#henry wasn’t even FINISHED SPEAKING

[i-know-the-endss]

i will never, ever get over the way henry talks about his “daft pubescent fantasy” of taking the man he loves to the one place in the world that is his, and dancing together, amidst the statues, and alex, immediately after hearing this, pulls his phone out to play a song like he’s saying “it’s going to be me. it’s going to be us.”

[joelslastofus]

[SUMMARY: Joel sleeps with his innocent married next door neighbor after fixing her sink.]

Smut

“He could see the guilt you felt, the confusion you felt when you suddenly smacked him across the face. He barely moved, accepting your hit with his hand still around your waist.”

The phone sitting right beside you, Joel could read the name on the called ID. It was your husband.

“Answer it” he whispered.

A tiny hint of Javier Peña in this

“Damn it, Henry” you sighed checking under your sink to see it was leaking much more than earlier. Of course your husband was coming home late once again from work leaving you to a messy kitchen. The water over flowing and it being late in the evening you knew no plumber would be available to come now. The thought of asking your neighbor Joel Miller was tempting but also a bit embarrassing this late in the day. Joel knew you and he knew your husband, the two of them weren’t exactly friends but whenever they’d see each other they’d have a quick talk about whatever game was going on. With a sigh you snapped yourself out of it and marched yourself to Joel’s front door.

It didn’t take long before Joel opened his door, intrigued to find you on the other end.

“Stella” he greeted you with half a smile.

“Hey, Joel…I’m sorry for bothering late. Henry won’t be back until God knows what time and my sink is leaking and-“

“Say no more,” he chuckled before calling out to Tommy letting him know where he would be.

Grabbing some tools from the back of his truck he followed you to your house right behind you. Not being able to stop himself from enjoying the view of the way you walked up the stairs, the move of your hips with each step his eyes were glued to your ass.

“Sorry again about this” he quickly looked up as you turned around opening the door for him.

“Don’t worry about it, darlin’” Joel always had a way with words, yet it wasn’t exactly what he said but more of how he said it.

Standing to the side you watched how he got to work under your sink. One of his legs lay flat while the other was bent, you couldn’t help but notice his navy blue shirt being pulled up slightly, revealing a light soft patch of hair that led to his-

“How long has this been like this?” Joel’s question distracting your thoughts, distracting your eyes.

“Oh uh-Henry tried to fix it but-“

“Yeah I could see that” he chuckled, his arms flexing as he worked. There you were again checking out Joel as he lay under your sink when your house phone rang.

“Not again, Henry” Joel heard you speak with disappointment, he couldn’t help but take a peak at you as stood by the counter.

“We’ve had to change it so many times, silly me for thinking you’d prioritize your wife” Joel looked down at you and watched as you sadly hung up the phone and pushed it aside. Before you knew it he was finished wiping his hands clean.

“That’s it?”

“Yes mam’” he smiled yet noticed the sadness in your eyes.

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah” you sighed not being able to hide the disappointment you felt.

“Henry and I made four years last week and we’ve yet to celebrate it because theres always a reason for him to come home late, even bought this damn bottle of wine to surprise him,” you rolled your eyes. Joel tilted his head and crossed his arms listening to what you had to say.

“I can’t remember the last time we went on a date and we don’t even have children keeping us busy…ain’t that sad?” You chuckled sarcastically.

“I even bought this new stupid dress I’m wearing now to see if he’d like it and now I’m blabbing away-“

“You look beautiful in it” Joel’s compliment completely catching you off guard.

“Thank you” he watched as your eyes lit up before you realized you hadn’t even offered him a glass of water.

“Oh god, how rude am I? Would ya like a glass of water or tea? Coffee?”

“How about wine?” A playful look in his eyes as he motioned to the bottle you had just mentioned.

“You know what….why not?” You grabbed two glasses and the wine opener, pouring each a cup. Joel watched as you took a sip from your cup and tried to hold back a smile.

“What cha smiling about?” Joel asked with a smirk.

“If my husband knew I was standing here having wine with you-“ you laughed as he stepped closer to you.

“How would he feel about that? ” He asked curiously, a squint in his eyes.

“He probably wouldn’t like it” you looked down with embarrassment.

“Oh yeah?” He took another step closer.

“Or he’s probably too distracted right now with his secretary anyways too wonder what the hell I’m doing” you rolled your eyes before chugging the remainder of your wine. You always suspected your husband wasn’t faithful. Joel watched as you wiped your lips still lost in thought before you realized he was staring at you.

“Sorry- I know you don’t care to hear about any of that”

“Hmm..I don’t know darling I just find it hard to believe a man could get distracted with another woman when he has you at home” a light shade of red appearing on your cheeks as you quickly looked away. It had been a while since another man flirted with you so directly you didn’t know how to respond. Quickly pouring yourself another glass Joel chuckled as you chugged down what you poured. Silently he walked towards you, slowly pulling the glass away from your lips and setting it aside. You could feel your heart racing, leaning back against the counter as he looked down at your lips.

Was this actually happening?

“Joel” you whispered as his eyes found yours, his hands gently falling on your hips.

“You..you now I’m married..” you whispered as he pressed his body against yours. He was hesitant for a moment, analyzing your face.

“Happily?” His question making you react with a look of defeat.

No you weren’t happy, you hadn’t been for a long time and Joel could always see it whenever he saw you and your husband together yet you never expected this from Joel.

You couldn’t respond and before you even realized, he closed the distance between your lips and kissed you sending a shock through your body. Your eyes were open as he took you by surprise, his hand slowly closing around your waist pulling you harder against him before he gently parted away.

“I’d be a liar if I said I hadn’t thought of doing this for some time now” he whispered, his lips brushing against your forehead.

“This ain’t very much gentleman like of me but for some reason….I don’t care” he smirked before kissing you again. This time you closed your eyes, your hands brushing up his chest and wrapping around his neck, your body melting into his. You were losing control forgetting what was right or wrong, he pushed aside the dishes behind you and quickly lifted you up onto the counter without parting his lips from yours. His hands sliding under your dress making you gasp and turn away from his lips.

“Joel….” You whispered. No other man beside your husband had touched you in almost a decade.

“I…I’ve never done this before…I have a husband” you spoke as if you were trying to remind yourself of the man you married. Joel could tell this was the first time any other man aside from your husband touched you. The thought giving him a rush.

Refusing to look up into his deep brown eyes barely able to make out your words you swallowed nervously.

“This is…it’s wrong” you made the mistake of looking up at him and found him staring at your lips, yearning to feel more of them.

“So tell me to stop” he whispered before looking up into your eyes.

“Tell me to stop and I promise I’ll leave, darlin’”

You knew you couldn’t.

You didn’t want him to.

Slowly you could hear the sound of him unbuttoning his jeans, his lips pressed against your cheek before slowly finding yours again. Joel knew you had never done something like this before, somehow that intrigued him more. He moved slowly, giving you the chance to stop him but he knew damn well you wouldn’t. Feeling his hands between your thighs you felt him slowly slide your underwear off your legs, throwing them to the side. Shoving your dress higher he positioned himself right at your entrance slowly sliding himself in you. Breathing each other in you moaned as his thrust pushed your body up against the wall. It felt exactly like you what you wanted.

What you needed.

Your arms slow grabbing onto his shoulders as he penetrated you deeply. A louder moan than you expected escaped your lips, Joel smirked looking down at how much you creamed all over his cock.

“Look at that..” he whispered roughly.

“Wanted it that bad, huh?” He thrusted harder when the house phone rang making you gasp. The phone sitting right beside you, Joel could read the name on the called ID.

It was your husband.

“Answer it”

“What?” You panted as he continued to move into you.

“Answer it” he demanded, his hand sliding behind your neck grabbing a chunk of your hair. A look you had never seen from him as he eagerly waited for you to do as he said.

Looking at the caller ID your heart sunk, what the hell was Joel thinking?

“Joel..I can’t” you whispered when he tugged at your hair.

“Yes you can” he held himself inside you deeply making you gasp.

“Hello?” You whispered, the phone shaking in your hand against your ear as Joel looked dead at you. Your husband of course making more excuses on how he would get home even later than he first said. Yet, for the first time in months…you didn’t care. Joel unexpectedly began to slam into you faster, a panic arising in your eyes as you felt yourself about to cum.

Your husband speaking as you attempted to control your breathing but at this level of pleasure it was impossible.

“I don’t know what damn time I’ll be home tonight so please don’t wait up for me, maybe I’ll see you in the morning. Don’t call my office either” Your husband continued as Joel watched your eyes begin to roll back. Biting his bottom lip as sweat dripped down his forehead he felt you tighten up around his cock.

“Hello? Are you even listening?!!” Your husband yelled when ecstasy exploded throughout your body.

“Yes!” You screamed uncontrollably, the phone slipping from your hands falling into pieces onto the floor. Grabbing onto Joel you moaned as he watched an orgasm take over you completely.

“Please…please-“ you begged as your body arched against him. Joel grunted pulling your hips closer to him thrusting his hips against you as you came.

“Joel…” you whispered, your body collapsing back against the wall. Out of breath you could barely say a word Joel quickly pulled out and came on your thigh making a sound of sweet relief.

A twist of emotions exploding through your chest. A pleasure you had never felt before mixed with a guilt you never knew you could feel.

“Oh my god…” you whispered as he turned away fixing himself up. Grabbing some paper towels you cleaned yourself off still in shock with what you had just done. Getting off the counter your legs felt like jello practically making you lose your balance. Joel quickly turned and held you up by your waist as you looked up at him feeling confused yet you didn’t know what to say. He could see the guilt you felt, the confusion you felt when you suddenly smacked him across the face. He barely moved, accepting your hit with his hand still around your waist. You attempted to push his hand off before he abruptly pulled you tighter against him. You gasped not expecting his reaction as he stared down at you intensely not saying a word.

“You-“ Joel grabbed your face pressing his lips to yours as you struggled to push away for just a second, his hands grabbing your wrists before you melted once again in his arms. Parting his lips from you he looked down breathlessly.

“It’s alright” he whispered as you looked up at him innocently. He knew what he had just done, but Joel didn’t regret it, hell he wished he could stay with you.

Kissing your forehead he silently left your home as you stood against the counter in shocker. Your phone still on the floor, your underwear right beside it with a drop of his cum you had noticed.

What the hell did this mean?

Joel went to his home and walked in casually passing Tommy who sat at the table eating a sandwich. Tommy didn’t even get to say a word with how quickly Joel hid himself in the bathroom starting the shower.

Staring at himself in the mirror he didn’t know what to feel. This wasn’t like Joel to sleep with a married woman yet the guilt he felt was more from you. The look in your eyes as you had realized what you had done he felt responsible for…yet he couldn’t keep himself away….

Part 2?

[ninzied]

green things

alex kisses henry to make another guy jealous. that’s it. no other reason. based on a prompt for @onthewaytosomewhere. modern au. 1.9k.

“You’re quiet tonight,” Pez remarks, halfway through one of the worst house parties Alex has been to in his life. Seriously; he’s been to so many, and none of the others even compare. “Something on your mind?”

Yes. “No.” Alex takes a sip of his drink and goes casually back to not looking at Henry.

He’s kind of not really been okay-totally-watching-them all night, and it’s fine. It’s fine, because it doesn’t matter who Henry talks to, what matters is that he looks happy, and animated, and hasn’t stopped smiling.

He hasn’t stopped smiling all night.

“Hey, so, who’s the guy?” Alex asks.

Pez glances over. “Ah—yes, that’s a visiting prof in Henry’s department. Hazza talks about him quite a lot, actually.”

Alex grits his teeth so hard he’s surprised that none of them crack. “Does he.” He refrains from adding under his breath, Well, I’ve never heard of him.

“All the time, as a matter of fact,” Pez continues. He doesn’t even sound like he’s had to exaggerate. “And with good reason. It’s not even that he’s easy on the eyes, though there is that too. He’s already accomplished so much in the field despite being our age, from what I understand.”

“I see,” Alex says as neutrally as possible. He’s starting to see a lot from where he’s standing, actually, and he doesn’t like it. Like, at all.

Pez raises a perfectly shaped eyebrow at him. “Do I spy something green?”

“No,” Alex says quickly, too quickly this time. “Nope. Definitely not.”

“Well, if you say so.” Pez pops an hors d’oeuvre in his mouth and chews, surveying the room like it’s his own private theatre. Like he’s waiting for something. Like he has a vision. It’s both impressive and disconcerting to see.

As if on cue, someone comes up to Mister Accomplished and claps a hand on his stupid-broad shoulder, drawing his attention away. He flashes Henry a grin—one that’s way too white and with too many teeth, in Alex’s opinion—before walking off and leaving Henry alone in the corner.

Henry, who’s no longer smiling as he closes his eyes and sags at the shoulders. He tilts his glass back and drinks.

Well, fuck. Alex can’t even be glad anymore that the guy has just left because now he wants to punch him for it.

“Douchebag much?” he mutters under his breath.

“Oh, most excellent,” Pez is saying at the same time. “Couldn’t have planned the thing better myself.” He clears his throat, all business-like all of a sudden. “It appears that our poppet is in need of assistance. Are you up to the task, Alexander?”

“Wait.” But Alex finds himself getting pulled along by the sheer force of Pez’s will before he’s even finished speaking. “What task, exactly?”

Pez looks two seconds away from rubbing his hands together like some kind of cartoon villain. “Nothing like making a man jealous to finally spur him into action.”

Alex sputters; didn’t he just say that he wasn’t—? But then he catches the pointed look Pez gives Mister Accomplished again. Oh. That guy. Then: “Wait, that guy?”

“Nothing gets past you, does it,” says Pez.

Alex makes a wild gesture. “You want me to make that guy jealous. Fucking how?”

