#he entered the project as it was in the middle of development

[latin-dr-robotnik]

What do you think the next Sonic game should be about?

Please... PLEASE let it be a full game based on some kind of megacity or something, especially if it's a new metropolis built by Eggman.

I've gone about this a ton of times in the past, but now that Frontiers is out and proved the open zone is actually a good idea, I'd love to see them try a denser environment, one that better blends old 3D level design conventions with the open zone freedom.

Eggman has built or taken over a massive metropolis with several districts you have to explore and liberate, just like the islands in Frontiers. Each district is part of the same city but at the same time they're different enough from each other in aesthetics and mechanics. You may have your regular futuristic looking district, followed by some sort of "Egg Gardens" area, a casino/carnival district, maybe even some sort of underground/ancient ruins district buried under the city. Everywhere you look you see Eggman's face, colors and logos, and it's your job to do enough damage to tear it all down and face down each big boss controlling the districts. Now that I think about it, sounds kinda like what we expected out of Sonic Forces.

I think the open zone worked well in Frontiers, but the natural environments and sometimes their sheer size fought a bit against the floating rails and platforms. A more contained and condensed environment could probably make those bits of level design flow better and extract a lot more out of Sonic's movement options.

Imagine the final district is Eggmanland but open zone. I'd pay big bucks for that.

[imthenextrobin]

i love how teen Damian acts because yes, that boy IS a teen. he’s actually growing up and developing his frontal lobe. like UHRJRHD

anyways hc that Dick, Jason, and Tim all act like mothers who realize their baby is growing up. Similar to that one scene in the Simpson where it shows teenage Bart, and Marge begs him to say one of his old insults again, but he doesn’t want to because he’s grown up

Dick, noticing Damian’s homework on his desk while he was bothering him: What? Why do you have high school homework?

Damian, confused because he’s halfway done with high school: ??? It’s my homework what??

Dick, with tears now forming in his eyes: No it’s not. Jeez tell me no it’s not you’re still in middle school what. TIM GET IN HERE BACK ME UP

Tim enters, uninterested but later gets confused because? Yeah?? Why is Damian doing high school work? He’s just a little kid??

( Jason is the only one who’s semi-fine with it, only because Damian had asked for his help a good amount of times during his school projects related literature. He’s secretly cried about it the first time Damian asked for help, but he’s willing to take that to the grave for the second time)

[batboyblog]

Happy 100th Birthday to President Jimmy Carter

Born October 1st 1924

Carter was America's 39th President serving from 1977 till 1981. President Carter is notable for many reasons, the first American President to oversee a Middle East peace deal ending 30 years of war between Egypt and Israel, the first President to address climate change, and established the Departments of Education and Energy. After his 1980 defeat by Republican Ronald Reagan Carter would redefine what it is a former President is supposed to do. His 40 years out of office saw the Carters work tirelessly on humanitarian projects around the world. Carter worked with Habitat for Humanity to build houses for those in need across America well into his 90s. Carter also worked to combat decease in the developing world particularly Africa. President Carter once said he wanted only to live long enough to outlive the last Guinea worm, a goal he may have reached, when the Carter Center started its work in 1986 there were 3.5 million cases, so far in 2024, 4. In 2002 President Carter became the first and only American President to win the Nobel Peace Prize for activities after their Presidency. He was awarded the prize for the Carter Center's work promoting Democracy and Human Rights around the world. Carter's political reputation in the US has long been overshadowed by his 1980 loss and the rough end of his Presidency but in 2010s and 2020s President Carter has become more engaged with domestic politics campaigning and speaking in his native Georgia. In February 2023 aged 98 President Carter decided to enter hospice care, and many believed the end was near. 19 months later Carter is celebrating his 100th birthday. Sadly his beloved wife of 77 years former First Lady Rosalynn Carter passed away in November 2023. Many commented on a frail President Carter's personal strength appearing in person at her funeral. President Carter's Family reports that since Kamala Harris entered the 2024 race he's become more alert and following events more closely. When asked about his upcoming birthday Carter told his grandson that he's looking forward to being 100, but what he really wants is to make it to November 5th and cast his last vote for Kamala Harris for President.

[iz-star]

Do you ever think how Zayne was only 12 when he started to have nightmares and 22 years old when he went to that mission at Mt Eternal, not frontal lobe totally developed yet, a young man recently entering the cruel adult world especially in his profession and, William, one of his only friends at college, someone he trusted on and saw as his colleague (unlike Carter), and worked under his wing (Zayne was William's intern) asked Zayne who he wrote his last wishes to in case they couldn't return, but William was so sure they would return so he promissed Zayne that he would introduce him the person he wrote his last wishes, but didn't survive and later on we find that that person was William's girlfriend?

Do you ever think how Sienna asked Zayne to keep William's badge of honor so she could pretend that he was just in another of his travels bc of his work but would return later? So that way she could pretend that he wasn't already gone?

Do you ever think how when Zayne returned at Mt Eternal, thought of William and his girlfriend and asked himself if you would be just as devastated if he didn't return to your side? If you'd be upset if you two never saw each other again?

Do you ever think how in the middle of the battlefield at Mt Eternal five years ago, William made Zayne to confess that one of the reasons he's the most desperate about saving people is bc he almost accidentally killed you? Do you ever think how when you found him in Mt Eternal five years later during his research project, he couldn't tend to your wounds from an attack he caused himself and asked you to be away from him because he was scared to lose control of his evol? The PSTD plastered all over his face.

Do you ever think how you followed Zayne to the same place he last saw William? That the only reason you didn't end up the same way as Sienna, is because you went the fuck up there at the top of Mt Eternal to BRING. YOUR. MAN. BACK. ?

Do you ever think how you've followed this man to the places that have haunted him like hell, that you followed him all the way up to Mt Eternal and later on you even followed him in his OWN NIGHTMARES to face whatever the fuck is haunting him by his side?

And all of that because the heart remembers. Because in your previous lifes this man has loved you so much to betray his god, his duties, his own ethics and sacrifice himself and leave you behind if that guarantees your well being, your safety and that at least one of you two will survive.

Because he was born a tool and you made him feel so loved you showed what being free feels like so he turned his back to his god to turn you into his new religion? The way he now also follows you wherever you go even to put his name on the list that will head to the most dangerous zone just to ensure your safety? How you're not allowed to go without saying goodbye?

And now there's no place he can go where you can't follow. And there's no place you can go where he can't follow.

[davenporttf]

Bear Trap

Jake was a total dick and he was fine admitting it. He had the body to compensate for his short temper and overall unlikeable personality. He liked to think of himself as a real tradie through and through. He didn't care what the other guys thought of him because he knew he could do the job of three men by himself. When it came to the ladies, he was fine cutting things off after they started getting feelings. "Who hurt you?" the last one said when he broke it off. He smiled and replied "That'd be you for having to listen to you."

The crew had been working on a new apartment complex for a few weeks. The days were long and the middle of summer brought some very hot afternoons. Jake was working on installing a new water pipeline to the complex and removing the debris from all the jackhammering. They had been going at it since 7am and with the sun now beaming over him, he was feeling dehydrated. He forgot to bring his own water and was starting to regret it. He signaled over to the other guys that he was going to take a quick 15, and started walking towards the next door apartments.

Typically the neighbors next to their projects hated seeing them because of all the noise. He would see the dirty looks from the balconies but he would just wave at them to piss them off. Today he was going to play nice though, and beg for some water with a smile and an arm flex.

He went up to the first door and rang the doorbell. A few moments later, a loveable bear named Greg answered the door. He filled the door with his sturdy frame, and smiled at Jake. "Can I help you?"

"Hey man, sorry to bother you but I forgot my water today. Could I trouble you for some?" Jake said with the most charming smile he could manage.

"Yeah, of course! Why don't you come in and cool off and I'll grab you some water. I have the AC on." Greg offered kindly.

Jake was not about to pass up some free AC despite his reservations. "Yeah sure. Thanks, man." He entered the studio apartment looking around at Greg's very tidy apartment. "Have a seat on the couch, I'll grab you something to drink" Greg said as he walked to his kitchen.

Jake continued to look around and noticed some of the pride flags posted around the living room. "Awe fuck, a fag. Just great." he thought to himself as he took a seat on the sofa. He didn't like how all the gay guys looked him up and down. He worked hard to look good for the ladies, and felt uncomfortable when men shot glances his way. He had the urge to leave but the AC was feeling great against his skin, so he shoved his disdain to the side.

Greg could sense the hatred from Jake, and his overall douchebag demeanor. He had seen him for a few days now arguing with his coworkers and catcalling the women walking by. He didn't like the ripped guys, and tended to go for bears like himself. He had been living alone for a few years and with the rent about to go up due to the complex being built nextdoor, he was struggling. He didn't have an extra room to split with a roommate, and he wasn't having much luck in the boyfriend department. In the kitchen, Greg came up with an idea to fix his problem. He pulled out a bottle of water from the back of the fridge that he bought from a specialty store he frequented.

Greg walked back into the room and handed Jake the bottle of water. "Here ya go! Feel free to enjoy the air for a bit. You guys really seem to be working hard out there." Jake didn't waste a moment, and started chugging the water. The water tickled going down his throat and the water tasted so refreshing. He continued to chug the water as a bubbly feeling developed in his abdomen. Gurgles began to become audible as his stomach started to expand outward. Jake could feel his waistline pushing out against his jeans becoming more uncomfortable by the second. The water was too refreshing to stop so with his other hand he unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down to make room. Jake's pecs softened and inflated, losing definition. His arms became heavier with his biceps growing more doughy. His face rounded and lost it's definition with his chinstrap widening to a full beard.

With one hand on his belly rubbing it for comfort, Jake finished the bottle and looked around at his new form. He wanted to be disgusted with himself but his grip on his prior life was slipping away. He was liking the way he felt more powerful by his size and ran his hands all over. He looked around at the apartment feeling more at home.

"You look good handsome." Greg complimented as Jake looked up at him. Jake could feel himself growing attracted to Greg, especially his handsome features. Memories of them meeting out by the construction yard surfaced. He was always on the heavier side and the crew loved how strong he was moving around the debris. Greg had walked by one day and he couldn't help but catcall him. Luckily, Greg was flattered and found Jake extremely attractive sweating in the hot sun. Moving in together was the greatest thing to happen to him, and it helped that they could split the rent.

Jake started to paw at the bulge in his briefs, thinking of how sexy his boyfriend was. "What's say we cool off more in the shower?" Jake said devilishly. He got up and walked over to Greg adjusting to his newfound size. He took Greg by the hand and lead him into the bathroom for some much needed fun.

[nevesmose]

Separation 11347

This was, by Trazyn's infallible reckoning, his eleven thousand three hundred and forty-seventh divorce from Orikan. The Diviner, on the other hand, was adamant that it was in fact only their eleven thousand three hundred and forty-sixth. This dispute was what had caused the current divorce.

At first he had settled contentedly into his usual divorce routine, entering his meticulously-preserved time loop of a "Happy Divorce" party plucked from the Terran city-state of Nova Yoruk in early M3 as the Imperium kept its years.

As had been the case so many times before, the Lord of Solemnace basked over and over again in the reassurance of the assembled middle-aged humans that he was indeed so much better off without that asshole in his life, rounding off the festivities with a cake depicting a miniature confectionery figurine of Trazyn using a guillotine on a similarly-constructed sugar-based effigy of Orikan.

It was all very gratifying, and he was certain that when the amusement faded he would return to find Orikan waiting for him apologetically, his eminently bullyable faceplate resembling a weeping juvenile felid.

It was, however, not to be. He returned to the Galleries to find no trace whatsoever of Orikan. He was so disconcerted that he even briefly considered retrieving his much-prized clone of the primarch Fulgrim from stasis, but decided against it. It had, after all, only been a few subjective decades since he had placed the clone into a detailed diorama of the genuine being's final battle with his erstwhile companion Ferrus Manus for enrichment purposes. He had been thoroughly pleased with himself for coming up with entertainment of such realism and, judging by his mute tears of joy, so too was the clone.

What a wonderful caregiver I am, he had thought, jauntily walking away. Perhaps he and Orikan should adopt, which when used by Trazyn the Infinite is a word which means kidnap, an Astartes or Aeldari together.

Time passed and with no sign of Orikan's return, Trazyn felt it justifiable to seek other outlets for his multifarious urges. After exhausting every category on Cronhub and getting banned from Nemesorindr, he arose to find that the necrodermis of his lower limbs had spontaneously reformed itself into the shape of a baggy, ill-maintained example of the Terran garment known as sweatpants.

