite under her, but he’s not telling her that.

she notices it, though.

“jongin,” she rasps. “i need you.”

“hailey,” he tucks a few strands of hair behind her ear. despite all the sexual tension, jongin always finds a way to give her all his affection. it’s so clear he mom knows not only just how to fuck, but also how to treat a woman. “are you sure?”

she nods. he lets out a small laugh, secures his arms around her and lifts her up as he stands. he brings her to the bed right next to the chair, laying her down on her back.

“now,” he says, hooking his fingers into the waistband of both her underwear and her leggings. “can i take this off?”

“please,” she arches against the bed when he rids her of her bottom-half clothing. after that’s gone, hailey sits up, lifts her (his) shirt over her head and toss that to the ground.

“no bra?” jongin crawls into between her legs, nudging them open with his knees.

she smiles. “only for you.”

“i never noticed,” he shakes his head, a smile on his face.

“i don’t think you’re supposed to,” she props herself up on her elbows, watching him slip his hands in his pocket to get out a square foil package. “you brought that to the library?”

“i told you,” he slides his sweats along with his boxers down. his length springs out and slaps against his abs. “i had an idée fixe.”

“to make me come more than once,” just by saying the words, she feels her core reignite.

“actually,” he mumbles. “i wanted you to ride my thigh.”

she raises her eyebrow, one corner of her lip turned up. “is that so?”

he nods solemnly, eyes fixed on her the entire time as he expertly rolls the condom on his length. the sound of latex unrolling fills the room, along with her heavy pants combined with his low grunts.,

“well,” she mumbles quietly. “you gotta do more than that.”

“i know baby,” he lowers himself down on her in between her legs, length brushing her clit.  “i know.”

“jongin,” she moans. “i need you.”

“fuck,” he mutters. “you are dripping.”

“only for you,” she repeats with a smirk.

“only for me?” he drags a finger across her slits, teasing her to the end of the world.

“yes,” she says, almost pleading.

“tell me how much you want me,” his breath brushes down her neck.

“i—i want to ride you,” hailey suddenly sits up and pushes jongin back so that his back is against the headboard.

he grips his cock and begins jerking himself off as she crawls towards him. the vulgar moans that leave his lips are really something else, out of this world. she grips the headboard before climbing across his lap, thighs settling on each side of his hips.

jongin’s moment of masterbation stops when hailey grips his hand that is around himself. and then she whispers. “fuck me as hard as you can, jongin.”

she knows jongin would snap at the fact that she swore in his ear. jongin loves it when she whispers profanity into his ear because she never does it outside of the bedroom.

and he did. he grips her hips roughly and sunk her down onto his cock. he moans at how easy it is to slip into her slick folds. jongin takes a moment for her tight walls adjust around him, earning a loud whimper from her.

“fuck,” jongin grits his teeth together. pleasure travels throughout his body in waves.

she begins rolling her hips against his, chest flush on him. his lips are parted while quite gasps and pants slip out of them as he sinks into her to the hilt. both of their moans clash against each other, pleasure finally reciprocating.

a rhythm is quick to develop, especially with a man like jongin. he’s a dancer and smooth rhythms come naturally to him. his abs presses against her when he captures her in a kiss, hands on her jaw as he rocks himself into her.

his huge length in her is so euphoric, so perfect. she throws her head back with her hands still holding onto the headboard, like she’ll fall apart if she lets go. aside from her grip, jongin’s arms are wrapped securely around her waist when he begins a more punishing rhythm, finding himself too needy and frantic to go slow on her.

“shit, jongin,” she moans, hand reaching down to find her clit.

“no,” he objects and releases an arm from around her to grip her hand. “don’t.”

he flips the both of them over, until he’s lying in between her legs, cock still in her. “i want you come by me, and me only.”

she moans at his tone, hips bucking and already feeling pressure at her lower abdomen. not yet, she tells herself. or rather, her body. she throws her arms around his neck to tug him even closer to her.

“fuck,” he manages to sheath himself even deeper, brushing a spot that made hailey see stars. his head rests beside her head, forearms braced beside her face.

jongin grunts and pants are silenced when hailey pulls him to her and presses her lips against his, drowning out all that comes out of the filthy mouth of his. it doesn’t take a long time for her spine to grow more and more intense as he continues rocking into her.

