#i WILL be finishing a couple of these in the next few week i WILL be doing it and i will then be PUBLISHING them

[seat-safety-switch]

Quick: what's your favourite colour? Doesn't matter. Capitalism has conspired to eliminate it. Every car now is silver, grey, white, or black. Choice is the enemy of all free people. This improves resale value. Critically, this reduction in choice also reduces the chance that a dealership will end up with a, say, dark-blue(!) car that is totally unsellable except to the mentally ill. We gotta do our part for the dealerships, they're really hurting.

Cars used to have cool colours. For instance, I'm fairly sure that my '78 Volare was brown when it was new. You could also get it in tan, or what Plymouth audaciously called "Augusta green sunfire metallic." Daring stuff, but we had no idea that we were secretly bankrupting them. Back then, cars were ordered on demand, and you'd wait a few weeks before someone in a historically economically disadvantaged area of the USA finished spraying it with paint and put it on a train. No more of that nonsense.

That's why I joined up with a secret band of rebels. We don't want to put a name on our organization, mostly because none of us can agree on what it should be. Our job is to sneak into car dealership lots, and give the cars waiting there a high-quality paint job in extreme wacko colours like "orange" and "red." This, we believe, will eventually bankrupt the dealerships and hasten the fall of our corrupt order.

If that fails for some reason, and we are tortured to death by the politicians who obey those dealerships without question, there is a side benefit. That benefit is that we'll be able to see other cars in a snowstorm even if they forget to turn their headlights on. Is that grey blob over there a car or just another snow squall?

So when you show up to the dealership in the next couple weeks and notice that it suddenly looks a lot more colourful, you can thank us. Maybe just don't look too closely at the quality of the work. We're in a bit of a hurry, and sometimes Tapemaster Theodore doesn't do a really good job masking off the mirrors, handles, tires, and windows, so the paint gets places that it shouldn't. Hey, it's like the 1970s all over again.

[mapiforpresident]

Secret Hotel Kisses 2

Aitana x Putellas!reader

It had been a couple of weeks since Alexia found out about you and Aitana. To your relief, she’d been supportive—after getting over the initial shock—but her protective instincts still kicked in whenever she saw you and Aitana together. The team had started teasing you both mercilessly about being “Barça’s new power couple,” and Alexia had become something of a watchful hawk, glaring at anyone who dared to poke fun.

You were all at the training ground, finishing up a light session before the weekend game. You were sat down on the grass stretching out your calf. Aitana was next to you, her hand briefly brushing yours as she shifted positions. Even such a small, seemingly innocent gesture made Alexia’s eyes narrow from a few meters away.

“Relax, hermana,” you muttered under your breath, catching Alexia’s gaze as she folded her arms and raised a brow at you.

“What was that?” Alexia called out, her tone playful but laced with mock authority.

“Nothing, capi,” you replied sweetly, throwing her an exaggerated smile as the rest of the team chuckled.

Aitana leaned closer, her voice low enough for only you to hear. “Do you think she’s ever going to stop watching us like that?”

You laughed softly, squeezing her hand when you were sure no one else was looking. “Give her time. She’ll chill out eventually.”

~~~

Later that evening, the team gathered in the hotel lounge to relax. Someone had brought out a deck of cards, and the air was filled with laughter as everyone settled into groups, chatting and playing games. You and Aitana sat together on one of the couches, her arm draped casually over the backrest behind you.

Alexia was nearby, her eyes darting between her card game with Keira, Ingrid and Mapi and where you sat with Aitana.

“You’re staring again, Ale,” Mapi teased, smirking as she dealt the next round.

“I am not staring,” Alexia shot back, though her cheeks betrayed a faint flush. “I’m just... keeping an eye on things.”

“Let them be, capi,” Keira said with a laugh, glancing over at you and Aitana. “They’re cute together. It’s not like she’s a kid anymore.”

“She’s still my baby sister,” Alexia muttered.

Across the room, you were telling Aitana a story from your childhood, one that had her giggling uncontrollably. Her laugh was infectious, and soon you were both leaning into each other, completely lost in your own little bubble.

“Seriously, what did I just say about keeping your hands to yourself?” Alexia’s voice rang out, loud enough for the whole room to hear.

The room went silent for a moment before breaking into laughter. Even you couldn’t hold back a chuckle as you turned to face her.

“Ale, she’s not even touching me!” you protested, throwing your hands up in mock surrender.

“She was about to,” Alexia said, her lips twitching as she tried not to smile.

“You’re impossible,” you muttered, shaking your head.

~~~

Later, after the team had dispersed to their rooms, you and Aitana strolled through the quiet hallway. Her hand brushed yours again, and this time, she laced her fingers through yours without hesitation.

“Alexia’s never going to stop being like that, is she?” Aitana asked, though her tone was light.

You shrugged, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. “She’s overprotective, but she means well. Besides, I think she’s warming up to the idea of us. Slowly.”

Aitana smiled, leaning into you as you reached your door. “Good. Because I’m not going anywhere.”

You kissed her softly, letting the moment linger before stepping inside. If Alexia still had her reservations, that was her problem. You were happy, and Aitana was worth every teasing comment, every protective glare.

[hannieehaee]

EUPHORIA (teaser)

18+ / mdi

summary: you've been inseparable with jungkook from the moment you landed in korea. from the initial language barrier to your group's immense success, you've remained dubbed as an iconic duo. but what will you do when a single moment changes everything between you?

content: idol!jungkook x idol!reader, f2l!jungkook, 8thfemalemember!reader, afab reader, reader is implied to be a foreign member of bts but you can assume all dialogue is supposed to be in korean, pretend this takes place during 2018/19 while they promoted fake love in the u.s, appearances from the other members, pining, miscommunication, dumb insecurities, smut, dry humping, body worship, oral (f receiving), penetrative sex, etc.

(^ no actual content warnings in the teaser)

wc: 1.6k (teaser); 12.5k (full fic)

RELEASE DATE: december 22nd

or you can check it out on my patreon today by subscribing!

a/n: this was not fully proofread cuz it took me veryyy long to finish, so pls excuse any small mistakes<3

masterlist | patreon

"That's not how you're supposed to do it."

You sighed, movements halting and your eyes closing in annoyance.

Turning to face the culprit of the comment, you reopen your eyes, ready to snark at the exact person you were expecting.

"Do you have to be the bane of my existence?"

He chucked at that, nodding at you to turn and face the mirror located behind you once more. It was foggy due to the inhuman amount of heavy breathing exchanged in the practice room, but you could still easily make yourself on it. And Jungkook too, of course.

Standing behind you, — with an offensive lack of distance between your bodies — he grabbed onto your arms from behind, helping you position yourself to perfection, even to the exact inch, of the move you were trying to perform. His eyes found yours on the mirror, giving you a short smile before beginning to guide you through the small transition you'd been struggling with.

"See? Like that," he said once finally letting go of you after walking you through it a few times. By the end, you had gotten it as perfectly as your choreographer had described to you a few hours ago.

"Thanks, Kook."

"Thought I was the bane of your existence?", he chuckled as he bent down to collect a water bottle, taking a sip before handing it to you.

You were usually more worried by boy germs than this, but Jungkook proved to be an exception through the past few years.

You swallowed your sip, "Yeah, but I still have manners."

"C'mon, we should head back to the dorms. You've been at this all day. You beat Jimin at hours logged into the practice room this week," it was meant lightheartedly, but it was true. You'd practically been living here for the past few days.

"Where are the guys?", you wondered out loud as you followed him out.

The dorms, as Kook had called them, were really just a small living space located within the building. There were talks of moving onto a larger building within the next couple of years, but for now you were content with your living arrangements. Despite all of you either owning property or having family outside of the company building, you and a few other members usually opted to stay there due to convenience. You and Jungkook were the main ones to do so.

"Well, we technically have the next few days off, so I'm pretty sure they went visit family while they can. We probably won't be back in Korea for a while after promotions start."

It was true. You were soon due to head to America to promote your newest comeback. This was the first time you'd be taking promotions out of Asia and into the west, which made all of you incredibly anxious. As the most fluent English speaker in the group, the task of being the group's representative should've fallen on you, but luckily Joon had decided he'd be taking the brunt of it for you.

Still, you were terrified to open yourselves up for a way bigger audience.

"You good?" Kook interrupted your thoughts.

"Yeah, Kook. Don't worry about it."

The two of you headed over to the elevators, pressing the button leading you to the floor where your rooms were located. It was likely no one else was in the building at this time — holy shit, was it really 3am? — meaning that you and Kook would likely get some well-deserved rest in the privacy of the dorms.

That was one of the few nice parts of belonging to what once was a very small company. You had no sibling groups as of yet, which kind of made you own the place (or at least that's how Taehyung would put it sometimes). Late at night, it was just you and your group mates with the occasional presence of staff. Though more commonly, it was just you and Kook opting to stay together into the depths of the night.

"Nervous about flying to the U.S?", he voiced when the metal doors closed in front of you, caging you in with your friend.

"Maybe. You're not?"

He shrugged, "It's just like any other performance. You should be the least nervous. You speak English. You already know what America's like."

"Me? I'm the only girl in the group. I'm gonna stand out like a sore thumb," you whined, earning a chuckle from him.

It was a rare situation, being a girl in a group full of men. Other co-ed groups existed within Kpop, but they usually held a better boy-to-girl ratio.

But this wasn't really the reason you were nervous.

Opening yourselves up to an entire new audience within a mere five years since debut was an entire new battle you'd have to face. Worst of all was that no other Kpop group had ever truly promoted in the west before now. You were given accolades as trailblazers, but at what cost?

"Hey," Jungkook called your attention again, gesturing you to follow him into the hallway that would lead you to your room, "C'mon, let's find something to take your mind off of this."

Leading you into his room rather than yours, he sat you on his couch as he went back out to peruse the kitchen of any food he could get for the two of you for an impromptu night indulging yourselves. You relaxed as you waited, appreciative of Jungkook immediately noticing your lack of ease and working towards getting you cooled down again.

He always did have a way of being in tune with your emotions that no one else did.

His room was spacious and tidier than the average for a man in his early 20's. It was common for you to spend time here rather than in your own room. You had always been one to wander in search of your bandmates, and Jungkook just so happened to be the most receptive to it of them all.

The click clank of bottles bumping into each other was your first indicator of his return, making you look up from the couch, unable to withhold a smile when you saw him balancing various bottles of soju in his arms while also attempting to carry a few packets of spicy ramen.

Getting up to help him, you aided him in setting down all his snacks on the coffee table, moving aside any remote and controller that was in the way. Your usual set up was established then, as it had countless times before. It consisted of you and Kook on his old couch (that he refused to replace from the old days in which you could barely afford any luxuries) with a variety of alcohol and snacks accompanying you through the night.

He took a seat on the floor while you remained on the couch. It was common for him. Something about being at optimal proximity to the food on the table.

"We've got two more nights left in Korea. What do you wanna do to spend the time? And no, practicing isn't allowed," he interrupted you before you could respond.

You huffed, shoulders slacking before going back to their usual posture, "Well, then I guess just this."

"Just this? My dorm and some soju?"

"Yep. We're going to be overwhelmed by people and schedules as soon as we leave Korea. Might as well enjoy the quiet alone time," you reasoned.

Jungkook hummed in pensiveness, "Does it really count as alone time if it's together?"

"I like my alone time better when I'm with you," was your response.

And you meant it too. The quiet sometimes became too quiet if Jungkook wasn't around. You'd known him since you were 15 and had been unable to imagine an existence without him since.