This could not stand. He resolved that he would start A Project, an undertaking of such majesty and glory that no one, least of all that cycloptic fool Orikan, could deny him the attention he deserved.

After brief forays into stop-motion animation and painting miniature Space Marines (accomplished by shrinking normal Astartes through arcane technosorcery and ignoring the resulting high-pitched noises as he applied pigment of a much too viscous consistency to their battleplate) his thoughts returned once more to his display of the battle between the primarchs on Isstvan V.

Theirs was a tragic tale of heartfelt companionship severed by corruption and betrayal. He himself had mentally projected several hundred phaeronfics about them to the great repository of the Necron race whose name, although untranslatable into any other language, was best rendered as The Sarcophagus-Belonging-To-Us-Alone, and some of them had even received multiple scarabs of approval from the discerning audience entrapped there forever.

Surely, he reasoned with the confidence of a being who had long since activated the developer console of his necrodermis body and manually increased its confidence, intelligence and charisma variables to 100, this meant that no one other than he could restore their friendship.

And so, in single-minded pursuit of compassion and friendliness, the Archaeovist and his forces wrought a swathe of destruction across the galaxy.

A foray into the Eye of Terror itself resulted in the capture of Fulgrim through the use of a vast two-pronged stick to pin the writhing daemon prince to the ground where he had been basking one day, while the sacrifice of his entire collection of ancient Terran doujinshis to the haemonculi of Commorragh itself had given him forbidden knowledge sufficient to wrest back the very soul of Ferrus Manus himself and place it into a suitably prepared necron host body via the biomorphic resonance of the necrodermis which had coated his hands in life.

Finally, the moment of glory came. The daemon Fulgrim and the metallically resurrected Ferrus Manus were placed into the same containment chamber and -

It was not at all what Trazyn had hoped. After a monumental bout of hand-to-hand combat lasting for hour upon hour, the two primarchs had settled into an uneasy stalemate, in the sense that Fulgrim was currently coiled around a light fixture on the ceiling and Ferrus had run out of objects to throw at him.

"You're even uglier now than you were when you had flesh," Fulgrim hissed venomously.

"And you were more of a snake then than you are now," Ferrus shot back, the frozen inexpressiveness of his necrodermis faceplate matching the famously stone-faced countenance he had displayed in life.

Fortunately Trazyn, who never made a mistake of any kind whatsoever, had prepared for such an eventuality. A concealed slot opened in the ceiling of the containment chamber, dislodging Fulgrim from his perch, and through the opening there descended a vast garment of woven silver-metallic fabric, emblazoned with inscrutable Necron symbols and sized in such a way as to accomodate the bodies of both primarchs.

"This is your get along shirt," Trazyn said, his voice amplified throughout the containment chamber. "You will wear it."

[crazycurly-77]

Games

Don't really know what possessed me to write this, but here it is. Have fun! 

After a hard and tiring case Tim, Tony, Abby and you were celebrating the successful completion in a cute little bar. Amazingly even Gibbs joined your round.

You had a lot of fun and at one point during the evening Tony discovered the little stage and the karaoke machine. So he suggested playing a game. You all cheered about this idea. The game you played was truth or dare and everybody agreed to play. 

To decide who's next Tony put an empty bottle in the middle of the table and spinned it around. 

Tim was the first to play and said “truth”. Abby laughed and cheered immediately and asked him “how do you like my new tattoo?” His head became a fiery red and he stuttered “it's hot.”

“Wheeee!!!” She was absolutely excited, which made even Gibbs laugh. He was sitting beside you and was very content about that, because he came to be able to spend a few nice hours with you outside of work. 

But that you didn't know. Sure, the two of you got along very well and in the last couple of months in which you were working with Abby the team became friends to you, but you developed tender feelings for the silver fox as well. 

That he developed deep feelings for you too was a fact and everybody saw his longing looks towards you, except yourself. You were busy with trying to hide your feelings and pining after him yourself. 

You laughed so hard because of Abby's lucky dance, that you nearly missed that the bottle had landed on Tony. With a mischievous grin he chose “dare”. “I see a karaoke machine on the stage. So I dare you to sing “Rock DJ” of Robbie Williams” Tim challenged him. 

Tony laughed and nodded saying “alright!” and walked towards the place of the upcoming desaster. He performed extremely good, but luckily he was good in his job. His singing had your ears nearly bleeding, but it was very funny. 

He came back to the table exhausted, panting heavily and laughing his ass off as you all did. Sitting down he grabbed the bottle and spinned it. 

Again you were lucky. Abby was next. “Truth” she said smiling widely. 

Tony grinned as only he could and then asked “do you and Tim have an affair?” 

She clapped her hands laughing again and yelled a loud “Yes! Sure!” 

Pour Tim became red as a tomato again and tried not to be seen. 

Gibbs only looked at him, but said nothing. In all the happiness the atmosphere was now a little tense, so Abby quickly took the bottle to lighten the mood once more. 

This time you had no such luck as previously. The bottle landed on you. You took a deep breath, closed your eyes and said “Dare”. 

Abby knew that you can sing, because you were sometimes singing when you were waiting for test results and she loved your voice. But she was the only one who knew of your talent. 

Secretly she planned on getting Gibbs and you together because of your feelings for one another and this game was her perfect chance to work on this project. So she dared you “you have to sing “Hallelujah” in the version of Rufus Wainwright.”

All were laughing and you shrugged your shoulders saying simply “okay.”

You entered the stage, went to the machine and put it off with the words “that I don't need” and you winked to the waiting people. 

Then you took a seat on the piano and began to play and to sing. You closed your eyes to feel the music as you sang and the whole room was silent. After the song ended and you stood to walk back to your colleagues your audience gave you standing ovations. 

Abby fell into your arms jumping up and down “I knew you would make it! And it was so wonderful! I love your voice!”

“Y/N! I didn't know you could sing. Why didn't you told me?” Tony pouted. 

You smiled “you didn't asked.”

Sitting beside Gibbs again he layed his hand on your shoulder and said “very good, Y/L/N. Should sing more often.”

He gave you such a warm and tender smile that your mind gone blank and your heart was racing in your chest. Could he hear and feel it beating so fast? 

The two of you were so captured in each other that you didn't noticed that Tony answered another question truthfully and now directed the bottle back to you. 

Nobody complained about that, because all of them wanted to hear more from you. 

“Me once again? You're kidding. But alright. What do you want to hear?” you asked laughing. Immediately Tony demanded triumphantly “Sitting on a dock of a bay” of Otis Redding!”

“Yeah!!!” was heared from all sides. 

“Good. So be it” you nodded and walked back to the stage. 

Again everyone was fascinated and excited. 

“You are a singer!! What are you doing in the lab?” Tim asked in earnest. 

Your cheeks burned “Thank you so much, but it's just a hobby of mine and I love what I'm doing professionally.”

So this was settled. 

Gibbs asked himself the same what Tim had asked you and he feared your answer, but there was nothing to fear. You wouldn't leave him, would you? 

Of course they said that you were the next again and before you could say anything Tim cheered “I love when you sing ballads. So please, I want to hear “Run” of Leona Lewis.”

That was a sad but wonderful song, because it gives courage. 

So you sang it and Gibbs had to swallow hard. You singing this song got absolutely under his skin, no matter what. 

Tim, Tony and Abby saw this and congratulated themselves. Their plan seemed to work. Sure, originally it was Abby's plan, but Tim and Tony decided to help her as they noticed what she tried. 

Tim was next, so you didn't have to spend the whole evening on stage. He had to drink a glass of beer in one go as he chose the dare. Tony came after him, made the same choice and had to drink a glass of rum. He coughed heavily, but finally he made it and cheered at himself and bathed in his triumph. 

“Now it's my turn!” he then yelled and spun the bottle again. And again you had bad luck, because it landed once more on you. 

“Why does it never land on Gibbs?” you murmured a little annoyed. 

“Because it has too much fear of him!” Tony laughed and nearly toppled over because of it. 

While all were laughing, this earned him a glare and a head-slap from the boss. 

But it didn't help, it was your turn, so you said confidentially “I'll stick with dare.”

Surely you had only to sing again…

…but no!!!

Abby sent you a mischievous grin and demanded “you have to kiss Gibbs.”

Your jaw dropped and you blanched of surprise. Then you gulped and kissed him on the cheek. Everyone was disappointed, but most especially him. For a moment he thought his dreams would come true and his heart was trying to jump out of his chest, but no. He only felt your lips that he wanted to taste so much on his cheek.

Your cheeks however burned of embarrassment. Your heart was racing and you feared his reaction, but he simply stared at you with his wonderful ice blue eyes. 

Then you spun the bottle. It landed on Abby. She chose dare and gave a really good performance of AC/DC's “Thunderstruck”. 

Your little break wasn't long before it was your turn again. This time you chose to tell the truth. So Tony took his chance, stared at you and asked “do you have a boyfriend currently?” 

Once again you turned red “actually not. No, I don't have a boyfriend or someone like that at the moment.”

Tony and most of all Gibbs were very pleased with your answer. 

Then you turned the bottle, but Abby manipulated it, so it landed on you once more. You sighed and said “dare”.

Tim spoke up and made a wish “I would like to hear “The Rose” of Bette Midler.”

Abby cried excited “Yes! Such a wonderful song. A really good choice.”

You rolled your eyes, but went smiling to the stage once again. You loved singing, but you were getting slowly tired of the game. And you had a feeling, that maybe the three of Tim, Tony and Abby were up to something. 

But okay, it was your turn. 

You walked to the micro and it was silent again. Everybody held their breath in anticipation of what would happen. 

You breathed deeply to calm yourself, closed your eyes and began to sing. 

You poured all your heart in the song to get the wonderful message to your audience and everyone listened to your voice. 

You were totally oblivious that Gibbs stood up totally mesmerized and slowly walked to you. The team gasped in astonishment, but he couldn't help himself. He felt like he was drawn magically to you and couldn't resist for the life of him. 

As you had finished the song you opened your eyes to find his blue ones directly in front of you. Without a word he cupped your cheek with one hand and your waist with the other and pulled you to him. 

He wanted to taste your lips so badly so he slowly closed the distance between you and kissed you softly and tenderly. Breaking the kiss after a short while he kissed you lovingly on your forehead too, turned and walked back to your table. 

You stood there unable to move, think or do anything. What was that? Out of the blue your boss kissed you! The only thing in your mind was the word “wow!” 

After you collected yourself you went back to your table too, where you were met with three widely grinning faces and ice blue eyes which followed your every move over the edge of a beer glass. 

Sitting again next to Gibbs you took a sip from your own beer and then laughed “now it's MY turn to turn the bottle!” 

You grabbed it and instantly a hand was laid on yours. Holding your hand Gibbs turned the bottle at himself. He locked eyes with you and stated “it's my turn and I'm choosing the dare. But it's actually not a dare, but an honor.”

Everyone wondered and waited for what he was going to do, but he didn't care about the audience. He simply pulled you gently to him and kissed you hard and deeply to get his message to you and to stake his claim. 

Neither of you were able to grab a thought or say a word after this world turning kiss. You two were in your own world and forgot all your surroundings, co-workers inclusively. 

It took Tony to bring you both back to reality. He clapped Gibbs on the shoulder and winked saying “you should go and take a room.”

Instead of glaring at him, Gibbs grinned widely and murmured to you “for once he's right. Come on, Y/N. Let's go!” 

Under the cheering, clapping and laughing of your colleagues the two of you left the bar to celebrate the beginning of your life together.

The End

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Here you will find the other stories I've written to date.

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Tags: @ilovemark1951, @hobby27

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[kittycatvlogs24]

Are You Jealous

Paring: Draco Malfoy x Reader

Summary: You and Draco are classmates, you both know very little about each other, just a few nods and stares and some chats in class. Other than that, you two don’t really interact unless boredom or you guys get partnered up together. You have sorta developed a small crush on Draco overtime, but you think it is one-sided. Until Draco gets jealous that someone is flirting with you.

Warnings: Kinda angst, jealousy, some fluff and cuteness at the end.

Words: 1,586

A/N: This is my first time writing an actual short fic. I thought of this little OneShot and wanted to write about it. Sorry if it’s not the best. If you have any suggestions of what I could do better on let me know. I really hope you like it, please follow or/and submit a request. Have a good day/night and stay safe! :)

I was in potion’s class , bored out of my mind. Professor Snape was doing his usual lecturing about some boring ingredient for another one of our potion assignments. Somewhere in the middle of his talking, I started zoning out and staring at Draco. Draco had sat a little aways across from me, we were usually partners for most of the classes and talked a little here and there. I kept staring at him, watching as the faint white glow touched his skin and made his hair glow.

