#hm... If i make this an actual au I probably just just make a straight up new post explaining it and post it

[thenyoukeepliving]

Stress Relief

Jax x Reader 

sorry for the long intro

Summary: Caine organises a roast session for the circus members, with Jax being the first target. He plays it cool at first, but when the jokes hit a little too close to home, Y/N finds him struggling with the aftermath.

A/N: This idea came to me in a ₊‧⁺˖vision˖⁺‧₊, inspired by that episode in the Office where everyone roasts Micheal and he acts tough in front of them but gets really emotional and cries about it at the end. I feel that’s extremely Jax coded. Originally, I imagined this as just a bunch of random HCs, but then I wanted to write an actual story around it – so I decided to do both.

You’ll see an intermission in the middle where I just made the roasts into bullet points, mostly because I came up with too many for each character and had no idea how to structure them. So I just got lazy with it. Hope you don’t mind lol. Imagine it like a fun montage!

Quick backstory:

1.) This happens on the next day of ‘A Slithering Adventure’, also written by yours truly, so if you haven’t read that one yet, number one, how dare you, and second, you don’t necessarily have to read it, but it’s nice for the context. Not suggesting anything… but, y’know. Glance glance, wink wink.

2.) I mentioned in that post that I’m in the middle of writing a long and tedious TADC AU kind of thing for myself with my OC in mind, who has a mysterious backstory that the circus members don’t know about. This oneshot is also a part of that story. There’s a brief scene touching on that here, but nothing you can’t handle. 

CW: underlying themes of emotional damage / emotional vulnerability - from both Y/N and Jax | Jax gets bullied <3 | Y/N has hair, Kinger has brows and Caine has a grin?? i dunno man

Word count: 3044 | Masterlist

You woke up feeling like sleep had chewed you up and spat you back out. Maybe it was yesterday’s adventure – running from a giant serpent, getting lost in the woods, and, most amusingly, watching Jax try (and fail) to act like he wasn’t absolutely losing his mind.

On the surface, it had been hilarious. Seeing him crumble in fear, fumbling through excuses, pretending he was totally fine? Priceless. But now, lying here, staring at the ceiling, you couldn’t shake the nagging feeling in the back of your mind.

You almost felt bad for him. Almost.

You stretched, your joints making an odd rubbery squeak – just another reminder that your body wasn’t really your body anymore. Sitting up, you replayed yesterday’s events in your mind.

Jax had tried so hard to keep his usual smug composure, but the moment that snake slithered too close, he practically levitated off the ground. His ears had shot straight up, his pupils shrunk to tiny squares, and, oh, the best part, his voice cracked when he snapped at you to “move faster, dammit!”

You snorted to yourself. Yeah, real smooth, Jax.

Still… the way he had reacted – it wasn’t just some overblown freak-out. There was real fear in his eyes. Not the dramatic, over-the-top kind he faked for attention, but something raw, something instinctive. And that’s what stuck with you.

You weren’t used to seeing Jax vulnerable. Hell, you weren’t sure if he was used to it.

With a sigh, you got up. Not my problem, you told yourself. He’ll be fine.

Probably.

You shook off the lingering thoughts and made your way out of your room. The hallway stretched ahead, bathed in that usual, eerie vibes – no windows, no real sense of time passing, just the same endless loop of artificial existence.

As you got lost in your thoughts, you nearly bumped into someone.

“Kinger?”

The old chess piece flinched like you’d just jolted him out of a deep trance. His eyes darted around before settling on you, blinking a few times as if trying to place who you were.

“Oh! Oh, yes, you’re… you’re…” he paused, rubbing his gloved hands together. “Wait, what was I–? Oh dear, I was– hm.”

Kinger always seemed lost in his own world, but today, there was something… different about it. 

“You alright there, buddy?” you asked, tilting your head with a half-smile.

He let out a nervous chuckle, then leaned in slightly. “I had a thought just now,” he muttered, his voice filled with confusion. “But it slipped away. Isn’t that strange? Happens all the time, but this one felt important.”

Your stomach suddenly twisted. You had a hunch of what this was about. He’s remembering. Not clearly, not yet – but it was only a matter of time.

Before you could respond, he straightened up. “Ah, well! Off to breakfast, are we? Yes, yes, me too! Or – was I going somewhere else?”

You forced a grin. “Nah, you’re doing just fine, Kinger.”

His eyes twitched. “Huh?”

You just patted his shoulder, ignoring how he flinched. “C’mon, let’s get going.”

Kinger hesitated but eventually shuffled along beside you. He kept glancing your way, brow furrowed like he was trying to piece together a puzzle with missing pieces. You pretended not to notice.

As you two entered the main room, the others were already gathered, the air thick with anticipation. Your eyes immediately met Jax’s, who was already slouched on the couch, arms folded behind his head as if he owned the place. 

You tried to ignore the faint hint of amusement flickering across your face as you sat down next to him, your thoughts still lingering on the adventure with the serpent. You could still hear Jax’s high-pitched yelp in your head and the way he had tried – and spectacularly failed – to act calm. Not that you’d rub it in… too much.

"You still recovering from yesterday or have the nerves settled down already?”

Jax shot you a quick glance as he leaned back with a cocky grin. "Nerves? What nerves? I’m good as new, Y/N."

“Uh-huh,” you said, not buying it for a second. You crossed your arms, keeping your expression neutral, but you couldn’t help the small, teasing smile that tugged at your lips.

"Hey, I’m just saying, I’m extremely calm under pressure. One of my many talents," Jax continued, grinning wider. "You can admit it – you were impressed."

You snorted at his response. “Right, sure. Whatever you say, bunny boy.”

Before Jax could reply, Caine’s voice boomed across the room, cutting through the casual chatter like a knife. "Alright, alright! Settle down, everyone! Your favorite ringmaster has finally arrived!"

You could practically feel the collective groan ripple through the room.

Caine twirled in mid-air, his voice filling the entire room. "Ah, welcome, my fabulous team! Welcome, my precious superstars, my beloved troupe of dazzling individuals who make this circus the magnificent spectacle it is!" His eyes shined with excitement as he continued, his hands sweeping grandly toward the group. "Now, my lovely cast of unique and talented beings, it’s time for a very special event, one that will unite us all in ways you cannot yet fathom!"

He paused for dramatic effect, letting the silence hang in the air before delivering his next words with grand flair. "Today, we’re embarking on a marvelous journey of togetherness! The bond of a team is forged in the most delightful of fires. And what better way to nurture that bond than... a team-building exercise, of course!"

The room fell into a hushed stillness. You tilted your head in confusion, not entirely sure where this was going.

Caine’s grin widened as he spun in a slow circle. "This will not be some trivial, run-of-the-mill bonding experience, no! No, no, no... This, my dear friends, will be a roast! A chance for each of you to lovingly tear each other apart, but with words, of course! Nothing brings people closer than a little well-meaning verbal destruction, am I right?"

There was a beat of silence.

Then–

"Wait, what?" Jax sat up, grinning. "You’re saying we just get to insult each other? In front of everyone?"

"Precisely!" Caine exclaimed, beaming like he’d just announced the greatest prize. "Let’s see who can come up with the sharpest wit, the cleverest insult, and of course, the most playful jabs. All in good fun, of course!"

You could see Gangle and Pomni getting uncomfortable, probably being a bit concerned about what’s about to go down. Zooble let out a sigh, already regretting coming out of their room today.

Caine clapped his hands dramatically, bringing the attention back to him. "Alright! Let the games begin! I expect nothing short of absolute brilliance from each of you. And remember, we’re a team. A family! Just... with a little extra spice today."

"Alright, let’s get started," Jax cracked his knuckles. "This might be the best day of my life."

The others exchanged uneasy glances, half-expecting Jax to unleash all of his inner demons. Caine spun in the air. "Since Jax is clearly so excited, why don’t we start with him?"

Jax froze.

"Wait–"

But it was too late. The damage had been done.

The room fell silent for a moment. Then Ragatha leaned forward, a smile spreading across her face. "Oh, this should be fun."

___________________________

POMNI

#1: 

Pomni: Visibly sweating. “Uh… Jax… you, um… you’re really mean. Like, aggressively mean. If I had a dollar for every time you insulted me, I’d – well, I don’t know what I’d do, because there’s no money here, but I’d be rich in theoretical dollars.” Pauses, then mutters. “Wait, that sounded dumb. Can I start over?”

Jax: “Nah, keep going, this is hilarious.”

#2: 

“Uh… Jax. You, um… you’re really good at making people feel bad. Which is… impressive? In a terrible way? Anyway, I don’t think you have emotions, and I think if you did, you’d bully them too.”

#3:

“If you disappeared, I wouldn’t even question it…”

GANGLE

#1: 

Gangle: “Jax, every time you walk into a room, I have to mentally prepare myself. You’re like a jump scare, but instead of a scary monster, it’s just�� pure emotional damage.”

Jax: “Aww, thanks, ribbons.”

Gangle: “That wasn’t a compliment...”

Jax: Grinning. “Sounded like one.”

#2:

“I-I-I just think it’s really funny how you call everyone else pathetic, but you literally have nothing going for you. You don’t even wear shoes."

#3:

“I tried drawing Jax once, but the paper crumpled itself out of self-respect.”

KINGER

#1:

“Jax reminds me of this guy I used to know in the war. Always running his mouth. We left him in a ditch.”

#2:

“You remind me of a mosquito. Annoying, persistent, and somehow always there when I don’t want you to be.”

#3:

“You know, Jax, I think I used to have a friend like you… Oh, wait, never mind… I wouldn’t do that to myself.”

Y/N

#1:

"Jax, I have to ask – do you actually do anything around here, or do you just exist to be a professional pain in the ass?"

#2:

"You’re like a kid who just learned what sarcasm is and decided to make it his whole personality."

#3:

"I think the real mystery of this place is how you’re somehow both the most annoying and the most avoidant person here."

RAGATHA

#1: 

“Jax, you act like you’re too cool to care about anything, but I’ve seen you spend fifteen minutes trying to get your reflection to wink back at you the ‘right’ way. So. Yeah.”

#2: 

Ragatha: “Jax, I’ve seen you laugh at your own jokes for a solid five minutes while everyone else just stands there in silence. You are your own biggest fan, and honestly? Even you deserve better.”

Jax: “That was almost clever. I’m proud of you.”

Ragatha: “Don’t patronize me. Also, I know for a fact you talk to yourself in the mirror.”

Jax: “Who told you that?”

Ragatha: “You did. Out loud. In the middle of this room.”

#3:

“If we haven’t already got a suggestion box, I’d make one with a ‘things that need to be removed’ label and slip a piece of paper in with your name.”

ZOOBLE

#1:

“Jax, you’re like a vending machine that only gives out insults and expired chips. Just once, I’d like to press a button and get, I don’t know, basic human decency. But no, it’s always ‘ha ha, Zooble looks like modern art that got hit by a bus.’”

#2:

Zooble: “Jax, you act like you’re too cool to care about anything, but let’s be real – you’re the kind of guy who’d fake not knowing what a hug is just so no one tries to give you one.”

Jax: “Oh, please. Like anyone here would want to hug me.”

Zooble: “You’d be surprised. Some people love a good ‘fixing a broken man’ project.”

Jax: No way that’s a thing.

Zooble: “Oh, absolutely. You’re the perfect candidate.”

#3:

Deadpan. “Jax is proof that some things just keep going, even when nobody wants them to.”

CAINE

#1:

“Jax, my boy! I’d roast you, but honestly, I think the universe already did that when it made you HAHAHA!”

#2:

Caine: “Jax, Jax, Jax… My favorite little nuisance! You know, if I had a nickel for every time you caused chaos, I’d – wait! I don’t need nickels! I’m already infinitely powerful HAHAHAHAHA! But if I did need them, I’d be filthy rich!”

Jax: “Wow, Caine. That was… whatever that was.”

Caine: “Well, you can’t roast perfection! Now back to you, champ! You may be an insult machine, but hey! At least you’re consistent! Consistently terrible HAHAHAHAHA!”

#3:

“Jax! My favorite little chaos gremlin! If I could actually feel regret, you’d be the reason why!”

BUBBLE

“Jax. You’re a #&@$! ×@% $#=?+% #$&@Đ÷ €$?¤#@! @ $÷!# that %&ß$#! %@&#ע! *?!&#@!+$ß×&Đ.”

___________________________

Caine’s voice boomed through the room, as energised as ever. “Well, wasn’t that simply spectacular? What a brilliant display of camaraderie! Look at you all, bonded through the magic of playful verbal annihilation! Why, I’d say this was the best team-building exercise yet!”

The room was buzzing with laughter and lingering amusement, the cast still fired up from the roasts. Even Ragatha, who had initially looked sceptical of the idea, was grinning ear to ear. Zooble leaned back with a smirk, Gangle wiped away what might have been tears of either joy or secondhand pain.

Jax was smiling too. The same lazy, smug grin he always wore. It was convincing enough that no one seemed to question it. But you had been watching him closely.

His smile wasn’t quite right.

Not enough teeth.

And his eyes – normally playful, always scanning for the next opportunity to push someone’s buttons – looked... distant. Unfocused.

