#i actually struggled a bit with nicks face

[scaradeus]

dad with a dog that he didn't want after a week.

[boytearscore]

why can’t i hate you?— matt sturniolo & chris sturniolo.

summary: being best friends with chris and nick meant the world to you, it also meant you had to deal with their brother’s hate, rudeness, eye rolls, mean comments and coldness all the time. but that didn’t bother you, in fact, it was actually always a pleasure to annoy the shit out of him constantly.

warnings: swearing, enemies to lovers, best friends to lovers, love triangle (not threesome), toxic behavior, angst, comedy, possible smut and of course, strong female lead.

author’s notes: it’s a love triangle? yes, but it also has enemies to lovers and lots of nick being a sassy king, so give it a chance, yeah? anyway, for now, just releasing the first chapter and if you guys enjoy it, i’ll keep writing. that’s it, girls! have fun. :)

tag list: @sleepysturniolo (the first person to join my tag list, i’ll always be grateful to you. <3)

chapter one.

the fact that you didn’t get along with matthew was not just a rumor around his fans, it was indeed the truth. you both never talked, not even on videos you’ve participated in with him and his brothers, which are the closest people to you ever since you moved to LA, so avoiding him was impossible as all you did besides working was hangout with them.

that night, chris and nick invited you for a sleepover, since you were away for two weeks and both of them missed you a lot. it started smoothly, you guys had snacks, junk food and soda. all three just chatting and laughing, matt didn’t leave his room the whole time, which you weren’t complaining, but right after you laugh out loud about something stupid nick said, matt comes out of his room and sees you there, laying on the couch, he groans and goes back to his room, slamming the door.

“there he goes.” you roll your eyes shoving another chip in your mouth and sighing. “seriously, what’s his problem?” you ask chris and nick with a serious look, nick just gives you a small shrug as he takes a sip of his soda.

“going through puberty again at the age of 21? i dont know, dude.”

“whatever.” you murmur, not wanting to talk much about that asshole. he was so hard to read and hated you since day one with no plausible reason. so you started hating him back, simple as that, just mirroring the hatred he gave to you.

chris just shrugs as well and place a leg over yours, wrapping his arm around your shoulder and pulling you closer. “ignore him, he’s always like that.”

“getting touchy, are we?” you joke, laying your head on chris’s shoulders and trying to change the subject as soon as possible. he just chuckled, blushing a tiny bit. the poor boy quickly tries to hide it by covering his face with his hands and laughing.

nick rolled his eyes at his brother’s blushed face, he was used to see you both being physically close but he couldn’t keep his comments for himself. he’s always saying you’re clingy with people you loved and that chris was even worse than you.

“get a room, you two.“ he grabs his phone and starts playing a game. “and chris, you should stop. it’s getting embarrassing for you, just tell her you crush hard.”

“oh…” you smirk at the boy hugging you and poke him on the nose. “is that so?”

chris’s cheeks were now tinted with rosy pink, he was even more embarrassed because he’d rather die than face his own feelings for you. nick just started laughing loudly, still focused on his phone.

“can you guys keep it down?” you hear a yell from matthew’s room, making you stare at chris and nick, they both had the same expression as you and after two seconds trying to hold a laugh, all three of you just lost it.

“he’s going through puberty and acting like a 60 years old at the same time, like dude, just pick a struggle.” nick whispers, you guys laugh even harder and the door suddenly cracks open, matthew was poking his head out of his doorway looking at you, he seemed pretty pissed off but instead of making you feel uncomfortable, you actually had the urge to bother him more.

“hey, guys! c’mon, have some compassion, little matthew here is not used to human interactions, this is probably scary for him.” you can’t help but tease, it’s been always like this. you couldn’t hold your tongue when it comes to annoying matt, knowing damn well he hates your guts.

nick started to howl with laughter, his whole body reacted which makes him fall off the couch, he was always so dramatic. you and chris widen your eyes, but not for the same reason. what made yours almost pop out of your face was the loud noise of a door closing and heavy steps getting closer. matthew just stomped out of his room, right up to you, his eyes darkened with rage, his face all flushed from anger, and it didn’t help he decided to stand incredibly close, towering you.

okay, that was unusual. he never really engaged your mocking tone besides some comebacks which usually lead to more teasing until eventually he just starts ignoring you. but now he’s standing right there, as a matter of fact, almost inches away, this is probably your first time staring at him up close, even being able to smell his perfume.

something inside you wants to run away, you don’t know what to do with your heartbeats racing, but of course, you could never let him notice. so you stare right back at him, crossing your arms. “that’s the closest you’ve been to a girl, isn’t it?” nick place a hand over his mouth trying to hide a really loud laugh from your comment, still on the floor for some reason.

matthew’s face somehow got even redder from your comeback and chris now sits up straight, watching carefully the two of you.

“yeah, no girls would ever come near me, right?” he said it in a sarcastic tone as he leans a bit more into your face, trying to intimidate you, but it wasn’t working at all. you weren’t the type to feel threatened by men, by anyone, actually.

“unless they need a loser to friendzone.” well, that was a little mean, even for you. but to be fair, you didn’t know how to handle the new emotion of being face to face with him. it wasn’t exactly scary, but definitely a new kind of interaction, so the thoughts were sort of going all places, despite that, you stayed collected and not raised your voice once, matthew on the other hand, wasn’t even trying to hide anything, you could see a small twitch in his face and his lips trembling. he was definitely acting by impulse, which you weren’t sure of but his next move just confirmed that.

he leaned in even closer, still towering over your seated figure making you smile ironically. not so hard to read from up close, huh?

“what did you say to me?”

nick was still laughing, not being able to even breathe properly while chris just watches you and matt, getting a bit nervous. he ponders if he should interfere, things never got this far before.

“i’m not repeating myself.” because your faces were so close, you could see every little reaction, the way his blue eyes were telling you so many things at the same time, every sparkle of anger shooting fire at you, even his body language slowly changing. that made you smile even more, noticing a little part of you enjoying it way too much.

you words affected him again, it looks like he was determined to shut your mouth by invading your personal space, so he once again, leaned even closer nearly brushing the tip of his nose against yours.

“i’ve had enough of your sassy ass comments.” his warm breath hits your face, making you shiver. your arms still crossed across your chest and unbothered expression painting your face.

“then why don’t you back off and go to your room? it’s what you usually do, isn't it? run away when you don’t know what to say.”

he clenched his jaw tightly, as his hands ball up into tight fists, you could see veins starting to pop up, as he was getting more pissed. but he doesn’t back off, in fact, he starts to lean in a bit closer, the space between you two starting to shrink little by little every second.

“oh please, i’d much rather talk to you.”

nick immediately stops laughing as he gets up from the floor, almost as if he wanted to say something. chris raises an eyebrow, he was about to put a stop on that situation.

“trust me.” you smirk, he was challenging you, it was also pretty fun to see matt get so worked up over a few tease words, yet for a second, you thought about letting it go, take a step back and not make the atmosphere awkward for nick and chris. but the tension was… stirring. the idea of getting this type of reaction from him without doing much was actually weirdly good. so you allow your demons to control your actions, loosening one of your crossed arms and bringing a hand to his chin, gently turning his head slightly to the side, just enough to reach your lips to his ear.

“i know you love talking to me.” from the moment you spoke into his ear, a shiver ran down his spine making him subconsciously close his eyes, letting out a small exhale from the feeling of your breath on his ear.

nick’s eyes are wide, he can’t believe this was actually happening in front of him. chris just bite his lips trying hard to control himself. the room is quiet, matthew swallows hard, as he slowly open his eyes, looking down at you. he wanted to say something, he really did, but words failed him. his face was now really hot both from anger and fluster, the warmth of your hand holding his chin, your voice, your breath on his skin, the words you whispered into his ear, which had echoed through his mind. it was all he could focus on, nothing else mattered right now and to make things worse, this was entirely his doing, so he couldn't blame you or anyone else.

chris notices the look on his brother's face and he had to admit, it was a bit unsettling to see matthew so flustered over you.

nick was smirking, though. he knew about the tension between you two a long time ago and although it was expected that matthew would react one day, never in a million years he thought that it’d actually go like this.

everyone is still in complete silence, the only thing you could hear was the sound of matt’s shaky breath. he slowly looked over the couch, noticing that chris and nick were both watching everything, then he looked back down at you, having a sudden epiphany. he never really saw your face from that distance, deep down he thought you were pretty, but this was his first time actually being able to see the colour of your eyes properly, your nose and of course... he drift his eyes down to your lips, they were seductive and very… tempting?

a very dangerous thought crosses his mind and before he could resist, he moved closer, the small space between you both quickly closing in.

holy shit. you think to yourself, holding in your breath. was matthew really doing it? was he… about to kiss you?

for the first time ever nervousness hits you, but there’s not even a chance you would lose this match, so you don’t move an inch and stare right back at his lips, hand still placed on his chin.

“what the fuck?!”

both chris and nick finally yell, they didn’t know if they should laugh or freak out, more like nick laughing his ass off and chris freaking out, but that’s not the point, this situation was rather ridiculous, you two never set a foot close, not even greeting politely every time you hangout at their house or when they force matthew to drive you three around, as he’s the only one with a license and paying an uber was too bothersome. anyway, there was never an interaction besides bickering. but suddenly, you were both having an argument filled with sexual tension and now matthew is about to kiss you? that was too much for them to handle, for all of you to handle, actually.

matt is not listening to anyone, he ignores his brothers yelling, his eyes were only on you as he was about to do something he’s never thought about doing before. he wanted to kiss you? no. he shouldn’t. he despised you for a lot of reasons, but suddenly, in this moment, it’s almost like he couldn’t remember a single one. his eyes dart between your eyes, and lips, both getting closer by the second, just as his lips are about to brush against yours, he freezes, realizing what he’s doing. the boy takes a small step back from you, his whole face going red and this time not from anger. he glances at his brothers shocked faces and curses at himself, it felt like he lost control for the first time and he hated it.

matt never loses his cool because of your stupid teasing tone, but what is this now? you got the best of him and his first instinct is to kiss you? that was too much for him to process, so he abruptly goes back to his room and shuts his door locking it as if that was going to block the thoughts of you in his head.

“well… that was new.” you say, still confused with the whole situation that just happened, but you weren’t the only one. his brothers were speechless, they were not expecting that at all. like said before, nick did expected a reaction, but definitely not that type of reaction.

both of them had bugged eyes and their mouths partly open in shock from what they just witnessed, still staring at the ghost of matthew in front of your face. after a minute, nick finally breaks the silence.

“am i tripping or he was about to kiss you?”

he asks, mouth still open in a dramatic way.

“yep, he was definitely about to kiss her.” chris replies, his tone is quiet but he seemed a bit annoyed.

“so i wasn’t hallucinating, right?” you ask, still trying to control your heart. the sensation of his breath against your face and his perfume still all over you not helping. “did i tease him too much?” you ask them, even though it was rhetorical. “like, to the point where i broke him and he just… lost it?” nick laughs from your question, shaking his head.

“more like teased him so much he wanted to pin you against the nearest wall and—“

“nick!” you and chris yell at the same time.

“what? i’m just being honest!”

you shake your head with the thought of what nick just said, this was matthew you were talking about, the guy that hated you since day one for no reason, the one who says mean things out of nowhere and gives you dirty looks randomly. oh, let’s not forget about the day he said on a podcast he would rather die when the host asked him jokingly if he was secretly into you.

“you’re being crazy.” you finally reply, trying hard to deny whatever you are feeling and nick laughs again, then rolls his eyes a bit.

“please, i saw the look on his face when he was close to you, no one can’t deny it. the amount of time you both spend teasing each other, not to mention the childish fights ever since you two met clearly did something to his brain. i’m pretty sure he secretly got a thing for you.”

chris was quiet, he had a lot in his mind.

“yeah, it’s called hate.” you say giving the same eye roll back to nick and he just laughs again. this whole time he was just laughing, having the best day of his life.

