#hope it was worth the 6 month wait ;w;

[lunathrix]

Your honor, the girls are fighting

Previous | 6

[anerdinallherglory]

Approaching Sun (33)

Author’s Note: Hello everyone! All this SasuSaku content we’ve been blessed with over the last couple of months had my heart hungry for more, so I got to typing! As always, sorry for the delay, but I hope this chapter is worth the wait. To all my readers who have been with me from the beginning, do not lose hope for me! And new readers, welcome to a world of waiting on me to get my crap together. Thanks again for the support!  

Pairing: SasuSaku

Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32

Chapter 33: Interrogations

Watching her friends exit through the doorway of the Kazekage’s office, Sakura couldn’t help but feel relieved as the rest of Team 7 and Shikamaru trailed behind Sasuke and Kankuro to the Sand Village Prison. Sakura’s cheeks were still a little red, taken by surprise at Sasuke’s unexpected appearance just now. Sakura mentally berated herself for the flushed reaction, especially after rehearsing in her head all morning how she would come off much more composed during their reunion after the whole kissing thing last night. She had matured a lot from her Genin days, and was usually very collected around her peers now (except Naruto, maybe, who sometimes brough out her temper), but seeing Sasuke assessing her own reaction with a certain white-haired sensei’s watchful, knowing eye had Sakura acting like her schoolgirl self again. She cringed at her own embarrassed behavior.  

Suddenly, the Kazekage’s voice brought her back to the matter at hand. “Even though it is not ideal, there’s some logic behind Shikamaru’s suggestion.”

Sakura nodded, remembering her friend’s proposition regarding the anti-peace group targeting Sakura for her mental health-centered endeavors. Shikamaru had offered a solution to their dilemma on finding the rest of the group’s members, but it involved using Sakura as a lure for her enemies. It’s not that Sakura was opposed to the idea; she wasn’t worried in the slightest, actually. She was just annoyed with the problem at hand. She was making progress here in the Sand with the mental health clinic and she was reluctant to put that on hold while she dealt with these war-focused sociopaths. At least, she told herself that if she were to draw them out, she wouldn’t have to go looking for them in Tanigakure, but she had another concern regarding that.

She voiced this concern to Gaara, saying, “Drawing such a crowd into your village might pose a risk to the citizens here.” He shook his head thoughtfully at that, and Sakura wondered why Gaara might be willing to take such a risk all in the name of her safety. If anything, it would be more appropriate for Konoha to take such an action since she was a Leaf Shinobi, after all. Or was it really her safety that inspired Gaara to do so?

“They were able to infiltrate here through the clinic which I take personal responsibility for. It’s not in my nature to overlook such an offense so easily and I believe I owe this to you as an apology for failing to keep you safe.” Gaara’s rasping voice faded away as he assessed her reaction and Sakura saw a faint ember of emotion in his typical stoic eyes that accompanied the apology. She found herself blushing for the second time as she reassured him that everything was fine and that it was her fault for leading them here from Tanigakure in the first place.

When she brought up Tanigakure, Gaara interjected, “If we settle the matter within my country, we would be sparing Tanikagure from getting involved more than they already have. They have not taken too kindly to our investigative presence the last twenty-four hours. I thought that involving Konoha would make it seem more diplomatic, but Shikamaru’s suggestion might be best. We don’t want another situation on our hands where a small country is caught between two nations.”

Sakura nodded again at the Kazekage’s rationale, acknowledging the truth and importance of his words. “I’m willing to do anything I can to help,” she finally declared, already wondering how she would manage to entice them here.

“Let’s think it over more carefully and discuss it more tomorrow,” he said, relaxing into the chair behind his desk. “We have discovered a couple of leads that we need to explore and thinking of a plan will take some time. Meanwhile, I’d like to ask your opinion on something.”

“Okay,” Sakura responded, making to sit in the chair Gaara indicated with his hand across from the desk. A part of her wanted to grill the Kazekage for more details about the group in Tanigakure, so she could know the ins and outs about those who wanted to target her, but Sakura also believed that the shadow-being she had gone up against was most likely the scariest of them all to face, so she wasn’t too worried about the details. And if Gaara didn’t offer her more information than that, then he was probably holding back for official related reasons. So, she let it go.

“We also talked about a mental health treatment for adults as well as children. Should we begin with those you’ve captured and brought to me?”

Sakura blinked at such a statement as she recalled her conversation with the Kazekage as they strolled together along the sun-lit avenues of sand toward the village’s entrance a few days ago. “It has been an inaccuracy to think that only children could suffer,” Sakura had said to Gaara, “What if we included adults in our mental health program, too?” Gaara must have taken the proposition very seriously at the time, considering how quickly he was choosing to take action toward such a goal.

Sakura couldn’t help but hesitate in response to Gaara’s sudden proposition. Could someone like her really get through to those people, the people she had gone toe to toe with in the desert—the very people who had set out to kill her for the sole reason of her mental health efforts? She wasn’t sure.

“I’ll be there,” came the hoarse reassurance of the sand wielding Kage before her. Seeds of hope suddenly embedded themselves within her heart of doubt. “I’ll help you start.”

Sakura nodded, offering the Kazekage a smile of gratitude. Just before they had viewed the sunset together, Sakura had meant the words she had told Gaara in response to the question of who would be best to help people in need: “Like you, Lord Kazekage.” Even though Sakura silently pondered how Gaara had the availability to help her begin this process, Gaara had the same noble way as Naruto of making others believe in him.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sasuke sneered beyond Naruto’s shoulder as his friend knelt before the sand encased jail cell containing one of Sakura’s attackers. They had separated him from the other two, all of whom Sasuke had transported via Kaguya’s dimensions back into the Sand Village. Sasuke knew Naruto’s hands itched in the same way his did as they both witnessed Mako’s silent interrogation. The medic revealed very little as Suna’s renowned questioner sat before him just on the other side of the bars, ticking off questions one by one.

“How did you manage to subdue the medical kunoichi known as Sakura Haruno?” the investigator asked without skipping a beat.

“I drugged her. Isn’t that already obvious?” came Mako’s tort and honest reply. It was as good enough as any confession as far as Sasuke was concerned, so what was the point of continuing this charade of a civil investigation? Sasuke knew it was morally wrong to skip necessary processes and jump straight to the physical force required to extract the information he wanted, but it was hard to kick old habits of thinking.

The questioning continued. “You expect us to believe that you were able to drug an elite medical ninja without assistance? Who helped you sedate her and what was the method used?”

Mako let out a small derisive laugh that had the Uchiha narrowing his eyes lethally in the traitor’s direction. “You’re overestimating her. All I did was pretend to be her colleague and slip something into her drink. Someone who desperately wants a friend isn’t difficult to deceive.”

Mako’s declaration did two things for Sasuke. First, it was like a heavy stone dropped in Sasuke’s heart, for he felt so terribly guilty about his and Sakura’s falling-out immediately post-kiss in the medicine preparation room two nights ago. Had Sasuke left her feeling so eager for kindness that she had dropped her guard? These same words also ignited a rage so savage within the Uchiha that he felt like stepping through a portal, just to stand on the other side of these bars, inches away from the man who had the audacity to say that about Sakura.

Sasuke smirked when Naruto’s angry voice echoed throughout the jail from his place beside the Uchiha: “Drugging Sakura was that last thing you’ll ever do, you BASTARD!” Sasuke was somewhat relieved that his friend was getting worked up, too, and had actually spoken Sasuke’s mind for him.

“Calm down, Naruto,” Kakashi stated predictably, and Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes at his sensei’s typical levelheaded lecturing. “You too, Sasuke,” Kakashi ordered next, placing hands on both of their shoulders. “The last thing we need is for either of you to get involved in this personally.” Sasuke wanted to flash his sensei an affronted look for even comparing him to his loser best friend or suggesting that he was getting angry on Sakura’s behalf, but Sasuke dropped the pretense. What was the point of pretending he wasn’t just as pissed as Naruto? The Uchiha’s annoyance was visibly displayed on his face in colors of red and purple. He so desperately wished Mako would turn in his direction, catch his sharingan and spiral into the memory-searching genjutsu Sasuke had prepared for him. He would find the answers without all this unnecessary time wasting. But Sasuke knew that Mako knew better than to search him out; he had witnessed what Sasuke had done with Satou in the hospital room to learn just what he needed to know about Isao, the child Sakura cared for.

Again, Naruto voiced both their thoughts by arguing, “We are already personally involved. He drugged our teammate. She’s one of us! The least we should do is teach this guy a lesson.”

“Hn,” Sasuke breathed in agreement, surprising himself for allowing the sound to reveal his own private thinking. When Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Naruto looked over at him in surprise, Sasuke decided to further add: “we need to find out where the other ninja of this group are.”

“It appears to me that Sakura accomplished that herself, Naruto,” Shikamaru chimed in, pointing out the wounds still not fully healed on the young traitorous medic. “We’ll get the information soon enough.”

After the interrogator jotted down a few private notes on the table between him and Mako, the green-haired man pushed the round frames of his glasses back up the bridge of his nose as he made eye contact with Mako again. “Where is the rest of your group?”

“There isn’t any more. You’ve apprehended all who were a part of it,” Mako replied immediately.  

Then the green-haired investigator sighed, pulling his glasses off in irritability. “I despise liars. I have methods of making you talk. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have this job. But the Kazekage—he is the only thing between you and my preferred methods of interrogation.”

Why would the Kazekage hold back against this scum, Sasuke thought silently to himself. This fake had infiltrated Gaara’s village who knows how long ago, targeted the mental health clinic Sakura had helped establish here, posed as a caring and concerned medic, earned everyone’s trust, and betrayed Sakura at just the right time.

“I’m not lying,” Mako seethed.

The green-haired man, who Sasuke grew to like more and more as he questioned Mako, narrowed his eyes and leaned across the table and said, “I’ll let you in on a secret. Do you really think that the Kazekage does not have all the answers to these questions? Why then, do you think I’m wasting my time questioning you? Think really hard, I’m sure you’re capable of figuring it out.”

And with that whispered revelation, Sasuke couldn’t help but review Kankuro’s words from yesterday in his mind: “With unmentionable methods, we were able to find out who their target was.” Did this mean that Gaara already knew how many were in the group from an interrogation that Gaara had conducted back in Tanigakure?

Naruto snickered loudly at the divulgement of the Kazekage’s secret, interrupting Sasuke’s thoughts, and Sasuke noticed that Mako couldn’t help but locate the blonde-haired jinchuriki who observed him. Mako’s face turned slightly white as he realized for the first time who exactly had been making so much noise outside his cell. Sasuke noted his fear of Naruto as a good thing and smirked when Mako made a point of dropping his gaze and locating Sasuke’s figure next, eyes trained solely on his legs. Mako’s fear of him was even better.  

“Have you figured it out yet?” the interrogator asked, laughter in the question.

Mako’s eyes widened suddenly, not because he had solved anything, but because the Kazekage was suddenly there in the flesh, standing beside the green-haired ninja with a palm on his shoulder. “Enough, Kizumo. Let’s stop here.”

Glancing back at the Kazekage, the green-haired ninja sighed and let the pen he was holding drop and roll across the notepad on the table in frustration at having his job cut short.

“We will take care of this one,” the Kazekage rasped, gesturing to newly formed entrance at the back of the sand-bodied cell. “Go and see what you can learn from the shade. Don’t touch him but do what you need to do.”

A wicked smile replaced the disappointed frown on Kizumo’s face. “I won’t have to touch him, Lord Kazekage.” And with that, he exited hurriedly through the hole in the wall that Gaara had formed.

But Sasuke was hung up on the word Gaara had used at the beginning of his command to Kizumo: We? We will take care of this one?

Just as Sasuke had that thought, his stomach dropped when his pink-haired teammate entered the cell through the hole as well, Gaara gesturing for her to take the seat across from Mako that Kizumo had just vacated.

Sasuke was certain that the same frown he now wore, not only occupied his own face at seeing Sakura face the man who had betrayed her, but Naruto’s and Kakashi’s as well.

“Punch his face in, Sakura!” Naruto called to her from the other side of the cell, and Sakura turned to find him. She smiled at Naruto, reassuring him that all was okay. She found Sasuke’s multicolored eyes next, lingered on them for half a second, before turning back to Mako.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sakura shuffled the papers in a yellow file that Gaara had given her to look through before they came to Suna’s prison. The papers contained many details about Mako, his activity within the village, and his alleged backstory. “Every non-Suna born citizen has a special documentation file,” Gaara had relayed casually as they descended the steps into the underground sand-constructed prison, “with information regarding their activity and how they came to be here. It might not be much use since its mostly filled with his lies, but I figured if anyone could discern anything valuable, you might.”

“I’ll try,” Sakura had assured him, flipping through the record carefully as they walked. In truth, the file didn’t contain much out of the ordinary—or what she would expect for Mako. He had come to the village a year ago, claiming to be from a small island asking to join the medic team, claiming to be a part of the elite medic unit in Tanigakure and would like to learn from the medical advancements here. Unsuspicious of an individual hailing from a non-ninja nation, Gaara saw Mako’s knowledge of medicine as an asset and granted his request, offering Mako a place and lodging. His activity was also unremarkable as he spent the last year learning from medical staff Sakura had helped train.

Hisa, unexpectedly, did not have a file. In fact, she had managed to somehow infiltrate the village secretly, and Sakura suspected that Mako had succeeded in smuggling her in. Sakura wasn’t surprised that Gaara addressed this topic with Mako first.

“You smuggled your counterpart inside the village via the medical trade route, am I correct? When receiving medical supplies from Tanigakure, an advanced medical country, she came with and was disguised as someone with a position in the building. Is any of that wrong?” The examination was calm, unthreatening, just as if Gaara had been talking to Kankuro or Temari. The way he phrased the questions revealed that Gaara had already figured this particular scenario out.

Mako kept his eyes down, focusing on the file in Sakura’s hands. She guessed that he was evaluating its thickness carefully, determining just how much information about him and his co-conspirators was already contained within. Would he bothering lying in the Kazekage’s face, Sakura wondered.

“If you’re going to end up killing me, just get on with it,” Mako replied behind clenched teeth, his silence about Hisa revealing Gaara had been correct in his guesswork.

And to Sakura’s surprise, sand began to spiral at Mako’s feet and in just a few seconds, it reached up to form manacles around the imposter’s wrists, jerking them back behind the chair so that he was properly restrained. “If that is your wish,” Gaara responded calmly to Mako’s now wide-eyed expression of fear. “The path of life you have currently chosen will lead to your death anyway.”

Large heaps of sand began to fall from the ceiling around Mako, filling the room rapidly with sand like a tipped upside-down hourglass. Creating an invisible barrier across the cement table between them, Gaara allowed the sand to crash down around the conspirator so that only Mako’s side of the sand-bodied interrogation room began to rise around his feet like water in a cave during high tide. Sakura’s heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest.

The room buzzed loudly, and sand whipped through Sakura’s hair as the grains were summoned in Mako’s direction. Gaara’s voice was still intense enough to be heard despite his overall composure and the humming of the sand as if this very room was designed to emphasize it. “My sand delights at the blood of others and I’ve killed many before you. Since you have volunteered your life, it eagerly accepts.”

Mako began to shift anxiously as the sand reached his shoulders and he bit his bottom lip in steely resolve to quiet his quickened breathing and accept his fate. Gaara’s slow voice continued, “When someone chooses a life of darkness, a life of hatred and evil, and puts their life on the line for a cause accomplished through darkness, they are only marching towards an inevitable death.”

Sakura glanced over at Gaara in concern as the sand billowed like a wave around Mako’s chin and Mako leaned his head back and strained his neck above it, gasping for the last few breaths of oxygen belonging to him in this world.

“Why so?” Gaara asked, composed and relaxed despite the struggling man before him. “Because you have pit yourself against those who share a stronger vision—one of peace and hope and love. Naturally, the odds will be against you.”

“Stop,” came Mako’s desperate voice at last, sand knocking against the sides of his head. “Please. Stop!”

“Do you choose life?” Gaara asked Mako, and the long-subdued tears began to spill over the rims of his eyelids.

“Yes!” he cried, but the sand did not stop ascending around him. “I said yes! Don’t kill me! MAKE IT STOP!”

“Not good enough. Which life do you choose?” Gaara probed, crossing his arms over his chest in resolve to wait for the answer he wanted.

“A peaceful—" Mako whimpered, sand choking off the words as it filled his throat.

Gaara watched him thrash for just a moment and Sakura tried desperately to hold herself back despite the Kazekage’s hesitation. She had chosen to trust the Kazekage as someone to align herself with for the sake of the lives almost lost to an all-consuming darkness. He wanted to help them just as much as her. These corrupt ninja were not children as Sakura was used to. She would trust Gaara’s judgement.

Finally. Finally, the sand relented, ascending once more into the air to reconstruct the ceiling above the jail cell. And as Mako coughed violently, rubbing sand from his eyes and ears, Gaara made a final statement that made Sakura realize that only Gaara would be the savior of these ninja: “Rather than a life a loneliness, we surround ourselves with evil people. Such a life is worse because you will lose your soul to the hatred within you, no longer caring for the feeling of comradery, and you might as well be dead anyway.”

Mako sat in his chair gasping like beached ocean creature that waited for death on a bed of sand.

“I too, was like you,” Gaara announced, voice softening as he recalled the sand from Mako’s lungs and hair. “Until someone extended a hand in friendship.” Gaara gestured over his shoulder to Naruto who grinned heartily and rubbed the back of his neck shyly at Gaara’s recognition of him.  

“Can you take over from here Sakura?” Gaara asked her, and she nodded, watching the Kazekage’s back as he turned in Naruto and Kakashi’s direction. When the sand bars of the cell disintegrated as he passed through them, Sakura once again found herself grateful to be considered a friend of Gaara’s and not an enemy. She had faced him head on once before, and was thankful every day afterward that Naruto had extended that hand of friendship to his fellow jinchuriki.  

“Come with me,” Gaara said to the waiting Leaf ninja, “there’s another ninja you need to see. He possesses an ability like yours, Shikamaru.” Kakashi and Shikamaru immediately followed the Kazekage, and Naruto lingered for a moment, offering a hesitant look back at Sakura as he was conflicted at being summoned away from her. The blonde ninja glanced back over to Sasuke who seemed to be content just where he was as he perched himself against the wall just across from Mako’s cell, eyes closed as if he were settling to doze. Naruto rushed to Gaara’s side once he was certain Sasuke planned to stay behind.

When Sakura turned back to Mako, he was rubbing his wrists where Gaara’s sand had bound him. He chose not to look at the pink-haired medic he had betrayed, instead shamefully focusing back on the table between them. He shifted painfully, and Sakura noted for the first time that blood ran in tendrils down to his feet from his previously sustained injuries, injuries Sakura had yet to heal.

Standing, she made her way around to Mako’s back, lifting the material around the stab wound to assess it. Mako hissed in pain as the material lifted from the wound. “What are you doing?” he murmured.

“Healing you fully,” she explained, rolling up the back of his shirt against Mako’s stiffening protest.

“Don’t,” he said weakly as Sakura tugged the shirt the rest of the way up and over his head. “Save your strength. You’ll need it.” She frowned at the wound that now festered from incomplete treatment. At some point in his capture and detainment, Mako had reopened the wound. Sakura had only staunched the bleeding with her chakra immediately after rendering the other two of her enemies unconscious on the desert battlefield, and now the skin puckered with redness and swelling.

“Why is that?” Sakura asked calmly, already predicting his next answer.

“There’s more of them waiting,” he whispered quietly, so that not even Sasuke who indignantly peeked at them under thick eyelashes, could overhear. “They’ll come for you.”  

Summoning the green chakra to her fingertips despite his warning, Sakura pressed her fingers to the open rip in Mako’s flesh and he gasped. “Why do you tell me this?” she asked him. “Have you really chosen to seek a new life of peace like you promised the Kazekage? Or was that a lie just to save your own neck?”

“Once they find me, and realize I have betrayed the cause, they’ll kill me anyway,” Mako whispered again. “The Kazekage has shown me mercy, but they will not. I cannot choose a life of peace even if I wish it.”

Sakura frowned, glancing over the top of his dark head of hair to admire Sasuke from a distance. Sasuke had been able to choose peace because he had the support of others. As did Gaara. This meant that they both had friends who were willing to go against the world in order to protect their choices to start over. Mako didn’t have that.

“Why did you join them? Do you really believe that there needs to be hatred and war circulating throughout the ninja world?” Sakura asked him honestly, chakra sputtering and dying as she suddenly ran empty. Her breathing quickened as a headache began to form at her temples. She cursed internally at her low supply of chakra. She needed more rest. She still hadn’t fully recovered from the battle, had used what chakra she had possessed healing Isao this morning, and was also consistently feeding a stream of chakra to her injured hand. The freshly healed wound on Mako’s back was enough to reassure her despite the strain. At least he was restored.

“I needed a place in this world. Their vision made sense to me.”

Sakura nodded, returning to the chair exhaustedly. She closed Mako’s file and said, “You had a place. You have a place.”

His eyebrows raised, as he mentally processed what she was suggesting.

“We need you,” she said to him, emotion thickening her already tired voice. “I need you—by my side in the mental health clinics when I’m here, and running things in my place when I’m not. I’ve never had such a competent partner before.”

Mako stared back at her and Sakura saw the confliction in his eyes. “How can you say that to someone who betrayed you? I drugged you. I had every intention of handing you over to them to do as they wished.”

This was true, and the reality of it twisted in her heart. However, Mako had also refused to let Hisa kill her, insisting that she was too valuable to kill right away.

“Everyone deserves a second chance,” she smiled, making to stand behind the table. “Forgiveness is how we will manage to create a peaceful world.”

Mako looked down at his feet again as Sakura turned back toward the hole in the wall that Gaara had morphed into existence. Her head was throbbing terribly now, and Sakura massaged her eyes.

“Ok,” Mako said to Sakura’s retreating form, and Sakura turned back just before reaching the exit. “If I somehow make it out of this alive, I’ll do it. I’ll help you with the mental health clinics. I’ll help you achieve peace. In return for your forgiveness, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

Sakura blinked at Mako, feeling somewhat comforted by the fact that even though he had betrayed her and did some terrible things, he still had goodness in him. Sakura hadn’t entirely been fooled by Mako because he was still someone worthy of forgiveness. “Deal,” Sakura nodded, taking the last step from his cell and entering a small sand tunnel that would eventually connect her back to the main stairway. As if on cue of her exiting, the tunnel closed itself off behind her, leaving Mako to take the first mental steps toward a new life.  

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

As soon as the wall had sealed her away from Mako, Sasuke was there, reaching for her as she leaned against the wall to hold her head. Sakura jumped when his hand found her upper arm, surprised at his sudden appearance.

