#hello neighbour au music

[mintygreenaqua]

Hello Neighbor x Phineas and Ferb, not a bad idea! Also pretty nostalgic

[cherryredlove]

☆ you spin me right round ☆

Modern! Record shop owner! au Aemond Targaryen x Bar owner! reader SMUT

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You're the blooming business owner that owns the chic new bar in town, The Alchemist's Guild. All that's left to do is befriend your sourpuss neighbour, the cool owner of the music shop Targaryen Tracks. Maybe a crisis will do the trick?

Word Count: 1.9k

Themes: SMUT, 18+, rough oral smex, pearl necklace, sex in semi-public place

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Owning a bar was always a dream of yours, and now that dream has finally come true. The place you purchased is a hidden gem on the artsy quarter of the city of King's Landing, nestled between eclectic shops and quirky businesses, with just enough foot traffic to guarantee interest. You’ve christened it The Alchemist’s Guild, and you hoped it'll become the hottest bar in the area soon.

Every bottle and glass has been carefully selected, and you’ve spent countless hours transforming the run-down space into a chic, cosy haven for anyone seeking to unwind. Edison bulbs hang from the ceiling, casting a warm glow over the polished wooden surfaces and plush seating. The shelves behind the bar are stocked with an impressive array of gins and wines, and the scent of fresh herbs and citrus fills the air.

The only hurdle now? Making friends with the neighbours, particularly the one who runs the music shop next door, Targaryen Tracks.

You’ve seen him a few times, Aemond Targaryen, always dressed impeccably in black, with silver hair and an ever-present scowl etched onto his face. His shop is a world of its own, filled with vintage records and obscure music that you occasionally hear through the walls.

Today, after a couple of good days of business, you decide it’s time to introduce yourself properly. Maybe you can even convince him to partner up for some musical collaborations, adding a unique touch to your bar’s atmosphere. With a deep breath, you step into Targaryen Tracks, the door chiming softly as you enter.

Aemond looks up from behind the counter, his single blue eye meeting yours with a curious, almost guarded expression. He nods in acknowledgement, though his lips barely form a smile.

"Hi, I’m Y/N," you say, offering a friendly smile. "I just opened the bar next door, The Alchemist’s Guild. Thought I’d come by and say hello."

"Aemond," he replies curtly, giving you a once-over before returning his gaze to the record he’s examining.

The shop is a paradise for any music lover, with rows upon rows of records neatly organized by genre and era. The atmosphere is nostalgic, and you can’t help but feel a pang of admiration for the meticulous care he’s put into curating his collection. You too take great pride in organisation and decoration.

You take a moment to look around, pretending to browse. The silence stretches between you, and you rack your brain for something to say, anything to break the ice.

"You’ve got quite the collection here," you venture, picking up a random record and pretending to study it. "I’ve been thinking about hosting some vinyl nights at the bar. You know, set up a record player, get some more out there stuff playing."

Aemond’s eye flickers with mild interest as he raises an eyebrow. "That so?"

You nod eagerly, hoping to engage him further. "Yeah! I think it’d be great to have something a bit more unique than just playlists. It’s a vibe, you know?"

He studies you for a moment, considering your words. "I suppose it could work," he admits, a hint of intrigue in his tone. "What kind of records are you looking to play?"

"Honestly, I’m open to anything that sets the right mood," you reply with enthusiasm. "Jazz, blues, rock, maybe even some classical if it fits."

Aemond nods, the hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "I might have a few recommendations."

A spark of hope flickers inside you. Perhaps this sourpuss neighbor of yours isn’t as aloof as he seems. Maybe there's a chance for some collaboration after all.

• • • • • • • • • • • • ✦ • • • • • • • • • • • •

Business at The Alchemist’s Guild is booming. You’ve managed to create a buzz around town, and the place is packed almost every night. The combination of exquisite drinks and the cosy atmosphere has made your bar a go-to spot for many locals and visitors alike. It's become a favourite with the artsy scene in the quarter, putting you firmly on the map.

But tonight, as you’re hosting bustling Saturday evening, disaster strikes. The trusty sound system crackles and dies with a sad whimper. Panic sets in as you realize that without music, the bar loses a significant part of its charm.

As the clamor of conversation fills the air, you frantically fiddle with the cables and speakers, hoping for a miracle. But nothing works.

Just when you're about to lose hope, an idea strikes.

"Hold down the fort for me, Dyana!" You call out to the bartender you employed.

You dash out of the bar and head straight to Targaryen Tracks, where Aemond is about to close up for the night.

Aemond looks up at you as you barge into the shop, mildly surprised to see you so flustered.

"Aemond, I need a huge favour," you blurt out, trying to catch your breath. "My sound system just broke down, and I have a packed bar with no music. Can you help me out?"

He pauses. "What do you need?"

"Your records," you say quickly, hope rising in your chest. "And your record player and speakers. Just for tonight. I’ll give you free drinks for a week in return."

He narrows his eye, contemplating the offer. After a moment, he nods. "Fine. But you handle the equipment with care."

Relief floods through you. "Thank you, thank you so much! I promise I'll be careful. You can even handle changing the records if that's better. "

Together, you gather a selection of records, and Aemond helps you carry them over to the bar. With his expertise, you set up the record player, and soon, the rich, warm tones of vinyl fill the space, transforming the atmosphere instantly.

The patrons love it, and you can feel the tension leaving your shoulders as the night goes on smoothly. True to your word, you offer Aemond a drink on the house as a gesture of gratitude. He graciously accepts your Greyjoy Gin and tonic with a small smile.

• • • • • • • • • • • • ✦ • • • • • • • • • • • •

As the night draws to a close, the last of your customers finally trickle out, leaving the bar empty save for you and Aemond. The soft glow of the Edison bulbs casts a cosy light over the room, and the record player softly spins its last tune.

"Thank you again," you say, leaning against the bar, feeling the exhaustion of the night catching up to you. "You really saved me tonight."

Aemond shrugs, a faint smirk on his lips. "It was interesting. Your patrons seem to appreciate good music."

You laugh softly, nodding in agreement. "I owe you. Seriously, free drinks for a week."

He takes a sip of his drink, regarding you with an appraising gaze. "Maybe we can make this a regular thing. Vinyl nights, as you said. I can curate the music."

"That would be amazing," you reply, feeling your heart race a little. "I think it’d be a hit."

As you tidy up the bar, Aemond helps, and the two of you chat more easily than before. You discover that beneath his stoic exterior, he has a genuine passion for music and a dry sense of humour that you find surprisingly charming.

With the bar finally clean and ready for the next day, you both take a moment to relax, leaning against the counter again.

As the last record winds down to silence, an unexpected tension fills the air. The kind that lingers between two people until someone is brave enough to try.

It’s Aemond who makes the first move. His eye locks onto yours, and you see a flicker of something you hadn't quite noticed before. You feel your body light up.

Before you know it, he’s closing the distance between you, his presence commanding and electric. He pauses, giving you a moment to stop him if you wish, but you find yourself drawn in by the intensity of his gaze.

And then his lips are on yours, firm and insistent, sending a jolt down your spine. You kiss him back, matching his fervour with your own.

Aemond’s hands are on your waist, pulling you closer, and you respond by wrapping your arms around his neck, grasping at his hair. His mouth is hot and heady, and you moan into his as his hips grind against yours.

You barely notice as you’re backed against the bar, the cool surface a stark contrast to the heat of the kiss. Aemond’s hands are exploring now, tracing a path down your sides, and you let out a soft sigh of approval, urging him on.

The kiss deepens, his touch is confident, and you can feel the hardness of his cock against your tender pussy. Your body reacts, arching into him to relieve your aching sex.

Aemond unzips your trousers, moaning at how wet you are, before gliding his fingers into your soaked heat. You cling to him, mewling, and bit down hard onto his neck. Aemond’s long fingers move inside you, fingering you with a beckoning motion. His eye rolls back as you grasp his cock in your hand, massaging through his trousers.

Aemond hoists you up onto the bar's counter, kissing you roughly before kneeling, facing your soaked pussy. Your hands grip his hair, urging him onto your heat. His tongue flicks out to lick your juices, and the moan you let out spurs him to bury his face.

His long nose is shoved against your clit, rubbing you in the mot perfect way as his tongue laps you expertly. Your thighs squeeze his head tightly. One of his hands grips your soft thigh hard, the other resumes its ministrations inside your tight pussy, making you choke and feel the hot lick of pleasure push you higher and higher. You grind against his face, Aemond sucking your clit with suchbvigour that you cry out, cumming hard on him. You cream against his tongue, and he laps it all up with a deep moan.

Once your head has stopped swimming at the pleasure of your high, you wobble down and fall to your knees. His thick cock sits right in front of your face, and he slowly parts your lips with the red cockhead. It's huge, you run out of mouth room pretty quickly as his hands grip your hair. You moan, the vibration making his hips stutter, and begin to suck him hard.

"Your lips look so beautiful wrapped arouud me baby," he rasps out. "I'll cum if you carry on."

Enthused, you bob your head faster, hollowing out your cheeks and rubbing your tongue right against the slit of his tip. When you fondle his balls with your hands and swallow hard, Aemond releases a strangled cry of pleasure, face-fucking you hard and fast. He lets out an unintelligible moan as he cums. Some of it leaks down your throat, but he pulls out to cum all over your face and neck. You gasp at the hot white ropes of cum that decorate your collar bone.

Panting, he helps you up, swiping his cum off with a finger and parting your lips for you to swallow it. He kisses you gently, salty and sweet.

"Want to come back to mine?" He asks, eye glinting. You nod eagerly, kissing him sweetly. His hands hold you firmly, and you thank the Gods for your sound system breaking.

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AN: save me modern aemond targaryen save me! love writing that so gimme ur feedback and send any requests! if u like this sort of stuff check out my masterlist!

[kquil]

SIRIUS BLACK | HIS FAVOURITE NEIGHBOUR PART 2

SUM. : the rest of the marauders finally meet you and get to taste your famous cookies, they even invite you to their next gig.

G. : rockstar au ; modern au ; muggle au ; neighbours au ; rockstar sirius ; rockstar marauders ; neighbour reader ; reader bakes cookies ; sirius being a flirt ; you're invited ; cookies are much appreciated ; sirius can't keep his hands off you

LENGTH : 0.9k

PART ONE

NOT PROOFREAD OR EDITED

The knock at the door almost went unnoticed but Sirius had developed an acute hearing for when his neighbours wanted to complain. He ignored them most of the time and pretended that he couldn’t hear them over his guitar but when he knew that he was on thin ice, he made an effort to sharpen his hearing. That same sharpness developed on different grounds for you, however. 

As soon as Sirius heard your knock at the door, he knew immediately that it was you and abruptly stopped everyone in the middle of practice. The marauders stopped their playing to cast him a look of confusion, completely missing your almost muted knocks at the door. 

“Sorry lads,” Sirius uttered, making his way to the door and smiling brightly upon seeing you there with a tray of chunky chocolate chip cookies, “(Y/N)!” Sirius greets cheerfully, stepping aside so you could enter his abode as the other marauders stand to attention, excited to officially meet you. 

“Hello Sirius, sorry to interrupt,” you bashfully apologise, your confidence at the door slowly disappearing the longer you were inside his apartment. You had made short trips to give Sirius a tray of cookies many times before but never with his friends over and their added presence was getting to you more than you thought it was going to. 

“Not at all, so what have you got for me today, love?” he asks, leading you into the living room with his hand on the small of your back, the rest of the boys slowly coming into view with their instruments beside them. 

Smiling, you raise the tray in your hands slightly, “It’s your favourite, you can share with your friends too,” you take a short moment to flash each of the three other men a timid smile, “as thanks for playing such good music in the background,” they laugh and happily accept your offering, which immediately begins to ease your nerves. While everyone took a moment to indulge in one of your cookies, Sirius introduces you to the rest of his bandmates one by one. 

The one with unruly dark locks and cute glasses was James, the drummer. The tallest one with mousy brown hair and soft brown eyes was Remus, the bassist. And lastly, the blonde one with a little more pudge in his cheeks was Peter, the one on the keyboard. 

“Pleasure to meet you all, I’m (Y/N),”

“Oh we know,” James sings as he licks crumbs off his lips, his statement making you raise a curious brow. 

“Sirius won’t stop raving about you,” Remus adds with a mischievous smirk as you giggle, a heat flourishing over your cheeks. 

“Sod off, Moony,” came Sirius’s flippant retort. 

“These cookies taste great by the way,” Peter gushes, already reaching for another one, “what’s your recipe?”

“I can’t tell you that,” you playfully pout, “or else I wouldn’t have an excuse to come over,” your comment makes Sirius laugh with his head thrown back in delight.

“You see me often enough as is,” Sirius nudges your side teasingly.

“Who said I wanted to see you? After meeting him, I want to see more of Remus,” 

The brunette laughed aloud, sending you a wink and smirking at your playfulness as Sirius pouted beside you. He pulls you in by the waist and leans down, his forehead almost pressing against yours as his grey eyes melt your jokey stare, “you don’t mean that, do you?”

He was being a tease but there was an obvious hint of flirtation in his words that made the three other marauders in the room share a smirk, especially when they see how flustered you become from Sirius’s actions. 

“Stop it,” you move your face to the side in embarrassment and bashfully push him away by his shoulders but it was no use since the grip of his hands firmly lingered on your waist, “Sirius!” the man in question bites his lip to suppress a large grin. He loves hearing you say his name, especially when you whine the way you do. 

“Alright lovebirds, break it up,” Remus finally breaks you two apart, shooting a sympathetic smile your way; he knows better than anyone how prodigious Sirius’s presence can be, especially up close, “we still have to practise for our gig next week,”

This makes you smile, “A gig?” you turn to Sirius who nods, eyes softening at your obvious excitement for them. 

“Yeah,” he pulls you to his side by the waist again and presses a kiss into your temple, “do you want to come and see us play?”

“Yes please!” you chirp already bouncing on the balls of your feet from excitement. 

“We’ll save you a table with Lily then!” James announces, “She’ll be coming to see us too,” 

“Lily is James’s girl,” Sirius explains in a whisper when you tilt your head in question at the new name. 

“Perfect! Your music already sounds amazing,” you gush, putting a smile on all of their faces, “so I can’t wait to finally see the visuals of the performance too!” This gets Sirius’s attention. He maintains the smirk on his lips when leading you back out with your empty tray in hand and after you had said your goodbyes to the boys. 

“When we perform,” Sirius begins, taking your hand as you step outside, stopping you and turning your attention back to him, “only be looking at me, okay, doll?” his other hand grips the door frame and he’s suddenly a towering silhouette rather than a gentleman at your side. 

“O-okay,” you stutter with your heart, voice squeaking and face hot. 

“Attagirl,” he winks and kisses your hand, never breaking eye contact before stepping back into his apartment. 

You can’t wait until next week…  

A/N : here's a small continuation of one of your favourite timestamps, my lovelies, i'll see if i can make more part 2s for my other popular time stamps as well. i have also taken the liberty of tagging additional people who have shown interest in the first part of this, i hope that's alright.