“have you been reading those gays enemies to lovers books again?” you tilt a brow, hoping he couldn’t notice the way you were trying to drop the matter. “seriously, that’s not how it works in real life, nick.”

the boy rolls his eyes and scoffs. “pfft, you’re funny. i didn’t even know what that meant before we made those fanfic reaction videos. i would never read something like that for real.”

“you’re telling me if i go through your kindle right now i won’t find a single book about it?” you pretend to get up, smirking and nick’s eyes widen slightly as he swallows hard.

“oh, you wouldn’t dare!”

chris bursts out laughing and throws his head back, feeling better about how things went back to normal so fast, he wanted to forget the earlier event as soon as possible.

“where is it?” you actually get up now, looking around the living room and trying to hide your laugh. nick immediately stares at his kindle sitting on the table in front of the couch and he tries to grab it before you could get to it, but you were faster.

“absolutely not!” he yells, thanking his genes he was stronger and taller than you or things would about to get really embarrassing for him.

“that’s what i thought.” you say with a mocking tone, enjoying the satisfaction of watching nick panicking. chris almost in tears at this point while nick groans and sighs in annoyance, realizing he just exposed himself by acting so defensive.

he just sits back down on the couch, mumbling stuff to himself and hiding the kindle underneath his shirt. chris finally stops laughing and catches his breath meanwhile you make your way back to the couch, catching a glimpse of a portrait hanging on the wall, it was all the three of them smiling and hugging each other dearly. you stare at matthew, noticing how his smile was peaceful. you don’t even think you ever saw him smiling before, not around you, at least.

and then the flashbacks of what just happened minutes ago washes all over your head, making you bite your lips to control any further body reactions. you consider the possibility of going home and cool off. but your best friends are way too smart to be fooled by a shitty excuse, plus it’s been a while since you guys had a sleepover, so you brush the thoughts off and throw yourself on the couch again, grabbing your phone. chris and nick noticed you staring before sitting again, nick look over at the portrait, knowing you were probably thinking about their brother and chris just takes a sip of his pepsi, lost in his own world while nick debated if he should speak or not about that.

“he hasn’t always been like this, you know…” he begins talking with hesitation, he didn’t know if that was the right thing, but it’s about time for you to know the truth.

“sure.” you reply not believing him at all and he just laughed, deciding that he should tell you more.

“your sarcasm is so funny.” he says ironically and then continues talking still staring at the portrait. “believe it or not, he used to smile a lot as a kid. he actually had friends and got along with almost everyone.”

fuck. you always tried your best to change subjects everytime the conversation was about matt, and you usually succeeded but nick was pretty motivated to talk about it this time, maybe trying to help you understand his brother? honestly, if none of that has happened today, you’d probably just make stupid comments about it until nick gives up. but you were curious. the idea of a non grumpy matt was definitely interesting to say at least. you tried to imagine him smiling at other people besides his brothers, having friends and getting along everyone, it seemed unreal. but then again, you never really noticed him before. he could be a fucking clown if he wanted to, you wouldn’t know because you tried your best to avoid contact with the guy all the time.

“really?” you ask, half pretending not to be interested, half not being able to hide your shocked expression. “i thought he was born that way.” you can’t help but joke, that’s your way of coping with uncomfortable situations. “so what happened?” you ask before you could stop yourself, nick sighs and looks at you.

“i guess it started back in middle school. even though he was a quiet kid, most of our classmates liked him. but middle schoolers are fucking mean, you know? some boys would constantly make fun of him because chris and i were extroverts and he wasn’t. we tried our best to protect him, it worked for a while… but then we got to high school, some of our classes were different and one day at lunch break, we couldn’t find him anywhere, we didn’t think too much of it, assuming that he just went home earlier. that was a huge mistake because we always tell each other everything, we shouldn’t have assumed… i shouldn’t have…” he closes his eyes for a second, his voice was tremulous and your face softened, feeling empathy and a little sad. you could tell he blamed himself a lot. “but when chris and i got home, he wasn’t there. we called him multiple times through the rest of the day and by the time it was dark, our parents were about calling the police when he got home with bruises all over his face and swallowed red eyes. we asked him what happened and he just told us to drop it, not wanting to make things worse, we sort of just… let it go.” nick pauses to swallow the knot inside his throat and finally finishes the story he never told anyone about. “after that day he just shut down. he’s still the same around me and chris, but got cold towards other people.”

nick lets out a sigh, you could tell chris didn’t want to talk about it and how nick just stared at a random corner of the living room, probably thinking about matthew. for a while, you get lost in thoughts, debating if you should say something nice or try to light the mood by your typical stupid jokes. and then… you thought about matt, he definitely went through some bad things, which makes you feel guilty for all the teasing, but again, that doesn’t excuse his behaviour and how he treats other people, including you.

“i see…” you finally break the silence. “i guess he’s a bitch with a backstory, huh?”

both chris and nick burst out laughing at your joke, thanking you mentally for not making the sleepover some kind of lame sob parlour.

“he’d kill you if he heard you saying that.” nick says laughing and chris nods his head agreeing, nick continues. “he’d probably haunt you down, kill you, then bury you somewhere in our backyard and pee all over your grave.”

you three laugh loudly, making your tummies hurt.

“oh no, i think i’m done interacting with him today.” your blurt it out without thinking, nick wasn’t stupid, it only took a few seconds before he noticed the way you worded what you said, a small smirk appears on his face.

“so you’re saying you didn’t enjoy him being so close to you like that earlier?”

chris looks back and forth between you and nick, listening to every word and trying to catch any reaction of your face that indicates you actually liked it.

“i’ll ask you a better question.” you reply, trying to avoid answering it by joking around, like always. “one: why didn’t you let me go through your kindle, two: is it enemies to lovers AND smut? be honest.”

nick turns bright red, the question caught him off guard and made chris almost choke on his own soda in disbelief. nick glares back at you, his face still red as he tries to deny it, but then he groans and just gives up.

“fine, i’ll tell you! but no a single soul out of this room can hear about this, alright?” he says quietly, almost as if other people were listening. “can’t let my reputation of being an unbothered gay king be ruined.”

you sigh out of relief, it worked. nick was such a yapper that changing subjects without him noticing was really easy because he was always ready to run his mouth. chris, however, had a hint and noticed your behaviour changing ever since the incident with matt. he wanted to say something, but it wasn’t his place. in fact, he didn’t say a word after what happened. you also noticed he was weirdly quiet, but too much was in your head already.

“what reputation?” you ask to hit a nerve and laughs when he dramatically open his mouth, placing a hand to his chest.

“are you trying to say i’m not a bad bitch?”

chris just bursts out laughing, enjoying watching you tease nick and his dramatic ass reactions.

“not using this exact words, but yes.” you reply, smirk growing in the corner of your lips. the tension of your body was fading away and that made you relax a little. nick’s mouth got even more wide open, he grabs a random pillow from the couch and throws it at you.

“you take that back right now!!” chris laughs even harder at the scene unfolding in front of him, he’s enjoying it too much.

“never!” you laugh out loud, throwing the pillow back at him. “you can’t handle the truth!!!” you try to do an impression of jessup from the movie a few good men, but fails really hard because your voice couldn’t reach the low and strong tone. nick shakes his head cringing painfully and laughing at the terrible impression.

“never do that again!!!” he yells. “that was so bad, actually painful to listen to, a fucking insult to nicholson.”

“shut up.” you rolls your eyes and suddenly they feel really heavy, you can’t help but yawn making nick raise a brow.

“you tired already? you are such an old person, it’s like 10pm and you’re just dying there.”

chris nods his head, agreeing with nick’s words and laughing at your offended facial expression. he secretly wanted you to say with him a little longer. well, with nick as well, of course.

“i need my beauty sleep, bro.” you say, trying to defend yourself knowing deep inside you were in fact like an old person. “if any of you play pranks on me tonight…” you pause and try to do your best scary face. “i’ll expose your deepest secrets to the internet. especially yours, nicolas.”

nick jokingly holds his hands up in surrender, still laughing and chris follows him.

“chill, baby girl! we won’t do anything.” he always called you baby girl ironically to make you cringe on purpose, it always works.

“alright, ladies… i’m going to bed.” you yawn again and head to the guest room were you usually sleep.

nick just rolls his eyes, waving at you. “yeah, whatever. go get your beauty sleep, it’s not gonna work anyways. we’ll be here, definitely not plotting a prank to play on you.”

chris just laughs and murmur a good night to you with his usual sweet smile.

as you enter the room and close the door behind you, reality hits your face like a punch. so, you teased matthew, he teased back as usual, however he also got confrontational, like… physically, which never happened before, and then you teased him more, leading him to almost… it’s even harder to say or come to terms with it.

you throw yourself on the bed, puffing and closing your eyes. the worst part is that you didn’t know what you were feeling. excitement? anger? the need to just shut him up? compassion for what nick told you minutes ago? maybe… desire? no! that’s unlikely.

after a few minutes of fighting your thoughts, you fall asleep hugging a pillow just like you always do when feeling any sort of emotional discomfort.

nick and chris continued to sit on the couch in the living room, watching something on tv and chatting for a while, they tried to avoid the topic of you and matt because nick knew chris had a thing for you and that would just make things awkward. after a while, they started to yawn and both decided it was time to head to bed as well. nick was the first one to get up.

“don’t even think about going to the bathroom right now, it’s my time, good night.” chris nods rolling his eyes, also getting up off the couch, he wasn’t going to the bathroom anyways.

“alright, good night.” nick heads to the bathroom and chris stretches, letting out a small yawn before walking towards the guest room you were staying in, he slowly opens the door, peeking his head in to see if you were asleep. he notices you’re knocked out, holding a pillow tightly in your arms and that makes him smile, but then he notices the look on your face, he knew you for long enough to know when you’re having nightmares. chris slowly walks over, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring down at you. a small frown appears on his face as he wonders what exactly you were having nightmares about to make you look like that. he reaches his hand out carefully and gently moves a strand of hair from your face, his frown slowly going away as he looks at you. the boy gently pats your cheek, his mind conflicted, debating whether to wake you up or not. he hesitates for a moment, and then decides against it, he didn’t want to disturb your sleep. however, he doesn’t move his hand off your cheek, he just keeps his hand there, gently caressing your soft and warm skin as he continues to stare at you, wondering for a second if this is about his brother.

he notice you starting to relax a bit, the look of pain vanishing away. he can’t help but cogitate the possibility of his presence helping you relax, that makes him stay by your side a little longer, he continues to gently pat your cheek, comforting you in a way.

chris is lost in his thoughts, completely focused on you, ignoring the fact that he’s sitting way too close. he can’t take his eyes off your face, watching how peaceful you look now as he continues to pat your cheek. he subconsciously moves a bit closer.

“what the fuck are you doing?” if silent scream wasn’t a thing, matthew definitely invented it. he’s right at the door, looking intensely at his brother and trying his best not to push him away from you, that definitely scared chris, he never saw that look on his bothers’s face before, a bitter, jealous and pure hatred look.

he gets up and gulps, his cheeks were burning and he was embarrassed, not to mention the last person he he wanted talk to was right in front of him.

“she was having a bad dream, i was just trying to help by giving her some cheek pats and…” he suddenly stops talking, the fear fading away and being replaced by confusion. “why do you care?” he asks in a whisper, his eyebrows frowned and arms crossed.

matthew’s gaze remains fixed on you, and he can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy and irritation as he sees you asleep so peacefully, having no idea what just happened but imagining all sorts of things.

“why don’t you care?” matthew suddenly snaps his head back at chris, his eyes narrowing. “you were sitting there like a creep, staring at her sleeping. what were you going to do?”