“i’m going to come,” she grinds out quietly into his ear, fingers digging into his back even harder wit each snap of his hips.

“come for me, baby.” his proceeds with a faster pace, feeling his own release about to strike him.

with one last thrust, her vision blurs as all she sees is white, pleasure shooting up her spine. he grits his teeth and throws his head back as he follows suit, jongin moans against her, trembling. he collapses gently against her body, trembling and sweating. he falls to the side, facing her.

“we need to to this more,” he slings an arm around her waist, a smile playing at his lips.

“come up with more idée fixes then,” hailey turns to look at him.

“oh i will,” he grins.

[feminarrie]

ice and tanqueray - three

warning(s): this series contains smut (18+)

[ masterlist ] / [ story tag ] / [ niall tag ]

a/n: again, thank you for being patient and allowing me to revamp this series! from now on, you’ll be getting newer glimpses into the lives of these two! 

The First Trip Abroad

It’s been a little over a week since Louis had suggested using the trip to Barcelona as a way for Niall to come clean about his feelings. The thought had been at the forefront of his mind and left Niall distracted in many of his meetings. Even when he’s home and the stress of the day has been washed down the drain, it lingers within the droplets of water on his skin.

He isn’t sure if he should ask her, if he’s honest. Niall’s fearful that she will think it’s an abuse of power on his part. Between wining and dining her, he knows that it’s possible for it to be misconstrued that way. But, that isn’t his intention. He isn’t some low life that uses his position as a way to get a pretty girl under his thumb. He only wants to make his feelings known so that, even if she does reciprocate them, they can move forward. Because Niall really doesn’t like feeling like a schoolboy that has fallen in love with the first pretty girl he has seen.

The days are winding down, though. There are only three days to make the proper arrangements if Y/N does choose to come with him. Yet, he is still sat at his desk staring at a blank screen while she chatters away on the phone to some business exec. She glances back at him with a roll of her eyes and gestures to the phone. Niall laughs softly, lifting his shoulders in an exaggerated shrug before dropping them.

He really should ask her. He’ll regret it if he doesn’t.

Niall continues to chew on the thought, rolling words over his tongue and rehearsing the best way to ask her. He sits there for so long, mind so riddled with anticipation that he doesn’t even realize Y/N has entered the room until she’s stood beside his desk. It nearly makes him jump out of his skin, but a short string of curses erupt from his chest.

“What’s so interesting that you’re sitting in silence?” Y/N jokes, a teasing glint in her eye.

His cheeks stain red at being caught up in his thoughts, but Niall quickly clears his throat and pushes some hair away from his forehead. His fingers become slightly tacky with residue from the gel holding his quiff in place and he’s reaching for a tissue to wipe it from them. It’s also a welcome distraction from Y/N, who is hovering so close to him that he can smell her perfume. It’s a mixture of the smell after rain and some fragrant flower petals, but he isn’t quite sure which ones.

“Just a little bit distracted today,” he says, clicking his computer mouse a few times to bring the screen back to life. “Have you got anything for me?”

Y/N nods with a soft smile, although her eyes remain questioning. She can see it in the way Niall’s tongue presses to the back of his teeth that he wants to tell her more, but she doesn’t push it. Instead, she pulls the pen from her notepad and places it behind her ear as she lists off his upcoming appointments and missed calls.

“Louis called about a business trip coming up in a few days. He wants to know if he’ll need to watch Murphy for you,” Y/N says, glancing between the pad of paper and Niall. “I told him he wouldn’t have to, if you didn’t mind me taking care of him.”

Niall suppresses a sigh that fights to inflate his lungs. Although subtle to Y/N, the push to ask her to accompany him on a business trip is blatant to Niall. Especially when he knows that the six year old golden retriever will be cared for by Harry, a mutual friend and Niall’s former roommate.

“About that, pet.” Niall says after another clearing of his throat.

Might as well bite the bullet now, he thinks. Y/N’s eyes are expectant, pupils dancing across his face to find a reason for his nervousness.

“I know it’s short notice, but I could really use your help during that trip.” He says, tongue darting out to lick his lower lip. “It won’t be all business, though. S’ Barcelona, after all and beautiful this time of year.”