The way he leaned back on the couch, his fingers tapping against his arm, his slight pull on his gloves, and his ears twitched every so often, like he was catching a sound no one else could hear.

No one else noticed.

But you did.

You knew what it looked like when someone acted like nothing was wrong, just to keep everyone else from seeing the cracks.

Caine, oblivious as ever, twirled in the air. “Alright, my wonderful wacky weirdos! This exercise is officially OVER! I expect nothing but besties for the resties energy from now on! Dismissed!”

The moment those words left Caine’s mouth, Jax stood up. Not too fast, not too slow – just natural enough to avoid suspicion. He stretched his arms over his head with a yawn, flashing his usual easygoing smirk. "Welp, that was fun. You guys almost made me feel something."

No one batted an eye as he wandered off.

You saw his hand clenching into a fist the second he turned away. The way his ears pinned back just slightly. The way his steps, while casual, had a certain... urgency to them.

You hesitated. For a second, you considered letting it go. He’d clearly rather be alone. But there was something about Jax that nagged at you. So, instead, you followed.

Jax moved with purpose, leaving the tent, weaving through the grounds, past the main attractions, past the places where the others usually went outside when needed “fresh air”. It wasn’t obvious at first, but after a few turns, you realised where he was going.

Your stomach twisted.

No way.

Jax slipped past a curtain of glitchy vines, making his way up a small hill behind the water park, where an old, gnarled tree stood. You had been here countless times before – it was your secret spot. The place you went when you needed to clear your head, when the circus became too much.

You hadn’t thought anyone else knew about it.

And yet, there he was.

Jax sat against the tree, his back pressed to the trunk, his arms loosely hugging his knees. His usual smug expression was gone, replaced by something emptier. He stared ahead at nothing, the glow of his eyes dimmer than you’ve ever seen it.

For a long moment, you just stood there.

Jax didn’t acknowledge you, but you could tell he knew you were there. His ear flicked slightly at the sound of your footsteps.

Still, he didn’t move. 

Didn’t say anything. 

Didn’t crack a joke or roll his eyes or tell you to scram.

That alone said a lot.

You approached slowly, stopping just a few feet away.

“…Do you wanna talk about it?”

Jax’s ears twitched. A beat of silence. 

“No.”

It wasn’t sharp or defensive. Just flat. Dismissive.

You exhaled through your nose, tilting your head slightly. “You’re getting dangerously close to a full-on therapy session, y’know.”

Jax let out something that was almost a chuckle – but it was faint. Weak. His lips barely twitched, but he still didn’t look at you.

You shifted your weight, rocking back on your heels, studying him. You didn’t know what to make of this.

Jax wasn’t supposed to be like this. He was supposed to be an annoying little shit. The guy who found amusement in messing with people, who took nothing seriously, who never let anyone in.

You recognised this.

The way he sat, curled in on himself just enough to seem smaller. The way his usual sharp edges had dulled. The way he was pretending to be fine even when he so clearly wasn’t.

It was familiar.

And you didn’t like that.

Because it meant you understood him more than you wanted to.

You sighed, running a hand through your hair before dropping down to sit beside him. You rested your arms on your knees, staring ahead at nothing, mirroring him.

You didn’t say anything else. You figured, if he did want to talk, he would. And if he didn’t? Well.

You could at least sit with him in the silence.

Minutes passed. It wasn’t uncomfortable, exactly. Just… heavy. Neither of you moved. Neither of you spoke. The kind of quiet that wasn’t empty, but full of things that were left unsaid.

You didn’t know how long you sat there, but it gave you time to think about all the similarities you shared with Jax. Hiding everything behind jokes. Pushing people away before they could get too close. Pretending you didn’t need anyone when, deep down, you did. Maybe you were just as bad at being alone as he was.

Then, finally, Jax shifted. Just a little. His legs stretched out in front of him, arms still loosely draped over his knees. It wasn’t much. But it was something. Like he was letting a little crack appear in the wall he’d built around himself.

That small shift told you everything. You weren’t sure if he even noticed, but you could feel the weight of it. The way he was letting himself be… here. Not perfect. Not completely okay. But here. And that was enough.

"…You’re not alone," you murmured, barely above a whisper. It wasn’t meant to fix anything. Just a reminder.

He didn’t respond. But you didn’t need him to.

You both sat there, in the quiet, for as long as it took.

[rekino2114]

I've got a few Lacey requests, if you don't mind! Could you do either: 6. or 20. for Jay with a male reader 12. for Lacey with an equally insecure transfemme reader. You can do any or none of them if you like! Thank you for considering!

Jay being your secret admirer

Pairing:Jay x male reader

A/n:Sorry, I don't write for trans readers just because I'm not trans myself and don't think I could write them well. Hope you still enjoy this. Also, I did this because I wanted to start writing for Jay and Maisie too to celebrate the lacey games trailer. Also, all of my lacey posts will take place in the same au where all of the main girls are dating their own version of y/n cause they need love.

Lately, you've been receiving some weird things on your doorstep. It's nothing creepy, quite the opposite, in fact, it's very romantic things.

It's mostly love letters in which the mysterious sender writes about how much they admire you and love everything about you. They describe everything about you in details and compliments.

The letters are always signed "your secret admirer" and are often accompanied by flowers, your favorite type nonetheless.

While the content isn't creepy in on itself, the fact that your dear friend Lacey had a similar experience with a stalker, which she thankfully managed to get out of, made you uneasy to accept the letters as actual love notes so you decided to talk to your friends about it.

"You have a secret admirer? Dude That's so cool"

"Is it? It kinda makes me uncomfortable"

"O-oh does it?"

"Yeah i mean, remember what happened to Lacey?"

"......yeah"

"It's not that bad, thankfully but still"

"Don't worry if you're ever in danger just tell us, we can help you"

"Thanks girls, you're the best"

"Don't mention it, it's the least we could do"

You all fist bumped each other and then you started talking with Jay, which seemed uncharacteristically nervous

"Hey Jay, wanna go skating today I know-"

"N-no it's fine I'll just hang out with Lacey and Maisie"

You looked at her a bit suspiciously but shrugged and left, saying goodbye to everyone. Jay breathed a sigh of relief seeing you go away, since she probably couldn't have kept a straight face anymore around her crush, but quickly got worried again as she saw her friends approaching her with teasing smirks on their faces

"Soooo when are you gonna tell him?"

"Eh? W-what are you talking about dude, I don't have to tell h-him a-anything"

"..............."

".....is it that obvious?"

"I mean........."

"It's a miracle he didn't find out yet"

".....y-yeah"

"Why didn't you just confess?"

"You have any idea how hard it is? I was sweating just writing the letter"

"But why? I'm sure he loves you too, you two basically always hang out"

"I don't think so, he probably thinks of me as just a friend"

"Why do you think so?"

"I mean I'm not girly like you two I don't think he-"

"Stop it there, Jay, you're amazing in your own way, and if y/n really loved you, then he'll do it because of who you are"

"Oh.....thanks lacey...i-i didn't expect you to say that"

"O-oh thank you, m-my partner says stuff like these all the time to me so......it just stuck I guess"

"Well did you hear her? Go and get your man, it's even valentine's day so it's perfect"

"Yeah! Thanks dudes!"

Jay said goodbye to her friends and quickly skated away to pick up another bouquet of your favorite flowers and one of the letters she had already written, then rang the doorbell to your house and took a deep breath to calm herself as she saw the door opening

"Hm? Jay? What's with......the....flowers"

"Hey dude, i-i mean y/n, so yeah I'm your secret admirer, please don't think I'm weird I wasn't stalking you or anything I just really know your face, a-and was too scared to confess. I want you to know that everything I said in the letters was true, I really, really like you.....a-and so....wanna be my boyfriend?"

"......I'd love to"

".....wait seriously?"

"Of course, I love you too Jay, I never confessed cause I thought you only thought of me as a friend"

"Really dude!? Me too! I thought I was way too boyish to be your type"

"What are you saying? I love tomboys and you especially"

"Really?"

"Yeah, you're so cool, I love how boyish you are if anything, it makes you special and so I love that"

"W-wow that's great! So are we like a thing or something now?"

You smiled and hugged her, making her blush, then proceeded to kiss her on the lips. She loved your lips so much that she couldn't help but feel disappointed when you pulled back

"Does that answer your question?"

"D-definitely"

"OK so now wanna go skate? As a couple"

"Sure thing dude! I bet it feels so much better than skating as just friends"

"I'm sure it does"

[just1cefor4ll]

— You’re the kind of person they write rock songs about

modern!au Viktor x fem!reader warning. swearing, not proof read, might be OOC

part six || part seven || part eight

A/N. okay ngl this chapter is so shitty but i have serious writers block so i guess this will have to do :P

‘Your beauty is so vain

It drives me, yes, it drives me

absolutely insane.’

You stared at the ceiling, thinking about none other then Viktor. Who else would you be thinking about anyway? He’s been all over your mind for the past month so it’s no surprise he’s still lingering there even in this moment.

You were hanging out at Ekko’s dorm, asking for advice though he wasn’t of much help.

“Oh my fucking god Ekko you’re literally not helping at all.” You groan, putting a hand on your forehead. You sit up, sitting cross legged with Ekko barely paying attention to your paranoid self anymore. “How did you make the first move on Powder?” You ask desperately trying to get any useful advice out of him.

“Alright, listen," Ekko sighed, finally setting his phone down to give you his full attention. "First of all, you’re overthinking this way too much. Second—why are you even stressing? It’s Viktor."

You groaned, flopping back onto his bed dramatically. "That is exactly the problem, Ekko. It’s Viktor. He’s, like.. I don’t know.. him?And I don’t wanna screw this up."

Ekko rolled his eyes. "You’re acting like he’s some impossible riddle to solve."

"He kinda is!" You sat up again, running a hand through your hair. "He’s smart as hell, he overanalyzes everything, and he probably thinks I’m just being friendly whenever I try to flirt."

Ekko snorted. "You are just friendly. You’re terrible at flirting."

"Wow, thanks."

"Just saying," he shrugged. "If you actually wanna make a move, you gotta make it clear. No weird mixed signals. When I made the first move on Powder, I didn’t hesitate. I knew what I wanted, and I went for it."

You raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? And what did you do, Romeo?"

Ekko grinned, leaning back against the wall. "I told her straight-up that I liked her and then kissed her before she could overthink it."

Your eyes widened. "You what?"

"Yeah. No games, no confusion. Just straight to the point."

You stared at him like he had just grown a second head. "That’s insane. I can’t do that."

Ekko sighed dramatically. "Well then, I dunno what to tell you Y/N. If you wanna make a move, you either do it or you don’t. Simple as that."

You chewed on your lip, processing his words. "Okay. Maybe not that bold, but.. I get what you’re saying." “Good." Ekko picked his phone back up. "Now, if you’re done panicking, I’d like to get back to my very important business."

You peeked at his screen—he was watching cat videos.

With a sigh, you stood up. "Fine, fine. I’ll figure it out. But if this goes badly, I’m blaming you." "Yeah, yeah," he waved you off. "Just don’t overthink it. You got this."

You weren’t sure if you believed that yet, but still, you left his dorm with a little more determination than before.

You entered your dorm, opening your phone to text Viktor but it looks like he had thought a bit farther ahead then you had, because right there on your screen was a notification from none other then Viktor.

——————————————————————————

[vik.tor222] Are you free tonight?

[truly.y/n] oh? since when do u make plans?

[vik.tor222] Since I decided to make your night more interesting.

[truly.y/n] bold assumption that you being here is interesting

[vik.tor222] Admit it, you’d be devastated if I didn’t show up.

[truly.y/n] you’re delusional

[vik.tor222] Yet here you are, still replying instantly.

You frowned at your screen. He was getting cocky.

[truly.y/n] hm, what’s the occasion anyway? you bored or just wanna hang out?

[vik.tor222] or maybe i just want to see my favorite rockstar?

You huffed, but your stomach did a little flip.

[truly.y.n] whatever. maybe I don’t want to see you tonight

[vik.tor222] Lying doesn’t suit you, rockstar.

You bit your lip, ignoring the way your face warmed.

[truly.y/n] fine, pow is leaving around 8pm, i was just about to play my guitar so if you’re lucky you might get a free live performance >;D

[vik.tor222] Can’t wait.

——————————————————————————

You rolled your eyes, smiling like an idiot as you set your phone down.

When Viktor arrived, you were already playing your guitar, fingers idly plucking at the strings as you sat cross legged on your bed.

He leaned against the doorframe, watching you with that small, amused smirk of his. "You were serious about the live performance." "Always," you grinned, patting the space beside you. "Come in, take a seat. I promise not to charge you."

Viktor chuckled as he made his way over, sitting beside you on the bed. His cane rested against the nightstand as he settled in, tilting his head slightly as he listened to you play.

"You’re really good," he murmured after a moment.

You shot him a teasing look. "I have a band, Vik. Would be awkward if I sucked." Viktor huffed a laugh. "True. But still—you are impressive." Your heart did that stupid fluttery thing again. "..Thanks."