“nothing!” he snaps back, he would never try to do things with anyone without consent, that’s disgusting and against every single thing he believed in. the fact that matt would actually accuse him was insulting, so he couldn’t stop himself by adding. “you’re the one to talk, she got weird the rest of the night after you left. i knew something was up so i came to check on her and she was hugging her pillow, she always do that when something is bothering her. but you don’t care, do you?”

matthew clenches his jaw, his eyes darkening as he listens to chris speak. he knew that accusing his own brother was low blow, he also knew you were indeed feeling something because it’s not the first time he caught you holding a pillow like that. he didn’t want to admit that he pays attention to your habits, or that chris was right.

“and what exactly is bothering her?” a hint of anger mixed with jealousy and concern in his voice.

chris laughs in a sarcastic tone, rolling his eyes. “i don’t know, maybe she’s bothered because you hated her from the very first moment you’ve met and suddenly you wanted to kiss her?” at this point, he decided to leave the room, not waiting to wake you up with their stupid argument. he closes the door behind him and stares at matthew. “what’s not clicking, dude?”

matt stares a chris, his jealousy and anger still there but he can’t deny that his brother was right. he knew deep down that his behavior towards you was wrong, and that him almost trying to kiss you was a terrible move.

“i don’t hate her, i just…” matt’s voice trails off, he wanted to make excuses but he knew it was pointless.

“i dont care.” chris cuts him off, finally ready to say what he wanted to say for a long time. “just stop acting like a teenager and get your shit together. if you truly hate her, leave her alone. and if for some weird reason you like her…” he pauses, before saying his lasts words. “get in line, you’re not the only one.” before matt could answer, he walks off going to his room.

the boy stands there in silence, stunned by chris’s words. he can’t deny that he felt some sort of anger when he saw chris sitting so close to you, or that the reason why the whole situation started was because he was listening to your conversation the whole time, he usually didn’t snoop around about shit you and his brothers talk when you’re over at their place. but then it got annoying when nick turned the topic towards chris having a thing for you and the thought of his brother becoming more than a friend to you made matt’s blood boil, that’s why he couldn’t stop himself from yelling at you guys to keep things down and that’s why the whole situation happened.

for unknown reasons, you were taking away all his self control little by little since day one and that was the reason he hated you the most.

because he couldn’t actually hate you.

matt watches his brother entering the room, can’t bring himself to say anything, the mixture of jealousy, anger and regret leaving him speechless until he finally mutters something to himself, clenching his fists.

“bullshit.”

[occamstfs]

Wouldn't It Be Funny?

Back again with a longer military tf, Hope you enjoy! - Occam

Curtis and Joseph were bored out of their minds. After growing disenchanted with university life the two were well into a gap year and have been finding progressively less stimulating ways to waste away their time. Without assignments piling up and biweekly mandatory lectures they were firmly adrift as the days of the week blur together. Curtis continues scrolling on his phone while Joseph, phone ever-so-recently dead, tries to think of anything to do while it charges back up.

“Wait! I think my brother left a stash of beer last time he visited!” Curtis looks up and squints at his friend, “the best thing you think we could be doing right now is day drinking alcohol your brother left here months ago?” Joseph makes a motion inviting Curtis to produce a better idea which goes unanswered as he rolls his eyes and gets up to accompany Joseph on this ignoble quest.

Joseph leads Curtis to the hall closet where he had apparently thrown everything his brother, Nick, had left after staying over for a couple weeks. There is some deodorant and other toiletries scattered about although the floor, first and foremost however, what catches Curtis’ eye is an army uniform laying in a heap, in the corner of the closet. There is just something about it. Any time he starts to move his attention away from it another question pops into his mind requiring a deeper inspection of the jacket. He wonders how durable the uniform actually is? It looks as if it's never been worn though he knows that Nick has certainly done some training in it. He simply must have a closer look.

Before he could act on that, the jacket he so craved was chucked at him as Joseph found his bottled quarry underneath. “Score! It’s almost full too, we can have two each and rock, paper, scissors over the last one.” Joseph heads to the kitchen well on his way to some palatable lukewarm beers as he continues to chat busily at Curtis. His roommate doesn’t hear him however as the only thing on his mind is the scratchy jacket in his arms. 

He almost blushes looking down and feeling it in his arms, quite a bit heavier than he thought it would be. Surely he should toss it back with the rest of Nick’s things but it’s such a nice jacket. Quite a shame it's gone so long just sitting in their unworn. Maybe he’d just toss it on as a prank. Yeah Joseph would love that, seeing his friend in this massive jacket. His body acts quicker than his mind though, swiftly putting it on, pulling the hem down to straighten it out and pulling the sleeves up so you can just see his hands out the end.

Curtis hears his friend opening bottles in the kitchen and grins as he pictures the look on Joseph’s face as he sees him wearing this. He zips it up and struggles to get wrinkles out of the pockets before the grand reveal. No reason to not try and look legit. For it to really be funny it needs to look good. As soon as the thought that this would be funny enters his mind however he has a sharp headache and groans. No longer able to recall the incongruity of the situation as he steps out to see his friend.

Rounding the corner Curtis quickly starts what is meant to be a comedically poor salute but instead executes one with the precision of a machine. This only heightens the comedy of it all from where Joseph is standing however, halfway through a bottle of beer he chokes and spits up the beer all over the counter. He takes a moment to recover from this waste of beer before looking up once more and laughing so hard he can’t stand up straight.

Curtis in turn clenches his fist hard enough to pop a joint as he feels aggressively defensive. Why is his friend laughing at him. His back tenses with more effort than he has sustained in months, and more strength then he has wielded in a lifetime, as he cannot let this slight go unreciprocated. “What’s so funny, Kid.” Joseph looks up to see Curtis with an expression of rage more genuine than any emotion he had seen of his friend in months. It is immediately met with a flinch and a recoil as Joseph can’t bring himself to his friends’ burning gaze, “Jesus Curtis is everything alright? I thought you were doing a joke?”

A Joke? Curtis’ neck spasms breaking him out of his statuesque posture and upon rubbing a neck more muscular than he thought possible, he remembers, of course he was doing a joke! Why else would he be wearing Nick's Jacket! Smiling as he remembers how good it landed, he heads over to his friend, “Sweet you already opened a bottle for me! What’s the move now, did you want to game?” 

Joseph, shell-shocked by this return to spirits, assumes that the whole thing was now some shit joke, hands his friend a beer and heads to set up his PS5, “sure whatever dude, can you get the lights?” Which Curtis quickly does, not noticing his arms definitively stretching much further out of the jacket than they should. Waiting for his friend to finish the setup Curtis paces behind the couch, each step louder than the last as he grows less careful of his footing and he continues to ever so slightly grow into this jacket.

“Can you chill dude?” 

“Oh! Sorry did-”  

“And why are you still wearing my brother’s jacket!”

“Your brothers-” Curtis pauses to look at the name stitched onto his chest and is also shocked that he’s wearing Nick’s jacket though decidedly not for the same reason that Joseph assumed. “Woah sorry kid? I guess I was cold? Do you want me to throw it back in the closet?”

“Just take it off dude! And stop calling me kid,” puffing as he sits back on the couch and starts to play some game Curtis feels like he should recognize before taking off the jacket and heading to put it in the closet. He scratches at his chin as he tries to work out what feels so off right now. Hanging up Nick’s jacket, sure not to leave any creases, he remembers that he’ll probably need to shave soon so he doesn’t get a mark at the next inspection, his rougher hands feeling around his sharper jaw to check the damage.

Returning to the living room he trips over what he assumes is his own feet but is embarrassed to find; Ah! It’s his jacket! Thank god he let his discipline slack here and not back at base. He picks it up as Joseph turns around hearing the stumble and begins to hurry him back before instead asking, “did you do something with your hair?” To which Curtis tilts his head like a dog before Joseph shouts once more, “Dude! Are you wearing my brother’s socks!?”

“No of course not they would never fit.” He says looking down to see the same army green socks he always wears, not Nick’s. “Well my feet do seem larger than I thought they were.” continuing as he bends down to inspect his feet, Joseph scrambles over to do similarly, though neither notices as they slowly inch even larger across the carpet. Instead Joseph is immediately thrown for a loop hearing a loud groan from his friend as he stands back up. Now almost a head taller than he was before bending down.

“Fuck dude you’re so tall!” Joseph reaches up to put his hands on his friend’s shoulders. Curtis was always taller, a fact Joseph was already none too pleased with, but this was ridiculous. He almost has to strain and as he does finally get his arms up he immediately finds thick traps under his friend’s strained shirt, “Asshole! Have you been working out without me!?” 

“Of course not. When would I? Or who would I even-”

“I mean, with recruiters right?” Joseph offers forth without the thought even consciously entering his mind. It made no sense to him but it was true. Suddenly it's as if some form of static fills the minds of both the men, a warm static buzzes through Curtis’ mind and body as he starts to unconsciously put the newly reclaimed uniform back on himself. Joseph experiences something far harsher in his own mind, the static is unbearably cold and punishing. He claws at his head, no longer able to hold two ideas of who Curtis is in his mind. And it is clear which reality is prevailing as Curtis slides his thicker arms into the jacket, flexing to make sure his uniform is fitting just right.

As he begins to zip up the jacket his pecs begin to make themselves well more than apparent. His decidedly larger nipples poking out as the apparently nylon shirt hugs his defined chest and he struggles to get the zipper closed without being uncomfortably tight on his pecs before deciding to just leave it unzipped for now. “Why would I be working with recruiters, lil’ dude?” He looks confused at his friend, or his friend’s little brother? Before smirking and seizing the chance, “If anything you’re the one who should be working with them, gotta be bigger than that to join up with us!”  He puts a hand on Joseph’s head messing with his hair, jolting Joseph back to this new reality.

“Curtis! Do you not think something weird is happening here!”

“Oh? Did your brother not tell you I go by Curt?”

“My brother? Fuck dude! It’s his jacket! You’re wearing his jacket again!”

“Ah no lil’ dude this one here is mine, check it!”

Joseph looks at the clear name tag on his chest clear as day with Curt’s last name on it, not noticing as he seamlessly uses Curt’s apparent preferred name. Instead he stares at a symbol over the center of Curt’s chest clearly also different than the one on his brother’s uniform. Curt smirks as he points to it himself, “Impressed kid? I’m already a Private First Class, not too hard to outpace Nick though. I mean love the guy but come on! Show some hustle! We enlisted together for a reason dude!”

Suddenly Joseph feels that this statement was a bridge too far. He feels a pit in his chest as he feels he has just lost something greater than he can understand going to slap the exemplar of a man in front of him, “Snap out of it!” Before even nearing a strike however his wrist is snatched out of the air and held fast above his head. Curt stares daggers into Joseph at this sign of aggression, this challenge. His eyes darken as his stubble grows out even more. Joseph feels Curt’s grip grow even darker watching as the hair on his arms darkens spreading out from the sleeves. He brings in Nick’s little bro closer to his face as his warm, heaving breaths distract Joseph from the pain in his upheld wrist before he lets go and guffaws, “You’ve gotta be quicker than that kid if you want to enlist with us! Where is your brother anyway? ‘S why I came over right?”

Joseph is perplexed as Curt lets him go, also unsure as to why this mammoth of a man is in his living room. They are quickly assuaged as Curt gets a text from Nick. “Oh you need a ride did ya kid? No problem! He just wants you to bring over the jacket he left over here and we’ll head on out.” Curt struggles to shove his feet in his combat shoes before finding himself distracted as the shoes push out to fit his ever larger feet.

Joseph’s mind remains a battlefield but it is clear which side is soon to rout as he heads to the closet where he just wanted to grab some beer. Inside he finds not only his brother's jacket, expertly hung, but a second one that looks almost supernaturally comfortable. He pauses before reaching out, feeling an existential aversion to the jacket hanging in his closet. before there’s a brisk breeze through the house and he shivers. Joseph quickly grabs his brothers and slides into the latter jacket, a tad too big but the world around him feels much warmer now that he has it on.