“I will be assigning everyone their group partners for this assignment.” Professor Snape spoke. My head perked up as I listened for my name to be called, and a part of me hoped I got partnered with Draco.

Nope. Instead I got paired with the famous Harry Potter, Draco’s rival. He sat down next to me and we started working on the project together. I didn’t know much about Harry, all I knew was that he survived you-know-who and played Quidditch. I had also noticed that he always looked at me and would never stop. I talked to him a few times before and he had always seemed so awkward around me.

Although our interactions were awkward he was quite kind and I returned the kindness, while trying to finish the assignment as soon as possible. I did not want to be stuck as the last person doing this assignment, Snape was tough on everyone and if you were the last person doing an assignment he would deduct points if you weren’t quick enough to finish before the timer.

Thankfully me and Harry finished the assignment before the timer, and it was a success. The only strange thing was how many times Harry brushed his hand against mine. He of course quickly pulled away, but still it was weird that it happened a lot during the assignment. We were waiting on two more groups to finish, Draco was talking to his potions partner who was also one of his friends, Blaise. So I decided to talk to Harry, discussing what class we had after this and the usual homework assignments. It really wasn’t anything special.

That is until out of nowhere Harry asked, “could we hang out over the weekends? If you're not busy then of course.”

I paused as I looked at the boy. “I’m not sure if I am busy or not, but I will let you know.” I gave a polite smile and he responded with a nod. We went back to our normal conversation before the groups had finished.

Class was dismissed and I walked out into the stampede of students trying to get to their next class. I kept walking and entered my next class, which was Charms. I sat down in my usual spot which was at the front on the right. As everyone started getting seated Draco approached me and took a seat next to me as he usually did.

“So what were you and Pottah talking about?” Draco asked, an annoyed tone in his voice.

I smirked. “Nothing much, just classes and homework. He also asked me if I was free to hang out this weekend.” I told him, talking out my parchment and quill.

In the corner of my eye, I saw his eyes roll. “And? What did you say?” Draco asked, getting his parchment and quill.

“Told him that I would think about it and see if I was free.” I said, before adding. “Why jealous?” I asked in a playful tone.

He just chuckled. “No, why would I?” He asked, looking at me. I just shrugged and was about to explain, until Professor Flitwick came into the class and hushed us.

As class started I leaned slightly closer to Draco and whispered, “explain later.” He nodded and we spent all class hearing more lectures and new incantations.

After class, me and Draco walked out to lunch and I explained that it was just a little joke. However, a little part of me wished that he was kind of jealous. To know that he might have at least a small crush on me.

Draco then departed and went over to his friends. I decided to sit by Luna today. she was, although quite odd indeed, she was a wonderful friend and could bring a smile to literally anyone. As me and Luna conversed, Harry and his two other friends Hermione and Ron had come over to sit with us. I smiled at the trio and started including them into the conversation.After lunch, Harry asked to walk me to my next class since we had the same one. I agreed and we continued part of the conversation laughing at the way Ron had defended the subject.

We made it to class and continued talking and laughing. Draco had chosen to sit with one of his Slytherin friends and I saw him sneaking glances at the two of us. At the end of class, I told Harry that if I was free on the weekend that we could meet up at the Three Broomsticks. He nodded and I started walking to my common room. As I was half way there to my house common room, Draco had appeared almost out of nowhere and walked beside me slightly brushing against my shoulder. “Hey.” I greeted him.

“Hey.” He replied back, giving me a little nod. He looked a little pissed and I felt like I knew exactly what it was about.

“So-”, I was about to speak before Draco interrupted me. “What is going on between you and Pottah?” He asked, annoyed. I stopped and stared at him.

“What do you mean?” I asked. “We are just friends, I literally have only talked to him a few times I barely know him.” I said, defensively. “Are you seriously jealous?”

“I’m not jealous.” He rebutted.

I rolled my eyes and kept walking to my common house dorm, before getting interrupted by Harry. I gave him a confused look as he was waiting outside my common room dorm. He saw me and smiled and started walking towards me.

“Harry what are you…?” I asked, as he approached me.

“I was going to wait till the weekends, but I was wondering- I have a crush on you and-” He stuttered over his words as he admitted his true feelings.

I froze before him and he waited for my response. I cleared my throat and spoke. “Look, you seem like a good guy, but I barely know you and I am also not that interested. I’m quite flattered but my answer has to be no.”

He nodded and apologized. “I understand, sorry.” Before I could speak he rushed off. I sighed and continued into my common room before going into my dorm and flopping on my bed. What a day.

The next day, I started heading down to get breakfast before seeing Draco out in the hall. I froze and we stared at each other for a few seconds. It almost reached a minute of the both of us staring at each till I walked up to him and cleared my throat. “Good morning.” I greeted.

He nodded, “morning.” He was nervously fiddling with one of the silver rings on his finger and avoiding my gaze.

“Is there something wrong?” I asked, studying the nervous fidgeting. “Are you still jealous?” I teased.

“I am not jealous.” He gritted his teeth.

“If you’re not jealous, then why do you care so much that I am hanging out with Harry?.” I crossed my arms and gave him a stern look as I interrogated him. He was definitely jealous but why wouldn’t he admit it?

“I just don’t like him.” He said, still looking at the floor avoiding my gaze.

I kept my arms crossed and looked at him. “If you don’t tell me the actual truth, I am going to go ahead and get breakfast.” I said. A long silence filled the hall as he awkwardly avoided his gaze.”Fine. Guess I’ll go.”

I was about to turn around, but instead he grabbed my arm. He looked up at me and sighed. I saw his lips move but only heard a little mumble come out which was slightly audible. “What was that?” I asked, giving a small smirk.

He rolled his eyes at me before clearing his throat. “Fine, I’m jealous.” He confessed. “I’ve started to grow feelings for you, and I tried to ignore them, but I can’t.”

A light blush started growing on my cheeks as he finally admitted his feelings. I was about to open my mouth and confess my feelings as well, but he started walking away. “Hey!” I yelled after him, grabbing his arm now. “You can’t just admit you have feelings and leave.”

“I can if you don’t feel the same.” He replied. He was about to pull away and go back into his common room, before I spoke.

“But I do have feelings for you.” I admitted softly.

He turned to look at me with a soft gaze. “Really?” He asked. “You aren’t just saying that.”

I nodded. “I really do have feelings for you Draco, I thought they were only one sided.” I kept holding his arm, hoping that this wasn’t a dream.

He looked down at me. “Well you were wrong, because I like you too.” His hand went to my chin and lifted it softly as his soft lips met mine for a gentle yet passionate kiss.

[mekachu04]

14. Punk

Kidd - 18 | Killer - 22

Tags specifically for this chapter:

Killer's struggling with identity issues

and how he fits into the crew

Killer might be slightly agoraphobic|claustrophilic

Read at A03 linked above or here below cut

Drabbles from Pocket Jack's KiKi-tober Prompt list

He's not as surprised as he outta be to find Killer dozing in the workshop again. What was part of the captain's quarters had been split down the middle with all the best shiny crap Kidd could fill it with.

The room was now the closest to the scrapheap one could get - sans the smell. Kidd wasn't particularly trying to replicate anything but Killer certainly seemed to gravitate to something in the area.

Or maybe it was just the smallest room right now. Killer had always been uneasy in open spaces. As kids, they'd learn to burrow into many a small cramped places at night for safety and Killer's never really lost that habit.

Today he was tucked in under the desk. Kidd smirked as he moved in another box of odds and ends he'd gathered up. Killer had a perfectly good mattress in his brand new room and yet continued to wedge himself under Kidd's desk to sleep.

Dork Kidd thought fondly. He did try to work quietly though.

After a few minutes, a thought struck him, and he paused to peer down at his new colleague and oldest friend inquisitively. He mulled over the curiosity forming in him mind, tumbled it around.

"Hey Kil?" he prompted, kneeling down by the man. Killer did not move. He was curled in on himself, bangs down around his eyes, chin and nose tucked down into his collar. Kidd touched the rough shirt fabric thoughtfully, before brushing Killer's bangs away.

Killer made a soft little, "hmmm?" but did not wake.

***

There was certainly a ... theme... starting to develop with Kidd's new crew. A lot of fishnet as a fashion statement. A lot more leather then he'd been expecting. He'd thought he might have gone over board with some of the ostentatious prints he'd hoarded in the corner of his wardrobe, but nothing compared to the belts and chains and straps that was clearly his crew's new aesthetic.

But they looked so happy. Some of the get ups were impractical as hell, but that just meant Kidd had to be stronger and better to make sure that he'd be the one taking on any challengers and letting them keep their towering heels and strands of pearls.

Before they knew it the ship was ready to sail. Kidd standing on the deck of the newly christened Victoria Punk.

There was just one thing left...

Before the rest of the crew assembled, Kidd took his box and headed to the quarters of his three commanders. Wire & Heat he had already passed, leaving just one man behind. Good - Kidd wasn't sure how his gift would be received and wasn't sure Killer would want an audience. Once entering, Kidd knocked on the wall once inside, eyeing Killer in amusement.

"Don't laugh at me." The man warned, as serious as a heart attack. Killer had lost his sense of humor after Victoria Prime handed his ass to him a handful of years back.

Kidd held up the box as a peace offering. "I'm sorry." And he was. He could only guess how uncomfortable Killer was in that get up. "You look pitiful."

Killer scowled but Kidd just shook the box for emphasis. "The three of us had a chat. Sorry you weren't invited."

The scowled deepened. One of Killer's problems was he was just too damn emotive. No matter how he tried to hid it, just a glance at his face told you everything you needed to know about his mood. The mop of hair he called bangs could only hide so much, and Kidd was waiting for the day he came out to find Killer replaced by Cousin It.

Killer took the box, glaring at him before opening the lid to.... "Kidd?"

"We wanted everyone to be themselves, Killer. Remember? No more acting or dressing how other people expect us too. And that includes you."

Inside was a soft cashmere sweater, pale blue and cream. Probably the most money any of them had ever spend on a single item, much less for a piece of clothing.

Killer held the sweater, stunned, fingering the soft weave. "Kidd... I don't..."

"If you don't like it - then we'll give it to someone else. But... Kil, don't pretend to be into what every one else in. You don't have to do that anymore. I want you to just be you. Killer. Not someone parading around in today's latest BDSM catalog - which, apparently, is our new signature style - because he thinks he has to to be accepted."

Killer chuckled before pretending to cough to cover it up. Kidd tried not to let his disappointment at that colour his expression. But Killer did slid the garment on, and Kidd smiled when Killer's face lit up at the soft feel, beaming ear to ear in that silly crooked smile of his.

[reasonsmandy]

Rare Things

Sam Claflin x Fem!Reader

✧.* requested by anon — Maybe something where reader and Sam knew each other for years (like right person wrong time) and then they finally start dating

✧.* summary — The paths of destiny are traced in different and curious ways, pieces that couldn't connect at certain times in the future would fall into place. Sam and you were pieces of fate about to meet again.

✧.* warnings — none

✧.* word count — 2.2k

✧.* ☁️ — Sam Claflin's Masterlist

There were several things about your work that amazed you, the way you were able to architect the writers' ideas, harmonize the actors' chemistry, bring the writing to life in front of the studio camera lens and provide a magnificent work of entertainment for the audience. You've always loved directing works since you entered the theater universe, there was a connection backstage where magic was created that you always felt like you belonged and that's when you decided to architect your career.

It didn't take you long to grow in the middle, of course things weren't handed to you on a platter, but with the sweat and talent you've been developing since you were very young, the steps were taken to where you are now. On your way here, you had already worked on some big projects, and that's when you met Sam Claflin.

You were relatively young when you first met, and from the very beginning, there was an undeniable connection between you. Your hearts synchronized effortlessly, causing palpable excitement in your chest every time he was near. His smile held a magnetic charm, capable of illuminating even the darkest of moments, and his infectious laughter made you feel an instant sense of belonging by his side. When his gaze met yours, the entire world faded away, leaving only the two of you in a timeless bubble of affection.

But despite the deep bond you shared, the path of your love was not without obstacles. You both tried to navigate the complexities of a romantic relationship, eagerly embracing the love that blossomed between you. However, as time went on, it became apparent that a formidable challenge loomed over your connection—geographical distance.

Sam, you see, had other recordings in a faraway country, a responsibility that demanded his presence in a distant land. The physical separation took its toll, stretching the limits of your love and testing its resilience. The enchanting power of Sam's smile and the laughter that once echoed through your shared moments now seemed distant, like faint echoes from a place you could no longer reach.

The voice inside Sam, which had once proclaimed that there was no one who could compare to you, now grew quieter, suppressed by the weight of the distance between you. The inexplicable connection you once shared began to fade, like a whisper carried away by the wind, as the physical space between you expanded.