“Sasuke,” she breathed, trying to smile despite the pain. “You shouldn’t be wasting your chakra teleporting carelessly.”

Sasuke scoffed as he forced her to sit against one of the tunnel walls, “You’re one to talk,” he chastised, summoning a little chakra to the palm of his only hand. “Draining the last of your chakra healing lying snakes like that one. How annoying.”

She laughed nonchalantly and Sasuke wrapped his glowing hand around the back of her neck, focusing what healing powers he possessed to the center of her nape, pushing the chakra up into her skull. As Sasuke had watched her with Mako, the Uchiha had detected a drop in her chakra signal and saw her hand reach up to touch her eyes. He had known in that very moment that she had wasted what little chakra she had left on that bastard.

After a second, she pushed against Sasuke’s elbow weekly, signaling him to stop. “That’s plenty.”

Sasuke ignored her, pressing his fingers gently into her skin so she couldn’t remove them by fighting him. “Let me have my way, or we’ll be here longer,” he mimicked, repeating to Sakura her very own words when Sasuke had pushed her hand away from his forehead last night after he had overdosed on chakra pills.

She laughed in response, her voice already beginning to strengthen from the newfound energy. Her damn inhuman strength also returned slightly, because she was suddenly pulling his palm away from her neck and no amount of his strength would be comparable enough to hers to keep it there, no matter how much he might want to.

Sakura didn’t let go of it though as Sasuke expected, but instead grasped it with her own as she, too, used her other hand to gently cup her fingers around the back of Sasuke’s neck. There was no healing or sharing of chakra as he had done for her, and Sasuke realized that Sakura simply just wanted to experience the same sensation Sasuke had felt by touching her there.

Sasuke was thankful for the darkness because the sudden intimacy made him blush and react instinctively. He smoothly pulled at her fingers, pulling her hand down so that the inside of her elbow hung over his neck instead, and he used her arm to help lift her from the ground. Sasuke led her down the dim tunnel that Gaara had apparently fashioned. What a mole Gaara was, Sasuke thought for a second, cutting corners and creating paths through the sand so he could make it from point A to point B in the shortest distance possible.

“Sorry,” Sakura whispered beside him, she too, relishing this apparent excuse of supporting her to be so near to one another. “I know physical contact isn’t really one of your strengths. If I do something that makes you uncomfortable, please tell me.”

Sasuke nodded, not quite sure what he wanted to say to that. Yes, displays of affection would always be…difficult, especially if anyone else was around. But there was a growing part of Sasuke that craved Sakura in ways he didn’t know were within him. Just moments ago, he had watched her lift the back of Mako’s shirt and run her hands along the traitor’s back and Sasuke had never frowned so deeply in his life at seeing her do so. She had performed such an action on countless ninja, including everyone in Team 7 at one point or another, and Sasuke couldn’t understand why such an act now suggested something more sensual. She had healed him on his back before and Sasuke had never been bothered by her touch, but he suddenly couldn’t stop imagining her fingers there. He had never had thoughts like this before, but then again, Sasuke had also never reached for a woman in the dark of a shared room, finding her lips with his mouth. Sasuke had crossed a line that he knew would require self-control from here on out.

“Let’s get you back to the room,” Sasuke stated as he shuffled her more securely against him. “You need rest so that you can recover.”

When they made it back to the inn which was conveniently not too far away from the underground prison, Sasuke opened the door for Sakura and stood within the frame after she entered. Observing her climb into bed and settling within the blankets, Sasuke asked something that had been bothering him ever since it occurred, “What did Mako tell you?”

“About what,” she requested in return for clarification.

“When he told you to save your chakra,” Sasuke prompted, probing his female friend’s mind for information despite her exhaustion. He had to know the details if he were going to keep her safe.

“Oh,” Sakura announced, sitting up on an elbow as she recalled the words. “He said there were more of them out there, the group that was after us in Tanigakure.”

Sasuke nodded, his suspicions confirmed. He had already guessed this, considering he had yet to find someone with the correct size and voice as the ninja he had confronted in the hallway of Tanigakure’s inn after the ninja had made an attempt to get Sakura to answer her door.

“I’m going back to the prison,” Sasuke said suddenly, waiting a moment more in the doorframe for a response.

Knowing him well, Sakura answered the question the Uchiha held on his tongue before he could even speak it. “I’ll be fine. Go.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When Sakura finally woke, it was dark in the room, except for the small ray of light shining in through the window from the crescent moon. Sakura rubbed the back of her stiff neck, not realizing until now that she had slept on it crookedly, her exhaustion apparently dragging her so deep into a sleep that she slept the entire day away.

When she sat up, she started in surprise to see that Sasuke was still awake, sitting on his bed across the room, staring out the window. Sakura instantly recognized the fierce set of his jaw as one of annoyance.

“Sasuke?” Sakura called out to him, “What’s wrong?”

When his eyes landed on hers, he narrowed them, silently contemplating his next words to her. The anger in them made Sakura rise to her feet and go over to him. She sat slowly beside him as he stared at her with an unhappiness that had Sakura’s stomach dropping. “What happened?” Sakura asked again, reaching for his fingers splayed tensely across the bed. He didn’t move them.

“Why did you agree to let Gaara use you as bait to draw out the enemy?” he asked, forcing the words past his tightly set jaw. Sakura had never seen Sasuke upset with her like this and she didn’t know how she was supposed to react. She just returned his angry stare with an even expression, sighing smally as she released his hand.

“It’s the best option we have,” she explained. “I know it’s dangerous, but Gaara thinks—”

“I know what he thinks,” Sasuke interrupted as he stood, pacing over to the window and away from her. “I just spent hours listening to potential plans designed around this mutual decision of yours.”

Sakura swallowed thickly as more of the pieces concerning his frustration came together. “What other alternative is there?” she began, trying to lead him back to the only solution that made the most sense.

“I could go to Tanigakure, myself,” Sasuke suggested. “And intercept them before they made it here. A covert operation with one person wouldn’t involve Konoha and Suna. It would be discreet.”

“You have other business here, Sasuke. Focus on your mission and I’ll worry about this. I don’t want this to distract you—”

“Before,” Sasuke whispered in the dark. “The me before could have done so. But I can’t now. What is the point of my mission to find the Otsutsuki race and eliminate them as a threat when I can’t eradicate a group of ninja set on killing you?”

Sakura’s heart stilled at such words, knowing how difficult it was for Sasuke to admit such a thing to her. Rising, she made her way over to him, tenderly tucking her arms around his sides as she had done many times before, resting her forehead against his back. “I can take care of this, Sasuke. You don’t have to worry.”

There was no scoff or sneer at her words for saying such a ridiculous thing, and instead, Sasuke gripped her fingers at his waist like a lifeline. “I know,” he admitted, turning in her arms to face her.

Sakura’s stomach dropped to her feet when he leaned his forehead against hers in the reflection of the moon. “I don’t doubt your strength,” he whispered. “But if something happened to you, I don’t know who I’d become again.”

“Sasuke,” she breathed, “You don’t have to worry about such things because I’m not going anywhere—not now—not when I can finally do this.”

Carefully, Sakura stood on her tiptoes, closed the distance between their noses, and pecked the scowling Uchiha right on the lips.  

A beautiful thing happened next and Sakura locked the image into her heart to last her a lifetime. Sasuke smiled. Actually smiled—just for a moment as he sighed in relief, and then his eyes lingered on her lips in return. His face grew serious again as he did so.

Daringly, Sakura pulled on his hand, and Sasuke followed her to his bed against the wall. He hesitated as she rose onto the bed with her knees, turning so that she faced his still-standing form, and cupped both of his cheeks with her palms. Sakura gazed into his dark eyes that reflected the moon as if they were their very own black and moonlit skies. She could see the struggle within them, so she didn’t take another step, didn’t make another move until Sasuke decided to do what Sakura knew he wanted to.

As she started to loosen her tender hold on him, Sasuke found the nape of her neck with his hand, just as he had in Gaara’s tunnel of sand, and she gasped at the warmth of his fingers. He crashed his mouth against hers, a kiss that was sweltering with need and desire, one so unlike the tender first kisses between them last night. At first, she was genuinely shocked at the emotions Sasuke was communicating through the kiss, and Sakura couldn’t believe her luck. He was kissing her, kissing her as a lover would and she couldn’t believe it. Sakura responded greedily, fastening her own fingers around the back of Sasuke’s neck. She deepened the kiss, responding to his need with a need of her own. Sakura pulled him down to her as their mouths moved against one another until he had no choice but to straddle her knee.

When Sakura’s fingers found their way under the hem of his shirt, Sasuke sucked in a sharp breath and broke away from her mouth long enough to tear the shirt from his skin. He guided her hand slowly back to his spine, holding her eyes with his. “Touch me,” he instructed.

She did as he asked, running her fingers up along his back slowly. She wasn’t so sure if she had just imagined him bite back a moan as he arched his back in response to her fingernails. Was this really happening? How far was he prepared to go with her? At this pace, they would—

“Touch me, too,” Sakura whispered against Sasuke’s teeth when his mouth found hers again. He, too, found the hem of her shirt and pushed it away from the skin above her right hip. Angling them so that they were on their side facing one another, Sasuke slid his fingers around to her back and sighed her name when he felt the dip in her spine.

“I have—” Sakura began to bring up an important factor to the natural progression of events like this, but Sasuke withdrew his hand from her skin and kissed her slowly one last time before pulling away and sitting up on the bed.

“It’s not going to happen,” he declared to the dark.

Sakura couldn’t help but feel the disappointment that suddenly doused the fire in her veins. “Why not?” she asked dejectedly, sitting back up to face him. She reached out longingly and traced the now-exposed clavicle of his chest.

“Think about it more before you decide,” he said, tenderly pulling her fingers away from his skin.

“I’ve given this plenty of thought,” she admitted too hurriedly, and instantly wished she could recant the words at Sasuke’s sudden smirk as he retrieved his shirt from the floor and slipped it over his head. “I mean,” she tried again, retracting back the meaning behind that sentence. “I want this.”

“Let’s keep you alive over the next few days. I don’t want us distracted by this.”

Distracted? Did he really not know that this almost that had happened between them would distract her every waking thought for the next several days? Her mind would recall every second and the longing for more would intensify the distraction. Sakura pouted silently to herself as she treaded back over to her bed across the room. Sasuke didn’t breathe another word and neither did she, because if they spoke or broke the silence, they might find their way back toward one another in the dark and Sakura had already promised to respect his wishes when he felt uncomfortable. Damn her mouth.

[lyranova]

Hi Lyra! 💕

For the ask game how about 9 (keeping my fingers crossed for Zerilliam or YuNeva), 15 and 24?

Hiya Lola! Of course, and as requested I chose YuNeva for number 9 (it was really hard to decide between them or Zerilliam 😭!). And I hope you enjoy~!

9 with characters i love

Aaaaahhhhh i had such a hard time trying to decide on a piece! But I finally decided on a YuNeva one that I write a few months ago that I just completely adore, now this hasn’t been published yet, but it will be a part of “Endevaors of Gods and Mortals”!

“ Well then…help me become a full God that way it won’t take as long.” Neva proposed, and Yuno frowned a bit as he crossed his arms. “ If you help me become a full God, I’ll help you become the next King of Gods. It’s a win-win for both of us.”

“ I thought you were already planning on supporting me becoming the next King of Gods?” He asked with a raised brow, and she nodded.

“ I am. But if you help me, it’ll only double my support. Because I’ll not only be supporting you as a fellow God, but also as your wife.” She told him with a small grin, and Yuno hummed in thought for a moment before he looked at her seriously.

“ No thanks.”

“ W-What? Why not?” She exclaimed in surprise, her purple eyes slightly wide. She thought he would easily agree to this since he had been pretty persistent in asking her to marry him.

“ Because if I help you become a God, would you have really earned it? All of the Gods in Elysia worked hard to become a God, and they did it on their own. So would it really be right and fair if I helped you become one?” He asked curiously, and he watched as he blushed and looked away.

He had a point, but that didn’t mean she liked it.

“ Says the man who was already born as a God.” She muttered with a small pout as she looked away.

“ I was born a half-God. I still had to work hard to become a full one just like everyone else, and I did it without my parents' help,” He told her before he reached out and patted her head. “ And you’re just as strong and amazing as I am, if not more. So I think you’ll be able to do it without my help.”

Neva’s head snapped in Yuno’s direction, her face bright red because of him patting her head and because of his compliment.

“ What happens if I never become one? Or if it takes a millennia?”

“ You’ll become one,” He said firmly, leaving no room for argument. “ And when you do, we'll get married. Even if it takes a decade, a century, or a millennia.”

“ You’ll wait a millennia to marry me?”

“ I’ll wait 6 if I have to.”

“ Why?”

“ Because…you’re worth the wait.”

15 from an old piece that i like

Aaahhh another hard one :wah:, i have so many, but this little piece from “Children of the Future Chapter 15” just always makes me giggle because of how silly it is 😆!

“ Sir,” a magic knight shouted as he ran into Julius’s office. Julius stood abruptly and looked at the man.

“ What is it?”

“ We have an intruder inside the castle! Apparently they’re a spatial mage which explains how he got in, luckily we were able to apprehend him without difficulty. He…He’s a bit of a coward.” The magic knight muttered as suddenly shouting could be heard behind him.

“ Please let me go! It was an accident I hadn’t meant to just pop in here! I can assure you this will never happen again! Please please let me go! I’m too pretty to be tortured and I’m too young to die!” The young man shouted as he was dragged into Julius’s office. Julius and Marx blinked.

The young man had shoulder length pink hair that was partially tied into a ponytail. His suit was a mixture of burgundy and black, his eyes were a light purple color as well, but what really stood out was the robe he was wearing. A Black Bulls robe to be exact.

24 that makes me go "huh...i wrote that?!"

The one that I instantly think of are the poems in “A Fractured Diamond” but…considering Laura helped me write them I can’t say I wrote them all by myself 😆! But this one from my Alistar x Hikari “Rain” fic is a close second, and is one I wrote by myself!

The boy didn’t even seem to notice her presence, he stayed in the same spot, in the same position, as she walked up to him. Hikari had known the boy pretty much her entire life, they weren’t very close though as they were in two separate squads, but she had met him numerous times and found him pleasant to be around. Even if he could be a little bit of a ‘by the rules’ type, but he was always kind and polite to her. This didn’t even look like the same boy.

“ Hurt...it hurts…” Alistar struggled to get out, his voice was hoarse as though he had been screaming, there were vines wrapped around his legs and ankles, but they didn’t look tight enough to be hurting him.

“ What hurts?” She asked him as she looked around his body, his shirt was slightly torn, but he had no wounds.

“ Everything…” Alistar told Hikari so softly that she almost missed it, her head shot in his direction. Sweat was dripping down his face as though he were in extreme agony. But when he finally moved his eyes to look at hers she gasped; his eyes, they held a different kind of pain in them. Alistar wasn’t talking about physical pain, he was talking about a different kind of pain, one that couldn’t be seen.

“ Look, I know you’re hurting right now, and I’ll do what I can to help you. But just because you’re hurting, doesn’t give you the right to be hurting others too!” Hikari shouted, shocking both Alistar and Yami. Alistar gaped at the young brunette. She could understand he was hurting and that in return he wanted others to hurt as well, but that didn’t mean it was the right thing to do!

“ I…” He trailed off, his eyes suddenly searching hers, for what neither really knew. But the vines that surrounded them suddenly began to vanish. “ I don’t want to hurt anyone else.” He finished, his voice breaking, Hikari instantly looked away sheepishly. She hadn’t meant to be so harsh.

[tradetobest]

dee's february 2024 fic recs

once again i am late with this but. here's this months recs. narrowing this down was SUPER hard but i hope yall like them :)

(fic roulette 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8)

Blow What's Left of My Right Mind by eyeslikeonyx

pairing: tyler seguin/jamie benn rating: E words: 14k summary: Jamie stares at his phone, reading over the article that Jordie sent him just moments ago as he walks through the woods on the outskirts of his hometown. It’s early in the morning, and he’s finished his daily run, and he’s not entirely sure if he’s reading the headline right. Seguin, Eriksson Swapped in Seven-Player Trade.

VAMPIRES! WEREWOLVES! TENDER LOVE AND CARE! i love a great different species fic like.... loved it sm

my mouth is filled with honey by notthequiettype

pairing: tyler seguin/jamie benn rating: E words: 2.3k summary: Tyler likes Jamie's body so much. Tyler likes Jamie, so much, too.

usually i prefer reading "getting together" but "established relationship" is rlly compelling to me when done rlly well and i think this fic is a phenomenal version of that... like its so good. oughhh...bennguin,,,,..... ohhhhh

if i'm not what you hoped by winglavender

pairing: leon draisaitl/connor mcdavid rating: E words: 10k summary: "Heard the Leafs lost tonight." "Yeah." Mitch pulls an exaggerated face. "Leading the whole game and then Connor's guy ties it up with a disgusting pass, absolutely filthy, and then scored the overtime winner." "That's rough. You want another one?" The bartender tips her head at Connor's half-empty glass; he shakes his head. "Who's your guy?" "Draisaitl, obviously." Mitch taps the rainbow-patterned 29 on Connor's arm for emphasis. "He's not my guy," Connor says.

ask anyone and they will tell you i am an absolute sucker for player/nonplayer,,, its just so good always and it is just as good here... fun dialogue, good tropes..... what else could u want

tightly wound so breathlessly by supras

pairing: leon draisaitl/connor mcdavid rating: E words: 2.3k summary: “Laugh about you not being hard? That’s okay, sometimes it can take a bit, I’ll get you there.” Connor finishes speaking with a determined smirk and Leon just loves him so much, he wants to kiss it from his lips. But Connor is wrong, Leon is hard, so hard he’s dizzy with it.

small dick leon..... ough..... trust guys read this one.... TRUST

two strangers in the red light by notthequiettype

pairing: leon draisaitl/connor mcdavid rating: E words: 14k summary: Connor looks up, derailed only momentarily by how good-looking the guy is, slacks and a button-down open at the top like his pictures, and a nice wool coat. Connor clears his throat. "Is it better if I tell you I didn't request it, at least?" "And ruin the fantasy that I just found out that Connor McDavid's an absolute freak? No way."

again, i am the BIGGEST sucker for player/nonplayer. this concept is so fun and like. the cutest sort of meetcute. awee we met on grindr and you booked a kink sex hotel room 🥺🥺🥺 now fall in love. amazing.

Where You Lead by Linsky

pairing: nico hischier/jack hughes rating: E words: 42k summary: There are no subs in the NHL. So Jack isn’t one, obviously.

ive been waiting for this fic to be done so i could rec it and oh my god was it worth it. im also a big sucker for a bdsm au, and w these two you can just.... do so much..... its so good,,,, hurt/comfort my beloved.....

like one of your girls by Idday

pairing: jack eichel/connor mcdavid rating: E words: 13k summary: “I’m not a girl,” Connor blurts, all at once. Jack doesn’t even flinch. “I know that,” he says. “But you want to be my girl. Don’t you.” 

i forced myself to pick only one idday fic this month and while i loved them both... this one... oughhhh... the "Connor just wants to be a 1950s housewife" tag sold me so hard and i am a happy customer. 100% would purchase again....

no but really (an unserious au tumblr primer) by snowinthestars

pairing: jack eichel/connor mcdavid rating: T words: 2.6k summary: Connor McDavid is definitely dating the Oilers in-arena host Jack Eichel. Just let me show you my proof! [A fake Tumblr-style ship primer for an AU where Jack works for the Oilers' broadcast instead of playing.]

i love sort of meta-esque fics like this theyre so FUN to me!!! this one is like. a perfect example of that and what i mean.... likeee RAHH i would EAT up this primer in this universe... so great

[aeoki]

Sweet Sweet Hunger - Chapter 6

Location: Seisou Hall Apartment (Exterior) Characters: Niki, Mitsuru & Touri

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ< Early next morning. >

Touri: *Yawwwn…*

Uuu~... I’m so sleepy~

Mitsuru: Hime-chan, good morning~☆

Niki: Himemiya-kun looks so sleepy~

Touri: That’s because I am~ I’d still be asleep at this time… I can’t believe how energetic you two are.

Mitsuru: Yeah. I’m always full of energy, y’know~! And I sometimes go out jogging in the mornings too!

Niki: I also have to make preparations in the kitchen early in the morning~ So I’m kinda used to it.

If you’re really sleepy, then you don’t have to force yourself to stay awake, you know?

Touri: I’m going too. Sure, I’m sleepy but I won’t give in.

I worked so hard to get up early, so I’m definitely going home with “tiantian” in my hands!

Mitsuru: Alright, we’re here! Yaaaay ♪ No one else is here yet, y’know~!

Niki: There’s still three hours until it opens. I can’t believe we’ll get to meet the “tiantian” we’ve been waiting for after three hours… I’m getting emotional!

Touri: Umm, there’s me, Mitsuru and Shiina-senpai in line, so that makes three people.

They only sell three “tiantians” a day… so that means all three of us can get it, right? Right?

Mitsuru: Ahaha. Hime-chan’s been double-checking that for a while now~

Touri: Uuu… I’d be so frustrated if I couldn’t get it, you know?

Niki: it’s fine~ There aren’t any other people lining up. We should be able to get it no problem once the store opens.

Mitsuru: Yeah. I bought a lot of money so that I’d have enough, y’know! I’ve got three months worth of my allowance with me!

Touri: It’s normal to bring a lot if you’re shopping, right?

…Well, if you don’t have enough money on the off chance, I wouldn’t mind lending some to you.

(Some time passes)

Niki: There’s only ten minutes left until the store opens…! Whaa, my heart’s gonna explode.

Mitsuru: I’m starting to think it’ll be a waste to eat it, y’know~ But I wanna eat it so I’m gonna, though!

Touri: …Yeah.

Mitsuru: Huh? You were so excited a while ago, Hime-chan. You’re not looking forward to it anymore?

Touri: I am but… doesn’t something feel weird?

Niki: What do you mean?

Touri: I mean, it’s a super popular dessert, right? So isn’t it weird that we’re the only ones lining up for it?

There should be a bigger line…

Niki: You think so? We went through so much trouble getting info on “tiantian”, so maybe it’s just because there’s not a lot of people who know about it~?

Mitsuru: Maybe they saw we were here already, so they went home.

Touri: I see…

Niki: Yeah. Anyway, look! I can hear people inside. They should be opening soon, right?

Touri: Hmm… Well, I guess I shouldn’t sweat the small stuff ♪

I hope they open soon~ I’m so excited! Quick, quick.

Niki: Ohhhhhh. They’ve finally opened their doors! 

Alright, onwards we go! Charge!

Mitsuru & Touri: Yeah~!

Niki: (Hmm… doesn’t look like they have “tiantian” on display…)

(Well, I get why they don’t if they’re just selling three of them. It’s like a secret menu thing.)