After suiting up Joseph quickly rushes back to his brother’s friend, quite wanting to make a good impression on the private first class. As he rushes his footsteps quickly grow in volume as his tennis shoes thicken into pristine combat shoes and grow far wider as his feet race to keep up, filling their increased space. Barely avoiding tripping over his now massive feet, he sees that Curt is of course not a private at all but his Corporal, as he freezes and salutes. His biceps straining his sleeves as his stained white shirt begins to slowly make room for the soldier’s expanding muscle. “At ease Joe, Let’s go ahead and head on out.”

Curt leads Joe out to his lifted truck and has him get in before loading a few more things into the bed of his truck. There is a load of clearly dirty towels in the back seat as Curt clearly has an issue bringing in laundry after his workouts. Although he doesn’t make it a habit of driving recruits so it’s not usually an issue. Sitting in the musky cabin does immediately cause issues for Joe however, as he puts the seatbelt on he feels his body start to expand in every direction it can. His pecs push against both his shirt and the seatbelt. He pulls his tight shirt down, straining it to the brim as he feels a sudden itch in his crotch. His hand already down there and finding it impossible to bring his attention anywhere else he sees his bulge push out, almost doubling in size as he scratches his increasingly overgrown pubes. He struggles to cover the impossible to miss bulge forcing his brother’s jacket over his crotch, the added pressure and warmth overwhelms him as Curt notices from outside

Curt watches as his new recruit’s shoulders broaden and his jaw widens. He slightly shifts in his seat, almost gyrating, running the hand not shoved in his pants through his hair, leaving behind a respectable high and tight demanded of any respectable recruit.

Curt slowly opens the door giving the recruit the briefest of chances to at least perform decency. Immediately wrenching the hand from his pants to salute, shouting “Sir!” towards his Corporal, eyes growing deathly serious as he touches a visibly sweat covered hand to his brow. Curt’s eyes glint as he notices the action flung Nick’s jacket off and exposed Joe’s still expanding bulge and unzipped pants. The two feel a hunger starting to grow in their chests as Curt hops into the driver's seat. Adjusting his rear view as he juts up once more in height, his jacket making it apparent to all he is now a sergeant, Curt begins to drive off towards the base. 

Curt puts his hand on Joe’s inner thigh, overstimulating the private who roughly clenches his jaw trying to keep it together. He feels pre start to soak through Joe’s fatigues as he starts to rub his thigh. Grunting as he too feels a powerful stirring in his crotch, his cock forcing itself further down his leg. “Wouldn’t want to stop at my place first, would ya’ Joe?” Joe stares at the sergeant ahead of him with a lust deeper than the can understand, and a hunger to grow even larger. Curt chuckles, “gotta release some of this energy before we break the new to Nick anyway.” He turns his car and begins to race towards his apartment on the base. 

As the heat in the car begins to fog up the windows the two men could not remember anything besides who they were since joining the army. After an anything but quick fuck, they would get back to work on the base. Curt distracts himself as he commands his troops and Joe gets ready for his promotion ceremony, ready to rub it in his brother’s face that he was already going to be higher ranked. The two follow orders flawlessly as they always have, performing their duties with rigor. The only thing more present on their minds than dedication to their fellow soldiers being the excitement for the next time they are to fuck.

[christhopersturniolo]

୨ DINNER ୧

summary: you go out with the triplets to a restaurant and ended up in the bathroom with chris.

warnings: smut, sex in public (kinda), dirty talk.

notes: english is not my native language, so sorry for any mistake! this is my first time ever writing a smut, so please don’t judge me lol. also ty for my bestie @madisonsslut who helped me thinking about what to write

୨୧

While going through my closet, looking for the perfect piece for my dinner with the triplets, I struggle to find it. I have nothing to wear. Nothing seems to look right, my room is turning into a mess and they are about to picking me up in some minutes.

Just when I am about to give in, my eyes met my short, dark red dress. Chris’s favorite dress. He always gets rock hard when I wear it. I mean, it’s not my fault he can’t keep his eyes away from my back.

Under the dress, I have a matching red set, that he bought me as a present after he ripped my expensive panties apart. I slip a pair of heels on each feet. My make up, nails, hair is done. As I take one last glaze on the mirror, I hear the familiar sound of Matt’s car pulling outside. I hurry up to get completely ready, knowing that at any moment Chris will be at the other side.

Someone knocks on the door. Running downstairs, I shout out “Coming!” My hand reaches the doorknob, and there he is. As I feel his eyes travel along my body I can’t help but smirk. “Hi Chris” I say.

He looks back up into my eyes with a smile. “Hey, ma” He gets closer, placing his hands on my waist and giving me a kiss on the lips. “You look gorgeous” In a matter of seconds, his hands start sliding from my waist to my butt, he squeezes it gently, making me chuckle. He kisses me one last time before asking “Are you ready to go babe? Do you have your things?”

I nod. “Yeah let’s go” He grabs my hand and leads us to the car, opening the door for me. I get into the backseat noticing Nick. I greet him and Matt. We start driving.

We couldn’t find any parking spot nearby the restaurant, so we had to walk a bit. As Nick and I chat while walking in the front, I hear the other two talking behind us.

“Bro are you even listening to me?” Matt snaps. “You just been staring for Y/n ass the whole time!” I can’t help but burst into laughter at his comment “Come on, Matt" I tease, turning back to face them. "You know Chris can't resist a good view." Chris rolled his eyes playfully, but I can tell he is pleased by the attention.

The restaurant was super fancy, and it was pretty full. We arrive to our reserved table. Chris pulls out my chair, gesturing for me to sit, before taking his place beside me. Nick and Matt settle in across of us.

Some minutes after, the waiter approaches us, with a confident smile. His eyes immediately lock on me. “Good evening, welcome to our establishment” He says, but is evident that his attention is completely focused on me. “Can I start off with some drinks?” Chris observes the situation.

They all order for their own drinks. “And for our pretty lady over here?” I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, taking a quick glance at Chris. Before I could even respond, my boyfriend does it for me. “She will just have some water.” He places his hand around my waist, in a clear display of jealousy.

I hate when he makes choices for me. “Actually, I will have some Fanta, please.” I speak up with a firm voice. “Alright..” He takes notes of our orders and goes away.

The moment the waiter stepped away, chris hand gets away from my waist, he turns to me. His mood has changed completely. “Really Y/n? You always get water, and now suddenly, while he is fucking flirty with you, you change your mind In front of him? Making me look bad?” His jealousy makes me chuckle, I can’t believe his arguing over this. I roll my eyes and I give him a small kiss on his forehead. “Chris I think you are way to stressed”

Nick and Matt look at each other, trying hard not to laugh at our stupid discussion. “Yeah Chris she’s right, you are overreacting a bit” Nick says.

"I'm not overreacting," He insisted, his tone laced with frustration. "I just don't like the way that guy was looking at her. ‘And our pretty lady over here?’” He mimics the waiter in a mocking tone. We couldn’t help but giggle at Chris’s exaggerated impression of the guy. He is visibly annoyed.

Chris has already finished his food, while I am still in the middle of it. As I continue to enjoy my meal, I suddenly feel Chris’s hand on my thigh.

I try to ignore it, but his fingers start getting higher and higher. My breath catches in my throat with his touch. I shoot him a warning glance, but he only smirks in response.

"Chris" I whisper, serious. "Not here."

“Let’s go somewhere else then” His smirk just gets bigger when he saw the confusion in my eyes.

“Just forget it, there’s nowhere else to go.” A small chuckle leaves his lips before speaking. “The bathroom, sweetheart.” He whispers in my ear his lips brushing against my skin. He gets up from his seat. “I’m going to pee real quick” He says looking at his two brothers. “I’m sure Y/n also has to come with me, right?” His eyes get back on me, daring me to refuse.

I take an embarrassed look at Nick and Matt, they definitely know what’s going on. I begin to rise from my seat, we make our way to the bathroom.

As soon as we get there, Chris wastes no time, he automatically closes the door behind us. We start making out like there’s not tomorrow. He grabs me by the waist and lifts me onto the counter, his hands gripping my thighs as he positions himself between my legs.

I grip his hair tightly. His tongue explores every inch of my mout as our kisses become more sloppy and desperate. His lips scape from mine, he starts kissing me down my neck. I gasp as his teeth graze my skin, definitely leaving marks.

His hand slips between my thighs, teasing me through the fabric of my panties. “Enjoying this, aren’t you? Huh?” He smirks, connecting our mouths back again. “You are dripping wet for me..” I moan in response, not able to create a sentence.

“I want fucking words out of your mouth.” He says firmly. “Tell me how much you want it.”

“I need it so bad..” I whisper in his ear "I need you inside me, Chris. I need you to make me yours." With a satisfied chuckle, Chris's fingers push my panties aside, he inserts his middle finger inside me, making me arch my back, craving for more. I close my eyes tightly. His finger moves faster, and at the same time his thumb rubs my clit.

I moan in pleasure, and he adds another finger. “I know you can take some more..” His skilled movements driving me to the edge. “Christopher, shit.. Right there.. Please.. It’s so fucking good.. I’m.. I’m gonna..” With every thrust of his fingers, I feel myself getting closer to an orgasm.

Until, suddenly he leaves me completely empty, I open my eyes again, confused. “Not yet baby..” He says. I try to catch my breath, but before I can even answer, he takes the fingers that were just buried deep inside me and brings them close to my lips. “Open.” He commands. Without hesitation, I part my lips, allowing him to slide his fingers into my mouth. My tongue swirls around them, sucking on it like it’s his cock, tasting myself. “Such a Good girl..” He takes it out of my mouth.

With a gentle but firm push, he instructs me to step off the counter, my legs slightly shaking. “Turn around and bend over.” I lean over the counter. Watching him from the mirror in front of me

I feel his hands gripping my hips, pulling me closer to him as he positions himself behind me. He pulls my dress up, letting me fully exposed for him. He slaps my ass check hard, making me gasp.

He pulls his grey sweatpants down, revealing his Calvin Klein black boxers with a big bulge underneath it. As his underwear hits the floor, I see his thick dick touching his stomach. Chris strokes himself a few times, his eyes locked on my reflection in the mirror.

“You’ve been fucking teasing me all night long, that slutty dress drives me insane” The more he talks the more I arch my back, needing him, making him smirk. He knows the effect he has on me. He teases my entrance with the tip of his cock before pushing himself completely inside me, making me gasp. “Shit!” I yell.

Chris pulls my hair, pulling my head back as he plunges deeper into me with each thrust. "Stay fucking quiet” I struggle to stay silent with the amount of pleasure I am receiving.

With his free hand, he wraps it around my throat, his fingers squeezing just enough to make me gasp for air. He pounds deep and rough inside me, getting faster at each second. “Chris..” I moan desperately. “I can’t take it anymore.. I’m gonna cum..”

He starts getting more vocal, letting out some moans. "Yeah that’s it.. Cum for me, baby. Let go and cum with me." With one final, powerful thrust, Chris buries himself deep inside me, his hot seed spilling into me. We two finish at the same time.

But before we can even fully catch our breath, there’s a knock on the door, follows by Matt’s voice calling out “"Hey, what's taking you guys so long in there?"

We completely freeze, looking at each other with eyes wide open. “Fuck” I try to compose myself, adjusting my dress and hair. Chris pulls up his sweatpants in a hurry. "Uh, nothing Matt.." He says holding back his moans. "We'll be out in a sec."

“Me and Nick will be waiting at our seats.”

after Chris finishing putting his pants back on, he turns to me, leaning in to press a soft kiss against my lips, like he wasn’t just fucking the shit out of me two seconds ago. “Ready to go back to the restaurant?” I nod.

He kisses me one more time. “Matt ruined everything, but once we get home I will make it up to you okay?” Chris gives me a small peck on my cheek, making me giggle like a little kid. “Humhum..”