Though your hearts ached for each other, the universe seemed determined to keep you apart. The jolt of electricity that surged through your veins when your hands touched was now overshadowed by the vast expanse of the world that separated you. The warmth of Sam's embrace, once a sanctuary, now felt out of reach, leaving an ache in your heart that couldn't be eased.

You both fought valiantly to keep the flame of your love alive, attempting to bridge the distance with late-night calls, heartfelt messages, and promises of reunion. But the strain grew too heavy, and the burden of distance proved insurmountable. Despite the love that still lingered, the circumstances forced you to make a painful decision.

And so, with heavy hearts, you realized that the physical separation had taken its toll, placing an unrelenting strain on the fragile threads that held your love together. You chose to part ways, knowing that it was the only way to preserve what remained of your hearts.

It hadn't been a breakup due to fights, or very drastic disagreements, but aiming at the good of both of you, a way of understanding that even though you loved each other, it was necessary to let destiny trace its paths. And it took a while, but it happened.

When you received the script for Daisy Jones and the six you were delighted with the project and the idea of the adaptation finally, you had already read Taylor Jenkins Reid's books and were a big fan of her work so you jumped right on the idea. When you guys started working on the casting and testing the connection between the actors it took a long time to find the ideal actor for Billy Dunne, and when you saw that well-known figure walk through the audition door your heart skipped a beat just like the first time.

There he was, his short hair, that characteristic smile that captivated everyone in that room, you try to maintain your serenity but lose all your posture when those eyes link to yours. He looks surprised to see you but tries to contain it, you can tell by the way his eyebrows come together so discreetly that it's a detail that probably only you noticed. It doesn't take long for Riley to join you and spend the monologue with Claflin, watching him perform has always been and always will be a privilege, the way he embodies the character wonderfully makes anyone stop what they're doing just to see him.

By the time he finished you knew you had the perfect Billy Dunne.

…

When you started to live together again on set, you knew that there wouldn't be a rancorous past between you, quite the contrary, it was as if you slowly allowed yourselves to get closer as before. Sam always admired your work a lot, for him it was sensational to work with you and let his character be guided on screen by your instructions and scene reading. You guys were quite a team and that conviviality soon reminded you of why you felt so connected to him.

You feared that it was something in your head for a moment, that you had identified something that was no longer there, that your memories were so vivid when you looked at him that it was difficult to distinguish if it was your delirium. After all, he was always close to everyone at work, wasn't he? It was common for everyone on set to feel that connection... Right?

Deep down you knew it wasn't, that despite not believing in the mysticism that surrounded all the romantic stories out there, he made you think that there was indeed an invisible thread tying your souls. He made you think about the unimaginable just by hovering over any thought where you could be together, and whether or not you fed those possibilities... Yearning to be with him as you already were.

…

During one of the breaks in the recording, you found yourselves alone, away from the bustling set, immersed in a moment of solitude. The air hung with a sense of familiarity, as if time had momentarily transported you back to the days when your connection was at its peak. Sam watched you from time to time while he threw some small pebbles on the ground, and you felt butterflies in your stomach with his gaze on you.

As you and Sam sat together, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips, you couldn't help but feel a rush of nostalgia. The memories flooded back, and you began to share stories from the day and eventually you couldn't help but bring up the past, the words flowing freely between you.

"You remember that time when we got stuck in that small town during shooting?" you asked, a glint of excitement in your eyes.

Sam chuckled, his voice tinged with fondness. "Of course I do! We thought it would be a disaster, but it turned out to be one of the most memorable nights. Everything cooperated so that we didn't lose the week of work, but that we had some challenges I won't deny."

The laughter that had once filled the air returned, weaving through your conversation like a symphony of joy. It was as if the barriers that had kept you apart had crumbled, leaving only the raw essence of your bond.

With each shared memory, a cascade of emotions washed over you. The anecdotes flowed effortlessly, punctuated by genuine laughter and shared glances that spoke volumes.

"You always had a way of making even the most mundane moments unforgettable," Sam remarked, a hint of admiration in his voice, his comment made your heart skip a beat. "I cherished every second we spent together."

You couldn't help but smile, your heart swelling with warmth. "You don't stay behind one bit, with your incredible ability to bring out the best in everyone. Your unwavering support and belief in my work meant the world to me."

As you spoke, the walls that had guarded your hearts seemed to dissolve, allowing vulnerability to seep in. There was a comfort in knowing that you could trust each other with the depths of your emotions, that your connection had withstood the test of time.

In that moment of vulnerability, the invisible thread that bound your souls seemed to grow stronger. It was as if the universe had conspired to bring you together, to give you a chance to relive the moments that had once set your hearts ablaze.

The conversation danced between nostalgia and hope, threading together fragments of the past with the possibility of a future that had yet to be written. The yearning in your voices, the warmth in your gazes, all conveyed an unspoken desire to reclaim what had been lost, to rewrite the story of your love.

"I've missed this, you know," Sam confessed, his voice filled with a mix of longing and regret. "The ease I have with you, where I know I can share all my thoughts, the way we understand each other without saying a word. It's a connection unlike any other."

Your eyes met, and the unspoken words hung heavy in the air. The depth of your bond was palpable, and in that stolen moment, surrounded by the echoes of memories, you found solace in each other's presence.

You take a deep breath, looking deep into his eyes that seem to pull you into that paradise. "I hope you don't think I'm crazy for what I'm going to say..." You laugh, looking away to the horizon. “I could search far and wide but no one could ever make me feel the way you do. It’s always you, and I think it will always be you.”

He opens a small smile, his hands go to your cheek and he makes you look at him again you feel that no matter what happens, those eyes that make you lose yourself are your way back. You can't contain the laugh that comes out of your mouth, stroking his hand over your face.

“I think we’re one of those rare things deserving of a second chance.” You whisper with a small smile.

"We are one thing, for sure." He slowly approaches you and you anxiously want him to break that distance soon. “I wanna make us work again, if you’re willing.”

“God, of course I’m willing.” His smile was wide and he shifted his gaze to her lips as a silent question. "Can I?"

"Please" You say, getting closer to him.

As Sam's lips meet yours, a wave of emotions surges through your being. It's a kiss filled with longing, the culmination of years spent apart and the hope for a future together. The world around you fades into insignificance as the intensity of your connection envelops you both.

His touch is tender yet passionate, his hands cradling your face, as if trying to imprint every sensation onto his memory. The taste of his lips is familiar, a bittersweet reminder of what you had once shared and what you now have the chance to reclaim.

In that single moment, time seems to stand still. The gentle breeze carries the soft sighs of two souls finding solace in each other's arms. The warmth of the sun caresses your skin, mirroring the warmth that blossoms within your hearts.

It's a kiss that speaks volumes—a testament to the unbreakable bond between you. With each brush of his lips against yours, the weight of the past lifts, replaced by a renewed sense of hope and possibility. The electricity that courses through your veins is a testament to the undeniable chemistry that exists between you, reignited in this tender embrace.

The world around you blurs, and it's just the two of you, locked in a timeless moment of pure love and longing. The kiss deepens, fueled by the unspoken promise of a second chance, a commitment to make things work this time around.

As you finally break apart, breathless and smiling, your eyes meet, and it's as if a universe of unspoken promises lies within that gaze. You know that this kiss is just the beginning—a rekindling of a love story that never truly ended but was simply waiting for the right moment to be rewritten.

In this stolen moment, the power of your connection is reaffirmed. And as you hold each other, your hearts beating in synchrony, you know that together you can overcome any obstacle that may come your way, for your love is stronger than the distance and stronger than the challenges that once stood between you.

This kiss, filled with hope and the promise of a future, becomes a symbol of your commitment to one another, a beacon guiding you towards a love that is meant to be, a love that will endure.

...

Hi, I hope you enjoyed it... If you wanted to ask for something my requests are open, and if you want to ask and don't have any ideas check out my prompt list :) xoxo

Want to be tagged when new stories come out? REASONSMANDY'S TAG LIST

[jujumin-translates]

★ Main Story | Act 13 - Budding Spring | Chapter 23 - International Minister of Arts and Culture

Kazunari: Ah, the livestream started!

Muku: Is Citron-sama really going to walk the red carpet?

Kazunari: All I’m seeing is overseas celebs so far~.

Kumon: I’m getting kinda excited!

Misumi: There’s Citron~!

Muku: Waah, he’s so dignified and cool…!

Tenma: He really does look like royalty like this.

Kazunari: I’ll snap a commemorative screenshot~.

Taichi: Is the interview in English? It’s crazy that Citron’s speaking without an interpreter!

Guy: This is a good opportunity to showcase the Kingdom of Zahra to notable figures in the culture and entertainment fields. It is most effective to communicate with those people in their own language.

Guy: Citronia has acquired foreign language skills to a certain degree for diplomatic purposes.

Banri: Even so, he’s completely different from the usual Citron.

Banri: Can switchin’ to a different language really make that much of a difference?

Guy: In his position, you must have a good outward appearance to a certain degree.

Guy: However, when he speaks Japanese, he is able to somewhat let his inner personality out more.

Banri: Yeah, I think he’s lettin’ it out a lil’ too much…

Tenma: I’m kind of surprised that he’s been able to keep it in at all.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Citron: 《As the people of Zahra have become increasingly more interested in them, we would like to invite many excellent theatrical and musical performances from overseas to the Kingdom of Zahra.》

Citron: 《I myself belong to a Japanese theater company called MANKAI Company, which has performed overseas in the Kingdom of Zahra.》

Citron: 《Based on that experience, I believe that we can be of great help in terms of support for overseas companies.》

Citron: 《We hope to have many new encounters through this.》

*Applause*

Arts Festival Participant A: 《I have not yet had the experience of visiting your country. I have always hoped to have an opportunity like this someday.》

Citron: 《We look forward to your visit. We have many theater fans among our people, and they will certainly give you a very warm welcome.》

Arts Festival Participant B: 《I have heard much of your success, Prince Citronia. My impression of the Kingdom of Zahra being a more open nation has strengthened thanks to you.》

Citron: 《A little wanderlust can be very useful sometimes.》

Arts Festival Participant A: 《Hahaha. Right, I will be starting a new project to combine theater with the latest in AI technology and--.》

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Citron: …Phew.

Citron: (I’m almost through with the greetings.)

Citron: (After all, if we look beyond Japan and Zahra, we can see that even if we just limit our scope to focus on theater, there is still a diverse range of development all around.)

Citron: (It is stimulating to actively go to places like these.)

Citron: (A whole new door, huh… That reminds me, I wonder if everyone in Spring Troupe watched the broadcast.)

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

TorORo has entered the chat.

Saku: He said MANKAI Company!

tsuzuru: It’s pretty amazing to hear your name mentioned at an international arts festival

Curry: citron’s here

tsuzuru: I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve read “TorORo” and wondered who that is

taruchi: skill issue

UC: Aren’t you in the middle of the arts festival right now?

TorORo: i amn on a rake!

Curry: break?

taruchi: the gap’s insane

tsuzuru: That’s our Citron-san

Saku: But it’s kinda a relief!

tsuzuru: It’s like you were a whole different person during the stream

UC: There was a lot of excitement in the company LIME chat too. They were all watching from the lounge.

TorORo: evenb thouvgh we’re aparnt, it is likeb we arbe in rhe same confessional

taruchi: confessional lmfaooo

[ ⇠ Previous Part ] • [ Next Part ⇢ ]

[lovebatty]

ㅤ( English and Spanish ver. )

Diabolik Lovers: Haunted Dark Husband — Dark Prologue

ㅤTW: none / ninguna❔

English ver.

—Monologue—

I have always thought that, as long as I can remember, I have never felt the need to venture into something. Maybe it’s normal for kids my age to act this impulsively, kicked out of the woods at such late hours... even out of public places.

It’s not that I don’t believe in magic or the paranormal activity, it’s just that maybe it doesn’t make an impression on me.

Maybe we were never the only intelligent beings on the surface, we just played at believing we were important. Thinking we were unique, valuable.

And if so, why would we be now? In a vast world, where without being —or not being— we cannot be happy and the morning smells like cigarettes.

—Flashback, 10 years ago in Mexico.—

❁ㅤHe still remembers that afternoon when one of his many colleagues took him by the arm to the computer room. It seems like a joke, but Romantic isn’t used to being dragged around. Spring was just dawning in the joy of the 21st century and they ran without any rush just to look at the day’s publications. For a laugh or two. After all, they were children.

Romantic: Vampires?

❁ㅤSaid the kid glued to the counter, more like a murmur to himself.