Um~ Please give us three “tiantians”.

(Hm? Why does the staff look confused?)

What? They’re all sold out for the day!?

W–Whaa…

Mitsuru: Ah, it looks like Shiina-senpai’s soul flew out! Shiina-senpai, come back to Earth~!

Touri: That’s weird. We were the first people here!

Mitsuru: They were all pre-ordered by that customer, you say?

Huh? We were the only people lining up, so where is this person?

Ah! There’s one man who lined up after us, y’know!

Touri: What do you mean he pre-ordered them!? Isn’t that cheating? We’ve been here first thing in the morning~!

If we knew we could pre-order them, then we should’ve done that from the very beginning! Then I wouldn’t have to feel this way!

Uuu… I feel so frustrated… Who’s the jerk who stole our “tiantians”!?

Niki: …Hm?

HOLD ON A SECOOOOOOND!

Did you just say the person who pre-ordered them was Rinne Amagi!?

Don’t tell me… it was the idol from “Crazy:B”, Rinne Amagi!?

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

[associativework]

قواعد هامة في نطق اللغة الانجليزيه

اﻻصوات اﻻنجليزية English Sounds

تنقسم الأصوات الانجليزية إلى قسمين

(1)ألأصوات الصحيحة consonant sounds وعددها( 24) صوتا

(2) أصوات العلةvowel sounds وعددها( 20) صوتا. تنقسم الأصوات الصحيحة بدورها إلى أصوات مهموسة وأصوات مسموعة أي ( جهورية ) , أما أصوات العلة فتنقسم كذلك الى قسمين (1) pure vowels

أصوات نقية

( 2) diphthong vowels أصوات مركبه ...

المقطع (es) أو (s)أولا: كيفية لفظه

يلفظ هذا المقطع النهائي بثلاث اصوات /z/ و/iz/ و/s/ :

1- المقطع النهائي (es , s) يلفظ بصوت /s/ اذا جاء الاص��ات التالية

(k , t , p , f (gh) , th )

Writes , looks , books , clinics , hats , helps , lips , roofs , proofs , laughs , photographs , months , sixths .

2- يلفظ بصوت /iz/ اذا جاء قبله الحروف التالية :

(s , ss , ch , sh , x , z , ce , ge)

Buses , classes , watches , wishes , boxes , fazes , pages , faces , places .

3- يلفظ بصوت /z/ اذا سبقته حروف غير المذكورة في (1 و 2) اعلاه :-

(b , d , I , m n r , v w , y)

Beds , rooms , cries , kills , boys , moons , cars , shows , prays , shows .

ثانيا : المقطع (ed) يلفظ هذا المقطع بثلاث اصوات /t/ و /id/ و /d/ :

1- يلفظ بصوت /t/ اذا سبقه احد المقاطع التالية (k , p ,f , ss , ch , xc , sh)

(booked , hoped , laughed , engulfed , passed , watched , wished )

2- يلفظ المقطع (ed) بصوت /id/ اذا سبقه (t , d) :Ended , waited , insisted ,wanted ,needed ,sounded ,

3- يلفظ بصوت /d/ اذا سبقه احد الحروف غير التي ذكرت في (1 و 2 ) اعلاه :

(b , d , I , l , n , m , r , v , w , s , g)

(robbed , moved , showed , stayed , seemed , changed , cared , killed , cleaned , cried , begged )

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

pronounce the final –s- of the following words books ,finishes windows, parts, boys, foxes, bicycles , makes , goes, hills, branches ,banks , tomatoes, cups , safes, fezzes, laughs , hopes, knives , twelfths, shops

Q/ try to pronounce the final sound of the following words :-

cleaned, laughed, cried, waxed, snowed, packed, fainted, handed, lifted, begged ,closed, traveled, passed.

أولا: الأصوات الصحيحة المهموسة (9) أصوات

voiceless consonant sounds

/p / ( 1) موجود هذا ألصوت في الكلمات التالية :pay , pull ,put ,part, port, upper , top ,stop ,hope ,open rope ,pig pack

ملاحظة 1: لا يلفظ الحرف (p) إذا سبقه الحرف (s) ,psalms , psychology ,

ملاحظه 2: يلفظ بصوت /f/ اذا جاء على شكل p+h مثل phone , elephant, photo, Philip ولكنه يلفظ بصوت /p/ في shepherd

(2) صوت /t/ يوجد هذا الصوت في الكلمات التي تحتوي على الحرف (t) وفي المقطع (ed) اذا سبقه احد الحروف التالية (p, t , th f ,gh ,ph , ge , k )

fight . Tall, but ,take ,to ,tear .marked .packed , matter ,sitting ,

لا يلفظ الحرف (t) إذا سبقه الحرف (s) castle ,fasten , often ,whistle hasten as in

(3)صوت (k) يوج هذا الصوت في الكلمات التي تحتوي ( k q, c , x ) شرط ان لا تكون ال (c) متبوعة e , i , y ) ,) quick, can , cat , maker , character , Iraq ,country , disc

ملاحظة : لا يلفظ حرف (k) اذا جاء بعده الحرف 👎 knife ,knight , know .,knot ,knee knob , knock ,

(4) صوت /f/ موجد هذا الصوت في الكلمات التي فيها الحروف التالية 😞 gh ,ph f ) كما في

, elephant , photo , cough , tough , laugh , enough , rough .

,few , found , firm , often , offer, after , half

م / لايلفظ في of )) وانما يلفظ بصوت /v/

5)) صوت /O/ موجود في بعض الكلمات التي فيها الحرفين (th) مثل three , thousand , thanks ,author , athlete , monthly , length , worth , fifth ,width , strength , third

(6) صوت /s/ موجد في الكلمات التي فيها الحروف التالية ( ce ,x , s ) كما في :- see , sit , sleep ,saint , pass .books ,post , box , space ,school ,seat , last , gas , six ,

الحرف c)) إذا جاء بعده احد الحروف التالية ( (e ,y , i يلفظ بصوت /s/ كما في cell ,center ,cement , city cinema ,cycle , bicycle , face

(7) صوت / /يوجد في الكلمات التي تحمل الحروف sh ,sio tio su , cia ) )

كما في she ,ship . special ,sure , sheep , wish ,pressure ,expression ,machine nation , attraction , vibration , communication , organization ,

😎 ) صوت / / يوجد في الكلمات التي تحمل ch)) كما في chalk , chair , china ,much , rich , catch ,which ,child , change ,

لكنه لايلفظ في بعض الكلمات مثل و school ache , technology

(9) صوت / h/ ويشبه صوت (الهاء ) في اللغة العربية وهو غير موجود في نهاية ألكلمه كما في he , him ,her , behind , perhaps ,ahead , have ,

موجود في few , new , due , tune , use , blue , sew , acute , suitable , amuse, fuel , huge .

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الأصوات الصحيحة : المسموعة (الجهورية ) voiced sounds وعددها 15 صوتا

(1) صوت /b/ وهو صوت يشبه حرفا الباء باللغة العربية وموجود في الكلمات التالية : , but , back ,bird cab .noble ,robber ,above .bribe ,rob ,obey, ball, able ,black ,breakable , cable ,by ,

ملاحظه : الحرف ( b) لايلفظ إذا جاء في نهاية ألكلمه مسبوقا بحرف (m)

2)) صوت / d/ يشبه حرف الدال في العربية وموجود في الكلمات التالية :do , door ,under ,said , under ,wood , load ,draw , day ,cried , called , die , played , dear , bad .round

ملاحظه : لايلفظ حرف (d) إذا تبعه احد الحرفين ( g , j ) مثل bridge ,adjust

(3) صوت /g/ مثل كلمه go وهو موجود في : good , game ,get ,ago slag , pig ,begin ,leg ,egg, bag ,bigger glass , goal ,bang , ugly ,fig

ملاحظه :أحيانا يلفظ حرف (g) بصوت / / والتي تشبه الجيم في العربيه مثل age ,judge George ,judge , bridge

أو يكون صامتا لايلفظ كما في الكلمات التالية : ,weight , fight , might , knight ,bright , night although , though ,sign , design , high ,light

(4) صوت ال /v/ موجود في الكلمات ألتاليه : very ,wave , I ve , vast , love , evening above , van ,view ,five ,of move , every , twelve ,driver

(5) / / يشبه حرف الذال في العربية ونجده في الكلمات التي تحمل الحرفين ( th) كما في:the , that ,they ,these , mother , brother, weather ,breathe ,bathe , other, there, either bother, smooth , with ,clothes

/z /(6) يشبه صوت الزاي في العربية ونجده في الكلمات التي تحمل الحرف (z) وكذلك الحرفين ( s,x) إذا سبقهما حرف عله كما في : zero, crazy, glaze , zebra ,boys ,easy , please , phrase, exam , example

7)) صوت / / يشبه صوت الجيم في اللهجة اللبنانية كما في leisure , measure , television rouge .usual, usually ,pleasure , garage , treasure ,

(8)صوت /d3 / صوت يشبه الجيم في اللهجة العراقية وهو موجود في الحروف (ge , j ) مثل judge , George , bridge , manage , carriage , age , gentle , gem , village , urge ,usage , heritage , jar , joke ,

/ m/ (9)موجود هذا الصوت في الكلمات التالية :me, them , climate ,climb , tomb. ,limit , number ,man , humble ,bomb .am ,move

(10) صوت /n/ صوت يشبه النون في العربية وموجود في no , number , know ,sign knife , kin , win

لا يلفظ الحرف (n ) اذا سبقه الحرف (m) مثل autumn

لا يلفظ اذا جاء على شكل (ing) واما يتحول الى / /

(11) صوت / l / وهذا الصوت موجود في الكلمات التي التي تحمل الحرف ( l) كما look , like , land , love , always ,girl . call ,kill ,until , almost ,almost , island ,link ,yearly , lovely ,

(12) صوت / / وهو موجود في الحروف ( ing ,nk ) مثل : hearing, thing ,boring running, rubbing ,sing, thank ,wing ,angle ,angry ,uncle ,hang ,rang ,bring

(13) صوت /r/ يلفظ الحرف (r) إذا جاء في بداية الكلمة او جاء بعده صوت عله : red ,write ,ring ,bring , brow , ready ,drink , fry ,cry ,roof , range ,

لكن حرف ( r) لا يلفظ إذا جاء في نهاية ألكلمه أو جاء بعده حرف صحيح كما في car , chair , girl , door , mark

(14) .صوت /w/ موجود في الكلمات التاليه week ,won ,wonder , wave ,one ,once , quick , twin , we , when , which ,why , twenty , swim ,

ملاحظة : لا يلفظ إذا جاء بعد الحرف ( w) حرف (r) كما في write , wrong , wrestle,

(15) صوت / j / يوجد في الكلمات التالية :year , you . yes , yours , union , university ,fuse ,excuse , yawn , young , yesterday , usual unify , usage

و موجود في few , new , due , tune , use , blue , sew , acute , suitable , amuse, fuel , huge .

اصوات العلة vowels sounds

تقسم اصوات العلة الى قسـمين :-

1*--*-**-*-*-*--**-*--**-*--*-*-*-*-**--**-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* - اصوات العلة النقيه 12صوت 1-pure vowels

2- اصوات العلة المركبة (8) صوت - Diphthong vowels sounds 8 2

اولأ:- الاصوات النقية Pure Vowels

(1)-/ i /

أ- يلفظ هذا الصوت في الكلمات التي تحمل الحرف (i) والحرف 👍 مثل :-

(fit , sit , knit , is , it , wind , live , expensive , many , give , children , lyric , rich , hit , any , lady)

(climb , wild , china , kind , mind , find , sky , fly , dry , dry , shy , by , relay , deny impossible , ideography , ignore , ink , it , in : )

ب -لا يلفظ هذا الصوت بالكلمات التي تحمل الحرف (i) المتبوع بـ (gh) مثل :-

(light , high , night , sight , might )

I , idea , item , idle , island , ice , ivory , identify.

د - يلفظ بالكلمات التي تبدأ بالحرفين (ex) مثل :-

(expand , express , exit , exceed , expenditure )

Extra ماعدا

كذلك يلفظ في الكلمات التي تبدأ بـ em او en )

(enjoy , enrich , enlarge , emergency )

ماعدا (end entrant , ensign , enter ,)

موجود في language , English , lettuce , spinach , minute , pretty , reserved , forehead , women

2- صوت/ i:/ معتل طويل في العربية يشبه / / i: / -2

يظهر هذا الصوت في الكلمات التي تحمل (ie , ei , ea , ee ) غير متبوع بحرف ( r ) مثل :-

Conceive , relieve , niece , field , achieve , receipt , deceive , receive , seize , heat , deep , sheet , breeze , see , feel , tea , free , mean , wreath , leaf , sea , each , read

ماعدا (great , steak , break ) حيث تلفظ بصوت / ei /

والكلمات التي فيها ( ea ) حيث يلفظ بصوت / e / والتي سناخذها في الصوت الثالث

كذلك نجد صوت / :i/ في الكلمات التالية :- he , she , be , these , complete , me , we , police , caprice , liter , machine , oblique , key , people , even , legal , evil

-3صوت / e / وهو صوت يشبه الفتحة

أ-نجدة في الكلمات التي تحمل الحرف ( e ) مثل :-

(friend, end, egg , bed , lent , get , met , men , set , when , guest , pen)

ب- نجده في الكلمات التي تحمل الحرفين (ea) واتي لا تلفظ بصوت /i:/ السابق مثل head , dead , death , dreadful , breath , health , sweat , meant , jealous , measure , weather , threaten , thread , bread , spread

4- صوت / a/ يشبه صوت ا في كلمة ( كان) 4- /a/

موجود في الكلمات التي تحمل الحرف ( a ) غير متبوع th , l , f , s , r , nt))

مثل :- man , at , an , and , as , am , apple , cat , thank , animal , lamp , ant , sand , hand , have , glad , black ,ant

الشواذ:- staff , pass , grant , aunt

5- صوت / :�� / :-

1- حيث نجده في الحرفين ( er ) في وسط الكلمة مثل :-

Certain , term , person

أ‌- وكذلك نجده في الحروف ( ear , ir , ur ) مثل :-

(third , bird , skirt , sir stir , burn , murder , curved , hurt , nurse , early , earn , heard , journey , turn)

(heart , beard ,ear)ما عدا

ج - نجده في الكلمات التالية والتي تحمل الحرف (wor) مثل :-

(word , work , worm , worse , world )

ماعدا الكلمتين worn حيث يلفظ /o:/ و worry يلفظ /8/ .

6- صوت /a:/ الطويل :-

أ- يظهر في الكلمات التي تحتوي على (ar) غير متبوع بـ (e) :-

(art , arm , cart , part , tar , star . march , car ,)

الشواذ : (are)

ب- يضهر هذا الصوت في الكلمات التي تحتوي على (a) متبوع باحد الحروف التالية (f , s , l , th)

(pass , grass , class , ask , palm , path , bath , calm , after , can t , half , calf , alms)

الشواذ (warship , ward , talk , chalk , stalk , walk , war , warm)

ج- يظهر هذا الصوت في :-

(dance , answer , laugh , draught , aunt , father , guard , vase , heart , rather ,clerk )

7- صوت /o/ القصير ويظهر في البداية والوسط فقط /o/ :-

1- يظهر هذا الصوت في الكلمات التي تحمل الحرف (o) ليس معه حرف اخر مثل:

(of , ox , fox , odd , off , top , song , on , hot , long , adopt , shot , hot pot , not , often , cost )

2- يلفظ كذلك ضمن المقطع (qua) quality , quantity , quarrels) )

3- موجود ايضا في الكلمات التالية :-

(want , wash , watch , wander , what , was , sorry , cough , offer , gone , lost)

8- صوت /0: / الطويل ويظهر في الكلمات التي تحمل المقاطع

(aw , or , aught , ought , al)

(also , all , always , fall , although , call , port , almost , caught , taught , daught , sport , ought , bought , brought , fought , sought , cord , awful , law , saw , draw , raw , jaw )

كذلك يوجد في :-

(dawn , war , four , warn , because , pause , fault , author , water , board , pour )

الشواذ (draught , shall , awhile) .

9- صوت /u/ صوت قصير يظهر في الوسط فقط ويشبه الضمة في اللغة العربية وغالبا يشترك في مقطعين (oo , ou) :

(book , look , foot , good , wood , put , would , could , should , good , wood , put , would , could , should , wool , cook , stool , wolf , soot , pull , push , full , hood)

10- /u:/ يظهر في الوسط و يظهر في البداية الا في (ooze) :

أ: ويظهر كذلك في

(spoon , fool , food , shook , cool , soon , too , boot , pool , school , moon )

ب: يظهر هذا الصوت في الكلمات التي تحتوي على (e + صحيح u) مثل :-

(acute , mule , June , cube , huge , mute , use )

جـ : في الكلمات التي فيها (ui)

Ruin , suit , suitor , fruit , fluid

ما عدا الكلمات التالية فانه لا يلفظ guitar , guide

د: موجود ايظا في (ew) مثل :-

(drew , new , flew , grew , view, knew)

هـ : كذلك يظهر في : group , wound , through , do , future , beauty

11- صوت / ə / :

أ : يوجد هذا الصوت في الكلمات التي تبدأ بحرف (a) بعده حرف صحيح :

(ago , away , again , about , alone , around , ahead , among , apart , above , allow , arrive , apply)

ب: كل كلمة فيها (or , er , re) فان هذه الحروف تلفظ بهذا الصوت مثل :

(picture , future , culture , fracture , adventure , sister , father , better , letter , suitor , doctor , sailor , measure , pleasure , treasure , leisure . translator , author , writer m teacher , never )

ما عدا كلمة (mature) وموجود ايضا في :-

(complete , contain , beggar , England , pillar , success , comfort , operation )

12- صوت / 8 / موجود في الكلمات التي فيها (u) ومتبوعا بحرفين صحيحة مثل :

(unhappy , unless , unless , ugly , uncles , unkind , under)

اما اذا تبع المقطع بحرف (i) لا يلفظ :

(union , unity , university , unique , uniform)

أ: موجود في الكلمات التي تحمل الحرف (u) متبوع بحرف صحيح مثل :-

(but , shat , cut , much , run , luck , up , us , taut , gun , bus )

ب: كذلك في بعض الكلمات التي تحمل (ou) مثل :-

(double , couple , trouble , enough , country , young , touch)

جـ: موجود في بعض الكلمات التي تحمل الحرف (o) وبعده حرف صحيح مثل :

(son , won , one , done , love , month , worry , come , blood , flood , some

الأصوات المركبة English Diphthongs -

1 – صوت /ai / أ: يوجد هذا الصوت في الكلمات التي تنتهي بالمقطع (ight):-

(light , sight , might , right , height , night , fight )

ماعدا (weight , eight)

ب: يظهر هذا الصوت في الكلمات التي تنتهي بالحرف 👍 مسبوق بصوت صحيح في نهاية الكلمات مثل :-

(by , my , shy , fly , why , apply , dry , deny , cry , sky , rely , supply)

جـ : يظهر هذا الصوت في الكلمات التي تحمل هذه الحروف (e +حرف صحيح i+) مثل :

(ice , mine , fine , five , wife , time , nine , side )

( like , write , drive , mind , kind , child , clime )كذلك في

(famine , forgive , live , give )الشواذ

د: يظهر في (ign) مثل : (sign , design , resign )

جـ : كذلك في die , tie , lie , diet , eye , wild

يوجد صوت /ai/ كذلك في :-

I , island , silent , science , isosceles , bicycle , triangle , diameter , high .

2- صوت /ou/ أو :-

أ: يوجد في الكلمات التي تحتوي على (oa) the letters

(coat , old , gold , hold , told , sold )

جـ : في (+e حرف صحيح o+):-

(home , rose , over , open , phoned)

ما عدا الكلمات التالية :

(love , come , some , done , gone , more , prove , lose , more )

د: في الكلمات التي تحمل (ow) مثل :-

(low, snow , blow , own , grow , know , tomorrow , show , slow , borrow , below , saw , sew )

هـ : موجود في بعض الكلمات التي تحمل الحرف (o) مثل :

(oh , go , so , only , open , over , most , both , comb , don t , toe , though , although , those )

-4صوت /ei/ يشبه صوت العلة في كلمة (بيت) في العربية

أ: نجده في الكلمات التي تحمل الحرفين (ay) :-

(say , day , may , way , pay )

ب: نجده في المقطع (ai) غير متبوع بحرف (r) مثل :

(aim , claim , pain , maid , fail , main )

جـ : نجده في (e+حرف صحيح +a) مثل :

(page , age , fate , take , rate , race )

(hare , manage , damage , courage )ما عدا

د: المقطع tion عندما يكون مسبوقا بحرف (a) :-

(station, nation, classification , education, explanation, examination )

هـ : موجود في الحرف (a) في الكلمات التالية :-

(able, ache, ancient, April, arrange, lazy, strange, taste, flavor, major, ratio)

كذلك موجود هذا الصوت في الكلمات التالية مثل :

(break , great , steak , eight , weight , obey , convey)

4- صوت /au/ آو وهذا الصوت نجده في الكلمات التي تحمل الحرفان (ou) غير متبوع بـ (r) مثل :-

(out, cloud , loud , shout, round, house, mouse, doubt, shout, mountain ) ) sour ,our , hour) ماعدا الكلمات

موجود في المقطع (ow) (trousers , down , frown , how , now , vow , vowel , owl , bow , flower , power , brown , crown , drown , allowed))

5- صوت /oi/ أُي : موجود في الكلمات التي تحمل الحرفين (oi) او (oy) مثل : -

(oil , boil , coil , soil , coin , join , moist , noise , ointment , boy , toy , employ , enjoy , voyage , deploy , avoid , voice )

-6 صوت /eə/ :-

أ: يوجد هذا الصوت في المقطع (air) و (ear) في بعض الكلمات :

(air , fair , airplane , bear , pear , wear , swear)

ب: موجود ايضا في المقطع (are) داخل الكلمة ماعدا في (are) لا يلفظ

(bare , rare , beware , dare , hare , fare , spare, share)

جـ : موجود ايضا في (there , where , various , area , aerial) ما عدا كلمة (are) لا يلفظ .

7- صوت /uə/ موجود هذا الصوت في (ure) أو (wer) :-

(sure , purely , doer , fewer , newer , poor , cure , secure , obscure , pure , sure ensure , tou re , newer , jewel , steward , fuel , tourist, , curious ) .

8- صوت /iə/ موجود هذا الصوت في (ear) ما عدا ما كتبناها في /eə/ :-

(ear , dearly , dear , fear , near , hear , beard , cheer , deer , engineer , here , mere , severe, beer,)

ما عدا الكلمات التالية فأنه لا يلفظ :- (bear , pear , wear , swear)

أمثلة

1- /i/ mine , main , children , island .