TAGLIST : @melinajenkins ; @astonishment ; @until-i-found-you ; @goodoldfashionedluvergirl ; @tiensmamains ; @neeezza101 ; @raevyng ; @prongsio ; @its-sappho-biotch

NAVI.

[bunnyreaper]

wc - 4.6k

warnings - 18+/nsfw (eventually), age gap (older male younger female), bodyguard!au, threat of violence.

notes - another visit to dilfville, a new series, because that's all we need, right? lol. hope you enjoy ♥

Friday nights meant one thing: unwinding after a long week of working in your home office, braving the outside world, and heading to the comfy flat belonging to your friend Jules.

While visiting her place was always a blast, Friday nights were for DnD. Leaving behind Earth for its fantasy counterpart and getting lost in the adventures of your group's merry band of do-gooders. 

Saturdays are usually spent drinking coffee, frequenting markets, and then rounding the night off with cocktails and dancing. (And Sunday's recuperating from being up on your feet all night, spending the day in bed reading whatever trashy romance novel is next on your reading list.) 

Your weekends are your sanctuary—your freedom from routine and work is your refuge. 

You dance around your bedroom, rocking your hips to the music as you pull on your clothes—a white blouse and black bustier to channel the vibes of your character Elora. 

When the doorbell rings, it's entirely unexpected. Anyone close to you knows you're just a few minutes away from heading out for the night—maybe it's a neighbour, you suppose to yourself as you head to the door. 

On the other side of your flat's door is an incredibly handsome man. Broad framed, ruggedly good-looking yet with a finely pressed white shirt and dress trousers. His features are striking, strong eyes and a brow slashed with a scar, stubble all over, and a neatly trimmed mohawk that strangely suits him. All in all, a sight for fucking sore eyes, standing so confidently and casually in your doorway like he belongs.

You hate how your eyes linger on his form far longer than they probably should, but the handsome stranger is just so enthralling.

"Hello?" You mumble, a little absent-mindedly, as you try to gather thoughts that aren't just lewd and dirty.

His stormy blue eyes meet yours, his cheek tugs into a half-smile that definitely doesn't meet his eyes, the faintest dimple appearing on his left cheek. "John MacTavish, ye maw sent me." 

"Oh, the bodyguard." You reply dumbly. Fuck. If you were opposed to the idea before, you certainly were now... or maybe you're not.

On one hand, you have to have a handsome stranger watching over you—on the other, you have to have a handsome stranger watching over you, while you act normal about the entire thing. 

You realise that you're acting completely the fool, so you snap out of your thoughts and step aside to allow the older man inside. "She didn't tell me to expect you... probably thought I'd run. Uh, come in." 

"Thanks." He nods as he steps through the threshold, ducking slightly as he does. 

Once inside, his eyes scan over the open-plan space of your living area, seemingly taking in every little detail. 

You watch him, sensing that his training and experience make him focus on the minute particulars of a room that others would completely skip over. 

Your mother had already clued you into the fact there might need to be security enhancements to the flat itself, and you assume those requests came at the behest of the man himself. He seems to be lost in evaluating what these might be. 

"So, what can I do for you?" You ask, filling the air with some sort of conversation starter. You have no idea what you're doing in this situation on the whole, but especially not when it comes to hiring, negotiating with, and retaining a bodyguard.

"It's what I can do fer you." He turns, taking you in now, and you start to feel self-conscious about having too many buttons undone, too much chest on show. 

Something tells you that MacTavish's gaze would make you squirm regardless—his eyes carrying a heaviness to them that seem like a fantastic attribute in a protector. Surely anyone who would even think about coming close to cause you harm would reconsider under his harsh look.

You start to wrack your brains for what he can actually do for you. Again, you have no familiarity in having personal protection, beyond what you've seen your mother undergo. Your work is fairly stable, you keep the same routine, and the biggest threat you ever seem to face is the creeps in the club. 

Well, apart from the online threats, but something about the anonymous, cowardly messages doesn't frighten you. 

"If I'm being honest,I don't exactly want a bodyguard. I don't see much of a point?" You admit, voice a little quiet. After all, you don't mean to upset or offend the man, but you're not sure he isn't just wasting his time with this job.

He squints, considering for a moment before he answers. "Yer maw sees things differently." 

She does, and that's probably the only reason you agreed to go through with this in the first place. You don't want to worry her, especially since her own security has had to be tightened due to said threats. 

"Yeah, she's really worried." 

John's brows furrow, a small frown appearing on his lips. "Aye, rightly so, considering everything." 

He seems serious and said severity gives you pause for thought. His job is to assess and protect against threats, so surely he wouldn't be here, acting the way he is were there not a valid reason for concern. The thought makes a lump form in your throat, makes your stomach twist in a way you'd rather not acknowledge. 

You try to cope with it the best way you know how—humour. 

"Eh, online threats are nothing new for a girl my age, you know? And it's not like I'm anyone important." You shrug it off, hoping that if you say the words aloud, they'll just come true. As you speak, your phone chimes with a notification from your group chat, reminding you of your upcoming plans—and the fact you're going to have to abandon this little meeting. "Uh, I'd offer you a cuppa, but I'm leaving soon." 

"Don't drink it anyway, but thanks." The man smiles slightly, before turning away once more and scanning the room. He cranes his neck to get a look down the hallway, leading to your bedroom and bathroom. "There's a difference between lads online, an' the kinda people that make up extremist groups like those targeting your maw and her party." 

"Really?" You laugh, a short, sharp sound that betrays your discomfort. You grab your jacket and keys by the door, desperate for something to fiddle with. "Thought they were all just sad loners, desperately searching for something to make them feel better." 

"Except some of them have connections, dangerous connections." 

There are a million and one reasons you don't want to go through with this, and very few urging you to. Though, removing a major worry from your mother's life is a big one—John MacTavish's gorgeous blues are another. The possible invasion of privacy lingers in your head, the worry that your father might be using this as an opportunity to have the inside track on your life, on all the things you don't tell your parents. Your mind also revolts at the idea of unnecessary restrictions to your plans, your friends being held under a magnifying glass. 

The thought of the threats being real is the only thing more startling. You sigh, resigning yourself to your fate. "If this is what will help her feel better, then I guess I better find a way to make this work." 

He nods firmly, joining you at where you hover nervously at the door. "I'd agree." 

"Unfortunately, you arrived at the worst possible time, because like I said, I'm just headed out. Can't miss the tube." You force a tight-lipped smile, making your excuse to leave—the thought of being late makes you jittery, the thought of being late continuing this difficult conversation makes you feel worse. 

"Where ye going?" He asks, head tilted. 

You know it's the first question of many. Where are you going? Who are you going with? The atmosphere already feels a little stifling, the relationship a little strained. You and John aren't friends, never will be friends. He's here to do a job, watch over you, and take your security very, very seriously. 

"This is how it's always going to be?" You ask, the question coming out a little snappier than you intend it to. 

John takes it in stride, unblinking in the face of your shortness, and yet unrelenting in his need for information. "Aye." 

Once more, you sigh. "Right... I'm going to my weekly DnD game at my friend's house, and please, I really don't wanna cancel." You plead, feeling like a child reasoning with their parents rather than two adults on equal footing. You hate the feeling, even if you know his intentions are pure. 

"How many friends?" He asks. 

"4." You answer instantly. 

"How long have ye known them?" His questioning continues, and his focus on the people you trust naturally drives you up the wall, even if again, you know it's just his job.

Your grasp on your keys tightens, your agitation growing. "I'll tell you whatever I can some other time, but please, I hate being late." You gesture to the door, indicating that it's time for him and you to leave. 

John grabs the door, opening it for you and allowing you to step through before he does. As you turn to lock the door, you expect him to arrange another time and to bid you farewell, but he doesn't. "I'll drive ye. Dinnae bother arguing, lass." 

His words have a finality to them that quiets you anyway, but the use of 'lass' renders you all but speechless. 

"Okay..." You mumble, leading the way down the stairs as his hand comes to ghost along your lower back.

MacTavish’s vehicle is parked out in the street, and as you approach the car, you can feel his eyes searching again. He beats you to the car, a sleek black Range Rover, opening the door for you before climbing inside himself.  

The action would be nice under any other circumstance, and such propriety is something you're probably going to have to get used to, but right now it just reinforces the annoying, infantilising feeling that you're currently suffering through. 

As you give your friend's address to John, he takes off without another word, flicking on the car stereo before he goes. The atmosphere is thick, stifling, and you can only hope that in time the feeling will lessen, especially if your mother makes him a permanent feature. 

On the way over, he picks up his questioning where he left off. "So, how long have you known this group?"

"A good few years, since uni." 

"We can go over names and details when you're ready." 

You take a deep breath, holding it in and then forcing yourself to calm a little. Instead, you try to focus on watching John, the diligent way he drives. "I'm assuming you have a long list of things we'll need to go over."

His eyes don't stray from you. "Aye, that we do." 

The two of you fall into tense silence for the rest of the drive, nothing but the music and the sound of the car to keep you company. In the quiet street your friend lives on, John pulls in to park on the opposite side of the road, killing the engine and the radio, making the silence almost deafening.

Your nerves are getting the better of you again, and yet John seems so comfortable, unperturbed by the awkwardness. You're unsure what comes next, what to say. 

"Not to be rude but, I'd prefer if you didn't come in." You utter, saying the first thing that springs to mind, despite it probably not being the best thing either. You flash the man an apologetic smile before you continue. "I don't know how to deal with all this, especially when we haven't agreed on how all this is gonna work?" 

You hope your earnest admission makes up for your temporary ill-manners. 

"Tha's fine, I'll stay here." He looks completely impassive. "Not ideal, but it'll do." 

He doesn't look bothered by the inconvenience, and you suppose you should assuage him of the idea it's going to be a quick visit.

"Really? I'll be gone for a few hours." 

His brow quirks. "Yer maw paid upfront, so as far as am concerned, my job's already started." Once more, his statement is absolute, and you don't bother trying to argue.

"Right then." 

John is out of the car first, headed straight to your side of the door, checking left and right before he opens to let you out. 

The action makes you both laugh and curse, perplexed by the deed as you climb out. "You're not my driver, you know you don't need to open the door for me?" 

He laughs too, derisive and short as he closes the door a little too sharply. "Not tae be rude, but I believe the words you're looking for are 'thank you'."  

"Gonna walk me to the door?" You ask, trying to shed yourself of your nerves and make the situation lighter. 

You can't stay tense and subdued for the entire duration of this relationship—besides, now you're moments away from reuniting with the others in Albion Vale and forgetting all about this mess for a few hours. That alone is enough to raise your spirits. 

John forces a cheeky, tight-lipped smile, the crow's feet at his eyes crinkling almost condescendingly. "Not feeling tha' gentlemanly anymore. I'm sure ye'll be fine." 

"I'm sure." You make your way halfway across the road, before coming to a realisation, stopping and turning. "Oh, what's your number, you know, make this whole thing easier?"  

John darts out, his arm falling just beside you as he ushers you across the road and onto the other side.

"Pass yer phone." He says, holding out a large, rough hand expectantly. 

"Right, yeah." You nod, probably more than is necessary, as you pass your phone over to the man. 

John takes the phone more softly than you expect, typing in his name and number before holding it back out for you to take. "I'll be here when yer done, to take ye home." 

"Uh, thank you." You take the phone, before walking away sheepishly heading into your friend's block of flats and toward her apartment. 

With each step you take, you try to push John and the threats and everything to do with the outside world far, far out of your brain. 

The night passes by in a flurry of laughter and fun, lost in the adventures of Albion Vale and the antics of your party. 

The session wraps up, and while you would usually be in no rush to head back—you know you can't sit around and leave John, however much a stranger he is, sitting in the car outside. 

You text him to let him know you're headed down in five, and when you make it to the street less than 3 minutes later, he is there, leaning against the car door waiting for you. 

"Thank you." You whisper, climbing inside. When John joins you in the car, he scrubs at his eyes before putting the key in the ignition. "Have you not been bored out of your mind?" 

"Nothing I'm not used to." He replies instantly, pulling away before you can ask any further. 

"What did you do before this?" You ask, curiosity getting the better of you. 

From your understanding, most bodyguards cut their teeth in the police or the armed forces, and have tonnes of experience under their belt.

John oozes an ex-forces demeanour–his perfect posture, constant alertness, and the scars littering his skin. 

It'd be hard not to notice, but becomes immediately obvious with the way your eyes seem to love settling upon him when they can. You have to force yourself to squash down the drunken, misguided lust that flares within you as you watch his large hands on the steering wheel and notice his veiny, hairy, and muscular forearms. 

"Army, Captain." He answers, pulling your attention back to him in a more professional manner properly. 

Something within the way he speaks makes you think there's more to the story—though you suppose with that kind of background, he has a cache of secrets and tales that he can never really share.

"Oh." You nod, feeling a little soothed. If you have to be protected, you suppose someone with his level of experience is the best man for the job. "I'm in good hands then." 

Once more, he flashes a forced half-smile. "Aye."

A moment passes, and you find more questions bubbling to the front of your brain. Naturally, you're curious about this man who is undoubtedly going to become a big part of your life from now on, but the fact that his nature is a little reserved makes your curiosity multiply. You've long been a sucker for closed-off older men—call it a character flaw. 

"Why did you leave the army? If you don't mind me asking."

There's a beat of silence where you think he might not answer, but eventually, he does, eyes still fixed on the road. 

"Medical reasons. Nothing that affects my ability to do this job." He rushes to add, a slight spark of defensiveness flashing through as his jaw visibly tightens.

You're no expert detective, and you haven't seen your protector in action, but your first guess is that whatever ailment made him leave isn't entirely physical. The fact he's been somewhat open about it puts your mind at ease, the fact that your mother has clearly vetted him even more so. 

You offer an empathetic smile that he likely doesn't see. "I don't doubt it." 

The drive home passes quicker and easier with a bit of mead in your veins, allowing you to loosen up enough to hum along to the music playing from John's speakers. The little buzz passing through you alleviates that sense of trepidation you felt earlier, luring you into a false sense of security. 

When the car pulls up and John lets you out, you know just what to say what needs to come next. "Well, I guess you should come in so we can formalise things." 

"I'd appreciate it." He nods, before turning back to the car to grab a bag and follow you into the building.

 *

You and John sit at your kitchen island, tea in your hand and coffee in John's—a neat, stapled stack of papers sits before you.

"Here's the contract I signed with ye maw, but she's given us some wiggle room." John says, tapping the top of the paper where the bold letters of CLOSE PROTECTION AGREEMENT — 141 SECURITY sit. 

"Nice of her to allow me a say, if I'm honest." You laugh dryly—you love your mother dearly, but you'd be lying if you said she wasn't overbearing. Your initial protests about this whole arrangement had been entirely shut down, and clearly, she didn't trust you to follow through considering she sprung John on you tonight, unannounced.