Niall watches Y/N’s features change with a series of emotions. Excitement flashes in her eyes at first, a broad smile to match. But, her brows soon pinch together and she looks contemplative, mulling over her decision. It makes Niall’s knee bounce in anticipation of her answer, but he tries not to rush her. Even when she opens her mouth just to close it again, lips making a quiet popping noise each time.

“I- I would love to, Niall, but…” she pauses, lip coming to rest between her teeth for just a moment. “I can’t exactly afford to fly to Barcelona, financially or with school.”

Well, she could afford the short flight to Barcelona. But, even a two night stay in the city would cost more than half of her rent.

Her tone is apologetic, but Niall is shaking his head already to quiet any further apologies. Y/N’s worries over her course work and money had not gone unnoticed by Niall. In fact, the former is painfully obvious when two cups of coffee are already in the bin by the time he strolls into the office at nine in the morning. It becomes even more evident when big exams roll around and she’s asleep at her desk, right cheek dented with the edge of her notebooks.

“You wouldn’t be paying, Y/N.” Niall chuckles softly, the noise coming from deep within his chest when he sees heat blossom on her cheeks. “Besides, s’just a long weekend. I know you don’t have class Thursday through Sunday anyway. Just those four days, pet.”

Y/N’s top teeth pinch the corner of her lower lip, her tongue rolling over the pink flesh inside. The fear of getting behind on any homework keeps the urge to blurt out an excited ‘yes’ at bay. Being behind on work makes Y/N feel as if she is not in control of her time and surroundings. It ignites a feeling of stress within her that scorches her from the inside out until she’s caught up or having a breakdown, whichever comes first.

“You could take the next few days to get a headstart on your coursework. That way you can enjoy yourself, too.”

Her lower lip is still pinched between her teeth and her eyes dance across the top of Niall’s desk. She wonders briefly if bees had burrowed their way through exposed pieces of the wood that are only filled with clear lacquer. Lets her mind wander and question if the brunette haired boy had paid just a little extra for the one of a kind piece. Y/N is so caught up in her winding thoughts that she doesn’t see the slight twitch of Niall’s right index finger atop his desk, a sign of his nerves getting the better of him. She doesn’t miss the clearing of his throat, however.

“Oh,” Y/N says, finally freeing the now swollen flesh of her lip from its confines. “You’ve really thought this through, huh?”

Niall nods with a small laugh and a genuine smile that shows his teeth.

“I really would like you to go with me, Y/N.” He admits, “It would help me out a lot.”

The cadence of Niall’s voice is enough to quiet all of the excuses that sit just past the tip of her tongue. Y/N swallows thickly before nodding. Her eyes meet Niall’s and there’s a small glimmer of excitement that dances in the reflection of light in her irises. Gradually do her lips stretch into a smile that matches his own, both full of excitement and nervousness.

Niall stayed true to his word when he had offered Y/N the opportunity to use the rest of the week to get ahead on her work. She had worked tirelessly on a fifteen page paper about the rise and fall of Roman Empire, only taking breaks to shove all of her necessities into her suitcase. So, when she arrives at the airport nearly two hours before their 8am flight, it is safe to say that she is exhausted.

Her hair is pulled back from her face while she looks cozy in a navy blue sweater and leggings tucked into a comfortable pair of sneakers. She looks like the very definition of soft from where Niall stands beside her in line for a cup of coffee. If he allows himself to be hopeful, his only desire would be to have Y/N lay her head on his shoulder during the short flight. He allows himself to think that it is a possibility when she stretches her jaw wide with a yawn, a hand coming up to cover her mouth.

“Sorry,” she mumbles from behind her hand, moisture collecting in the corners of her eyes after yawning. “Pretty sure I went to bed ‘round half past midnight. So, I’m just really tired.” She rubs at her eyes as if to emphasize her fatigue.

Niall chortles, his own fatigue evident in the crease of his brow and red rimmed eyelids. “No need to apologize, pet. S’an early flight,” he says, his own voice still somewhat thick due to the early hours of the morning.

Their conversation pauses as Y/N shifts her attention to the barista. She refrains from ordering something with a shot of espresso because she has every intention, if Niall’s willing to swap seats, to rest her head against the window to sleep for the entirety of the short flight. A two hour nap would help her re-energize before she’s thrown into whatever work Niall has her doing. He’s only told her about some meetings with potential clients and more excitingly, agents that would work in a satellite office in Barcelona. Niall had tasked her with confirming his appointments upon their arrival, but her knowledge of her responsibilities stopped there.