It was joked around by members and fans alike, that the two of you were attached to the hip. Some people would even call you a dynamic duo due to how often you were together with no distance between you. Of course, you were shipped and speculated as a couple, but that did nothing to deter your friendship.

Had you been a smarter person, you would've noticed Jungkook's bashful smile at your response. But you'd grown so used to his constant company that the idea of anything further than platonic did not compute in your brain. You weren't even sure if you were opposed to it; it was just nonexistent to you. It was as if he'd spawned as your friend one day and you never once stopped to question it.

"Well, let's enjoy it while we can," he finally responded as he handed you a now-opened bottle of soju.

Clanking bottles, you each took a small swing, settling in for a night that you'd likely not spend sleeping. You settled closer to Jungkook after that, letting yourself slide off the couch snd knocking shoulders with him as you took a seat on the softness of the rug under you.

"What do you wanna do to spend your last few nights of freedom?" you asked after some silence.

"I'll do whatever you want," his head fell to your shoulder, "We can just camp in here til they come get us for our flight on Monday."

You hummed in absentminded agreement, sipping at your drink a little more.

Jungkook turned to look at you then, slight bunny smile showing through.

"So, is tonight a blackout drunk night or do you wanna stay up and watch some movies?"

"Hmm. Maybe a mixture?", you suggested.

With a grin, he raised his bottle for yet another clink before taking a drink from it in tandem with you.

...

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[swtsupernatural]

D.W || MYSTERY SPOT

Content Warning takes place a few weeks after 'Mystery Spot' 3.11, swearing, dean being dean, knives, and mentions of dean's death from 3.11.

Summary Angst, slow burn i think - Days have gone by and everyone in your town seem's to be on loop and you're the only one aware. Just as you're about to break down, two men in an Impala show up to lend a hand.

Ask @almostegg / @almosteggs : The brothers visit a new town that's stuck in a time loop. No one there is responsive and simply do their daily routine over and over again. Reader is the only one aware of what's happening and she is trapped within the town.

W.C. 2,200 words

A.N. first ficcc so excited to finally get this up. enjoy <3 - claire

Gunnison, Colorado. It was meant to be a shortstop for the Winchester boys, mainly for gas and food. They were on the way to a hunt in Utah with what they figured was a Banshee, based on the news they’d heard at least. It was early November, and the temperature was declining everyday. People strolled through the small town in coats and scarves, cheeks pink from the cold. Dean could even see heat steaming off of Baby as he parked her at a random gas station.

“Oh, shit,” Sam muttered, his eyes leering over his book to see the bright orange symbol on Baby’s dash. Dean had just finished filling up his car and was inside the gas station purchasing a few bars and snacks from the teenager at the front. Sam came up behind his brother, his jaw clenched.

“Don’t tell me,” Dean muttered, tossing a random credit card to the cashier. 

“Car needs an oil change.” 

“Oh that’s just freaking great,” Dean turned to the cashier, a frown on his face. “Where’s the nearest car shop, kid?”

“It’s Steve’s Auto Parts, just down Terrace street on the left, but it’s closed right now.”

“Of course it is,” Dean signed. He looked at Sam through his brows before looking back at the kid. “Nearest motel?” 

“Now what, we just sit around all night until that damn shop opens in the morning?” Dean said through his teeth, tossing his back on the left bed. 

“Well, maybe we can actually get some sleep tonight. Relax, Dean, we’ll be on the road tomorrow before seven.” Sam searched through the restroom for supplies. Motel stops were the time to take things like towels, soap, and other stuff they could throw in Baby’s trunk in case they needed it. Sam sighed, finding nothing in the room except cracked walls and a small slab of used soap. “M’ gonna ask the front desk for some stuff, be right back.” Sam passed flickering hall lights, hearing conversations of guests through the thin walls.

“Good evening, sir, how may I help you?” 

“Hi, I just need some stuff for our room, thanks.” The woman at the front desk handed Sam two toothbrushes, some toothpaste, and a couple towels.  

“Have a goodnight. Oh, I completely forgot when you checked in.” She reached below the desk, opening a few drawers before handing him a pamphlet. “If you’re looking for some places in town to visit, here's a guide.” The town didn’t often house anyone but locals, not having a large population or many visitors at that. It seemed like everyone knew each other. 

Sam nodded, “Thanks, goodnight.”

“Have a great night, sir.”

The next morning the two woke up at six, the motel alarm blaring an ugly, distasteful BEEP-ing sound. They both packed the little they had swiftly, heading out though the creaking door. At the front desk, the same woman from last night stood stock-still; that same fake-looking smile on her face. 

“Goodmorning, folks, how may I help you?” 

“Just checking out,” Sam put the keys on the desk. She nodded, grabbing the keys, and packing them behind the desk. Suddenly, her face lit up as if she had just remembered a forgotten thought.

“Oh, I completely forgot when you checked in.” She reached below the desk, opening a few drawers before handing him a pamphlet. “If you’re looking for some places in town to visit here's a guide.” 

“Oh, thank you, but I already got one last night,” Sam smiled. She stared at Sam blanky.

“Have a great day, sir.” He nodded with tight lips, grabbing Dean’s arm and leading them outside.

“Dude, she said the exact same thing to me last night when I came down for stuff.” Dean shrugged.

“Probably just her regular spiel, you know how those jobs are.” Sam lowered his brows, his gaze on nothing in particular. 

“I don’t know, it was just weird…” Dean shrugged, “Who cares as long as we're out of here within an hour.” He focused on the road, more preoccupied with fixing Baby and getting on with the case they were supposed to be working on. A few minutes later, a large, rusted sign reading ‘Steve’s Auto Shop,’ came into view, the blue and red paint chipped away from weather and old age. Dean parked his car and walked hastily inside, Sam on his tail. 

“Hey!” They heard someone yelling. Inside, a woman stood at the front of the store, waving her hands frantically in the man’s face. She couldn’t have been much older than Sam. “Dad, this isn’t fucking funny, seriously.” The man stared at her blanky, before looking up at her, as if just registering her face.

“Hey, Honey, how can I help ya? Shouldn’t you be at school, it’s Monday.”

The woman groaned, her hands flying to cover her face in frustration, “Dad, it’s Thursday. Please, I’m begging you, stop this, whatever is going on, please…” Dean got closer and saw tears in her eyes. He approached her tentatively, making his voice known first.

“Hey,” the woman jumped at Dean’s voice, but she quickly looked relieved to see him, though Dean was sure they’d never met. She walked up to them impatiently, looking both of them up and down skeptically. “Are you real? You’re not…from here. You can see me right, hear me?” 

“Hey, it’s okay, we’re uh, real. What’s the matter?” Sam said gently, coming closer to her and Dean tentatively. She stared at Sam, then Dean, and sighed a heavy exhale. Dean knew that exhaustion she was feeling, he’d felt the same way before.

“Are you guys visiting?” They both nodded. “How long?” Dean explained how they had come last night and only meant to stop briefly, but was having car troubles. Usually he wouldn't give strangers his life story, especially in his line of work, but this woman was obviously in distress. An odd sort of distress. A, ‘supernatural problem’, sort of distress. She nodded, like she was trying to calm herself down enough to explain what was happening.

“I…I’m going to sound insane.” Sam and Dean gave each other a knowing look. Definitely their type of problem. 

“Trust me.” Sam interrupted. “We’ve probably heard weirder.”

“I don’t know…I woke up Monday and everything was normal. Tuesday, I woke up the same alarm, everyone was acting weird, like, repeating the same few things. And Wednesday it was the same, and I thought it would change today, but I feel like I’m going insane. I mean, my own father doesn’t recognize me, no one does. It's like they're all stuck. But I’m not. Heard that kind of crazy?”

Dean laughed, “Actually, yes. Uh, we might be able to help.”

“You’re serious?” She looked up at Dean, like she was finally seeing him, her eyes leering over his intensely green eyes and old brown jacket

Sam nodded, “This might sound even crazier, but we guess this is our buddy. Sounds like we’re dealing with a trickster.” 

“So…who are you guys?” 

“I’m Dean, this is Sam. We kinda deal with this type of stuff.” 

“What? The same day over and over? That kind of thing?”

“Not exactly, but I think we can help. I had to deal with this same thing a couple weeks ago.” She surveyed them once more, finally extending her hand, first to Sam.

She told them her name, and they replied this theirs. “Nice to meet you. Really nice, if you’re who you say you are.” She brushed her hair out of her face, walking outside, the boys following behind her. “That your car?” She asked. 

Dean nodded proudly. “Yeah.” 

“Nice.” Dean smirked, giving Sam a wink. Sam rolled his eyes, sighing loudly. 

“So,” Sam walked closer to you, saying your name, “Has anything crazy, other than this loop, happened yet? Like…someone getting hurt or…dying?”

“What the hell? No,” she stared at Sam with wide eyes. 

“Just asking,” Sam said, glad that at least she didn’t have to go through what he went through in his time loop. Dean sighed, not sure how he could get out of this. Last time Sam was stuck in one of these, he wasn’t aware of what was happening. Now the three of them were fully conscious and he still didn’t know what to do.

“We think you’re in a time loop,” Dean finally said behind her shoulder, making her turn her head slightly. Damn, they were tall. And this one was really cute…Jesus, she was stuck in a time loop, or something, and she was undressing this guy with her eyes. Not that he seemed to mind. 

Sam cleared his throat loudly and Dean and Y/N looked forward to Sam. “So, are there any odd sort of tourist attractions around here?” 

She shook her head, “No.” 

The brother looked into space, deep in thought before she decided to show them around, maybe give them ideas of what they could do.

“C’mon, let me show you what I mean.” She walked them through town, the same peoplee from yesterday strolling around town with scarves and coats alike. Suddenly, a hand sprung on Dean’s chest, shoving him to the side, a flower pot breaking where he stood. He looked to the side and saw her. “Sorry!” A woman from the apartment building yelled. Y/N mimicked her, a “sorry!” slipping from her mouth. They kept walking, and she prevented them from walking on the road, despite the crosswalk sign clearly flashing white. A car sped past, a police car following close behind. The boys kept walking, following her into a coffee shop.

“I’m gonna order a matcha, the woman behind me is gonna get a black coffee, and the man after her is gonna get a latte.” She ordered, waiting for her drink next to the boys, the woman behind her ordering a coffee, black, and the man following her ordering a… “Green tea, please.”

“Wait, he…” he winked at her, before looking at Sam and Dean with amusement on his face. Sam was on him in an instant, pulling him around the corner of the shop. “What, doing this to random innocent people, now, huh?” His face turned into a twisted smile that made Y/N’s stomach turn. The man’s face began to shift into a completely different one. He was still a person, but a nonidentical one.

“What the hell…” she backed up near Dean, and he put an arm in front of her space, the other arm reaching slowly for his knife.

The man smiled, “guess again, sweetheart.”

Dean lunged this time, his knife pressed even closer than Sam’s.

“You get her out of this before I end you here, and now.” Sam was next to her now, letting Dean take out his own anger on the trickster. Sam was almost still. The being under dean’s knife had left Sam alone and broken after dean ‘died.’ It was the worst time of his life. Losing Dean had turned him into a monster, and he hadn’t even told Dean everything.

“What did she do to deserve this mess, huh? Fuck with us all you want but she’s not a part of this.”

The man slimed in Dean’s grip. “You’re right. She’s not. I just…well, I got bored! Spun a wheel, of sorts, and landed in this town. Fate may have it that she won my good graces.”

“Get her out of here before I carve that stupid smile right out of your face.” 

“No can do, son. I’m having too much f–” Dean’s knife was in the man’s chest instantaneously, twisting like a dreidel before Dean forced it out of him.