"I'm sure she just wants what's best for ye." John offers as you flick through the pages.

The contract outlines the agreement between the Guard and The Principal—with stipulations on activities, compensation, and conduct. 

It's weird seeing it all laid out on paper, seeing the hefty cost of John's services, and the fact you'll be giving this man free access to your home and life. All of this to keep you safe from some nebulous threats that have not even been acted upon.

"She does, but this is inconvenient, and frustrating to say the least." You purposefully choose not to include the words 'fucking annoying' and 'torturing me with a hot man I can't have', though your next conversation with your therapist will absolutely include such descriptions and more. 

"I can understand tha'." He nods understandingly, before raising his coffee and taking a sip—his gaze unwavering as he does. "You've never had close protection before?" 

You shake your head. "No, this is all new to me." 

"Okay. We'll start by discussing exactly what kind of protection you're looking for. Part of tha' will be dictated by what yer maw laid out, like I said, we can decide specifics." 

"Sounds like a plan." You lean back in your stool, tea in hand as you contemplate. Admittedly, you should have done some research before this, but in your defence, you did think you had more time. You're not entirely sure what boundaries you can set—but you hope that John can lead the process a little. "I don't think I can do something 24/7, and it's not like you can stay here, I guess."

You cringe internally thinking about how fucking awkward that would be—your tipsy brain supplies the image of the world's most uncomfortable sleepover. 

In your imagination, John looks grumpy and uncomfortable, still tucked up in bed in that stiff shirt with his boots still on. You are, of course, in little fluffy bunny pyjamas staring at him all gooey-eyed whilst he tries to pretend everything is normal. It takes conscious effort for you not to giggle at the mental image.

"I understand. I'd suggest I escort you anywhere outside these four walls, day or night, work and social events. Conduct security checks on your flat, vet close contacts, update your digital security, things like tha'." John supplies a rundown of potential actions like it's a grocery list, yet a very severe grocery list. His collected nature does put you more at ease.

"Sounds a tad invasive." 

"I'll try to make it as little as possible." 

"Thanks, I appreciate it." You smile slightly, truly thankful for his consideration and tact.

You give John a once over, thoughts once again ticking over. "If you're going to be with me everywhere, you can't walk around like that, outside of my work, that is. No offense, it's just, all my friends are gonna think I'm a self-important twat if I start showing up everywhere with some posh bodyguard." You stop abruptly, realising how much you're bloody rambling.

"Am far from posh. But, more casual look then, aye?" 

You smile a little nervously, hoping you haven't completely offended the man. "Please." 

This whole situation is beyond difficult to navigate—untreaded paths, forging new relationships, balancing existing ones. Your friends really are going to think this whole situation is beyond bizarre. They already find amusement in seeing your mother on the news. Having a bodyguard is going to leave you subject to endless teasing, relentless mocking, and attempts to make your and John's life a whole lot harder.

Your head falls into your hands as you rub at the sockets of your eyes, undoubtedly smearing your makeup and making a mess of your face. It'll get easier, you reassure yourself.

With your eyes closed and pressed into the heel of your hands, you don't see the way John's expression softens or the way he moves closer to comfort you before hesitating and stopping short. "Wha's the matter?" 

"I'm just... incredibly anxious about how this is going to play out with my friends, with work." 

John leaps into problem-solving mode, immediately pulling from his brain some words to soothe you, as well as making note of what bumps in the road to smooth out. "Ye mother said she already consulted yer work, and they're fine to make accommodations." 

Of course, she'd already talked to David about the whole thing. "So it'll be fine aside from all the gossip it will cause." 

"It's politics and I ken yer not naïve, everybody's talking anyway, no?" He offers, and yet you don't seem assuaged, so he tries a different tactic. "It's my job to blend in. They'll barely notice me." 

"With that haircut? Sorry." You giggle—surprisingly you find the mohawk suits his rugged look, but it certainly isn't something you've seen on a man that wasn't walking the streets of Camden. Though, even with a more fitting haircut, the man is so casually striking and ever so slightly imposing that he just naturally draws attention. "In general, you don't strike me as a man who does blending in well, not in civilian life anyway."

His eyes narrow for a moment, before he struggles to fight off a smirk. "Hmm, ye might have a point. Not changing ma hair though, sorry. Nae sure ye family has enough money for tha' one."  

His more playful side makes your heart soar, and gives you hope that everything might just be alright.

"I have a crazy idea." Okay, maybe you're more tipsy than you thought you were, as your brain supplies an outlandish plot and your mouth runs away with it. 

His eyebrow arches and his eyes sparkle with intrigue. John MacTavish seems like a man who likes crazy ideas. "Go oan." 

"I'll tell my friends that you're my boyfriend, and we're just so madly in love that you have to come everywhere with me. Means no real questions." 

Your proposition is met with deafening silence, despite the huge, encouraging grin on your face.

John laughs, just the once, before his expression hardens. "Not a chance, lass."

"Why? You don't have to really do anything. Besides, it'll save you sitting outside in the car, or staring from the shadows and making everyone feel uncomfortable." 

You realise now that while you noticed a distinct lack of a ring, there's the possibility that John is still attached, and what you're suggesting is wildly inappropriate—but it's not that point he argues on.

"Aye, so I just have to spend ma time socialising instead." He scoffs.

"Well, surely you're not brooding and mysterious all the time." You wager.

Once more, he finds a smirk tugging at his lips that he can't hold back. "No' at all, but it's been a long time since I was the life of the party, and something tells me that me an' your DnD friends don't have a lot in common." 

"They might surprise you, but you also might surprise yourself. Maybe you're a secret nerd." You wink, still being jovial before you shift back to your genuine pleas. "It'll make my life a whole lot easier and be one less thing for me to stress about. My friends wouldn't second guess the story much once they got past the shock of me bagging someone older, wiser, and oh-so-handsome. Please."  

You flash your softest, sweetest doe eyes and lay the compliments on extra thick in the hopes of swaying him. In the political world, you're used to using charm to try and get what you want, and know that without charisma you'd get nowhere. Perhaps it's a bit low of you to stoop to using flirtation on someone who could likely run rings around you when it comes to negotiation, but it's worked before, and at this point, you're desperate.

John straightens up in his seat, eyes you for a moment, and then lets out a heavy sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. "Fine." 

The fact he relents honestly takes you a little by surprise. You're relieved, but yes, surprised. "Huh?"

"Fine, I'll be whoever ye want me to be..." The look in his eyes shifts to something imperceptible, as he leans over the counter closer to you. "As long ye listen to what I say when it comes to yer safety and security. Deal?" 

He holds out his hand, and your own feels dwarfed when you reach out to take his calloused palm.

"You drive a hard bargain, John MacTavish. Deal." You shake, and neither of you makes a move to immediately let go.

"Aye, a know." He winks, and the action makes your heart skip a beat, your cheeks flood with heat.

Each second passes slowly, his touch feeling like too much and not enough all at once. You know at that moment that life from now on is going to be especially difficult as long as John is around.

What he says next is the final nail in that particular coffin. "Would've done it anyway, but glad I got ye to agree to ma terms, lass." 

[mint-yooxgi]

Lethal Protectors - Yandere!Vampires!Ateez X Reader

Yandere AU & Vampire AU

Genre: Mature, Horror, Angst

Pairing: Ateez X Reader

Words: 6,410

Warnings: Violence and blood. Implied stalking. Past trauma and mentions of a physical assault which almost need in death. Scars. This is a Yandere story, it will contain themes such as stalking, violence, obsession, possessive natures, and just general overall creepiness and swearing. You have been warned.

A/n: Well, I never expected this to become this long, but it's based on a dream I had during a nap I took last night lol. Not much, but I hope you enjoy! As always feedback is greatly appreciated!

The trip back to your hometown was meant to be short. Nothing more than a pitstop, really. Say hello to your family, maybe even some friends, then be on your way again. You never expected it to turn into a full month. A month filled with people constantly telling you to stay away from them.

Who were they, and why did the eight of them always suddenly seem to miraculously appear around you whenever you were out? 

You’d go to the store for some food, and suddenly Yeosang and Seonghwa are bickering in the next aisle over about the prices for cereal, while San and Wooyoung gather produce. Other times, you’d run out to grab coffee in the mornings for yourself and your family, only for Hongjoong and Yunho to appear in line behind you, chatting you up about the weather the town has been having lately. You’ve ran into Mingi and Jongho more times than you can count at different thrift stores, that you’re starting to think they might be stalking you.

The odd thing is, growing up in such a small town, you think you’d remember them. It’s not that they aren’t nice people, or so they seem. You just trust your neighbour, Missus Benson who you’ve known for years over eight complete strangers.

Then, the rumours started. Your old school delinquent who’s always had it in for you wanted to ‘talk’. You know exactly what that’s code for, so you started going out less and less, being cautious to always go out with either your parents, or someone you knew to avoid running into an ‘old friend’.

Only, you weren’t the only one that noticed.

Over the past month, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, you have been growing closer to those eight mysterious men. Yunho and Wooyoung never fail to make you laugh, or crack a smile, even unwillingly. Seonghwa and Jongho are always there with recommendations for natural remedies for sudden aches and pains. Both Hongjoong and Mingi quite enjoy talking to you about music, a topic you never really got to discuss in full with any of your other friends, and both San and Yeosang are great at giving advice, even subtly.

It’s a cold Thursday morning when you coincidentally run into Yunho at the coffee shop. He looks concerned, but as soon as you bring it up, it’s like his expression does a one-eighty.

“Just worried about you, is all.” He smiles politely. “Haven’t seen you around lately.”

The corner of your lips twitch upwards as you tense, “Been busy.”

“Is everything okay?” His brow furrows, concern immediately washing over his features.

“Yeah…” Movement outside the coffee shop draws your attention, and you’re quick to head towards the side entrance. “Sorry, Yun, I’ve really got to go. Talk to you later?”

The sound of the front bell jingling is synonymous with the side door slamming shut, the tall male standing there as he blinks in shock. Clearly something isn’t right, and when he turns back around to face front, he thinks he gets his answer.

***

It’s a misty Monday morning when you find yourself beginning to feel too cooped up in the house. Your whole mind is wound, and every little thing seems to set you off - your mother not muting her phone when she watches funny little videos, the sound of your father’s typing on his laptop. Hell, even the sound of the dog’s nails on the floor running back and forth as your sister plays with him is grating on your every nerve. 

Which is why when the mid-afternoon rolls around, you decide that you’ve had enough.

“I’m going for a walk!” You call out, not even waiting for a response as you sling your jacket over your one shoulder, and step outside.

The front door slams shut behind you, finalizing the sudden decision. You’ll take your chances traversing the familiar forest across the street. Ryder doesn’t live in this immediate neighbourhood, anyways, and it’s far too dreary a day for him to be out and about. At least, in your opinion.

Sliding your jacket onto your arms, you’re quick to cross the street. The area seems particularly quiet, but with the grey clouds hanging in the sky, the mist clinging to the air, you understand why.

A small smile tugs at your features as you pause just before the one entrance to the forest. It’s been a while since you went traversing through the woods like you were a kid again, and you can already feel the calming effects of the crisp air cooling your every sense.

Without another thought, you begin.

You walk your old path twice before deciding to sit yourself down at your favourite spot, just beside the small pond in the middle of the woods. A fallen tree provides a natural bench as you stare out across the water, some ducks swimming across the surface. 

You can hear the sounds of natural all around you: leaves rustling as the wind drifts through the trees, bugs humming in the background while animals forage for food. Every now and then, you can hear feet shuffling in the underbrush as a couple or two walk by with their dog, holding hands and smiling at you politely as you turn to say hello.

It’s been a while since you’ve fully submersed yourself like this, and to say you’ve missed it would be a huge understatement. Getting out of the house, especially on a day like today, a day with weather you’ve always been fond of, has done wonders for your mood. Enough so, that you practically forget all about Ryder for the moment. Or, at least, he doesn’t worry you as much as before. Really, what can he do to you now that he didn’t back then?

The sound of approaching footsteps trudging along the path draws your attention. Turning reveals a girl about your age with shoulder length golden locks hanging in loose curls approaching you. The closer she gets, the more you realize how blue her eyes are, and just how familiar she looks.

Her head tilts as she pauses in her steps, a curious call of your name falling from your lips. “Do you remember me?”

You smile, standing back to your feet as you face her. “Of course I do!”

She mirrors your expression as you both hug each other.

“It’s good to see you again, Gabrielle!” You comment, pulling away from her for the moment. “I haven’t seen you since elementary school.”

“You look so different!” She chuckles. “Then again, I imagine so do I.”

You nod, sharing a small laugh with her.

“I know we weren’t really close in school, but would you like to walk with me for a bit and catch up?” She offers, motioning down that all too familiar path that leads to the side roads.

“Sure!” You readily agree, already falling into step beside her.

The two of you talk for about an hour, sharing some details of your lives and what you’re up to now-a-days. Only, you see her brow furrowing slightly in worry as you approach that little pond area you first met once more.

“You mentioned meeting some new faces when you came back for a visit,” she chews on her bottom lip. “Did I hear you right when you said you’ve met Yunho?”

Your own brow furrows slightly, “Yeah. What about him?”

“He and his friends are no good.” She warns you, suddenly grabbing your arms in her hands. “You need to stay away from them.”

“Why does everybody keep saying that?” You shake your head, not quite understanding their concern. “They all seem like nice guys to me.”

“They showed up in town about two years ago, right around the time those animal attacks started happening.” She explains. “So many people have been run out of town, or have left because of them.”

“The guys, or the animal attacks?” You inquire, this being the first time you’ve heard anything about there being any sort of animal attacks nearby.

“It doesn’t matter,” she shakes her head. “They’re dangerous people. Don’t go anywhere near them.”

“No, the person I need to stay away from is Ryder.” You comment, gently removing her hands from your arms. “He still seems to hold a grudge towards me since high school.”

“He followed you to high school?” She blinks, almost dumbfounded, at you.

Quickly, you shift your head from side to side, as if checking if the coast is clear. You’ve had this sneaking suspicion that you’re being watched ever since you entered the forest, but it’s only just recently gotten stronger. Once you determine that no one is around, you motion her closer.

“Gabi, he almost killed me.” Your voice is no more than a whisper as a harsh wind blows passed. Gently, you grip the edge of your shirt, shifting slightly to raise it to about the bottom of your ribs.

Her eyes widen, a gasp escaping her lips as her hands come up to cover her mouth.

“Final year, he cornered me in the locker room.” You let the material of your shirt fall back down to cover the jagged scar on your body, spanning from below your ribs on your right side, all the way across your stomach, and almost to your left hip. “Didn’t even use a blade, but a broken piece of glass from the window he smashed to get in.”

“That’s horrible!” Her whole body trembles. “I’m so sorry that happened!”

“Because it happened before his eighteenth birthday, they couldn’t try him as an adult yet. He got two months in juvie and a slap on the wrist. I got twenty-four stitches, and six months in recovery.” You avert your gaze. “I’m assuming he’s looking for me to finish what he started.”