A comfortable silence followed as you continued to strum softly, just playing whatever came to mind. After a while, you set the guitar down and leaned back on your hands, glancing over at him

“So.. anything new in the lab?” You asked, keeping your voice light. Viktor hummed in thought. "Not really. Other then Jayce almost setting the lab on fire again." He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. You stiffle a laugh, gasping dramatically; “No way!” You say in mock surprise. “Yes.” Viktor shook his head. “I keep telling him, just because something looks stable does not mean it is stable.”

“Classic Jayce.”

“Unfortunately.”

"Why engineering and physics?" you ask suddenly, catching Viktor off guard.

"Hm?" he replies, raising an eyebrow.

You laugh awkwardly, fiddling with your guitar. "I mean, why those majors? Is there a cool backstory, or is it just something you're good at?"

Viktor thinks for a moment before answering. "I've always been fascinated by how things work—like putting together a puzzle. The more I learned, the more I wanted to create things that could change how people live."

You nod. "That makes sense.”

He tilts his head. "What about you? Art, right?"

"Yeah, for me, it's the opposite," you say, smiling. "Art is about creating things that don't necessarily make sense but still feel right."

Viktor considers this, then shrugs. "That sounds freeing." You laugh. "It is, but it’s also a challenge to make it come together. Just like your work, I guess." He nods slowly, a faint smile on his lips. "I get that."

You both fell into easy conversation after that, talking about random things—your band, his research, upcoming gigs, the ridiculous amount of people who had started messaging you online asking for new music.

Eventually, though, you both got tired of talking and decided to put on a movie.

Halfway through, you started to get really comfortable, shifting closer to Viktor. Without thinking too much about it, you leaned against him, resting your head on his shoulder. Viktor didn’t react at first—just a small, sharp inhale before he relaxed under you. Encouraged, you moved a little closer.

Then, in a move that surprised you, Viktor gently pulled you towards him, adjusting you so that you were practically lying against his chest.

Your heart stopped.

You hesitated for a moment before settling against him completely, your cheek resting over his heartbeat. His arm stayed around you, fingers lightly tracing up and down your back.

"You good?" you murmured, peeking up at him.

Viktor exhaled, a small smile playing on his lips. "Hm? Yeah.. m’fine.”

Neither of you moved after that. The movie continued playing in the background, but it barely mattered. The warmth of Viktor’s body, the slow and steady rise and fall of his chest—it was all so.. peaceful.

At some point, your eyes grew heavy, and before you knew it, sleep was tugging you under.

Viktor didn’t say anything when you finally drifted off, but he did let his fingers brush lightly over your arm, holding you just a little closer.

It wasn’t a confession. Not yet.

But it was something. And for now, that was more than enough.

Viktor woke up slowly, warmth pressing into his side, a weight draped over him.

It took a moment for the fog of sleep to clear, for him to register the steady rise and fall of your breathing, your head still tucked against his shoulder, arm loosely curled around him.

His chest tightened.

Carefully, he turned his head, just enough to see your face—eyes shut, lips slightly parted, hair falling messily against his shirt. Peaceful. Unaware of the way you had completely undone him.

His fingers twitched at his side.

He should move. He should.

But for a few more moments, he let himself stay.

How had he let this happen?

How had you managed to slip so effortlessly into his life, into his mind, until the thought of not having you there seemed impossible?

He swallowed.

He needed to tell you.

The thought alone made his pulse quicken, but—God, he couldn’t keep pretending. Not when you were right there, curled against him, like you belonged there.

The door swung open.

Viktor tensed, head snapping toward the entrance just in time to see Powder step inside.

She stopped short.

Eyebrows shot up.

Then, a slow, shit-eating grin.

“Well, well, well.”

Viktor exhaled sharply, already bracing himself.

“This is new,” Powder mused, crossing her arms. “Didn’t take you for a cuddler, lover boy.” Viktor frowned, carefully shifting Y/N’s arm off of him before sitting up. “It was not planned.” Powder’s grin only widened. “Sure it wasn’t.” He shot her a look before grabbing his cane and standing. Powder tilted her head. “So. You gonna tell her?” Viktor’s grip tightened slightly. “..I intend to.” Powder hummed, rocking back on her heels. “Good. ‘Cause I really don’t wanna watch you two keep dancing around each other.” Viktor shook his head, amused despite himself. “Yes, I am aware.”

Powder smirked, stepping aside as he made his way to the door. “Lover boy,” she called after him, just loud enough to make sure he heard it.

He didn’t give her the satisfaction of reacting.

He made his way towards his dorm, his mind full— full of you. This wasn’t new. He had spent too much time thinking about you, about what he felt, about what it meant. But now, after tonight, it wasn’t just in his head. It was real.

His fingers brushed over his phone, hesitating.

It was absurd, really, how fast it had all happened. How easily you had slipped into his life, uninvited, without him even realizing what was happening.

The first time he had ever seen you was at The Last Drop. He can’t imagine how differently his life could’ve went if he hadn’t agreed to Jayce’s constant begging and pestering about him going out and leaving studying behind for just a day.

He didn’t like the idea of being there, not for a bit at least— but then you came up onto that stage and he forgot how to think.

You had been something else entirely. The warm lights caught the curve of your smile perfectly— the easy confidence in the way you moved, the way you just carried yourself was so alluring, he couldn’t resist succumbing to your charm.

He hadn’t been the only one captivated.

That night, they had all been introduced to you. He knew of your existence before then, but that night he got to know you better— the musician, the artist, the lightning storm in human form.

He couldn’t wait to hang out with you again— not sure if that would even happen, but then Vi burst into the room with a text from her sister, that they’d be going to a café that week and that his group was invited. And there you had told him—offhand, casual—how it was your dream venue. How you had always wanted to play there.

And that gave him an idea.

Why had he even done it in the first place? The call? Setting up the entire gig? He wasn’t sure, but something deep inside him told him to do it—and so he did. In his mind, you deserved it. And when he saw the excitement in your eyes? His heart had felt like fireworks bursting on the Fourth of July.

And then—

The cheek kiss.

So quick, so effortless, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

That was when he knew. That was when he realized he was screwed.

And now— Now, he had to do something about it.

The whole damn friend group had been pestering him for weeks. Jayce, Ekko, Isha, Powder—all of them, telling him to stop being an idiot, to tell you.

Viktor exhaled, gripping his phone.

It was late.

Too late for this.

But his hands moved before he could stop himself.

——————————————————————————

[vik.tor222] I like you Y/N

[vik.tor222] like a lot

[vik.tor222] god you’re literally all i can think about you make me insane

[vik.tor222] i love you, rockstar.

——————————————————————————

He set his phone down as soon as he typed the last message, his mind racing with all the possible outcomes. What if you rejected him? What if you laughed in his face, or worse, ignored him completely? What if—

His phone buzzed.

And his mind went blank.

© just1cefor4all— I don’t consent to my writing being reposted to other platforms or fed into AI. Translating it is also strictly prohibited. 🚫

taglist: @erica2024 @lolixsstuff @skullmvncher @startingtoloveyou @astarionapologist @th3stup1dcat @fiveperrcent @fadedpinkpen @noxturnalmoth

[slytherinshua]

EROS & PSYCHE

genre. fluff. greek god au. warnings. although it is an eros and psyche au i don't follow the actual story of psyche and eros. kissing. not proofread. pairing. eros!youngjae x psyche!fem!reader. wc. 593. request. requested by anon for #32: "one more kiss". a/n. idk why i made this a greek mythology au i just like aus okay SO I HOPE IT SLAYS. also for those of you who don't know, eros is the greek equivalent of cupid and psyche has butterfly wings sdjksd anyway.

When you heard the snap of a twig beneath your feet, you knew you were screwed. You silently cursed in your head, whipping your head up to see if he had heard the noise. Of course, he had.

He had his bow drawn straight at you, the gleaming golden arrow that he regularly drew replaced with a blunt lead one, serving the opposite purpose. Instead of making people fall in love, it would erase any desire for love and instil fear instead. The boy used it mostly to keep people from pestering him.

When he saw that it was you, though, his face brightened and he loosened his grip on the bow. Jumping down from the hill he had climbed, he jogged over to you, a boyish smile on his face.

“You need to stop sneaking away from home, Eros. Your mother keeps sending me to find you.” You hit him lightly on the shoulder, teasing him by calling him by his god name.

“Everyone tries to bribe me to make their love come true at home. I feel like I’m being used.” Youngjae shuddered, securing his bow on his hip and freeing his hands of all sharp objects. He practically bounded into your arms once he was free to do so, nearly knocking you off balance.

“I missed you, Psyche.” His words were earnest. A few days of not seeing you felt far too long for the boy more in love than even his arrows could replicate. He grinned as he pulled back, his nose scrunching slightly. His eyes wandered over your face, admiring your unmatched beauty. Your hair blew slightly in the breeze, and your butterfly wings swayed gently.

“I saved 4 marriages and got 15 new couples together in 3 days. Pretty impressive, right?” He fished for compliments, his eyes searching your face eagerly. 

“Your aim has definitely gotten better.” You smiled.

The boy scoffed, “My aim was always good. What do you mean?” You laughed, a sound that Youngjae would probably never get tired of.

“Weren’t you the same one who missed me by half a mile with an arrow?” You teased, leaning a little closer to him, eyelashes fluttering. His cheeks blossomed with pink tones from the close contact, but he was still able to think of a suitable response even in his nervous state.

“You’re in love with me now regardless. I don’t think my arrows would’ve done much when you’re already obsessed.” His words wrung true, as even in the moment you couldn’t take your eyes off his face. He was the most stunning boy you had ever seen, face suitable for that of the son of the Aphrodite. Your gaze faltered to his lips, your stare too obvious for him to miss. He smirked slightly, the satisfaction of knowing you were entirely charmed by him greater than any remarkable feat he pulled off with his arrows.

He pulled you into an ardent kiss, holding you with a gentle but firm hand on your waist. There was something more natural about his kisses than anything else. His entire purpose was to love— it was intuitive to his nature. Each kiss, each glance, each smile, had you falling ever deeper into the drunken feeling of adoration for him. And the kiss had the same effect. 

He pulled apart only to hold you comfortably in his arms again, hearts racing in sync. You caught your breath, hands finding his, lacing together with his warm fingers. 

He lifted your chin up with his other hand, “One more kiss, hm?” 

↳ tws taglist (bolded could not be tagged): @eternalgyu,, @seunghancore,, @sobun1est,, @talkingsaxy,, @talking-saxy,,

@50-husbands,, @hursheys,, @imyuna-06,, @kristianities,, @stannwjnss

[marlsswrites]

A footballer and a figure skater

Ice skating AU, part 4!!

August 4th - words: 733

First part Previous part

James’ mum usually laughed at his new found habit, you see, ever since he found Regulus in the bookstore, he’d made a deal to always meet his mother at the ice rink. And he just so happened to catch Regulus skating, he would deny that that was his intention, but that was a lie. He longed to see the roaring, icy, flame that was Regulus.

He wanted to talk to the boy, he really did, but he always seemed to disappear right out of James’ lustful eyesight as soon as he managed to get close enough to see those dark grey eyes. Those same eyes that held up to crashing waves and stormy clouds right inside them, flowing and piercing into James like a bloody, sharpened, shining dagger to his heart.

Until one very long day, he debated giving up. He walked into the building after football practice, the field was only a two minute walk away yet he was still sweating from his previous game. Lifting his shirt up to his face, he wiped the clearly forming beads of sweat from his forehead and huffed as he dropped the shirt back down to cover his toned, tan chest.

He would make an excuse every single time he came here, telling him mum that he’d take her for a meal (he’s going to go broke if this carries on) or that he was simply just bored out of his mind.

But his only true excuse was seeing that thin waist and cheekbones sharp and straight as freshly cut stone.

That day he was running slightly late, he was exhausted and if he hadn’t promised his mum he’d meet her there before she finished, he probably would’ve just gone home.

But oh he is so glad he didn’t.

“Mum?” He called round the corner when he noticed the footsteps he heard were, in fact, not his mother’s.

As he turned the corner he crashed face first into a smaller figure with a grunt. The other person stumbled backwards, steadying themselves on their feet quickly. They looked at James with an utterly disgusted expression before it morphed into something far more confused.

“Are you fucking stalking me or something?” He spat.

As James looked at his face, that was only when he realised it was the one person he’d been looking for.

Some might say it’s fate, others might say that it’s James’ severe stubbornness, because when he wants something - god he can be convincing.

At least he hopes so.

“No- no!” He gasped out. “My mum works here, I was meeting her here.” The confused expression shifted to one of recognition, a crease forming between his eyebrows on the pale skin of Regulus’ face. “I didn’t even know she coached you.” James lied, hoping the tremor of his voice didn’t give his nerves away.

“Oh.” James watched as the other boy caught his bottom lip between his teeth, James only now noticing the glint of a silver ball on his tongue.

God.

“You’re Effie’s son.” He deadpanned.

“The one and only!” James grinned.

The other boy gave a snort, it was short and probably sarcastic, yet it was still there. James always wanted to make him laugh, he’s never really seen the man smile, but he’s sure one would look absolutely beautiful on his already perfected face.

“Now don’t flatter yourself.” He scoffed.