A car passed, their brights flashing on the three, and next thing she knew, Y/N woke up in her bed, just as she had the last few days, her clock reading; ‘Tuesday, November 3rd, 2008.’ 

“Holy shit.” Something stirred on her floor, and before she could properly think, her knife under her pillow was on the figure in an instant. 

“Dean?” she had lunged at him, her blade nearly pressing into his throat. “What happened?” Dean looked at her with wide eyes. “This is how you repay me for saving your life?”

Sam, from the other side of her bed, laughed as he stood up. His face was beaming, smiling happily at the clock,“You broke it, Dean. She’s out of it.”

“Oh my god.” She released the knife from her hands, tossing it god knows where in her room before wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. 

“Thank you,” she breathed, her breath tickling Dean’s neck, making him feel things he’d rather not admit. Dean smiled, helping her stand.

“Anytime, Y/N.” They stared at each other for too long once again, her eyes less shameless than before, causing Sam to speak up. 

“We should go…soon. I’ll go get the car. Be back in 30.” She smiled wondrously at Sam, but missed his wink to Dean as he left her room. It wasn’t common that Dean got with girls Sam was a fan of, but he did like Y/N. He’d give them a small slice of time together.

“So. 30 minutes?” Dean said too close to her ear for it to be friendly, smirking and showing his pretty teeth. She nodded, her face heating up.

“The clock’s ticking, Dean. We should get this started.” She grabbed his shoulder with one hand, the other curling in his hair as they fell back on the bed. Maybe Dean wasn’t in such a rush to get to Utah.

[squad-724]

Oof I’ve had a couple rough weeks at uni, have padmecker artwork I’ve been slowly working on. It’s an illustration for a short fic of the two of them, a twin piece to @electrikworm ’s fic

“There.” Padmé sighed as she put down the stylus, a moment ago used to correct the few words of her next speech on the Senatorial Ball she was organizing with Bail and Riyo to warm her colleagues up to the clones. A small tactic to make them look more sentient and humanoid than what they officially were written as in the law. One step closer to the bill that would recognise them as citizens of the Republic.

She straightened up in her seat, her back cracking in a few places, making her wince. No matter how much the chair cost, five hours of no movement will make her body ache. And because of the non-stop debates in the rotunda she had no time to prepare it earlier; the ball was the next day.

Padmé took her time, finishing sipping the cold caf she got delivered back when there was still sunlight, watching the lights of the Planet That Never Slept flicker in the distance. She knew how they looked up close, both on the triple zero and in lower levels she so rarely visited; only going there for her rare dates that she still had to hide from the public. If the media learned about her relationship with a clone, the whole rights bill could be compromised.

Sometimes she didn't care, wishing to be able to take Wrecker to one of the fancy restaurants, let him taste all the amazing foods she could get him, to walk around in broad daylight, visit museums and opera. She wished she could spoil him as much as he deserved.

But it would have to wait. Padmé knew she would make sure he and his brothers could soon walk around as fully free citizens.

“You done?” The senator almost jumped out of her seat as a male voice came from the doors to her office space.

“On the moons Anakin you scared me,” Padmé let out a sigh of relief, and the jedi laughed at her reaction. “What are you still doing here, you were supposed to leave hours ago.”

“Eeeh, I think I should give Rex a little room to breathe. He almost strangled me after I threw him down that hole two days ago.”

“And you don't want to spend the night on observation with Kix.”

“And I don't want to spend the night on observation with Kix, and Rex WILL rat me out in an act of revenge.” He walked over to her balcony doors, grabbing one of the donuts she kept on her desk, her favorite one she kept for last. “I'll sleep at Snip’s new apartment, apparently she got a great deal from the landlady that had a good family history with the Order, and didn't need a down payment. I'll see you at the ball.” He waved her goodbye and jumped down the balcony. Padmé knew he called R2 to come pick him up, just as all the times he decided to have that dramatic of an exit. One day he would fall and break his neck, and that would be karma for stealing the best donuts.

There was nothing more Padmé wanted than to sleep. But she desperately needed to shower, and knew Clone Force 99 was about to enter the Coruscanti atmosphere in a few moments.

She met the squad only a few months back, the four clones called as her escort during a mission. At first she was surprised at the differences from normal troopers, but soon learned about their mutations and special enhancements that were made to them.

Each one of them was unique and interesting, but it was Wrecker who caught her eye, his eyes that kept looking at her with awe when he thought she didn't notice, but also the difference between his pure show of power in opposition of how gentle he was with her.

He had that charm and authenticity that all her previous suitors lacked, speaking his mind and not carefully picking lines of dialogue they practiced before each meeting. He was himself at all times, and who he was was a man of big heart. And Padmé couldn't deny him the beautiful musculature and tanned skin.

And now, after three weeks of a comms-out mission, he and his brothers were coming for a personal debrief with commander Cody, and to crash at her flat for a few days.

She already stocked her fridge with food, readied her three guest rooms with a fresh set of beddings and towels. Yeah maybe she was playing favorites with that, but no one deserved being pampered like these four. Especially Wrecker.

As she waited for the clones to arrive she took a quick shower and brushed her teeth, finally getting rid of the acidic aftertaste of caf on an empty stomach. Once she put on her face mask, she got a ping on her datapad reading “Be there in 5 ;)”.

Padmé got her droid to brew some tea when the doorbell rang out. All of her sleepiness evaporates in an instance when she runs to the door.

She isn't done opening them properly before a massive set of hands hauls her off the floor and into a spinning hug that ends with a keldabe kiss.

“Hi sweetheart,” Padmé breathes out, looking into Wrecker's mismatched eyes. She locks her hands around his neck, pulling him close into a proper kiss. Oh how she missed it.

“Ekhm, we're still in the doorway love doves,” a snarky voice brings them back into reality, Wrecker laughing as he moves deeper into the apartment, letting his brothers in. “Great. I'm taking the bathtub first.” A few voices of protest ring out as Crosshair bolts to the refresher.

“Sorry for the wait, there were some issues with the docking system and they didn’ want to let us down to the planet.” Wrecker finally let Padmé down, putting his bag down soon after.

“Not your fault, I just barely finished my job anyways, didn't have to wait for long.” She stood on her tiptoes to land another kiss on her boyfriend’s scarred cheek, making him blush. No matter how many times she did it, the giant clone got red after signs of any affection.

“Thanks for letting us stay,” Hunter all but collapsed on the couch, cup of freshly brewed tea in hand. He looked a little roughed up, his cheek covered in a fresh dressing, left eye sporting a bruise. “I don't think I could survive another night bunking on the ship with those three idiots.”

Padmé laughed as a choir of three voices raised up with a complaint. She sipped her herbal tea. She had missed this.

Not just Wrecker, but his whole family. How much life they brought to this otherwise empty apartment. The sound of bickering during breakfast preparation, doors opening and closing when they left for the town, repetitive whirring coming from Tech's room, muted music from Crosshair's.

“I am completely exhausted, so I'll be waiting for you in bed. I don't want to smell ANY grease or pickled feet when you join, so take a bath beforehand.” Padmé smooched Wrecker one last time, putting down her cup next to the dishwasher, before she wished the clones goodnight and retreated into her own bedroom.

As much as she complained about the costs of her sheets to Sabé, in moments like these every single credit spent on them seemed worth it. She slipped under the covers, sighing softly as the pain in her back quieted down just a little bit. She had to wake up in the morning for the last dress try on, and then get her hair done before the ball. How lucky she was that a highly experienced squad of troopers was available as her security for the event.

Padmé felt herself fall asleep just as the mattress next to her dipped significantly. Wrecker put his calloused hand on her back, sneaking it under her shirt and drawing slow circles in between her shoulder blades.

“Mmm I really need to sleep my dear, we will have the whole night to ourselves tomorrow.” she murmured into her pillow, relaxing her back under the soft pressure of his palm.

“Then sleep cyar’ika.” The trooper whispered, drawing his thumb up and down her spine, kneading the locked up muscles into relaxation. Padmé knew how firm they must have felt, and let her boyfriend smooth them out as they slowly fell into a rhythm.

“Does anything else hurt?” Padmé could feel his warm breath on her cheek. She could deny it, let him lay down next to her. But, it felt so nice to be taken care of like that.

“Right arm, think I was holding my stylus too tightly.” She didn't even open her eyes as she turned on her side, reaching out the hurting limb.

With a gentleness a man of his frame seemed incapable of, Wrecker took it, moving it to face the palm up, and began massaging it too.

He started with her finger, so delicate and small in the embrace of his giant ones. Each one was delicately pinched in between his pointer finger and thumb, joints muscles and tendons kneaded into relaxation.

Then came the palm, painfully wiry, with the muscles tensed and coiled from the long hours of no rest. Wrecker's fingers carefully massaged them, and Padmé let out a few hisses of pain before these too relaxed into comfy hums as her boyfriend helped her with the pain.

She thought it would be it, but he continued the comforting movements on her forearm, now his actions bringing her more of a relaxing effect rather than purely pain relivement.

Wrecker arms continuously moved his hands up and down her forearm, drawing circles with his thumbs, making her back shiver with pleasure. She didn't even realize how wiry her muscles got until he made them relax, his fingers digging into knots deep into her limb.

“How did you learn to do this?” She murmured, her voice partially muted by the pillow she was laying on. Wrecker’s mismatched eyes didn't leave her arm, but she definitely saw the slight smirk under his nose.

“All of us got some pains a massage helps with. I was the first to need them, my growing pains making my whole body ache until I couldn't move. That's when Tech found some texts on holonet to teach me so I could do them before sleep. Then it turned out that Hunter's migraines can be lessened if you relieve the pressure on the neck,” Wrecker's pressure on Padmé's arm became weaker and weaker, his body slowly sumping to the side. “Tech tends to fall asleep on the pilot seat and next to his workbench, and I deal with his back afterwards.”

The senator gently pulled her boyfriend to lay down, his heavy body hitting the mattress. He didn't say anything, but let out a hum of comfort, wriggling closer to her, wrapping his arms around her much smaller waist. He was very warm, making Padmé shiver.

“Mmm, I'm glad you're here.” she settled her forehead just above his heart, taking comfort in the sound of the beat. Strong, just like him.

“Wish I could stay,” one of his arms moved to the base of her skull, gently scratching her hair bulbs, often sore from the extravagant hairstyles she wore on a daily basis. The hair and dresses, what she was most known for. A beauty of Naboo, queen and senator Amidala whose spirit never yielded. Just like her looks she never did anything halfway, giving her everything into how she presented herself as how she protected the innocents of the Republic.

But there she was, her hair in disarray, wearing an old t-shirt and underwear that has been for sweet release of the trash bin for months, and Wrecker was here, calling her beautiful in the pure darkness, his arms a comforting weight. Here, she was Padmé Naberrie, spending one of her rare moments with a man that found her beauty not in the make-up, dresses or jewelry, but her genuine laugh, lacking cooking skills, and the ability to stand her ground to help him and his brothers become people in the eyes of law.

He would protect her planet, while she secured his future.

Thank you Manhattan for edits and beta reading!

[macaroonff]

The photobooth- Park Sunghoon

Where two strangers, in their desperation and vulnerability, take a picture together. One to create a lasting memory, the other to remove the old one.