Pez lets out a long-suffering sigh. “The fact that I must spell it out for you really does explain a lot, actually.”

“A lot about what?”

“One kiss ought to do it, I think,” Pez muses, almost to himself.

Alex swallows. Flirting with Henry every day like he does is one thing. Harmless, mostly, unless you count feeling heartsick that Henry never looks at him the same way.

What Pez is suggesting, though, may be the thing that tips Alex fully over into heartbreak territory.

“I don’t, um.” He clears his throat and glances toward Henry, who’s gazing into his now-empty glass. “What makes you think he’ll be down with this plan?”

“Absolutely nothing, he would never. Which is why we must be quick about it.”

“But,” Alex starts to protest.

“Alex.” Pez says his name like he’s scolding a child who’s being too selfish. “Don’t you want to see Henry happy?”

“More than anything,” says Alex, too honestly. Fuck.

“Then trust me on this,” says Pez, in the voice of a person who’s not to be trusted at all, before opening his arms wide and beaming. “Hazza, darling.”

“Oh, thank God,” says Henry, glancing up as they approach. “I need another one of whatever this was.”

“I have a better idea,” Pez sing-songs, then looks askance at Alex. “Unless, of course, someone’s getting cold feet. I can always ask if dear old Hunter’s available, I think I saw him by the—”

“No, I’ll do it,” Alex says instantly. “I’ll take one for the team.”

“Yes, a big sacrifice on your part,” Pez murmurs, and Alex shoots him a sharp little glare. Henry scrunches his brow, looking between the two of them in something like concerned confusion.

“Alex? What’s going on?” he prompts carefully as Alex marches up to him, taking a breath. He’s determined to do this for Henry, no matter the cost to himself.

“All right. I’m ready,” Alex says solemnly. “Lay it on me, Fox.”

“Sorry,” says Henry, “I still have no idea what we’re talking about?”

“Babe,” and Alex takes Henry’s face in his hands, “Don’t even worry. I’m here to make all your dreams come true.”

Henry stands frozen as Alex presses their mouths firmly together. There’s a second that lasts half a lifetime in which Alex thinks he’s made a terrible mistake.

And then Henry’s lips soften—wow, fuck, they are really soft, actually—and then he’s kissing Alex back and so hard that Alex stagger-steps, almost knocking a chair over as he pulls Henry even closer.

He tries not to totally lose it when he feels Henry’s fingers thread through his hair, or the hitch in Henry’s breath when their lips part and their tongues meet.

It occurs to him that they probably shouldn’t be kissing like this while surrounded by all their work colleagues. Alex doesn’t really care. All he cares about is how devastated he’ll be once it’s over.

Henry is the first to pull back. He’s breathless and smiling, and Alex’s heart hurts like fucking hell but this is what he wanted, right? To see Henry this happy?

Alex puts his hands on Henry’s waist, which, fuck, he shouldn’t have done that; now he thinks he might never let go. His breath comes up short as he gasps into the space between them, “Is he watching?”

Henry blinks. His smile falters a little. “Is who watching, Alex?”

“The guy you were talking to. I was trying to make him jealous.” Alex can’t bring himself to see if he’s noticed. Alex thinks he would rather die than look away from Henry right now. All he wants is to kiss him again even though he probably shouldn’t. “Do you think it worked? Henry?”

Henry has gone very still in his arms. The expression on his face is glazed over, distant. “That’s why you kissed me? To make someone jealous?”

Fuck, they really should’ve talked about this first. Fuck. “Yeah?” Alex winces.

“That man specifically? I didn’t even know you two were acquainted.” Henry heaves out a breath, looking strangely like he might be sick. “So you—you like him, then?”

“What? No, of course I don’t like him. I don’t even know him,” says Alex. Henry isn’t making any sense. “I thought you liked him.” Unless…shit. Unless Henry just doesn’t want them both liking the same guy?

Henry just stares at him for a long time. He’s looking kind of like Alex is the one who’s lost it. “You what?” Henry says finally.

“I thought you liked him,” Alex repeats, but this time it comes out as more of a question.

“You thought I liked him,” Henry says for emphasis. “That man.” Like there’s some other guy Alex could possibly be talking about right now.

“Apparently,” says Alex. He realizes he’s clutched the sides of Henry’s shirt and wills his fingers to loosen a little. It feels like some kind of miracle that Henry hasn’t shoved him away yet. “And then you looked so sad when he went to talk to other people, and I thought, I don’t know, that I’d help? Pez said you talk about him all the time, so…” Wait. Wait a minute.

Henry breathes out. Something solidifies in his expression, like he’s just worked through a math problem of his own. “Hmm,” he says in a weirdly calm tone. “Did he, now.”

“Yeah,” Alex says slowly. “He…” What else was it that Pez had said? Nothing like making a man jealous to finally…

Wow. Okay. Well-played, Okonjo.

“I see.” Henry looks pointedly around for Pez, who’s conveniently nowhere in sight at the moment. “Percy didn’t also happen to mention the fact that the man’s an absolute bellend who’s been gatekeeping my department’s research funding? That I’m thus woefully obligated to kiss the ground he walks on at parties?”

Ah. “He…did not,” Alex allows. “So, just to be clear, you don’t? Like him?”

“Christ, no,” Henry says firmly, and Alex feels something light in his chest flutter and try to take flight.

“Anyway,” Henry goes on, looking all sober now for some reason, “I ought to apologize on Pez’s behalf. He really was only trying to help, in his way. He knows how I feel about—well.” He flushes. “And I’m sorry, too, for kissing you like that. I was under a very different impression as to what it, um. Actually meant.”

“Yeah, hold up.” Alex straightens. “You kissed me back.” Henry looks cautiously on as Alex starts smiling and can’t seem to stop. “You had no idea and you still kissed me back.”

Henry goes a shade pinker each time Alex says the words. “Yes, well,” Henry says faintly. “I believe what you said was something about making all my dreams come true? Which I did take at face value.”

Alex tightens his hold on Henry again. Definitely not letting him go after that. “Henry,” he says. “You’re my fucking dream, are you kidding?”

“I—” Henry gazes at him. His smile is soft with something like wonder. “You’re serious?”

“How do you think Pez got to me?” Alex wants to know. “Do you have any idea how jealous I was of that guy when I thought you were into him?”

“Mm.” Henry tilts his head. “Yet you kissed me fully believing that it would, what, drive him so mad that he’d throw himself into my arms?”

“I did.” Alex takes both of Henry’s hands into his. “I want you. Henry. But I think I want you so much that the only thing I want more is for you to be happy.”

Henry’s eyes are bright and so very, very blue. “And if I told you that they’re one and the same?”

Alex is smiling so hard that it hurts. He never wants to stop feeling like this. “Then I guess that guy can be jealous all he wants,” Alex shrugs, bringing Henry’s hands up to his shoulders. “Because he can’t have your arms now, they’re mine.”

“Noted,” says Henry, mock-seriously. “Anything else you wish to claim while you’re at it?”

“Actually,” says Alex, “yeah, just so we’re clear,” and he pulls Henry back in for a kiss.

[aspergerasparagus]

Fudge you, Toxic yaoi be upon thee. Frankie and the Contestant but Frankie is just in it for the money and the kicks. Rabbitroyal??? I don't know the ship name im sorry

Also here if needed.

It had been just over a week since the Contestant had won their season. The show was still rolling in the money with late viewers still pouring in to witness the achievement over and over again. The show hadn’t seen revenue and viewership like this in years and with the announcement of a 58th season the excitement was sure to be even greater! Of course they’d have to get a few new replacements, resulting in a small delay in the airing of said season, but “Frankie” was sure they crowds would be patient. Eagerly awaiting the return of their first ever winner, his Lucky Contestant.

Frankie, as he had had to start referring to himself as, glanced over at the human seated next to him. Of course they were still dressed up in the Frankie costume provided, he wasn’t about to let them out of it lest the police be able to identify them via a hacked camera or accidental broadcast. They were the ticket to the show's renewal and continued profit, something his higher ups had made all too clear. Not that they’d had to force him at all to behave himself around them, to the contrary he was making sure his new cash cow was being well taken care of. Although saying that it seemed his Contestant was less than thrilled with the arrangement.

“You know I can’t just live off cereal right? Humans need other stuff too, especially considering how much crap is in this stuff…” The Contestant, who Frankie had so generously nicknamed “Lucky” (couldn’t have them using their real name, even with the voice filter), was once again grumbling as they shoveled another mouthful of the fruit flakes into their mouth, grimacing slightly. 

“And I have told you previously “Lucky”, Frankie’s Fruit Flakes are nutritious and contain a number of essential minerals, vitamins and a source of iron! And that it is considerably difficult to acquire a steady stream of other food products with… certain parties after us.” He heard Lucky grumble again as he finished off his bowl, the scowl he wore, while hidden behind his mask, was still all too evident. “But I do have some people who are currently working on the issue. You should have some “proper food”, as you so call it, by the end of the week. Hopefully that will keep our little winner happy until the next season is ready~” Tutting, Lucky pulled the mask back over their face and sank into their chair, but did mutter out a small thanks. 

Frankie just gave them one of his trademark grins (not that he could do anything else) and returned to work. He had set up a TV for Lucky in his office so he could keep them entertained, and close by. Of course he had the cameras set up throughout the facility if they ever decided to go and muck about in one of the parkour parks, but he was aware of the blind spots so keeping the Contestant as close to him seemed like the best option. Plus it had been a long time since he had had company that wasn’t just interested in sales figures and pleasing the investors. Lucky was… refreshing, special, different and Frankie found himself becoming more and more possessive of the human as the days progressed.

He was there when the human rose, when they ate, when they practiced in the parks, when they went to sleep… not that Lucky needed to be aware of that last part. It had been some long since he had someone he could just talk to. The other Frankie was just a beast with barely any thoughts and Henry was too terrified of him to speak with him other than work related topics. It would have been enough to bore anyone to tears or worse, at least Frankie had had his show to keep him busy. But now he had something else to occupy himself with.

The rabbit must have been staring as Lucky glanced over their shoulder to meet his gaze. The furrowed brow just visible behind the mask. 

“You’re staring at me again…” Their voice held steady but Frankie could pick up on the small twinge of concern hidden under it.

“Am I? Sorry about that, Lucky! I’m just lost in thought about the next season is all. We’ve got to make it even bigger and better than last if we’re to keep up this momentum!” He saw the human’s shoulder sag slightly as they relaxed.

“That’s what you always say, but… No, never mind.” They trailed off, obviously deciding that whatever they intended to confront Frankie with was probably best left unsaid. Interesting.

Unfurling himself from behind his desk, Frankie slinked his way over to Lucky, who maintained his ground, glowering up at the rabbit as he came to a stop in front of them. 

“”But.” It seemed you had something else you wanted to add there Lucky. Care to share it with me? After all, we are business partners now, if you have something on your mind, you know you can share it with me, after all I need my prize contestant happy and content.” While he was laying it on thick, the voice change hadn’t gone unnoticed by Lucky who tensed, ready to run if the need arose. This only caused the rabbit to let out a soft chuckle. “Don’t look at me like that, you know I’d never hurt my money maker. Not until next season anyway~”  

“Bastard.” Lucky barely had time to spit the words out before a gloved hand slammed into their chest, knocking the wind out of them and shoving them off the chair. Pinned, they swore again and tried to desperately wrench the hand off them, but quickly fell still as Frankie crouched down over them. The rabbit couldn’t stop the chuckle that slipped out. 

“My Lucky Contestant, perhaps you are right. Maybe there is more to all this, but could you blame me. Right now, you are the most important thing to this show and in turn me. You are my everything right now.” Frankie practically purred out the last part as Lucky shuddered under them, a fear response or something else. Frankie couldn’t care, this was truly a thrilling feeling and one he was getting more and more greedy for.

Leaning down further, so that he was mere inches from their mask, Frankie could feel the Contestants’ panicked breaths against his face as they struggled to keep their composure. 

“My “Lucky”. You really are… different. Like I said before, I like that, I like you. Maybe I’ll let you win the next season just so I can keep you around for longer. Wouldn’t that be fun, and even more profitable~” Unable to take much more, Lucky kicked his legs up, dislodging the rabbit just enough so they could roll out of the way and free of his grip. Locking eyes once more, Frankie could see the look of fear and disgust in their eyes before they bolted from the room. Of course he could chase them, easily catch them and drag them back kicking and screaming. But they’d both had their fun for today so best to let his little contestant recover. Dusting himself off Frankie, glanced towards the screens, watching as Lucky raced through the halls, turning to check behind him now and then until he bolted into the temporary room Frankie had set up from them, slamming the door closed behind them.

“Until tomorrow Lucky. Sleep well my golden goose and I hope we can play again~”

[nerosukehiro]

Only been with you.

Yami Sukehiro Smut/Fluff (female reader)

Lord help me cause this man is soooo fucking fineeee. I just finished the series and I stg if they don’t finish that show I’m gonna raise hellll. Anyways this one isn’t very detailed but there is some fluff in the mix too. Hope you enjoy :)

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Finally I can relax. It had been at least a week since the battle with the Eye of the Midnight Suns. After the fight came the clean up and checking for dead bodies of those who were murdered by the elves to possessed our comrades. It was a devastating loss though and the kingdom suffered many casualties. However we were able to do most of the clean up in a week. The down side is that the council is wanting to kill Asta and Nero, blaming them for the whole thing just because they don’t understand his anti magic and Neros forbidden magic and believe they are the reason for the mass destruction.

So now it has became a mission to get both of their names cleared and the team decided to set out on adventures to find answers. Answers that can help their case. I was already planning on going on my own to help with the cause. Asta was like my little brother and I can’t, no, won’t let him die for something that wasn’t even his fault.