“But why?” She meets your gaze, tears lining her vision.

“I don’t know,” you shrug, straightening out the front of your jacket. “I never asked, nor did I want to.”

“You should get home, then!” She replies frantically, checking her watch. “Ryder and his gang enjoy hanging out at that entrance over there with their bikes in the evenings. It’s almost around the time he gets here.”

Frantically, she starts tugging your hand to lead you in the opposite direction.

Faintly, you begin to hear the sound of motorcycles revving in the distance.

“Hurry!” She tugs you along, sparing a glance behind you only for her eyes to widen. “Shit. I can just make out some of their bikes at the edge of the path. Sometimes they like to joyride through here cause it’s wide and flat enough. Let me see if I can go distract them for a bit. I’ll meet you at the front entrance in five!”

Without waiting for a response, she pushes you behind her and down the path. You can only watch as she scurries off towards the sound of revving bikes and obnoxious laughter.

Reluctantly, you part ways, looking back over your shoulder every now and then to see if you can still catch a glimpse of Gabrielle. Only, the further you get, the harder it is to tell if she’s alright. She took a big risk doing this for you, especially since you don’t really know her all that well anymore, and you both were never really close to begin with. Still, you will not forget her kindness that easily.

At least Ryder shouldn’t hurt her. From what you recall, he was always trying to impress her in elementary school.

Just as you breach the forest entrance she told you to wait by, your eyes widen. What if she did this to set you up?

No. Her shocked reaction was too genuine to fake. Besides, she was never like that before, and you do not think she’s like that now. Either way, she should be back with you in a minute.

Five more minutes pass by, and you’ve still yet to see any sight, nor hear any sound of Gabrielle. Your worry skyrockets with each passing second, and you know you’re not that far from the side road if you decided to cut through the bush. Something must have happened.

At the shriek of fear you hear faintly in the distance, you know something’s wrong. Even that creeping sense of being watched has left you about twelve minutes ago, and you don’t know what’s going on. Either way, you’re not going to leave Gabi to the same fate you suffered under at the hands of this man. If he wants you, then that’s exactly who he’s going to get.

It takes you less than two minutes to reach the entrance at the side of the road, creeping along the trees to avoid being seen for as long as you can. You turn your head left to see nothing, only to turn right and see about six males sitting around on motorcycles, Gabrielle being held in their midst. She struggles to free herself, a switchblade being pressed to her throat by Ryder who wears a smug grin as he whispers lowly into her ear.

“Ryder.” Your stern voice draws all of their attention as you step out of the woods. “Let her go.”

“Ah, there you are.” He hums, fingers tightening on the back of Gabrielle’s neck. “Took you long enough to show up. You know I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

“Let her go, she has nothing to do with this.” You keep your voice calm, hands raised defensively in front of you as you keep a fair amount of distance between you and the six men. “You wanted me, not her.”

“I suppose you took the bait easily enough.” He chuckles, shoving Gabi to the ground.

Tears stream freely down Gabi’s cheeks as she scrambles away. All the other males offer her is condescending chuckles, tripping her as she attempts to escape.

Gabrielle runs over to you, a small scrape cut into the skin of her left eyebrow. Her hands once more find purchase on your arms, soft apologies falling from her lips.

“It’s okay.” You assure her. “Get home safely, I’ll be fine.”

She squeezes your arms, rushing back off into the suddenly silent woods and out of sight.

“So, you’ve finally returned after years of staying away, huh?” Ryder scoffs, standing from his motorcycle and slowly stalking towards you like a predator would its prey. “What made you stay? I thought you swore to never spend more than one evening in this town if you could.”

“Oh, you know,” you reply casually, backing up all the while. “Lease was about to renew, landlord raised the rent, apartment flooded. The usual.”

“Convenient,” he grins, and the sight only serves to unnerve you. “Had nowhere else to go expect dear old mom and dad.”

“You should know.” You reply bluntly.

Everyone you’ve talked to has explained how much of a deadbeat Ryder is. He’s always trashing the town and causing mischief, but he never gets penalized for it. Bastard’s dad is a cop, no wonder he only really got off with a slap on the wrist when he hurt you all those years ago.

“How’s that scar?” He tilts his head mockingly. “Did wonders to improve your ugly features. Too bad it didn’t kill you.” He pauses ten feet from you, that switch blade getting flipped menacingly in his hand. “Want some more?”

You run; without wasting another precious moment, you turn and flee.

The sound of revving engines reach your ears as you stick to the edge of the road. You’ll have better chances of a car coming by than with people walking through the woods this late in the evening. So, you take your chances on a flat path, sprinting along the wet pavement as the mist continues to hang in the air.

Only, you don’t get very far, for two of his lackeys nearly run you off of the road when they swerve in front of you. The others are quick to surround you, but you don’t even have much time to think before you feel yourself get harshly tackled to the ground.

Blow after blow is given to you, blood seeping out of cuts all along your body. Ryder lets each of his men take turns beating you, saving the knife until the very end when you can no longer feel your right arm, or the left side of your face.

Slowly, meticulously, he reopens that cut he gave you all those years ago. He’s not gentle, either, and all you can think of is that this is just like the first time, only worse. This time, there are witnesses who choose not to help you, screams and pleas of mercy falling on deaf ears.

“There,” he stands back to his feet, spitting on you all the while. “Maybe if you’re lucky, someone on their morning commute will find you.” He kicks you one more time for good measure as your vision begins to fade. “If you’re that lucky, this time.”

Nothing but the sound of their maniacal laughter echoes through your mind as they rev their engines once more. The last thing you see before your world goes black is the faint glow of taillights driving off into the distance.

***

You don’t know how much time has passed, but you do recognize a few things.

One: you’re terribly cold. You can barely feel your body, and consciousness is a battle to maintain as your whole being aches with a pain unlike anything ever before.

Two: you are no longer alone.

Someone seems to be calling your name frantically, your body being held within that person’s embrace. Their caress is tender, cautious not to aggravate your wounds any further than they already are.

Groggily, your eyes blink open, whole body tensing as you hear three unnatural roars sound from just off to your right.

“Tell them to calm down!” The voice holding onto you snaps at someone to their left. “They’re scaring her.”

Finally, your gaze refocusses, and you can just make out the features of the man holding you. Your lips part, his name but a muted whisper as you attempt to speak.

“Shhh,” Yunho coos, brushing a hand tenderly over the top of your head. “We’re here now. It’ll all be okay.”

Faintly, you register the sound of someone pacing just by your head.

“This is all my fault,” a deep voice sounds from above you. It must be whoever was pacing, for they seem to have stopped for the moment. “If I didn’t leave her alone to come get all of you, this never would have happened.”

“You did what any one of us would have, Yeosang.” Another voice replies, a slight sigh on his lips. “If we all hadn’t of gotten here when we did, it would be much worse.”

“Here,” Seonghwa comes to kneel beside you, his arm shaking as he brings his wrist to your lips, “Drink this.”

You try to protest, to resist the red liquid which pours soothingly down your throat, but you cannot. You are far too weak at the moment to do anything other than obey, and besides, you’ll probably die soon. So, what’s the difference if you comply with the wishes of a strange request?

Only, the moment the warmth touches your tongue, you begin to feel strength returning to you. Your breathing is evening out with every breath you take, your wounds slowly seeming to close. The pain is starting to dissipate, and you find you are regaining feeling in all parts of your body.

Your vision clears further, and you can see Hongjoong standing off to the side, both him and Wooyoung looking absolutely livid as the sound of snapping branches reaches your ears. Shifting your gaze, you see both Mingi and San rush out of the woods far too quickly for any human to do, dried blood coating their hands as dirt covers their arms.

Finally, the eldest pulls his wrist away, wiping at the small stain of red that coats your lips with his thumb. Silently, as he does so, the six others standing around you converge.

Yunho’s whole body shakes. You can feel it trembling against you as he pulls you into his chest. His grip is desperate, clinging to you for dear life as if you may disappear again at a moment’s notice.

“Who did this to you?” His voice is calm; deadly. Like the approach of an oncoming storm.

You look down, noticing the torn material of your shirt. Your hands shake as you watch that scar you’ve had for the majority of your life finish healing, the line you’ve become so accustomed to fading into nothing.

Blood still covers the majority of your body, yet all you can do is stare at your hands for the moment. Slowly, you raise them, touching the tips of your fingers to your thumbs, and counting to twenty in your mind. You blink a few times, still debating on if this is really happening or not.

You tilt your head, almost inquisitively, “How…”

“She’s in shock.” Jongho comments.

“Of fucking course she is!” San replies, clearly exasperated as he nearly tears his hair out of his skull. “We only found her bleeding out and on the verge of death at the side of the road!”

You flinch at his tone, and they all take a step towards you.

“Watch it, San.” Mingi warns.

“Like you are fairing any better.” Wooyoung snaps, arms crossed over his chest. “Tearing out the whole forest isn’t going to catch the bastard that did this to our ma-“

“Who did this to you?” Hongjoong’s inquiry is a tad softer than Yunho’s as he crouches beside you. His blond hair is pushed up and away from his face, hiding nothing of his expression of concern as he reaches for your hands. Still, he cannot hide the tremble in his own.

Your lips part, voice catching in your throat. Desperately, you attempt to find the words to say, but none seem to want to come out.

A blink, and Yeosang comes to crouch beside Hongjoong, drawing your attention to him for the moment.

“Was it Ryder?” He keeps his inquiry low, tone even as he meets your gaze.

After a moment of hesitation, you nod. Slowly.

The males all tense around you, but none so much as the one holding you.

“He was the one-“ Yunho swallows thickly. “The one that made you flee the coffee shop that day.”

Again, you nod.

“He gave you that scar you showed Gabrielle today.” Yeosang continues, and in the back of your mind, you wonder how he knew that. Though, from the way your injuries have miraculously healed, the rumours you’ve heard, and those roars that shook the area not even ten minutes ago, you’re starting to piece two and two together. “He did this to you."

The way you swallow, quite thickly at that, is answer enough.

“I’ll fucking kill him for touching you.” Wooyoung seethes, his eyes flashing beneath the dull light of the moon now peeking through the clouds.

“Bastard is lucky to still be fucking breathing right now,” San’s chest heaves with every breath, hands clenched tightly into fists at his sides.

Hongjoong stands back to his feet, turning his back to you as he methodically cracks his neck from side to side.

Gently, Yunho hands you off to Seonghwa, who is more than happy to cradle you in his hold.

“Jongho, Seonghwa, Yeosang, take her home.” Hongjoong rolls his shoulders, only to spare a glance back at you in the next moment. He smiles reassuringly before turning to face front, the others coming to stand beside him in a line. “The rest of us are going hunting.”

A blink, and the five other males have disappeared from sight.

Words of protest begin to form at your lips as you feel yourself being picked up quite easily by the eldest from the ground. You’re still trying to wrap your head around the events that have taken place before your very eyes, but the longer you think about it, the more your head begins to hurt.

“Shh,” Seonghwa coos into your ear, turning back towards the forest and beginning to walk down the path with the other two males in tow. “Just sleep.”

You want to fight it, but at the sudden fatigue that clouds your mind, you have no choice but to fall unconscious for the second time this evening.

***

This time, when you wake, the sound of a crackling fire greets your ears. You can feel yourself being held in someone’s embrace, a soothing hand being brushed over your back as you curl into what you assume is their chest. The odd part is, even though you remember everything, you feel safe, and you certainly feel warm.

A small groan escapes you, your hands coming up to rub at your eyes. You manage to push yourself the slightest bit away from whoever seems to be resting with you on the couch, feeling their chest shake with a chuckle as you nearly fall backwards onto the floor.

“Feeling better?” It’s Yeosang.

You blink, quite a few times at him laying in front of you, just casually holding you steady so you don’t go tumbling from the couch. 

“Uh, yeah.” You clear your throat. “Thanks.”

Slowly, with his help, you sit up. He helps you wrap the blanket you had been using around your shoulders, and that’s when you notice both Jongho and Seonghwa sit in the same room as you. Each male occupies a separate armchair, gazes locked on your form as they observe your every move with nothing but worry in their eyes.

“Are you okay?” Jongho leans forward the slightest bit, fingers desperately clutching at the sides of his chair as he looks to you.

You wrap the blanket tighter around yourself as you nod. 

You stare at the floor, keeping your voice low. “How did you find me?”

The three males share a look between one another.

“We-“ Seonghwa swallows thickly, averting his gaze to the side. “We could smell your blood.”

Before another word can be said from any of you, the sound of a door opening reaches your ears. Glancing up reveals five more men flooding into the room, red coving nearly every free inch of their skin.

Your eyes nearly bug right out of your head, especially when Wooyoung comes to kneel right in front of you, reaching for you with nothing but concern on his features. Only, you cannot help but to push yourself away from him, and as far back into the couch as you can go. 

His expression droops.

“Wooyoung.” Hongjoong hisses.

“Please don’t be scared of us,” he keeps his voice low, nonthreatening. “We would never hurt you.”

“Give her some space,” Yunho drags the male back by the collar of his shirt. “She nearly died tonight, the last thing she needs to be is crowded.”

Each male does not fail to miss the way you flinch at Yunho’s words.

“I understand why people told me to stay away from all of you, now.” You keep your voice low, clearing the roughness of your dry throat as you speak.

You notice the way they all tense, expressions falling, even if only the slightest bit.

“Are you scared of us?” Hongjoong’s tone is soft, nothing but a gentle inquiry as he meets your gaze.

“Should I be?” You quirk a brow. “Because I’m pretty sure if you were half as bad as people said you were, you would have left me for dead at the side of the road.”

This time, it’s their turn to flinch at the reminder of the state they found your body in.

“Right now, I need honesty.” You spare a glance around at all of them as you curl in tighter to yourself. “Can you afford me that?”

“Always.” Mingi breathes, taking a step towards you as if he wants to comfort you.

You take a deep breath in, “You all aren’t human.”

A statement which they pick up on.

“That is correct.” Yunho nods, swallowing somewhat thickly.

“You’re responsible for those animal attacks starting around two years ago that Gabi told me about.” Again, another statement.

“Yes and no,” San grimaces. “There were a few other covens that tried to follow us here. We ran them off.”

You can feel your heart pounding inside of your chest as you continue to stare at the floor. The fire crackles to the side.

“You’re vampires.”

A stillness passes over the room.

“We are.” Yeosang confirms, and he notices how you don’t necessarily retreat any further away from him on the couch this time.

You look up, sparing a glance around the room and fully taking in the bloody appearances of the five males who entered not that long ago. Your hands tighten on that blanket around your form. 

“You killed them, didn’t you?” The words are no more than a whisper on your lips, but they all still manages to hear.

“Of course we did.” Wooyoung states, rather firmly.

You meet his gaze. “Why?”

The eight males nearly blink in surprise.

“They hurt you.” Mingi replies, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “He hurt you.”