Although Niall wishes to pay for Y/N, he stays put while she fishes a few notes out from a purse. He knows that she would just chatsie him for even attempting to pay for it. Especially considering that he has dipped into his own pocket to pay for her flight and separate hotel room. She doesn’t know that, though. He had shied away from telling her that he wouldn’t be charging the expense to the business account. Because now, he knows her well enough to know that she would have denied going even if he did need her help.

“I noticed our first meeting isn’t until seven, tonight.” Y/N says, stepping aside after having retrieved her drink.

“Thought I’d give us a chance to settle in before I show you around the city, if that’s alright with you?” Niall asks and he’s inwardly annoyed that he feels unsure of himself.

The feeling goes away shortly thereafter, though. When Y/N is looking at him with tired eyes and a soft smile, nodding her head. She only requests that Niall allows her to shower before she has to wander the streets of Barcelona. And Niall agrees that a shower after an early morning flight was more than a good idea.

It would allow him enough time to gather himself before they were fully consumed by the beauty of Barcelona. Well, moreso Y/N than him. He’s sure that he’ll be more enraptured by seeing her surrounded by the beautiful colors of the surrounding artwork and architecture that goes back more than a millenia than the actual city itself.

If he allows himself to dwell on that thought, Niall knows that he would be overcome with anxiety that has already taken up residence in his bones. And perhaps some of the jitters are from the flight that boards in just a short amount of time. But, Niall knows that most of them are due to the fact that he has every intention of asking Y/N to go to dinner with him, at some point during the trip…and he has no idea how she will react.

[endofjunee]

📖 sweet, sweet fate by @bottomlinsons Harry’s lived with a NSFW soulmark for almost twenty-five years now. When he finally meets the man responsible, he gives him a little piece of his mind. 🌷 Everywhere And Nowhere by @2tiedships2​ Niall took a seat and said, "Apparently Louis' downstairs neighbor is a fan of giving Louis creepy gifts. Maybe I should go introduce myself and tell him that Louis actually prefers food." "What has he given you?" Liam asked.Louis shrugged as it were no big deal. "There was a rabbit's foot keychain on the door a little after he left from introducing himself and there was a small teddy bear sitting by my door tonight. Obviously I can't prove it's from him, but they seem to have his scent. I could be wrong though." "Wow," Liam said, looking deep in thought. "That's old school." "What's old school?" Niall asked. "Giving creepy gifts?" "I've never known an alpha to do it, to be honest, but he's courting you." Louis couldn't contain his look of disbelief directed at Liam. "He's courting me. Like some sort of romantic shit they'd do in the 1800s or something?"