Genre: Strangers to lovers (kinda)

Pairing: Non-idol Park Sunghoon x gn!reader

Content warnings: Mentions of a breakup, mentions of enlistment, none imo

Word Count: 1.2k approximately

In his mind, what he would do next was stupid, extremely stupid. Park Sunghoon stood solemnly in front of this hole-in-the-wall photobooth he travelled past on the way to uni. He wasn't sure what exactly led him here- whether it was his desperate need to capture a memory, or whether he was driven by pure insanity. He knew a few things had changed since the last time he stopped by. His hair was shaved short, military style as was required of him. There was an increasing sense of foreboding of the future. His heart had never felt this heavy before. Not even when he almost didn't get into the university of his choice. He was about to enlist- only that it didn't help that he'd be leaving in a week. He felt short on time, as the announcement barely gave him enough to physically or mentally prepare himself. His friends had suggested taking a cool polaroid picture for the sake of memories. For a keepsake for the man he was to become, and as a memory of the boy he would leave behind. His heavy feet therefore brought him here,to a last-minute decision after hours of contemplation. He draws the curtains of the tiny photobooth and hesitantly sits on the bench. Unfortunately for him, and to add to his embarrassment, he fails to notice the other person seated right beside him.

"Excuse me?" you squeak, surprised by the appearance of the man next to you.

Sunghoon is pulled out of his thoughts, and he finally acknowledges your presence. "Oh-" he can barely apologise as the click of the automatic booth interrupts you. He notices that he is captured in the second of the four films. Before he is able to process what happened, another click prints the third film. He jumps out of the booth in a second as you're left bewildered there. The bewilderment enthusiastically captured by the last film. As you look at your ruined pictures, Sunghoon find the need to apologise desperately for interrupting you. He peaks his head back in to the booth, in an attempt at apologising. Instead what he sees are teardrops falling down your cheeks, the films balled up in your fists.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, i really didn't mean to interrupt you," he rambles, "I didn't reali-" before he could finish you push past him, exiting the booth. Before you're able to get up again, you're wrist is tugged on by him.

"Let me pay for you, please. It's my fault, please don't cry" he begs. You're too scared to say a word. It really wasn't that deep for you, or it shouldn't have been. it was just a set of photos that you could take again. Unfortunately for you, you'd put too much meaning into this set of pictures. It was after you saw your ex post a set of pictures with his new girlfriend, in the exact same poses he'd once taken with you did you feel the rage erupting from within. You'd come here to re-write or erase whatever that poor memory was. You'd just have to do it alone. It wasn't this stranger's fault for your outburst. In fact you were happy he disturbed your gloomy little photoshoot.

"I-," you look up to meet the stranger's eyes, his eyes ridden with concern. In that small moment of surprise, you didn't really realise how handsome he was. It led you to an idea, a pathetic and selfish idea, but one that'd make you feel better.

"In that case, can you take another set with me. I don't want to do this alone," you request, your voice small as you begin to fidget with your hands.

"W...Why?" Sunghoon asks taken aback. Were you also scared of taking a picture alone like him? Did you also find it pathetic to take pictures alone in a world where mainly couples come here? Why come here alone if you didn't want to do it alone?

"I want to make my ex jealous," you say bluntly. You don't look at him, afraid of judgement at your request. Instead, you hear a small chuckle.

"Sure, I don't mind," you hear the kind boy say. " I might need the company too right now."

You're curious by what his last statement means,but choose to follow him into the booth quietly. He drops some change into the booth, and then looks at you before he presses the button. You nod and move closer to him, knees grazing gently. The both of you seem awkward but try to smile nonetheless. A click disperses the silence briefly, before he puts his shaking hands on yours. "I'm actually enlisting next week," he announces randomly. You look at him in surprise. "I don't know what to say," you can barely reply, when he brings his arms around your shoulder, just in time before the next picture. "Yeah, this is probably my last picture before I leave," he turns to you, smiling at your surprised face. "Good luck," your eyes soften as you pose for the next one, putting out a "V" awkwardly. He follows you, a somewhat shy smile gracing his lips. "Let's do a silly one" he offers to which you nod enthusiastically. You stick out your tongue, a little shy as he winks at the camera, the set of pictures coming out after the last click. The two of you examine the set of pictures, the two of you looking somewhat confused

"I like it," he says. "You look cute in this one," he hands you the last two pictures. You smile, earnestly. Compared to what you expected, you looked happy. Happy enough for you to forget why you'd come here. You realised neither of you had budged an inch, and you didn't feel like leaving.

"I... thought I'd achieve some sort of petty revenge if I could look happier in these pictures than the ones my ex took with his girlfriend."

Sunghoon raises an eyebrow, partly curious, partly in pity. His fingers gently rub against your palm. "In the thirty minutes I know you, I can say with confidence that you're too beautiful for the guy you're worried about. Don't fret it."

His words paint your smile wider as they sink into your soul. "Well, in the thirty minutes that I know you, I think you're so brave and kind that I wish we'd met sooner," you confess.

His smile now mirrors yours as he finally holds out his hand for a handshake. "I'm Sunghoon, by the way," he introduces.

You shake his warm hand, your palms tingling as they meet. "I'm y/n." you reply. After what seemed like an eternity, the both of you finally get out of the cramped booth, the chilly evening wind caressing your face. Sunghoon graciously waits for you to leave first, his eyes following you until your back fades into the city. The encounter felt bittersweet, more sweet than bitter as part of his solemn heart dissipated with the wind. He examines the first polaroid set left with him, where your initials are scribbled hastily at the back. He places it in his pocket, with the realisation that he had a new person, a new memory to bury into his wallet.

[afreakingdork]

Soft Spot - Chapter 17

RotTMNT Donatello x Reader

Incredible blink and you'll miss it chapter art by @garbagemilkshake this week~

Rated: Explicit

Warnings/Tags: Romance, Established Relationship, Married Couple, Married Life, Aged-Up Mutant Ninja Turtles, Villain Donatello (TMNT), Love, POV Second Person, Babies, Pregnancy, AFAB reader, Vaginal Sex, Rough Sex, Penis In Vagina Sex, Creampie, Breeding Kink, Multiple Orgasms, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Fertility Issues, Pregnant Sex, Pregnancy Kink, Reader-Insert, Cunnilingus, Fellatio, Cum Eating, Turtle Noises (TMNT), I have a Biology Degree and I’m Using it, Menstruation, There WILL NOT be any Miscarriages

Synopsis: First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes the next step about as smooth as the others arrived. The baby-oriented sequel to Weak Spot.

Also available on Ao3

First 💜 Previous

You opened the door to the bathroom and let out the steam in a comical puff. You hadn’t felt like you had taken a particularly hot shower, but there were all sorts of factors. The main one being you forgot to turn the vent on. The moisture had thickened while it was trapped in the space with nowhere to go. You hummed lightly as you finished toweling off and addressed your after-shower products.

Skin care went by easily and you switched over to lathering yourself with lotion.

‘The earlier, the better,’ was your mantra and you were sticking to it. You squirted a healthy amount into your hand and hiked up a leg to start there. You worked your way up to your thighs before needing to reapply. Getting another glug, you then addressed your stomach and paused at the angle.

You stood a little straighter.

There was a clear curvature that wasn’t there before. It differed from your stomach’s usual hang and had a certain shape to it that was distinct. You reached up with shiny fingertips and fanned them out over the bump.

That was your baby.

You tried not to get too weepy and finally applied that lotion as it felt like lead in your hand.

After that area was sufficiently soaked in the cream, you sought the mirror which had mostly cleared. You turned for a side profile and refused to slouch. Even with your back perfectly straight, the bump was still there. You welled up again and walked out, nude, to where you left your phone charging. You knew the dates, but you had to double check.

It was a simple search and quickly read what you had hoped.

Just as everything else there was obvious disagreement amongst mothers, but for you, at 17 weeks, your bump was showing.

You brought your phone up to your lips and sat in the knowledge.

Your fetus, as of yet, had been nothing more than something you glimpsed in digital images.

You saw it grow and the parts of it delineate more and more.

You listened to the pitter of its little heart beat through a sloshing sound.

Seeing it on your body was a different experience.

“I wonder how my internally estimated pounds of water vapor compares to calculation.” Donnie wondered as he rose from the couch.

You turned so your back was to him. “You gonna figure it out?”

He thought about it with a hum and you heard him tap his gauntlet for a screen. “Current humidity level is 76% versus 53% prior which means…”

You meant to wait through his experiment, but suddenly couldn’t. “Hey, Donnie?”

He made a soft noise that he heard you as he continued to work the numbers.

“Stop.” You whispered as delicately as you could.

Your husband was slow to take in the tone and you heard his arm fall loose beside him. “Darling?”

“I have something to show you.”

“Other than…” He began to step forward.

“Wait!” You turned only your head.

He stood at full attention with one hand curled for an underhand pitch.

You knew he had meant to grope your butt and smiled to yourself.

You guessed you were nude.

“Stay there.” You let a bit of your excitement leak through so he wouldn’t worry.

You saw his head tilt. “Alright.”

Your vision went into the wall and you tapped your phone to your lips a few more times before you set it back on your nightstand. “Okay…”

You heard him shuffle at the ready.

“Look…” You were slow to rotate and kept your arms out of the way to show him your profile. “… at this.”

If he did a once-over, you didn’t see it.

If he looked somewhere else, it never seemed apparent.

Your husband appeared to look right at your stomach.

“This means… I’m showing…?”

He reached out anew, but froze somewhere in the process. 

From where he was stuck, his lips moved. “At this stage it’s more likely your abdomen is filling out due to uterine expansion. Your bowels are being shifted because of it. The distinct bump you are probably hoping for is more likely to appear around week 20. Then your uterus can be felt in the area of umbilicus…”

“Right!” Your hands flew to cover your stomach instinctually. “Forgot I said that!”

You turned back to face your phone.

“That’s embarrassing! I can’t believe I forgot! I even checked!” You rattled off a laugh. “I guess my search wasn't specific enough…”

“Y/N…” You felt Donnie approach.

“Let me get dressed!” You continued to titter and moved to flee.

Instead of catching you, Donnie’s arm rose to block your exit.

You stopped shy of his limb with your gaze to the floor. “I was excited… I’m sorry…” 

“No…” He urged.

“I’d like to get dressed.” You whispered in a way that haunted you compared to the last time.

You felt a flicker of his despair in your wedding band. “Of… Of course…”

He released you and you moved to get comfortable clothes.

The moment you pulled your shirt down the tiny bump disappeared.

You yanked at the hem.

It was like nothing had ever been there.

Even when you stretched the fabric, the thin layer covered up what seemed like an enormous growth.

Your guts, you reminded yourself bitterly.

It was just your intestines.

You turned to find Donnie standing very much in stasis.

He had inadvertently made you vulnerable, but he was also the one best suited to fix it. “Wanna cuddle on the couch?”

“Yes.” He moved immediately.

It was only a few paces to you before he was stuck again.

It showed on his features.

You couldn’t help but smile and walked to direct.

He followed closely after.

You parted at the couch as he moved to his side and you went to yours.

He extended himself out and invited you into a space along his body. You tucked into it and rooted down against his plastron. His arm came up around you and you felt your torso press against his. There was nothing inhibiting the space between your bodies and you could easily meld to his shape. You hiked a leg up atop him just to offset the sensation.

“Y/N…” Donnie tried.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” You told his equivalent to pecs.

“I may have incorrectly discouraged you-”

“Don, please…”

His mouth closed with a sad puff of air.

You nudged his chin with the top of your head. “Hold me?”

“Right.” He seemed to remember the entirety of your request and both his arms came around for a hug.

You settled against him and let the negative emotions leak.

You sorted them as they filtered through.

You weren’t really showing.

Nonsensical.

There was nothing there.

Patently untrue.

Donnie didn’t care.

He was actively upset by his mistake.