2- /i:/ said , science , bread , read .

3- /e/ hit , hear , head , meat.

4- /a/ aunt , heart , can , clerk .

5- /a:/ walk , talk , mad , pass.

6- /o/ call , war , quality , sort.

7- /o:/ sort , drought , hot , son .

8- /u/ choose , food , foot , use .

9- /u:/ fool , blood , took , full.

10 - /8/ blood , who , book , unity

11 - /ə/ bird , ago , all , age

12 - /ə:/ pure , but , beard , first

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

[whatdoesshedotothem]

x Thursday 15 November 1832

7 ¼

11 10

fine morning F49 ½° at 7 ½ am  a cross last night thinking of π- -  lighted the fire in my room 1st time this season - breakfast with my father at 8 ½ in about ¾ hour - then had Pickles - let him the filling up of the old course of the brook at 6d. per square yard on the stuff carted from the old Wakefield road to Breakneck - he had spoken to Washington about it who said it was only worth 5d. a yard - but the old brook course is to be filled up - the brushes stubbed trees left standing and all the space made into land. Remembering that W- had said Pickles could only just ‘have made wage’ of the wearing, thought he might as well have his price filling up - besides I do not think it too much - draining done at Lower Place at 1/3 and some of the most difficult at 1/6 per wood by Pickles 28 roods stone for which carted by George Naylor, and 78 roods stone carted by Dodgson =196 roods. Washington has let the draining required in the old brook-course (to bring water to the new cut) to Pickles at 2/. a rood P- to cart the stones - some driving required [on] the new Lower bread road P- can get it done at 3/. a yard about 60 yards of it - the road commoners ought to do this - came to my room (after being 10 minutes or ¼ hour with my aunt) at 10 ½ - Letter from M- (Lawton) - 1 ½ p. hurried - written from her bed having tumbled over a box and hurt her right ankle the night before, and having had a great deal of pain from it, took 30 drops of laudanum which kept her in bed late - She must get up for company General Glegg, Mr Worthington, Mr Hill, next day i.e. today Swetenhams etc then Wilbrahams etc quite impossible to come here not but perhaps may come just before going to Leamington - will write again in a few days - God bless you my dearest Fred believe me always truly and affectionately yours MPL    a letter to disappoint me after such an  one as my last    but I care not much about it  it helps to wear away the tenderness excited by her last but one   and ‘tis as well   I am already indifferent again about her coming wrote the above of today till 11 5 - reading over letters to answer - from 11 ½ to 1 20 wrote 2 full ½ sheets to Lady Stuart - from 1 ½ to 3 ¾ wrote 3 pages (close) to Vere - from 4 to 6 wrote 2 full ½ sheets to lady Stuart de R- my letters to the two ladies Stuart nice easy well done chit chat more so to lady S- de R- than I feel to have ever written before ending with     I am really quite alarmed at the number of interrogation I see so thickly thrown up on my paper     I shall really think it very good of you if you answer any of them    I hope you are no longer under any uneasiness for the health of Lord Hardwicke believe me my dear Lady Stuart very truly you A Lister tell lady S- de T- the letter she enclosed for me was a rather odd one of Mrs (Honourable) Leicester Stanhope respecting my courier, Bado, quite contradicting the good character her husband had thought proper to give him - apologize to Lady S- for returning Vere’s letters before - waited for the present conveyance with the shawl I hoped would keep her warm in the carriage - a new manufacture invented by a man near her whose name, however slept, is pronounced Ootram - so busy for a great house in London glad I had not to wait longer - made of the hair of the Atacama lama - nice long letter to Vere - ‘It is quite a treat to me, my dearest Vere, to sit down and fancy I am going to have a little-talk with you - I shall not calculate how long it is since I did so last, because it is not my fault that I have not done it again sooner, and wrath again myself not against you, is the only wrath there even can be between you and me. I should forgive you anything, even if I had anything to forgive, but that you have taken 2 months instead of one to write me such a nice little letter in, so no wonder, all things fairly considered’ - more anxious about her now on account of not knowing how the news of her beau pères’ death would affect her plans - ‘Surely you would not hurry across the Alps at this season of the year - the very thought of it would make me uneasy - you know that my regard for you

 SH:7/ML/E/15/0149

 is not the creature of mere words, and therefore words are not necessary to persuade you of its affection anxiety’ - conclude with ‘Surely the news would reach you before the 5th, that you would not have set off for Rome or Naples I can and do feel for you (Supposing Donald obliged to leave her) you may at all times count upon my sympathy, be it in pleasure or in pain - none will feel in your welfare an interest more anxious or more true than your affectionate AL’ - Sent off at 8 ½ box containing the Atacama-lama-hair shawl directed to the ‘Honourable Lady Stuart, Richmond Park, Surrey’ and within in envelope to ‘the Honourable Lady Stuart, Richmond Park’ the 2 half sheets full to herself and Vere’s 2 letters returned and letter 3 pages and ends and under the seal to ‘The Lady Vere Cameron’ and the 2 half sheets full in a separate envelope to the ‘Lady Stuart de Rothesay’ - told them all of my aunt’s being so much recovered I was no longer uneasy about her and hoped to be off in January - from 8 ½ to 9 ½ wrote 3 pages and ends to Mrs Norclifffe - chitchat - not knowing what to do about a groom - ask her to advise and beg her to write before being off to Bath if but a line or 2, and as soon as she can after arriving that I may know where to find her - mention having engage Eugenie, and hoping to be off in January - thanks for all her kindness in inviting me to Langton and Bath - must spend my Xmas here - congratulations to Esther, and hope she is ever more happy than she expected to be - went downstairs at 9 35 - and came upstairs again at 10 ¼ at which hour F51 ½° - fine day – feel very bilious tonight perhaps from sitting all the day at my desk

[crossbowking]

More Than Anything (Bonus Scene)

(Click HERE to read More Than Anything Part 1)

(Click HERE to read More Than Anything Part 2)

Summary: (Set mid-season 6) The reader’s feelings towards the archer evolve, but a supply run that goes south threatens to destroy it all.

Request: “I’d love to see something w protective Daryl and some angst, maybe set at the start of their time in Alexandria w an established relationship?” - @pulplorrd

A/N: Welp, here we are. One last hoo-rah! For those of you that haven't read parts 1 and 2, I highly suggest you do so before reading this! For those of you who are caught up, this is a *certain scene involving a near-drowning*, but from Daryl's POV!

I'm SO sorry it took so long for me to get this out to y'all! (Literally 10 months lol) But I'm happy with how this turned out and am now ready to put this story to rest.

I hope you enjoy it and hope it was worth the wait!

Happy reading :)

xx Jess

Masterlist

Tip Jar

Daryl had learned at a young age not to trust the things that came easy to him.

There had to be a catch — there was always a catch. Nothing good ever came without consequence in his experience.

Well, except you.

You were different — you were everything.

He’d been buried elbow-deep in the hood of an abandoned car, tinkering around with the rusted metal, hoping to find a way to get it up and running once more. Finding the motel had been like winning the fucking lottery — somehow, throughout all the bullshit that’d happened since the dead started walking, it’d essentially been left untouched. He’d figured a place like that would’ve been picked clean through this far into the end of the world.

Yet here it was.

The archer had caught a glimpse of you in the parking lot a few minutes earlier, packing up the trunk of the car with Tara. He’d watched you walk back towards the motel, only pausing to glance over your shoulder, your eyes meeting his. The tension in his body melted away, in its place a warmth he couldn’t quite decipher — but the corner of his mouth quirked as you’d sent him a wink and then you were gone, disappearing down the main stretch of the motel.

His face felt fuzzy as he’d focused back on the car, his thoughts filled with the sweetness of you.

But nothing good ever came without consequence.

“Look out!”

Daryl’s head snapped up at the sound of your sudden and panicked cry, sending his stomach plummeting, his blood turning to ice.

And he took off.

His heart slammed against his ribcage, mimicking the sound of his boots pounding the pavement as he lessened the distance between him, you, and every horrible thing he imagined to be happening at that very moment.

But then he heard a different noise.

A splash.

The sound seemed so misplaced, foreign almost, that Daryl nearly assumed he’d imagined it. Except when he finally rounded the corner — skidding to a halt, spotting the murky swimming pool just ahead, noticing the rippling of waves coming from the center — he realized just how horribly wrong he was.

“Daryl!” Tara suddenly yelled, drawing him back. She stood just a few yards ahead, facing off against a small herd of walkers that’d formed. “She’s — she’s in!” she shouted in a panic, yanking her knife from the skull of the dead at her feet and pointing wildly at the pool. “She fell in!”

The archer didn’t think twice — he drew the pistol he’d shoved into the waistband of his jeans and fired at one of the dead nearing Tara, landing an easy headshot. Daryl ran towards her then, half-tossing, half-handing his gun off to her, unable to focus on anything other than the fact that, at that very moment, you were fucking drowning.

The sound of gunfire began as the archer turned towards the pool, inhaled a deep breath, and dove in.

The water hit him like a ton of bricks — dark, grimy, swamp water. His body slid across the bottom of the pool, his hands fumbling blindly in front of him, feeling for any inkling of you. He ignored the burning in his chest, refusing to resurface until he had you in his grasp — or until his lungs gave out altogether.

He pushed away the plastic tarp he felt drift towards him, coiling around his body and drawing nearer like a siren’s song, sinking him deeper into the depths of darkness. When his hand brushed against another, his heart leapt into his throat, thinking he’d found you at last — but it only took a moment for him to realize something was off, something was wrong.

He knew the feeling of your hand in his — and it wasn’t yours he’d grasped.

He gnashed his teeth together, features twisting as water threatened to force its way past his lips. But he held steady, maneuvering around the body he’d discovered and continuing his search, growing more and more frantic as precious seconds ticked on.

Daryl didn’t think — he didn’t think about your body, floating lifeless just beyond reach; he didn’t think about what would happen once he found you, once he dragged your still body from the water and realized that the big, beautiful heart inside your chest had stopped beating; he didn’t think about having to drive his knife through your temple to stop your reanimation, because there was no way — no way in hell — he’d be able to leave you like that.

If you were dead, if he was too late, if this…if this was it?

Nothing good ever came without consequence.

Daryl nearly folded — nearly gave in to the fire burning inside his lungs, the reddish-white pulsing around the edges of his darkened vision — but just before the emptiness came, he felt something.

Cold, unmoving, familiar.

His hand wrapped around another.

And he knew in an instant it was you.

The archer pulled you near, your body drifting motionlessly towards him until your back connected against his chest. He could feel the material of the tarp wrapped around your center, having anchored you to the bottom of the pool. He fumbled for just a moment, but managed to unwind the material from around you before gritting his teeth together and pushing off the bottom of the pool with all the force he could muster, his arm wrapped tightly around your waist.

Daryl broke through the surface with a gasp, sputtering for mouthful after mouthful of air, the pressure in his chest finally relenting. He flicked away the hair that’d stuck against his face, swimming as fast as he could to the edge of the pool, dragging you along with him. He managed to grab onto the side, the blistering concrete burning the tips of his fingers.

Your head lolled listlessly against his shoulder, strands of your hair splayed out across your face — you were still…unresponsive…blue.

He tried to hoist you from the pool, but you were dead weight in his arms. “Tara!” he hollered, attempting once more to lift you out — but every time he tried, he’d sink and lose his grasp. “Tara!” he roared, his voice breaking as he swallowed the panic that rose.

Tara ran over a moment later, out of breath and wide-eyed. “Shit — oh shit,” she swore, dropping to her knees and fumbling for you.

“Help — help me get her out!” he snapped, hating the desperation laced around his words as he heaved your body upward.

Tara quickly wound her arms beneath your armpits, holding your head above water as Daryl pulled himself out of the pool in one swift motion. He grabbed hold around your center and, with Tara’s help, finally managed to drag your lifeless body out of the water.

He dropped to his knees beside you, frantically brushing the hair away from your face, careful not to touch the bloody gash across your forehead before leaning down and pressing his ear against the center of your chest, holding his breath.

He heard nothing.

“Fuck,” he growled, intertwining his fingers, ignoring the way they shook.

Tara crouched down on your other side, her hand pressed against her stomach like she was fighting back the urge to be sick. “Daryl, is — is she —”

“Get the car,” he rasped, laying his clasped hands against your middle, right below your sternum. Tara jumped to her feet and took off without another word. “Alright, alright,” he murmured as he began chest compressions.

He wasn’t sure how fast he was supposed to do it, wasn’t sure the strength needed to restart someone’s fucking heart, and wished he’d paid more attention in health class — but he’d flunked, he’d barely even shown up to begin with, and now he’d have to tack that on to his ever-growing list of regrets.

Once Daryl counted to ten, he tilted your head back and pressed his lips against yours, pinching your nose and breathing a long stream of air into your lungs.

Nothing.

He repeated the action.

Nothing.

Again.

Nothing.

Again.

Nothing.

Again.

Nothing.

And over and over and over until his arms ached and his lungs burned and he’d cursed every god damn thing he could think of.

“C’mon, Y/N,” he pleaded, refusing to give up despite the little voice in the back of his head that told him he was too late. “Come back ta’ me.”

Daryl learned down once more, his lips nearly grazing yours when all of the sudden your eyes shot open.

He fell back on his haunches, watching as water began to expel itself from your lungs, spurting from your mouth like a faucet that’d been turned on. “Shit — oh shit!” he swore, grabbing onto your arm and rolling you onto your side, allowing the water to flow easier.

After your coughs finally died down, Daryl grabbed onto either of your arms and pulled you upright — you swayed limply in his grasp, your inhales sounding more like gasps than anything else. “Hey, hey, you’re alright,” he rasped, unsure if he was trying to reassure you or himself.

But when you continued to merely stare straight ahead, eyes wide and vacant, not so much looking at the archer but through him, Daryl felt his heart skip a beat. “Hey, can ya hear me?” he asked, waiting for a response that never came. “C’mon, Y/N, say somethin’,” he pressed, more desperately, giving your body a quick shake like he was hoping to jostle something loose. “Y/N!” he tried again, this time the word coming out in a strangled shout.

His hands fell away from your arms, instead slipping around either side of your neck, cradling your head in his grasp. He quickly brushed away the strands of hair that’d fallen across your face, your skin cold to the touch, your lips still tinged blue.

Daryl’s fingertips trembled as he leaned forward a fraction, his ragged breathing syncing up with yours. He was frantically studying your features, his distraught gaze bouncing back and forth between your absent one when your mouth opened as though you were about to speak.

But no sound came out.

The archer felt the breath he’d been holding rush past his lips — what if something was seriously wrong? What if you’d been down there too long? What if he had been too late?

Except before his thoughts could derail completely, you suddenly lifted your hands, wrapping your fingers weakly around either of his wrists.

Daryl glanced down at your hands, a small huff of relief escaping him, the weight that’d sat on his chest dissipating. He felt his throat clog with an unexpected flood of emotion, his vision going blurry as his eyes met yours — yours, no longer vacant, warm and familiar, a little bit of life filling them with each moment that passed.

You’d come back to him.

The archer’s hands slipped behind your head before he closed the space between you, pressing his forehead carefully against yours and squeezing his eyes shut.

When he pulled back, he noticed your muddled gaze flicker upward, your brow knitting together. You cleared your throat then, cringing like it physically pained you to do so. “You’re —” you paused, your voice raw. “You’re bleeding, D,” you finally managed to croak out.

Daryl’s expression darkened as he glanced up at the cut right below your hairline, his jaw clenching as he unsheathed his hunting knife. “It ain’t mine,” he rasped simply, slicing a long strip of fabric from the bottom of his dampened shirt and balling it in his fist, ringing out some of the water.

He reached forward, pressing the material gingerly against your forehead to stop the blood flow, forcing himself to ignore the way you winced at the contact. He wrapped the makeshift gauze around your head, tying the strip into a knot to keep it in place.

But before he could do anything else, he heard the sound of a car door slamming, followed by Tara’s sudden and panicked shouts.

“They’re coming!” she yelled from across the way, pointing urgently at something behind him.

Daryl didn’t need to look — he already knew.

Without another word, he jumped to his feet, looping his arms beneath your armpits and scooping you off the ground along with him. You teetered once standing, feebly grabbing onto the front of his shirt as you fought for stability.

“I got ya,” the archer rumbled, slinging one of your arms across his shoulders, his grip snaking around your waist as the moans and groans from the dead amplified.

Tara appeared at your opposite side a moment later, wide-eyed and out of breath. “Welcome back, chicka,” he heard her say, shooting you a slightly strained smile before winding your other arm across her shoulders, keeping you upright between them.

Daryl could feel the tension in your body, like you were trying to get your legs working to take some of the pressure off them, but to no avail. They merely half-dragged, half-carried you across the stretch of concrete, leading towards the parking lot where Tara had left the car running, away from the hellish nightmare that’d just taken place.

The archer kept his gaze forward, determination to get you to safety being the sole thought coursing through him.

Once at the car, Tara slipped away, jumping into the driver’s seat as Daryl flung open the back door, maneuvering you inside as carefully and quickly as possible. Following suit, he slid inside and yanked the door shut just before the dead could grab at him. He held onto the back of the driver’s seat as Tara peeled out of the parking lot, tires squealing against the asphalt.

And then it was quiet.

Eerie, almost.

The motel rapidly disappeared from sight as Tara drove out onto the main road, the only sound coming from the gentle roar of the engine and your wheezing breaths beside him.

Daryl’s grip tightened around the seat at the sound.

He could feel your eyes on him then, the sensation prickling the side of his face. He glanced over, the sight of your body curled up against the door causing some of the tension in his frame to melt away. Without a word, he shuffled closer, gently grabbing your arm and re-situating you more comfortably in the backseat.

Your body slumped against him, the little remaining energy you had depleting entirely as the archer reached behind your shoulders, grabbed the seatbelt, and wound it around you, locking it in place.

He fell back against the seat beside you with a huff, staring straight through the windshield as his churning thoughts began to take over, the fear that’d lodged itself like a knot in his stomach tightening.

Nothing good ever came without consequence.

Daryl felt you shift a moment later, closing the small gap he’d purposefully placed between you before leaning your head against his shoulder — he stiffened, though made no move to pull away. He heard your breathing even out, your body resting heavier against him. He chanced a glance down at you, feeling the knot in his gut loosen at the sight of your closed eyes, the warmth seeping back into your features, your steady breaths washing over him, giving him goosebumps.

His throat constricted and he focused ahead once more.

He didn’t look at you again — he couldn’t. He couldn’t face what almost happened, couldn’t think about your cold, lifeless body floating in the abyss, couldn’t process just what in the fuck he would’ve done had he lost you.

Because he loved you.

He’d always loved you.

But he’d been too chicken-shit to tell you, terrified that once those words were out there in the open they would somehow shatter the goodness around him, like the rug would be pulled out from under him and he’d realize that none of it had been real to begin with.

And he couldn’t risk that.

He couldn’t risk losing you.

Daryl exhaled a soft breath, squeezing his eyes shut and gently resting his cheek against the top of your head once he knew you wouldn’t wake. He felt you nestle closer, like you missed him even in your sleep, and he felt something inside him break.

He’d learned at a young age not to trust the things that came easy to him.

But you were different.

You were everything.

Fin.

A/N: AHHHHH we did it! We made it to the end of this story! I'm so glad I was able to get this little bonus scene done for y'all, I hope you enjoyed it, and once again, I'm sorry for the near-year long wait lol if you want to see the full resolution of this story, check out Part 2 linked above :)

P.S. Feedback is incredibly important. I write for my own happiness, but I also write for YOU. So don’t be afraid to shoot me an ask or leave a comment with your thoughts! It truly motivates me and helps move along the writing process. Also, please consider donating to my Tip Jar. Every little bit helps!

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[inevitably-johnlocked]

heeeey any insecure!john?

Hi Nonny!

Ahhhh, you know I’ve collected fics over the years but I’ve mixed them up with the Sherlock ones, so I think I’ll start anew and start fresh! I know I’ve missed a lot when I pulled them out of the old lists, so forgive me! Hope you enjoy what I’ve got here for you!

As always, Lovelies, please add your insecure John fics!!

INSECURE JOHN

See also:

BAMF! But Insecure John

Insecure / Awkward John or Sherlock (Jan 2019)

Concussions And Good Old Fashioned Awkwardness by Belldere (K+, 894 w. || Humour, Hospitals, Mild John Whump, Misunderstandings, Platonic Relationship, Concussions, Not-Gay John, Possessive Sherlock) – When John lands himself in hospital... again, all he wants is to just get out of there as soon as possible, too bad his doctor has other ideas about where John may be getting his injuries. Good thing concussions make everything strangely funnier.

I Was Wrong by AllesandraQuartermaine (K, 1,496 w., 1 Ch. || TGG AU, Friendship, Hospitalization / Injury, John’s Self Esteem, Sleepy Sherlock) – Sherlock and John have a conversation a few days after the pool face off with Moriarty. And John hears something quite surprising.

Hell or High water by bluefire301175 (E, 2,250 w., 1 Ch. || PWP, Frottage, Alley Sex, First Person POV John, Case-ish Fic, Mutual Pining, Bed Sharing) – John wants. Sherlock wants. Plain and simple.

Not My Proudest Moment by charlock221 (K, 2,695 w., 1 Ch. || Lunar New Year, Mild PTSD / Panic Attack, Coping Mechanisms, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort) – John tries his best not to get in the way of Sherlock's cases, but when the vivid noises of fireworks unnerve his senses and begin to bring back unwanted memories of Afghanistan, he cannot help but to hope Sherlock will notice and help him before things go too far.

Closeted by Sexxica (E, 2,762 w., 1 Ch. || Trapped in a Closet, Panicking Sherlock, Hand Jobs, Coming in Pants, Awkward Conversations, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Fluffy Ending) – An improvised hiding spot and a bit of accidental voyeurism leave John and Sherlock in an awkward position.

The General Idea by agirlsname (T, 3,022 w., 1 Ch. || Retirement, Promise of Forever / Proposal, POV John, First Kiss, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Soft Sherlock, Idiots in Love, Crying / Emotional Sherlock, Love Confessions) – After twenty years of friendship, John is used to Sherlock acting weirdly. But the news Sherlock finally brings himself to deliver change the carefully built dynamics between them, and John realises it's time to act.

Paranoia by Ewebie (M, 3,789 w., 1 Ch. || Humour, Drinking Games, Scotland Yard Gang, Jealous / Possessive Sherlock, Inappropriate Questions, Embarrassed John, Matchmakers) – John and Sherlock join the gang of Scotland Yard for a night of drinking, and it gets a bit personal and revealing.