James only grinned, looking the man before him up and down rather slowly, no shame present at all. He was still dressed in all black, the outfit - like he said - was skintight and certainly not helping James while he tried to form actual words and not make himself look like an idiot.

“You’re staring.” Regulus pointed out, a sly smirk present on his lips.

“Hm?” James stared into those grey irises and gave a faux innocent shrug, messing his hair around on his head with a small shake before looking back up to only see a raised eyebrow. “My friend liked the book.”

“Nice topic change.”

James laughed. “I take what I can get.”

“I’m glad.” He paused. “About the book.” The raven haired boy gave a shake of his head, his curls moving softly around his face as he did so. “I’ve got to go, bye James.” He offered a nod, and then he was gone. Only leaving James to stare after him with a strange ache in his chest.

Next part

[pocketramblr]

AU where Hisashi calls Izuku regularly while he works overseas and one day Hisashi tells Izuku about his new boyfriend who is very sweet to him and unfortunately got into a bad accident many years ago that left him disabled so Hisashi helps care for him.Izuku later finds out this boyfriend is AFO.

why would you leave inko for afo. 'hold on yeah i think i'll leave this priceless bahia emerald and skip town and then i found a broken piece of chalk instead.' my guy. you deserve all might stealing your son.

1- ok so. Hisashi is an accountant who moves to new york to make more money. He and inko officially divorce, which means Izuku takes the Midoriya name and Inko has sole custody, but while Hisashi does not have to pay child support or alimony, he does opt to send them some support and tries to stay in contact because i guess his taste in men was so bad that he and inko just work better as friends. good for them ig.

2- actually Hisashi is just straight up color-blind: he can't see any red flags. Its not just his personal tastes. this man has worked for four separate blatant money laundering schemes since he went abroad. he has no clue. this is how he ends up coming into contact with AfO, but AfO's job offering is too indirect and vague, and Hisashi is like 'are you... flirting with me?' instead, but AfO can work with that. And while Hisashi certainly isn't a genius with people or warning signs, i will give him (and inko) this: he's a great lay.

3- He's also a very caring boyfriend, which was part of the problem with inko, they ended up really inciting each other's anxieties, but AfO likes being pampered so he decides to keep Hisashi around even if he isn't a employee. even better really, that he doesn't have to pay, bribe, quirkify, dequirkify, or threaten him. Hisashi, as a bit of a doting boyfriend, also has a lot to say about the man to others, so Izuku ends up hearing a lot of gushing over the phone as he's training with weights and is a bit too out of breath to change the topic. plus, he doesn't want to bring up going to UA until its a sure thing, his dad will definitely freak out about it not being safe. finally he tells his dad he got in, and hisashi is like 'oh yeah, cuz they changed the rules, which track?' and izuku goes 'oh uh hero track and alsoihaveaquirknowitscalledsuperpower oh look at that moms calling me for dinner sorry bye.'

4. Dazed, Hisashi gushes about his son to his boyfriend later, dropping that izuku's going to become a hero at ua, what a surprise- but, well, he supposes his son has always loved to watch heroes...

AfO is like 'hm. being a hero isn't very safe...' ('i know...') 'why don't you try to push him to visit you? keep him safe. maybe in a safe. don't you just wanna keep a hold of him?' ("i do, but that'll only drive him away. he's growing up... besides, if i was busy only keeping watch over him, who'd take care of you?") 'mm, good point. keep prioritizing me, i will neither put a hit on the kid as competition nor do anything to keep him safer.'

5. Reveal... uh yeah so Hisashi does mention to Izuku when his boyfriend goes missing, sometimes he gets called to work suddenly but he's never been gone this long, he's worried, is he restocking his meds, where is he? oh yeah, he vanished around Kamino. unfortunate, but not incriminating on its own. What IS incriminating is rewound!AfO, looking at Izuku with a tilted head. "I can see bits of Hisashi in you, hm. Just the worst bits, luckily." Izuku starts realizing what this means. Bakugo distracts him and blasts him to the Shigaraki fight, because he also started to realize what it meant and simply did not want to deal with hearing anymore of that. Over at the ShigarAfO fight, AfO tries to keep throwing Izuku (and tomura) off their game by wondering if Hisashi will find this new, younger body nice as well- probably, its not like the man had the highest standards. Izuku and Tomura are united in such abosolute done-ness with AfO that he's immediately snuffed out of Tomura's head and nothing remains behind. Tomura is like 'uh, do you want a day's break and then a rematch because i need to bleach my brain' but izuku is like 'oh no i need to punch someone through a mountain rn, lets keep going while i reform you with the power of friendship and incredible violence.' (By unspoken agreement, neither Izuku, Bakugo, or Tomura ever breathe a word about it to anyone, much less to Hisashi.)

[bananaplayzz]

Morrotober Secret Santa

I FINALLY DID IT RAGHHH

I had writer's block through this entire thing, and deleted about 3 tries before this, it's not my best work, but it's here and I think they're silly. Enjoy the Alive Morro au I crafted for this and ignore the inconsistencies, I'm about to pass out of sleep. Happy late holidays @phantomrev @morrotober ______________________________________________________________

Just because he wasn’t investigating the serpentine with the other ninja did not mean Morro wanted Wu to stick him with his chaotic little cousin for the day, he didn’t even know how to take care of a kid.

“What do you even do all day? You barely do nothin’” Lloyd complained, breaking Morro out of his own internal complaints. “I do a lot, thank you.” Morro returned calmly, continuing to walk along the straight path the two had been on for the past hour. “You probably just meditate and drink tea all day like Uncle Wu.” He turned on his shoe, swinging his arms dramatically as he began to walk backwards in front of his older cousin.

“What do you do all day then?” Morro tilted his head, making sure nothing was behind Lloyd so he wouldn’t trip over backward.

“Hm… I do evil stuff” Lloyd shrugged, not elaborating whatsoever.

“And what-”Morro stopped, turning his head to stare at a specific window display, he stared at it, the thing looked so much newer, the coloured fabric changing the light as it shined through the wings of the butterfly shaped toy..

“What are you looking at?” The younger had kept walking for a little before going back, looking at the same thing Morro was, with a tilted head.

“Excuse me- you don’t know what a kite is?” He was baffled at the concept that anyone could not know what a kite was. Morro grabbed onto Lloyd’s wrist, dragging him inside the toy store. “I’m fixing your childhood right now.”

…

“It doesn’t work!” Lloyd stumbled back to where Morro was sitting on the park’s grass, he had told Morro he could do it by himself, but alas, the kid clearly didn’t know how it worked. Lloyd held the plastic bit that held the extra string neatly, dragging the actual kite behind him along the grass. “The thing’s broken, you needa give it back.” Morro sighed, standing up from his spot and reaching out his hand to be passed the kite. “It’s not broken, you’re just doing it wrong.” The second Lloyd reluctantly plopped the plastic into Morro’s hand, Morro yanked the thing downwards on an angle, shooting the kite into the air, he lifted his hand up to the kite and it remained smoothly in the air. “Alright now, take the thing back, and just start running.”

Lloyd basically snatched the thing back, and started bolting away from Morro, as if he had just stolen something, the kite stayed in the air for a few seconds once Morro stopped pushing the wind up at the wings, but then swirled downward, crashing back into the grass.

So they tried, and then they tried again, and again, until Morro decided that Lloyd could just not fly a kite by himself, and so secretly offered assistance, which was definitely cheating, but the kid’s reaction to finally being able to fly the thing was worth whatever cheating Morro had to do.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Once Upon a Time 1

Warnings: non/dubcon and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Characters: Andy Barber

Part of the Bookstore AU

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

You don’t mind working evenings during the week. In the hour before closing time, it’s pretty slow. There isn’t much for you to do much follow the tune of the instrumental jazz and lean on the counter behind your till. Management is hidden in the back office so you don’t even need to pretend to work.

So it is that you’re startled at the unexpected figure strutting around the table of stationary and novelties across from the checkout. You stand straight as you smile at the man, not letting it falter as you recognise him. You brace yourself and swallow as your mouth runs dry. He’s been here almost every day this week; at least, when you’ve been in.

“Oh, uh,” you don’t notice anything in his hands aside from his cell phone, “Mr. Pine isn’t here, sir. I’m sorry.”

He doesn’t reply until he’s at the counter. His blue eyes bore into you as he rests his hand against the edge, gripping his phone tight. A small furrow scrunches between his brows.

“I didn’t ask,” he smiles.

“Well, er, sorry, I thought…” you chew your lip nervously. Each time he’s been in, he’s asked for the store owner. You assume he knows him. And he’s of the demographic who likes to make a fuss when he doesn’t get what he wants. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed.”

“You shouldn’t have,” he agrees, still grinning.

You squirm and run your fingertips over the keyboard. “Well, is there anything I can help you find? We’re closing up soon–”

“You’re trying to get me to leave?” He challenges.

“Not at all,” you croak. “Sorry, sir.”

“Andy,” he pulls his hand away, instead crossing his arms and leaning his elbows on the counter. He reads your name tag, “it’s fine. I was just looking around. Figure a book might help keep me busy.” 

He has a very intense way of watching you. Very on the point. He speaks directly to you, but you’re more the type to focus above someone or past them.

“Do you have a favourite genre?” You prompt. It’s easiest to talk about work and you have a dozen suggestions.

“Not really. You know, I work a lot and I never really had a chance to read much outside of deposition records,” he shrugs and raises his eyebrows, “don’t make my mistakes. Don’t waste your life working overtime. Enjoy the small things. Like books, you’re never gonna find a fairytale in real life.”

You feel a bit bad for him but try not to show it. You don’t want to insult it and he seems to pendulum between amiable and unapproachable. You nod and put on your customer service smile.

“Oh, thanks, I guess you’re probably right,” you eke out, “do you like thrillers? They’re pretty popular and we’re having a special.”

“Hm, I suppose that’s somewhere to start,” he rubs his beard, the hand clutching his phone against the counter as he leans on the same elbow, “what do you read?”

You give your usual answer, vague and not entirely false, “fantasy, mostly.”

“Like The Hobbit or whatever?” He wonders.

“Sure, I’ve read that,” you say.

“My wife– ex, now, she was a Tolkien fan,” his lips slant, “twenty years, no kids. Got nothing to show for it.” He pushes himself straight, “I’m sorry, you caught me on a bad night. I, whatever you suggest, I’ll take it. I need something to get my mind off of… everything.”

“Oh, sure, well, we have our best sellers down here,” you point over the counter and the racks between each till, “Conrad’s always a good choice.”

He hums and backs up. He peruses the books silently as you twiddle your fingers impatiently. You’ve had awkward encounters with customers before, almost daily, but something about him is a bit too cringe for you. You hate to even think like that. You feel mean. He’s just going through some things. And who isn't?

He plucks up a book and comes back to your till. He lays it down and slides his phone into his pants pocket, then reaches under his jacket. He takes out his wallet and pauses as he unfolds it, “wait, do you get commission? I could grab a few more.”

“Um, no,” you login and scan the barcode on the book, “but there’s a survey on you receipt. If you fill that out, I get credit for that.”

“Oh, sure, a survey,” he agrees as he slides out a card.

“And did you have our rewards card?” You ask.

He shakes his head, “what’s that?”

Great. You peek at the time in the corner of the till screen. It’s getting close to closing.

“So, for purchases you collect points. Kinda like air miles. When you buy items that are part of a promotion, you receive double, and for prestige members, there are triple point days. You can collect points to earn store credit.”

He nods and considers it. He tilts his head as his cheek dimples, “so, that costs money?”

“Yes, twenty-five dollars for paperback level and forty for prestige.”

He weighs the options. You expect the amounts to deter him like most customers. He taps his card on the counter, “you know what, I’ll do the forty. I’m looking to get into reading so I’ll be back for sure.”

“Oh, uh, right, okay,” you say with surprise, “I’ll just get you registered.”

You reach past the till and grab one of the cards displayed behind it. You scan it and go through the whole routine; name, phone number, email. You get all his info in and offer him a bag before you turn the debit machine towards him. He taps his card and the approval chirps loudly.

“Great, so, if you wanna do the survey,” you say as his receipt prints out, “you can scan this QR code and it will direct you straight to the survey.” You tear off the receipt and circle at the bottom, “my employee number is here, you’ll have to enter that and the transaction ID.”

You fold the receipt and hand it over. He takes it and looks it over with a squint. He raises his chin and gives a half-smile, “um, this QR thing? How do I… I’m sorry, I’m a bit slow. Could you show me?”

You want to say no. You want to point to the clock and tell him to have a good day but he’s actually going to do the survey. You need a good review.

“Sure, um, I’ll show you. Just on your phone,” you step closer as he digs his hand in his pants pocket, “let me see the receipt.”

“Thank you so much,” he says, “you’re so patient with me.”

[sketchyehm]

Hi :D

Consider mafia mafia au with sleepy dream cause im still not over him and also team mafia wanting to fuck him, like they do with sapnap and george. But sometimes when they have time for it, dreams in his long sleep.

They bring it up to dream at one point and he tells them they can just do it while hes asleep, he has no issues with it

And so at one point they do and dream wakes up to changed boxers or - depending on how recent the fucking was - cum in his ass

Hi :3!