୨୧

i swear in my head this was better, it’s so shitty

taglist: @chrisloyalgf @sturniolho @daddyslilchickenfingers2 @orangelala

[bairdthereader]

Nick Asking Charlie Out: Intention

The differences between the show and the comic in the scene where Nick asks Charlie to come to Harry's party are striking and, I think, are Alice's brilliant way of adding intention into this evolving relationship in a way it hadn't existed before.

In the comic, we get a panel that shows the boys' notebooks and their hands, but not their faces, as Nick says "Are you going to Harry Greene's party on Saturday?" Though Nick is obviously deeply interested in Charlie's answer, this is still a passive inquiry; the stakes are low when the question is framed this way.

In the show, on the other hand, we first get this moment of intense, silent struggle while Nick works up the nerve to ask a real question, a question that he knows is weighty. There's a second where he checks in with himself--you can see it in his eyes (Kit is brilliant here)--where he's asking himself if he's actually going to do this.

And, yes, he decides, he is. This is easily the most nervous we've ever heard Nick to this point. The words rush out, squeezed together and slightly high-pitched: "Do you want to go to Harry's party?" This in and of itself is still not a particularly loaded question; it's the fact that Nick managed to ask it at all that lends it consequence. He thought hard about it. He knew what he really meant when he asked it. He's still incredibly, intensely confused, but he also knows he's taking a concrete step toward exploring a romantic relationship with Charlie, even if he's still completely unsure of what that really means for his own identity journey.

And Nick wants Charlie to have a clear understanding of what he's really saying, too (as is Nick's way). So then comes the bit that really scares him, but about which he's undeniably most hopeful. This is where this scene deviates most noticeably from the comics, in which Nick never specifies that he wants Charlie to go to the party with him. I love that Alice made this change, because we get to see Nick, for the first time, making an intentional decision not only to act on his attraction to Charlie (in a seemingly small but for him really quite monumental way), but also, importantly, his intention to make Charlie aware, on some level, of his changing feelings.

In the comics we get Charlie's reluctance, and then Nick's admission that he doesn't want to hang out with his own friends. Then "I have you now, so . . . so will you come?" Again, Nick is asking Charlie to attend the party, and clearly wants him to say he will, so there is some kind of intention behind his ask, but he frames it safely in the context of wanting someone there to hang out with whose company he actually enjoys.

In the show, Nick is very purposeful and decisive in the way he responds to Charlie's reluctance. "I want you to be there." This is not passively allowing closeness to happen under the guise of friendship. Yes, Nick carefully walks the line between a platonic ask and a romantic one by not actually calling it a date, but this is still a critical point for him. This is intention, purposefulness, acting toward a specific, desired outcome.

I love the panel in the comics that appears after Charlie says he'll go to the party, that it will be fun if Nick is there. It's adorable, and Nick is clearly flustered and excited that Charlie changed his mind about the party based on Nick's desire for his company.

But in the show we get This Face. ⬇️ The I can't believe I just did that face, immediately followed by the thank god he said yes face (along with a tiny little sigh of relief that he managed to say what he wanted to say). This whole interaction is basically a preview of the rest of their relationship. Nick constantly acting in a very considered, purposeful way, pushing himself and surprising himself . . . in part because Charlie promises to be there, is happy to be there . . . and Nick not believing his luck.

[Side note: Charlie's face says a lot here too. It says "I think, maybe, that might have been an actual ask out!" Then it says "But maybe not, don't get too excited." Because despite Nick's intention, Charlie's past experiences and pain--not to mention everyone around him--have been telling him there's no way Nick could mean his question in the way Charlie wants to interpret it. Charlie's uncertainty even after this interaction makes Nick's next really purposeful, intentional, purely internally motivated move--taking Charlie's hand after their first kiss--that much more important.]

[miguel-ohara-lover]

Jealous/possessive ghostface!miguel x nerdy reader

😘 I have no idea but I hope this helps

I love loVE LOVE Ghostface and I hope you like this cuz the second I heard ghostface the ideas started forming and- I just hope you like it! I got a little carried away so if you want something different just send another request

!!!!READ THE CW!!!!

Ghostface!Miguel x Nerdy!f!reader

CW: Nsfw, jealousy/possession, blood, a little con non-con, knife kink, degrading, implied stalking, fingering, p in v, too big, tears

Your heart raced, pounding in your chest as you ran through your house and out the back door. It was him, the serial killer all over the news. Fucking Ghostface. You couldn’t believe someone would take on that title and actually succeed in living up to it.

Everything about him was incredible. His voice, his mask, his hands grasping that knife- hold up! You’re seriously romanticizing the guy trying to kill you? Well, he is hot…

You shook the thought away as you continued running, trying to recall all the rules from those movies you loved so much. So much… Hey! Focus. Right, the rules.

• Never had sex, you failed that one

• Never drink or smoke

• Never run upstairs, that doesn’t really help if you’re outside…

• Never say-

“AH!” Your own scream cut off your thoughts as the strong man tackled you. You flailed and struggled against him as he pinned your wrists above your head. “Let go!” You cried out, hoping anyone would hear you. But of course like any god horror movie, your house was in the middle of nowhere.

He stayed silent as he held you down with ease. As hot as this is, you started feeling genuine fear, tears streaming down your cheeks. You managed to get a hand free and rip his mask off his face. God fucking damnit… he’s gorgeous! What are you even thinking.

The man growled as you tossed the mask aside, quickly pushing your wrist against the ground again. “Stupid bitch!” You knew that voice. You had run into him many times before. Miguel O’Hara? Was he stalking you? You did think it was weird he showed up everywhere you did… Why would he stalk you?

Your thoughts are interrupted when you feel the cool metal of his knife against your cheek. You gasped and turned your head to the side, trying to get away but it’s no use. The sharp metal nicked you, and you felt the blood trickle down your face. He gave you a sinister smirk before licking up your cheek, lapping up your blood.

“Delicious.” He growled in your ear. “Now stay still for me, Cariño.” You don’t know why, but you wanted to do what he says. That’s not true, you know exactly why. It wasn’t out of fear. It was because you were so turned on. Your pussy was so wet just from hearing his voice without that filter.

Miguel’s hands travel down your sides before he pushes the hem of your skirt up. He grabbed your soaked panties and yanked them down. You let out a gasp as the cold hair hits your exposed cunt. He smirked as his fingers spread your folds and he took in the sight of your beautiful pussy.

“This cunt is mine. Only mine, from now on.” He circled your clit, listening to your sweet moans. Two slid inside you with ease, and he started scissoring you. You gasped and moaned, his fingers felt like heaven inside you. He knew all the right spots, and a louder cry ripped from you as his thumb rubbed your swollen bundle of nerves.

Your hips buck and jolt as your stimulated so much. His fingers pumped inside you a bit more before he pulled them out. You whined in protest, then noticed that same hand working at his pants. He got them off his ease, his other hand pushing your shirt up, exposing your bare breasts to the cool night air. As he worked on freeing his erection, he traced down your chest with his knife, sliding the blade between your tits and down your torso.

It broke skin at a few points, and you could see the blood start to spill. It wasn’t enough to cause serious damage or leave scars, but it was enough to sting. His blade then moved to your tits, the tip tracing around both perked nipples teasingly. He loved watching you shiver and squirm under him. He dragged the metal on the underside of your breasts, breaking more skin. The sight made his cock throb.

Speaking of, his massive length sprung free from his pants. He was so huge, it definitely wouldn’t fit even with his half assed stretching of your cunt.

“I-it’s too big, it won’t fit.” You whined a little.

“I’ll make it fit.” Miguel growled in your ear, his leaking tip poking at your entrance. You whimpered and hesitantly spread your legs more, inviting him in. He smirked and thrusted into you without hesitation. You cried out, salty tears running down your cheeks, causing the previous slice to sting.

He was ruthless in his thrusts, ravaging your pussy with his monster of a cock. You cried out and moaned, it felt like he was splitting you open from your cunt. There was sure to be blood after… He groaned as your tight walls constricted around him, as if you could control that.

Miguel’s hands held your hips down as he continued this assault on your poor pussy, never once slowing down. You hated to admit it, but it was soooo good. You could feel that warm knot forming in your gut, only getting tighter when he picked up his pace.

You moaned whorishly as a violent orgasm ripped through you. You felt pathetic, to cum under these circumstances? You should be screaming and crying, trying to push him away. But you didn’t. You loved every inch inside you.

Your face was angelic to him, seeing your eyes roll back and hearing your moans sent him over the edge. With a final thrust he released his load, filling you up to the brim as he drained his balls inside you. That feeling was like heaven to you, making you moan more and your walls clench on his length, milking him for all he’s got.

Miguel slowly pulled out. You could see his cock, glistening in the moonlight covered in your slick and… and blood. You knew he ripped something down there. Your adrenaline didn’t allow you to feel it just yet, and without the immense pain about to come, it looked so hot.

“Are you going to call the police if I don’t kill you?” His voice broke your train of thought.

You pondered a moment. “No… no I don’t think I will…” You gave him a weak smile, the tiredness finally catching up to you.

[awhoreintheory]

okay so MCU canon Peter in DC is all funny and games but what about comic canon Peter? Peter who’s in his 30s, whose life is falling apart(again) and has clones to deal with(man I hate the fact that Ben became evil :(.)

extra points if Miles and/or Mayday is with him. This single dad is STRUGGLING. And the bats wanna help him/his kids cause man! Look at them :(

(extra extra points if Dick = Richard Parker. That’s a whole nother can of worms. Like the bats are thinking Peter = Family of Dick they didn’t know but NO! It’s actually Dick’s son! Dicks a granddad!)

I want to PSA to anyone sending asks/requests, I'm not ignoring you!! I'm just a slow writer!!! I hope you enjoy though <33

Peter B. Parker could, 100%, picture landing in (yet another) alternate universe. You know what? As a matter of fact, he expected it.

What he didn’t plan for, however, was being stranded in another universe with his baby girl strapped to his chest. 

But here he was, crouched in a narrow alley in the darkest corner of Gotham City, New Jersey. From the name alone, Peter knew he landed himself in a section of the Multiverse Miguel had expressly labeled as off limits. It wasn’t his fault he’d landed here, though!

One minute he’d been web-swinging through New York, enjoying a rare peaceful day with Mayday babbling happily, and the next he was crash-landing onto a grimy rooftop in the most dangerous city he’d ever seen. It was like New York turned up to eleven, all shadows and towering gargoyles, dripping with rain that seemed perpetual. The interdimensional bracelet he’d been given to travel the multiverse was sparking and smoking in his pocket— total toast. He was officially stranded. 

Ok, so it maybe, kinda sorta, been an eensy weensy, tiny bit Peter’s fault. 

Peter’s, very high-tech and likely expensive bracelet had been, uh, scratched in a fight the day before. Barely even a nick! He swears he could’ve reattached the wires and fixed the screen. 

He probably should’ve also taken the watch out of his robe pocket before he started swinging Mayday to daycare. 

MJ was going to be so mad. 

It became evident early on it’d take a little bit to find a way home, or for someone to find him. If it had just been Peter, he could’ve roughed it on some rooves and abandoned buildings. It wouldn’t be a big deal, he knew he would be getting home eventually. Being a little smelly was the least of his worries. 

But he had his baby girl with him. 

So, with the money in his wallet, he found an under-the-counter, rundown but otherwise warm, apartment in a place called Crime Alley. (What a seriously terrible name) Peter started pulling together whatever side gigs he could, fixing appliances, tuning up electronics, just enough to get by. Even for a guy who was used to scraping by, the situation felt bleak, especially with Mayday depending on him. 

His little red-headed whirlwind was still too young to understand what was happening, but she noticed the tension and started clinging to him more tightly. Peter knew he couldn’t keep this up forever, but he wasn’t sure how to trust anyone in a city that had both criminals and vigilantes lurking around every corner. When he spotted someone in a cape swinging overhead, he instinctively hid in the shadows, holding Mayday close, her tiny face tucked into his shoulder.