Coldness/Heat by agirlsname (E, 3,790 w., 1 Ch. || Cuddling & Snuggling, Body Heat, New Year’s Eve, PWP, Bedsharing, Frottage) – The inn is booked up on New Year's Eve. The train home is cancelled because of the snow. The only option is to sleep in the non-heated guest room of a client, and John and Sherlock are freezing. You know where this is going. Part 1 of New Year's Kiss

The Oolong Disaster by unicornpoe (T, 4,151 w., 1 Ch. || John’s Beard, Fluff, Humour, Frustrated Sherlock, John Takes Care of Sherlock, Case Fic-ish, Pining Sherlock, First Kiss, Possessive Sherlock) – John has a beard. Sherlock has a panic attack.

Afghanistan in Baskerville by Amaya Ramiel (K+, 4,357 w., 1 Ch. || THoB Fic, Hurt/Comfort, Drugged John, PTSD / Panic Attack, Hallucinations, Worried Sherlock, John’s Past, Friendship) – What if John hadn't seen the hound when Sherlock trapped him in the lab? What if instead, his very real nightmares of the war had materialized all around him? Trapped and drugged, John can't tell what's real and what's not. How will Sherlock react?

Overture by Kate_Lear (M, 4,435 w., 1 Ch. || First Kiss / Time, Friends to Lovers, Angry John, Introspection, Dev. Rel., Embarrassed / Insecure Sherlock, Morning After, Bed Sharing, Cuddles / Limpet Sherlock) – A short snippet on how John and Sherlock might have got together.

What You Are Worth by Lastew (T, 4,488 w., 1 Ch. || Observant but Insecure John, Friendship, Crime / Case Fic) – John helps Sherlock with a case, but he questions his real value to Sherlock.  

Let Down by Gandalf3213 (K+, 4,505 w., 2 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, John Whump, Insecure John) – John truly is sorry for letting Sherlock down. The only thing he wanted to do was finish the case, but bleeding out in a dark alley makes it harder for him to pursue that murderer running out of sight.

Sherlock and John Go Clubbing by wendymarlowe (E, 4,716 w., 3 Ch. || Clubbing, Dirty Talk, Dancing, Coming Untouched, Coming in Pants, Bi John, For a Case, Friends to Lovers, Flirting, Sherlock is Lost for Words, Sexy John, Mutual Pining, Possessive John, Floor Sex/Hand Job/Frottage) – John pinched the bridge of his nose - even for Sherlock, this was a new level of no bloody boundaries. “You want me to go with you to a gay club, wait around twiddling my thumbs while I let you get pawed by a criminal, then out-flirt him and talk you into coming home with me instead?” Part 32 of John and Sherlock's Kinky First Times

Pillow Talk by scullyseviltwin (M, 5,183 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S3, Angsty Fluff, Pillow Talk, Bed Sharing, Worried John, First Time Morning After, Soft Sherlock, Sexuality Discussion, Love Confessions, Kisses and Cuddles) – John has been looking at Sherlock for ages, it feels like.

Welcome Home, John by slashscribe (G, 5,504 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S3, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Awkwardness, Stabbed Sherlock, Protective Sherlock, Panic Attack (Sherlock), Self Esteem Issues, Love Confessions, First Kiss) – When John moves back to 221B, he thinks he’s the broken one, but after a while, it becomes clear that he might not be correct.

An Interpretation of Viewing Habits by akitsuko (E, 6,653 w., 1 Ch. || Porn Watching, Masturbation, Anal, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss / Time, Declarations of Love, Jealous Sherlock, Fantasizing, John in Denial / Internalized Homophobia, Bottomlock, Pining Idiots, Sherlock Has No Boundaries, Cockblocking Sherlock) – John watches porn. It's a perfectly normal thing to do.If every video he watches happens to feature actors with remarkable physical similarities to his flatmate, well, that's no one's business but his own. Or: John is in denial, until his infatuation with Sherlock is impossible to deny anymore.

Inconvenient Timing by TheMadKatter13 (M, 7,072 w., 1 Ch. || Omegaverse || Omega John/Alpha Sherlock, Romance, Public Heat, Scared John, Protective / Worried / Possessive Sherlock, Post-TBB AU, Caring Sherlock, Pre-Slash, Happy Ending) – When John's heat failed to appear three times in a row after he was shot, he figured it was just another broken piece off the broken toy soldier. So he was rather surprised to feel it start out of the blue...and not at all pleased with it starting while he was on the tube.

Sometimes When We Touch by kedgeree (M, 7,755 w., 6 Ch. || Post-TRF, First Kiss/Time, Inappropriate Giggling, Romance, Friends to Lovers, Virgin Sherlock, John Whump, Touching) – John might be touching Sherlock a little more often than is strictly necessary. Sherlock probably hasn't even noticed. Right...?

Victim, Bait, Hero, Friend by KimberlyTheOwl (T, 7,887 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TGG Epilogue, Angst, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, Past Kidnapping / Torture / Implied Rape, Panic Attacks, Worried / Possessive Sherlock, Lestrade is a Good Friend) – Some insights into why John was perfectly willing to throw everything away for a chance to kill Moriarty at the pool. Trauma, ugliness, and finally healing. Some nice supporting work by Lestrade as well.

Every Night I Look for You by destinationtoast (E, 8,377 w., 1 Ch. || POV John, Post-TRF, Angst, Mystery, Unsafe Sex, BAMF John) – Every night, John looks for familiar hints of Sherlock in the men he meets in bars, and he does with them all the things he wishes he’d done before. Eventually, he stumbles into a situation that Sherlock would know how to handle, and John must decide whether he can handle it without him.

Just Like That by sussexbound (E, 8,442 w., 1 Ch. || First Time/Kiss, Frottage, Virgin Sherlock, French Kissing, Anal, Emotional Lovemaking, Enthusiastic Consent, Tenderness, Crying John, Bathing/Washing, Insecure John, Toplock) – John doesn’t want to talk anymore. He wants. Oh dear god, how he wants. For the first time in what feels like years he WANTS.

Unwasted by patternofdefiance (E, 8,966 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S3 / S3 Fix-It, Developing Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Angelo’s, Fluff, First Time, Anal, Cum Play, Flashbacks to ASiB, Mutual Pining, Love Confessions, Bottomlock, Cuddles, Multiple Orgasms, BJ’s, Bed Sharing) – John finds it three months after he's moved back. He's on the hunt for something to make for dinner, is scrounging through the cupboards, when he happens upon the graveyard of pasta boxes Sherlock still seems to create when left to his own devices. Behind seven boxes of pasta, all almost completely empty, is a dark-glassed bottle, with a paler coat of dust. It's unopened. John's face falls slack when he sees it, instantly recognises it, and for a long moment he just stands and looks at it.

Ravish Me by amalnahurriyeh (E, 10,025 w., 1 Ch. || UST / RST, Makeup / Lipstick, Sympathetic Sally, Experiments, Pining John, First Kiss, Face Fucking / BJ’s, Cuddling) – Sherlock is experimenting with patterns of wear on lipstick in daily encounters. John is going to go insane.

A Is For Aftermath by ElvendorkInfinity (T, 10,567 w.,  1 Ch. || Injury / Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship/Pre-Slash/Bromance/Platonics, Hallucinations, Introspection, Insecure / Worried John, Big Brother Mycroft, Alternating POV, Anxious Sherlock, Self-Deprecating, Mildly Possessive Sherlock, 3G Moment) – John is still hallucinating, Sherlock cannot sleep, and Lestrade has a new case for them. But will life at 221B ever be able to return to normal? Epilogue to M is for Moriarty.

London Gods by a_different_equation (E, 11,092 w., 5 Ch. || American Gods Fusion || Magical Realism, Sex Magic, True Love, PTSD John, First Kiss/Time, Marathon Sex, Sensuality, Genie Sherlock, Human John, Internalized Homophobia, Star-Crossed Lovers, Soul Mates) – Sherlock Holmes is a jinn who does not grant wishes. However, when Dr. John H. Watson, recently returned from the war in Afghanistan, gets into his cab by "accident", it might not even need magic to grant both men their deepest wish: love.

On The Fence by BeautifulFiction (T, 13,770 w., 1 Ch. || Fencing, Case Fic, First Kiss, Insecure John, Pining John, Hug, Greg Finds Out) – The murder of the King's College fencing champion leads to revelations about Sherlock's past. Will it be the point that tips them from friends to lovers, or will they remain on the fence?

A Silver Sixpence by _doodle (NC-17, 16,400 w., 2 Ch. || LJ Fic || For a Case / Case Fic, Fake Relationship, Humour, Romance, Marriage Proposal, Awkward Idiots, Cuddling, Touching, Kissing, Love Confessions, Bed Sharing, Friends to Lovers, Fake Until It’s Not, Schmoop and Fluff, Bottomlock) – “John, we need to get married. It’s for a case, not any romantic notions on my part pertaining to our partnership,” Sherlock said, with brutal honesty, and without even looking up.

Between Friends by SilentAuror (E, 18,036 w., 1 Ch. || Post S3, Alternating POV, Friends to Lovers, John in Denial, Abduction, Awkward Situations / Miscommunications, Porn With Feels, Blowjobs, Pining, Unrequited, Angst With Happy Ending) – Sherlock gets abducted. As John discovers him tied up naked in an empty storage facility and comes to rescue him, Sherlock's body has an unfortunate reaction which triggers a series of events. John is convinced that everything will be fine as long as they never discuss it. Sherlock isn't as sure...

Division by MrsNoggin (E, 19,542 w., 11 Ch. || Coffee Shop AU || First Kiss/Time, Fluff, Barista Sherlock, Clingy Sherlock, POV John, John’s Limp, Bed Sharing, Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles, Sensuality, Touching, Virgin Sherlock, Insecure John) – John likes mysteries. And every morning he dips into the local independent coffee bar with his newspaper and ponders another... one Sherlock Holmes.

A Life Well-Lived by Kate_Lear (E, 20,121 w., 1 Ch. || Original Male Character, Sherlock Woos John, Jealous Sherlock, Reluctant Bi-John, Past Abuse, Insecure John, Reassuring / Caring Sherlock, Protective Sherlock, Understanding Sherlock) – John got scared off men by an abusive past relationship. Sherlock has to try and woo him while not scaring him off with protective possessive rage.

Maintaining A Personal Life by Gingerhermit (E, 24,284 w., 6 Ch. || Alternating POV’s, Bisexuality, BAMF!John, Jealous Sherlock, Romance / Drama, Sort-of Case Fic, Peril & Angst, Love Confessions, Toplock, Soft Idiots in Love, Post S3) – Sherlock and John discover some interesting revelations about each other’s sexuality, which lead them both to question the assumptions they've made about one another for years. In the midst of their mutual discoveries, a dangerous psychopath looms on the side-lines who threatens to destroy their new beginning.

Nothing to Make a Song About by emmagrant01 (E, 36,833 w., 10 Ch. || Post-TRF, First Time, Reunion, Jealous John, Pining Sherlock, Romance, Angst with Happy Ending, Sherlock Has a Boyfriend) – When Sherlock returned from his faked death, John could not forgive him for the deception and broke off their friendship. Ten years later, John returns to London in search of yet another new beginning. Sherlock, not surprisingly, is waiting.

Turn Left at the Park by Glenmore (NR (E), 37,409 w., 28 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting / ASiP Divergence, Case Fic, Depression, Suicidal Ideation, Loneliness, No Mary, Possessive Sherlock, Fluff & Angst, Nightmares/PTSD, Sherlock Saves John, Sherlock Whump-ish, Doctor John) – So what would have happened if John hadn't walked through the park and met Stamford? What if, instead, he walked around the park and just went home?

Only To Be With You by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John (M, 40,768 w., 4 Ch. || Black Mirror / Future AU || Character Death, Future Technology, Sickness/Cancer/Illness, Heavy Angst with Happy Ending, First Person POV John, Pining John, Heart-Wrenching Angst) – I tell myself that next time I’ll come near this same place again. Wait around for the mysterious stranger in his coat to dash past me, hot on the heels of a new criminal in black. I think this all the way back to my Exit, planning where I’ll wait and what I’ll say when I see him. Scheming on how to get his name. It’s only once I reach the Exit Point door that I realize two hours and forty-five minutes have passed, and I realize that this won’t be the last time I Visit. It won’t be the last time at all.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by SilentAuror (E, 50,635 w., 1 Ch. || Post-S4/S4 Divergence, Case Fic, For a Case / Reverse Fake-Relationship, Conferences, Marriage Equality, Travelling / New York, Pride, Homophobia, Bottomlock, Marriage Proposal, John POV, Sexuality, Love Confessions, Emotional Love Making, Public Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Passionate Kissing, Needy/Clingy Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Touching / Hand Holding, Bed Sharing, Little Spoon Sherlock, Intense Orgasms) – John and Sherlock go to New York to attend a conference run by the National Defence of Traditional Marriage Coalition in order to investigate the potential bombing of the annual Manhattan Pride parade. As the conference unfolds, John finds himself repulsed by the toxic ideology being presented, which becomes relevent to his own unacknowledged issues and his friendship with Sherlock...

Never Change a Running System by Lorelei_Lee (E, 54,246 w., 18 Ch. || Pre-TRF, Romance, Humour, Drama, Sex Toys, Anal, Rimming, Masturbation, Frottage, Blow Jobs, Public Sex, First Kiss / Time, Virgin Sherlock / Loss of Virginity, Accidental Voyeurism, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Experiments, Naive Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock, Possessive Sherlock, Straight With an Exception John, Hand Jobs) – Sherlock discovers his sexuality – with far-reaching consequences for John.

The Thing Is by TSylvestris (E, 56,743 w., 21 Ch. || Case Fic, Dev. Rel., Anal/Oral, Blow Jobs, Meddling Mycroft, Drama, Romance, Humour, Casual Encounters, Pining Idiots, Possessive Sherlock, Orgasm Delay, Rough / Alley Sex, Public Sex, John Whump, Drugged John, Emotional Love Making, Awkward Relationship, Marriage of Convenience, Switchlock) – The problem with living with Sherlock, John thought, was that you never, never, ever knew the significance of anything. Like your flatmate's nose buried in your hair. Whilst you're in bed. Part 1 of Nitroglycerine

One Little Change by jadztone (E, 58,312 w., 12 Ch. || ASiB Divergence, Fake Relationship, Bed Sharing, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss / Time, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bi John / Gay Demisexual Sherlock, Switchlock, Alternating POV, Jealousy, Misunderstandings, Case Fic, Angst with Happy Ending, Emotional Love Making, Butt Plugs, Cuddles) – Our story begins right after John and Sherlock's first meeting with Irene Adler in September. It splits off into an AU that imagines them taking a case where they act as bait to hook a killer targeting closeted gays in secret relationships. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, many things happen that have our boys wondering if maybe they have a chance with each other. Then Irene fakes her death on Christmas Eve, and things get a lot more complicated - especially since they still have a killer to catch.

Isosceles by SilentAuror (E, 56,609 w., 7 Ch. || Post-S4, POV John, Original Male Character / Sherlock Dates Another Man, Love Triangle, Jealous John, Virgin Sherlock, Sexual Coaching, Angst, Romance, Domesticity, Unrequited Feelings, Miscommunication, First Kiss/Time, For a Case, Friends With Benefits, Bottomlock, Love Confessions, Spooning) – After solving a case for a major celebrity, Sherlock gets himself asked out. When John asks, he discovers that Sherlock has no intention of going, at least not until John agrees to coach him through whatever he might need to know for his date...

floating through a dark blue sky by Lediona (M, 58,966 w., 15 Ch. || Notting Hill AU || POV John, Celebrity Sherlock, First Date / Time / Kiss, Past Drug Addiction, Angst with a Happy Ending) – Of course, I’d seen his films and always thought he was, well, brilliant -- but, you know, a million miles from the world I live in. Or, when John is the owner of a travel book shop and the famous Sherlock Holmes stops in one day.

The Book of Silence by SilentAuror (E, 60,056 w., 2 Ch. || S4 Fix It / Post S4, Virgin Sherlock, Rosie / Parentlock, Domesticity, Fluff, Praise Kink, Sex Toys, First Person POV) – As spring blooms in London, John and Sherlock begin to take new cases and cautiously negotiate this new phase of life with John living at Baker Street again. Despite how well it's all going, John struggles to forgive himself for the way he treated Sherlock following Mary’s death as well as trying to figure out how to finally put his long-time feelings for Sherlock into words. Part 1 of The Book of Silence/Rosa Felicia

Scars by SilentAuror (E, 60,494 w., 5 Ch. || Rape / Non-Con / Abuse, Gaslighting, Manipulation, Dub Con Elements, Homophobia, Angst With Happy Ending, Mary is Not Nice) – S3 rewrite, showing Mary’s manipulation of John as he realizes his love for Sherlock. Mary is not having it.

The Bells of King's College by SilentAuror (E, 64,019 w., 5 Ch. || Post-S4, Missed Opportunities, Angst with Happy Ending, Fake Relationship, Case Fic, John POV, Jealous John, John in Denial, Travelling / Holidays, Virgin Sherlock, Wedding Proposals) – It's only been two weeks since Eurus Holmes disrupted their lives when Mycroft sends John and Sherlock to Cambridge to pose as an engaged couple at a wedding show in the hopes of solving six unsolved deaths...

White Knight by DiscordantWords (M, 69,840 w., 13 Ch. || S4 Compliant/Post S4, Marriage For a Case, Jealous John, Pining John, Janine / Sherlock Fake Relationship, Serial Killers, Case Fic, Undercover as a Couple, Weddings, John is a Mess, Misunderstandings, Wedding Planning, Jealousy, Drunkenness, Love Confessions, Angst with Happy Ending) – Green. The word green was used to convey a great many things. Illness. Envy. Inexperience. Standing there amidst Janine's chattering bridesmaids, watching Sherlock furrow his brow and study fabric swatches, watching him smile and simper and flirt, John thought it a remarkably apt colour choice. Because he felt quite sick to his stomach, he feared the source of said sickness might very well be jealousy, and he had absolutely no idea at all what to do about it. Or: Sherlock needs to fake a relationship for a case. He doesn't ask John.

Just To Hold You Close by sussexbound (E, 70,841 w., 18 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting, Sherlock POV, ASD Sherlock, PTSD John, Demisexual Sherlock, Bisexual John, Cuddling/Snuggling, Platonic Cuddling, Enthusiastic Consent, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, First Kiss/Time, Sexual Tension, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Cuddle Negotiations, For a Case Until It Isn’t, Hair Petting, Sexual Negotiation, Anxiety, Trust Issues, Slow Burn, Panic Attacks, Frottage, Hand/Blow Jobs, Referenced Self Harm / Abuse / Suicidal Ideation, First Kiss/Time, Anal) – When a woman is murdered and the last person to see her alive is recently invalided army vet turned reluctant (and prickly) professional cuddler, John Watson, Sherlock Holmes is pulled into a world of intimacy and intrigue he never could have imagined. John is a conundrum and mystery: frank yet reserved, tender yet angry, open yet afraid. Sherlock is instantly drawn into his orbit, and begins to feel and desire things he never has before.

Secrets and Revelations by Hisstah (E, 83,535 w., 9 Ch. || Sentinel / Guides Omegaverse AU || Adventure, Violence, Anal / Oral, Omega!John / Alpha!Sherlock, Case Fic, Politics, Mild DubCon) – Dr John Watson has some major secrets that he's kept from his flatmate, Alpha Sentinel Sherlock Holmes. Now the Sentinel Tower is after him. Can John stay out of their hands until he can reveal his secrets to Sherlock? Part 1 of Secrets and Revelations

Kintsukuroi by sussexbound (E, 91,823 w., 20 Ch. || S4 Compliant / Post-TLD, Grief / Mourning, PTSD, Internalized Homophobia, Therapy, Past Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Anxiety, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, Cuddling, Suicidal Ideation, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Sexting, Frottage, Inexperienced Sherlock, Rimming / Anal / BJ’s, Emotional Turmoil, Finding Each Other, John’s Self Esteem Issues) – “I love you.” Sherlock sees the words hit John with almost physical force. He reels back a little, jaw twitching and eyes filling. “I love you,” he repeats, a little softer, a little more gentle, as earnest as he possibly can. Because they’ve been teetering on the brink of this thing for years, and it had become painfully obvious over the last few months that they were at a tipping point. This had to happen. Now it has. Now they can see where they end up. The tears in John’s eyes spill over, and he wipes at them angrily. “Do you even know what that means?”  

The Cost of a Wish by slashscribe (E, 102,493 w., 12 Ch. || xxxHolic Fusion || Spirits / Ghosts and Magic, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Soul Mates / Fated Lovers, Adventure, Immortal Sherlock, Powerful John, POV John, Frottage, Wish Granting, Angst with Happy Ending, Nightmares) – John has been plagued by a secret his entire life that has made him feel hopeless until he meets a mysterious, seemingly omniscient man named Sherlock Holmes who owns a wish-granting shop. Their meeting sets off a series of inevitable events that will change the course of both of their lives forever.

Maintenance and Repair by patternofdefiance (E, 106,650 w., 71 Ch. || Future AU, Augmentation || Augmented John, Depression, Body Modification, Slow Burn, Worldbuilding, Sci-Fi, Self-Care, Body Dysmorphia) – John wants to explain the rush of sensation and data, which is just another form of sensation (or is it the other way around?). John wants to say: Augmentation circuits report temperature, pressure, various forms of quantitative input. Sudden changes are reported as pain, since sudden changes are dangerous, and pain is the quickest way to encourage reflexive extraction. But all John can manage is, “Nng.” Because this sudden touch is not reporting as pain. Part 2 of STATIC

A Study in Winning by Jupiter_Ash (E, 106,658 w., 11 Ch. || Tennis AU || John POV, Dirty Talk, Mutual Pining, Misunderstandings, Happy Ending, Sherlock Speaks French, Switchlock, Wimbledon) – John and Sherlock are professional tennis players and it’s Wimbledon. One is a broken almost was at the end of his career, the other an arrogant rising star tipped for greatness. It should have been a straightforward tournament. It really should have been. How were they to know that a chance encounter would change everything? Part 1 of Tennis

Shatter the Darkness (Let the Light In) by MojoFlower (E, 109,683 w., 23 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Genie/Djinn AU || Magical Realism, Kidnapping, Genie Sherlock, First Kiss / Time, Case Fic, H/C, Angst, Clubs, John Whump, Mild DubCon, Hand / Blow Jobs, Torture) – Fairy tales are for those who remember how to dream; not John Watson, broken and hiding from his bleak future in a beige bedsit. But then he discovers a lamp and finds himself in the dangerous riptide of an enigmatic man whose very existence is unbelievable, murder charges against his sister, and the growing pains of feeling alive once more.