You knew he cared.

This was his greatest dream.

Its achievement had nearly toppled him.

He was a usual mess at the mere mention of the upcoming baby.

He used pregnancy facts to calm himself down.

Your eyes opened to cotton.

You repeated the last thought in your head.

Donnie’s beak was pressed lightly to your hairline and he was dotting light affection there.

Non-intrusive.

Data soothed him.

You peeked up at him so as not to immediately alert him.

He thought little of your adjustment and continued to tap his beak on you with closed eyes.

You studied the fine lines in his face.

He still had his telltale bags despite years of good sleep at this point.

He was developing tiny crow’s feet from his routine joy.

He had pockmarks of dimples from the same source.

He was currently unnerved.

He was trying his best to focus on you, but you saw past the usual etchings of his face.

His lids weren’t seated comfortably; they twitched with his unsettled nature.

His brow, though covered with his mask, bunched from nervous pressure.

His lips, sat seemingly neutral, had a hint of his tight teeth behind the line.

You moved your head enough that he couldn’t keep brushing you.

His lids were slow to open.

He reviewed you for a quick study before he found you well enough that his mouth quirked into what was almost a smile.

He wiped down your back and settled a warm weight against the lower half.

“Are you okay?” You asked him.

He blinked a single time. “Y/N.”

“Wait… let me…” You wriggled.

He loosened his grip.

You squirmed until you rolled over and laid your back against him. Slightly reclined, you lowered your waistband first before hiking up your top. You were bent at the waist which accentuated the thing, but your bump appeared, a clear countercurrent shape to the rolls on your abdomen from the position.

Since you were on top of him, you felt every inch of your mate very obviously stiffen.

“Yeah. About that.” You told him with a tip of your head.

He was in the top left of your vision. “Well…”

He licked his lips.

You looked back down at the bump and traced a finger over it.

The lotion had long absorbed and was no longer giving the same glide.

A hand appeared to your right.

You drew a small squiggle below your belly button.

The limb disappeared.

You laid your hand flat over your stomach. “Talk to me, Sweet.”

“I watched you dress.”

You smiled at his odd starting point. “You were right behind me.”

“No.” He adjusted your weight with a small lift.

You were barely disturbed.

“I watched.”

“Not that strange.” You stroked your bump.

“I can’t tell if you don’t or won’t hear the connotation.”

You slowed, but didn’t impart him more attention. “You’re saying you watched with… What’s the word? Lustful? Intent?”

He was quiet.

You tipped your head back to glimpse him again, but predictably read little more than what was already seen. “That right?”

“Yes.”

“Oh no.” You steeped yourself in sarcasm. “Not a loving husband who lusts after his partner.”

“Not because you are my partner.”

“Lately it has been because I’m pregnant.”

Silence took over.

“Does that bother you?”

He didn’t say.

“I don’t mind.” You leaned to the side so your head would touch his chin. “I can’t say that’s new. You’ve been like that for pretty much as long as we’ve had sex. We’ve talked about what it means. I know I still get nervous sometimes about the whole being reduced to a womb thing, but you always remind me that’s not true.”

There was the faintest noise of his mouth opening and closing.

“I’m the important factor. It’s not a pregnant person. It’s that I’m pregnant with your kid.” You dotted your belly with each note.

He nodded.

“What’s bothering you?”

His hand appeared in your periphery again, but only hovered.

You moved yours free of your bump in case he had thought you were the only one that wanted to touch.

His fingers twitched hesitantly before the hand disappeared again.

This time you turned to see where it had gone. He’d thrown his limb all the way off the couch. You stared after where it fell over the cushions and out of view before you went to seek the other. Instead of far away, he’d tucked his other arm half underneath your body where it was pinned. You tried to move to free it up, but he lifted his opposite leg so you’d stay in place.

You frowned once to acknowledge that he was purposefully keeping himself away.

The question was why and you sent it up to him with a flutter of your lashes.

“I’m unsure myself…” He whispered that anxious curse to you.

“Yeah?” A small dose of its fear was shared.

He only exhaled his agreement.

It took only a drop of the poison for it to seize you. “You’re… not…?”

His head pressed gently into yours as the worry dripped through your bond.

“You haven’t… changed your… mind… right?”

You didn’t move a muscle, but there was a black and green blur around you.

When everything settled, you were reclined in exactly the same way, but you were no longer laying on your mate. He had switched out pillows for where he needed a facsimile of his body to keep you comfortable. You blinked out at the same space that no longer held his legs and turned to find him on his knees beside you.

You had still been lowered several inches to the couch and couldn’t comprehend how you hadn’t felt that.

“That was… new…” You told him with wide eyes.

“I’ve been practicing.” He responded like a plea.

Your head gave a slow nod as that made some sense, but left out another why.

“For diaper changes.” He went on.

“Oh.” The sound was the information clicking into place.

You guessed that was useful.

“What’s your record time?”

“Dependent on the mess.”

“You’re testing different messes…?” Your insides were getting gooey while the vestiges of your anxiety hung around like décor.

“As with all of this, there are far too many factors. We don’t know anatomy. We can’t know size. Weight…?”

“But you’ve still been-?”

“Practicing? Yes.” He held up a hand and his ninpo formed a few different sized constructions that reminded you more of flour sacks than children.

You couldn’t help a small chuff. “Donnie…”

He flinched and there was a chipping of pixels away at the edges of the forms.

“Oh… I’m sorry! I didn’t mean-!”

“No! No… That’s… I did it wrong… They’re… malformed… I still haven’t…”

“Okay…” You turned and your shirt twisted along with your body as you reached for him.

He easily caught your arms.

“You’re practicing which means-”

“I want this-”

“I know-”

“Our child!”

“Of course.”

“That you would think otherwise-!”

“It’s just scary because it seems like-!”

“I’m scared.”

“You’re afraid of them…”

“I am.” He spoke as if you unlocked the answer for him.

Your lips wrinkled.

His gaze fell to your belly.

“But you watching me…?”

“How can these hands touch something so perfect?” He whispered softly.

You tackled him.

His carapace hit the coffee table, but he seemed uninjured and he held you close.

“Donatello…!”

“Bloodstained… Dirty… Filthy…”

You broke out of his hold so you could grab his face. “Hey!”

He sent a weary gaze to you.

“You don’t regret what you’ve done.”

“Didn’t.” He corrected.

“When did this start?”

“Now.”

Your fingers loosened where they were pulling his cheeks.

“When I saw you. When I moved to share your joy. I was paralyzed. I saw visions of myself and what I’d done. Smearing that very sludge on your form. On a child’s cheek.”

You thumbed the dimpled space. 

“I need a way to atone…”

“Donnie.”

“A baby! Impressionable youth and I only considered myself among the leagues of piss poor parental units!”

How were you supposed to dissuade that?

You knew he would be a good father.

You had told him so.

You couldn’t disagree that what he had done in the past was bad.

You couldn’t tell him that was okay.

He knew it wasn’t.

He had always carried his choices.

They were facts of their time.

You also couldn’t tell him it made no difference.

You had already wondered if it would.

You were ready in case he had a stress response.

You still wanted him to have that option to run and process.

He would come back.

You knew he would.

How did you explain that to a child?

Especially if they were having an event of their own.

It wouldn’t be Donnie’s fault, but how would someone, new to the world, understand?

Your tears finally broke free from the confines of your eyes.

Donnie’s forehead pressed into yours.

“A little late… for that…” You hiccupped.

He sternly scrubbed the tip of his beak to your nose. “No regrets.”

You were quiet and checked in with his blurry image.

He dotted your face and retreated so he could come into some focus.

“Yeah?”

“I would never regret this.” He told you. “I’d do it all the same.”

“You can’t atone.”

“I know.”

“Will you be able to touch them?”

“Of course.”

“Donnie.” You weeped a little from confusion.

He wiped a few tears from your chin. “I might wear gloves…”

“No…!”

He nosed into your cheek. “Poor joke.”

“Bad timing.”

He nodded in a nuzzle.

“You… won’t though… right?”

“When changing a diaper, yes. Otherwise, no. Skinship is of utmost importance for bonding and socialization.”

“Promise?”

“Swear.” He spoke without hesitation.

You pulled him as you leaned back.

He set you on the couch and came with to barely squeeze in beside you.

He looked over where your belly was still exposed.

“There’s the continuing chance my sins will spill over. The danger is not gone from you. It won’t be for them…”

“It was never going to be totally gone. We knew that.”

Donnie nodded, his focus locked. “I don’t want them to see anything like I have.”

“They won’t.”

“We can’t be sure.”

“Is their life going to be perfect? No. They’re always going to be part mutant, but even if that wasn’t the case, kids come up with stuff. Kids are mean. I don’t want to say that’s normal because it shouldn’t be, but it happens. We are never going to be able to protect them from everything. Life’s like that, but Donnie, nothing like what happened to you will happen to them. They have us. They have more. Friends. Family. Even if we weren’t in the picture, they would have all these people. There’s also Shelly and he gets to be in his own, basically indestructible, category.”

Donnie shook with a little laugh. “A child raised by S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.”

“They’d sure get your morals then.”

Donnie’s lip twitched for a bit of a smile.

“No hands will pass over them and they’ll only get dirty if they want to. I'm talking puddles or mud pies or lake days…”

“Children are messy…”

“So dirty.”

“Do you think… they’ll like to garden…?”

“With you?”

He looked at you.

“Of course. Kids crave that attention and can sense how important something is to you. Maybe they’ll be bored, but even if they are, it’ll be a precious memory for them, with their dad.”

Donnie searched you with a glistening eye before he cleared his throat.

He was methodical in returning his gaze to your stomach.

“Memory…” He spoke in a whisper.

You nodded.

“Stored recollections that can be warped by time, opinion… any number of factors.”

You kept quiet.

“Past events… What happens to the present…” He reached with shy, extended fingers.

You leaned your head against his shoulder.

He let a single pad brush your stomach first.

He waited for something to happen.

Nothing did.

He rested a microscopic amount of weight against your skin.

He looked to be pointing.

“All clear.” You murmured to him.

His other finger came down and then his thumb.

You closed your eyes.

You felt as he settled his hand against the bump.

He encompassed far more than just it.

He easily covered entire strips of your torso with his fingers alone.

His palm perpetuated warmth.

“It’s just my guts.” You felt compelled to say.

“It’s more.” He churred and spread his fingers out.

“Good?”

His hand left and your lids cracked.

He reviewed his appendage backwards and forwards.

It didn’t have a single mark.

He returned it to your stomach. “Perfect.”

(Check out behind the scenes for this fic and more on my Patreon. You can follow me there, here, or the tag #softspotfic for updates)

Foghorn to the betas @tmntxthings and @unrestrainedhotsoup

[keelt9]

Chapter 13

Masterlist

It took Max’s manager and me around 10 minutes to get him into the jet, by the time we arrived at the airfield it was supposed they must be in Milton Keynes.

I lied to him, telling him I was fine, just maybe a little bit dizzy; he tried to insisted he wanted to wait for Mika or Thomas came to pick me but I calm him down saying <I will be fine.>

Mika and Thomas arrived 30 minutes later, found me with Caleb who insisted he didn’t want to leave alone until I was fine. 

Mika was calm until Caleb mentioned the part of leaving me alone, causing a dry laugh from her, asking if his own words didn’t taste like vinegar.

Max called me right away as they landed, I assured him I was fine, just I got dizzy for the long weeks and the moved weekend, but I was totally fine.

Mika and Thomas didn’t mention a word to anyone about when we met Caleb; but try to persuade me at least I should tell Max who is Caleb, not because he must know everything about my past, just because as Mika said, if that dude is someone who hurt you that much I like to know.