But now it’s time to relax and the first thing I’m gonna do is get in the hot spring. Thankfully non of the squad mates were at the hide out so I can have peace and quiet for more than 10 minutes.

I got in letting the warm water surround me, my body experiencing major relief. I grabbed my loofa and some soap and started cleaning my body. I started reaching for my back when I heard someone start speaking. “Need some help?” Fuck… It’s Captain Yami.

I slowly turned around and my eyes widened. He was naked. Not like I’ve never seen him naked before in fact I’ve seen it before, many times. “Awe doll are you blushing?”

“Uh no. You just startled me, I don’t need any help and would you mind putting some clothes on.” He started chuckling and walking close to me. His hand reached the back of my neck and pulled me in to kiss him. “Sir, I thought we said we were done with this.”

“No I didn’t say that, you did. You just said it because you saw that the Blue Rose Captain was flirting with me. You don’t have to be jealous though my love. I want you and only you.” I rolled my eyes and started to laugh. He didn’t seem to like that much he wrapped his hand around my neck and squeezed it just a bit. “Mmm you know, jealousy is not a good look on you. Don’t worry. You are the only girl I’ve ever wanted.” He pushed his knee between my legs putting pressure where I need it the most.

Ah fuck it.

“Yami. Please. I need you.” I pleaded and started rubbing my pussy on his thigh. “That’s what I thought. Let me make you feel good and after I gotta give you something that’s in my bedroom.” With that he thrusted two fingers in me without warning.

“So wet for me. You wanna know something? I know for a fact that I was your first and I know that you haven’t had anyone else besides me. Isn’t that right?” He wasn’t wrong, he’s the only man I have ever been with. “Y-yes it is. Only been with you.”

His fingers were set to a brutal pace making me moan loud for anyone to hear. Sorry if you’re hearing this Henry. “Fuckk Yami. Feels so good baby.” He was enjoying this to much, his other hand started rubbing at my clit. “Yeah does my girl need to cum?”

No not yet, I wanna cum on his cock and not his fingers. Not only did I wanna cum on top of him, I wanted him to cum inside of me. “Please. Wanna cum on your cock.” This made his hands go faster. “I want you to cum on my fingers first little girl.”

Adding a third finger and curling them upwards, he was so deep. My moans started becoming louder. I had no control of my body at this point. “Doll, look at me.” My eyes met his and he smiled. I could feel the tightness in my belly my body feels like it’s on fire. I don’t know how much longer I can last.

“Your squeezing around my fingers baby, are you gonna cum?” I could only nod my head. The way he is making me feel is something I’ve missed for the last few weeks. “I’M GONNA CUM, YAMI!!!” My body jerked. “Fuck good girl. Let’s clean you up and take you to my room, how does that sound?” I couldn’t speak so I nodded my head yes.

After he helped clean me up, picked me up bridal style and walked me to his room. Thank god non of the others were here to see us like this. As we got to his room he gently laid me on the bed.

“So, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you. For quite some time now actually. I know I might not seem like the romantic type but I want you to know that I am in love with you. The last few years we have known each other we’ve fought together, laughed together, cried together and spilled blood together. I know it’s seems like I never really wanted a relationship but the truth is. You are all I want. All I need. Please Y/N. Be mine forever?”

He pulled a ring out… DID HE JUST FUCKING PROPOSE?! “Uh… Yami are you-“ “Marry me Y/N.” Oh my god he is holy shit. “YES!” I screamed as I jumped on top of him. He grabbed my face and started kissing me. I reached between us and gripped his cock. He was extremely hard. “Hey don’t tease me baby, wanna feel your tight little pussy wrapped around me. Gonna breed this pussy and maybe get you pregnant. You would like that wouldn’t you?”

Fuck it’s gonna be a long night.

[wlw-imagines]

A Hunter By Trade - Ruby Lucas/Reader (Once Upon a Time)

prompt: "Could I request a Ruby(from OUAT) x reader one shot where R is a werewolf hunter and doesn't know Ruby is a werewolf and when R finds out Ruby is terrified that she'll leave her or kill her but instead the reader quits being a hunter and becomes a cop with Emma and David? Some fluff in the end?" - anon

a/n: these are from my old tumblr thefandomwritings from back in 2018 ! re-vamped and re-purposed!! hope u enjoy and forgive the 2018 me style writing 

Having just finished your shift in the forest, hunting under Mr Gold's insistence, you were happy to finally be off work for another month and back with your girlfriend at Granny's Diner. Ruby's long hours of working there often meant you're schedules of night shifts and hers of day shifts would clash but for the next month you were free to spend time with her,

"Morning Y/N." Emma gave you a small wave as you walked into the Diner like you did every morning after work.

You sent Emma and Henry a tired smile, "Morning you two. Hot chocolate and waffles before school, Henry?" You asked the young boy who smiled cheekily and nodded, stuffing a forkful of his breakfast into his mouth.

You were going to stop for a chat before you realised you still had your hunting weapons on you and you should probably get rid of them. Your knife still strapped to your thigh and your silver gun still in its holster at your hip. Emma seemed to notice at the same time and was about to speak but was fortunately cut off by your girlfriend.

"Y/N! Good morning, how was work?" Ruby asked, wrapping her arms around you in a warm hug.

In an attempt to make your working life sound normal you simply shrugged and mumbled, "Quiet", which wasn't too far from the truth. You had never actually told Ruby exactly what your job entailed. All she really knew was that you had to work night shifts. However, she seemed content enough with your answer and pressed a light kiss to your lips.

Smiling, you pulled her close to you. You missed her when you were out working, you enjoyed the warmth and comfort just being in her arms caused you. Then that little moment was ruined by Emma inevitably speaking up.

"Need a gun for work, Y/N?" You turned to see her raising an eyebrow, looking at you intensely over her own steaming drink.

You rolled your eyes, "It's perfectly legal Swan." Justifying your actions as you sensed her legal conscience was starting to make an appearance.

Ruby's grip on you slowly loosened and you noticed her frown slightly, "You have a gun? How didn't I know you have a gun?"

"It's nothing Ruby. It was my mother's before she died," You smiled softly but Ruby still seemed unconvinced, "Mr Gold kindly made sure I got it a couple of weeks ago. Just before the spell broke."

Ruby shifted slightly, looking more uneasy by the minute, "But what's it for? Why do you even need it?" She protested.

"Originally it was just in memory of my mother but then Gold needed a favour so I thought I'd help him out and so more recently I've just been using it to keep the town safe, I guess. That's all he asked me to do. It's kind of in my blood to do it." You smiled proudly, now knowing that your mother and your mother's mother had both been Hunter's and now, in your own little way, you were honouring that.

"Keeping the town safe, isn't that my job?" Emma now joined in the inquisition, making your head spin slightly, "And you’re doing work for Gold?"

"Just as a favour, I patrol the woods at night, but I-" You stopped and took a deep breath, deciding that if they could just see how harmless your gun truly was then they'd give you a break. "I've never shot a person with it." You said, meekly as you carefully placed the gun down on the table.

"A silver gun?" You heard Ruby ask in an unusually quiet voice.

You were about to respond when Henry's cutlery clattered onto his plate, "You hunt werewolves? You're a Hunter? How didn't I see this before?" He asked incredulously, putting two and two together. "But-" He looked at Ruby but before he could continue you interrupted him in order to defend yourself.

"Woah, kid, no one said anything about werewolves." You shook your head, whilst having found out recently that that was in your blood, there were things that you couldn't bring yourself to do. Killing another human, in any form, was one of them. "I’d never- Look, Gold hired me to make sure that the wolves- that any animals don't create havoc or ruin his land o-or affect farmland." You clicked your gun back into its holster as it clearly wasn't being any use in calming anyone down. In fact, you were just getting more and more flustered as more questions were fired at you.

"Sure, that's what he told you." Henry got increasingly agitated, "You know you shouldn't kill anything. Don't you know who Ruby-" Emma quickly stood up and spoke over Henry.

"Okay, okay, enough chit-chat. Henry, let's get you to school." She gave him a look and left enough money to cover the food and drink on the table.

"But-"

"Henry, now." She clicked her fingers and Henry sighed in defeat before picking his bag up. He gave Ruby an apologetic look and just looked at you, contemplating what to say as he walked past. Whatever it was got interrupted by his mother as she practically pulled him out of the now empty Diner, "Faster, Henry."

You watched them leave in confusion before turning to Ruby, "Babe, I-"

"I don't want to talk right now." She turned away from you, clearing Emma and Henry's table. You frowned and reached out to your girlfriend's side, pulling her gently to you. She swatted you away and you swore she almost let out a small growl, "Y/N, just leave me alone!"

You shook your head, "I don't understand, I practically do the same job as Emma but just with animals rather than people. I found something I'm actually good at Ruby! Why can't you be happy for me, I-"

"Was your Mother a werewolf hunter? Back in the Enchanted Forest. Was she a Hunter?" She interrupted you, her voice increasing in volume before she slammed the plates down behind the counter. "Did she hunt animals?"

You hesitated before finally nodding, "Yes." You admitted and Ruby scoffed.

"So it's 'in your blood' to kill animals, is it? To kill-"

"No! I mean... yeah. But-"

"Then why do you need a gun, a silver gun? With silver bullets? Used to kill werewolves. Why do you need weapons if you don't kill?"

"Okay, well, on the odd occasion, I've had to-"

"Great!" She let out a loud sarcastic laugh and shook her head.

"But only when it's really necessary. And I told you I don't kill people! Okay? Whatever form they're in, I will not kill a person, okay? I'm not my mother, Ruby-"

She shook her head and clenched her teeth, "It turns out there is still a lot I don't know about you Y/N." She whispered, looking you dead in the eye as she spoke.

"No, that's not fair. There are things about you that I don't know too. There are still things about everyone I thought I knew that I don't know because of this stupid curse but we're working it out!" You reasoned, willing yourself not to think the worse about this situation. There was a horrible silence as you waited for her to say something. Anything. And when she finally did, it wasn't what you had expected at all.

"I don't think I feel safe around you, Y/N." She backed away from you ever so slightly and refused to look you in the eye. For the first time you've known Ruby, she genuinely looked frightened. Of you.

Your stomach dropped at her confession and you shut your eyes for a few moments and took a second to breath. "If this is about the gun then I only have it to protect you, Ruby. It's to protect everyone. I love you. I would never, ever do anything to hurt you. I just want to protect you."

"From what?"

You clenched your fists and slammed a hand on the counter, tired from repeating the same thing. If Ruby had been wanting your answer to change each time to something she would rather hear then she was out of luck, "From rabid animals." You cried out, getting angry at such a stupid fight over such a tiny thing.

"What? Animals like me, you mean?" She asked, contrasting your loud anger with a quiet fear. Whilst her eyes looked terrified she attempted to make herself look brave and confrontational by jutting her chin up slightly and staring you down but you knew her too well.

The anger inside of you quickly dissipated and you slowly approached her, treating her like one would a spooked horse or a trapped rabbit. "What do you mean by that?"

"Y-You said that there were things you don't know about me and that's true." You watched as she began to crumble, her eyes starting to become tearful. "I'm a werewolf. Your kind hunt me and my kind." She finally croaked out.

You both stood and stared at each other over the counter for a few minutes, not quite knowing what to do. There was a part of you that couldn't believe you didn't know, that she hadn't told you. A whole other part started to recognise the little signs that you had slowly picked up on but stubbornly ignored.

The tiny bell at the top of the door to Granny's rung, knocking you out of your thoughts and back into reality. Now that the diner was no longer empty you couldn't stay there any longer. You need an explanation but it couldn't be done there and besides, there was something more important you had to do first, "I have to go." You finally spoke up, not quite daring to look into Ruby's tear soaked eyes and instead keeping your head down and walking out the door.

Driving around for hours to clear your head eventually led you to the Sheriff's department, knowing Emma would be there by now. You ran in, throwing your gun on the table and crossing your arms as you stared down at the blonde woman. "How long did you know who my girlfriend was?"

Emma sighed and grimaced slightly, "She told you?"

"Mhmm." You flopped down in the chair opposite Emma and started chewing your lip. There was a long pause between the two of you, seeing as you were completely absorbed with your own thoughts.

Emma took a deep breath, eventually choosing to cut off the silence, "What are you going to do?" You shook your head slightly.

"I was born to be a Hunter, Emma." You noticed her raise an eyebrow slightly and so you hastened to add, "But I love Ruby. So much." You'd never do anything to hurt her, that much you knew.

"You're going to return the gun to Gold?"

"No." You shrugged, "I'll lock it up someone safe, I suppose. So no one can make use of it."

Emma put her hand on your shoulder and smiled fondly, "You made the right decision."

You sat in silence for a bit, Emma leafing through some paperwork as you tried to get your brain to absorb everything that had happened in the last few hours, "I won't miss the long nights, that's for sure." You eventually said, only just realising you were technically now out of a job. "Anyway, I should go. Thanks Em, for helping me figure out what's right."

Just before you made your way out of the door, Emma stopped you in your tracks by shouting after you, "Hey, Y/N, if you need a job we might just have an opening here for you. Can't guarantee you'll never work a night shift again, but you can keep on protecting Ruby and the town. You can just do it a bit more legally." You slowly turned back to your friend and smiled, shooting her a quick nod.

"You're on, Swan."

----------------------

It was gone noon once you were finished at the police station and you knew Ruby would have finished her shift by now so you swung by your shared apartment, hoping that she would be there.

You were torn between knocking and just walking straight in but ultimately chose the latter option, scared that if you were to knock then she wouldn't answer to you.

"Ruby?"

"I don't want to talk to you." A voice drifted from your left. You hesitantly licked your lips and followed her voice.

"Ruby-" You turned the corner to see her curled up on the sofa beneath a heavy red blanket.