They? Romantic believed that they had become extinct from cinema; subjugated by entertainment, romantic comedy and Superman. For this reason, the little one could not help but frown, sliding his eyes over that digital page that no longer transmits that intoxicating aroma of fresh ink on his screen.

Romantic: Oh! Incredible! Who knew vampires could develop immunity to their weaknesses.

( Waa! This book is fabulous! If only I had the money to buy it... )

( At least, this girl uploaded all the translations like an angel from heaven would do. Now, I owe her my entire life! )

Hehe. ♪

Even if it’s crazy... If I was a vampire as well, maybe I could do those cool things too. Ah, that most be... too good to die for. ♪

—End of flashback.—

—Currently, «Haunted House» in Japan.—

Romantic: What a joy! I can’t stand this shoes anymore, I should have brought something lighter.

❁ㅤRomantic proclaimed as he looked at the huge houpse.

Romantic: Is this the place?

❁ㅤHe could expect everything, but a mansion is a luxury even for the most greedy. The boy searched his pockets, pulling out a battered sheet of paper with a scrawl of the address. It was the right place.

Romantic: It seems fine... is this really the «Haunted House» everyone is talking about?

❁ㅤHe didn’t have time to think about it. The skies rumbled and the rain became even more aggressive, forcing him to enter the space of that solemn construction without taking even a step back. He stuck to the entrance and carefully knocked on one of the two large wooden doors, waiting patiently in the rain without any response.

Romantic: Hello? Is anyone here?

( I could swear that everyone I asked along the way said this was the exact place. Was I wrong? )

Maybe they didn’t listen, should I knock again?

❁ㅤUnder his voice, his tone hinting at a certain insecurity. Maybe he was too used to the air of his home that being alone and without signal in the middle of the night is a worry.

Romantic: ( I don’t know what to do. There aren’t even any lights on, there’s most likely no one there after all. )

( It was to be expected. After all this place... is the famous «Haunted House» of the street. )

( They say there are monsters inside, but that doesn’t make much sense. After all, there are people living here... It must be a shame that they are considered that way. )

( I’m sure that if I approach them cordially, they will agree to answer my questions about the mansion. )

( I want to be the first to tell their story! It will be a fabulous project. ♪ )

Just one more try—

❁ㅤThe boy tried to knock on the door again by retracing his steps, shaking off some of his wet clothes and tilting his wrist, but his hand stopped in mid-air when the door opened on its own, leaving Romantic fully impressed.

Romantic: It’s open!

( The... the door opened by itself? )

This... can’t be possible, can it? Are there thieves snooping around in there...?

❁ㅤHe spoke while his mouth was partially open, turning his head from side to side to check that no one was there, and letting the wind of the storm blow his hair from the outside in.

Romantic: ( There’s only one way to know how lonely this house is—! )

( God, forgive me for what I’m going to do! I know it’s reckless, but I can’t handle this concern anymore. )

( I swear it’s for the common good... )

❁ㅤFor a brief moment, he had his doubts, but in the end, he never lowered his face as he walked through the lightning inside the house.

Romantic: ( It doesn’t look like anyone is here... but, the door opened. Should I grab something just in case? )

This is all so strange...

❁ㅤWhile paying close attention to all the amenities present inside the mansion, the boy lowered his voice. The house was huge inside, so he didn’t want to make noise in case someone was home.

Romantic: ( I must admit, this house is pretty scary. I wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking it’s haunted... although the decoration is nice. )

It’s so dark, maybe I should go back now...

❁ㅤSuddenly, lightning fell from the sky and light filtered through the window, revealing a figure lying on a sofa in the main room that left Romantic paralyzed.

❁ㅤRomantic walked there, the image of that figure slowly focusing on another male with refined features. He was so beautiful, his red hair covering part of his face as he lay on the couch.

Romantic: ( A person! )

( I feel so bad interrupting... whatever he’s doing, but maybe it’s the best option. )

Romantic: ( What a pretty face... )

( Will he live here? He shouldn’t have left the door open like that. )

Um... Excuse me.

???: ...

Romantic: ( Is he sleeping? He must be a heavy sleeper... )

Hello, are you okay? Please, wake up.

❁ㅤRomantic asked in a low voice, trying to wake him up. He wanted to get closer, but once he ended up accidentally touching the stranger’s hand, a chill ran through his skin.

Romantic: ( He’s... frozen. )

( Did he...? )

Excuse me—

Ugh! Ah...

❁ㅤWithout knowing why, he suddenly clutched his chest and pulled at his clothes as he gasped in pain. A puncture piercing his heart.

Romantic: Agh—!

( What was that...? G-god...! )

( W-what’s wrong with me?! It hurts so much! )

...It hurts...

Unknown voice: Where are you? Where...? Where?

Romantic: ( What... what is this voice in my head? )

( This is all so strange... did seeing this person really affect me that much? I’m afraid something bad has happened to him. )

( ...My sickness must have played a trick on me again... but I have to help this person first, he seems to be alone, I can’t leave him here by his own. )

I have... I-I have to get help, yes. That’s it...

❁ㅤHe staggered weakly, took out his cell phone from his pocket, and looked at the person sitting on the sofa who had not moved yet. He had to help him, help himself. Romantic tried to call someone.

Romantic: Let’s see... Ah, should I call someone to come here—?

???: ...Ngh...

Romantic: !

???: You are so loud...

Romantic: You–! Y-you’re fine!

( He grabbed me by the ankle to sit on the couch... But I can't believe he’s really okay, this must be a miracle! )

Oh, god... I’m so glad you’re okay, I... I thought that–

???: Oh...? What the hell... you’re a guy. What are you doing in a place like this?

Who gave you the permission to sneak out, huh?

Romantic: I’m really, really sorry. I didn’t want to break into your house, and— I did it because...

( I thought he was hurt... Or even worse. )

???: «Because» what? I was just sleeping peacefully... and you ruined it, do you have a problem with that?

Romantic: No, not at all.

???: Well, in that case...

❁ㅤThe redhead smiled mischievously, grabbing the boy’s hips to pull him onto the couch with him, pushing his body against his, making sure to keep him under him.

Romantic: W-wha...?!

( He pushed me! )

???: Heh, you’re like the moth flying itself towards the light, isn’t? Just when I’m hungry.

Romantic: ( ...What did he say? This can’t... )

???: Having a feast right in front of me...

Romantic: W-wait! What are you doing?!

???: That’s what I should ask you. It’s you who appeared out of nowhere!

Romantic: ( Well, he’s right, but that doesn’t mean he have to attack people like that! )

???: What’s happening? Were you suddenly embarrassed?

Just accept it and stay still for me...

Romantic: ...!

( I-I feel like I want to say something, but I can’t... )

No, don’t touch me! Get out of me!

???: Haa?! Who the hell do you think you are to reject me?!

Romantic: D-don’t you dare come any close... you... monster!

( It can’t be true, is this a nightmare? )

( He’s... not a person. He can’t be one! )

???: ...

...How did you call me...?

Romantic: ...?

❁ㅤThe young man suddenly stopped and raised his head when he heard the footsteps of another person who came here and showed some anger, growling through fangs as he turned around.

??? (2) : What is the reason for this scandal? I wish you weren’t so noisy after you woke up, Ayato.

Ayato: Ugh... Reiji...

❁ㅤConfused, Romantic turned and looked at the vampire’s face once more before slowly backing away from him. His eyes fixed on the other’s with uncertainty.

Romantic: ( Ayato...? )

꒰ 𔓕 ꒱ㅤThis chapter comes included with a poem, these are related to the story, but you can skip them. Do you want to read it?

CW: Pregnancy, blood mention.

Greatness is in my veins.

Every morning I find myself, but I don’t see myself in the mirror.

I was just a zygote in the womb of a young mother when they told me that glory ran through my veins, with the pain of the soul and anesthetized of the heart.

I don’t know what it’s like to depend on someone, because my greed has embraced me every sleepless night; with each sentence of his for a confusion and between my footprints the blood of a greedy child.

I always have to be the best because I am full of pride, I am the only one who can handle it and only I can do it. There is nothing in the world that can change the price of your praise.

So, lie.

Let’s see if you see me.

ーー END OF DARK PROLOGUE ーー

Admin's comment 🧚🏻‍♀️

It’s very good to post here again, I already missed doing it. This time, I updated and improved the main lore experience. You guys chose for me to upload the oldest chapters first, and here it is.ㅤ(〃´𓎟`〃)

If you like it, please consider giving this post a fav, reblog and why not, even follow me❕ As always, thank you so much for reading. Have an amazing day.

Versión en Español.

—Monólogo—

Siempre he pensado que, desde que tengo memoria, nunca he sentido la necesidad de aventurarme a algo. Puede que sea normal para los chicos de mi edad actuar de esta manera tan impulsiva, expulsados de los bosques a horas tan tardes... incluso de los sitios públicos.

Tampoco es que no crea en la magia o en lo paranormal, es sólo que, tal vez no me genera impresión.

A lo mejor nunca fuimos los únicos seres inteligentes pisando la superficie, tan sólo jugábamos a creernos importantes. Pensando que éramos únicos, valiosos.

Y si así fuera, ¿por qué lo seríamos ahora? En un mundo vasto, donde sin ser —o no ser— no podemos ser felices y la mañana huele a cigarro.

—Flashback, hace 10 años en México.—

❁ㅤÉl todavía recuerda aquella tarde en que uno de sus tantos compañeros le tomo del brazo hasta la sala de cómputo. Parece una broma, pero Romantic no está acostumbrado a que lo arrastren. Apenas iba amaneciendo la primavera en el júbilo del siglo XXI y corrían sin aprieto alguno sólo para mirar las publicaciones del día. Por una risa o dos. Después de todo, eran niños.

Romantic: ¿Vampiros?

❁ㅤDijo el niño pegado al mostrador, más como un murmullo para sí mismo.

¿Ellos? Romantic creyó que se habían extinguido del cine; sometidos por el entretenimiento, la comedia romántica y Superman. Por eso mismo el joven no pudo evitar fruncir el ceño, resbalando sus ojos por aquella página digital que ya no transmite ese aroma tan embriagador de la tinta fresca sobre su pantalla.

Romantic: ¡Ah! ¡Increíble! Quién diría que los vampiros pudieran desarrollar inmunidad a sus debilidades.

( ¡Waa! ¡Este libro es fabuloso! Si tan sólo tuviera el dinero para comprarlo... )

( Al menos esta chica subió todas las traducciones como ángel caído del cielo, ¡le debo mi vida entera ahora! )

Jeje. ♪

Incluso si es una locura... Si yo también fuera un vampiro, tal vez también podría hacer todas esas cosas geniales. Ah, eso debe ser... demasiado bueno para morirse. ♪

—Fin del flashback.—

—Actualidad, «Casa Embrujada» en Japón.—

Romantic: ¡Qué alegría! Ya no soporto los zapatos, debí haber traído algo más ligero.

❁ㅤProclamó el joven al mirar la enorme casona.

Romantic: ¿Es este el lugar?

❁ㅤPodía esperar todo pero, una mansión si que es un lujo incluso para el más avaricioso. El muchacho reviso sus bolsillos, sacando una maltratada hoja de papel con un garabato de la dirección. Era el lugar indicado.

Romantic: Parece estar bien… ¿es está de verdad la «Casa Embrujada» de la que todos hablan?

❁ㅤRomantic no tuvo tiempo para pensarlo. Los cielos retumbaron y la lluvia se hizo incluso más agresiva, obligando al chico a adentrarse dentro del espacio de aquella construcción solemne sin dar ni un paso hacía atrás. Él se pegó a la entrada y golpeó cuidadosamente una de las dos grandes puertas de madera, esperando pacientemente en medio de la lluvia sin respuesta alguna.

Romantic: ¿Hola? ¿Hay alguien aquí?

( Juraría que todas las personas a las que les pregunte en el camino dijeron que este era el sitio exacto. Acaso... ¿me equivoqué? )

Tal vez no escucharon, ¿debería volver a tocar?

❁ㅤBajo la voz, su tono dando a entender cierta inseguridad. Quizá estaba demasiado acostumbrado al aire de su hogar que, estar sólo y sin señal a medio anochecer es una preocupación.

Romantic: ( No sé qué hacer. Ni siquiera hay luces prendidas, lo más seguro es que después de todo no haya nadie. )

( Era de esperarse. Después de todo este lugar... es la famosa «Casa Embrujada» de la calle. )

( Dicen que hay monstruos dentro, pero eso no tiene mucho sentido. Después de todo, hay gente viviendo aquí... Debe ser una pena que se les considere así. )

( Estoy seguro de que, si me acerco cordialmente, ellos accederán a responder mis preguntas acerca de la mansión. )

( ¡Quiero ser el primero en contar su historia! Será un proyecto fabuloso. ♪ )

Bien, sólo un intento más—

❁ㅤEl niño trató de llamar a la puerta de nuevo volviendo sobre sus pasos, sacudiéndose parte de su ropa mojada e inclinando la muñeca, pero su mano se detuvo en el aire cuando la puerta se abrió por si sola, dejándolo impresionado.