📖 all we can do is keep breathing by @avocadolouie “Harry, I-I’m so sorry…” Louis stutters out, trying to keep his voice level and even, to portray a depiction of strength, but with the way Harry is looking at him, staring at him like he has a personal passage way straight to Louis’ soul, it’s so hard, nearly impossible. That simple opening phrase, that short introductory acknowledgement that is often rushed out so easily, painlessly, at a safe distance. Giving a doctor the ability to portray empathy without true emotion, without feeling the full brunt and sheer force of the underlying pain itself. But Louis feels it, he feels the crushing agony laced behind the phrase, he feels the weight of the painful words slipping from his lips, the cause and effect that the three-word expression holds. The distantly empty “I’m so sorry” that doctors throw out in self-preservation, isn’t at all empty for him. Louis recognizes it, he understands it, he feels it.  Or, a fated story of two broken and battered boys who barely survived the unimaginable and how the love of one little brave girl defies all the odds and somehow puts them back together. 🌷 Baby Honey by @bringmetheharry “Lou, did you see these little baby tea boxes I found yesterday?” He tossed one towards Louis and watched as it thumped Louis in the head. Louis groaned and reached for the little box, rolling it around in his hands, “If you’re about to make a joke about me. I strongly suggest you don’t.” Harry frowned and bounced his tea bag in the water watching the liquid darken, “M’ not! I just thought the baby tea boxes were cute.” Louis’ eyes narrowed and he looked at the tiny boxes, and back at Harry. Harry watched, he could see the wheels turning inside of Louis’ mind. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Louis looked at the box once more and back at Harry Or, After four years of Marriage, Harry discovers he is expecting. He could go home and hand the ultrasound photo to his amazing husband, Louis. Or… he could have some fun with this. Only Louis catching on to all the hints Harry is dropping. Or is he? 📖 Do You Wanna Ride by @phd-mama When Liam’s attractive new business partner wins riding lessons with Harry, hilarity ensues. 🌷 Tainted Saints And Velvet Vices by @toomanylarrytears A self-fulfilling Hogwarts AU in which Louis is new to seventh year and Harry is the resident devil-may-care Slytherin set to make his entire experience a living misery. Due to less than favourable circumstances they’re forced to forge an unwilling, tentative relationship for their own survival. Repressed emotions, decidedly unromantic ballroom dancing, Triwizard Tournament tasks, creative jinxes and twilight flying above the Forbidden Forest ensue. 📖 the act of making noise by @suspendrs “Oh,” Harry frowns, waving him off. “No, I could never. I respect myself too much to sing for a living.” It feels like a slap across the face, but Louis does his best not to stiffen, blinking once and then frowning. “What?” “Those people are always so miserable, you know?” Harry says, hopping down off his stool and straightening his sweater. “There’s so much pressure on them, and they have to work so hard to keep up appearances, I can’t even imagine how difficult that is. I can’t even stand to listen to pop music today, let alone watch TV or read the magazines. It makes me so sad, thinking that those people, you know, the ones who actually went into it with heart, they only ever just wanted to make music and instead they got turned into things on leashes being paraded around to make money for other people,” he says. “Anyway, you can have the stool.”  Or, Louis’s famous, Harry has no idea who he is, and they get snowed in together at a ski lodge in Vermont. 🌷 Laundry Room by @thelovejandles The third Wednesday of the new year, Louis finds himself in the laundry room, just as he was the last Wednesday and the one before that. He’s doing pretty well with his New Year’s resolution. The only problem so far is the company he finds in the laundry room. It seems that it’s just him and one other boy who’ve chosen late Wednesday nights as prime laundry-doing time. That wouldn’t be a problem except for who the other boy is. He’s seen this boy around; it’s hard to miss the long-legged, long-haired dream that lives in Louis’ complex. He likes to wear very sheer shirts and very high boots; he is incredibly fucking gorgeous and yeah, Louis’ noticed him but he’s never spoken to him. Until tonight, apparently.  Or, Louis and Harry are both students living in the same apartment complex. They end up having the same laundry night and time. Louis can’t stop staring at Harry and he can’t figure out why Harry consistently points out Louis’ inside-out shirts, and his untied shoes, and messy hair. Enter slow burn-ish flirting, banter, awkwardness, and a lot of laundry. 📖 your rainbow will come smiling through by @hazkabaan When harry isn’t working at his stepfather’s cafe, he’s trying to make swim captain and trying to finish all his coursework on time. when he’s not doing any of those things, he’s talking to the boy he met on the oxford hopefuls subreddit. when they decide to meet, he’s elated. he finally gets the chance to meet the boy he’s been crushing on! when the day comes to meet his prince, he learns that his online crush is none other than louis tomlinson, captain of the football team and friend of his terrible stepbrothers. now harry has to decide whether telling louis the truth is the right choice or if it’s better to just let sleeping dogs lie.  Or, a cinderella story au 🌷 Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by @allwaswell16 Louis is having a personal crisis, a third Valentine’s Day being single. Unless he meets someone this week at the high end department store he works at, he’ll be stuck going to Niall’s Valentine’s Day party–again.  Or, the one where Harry mistakes Louis for a mannequin. 📖 Falling For Me Won’t Be A Mistake by @all-these-larrythings Harry is married to his job and so overworked that he doesn’t know how to stop. All it takes is a forced Hawaiian get-a-away, the warm tropical breeze of the island, and the most beautiful, elusive man he’s ever seen to make him remember what living is like outside of work. Well, that, and the little souvenir he accidentally takes home with him. 🌷 Latching Onto You by @reminiscingintherain “Wait a sec,” Harry interrupted. “Zayn and Liam?” “Yeah, my best mates, who are getting married?” Louis said slowly, slightly baffled at the question. “This is a gay wedding?” “Is that going to be a problem?” Louis asked, his voice losing its friendly edge and taking on a decidedly icy tone.  Or, the one where Louis wants to book Harry Styles to perform at his best friends’ wedding. 📖 Face Your Fears by @sadaveniren Harry is a single father, pretending to be a beta after his alpha mated him and left him. He’s getting by just fine raising the twins when Louis walks into his bakery. Too bad him and Louis will never be a thing. 🌷 streetwise hercules by @bottomlinsons “I said,” Louis’ voice is venomous, “who the fuck is this?”  Right.  This is Harry’s part.  Or Uni AU, where Louis pretends to be Harry’s boyfriend to scare away his one night stands. 📖 Counterbalance by @louandhazaf Harry Styles loves two things: teaching ballet and racing motorcycles. Those two worlds collide when his greatest rival on the track, Louis “Tommo” Tomlinson brings his tiny siblings to Harry’s class. 🌷 cut your teeth on my heart by @turnyourankle (WIP) Louis has worked as a security officer for years, but he’s handed his first opportunity to be team lead. The assignment is nothing like what he expected. Harry has spent years trying to distance himself from the pressure of the Twist name and legacy. But it’s going to be hard to avoid when his mum hires him a bodyguard. 📖 wild love twisting all over for you by @angelichl Harry and Louis meet on the set of a video.