She shook her head and you knew well enough to stop talking. "I just... I cannot believe you'd do this! That you would do something so stupid and so--" 

"I quit." You shrugged and took a step closer to your girlfriend.

"What?" She asked, head turning to the side slightly. You clenched your jaw at the pain you had caused within her.

You paused, formulating what you wanted to say before plunging into it. "I'm not a hunter anymore. I quit. I want nothing but to keep you safe and if you don't feel that way with me then I'll change."

Ruby stood up and shook her head, "I don't understand."

"I'd do anything for you. I love you." You finally wrapped your arms around Ruby's waist and pulled her into you, hovering your lips close to hers, "I'm sorry."

The smile on her face grew as she gazed into your eyes and her hands hovered over your hips. She begun to place a trail of kisses from your jaw down your neck. Ready to take it further, you pushed her slightly towards the sofa and tugged slightly at her red shorts. However, before you had the chance, Ruby pulled away and took a deep breath.

"What?" You asked, fearing you had done something wrong.

"What are you going to do now?" She asked, and you could still sense a dash of emotion reappearing from earlier. You pushed to do anything to clear her doubt about you.

You hooked your fingers in the belt loop holes of her shorts and winked, "What do you think about me in uniform?"

Ruby bit her lip and smirked, pushing you down on the sofa, "I think I could get used to the idea."

[bitches-who-write]

hey could you write a head cannon that the bowers gang find out that their little siblings have made their own little gang with the other bowers gang little siblings and the only reason they found out was that someone who messed with them come up to them asking for them to keep their crazy siblings on a leash because they beat the crap out of them.

Hi there!  We’ve combined this ask with your other ask similar to it.  Hope you enjoy!

(Below is character refrence from your request): 

Siblings are called the Mini Bowers Gang

Mia Bowers (Henry little sister)

Maddie Hockstetter (Patrick little sister)

Olivia Criss (Vic little sister)

Sam Huggins (Belchs little brother)

Warnings: Swearing, mild violence implied.

The Bower’s gang had no idea that their younger siblings formed their own little gang.

It wasn’t until Chad O’keif, Derry’s popular, asshole jock approached Henry, Patrick, Belch and Vic. 

Chad rushes up to the guys furiously with a busted lip.

“Hey!  Bowers!  You better keep a leash on those brats of yours or else next time-“. 

Before Chad dares to finish his sentence, he catches himself.  For once the dumb jock uses his brains.

Everyone in town knows you don’t  threaten the Bowers gang.

Especially a threat directed towards their little siblings.

It’s not that the guys are sweet and over-protective of their siblings.  Quite the opposite though

But there’s still an unspoken vow that only they can mess with their little siblings.

The guys circle in on Chad, glaring to the point that he’s so uncomfortable, he can’t maintain eye contact anymore.

Visibly nervous, Chad clears his throat. “They’re down at the barrens.  They attacked me for no damn reason.” His voice trails off.

Everyone but Henry laugh hearing the news.

Henry shoves Chad to the ground, flipping his switch blade out.

“If I find out you messed with them, I’ll fuckin' end you.  Watch yourself.”  Henry threatens, stopping his blade into the ground before lifting Chad to his feet and pushing him forward.

“Now get the fuck out of my face.” 

And with that, Chad went running. 

The guys make their way down to the barrens to see what their little sibling are up to/ what all the commotion is about.

Before their siblings are even in sight, you can hear Maddie Hocksetter yelling, clearly instigating a fight.

As the guys approach, they see Mia Bowers straddling Beverly with both Sam Huggins and Olivia Criss holding her down.

Maddie was kneeling beside them, egging Mia on.

“Come on Mia, she deserves it, look what she did to Olivia!!”

As the guys get closer, they notice Olivia Criss’s nose was bloody. 

“HEY!  FUCKERS!” Henry shouts, causing them all to flinch and stop in their tracks.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Beverly kicks and twists, breaking free from Sam and Olivia, and knocking Mia off of her.

Maddie goes to grab her again but Patrick eyes her, slowly walking toward his sister with a creepy, sinister look on his face.

Maddie knows despite Patrick being her older brother, that it wouldn't stop him from doing something bad.

I mean look at what Patrick did to his little brother, RIP.

“Maddie… I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” He says, voice dripping with malice.

Normally Maddie isn’t intimidated by anyone but when it comes to Patrick (and hell, even Henry), she’s terrified.  She listens to her older brother and takes a step back.

Patrick grabs Beverly’s arms as she was slowly trying to back away into the woods.

Vic grabs this sisters face, examining her bloody nose. “Lucky isn’t not broken, kid.” 

Belch shoves his younger brother, Sam, blaming him for letting this happen since he’s in charge of looking out for the girls. 

“Someone want to explain what the actual fuck is going on here?”  Henry glare at each of them, especially his own kid sister, Mia.

Maddie was the first to speak up, nodding towards Beverly.  “This bitch hit Olivia!”

Patrick is holding Beverly in place by keeping her arms behind her back and trapped against his chest.

“Is that so?”  He smirks, getting close to Beverly’s ear and chuckling when she flinches. God he loves to make people squirm.

“Th-that’s not what happened!”  She retorts, clearly anxious as she’s surrounded. Her eyes tearing up until she begins to cry.

Vic approaches Beverly with a pissed off expression.

“Ya know Beverly, we don’t give a fuck if you’re a girl or not.  Hit my sister and I end you.”

Belch tries to diffuse the situation now, feeling somewhat sorry for Beverly as he sees the terror in her eyes.

Between being surrounded by both Bower’s gang, the Mini Bowers Gang, Vic threatening her, and Patrick giving her an unwanted embrace (cuddle with a struggle), it was enough to make even the toughest person break.

Hell even the jock, Chad, got beat up by the Mini Bowers so that’s saying something.

After some convincing, the others agree to let her go but not without another threat.

Once Beverly takes off running for her life, the Mini Bowers laugh hysterically feeling accomplished.

“So how did we do?!”  They ask the guys, looking for approval.

Henry scoffs.  “You got some work to do considering”. He says as he checks Olivia’s face.

Vic interjects. “But we’ll admit you’ll did a good job on fuckin’ Chad."

Belch nudges his little brother with approval as they laugh.

The other swing their arms over their little sister's shoulders as they walk off teaching them new fighting techniques. 

[royal-chandler]

@caressthosecheekbones is made of magic ✨

she and i spent a little time imagining a missing scene after the boys get caught by zahra and thus a little ficlet was born.

thanks for always being willing to toss prompts at me, brainstorm and gleefully coo over firstprince with me, caress! 🥰

—

“So, I did not have that on my bingo card for this morning,” Alex comments awkwardly, seconds into the stunned silence that Zahra’s left behind. “Shit, Henry, that’s on me. I completely forgot to set my alarm last night.”

“I’d say we’re both to blame for that,” Henry replies. Low and bluntly, he adds, “You and I did a remarkable job of distracting one another.”

Alex shakes his head, increasingly fond of the man beside him. “Happy to hear that Zahra didn’t scare the humor out of you.”

“Not so much, no,” Henry says. His somewhat self-deprecating smile fades and concern moves into its place, his gaze scanning and surveying. “I’m more concerned with you. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Alex says, scratching his stubble as he heads back into the bedroom. Picking through the wardrobe, he chooses a crisp white shirt, finds a fresh pair of slate-blue slacks hung with its matching jacket. He flings it all on the bed and lies, his hands flexing over and over, “Yeah, I’m good. Good as gravy.”

Henry has followed him and, of course, he’s got a look like he sees right through Alex—all the way to the anxiety that slides through Alex’s guts and rabbits under his skin. Henry’s concern has now manifested into a frown, an all-too-cute and familiar dip between his brows. He says, “No, you’re not. I—maybe my coming here wasn’t the smartest decision. It was irresponsible and careless and I shouldn’t have—”

“What? Oh my God. Can it,” Alex interrupts hurriedly, skidding Henry’s words to a stop. He closes the distance between them and his hands appreciatively slide along the length of Henry’s arms before drawing him in so their fronts fit together. He doesn’t know exactly where the next thing out of his mouth was previously lodged but Henry’s self-criticism wrenches it free. The taste and shape of the endearment feel absolutely right as it leaves him. “Baby, you walking into the bar last night was a sight for sore eyes. Seeing you isn’t ever a mistake in my book. Texas was amazing and I always love being there and I’m proud of the hard work but I really fucking missed this. I missed you.”

Henry visibly softens and soon he’s kissing Alex’s nose with his own, nuzzling near the side of it before his lush mouth touches to Alex’s briefly, a warm and sleep-sweet curl. His hazel eyes gleam with tenderness and Alex melts, dissolved into a loose-limbed form and his worries eclipsed by the closeness of Henry.

“I missed you, too. I only wish that you weren’t in this position. You should be free to come out to your mother on your own timeline—if you ever even chose to.” Henry continues, “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want you to be,” Alex says. His hand climbs to the column of Henry’s throat en route to Henry’s jaw and there he holds Henry in place, meets his doubt with unflinching conviction. “Don’t take that on okay? I told Zahra I don’t want to drop this, that I won’t drop this. I meant that. So, yeah, I’ll take everything that comes with it.”

“It seems a steep and disproportionate price, Alex.”

“You’re not often wrong, Henry, but when you are, it’s all the way left, I gotta say.”

“Are you—?”

“Sure? Yes, a hundred percent. I’m nervous as fuck but I know what I’m doing. Plus, Zahra’s right. It’s political malpractice to keep this from my mom. She can’t afford getting caught flat-footed during this campaign.”

“Right. Speaking of which,” Henry starts after a parting kiss that Alex unabashedly chases after, “You have two minutes at most to finish putting yourself together. The Brexit threat was aimed toward me but I have a vested interest in you staying in one piece.”

“You’re the stud standing in my shirt,” Alex says, reveling in Henry, from his mussed hair that hangs over his forehead and down to the peek of his tiny striped shorts, his thick thighs and miles of leg. He catches Henry’s blush on the way back up. “And the nerve of you to look that fine in it.”

“You have one strewn across the bed,” Henry reminds him. “Unless you want this specific one back?”

“Keep it. We’ll get you fashion-forward, yet.” Alex smirks and laughs with startled delight when Henry pushes him away. “Do you know how much I love it when you do that? Like that’s not gonna get me out of here any faster.”

In a rewind of the previous night, they dress with immediacy. Henry unbuttons Alex’s shirt and stows it in his suitcase while Alex shimmies out of one pair of pants and hops into another. Alex takes up seconds to gawk and joke that outfit is eleven steps back when Henry pulls on an oatmeal colored crew neck after earthy brown bottoms, has to duck a rolled up ball of used socks that Henry pitches at his head. A ball that Henry ends up having to retrieve from the sheets they land in in order to complete his packing.

Suddenly mack-trucked by affection and crushed doubly with need, Alex takes advantage as Henry leans over the bed, molding himself to Henry’s back and wrapping him up. To Henry’s noise of question and surprise, Alex answers quietly at the nape of his neck and short, soft hairs there, “Ten seconds. Ten more seconds.”

“Zahra—”

“—is fucking brilliant at what she does and has bailed me out so many times that I’m hundreds of gift baskets in debt. She’ll come up with something. I’m on an urgent phone call, I’m finishing up a breakfast meeting with a news correspondent for a quote. I’m tied up in business that’s incredibly important.”

“That’s me then?” Henry jokes.

“Yeah, baby,” Alex admits, the truth punching out of him and his voice terrible. His heart shivers at the soon to be loss of the man in his arms, his insides re-tangling into a knot of misery. There never seems to be enough time.

After an inaudible beat, Henry asks, “Alex, darling, can I look at you?”

“I’ll allow it,” Alex replies, a stutter in his breath. He places a series of kisses to the back of Henry’s neck and down to his spine. Then, Alex lets him go.

Henry turns around and with wonder written in face, the first thing he does is catch his finger around Alex’s silk tie, tugging it lightly. He informs Alex, “This is crooked.”

“You can straighten the tie but you can’t straighten the man, Fox,” Alex says, a little clumsily, his bravado unsteady.

“Fucking menace,” Henry murmurs, sounding endeared. He unfastens the tie and then proceeds to slip and fold the ends into a Windsor knot. When he’s done, he flattens his palm to the center of Alex’s chest. Henry looks up and it may be precarious, Alex’s thought that those bright hazel eyes are romance-rimmed, colored with an emotion deeper than casual. “We’ll meet again soon, yeah? This is simply a bookmark, Alex. That’s all.”

Alex enjoys the imagery of it, a temporary maker in their pages with more chapters to pen. That there will be more of last night—scattering laughter into and against the edges of each other’s mouths, tucked safely away from the world as they share stories and become well-versed in one another.

For now, Alex scripts in another kiss. He captures the give of Henry’s lips with deliberate care and reverence, plying them open with his tongue and swallowing Henry’s little exhales. Thumbs pressed against the hinges of jaws, the gentle coaxing seamlessly sinks into insistence, the two of them greedy to make it count—like they can leave behind and take away traces of each other. Time slurs immeasurably before he and Henry are content, their foreheads meeting softly over a tide of quick, breathy sighs.

“You’d better get going,” Henry says in a hush. “Before they put out a search party or unleash a battalion. Whatever it is you Americans do.”

“Yeah,” Alex agrees, roughly. He walks away with the awful, lead-heavy knowledge that he’ll come back and Henry won’t be there. At the open door, he says, “Have a safe flight and let me know when you land.”

“I’ll be sure to. And you’ll tell me how things go, after you’ve done it?” Henry asks. He’s heartbreakingly beautiful and kind, a vanishing dream. “I want to be there for you, no matter what the outcome is.”

“I’ll be all up in your inbox,” Alex promises, throwing up a peace sign and then slipping out, the door clicking shut behind him.