“Why go through all of these lengths to help me?” You spare another glance around the room at all of them.

They all seem to blink in mild surprise.

“Because you are important to us.” Hongjoong shifts to crouch in front of you, gently reaching over to clasp your hand in his own.

“You met me a little over three weeks ago.” You deadpan.

“We’ve been searching for you for much longer than that.” Seonghwa breathes out, shifting so that he’s sitting on the edge of his seat.

Your brow furrows. “What do you mean by that?”

“How much do you know about our kind?” San asks, sitting across from you on the opposite couch.

Your eyes narrow slightly at him, figuring this to be some sort of test. “I’ll admit, I’m rather ignorant when it comes to your ways. I don’t think Twilight or Dracula are good history books.”

Mingi and Wooyoung snort, “You’ve got that right.”

“Basics are the same,” Yunho says, beginning to list off, “We need blood, or blood substitutes to survive. Strength, speed, abilities, all the same.”

“Sunlight, garlic, and crosses are all null though.” Wooyoung shrugs, plopping on the couch right beside San.

“Though, there always seem to be one aspect never mentioned for our kind.” Yeosang mumbles, somewhat disappointedly.

“No, the wolves seem to get that aspect more than we do.” Seonghwa rolls his eyes, sitting back in his chair.

“Aspect?” You spare a look around the room before your eyes settle in on the soft brown ones of the male kneeling before you.

“There are many different words for it,” Hongjoong begins. “Fated, life partners, lost souls,” his eyes flash as he watches you carefully, “mates.”

Your head tilts forward in disbelief, “You expect me to believe vampires have soulmates?”

“Believe it or not, we do.” Yunho’s voice is but a mere exhale on his lips as he looks to you, a certain type of fondness suddenly shining there that you’ve never seen before.

Your head begins reeling.

“None of our kind really know how it works,” San looks down at his hands, beginning to pick at some of the dried blood lingering there. 

“It can happen at any stage in our lives, but there comes a point where we begin to feel drawn to a place.” Seonghwa explains.

“Sometimes it’s a hometown, other times it’s where they currently live.” Mingi adds.

“We all felt that pull,” Hongjoong breathes. “To here.” He meets your gaze. “To you.”

“We spent a full year in this area before we realized you were no longer living in town.” Wooyoung’s gaze drops to his lap, a sort of defeated longing taking over his features.

You notice how none of them meet your gaze now, and realization settles in your bones. 

You inhale sharply. “You tracked me.”

“When you’ve lived as long as we have, you begin to think these stories of so called ‘fated’ are simply legend.” Hongjoong admits. “So, when we finally felt that pull, we wanted to do anything to keep it.” He squeezes your hand gently. “To find you.”

A sort of ease lifts some of the tension from the room as it settles over the eight of them

“And we did.” Mingi smiles softly at you, blinking back the tears that suddenly spring to his eyes.

“Getting to know you was the next step,” Wooyoung says, a sort of eager gleam shining in his eyes now.

“Of course, we don’t know everything.” Yunho shoots him a pointed look.

“Once we knew you’d be coming for a visit back home, it made things a little easier,” Jongho admits, his fingers beginning to dance along the armrests of his chair.

Your eyes narrow suspiciously. “That’s sweet and all, but you only talked to me because fate told you to?”

“No!” Seonghwa is quick to protest, extending his arms in front of himself as panic crosses all of their features.

“We wanted to get to know you first, before truly deciding on anything.” Yeosang says, noticing how you turn your gaze to meet his own as he speaks. He smiles shyly, averting his eyes in the next moment.

Of course, they’re not going to tell you the lengths they went to just to get you to stay at your hometown for longer than you had planned. It’s not like they planned to let you leave them. Not when they’ve finally found you. Not when you’re finally theirs.

“And do I get a choice in this?” You quirk a brow.

The males all share a look.

“Of course you do!” Hongjoong assures you. “We would never force you to be with us.”

However, sabotaging any other partners you may desire is not completely off of the table. They’ll all make sure to appear as the best options for you. Them, and only them.

You nod in understanding. Beginning to push yourself off of the couch. Luckily, Hongjoong seems to pick up on your movements, helping you up and onto your feet in the next moment.

“This is a lot to think about.” You reply, rather bluntly. “A lot has happened, and I really just want to go to sleep.”

Seonghwa stands. “I’ll show you to your room.”

Again, your eyes nearly bulge out of your head.

“No.” You shake your head. “I am going home, and then we can discuss this later. Preferably when over half of you are not covered in blood from ripping someone apart.”

“Oh, believe me, Gorgeous,” Wooyoung grins, though it serves to unnerve your more than anything, “We did more than that to that bastard.”

Your whole body tenses, and you watch as San reaches over to smack Wooyoung upside the head.

“Ow,” he rubs at the tender spot, “What the hell was that for?”

At the jerk of San’s chin in your direction, Wooyoung takes in your tense state.

You blink, clearing your thoughts. “One of you, take me home.”

Turning towards the door you’re positive the five had entered from earlier, you begin to make your way out of the room. All eight of them are quick to follow, Seonghwa offering to drive you back to your place for the evening. Both Yunho and Hongjoong offered, but seeing as they’re both still bathed in blood, you opted to decline.

The whole drive back to your parent’s house is silent, Seonghwa attempting some small talk with you only for you to shut him down every time. You’ve been through a lot this evening, and there’s been a lot of information for you to process, so of course the eldest isn’t phased in the slightest. Ever the gentleman, he still bids you a goodnight, and waits until you get inside your house, and have turned on your bedroom light before driving off into the night.

That evening, as you lay in bed, all you can do is toss and turn. Your mind swims with everything you’ve learned, yet you find yourself more relaxed than anything. It’s as if this is always what was meant to be.

With that thought, you turn onto your side, clutching your pillow firmly to your chest. Not even ten minutes later, you succumb to sleep, breathing evening out as your curtains sway in the breeze.

Silently, eight presences enter your room, completely undetected beneath the light of the moon.

“That went better than planned,” Wooyoung comments, a giddy grin tugging at his lips.

“She seems to be taking things well,” Seonghwa nods his agreement.

“It helps that she already knows us.” Jongho hums, shifting in closer to your bed until he’s right beside your nightstand.

“We still don’t know if she’ll fully accept us.” Yunho reaches out for you, only to stop himself when he feels Yeosang’s hand on his wrist.

“Let’s not push our luck tonight, yeah?” He shoots a sharp look at the taller male.

“Either way, we’ll never let her out of our sights again.” There’s a low growl on San’s lips as he says this, filling the space with a promise which is echoed by each one of his brothers standing around you in that room.

“Nothing will ever bring her harm,” Mingi kneels behind the opposite side of your bed, hand gently resting on the edge so as not to alert you of his presence. The whole time, his eyes remain locked on your figure, dead heart racing with nothing but love as he gazes at you fondly. “We’ll make sure of it.”

“That we will.” Hongjoong hums, coming to kneel as close to your sleeping figure as he can. 

Softly, he trails his gaze over your body, noticing how you seem to shiver beneath the gentle breeze that flits through your room. He pulls your covers over your arms, risking a tender caress against your cheek once he’s done. 

“We’ll watch over you, Our Precious Fated,” He whispers lowly, hearing soft growls of agreement echo once more around the room from all of them. “You never have to worry about anything again. We promise: we'll always bring you home.”

[luvrodite]

TAKE FLIGHT JASON TODD (college!au)

↳ headcanons about jason in the au that is currently taking up all my brain space. so incredibly self indulgent. extreme liberties taken with his characterisation i'm sorry this is fanfiction!!!!!

first and most importantly - nothing (too) bad happens in this au. i imagine him getting adopted by bruce, but he gets to live and be happy and he is so so loved and that doesn't change

if he's got issues with his dad it's normal human issues like not seeing eye to eye on things but at the end of the day he is cherished and bruce supports him in everything

so he goes to university. in this au i imagine him to be studying literature (of course, duh) but also something else. i feel like he'd be interested in philosophy, but in my mind it's definitely something in the humanities faculty.

moves out but doesn't do the dorm thing because he wants his own space, and i think bruce just takes care of everything and he doesn't have to worry about rent or groceries or anything of that sort

i think he'd still get a job though...like maybe in a secondhand bookstore or music store that nobody really goes to so it's quiet and he can work on his assignments and read most of the time

makes friends with the regular people that breeze in and out - likes to people watch because he gets so many interesting looking people that come through

i think he'd have to have a little old lady neighbour that doesn't trust him at first because look at him he's so tall and big and he's got his fair share of scars on his hands from high school

but he's an angel...probably helps her take in her groceries quietly and leaves it at that because that's simply the thing to do

like i don't imagine he'd be extremely chatty, but he's polite and says hello to everyone or nods at them in the elevator

she warms up to him and they have conversations in the morning when she’s going down for her daily morning walk and he’s got classes to head to 

imagining him with still slightly messy curls in the morning as he walks onto campus

he's so.. boy. in this au. does that make sense??? just. happy and stress free, and he loves his courses and he calls home every few days and his younger brothers are ever suffering because he talks so much about the stuff he’s learning 

sobs he’s such a nerd i love him but they’re just wondering how this is the guy that gets side-eyed everywhere he goes 

but he’s not mild mannered…he just minds his business

like i said, has gotten into his fair share of fights at school and similarly isn’t afraid to tell someone when they’re being a dick 

the girls in his class love him because he actually likes to have discussions with them instead of talking over them and is happy to speak for the group or let them do it if they want when they get called on for class discussions

he’s just that guy who at first glance seems a little intimidating because a) he’s gorgeous and b) is huge but you get put into a group with him and he’s so intelligent and polite, listens to what everyone has to say and has wicked smart opinions of his own to share

has a bike. in every iteration of jason he must have a motorbike i just cannot imagine him without a bike. nearly gives bruce a heart attack in this au because he immediately runs through the worst case scenarios and it takes AGES before he accepts it even if he does think the bike looks cool and it takes even longer before he lets jason take him for a spin on the back of it

bruce in this au is just. doting and a little anxious about things. and that's okay. he's coming to terms with his kids growing up, and the changes that come with that. at least he's still got his girls, who will never not come around to bother him. but dick has already left the nest, and jason is on his way. he just misses when they were little

he likes to say jason was so small he could hold him in the palm of his hands (a big lie, as he was small but not that small, but jason secretly likes the affection)

he scribbles in all his class assigned novels, notes filling up the margins and the blank pages at the end - annotations on annotations

has gone down a rabbit hole of literature papers analysing different texts at 3 am. several times

paperbacks on his bedside table, bookmarked with receipts and scraps of paper, literally anything that can be used - he'll use it

notebooks for each class that are equally as full, coordinating notes on books and poems and papers

sigh english student jason todd my beloved angel 

this isn't meant to be taken seriously at all, but we're here to have a good time. sigh i wanna make a moodboard so u guys can see the vision i have of him

[aziraphales-library]

Hello! I adore this blog! I'm looking for M/M jealous or possesive crowley fic recommendations if you have them.

Hi. We have #jealous crowley and #possessive crowley tags, please check those first! Here are more to add to the collection...

(Not) Jealous by jinxyble (G)

Crowley's not jealous. Why would he be? Because somebody was flirting with -his- angel, invading -his- territory?

Alright, so, maybe just a little bit jealous.

Jealous Burning Desire by Fantasyinallforms (E)

Aziraphale gets sent on a romantically complicated mission and Crowley thinks Aziraphale is falling in love. I'm bad at summaries so here's a snippet.

He let the rain soak through his clothes as he walked, ducking briefly into a package store on the way to requisition a bottle of gin. He drank as he walked. Crowley’s thoughts ran wild in his head. This faceless man was getting to watch Aziraphale fawn over books, exchange shy touches, and Satan forbid getting to watch him eat. What else was he being allowed to do that even Crowley had never been given the honor. Was this Byron getting to run his hands over the angels smooth pastel skin, feel the softness of his lips. The clear picture of Aziraphale's head thrown back in lust gripping the sheets around him formed in his mind and he shattered the bottle of gin in his hands.

Truth or Dare by MirjamOmens (E)

“Let’s ask questions, like Truth or Dare!”

Crowley burst out laughing. “You do realize what you are getting into?” he said, “I could dare you to all manners of sins, it's called tempting, I’m a professional!”

“I’m not going to pick a dare, silly!” Aziraphale chuckled. “And you aren’t either, just the questions!”

“It’s not the Truth or Dare then!” Crowley objected, still laughing.

Aziraphale waved his hand to indicate something about not caring the least.

“Do you not want to play then?”

got a pretty face, pretty boyfriend too by KissMyAsthma & leukozyna (T)

Aziraphale and Crowley are next-door neighbours. They’ve been attracted to each other since they met. The only thing keeping them apart is a thin wall between their bedrooms and Atticus and Freddie, Aziraphale’s and Crowley’s respective life partners… or are they?

A human AU glued together by misunderstandings and wet food.

Sweet as Honey: An angel's guide to seducing your sugar daddy by angelsnuffbox (E)

It was one thing to suddenly learn that you had a sugar daddy, and a whole other to realise you’ve been in love with him for more than a year. But Aziraphale couldn’t be blamed for it, exactly. He’d had other worries on his mind. But with this new epiphany came another question that now had to be addressed: If Crowley was his sugar daddy, why on earth weren’t they having sex?

Just Like Heaven by AngeliqueTombee (E)

Aziraphale Fell finds himself foisted upon a new dorm mate at University who has a notorious history of making said roommates disappear. Whether it's his loud music, need for dark, or overall sarcastic nature, Crowley always manages to run them off before they become an issue.

But...this one seems different. His wit is sharp, and his knives aren't far behind. He may seem like an old silly, but this one may just be the wake-up call Crowley - and his motley band of ne'er-do-wells - needs.

- Mod D

[fullofgutsndopamine]

Because The Road Home (leads me right to your door)

TW: she/her pronouns, drinking to excess, cursing, sloppy drunks

Neighbour au in which one gets drunk and ends up knocking at the other’s door, drunkenly trying to argue with the neighbor and- instead- passing out in their living room.

“No because like that’s the problem with Christmas, right?” she licks her lips, leans in closer to the person next to her, “Because it’s a capitalist hell hole we live in-“

somehow, the person next to her is even more drunk than she is, swaying in place with slanted eyes.

“No, dude.” He slurs, “you’re right. like-“

she tries to pay attention to him speaking, looks at his lips as he talks and rests the rim of an overused solo cup to her lips. it’s filled to the brim with red wine, which has sloshed over multiple times and stained the front of her white sweater already, a problem for later.

She’s enough drinks in to have false confidence, can feel her lips buzz and her fingers tingle. Confident enough to interrupt her friend in front of her, she finally speaks:

“y’know what?” she stops long enough to hiccup.

Your equally drunk friend, Geoff, nods, doesn’t even care that she interrupted him mid thought (and the thoughts were fleeting) “Go on.” he encourages her.

“I’m gonna go in and finally give that fucking neighbor next door a piece of our mind.”