[the-canary]

Last Night’s Story - B.B (2/8)

Summary: Who thought one single night would have brought you both here. (Reader/Stripper!Bucky Barnes)

A/N: special thanks to @isavuu and @jaamesbbarnes for their support and ideas! i am trying to navigate through the beginnings of a relationship as someone who has never been one. please let me know how i am doing! 

Prologue | Drabble | Part 1 | Masterlist

Feedback is always welcomed.

It’s something that you notice early on with James, that he doesn’t let you near his left side. You barely remember the shining gunmetal arm from the night you first meet, you had been too drunk to take notice of anything else outside of the kiss, but you knew it was there. You were also aware that he had done his tours of duty as a young, idealistic man that wanted to serve his country and how he had come back barely alive and how the nightmares seem to come from time to time.

Bucky was open about a lot of things in the three months since you had started going out on dates, but there were others her was a shut book about. It was a little odd, having to push and pull when it came to what he wanted to talk about -- you knew there were times --when his jaw tightens in just a certain way-- that there was something he wanted to say or complain about, maybe coursework or work, but he never really opened his mouth about anything. You weren’t sure how to handle that, so you went to the only person you could really ask.

“It sounds like he doesn’t want to burden you,” Natasha explains before taking a bite out of her Sunday brunch special, as you stare at you own food for a moment.

Since meeting the redhead, she had been a fixture of sorts in your life and while she hadn’t meet Bucky --hell, Wanda didn’t even know yet-- she was supportive of the relationship after the second date, regardless of how you two had meet. Nat had been there that night, so she knew how much Bucky was attracted to you from that very moment, she thought it was cute that everything had worked so that the two of you could meet again, but she was also there to help her newfound friend.

“Why would he think that?” you asks, obviously confused about the whole situation. Nat sighs, knowing that she would need to explain somethings -- she was aware that you didn’t date much and were barely in any solid, long lasting relationship before this.

You must’ve liked Bucky quite a lot if you were trying so hard this time.

“James sounds like a man who has seen a lot. I’m sure he gets help through the VA and his own friends,” Nat starts off while cutting her egg benedict into smaller pieces, “He probably hasn’t dated seriously in a very long time. You being the first, he probably doesn’t want to put too much on your shoulders, especially if it could push you away.”

“I--I--”

“Think about your next words seriously,” green eyes look to meet yours, “You haven’t dated for awhile either. How are you going to take on his burdens? What steps can you take to support him without suffocating him either?”

“I don’t know,” you sigh out in defeat, as Natasha can’t help but smile for just a moment.

“Here’s the thing,” Nat answers back, “He probably doesn’t know either. This is a two way street and you have to find out by taking baby steps around each other. And maybe it’ll work and maybe it won’t.”