Still I can’t, not now.

Singapore was a success, even for Lewis who reached third place. 

Max called me that night to tell me all in the paddock started to tease him about us, and he was fighting for nor saying a word, but Checo’s facial expression didn’t help him at all.

“I also received a couple of messages.” Alexa texted me Thursday night about a couple of photos of me and “someone” who looked like Max in Newport beach. 

Max smiles as he’s finishing his breakfast. “Alexandra.” 

“How do you know?” I almost hit the table in the living room.

“Charles has been very curious too.” He said drinking what I bet is his first redbull of the day. “Are you alone already?”

My parents left early for an old friend's party in Ireland, leaving me with the confidence that I'll be alone one day, because Max will come from me Tuesday afternoon to travel to Japan.

“Yes, it’s been a long Monday.” I laid down on the couch. “I never imagine how many permissions you need.”

All these days I have been in endless reunions and paperwork for the shelter, knowing I’m not going to be around, I have to make a huge progress before going to Japan. 

“And this is starting to frustrate me.” I raise my arm with the cast. 

Max realizes something. “I haven’t signed it, first thing I’ll do tomorrow.”

I didn’t realize I have a sheepy face until Max mentioned it. “Go to sleep, I'll see you tomorrow, ok?”

I nod getting up the stairs. “Have a safe flight.”

“Sleep well.” He smiles while drinking his Red Bull, hanging out.

Mornings are officially cold, but the sun keeps you warm as the few sunlights touch your skin. I finished my first snack of the day, sending the last information for one of the companies who will work with us when I hear wheels on the gravel, Max is here.

I close my laptop running to the main door, excited to see him after one week, still one I opened the door, Max isn’t there.

One more time, my blood runs cold.

“Hanna was right.” Caleb is standing at the door with his hands on the pocket of his jacket smiling. 

I curse low, I hate to admit it but Hanna keeps knowing some things about me. 

“Can we talk?” I close the door behind me. “I guess your parents are inside, I get it.”

Caleb waits a couple of seconds but simply seeing him smiling looking so fresh is making my anger increase.

“I just want to come and make sure you’re alright, you seem quite impressed and…” 

“You never worry about me.” I grip the cast trying to contain me. “It’s stupid you pretend now.”

Caleb got down his head. “Listen Y/N, things kind of mess up, but…”

“Mess up?” I scoff. “You better get out of here.” The tears on my eyes make everything blurry.

“I don’t cause you so much damage. Jeez Y/N, you seem happy in a new relationship, that’s a good sign.”

I couldn’t hold back, the next thing I realized was that my hand was hitting his cheek. “Go.”

“I deserved that, I know, I came here for…” Like he stumbles with his own feets he goes backwards, it was until Max appeared behind him pulling him for the jacket I blink and my blurry vision became clear.

“She told you to go.” Caleb scoffs but I know he won’t take a step back.

“Don’t get involved in this, this is between her and me.” I see Max’s face switch as he caresses my face, the leath eyes on him. 

“Get fuck out of here.” I grip Max's arm seeing he's about to push him, he turns around grabbing my hand.

“She told you who I am?” I feel my stomach flipp and I hiss. Caleb saw my eyes and he knew it. “You don’t tell him.”

“Enough, go.” Max grabs him by the jacket pushing him to his car.

“Max!” I try to grip his arm back, Max is so angry that he didn't even listen to me.

“I WAS HER FIANCE, IDIOT!” Max shutter for a minute but he opens the door of his car, pushing him. 

I can’t move, I've been holding my breath but all I do is sit on the stairs. 

Max grip the door. “Go, before I call the police.” 

Caleb holds his serious face and bluffs from the last time. “You can thank me later.”

I hide my face between my legs and my arms, trembling, feeling my world is collapsing one more time. 

“Hey, hey, can you look at me?” When Max sees I don’t move he kneels in front of me and hugs me, that was all I needed to break in tears.

No matter if all the walls are crumbling down, there are some wounds behind them, and sometimes those wounds are so easy to bleed like the first time. 

I push him away, I stand pushing him, one more time. “Leave me alone.” I clean my face but tears are impossible to stop.

“Y/N.” He grips my hand on his chest. 

“You don’t hear me?” I take my hand off his chest. “Leave me alone.” I said between grip teeths. 

I ran back to the door opened by closing it with a big thud, unable to move. I slip until the ground, my chest hurts, my breath is fast and my body is trembling. 

“Can you please…” Max said. “Please don't shut me down.” 

I cover my mouth for he won’t hear me. “Y/N.”

I don’t know how much time has passed until I hear another voice behind the door, but my fear fades away when I recognize Thomas' voice.

“Y/N, it’s me, can you please open it?” Thomas knocked softly.

“Tell him… Tell him to go.” My voice broke in every word.

“Y/N..” Thomas said in a begging tone.

I clean my face. “He goes or both of you.” 

I don’t want to distinguish what they said, just a loud <Fuck> from Max before the loud sound of wheels on the gravel, let me know is ok come out.

Just in that moment I opened, throwing myself in Thomas' arms crying like I did years ago.

It took me  a lot of time to calm down, but when I got it, I called Lewis to explain it; want it or not, Max will ask him when they meet in Japan. He cursed low and I could hear the anger as he asked me if I would be fine being alone this weekend.

“I’ll go Mika’s house.” It’s late at night and Mika and Thomas are there helping me, in all. 

“Call Nicola in case…” I heard someone calling for him, he’s already in Japan and for them it’s early morning.

“Let’s talk when you come here, ok?” Lewis breathes out. “Ple…”

“I won’t say anything, don’t worry. Try to rest, I’ll see you as soon as I can.” I heard he asked for another minute. “Love you.”

“Bye Lew.” 

I hang out but my eyes are lost in the big trees. “Y/N, ready?” 

Mika is under the frame door with my purse as Thomas walks with my bags in his hand. 

They waited for days for me to speak about it. Mom and dad called me when they didn't see any show for me being in the paddock so I told them what happened, even when they tried to remain calm I know they were angry too.

The farm is gone now, a big land is in front of my eyes with machinery all over the place; anyone there, after all it is Saturday morning..

“I’m terrified.” Thomas lifts his eyes from the blueprints. 

All these days I isolate myself in Newport, my house is in the last touches and the shelter in the first phases. 

Thomas forgot the papers we’ll need this Monday, after leaving Mika in the hospital we drove here.

“Y/N.” Thomas whispered. “It’s not easy, it’s ok to…”

“No it is not, I hurt him, I know.” I clear my throat. “But, I’m trying to protect him from all the shit.”

“Y/N!” Thomas spat leaving the pen on the table. “Don’t say that.”

“Do you even imagine what would happen if someone saw Max Verstappen pulling a guy into his car as a girl is crying on the floor?” Thomas bluffs but he knows as me that would be a pretty big scandale. “I’m scared that he probably thinks I’m a playmaker.”

He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times trying to put his word in order. “A guy like Max didn’t care that much, besides he never thought that of you. I talked with him and believed Y/N the only thing it was in his mind at that moment was to protect you.” 

Thomas grabs the papers and walks to the exit of the small tent where he works on the week. “He just want to make sure you’re safe.”

I see the leaves on the ground in brown, orange and yellow colors. “I know you’re not ready to tell him and like Mika said it’s not because he must know your past, it's just because if someone hurt you, I bet he would like to know.”

“I’ll drag too many people to this mess.” I feel a knot on my throat as I see my shoes playing with the ground.

“I’m going to correct you.” Thomas jostled me softly. “YOU have so many people you trust and know we care about you, and the same people you know you can lean on.” 

Imagines of my family, friends and new friends that appear in my life, giving me a hug when I need it, hearing me all the time, even just calling to ask if I already eat, flow my mind, as a smile appears on my face. 

“Is it bad that you lean on someone new?” I see Thomas and raise his shoulders. “After all, in these… whoa almost a year, that’s what you both been doing right?” 

I chuckle letting Max’s memories clear my mind. I see my phone, it’s not late.

“Give me a couple of minutes.” Thomas smiles and nods.

“I’ll wait in the car.” I waited until I heard the sound of the door to dial his number. 

I don’t wait too long until the third beep Max picks up, of course he won’t let me speak first.

“Are you ok?” I scrunch my nose trying to contain my tears. “Y/N…”

“Forgive me. I didn’t push you away, it's just, it was so much in that moment. I’ll tell you what you have to know, I swear but not now.” I moved side to side of the tent.

“Don’t bite your cheeks.” I giggle releasing I biting the inside of my cheeks. “You’ll hurt yourself.” 

“Max…” 

“All I care is that you are ok.” I heard the sound of him moving on the bed. 

“I am now, hearing you, I’m better now.” I closed my eyes like he could see me.

“Don’t do this to me schat, no when you’re far away.” Max complains. “And all I want to do is kiss you and hug you right now.”

I cover my face feeling a tear slip. “Let's find each other when the triple heads of Asia end, ok?” Max growls. “Is it so much your race thinking that is making me so happy?”

“I’ll do more than that, count with that.” I heard someone knock on his door. 

“I’ll leave you.” Max said goodbye but I added one last thing. “Max, I’m holding tight, really tight.”

“That’s all you have to do.”

The race was exceptional, Max won with a comfy difference of 2-3 seconds with Charles, but I never expected what would happen in the press conference.

Max posted photos of the race on the top of the podium, in the last slide was a photo we took when we were in Liverpool watching the sunrise. 

Not a simple photo of the sunrise; his face illuminated for the sun in orange colors as I’m hugging him but my face isn’t appearing in the frame, just my hair and my arm around his neck.

>Keeping her busy with winns.

In one of the many comments Max had about if there is a chance of tha girl in the picture could be me, I replay. 

> 👀

That unleashed an endless week of rumors and even a timeline of my relationship with Max started to spread. In the time line are photos that I didn't even know when or were taken.

Even Lewis helps to increase the rumors by posting a story of me laying on the couch of his house with the small description of…

>Keeping an eye on her. 

Which Mercedes complement with.

>Keeping a lot of eyes on her.

Red Bull can't stay behind, answering Mercedes.

>When you are busy we can keep an eye on her too. 😉

By the time the GP of China ends, Max was questioned about his position on the rumors.

“Max, what can you say about the things that are happening around you and Lewis' little sister?” Max keeps his face neutral.

“Y/N is an amazing person, but I'm afraid Lewis lost from his view a couple of times.” A big smile with pressed lips appeared on his face.

Lewis regrets he didn't have the chance to reply to something, but his tour with the reporters ended.

“We didn't want a soft lunch, right?” Max said as he arrived to apartment in Monaco.

“Not after a race!” I laugh rolling my eyes.

“Where are you? It's pretty dark. I can barely see you.” He said searching for his keys in his bag.

I opened his door jumping on him, causing him to act fast grabbing his phone and me at the same time. “In your house.”

Max curses but holds me tight against him.

“Oh my God.” He splits so he can see my face. “Hi.”

I scrunch my nose, jumping was a bad idea because my casted arm hurts.

“Reckless girl.” He observed my arm. “Are you ok? You shouldn't be jumping around, you know there is  a percentage of people who can aggravate a fracture even being with a cast.”

I roll my eyes. “So much blah blah blah.”

I pull him by his shirt for kissing him so slowly but passionately, with just one intention, leaving him breathless.

I get it because the lack of hair was the only thing that made us separate.

“I miss you.” I whisper stick to his lips. “I'm sorry, I know…”

We're so lost in the moment that he just pressed his lips against mine one more time.