Geoff nods, immediately sold:

“the one with the music?”

“yes!” she’s borderline yelling, “the fucker with the music. i’m tired of everyone here not being able to study because of him.”

Geoff nods once: “do it.” he pauses for a second, a smirk snaked onto his lip: “i dare you.”

and that’s all she needs to stumble across the lawn, yelling the entire time, working herself up-when she looks back Geoff is gone, probably distracted, but the red hot anger from the alcohol still burns warm in her chest, finds herself as he fist raises to the door and the blows land

“i know you’re there, fucker.”

Suddenly aware of how cold it is, she rubs her hands along her arms as if that will offer warmth, make a jacket appear like magic. she can hear the music from inside; not as loud as usual, but enough to build the hot anger up that swells in her stomach until her hand rests along the door again

as if he planned it, the door whips open and a frazzled man answers.

“Hello?”

his voice borders on panic, or worry, you aren’t sure which, but you push it down.

“you.”

a smirk appears on his lips, takes over his mouth as he leans against the doorframe, crosses his arms over his chest, suddenly the picture perfect, calm man now.

“Me?” he muses. immediately, he can tell she’s past drunk; swaying in place, the slurring words, the squinted eyes

she’s had run ins with him before but on a much milder scale-bringing mail to him when Geoff is too awkward to drop it off. the time he came home early and pulled into his driveway was she fed a stray that was attracted to his front porch for some reason-

“Yes-you!” she huffs, a stomped foot. finding the confidence that rolls and snakes around in your belly she takes a step forward and presses a finger hard into his chest:

“you and your music!”

“my music?” he giggles, “what about my music, princess? hm?”

“To begin with,” she removes her finger from his chest long enough to tick them off on her fingers: “it’s loud.”

“Right,” hasan nods, “go on, then.”

“and! and it’s obnoxious.”

“obnoxious,” he muses, “that sure is a word to use. maybe not the right word-“

“And!”

she tries again and he laughs, stands up a little straighter: “oh damn, I thought we were done. I have to hear this. Off you go, then.”

“Like i was trying to say!” her head spins and she rests her hand on the doorframe, knocking his own off in the move to do so, “and it’s-“

“princess?” he finally manages, though it still sounds like he’s holding in a laugh, “you alright?”

“of course i am.”

“right,” he nods, “i believe you were giving me a verbal lashing on my music. you were on reason two, if that helps.”

“it’s a long list.”

“i got the time.”

“stop mansplaining to me,” she hiccups, the world around her spins and comes in and out of color, “like i was saying-“

“you know,” he says, half a step towards her, “i actually have something in the oven to check on. come inside for a second-“

“i’m not done.”

“i know you aren’t, princess.” he holds in the eye roll, takes a step towards her and holds her by the elbow. “come on.”

carefully, his hand rests on her elbow, the other on her lower back as he carefully watches her take the small step inside, closes the door behind her.

“i don’t know where i am.”

her voice borders on being sad, eyes glassy as she looks around. it’s a nice house, she’ll allow herself to say; a light purple wall, decorated with paintings and framed books line the shelves-small planted flowers crawl and creep towards the sun, surprisingly well taken care of-

she takes a step to investing the titles on the wall and hasan drops her:

“no you don’t,” he says gently, “cmon, we’re getting water.”

“i can do it myself.”

“i’m sure you can, princess. but you don’t know where you are-“

“it’s not like i could get lost.” she hiccups but allows him to pull her into the kitchen, gently push her into the chair.

“wouldn’t put it past you.” he hums gently as he places a hand next to her as if she’s a dog and making sure she isn’t going to move-before retreating to a well decorated refrigerator, adorned with magnets and postcards, coming back with a bottle of water that he twists off with the bottom of his shirt before sliding it to her.

“not thirsty.”

she goes to push it away but guesses where it is incorrectly and almost knocks it off before hasan catches it barely in time.

he holds in the sigh for the fifth time in ten minutes.

“one sip.”

“i’m not a child, hasan.” she goes to bat it out of the way but misses again, knocks some onto her lap.

“nooo,” she moans, eyes watering again, “my shirts ruined.”

she pulls at the stained sweater as if she’s seeing the red wine stains for the first time.

“i’ll make you a deal, princess.” he sits in the chair next to her and leans in close enough to her for her to smell his cologne: “you drink half this water and i’ll get you a new shirt.”

she hiccups, weighs the options.

“Tempting, i know.” he sing songs, holds the water out to her, and too tired to argue she rolls her eyes and accepts it.

“fine,” she huffs, “only so you’ll shut up.”

he nods, zips his lips, throws the key over his shoulder: “you stay here,” he continues, “don’t move.”

“i bet you were really bad at the quiet game growing up.”

finally, a laugh breaks through: light, carries through the house and she’s glad, even in a drunken state, that she hasn’t been too mean to him.

as soon as the sight of his yellow sweater disappears from view she makes her way to the front room, where the untouched vinyls and book jackets lay. her fingers run over the spines, worn with use and time, well loved and she cracks one open and sees the folded pages, the slanted writing in the margins. when the world becomes shaky and slanted again she holds onto them fireplace, the table, the side of the couch until she allows herself to collapse onto the couch, on her back as she rests the book on her belly-

“magic and love have two things in common, namely how easy both are to fuck up-“

her lips move as her eyes try to focus on the pages, on the small type and the way the words appear off the page dance and wave around in the air in front of her

“-which is exactly why she swore both off-“

the sound of the book hitting the floor doesn’t stir her. eyes heavy and fallen already, she falls into the drunken stupor that threatened to happen for hours.

rooms away, hasan knew the second he heard the fall what happened

“fucker.”

slowly, he folds the shirt in his hands, makes his way to the kitchen and grabs the untouched water, the bottle of aspirin out of the counter. finds the notepad shoved in his junk drawer and uses his nicest writing to try and ease her mind when she wakes up:

you fell asleep on the couch and i didn’t want to wake you. you’re at the neighbor with the loud musics house (hasan) bathroom is upstairs on the left. feel free to take this shirt for your stained one. Take three aspirins. my room is upstairs on the right if you need anything. you’re free to go when you wake up, but i do make an amazing omelette. get me if you need anything. -h

he shoves it with the shirt before he can second guess it. makes his way to the front room and sets the water, note and shirt on the table. picks the book up and sets it next to it. grabs the blanket over the back of the couch and throws it over her gently, holds his breath to see if she stirs and when he doesn’t, makes his way upstairs, hoping his morning starts with making an omelette.

[nouies]

hello and welcome to this month’s fic rec featuring my favourite works from what i’ve read during the past weeks. as always, please check tags before reading. if you liked the fics please reblog their posts, leave kudos and write a nice comment. happy reading! 🔒 = only for ao3 users rec tag | more rec lists

— harry/louis —  

໑ Bitter Ends Turn Sweet (series) by @allwaswell16 𓂅 Yours and Mine (T, 1.5k, established relationship, sequel) 𓂅 In Time (M, 2.6k, established relationship, prequel)

໑ you made my heart stop by dragmedown / @itsnothesameasitwas (G, 6.1k, heartstopper au) Don’t you ever feel like your life has been perfectly composed until one day it wasn’t, that everything seemed more than fine but it was not, because sometimes as simple as it might sound or look, it could change your life?

໑ On That Note by @allwaswell16 (E, 6.2k, coworkers, a/b/o au) Louis’ office job on an omega only floor would be absolutely fine, if not for the alphas he and his friends have to deal with in the building. But although they’ve never met face to face, the friendly notes sent between him and Harry in Purchasing help him get through the day. ໑ your right now, your forever, your last call, your whatever by localopa / @waterloux (M, 6.2k, friends to lovers, a/b/o au) “we should kiss.” so they kiss.

໑ Faded From This Touch by @allwaswell16 (E, 7k, strangers to lovers, famous/not famous au) Pop star Louis Tomlinson is about to make his long awaited return to music. Unfortunately, his label and manager feel his long hair isn't in tune with his pop star image. When Louis goes to get a hair cut at a posh London salon, he unexpectedly finds a very handsome reason to keep returning.

໑ One Day You'll Say These Words by @allwaswell16 (M, 11.6k, friends to lovers, aristocracy au) Growing up together in Yorkshire has led to a lifelong friendship between Louis Tomlinson, the future Marquess of Rotherham, and Harry Styles, the heir to a viscount. When Harry suddenly inherits his uncle’s title and estate much earlier than expected, Louis must watch his friend struggle under the weight of these new responsibilities, including searching for a wife with a dowry large enough to save his estate. However, sitting idly by as Harry looks for a bride brings some unexpected feelings to the surface.

໑ Dive (series) by @allwaswell16 (E, 21k, strangers to lovers, famous/famous au) Newly retired football star, Louis Tomlinson has left Manchester for Malibu. Along the way, he finds music, friendship, and love in the form of his pop star neighbour and the very fit movie star hiding out next door. 𓂅 I Could Fall or I Could Fly 𓂅 Hanging On the Words You Say 𓂅 Before I Dive Right Into You 𓂅 Let Me Know the Truth 𓂅 Jumping in Harder Than Ten Thousand Rocks on the Lake

໑ When We Were Young (series) by @allwaswell16 (E, 24k, former classmates reuniting, summer au) The one where Harry helps out at a farmer’s market and gives Louis free vegetables. 𓂅 Sound Like a Song 𓂅 Look Like a Movie (prequel)

໑ 🔒 'cause I want you (for the worse and for the better) by nonsensedarling / @absoloutenonsense (NR, 26.3k, friends to lovers, fake/pretend relationship a/b/o au) When Louis gets invited along to Anne's wedding, Harry is prepared to let people think whatever they want about their relationship. That's what Louis said -- let people think whatever they want. That changes when Louis sees his ex, who turns out to be Anne's future husband's son. Now, Louis wants to prove that he's an omega that an alpha could want, and Harry wants to get through this weekend without letting his best friend figure out he's in love with him.

໑ follow rivers (series) by @outropeace (E, 85k, exes to lovers) 𓂅 deep sea, baby (E, 28k, break up/getting together, au within the au, sort of prequel)

໑ Epiphany by Jennifer_Kaid / @poetsreprieve (E, 30k, enemies to lovers, 1980s au, italy) It was the summer of 1984 when Harry inherited his grandfather's estate and wealth. San Gimignano was a Tuscan village in Italy where he decided to move for final. That was it, that was where he would love, marry and live. His professor from college had retired in the village and lived with his family, so it was only natural that he bought a house next to his.

Never in the world had he imagined that his professor would have fathered the most beautiful boy; a nineteen year old lad with the knowledge of everything. The boy never failed to get on his nerves with his snarky comments and sun-kissed skin. It was impossible to resist his growing affection.

໑ Men of Steel, Men of Power by Stria / @nooradeservedbetter (E, 59k, coworkers, politics, hiding identity, a/b/o au) Louis has one goal: survive this year unscathed to complete his grand plan, for which he has sacrificed his family, his friends. His identity. he's not expecting Alpha Harry, who manages to get under his skin and inside his heart. He suddenly has a lot more to lose, and a lot less control.

໑ Such Good Luck by @casuallyhl (E, 66k, secret established relationship, 1910s au, mpreg louis) An Edwardian AU where Harry is a young aristocratic lord and Louis is a working class dairy farmer. Secrets are a necessary part of their relationship, but Louis has one that could topple their whole world.

໑ king of my heart by wildestdreams / @thelavendrhaze (E, 83k, friends to lovers, royalty au, secret relationship) A Red, White, and Royal Blue AU where Hollywood elite, Louis Tomlinson, finds himself falling for the closeted Prince of England.

໑ so tenderly by frenchkiss (E, 135k, strangers to lovers, famous/not famous, a/b/o au) A soulmate AU where two lovers find each other entirly by accident, featuring photoshoots, Gucci suits, too many takeaways, having sex and feeling sad, an alpha who feels lost, and the omega that finds him. It shouldn't be this easy, but it is. 𓂅 Call Out My Name 𓂅 Slipping Through Our Fingers (sequel)

— rare pairs —  

໑ Do You Smile To Tempt a Lover by @allwaswell16 (louis/nick grimshaw, E, 18k, coworkers, british museum, coffee shop au) Nick Grimshaw is entranced by Louis, his very beautiful, very cheeky new coworker at The National Portrait Gallery. He watches him day after day, wondering what he’s furiously typing on his laptop over lunch. With a little help from the very bored barista in the gallery cafe, Nick finds himself growing closer to Louis than he ever dreamed possible.

[atripandahalf]

we are each waves and also the ocean

(ao3) (au link)

It was a quiet day in the neighbourhood, and Barnaby looked out the window from his kitchen. The sun was shining, it was about midday... and the neighbours were throwing a party?

part of my mlpth au for welcome home but can be read as standalone! please send me asks about this AU :)

tags: barnaby-centric, minor references to hello puppets, fluff

It was a quiet day in the neighbourhood, and Barnaby looked out the window from his kitchen. The sun was shining, it was about midday, and he had just got back from the shops, where Howdy was busy working. He was spending the early afternoon washing and preparing the fruit and vegetables he had just bought. The chopping motions were soothing, and it was warm enough that he could leave his window open. The neighbour felt like it bustled more than the farm back home ever did, with all its chatter and gossip, and its contact with the other local neighbourhoods. Plenty of people visited their neighbourhood, either to shop or to simply chat with the residents and so there was always noise, the space always lively, and all the houses were close enough together that the lively chatter could be heard from Barnaby's house. And it was always pleasant. The noise got louder, reaching a crescendo, and Barnaby wiped off his hands before walking out into the town centre.

The town centre was, in actuality, pretty small, just like the neighbourhood, but to Barnaby, it seemed huge. There was a fountain in the centre, but the space was also filled with familiar faces - and a few new ones. The plaza was filled with the sound of music, as what Barnaby recognised as one of Julie's siblings if the hair was anything to go by, was singing into a microphone. They were shorter than Barnaby, although that was hardly saying much, and wore a ruffled dress, that faded from orange to yellow, making them look more like a sunset than a puppet, especially with that sparkle in their eye. The melody was bright, and almost jazz-like in the swing of it, and it made you want to get up and start moving, which some of the other people in the square appeared to have already been doing. Barnaby watched Eddie coax Frank into dancing, Julie pushing him further into dancing quite literally, as he stumbled into Eddie's open arms. Frank's face was blushing bright red, and he moved a little awkwardly, yet Eddie just seemed to find it more endearing as he whisked him away to the swing of the music. Frank accidentally hit Wally in an attempt to follow Eddie's dance moves, letting out a very strangled, "Sorry!" as he went by. Wally just smiled back, in what Barnaby thought was that adorable way of his, and continued talking to somebody that Barnaby had never seen before.