[jjsfavgirl]

Brother issues

Here you go beauts🫶🏻

Jj maybank x brother issues! Reader

TW! Brother issues, angst, drugs

“I just want my brother back”

Those words shattered JJ’s heart in two. Even though he was an only child he knew how much you loved your brother and how much you missed him.

When your brother wasn’t gone, he was indulged in dealing and using.

After every argument you’d come running to JJ, knowing he was the only one who could help you.

“Fuck you henry!” You yelled, teary eyed as you flipped off your brother and storming out of the house.

“Get of your high horse y/n!” He screamed back,slamming a bottle on the table, “you might be smarter than me but we came from exactly the same shithole!”

His words rung through your head the whole way to JJ’s house, you bawled your hands into fists as you pulled at your fringe, tears streaming down your face before you bucked up the courage to knock on your best friends door.

“y/n..” he trailed off, his smile dropping when he saw your emotional state.

“H-Henry he’s using again!” You cried, immediately breaking down as JJ embraced your small frame.

“Shh,shh,shh baby it’s okay.” He muttered into your hair, his thumb rubbing your lower back. “Let’s get you inside, get you cleaned up.” He spoke as he pulled back from the hug and wiped your teary eyes while your lip continued to quiver.

After all the yelling and storming off, you hadn’t even realised that you had walked all the way here in the pouring rain.

Your crop top was soaking, your jeans were washed and even darker blue and your converse squelched as you trembled into JJ’s house, him holding your shoulders the whole way to his room.

You half hazardously sat down on JJ’s bed, immediately relaxing when the smell of JJ hit you like a bullet.

Watching intently as JJ retrieved the cleanest shirt he had and tossing you a pair of boxers off the floor, he expected you to start changing when he turned away. But, you just stared down at the clothes in your hands.

“You gotta change, y/n. You’ll catch a cold.” He murmured, coming up to you and taking the clothes off you carefully, treating you like an antique doll.

Looking up at him with doggy eyes, he knew that he had to help you change out of your wet clothes.

His clothes were tossed onto the bed behind you as your stood up, gripping his bare biceps as he began to unbutton your soaked jeans, pulling them down then discarding them.

Rolling up one leg of his boxers, he motioned for you to grip his shoulders as you lifted up a leg and put it through the hole. After successfully doing the same with the other, JJ helped you pull them up, his breath hitting your neck as you jumped up when the fabric reached your thigh. The giggle that escaped your lip as JJ caught you made him smile.

“Can I take this off?” He asked, his eyes motioning towards your wet pink crop top.

“Mmm-mm” you hummed, putting your arms up. He began to pull the soggy shirt off your body and over your head as it clung to your skin like latex, snapping back when it got through your hair.

He did the same motion with his plain grey t-shirt, rolling up the bottom and sliding it over your damp curly hair.

As your head popped out the hole, you sent JJ a sad smile, hun returning a sympathetic grin.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked as the both of you took a seat on his bed.

“There’s not much to talk about.” You sniffled, yours eyes burning from all the crying. “ I just always expect him to change every time he comes back, but-“ you began to speak, glancing at JJ to see him staring at you. “But he never changes.”

“You’re okay now.” He muttered, placing a loving hand on your bare-tanned thigh.

-

Just a short little blurb that I decided to finish so I could

Clear my drafts 🫶🏻

[pennyserenade]

wish you were here.

chapter five - fade into you | ao3 link | previous chapter

pairing: javier peña x female oc, javier peña x named female oc (mariella) rating: t (teen) tags/warnings: angst, brief mention of infidelity, alcohol word count: 2.1k summary: Mariella and Javier continue to feel their way through a friendship. a/n: sorry this is taking me so long to write. love you

A tattered floral scrapbook of Mariella’s sits, face up, on the table. She stands in the corner of her kitchen, looking at it as though it has wronged her in some way. And in some ways, it has. 

In one hand she holds a glass of water and in the other, her telephone. Henry Rath’s number has been typed in, and her fingers hesitate to dial it. The trip down memory lane has proved to be a bitter one. So much of her life had been documented in that scrapbook, from graduations to weddings to the first house, to the very last birthdays she and Henry would spend as a couple together. It was hard to ignore him when he was all there—a little piece of him merged forever with a little piece of her. 

She knew it wasn’t fair, what she did to him. Or rather, what she’s doing to him. In the past three months, he’s left a handful of voicemails she’s deleted before even finishing. She screens most of her calls, just on the offhand chance that it might be him, and each time it makes her feel wrong. At first, it started off with good intention—she wanted to leave him alone, to let him go back to his life. But eventually, the more she thought about what they had done, the more ignoring him became less altruistic. Every time she hears the phone ring, she thinks of him in that hotel room and that little girl that hung on his hip, and she wants as far from it as possible. 

She places the telephone back in its cradle. The excuses are endless: it is Tuesday and she works tomorrow, so she shouldn’t start something she doesn’t know she can’t stop; he probably isn’t home from work yet; he’s likely forgotten about it and to call and remind him now would be cruel; his wife could pick up; closure isn’t the sort of thing either of them are particularly good at. 

Mariella picks up the telephone again. She waits patiently as it rings. 

“Hello?” Chucho answers. 

She leans back onto the counter, swirling the water in her cup. “Hey, Chucho. I was wondering if Javi’s home.”

“Javi?” he asks, sounding surprised. 

“Yeah, Javi. I never thanked him for helping me with my classroom last month and I’d like to.”

There’s a beat of silence before Chucho speaks again. “Javi’s always home, just never know where,” the man laughs. “Would it be alright if I had him call you back? I gotta go find him.”

Mariella glances over at the scrapbook on the table. “That’d be lovely, Chucho. Thank you.” 

When he hangs up, she moves over and closes the book shut. If she wasn’t so goddamn sentimental, she might throw the whole thing away but she is, so she can’t. Instead she tucks it away in the cupboards over her oven, where she’s stored a lone bottle of tequila for about two years now, and then she sits back, waiting. The phone rings a few moments later and she doesn’t hesitate to answer it. “Hello,” she picks up. 

“Mariella?” Javier asks. His voice is low, almost a whisper. 

“I’m sorry I haven’t called you sooner. I wanted to thank you for the classroom. I’ve been using it for about a week now, and it looks wonderful.”

On the other end, she can hear him shift with the phone. “It was no problem,” he replies softly. Then, after a pause, he says, “How are you, Mari?” 

“I’m good, Javier.”

“That’s, uh, that’s good.”

“How about you?” 

More movement. “I’m good too.” 

“My dad says he hasn’t seen you in the movie store as of late,” she says. Javier coughs awkwardly. 

“No? I guess I’ve just been busy.”

“Busy avoiding me? ‘Cause if so, I assure you that’s a safe zone. I don’t work there during the school year, remember?” It’s meant to come out teasing, but, at the current moment, she lacks the exact humor needed to pull off the weight of that sentence. She punctuates it with a laugh that is more of a huff than anything.

He protests. “I—That’s not why.”

“No?” she asks simply. 

“No, not really. There’s just been a lot to do around here. We got new horses. There’s a fence that needs to be built. Chucho just needs me more than the television does.” He attempts to laugh, but it sounds forced. She doesn’t acknowledge it. 

“Think you could spare an hour or two to go get dinner with me?” 

“You want to get dinner?” he sounds in disbelief. 

She can’t help but laugh. “Yeah. One of my new student’s parents owns the bar downtown. They gave me two coupons for a free dinner.”

“Oh,” he replies. “Well, I’ll have to get cleaned up. Can you wait?”

“Sure.”

“Alright. I’ll meet you there at, uh—“ Another pause, “—how about seven?”

“Sounds good.”

“Alright, see you then,” he replies. 

“Yeah, bye,” she adds awkwardly, hanging up. 

Slumping her shoulders, she lets out a deep sigh. Why must everything feel so fucking hard lately?

—-

“Thought you didn’t go to bars,” Javier says, bringing his beer to his mouth. He’s teasing, she can tell: that slanted brow, the pursued lips working hard not to press into a comely grin. She takes a sip of her own drink, and shrugs her shoulders. 

“I don’t,” she hums in response. 

The dinner crowd at the bar is surprisingly large, but conversation is easy to have. It’s nicer, really, in a place like this - too busy to have to worry if the table next to you is listening in. Not that she and Javier have ventured to any topics unsafe for public consumption. They’ve been good, drinking their beers, making small talk the way one might with a friend they’ve grown apart with. It’s got an intimate air to it, but it’s stilted for a strange, heartbreaking reason. 

They don’t talk about all that happened weeks ago, or why they’re sitting here now. Mariella doesn’t mind, really. This is the thing she enjoys about Javier, what she has seen in him since the beginning: he isn’t interested in brewing in the past. If she were a better woman, this might worry her, but luckily enough she isn’t. She understands all too well the temptation to look forward and never backward. 

The beer is making her feel warm and pleasantly buzzed. In the corner, there is a jukebox playing soft country songs and some people are dancing slowly in the middle. She and Javi watch them curiously, resting back in their chairs. 

“How’s the teaching going?” He looks back over at her. 

“It’s going well. The kid’s are as brilliant and witty as ever,” she smiles softly. “How’s the farm?”

Javier shrugs his shoulders. “It’s work. For the first time in months, I’m finally getting a full night’s rest, though, so I won’t complain too much.”

“I’ve always loved that piece of land,” Mariella says, looking back at the dancing patrons. “Miles upon miles of greenery. And the horses! I love driving up and watching them run.”

This makes Javier smile. “Chucho is proud of it and he should be, I suppose. I certainly appreciate it more now than I used to. In Colombia, it was like that—beautiful, I mean. And so green. Standing out in the fields sometimes reminds me of being back there.”

“Do you miss it?” she asks, before she finds the sense to know better. 

Javier’s eyes rake over the crowd, too. He watches a young couple in the corner for a bit, smiling as the boy’s hand gradually works its way lower on the girl’s back. Before he touches her ass, Javi looks back to Mariella, his smile faint but present. “Sometimes,” he answers. 

“I’d love to go someday.”

“You should,” he encourages. “It’s magnificent, really, unlike anything else. That shit they say in the news—it’s true, but not nearly that bad. Not for regular people with clean hands.”

Mariella shakes her head. “Just when I thought you had me sold, you had and go say that.”

“What, your hands dirty?” he narrows his eyes. 

She holds her palms out. “Red,” she nods, though they aren’t. He breathes out a quiet laugh. 

“I think you’d be alright—but go to Mexico first.” 

“You sound like my mother,” she laughs too. 

Looking over at Javi, Mariella debates whether to ask him if he wants to dance or not. The beer has made her feel a little more relaxed, but she’s not without her reason. She remembers the first day they met - really met - and how he said he didn’t know how to dance anymore. She also remembers the kitchen, and the incident that has driven them apart for a month. 

Before she’s given the chance, a woman stops in front of the table. She’s pretty — big blue eyes, an endearing grin — the kind of woman for whom the country accent was made to be spoken by. “Javi,” she says, someplace between shocked and amazed. 

Mariella feels bad at first, thinking this is going to be another one of those small town run-ins he hates, but when she looks over at him, she can tell it’s not. Something softer takes hold of him, something almost tender.  Mariella feels almost like an intruder as he says, “Hey, Lorraine.”

Lorraine’s eyes meet Mariella’s, and then go back to Javi’s. Javi understands. “Mariella, this is Lorraine. She’s my—“

“His old friend,” she finishes for him, extending her hand for Mariella to shake. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve known about you for years. You’re all your Daddy talks about on Sundays sometimes.”

Lorraine can’t be much older than she is—maybe five or six years—and yet she seems so much more mature. She looks like what Mariella feels she’s been trying to attain her whole life: this perfect, well-rounded, soft-spoken girl who says words like ‘Daddy’ and manages not only to sound sincere, but sweet. 

Mariella shakes her head and smiles politely. “It’s nice to meet you too.” 

Lorraine glances over her shoulder, holding her finger up to a man standing by the entrance. “My husband,” she supplies, looking back at them both. “Listen, I better get going but I just wanted to say it’s nice to see you out and about, Javi. A lot of people here missed you.” Lorraine looks over to Mariella. “And really, it’s lovely to meet you, Mariella. I wish I had more time to sit and chat, because so many people have been telling us about your school. I’ve got a little one about school going age, and I’d love to put her in it.”

“Oh,” Mariella says, “Well, I can give you my number if you’d like.”

“Could you?” Lorraine smiles. “Oh, that’d be lovely.”

Mariella reaches into her purse and rummages around for a pen. When she finds it, she takes one of the napkins from the table and quickly jots down her information. “I wrote down my home number and the school’s. I wouldn’t mind answering any questions you have, but if you’re interested in enrollment information, the office number will be most helpful.”

Lorraine nods. Her hair bounces with her head, and Mariella can’t help but feel like she’s encountered a real life Barbie of sorts. She can imagine that she and Javier must’ve been real good friends, but it doesn’t do anything more than amuse her. 

“Bye, Javi,” Lorraine says, throwing up a hand. She pats Mariella on the shoulder on the way out, “Thank you again,” she says softly. 

Mariella rushes out an “Oh, you’re welcome” and Javier offers a wordless smile. They both watch her return to her husband, but Mariella returns her eyes to Javier long before he does to her. She watches the way a frown takes over his lips. 

Javier brings his beer back to his lips, seemingly shaking the encounter off. The tenderness is replaced by whatever was there before. It’s no less kind, but certainly not as intense. 

“She was my fiancée, once upon a time,” he explains. Mariella wouldn’t have asked, but she’s happy he’s willing to give her that information freely. She nods her head, not saying anything in reply. 

Her eyes return to the crowd, and they both settle into an introspective silence. Mariella forgets she ever wanted to ask him to dance in the first place. For a little bit, she even forgets her own troubles, too. 