I imagine George already would use Dream while he's asleep long before they joined Team Mafia.

I very much have it in my head that George is the one who actually pushes for Team Mafia to be a bit more wild with Dream(and is great with suggestions for Sapnap) pfft

Like the guys already do whatever they want with Sapnap but there's a lot more hesitance with Dream and George. And Dream is too much of a workaholic to really bring up the freak shit he does lmaooo

So!! George to the rescue ;3!

The guys would probably complain to George about Dream sleeping and them being needy which would then lead to George explaining how he'd just fuck Dream when he's out cold. How sometimes George will even spike his drink just for the fun of it (and sometimes he's also worried about Dream TwT). The guys being the dogs they are go fucking insane wanting to do the same thing.

They just need Dream to go to sleep :)

Dteam are really so intertwined that they do give the go ahead for another hehe One of them would ask if Dream would mind and if they should ask him about it and George just laughs and says something like "Why? I already said you guys can." Another brings up what if they wake him up, Dream gets really cranky when he's woken up :/!! "Then fuck him harder obviously."

Dream is in for a fun suprise when he wakes up from his next nap. At first he'll think he had a wild wet dream as he can feel how his own cum crusted all over his tummy and bedsheets. Then he realizes he's all sore, can barely sit or even move his legs (along with a killer headache). And then notices the copius amount of cum leaking out of him too.

Hm. This seems a bit much to just be George...

He'll groan with how shaky his legs are but there's work to do and he's slept for way too long!

He'd struggle to get through the day, the rest of the guys being more flirtatious than usual. Touching his ass, a lot. He restrains from whining.

It'll be a while before Dream realizes it's them who's been fucking him. He's been passing out a lot more lately and always wakes up with a headache, bruised hips, sore ass, and always leaking. He still thinks it's only George, doesn't even consider anyone else. His dumb dumb work-pilled brain stops him from thinking about it further smh Doesn't even consider how touchy Team Mafia have been with him, always touching him everywhere he aches the most...well...almost everywhere. BUT now isn't the time to think about that, there's paperwork to go through!

He skips out on dinner one day, exhausted, and heads straight to bed, he just hopes George doesn't go crazy this time...and then he's out like a log.

It feels like he's barely just closed his eyes before he feels himself waking up. The pleasure he's hit with makes him moan way too loudly, too groggy to control himself. His face is smushed against a pillow and he can feel someone pulling his ass into the air and fucking into him *deep*.

He'll mumble and whine out "Ge-orge...!" while trying to wake himself up and get his bearings. But then he hears chuckling from *several* voices and whoever is pounding into him seems to go even harder than they were before.

"Nah, trata otra vez Sueñito."

Oh!

He's still too out of it to tell who it is, now hearing overlapping voices all cooing at him. All in spanish. Dream too lost in all the sensations to think straight, whining and moaning, just taking it. Loving it.

And whoever is fucking him is going faster, Dream crying out from the pleasure, can feel electricity running through him from head to toe, he feels his brain melting. He's cumming before he knows it. He's paralyzed as he shivers from his orgasm and savors the afterglow as he's still pounded into. He's out cold just as he feels warmth fill him.

"Ah. Se dormio..."

"Pues...puedemos seguir, no?"

"Claro!"

Dream would wake up again all cleaned up this time. And a few more bodies cuddling around him, still asleep. He's cozy...he supposes work can wait for today.

[justablah56]

So I had thoughts for the maid cafe at but it's just more sugar baby VR-LA nonsense

What if VR-LA took up Mystra on her sugar baby offers for some reason? Like if he was in really bad debt or something.

Maxim watching VR-LA leave late at night with his existing assumption and going "hm" and now he's at least partially correct for once even if there probably isn't any sex. (I do think of being a sugar baby as at least being sex with adjacent if not just straight up sex work, I think it just depends on various factors which can differ from relationship to relationship. It's money/gifts for companionship and intimacy.)

VR-LA coming home with expensive gifts and either tucking them away or pawning them if he can get away with it. Spending some of the money on appearance things assuming that's why Mystra likes him (he could look like a strange cave creature and Mystra would probably still enjoy hearing him talk. That's her lil guy). Maybe getting really insecure cuz of how unstable being a sugar baby is inherently. He's having a bad time emotionally and he's not communicating it to anybody he knows at all (because he doesn't want to ruin things or be seen badly) (and he enjoys his time with Mystra, it's intelligent with good conversation and they go to museums and shit and she doesn't expect much from him beyond maybe holding her hand or arm to stick close).

Maxim would probably assume it's a sugar baby situation on sight if he saw them together. He'd match it up to VR-LA's bad moods and then make wrong assumptions cuz that's the foundation of this au. I dunno what wrong assumptions but I doubt it'd be assumptions of abuse cuz VR-LA is bad at acting and looks genuinely happy around Mystra

The guy just needs to be reassured is all, regular reassurance is the medicine he needs

ehehdhhdnen delightful <333 I love weaponizing these two's inability to communicate to make them live with very funny incorrect minor assumptions <3 I think it would be silly if Maxim thinks they're actually dating or something lmao- he can tell that VR LA doesn't really like her that way but doesn't know how or if it's his place to tell VR LA that he clearly just wants to be friends with her, something like that ? idk. but this au is so silly to me <3 I love sugar mommy Mystra who just wants to take this weird pretty boy to museums <3

[sweetbillwriting]

In The Dead of Night

SIX

Characters: AU Eric played by Bill Skarsgård from The Crow (2024)

Setting: This story is set in A WHOLE OTHER WORLD than the movie. Shelley isn't a part of this story. Eric will be different from the movie, especially because I haven't seen the movie.

Warnings: 18+, NSFW, heavy themes.

Notes: Happy Birthday Bill! ♥️

Eric and I decided we would meet at Jackie's that night. He would skip The Pulse and go there straight from his job because I had Odin. My sister didn't have any patience with dogs, so I couldn't leave him with them; I was obligated to have him by my side all the time. 

Eric didn't feel comfortable with me strolling around his block waiting for him so I would go to Jackie. It felt like the best option, even if Jackie could be a bit special, but something told me he would never make a pass at me again now that I was in some sort of companionship with Eric. 

When I arrived at Jackies’, he stood pressed up against the doorframe to the living room and didn't let Odin go with his eyes. He, in return, jumped even more because there was a soul giving him attention. He barked twice when I didn't release the leash off his collar fast enough; when he was free, he jumped around and on Jackie's legs in a wild dance. 

“I'm sorry, are you afraid of dogs?” I asked while taking Odin by the collar and pulled him away from the terrified Jackie. 

“Nah, no. He's just bigger than I thought.” 

I smiled a little and let Odin go again so he could check around in Jackie's small apartment. It seemed like he was looking for someone, but that could also have been my own feelings talking. 

I sat down on Jackie's couch a bit awkwardly. He had a series on I couldn't place, but it looked like some sort of fantasy. Jackie himself still stood and watched Odin run around his apartment, and I feel a bit stupid for being there with him if he was scared. Eric had said it was okay, and that was the only thing I had been able to go on. 

“I had a question for you,” said Jackie suddenly but had a hard time letting Odin go with his eyes. 

“Okay?” I said curiously and sat up a bit. I had no idea what he would ask and wondered if he maybe hadn't understood Eric and I were more than friends. 

Jackie sat down next to me on the couch while messing with his phone, then he turned it towards me. 

“Is this you?” 

It was our conversation on Snapchat, where I asked for Eric's contact information. I wanted to deny that it was me, but I knew it was too obvious that it was me, and the lie would not look good if he told Eric. 

“Yeah, it's weird, but you're not the person I thought I wrote to,” I laughed and shrugged my shoulders. 

“I can't actually remember your face from that night at all?” 

Jack looked at me confused, then smirked a little.

“Maybe we both were really drunk then. Or high.” 

I laughed and made a face like he probably was right. I had some luck; Jackie wasn't the brightest. 

“Was Eric at that party?” 

“No. To be honest, I've just seen him around, like out and…” I swallowed. I didn't get this story to work at all and felt my mouth get dry as cotton. Jack’s smile fell, and I believed he had been able to see through my lie, but Jackie had other priorities in life than protecting his friend from stalkers. 

“Is it because of the abs?” 

“Hm?” The question was so off topic I couldn't understand it. 

“You mean you just saw Eric and then you wanted him that bad? I mean… It's the abs, right? You know, he just looks that muscular because he's just skin and bones. I would also look like that if I didn't allow myself a pizza. Maybe he's like anorexic or something?” 

You could hear Jackie's envy clearly in how he spoke, and I couldn't stop myself from smirking, not only of the pettiness but also because he had ignored my incoherent story so fast. 

“Or is it the height? So you know, I'm bigger than him. It's not like height tells something about that. I'm much bigger than him.” 

I nodded a little to please him so he wouldn't be upset and wish me any harm. I needed him on my side. 

Jackie smiled a little, then he dragged his thick but short fingers over my arm. I didn't say anything; I just let him believe he had a chance until my phone lit up with Eric's number. 

“Hey,” I answered fast with an excited giggle.

“Hey,” he said happily but with a nervous sound after. 

“Hey,” I said again, and then he did the same with a chuckle. 

“Are you on your way?” I asked when I realized we couldn't just say “hey” to each other. 

“Yeah, I’ll probably be there in like, twenty minutes?” 

“Maybe I can meet you?” 

Eric was quiet for a moment then made an amused exhalation.

“Is it Jackie? Is he weird?” 

“Yes,” I said with a silly voice. I didn't say more than that so Jackie wouldn't understand we talked about him. 

“He's weird sometimes, but he's just… Slow,” said Eric, like slow was a better word than what he actually wanted to say. I giggled at him but then continued our conversation. 

“Can I meet you?” 

“If you really want to meet me, you can go straight forward outside of the door and wait by the light pole with the anarchist symbol. You will see it if you just continue going right forward.” 

“Is it you who made the symbol?" I teased while I stood up from the couch. Eric laughed, and it made me laugh too. 

“Could have been! But Delilah, take Odin with you; I don't want—” 

“Leave Odin here?” I looked towards Jackie to try him, and he looked up at me with panicked eyes. “I don't think Jackie has time for him.” Jackie nodded relieved and looked towards Odin, who was lying on the ragged carpet with one of his socks. 

"Oh, okay, but yeah, take him with you, these neighborhoods aren't the best.”

It was hard to miss Eric when he was so tall and broad shouldered. He walked with purpose, and I saw him put his headphones in their case when he noticed me. It looked like he was dressed completely in black, just like me, but I was dressed in jeans and a black tube top under my black fur jacket. Something told me he wasn't as dressed up. When he walked under a streetlamp that lit up his chiseled facial features, Odin started to pull on the leash and bark. I took hold of him and hushed him, but he continued to dance around in excitement. He acted like he knew the man walking towards us even if they had never really met.

When Eric came up to us, he did something so smoothly I couldn't follow his motion. After letting Odin sniff his hand, he patted his cheek smoothly but then back over his chest which made him stand slick to his side. Odin looked up at him, and Eric looked back before telling him, with a firm voice, to sit. Odin did what he said and wagged his tail when he got a stroke on his cheek and neck as an encouragement. I looked at them with my mouth slightly open. It was insane seeing how easy it was for Eric but also so sexy. He wore dark blue work pants and a black hoodie and didn't look like a man I would have wanted to meet under a streetlamp before I got to know him. He looked up at me and smiled sweetly. 

“Hey.” His way of smiling was so cute and kind, but I could understand how some would miss it being too distracted by the facial tattoos and those mysterious eyes.

“Hi.” A sound of infatuation left my lips and I felt my cheeks warm from embarrassment. It caused an awkward silence between us because none of us knew how we would continue. I wanted to kiss him but didn't dare, and he seemed to use Odin as a reason to avoid a weird hello, but instead it became even weirder. I was used to guys taking the lead, but Eric didn't act like them at all and didn't seem to be in a hurry to get further in our relationship. 

“Ehm,” he said after a while and looked towards Jackie’s building. “Should we..?” 

I could feel the cringe in my body. He acted like the boys I dated in my teens, and I could feel how I started to act like my fifteen-year-old self when I nodded with an unsure smile. We walked in silence next to each other, Odin close to Eric, in his rhythm and Eric with his hands deep in the front pocket of his hoodie. I needed to kill the silence, even if it would be even more awkward. 

“How was work?” 

Eric gave me a quick glance and then started to dig in his pockets. He pulled out a cigarette package from a pocket on his thigh and lit a cigarette with a cobalt blue Bic lighter.

“Eehh… good,” he said shortly, but after two drags he seemed to relax and understand he must say more than that to keep a conversation going. 

“An elevator had gotten stuck with nine drunk guys that weren't even in the right building. It was too heavy.” 

“Nine? That's just stupid… Ehm, do you have some sort of education in this?” 

Eric was quiet, and for a moment I thought I said something stupid. 

“I'm a welder… But I got fired from my first job and… Yeah, I didn't feel like doing it again.” 

I looked at him with big eyes and just waited for him to tell me more. I could almost guess why he lost the job, and I hoped he would share it now with me, but he didn't; instead, he smiled at me and changed the subject. 

“So Jackie is a pain in the ass?” 