He was an older man, his hair greyed and sticking out on either side of his head, with a little purple top hat resting on his head. He was wearing an old-fashioned suit, in a dark cool purple, and that, paired with his monocle, made him feel slightly out of place within the Neighbourhood. There was a woman standing next to him, with a mop of ginger hair on her head, and in a very badly stained lab coat - a scientist of some sort, then - who seemed to want to interject but thought better of it, and kept rolling her eyes at her companion's answers. She kept moving her hands oddly, seemingly seeking something to hold on to at her hip, and coming up short. These people seemed to be new to the neighbourhood, but somehow knew Wally - were they old friends, or even his family perhaps? Barnaby had always thought it odd that Wally had never mentioned any of his relatives, but he didn't want to open a can of worms that Wally would rather he didn't, so he never asked, but by the looks of it they were close, with Wally listening intently to the mans every word, and even when the woman interjected with a snide comment towards him, Wally would laugh good-naturedly. They seemed to be... okay.

Just next to their little group, Howdy was leaning outside the open window of his shop, talking to Sally and Poppy. Howdy made eye contact with Barnaby and waved, and Barnaby walked on over.

"Hey y'all, how's it going?" Barnaby greeted standing on the other side of Howdy, across from Sally and Poppy. The stand seemed to have changed what it was selling since Barnaby was here earlier and now had an array of snacks and drinks, and there was even a small freezer full of ice cream and lollies. Clearly, everyone was celebrating something, and Barnaby was so confused as to how he could have missed it.

Howdy greeted him warmly and offered him a drink. Barnaby accepted and let the conversation wash over him. As he sipped his drink, he caught up with his friends, listening to their stories about the latest happenings in the neighbourhood. The party was in full swing, and Barnaby felt grateful to be a part of such a close-knit and welcoming community.

Suddenly, the music stopped, and a voice boomed through the speakers. "Neighbours and friends, may I have your attention please?" It was Wally, his striped suit glinting in the daylight. "Thank you for coming out today. Our neighbourhood is truly a special place, and events like this remind us of that!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, and the music started up again. Barnaby felt a sense of belonging and happiness wash over him as he danced and laughed with his neighbours. He knew that he had made the right choice in moving to this neighbourhood, and he felt lucky to call it his home. Although, he still had no idea what the event was for.

[mintygreenaqua]

Hey Folks, I'm currently working on part 7 of a new Kirby x Hello Neighbor x Talespin x Disney x Miraculous Ladybug crossover video.

This is going to get epic so check out my YouTube channel for any updates!

And please share this with your friends and family. I want this saga to be a success! Please please.🙏🥺

[hiwelcometothemonstersancturary]

Do you think the music video “Sleep Well” is canon to Poppy Playtime, and is it canon for your AU?

Also, I wish instead of including all this ARG (like Theodore’s tragic tale that had no reason to not be in the actual game) and extra stuff just for hype purposes and promoting their YouTube content, Mob Entertainment would instead make the game have a stronger story by just putting that stuff in there, either in the main plot or by making the player find it like the VHS tapes…I have many issues with them as a company…

I just hope the actual canon sticks to a morally gray conflict with no chickening out, and maybe even have our antagonist be somewhat sympathetic, no matter whether the ending is good or bad for all parties involved…I’m just kinda dreading/expecting that there will be huge open ends/dangling plot threads or even a sequel hook so the franchise can be milked even further than it has been, especially with that movie in the works…

I just saw that music video, and... Honestly it's a nice song, but I dont think any of it adds up to anything lore wise? And oh my God, I can't agree enough with you regarding all the ARG stuff.

As someone who's ALSO making a mascot horror game, and also as someone who had their brain rewired at age 11 thanks to FNaF's, I am SO tired of games pulling the mysterious/obtuse lore on us. Mob (as in, the company, not the poor probably overworked gamedevs) cannot deal with the idea of their game actually having cohesive lore and impactful moments that aren't shock value. Everyone loved chapter 3 not because it was a masterpiece, but because it's actually a decent horror fucking game. Of course chapter 3 is good, chapter 1 was a paid demo and chapter 2 was almost Hello Neighbour levels of fun! Of course chapter 3 is good, it's actually trying to be a horror game instead of a YouTube Kids content farm product!

Chapter 3 of Poppy Playtime lacks any impact that isn't shock value. That's it. And yes, I disliked chapter 3 so much it reverse engineered me into making an AU where everyone lives because fuck this awful shock content logic!

I want the canon to stick to a morally grey conflict as well. I WANT Prototype to have an actual point and for him to be a tragic character, I WANT the game to show us that maybe Poppy isn't as good as she wants us to believe, and I WANT the game to pick all of this and still go "but what the Prototype did was wrong, and we need to put an end to this carnage". But, c'mere, look at me.

I have no faith this will actually happen.

That's it! Zero faith, nothing, nada! I was expecting nothing out of chapter 3 and STILL managed to be dissapointed. I doubt Poppy Playtime will ever try to have an interesting story inside the chapters, much less an actually compelling conflict. At this point I'm just seeing where Mob Youtube Kids Content Farm Entertainment will do to destroy any future opportunities of something compelling.

Also. I would have liked chapter 3 way more if we actually saw Theo go from being Theo into becoming Catnap, with his death scene being PAINFUL to watch after spending the entire chapter learning how he became Catnap.

[sodapops0lstice]

Intro Post!

Because I've never made an actually good one...

Favs! Blinkies & Stamps! Sprite Drive!COMMS!!!! Classic Era Say hello to me!

@badlydrawndirk @badlydrawnjade @ectobio @our-fav-hs-char @alternian-life-advice @aviansaffection @arethesewordsinhomestuck @fuckyeahhomestuckladies @the-gang-makes-a-blog

⬆️I run all those ⬆️

My tags:

#soda's minifridge <- wishlist

#fizzes <- asks

#solar systems <- original posts

#neighbouring stars <- mutuals and pals

#grubpeta <- my earth c au

#cure pop <- PreCure Tag

#splatstuck <- Splatoon x Homestuck au

#jo au <- My fluff au where Joey takes care of Jade

#candy bowl for roxanne <- posts for my good chum and friend roxanne of marinealcoholic fame

#meteorites <- queued posts

#lesbian danny devito <- dog pics, block as needed

#the moon <- @dykemaxxing's very own tag for gay tomfoolery

Basic Stuff

I'm a freak by many a name. But I go by Soda, Cece, Admin, Ary, Xefros, Sol and Rezi mostly. Seriously. Any of those will do. Hell, I'll take new names aswell. Drop them name recommendations lmao

I'm 15 aswell, in Year 11. (I chose Triple Science, French and History if you wanted to know about my GCSE choices.)

I'm a lesbian and agender, which basically is me saying my gender changes for when it's funniest.

I use ALLLL the pronouns, even xenos and neos because I am badass and awesome. Literally anything goes.

I'm Scottish and Irish. Which is kinda cool, means I burn hella easy though which sucks ass.

I'm also autistic, I like to post about that.

I also also have depression and anxiety, I don't really care though because I'm balling 24/7 B)

Interests & Likes

Obvious is obvious but I'm a massssive Homestuck. That is primarily what I post/reblog. This includes Hiveswap/Hauntswitch

I also enjoy Pokémon. A lot. Like... 2200 hours on Ultra Sun alone enjoy.

Youkai Watch is also a big fav of mine. In fact, Youkai Watch 3 is one of my favourite games of all time!

I absolutely ADORE A Hat in Time! It is THE game for me. It means the world and everything to me.

Alongside AHIT, Undertale and Deltarune are some of my favs ever! (I don't cry everytime I replay UT what do you mean?)

In general, I'm a total loser for vidya. I can do a quick rundown of the gaems I like but probably won't be reblogging often

Crash Bandicoot

Kleptocats

Touhou

Gmod

Sonic

Papa's -rias

FNAF

Animal Crossing

Half Life

Persona 5

I don't often watch many series or movies. But there's a special place in my heart for Invader Zim, The Owl House, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Eddsworld and My Little Pony. I'm also super excited for the new Scott Pilgrim show :D

It's strange to say but I have a keen interest in reality shows. This means Gogglebox, Come Dine with Me, Four in a Bed, Kitchen Nightmares (both versions) and Impractical Jokers. Only the lord knows why. I think it's the autism. It's probably the autism.

I'm a fan of Pretty Cure aswell! Those girls are so beegitful <3 in those dresses... Yes I found out about it through Glitter Force but that doesn't change anything. Another anime I also love is Pop Team Epic that show irreversibly changed my sense in humour. I've been getting into MHA and Chainsaw Man aswell.

I also adore!!! Vocaloid it literally makes up 50% of my music taste. I black out and wake up with 20 new pieces of miku merch lmao

Music

I have a lot of different music interests! But my all time favourite band ever is Qbomb! I adoreeeee them to infinity. I literally don't know what my favourite Qbomb song is because they're all so good.

But! Qbomb doesn't have my fav song, that honour goes to Stacked Like Pancakes and their song SFDD. It's a really high energy ska song that I recommend highly. (You won't regret listening to it!)

Instead of just listing my spotify stats here, I'm gonna just get some images of those funky websites instead :)

Obviously this isn't completely accurate since this is from my entireeee spotify history. But it's basically all there!

[1dmonthlyficroundup]

—1D Monthly Fic Roundup—

Hi, and welcome to the 1D Monthly Fic Roundup for January 2023! Below you’ll find 1D fics that were all published this month in the order they were submitted to the blog. We hope you’ll check out these new fics! If you would like to submit your own fic, please check this post on how to submit or visit our blog @1dmonthlyficroundup​. You can find all our other posts here.

Happy reading!

＊ The Greenback Boogie by @lewiswilliamstyles (E, 28k, Harry/Louis)

Louis is a Name Partner at Brown Tomlinson, a prestigious law firm in NYC.

Harry is about to start a job as an Associate in said firm.

When they see each other on Harry's first day of work, it was not the first time they met.

The Suits inspired AU no one asked for.

＊ sweaty palms and racing hearts by fearsparks / @onlythebravest (G, 1k, Louis/Harry)

“I’m fine,” Louis whispered. “Just nervous.”

Harry made a laughing-like sound through his nose, clearly trying to keep the volume down. “My palms are dripping with sweat. I was panicking over you trying to hold my hand or something.” Harry wiped them on his jeans.

Louis pressed a hand over his mouth to stifle the giggles coming out of him. “I did consider it,” he told him.

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

(A short story of two shy, nervous and blushing boys on a date at the cinema.)

＊ just an (un)ordinary evening by fearsparks / @onlythebravest (E, 4k, Harry/Louis)

“You smell good,” Harry told him, inhaling his scent. “So good. Extra good since you’re being such a good omega to me and making food.”

This made Louis laugh, and he turned around to lean against the counter, facing Harry. “I’m only smelling good because I’m cooking for you?”

“Mhm,” Harry hummed affirmatively. “And since you’re not cooking right now,” he reached out to bop Louis’ nose, only to get his hand swatted away, “you don’t smell that good anymore.”

Louis pinched Harry’s side. “Rude.”

(Harry and Louis during an ordinary weekday evening, having a somewhat slow and relaxing night together.)

＊ Bless You! by @neondiamond (G, 2k, Louis/Harry)

Harry and Louis’ young daughter, Ava, really enjoys when Harry says ‘bless you’ after she sneezes.

＊ Baking Spirits Bright by cherrylarry / @beelou (G, 2k, Harry/Liam)

“Hello, and welcome to day 20 of our Advent Series! I’m Harry Styles and this lovely man on my right is Liam. Say hi, Liam,”

“Hi, Liam!” Liam waves at the camera with a grin.

Harry rolls his eyes with a fond smile. “Alright so today we’re making hot chocolate! Different recipes from all over the world. Mexico, Italy, France, and Brazil.”

＊My Other Half Was You by @lululawrence (NR, 35k, Louis/Harry)

Louis turned the corner to head to Niall and Lewis’ music shop, and slammed right into someone.

“Shit,” Louis gasped, gripping the person’s shoulders in an attempt to remain standing. “God, I’m so sorry!”

“No, I’m sorry,” the man said. “Uh, you steady?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry again.” Louis blinked a few times and then took a step back. It was only then that he finally glanced up to the man’s eyes. They were a clear, bright green, and curly brown hair fell onto his forehead.

“I should probably…” The man trailed off, motioning towards the antique shop behind Louis.

“Right, sorry,” Louis apologized again, stepping aside.

“It’s alright. Have a good day.”

“You too,” Louis replied as the man disappeared around the corner.

By the age of 30, Louis' entire life trajectory had changed from what he'd thought it would be. He moved back to the town he grew up in and did his best to pull himself and his life back together again.

Four years, seven months, and sixteen days after the day that changed everything, Louis turns a corner and literally runs into the man who just might change it all again.

＊ Warm Chilling by Larry_you_know / @larryyouknow (G, 7k, Louis/Harry)

Louis moves into a cosy cottage in the English countryside with his dog Clifford to look after his great-aunt's animals. His next door neighbour, Harry, is an eccentric young man who swims in the pond every morning, owns cats and chickens, grows his own vegetables and wears, according to Louis, grand-dad clothes. He's the opposite of Louis, who is a true city man and has tiny little troubles adjusting to life in the countryside. It's only a matter of time before Louis falls madly in love with his endearing neighbour.

＊ On the naughty list tonight by @lunarheslwt (E, 6k, Harry/Louis)

“I’m sorry!” Harry pleaded, distressed as he came closer, “I try, I really do, you know that”- And oh, Harry was unraveling into genuine anguish, and Louis had to change track quickly because that wasn’t his intention- “So greedy, baby. And do you know what happens to greedy boys?” Harry stopped his babbling, peering at Louis with a little uncertainty, having no doubt caught the way his voice had dipped, the purposeful choice of words, the way he was taking up space on the couch. “What?” he asked nonetheless, voice just above a whisper. “Greedy boys get punished.”

Or, Harry has a little bad habit- he peeks at gifts early because he is too impatient to wait to open them. Louis is determined to catch him this time, and show him that actions have consequences.

＊ All at once, this is enough by @lunarheslwt (G, 7k, Louis/Harry)

“Could you help me…to make a nest?” His question was whisper soft, not daring to look at Louis’ face as he asked. For a few seconds, nothing but silence ensued. And then- “You want me to help you make your nest?” Harry’s blush deepened as he meekly affirmed, “yes.” The lack of response straightaway from Louis, and the way he had questioned the request, had Harry’s stomach churning uneasily. Why did he ask that? You don’t ask your friends to build you nests, what the fuck Harry. Louis must think him to be such a twit- “I’ll help.”

Or, Harry, overcome with burn out, wants to nest but he has never nested before, doesn’t know how to. Louis, his best friend, is only happy to help him make a nest and be there for him. Along the way, they find something more.

＊ ready for a war by @nouies (E, 1k, Louis/Harry)

Harry was so close to getting caught, and it was all on that stupidly pretty cocktail waiter.

＊ Devoted by @nouies (E, 5k, Louis/Alisson Becker)

A collection of drabbles about Louis’ life as the housewife of a professional football player.

＊ Chew Toys, Table Scraps and Fresh Starts by zmmf / @zaynmaliksmiddlefinger (M, 94k, Zayn/Liam)

Liam never imagined he’d be starting over like this, but at least he’s finally allowing himself to have a little fun with his new companion—a whip-smart Klee Khai.