“Welcome to your home.” I whisper following for a hug, both of his arms across my back.

“This couldn’t feel more like home.” He hid his face on my neck.

I smile but I remember what I have inside of his home. “Oh, let’s get inside.” 

I split as I pull him inside of his apartment but I stop him in his hallway. “No, no, no.” I put my right hand on his face. “Don’t see.”

Max has to walk with his knees a little bit folded and in an uncomfortable position, but still he smiles walking in a dark apartment.

We reached his living room, where on the small table a cheesecake with a little candle waits for him.

“Ta da!” I take my hand of his eyes, my eyes stuck on his face all the time. His face lights up too.

“Oh my god!” He blinks and sees me, all my words were cut for a kiss. “This is amazing, thank you so much.” 

“Blow it! Or you will have melted a candle on that.” Max giggles and blows the candle as I light on. 

After a detailed look he realized the shape of the candles. “This is Jimmy and Sassy. Amazing, totally amazing.” 

“Even though I like to take the credit for this, I can’t.” We sat down on his carpet. “I asked Alexa about a place for the cheesecake and the candles, Emma knows a place in London.”

“Can I?” Max points to the cheesecake for taking a piece. 

I giggle. “All yours.” I don’t have to tell him twice for he takes a small portion of melting at the first bite. “That good, huh?”

Max nods offering me a bite which I gladly take, yes, so good. 

Watching him enjoying the dessert makes my heart squeeze, just thinking how worried and mad he could be.

“I’m sorry.” I said playing with the carpet. “I promise I won’t do it again but I was scared.” 

Max grabs my hands and turns around facing me. “Don’t say that again. I’ll wait, if you think it is something you should tell me, I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

“You know, it is hard imagining a life without you.” It’s the only thing that I have clear on my mind, the only thing I have for certain right now lost in his eyes. 

Max blinks, I grab his face between my hands, smiling at him. “It's impossible for me too.” Max chuckles pulling me as I sit on his lap, both of my things at the side of his legs.  

I surrounded his neck with my arms. “You're one of a kind Verstappen.” Max laughs, kissing me. 

“Emilian for you, too many people call me that.” I laughed too nodding. “Thanks for be home.”

I hugged him tighter, he’s right, this couldn’t feel more like home.

[biblical-chronicles]

Breaking the script

___________________________________________________

where the reader is cast in a High Flying Birds music video but the line between acting and reality becomes quite blurry.

(Right you lot, this one’s for the grown-ups, yeah? But don’t worry it's all done proper classy, if you know what I mean)

___________________________________________________

It had been a rough few weeks. The gigs weren’t coming as often as you’d hoped, and money was running tighter than ever. You sat on the edge of your flat’s bed, chewing on your lip as you dialed your agent.

"Look," you started after a few pleasantries. "I’m proper brassic this month. Is there anything going? Backup vocals? A commercial? I’ll do a bloody jingle for washing-up liquid at this rate.”

Your agent, a patient but perpetually stressed woman named Mandy, hummed on the other end. “I’ll see what I can dig up. Might be a bit of a wait, but hold tight.”

“Ta, Mandy,” you said, hoping she could hear the gratitude in your voice. You needed this break, even if it was just enough to get you through another month.

A few days later, your phone buzzed while you were out grabbing a coffee. You nearly spilled it fumbling to answer.

“Alright,” Mandy said. “I’ve got something for you. It’s a music video job. Couple of auditions to send in, but I think you’ve got a decent shot since you've done some work before.”

“A music video?” you asked, trying not to sound too desperate. “Who’s it for?”

There was a slight pause on the line before Mandy said, “Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.”

You nearly dropped your coffee. “You’re joking.”

“Dead serious. It’s for the next single, big budget production, too.”

Heart pounding, you tried to keep your voice steady. “What’s the role?”

“Well, the brief’s a bit vague,” Mandy admitted. “Could be anything from a featured extra to a lead. You’ll have to wait and see if you get it. Just send over the tapes as soon as you can.”

When the call ended, you slumped into your chair, trying to wrap your head around it. A potential job with Noel Gallagher? You quickly gathered your thoughts and got to work recording the audition tapes, pouring everything you had into them.

A week later, Mandy called back. “Good news—you got it. And not just any role, love. You’re the lead.”

The words barely registered at first. “The… lead?”

“Yup. Looks like you’ll be playing opposite Noel himself.”

You felt a mix of excitement and sheer panic. “What’s the script like?”

“It’s a bit abstract,” Mandy explained. “But, uh… there’s a kissing scene.”

Your stomach flipped. “Right,” you said faintly.

“You’ll be fine,” Mandy reassured you. “Just keep it professional, yeah? No fangirling.”

The next few days were a blur of preparation. When you finally got the script, your nerves kicked into overdrive. The kissing scene was there, clear as day. You tried not to dwell on it—after all, it was just acting, but the thought of being that close to Noel made your heart race.

The day of the shoot arrived in a haze of nerves and excitement. You were ushered into hair and makeup the moment you arrived on set. The stylists worked quickly, crafting a look that was sort of timeless and fit the aesthetic of the project.

“As you already know you’re playing opposite Noel,” a production assistant had casually mentioned as she handed you the day’s schedule. “He’s already in the building. Shouldn’t be long now.”

Your heart skipped a beat, not only meeting, but also working with him still felt quite surreal.

Once your look was finished, they led you to a side room where Noel was waiting. As you entered, he was perched on the arm of a chair, one foot on the floor, flipping through the script like he couldn’t care less. When he looked up, his sharp blue eyes met yours, and for a second, you forgot how to breathe.

“Ah, so you’re the one they’ve stuck me with,” he said, standing and tucking the script under his arm. His voice as dry and deadpan as you’d imagined.

“Hi, I’m Y/N,” you said, sticking out your hand.

“Noel,” he said simply, shaking it with a firm grip. He gave you a once-over—not in a rude way, but with a hint of curiousity. “Right then, you reckon you’re ready for this?”

You laughed nervously. “I hope so.”

He raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth lifting in a small smirk. “Well, no pressure or owt. Just me name on the line if you’re shite.”

You blinked, unsure how to respond until you caught the playful glint in his eye. “No pressure for you either, right? Only the whole world watching if you’re shite.”

He chuckled, a low, genuine sound. “Fair play.”

Just then, one of the assistants poked their head in to tell you both that you had an hour or so before filming started. “Right, well,” Noel said once they were gone, “might as well sit down. We’re supposed to be in love or summat, so better get on.”

You hesitated. “Are you sure? I don’t want to bother you.”

He waved you off. “You’ll be less of a bother here than legging it round the place. Sit.”

You sat beside him on the couch, careful to leave a bit of space, but he leaned back casually, his knee brushing yours. He reached into his pocket, pulling out some chuddy. “You want one?”

“Uh, sure.” You took the piece he offered, unwrapping it while he popped one in his mouth.

Silence settled between you for a moment as you fiddled nervously with the wrapper in your hands. Noel was the one to break it. “So, you’re from round here, then?”

“Yeah,” you replied with a nod. “Grew up near Burnage.”

He raised an eyebrow, a grin tugging at his lips. “Ah, so you’re proper local, then. That’s more like it.”

You chuckled, shrugging. “Yeah, nothing fancy. Just tried to keep my head down and graft, you know?”

He nodded, his grin softening. “Well, seems like it’s paying off now.”

The conversation flowed easily from there. He asked about your life then music, your influences, what got you into it in the first place. His questions weren’t just polite—they seemed genuinely curious. On top of that, he had this way of looking at you when you spoke, like he was actually listening, not just waiting for his turn to talk. It made you feel seen in a way you hadn’t expected.

At one point, you cracked a joke about struggling through a particularly bad gig, and when you gestured, your hand brushed his arm. He didn’t move away, and instead, his eyes lingered on yours for a fraction longer than necessary.

“You’ve got your head screwed on right for a youngin,” he said after a while, nodding slightly. “Don’t see that much in this business.”

You felt your cheeks heat up. “That means a lot coming from you.”

He shrugged, but his eyes softened. “Don’t let it go to your head, though.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” you quipped, smiling.

He chuckled, and the corner of his mouth twitched into that smirk again. The kind of smirk that could make anyone weak at the knees. Before either of you could say more, there was a knock at the door.

“Right,” called the assistant. “Time to head to set.”

The first scenes were easier than you’d expected—walking through some streets, laughing together, doing some hand holding here and there. The chemistry between you and Noel came quite naturally, he seemed relaxed, even playful at times.

By the time you reached the final scene—set in the car—you were buzzing with a mix of excitement and nerves.

You slid into the passenger seat while Noel climbed into the driver’s side. He adjusted the mirror, glancing at you sideways with a faint grin. “You reckon this’ll win us a BAFTA?”

You laughed, shaking your head. “Doubt it, but maybe we’ll get a free drink at the afterparty.”

“Oh, well then, worth the hassle,” he said dryly. After a beat, he added, “You’ve done good today, y’know.”

The sincerity in his voice caught you off guard. “Ta” you said, smiling shyly. “I’ve really enjoyed it.”

He turned his head toward you fully, his eyes catching yours. “Yeah? Not bad spending the day with an old git like me?”

“You’re not that old,” you teased, trying to lighten the mood. “And anyway, you’ve still got your charm.”

His lips twitched into a smirk, but before he could respond, the crew interrupted with final instructions. “Alright,” the director called. “Let’s make it look real, yeah? Just natural.”

You and Noel nodded, and the cameras started rolling.

The director gave a few last-minute instructions, and you both nodded, settling into your places. The car was dimly lit, the scene designed to feel intimate and slightly moody. You adjusted your position in the passenger seat, suddenly hyper-aware of the closeness between you and Noel.

He glanced at you, his lips quirking into that familiar smirk. “Don’t look so terrified. It’s not real, y’know.”

You gave him a shaky laugh, trying to steady your nerves. “Oh, cheers for the reminder. You should write self-help books with lines like that.”

He chuckled, leaning back in his seat as he adjusted his collar. “Right, let’s get this over with, eh? Can’t be harder than sitting through Liam’s tantrums.”

You stifled a giggle just as the director called action. Noel turned to you, his expression softening as he slipped into character. It was incredible how effortlessly he shifted from his usual sarcastic demeanor to something that felt so real. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from your face with a tenderness that made your stomach flip.

You leaned in, just as the script called for, and suddenly his lips were on yours. At first, it was soft—hesitant, almost—but then something shifted. His hand slid to the back of your neck, pulling you closer. The kiss deepened, and before you knew it, it didn't feel like just acting anymore. His lips moved with an intensity that made your head spin, and your fingers curled instinctively into the fabric of his shirt.

Somewhere in the background, you vaguely heard a muffled giggle, but it didn’t register until the director’s voice rang out: “Cut! Oi, you two, save it for later!”

You pulled back abruptly, your face burning as you glanced at the crew. A couple of them were snickering behind their cameras, and the director looked half-amused, half-exasperated. Noel, however, didn’t seem the least bit bothered. He leaned back in his seat, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and gave the crew a lazy grin.

“What? Thought you lot said natural.”

The crew laughed, and the director shook his head. Meanwhile, you were desperately trying to compose yourself, your heart still pounding from the kiss.

Before you could say anything, Noel’s agent appeared by his side, clipboard in hand. “Noel, got a couple of things to go over before you’re done for the day.”

Noel sighed, standing up and giving the car door a light push. “Right. Can’t bloody wait.”

As he turned to follow the agent, he paused, leaning down so only you could hear. “Give it half an hour, yeah? Come by my room.” His voice was low, his breath warm against your ear.