I laughed, but there was a hint of disappointment in it. I wanted the subject to be deeper than that. 

“Yeah… He says you're anorexic?” 

Eric laughed and shook his head. 

“Because of my abs?” 

I laughed more sincerely now and nodded. 

“How did you know?” 

“He has said it before. That I'm just a skinny dude, and you can see my muscles better because of it.” 

“Is that true?” 

Eric smirked and looked at me. 

“You can investigate that later.” 

The flirty comment came unexpectedly, and I made an amused but surprised sound. His body he seemed to not be insecure about. Eric laughed embarrassed, like he wanted to take back what he had said, but the laugh also seemed to relax him, and I could see it in his face and posture. 

“I'm happy you came, ehm… It's too bad we work like we do?” 

“You mean that I work during the weeks, while you work nights on the weekends?” I said with a warm but a bit disappointed smile. 

“Yeah! My job sucks in so many ways.” 

“What would you like to work with?” 

Eric stomped out his cigarette and started to play with the lighter in his hand. 

“I don't know. I don't think I can get something better anyway. I'm glad I have a job.” 

“But if?” 

I looked at him interested, and he looked a bit awkward in the spotlight. 

“I like to draw, but that's not a job?” 

“You do?” I thought about what he had said in my dreams—that he drew when he was younger. 

“Mm. I had a long pause for several years, but I've started again. A few months ago. I guess a creative job like yours would be amazing.” 

“We could have a business together; I do people’s hair and you tattoo them,” I joked, but there was some seriousness in it too. Eric chuckled lowly. 

“I have a machine, but I’ve just done really ugly tattoos on myself and friends. It's another craft. I like the drawing pad.” 

I just nodded a little as an answer because we had arrived at Jackie's entrance door. 

I was disappointed we had arrived just when he had started to open up, but I had hoped we wouldn't stay with Jackie that long. Maybe he could just smoke with him, then we could walk to his place instead. 

At Jackie's, two other guys had joined. One had a similar look as Eric, with a short, uneven haircut and small, silly tattoos spread over his arms in an irregular pattern; the other one didn't have any tattoos at all and looked surprisingly basic. The tattooed one they called Granny for some reason they didn't tell me, while the other they just called Karl. But they didn't call Eric, Eric, instead, they called him Crow. I looked at him and wondered if it was because of his black hair, the eyeliner he seemed to use sometimes, but I started to realize I wouldn't be able to guess. Eric sat leaned back on the couch with Odin laying half way up in his lap while I sat on his other side with my feet up on the couch. I had felt Eric's hand graze my shin a couple of times; otherwise, he just treated me like a new friend in their group. 

“Why do they call you Crow?” I asked with a low voice, just to him. Eric looked at me and smiled a little embarrassed. He was on his way to answer, but Karl interrupted him. 

“He has his own Crow.” 

I looked between Karl and Eric a bit confusingly. 

“The first time we were at his place, a crow landed on the roof outside of his window, and he let it in like it was the most natural thing. And he called it Crow, so we gave him the same name. It was cute.” Karl smirked towards Eric, who still looked a bit embarrassed. I looked at him, then down at my dog, being more pleased than he had ever been. 

“I guess I'm just good with animals?” Eric said with a shoulder shrug and caressed Odin behind his ear calmly. The dog just made a pleased sound. 

“Yeah… I can see that. Odin is the worst otherwise.” 

Eric smiled a little and just shrugged his shoulders again. He was the modest type. When he finally looked up at me, our eyes met, and my heart started to beat hard in my chest. I didn't know if the others looked at us because in that moment it was just us, like in my dreams. We leaned closer together, and our lips met in a hungry kiss. He tasted like weed, and I probably tasted like the cheap beer Jackie had given me. We kissed a couple more times, and I stood up on my knees to reach him better. Eric dragged his long fingers over my waist and let a soft finger tip crawl in under the edge of my top to feel my naked skin. I giggled a little into his mouth because it tickled, and I could feel him smile. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. We get it, you're horny, but you don't need to do that here!” Said Jackie, upset with a bitter undertone. Eric released my lips, but I sat down in his lap, to both Jackie's and Odin's irritation. 

“Isn't it hot in here?” Said Eric and looked at me, then at Jackie. I knew at once what it was about. "Yeah, it's hot in here?” He said with a smirk.

“Yeah, it's hot in here.” I giggled, agreeing with him.

Eric signaled to me to move a bit from him so he could pull off his white t-shirt. Granny and Karl didn't react to his naked skin, but I looked at Jackie and saw him look at him with irritation. I couldn't really understand their friendship because Jackie clearly felt a grudge towards Eric. 

However I didn't look at Eric with irritation; I just looked at his body greedily. He wasn't just a thin guy. His arms were strong and big. I could see every muscle flex in his upper body in a way they hadn't if he had just been skinny. He was in perfect shape. 

“That's some ugly tattoo, man,” said Karl and pointed towards a face by Eric's nipple, or the nipple actually was an eye. It was ugly, like many of his tattoos. 

“Yeah, that one was a bad idea.” Eric shook his head while I changed my position, straddling his lap. Karl lost Eric's attention at once when I started to drag my finger over the horsehead on his side. Eric looked at me with big eyes, so big he almost looked animated. 

"Can't we go to your place?” I said lowly and moved down closer to his crotch. Eric dragged his hands over my thighs and licked his lips. 

“Do you want that?” 

It was such a stupid question after mine, but by looking at him, I understood he was serious. 

“Yes.” 

He nodded a little. 

“Yeah, okay then.” 

××× 

“It feels like you have so many sides to explore, but you are so shy,” I said with a little giggle speaking to Eric while we walked to his home. I let him hold the leash because Odin just wanted to be by his side anyway. Eric gave me a glance and shrugged his shoulders. 

“Not really. If you think about the crow, it's the only fun thing I can tell.” He smiled a little, but it didn't feel completely relaxed. “Why did you get a dog? Have you always wanted a dog?” 

I shook my head and looked at Odin. 

“I share him with a friend who loves dogs, but he didn't feel he had time for one by himself, and I was restless, so… Yeah, a dog felt like a good idea, but I'm not so sure anymore. I'm not that good at it, and my friend believes he is, but I think he gives Odin too little love.” 

Eric gave me a crooked smile. 

“That says a lot about you, I think.” 

“Hm?” 

“You're more for love than discipline… I like that.” He smiled warmly at me, and I felt my cheeks get warm. “Some look down on people being sweet to their pets, but I just think it shows me it's a person I want to be around. That tries to get respect with love. Not being a pushover or like that, but just… choosing love.” 

I felt it tickle all over my body when he talked so sweetly, and as a reflex, I took his arm and pressed my cheek against his bicep. He looked down at me, and I wondered if I had taken it too far, but he just moved his arm to lay around my shoulders instead. 

We talked more about our jobs, music, and our friends. I even talked about Robin, but never by name. Eric just found out I had a guy friend I worked with, had a dog with, and that he knew the most things about me. He never asked for his name. 

We continued to talk even up in his apartment, but then I became reminded of what happened the last time I was there. The couch cushion didn't have a cover, instead, it was covered with a plaid blanket. It made the whole couch look cheaper and older than it had before, and I laid my hands over my face while Odin tipped around, looking and sniffing at everything. 

“A new cover is on its way. Just IKEA that is slow,” he said with a kind smile and just like the last time he opened the fridge. 

“I've… I have other stuff other than eggs at home if you want something?” I walked up to him and looked in the fridge, and bread was lying on the counter. 

“Have you shopped for me?” I said with a giggle and hugged his waist. 

Eric looked down at me and scratched his neck, embarrassed. 

“I just… I wanted to have something else to offer you.” 

“You're so sweet!” I said it with an extra cute voice and stood up on my toes so I could kiss his cheek. Eric smirked a little, and with heavy eyes he leaned down for a real kiss instead. We kissed a couple of times, just soft and sweet, but it didn't stop both my heart and sex from beating so hard I wondered if he could see it on the outside of my body. 

××× 

Eric opened a beer for each of us, and then we sat down on the couch, me on the plaid blanket. I decided that myself because it didn't feel more than right. The couch felt too small for us both; not that I complained about sitting close to him, but neither one of us seemed to sit comfortably. 

“I should really get a bigger couch, but I haven't had money for it,” he said, a bit embarrassed. “I'm mostly in bed when I relax; you know, stretch out.” It almost sounded like an invitation, and for a moment I was the one getting nervous, and I locked myself in, in his bathroom. 

I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror and fixed my mascara that had crumbled into pieces under my eyes. I didn't feel hot enough for Eric, and I wondered if it was that which stopped him from making a serious move towards me, or did he? In awkward ways, like saying he likes spending time in his bed? I walked out of the bathroom when it felt like I'd been there a little bit too long. 

“I can't just sleep with her… It doesn't feel right.” I heard Eric say with a low voice, and I understood quickly he was speaking on the phone. "It's not what she wants, I think. And I… The one night stand thing doesn't give me much. But I can't date. You know that too. And she's a good girl… Eh, fuck, it feels like I'm fooling her.” 

I walked closer to the living room to hear what he said, but that made Odin look towards the hallway, and Eric reacted at once at his movement. Stupid dog. 

“I must hang up. Thank you, Nick.” 

I tried to walk out like I hadn't heard anything, but Eric dragged his hands over his thighs and smiled at me apologetic.

“I guess you heard that,” he said and continued to drag his hands over his thighs. I shrugged my shoulders. 

“A bit.” Eric nodded and looked towards the TV even if it was off, and the most interesting thing he could see was his mirrored self. I sat down next to him, and he looked at me with big, sad eyes. It was that gaze I had seen in all the photos of him, like he was close to giving up. 

“I have a lot in life right now… Or, or rather, I've always had a lot in life and…” It was obvious he had a hard time finding the words, but I knew what he wanted to say. He said it the first time we met too, but I clearly needed a reminder because I had started to think about him as a potential boyfriend. 

“I can't date, and I know I'm not the sort of person you want to date. I’m constantly a source for disappointment…” 

I didn't like hearing him talk about himself like that, but I still wanted him to tell me with his own words about his addiction. 

“What do you mean?” I asked and sat down closer to him so I could drag soft fingertips through his hair. 

“I'm sorry if you feel I fooled you. I just get caught up in it? I really think you're special, but…” He looked out in the air and didn't say anything more; he just sucked his lips. 

“Why are you a disappointment?” I asked again. At that moment, I didn't care that he tried to push me away. I wanted him to talk about his addiction, and I would be with him even if he felt like he wasn't worthy of me. 

“I just… Never succeed with anything. I hurt people. I use people. To be honest, I'm a fucking asshole,” he said with an unamused laugh. 

"No, you're not.” I played with the longer hair by his neck and looked at him sincerely; it was just that Eric gave me the same kind of look back. 

"Yes, I am. I will break every promise I give you; I will stand you up; I will take your money; I will cheat. That's the man I am.” 

He leaned forward on his forearms against his knees and dropped his head so I couldn't see his face. 

“That's not you, Eric.” 

I said it even if I wasn't sure. He was such a sweet, humble guy, but I had no idea if he was that person all the time, and he said the same words both Robin and Simone had said. 

Eric covered his face with his big tattooed hands. I wondered if he was crying and if he wanted me to comfort him. When he looked up again, he looked at me with resignation. 

“I think about drugs every other minute. I can't even be present in reality because I just want a fix.” 

I felt my eyes tear up because I really thought he was over it. I thought the drugs were a part of his past.

“That's not true,” I said again because I didn't want to believe his words. 

“That's why I work out so much. Because without it, I would do anything to get a syringe of morphine just pushed into my veins.” 

It felt like he said it that way to give a shock effect, but it was just as awful to hear it anyway, and silently I started to cry. 

“That's not true…” 

Eric didn't say anything, and it made me just sob louder. It was probably a bit much that I sat and cried like that for a guy I've met twice, but I had known him for a much longer time than he understood. After a few seconds, he took me in his arms so I could cry against his chest. He hugged me close and warmly, and he probably saw it as some sort of ending for my belief in him as a boyfriend. He let me go slowly when I had calmed down, and he dragged his hands over my upper arms comfortingly. 

“Do you want me to call you a cab? I understand if you feel that you don't want to stay here with me.” 

The irony was that he looked hurt even if he was the one pushing me away. I looked into his sad eyes and then patted his high cheekbone. 

“I want to be with you…” 

He licked his lips and pulled me up in his lap. 

“I have warned you now. I will disappoint you.” His eyes wore a shine that made them glitter like emeralds. 

“I don't care.” 

My voice was determined, and my move to take his cheeks in my hand to kiss him with passion was just as determined. Eric kissed back and took a hard grip in the back of my neck and let his tongue wrestle with mine. Making love with mine. 