You give her a small smile and nod before going back to your food. The rest of the meal is spent talking about her work and her latest romantic fling -- an mysterious archery instructor that she meet through work and while your work isn’t as glamorous as her, she still makes you talk about the latest project you had finished. By the end, as you take your separate ways, you’re laughing and Nat has a subdued smile on her face. She gives your one last serious look.

“If you get anymore serious with this Bucky, I’m gonna have to meet him.”

Your heart stops at the implication, that this has not only for your relationship with James but also your budding friendship with Nat and you pause for a brief moment before nodding in complete certainty.

 “He’s been staring at his phone for awhile now.”

“His gal’s gotta big presentation this morning. He’s been cheering her since he woke up.”

“Wow, he’s really serious about this.”

“Like a heart attack.”

 Due to Bucky’s schedule, you have gotten to meet every other Friday since your first date. He would usually pick you up for a date in the evening or as he was slowly growing accustomed to -- picking you up from work, grabbing some dinner, and heading over to your place since you lived alone in a very small apartment. It was little nerve wracking to have him in your place at first, but slowly you got used to seeing the large man on your very tiny loveseat or sitting across from you on your makeshift countertop.

You laugh and watch a movie, or talk about your very boring day as he talked about work and school. However, tonight was different, you could sense it in how he moved about --tense and somber-- and how his eyes were a bit more gray than the blue that sparkled when he laughed at one of your jokes. It’s when you’re both sitting on the couch and trying to watch a movie that the irritability hits a new high, as Bucky moves away from you and keeps moving his hand in annoyance.

“Is something wrong?” you asks softly, only for him to get up and make his way into your bathroom near the back of the apartment.

It’s a good ten minutes before Bucky comes back to hit on the couch, a nervous look on his face as his right leg keeps bouncing back and forth. However, you are silent and give him a warm smile, so that he knows that you aren’t mad at him -- just confused. He pushes a strand of his hair back and takes a deep breathe before he starts talking.

“Sometimes, I just have those days where my old pains just flare up...for no damn reason,” he rolls his shoulder, “My shoulder hurts and I have hard time just doing anything. It’s one of those days, but I didn’t wanna cancel on ya.”

You nod, as he keeps talking while motioning to his left ear: “I always have ya on my right side cause sometimes I can’t hear well from this ear.”

“Buck, why didn’t you tell me?” is all you can really ask in regards to this new information, as he just shrugs.

“I didn’t wanna,” he starts off, but doesn’t end it though you understand well enough what he was trying to say.  

He looks down to the floor like a scolded puppy. Suddenly, you remember what Nat had told you a few days beforehand, as you give the man a soft smile while pressing your hand on his bearded cheek.

“Whatever you need from me, I’m here for you, James,” you start, showing that you would never be angry at him if he needed to cancel, “I know it’s hard to understand, hell I feel it too sometimes, but you’re never a burden to me.”

Bucky stays silent, as you keep talking -- completely mesmerized over how you just seems to get it.

“My friend told me a relationship is a two-way street,” you explain, remembering what you had talked about with Nat, “Just like I might need things from you sometimes, I know you will too. Don’t hesitate, just because you don’t want to burden me.”

God, how are you real?

That’s really the only thing that Bucky can think of at the moment, as you move in a little closer and press a kiss on his nose. The leg shaking has seemed to have stopped, but you could tell that Bucky was tired and still strung over the edge with whatever pain that he may be dealing with and that certainly wasn’t the way that you wanted him to leave your apartment -- you would be sick with with worry until he got home.

“You could stay, if you want,” you state a little shyly, as blue eyes widen for a split second before your correct yourself,  “I mean, not in that sort of way.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Bucky concedes with shrug, “If you don’t mind.”

You grin, setting up the couch and some tea to call it a night and while Bucky is still quieter than usual -- you feel a bit close together as he ends up pulling you closer towards the end of the movie you were watching, only to end up sleeping on your shoulder. You soon follow him to the land of sleep and while it might not have been the route to take, you were happy that Bucky was slowly opening up to you.

Part 3

[umichenginabroad]

Arte, Historia, y Cosas al Azar

Argentina has a lot of history and many places to display it. Aside from the different parks and plazas with statues of historical figures, there’s tons of museums to go to as well.

As a part of class, we visited a few different museums that were related to the coursework we were learning in our culture and civilization course. The first place we went was the Carlos Gardel Museum.