The Burning Heart by May_Shepard (M, 119,150 w., 21 Ch. || Canon Divergence, Post-TRF, John’s Sexuality, S3 Rewrite, Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, POV John Watson, John’s Gay) – When Sherlock dies, John Watson feels like his life is over too. He’s completely shut down, until Mark Morstan, a new nurse at John’s medical clinic, catches his attention, and helps him uncover the long buried truth of his attraction to men. Although he’s certain he’ll never get over Sherlock, John plans to move on, and build a new life with Mark, unaware that Sherlock is not quite as dead as he appears, and that Mark is hiding secrets of his own.

The Adventure of the Silver Scars by tangledblue (NR [M], 142,458 w., 41 Ch. || S3 Fix-It, Post-HLV/ Post-TAB / Canon Compliant, Case Fic, No Baby, Angst, Humour, UST, Slow Burn, Angry John, Reconciliation, Not Nice Mary / Leaving Mary, Dependent Sherlock, Pining Sherlock, Caretaker John, Fist Fights, It’s An Experiment, Virgin Sherlock, Dancing, Drugging, John Whump, Pet Names, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Scars) – It’s been thirteen months since Mary shot Sherlock and John finds he’s still pissed off about it. Sherlock had thought everything was settled: John and Mary, domestic bliss. But when John turns up at Baker Street with suitcases, the world’s only consulting detective might not be prepared for the consequences. A new case. Some old scores to settle. Certain danger. Concertos, waltzes, and whisky.

Proving A Point by elldotsee & J_Baillier (E, 186,270 w., 28 Ch. || Me Before You Fusion || Medical Realism, Insecure John, Depression, Romance, Angst, POV John, Sherlock Whump, Serious Illness, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Assisted Suicide, Sherlock’s Violin, Awkward Sexual Situations, Alcoholism, Drugs, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Body Image, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Pain, Big Brother Mycroft, Intimacy, Anxiety, PTSD, Family Issues, Psychological Trauma, John Whump, Case Fics, Loneliness, Pain) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court.

[lilacprincessofrecovery]

A Stark Halloween Party // Tony Stark x Plus Size Reader

Word Count: 1788 Warning: Light insecurity

There's this one girl. She wasn't a girl. She was a woman. She was bigger than other women. She was different. She loved herself. That's what drew big time tech billionare Tony Stark to her. He liked that she was confident. She was sometimes sarcastic under her breath when she thought no one could hear her. Tony realized that she was very similar to him. Tony didn't treat her like he treated Pepper. Pepper had actually decided to go to a law firm instead of working with Tony.

He knew y/n would be slower than Pepper in heels. He would only order her to stand beside him and write his work notes while he was in his lab. She would make him laugh. That wasn't easy for him since the New York incident. He loved to see her every day at 10am. Being confident was a great thing to be around Tony Stark.

Another thing about him, Tony always loved parties. No disaster would get him down when it came to a celebration or charity. Halloween was a big shen-dig for him. He was a man who liked costumes, too. He made everyone's costumes better yet he had someone else make the costumes; not that he didn't have an idea of the costumes but he couldn't sew. He decided after the computer generated the costumes to go and switch them up himself and give everyone Tony Stark appointed costumes.

He had called everyone in the compound to the main conference room. Everyone was surprised that Tony called everyone since there was nothing on the news or on the tv monitors hanging around the place, lately. He explained that he wanted to throw a Halloween bash. He started giving everyone their costumes and that their outfits will be sent to them when they get made. It was 2 weeks until Halloween. He could do it. He even thought about making them dress up as each other but after he chuckled about that he decided to go with traditional costumes.

Tony named off announcing the costumes explaining he used a generator so they won't guess he chose legitimately to give him and y/n similar matching costumes. or get annoyed if they didn't like the costumes he picked.

Steve. Sailor.

Natasha. Angel.

Y/n. Princess.

Clint. Ghost Face.

Thor. Pro Wrestler.

Peter Parker. Vampire.

Sam. Police Officer.

Scott. Devil.

Rhodey. Storm Trooper.

Wanda. Jessica Rabbit. (Mostly because of the hair)

Vision. Michael Myers.

Bucky. Werewolf.

Happy. Superman.

Loki. Plague Doctor.

and himself. Prince Charming.

It was a bit harder than he thought to give them all costumes. They all practically live in costumes. He chose the most ironic costumes he could. He however made sure he and y/N were matching. He wouldn't tell he didn't generate the costumes. Only FRIDAY knows.

Once everyone got their costumes, they're of course was arguements of why they got the costume they got. Tony rolled his eyes. "Deal with it." He smiled at y/N and went and left to go to his office. He ordered a famous designer to create the costumes except the princess one. He wanted to design that one himself.

"I can't believe I'm even coming to this party," Loki complained.

"Your face will be covered, Brother," Thor responded.

Loki groaned.

"I am stronger than any wrestler," Thor thinks. "I do not trust technology."

Steve looked at Natasha. "I considered joining the marines. I preferred to be an army soldier though."

Natasha was in shock and crossed her arms. "I am no angel. I would rather be a ninja."

Steve chuckles, "Tony's not going to change his mind."

Natasha rolled her eyes, "I blame the computer more than him."

Wanda looked to Steve and Natasha, "My costume is the most sexist outfit..."

Vision looks at her with a soft smile, "I would love to see you in that costume."

Wanda then forgets all her worries about being so sexy and caresses his cheek, "You ok with your costume babe?"

Vision nods, "I will wear whatever is given. I haven't ever celebrated Halloween before."

Wanda smiles, "Ok."

Vision tilts his head, "Who is Michael Myers?"

Wanda calmly describes the psycho to him.

Vision thinks, "I see..." He said that a lot.

Scott looks to Clint, "I'm just glad to be a part of this team."

Clint nodded, "I was going to take my kids trick-or-treating this year..."

Scott laughed, "Well maybe it won't be on actual Halloween."

Clint nodded, "Hope so." He wasn't too fond of his costume. The devil? Really? He disapproved.

Natasha looked at Clint, "Really? you think you got it bad? I've never worn a dress before. A white one at that."

"Computers aren't against you," Happy interrupted Nat and Clint.

Happy liked the idea of being Superman. Finally, he is a superhero like everyone else around him.

Happy looked at Peter who was over excited for being invited to his first Avenger/Tony/"Adult" party. "Are you alright kid?"

Peter nods and flops down on the couch. "Oh yeah. I am excited! I also love that Tony is making our costumes. He always makes me great costumes. You think I can invite MJ? and/or Ned? Do you think Mr. Stark would mind?"

Happy shrugged, "I don't think he would mind."

Bucky was quiet standing in a corner not caring either which way. but trying to think of what a werewolf costume would look like.

Rhodey thought a storm trooper would be cool. Star Wars is a classic afterall.

Sam was neutral about his outfit. He didn't care one way or another about being a police officer. He was trying to imagine himself in it. He could be a police officer. He loved helping people and saving the day. He felt like a police officer anyway. Just with the metal wings.

y/N was being quiet. She was worried now that her costume wouldn't fit once Tony gives it to her. Talk about embarassing. She hurriedly rushed up to her room to avoid anyone else. She wasn't an insecure person since middle school. She was surprised her confidence was currently faltering.

"Looks like the computer thinks you and I should match," She bumps into Tony.

"Tony... I didn't see you... sorry," y/n told him.

"Are you alright?" Tony arched his brow.

"I was wondering if... maybe I could pick my own costume. I mean I'll still be a princess... I just..."

"What are you afraid of... you don't want to match with me?"

"Tony... I'm not feeling well. I am going to my room," She left.

"Hmm... hey... y/N, wait!" Tony didn't understand why she wasn't happy or glad they matched.

She looked in the mirror and immediately went to bed after sighing loudly. She needed to get her mind off of the party. She wasn't even happy that she was even invited to one of the biggest shen-digs of the year.

She was very quiet during her work the following days. Tony was concerned. He had FRIDAY keep an eye on her for him. She was just anxious and didn't try to keep up with him anymore. She wasn't even wearing heels anymore.

The costumes came in from the designer. Tony already had everyone's measurements so he had sent them out. He didn't have y/n's so he tried scientifically to decide the size of her costume. She would never tell him or let him near her with a measuring tape. She would rather disappear than have ANY of the Avenger's Family know her size, especially Tony. She had a crush on her boss. Who wouldn't? He was Tony Freaking Stark. Tall, dark, handsome, rich, smart, and a superhero.

Everyone is glad how their costumes turned out. They fit just right and were amazing. Tony definitely appreciated the styles and the designs worth every penny. Everyone was happy with their costumes.

The night of the party y/n didn't come to the party hall. He went to her room and knocked on the door. She was crying on the edge of her bed with the dress in her lap, makeup running down her cheeks. "Why aren't you dressed?"

"I can't fit it."

"W... did you try it on?" She shrugs then sighs and shakes her head. "No..."

Tony just stared at her. "O....k. Come on I'll help you. If I have to wear poofy sleeves you have to wear the poofy dress."

She blushed nodding and stood up and he helped her dress into her costume, sucking in her stomach as much as she could so he doesn't see her 'girth'.

As a Prince and Princess, Tony and the reader smiling

"You look sexy in that costume," Tony smiled softly at her.

She blushed deep, "You're drunk and that's inappropriate Mr. Stark..."

"Call me Tony. Please... You've been here for 6 months... You're always with me. You know me better than anyone... You have pretty hair, y/n... and such soft, delicate figure... You are so beautiful. Now will you come downstairs and be with me at the party?"

She giggled, "We are at the party."

He smiled, "I made sure we matched."

"What...really?"

He nodded, "I wanted to be with you. I chose all the costumes. The generator was just me. Don't tell." He laughed. "You are my date on purpose."

y/N's eyes widened, "You wanted me to look like a giant marshmallow?"

Tony looked offended, "I wanted you to be mine."

"Wait... like me... and you?"

"Me and you..."

"What why? I'm not as hot as the other women you..."

"NEVER say you are less than anyone else. Where's the y/N I am used to that doesn't care what others think about how she looks? and Especially bimbos from my past. They don't matter. It's the past. This is the future." He takes her hand and puts a palm against her palm and smiles down at her.

" You know... you are such a catch. I'm attracted to you and all your beauty and snark. Yeah, I notice you. You have an old timey type of beauty like a princess... and I am your Prince. Well, I would call myself a King. You do everything for me. You know me better than anyone has ever..."

"He is so egotistical," Bucky said.

Tony rolled his eyes. "She is a Queen. My queen; not a princess."

Steve smiled soft. "She is sweet as can be. Princess was a perfect outfit for her. She better watch out for him. He will corrupt her." He laughs.

y/n grinned wide at Tony insecurities all gone and leans up and kisses him. "My Tony?"

"My y/N..." Tony kisses back passionately.

Everyone claps.

[harper-hook]

Into The Woods | Harry Hook x Reader

Request: Can I request a Harry X reader where the reader is Peter Pan's daughter and they hate each other at first but then things get really heated between them and it turns into full on smut?

Warnings: Oral sex

Author’s Note: This almost killed me to write tbh

The familiar scraping of metal on metal made you groan mentally and slam your locker. “what do ya want now, Hook?” You snapped, unfortunately used to your father’s enemy's son bothering you. “Just came to see me favorite little sprite.” He replied with a wide grin, seeing how it got under your skin.

You stopped yourself before you yelled at him and caused a scene. It was the day right before Spring Break and you didn’t want to damper your spirits by earning after school detention as soon as you got back. “Well you saw me. Now back off.” You ordered.

Harry stepped back, faking a wounded look. “My plans don’t involve backing off.” He smirked. “Quite the opposite in fact, seeing as you’re heading back to Neverland.” You groaned and rolld your eyes. This again. 

“If you let me tag along, I’ll make it worth your wild.” He practically purred, getting up in your personal bubble. You sneered at him. “Listen, Hook and listen good.” You poked him chest with your finger. “You will never! Set foot in Neverland if I have anything to say about it!” You hissed.

Harry’s smirk dropped and he adopted an angry glare. You were a bit nervous but you couldn’t back down now. “Then we’ll just have to hope nothing happens to ya!” He hissed. You growled, getting in his face and bawling your fists.

“Hook! Pan!” You snapped out of your rage as Fairy Godmother came bustling around the corner, catching you both. Uh oh...

One long and infuriating detention later, you were finally packing up. “Stupid Hook and his stupid face...” You ranted to Ben over the phone. Ben sighed as you leaned against the side of your car, trunk still open. “Didn’t you think he was cute when he first came here?” Mal asked, joining Ben on the other line.

The good thing about being over the phone was no one could see you roll your eyes. "That was before he opened his mouth." You huffed. “So you’re gonna talk to Tiger Peony about the trade deal between Neverland and Auradon, right?” Ben changed the subject.

“Yeah I’ll do your job while on my spring break, Ben.” You rolled your eyes. "I appreciate it, you know?" He said. "Uh huh. See if you can lower my detention sessions when I come back." Ben sighed, confirming that he said he would see what he could do.

You said your goodbyes and promised to call once you arrived; Ben always the worrier. Hanging up, you quickly slammed your trunk shut and climbed in the driver's side.

Taking one last look at Auradon Prep in the mirror, you pulled out and started on your long 6 hour drive.

-----

The first couple of hours of the drive you didn't mind. Plenty of sunlight and good music made the time fly. But thanks to Fairy Godmother's detention, you'd left 2 hours late and now the sun was going down quick.

Driving at night didn't bother you but driving through Summerwoods at night bothered you. You turned your music down and took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. Now you really regretted turning Herkie’s invitation for a ride. “(Y/N), you’re a fucking moron.” You hummed to yourself.

Then it sounded like a gun shot went off. You let out a small shriek, thankfully not swerving your car off the road. You slowed considerably, still confused and terrified. Then you heard it, what sounded like a horse’s snort, the spluttering of air. Your heart sank, grip tightening on the steering wheel. “Are you fucking serious right now?!”

Slowly limping your car to the side of the road and putting it in park, you practically threw yourself out of the door, mood souring at the telltale signs of a popped tire. You glanced to the right and saw the back tire, flat as paper. 

You groaned, you held your head in your hands. Ok, keep yourself together, you thought. I’m a strong independent woman and I can change a tire, that’s what I keep a spare for, you reminded yourself. 

You ran to the back and popped the trunk open again. “Hiya!” You screamed, stumbling backwards and falling on the ground. You laid there in complete shock, breathing heavily and heart thumping. You could hear Harry wheezing in laughter.

After a few seconds, you sat up, gasping for air. “What the fuck?” You rasped out. Harry climbed out of your trunk, still shaking in mirth. Shakily, you stood to your feet, narrowing your eyes at the boy in front of you.

“What in the actual fuck do you think you’re going?” You screamed, no longer shaking in fear but in anger. “I’m going to Neverland, what does it look like?” He said with a slight eyeroll like you were stupid. This just pissed you off more.

“It looks like you’re some kind of fucking stalker!” Harry stopped laughing, looking at you with a positively poisonous glare. He stomped up to you, clearly trying to intimidate you. You were too angry to care. 

“You might wanna loose the attitude, lass. We’re all alone out here.” He sneered. It was your turn to roll your eyes. “Just get out of my way.” You pushed past him, peering into your trunk. “Where’s my spare tire?” You questioned, looking back at Harry who looked like a pouty kid caught in the cookie jar.

“Was awful cramped in there with that thing.” He muttered. He continued at your deadpan look. “Threw it out at the school.” You took a sharp, deep inhale, fists clenching and unclenching. You turned and slammed your trunk shut, putting your arms and head down on top of it. 

You couldn’t help but laugh. The whole irony and bullshit of the situation was honestly laughable. It would’ve been funnier if it hadn’t been you. “Pan?” You heard Harry call. “What?!” You snapped, raising your head. 

“Ya okay?” Your eyes widened as you spun around. “I’m gonna pretend you didn’t just ask me that when you literally ruined my entire evening!” You screamed at him. Harry marched up to you, forcing you back against your trunk. “I thought I told you to loose the fucking attitude.” He snapped. He grabbed the hair at the base of your neck and practically bent you over backwards on your trunk.

He leaned in close to you, cocky smirk on his face. You snarled and bared your teeth, leaning closer to his face. “Am I supposed to be scared of you? There’s 1000 things in these woods alone that are scarier than you.” You and Harry’s gazes locked. His eyes were so... blue. You really hadn’t noticed before. 

His glare softened slightly and he released his grip on your hair, stepping back. You straightened up, keeping a close eye on Harry. You’d never admit that he scared you a bit. Never.

It was silent now. You looked away into the forest. It was completely dark now. Crunching sounds from the forest made the hairs on your arms raise. You and Harry shared a look to confirm you both heard it. A nearby wolf’s howl made you gasp and reach out, a firm hold on Harry’s shirt. He held your wrist.

“C’mon. C’mon.” He ushered you to the backseat and practically shoved you in and climbed in after you. You sighed and tucked your knees under your chin. Fuck, this was bad. “Call Princey. See what kinda magic he can work.” Harry murmured, like he was afraid to talk too loud. 

“Hey, finally a smart suggestion from you.” You said with a sarcastic smile and leaned forward to your car’s center panel. You had both knees on the middle storage compartment, waiting on the phone to ring. 

“Hello?” Ben answered after three rings. “Ben!” You were instantly filled with relief. “I need some help. My car blew a tire in the Summerwoods.” You explained. “What about your spare?” He asked. You turned to glance at Harry who gave a sarcastic wave. You flipped him off and turned back around. “It was a bad spare.” You lied. “Can you send help?” 

“Uh, yeah. It’s gonna be a couple of hours though.” Ben said. You groaned at the fact you already knew. “Thanks, Ben. I’ll make it up to you one day, I swear.” You smiled at Ben’s laughter. “Yeah, just hang tight.” With that, he hung up and you tossed your phone back into the center console.

You moved to sit back down in the backseat, instead moving into something solid. While you were preoccupied, Harry had slid into the middle seat right behind you. “What are you-” You squeaked as Harry pulled you down into his lap. 

He wound his hand into your hair again and bent you backwards, leaving your neck exposed. His other hand had a firm grip on your hip. You gasped as he licked a stripe up your neck, blowing on it to make you shudder. “W-what are you doing?”

“I can see it, ya know? I saw it earlier. Ya look at me the way I look at ya.” He murmured, low and close to your ear. “You lie and say you hate me but have still fantasized about this. About me.” He placed a kiss on your neck. Your shaking hands found their place on his knees. 

“Say you want this. Say you want me. Or I’ll let you go and we never have to speak again.” Your heart hurt in an unexplained way. This bickering love-to-hate routine you and Harry had fallen into naturally, for it all to stop one day? It seemed Harry Hook had somehow managed to worm his way into your heart.

“Harry...” You murmured, looking up at him. “I want you. Now.” You said with more confidence that you’d anticipated. He looked surprised but quickly adopted his signature cocky grin. “Atta girl.” He helped you turn around to straddle him.

You bent down to kiss along his jawline before planting one on his lips. It started innocent but quickly turned rougher and more passionate. Harry raised his hand and brought it down hard on your ass. You gasped into the kiss and pulled away, looking at Harry with an indignant look. 

“That’s for the fuckin’ attitude you’ve been giving me for the last 4 months.” He growled, voice deep and husky. “You’ll get a lot more later.” He said, his tone of voice making you realize you were in for a world of hurt later.

He tugged on the bottom of your shirt before pulling it off. He grinned and pulled you back for another kiss, slowly grinding his erection against your leg. You scratched his shoulders as you pulled away. 

“I’m not fucking you on the first date.” You said matter-of-factly. He looked at you, confused and a bit annoyed. “Technically it’s not even a date. More of a car invasion.” You crossed your arms, smirking at Harry. He narrowed his eyes before grinning himself.

“Either way, I’m still gonna rock your world, luv.” He smacked your ass in the same spot, making you hiss in pain. You climbed off his lap and leaned up against the door, Harry right on top of you.

You gripped the seat as Harry kissed down your neck, teeth scraping your skin. Your head was tossed back as he moved lower and lower. "Look at me." You glanced down and could barely make out Harry kneeling between your legs.

He started tugging on your jeans and you lifted up to help him. In one fluid motion, your jeans were tossed into the front seat. You whimpered, feeling exposed. Harry shushed you, breathing close to your lower belly. "Trust me."

Your heart lurches in shock as cold metal dragged its way up your leg and hooked into your underwear, tugging them down. You felt like your face was on fire.

You took a deep breath as Harry threw one leg over his shoulder and the opposite leg was pushed to dangle over the floor boards. You flushed again as Harry kissed gently up your thigh. You shrieked as he nipped your inner thigh.

"Fucker..." You stammered. Harry laughed before he leaned down close to your heat. He slowly dragged his tongue up your slit. You moaned loudly, one hand reaching to Harry's head, pushing him down.

You sighed and moaned into your hand as Harry continued his ministrations. "I- I wanna hear you." Harry murmured into your thigh. "I wanna hear how good I'm making you feel." His voice barely more than a whisper.

"Harry!" You moaned loudly as Harry blew cool air over your slit. "That's my girl." And he went back down on you, more aggressive this time. The air in the car felt thick and foggy, just like your thought process.

Harry moved to your clit, clearly tracing a pattern. He used one hand on hold your bucking hips down as he continued. "Are you-" You trailed into a high pitched whine. "Tracing your fucking name?" You shook violently.

You could feel Harry grin against you. He moved up into your face, noses nearly touching. "Yeah. And what are ya going to do about it?" He sneered, attack your neck again with a rigorous fever. "Mine." That one word sent a fire burning through you.

One of Harry's hands moved you your slit, two fingers slipping in easily. "Harry..." You moaned, tears coming to your eyes. He was still sucking and biting at the base of your neck and collarbone, clearly trying to leave a mark. You dug your nails into the back of his neck, making him let out a few curses.

Harry curled his fingers against your G-spot relentlessly, your legs shaking and your hips bucking wildly. "Harry!" You sobbed as you finally came, back arching and world going still.

It was quiet for a moment and the only sound was both of yours heavy breathing. Harry pulled his fingers out and wiped them on his pant, sitting back on the other side of the backseat. You sat up and pulled your legs back to you.

You winced, pain shooting through your body. "What the fuck did you do to me, Hook?" You muttered. Your legs and back were cramped up and it felt like you'd been punched in the neck. He laughed heartily. "Fucked ya up good, huh?"

You rolled your eyes but couldn't help but agree. Between your dried tears on your cheeks and messy hair from rubbing against the window, not to mention all the bruises.

You glanced over at Harry who was looking at you curiously. "What?" He asked. You smirked at him, leaning over him. You ran you hand down his chest and iver the bulge in his pants, making him buck into your hand. "It's my turn now."

[lilchibi-chan]

Part 1

Part 2

Hawks Mafia AU x Reader Pt. 3

After you got in from your brunch date, you washed your face of the little makeup you had on and change out of your outside clothes and into an oversized tee. You put on some tv and ended up falling asleep.