She didn’t entirely know why she had called for Javier like she had earlier. He’d been on her mind, sure, but no more than Henry. In fact, a lot less than Henry. Something inside of her had told her to do it, so she had. She’s happy she did, now. 

Misery loves company they say, and she thinks she might’ve found herself a companion in one Javier Peña. 

[starogeorgina]

𝐑𝐮𝐧

Paring: Joel Miller × reader

Warnings: Swearing, smut, violence, age gap

Chapter: 1.01

You push the door to the bedroom where Joel was sleeping as quietly as you could, being careful not to startle him. Except Joel was still awake, sitting in the darkness on the edge of his bed, staring outside, watching the snow fall. You’d overhear Joel and Ellie arguing, ending with Joel saying some pretty harsh things to the younger girl. You cared for Ellie like an older sibling, and usually you would have ripped anyone to shreds for speaking to her that way, but you knew Joel would be regretting his words already.

“If you’ve come to-”

You cut Joel off before he had the chance to finish his sentence. “I’m not coming to cuss you out; I just wanted to see how you’re holding up.”

You could tell Joel was struggling after reuniting with her brother, Tommy; it also didn’t help that his new sister-in-law Maria, wasn’t a big fan of him.

You’re met with a frown when Joel turns back to look at you. Feeling self-conscious, you fold your arms. “What, why are you looking at me like that?”

“You look cold.”

“I’m fine,” you shrug. Since arriving at the community Maria brought you to, you have been provided food, clean clothing, and a house, which you are extremely grateful for. After showering, you changed into a pair of soft plaid shorts and a matching shirt. “I’m always warm.”

Joel shakes his head, not believing you, and says, “It’s freezing outside; there’s no way you can be warm.”

You sit down on the opposite side of the bed he’s sitting on, to which he says nothing. When you first met Joel, he hardly even acknowledged your presence, but some time between watching Henry kill himself and the three months it took you to travel to Wyoming, something changed. You'd become a lot more familiar with each other. He protected you and Ellie over everything else.

A comfortable silence passes until you lay back on the bed, and a small chuckle escapes Joel’s lips as he moves to lay down beside you. “Is this your subtle way of telling me to sleep on the couch or on the floor?”

“No,” you snort. “I will be sleeping—well, I will try to sleep beside Ellie, but I give it ten minutes before she starts moaning that I’m too warm, then I’ll end up on the floor.”

“You seriously can’t be…holy shit,” he says, placing his hand on your arm. “You’re like a furnace. I thought you were always giving Ellie extra clothing to be nice. I know to keep you near the cold.”

“So, where are we going next?”

“I thought you heard what I told Ellie.”

“I did,” you say, moving your head and resting it on his shoulder, “but I know you didn’t really mean it. Did you tell Tommy about her immunity?”

“Yes.”

Your jaw clenched. The fuck did he do that for? Keeping that secret was one of the only things that kept Ellie. “Fuck, if he tells Maria…”

“Hey, hey,” Joel says, feeling you tense beside him. He turns on his side so he’s facing you as he cups your face. “I promise you, my brother won’t say a thing. I told him so he could keep her safe.”

“And what about me? What poor soul have you decided to pawn me off on?”

He smiles and says, “Honestly, I’d choose myself.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.”

You feign offense, and Joel wraps his arm around your shoulder and pulls you in closer. He sighs. “I’ve grown accustomed to your company, but I know you won’t leave Ellie.”

Neither will you. If you had any money, you’d place a bet on Joel still leaving in the morning with you to help take Ellie to the Fireflies, but you keep this thought to yourself.

“I think I’m going to call it a night; I’ll see you in the morning.”

“You can sleep in this bed if you want,” Joel offers. “I won’t moan that you’re warm.”

“Okay,” you shrug.

It doesn’t take you long to get comfortable and start to drift off, but it doesn’t take you long to stir when you feel hot breath on the back of your neck. It felt nice having someone so close. Joel was rubbing circles on your thigh with his thumb.

You tilt your head back to look up at him and say, “Can't you sleep?”

“No.”

A feeling you can’t describe overcomes you, and you peck Joel on the lips.

“What was that for?”

“Thank you for always saving us.”

“Oh.”

You expect Joel to roll his eyes or tell you to go back to sleep, but he kisses you. Not a sweet peck; a real kiss on the lips.

A few seconds pass, then your lips clash together. The kiss quickly becomes more heated as Joel rolls on top of you. All the pent-up wants and needs come spilling out at once. The hand resting on your thigh slowly creeps up your stomach and rests right below your breast.

Your hand threads through his hair. Playfully nipping at his bottom lip before nodding and giving him the go-ahead to go further. His free hand rubs at your warm core over your shorts; he does this while squeezing your breast and peppering your neck in kisses.

“Oh fuck,” you moan before clasping a hand over your mouth.

“How long has it been?” He whispers.

“A while,” you blush.

“Okay,” he says, kissing you gently on the lips. “We’ll start off slow, and if you want to stop, we can.”

He takes your hand and guides it so you’re holding your shorts to the side, giving him access to your pussy. He spits on his fingers, then teases you by rubbing slow circles on your clit. Joel lets go of your breast and covers your mouth, saying, “You can’t make any loud noises.”

You nod.

He smirks while sliding a finger into you. “You’re so wet; do you think you could take another?”

You nod again. And do your best not to cry out when Joel scissors his fingers inside you while tapping his thumb against your clit, making you tighten around his digits. “Please, please, I want more.”

Not needing to be told twice, Joel withdraws his fingers, pulls down his pajama bottoms, and rubs the wetness on his hand along his hard cock. “What the lady wants,” he says, amused. He runs his cock over your slit, wetting it some more before placing the tip at your entrance. “Are you sure?”

He gives you an out, but you choose not to take it. He lowers his hand from your mouth so you can say, “Fuck, yes.”

“Atta girl,” he says, covering your mouth again, which surprisingly turns you on. “Sorry, baby, but I know you won’t stay quiet.”

He was right; when Joel thrusts inside you, moans spill from your lips. He replaces his hand with his mouth. You spend the next few hours having the most loving yet pleasurable sex of your life.

—

“It’s been a while since I had a woman sneak out on me.”

You get a fright and jump upon hearing Joel’s voice suddenly coming from the other side of the stable. You face him with a smile on your face. “I didn’t sneak out; I was just careful not to wake you.”

He leans against one of the wooden posts and says, “You look different. Your hair is different.”

“Maria cut it this morning.” Having hair that was easily maintained seemed more practical. You clear your throat. “So how long do you think it will take us to find the fireflies?”

“A four to five... How did you know I’d change my mind?”

You just smile while continuing to feed the beautiful horse in front of you an apple, while the other horse grazes on some hay.

Joel licks at his lips. “So last night was...”

“Unexpected,” you chuckle. “It was good; do you think we need to talk about it?”

“Well, that depends." He pauses briefly before continuing. “If it was just fun or if it meant something more, I care for you, but if you want to keep it casual or make it more serious, I’ll follow your lead.”

Hearing him say that was surprising, but the man had been hurt so many times that you could understand why he didn’t want to mess around. Spotting Ellie walking into the stable with Tommy, you don’t get a real chance to answer Joel without changing the subject. “Morning sunshine, sleep well?”

Ellie looks between you and Joel and says, “You both look like shit.”

Joel gives Ellie the choice of wanting to travel with his brother or him; of course, she chooses Joel. As you get ready to leave, you place your hand on Joel’s back and whisper, “Whatever this is, she can’t know anything about it.”

“Agreed.”

—

“Joel, Joel..." you gasp, with tears in your eyes. He and Ellie hadn’t noticed you were no longer running beside them.

It has taken you five days on horseback from Jackson to finally arrive at the University of Eastern Colorado to find no flies; they had either all died or moved on. Joel found a map that was pointing towards St. Mary's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. But before you could try and scavenge the place for supplies, a group of raiders appeared, and all hell broke loose.

You’d tried to sneak out the back of the building, but one of the raiders grabbed your arm and was now holding a knife at your throat. The man’s blade nicks the side of your neck, causing the smallest amount of blood to spill from the nearly invisible cut, but before he can hurt you again, Joel tackles the man to the ground then snaps his neck.

You hold Ellie close and feel her shaking against you. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

“Joel!” She screams when more raiders start running in your direction. “Fuck! What do we do?”

“Get on the horse, now!”

When Ellie mounts the smaller horse, you turn to face Joel, who is pulling a knife from his stomach. He got stabbed, saving you. “Fuck!” You help him climb up onto the large horse, then sit behind him on it and say, “Don't you dare die; Ellie needs you; I need you!”

[crazyunsexycool]

My little love

Thanksgiving Day

Bucky Barnes x reader

Warning: fluffiness!!

Word count: 1.1k

A/N: here’s a little Drabble for our favorite family. I wasn’t so happy with how it ended but I’ve only slept for 6 hours in the last 48👍🏻🥺😴

Series masterlist

Henry had his hair pulled back and his apron on. Big beautiful blue eyes followed your every movement. From his place on the step stool he helped you work. You needed to get back to your normal routine and what was more normal than cooking with Henry?

With a smile on his face he does as you ask. Music plays softly from a speaker and you ask him what he was up to while you were gone. It’s a sweet back and forth as you both move around the kitchen. Henry’s found a love for cooking and you’re more than happy to encourage him. Sometimes Lottie helps but she makes more of a mess than anything. Those days were fun too but Henry was taking this very seriously. You watched as he focused on the task in front of him. Furrowed brows and his tongue poking out as he made sure his job was done perfectly.

“Is this good mama?” He looks up at you.

“It’s perfect. Now we have to get everything in the pot.”

You spend the rest of the morning working on a few different dishes. Lottie and Bucky walk in every so often, mostly to be taste testers. When it gets closer to dinner time everyone gets ready to head to the shared dining room.

****

You were grateful that Sophia had bought the kids an outfit for thanksgiving dinner. There were so many things going on that it was the last thing on your mind but it was their first major holiday and they deserved something special. Lottie wore a shirt and skirt combo with her hair half up and a bow to finish off the look. While Henry left his hair down, his outfit was a t-shirt and jeans. You and Bucky went with sweaters and jeans, something simple but comfortable.

It was good that Tony decided that this year would be family only. Your dad was in the living room watching football with Sophia, Steve, Tony, Joshua and Clint. Bucky joined them after dropping off some of the dishes you’d made. Sam, Sarah, Laura, Pepper, Molly, Luke and now you were going back and forth in the kitchen while the kids ran off to play.

Once everything was ready everyone gathered at the table, even the kids. Everybody got a chance to say what they were grateful for and Henry was next. He kneeled on his chair so that he could be seen.

“I-um,” he looked over at you and Bucky, the nerves getting the better of him. “I’m thankful that you’re my family.”

Some awed at his words.

“I’m thankful that you found me and I don’t have to be with the bad men anymore.” He looks over at Lottie before his eyes settle on you and Bucky. “And I’m thankful for having baby back and that you’re my daddy and my mama.”

Henry gets off his chair and stands between you and Bucky so that he can hug you both. Then he gives Lottie a kiss on the cheek and settles back down on his chair.

Lottie, having picked up what everyone was saying, stands up on her chair. She gets shy for a moment but with some encouragement she speaks up.

“Am tankful fo’ bubba.” She says first and then she lists all of her aunts and uncles and gwandpa, “an am tankful fo’ Steebie.” She gives him a big smile before turning to you. “Am tankful fo’ habing mama home. An habing dada, I lobe dada.” She gets a bit tearful at the end and she reaches for you and then Bucky.

By this point you’re wrecked emotionally but you speak anyway.

“Well,” you clear your throat. “I’m very thankful that I have you all in my life. I’m grateful for being here today, which wouldn’t have been possible without all of you. Most importantly I’m so thankful for you.” You turn to look at Bucky. “Bucky, you make me so happy and I love you so much. I’m so thankful for Henry and Charlotte. I’m so happy to be your mama.” You turn to them to find them both teary eyed. “You two are the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Everyone turns to look at Bucky and he rolls his eyes. You chuckle and elbow him lightly.

“Fine.” He huffs before smiling. “Everything Y/N said.”

Sam throws a bread roll at Bucky which causes everyone to laugh while Sam boos.

“Say something.”

“I’m grateful for everyone except Sam.”

Again everyone laughs.

“But really, I am thankful for all of you. You helped me and the kids during one of the hardest times for us.” Bucky turns and takes your hand. “I’m thankful to have you in my life. I love you so much and you are the best mother to our kids. After being freed I never thought I’d find someone that could love me or want to have children with me and here you are proving me wrong. I’m so lucky to be a father to two of the sweetest kids I’ve ever met.” Bucky leans forward and winks at Lottie and Henry. “I love you two so much. Finally I’m thankful for Ed. You’re a great man, I wouldn’t have made it through the last three months without you.”

“Now that’s a speech.”

“Hey pops, why don’t you carve the turkey?” Tony says as he hands the knife over to Eddie.

“Everyone pay attention. I’m gonna show you how it’s done.”

Dinner was great. Everyone laughed and talked amongst themselves. Henry was praised for the food he helped cook. You could tell how proud he was and you’d told him as much.

After dinner and the clean up everyone moved to the shared living room. There was some dancing, games were played and tipsy karaoke happened. During most of this you and Bucky had taken the love seat. Bucky had one leg stretched out on the couch allowing you to sit with your back resting against his chest. His arms kept you safe and close as your hands intertwined with his. Bucky would press kisses every so often against your temple or he’d comment on whatever was happening. Both of you happily watched the others joke around or sang along. The kids couldn’t contain their happiness as they kept running up to the two of you and expressing how much fun they were having.

Later when the kids were in bed, falling asleep easily from all of their excitement over their first thanksgiving and you were in Bucky’s arms, you couldn’t help but think back at what you survived. It was over and you were back home in the arms of the man you loved and your sweet little ones.