The museum was located in what used to be his mother’s house

Carlos Gardel is strongly associated with the tango due to how he recorded the first tango song with words, “Mi Noche Triste”. His museum displayed a list of the hundreds of songs he has recorded and re-recorded throughout his career. He revolutionized the world of tango, but died in a plane crash unfortunately. He is still highly revered and respected today for all he has done for tango.

The second museum we went to for class was the José Hernández museum. José Hernández was a famous writer who wrote the poem “Martin Fierro” which described the daily life and struggles of gauchos.

The current exhibit at the museum showed art work made out of different cloths and fabrics stitched together

Hernández’s work was highly popular so he made a sequel to his work. As the gaucho is a national image of Argentina, his work is very important in its history.

The last place we went during class was the Kirchner Cultural Center (CCK) which was actually closed the day we tried to go so I went back another time. The CCK is a huge building that has many different floors to it with different exhibits. It is free to enter and very pretty inside.

The entrance to the museum as we walked in

The middle of the museum houses an auditorium that reminds me of an IMAX theater of some sort. It was surrounded in a metal mesh type material and i’m sure it has great acoustics.

We didn’t research what was there beforehand so we just wandered through a few levels. We found an exhibit called La Marca Original: Arte Argentino which I can only describe as random. We walked around the two floors and were surprised by things like beds made out of sand and rooms with cool neon lights or random art.

The sand room and a room where anyone can draw a tree on the wall using chalk

I didn’t understand fully much of what was going on, but it did keep me on my toes. There was also a visual and sound art exhibit and we went in a room that was pitch black and listened to sounds from the creator—a man running and breathing heavy, glass breaking, etc. Kinda scary but hey to each their own.

Outside of class there are a few other museums that are famous in Buenos Aires. El Museo de Bellas Artes is a popular art museum that displays what it’s named after, pretty art! When we were there the machines weren’t working so we got in for free and got to browse around! But for anyone interested, I’m pretty sure it’s free to go on Tuesdays and a few other times throughout the week.

A few of the art pieces we saw

Now I’m not a huge museum person, but I still enjoyed seeing the different art styles and how they varied.

In addition to different art museums from class and around Buenos Aires, we had a trip for our thermodynamics class. As thermodynamics is a lot about creating energy, we went to a power plant, Enel, on the south side of the city to see some boilers and combination cycle machines.

We got hard hats, glasses, and earplugs for protection and saw the machines and control room

After learning about them these past six weeks it was interesting to see how large, complex, and loud they are in person.

A figure that brought a lot of awareness to human rights issues in the 20th century was a cartoon girl named Mafalda and nicknamed as “the girl who made the world listen”. She was most popular in the 60’s-70’s, but while we learned about her in clsss it was interesting to see that she talked about a lot of the issues that we still see today.

Me and Mafalda!

There’s a famous statue of her and a few other characters from the series that we found while we were at the San Telmo fair a few weeks ago. Mafalda talk about human rights and equality issues and her friends were a wide array of personalities from a girl who only cared about getting married to a boy who was a lone wolf. There are murals of Mafalda all around the city if you look closely.

As I’m writing this we finished classes and only have two days left in the city. Being as I love to travel, I as heading over to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay for the day since its so close and would be a shame not to see. Final exams and papers are over (I passed woo!!) and tonight everyone is getting together for one last dinner together at the first steak place we went.

Being as this experience is close to an end, I decided to point out some random interesting things I’ve seen around the city.

- The lights have a yellow light anytime they switch from red to green as well as green to red

- They have a lot of bagged foods like ketchup and milk which I know is common outside of he U.S. but still threw me for a loop

- Many of their parks have workout centers with simple bar set ups and metal workout machines for people to exercise with which many do

- Most kiosks are open 24 hours but they will put the gate down at night and you order items through a little window in it if you need something

- The dog walkers in this city are insane and I’ve seen some walking around 15 dogs at a time

- The dogs here are generally very well behaved and some don’t even need a leash—I saw one once where the owner went in the store to by food and it just waited outside and watched for them to come back out

- The majority of the city doesn’t have much street parking and instead there are many underground lots under apartment buildings that beep loudly and flash when a car comes out of it

See ya later!

———

Larissa Wermers

Mechanical Engineering

Engineering in Buenos Aires, Argentina