When you finally wake up, it’s 6:30.

“Wow, it didn’t even feel like I slept that long,” you say to yourself

Last night, you barely slept, so you knew that sleeping tonight would probably be an issue because of how long you slept this afternoon.

You decide to get up and take a shower, switching between hot and cold to wake yourself up and then leaving it on warm to finish. Once you get out, you put on some lotion and perfume.

You head to your bedroom, wrapped in your robe, to pick out some cute lounge wear since Hawks was coming over.

You take out a nude bra and leggings set and then a black bra and leggings set (think skims inspired) and hold them up in front of your mirror.

“Mochi, what do you think?”

Mochi is your white Akita that you adopted after you got out of school. You had some left over money after you had paid everything for the month and you always wanted a dog since you left home and it made your time away less lonely.

Mochi is well behaved and loves to cuddle and is only temperamental when he feels there is something off.

He walks over to you and boops the nude set.

“I think so too buddy,” you say agreeing and put on the loungewear.

You also grab a chunky cardigan to wear over it.

You glance at your alarm clock and see that it’s 7:30.

You were starting to get a bit nervous because it had been a while since you had a man at your apartment and even though you knew Hawks would never do anything to take advantage of you based on his behavior thus far, you were still a bit anxious.

Time passes by and at 8 on the dot, you hear your door bell. You look at your phone to see Hawks standing outside with flowers and take out.

“Coming,” you say excitedly and you go to answer the door

You take a deep breath and open the door.

“Wow baby bird, you look stunning,” he says, almost breathless

“Thank you,” you say shyly

“Do you need any help with those,” you say moving aside to let him into your apartment

“No, I got it,” he says setting the food on the kitchen counter

He turns to face you, flowers in hand.

“These are for you, humming bird,” he says handing them to you

“Thank you, they’re beautiful,” you say and then hug him

“They don’t have anything on you,” he says taking your hands in his and kissing them

You blush

“I bet you say that to all the girls,” you say sarcastically

“Believe it or not kid, I don’t go on that many dates. I’ve had flings and relationships that didn’t mean anything, but you’re different. I can actually let my walls down with you. Your energy is very calming and I can’t help but be relaxed around you,” he says honestly

You stand there, not knowing how to respond

“Oh god, w-was that too much. I’m sorry I-”

“No, you’re fine,” you say cutting him off,“it’s just, I’ve never heard anyone be so honest about how they feel so confidently.”

“Well, in my line of work, honesty is the best policy,” he says with a cheeky smile

“You’re so corny,” you say laughing

“You just bring it out of me,kid”

You sit down on one of your bar stools at the island in the kitchen and Hawks is on the other side, taking out all the food.

“It’s Thai. I hope that’s okay,” he says worried

“It’s fine, I love Thai food,” you say smiling, which eases his nerves

“Good..I’m glad, I was unsure of what to get on the way over here,” he says honestly

Just then, Mochi comes out from your room and makes a b-line for Hawks. Once there, Mochi starts sniffing him, making sure he’s not sus.

“Mochi,” you say,“c’mere boy. Sorry, he usually doesn’t just run up on people like that.”

“No it’s okay. He’s fine,” Hawks says,“I’m sure he was just checking on his mom and wondering who this weird guy is in his home.”

Mochi continues to sniff around Hawks and then he sits right next to and nudges Hawks’ hand with his nose.

“What’s up, buddy? You want some head pats,” he says in a baby/puppy voice

Mochi head tilts in response and places his head under Hawks’ hand.

Hawks pets Mochi’s head and ruffles the fur around his face.

You take a picture on your phone causing both Mochi and Hawks to snap their direction towards you.

You burst out laughing.

“You guys look,so cute,” you say with a smile

“Sorry kid, but I’ll have you know, I am devilishly handsome, not cute,” Hawks says

“Mmm I still think you’re very cute,” you say egging him on

He walks around to your side of the island and turns you around in the bar stool, so that you’re facing him.

He stands in between your legs and puts his arms on either side of you, resting his hands on the counter. He lowers himself down to speak into your ear.

In a low voice he says,“Baby I promise you, I am anything but cute.”

He moves his attention back to your face, smirks and walks back to side of the island he was originally on.

“Let’s eat, honey,” he says and starts dishing out some of the food he brought over

“O-okay,” you say flustered

You do your best to bring yourself back to earth, but now you find yourself stealing glances of Hawks, wondering what came over him, what came over YOU, what else hasn’t he shown you yet. You became more intrigued by the mysterious man that you are having dinner with.

For the rest of the night, you both spend it drinking and enjoying each other’s company.

By the end of the night, you both finish a bottle and a half of wine and you feel yourself grow tired due to the alcohol taking over your body.

“Hawks,” you say slurring the s and slightly loud, causing him to direct his attention towards you

“Yes, baby bird,” he says massaging your temples, as your head lay on his shoulder

“Why me? You’re handsome and rich and seem well traveled, but I’m just a regular girl. Why choose me to go on a date with,” you say quite timid

“Because baby bird, as you so put it, you are a regular girl. You’re nothing like women that I’ve been involved with, so to speak. You’re kind, caring, smart, funny, good with animals and last, but certainly not least, you’re beautiful. Inside and out,” he says honestly

“Hawks, you barely know me,” you say directly

“Yes, but I’ve observed you long enough to know what kind of person you are,” he says

You look at him with a shocked expression.

“Woah, not like that,” he says frantically,“just while you work, how you treated people. I learned you were someone worth having in my life and that night when I saw that guy harassing you, I just wanted to protect you. It was like this instinct kicked in and I just had to help. I couldn’t bare the thought of what would’ve happened had I or anybody for that matter, not have done something to help.”

You sit there stunned by his words. Next, you do the unthinkable, well for you.

You grab Hawks by his neck and pull him in for a passionate kiss. Things start to get heated and Hawks stops you.

“Baby bird, it’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just, if and when we get to this point of our relationship, I want it to be special for us. I don’t want to treat you like a fling and…I have an early work day tomorrow, so sadly, I have to go” he says

“Let me walk you out then,” you say, walking Hawks to your apartment door

You both make it to the door, when you suddenly stop him from opening it.

“Wait,” you say, then stand on your toes and kiss him on the lips, wishing him a good night

“Night baby bird,” he says, the closes your door

“C’mon Mochi, let’s go to bed papas,” you say as you walk to your room, stretching from sitting on the couch for so long

You lay on your bed, then turn on your side and fall fast asleep.

Art by 10shiko

I hope y’all enjoyed today’s chapter!! Sorry it’s sooooo late!! I will be better about getting things out faster or at least try to be as some times my day doesn’t go according to how I want it to, but I will work hard for y’all!!

[arvinsescape]

Minnie

A/N: Been a couple weeks since i’ve had time to write. Hope you enjoy, this got kinda long.

Summary: The story of how you and Tom ended up owning a cat.

W/C: 1.8K

You and Tom had been walking Tess around the park as normal when you noticed Tess stop at a nearby bush. Assuming she’d spotted a stick to bring along on the walk, you continued on when you noticed that she wasn’t following. You turned around and watched as she continued to stare at the bush, seemingly at nothing. Wondering what she was so interested in, you made your way in her direction when she suddenly barked and ran towards the two of you. Deciding she was just being odd, you went to carry on your walk when she barked again and ran back to the same bush she’d come from as if asking you to follow her, you gave Tom a look as if to ask what on Earth was going on, he just shrugged and followed Tess, you just behind.

“What’ve you found Tess?” Tom asked as he neared the bush she was still barking at.

On closer inspection, your heart melted as you saw what it was she was so interested in. It was an incredibly small little kitten. It was shivering and whimpering as if it had been there a while. You looked around for any sign of more kittens and a mother cat, but you couldn’t see anything. You looked at Tom who had been incredibly quiet, it was no secret that he wasn’t the biggest fan of cats but even he would have to admit the small animal was incredibly cute and in need of help, he might have hated cats but he wasn’t heartless.

Tess tentatively moved towards the kitten and sniffed it before licking it, she really was an angel, not an aggressive bone in her body. “What should we do? I don’t think it belongs to anyone and it doesn’t appear to have a mum.”

“Well it’s a Sunday and it’s 6 o clock, the vets aren’t open, and the nearest shelter is quite a drive away.” He concluded, you knew what he was getting at, he just didn’t want to say it.

“Should we take it home? Look after it until tomorrow when we can get it a vet’s appointment and they can make sure it gets to a good home or shelter?” You knew he wasn’t going to say no, the poor thing needed help and he wasn’t a monster, he wouldn’t just leave it.

“Well if we don’t I doubt it’ll make it through the night.” He replied as you were already picking it up and wrapping it into your coat and enveloping the small animal into your warmth. You grinned at him as you leaned up on your tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He might not have liked cats, but you certainly did, and you decided that this was probably the closest you’d ever to get to having a cat whilst you were with Tom.

“Don’t get too attached though Y/N, we can’t keep it. I’m not cruel enough to let it die but I still don’t like cats.” He teased as he grinned back at you. You wondered in your giddy little fantasy if by the end of this you’d change his mind and he’d let you keep it, but he was incredibly stubborn so you’d let it be a giddy fantasy.

Once you’d made it home you’d decided that whilst you were trying to warm the small animal up properly, Tom would go to the shops and get it anything it may need. Tess watched your every move as you nursed the kitten back to some sort of warmth, she was wagging her tail as she watched.

“Maybe we can convince your dad to keep it.” You teased as you grinned at Tess before stroking her. She barked excitedly, almost as if she was agreeing to your words. You smiled to yourself as you continued to attend to the kitten. Deciding it was incredibly soft and she surely wouldn’t mind you placed the kitten in Tess’s bed, your heart melting instantly at the sight, it looked so small in such a big bed. Tom came through the door not a minute later, all the items you’d read you would need in his arms.

“Okay, we should probably- aww.” He cut himself short as he looked at the kitten on the bed. “It really is small isn’t it?” he cooed, you grinned as you looked at him, when he looked back his face somewhat hardened as he pointed a finger teasingly at you “this doesn’t mean anything.”

“I didn’t think it did.” You grinned back, knowing full well what was going on in his head. He just didn’t want to admit that small animal was quickly taking a place in his heart.

“Right we really should start making sure it eats something.” He said as he helped you tend to the animal.

****

It was 3am when you made your way to bed, having spent hours tending to the kitten, you surmised that there really was nothing more you could do, you’d fed it and warmed it up. It still hadn’t moved much but it was breathing.

“Okay baby, I can’t stay awake any longer, I’m going to have to head to bed.” You said as you got up from the couch.

“Okay darling, I love you.” he said as he got up to give you a kiss and a cuddle, you pulled back in confusion. “You’re not coming with?” you asked.

“Nah, I’ll stay up another couple hours and feed it again.” He said as he sat back down and looked at the kitten that was now curled up in the bed with Tess, the sight had made both your hearts melt.

“Okay, I love you.” You said as you made your way to bed, huge grin on your face. Maybe your fantasy wasn’t going to be a fantasy after all.

****

You woke up around 11pm, you felt strangely cold even though the temperature in the room was far from cold. You turned over and noticed Tom wasn’t in bed with you and judging by the coolness of his side of the bed, you guessed he’d been out of bed a while, if he’d even been in it at all. You made your way downstairs and into the living room. You stopped as you took in the sight before you. Tom was asleep on the couch, Tess next to him and you didn’t miss the tiny little kitten laying on his chest as it slept soundly.

Tess was the first to realise you’d entered the room as she bounced from the couch and made her way over to you, you petted her and let her into the garden for a little while. As you made your way back into the living room you noticed Tom was awake now, you grinned at him.

“Don’t say a word.” He said as he looked at your smiling face.

“It climb up there when you were sleeping?” you teased.

“Something like that, yeah.”

****

After booking an emergency vets appointment you were sat in the waiting room as you waited for your name to be called.

“Tess seemed sad to see it go, don’t you think.” You asked.

“She did actually.” He said. No witty comeback? You thought he’d have something jokey to say back. You sat in a comfortable silence as you held the kitten wrapped up in your blanket. Your name was called as you made your way into the vet’s room.

“So, who have we got here?” The vet asked as she took the kitten from you.

“It doesn’t have a name, we found it yesterday when we were out walking.” You explained.

“I see. So, I’m going to have a look at it for you now.” She smiled as she weighed the kitten, it had seemingly gained a little more life, managing to stand on it’s legs and move around a little. “It’s quite underweight” she said as she started examining it further.

“Yeah, we guessed it might be, we fed it what we could, but we read online that you don’t wanna over feed them. I hope we did the right thing.” Tom said as he seemingly grew concerned for the little kitten. The vet looked at him and smiled.

“You absolutely did, I don’t think it would have survived the night if you hadn’t taken it in.” She answered as she continued to check over the animal. After a few minutes she looked back up at you. “Well it’s a girl and by looks of things only about 4 months old. She will need quite a few vaccinations and flea treatment, I think it may have been wild.”

“4 months? But it’s absolutely tiny.” You said, genuinely shocked at the age of the kitten.

“I can only assume she was the runt and unfortunately most wild animals leave the runt, survival of the fittest and all that.” She said as she gave the kitten everything that it needed. You sighed as you heard the news, the poor thing. After another few minutes the vet was done.

“Okay, I have given her all the treatment that I can for now. She needs to put a lot of weight on, I suppose the question now is what to do with her. We have quite a few shelters that are brilliant and will look after her and find her a home as quick as they can.”

Unbeknownst to you Tom had been eyeing you carefully throughout the exchange and he’d surprised himself at the decision he’d come to. You just looked so sad at the thought of the little thing leaving, how could he not? And anyway it was cute and he reasoned in his mind that this kitten owed him one so it wouldn’t turn out evil and he’d be able to trust it. He’d made up his mind as he spoke.

“What if we want to keep her?”

“What?” You asked as you turned to him shocked expression and tears gathering in your eyes.

“What if we keep her.” He said again as he took in your expression. Yeah, keeping this kitten was definitely worth it, if only for the look on your face right now.

“You’re serious?” You asked as you cried happily.

“Deadly, darling” he grinned. You engulfed him in a tight hug as you thanked him and kissed his face all over. The vet grinned at the exchange.

“So what are we going to call her?” The vet asked as she handed Tom the registration forms.

“I don’t know, what do you think darling?” he asked as he looked at you.

“Minnie. You know like the mouse and also how small she is.” You said as you grinned at him. You didn’t think you could fall more in love with the brown eyed, brown haired man, but here he was proving you wrong. He started to write her name as he continued to fill out the forms.

“Minnie. Perfect.”

[agayconcept]

hey, i really hope this doesnt come off the wrong way but you need to take a step back and reprioritise your costs. the people in your doctors office are the biggest assholes in the world but you shouldnt be using money on legal fees to go after them if it means you cant afford your rent.

actually, those funds are kept completely seperate, and i'm not intending to use any of it on some stupid lawsuit. i am however going to have to pay legal fees to have a legal representative advocate for me and my rights with this doctors office. because i cannot just up and leave 'the biggest assholes' there just bc it's financially inconvenient. because this office has 4 referrals in progress for me, a disability application in the works, and have all my records - some of which have not been completed/updated yet. and they are deliberately dragging their feet on all of the above.

so if i 'just don't bother' as you're suggesting, i would have to leave and i'd lose all those referrals and have to start completely over with a new office- which the wait list for is over a year. i would also have to completely restart the 3-6 month process for my disability application- which is the main financial reason i struggle with rent costs! because i'm not on disability and need to be! because i keep being discriminated against even outside this drs office.

(on a less important note, i would also have to wait until they finish updating my records before i can even register with another dr bc they wont have any correct/up to date info on them)

hence why i HAVE to continue dealing with/through this office even though i desperately dont want to - which means i have to have advocation, support and legal knowlege- which comes from a legal rep / organization / charity (which only provide free advice, you do still have to pay them to Do Anything). it is NOT something i can do by myself. cool for you (genuinely, no sarcasm intended) if you're able to get your rights respected or have the privilege to simply say fuck it and walk away- i do not. many people do not.

i think you may have misunderstood my intentions and reality here - this is not a situation where the abuse has happened, its over and im out, and therefore it is not worth legal hassle after the fact. this is an Ongoing Situation where i am TRAPPED dealing with this until i can get what i need (records, referrals, disability application) that is legally owed to me and is my right, but is instead being witheld.

so your suggestion, going with that, would be to either abandon or put off any and all healthcare progress (and my human rights, nbd) to instead pay my rent....which is something that, worst case scenario, i cannot be evicted for immediately. there is a grace period, its in the lease. they have to give us x amount of time, or offer us the option to split the payment. they only have to provide/allow that one time, but i havent used it yet so this could be that one time if i have to. (hence my notes earlier mentioning that the new building management seeming nice so hopefully they wouldn't be fussy abt it and would give us some time - bc as ppl on the internet often forget: my mother pays half the rent. i am not totally on my own here on that at least.)

look, i get that you may have had good intentions, but don't come into a situation you don't know the details and nuances of, and tell someone what to do with their money- especially when they're using it to protect their basic human rights. i didnt ask for anyone's financial or legal advice - so idk why you felt it was wanted, needed, or necessary.

like. you dont know the whole situation, i have (obvi) not shared all the details w strangers on the internet. you cant play financial advisor to a random person whose life you don't understand. idk why ppl think they can/should, rly.

anyway, genuinely for anyone on here: if it bothers you that much that my financial situation is incredibly complicated & messy due to a myriad of reasons, and that my scraping / surviving by might not be in the exact same personal fashion you would choose yourself?

you can ignore it or unfollow me, thats all good n cool.

if that wasnt your intention, and it just came across that way, then apologies for being short, and i hope the above explanation clears up the reasoning as to why i do, in fact, need to do certain things that i'm doing.

(for future reference: anons like these will be blocked. the only reason this one wasnt was because i knew it could have been a misunderstanding. but if it isnt, and anyone decides to send stuff like this, welp, its time for my best friend the block button to come hang out)

[whump-a-la-mode]

Gilded Cage - Part 2

Thanks so much to everyone who read and voted on part 1! The votes were very close. In the end, option A won out, with 6 votes, while option B received 4 votes. That means that Villain will tell Journalist the truth.

I received a number of amazing suggestions for this part, based on the questions from last time around. I would like to publish their names to credit them, but I am currently waiting to see if they would like this or not. I’ll edit this post if they give me permission to publish their names.

Edit: @jenny-ruths-writing-blog has given me permission to credit them for their ideas. I would appreciate it a lot if you would give them some love, they’re just starting out.

I hope you enjoy!

CW// Imprisonment, collars, shock collars, villain whumpee, implied torture, depiction of a panic attack, scopophobia, mentions of death, mentions of hostage taking

Villain didn’t notice when they fell.

They weren’t even sure that they fell at all. One second, they were on their feet, face stretched into a smile. The next, their knees grew weak, and they were on the ground, a pain growing in the back of their head as though it had been struck.

Their vision blurred as they felt their breathing speed up, paradoxically increasing to such a point that they were no longer taking in sufficient oxygen. They couldn’t feel their hands, or their legs, or... Oh god oh god oh god, where were they? Why couldn’t they breathe?

It was hard to be sure whether the pressure on their shoulders was real, or just another hallucination of an oxygen-starved mind. As the other pains softened into the background, however, that pressure stayed.

There was a noise... where was it coming from?

Was it a voice? Or music? Or just a far away hum of the fluorescent lights? Slowly, slowly, it began to fade closer and closer to reality.

“Hey, hey, oh god, please don’t tell me you’re having a heart attack or something. God dammit, you hit your head, can you hear me?”

The words blended together into a mix of slurring syllables, all spoken with a tone of nerves and concern.

Concern.

They had almost forgotten what that sounded like.

“Please, please say something. You’re not dead, right? That’s not how death works, right? Come on, come on.”

The pressure on their shoulders tensed and loosened in rapid succession, managing to somewhat revive their consciousness. Breaths rapid and shivering, they opened their eyes. Though it took a few seconds for their vision to clear, they still jumped at the face only a few inches from their own.

“Hey, hey. Are you awake? I see you- Your eyes, come on. Are you okay? Please, please be okay.”

Villain’s thoughts swam in their head a moment, a plastic ball drifting about in a fishtank. Their training returned to them faster than their senses, and their empty expression suddenly sprung to one of politely metered cheer.

“I’m just fine, Journalist. I apologize. I must have fallen.”

They shook their head, shaking off as much of the panic as they could. The words had come out on instinct, not out of thought, and Journalist seemed to have noticed.

“You... You fainted. I think? You don’t have a fever, do you?”

One of the hands on their shoulders moved to their forehead, flinching away a moment later.

“You’re cold. Um... is that bad? That’s like, the opposite of a fever, right?”

“‘m okay...” Villain muttered, remembering where their half-numb hands were and using them to right themself into a sitting position on the tiled bathroom floor.

“What happened?”

“It’s... I’m fine.” The words came out dully. It was hard to feel sorrow when feeling emotion at all was nearly impossible.

“Is it this thing?” Again, the hand moved, this time to their neck. A shiver ran up Villain’s spine as fingers ran along the scarred flesh beneath their collar.

They should have been used to being touched, even when in such a state, but for some reason, it was just making them feel worse.

“Please. It’s okay.” They protested. They just wanted to go back to sleep. “Don’t worry yourself.”

“No. No.” Journalist, who seemed to have formerly been in a kneeling position, shifted their legs so that they were sitting criss-cross before Villain. Their breathing slowed, panic turning to concern on their countenance. “If you’re sick, or hurt, or something, I can’t let you go out there and do that interview. It’ll just make you feel worse.”

“I’m not hurt! Or sick.” Their protests grew in volume and intensity as they fought to get to their feet. Their attempts were, however, thwarted, as the feeling in their legs had yet to fully return just yet. “Please. Just drop it.”

Journalist frowned.

“Villain. Tell me what’s going on. Please. We- I can get you to a doctor? We have a van just outside... Fainting out of nowhere isn’t normal.”

Villain blinked a few times, lips ajar. They didn’t know what to do. There was no script for this. They could do ‘how are you,’ they had the response for that well memorized, but ‘are you okay’ ? They didn’t know that one. They’d never been taught that one.

They...

Villain wanted so badly to lie. To smile, perhaps say that they slipped, or that they were narcoleptic, or something. Anything that would get them out of here and back on script.

But...

When would anyone ever ask them again? Ask them what was wrong? Offer to help? With their luck, it would almost certainly be never.

Almost unconsciously, they wrapped their arms around their chest. A comforting hug. The kind that no one had offered them in so long.

“The...” They raised their hand to their neck, curling a finger as far under the metal ring as it would go. “The collar. It’s a collar.”

“A... collar?”

The smile that crept onto their lips was one of sorrow. A sadness so profound that it became funny.

“What did they tell you?” Their self-hug grew tighter.

“What do you mean?”