There were so many more firsts the kids would be experiencing and you were thankful that you’d get to be there with them.

Permanent taglist:

@rebekahdawkins

@cjand10

@nalny5

@Sturchling

@angywritesstuff

@seitmai

@writing-for-marvel

@goldylions

@almosttoopizza

@littleseasiren

@pono-pura-vida

@talesofadragon

@midnightramyeoncravings

@bunnygirlwriter876

@pandaxnieenke

@kandis-mom

@hisredheadedgoddess28

@braveclementine

Series taglist:

@buckystevelove

@vicmc624

@just-someone11

@sjsmith56

@emily-roberts

@spencerriedisagorgman

@superduckmilkshake

@samfreakingwinchester

@lofaewrites

@enchantedbarnes

@callsign-athena

@broadwaybabe18

@saranghaey

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@oceaniamadness

@queenie32

@buckybarnessimpp

@multifandom-girlie

@joliver1328

[miyuuuki]

Kinda Crazy…

SYNOPSIS: Dating vic was a roller coaster, more-so considering his violent and cunning nature.

PAIRING: Victor Criss/Masc!Reader

WARNINGS: slut shaming, body shaming, misogyny, slightly toxic relationship.

A/N: quite different from usual content, but I still very much love IT. This is kind of loosely based off of Selena Gomez’s Kinda Crazy song. Really trash but hope y’all enjoy loll.

———

You and Vic were a fling, a couple who lasted first semester and barely making it to second.

you did love him, but truly, you couldn’t handle his violence and his behavior.

Even though vic was the “least toughest” or “nicest” member out of all the bowers gang, he was still cruel.

He posed as though he had strong morals, but you knew it all to be untrue.

You’ve noticed how everyone you were once so close to distanced themselves from you, and how anyone who looked at you wrong, always seemed to be hurt.

You’ve even witnessed the countless acts hes done. Burning kids with cigars, jumping people who either wronged you in the past or touched you.

Being misogynistic out of the blue, screaming insults at the losers, especially to both Beverly and Richie.

Calling Beverly, insults such as “skank”, “slut”, “whore”, and many more.

Beating or humiliating Richie, with insults.

You felt as if you couldn’t even touch, speak, or even look at someone without them getting hurt. And you were tired of it, because no matter how much you tried communicating with him, he’d repeat the same empty promise.

“I promise I’ll change, I’ll try.”

So eventually you were fed up and ghosted him, and not too long, broke off the relationship.

By now you still have lingering feelings for him, though barely. At least that’s what you think.

Though you couldn’t say the same for Vic. He’d been calling your phone line, harassing you at school and so on.

And the fact your houses were opposite of each-other, didn’t help at all either.

He could see through your window, and easily visit your house. Though he hadn’t done that, yet.

Right now you were in your bedroom, doing a school project with a classmate.

And it also so happened to be Greta. A girl who slept around, especially with that Patrick guy. It’s rumored they first slept together in 5th or 6th grade.

Greta, was a bitch. No sugarcoating, right now she was barely doing anything. All she had tried to do was you.

���Greta, just go home. I’ll finish the project.”

“If you say so.” She says with a wink before leaving.

You sighed before continuing, you were disturbed by a phone call, once you answered a familiar voice appeared.

“Why did I see Greta fucking Keene coming out of your house?” You heard Vic’s voice.

“What’s it to you?” You said with a annoyed tone.

“Did you do something with that fucking whore!? If so, (name), I’ll fucking kill her! Do you hear me!?” He screamed into the microphone.

“Fucking shit, vic. Do you hear yourself!? You sound like Henry! Fuck off already, it’s been months. Move. On.” You said anger evident in your tone.

irritated, you pulled out the plug of your landline as that wasn’t the only call you received that day.

Though you failed to see Vic watching you through his window.

“Vic? The fuck are you doing here?” Greta said, angered that she was interrupted from harassing beverly.

“What did you and (name) do the other day at his house?” He asked with a shallow tone.

“What’s it to you?” She said.

“What did you do, Greta.” He demanded.

“Why the fuck do you need to know? Don’t tell me you’re still not over him. It’d be pathetic if it’s true.” Greta said laughing.

“Did your whore ass sleep with him!? if so I can gut you like a fucking fish right now.” Reaching into his pocket to hold the switchblade he stole from Henry, though not yet showing it.

“If I said yes?” Greta said with a laugh.

“I’ll make you regret even looking in his direction.” Vic said, grabbing Greta’s hair with a tight grip while grabbing the switch blade.

“Hey!! L-let me go! What the fuck are you trying to do!!?” She screamed.

“Teaching you a fucking lesson, goddamn whore.” Vic responded.

Here you were, in history class watching everyone present, one thing you noticed was Greta not being fucking present.

‘Where the fuck is this bitch, I didn’t fucking write shit for her to read off of just so she can be fucking absent.’ you bitched in your head.

You rose your hand, and asked to go to the bathroom. The teacher agreed so you went out.

“Is she skipping..?” you mumbled wondering.

she said she’d be here today, now where the fuck is she.

You went into the bathroom and was about to go in a stall before someone grabbed the jacket you were wearing and slammed you into the wall.

“What the fuck-! Vic!? You’ve got to be kidding me..” You said, already annoyed.

“Tell me. What did you and Greta do!?” He said.

“Why the fuck do you need to know, leave it alone Vic.” You responded.

“Fine then. You made it easier for me.” Vic said before walking out.

“Easier, how!? Vic!” You said confused.

You thought wondering what he could mean by that.

‘Holy shit.’ You thought before running out after him.

———

TAGLIST:

@akiraackerman19 @lizzhearthz @call-me-nev

[jellyfishzebracat]

Snippet of an rwrb fanfic I’m writing it’s a/b/o and Alex is a 29 year old law professor who meets 21 year old Henry after Henry is forcefully moved to America to study law by his grandmother.

It’s this Alex

And this Henry

Alex hadn’t always wanted to be a law professor, he’d kind of just, fallen into it.

He’d studied law at NYU and shortly after gotten a job as a paralegal but that got , stale.

So during a late night rant to his mother she’d suggested he do some more study and look into teaching as a professor.

So Alex studied and then applied for a job at the university his mother was the head of.

Alex wasn’t proud of using the nepotism card but he did anyway.

So fast forward a few years and Alex is 29 years old teaching as a law professor, now finally on his own for the second year after teaching as a TA under Zarah Bankston and old friend of his moms and now a dean at the university.

Alex doesn’t expect anything to go wrong this year however that all changes when Henry fox walks into his lecture hall.

He’s pretty, blonde and everything Alex wants in an omega.

Alex class is small only 100 students so Henry already stuck out, however when he opens his mouth and speaks with that pretty English accent Alex is gone.

Which is bad, really bad because Henry is his student.

Everything goes well for a few weeks until one night Alex has finished his 6 pm lecture and is in the Chinese restaurant across from the campus when Henry walks in.

Henry walks up to the counter and Alex watches as Henry places his order, when he goes to pay however his card declines, once, twice, three times. Henry opens his mouth most likely to cancel his order when Alex blurts out “I’ll pay” and is swiping his American express.

“I .. thankyou.. you didn’t have to do that, professor ” Henry glances up at him

“It’s no problem and please don’t call me professor, it’s Alex“ Alex replies, leaning one arm on the shop counter.

Henry’s phone pings and he sees Henry’s face twist before he’s huffing out a breath and his scent sours.

“everything ok” Alex attempts to calm Henry but the agitation doesn’t leave Henry’s face.

“My bloody roommate just kicked me out of my dorm for the night, apparently he’s found some girl to shag” Henry spits out

“Shag” the word feels foreign in Alex’s mouth

“ it means fuck, Alex” Henry’s rolling his eyes but grinning up at him and Alex can’t help but return the smile.

“Um maybe we could eat together at my place” the words are out of Alex’s mouth before he can even process how much of a boundary that crosses and how bad of an idea that is, Henry beams “That sounds wonderful Alex”

Soon the cashier is calling out that their food is done and Henry is following Alex out to his car.

Henry sinks into the leather passenger seat of Alex’s Lexus and sighs “ Christ, I forgot how nice leather car seats were”.

Alex shoots Henry a questioning look and Henry looks down at his feet.

“My family’s quite well off however since my grandmother shipped me over here with barley any money, I’ve been missing out on the luxury’s I used to enjoy”

“I hope I’m not over stepping but why’d she send you here” Alex questions.

“Apparently it’s unbecoming for a member of our family to be an omega and to want to study literature, I was at Oxford on a scholarship in my last year and then she pulled me out to study law here in America” Henry’s answer is pained, Alex can’t imagine what it would be like to have your whole life up ended like that.

The rest of the drive continues on a happier note as Alex and Henry sing along to some of the songs on Alex playlist until they arrive at Alex’s brownstone.

As they step into the house Alex sees Henry looking around, his head tilted upward, was he scenting?

Alex chooses to ignore it for his own sanity and leads Henry to the couch and excuses himself to change out of his teaching clothes and into something more comfortable.

Alex now in a t-shirt and sweats joins Henry on the couch, Alex thinking of something to watch while they eat, asks Henry if he’s a Star Wars fan, Henry’s face lights up and he gleefully explains that he loves return of the Jedi, Alex scoffs and has to correct Henry “ the best star wars movie is clearly the empire strikes back” Henry flashes Alex a gummy smile and rolls his eyes “ I suppose I could endure watching empire”.

[turneradora]

Here is a new press article concerning "Rivals", with the new pic of Aidan as Declan O'Hara !

Thanks to Emma Jones for the written version 🙏🥰 ❤️🌹

EXCLUSIVE The secrets of autumn's biggest bonkbuster Rivals: Why Emily Atack ended up giggling through the sex scenes... and Jilly Cooper's inspiration for the real-life Rupert Campbell-Black

By Sarah Oliver For Weekend Magazine

Published: 06:52 EDT, 4 October 2024 | Updated: 06:54 EDT, 4 October 2024

Hard as it may be to imagine anyone eclipsing the sex appeal of Ross Poldark by being darker, sexier and even better with horses, someone has. Yes, ladies of Great Britain, Rupert Campbell-Black has landed straight from the pages of Jilly Cooper’s 1988 bonkbuster Rivals on your screens here in 2024, and you are all in trouble. A lot of trouble.

Rupert gives the best riding britches and bronzed biceps since Aidan Turner was seen scything topless. He’s hot hot hot, joining the Mile High Club on Concorde and serving up a scorcher playing naked tennis in the sun. Even dressed as Santa come Christmas, he’s the gift that keeps on giving.

So hat tip here to Alex Hassell, whose swarthy looks and CV as a serious Royal Shakespeare Company actor (he was garlanded for his Henry V) don’t immediately suggest him to play a blond-haired, blue-eyed, tabloid headline-hogging love rat. ‘I was slightly concerned at first,’ says Jilly, ‘because my Rupert in the book is blond and blue-eyed, and Alex is very dark-eyed and olive-skinned. But he’s such a good actor.’

From the moment he strides out of the loo having had supersonic sex (he makes Mach 1 at the same time as the plane) with the Daily Scorpion journalist ghosting his memoirs, Alex Hassell owns RCB, as Jilly fans call him. ‘I always believe in laying one’s ghost,’ he sighs as he swaggers back down the aisle, and the millions of women who grew up fancying the rotter know they’re in safe hands.

It wasn’t all plain sailing for Alex though. ‘Some days I’d be quite intimidated because the scene would describe Rupert walking into a room and everybody stops and looks at him and swoons,’ he says. ‘I was nervous about that, but everyone was told to act as if I was Harry Styles, and then my day turned into a wonderful day.’ So what does he think of Rupert? ‘While he is in many ways a s***, he’s not a bad man.’

Rivals is a riot and a romp, faithful to the book but with some sinuous updating to make what was the ultimate 80s tale of wealth, power and corporate backstabbing more nuanced. It is shagtastically good fun and if you’re old enough to have properly enjoyed the 80s, you’ll be drowning in nostalgia for those brash, optimistic champagne-fuelled years.

There are chaps in pinstripes and scarlet braces; women in power suits with root perms and earrings the size of a bin lid. Desk toys have an un-ironic place on boardroom tables and chintz runs amok in the English country house. Everyone is somewhere between slightly tight and completely plastered a lot of the time and can get up to mischief without being found out by their phone. The soundtrack alone will make you cry with longing.

‘We do it lovingly, but as the series goes on we address feminism, racism, sexuality, homophobia and snobbery,’ says showrunner Dominic Treadwell-Collins, who sees Jilly Cooper as a social commentator on a par with Austen or Dickens. ‘Rivals is a raucous party that gets darker. We keep our moments of joy, but the party gets a bit more warped.’

That’s not to say this new Disney+ eight-parter is any less fruity than the book. ‘If you had that copy you borrowed from your friend and it fell open at various pages – we’ve done all those bits,’ he acknowledges.

That classic Cooper sauce is still in there too. ‘How long do you spend on a cock?’ one guest asks Lady Monica Baddingham at a pheasant shoot. ‘Well, generally speaking, I can finish one off in 15 minutes or less, but my hands aren’t as quick as they used to be,’ she replies.

Or when TV technicians prep Rupert for his interview with TV journalist Declan O’Hara (played by Aidan Turner, yes, he of the topless scything). ‘The make-up artist is going to touch you up,’ they tell him. ‘I’d love her to,’ says RCB, ‘but I’m just about to appear on national television.’

There’s lashings of this since we are back in the (imagined) county of Rutshire, deep in the (real) Cotswolds, the setting for Jilly Cooper’s multi-million-selling Rutshire Chronicles series of novels. Riders, the first book, introduced Rupert as he chased Olympic showjumping gold. In Rivals, the second, Rutshire’s commercial TV station Corinium is up for franchise renewal and RCB is again at the heart of the action. ‘In bedroom and boardroom,’ promises Jilly, ‘the fight to capture the Cotswold Crown is on.’