But the Bats noticed him. 

It was hard not to notice a single dad with no records, no job, and no explanation for why he was squatting in Gotham’s most dangerous neighborhood. Bruce, ever vigilant, put out word to the family to keep an eye on him. 

Jason, who patrolled Crime Alley, wasn’t thrilled about the idea. “A guy moved into my turf with a baby?” he grumbled to Tim. “Either he’s got a death wish, or he’s crazy.” 

Tim, on the other hand, was fascinated by the mystery. He dug through every database he had access to, and then some. But “Peter Parker” returned zero results— at least, none that matched this Peter Parker. no criminal record, no birth record, no online footprint. It was like he just spawned in! 

Dick didn’t have a whole lot of opinions. He thought the man was nice, though he had only met him once in a routine mugging. He evidently cared for his daughter, and matched Nightwing’s wit and humor pretty nicely, too. He looked annoyingly familiar too. Maybe it was Tired Dad Chic? He kind of reminded him of Bruce, in a way. 

Steph seconded the funny part. This Peter guy could be one of those dark-humor comedians. 

From what they observed, and conversations supplied by Jason (who was his neighbor in a series of fortunate events), Peter really did seem to just be an ordinary guy.  

Then one night, Peter was picking up groceries from a corner store when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find a man in a ski mask brandishing a knife, gesturing for his wallet. 

“Hand over the money, and I won’ hurt ya’ kid.” The man threatened, waving his knife around threateningly. Peter tensed, dropping his groceries in favor of cradling Mayday closer. 

Peter blinked at him tiredly. “The best I can offer is some lint and a can of beans.” 

The man tensed, stepping closer in an attempt at intimidation. Peter thought that his face turning red with anger was kind of funny.

“Don’t fuckin’— are you makin’ fun of me?” The man fumed. Peter might have let out a sleep-deprived chuckle, partially forgetting to respond. 

The mugger lunged, and before he could dodge, Peter felt a searing pain in his side as the blade plunged in, his vision blurring with the shock. Normally, Peter would’ve disarmed the guy without breaking a sweat, but tonight, with Mayday in his arms and his body worn from days of restless sleep, he kind of just… blinked and the knife was there. 

Peter blinked again, then looked back up at the man.

“Oh, wow,” he said, his voice dripping with deadpan sarcasm. “A knife in Crime Alley? Super original. Really, I’m honored to be a part of your creative process.”

The mugger blinked, clearly caught off guard. Peter rolled his eyes, adjusting Mayday to better apply pressure to his side. “Next time you stab a guy, maybe aim for someone with insurance.”

The mugger stumbled back, looking increasingly confused by Peter’s lack of fear. Peter sighed, bouncing Mayday gently as she began to fuss. “Listen, I’m already running on no sleep and the caffeine fumes of yesterday’s coffee. And now you’re just making my night even worse.”

Peter winced, feeling the slow but consistent leak of blood. His healing factor was helping, but it was dulled due to lack of sleep and hunger. 

Between one long blink and the next, someone had jumped down and knocked out Peter’s would-be mugger. 

After another blink Peter realized he was on the ground, Mayday’s wails filled the air, her cries echoing down the alleyway, and Peter tried to smile through the pain. “It’s okay, baby,” he mumbled, clutching her tightly. “Daddy’s fine… just a little… scratch.” But his vision was going hazy as he pressed a hand to his bleeding side. The world began to spin.

One of the vigilantes that Peter recognized as Red Robin rushed over, talking hurriedly into a comm. Peter blinked up at him, his mouth curling into a weak smile. “Hey, nice costume,” he muttered. “Does the utility belt come in dad sizes?” 

Red Robin blinked in surprise, but otherwise keept his focus as he worked to stop the bleeding.

“It doesn’t, unfortunately.” Red Robin offered, popping open his emergency med kit. “I’ve got help on the way, ok? Stay awake for me.” But his attention was snagged when Mayday, overcome with distress, reached out to him, her tiny hands gripping his arm. She wasn’t just clutching it— she was sticking to him, her fingers locked like suction cups on his suit. Tim’s eyes widened as she scrambled up his arm, scaling it like a bug on a wall. 

Red Robin took it in stride, scooping Mayday up as he continued to work. Peter had been on the Meta radar for a bit— a few things here and there just a little off, and it was mostly based on Red Robin’s time spent with super-powered individuals. 

But as he patched up Peter, he discreetly swiped a sample of blood, stashing it in his belt just as the Batmobile pulled up. 

—

Later that night, he ran the sample through the Batcomputer, expecting some small lead. A Meta, possibly insect-based? What with how the kid had stuck to him. Instead, the results left Tim absolutely speechless. 

Peter Parker, the man who was in his early 40s and a single father, didn’t just match someone in the system— it matched Dick Grayson.

Not as a brother, or a cousin, but as a son. 

Tim must’ve ran the test at least 100 times. It came back the same every single time. 

Tim called Bruce and the rest of the family, each of them crowding around the screen with varying levels of shock and amusement as the analysis rolled in. Dick was dumbfounded, staring at the results in disbelief. 

“You’re telling me this guy is my… son?” he stammered, struggling to wrap his mind around it. 

Bruce, socially unaware in all his glory, tried to comfort Dick. “He’s likely from far into the future. Barry said there was a ripple in the timestream around the time Peter showed up.” 

“So what does that make Mayday?” Jason asked, snickering. 

“His granddaughter?” Steph said with a teasing grin. 

“Wow, Dick. You went from a dad to a grandpa in the same minute.” 

“That’s gotta be a world record.”

“You think we can submit this for a Guinness World Record?”

Dick groaned, rubbing his temples as Jason laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. 

“He’s from the future, right? Something must’ve gone wrong on his end," Tim said, folding his arms with a thoughtful look. "He’s definitely got the skills. Moves like you, Dick. It's obvious he's had training.”

Dick couldn't help but smirk, puffing up a little with pride. “Of course he does. He’s got Grayson blood in him, after all.”

Jason snorted. “Yeah, because the whole ‘falling on his face with a baby strapped to him’ bit? So graceful.”

Tim rolled his eyes, trying to stay on track. “Look, I don’t know why he didn’t come to us for help in the first place, but the point is, he’s family. We should get him back to his time, if that’s even possible.” He looked over to Bruce. “Are any speedsters available? Maybe the League could lend us Wally or Barry—"

“Hold on,” Dick interrupted, frowning. “I’m not sure we’re ready to ship him off just yet. The guy’s been trying to make it on his own. He’s got a baby to look after, and I think he’s afraid of dragging us into whatever’s going on with him. You know this family and their pride.”

Damian, who had been silent up to this point, finally piped up, his arms crossed. “I’ve seen him with the baby. She’s… persistent.” There was an almost begrudging respect in his tone. “But he clearly doesn’t have the resources to keep her safe here. If he did, he wouldn’t be living in Crime Alley.”

Dick nodded. “Exactly. The guy’s holding it together with duct tape and dad jokes. We can help him and get him back on his feet while we figure out a way home.”

Bruce, listening intently, finally spoke up. “He’s right. Until we find a way to get him home, Peter and his daughter stay here. We’ll pull together whatever resources we can to help them both.” 

Steph and Tim shared a look. He just wanted to meet his grandson and great-granddaughter. 

There was a beat of silence as everyone absorbed the decision, and then Tim looked at Dick, a small smirk playing on his lips. “So… you ready to be a dad, Dick?”

Dick flushed, looking a mix of horrified and pleased. “I’ll just stick to ‘Uncle Dick’ for now. Baby steps.”

EXTRA:

“Hey,” Jason drawled, barely suppressing a smirk as he looked over at Dick, “you think we can submit this for a Guinness World Record? Fastest unplanned parenthood, or maybe most confusing family reunion?”

Dick rolled his eyes but couldn’t quite hide his grin. “Very funny, Jay. Maybe we can submit you for most inappropriate comments per minute.”

Jason chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder. “Just saying, man, it’s impressive. One day you’re Nightwing, lone acrobat extraordinaire, and the next? Boom— you’re the proud father of a scruffy, interdimensional— what'd you say it was, Tim? Spider-dad? A Spider-dad.”

Tim snickered, glancing up from his laptop. “We’re all just living in a 'Strangest Family Reunion’ reality show at this point. Besides, if anyone’s submitting to Guinness, it should be Peter for most relentless optimism under terrible circumstances.”

Bruce cleared his throat, giving them all a look. “Enough. This isn’t a joke. We have a situation to handle here.”

Dick, still grinning, turned back to Bruce. “All right, fine, we’ll save the record-breaking for later. Right now, I say we start by finding this guy and getting him some real help.”

[ginnsbaker]

fic: if i bleed (you'll be the last to know) (3/?)

Part summary: Leigh develops an unhealthy habit as she hits closer to rock bottom

Pairing: Leigh Shaw x Fem!Reader | Word count for this part: 5.370 | Warnings/Tags: Some hetero stuff | A/N: Things will pick up after this part. I think there's going to be a total of 6 parts, but let me confirm that in the next update :)

Masterlist | Part I Part II | Next

-

Leigh is ten minutes late. 

It makes sense. Her willingness to attend this meeting was surprising, because if you were in her shoes, you doubt you'd have agreed to it. Listening to the entire history of a relationship can be exhausting, and it's hard to imagine what it feels like to hear about one that arguably should never have existed.

But just as you're about to think she's bailed or intentionally left you hanging, you spot her sprinting toward the cafe from across the street. She's a mess—hair soaked and sticking everywhere, face bare, missing its usual touch of makeup. But even like this, Leigh doesn't look much different from her usual self. You can't help feeling a bit envious of that.

She rushes into the cafe, attracting a few curious looks, but she barely registers them, her wide green eyes quickly finding you.

“Sorry I'm late,” she pants, struggling to catch her breath, “I got caught in the rain and then missed my bus.” The lie slips out effortlessly. True, it had rained, but the real reason was far more personal—something you didn't need to know.

You shrug off her apology with a smile, signaling the waiter for a menu for Leigh. “No worries, I'm just glad you made it,” you say.

Leigh gives you a quick once-over, then forces a smile and thanks you. Once her coffee order's in, she gets right down to it. “So, Matt,” she starts, her voice dropping to a whisper, “how did you two meet?”

You lean back, carefully thinking about what to say next. You didn't practice your answers ahead of time because you weren't planning to lie about anything. But you're wary of how you word things, not wanting to upset her. Being caught up with a married man is embarrassing enough as it is, and having to relay the details to his widowed wife only adds to it.

“Actually, our first meeting was totally by chance,” you say, bringing your steaming cup of tea to your lips. “I quite literally bumped into Matt one day. It was so brief, I barely gave it a second thought.”

You take a deep breath before continuing, “Then, about a week later, Matt showed up at my clinic with the same friend from before. It turned out, they were there for his friend's dog, who needed a check-up. Matt was just tagging along, helping out.”

Leigh’s face remains passive, making it hard to read. 

“The friend was the one who interacted with me the most that day. He even asked for my number, saying they were grateful for the help with the dog. I assumed he was interested,” you say, the memory coming back to you clearer now as you speak. “But, to my surprise, it was Matt who texted me later, not his friend.”

You barely manage to suppress the slight twitch of your lips, recalling how everything once seemed magical to you. Leigh on the other hand, takes a slow sip of her coffee, buying a moment to process.

“Who was that friend of Matt's? Do you remember his name?” she asks.

You pause, racking your brain for the detail, feeling its importance to Leigh. “Yeah, I think his name was Nick or something,” you say, scratching your head. Whether the name ‘Nick’ rings any bells for her or not, she doesn't let on. 

“Strange,” you mumble under your breath, but then shrug it off. “It doesn't really matter, he's not the one I—” You stop yourself just in time, realizing you're about to say something potentially hurtful about a situation that still feels raw, especially to Leigh.