Romantic: ¡Está abierta!

(¿Realmente... la puerta se abrió sola?)

Esto... no puede ser posible, ¿verdad? ¿Podría haber ladrones husmeando por ahí...?

❁ㅤHabló mientras tenía la boca parcialmente abierta, girando la cabeza de un lado a otro para revisar que no había nadie, y dejando que el viento de la tormenta soplara su cabello de afuera hacia adentro.

Romantic: ( ¡Sólo hay una forma de saber que tan sola está esta casa—! )

( ¡Dios, perdóname por lo que voy a hacer! Sé que es imprudente, pero ya no puedo soportar más está inquietud que me carcome. )

( Prometo es... por el bien común. )

❁ㅤPor un breve momento, tuvo sus dudas, pero al final, nunca bajó la cara mientras caminaba a través de los relámpagos en los adentros de la casona.

Romantic: ( No parece que haya alguien aquí... pero, la puerta se abrió. ¿Debería ir agarrando con qué defenderme? )

Todo esto es tan extraño...

❁ㅤMientras prestaba mucha atención a todas las comodidades presentes dentro de la mansión, el chico bajo la voz. La casa era enorme por dentro, así que no quería hacer ruido en caso de que hubiera alguien en casa.

Romantic: ( Debo admitir que la casa es bastante aterradora, no culparía a nadie de pensar que está embrujada... Aún así, la decoración es bastante bonita. )

Está tan obscuro, lo mejor será que regrese pronto a dónde estaba...

❁ㅤDe repente, un relámpago cayó del cielo y la luz se filtró por la ventana, revelando una figura tendida en un sofá de la sala principal que dejó al pequeño paralizado.

Romantic: ( ¡Una persona! )

❁ㅤRomantic camino hasta allá, la imagen de aquella figura lentamente enfocándose en un hombre joven de rasgos refinados. Era tan hermoso, su cabello rojo cubriendo parte de su rostro mientras yacía en el sofá.

( Me siento tan mal interrumpiendo... lo que sea que esté haciendo, pero tal vez sea la mejor opción. )

Romantic: ( Qué cara tan linda... )

( ¿Será que él viva aquí? Porque no debería dejar la puerta abierta de esa forma. )

Romantic: Um... disculpe.

???: ...

Romantic: ( ¿Está durmiendo? Si que algunos tienen el sueño pesado. )

Hola, ¿estás bien?

❁ㅤPreguntó el chico en voz baja, tratando de despertarlo. Quería acercarse, más una vez este terminará tocando la mano del desconocido accidentalmente, un escalofrío le recorrió la piel.

Romantic: ( Él... está helado. )

( ¿Acaso él...? )

Disculp—

¡Ugh! Ah...

❁ㅤSin saber por qué, de repente se agarró el pecho y tiró de su ropa mientras jadeaba de dolor. Un pinchazo que le atraviesa el corazón.

Romantic: ¡Agh—!

( ¿Qué fue eso...? ¡D-Dios...! )

( ¡¿Q-qué pasa conmigo?! ¡Duele mucho! )

...Me duele...

Voz desconocida: ¿Dónde estás? Dime dónde... Por favor, ¿Dónde?

Romantic: ( ¿Qué... qué es esta voz en mi cabeza? )

( Es tan extraño todo esto… ¿realmente me afectó tanto ver a esta persona? Temo que le haya pasado algo malo. )

( ...Mi enfermedad debe haberme jugado una mala pasada otra vez… pero primero tengo que ayudar a esta persona, parece estar solo, no puedo dejarlo aquí. )

Tengo... tengo que buscar ayuda, sí. Eso es...

❁ㅤÉl se tambaleó débilmente, sacó su celular del bolsillo y miró a la persona sentada en el sofá que aún no se había movido. Tenía que ayudarlo, ayudarse a si mismo. Romantic trató de llamar a una autoridad.

Romantic: Veamos… Ah, ¿debería llamar a alguien para que venga aquí—?

???: ...Ngh...

Romantic: ¡!

???: Eres tan ruidoso...

Romantic: ¡Tú–! ¡E-estás bien!

( Me agarró del tobillo para sentarse en el sofá... No puedo creer que verdaderamente esté bien, ¡esto debe ser un milagro! )

M-me alegro tanto de que estés bien, yo... creí que–

???: ¿Ah...? Qué demonios... es un chico. ¿Qué estás haciendo tú en un lugar como este?

¿Quién te dio permiso de entrar?

Romantic: De verdad lo siento muchísimo, no quería irrumpir en su casa, y-yo pensé...

( Creí que estaba herido... O algo peor. )

???: ¿Qué «pensaste»? Tan sólo estaba durmiendo pacíficamente... y tú lo arruinaste, ¿tienes algún problema con eso?

Romantic: No, para nada.

???: Bueno, en ese caso...

❁ㅤEl pelirrojo sonrió con picardía, agarrando las caderas del chico para tirarlo sobre el sofá con él, empujando su cuerpo contra el suyo asegurándose de mantenerlo bajo suyo.

Romantic: ¡¿Ah–?!

( ¡Él me empujó! )

???: Je, eres como la polilla volando ella misma hacía la luz, ¿eh? Justo cuando estoy hambriento.

Romantic: ( ...¿Qué es lo que dijo? )

???: Tener un festín justo frente a mí...

Romantic: ¡E-espera! ¡¿Qué haces?!

???: Eso debería preguntarte. Eres tú quien apareció de la nada, por suerte, justo delante de mí.

Romantic: ( Bueno, tiene razón, ¡pero eso no significa que tenga derecho a atacar a la gente así! )

???: ¿Qué te pasa? ¿De repente te sentiste avergonzado?

Sólo acéptalo y quédate quieto para mí...

Romantic: ¡...!

( S-siento que quiero decir algo pero no puedo... )

¡N-no, no me toques! ¡Alejate de mí!

???: ¡¿Haa?! ¡¿Quién carajos te crees que eres para rechazarme?!

Romantic: N-no te atrevas a acercarte... tú... ¡monstruo!

( No puede ser verdad, ¿es esto una pesadilla? )

( Él... no es una persona. ¡No puede serlo! )

???: ...

...¿Cómo me llamaste...?

Romantic: ¿...?

❁ㅤEl joven de repente se detuvo y levantó la cabeza cuando escuchó los pasos de otra persona que vino aquí y mostró algo de enojo, gruñendo entre colmillos mientras se daba la vuelta.

??? (2) : ¿A qué se debe este escándalo? Me gustaría que no fueras tan ruidoso después de despertarte, Ayato.

Ayato: Ugh... Reiji...

❁ㅤConfundido, Romantic volteó y miro el rostro del vampiro una vez más antes de apartarse lentamente de él. Sus ojos fijados en los del otro con incertidumbre.

Romantic: ( ¿Ayato...? )

꒰ 𔓕 ꒱ㅤEste capítulo viene incluido con un poema, estos están relacionados con la historia, pero puedes omitirlos. ¿Quieres leerlo?

CW: Embarazo, mención de sangre.

La grandeza está en mis venas.

Cada mañana me encuentro, pero no me veo en el espejo.

Yo era sólo un cigoto en el útero de una madre joven cuando me dijeron que la gloria corría por mis venas, con la dolida del alma y anestesiada del corazón.

No sé lo que es depender de alguien, pues mi codicia me ha abrazado todas las noches sin dormir; con cada frase suya por una confusión y entre mis huellas la sangre de un niño avaricioso.

Siempre tengo que ser el mejor porque estoy lleno de orgullo, soy el único que puede manejarlo y sólo yo puedo hacerlo. No hay nada en el mundo que pueda cambiar el precio de tu elogio.

Así que, miente.

A ver si me ves.

ーー FIN DEL DARK PROLOGUE ーー

Comentario del admin 🧚🏻‍♀️

Es muy bueno volver a publicar aquí, ya extrañaba hacerlo. Esta vez, actualicé y mejoré la experiencia de la historia principal. Ustedes eligieron que yo subiera primero los capítulos más antiguos, y aquí está.ㅤ(〃´𓎟`〃)

Si les gusto, consideren darle a esta publicación un fav, rebloguear y, por qué no, incluso seguirme❕ Como siempre, muchas gracias por leer. Qué tengan un maravilloso día.

[jaeholic]

pairing: jeong jaehyun x reader

genre: very vague f2l, college au

warnings: suggestive, no pronouns used (inspired by this tweet)

wc: 748 :D repost from my main account!

YOU LIKE TO THINK YOU’VE ALWAYS SEEN THE BEST IN JEONG JAEHYUN.

Your first encounter with the boy was in sophomore year of high school, when you got paired up in Chemistry class as lab partners. You were absolutely clueless on how to measure each ingredient and was on the verge of panicking, but your soft-spoken partner saved the day (and your grades) by being calm throughout the experiment.

The both of you quickly became friends, falling into a pleasant routine of him helping you out in subjects you struggled with (especially Chemistry and those damned lab reports), and you helping him order what he wanted for lunch in the school cafeteria, after a year of just pointing to whatever was on the menu for the day.

Your friends were at first skeptical of the new developments - “Did you not learn anything from High School Musical, Y/N?” Johnny hissed at you at your lunch table while Yuta chuckled, trying to steal fries off Taeyong’s tray. “Stick to the status quo! Wasn’t Sharpay your favorite character?” - but they quickly warmed up to your new companion after getting to know him more, welcoming him and his equally awkward friend, Kim Jungwoo, to the group.

(One afternoon, while you and Johnny were walking home, he tells you that maybe befriending “a nerd” wasn’t that bad. You threaten to step on his new shoes before he lets up the truth - Jaehyun has given him answers to the algebra homework that he’s been stressing about for three days straight. “Don’t take advantage of him, John. He’s my friend.” He grunts in response, but only after you nudge his shoulder hard.)

The rest, they say, is history. You all enter college in the city, with only Taeyong opting to attend a different college. Despite what you heard about the horrors of higher education, it felt easy, falling into rhythm with the people you have known for years. Meeting up with Johnny and Jaehyun at their shared dorm, pulling all-nighters doing work in your shared elective classes, partnering with Jungwoo for a project and doing coffee runs with Yuta. You enjoyed the established routine, prioritizing comfort over change.

But the more you wished for things to stay the same, the more Jaehyun went in the opposite direction. (Rather, you were being overdramatic.) Your summer break for freshman year is almost over and you haven’t heard from him yet, which is a stark contrast to the boy that was always the first to reply in your group chat. He only kept in contact with Johnny, and when you bugged the giant for updates, he would just shrug and reply ominously with a “You’ll see.”

Which leads you to this exact moment.

Your legs wrapped around Jaehyun’s waist on his bed as he roamed his fingers through your hair, meeting your lips in a searing kiss, arms tugging him closer to minimize any amount of distance between the two of you.

Gone was the bowl cut, thick-rimmed glasses, and striped polo t-shirts of the Jaehyun you had befriended back in high school. Replacing him was a man you barely recognized - in a short haircut with a middle part that complemented his features, exchanging his glasses for contacts and his polo shirts burned somewhere for all you care because the black t-shirt he currently had on suited him well.

(“I had an existential crisis,” he was telling you earlier, showing you pictures of his vacation and his transition from Evan Hansen understudy to Hottest Human Being Alive. “I didn’t want to be the nerd friend anymore.” You hummed in response, staring not-so subtly at his face. Once he realizes where your attention was, he laughs before leaning in closer to you. “Do you think I’m cute?” You nod, and reply, "I always thought you were." Somehow your brain reaches a conclusion to close the gap and just kiss him. He reciprocates almost immediately.)

“Waited so long for this,” he mumbles into your skin in between kissing and sucking on your neck. You don’t care about the marks appearing later as you decidedly agree with him, trailing your hand over his well-defined body. He moans softly, which gives you the courage to roam lower, lower, hand lightly brushing over his crotch.

He grabs your wrist harshly, his eyes darkening when you look at him with faux innocence. “You’re going to regret that.” He flips you around onto his bed, with him now on top of you.

It was going to be a long night.