Lord Tony Baddingham is Corinium’s boss. He’s on Concorde too, locking horns with Rupert, now a rising star in the Thatcher government, two of the ‘rivals’ of the title. He is played, with just the right amount of aristo-executive villainy, by David Tennant, persuaded to take the role by his wife, Georgia, also an actor and a huge Jilly Cooper fan.

‘I had my research fellow, who I live with, who could tell me anything I needed to know,’ laughs David, adding his casting caused a frisson at the school gate. ‘It’s a certain generation of women who go a bit giddy at the thought this has become a TV show. I just hope we can meet everybody’s fantasies…’

Well, if those fantasies include seeing Aidan Turner’s bare bottom you can tick that one off the list though he is, unusually for Rutshire, bedding his own wife at the time, rather than someone else’s. Declan O’Hara is Lord Baddingham’s star hire, married to fiery Maud, a man-hungry former actress.

Maud is played by Victoria Smurfit who really, really wanted the role and went full ‘Rutshire’ to get it. ‘I made this big decision where I thought, “Go big or go home.” It was December: freezing cold, ice on the ground, snow coming down through London. And when I arrived at the audition space, I had my coat on, and I walked in to meet the team who were in hats and gloves because it was even cold in the studio. I said, “Hello, I am Maud. You’re all dressed for London in December and – I threw my coat off and had this flimsy dress on underneath – I’m dressed for summer in the Cotswolds, darling!” Going home was quite chilly, I’m not going to lie, but it was worth it.’

In Rivals she specialises in making an entrance: do enjoy the scene with the camel.

As for Aidan Turner, with an absolute whopper of a moustache, Day-Glo yellow socks and a battered old Mini Cooper, he’s more workaholic dad than sex god. ‘That car, it’s got four gears but only three work,’ he groans. ‘The floor has holes in it. I think we maxed at 42mph. It was like driving a go-kart.’

Like all the actors, he knows his Mini isn’t the only bit of Rivals that could have looked clapped out in 2024, if not for the clever screenwriting. ‘I think we’re saying, “These are examples of the problematic behaviour that was acceptable at the time,”’ he reflects. ‘Some of it still does exist, but a lot has changed. It’s interesting to watch a show like ours and think, “We’re still doing that, maybe we should have left it in the 80s.”’

That said, ‘people having sex’, as David Tennant gleefully points out, ‘is timeless’ and all the characters are still aboard a classic Jilly Cooper sexual carousel. Baddingham is having an affair with his brilliant American TV producer Cameron Cook (now a black character), and Rupert is fending off Maud while falling in love with the eldest O’Hara daughter Taggie (played by Sex Education’s Bella Maclean), who’s only 20.

Electronics mogul Freddie Jones (Danny Dyer) and his wife Valerie are the nouveau riche trying to crampon their way up to social acceptance, but Freddie has feelings for novelist Lizzie, whose husband is Corinium’s ghastly news anchor James Vereker. Then there’s disgraced deputy PM Paul Stratton, newly married to his mistress Sarah (Emily Atack), who we first meet playing naked tennis with Rupert.

It’s a legendary Rivals scene (inspired by the tennis court at Jilly’s own house in the Cotswolds) where the tennis ball isn’t the only thing bouncing over the net. ‘The tennis scene was probably one of my favourites,’ says Emily. ‘It was a beautiful sunny day and I’d been exercising, I’d been – I wouldn’t say dieting, I love wine and pasta too much – but I’d been doing my sit-ups and my squats, and I was ready to do this naked scene!’

So it really is Love All, even among Rutshire’s lusty teenagers, for whom ‘I’ve got some Malibu upstairs’ is still a winning pick-up line. And this only takes us to the mid-point of the series: there are four further episodes and a lot more bed-hopping and dastardly boardroom behaviour to come.

It’s hard to overstate the scale, complexity and gleaming polish of the show, with its ensemble cast and Cotswold locations crammed with pale gold mansions, buttercups, bluebells and red phone boxes. (You might recognise 16th-century Chavenage House near Tetbury, which becomes the O’Haras’ home, The Priory, because that too was in Poldark.) There are sweaty horses, bounding hounds and huntsmen in their pinks.

Dinner parties start with pheasant and finish with pavlova, and guests disco dance until it’s time for a Survivors Breakfast. Picnics are enjoyed out the back of a Land Rover – green, what else – and Rupert Campbell-Black is secretly so lonely he shares his bath with his favourite black Labrador, Beaver.

The original book was 720 pages long and they’ve done it proud. Some days, according to Alex Hassell, there were 42 main characters on set at the same time, making it, he thinks, the biggest film unit in Europe.

Vintage Ungaro and Laura Ashley were sourced for the women, 80s-style suits handmade for the men. A safe had to be brought in to stash the 80s watches which are now worth an eye-watering amount. Someone’s mum knitted a bunch of pre-divorce Diana jumpers, Nafessa Williams, who plays Cameron Cook, modelled her ponytail on Sade’s and Danny Dyer drew on his own experience of snobbery as he, a working-class untrained actor, fought to break into theatre.

Emily Atack took to watching reruns of Top Of The Pops in which her own mother, the actress and singer Kate Robbins, appeared, by way of research. Everyone is wearing Wayfarers. Cadbury’s Fruit And Nut still comes in paper and gold foil while Wham!, Roxy Music, ABC and The Communards are on the radio. You can virtually smell the Elnett extra strong hold hairspray, the Drakkar Noir aftershave and the garlic chicken vol au vents warming through in an Aga somewhere.

Like the rest of the cast, Nafessa Williams knew what she was getting into with her sex scenes (Cameron has relationships with first Lord Baddingham and then Rupert). ‘I mean, we all knew what we were coming to do, so there were no surprises. I think it’s a matter of making sure you’re comfortable with each other and you’re listening and asking questions: is it OK to do this? Is it not OK to do that? It is a dance, so you essentially have to practise that dance before going on the dance floor.’

Plus, because Rivals is a bonkbuster – a label which has both supporters and critics among the cast – there was safety in numbers, as Emily Atack explains. ‘When we were doing all these scenes, we flocked to each other to talk about it, and support each other and really big each other up and we laughed about it. They were such a huge part of our bonding as a cast and as friends. It really interested me to see what nudity does to human beings – we were all like giggling teenagers, hugging each other, high-fiving each other, going, “Oh my God! Yes! You did it!”’

That said, they were all rigorously policed by not one but two intimacy co-ordinators, something which would not have happened had Rivals been turned into telly closer to the time the book came out. The intimacy team placed a partially deflated fitness ball between some of the actors so they could rock and create rhythm while having a physical barrier. Others were encouraged to use a tap-in tap-out psychological technique, clapping their hands before a take to signal to themselves they were in character, and then clapping at the call of ‘Cut’ to signal they’re themselves again. ‘We’ve been equal opportunities with sex,’ says Dominic Treadwell-Collins. ‘You will see an awful lot of willies.’

It was the only way to film the lovely, unbridled sort of sex synonymous with Jilly Cooper and the author, now a venerable 87 years old, is characteristically relaxed and happy about the outcome. ‘I trusted Dominic like mad,’ she says, ‘I knew it would be all right!’

A superstar writer since the 60s, made a DBE for services to literature and charity in this year’s New Year Honours, she wasn’t at all bothered when one of the actors, Lara Peake who plays Corinium PA Daysee, failed to recognise her at a read-through. ‘She came over and said, “Oh, you’re the lovely Daysee,”’ Lara recalls. ‘I said, “Yeah, I’m so excited. Who are you playing?” She was like, “No, darling, I’m Jilly…”’

‘Rivals is my favourite novel,’ confirms the author ahead of the series dropping later this month, ‘because I love the characters so much. Even the most ruthless display moments of vulnerability and the shyest show courage and integrity as true love blossoms.’

But can you believe it, RCB almost wasn’t in the book. ‘Originally, I intended to leave out Rupert, my hellraising hero, because in Riders he was cruel both to women and his horses,’ says Jilly. ‘But I missed his glamour and humour.’ She belatedly wrote him back in as a lead, reinforcing his place as one of the most lustworthy men in British fiction.

She says she loves the ‘ruthless glamour’ Alex Hassell brings to her creation, while admiring the greater vulnerability and tenderness the Rivals writers’ room has imagined for RCB today.

His casting has been the subject of heated debate everywhere from Mumsnet to The Tack Room, the online chat area of Horse & Hound. The actor almost withdrew from the first audition because he couldn’t see himself making everyone swoon but, by golly!, to borrow a Jilly Cooperism, he does. So much so he was sad when the shoot was over. ‘No one was looking at me like I’m the most sexy man on the planet any more,’ he says. ‘It was tough.’

Anyway, if you’d like to watch him make your screen melt, are old enough to remember the 80s, or young enough to think it must have been cool to be there, then clear eight hours in your diary because you won’t be able to stop watching Rivals.

But start early or you’ll be late to bed, and that would never do, not in Jilly Cooper’s world.

All episodes of Rivals are exclusively on Disney+ from 18 October.

[eunchancorner]

Revenged and Rescued (Part 1??)

I uh

I did a thing

-

Henry's eyes snapped open, blinding lights filling his vision before slowly clearing. He seemed to be in a medical facility of some kind.

Again? Was that a fail? I died, right? It had to be a fail. I must be back on the ship.

His thoughts raced with the idea, until he began to hear voices just outside his room. Familiar voices, but not the one he should've heard.

“Charlie, there's no good reason for this! He betrayed us, clean and simple. He chose to side with the Toppats and he paid the price.”

General Galeforce, if he remembered correctly.

“General, with all due respect, I don't care! I think he could deserve another chance. After all, who else but Henry could've done, well… all that! He practically did our job for us! The only other person who wasn't straight up dead was the Toppat's prisoner, and that just so happens to be your favorite lieutenant's boyfriend!”

Was that… Charles? Henry was so confused. He should be restarting. And why was he talking about the Toppats like they were already…?

“Listen, son, none of us know what happened at the airship. Yes, it's a miracle Mr. Panpa survived but don't think that was all because of Henry. You don't need to talk to him-”

“Yes, I do! Don't you understand?! I want to go try to be friends with him again. So just let me do that, at least…”

“Fine… but I'm not doing this because I think it's a good idea. I'm doing this because I know it means a lot to you. Just don't cry to me if he doesn't want to talk to you.”

“I won't…”

Finally, Charles entered into the medical tent, his gaze falling on Henry, who sat up slowly, grunting in pain as his back struggled to hold his own weight up.

“Careful, their chief got a really solid hit on you. You're lucky we got most of the damage patched up,” he warned, walking closer to the cot.

“How am I… where am… what…?” Henry managed, finding actually speaking a more laborious task than he’d thought. “I-I thought I…”

“That you died? Yeah, you did for a while there. We were able to bring you back, though. Frankly, you’re lucky I wasn’t the only one who wanted to give you a second chance. Those Bukowski twins are lifesavers…” the pilot chuckled softly, waving at one as he peeked inside the tent at the mention.

“Don’t worry, Konrad, he’ll be fine,” he assured the twin, who nodded and popped back out. Charles looked back down at Henry, explaining, “He’s probably going to tell Calvin you’re awake. You should meet them when you’re better, they’re pretty cool. In fact, there’s a lot of people I want you to meet! But first, we have to finish fixing all the damage to these augmentations of yours.”

Henry nodded, leaning back in the cot, relaxing as he let the weight off his cybernetics. It still felt crackly, glitchy and painful. He tried to move his left arm, feeling as it struggled against every move he tried to make, and finally gave up, sighing as he relaxed it again.

“Yeah, like I said, damaged. Not just from that bullet wound in your back, but probably from the crash too. There was, kind of… a concerning amount of metal scraps on the trail you left? I mean, at least they led me to you, so that’s kinda lucky, right?”

“I guess… so… how did you even…” Henry started, struggling to word his question.

“You wanna know what we were doing in the jungle, don’t you?” Charles guessed, earning a nod from Henry. “It’s kinda interesting. We’d gotten intel that the Toppats were setting up to launch an orbital base there and we went to check it out, but lo and behold, the whole rocket and their airship was completely destroyed. There were Toppat bodies everywhere, including their leader being stapled to a piece of the airship. And, well… that’s where I picked up your trail. It started with your impact spot, then your footprints and some metal scraps from your cybernetic parts. Eventually, I tracked you down, grabbed you and hauled you back to my helicopter. Heh, Rupert wasn’t exactly happy about having to share any space with you, but he sucked it up since the airship crash kinda saved his boyfriend.”

Henry just barely listened, remembering some of the places Charles mentioned. The moments before his death were still kinda blurry, but he knew he’d taken some kind of path after the crash.

“I’m glad I was able to find you, Henry… I’ve been wanting to try to reconcile with you, y’know? I know you betrayed us, but I just… couldn’t stop thinking about you. You’re that kind of person that once you know them, you just kinda can’t forget. I’d hoped I’d get a chance to see you again, though I guess this is a kinda complicated situation. At least you’re not a Toppat anymore, I guess?”

“Mhm…” Henry mumbled, his eyes drifting around the tent, focusing on anything but Charles.

“Mister Calvin?” one of the doctors suddenly addressed the pilot, who nodded at him.

“I, uh, gotta go. They’re gonna have to put you under to repair the augmentations, otherwise you’re gonna be in a world of pain. I’ll see you when you wake up, ok?” he explained, seeming a bit worried.

“Seeya…” Henry mumbled as Charles left the medical tent, staring at the ceiling as the staff surrounded him. However, he still had one more question left lingering in his mind.

What’s supposed to happen now…?