“About me. How did big, bad villain go from terrorizing the city to, fucking, making television appearances? What was their story?”

“They- I guess they just said you’d seen the error of your ways. That you were a good guy, now.”

That sorrowful smile grew wider.

“I just chose to be good? Is that it?”

“Well, they said they talked to you, there was something about therapy?”

Villain’s smile turned to an audacious laugh.

“Therapy?” They shook their head. “Is that their code word for beating someone into submission?”

“W- What?”

Villain tapped the collar, a hollow noise ringing out.

“Shock collar. 100,000 volts, or something stupid like that. They didn’t fix me. I’m not a good guy. I’m still just as dangerous as I ever was. But now I’m... under control.”

At that, they hung their head.

More gently this time, Journalist again raised their hand to Villain’s neck, placing their finger under the collar. Feeling the burnt flesh.

“You’ve been here- You’ve been in their custody for months.”

“How could I forget?”

“You just... gave up?”

Those words alone were enough to send a pang of nausea through their chest.

“What choice did I have? Anything to make the pain stop. Heroes and Villains... all of them, they’re just as human as anyone else. They feel pain just as much as anyone else. And sometimes, that pain just gets to be too much. Fighting back just isn’t worth it anymore.”

They raised their head, forcing a rehearsed smile back onto their lips.

“But it’s okay. It’s the best way to keep the city safe. Sometimes you have to break a few eggs.”

Journalist’s concern turned to frustration, but whatever words they were about to say were halted by the sound of knocking on the bathroom door.

“Journalist? Are you in there?”

“Yeah.”

“We’re live in ten. We need Villain on the set.”

Their head turned back to Villain, who nodded.

“Okay. We’ll be right out.”

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“Turn your head a little to the right... Raise the chin, little more- Keep going, there! Okay, stop. And look at the camera. Right here, this lens. Sasha, can you go touch up their hair, please?”

Villain struggled not to flinch away from the blindingly bright lights that stared at them in a semi-circle. They sat on a small stool, hands perfectly held together in their lap. Their neck was already cramping from the position they were fighting so hard to maintain.

Stage lights always made the burns on their neck hurt. Hurt worse, that is.

From the bustling area behind the cameras, an assistant appeared, rushing over to Villain and yanking a small, black comb through their already-done hair.

It took all the will they had, and a little more than that, to choke back the tears that desperately wanted to rise in their throat. To scream and shove the stupid, clueless assistant to the ground. So they would stop fucking touching them.

But they didn’t. They sat perfectly still, cheeks aching from their smile.

“We’re live in one!” A screeching voice came from somewhere Villain could not see. The assistant retreated, and the cameraman started up the device that was his namesake.

It was difficult to see behind the blaring lights, but silhouettes that may have been people seemed to be rushing about in a panic, taking position. That shrill voice began to count.

“Thirty...”

“Twenty...”

“Ten...”

‘And we’re live!”

A red light appeared on the camera, and Villain tried not to imagine just how many eyes were on the other side of it. For a terrifying few seconds, they were there, alone, before the world. That was, until footsteps sounded, and someone sat in the chair next to them.

They didn’t dare look. Didn’t dare to turn their head away from the camera, to muss their perfect posture and hair.

“Welcome, everyone, to News at Nine!”

A single bead of sweat formed on their forehead.

They had assumed that Journalist was simply one of the many busybodies that the news crew dragged around with them. Not the reporter.

They could only hope that their gulp couldn’t be seen in the recording.

“As promised, tonight, we have a very special guest. Villain, it’s so good to have you here, tonight.”

“It’s great to be here.”

“Yes. Now, I really wish we could spend some time on niceties, but we have promised our wonderful viewers at home a very special interview, and we wouldn’t want to disappoint, now would we?”

“Of course not.”

“Now, Villain, I’m sure everyone remembers you in your, well, in your villain days. Would you care to explain where you have been since then?”

An expected question. They had a script for this. It flowed from their mouth like water.

“Well, after my capture several months ago, I have been working with and learning from the Heroes of this city. I understand that what I did in my previous occupation was wrong, and since then, I have been working to right the wrongs I have caused. Now, I am an advisor for the Heroes’ Organization. They say to catch a villain, you need to think like one, and, well, I have plenty experience in that field.”

They didn’t take a breath, not the whole time. When they did, after finishing their monologue, it sounded far too much like a sob.

The script was bullshit. They weren’t any kind of advisor. It was a fancy word for prisoner. ‘Advisor’ would imply that they weren’t locked up for 20 or so hours a day, when they weren’t eating or appearing before the cameras. They couldn’t advise the Heroes on anything if they tried. Their very voice was treated as though it was the funniest joke anyone had ever heard.

“And it is your position as an advisor that has led to the events of last night. Is that right?”

“I would say that it played no small part in it, yes.”

What the fuck happened last night?

“That event is what I want to speak to you about today. Our viewers have been very keen to know your thoughts on the matter, so let’s get right into it.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“So, Villain.” Journalist seemed to let their chipper attitude fall in favor of a more relaxed one. “How did you feel, exactly, when you first heard about Supervillain’s death?”

They wanted to throw up.

The Heroes did not allow them access to any outside news, but could they at the very least have said something? Anything?

Anything?

Keep to the script. Keep to the script. Keep to the script.

But they didn’t have one.

They swallowed.

“Um... I- I felt... Uh...”

The collar felt to be tightening around their windpipe.

“It’s okay. Do you need a moment?”

“No, no. I apologize.” Villain shook their head. “It’s just so shocking, to hear it said so plainly, like that. When I first heard the news, I have to say, I felt... conflicted. Certainly, it’s a good thing. But at the same time, I worry about what their absence will mean for the other villains in this city.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I suppose I’m afraid of a power vacuum forming. Or that the other villains will attempt to act out in vengeance, of a sort.”

“That’s understandable. Did you know Supervillain personally, at all?”

Of course they did. Everyone did. Every villain, at least. Their organization was informal, but entirely centered on Supervillain. If a villain was seriously hurt, or worse, Supervillain was there for them.

Some called them mother.

“I wouldn’t say I knew them personally. I met them, a few times, but they were always very distant. Not to mention that they were a bit terrifying.”

Behind the camera, Villain spotted a form appear. One of a very familiar stature, and wearing a very familiar cape.

“I’m sure they were. I’ve never met them in person, but even just on TV... that’s scary in its own right.”

No. It wasn’t. Supervillain wouldn’t hurt a fly. Not unless they were acting in self defense. Hell, they made sure their hostages all got lunch, for gods sake.

Villain nodded.

“It is scary.”

“On that note, do you believe that the city will be safer, now, with Supervillain gone?”

Two more figures. Two more capes.

“I do. Even with the possibility of a power vacuum or avenging attacks, ultimately, this will be a good thing for our city. Anything to keep those at home safe.”

“Of course.” Journalist paused a moment. “I understand that some villains have already made announcements decrying the actions of Hero. Do you believe that they were right in their decision to kill Supervillain?”

Villain gulped.

Behind the camera, Hero joined their comrades. Their gaze pointed directly at their prey, sitting beneath the blazing stage lights.

“No. I don’t believe that Hero was right.”

The words made their mouth feel numb.

“Supervillain was dangerous, yes. But there is a difference between stopping someone from causing harm and ending their life outright. Had it been me, I wouldn’t have committed a murder.”

The cameraman raised his eyebrows.

Even in silhouette, Villain could see Hero clench their fists.

“That’s a very interesting take on the matter, and that seems to be the stance that many others, villain and citizen alike, have been taking. I believe that’s all the questions I have for you, today.”

Journalist’s gaze turned to the camera.

“After a word from our sponsors, the weather! It’s gonna be a scorcher this week, folks. And don’t forget to stick around for the reveal of the new fashion line: Be Your Own Hero. Thanks, everyone!”

The little red light on the camera blinked off. Villain felt about to puke.

Finally, finally, they felt able to move their neck. The cramps were bad enough that doing so hurt terribly, filling their muscles with pins and needles. They stood as the stage lights flicked off, one by one.

Revealing, in full detail, the Heroes.

Most of them looked various degrees of concerned or frustrated. That was, all except Hero themself. Their face was twisted in a horrid mask of pure, unadulterated fury.

Villain felt their legs lock up, as if staying on set would protect them. Already they couldn’t breathe. They wanted to gasp for air, but the collar was crushing them, choking them, and they wanted to cry. Oh god, the tears were already beading in their eyes. They swallowed them, but more threatened to well up, to take their place.

A pressure on their shoulder nearly made them jump. Only their eyes would move, all else locked up, but they could see well enough to locate what was touching them.

Journalist.

Their face a mask of concern. Panic, concern, and worry.

They dropped their hand, stepping back as Hero practically stomped over to Villain. Their face had turned to the brightest smile, but that did nothing to diminish the rage in their eyes.

“Villain, good job on the interview. That must have been a difficult one.”

“A little difficult, yeah.”

“Well, good on you for getting through it. If you wouldn’t mind, let’s go back to my office for a minute. Just to have a little chat.”

Villain paled.

They knew full well that Hero didn’t have an office. What they did have was a sound proofed room with a very specific purpose.

That pressure on Villain’s shoulder returned. Journalist’s hand.

“Well? Are you coming, or not?”

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What should our Whumpee do? It’s up to you to decide!

There are two options, each one leading to a separate story branch. Alongside each option is a question specifying what exactly will happen. Answering this question is completely optional, but it is great if you have any particular ideas! Otherwise, feel free to just put a letter.

To vote, feel free to use any means you would like to contact me. Replying or reblogging this post works just fine, as does PMing me directly or sending me an ask. I am unsure when I will be writing the next part, so as long as the next part hasn’t been posted yet, voting is still open!

I will choose the story path based on which option has more votes, and will choose whichever answer I find the most interesting to base the next part upon.

The choices and questions for this part are as follows:

A) Go with Hero - What should Journalist do?

B) Refuse - How should Villain try to get out of it?

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. This is my first time doing anything like this, so I apologize if it’s odd or confusing ^^

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers: January 28th, 2021 (Part 2)

Here we’ve got asks that aren’t to ask a question but are just really nice messages. Thank you all for sending us such kind comments ;v;. It’s seriously heartwarming to see so many people having good experiences with the game. I don’t even know what to say to such sweet responses.

We’ll keep doing our best and thank you again to each and every one of you for giving Our Life a chance ❤!

Hello! I've been following this account and have been following the development of 'Our Life' for a few months now, and I just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work and dedication you have put into the game. It astonishes me how much choice you have during the sequence of Our Life and am excited to play the full version now, I am downloading it as I write this message. I've had a great time seeing the demo transition into to the full game and just wanted to write two words. Thank you.

Anhhhhffbgdfbhujk!!! Congratulations on the release, I’m playing the game right now! Thank you all for your hard work and I can’t wait for the Step 3 DLC to come out, I’ll probably wait for the Step 3 DLC to come out to experience everything, but until then, I still have a lot to play. Thank you once again!

finished my first playthrough just now. it just felt so wholesome ??? 100/10 would do it again. i laughed. i cried. i got angry. i felt second-hand embrassment— i got so into it i was left in literal tears after getting my first ending. the art, the storyline, the music, and COVE HOLDEN– UGH IT WAS LITERAL PERFECTION ❤ THE WAIT WAS WORTH IT. THANK YOU FOR MAKING SUCH AN AMAZING GAME 🥺😭 this made my 2020 better, i can't wait for step 4 in 2021 ❤❤

So I was following you guys on itchio for years and uhh did I stay up til 6 am on a school night to finish the game? Yes. Did I sob my eyes out during step 3 as a 20 year old having doubts about life and adulthood? Absolutely. I can't form proper sentences right now due to lack of sleep but just wanted to say thank you for making it. I honestly feel lighter and I feel like it changed my views on future to be more optimistic... I can't wait to replay it! Thanks again!

I love how Our Life turned out!! I keep replaying it and can't stop squeaking and giggling!! Thank You for creating it ♥

okay i have actually fallen in love with cove and cannot WAIT to marry him 😭

Hi! I played through 'Our Life' yesterday and  I just wanna say how refreshing it was to be able to have Cove be 'high initiative' and also have so many opportunities to initiate affection from the player character! As a pretty flirtatious/affectionate person myself, I notice that a lot of VNs don't give players that agency, and affection can be kinda 'carrot on a stick' if that makes sense. You guys did an awesome job! I look forward to seeing if there are more of those moments in Step 3 & 4 :)

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the option to choose Cove's level of initiative in step 3! As much I love the option to choose I personally enjoy have the romanced character take the lead without my input so when I got to step 3 and had to option to make it so that Cove initiated affection without as much input from me I was really happy! You guys seriously added so much freedom in terms of choices, it's almost baffling that the only thing you have to pay for is optional DLC!

I absolutely loved everything about the game and I really want congratulate the team for making the game such a satisfying experience.

I look forward to step 4

❤️❤️❤️❤️

* and sorry for my bad English

Just finished my first play through and I loved it! I've been looking forward to the game and it definitely was worth the wait. Thank you all for your hard work and can't wait for the extra dlc!

Till then, hope you guys gets some well deserved rest🤗

Love you guys, thank you so much for your hard work. :)

Ok, so I just finished Our Life and, wow. I have never cried at a video game before, ever. Thank you so, so much! Its one of my favorites.

this isn't a question, but i just wanted to say how much i enjoyed our life 🥺 i've been patiently looking forward to the full game for a few months now, and i couldn't be happier with it! i've only played through it once so far but the outcomes of the choices i made were all so soft and wholesome 💗 i can tell that everyone who was involved really worked hard and you all did an incredible job! i can't wait to see what else is in store 👍

i’d just like to say how addictive our life is!!! i constantly played it during quarantine and now playing the full release is so amazing to me!! i love that i’m still discovering dialogue bits with different personalities and actions!!! i have to admit that i’ve been wishing the day to pass faster all day during school so i could go home and play again. mentally i’m not the healthiest and our life being released has boosted it up so much, thank you for creating such an amazing game!!!!!

Hey, I just wanna say I played our life two times and it still give me the same feelings. I was really looking forward to this game before it came out and I kept on replaying the demo. This game is such an amazing experience and I feel so happy playing it. I am not really a person good with words unfortunately but I do honestly love this more than anything in the world. Thank you for making it and I hope that you will continue to make more games like our life. This game really makes me happy and I can't thank you enough

Just wanted to say that Our Life really made me feel seen as an 18 year old trans man who's been struggling with change as of late and I can't thank you guys enough for it. I just finished the main story and currently released DLC's and gosh, I can really only say... woah. Just, woah. The messages are somehow exactly what I needed to hear right now, and they brought me a lot of comfort in this really weird and confusing time in my life. Can't wait to see what comes next in this lovely story <3

I am honestly in love with Our Life. The graphics, the soundtrack its just *chef's kiss* It was so worth the wait for it. I can't wait for step 4. Keep up the good work GB Patch!

good people i have just finished Our Life and let me say, it was beautiful. rarely have such non-fantastical moments (and even some fantastical moments) brought me to tears like this game has, and i don't even have the dlc (yet). i don't know how you did it but it felt like i was playing a slice of life anime. i had waited with baited breath to play this since i played the demo and my expectations were not just met but surpassed. from the bottom of my heart thank you for this game

I found the game by chance and I am so so glad I did. It’s so inclusive and made me feel so incredibly seen. Seeing that my gender identity and sexuality were possible just meant the absolute world to me. I’ve never seen something like this and it just made me so incredibly happy. Thank you for the absolutely amazing game and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Hello! I downloaded Our life earlier this week and I'm only now getting the chance to play it (Very busy and stressful week) I'm so excited to play and I wanna say thank you for making this adorable game!

I just finished my first playthrough of Our Life and I can't even express how much I love it. Cove is absolutely precious and has killed me several times, and the art and soundtrack is beautiful. I love all the small different choices. I'm very interested in the Derek and Baxter DLCs and the rest, can't wait!!!!!!

thank you for "Our Life Beginnings & Always" it has to be one of the best visual novels i ever have played and i just dont want it to end (i know it will, but damn it! i want to have a wedding night, have children and die of old age with cole! XD) when i play it it always makes me tear up (in a good way) and i am most definetly going to buy all the dlc that you make! thank you for this lovely game and all the work that went into it! (ps: i also loved "lake of voices" )

You guys are incredibly talented and im very proud of you all! You've really outdone yourselves w/ OL and i cant wait to see whats next to come for you all :)

i really love that you can be trans in Our Life! not a lot of games do that so i just wanted to say thank you!

Guuyyss!! I just wanna say! Thank you sm for the headscarf option in the MC creator! I especially loved that little detail where MC quickly slips the headscarf on before greeting Cove, I've never felt so immersed :'D Not that the rest of the game wasn't immersive btw, but since I wear my hijab most of the time that little addition really felt like something I would do! So thank you for that <3

I've been watching "Our Life: Beginnings & Always" development for quite some time, and I gotta say its wild to see it finally release. Its so unique in the way relationships work- even character creation. I've cried multiple times over this game while playing. I can't thank y'all enough for a game with these kind of mechanics, and representation. its rare I get to feel im really playing as myself in games like these. Everyones outdone themselves. this'll certainly be one I keep coming back to.

I've been following the development of Our Life from way back when the first demo dropped and it still blows my mind how many choices and customizations there are (love that update for the MC's bedroom btw!) and the fact that the game remembers them - it really feels like your very own coming of age story! I was so immersed I cried at the end :') Can't believe I experienced this game for free lol. I can't wait for future DLCs and Step 4! Good luck with all your upcoming projects dev team!!

Just wanted to say I love Our Life and I'm thankful it exists. Thank you so much! I love the little world you created and all the people in it. Especially Cove! This game makes me so happy!

Just poping in to say hi and that ilu guys ^^, remember to take care of yourselves!

Hi!! I just wanna thank you for creating such an amazing game. Our Life is one of the few dating sims I’ve found that let’s me be a male mc, it’s really hard to find dating sims that let me be gay. Our Life is my new favorite dating sim to just sit down and playthrough whenever I’m having a bad day so I just wanted to let y’all know how much I appreciate all you’ve done. 🤍

Fan from australia here

Just wanted to reach out and let you know how important this game has been to me. I came across it at a really rough time ( that I’m still going through ) and it’s been one of the things that’s driven me to get up and out of bed sometimes.

This game and cove both hold a very special place in my heart and I can’t wait to see more of him in the DLC and Step 4

Much love ♥️

I know this isnt exactly the main focus of the game, but i really love how we can customise the mc personality wise! This is the first time i've played a game like this where the mc actually does and says exactly what I would do and say in certain situations and its such a breath of fresh air!! It's also so cool how the other characters can pick up on it!!

Cove Holden saved 2020 (my 2020 anyways) I would die for him

Sorry for this being out of the blue, but after playing through Our Life I wanted to thank you for the experience. I don’t know if I’ve ever played a game that has made me cry happy tears TWICE lol. It’s beautiful, scenic, inclusive, and absolutely amazing..have a great rest of 2020 and I honestly cannot wait for the rest of it :,) (ps. The ending song is stuck in my head)

I think you guys might've ruined visual novels for me forever. I'm not sure I'll be able to play another without comparing it to Our Life and I know if I do that I'll be disappointed every time because of how amazing it is. I bought the DLCs before playing the base game it's one of the best impulsive purchases I've ever made

Thank you so much for making our life! It's my favorite visual novel ever and I just can't articulate how much being able to just be honest with my responses instead of going for whatever would make the love interest happy means to me? I reccomended it to evry friend I have that plays visual novels because this is the best one I've ever played!

Just wanted to say that I absolutely adore this game! The childhood friends tropes is my favorite thing and this game delivers! Cove is the sweetest thing, infact all the boys are good boys. Super excited for all upcoming dlcs!

Hi, I just want to thank you for making such an amazing game like Our Life. Tbh, I was following the game’s development for a while, but me and my family moved away from my childhood town just a few days before release, so I really connected to this game. You all did amazing!

hey just wanted to know that i completely loved ol: b&a and it was so good and love cove more than i’ve liked any fictional character, it’s now my comfort media. thank you so much

hi i just wanna say i really enjoyed all of the representation in our life b&a! there were characters with a lot of different body shapes, pic characters, lgbtq+ characters, and you get to choose your own pronouns and sexuality!!! so tysm!!

This isn't a question, I just wanted to say that Our Life is incredible. Ever since I finished it, I've been looking for other visual novels to play so I don't play OL so often that I start memorizing the lines before all the DLC comes out, but I keep coming back to it. It's really one of a kind, I think you all ruined other visual novels for me because I haven't enjoyed another VN like I have this one since I read it ❤.

i think our life b&a is the first game where i felt like cove loved me, not the character i play as which is really nice for someone with kinda low self esteem so THANK YOU

I’ve been playing Our Life practically nonstop since yesterday. I just want everyone who worked on it to know how much the LGBTQ inclusivity means to me. As a closeted trans ace guy in an unsupportive household, I can’t emphasize how much of a comfort this game has been to me. Everything about it is so wholesome and heartfelt. I’m excited to see what other games you make in the future 💙

- A demibiromantic ace transgender man who may or may not have cried over the option to be myself in a game for the first time ever

Csn i just say i really appreciate how you handled MC deciding to use they/them at different stages. Mainly because alot of games don't pay much attention to the body the mc was assigned at birth if they player chooses nonbinary like it does with male/female. And it was just nice to be able to play an mc who just thought gender was kinda 'meh' for them but still felt good about the body they were born with (like myself). I guesd it boils down I'm really appreciative of the hard work it must've taken for you to make all those options possible & still have them matter.

I just wanted to thank you all for Our Life. My mental health hasn't been in a good place recently and it has become my favorite form of escapism/way to cheer up. It's idyllic setting and fantastic characters are such a good way to wind down, I love it. Also, I've been dreading 2021 due to classes starting and general stress, but the DLC and your next project have given me something to actually look forward to :). I'm so excited for them and now I actually have a reason to be happy that it's 2021. Sorry if this message is a bit weird, I just wanted to thank the team for their hard work and for creating something so incredible <3

I've gotta say this is one of the most repayable games I've ever played, if not the most. Usually after i do a playthrough or two of a game i have to wait awhile before playing again otherwise it feels stale. But i haven't had that problem with our life because of the sheer ammount of player agency. Everyone who works on tbe game should feel incredibly proud of themselves because you've created something amazing.

I just wanted to say thank you for Our Life. I'm sure you get this a lot, but it really pulled me out of a mentally tough spot in my life. So thank you.

who needs therapy when you have our life: beginnings and always? haha no but seriously this game is my comfort game, and even though i can’t join your patreon at the moment please know i am always supporting you and i am so excited to see everything you have in store! everyone who works on the games is so so talented

All DLCs have nice content. 😡😡

And I love them all!!💗💗💗💖💖💖💕💕💕