Instead, you quickly pivot. “Anyway, that's how it all started. On the day of the dog’s follow-up, it was just Matt who came by. We struck up a friendship from there, and one thing led to another until he, uhm, asked me out for dinner.”

At this, you notice a subtle change in Leigh's demeanor. Her entire frame becomes more timid, the first real sign of emotion she's shown since this conversation began. 

You’re about to go on with your story when Leigh suddenly speaks up.

“So, you just said yes, even though he was your client? Don't veterinarians have professional boundaries?”

Ever since meeting Leigh, you've found it challenging to predict what might trigger her reactions—it's like navigating a minefield. Occasionally, you’d find yourself wondering what it would be like to know her without the complications currently defining your interactions. You think about the roles you both involuntarily play in each other's lives, roles neither of you auditioned for but somehow ended up performing.

You feel a lump form in your throat, and your gaze drops to your lap. “Well, he was persistent,” you say, feeling the need to defend your decision. Nevertheless, it sounds weak to your own ears. “But I made it clear nothing could happen until the dog's treatment was complete. And I insisted he'd have to find a different vet for any future appointments. It was... complicated.”

“I bet,” Leigh scoffs, crossing her arms. After a beat, she asks, almost too casually, “So, how quickly did you two... you know, have your first kiss?”

The question hangs awkwardly between you. You know you can’t answer it in any way you could avoid her judgment, so you just decide to spit it out. 

“First date.” Under Leigh’s scrutinizing gaze, it feels like admitting to a minor crime.

Leigh stares at you with unblinking eyes. “And how long after meeting him did this first date happen?”

You draw in a slow breath. “Three weeks,” you mutter. “It was last fall.” You add that bit, proactively laying out the timeline as if it could somehow soften the blow or make the situation less complicated. Leigh, however, looks like you've just knocked the wind out of her. She looks away, her expression shifting into something like shock or deep pain. Alarm bells ring in your head at the picture before you.

“Hey, did I say something wrong?” you say in a rush. “I mean, this whole situation is messed up, but if I—”

Leigh’s eyes are glass as they return to you. When she speaks again, her voice is so soft you almost have to lean in to hear. “Last fall... That's when I told Matt we should start trying for a baby.”

The words drain the color from your face. And suddenly, all the pieces of your story with Matt feels even more tainted.

You're not sure what your face gives away when you hear this news, but Leigh's expression quickly shifts from tearful to furious. “Stop feeling sorry for me,” she hisses. “I don’t need your pity.”

Leigh's tears start to spill over, and it's only 7:30 in the morning. It feels way too early for tears, especially here, in the middle of a coffee shop where the day is just beginning for most. You try to shrink into your seat, wishing you could make both of you invisible as the few other patrons start throwing curious, if not outright concerned, looks your way.

You never realized a simple conversation could cause someone so much pain. You thought providing Leigh with answers would help, but it looks like you're just making things even harder for her. Maybe keeping your distance from her is the kindest thing you can do.

“You know the worst part?” Leigh brushes away the tears that keep streaking down her face.

Clearly, she isn't looking for an answer, so you stay silent.

She makes sure she catches your eye before saying, “He agreed, and we started trying.”

-

Leigh catches her breath after wrapping up her class at the Beautiful Beast. 

She took a day off yesterday, immediately after talking with you, spending the whole day in bed just trying to sort out her thoughts and feelings. Surprisingly, wasting away for a whole day seemed to help, and her concerns gradually drifted back to her fight with Jules. It’s been days, and Leigh feels the urgency of reconciliation pressing on her. By this point, they should be on speaking terms again. By now, Jules should have let go of her anger, right? Leigh knows she can't afford to have her sister hating her. At least not right now. She needs her family, or what’s left of it—on her side. 

“Hey, Jules, got a sec? About the schedule…” Leigh tries, hoping work might be a safe enough topic to get her sister to acknowledge her existence once again.

Jules barely glances her way. Her hands keep moving, adjusting a strap here, aligning yoga mats there, as if the very act could shield her from having to engage. “Sorted. Check your email,” she replies, her voice cold and detached.

Leigh nods, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. “Great, great... um, did you consider adding that beginners' workshop we talked about?”

Jules stops for a beat, and Leigh thinks, maybe she's going to drop it. But no, Jules resumes fussing over items that hardly require any attention. Then, without even looking up, she says, “Yeah, it's on the list. Anything else?”

Leigh tries to keep her cool, wishing Jules would just cut to the chase and tell her what needs to be done for all to be forgiven. 

Trying a different tactic, Leigh goes, “Hey, found a Starbucks card in my bag. How 'bout I grab us some coffee? My treat.”

Leigh’s trying. She really is. Why can’t they see that?

Jules just gives her that look, the kind that doesn't need words, and heads back to her desk. And there's Leigh, offer of a beverage truce just floating in the air, going nowhere.

Getting ignored really gets under Leigh's skin. Back in the day, Matt's habit of brushing her off would drive her to the edge. She'd respond with over-the-top demands or twist things around just to make sure he’d always pay attention to her. She didn't start off wanting to be that person, but looking back, she sees the lengths she'd go to just to keep his attention from straying. 

Unable to control herself, she heads straight for Jules, grabs her arm despite her trying to wiggle free, and yanks her into the backroom.

“What the hell is your problem?!” Jules explodes, not caring if anyone’s heard her outside.

They're both standing there, kind of shocked by how heated things got so fast. Jules’ shout might've turned a few heads outside, but right now, that's the least of Leigh's worries.

“How many times do I need to apologize, for you to get over this?”

Jules’ eyes are wide in disbelief, her mouth twisting into a sardonic smile, like she can’t believe what she’s hearing.

“You’re so fucking full of yourself, Leigh! This is exactly why I’m not talking to you,” Jules hisses, but keeps her voice down this time.

“What—”

“Do you even know what you’re sorry for?”

Leigh's initial scoff dies in her throat as she watches Jules' expression twist with hurt. “Yeah, okay, I said sorry about the crap I pulled the other day. I know I was out of line, talking about your past like that—”

Jules doesn't let her finish. “You weren't just being ‘out of line’, Leigh. You threw the worst time of my life in my face! Do you have any idea how hurtful that is? Coming from my own sister? From my own family? What, just to win an argument? To cover up for acting like a jerk at the club?”

Leigh goes quiet, but her face hardens, trying not to show how much Jules' words hit her right in the gut. What she said, laid out like that, it sounds…well, unforgivable.

“I'm trying, okay?” Leigh blurts out without thinking.

“Shouldn't be that hard to just be a decent human being, should it?” Jules shoots back, her dismissal sharp as she exits the cramped space, leaving Leigh reeling.

Under her breath, almost like she's talking to the walls, Leigh mumbles, “I'm really sorry…” It's quiet, almost lost in the room, but she means it the most at this very moment, even if no one's around to catch it.

-

Leigh clocks out from work, her day's fatigue hanging off her shoulders like a weighty cloak. Instead of heading straight home, she veers off her usual path, her feet bringing her to places that made breathing difficult the first few weeks after Matt's death. She's walking the same old route she always did when he was still around, back to when her home address was different and she'd pick up takeout from his favorite places along the way.

There’s the park first, the one where she and Matt spent countless afternoons sprawled on the grass, lying side by side as they watched the sky blush into shades of orange at sunset. She allows herself only a fleeting glance at the familiar paths and the bench they claimed theirs, feeling the same regret, the same hollowness as she remembers the good times they had there. 

In the back of her mind, she can't shake off the worry that maybe you've been here too, making your own memories with him. She doesn’t feel the surge of anger at this thought however. Instead, a part of her is almost willing to share these sacred memories if it means holding onto him in any form. She wants to believe that her jealousy has faded into a quieter acceptance that others might also carry pieces of him, pieces she's learning to live with.

Pulling herself away from the park, Leigh's walk inevitably leads her past Matt's favorite Italian restaurant—a quaint, cozy place where they celebrated most of their birthdays and, on occasion, anniversaries, especially when neither felt like cooking (which became an increasingly common choice in the months leading up to his accident).

She remembers how Matt's face would light up at the prospect of their rich, creamy carbonara and the tiramisu he claimed was unrivaled in the city. She recalls the numerous times she attempted to recreate the restaurant's tiramisu at home, aiming to surprise Matt at least once a month. Despite her efforts, if she truly wanted to indulge him, she knew there was no substitute for the real thing. So, on special days, or whenever she felt an extra burst of affection, she'd stop by the restaurant on her way home, picking up takeout. 

A waitress from the restaurant notices Leigh's lingering gaze and asks if she'd like a table. With a shy smile, Leigh declines, then pauses before finally deciding to order a tiramisu to go.

When she returns to her mom's house and eats the tiramisu alone, it tastes different. 

Leigh can't decide if the difference in the tiramisu's taste is good or bad, but that doesn't stop her. She finishes the entire slice in minutes. But instead of feeling full, it makes her feel emptier. Perhaps, it’s not the flavor that's changed; it's the experience of eating it without Matt's enthusiastic commentary, without him lighting up at the first bite or playfully claiming the last one, despite his generous offer to let her have it.

Suddenly, tears just start pouring out of Leigh as she sits there with an empty plate. She didn't see it coming, no chance to stop it or shove it down. Then, she finds herself laughing—a deep, throaty laugh—because she's grieved for him in countless ways, but this, crying over a dessert, has to be the most absurd. It's exactly the kind of moment they would have laughed at together.

Deciding that that would be her dinner, Leigh cleans up the small mess she's made and considers the evening ahead. But just as she’s about to sink into the couch for a quiet night, her phone buzzes, making her jump.

Seeing your name flash on her screen, she sighs, sensing a familiar bitterness creeping back in, disrupting the soothing moments she had just spent reminiscing about Matt. She lets it ring a few times more before picking up.

“Hi, Y/N,” Leigh says, managing to keep her voice steady over the phone.

“Hey,” you start, unsure how to break the ice after everything. Especially with what you’re about to say next.

“Listen, something happened today at the clinic. Someone came in looking for their lost French Bulldog, and they had a picture,” you pause to breathe. “Leigh, it looks a lot like Visitor.”

On the other end of the line, you can practically hear Leigh's heart skip a beat.

“Hello?” you ask, checking to make sure she's still there after she doesn't respond for several seconds.

“Are you sure?” Leigh’s voice cracks slightly.

“Yeah, I'm pretty sure,” you say softly, feeling a surge of empathy. “I'm sending you the picture now. Check it out and tell me what you think.”

You hit send and then wait for Leigh’s confirmation.

“It's him. It's definitely Visitor,” she says a moment later.

You're relieved but also concerned about what comes next. “So, what are you going to do?”

Leigh hesitates, and when she speaks again, she doesn’t give a direct answer. “Thank you, Y/N,” she says, and you pick up something in her tone. Something somber. 

“Everything alright?” 

But the line's already dead, leaving you staring at your phone, wondering what she is up to.

-

Leigh stands outside the community center, her hand lingering on the door longer than usual.  It's been weeks since she last came to a session. First, there was the shock of uncovering Matt's darkest secret, and now, there's the issue of the man inside, already looking her way, waiting to see her next move.

Danny appearing at her doorstep earlier in the week caught her completely off guard—and not in a good way. The moment she realized it was him, Leigh didn't hesitate to close the door in his face. After she shut him out, it escalated to the point where she threatened to call the police because he wouldn't stop pounding on the door and shouting for Leigh to let him in, insisting he just wanted to talk. His last attempt to get through to her fell flat when he flooded her inbox with texts and missed calls, pushing Leigh to the point where she blocked his number for good.

Despite the problem of Danny being here tonight, Leigh isn't willing to walk away from this just because of him. She's already given up so much lately, most recently Visitor—or Chico, as she found out his real name was—and his absence carved a fresh ache in her heart that she hadn't seen coming.

So, she takes a deep breath and pushes the door open, ignoring the smirk on Danny’s face as she proceeds to pretend like he doesn’t exist.