××× 

It was me who started to take off his clothes, but it was he who carried me to his bed. I had always felt self-conscious when guys tried to lift me. I felt heavy when they didn't succeed in carrying me comfortably, but Eric lifted me so easily I felt weightless. He threw me up, straddling his waist, and I didn't even need to hold myself there with my thighs because his strong hands holding my ass did the work. I giggled into the kisses when he carried me to bed while hugging my ass. He laid me down on the bed smoothly while our kisses started to just be our tongues licking each other. I dragged my hands down his muscular back, and I touched the small marks where I could feel his tattoos being tattooed too deep. Eric pulled away, standing on his knees. His eyes were dark and excited, and I took the moment to pull off my top and bra and then also my jeans. He helped me take them off, then stood up to kick off his own pants. I looked at him with big eyes where he stood just dressed in blood red Armani boxers. His perfect muscular body, covered in tattoos with various qualities and artistry. I could see the imprint of a long, thick line in the boxers, and I was quite sure Jackie had lied earlier. Eric even looked bigger than in my dreamworld. 

I sat up in bed, moved to the edge of the bed, and dragged him by the hips towards me. His cock was just in front of me, and I could feel his big eyes on me when I dragged my tongue over the fabric of the underwear, tracing the thick line laying up against his hip. I kissed the tip through the fabric and nuzzled it with my nose until it twitched in its tight restraint. Eric breathed out heavily. 

“I want to sleep,” he said with a strained voice. I looked up at him with my cheek pressed against his erection. “I want to sleep,” he said again, then moved away so he could lay down in bed. I looked at him in shock while he crawled down under the cover, acting like he suddenly was super tired. He closed his eyes hard, probably to make it seem like he fell asleep at once.

××× 

When I woke up, the radio was on, and a commercial about a new Mazda was the first thing my newly awakened brain took in. I woke up at the same place I had fallen asleep, next to Eric in midnight blue satin sheets. He laid on his belly with his face towards me. I looked at him sadly. I wanted him so much, but he was the most difficult guy I've ever met, even if he also, probably, was the kindest one. I looked at his facial features, the high forehead, the oval face shape, and the perfect mix of male and female attributes. He was pretty as a doll. I had memorized some of the pictures from his childhood and could see the little boy in his face, even if he had fine lines around his eyes.

I looked at the tattoos and sighed, just they could tell me he wasn't as easy as Dante or anyone else of my exes. 

The pain in my chest spread slowly out in my body and made me almost feel sick, so I felt forced to leave Eric alone in bed; instead, I looked around in his studio apartment. In a corner he had training equipment, and I could just say what half of it was. The training had been attractive in my eyes, but now, after his confession, it felt dirty. It was just a coping strategy. His kitchen was quite empty but looked cleaned. It didn't look like he used it so much. On one wall he had a big painting of a samurai. Next to the couch was a big window with a broad window sill. It could have been a cozy place to sit, but Eric had mostly books in it, like a shelf. I looked through the titles. Much was about Asia, martial arts, but also art. It was several horror books by Poe and Lovecraft, but also others. A few about bands like Sex Pistols and The Cure. One book about Vivienne Westwood but also sketchbooks. I couldn't stop myself from pulling them out. They were marked with a year, and I looked in one from that year. He was really good. Really, really good. He painted in a mix of classic Japanese art, anime, and his own personal style with a black marker pen. Mostly he painted animals, fighting guys and naked women. I looked with big eyes at a woman spreading her legs while a Chinese dragon pushed his way out of her sex. There were erotic pictures, even the one I couldn't stop staring at. It was painted like a comic, with several squares. It was a woman, dancing in a fountain, topless. Her hair was similar to mine, and she had flared jeans. You couldn't see her face really, but there were several drawings of her breast, wet, her own hands playing with the nipples, or a man's big, tattooed hands hugging them in his wide palms. It felt stupid to think about, but that was my breasts. I could see it was mine, and I could see it was his hands. In the last picture, you could see a woman's lips sucking the man's tattooed fingers. You didn't see her face, just lips and hollowed cheeks. That was me. I was certain it was me. 

×

[ashlayan]

Little blunder

College AU

Tw: SFW, can be read as gender neutral tho written with a fem reader in mind, fluff.

Pairing: Dan Heng x Reader.

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

You pull up in front of the apartment complex and slowly get off your bike. You take out your phone, swipe past the 99+ notifications from every group chat you're in and go straight to Dan Heng's contact.

The last messages there were "Hey, I think I have a crush on someone and need advice" and his reply, "wanna talk about it after tutoring tomorrow?"

You type "Here", then quickly make your way up the stairs. With any luck, he's just woken up -today was his day off- and still hasn't seen any messages about this morning's... fiasco.

You reach his apartment door just as he unlocks it, probably after he heard you approach, and give him a quick greeting, closing the door behind you as you enter.

"So," he starts, "should we focus on History or Chinese literature today?" He asks, still under the impression you're here for your regular tuesday afternoon tutoring sessions. Then... He doesn't know yet. Ok, that's good.

"Actually..." You start slowly, gathering your courage to just be done with it. Come on, I can do this! You think, attempting to pump yourself up. "I'm here to borrow something" You lie instead... Hm. Maaaaybe I can't do this ...

"Of course you are," An eye roll. "what do you need this time? A dictionary? A calculator? Or am I a living dictionary, calculator, and thesaurus all in one?" Had things been normal you would've probably laughed.

"Well you see..." You glance around his apartment nervously, and say the first thing that comes to mind. "I kinda need your dish washer?" You try, and proceed to mentally facepalm. Really?! His dishwasher?!

He narrows his eyes in clear confusion. "You need... my dish washer?" He repeats. "What do you want a dish washer for? You don't even cook?" He sighs.

"If you're planning on borrowing stuff that's mine, then just ask. No need to make stupid excuses like needing my dish washer, of all things. I am your friend, you know that, right?"

"Ahahaha the school population might disagree at the moment." You reply nervously.

"..." He gives you another confused look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

You take a deep breath. "Soooo you know how I've been volunteering to help out the broadcasting club? With equipment maintenance and such?"

He nodded, though now he just looks more confused.

"Right um, about a month ago, I found a club member crying alone after a bad breakup... To comfort him I told him he was a great guy, that anybody would be lucky to-"

"Didn't you already tell me all that?" He interrupted quickly, probably sensing you were still stalling.

"Right, right, just making sure you remember." You answer smoothly enough.

"So anyways, that guy may or may not have asked me out for the school dance?" You pause, gauging his reaction, but he turned his usual pokerface back on, and it gives away nothing.

"Uh? Congratulations?" Realizing he won't say anything more, you move on for now. "No, no. I didn't agree or anything," you say quickly. "Instead I uh, may have rejected him by saying I have a boyfriend, and when he insisted I was lying, I maaaaayyyyyy havesaiditwasyou?" You rush through the last part as your nerves get the best of you.

"..." There's silence in the room as Dan Heng stares at you, processing what you'd just said. He swallows and takes a deep breath. "You. Did. What?" His words are measured.

"I panicked? I'm sorry!"

"Panic led you to name-drop me as your non-existent boyfriend?" He asks with a hint of irritation.

"Well that's because I was thinking about you-" You say before you could think better of it, and by the time your hand slaps your mouth shut it was already too late.

A small smile spreads across his face. The first unguarded reaction you'd seen him make since the beginning of this conversation. "Really?" He asks. "Did you... did I happen to cross your mind as you rejected that person?" He looks at you, his eyes narrowed in amusement.

You blush. HARD. "Well- I- I mean! Yes! of course because-" You think of a quick lie "-because I needed to return your..." You slide your hand into your pocket, pull out the first thing you find, a chewing gum packet he'd given you the day before and say "The- This...?" You end Lamely.

He shakes his head, smiling. "Nice try," he says, "but there's something else on your mind. You're bad at lying." He puts his hands on his waist and smirks.

"Now, tell me the truth. Why did you name me?"

You sigh, utterly defeated... As expected of Dan Heng "Well, I guess I wanted to ask you out to the school dance? I- I've been meaning to finally tell you today but then that guy came out of nowhere and asked me to go with him and I just- welp." You shrug.

He raises a brow "Wait... am I... your crush?" He asks, not believing the question. "It's me, isn't it? Huh." He tilts his head, a bit confused and amused.

"But... why? Why would you be into me? I'm literally the definition of a nerd," he says while glancing over to his desk, cluttered with books and his gaming build.

You jump at the opportunity to tease him "What's this Dan Heng? Are you fishing for compliments?" You ask slyly, hoping to make him blush so it wouldn't be just you.

His ears immediately turn red. "No, I'm serious," he says, "Why me?" He looks at you with a puzzled look, then says, "I mean, I'm flattered, but I don't get it. Out of all the boys in class, why me? Not that I'm complaining, mind you," he chuckles.

A small win for me! He went blushy blushy! You giggle to yourself. "Well what's there not to like? You're always there for me, be it calling me first thing in the morning to make sure I'm awake for classes or tutoring me so I understand the material, you even cook extra portions of food for me because I am not um... adept in the kitchen. Like how thoughtful is that? Honestly how could I possibly not fall for you?" By now you've completely run out of breath.

Dan Heng's cheeks are flushed pink. I can die happy now "Y-You... you're actually serious?" He asks, feeling a wave of relief and joy wash over him. "Because I... I feel the same about you. You're so... you're the sweetest, kindest, most considerate person I've ever met, (Y/N). You're always helping people, even in things completely unrelated to your own life... I mean, broadcasting equipment maintenance? You had to learn a completely new skill just to help them with that."

He took a deep breath, seemingly steadying himself, then continued.

"And... I just have this feeling whenever I'm with you, my heartbeat quickens and my stomach turns in a flutter. Do you... do you feel the same?" This was probably the most honest and vulnerable he's ever been with you.

You smile brightly. "Yes! And I'm ecstatic you do too!!!"

He smiles as well and nods. "When's the dance, again?" He asks. "And how should we tell our friends that we're dating, now that I've said yes to your... confession?"

"If it even is called a confession?" He mumbles in amusement.

"Ah yeah about that..." You smile sheepishly, debating how to break this one to him.

"What... what is it, (Y/N)?" He tilts his head in curiosity. "Tell me. I don't bite," he teases.

"Sooo, remember how this whole thing started in the broadcasting room? Remember how March uhhh... Sometimes forgets the mic open?"

Dan Heng's eyes widen. "No way."

"Hahah... Yeahhhh." You fish your phone out of your back pack, unlock it and pick a random group chat. Sure enough, the chosen conversation topic is still the "Broadcasted failure of a confession LMAO!!" You hand him your phone, let him scroll through the messages, knowing he probably doesn't bother to even join most of these group chats.

"Huh," he starts, "aren't they being a bit... Harsh on this gu- wait." His eyes narrowed. "What does Jing Yuan mean by 'he was being a total creep??'" he asks alarmed, now looking at you.

"Ehh that might be an exaggeration? He probably means how the guy wouldn't take no for an answer, it's kinda why I had to lie in the first place, I mean I was being considerate at first but he really wouldn't let up... Huh now that I think about it, maybe Jing Yuan's right. "

Dan Heng didn't seem to like that one bit.

"You know what? I'm actually fine with the broadcast thing," He replied coolly. "If more people knew about my feelings for you, then that's great. As long as they know you're dating me now."

"So. Are you going to be my date for the dance?" He asks.

You grin. "I'd be honored to!"

"Great." Dan Heng smiles and reaches out to hug you. "So then... that means we're officially a couple?" He grins slyly. "And does that mean you'll call me honey now?" Oh he's trying to make you blush.

You smile back, every bit as mischievous "I was actually thinking of calling you: Darling, love of my life, light of my days, and saviour of my grades! But sure whatever you like." You say innocently. He laughs.

"I think I like that last one," he says, reaching out to brush a stray hair away from your face. "But I want you to call me Dan Heng, alright? If I ever heard someone refer to me as "Darling" or "Love", I'd probably turn into a ripe strawberry." He seems to consider something for a moment then says: "And when we see each other at the dance, will I be able to give you a kiss?" He asks cheekily.

"...!" When they go bold I go BOLDER! " You can kiss me right now." You say, summoning every last bit of confidence within you.

He leans in and gently presses his lips onto yours, holding it for a moment before breaking apart. "Will that suffice?" he asks with a grin.

"Now, come on. We better hurry up. All our friends are probably waiting for us at the cafe," he says and offers to take your hand.

"They're gonna be thrilled. Imagine how happy March will be, learning her little blunder for once caused something great." he adds with a bright smile.

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

Author's note:

Alhaitham: I'm just a feeble scholar.

Dan Heng: I'm literally the definition of a nerd.

Kaveh & I : \(O-o)/

[cafulur]

(Boyf riends) First Meet/College AU

I have been writing up this au for a while and decided to finally share a few bits, please let me know if you’d like to hear more!! ♡

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Jeremy and Michael have never met before and are attending the same university for their freshman year.

- Michael had come to terms with his queer sexuality during high school, but Jeremy hasn’t thought too hard about it, always considering himself mostly straight with the occasional fictional male crush.

- Jeremy didn’t deal with the SQUIP situation in high school, but he definitely had a massive falling out drama with all the popular theatre kids. Christine has been a constant best friend for him through it all. He’s had his ups and downs, but came out of the drama more comfortable with himself and the world around him. He doesn’t know anyone at this university but is excited to maybe make some new friends.

- Jeremy gets invited to a house party by his roommate who is friendly, so friendly, wants everyone to join in and shotgun a beer together, like a Rich energy. Omg. Rich is Jeremy’s roommate. 😭💛

- They go to this party and there’s probably 12-13 people there, one of which includes Michael who got dragged along by his roommate— WAIT what if Rich is Michael’s roommate instead and Jake is Jeremy’s?