[tarditzgrade]

developing/developed a ninjago x splatoon au with someone else and so i wrote a little oneshot for it focusing on the agent 3 fight in octo expansion, but with lloyd and arin instead

i thought of the title at like 1 in the morning dont scold me for it

it's about 1,335 words :))

“It’s gonna be fine, Arin reassured himself. What was one more fight to get out of this place? He readied his gun and got into a better fighting stance, as Agent 3 finally turned and the two locked eyes and- --y-- -a-----n. Those eyes. That face. That was the face of a ------.” Arin's almost at surface after experiencing a hell like no other, but there's only one more thing standing in his way. Someone very…familiar?

“Keep it up, Arin!” Geo’s voice encouraged him over the comm. “You’re almost at the surface!”

“The elevator ahead should carry you up the rest of the way!” Cole added. “And the battery’s already in there, too.”

“So it should be an easy ride from here, huh?” Arin let himself relax as he crossed the rail connecting the spawner used to enter the facility and the bridge to the elevator platform.

“Should be.” Cole agreed. “And, hey, look at that. Agent 3 and the Captain’s signals are close by as well. Maybe you’ll run into each other on the way up.”

“We haven’t heard from them in a bit.” Geo muttered. “I hope they’re doing okay…”

“Oh, Geo! Y’know what?” Cole had an idea, possibly to cheer up Geo. “We should get the heli’ ready to pick him up once he gets out.”

“The chopper? Won’t that be overkill?”

“You’re gonna let the kid’s first ride on the surface be something lamer?”

Geo sighed, giving in. “Yeah, I guess not. I’ll make the call.”

The two idols continued to talk as Arin reached the elevator. Arin didn’t need to activate anything, as the platform began to rise a few seconds after he stepped on the checkpoint in the middle. It locked into a larger platform and the whole thing continued to rise.

Homebound, was the first thought he had. Could you really be homebound to a place you’ve never been? Well, home was where the heart is and Arin felt his heart belonged on the surface.

Just a few more minutes, a few more meters up, and he’d be there.

All the things he’d be able to see. The clothes he’d get to wear. The people he’d get to meet. He’d actually get to meet Cole and Geo face-to-face and they said they’d pick him up in a helicopter? It was gonna be so cool to get his first views of the surface from so high up.

Many exciting thoughts and speculations of what his life would be like by the end of next hour ran through his head. Once this elevator reached the end of its climb and-

Thud.

With a hiss, the platform abruptly halted.

“What’s going on?” Geo asked.

“Uh- the elevator… it stopped.” Cole replied. Arin could hear a frantic keyboard typing from their end.

“It shouldn’t be doing that?”

“No. He’s nowhere near the top and the battery’s still working. Something external must’ve stopped it.”

Geo turned his attention. “Are you okay, Arin? Do you see anything?”

“Um, yeah? I think I’m fine. I don’t-” Arin glanced up.

Oh.

Arin had gotten so caught up in his own fantasies of the surface he hadn’t noticed that there was something standing between him and the world above.

On top of one of the posts bordering the elevator, someone stood with their back turned.

Arin couldn’t see their face, but judging by the tattered cape flowing about in the wind…

“Oh, it’s just Agent 3 up there.” Arin let out a sigh of relief.

He wasn’t actually too familiar with Agent 3. The captain had put up a missing poster for him, but his drawing hadn’t been the most detailed or legible. Other than that, the only time he could recall meeting him before now was only a short while ago in the Central Station.

And that meeting had been very brief due to the fact that Agent 3 had passed out immediately after showing up and the telephone was cephalocidal now.

But Agent 3 had saved both him and the captain from the blender and it was everyone against the telephone in this fight, so Arin felt no major need to have concern.

Cole must’ve seen or known something else, though. Worry crept into his voice. “Yeah, that is Agent 3 up there, but…”

“Agent 8?!” A panicked voice rang out from behind Agent 3. A UFO floated into view, Captain Wu himself dangling upside down from under it, tied up yet squirming in his restraints. He caught sight of Arin. “Gah! Agent 8! Help! That telephone got Ll- got Agent 3! His mind’s been hijacked!”

Agent 3’s back was still turned, but Arin could see it now. A bluish-green ooze was latched on to the side of his head.

It’s gonna be fine, Arin reassured himself. What was one more fight to get out of this place? He readied his gun and got into a better fighting stance, as Agent 3 finally turned and the two locked eyes and-

--y-- -a-----n.

Those eyes.

A bright, vibrant turquoise that clearly wasn’t his normal color, but the color of his eyes didn’t matter.

That expression. On that face.

Cold and callous. Emotionless as it looked Arin over.

That was the face of a -------.

--o-d -ar-a-o-.

Arin didn’t know much. That darned telephone had taken away all he had known before the underground. So he had no memory of meeting Agent 3 before all of this.

But that face of almost apathetic resolve. The stance of someone who knows power. Who knows they’re powerful.

It awakened a feeling deep within Arin that he didn’t know he had.

--oy- --r-a--n.

Again, Arin attempted to remind himself that he’d be fine. He was capable, surely capable enough to beat Agent 3.

But there was something that his body knew that his head didn’t.

His grip on his gun shook. His breathing quickened. His legs begged to run or give out.

Arin was panicking. He had faced many, many worse things in the depths of Kamabo than what stood above him, but nothing had gained a reaction quite like this.

-l--- G--m--o-.

Hero. Traitor.

How could someone evoke both fear and admiration simultaneously?

Conflicting feelings stirred within and Arin tried to push them aside, but how could he when there was a chance that one of them may finally give him some kind of closure?

H-pe from a ------ that’d lead them out of domes to salvation.

D-sp-ir from a ------ that’d bring blackouts and death.

“Arin?” Geo asked, light and soft.

L--y- --r-a-on.

And that name. Arin felt like he was grasping at straws trying to remember it, an ultimately useless feat thanks to the telephone, but his mind couldn’t help but try.

It felt so…controversial. So polarizing. A name that, when mentioned, would gain fifty different reactions from fifty different people, and yet Arin couldn’t and would never remember it on his own.

He was starting to get that feeling of frustration that had pervaded this whole experience. That feeling he felt when he’d be on the verge of remembering something, anything, but ultimately never would.

That feeling felt stronger than ever now.

Would it mean anything to him if he did remember that name? Would it matter if it did?

-lo-d --rma-o-.

“Arin?” Cole asked this time, worried.

Those turquoise eyes were still empty of any feeling whatsoever. There were no signs of eagerness for the anticipation of a fight. There were no signs of disgust for someone daring to stand against him.

They only looked over Arin to assess him. Attempting to figure out the most efficient way this fight could play out. 

Not registering a fellow Octoling, only an opponent.

No, not even that. An obstacle.

And despite the fact that he was being mind controlled, that expression wasn’t alien on his face.

Champion. Menace.

-lo-- Ga---do-.

“Agent 8!” Cap’n Wu shouted, urgent and pleading.

Arin blinked, snapping out of his daze. Agh, now wasn’t the time for this.

Maybe he would never remember once he made it out of here. Maybe he’d never remember anything ever. Who knew how many answers the surface would have for him?

But there was a guarantee that he’d never remember anything if he died here.

Agent 3 fully turned to face Arin. He leapt off the post, Splashdown at the ready.

Arin had fought like hell to make it out of here. What was one more fight?

[potteresque-ire]

A very young Stanley Kwan 關錦鵬 (right) directing Leslie Cheung 張國榮 (left) and Anita Mui 梅艷芳 (middle) for Rouge 胭脂扣 (1987). Kwan would win the Best Director title for the film at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Stanley Kwan 關錦鵬 is not only a famous director from Hong Kong, but also the first well-known openly gay figure in Hong Kong entertainment. He came out of the closet in 1996 (before Leslie Cheung, who did so in 1997), in the documentary he directed for the British Film Institute named Yang ± Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema 男生女相：華語電影之性別. His works had garnered accolades for their in-depth portrayal of female characters, at the time when women in local movies often did little more than being pretty and screaming a lot.

(Under the cut: Director Kwan's own words on one of his most famous works and a gay film classic in Chinese-language cinema, Lan Yu (2001), in 2022 after BL culture has entered mainstream)

Most BL fans know Director Kwan via his gay-themed film Lan Yu 藍宇 (2001), about the eponymous Bejing university student falling in love with a wealthy, closeted businessman, Chen Handong. The film, based on a popular online novel Beijing Story 北京故事, has remained censored in mainland China for its queer content and its mentions of the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre. Its fate of being perennially censored was never a surprise—the film was shot in Beijing in secret, with the crew pretending to be shooting commercials around the capital. Digital filming also didn't exist then, and so the 100,000 ft + of film had to be smuggled out of China later to be developed.

Lan Yu was a project about love. Of love.

The poster of Lan Yu in Cannes Film Festival (left), Hong Kong (center), Taiwan (right), at the time of its original release.

In 2022, Lan Yu celebrated its 20th anniversary with a 4K remastered version. Among the interviews of Director Kwan made for the celebration was one by The Initium 端傳媒, during which Kwan shared some of his views on Lan Yu, in the context of how public reception of queer media has changed over the years after the film's release.

These views may deviate from what some fans, especially those in BL circles, would expect. Precisely because of that, however, I'm posting them here. After all, maybe, hopefully, Kwan will collaborate with Dd (and Gg) one day. Maybe, fans like ourselves will interact with Kwan on social media spaces one day.

I hope Kwan's views will be kept in mind, considered and respected. Due to the length of the full interview **, I'm only translating the two parts that are relevant (lazy turtle here 😊):

1.

《藍宇》 雖為華語電影同志片的經典，但過去廿年，關錦鵬卻在不少訪談中提過，電影改編自當年於大陸風行一時的網絡同志小說《北京故事》，而最初他其實並不喜歡那篇小說。

「原著基本上是用偷窺角度去看一段同志關係，特別是集中描寫男體的情色關係，有很多露骨的性愛場面。作者本身是知道這些描寫會令小說受歡迎。」關錦鵬接著說：「但在拍這部電影前，我在 1996 年已經出櫃。而我覺得作為一名同志導演，就更不應該去消費這個題材，所以當我看到原著小說將情色描寫，譬如肛交、口交的過程放大，當時我便跟製片人說，如果要原封不動將小說內容拍出來，我就不做了。」

Although Lan Yu is a classic Chinese-language gay film, in many interviews in the past 20 years, Kwan has mentioned that the film was adapted from the online gay novel Beijing Story, popular in mainland China at the time, and that he actually didn't like the novel at first. "The original novel basically looks at a gay relationship from a voyeuristic point of view, especially the erotic relationship between male bodies, and there are many explicit sex scenes. The author (of the novel) himself knows that these descriptions will make the novel popular."

Kwan continued, "But before making this movie, I had been out of the closet since 1996. And I thought, as a gay director, I shouldn't exploit this subject, so when I saw the original novel expanding, zooming in on the eroticism -- the processes of anal sex and oral sex, for example -- I told the producer at the time that if the novel's content is to be filmed without changes, I won't do it.”

2. 在《藍宇》面世的年代，電影確實意識大膽。但二十年後，當電影得以重新修復，社會氛圍其實亦有了翻天覆地的轉變。近年不但多了同志題材的作品，甚至大行其道，人人消費，成為一種時令的商業元素。譬如人氣男團會拍 BL 電視劇，而過去幾年的華語電影節，最快售罄的場次，都一定是同志電影。 此情此景，在《藍宇》剛上映的年代簡直不可思議，電影當年在香港的票房談不上亮眼，普羅大眾對同性戀故事有所抗拒，而本身就是同志的觀眾，想看卻不敢購票入場，怕被旁人標籤。二十年後世界變了樣，甚至總會看到「腐女」在 BL 電影的宣傳海報前打卡拍照。關錦鵬笑說：「是呀，前陣子的確有朋友跟我說，她其實是一名腐女。腐女族群喜歡看男同志電影，但到底喜歡看什麼呢？她某程度上都承認，想看的就是身體，是兩個好看的男人身體如何做愛。」 然而，��恰恰就是他當初對執導《藍宇》有所卻步的顧慮。當同志題材今日已走入主流，變成一種受歡迎的商業元素，關錦鵬則仍然有所警惕，跟潮流保持距離：「可能有些腐女都會喜歡《藍宇》，但我想未必完全是她們那杯茶。它真正要說的是兩個男人從色情買賣演變成一段感情關係，尤其是魏紹恩替我改編劇本之後，陳捍東這個角色，在我看來不一定是男同志，而是他在藍宇身上找到一些連自己都不知道的感覺。」 但關錦鵬也承認，從好的方向去看，在 BL 作品蔚然成風的助力之下，至少令同志以及 LGBT 性少數族群，相對容易被今日的大眾主流接受：「這是令人開心的。近幾年，特別是年輕人，確實會用比較開放的態度去對待 LGBT 族群。」稍頓，關錦鵬解釋道：「換個說法，關於 LGBT 議題的重點，現在就不再放在色情之上，而更多是感情關係，甚至是性少數族群認清自己身份之後，於生活上如何面對社會。那起碼是朝著一個正確的方向。」 In the era when Lan Yu was released, the film was indeed bold in its ideology. Twenty years later, however, at the time when the film gets its restoration, the social atmosphere has actually undergone earth-shaking changes. In recent years, not only have there been more gay-themed works, they have even become very popular and consumed by all, becoming a kind of fashionable commercial element. For example, popular boyband members are willing to make BL TV dramas, and in the past few years of Chinese-speaking film festivals, the fastest sold-out shows have all been gay movies.