Zayn has spent his entire life waiting to begin this chapter, and a fun new hobby with his enthusiastic Pomeranian by his side is only the start of exciting things to come.

And for both men, a chance meeting on the amateur dog show circuit is about to lead somewhere neither expected.

＊ Behind closed doors by bluegreenish / @greenblueish (E, 10k, Louis/Harry)

“You should ask that whoever he’s currently fucking.”

Liam’s eyes grow wide.

“No.” His tone is unbelieving, just like Louis’ would’ve been if you had told him what turn today would take.

“Yes.”

“How do you know?”

Louis’ room mate’s eyes barely leave him as he tries to untie his shoes without looking.

“Went to his dorm earlier, found a sock on his door handle. He’s such an arsehole.”

or, the one where omega Louis finds a sock on alpha Harry's door handle that causes a big misunderstanding but is also the beginning of something new.

＊ Falling (For Two) by sitandadmire / @louistomlionson (NR, 1k, Niall/Louis/Harry)

In the middle of a morning run, Harry loses his balance. Niall and Louis are walking to their car just in time to witness his tumble and, lucky for him, more than happy to help.

Or: A Harry falling AU.

＊ Wanted: Dog Walker by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf (G, 6k, Harry/Louis)

Louis needs a dog walker. Harry answers the ad.

＊ I Hope You Choke (on those words) by Imogenlee / @imogenleefic (E, 3k, Louis/Harry)

Harry Styles had been head of security for concert venues for over eight years. Never in his career had he seen a musician as reckless when it came to personal safety as Louis Tomlinson. After making his job a living nightmare, Harry decided he needs to talk some sense into Louis. If only there were some way to shut him up.

＊ Stroke of Twelve by larry_hiatus / @larry-hiatus (E, 2k, Louis/Harry)

He was close, he was so close, and he knew it was much too soon; the countdown to midnight hadn’t even begun yet.

Or the one where Louis wants Harry to hold off his orgasm so they can come together at the stroke of twelve on New Year's Eve.

＊ He's Got the Money, Baby Honey by larry_hiatus / @larry-hiatus (E, 10k, Harry/Louis)

“Can you tell me what my postbox, my Venmo account, and your thick skull all have in common? …They’re all empty.”

Finsub Harry forgets his dom’s weekly gift. Louis makes him pay for the mistake with a shopping spree.

＊ Midnight by @kingsofeverything (E, 10k, Louis/Harry)

“Alphas are for fucking and pheromones,” Louis said during their first conversation, when he was moving into the building and Harry offered to help haul boxes up the stairs. “I’m perfectly capable of carrying my own groceries.”

Louis relented when his Omega friend Zayn intervened and asked if he was also capable of moving his couch by himself. All Harry’d wanted to do was be a good neighbor. Now, here he is, half a year later, balls deep and four months into a no strings attached, sex only situation with the Omega of his dreams. He’s still not sure how it happened. 

＊ Eyes on the Horizon by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright (E, 12k, Harry/Louis)

Freshly dumped, recently fired, and about to turn 40, Harry's friends insist on taking him skydiving to cheer him up. His younger and extremely fit instructor Louis makes him even more nervous than the idea of jumping out of a plane, but both may be exactly what he needs to turn his life around.

＊ Netflix Original by @allwaswell16 (T, 1k, Louis/Harry)

Harry's hot neighbor overhears that he doesn't have Netflix.

＊ Walk of Shame by @allwaswell16 (T, 1k, Harry/Louis)

On a cold, rainy autumn morning Louis meets someone else doing the walk of shame.

＊ every day and tomorrow night by @justanothershadeofblue (E, 8k, Louis/Harry)

Harry stares. The new boy is beautiful, there’s no other word for him. He’s got caramel brown hair in a tousled cut and cheekbones for days, skin that’s tanned a deep gold, and eyes a shade of blue that’s visible even from across the room. He’s standing with his hands on his hips and one knee slightly bent, his thighs thick where they extend past the ragged hem of his denim shorts. His biceps are defined and his hands look small but capable, and Harry’s mouth is quite literally watering.

“What’s his name?” Harry asks, without taking his gaze off the boy in the doorway. He doesn’t want to blink and miss a single moment of eye candy.

Zayn chuckles. “See something you like, then?”

“You know the rule, Z,” Harry answers, still not pulling his eyes away from this unexpected Adonis. “If I lick it, it’s mine.”

＊ High Tide by Stria / @nooradeservedbetter (E, 14k, Harry/Louis)

Louis tilted his head to give more access to the stranger, canted his hips, slipped his hands under the stranger’s shirt, trying to get closer, closer. “You never told—your name,” he said, panted. “’s not good etiquette.”

The stranger snorted, a hot puff of air that made Louis shiver. The door closed with a slam, and then the stranger’s hand was palming Louis’ arse, big and secure. “Harry,” he said, mumbled against his neck, following it with a light bite. “Wasn’t really thinking about etiquette when you have an arse like this.”

At that, Louis had to scratch Harry’s back, making him hiss. “Rude,” he said, “how would I know—what name to scream if you make me come?”

Or, a positive covid test after a one night stand forces a cohabitation. And a lot of sex happens.

＊ The Pros and Cons of Breathing by @hellolovers13 (E, 7k+ wip, Harry/Louis)

Omega Harry has always known he'd be married off someday, so when he's betrothed to the prince, he's anxious about having to leave his life behind, but hopeful for a happy marriage.

The hope doesn't last long, with his husband avoiding him at all costs and Harry being left to fend for himself.

Can he find happiness even in a broken marriage?

＊ For you, I would fall from grace by @lunarheslwt (E, 14k, Louis/Harry)

"You're hard", Louis observed casually, like it was a comment on the weather. An odd, choking noise left Harry at being surveyed so closely, at Louis' gaze lingering on his hard cock clearly outlined through his boxers. To make matters worse, the image of his daddy - dressed sharply in his suit, hair coiffed to perfection, looking the very epitome of dominant - eyeing him with a teasing smirk, was a lot. Harry felt his brain turn to pure static. "Well how could I not," he managed, aiming for flippant but the words falling as desperate. "Aw. It's not my fault that you get turned on by servicing me, doll.”

Or, when asked what he wanted for his birthday, Harry had just one request; he wanted to be used and to be useful. Louis was only happy to indulge him. A day of service ensued.

＊ The Top of Your Lungs by zanni_scaramouche / @zanniscaramouche (M, 31k, Harry/Louis)

After the devastating attack that left him the sole member of what was once an ancient and powerful pack, Louis has sworn his life to protecting those facing the same threat. He could never have predicted his devotion to the last of his kind would lead him falling bloody and exhausted into arms of the most enigmatic omega to exist.

There is something about Harry Styles and the way the moon sings his name, but will it be enough to convince Louis to face the misbegotten power latent in his veins? Through the throes of battle and passion, it's a test of will-power for Louis to keep himself from doing the unimaginable and following his heart.

[captain-rickbond]

I have actually several questions if you don't mind? :') (they're mostly about rickbond though, don't worry!) what's an AU and/or trope which suits you for ben and larry the most? coffee shop AU, enemies to lovers, university AU...? who out of those two is more likely to be the household cook? who's more likely to confess they like the other first? or do they do it at the same time? who's the golden retriever and who's the black cat in the relationship? what's an event/activity larry would try and force ben into? and what would be something ben would make larry do? And my final questions are for you and your art and writing specifically: what's a fic you would like to write/are currently writing, but can't seem to finish? do you have any WIPs that you wouldn't mind sharing bits and pieces of? :> when and where do you usually create your drawings? Love your work, I hope you're having a good day! ^^

Hi! okay, here we go:

Favourite AU/trope?

I wrote a coffee shop AU, assasins/hitmen AU and I'm writing three more: bar/pub AU, traumatic as hell AU, and post apocalyptic dystopian world AU (yes, you read that right) - one thing in common for all this stories - awkward first meeting and… friends to lovers? And basically idiots in love trope

Household cook?

Let me answer this way - in one of my wips Laz tries to open a can with a fork and cuts his finger, so…

Who's more likely to confess first?

It seems obvious - Laz is the one to make the first move- wait, now when I actually think about it, it's Ben (in my fics) that's almost always seems to snap first

Golden retriever/black cat?

Laz is the golden retriever, Ben is the cat

Event/activity one would force the other into?

Laz would make Ben attend a cosplay event, they both would be dressed as stormtroopers so no one would know it's them. (I definitely have not started on a drawing with them as stormtroopers…)

Ben would make Larry throw away all of his lego sets boxes bc they clutter the space and-

"Laz, have you actually deassembled any of this and put it back into a box? Like ever? Because if not, we're throwing it all awa-"

"-but-"

"-this way we're gonna have more space for new sets."

"…"

"…"

"Okay."

What I am currently writing?

I have 11 wips, and I would love to finish ANY of them… some are too short, some are way too long. There are funny ones (I hope), and hot ones. Every story has an unhealthy amount of angst, and one is sad as hell

When and where do I draw?

I draw at night, I don't really have time during the day. I take my ipad to bed, snuggle in with my cat, put some music on (I can't be left alone with my thoughts) and I draw until I hear my neighbour slam the door outside - every day at 4am - and then I go to sleep and wake up at 8 to go to work

A fragment of my crazy rickbond post apocalyptic dystopian world AU wip ↴

“Hey.”

Larry looked up, yanking out the cloth stuck behind the waistband of his pants, and wiping his greasy hands on it.

“…”

“Well, hello Ben! How was your day? Have you killed someone over a piece of junk again, today?”

Larry rolled his eyes and placed his hand on the seat of the bike, pushing himself off the ground with a huff.

“What you want?”

“A bit of tenderness?”

“Don’t we all?” Larry whispered under his breath and threw the cloth on the ground. “You got something for me?”

Ben sent him a small smile and pulled out a rusty bit of metal from behind his back.

“Happy birthday.” He waved his hand in front of Larry’s face.

“It’s not my birthday.” The younger man grumbled and snatched the part from Ben’s hand.

“Every day is your birthday when you get gifts like that,” Larry sighed and placed the part on the seat of the bike. “and you didn’t tell me when your birthday is, so I’m gonna celebrate it every day.”

“Are you done? I’ve got work to do.”

“Oh… come on,” Ben chuckled. “I know it’s all fucked up but at least we can laugh about it, right?”

Larry looked up and frowned.

“Right…”

Ben walked over and sat on a wooden crate, placing his elbows on his knees and releasing a deep sigh.

Okay, so is he planning on just sitting here?

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

Ben raised his head and smiled sadly.

“Not really.”

Okay, great.

The bike Larry was working on was actually his for once. He was grounded. All because of the damaged needle valve - small piece of shit that you can’t actually fix. You have to get a new one to even start the fucking engine.

Larry made a promise to himself.

Once he’ll get one, he will leave.

“Can you go be annoying somewhere else?” Larry dropped to his knees and fidgeted with one of the cables sticking out from behind the seat of the bike.

“You’re being mean, I thought you're a nice guy,” Ben sounded defeated. “aren’t you?”

“No,” Larry muttered. “I’m not.”

...

───

this may be the weirdest thing I’ve ever written, blame the Mad Max movies

[annaofthenorthernlights]

Friendly and normal

@domaystic

Domaystic 2023

Day 01: Housewarming

Fandom: Frozen / Kristanna modern au Rating: G Words: 689

___

K. Bjorgman was written on the door.

Oh dear, Anna hoped her next neighbour was not a freak or some kind of psycho. You never knew in those days. As awkward as she felt, it could not get any worse, and if he was not nice, she would never knock on that door again, trying to avoid the person. So, she rang.

The door opened, the tall blond man looked at her with a sincere mimic, and Anna could hear some classic rock music in the background. First impression: friendly and normal.

"Hi. Uhm... I'm sorry... uhm... I just moved in next door today. My name is Anna Rendelle, and uhm... sorry to bother you..." she gestured nervously towards her door and then wrung her hands in front of her chest.

"Hello, welcome. I noticed the moving company today."

"Oh, yes. Well... the thing is... um... this is a bit embarrassing now..." Anna chuckled, bit her lower lip and shrugged apologetically. 

"Are you all right. Can I help you with anything?" Mr. Bjorgman was now looking sideways at her apartment, as if there was something wrong with it.

"Uhm... yes... but, well... hehe... could I borrow a roll of toilet paper from you?" Anna waved her hands exaggeratedly to explain the situation before the man could say anything - his raised eyebrows made her skin crawl. "You see, the corner shop is already closed, and I am too exhausted to take the bus to the nearest supermarket. I completely forgot. I am so sorry. I will pay you back. I mean, I will refund you, or get you a new one, or well, whatever... hehe". She ducked her head between her shoulders.

Gosh, he must think she's stupid...

But the man chuckled and held his hands up in a reassuring manner.

"Hey, hey, nothing to be embarrassed about. I know how stressful it is to move into a new place. Hang on."

He disappeared and returned with the lifesaving roll of paper.

"Here. Anything else?"

“Oh no!” Anna waved a hand and took the roll gratefully. “Thank you so much.”

“That´s okay.”

“Well, good night then, and thanks again. You literally saved my… you know what, right?” Anna giggled and tugged a hairstrand behind her ear, and Mr. Bjorgman laughed.

“I get it. Well, have a good first night in your new home, too.”

_____

Anna stood in her bedroom and groaned as she looked around. Unpacking would have to wait. She desperately needed to get some sleep. At least her mattress on the floor was already covered, ready for her to snuggle into the sheets. She was rummaging through her suitcase to find her pyjamas when a knock on the door of her flat caught her attention.

"Hi." Mr Bjorgman shrugged apologetically.

"Hi." Anna smiled, noticing the man holding out a bag of toast and a chocolate spread for her.

"I thought you might need something for breakfast, since you didn't have time to go shopping?"

Anna stared at those chocolate brown eyes, then at the chocolate spread in his hand, the toast, then back at that friendly face and bit her lower lip.

"Are you serious?"

"It's not much, and to be honest I don't eat chocolate spread. I bought it for my niece, for when she comes to visit. I'm sure Emily won't mind you having it." He shrugged and smiled as Anna took the items from him.

"This is so kind of you. And now I'm embarrassed again because I can't even invite you in for a coffee or something." Anna made an apologetic face.

"Oh, no. Don't worry." Mr Bjorgmann winked. "If you are thinking of having a house-warming party, just invite me."

"Oh, yes, of course!" Anna nodded seriously.

"I was kidding. Don't bother."

"But you're right. After all, your toilet paper is hanging in my bathroom."

"Well, yeah... I forgot about that." He laughed.

Anna pressed her breakfast to her chest and smiled.

“Well, then, good night, again, Mr. Bjorgman.”

“Good night, Miss Rendelle.”

“It´s Anna.” She blurted out.

“Nice to meet you, Anna. It´s Kristoff.”

“Nice to meet you, Kristoff.”