All you could do was nod, too stunned to speak. He gave you a quick wink before walking off, leaving you to sit there with your thoughts spiraling in a hundred different directions.

After taking a moment to collect yourself, you returned to the dressing area to freshen up. Your reflection in the mirror betrayed just how flustered you were—cheeks flushed, lips still slightly swollen from the kiss. You dabbed on some powder, trying to steady your nerves as you checked the time. Exactly thirty minutes had passed when you made your way to his room.

You hesitated outside the door, your hand hovering just above the wood. What am I even doing? you thought. Before you could talk yourself out of it, the door swung open, and there he was.

“Thought I heard you mooching around out here,” Noel said, leaning casually against the doorframe. His tone was light, but his eyes had that same intensity from earlier, the kind that made it hard to look away. “C’mon in.”

You stepped inside, noting how sparse the room was—just a couch, a small table, and a couple of suitcases. He closed the door behind you, and the click of the lock sent a shiver down your spine.

“Alright, then,” he said, nodding toward the couch. “Make yourself comfortable”

You obeyed, perching on the edge of the cushion while he sat next to you, arms crossed. For a moment, neither of you spoke. His gaze lingered on you, his head tilted slightly, like he was trying to figure you out.

“You’ve been driving me bloody crazy all day,” he said finally, his voice low and rough.

Your breath hitched. “Me? You’ve got it backwards. It’s you driving me crazy.”

That made him smirk, and he pushed off the table, taking a slow step toward you. “Oh, yeah? How’s that, then?”

You swallowed hard, your eyes flicking to his mouth before you could stop yourself. “You’re... impossible. That’s how.”

“Impossible?” he repeated, the word rolling off his tongue seamlessly. He was sitting even closer to you now, close enough that you could see the faint stubble on his jaw, the way his shirt clung to his chest. “Funny, that. Don’t feel so impossible when you’re snogging me in a car, though, does it?”

You opened your mouth to retort, but he didn’t give you the chance. His hands came up to cup your face, and then his lips were on yours again—fierce and demanding, like he’d been holding back all day and couldn’t keep it in anymore. You melted into the kiss, your fingers tangling in his hair as he pulled you closer, practically lifting you off the couch.

“Christ,” he muttered against your mouth, his voice husky. “You’ve no idea what you do to me.”

“Maybe I do,” you whispered, your hands sliding to his chest.

He groaned softly, deepening the kiss until your head spun. His hands were everywhere—your waist, your back, the curve of your hips—and you couldn’t get enough of him. When he finally pulled back, both of you were breathless, your foreheads resting against each other.

“Stay,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

You nodded, your heart pounding as he kissed you again, softer this time but no less intense. It wasn’t just passion—it was connection, something you’d felt from the moment you met but hadn’t been able to put into words until now.

Noel pulled you closer, his hands sliding down to your hips as he guided you onto his lap. The weight of his hands was grounding and electric all at once, like you’d been waiting for this moment longer than you realized. His lips didn’t leave yours for a second, kissing you with the kind of hunger that made the world outside his room blur into nothing.

“You’re summat else, y’know that?” he murmured against your lips, his voice low and gravelly. His hands splayed over your thighs, the warmth of his touch seeping through the thin fabric of your dress. “Got me all worked up—can’t think straight.”

You let out a shaky laugh, your fingers tangling in his hair as you kissed him again. “I could say the same about you.”

He grinned against your mouth, and you felt his grip tighten, grounding you against him. “Good. About time someone got through to me.”

His lips trailed from your mouth to your jawline, then down to your neck, where he pressed a series of slow, deliberate kisses that made you shiver. Your head tilted back instinctively, giving him more access, and he took full advantage, his teeth grazing your skin just enough to leave a pleasant ache behind.

“Is this alright?” he asked softly, his voice almost a whisper.

You nodded, your breath catching as you whispered back, “More than alright.”

That was all the encouragement he needed. His hands roamed freely now, sliding up your back and down your sides, tracing the contours of your body like he was trying to memorize every inch of you. He pulled you impossibly closer, and you could feel the tension in his body, the way he was holding himself back just enough to make sure you were still with him.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he said, his words muffled against your skin. It was an unguarded moment, one that felt more like a confession than a compliment, and it sent your heart racing even faster.

You cupped his face in your hands, forcing him to look at you. “So are you,” you said simply, your voice steady despite the way your body hummed with anticipation.

That seemed to unravel something in him. He kissed you again, deeper this time, his hands tangling in your hair as if he never wanted to let you go. The way he touched you was careful but insistent, like he was caught between savoring the moment and giving in to the urgency building between you.

“Say somethin’ smart now, eh?” he teased breathlessly, his forehead resting against yours. “All that wit earlier—gone quiet on me now, haven’t you?”

You couldn’t help but laugh, your hands sliding under the hem of his shirt to trace the lines of his stomach. “You’re one to talk. Weren’t you supposed to be the eloquent one?”

He raised an eyebrow, his smirk returning even as his breathing hitched under your touch. “Guess I’m a bit distracted. Can’t imagine why.”

He pulled back just enough to look at you, his eyes dark with something between affection and pure want.

Time seemed to slow, every moment etched into your memory as you lost yourselves in each other. His shirt hit the floor, your dress following soon after, and then it was just the two of you, unguarded and vulnerable in a way you’d never experienced before. His lips trailed along your collarbone, his stubble brushing against your skin and leaving a pleasant ache in its wake. Your nails traced the lines of his back, pulling him closer, silently urging him on.

He paused for a moment, his forehead resting against yours as he caught his breath. “You’re sure?” he asked, his voice softer now, the teasing edge replaced by genuine care.

You cupped his face in your hands, your thumbs brushing over the faint lines at the corners of his eyes. “Never been more sure,” you whispered, your voice steady even as your heart raced.

That was all he needed, the moments that followed were a blur of sensation, his hands gripping your hips, the warmth of his skin against yours, the way his name slipped from your lips in a breathless whisper. He moved with a deliberate intensity, as though he wanted to draw this out for as long as possible, to savor every second.

The couch creaked beneath you as you shifted together, the air in the room thick with the mingling sounds of your shared breaths and quiet gasps. Every touch, every kiss, felt like an unspoken promise, a silent declaration of everything you’d both been holding back. It was intoxicating, the way he looked at you like you were the only person in the world, the way he made you feel like you were finally exactly where you were meant to be.

Eventually, the passion gave way to a quiet stillness, the room settling around you both. Noel’s arm draped over you as you lay on the couch, your head resting on his chest. His heartbeat was steady beneath your ear, a comforting rhythm that grounded you as you tried to catch your breath.

For a moment, neither of you spoke, the reality of what just happened sinking in. Noel’s hand moved lazily along your back, his fingers tracing patterns on your skin.

“Well,” he said finally, his voice low and laced with a hint of his usual humor, “that wasn’t in the script.”

You laughed, the sound muffled against his chest. “Pretty sure it was better than anything in the script.”

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “Not gonna argue with that.”

Silence settled over you again, but this time it was comfortable, a shared understanding passing between you without the need for words. You knew this wasn’t just a momentary lapse, something to be brushed off when the sun rose. This was something more—something neither of you had expected, but both of you were more than ready to explore.

Noel shifted slightly, his fingers tilting your chin up so he could look at you. “You alright, love?” he asked, his tone soft, almost hesitant.

You nodded, your smile genuine. “Better than alright.”

His lips quirked into a lopsided grin. “Good. ’Cause you’ve just gone and ruined me, y’know.”

You raised an eyebrow, your laughter bubbling up again. “Me? Ruined you? That’s rich coming from you”

He smirked, pulling you closer. “Yeah, yeah. Keep talkin’ like that, and I’ll ruin you all over again.”

The playful edge to his voice sent a thrill through you, but before you could respond, he kissed you again, slower this time, savoring the moment. When he finally pulled away, he rested his forehead against yours, his eyes closing briefly.

You stayed like that for a while, wrapped up in each other, neither of you in any hurry to leave the small world you’d created together.

_________________________________________________________

my 'angin brain’s come up with this just for you lot. Thought I’d make the grown-up bit a bit more sensual, a bit more romantic with less filthy detail (not that I don't support filthy detail). Let me know what you thought, me dirty celestial beings xx

and cheers to whoever requested this, hope you liked it, and it was at least close to what you wanted to see x

[deoidesign]

Thinking about vampires, death, life, and the space they occupy in between

[thebramblewood]

One library, two girls, 18 pictures, 26 poses, 509 words. 🫨

[sharkaroni]

Do you like fake dating? Fake dating under duress? Fake dating under the very real threat of a fancy ghost eating you up like a sausage roll? Then this may be the fic for you.

READ NOW and get access to these exclusive features: Reigen crying in a bush, homoerotic use of a straight razor, putting your pants on to get in an argument, taking your pants off to get in an argument, elaborate descriptions of historical dress, flip phone ring tone embarrassment, and Serizawa’s huge tits.

Chapter 1 is up now on ao3!

[quatregats]

I was tagged by @thiefbird for this challenge (tysm <33):

Rules: Make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it!

I decided that I would do this Worse by copy-pasting the horrible little (long) list of all the fics I've ever contemplated and let the people decide. A few conventions: (x) means an abandoned WIP that I'm not planning to finish (but might if people convince me to take it up again), * means that I have actually written some amount of it (and by token of that, lack of * means it is purely an idea/outline), and (CAT) means a fic that I'm writing in Catalan, since there are a couple and you can't tell by the titles. Some of these are the title lyrics, some of them are joke names, and some of them are what I'm actually planning to title them. I'd love to know which ones catch people's attention! And I suppose I'll tag @chiropteracupola @lurking-latinist @sanguinarysanguinity and anyone else who finds this interesting, I forget which of you all write fics so I don't want to mistag anyone 😅

AUBREYAD

4-3-3 (aka The Creative Endeavor) (x) *

the adventures of sweeting and aubrey

i´ll tend to the flame, you can worship the ashes (x) *

untitled machineries of empire au *

the bee’s knees (buzz buzz)

the sticky wicket

de tant romandre fora el món (x) * (CAT)

adéu clavell morenet (canto jo) * (CAT)

dracs als pirineus (CAT)

the curious letter *

the famous flower of serving men (x) *

mostra’m com estimar la mar * (CAT)

anestèsica (CAT?)

trio time *

HORNBLOWER

the ideological travails of hornblower and bunting (x) *

post-wwii football au that came to me in a dream (x) *

hornblower/barbara in mean girls: math olympiad edition

get sick idiots <3 (és tan tendra la ferida del desig) *

hornblower: math dad edition

the sibyl of sheerness

la (no-)presa de roses obrianitzada *

stick him in that time loop *

jedao two

hornblower the tank engine *

the last battle (tengo de xubir al püertu) *

hornblower gets a cat

OTHER

comedy of errors *

dyddiau du, dyddiau gwyn *

ali, the arab

bint el-khandaq

[3amsnek]

new icon time bc the moment we hit double digits on the halloween countdown my brain genuinely straight up forgot it was still summer

[shima-draws]

By thee way I am planning on reopening commissions soon! I’m moving out in a couple months so I need to start saving up for the cost of that plus the deposit and all that fun stuff. So keep an eye out ;)

[babygirlwolverine]

officially one more week of rotations before I am officially done with my clinical year of vet school (4 more shifts from next Monday-Thursday). 27 days until graduation. approximately 2 weeks until NAVLE scores are released and I find out if I passed and got my license or failed and have to retake the exam again in November.

so many ups and downs have happened over the last few weeks. so many high highs and low lows. some of the best days of my life and some of the most stressful moments. everything has just been so surreal and overwhelming