[Pie note: The reporter was unlikely to be referring to Gg and Dd with their mention of "popular boyband members". Instead, they were probably thinking of Edan Lo and Anson Lo from Hong Kong's local boyband MIRROR, who starred in the BL drama Ossan's Love.]  

This phenomenon is unbelievable in the era when Lan Yu was first released. The box office of the film in Hong Kong couldn't be said to be impressive. The general public resisted gay stories [Pie note: Hong Kong hadn't decriminalised homosexual relationships until 1991, 10 years before], and the audience who were gay wanted to watch it but didn't dare to purchase tickets, for fear of being labeled by others. Twenty years later, the world has changed -- BL fans can be seen photographing themselves in front of the promotional posters of BL movies.

Kwan smiled and said, "Yes, a friend told me a while ago that she's actually a "rotten woman" (Pie note: = woman BL fan, translated from the Japanese term fujoshi). The "rotten women" group likes to watch gay movies, but what do they like to watch? She admitted, to a certain extent, that it's the body. It's the body, how two good-looking men's bodies make love."

And yet, this was precisely the concern that made Kwan hesitant to direct Lan Yu at the beginning. As gay themes enter the mainstream and become a popular commercial element, Kwan has remained vigilant, and has kept his distance from the trend: "Maybe some "rotten women" enjoy Lan Yu, but I don't think (the film) is entirely their cup of tea. What the film really wanted to express was how two men evolved from a transactional sex relationship to an emotional relationship, especially after Wei Shaoen adapted the script for me. The character of Chen Handong, in my opinion, didn't necessarily have to be a gay man; instead, he found on Lan Yu a feeling that even he himself couldn't understand.”

But Kwan also admitted that, from a better perspective, with the aid of popular BL works, it has become relatively easy for gays and LGBT sexual minorities to find acceptance in today's mainstream: "This is a happy thing to see. In recent years, especially young people have indeed treated the LGBT community with a more open attitude.” After a short pause, Kwan explained: “In other words, the focus of LGBT issues is now no longer on salacity, but more on emotional relationships, and even, on how sexual minorities face society in their daily lives after recognising their (sexual) identities. At least it's moving in the right direction.”

** None of you see this footnote, but a copy of the interview without a paywall can be found here. 😊

[arabellamonkey]

tony's stickers of love

stevetony I when Tony prints a couple of "Tony Stark Approved" stickers as a joke, the last thing he expects is to end up covering Steve's heart with them ; written for the lovely cassie <3

also on ao3

It began as a joke.

He just wanted to have a bit of fun with Peter, who’s been bringing him most of his recent chemistry project every other afternoon, asking question after question about how to improve them. At first, Tony just helped him, spending the afternoons working with him on them, and that was the end of it.

But at some point, the idea of creating the stickers appeared in his mind.

It probably happened one of those nights he pulled an all-nighter only fueled by caffeine and a tight deadline; he’s had lots of pretty good ideas in those situations.

So he just did it, as he does with every single idea he has.

And yeah, the first “Tony Stark Approved” sticker went to one of Peter’s chemistry projects, which made the kid ridiculously proud and Tony ridiculously amused.

So of course he kept printing them.

As a matter of fact, he got used to having a couple of stickers always on hand whenever he was out. He didn’t know what he’d end up using them for, but it seemed like a good inside joke with himself. 

That’s how, barely a week later, he gets to grant his next sticker.

They’re in the meeting room in the Avengers Tower, and in the middle of a briefing on a new mission Fury wants to send them on, Steve says something along the lines of, “and what if we try to surprise them using Tony’s last tech? You know, the chameleon skin he’s just developed.”

And aw, shucks , for Cap to suggest using Tony’s tech on a mission is always the highlight of his day, so of course Tony takes advantage of the fact that Steve is sitting right next to him —his body slightly turned towards him, as it always seems to be— and stamps one of his stickers in his forehead as he says, “such a good idea, Cap.”

And well, if the way he frowns in confusion is just way too adorable for Tony to cope with, that’s totally on him.

“What…?” Steve starts to ask, reaching with his hand to touch the sticker. He doesn’t try to pull it off, though.

“Tony Stark Approved,” Clint reads the sticker, and proceeds to cackle so hard he ends up having to hold his tummy. Nat and Thor smile beside him, going as far trying to disguise their own laughs as coughs. “Brilliant!”

“Always am,” Tony smiles widely, enjoying the way Steve’s flushing.

The fact that Steve doesn’t take it off for a while isn’t lost on any of them.

It doesn’t take Tony more than a week to find another excuse to use his stickers. And if this time the winner also happens to be Steve, well, that’s just a coincidence.

They’re lounging on the common room when Steve enters the room wearing a rather tight shirt. Or, more accurately, a shirt that’s sticking to his wet body. He seems to have just taken a shower, and Tony seems to be the only one aware of the fact that Steve’s nipples are clearly visible through the shirt.

So of course he has to take another sticker out and put it over one of them —to protect Steve’s honor, of course. What other reason could there be behind it?

None. None at all.

“What’s this one for?” Steve asks him, touching the sticker with curiosity. He seems to be admiring it, as if he finds being awarded one of those some kind of honor. Tony has to look away when he sees Steve’s expression soften into an amused smile, totally unbothered by Tony’s anctics. Something short circuits in Tony’s mind at the sight.

“Had one to spare,” he mumbles, running to the other side of the couch to cuddle at Bruce’s side. 

And if Steve and Tony spend the rest of the movie night exchanging looks when they think the other one isn’t looking? Well, that’s just another one of the many benefits of his stickers, Tony thinks.

He’s known for only having brilliant ideas, after all.

As time goes by, Tony realizes they’ve fallen into a routine without really meaning to. For one, he’s gotten used to always having a handful of stickers close; just like Steve’s grown used to giving Tony these looks from time to time, as if trying to guess when will be the next time he earns one of them. It almost reminds Tony of a puppy looking for a treat, a comparison he never says out loud.

There’s the time they’re on an incognito mission and Tony’s cover is blown up. In the end, Steve is the one that gets both of them out of there as soon as possible. So of course he gets a sticker in his arms —the same ones he used to carry Tony to safety— for that.

Then there’s the day Steve tried out his new suit, and Tony couldn’t help putting a sticker on his butt. He’ll never forget the way Steve stuttered a question and proceeded to be rendered speechless when Tony smiled at him and answered sweetly, “don’t you agree such an artwork deserves a prize?”

Or the day Steve said something so funny Tony couldn’t stop laughing for ten minutes, which earned him a sticker on his cheek.

The fact that Steve never complains about them, and never takes them off in front of Tony, only fuels this slowly growing tradition even more. Tony’s mind is really simple: as long as he keeps getting positive feedback, he’ll keep printing the stickers.

Curiously, it also ends up being the perfect excuse to spend more time together. Tony’s not sure if Steve realizes how they’ve slowly grown used to spending more and more time together; be it in the gym, where they get used to spar —and where Steve gets a new sticker every time he lets Tony win—, or in the kitchen during the nights where both of them gravitate towards the fridge looking for some remedy to their insomnia.

Of course, Tony gives Steve a sticker every time he makes him some warm milk without Tony needing to actually ask for it. Then they sit shoulder by shoulder in the kitchen aisle, New York’s skyline reflecting in Steve’s eyes as Tony tries very hard to avoid being caught staring.

He’s staring. Every single time.

Time goes by, and by the time Tony suspects this might become another thing he just does out of habit, never to change, Steve decides to prove him wrong.

“Hm, would you stay for a moment?” Steve asks him one morning, after they’ve just finished sparring with the team. All the Avengers have already abandoned the gym, and Tony was about to do so too, until Steve’s voice —full of doubt and hope and everything in between— stops him where he stands.

Tony turns around, and sees Steve standing in the center of the ring. His shoulders are thrown forward, as if he’s trying to make himself look small, and there’s a small smile on his lips.

But what attracts Tony’s attention is the way he keeps reaching for the sticker he’s just stamped on his left arm with his right hand, as if it’s some kind of talisman.

“Sure,” Tony simply answers as he approaches him, hands buried in his pockets. “What’s up?”

“Um, I was wondering…” Steve bites his lips, playing with it as if doing so is going to make the words magically show up. “Would you like to go out sometime?”

Tony blinks, caught off guard.

“As in, just the two of us?” Tony asks, just to make sure he’s hearing right. Are you asking me on a date?

“Yeah,” Steve answers. And, well, there’s no other way to describe the way he says it. It sounds as if Steve is eager to go out with him, which feels wild to Tony. It takes him a couple of seconds to find his own words.

“Okay,” he finally answers, nodding to himself. “Yeah, sure.”

And the way Steve’s whole face illuminates at that answer? Well, if that manages to make Tony’s heart skip a couple of heartbeats, he can only hope he’s the only one to notice.

***

They go out.

First, it’s the movies. Then, dinner in a normal place. Then, dinner in a fancy one.

Then… Well, if it weren’t for the fact that Tony’s a certified genius, he could say he almost loses count of how many dates they go on (no, he doesn’t: he’s perfectly aware they’ve been on nineteen dates so far).

And then… Well, Tony doesn’t expect what comes next.

They’re visiting a gallery Pepper has been pestering Tony about —a gallery Tony is going to exit being the owner of yet two more paintings; the fact that both attracted Steve’s attention first being purely a coincidence, of course—, and they’ve received their fair share of looks.

Or, more specifically, their joined hands have received their fair share of looks. 

Now they’re both tucked away in the shadows, next to the catering tables. Tony might be a bit tipsy, the world pleasantly blurry around its edges as he rests his hip on the table behind him. 

So, of course, when Steve leans forward to clean a breadcrumb from Tony’s lips, Tony can’t help stealing a brief kiss from him. It’s a small, innocent thing. Something that has probably gone unnoticed to everyone there.

And yet, Tony realizes it’s not nothing the moment he takes in Steve’s expression. The way his lips are slightly open as his eyes blink once, twice, even three times, as if expecting the image before him to change. 

Or maybe to make sure he’s not dreaming?

Tony giggles at the thought, taking a sip from his champagne.

“Sorry, Cap, I—” Steve’s lips drown his words the moment his lips collide with his again, robbing him of his breath in a swift move. When Steve separates enough for their lips to stop touching but not enough for Tony to stop feeling Steve’s breath merging with his, Tony sighs, “Oh.”

“Don’t apologize,” Steve says, his voice rough with emotion. “Not if you meant it.”

“I—”

“Did you?” Steve asks.

How can one not mean a kiss? Tony wants to ask. But even he knows that would be a stupid question to ask, and a cruel one at that.

Because that’s the moment he realizes, as he looks at Steve trying to desperately find an answer to his question in his eyes, that he might have been underestimating this thing that’s been growing between them, between sticker and sticker.

“Because I do,” Steve ends up saying before Tony can find his own words. He speaks earnestly, with the kind of passion Tony’s only seen him show in battle. “I think I love you, Tony. I– I think I’ve loved you even before I realized I did.”

Tony gulps, looking up at Steve as if he’s seeing him for the first time. He suspected he wasn’t the one that was starting to have feelings, but he hadn’t allowed himself to build castles in the clouds, not so soon, at least.

But now he can’t just keep doing that, can he? No, of course he can’t, not when Steve is putting his heart in a tray, wrapped up in all these unguarded emotions, all for him to see.

That wouldn’t be fair, of course it wouldn’t. But then again, Steve’s just managed to do what few others could in the past.

He’s left Tony Stark speechless.

Can anyone blame him for taking a sticker out, sticking it over Steve’s heart and leaning forward to kiss him yet again?

It takes him a few seconds before thoughts finally rearrange themselves in his mind; by then, he’s already lost himself in Steve’s arms, unable to pinpoint where his body ends and Steve’s starts.

“I do,” Tony finally whispers, breathless, the confession rolling off his tongue in a relieved sigh. “Of course I do.”

And damn him if Steve’s laugh doesn’t taste like the most intoxicating thing in this world.