- After some serious contemplation, Rich is Michael’s roommate and Jake is Jeremy’s. Jeremy doesn’t need much convincing to go to a party, so Jake energy is enough. Michael needs the convincing. All the convincing. He needs Rich for these additional friendships to thrive lmao.

- Jake ends up introducing all of them while hanging in the kitchen with Rich. Michael thinks Jeremy is cute but Jeremy at first isn’t quite sure what he feels for Michael. He just knows he’s super cool and finds himself strangely thinking about him even after they part.

- Maybe the week after the party while in class or something Michael’s face or laugh pops up in Jeremy’s head, and he just thinks man I’d wanna be near that dude again and maybe be actual friends. Casually mentions to Jake that he had fun and they should do a smaller, more casual get together. It’s really sweet, they all get takeout/fast food and watch some fucked up underfunded film. Michael and Jeremy sit side by side, and while Jer is engrossed, Michael finds himself sneaking glances throughout the movie to catch Jeremy’s expressive reaction.

- Rich, Jake, Jeremy and Michael stop by a 7/11 for gas and snacks one night. On the way out, Michael holds the door open for Jeremy who lagged behind the group while trying to open a blind box he just bought. Michael asks him what figure he got and revels in Jeremy’s excitement when he shows him a tiny frog with a bicycle helmet on.

- { Prior to their little moment, an attentive Michael waves Rich on ahead, simply saying “Jeremy’s still in line.” as his reason for staying behind. Rich watches from the gas pump he parked next to as Michael leans against a faded poster covered glass window and waits for Jeremy. He watches him proceed to hold the door open for a completely oblivious Jeremy, far too absorbed in the secrets he’s about to unfold with his blind box. Rich thinks hm. Hm. interesting. }

- Jeremy gushes about his prize later at the table of the Waffle House: “I got a skater frog!”

Rich squints, skeptical. “Where’s his skateboard?”

Jeremy looks around the table for a worthy substitution, going for a spoon from the silverware pile and perching the figure on top. “Currently M.I.A. but he’s got a helmet on so I assume some skating is happening.”

Rich laughs as Jeremy scoots the little amphibian across the table atop his silly new ship. “Skaters don’t wear helmets bro, he’s probably a cyclist or something.”

Jeremy protests, making the frog do a sick spoon flip. “Nah you don’t get it, he’s just a skater that cares about his life!”

Rich supports his cheek with his fist and sips his milkshake, watching Jeremy scoot the little dude across the table. “Laaaame!”

… Michael falls a little.

[keikakudom]

Lemme try and make sense of Vox's mindset, and correct me if I get anything wrong?

I think Vox in RR!au hardly actually thinks about suicide. He's too much of a busy man to do that, after all! Thinking about death is for people with too much time on their hands, who don't have to deal with a billion problems on the daily. And sure, maybe it wouldn't be a terrible accident if he was locked out on extermination day one year (not that there's exterminations anymore), but he'll never bother to actively seek it -- why would he? He has things to do. Empires to run/build. Deals to make. Resorts to run, residents to settle, princesses to talk to.

Really, everything would be just fine and dandy, as long as progress is being made, nothing goes wrong at the resort, heaven doesn't come down for no good reason, and that deer freak manage to not bother him for a single day. All dandy!

So what if he's been going through business ventures like someone going through Doritos at the back of the car? It's difficult to stay on top, in Hell, and he can't rely on tech or media forever, not when they cycle faster and faster(and he would know, of course, his whole body is made of it). He's doing what it takes, and if it's risky, what business isn't?

And re: Alastor, vox may have once had feelings for him, but now it's probably soured into maybe wishing that Alastor would just fuck off somewhere where he'll never be heard from again. I think Vox knows very well from years of companionship that Alastor considers him a source of amusement and entertainment rather than an equal, and that hasn't truly changed even after he left, and in a way that has to bite? That Alastor cannot leave it alone, has to make his opinions and disdain clear to all of hell every single day, and also make it clear that vox cannot do anything to stop him (that tv still runs on radiowaves fundamentally, that he can't get rid of Alastor's influence).

Like the way I interpret canon!vox's feelings re:alastor has a lot more insecurity and the desire to show he's stronger now, he's over it, he doesn't need him, than just being rejected romantically, and in contrast RR!vox grinned and bore it longer without letting on, and then at some point just gave up, by which time his feelings have soured so far past insecurity and bitterness into straight up nihilism. (Doomed yaoi my fav)

Ok I'm just rambling now but yeah I think vox in RR!au is really really interesting? Bc he's y'know not in the best place but also he's fine. He's not, probably never, going to actively do anything, left to his own devices he's just going to keep at his daily routine and eventually self-destruct on his own hubris by taking on far more than he is capable of (people pleasing tendencies, hm?). But otherwise he's fine.

*drops my glass of milk* yea, this all. Checks out.

(that tv still runs on radiowaves fundamentally, that he can't get rid of Alastor's influence)

I think RR!Alastor is also chasing RR!Vox because he knows something is really wrong when Vox wants to cut something *fundamental to his functions* out from his life... If Alastor had any heat to his words, he could do some serious damage to Vox.

But Alastor was not able to reciprocate back then(or in general) the way Vox ever wanted him to. Alastor might think, "What's so wrong about being amusing to me? What's so wrong in being cared for that way?" But we know that Vox, even in canon, is pretty damn emotional. A confession was bound to happen, but since RR!Vox never did, he opt'd to shut them off. It started off with distractions, and those worked too well. Eventually he gave up trying to figure out his emotions and took the "easy" way out, nihilism--but like everything Vox dips his foot into, it's never enough. Only this time it's not only power(like I interpret canon!Vox to seek) that's growing/he's greedy for, it's this all-encompassing void.

Another interesting characterization to tack onto RR!AU Vox is his strong lack of self-preservation, I did mention it here when I had some thoughts on canon!Vox, but rather than "confidence", he does not care. And on occasion, he can go irrationally, batshit crazy for the same reason.

Let's set the stage in hmm, 1980s? He starts not to care about smaller allies, the people he stomps on, eating them up to become an overlord. Recruits Valentino, doesn't care that Val is immoral. At first it's "not his business", but it starts spreading. What is it that he's looking for? Power? Love? Entertainment? People to accept him?

Which is why RR!Vox decided to jump the gun a little bit and shoot for becoming a form of "GOD", aka the original reason for all his anguish in Hell(his religious roots as a human). It's kind of...an endpoint? It's not the most sane, or sensical route-- but he doesn't care that much. He's functioning on this tired/desensitized, pseudo-robotic, logical reasoning with a combo of "oh god I'm running out of interest"(in existing/running himself to the ground). So....hm, "fine" is a tragic word, indeed.

He's not, probably never, going to actively do anything, left to his own devices he's just going to keep at his daily routine and eventually self-destruct on his own hubris by taking on far more than he is capable of (people pleasing tendencies, hm?). But otherwise he's fine.

Welllll, he did always want to go out with a bang. If he did. I don't know, something really big. Like becoming God! Yeah.....That'd do it.

IMO, the premise of RR!AU isn't in stasis-- the reason Vox picked up this project in particular is an aggressive move. He's no longer distributing the same amount of work to the other Vees either anymore, so there is....some urgency, is what I like to think....

[callmehere-iwillappear]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

this has been sitting in my drafts for probably months and i actually don't remember who tagged me at this point sorry </3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

26

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

168,724

3. What fandoms do you write for?

currently just rise but i've had some other fandoms i've written for in the past

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

call me here (i will appear) Use Only For Intended Purpose The Idiot's Guide to Blindfold Chess new phone who dis because i fear i'm lost (and i cannot be found again) wow big surprise(/s) all of these are rise al;jfldksjfkd

5. Do you respond to comments?

i try to but uh </3 i am not very good at it

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

ummm. probably waiting for answers, wasting time bc even if u know the comfort and healing comes there very much isn't any in the fic itself so whoops </3 i am not good at hurt/no comfort so i don't. have a lot of fics that would really qualify

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

uuhhhhh ig fibonacci? most of my fics have relatively happy endings and. this is the one with the least angst overall so

8. Do you get hate on fics?

not yet thank god

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i do not alfjdlkjfkdls

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

imma keep it real with you chief most of the crossovers that i've written are with other people's aus and idk if that counts

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of fingers crossed

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

nope

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yeesssss? sorta? it's not like, on ao3 but i've done some collab crossover stuff with friends (see aforementioned crossover question)

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

god idk. i don't do a lot of shipping these days sorry </3 i have some ships i think are cute but i'm not like, into them enough to say they really qualify

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i want to finish idiot's guide and cmh very very badly and i refuse to jinx it. idk abt npwd solely because of like the type of fic it is, idk if it'll ever be finished finished yk. like there'll always be more little scenes i can do

16. What are your writing strengths?

um. i've been told i'm good at character voice

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

sweats nervously

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

i don't really do it? i probably wouldn't unless it was like, just a couple words - i don't mind too much when other ppl do it bc i have a translation extension on my laptop but i don't have many options when i'm on my phone

19. First fandom you wrote for?

doctor who........ i was like. god idek. fifteen? maybe younger i straight up don't remember <- also none of this is on ao3 this was like, back in my ff.net days and i don't think i even remember my login lmao

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

hmm hm hm. okay. probably because i fear i'm lost. just bc like... idk i'm proud of how it turned out and i'm really . idk. happy with the reception it got. i'm happy it reached people who can relate to it. and it's short enough that there's not like, enough space for there to be parts where i just have to force myself to write stuff i'm not 100% happy with to fill in the gaps. if that makes sense

tagging: You

[auspicioustidings]

Hohoho open to tea shop au ideas i see

What abt my favorite trope that I forgot to ask abt before….

Carried over someone’s shoulder with their hand on ur thigh or ass, and then going abt their day in front of others w u just there

😏

Brat

Words: 800

You knew you were probably playing with fire here, but it wasn't like your ankle was that bad. Just a little sprain was all, you could still do your job just fine! And you wanted to, you couldn't stand the thought of closing up shop for the day on a Sunday.

You loved Sundays more than anything. It had been half a year since you had opened and Sundays had become such a wonderfully busy yet cosy day for you. The old book club was always in gossiping away at their table. They had actually brought their own tea set and it now lived on the shelf only to be used when they were in. It's neighbour was the Japanese teaset that the D&D group that came in on Sundays used (they eagerly explained at length how it fit with their setting and how your tea blends and mochi just really fit the vibes). The father and daughter who always came in just after lunch didn't have a tea set but you had overheard that he liked pink and she liked orange so you always used the little kitschy peachy and orange fruit patterned tea set for them.

And it's not like any of your more protective customers had been there yesterday when you twisted your ankle. None of them had been in today either (you sometimes went weeks without seeing any of them which was to be expected) so you were probably safe from getting a right talking to about being on your feet. Not that the book club hadn't fussed about it, they very much had, but you were pretty good at hiding how painful it was so they didn't push.

If only John Price wasn't the most observant man on the planet when it came to you. Him and his boys had just gotten off of a mission and of course after cleaning up and debriefing they wanted to come visit their girl. You hadn't noticed them come in, too busy chatting away and pouring more tea for the group who seemed like they were scolding a set of dice.

The first hint something was off was Herzogin. She was always rubbing right up against him, Simon and Gaz while being a mean little thing to Soap. But this time she didn't so much rub against his legs as dart nervously over and paw at him.

The second larger hint was his arch nemesis, that awful cow Agnes who just wouldn't die even though she had to be about 102, looking at him with her beady little eyes and then gesturing with her head over to you. She was telling him he needed to pay attention to you, telling him something was up.

It took him all of 3 seconds to see how you favoured your right foot. All of 5 to conclude that you absolutely should not be putting weight on your left ankle at all. 10 to get to your side. Simon was right there with him, understanding the mission without words as always as he took the teapot right out of you hands so Price could heft you over his shoulder, chest to his back and legs dangling over his torso as he secured you with a strong grip to your thigh.

Your smile had barely had time to reach full wattage at seeing them before you were in the air with a little screech.

“J-John! Put me down!”

“I’ll get you another pot, any more snacks?”

“Oh actually could I get one of the strawberry mochi please? Hm? Right yeah make it 3 then.”

“‘Course.”

“Simon!” you yelled, in disbelief that he was just doing your job and your customers were straight up letting him.

Price jostled you on his shoulder to heft you to a better position for him and then walked over with you to the table where Soap and Gaz were now sat.

“What’re we thinking then lads?”

“Ye have any of that smoky tea in hen?”

“Lapsang souchong and yes, I have it in” you answered on instinct, hands pushing against Price's back so you could raise your torso and twist to look at Soap and Gaz who were very much not acting like this was strange at all.

“Aye, we’ll take that.”

Price turned with you then to make his way to the kitchen and you started to kick your legs to be put down. The smack to your ass was both mortifying and maybe a little bit exciting.

“Behave yourself luv or I'll need to tame the brat right out of you.”

Well, at least you could just bury your head in his back to try and maintain some level of dignity at how you had reacted to that.