-

Somehow, after the meeting, Leigh ends up saying yes to a quick chat with Danny. He reels her in with the news that he submitted Matt’s remaining works—which he got custody of—to his publisher, and they were keen to publish them posthumously. 

Leigh can't help but throw in a bit of shade. “That's nice of you, doing something good for your brother, even if it's a bit late.”

Danny's face drops a little. Her words were sharp enough to hurt him, but he doesn't bite back or get in her face about it, which totally throws Leigh for a loop. After all the time she'd spent ignoring him, she had expected him to be at his worst around her.

And then he surprises her even more when he says, “Let me give you a ride home? It's the least I can do…”

Leigh arches an eyebrow. She didn’t bring the car tonight because Jules had a thing with Tommy, and she didn’t want to give her sister another reason to resent her. A ride from Danny beats the alternatives of walking or shelling out for a pricey cab, especially now that her phone's battery has given out, nixing the option of booking an Uber.

But this is Danny. Matt’s brother, and the guy she hooked up with because she thought she’d get back some semblance of her dead husband. After Jules pointed out how messed up it was that they'd slept together, Leigh's been all over the place. The rules around what they were doing either turned her off or, weirdly enough, made the whole thing more enticing, taboo and all. That's a big part of why she's been steering clear of him. Hanging out with Danny feels like reaching for a cigarette long after she's sworn off smoking.

Even with all that swirling in her head, Leigh ends up saying, “Sure, why not?”

Before she knows it, she's also agreeing to a drink at his place.

-

The second they step into his apartment, something inside of Leigh snaps. Acting on impulse, she grabs Danny by the collar and kisses him fiercely. She clenches his shirt in her hands, practically tearing it in her grip. Danny's initial surprise melts away in seconds, and then he’s kissing her just as hard, his tongue prying open her lips, taking control of the kiss right away. His hands find her waits, pulling her closer, practically already half-lifting her against the wall.

Leigh, caught up in the moment, begins to move her hips in a rocking motion against him. The action is effective enough to distract him from where he’s kissing every inch of Leigh’s neck, and he retaliates by suddenly pressing her more firmly against the wall, pinning her with his hips, their chests are tightly pressed together.

But as Leigh's fingers begin to fumble with the button of Danny's pants, he catches her hands gently and, panting, says, “Wait, Leigh, hold on for just a sec.” 

Leigh’s eyes fly open at his voice, irritation and impatience coloring them. “What?” she gasps out. 

He ignores the hard edges of her tone. He wants more—something real—and he's hoping she does too.

“I can’t do this again unless I know it’s going somewhere,” Danny says. He gently lets go of Leigh and takes a step back, trying to collect himself. It's a tough task, though, with Leigh looking the way she does—hair all tousled, lips slightly swollen and marked from when he got a bit carried away, her cheeks tinged with a warm flush. He could’ve made her come in the next two minutes, he’s sure of it.

At Danny's confession, Leigh can't help it; she bursts into laughter. The idea of him catching feelings now, of all times, seems absurd to her. As she laughs, Danny's jaw tightens, but he waits patiently for her to finish.

When Leigh finally notices the seriousness etched across Danny's face, her amusement evaporates almost instantly. The realization that he's not joking strikes her, and it doesn't sit well. Not one bit.

“What, you think because your brother's gone, you get to... what? Step in? Take his place?” she spits out, incredulous. “This is never going to be anything more than a quick fuck, Danny.”

In his desperation, he calls her bluff. “You’re lying.”

Leigh's reaction morphs into a cruel sneer. “If you're going to insist on something more, then we're just wasting our time,” she mutters, turning to leave.

Danny's not ready to let her walk away, not yet. He grabs her arm, and for a second, they're just staring each other down, a silent battle raging between them. Leigh’s resolve is impenetrable.

It’s Danny who cracks first, exhaling a defeated, “Fine.”

But Leigh's not having any half-measures. She whirls around, fire in her eyes. “Nope. Say it properly,” she demands.

With a sigh that feels like he's giving away a part of himself, Danny looks at her, worn and resigned. “This doesn't have to mean anything,” he says even if it’s the last thing he wants.

Leigh locks eyes with him, a storm brewing in her look. Just when Danny thinks it's better to just drop it, she throws him a question out of nowhere. 

“Did you know?”

“Know what?” Danny asks, genuinely puzzled.

“About Matt and me... trying for a baby when he... you know.”

“He... he never mentioned anything like that,” he says, feeling the pain she’s radiating. Leigh looks like she’s about to fall apart and all he wants is to be the one to gather her pieces and put them all back together.

No more words follow from Leigh. It's as if the question drained what was left of the conversation. Without warning, she surges forward, her lips meeting Danny’s in a bruising kiss, then she grabs Danny's hands, placing them firmly back on her waist. He gets the message loud and clear, and together they quickly shed their clothes, letting them fall in a heap around their feet. She comes about twelve minutes and thirty seconds later.

-

It's been eight days—not that you're keeping track or anything. But after giving Leigh the heads-up that someone’s been looking for a dog that looks exactly like Visitor, you were kind of expecting she’d at least update you if it really was him or not.

So, when a client strolls in later with Visitor, who's actually called Chico according to the file your secretary slips you, you're a little disappointed it's not Leigh showing up instead. It must have been incredibly tough for her to return Chico to his real family. She invested her heart, time, and not to mention her wallet, into that dog, caring for him as if he were her own.

Thinking she’d be relieved to know he’s in good hands, you send her a text to update her about Chico's visit to the clinic today. You mention how healthy and content he seems, yet you hazard a guess that he's probably missing Leigh too. 

She sees your message right away, and then leaves you on read.

-

Her thing with Danny turns into a late-night ritual, particularly after Drew fails to respond to her following their conversation, not even offering her a guest column in the weeks that followed their talk. Drew continues to invite her for coffee and dinner dates along with his fiancée, but he avoids the topic about the column, so Leigh stops asking.

The hookups are always a post-midnight impulse. She’d find herself sneaking out of her mother's house to meet him, driven by a mix of need and escape, or occasionally, by insomnia. After their moments together, she never lingers in Danny's bed for too long once she's found her satisfaction, eager to shower away his scent from her skin. 

Back at home, she ensures there's no trace of their deed by the time she slips into bed, allowing herself to sleep deep into the middle of the day. This pattern of nocturnal activity and daytime slumber has led her mother to adjust Leigh's responsibilities, moving her to take charge of the afternoon classes instead. This behavior earns her suspicious glances from Jules, but Leigh chooses to ignore them—if Jules isn't interested in reconciling, then she has no right to concern herself with Leigh's personal affairs.

Leigh doesn’t know how she got here, back at the beginning, in an ever messier situation. She can't stop fucking Danny, her emotions for Matt are a rollercoaster—she finds herself forgiving him and cursing him interchangeably a couple of times a day. 

She's astounded this is her life now, seemingly unable to talk herself out of decisions that pull her deeper into chaos.

-

A month later, Leigh becomes a distant memory. Following a series of tumultuous encounters, your life gradually returns to its normal rhythm—quiet, ordinary days filled with clinic work, attending to various cases, meeting new clients, and addressing the myriad issues of small animals. All of these tasks prove easier to deal with than anything involving Leigh Shaw.

The sole noteworthy event in your generally uneventful life lately was your latest visit to a physician for an annual physical exam. The blood tests revealed some numbers outside the normal range, notably elevated cholesterol levels. Consequently, your doctor advised you to integrate exercise into your daily regimen and to reduce your consumption of takeout meals, specifically pizza and Chinese fast food.

It’s a big sacrifice, considering your day usually flies by without much thought for food, except for dinner. It’s the one time in your day you actually look forward to. So, to hold onto that bit of happiness, you've been looking at fitness classes that are actually enjoyable and help burn those extra calories to keep you in shape.

Yoga stands out as the top choice for you, mainly because it all unfolds on a mat. You assume it'll demand the least amount of effort compared to the other options (specifically spinning), which all seem to promise nothing but pain and suffering.

Deciding to give yoga a shot, you choose Beautiful Beast, swayed by its stellar reviews. You secure a slot for a 6pm class, feeling pretty good about this decision.

That is, until Leigh Shaw walks into the said class, clad in a sports bra and tight-fitting leggings that highlight her toned legs. She’s busy on her phone, and without looking up, she walks to the front of the room. 

What are the chances you'd both be in the same class at the same fitness studio? The plot thickens when she pockets her phone and turns to face the class, gesturing for everyone to get their mats ready as the session's about to start.

You swallow hard. Leigh isn't here as a joiner—she's running it.

It takes about a quarter of the session for Leigh to notice you’re in her class. It's only while she's making her rounds, observing each student's camel pose, that her gaze finally lands on you. Struggling through your lack of core strength, you can't quite catch her initial reaction, but then she calls out your name. The surprise makes you gasp as she places her hand on the curve of your spine, just above the small of your back, and gently pushes you upward, deepening your arch. 

The stretch draws a grimace from you, but then she says, “Good, that's it,” and suddenly, you're determined not to let her down. You focus on the pose, on Leigh's instructions, and on not falling apart under her watchful eye. Leigh keeps everyone in the position a few moments longer than expected before instructing the class to transition into the child's pose for recovery. At her cue, your arms collapse, and you find yourself breathing heavily, grateful for the brief respite.

Something tells you it's not the high cholesterol that's going to be the end of you, but rather this yoga class and Leigh's merciless teaching style. 

-

You're all packed up and ready to leave, still reeling from what could easily be the toughest hour of your life, when someone calls out to you.

“Hey, Y/N.”

It's Leigh. Her tone is softer, more fatigued than you remember. She’s still in her gym clothes, looking like the workout barely touched her except for a few strands of hair sticking to her forehead. And somehow, she smells more like a rose garden than the gym floor.

“I didn’t know you work here—” you blurt out, almost apologizing. But before you can add anything else, Leigh just shakes her head, something like amusement in her smile, stopping you mid-sentence. Her smile, warm and a little teasing, eases some of the tension you didn't realize you were holding. 

“Are you a mind reader or something?” she teases. “Cause yeah, I was going to ask if you were following me.”

You’re quick to deny it. “I wasn’t.”

Leigh lets out a chuckle like she's getting a kick out of seeing you on edge. You shuffle your feet, still unsure if she’s trying to scare you off or welcome you to her tutelage.  

“Look, if it's weird for you, me being here... I can find another class,” you offer, the words tumbling out before you can think them through.

Her reaction is swift and a bit surprising, “Why would I want that? So you can duck out and be a rubbish yogi elsewhere and ruin my reputation?”

You’re taken aback by her response. Clearly, Leigh's not pushing you away; it's almost as if she's egging you on, daring you to stick it out. And if there's any hope of moving past this... whatever it is, leaving now because it might get awkward doesn't seem like the right move to make a fresh start.

“All right, I'll stay,” you find yourself saying, more to your surprise than hers. 

Leigh's got this look of triumph, chin lifted just so, when you agree to stick around. “See you at 5:30. Greenway Park,” she throws out casually.

You're there blinking, trying to piece together what she means. But before you can even get a word out, she's one step ahead. 

“We have to work on your endurance,” she clarifies. “Make sure you’re wearing real running shoes. No sneakers.”

[ghoulfuckersincorporated]

politely humbly asking if is it time for nick valentine headcanons? :)))

It sure is! I absolutely adore Nick, and while I definitely understand the "peepaw" thing people seem to prescribe to him (he does certainly ooze Old Man Vibes), I think the fact that he's also incredibly sexy is sometimes overlooked. Very unfortunate about the whole "cop" thing, but hey, my guy wants for the good of society and he's a menace when I need him to be, so he's husband material to me!

Nick Valentine (FO4) Headcanons

SFW

Physiologically, he gets absolutely nothing from smoking cigarettes, but human Nick Valentine was a 1-2 pack per day smoker back in the day. Granted, only about 20% of those cigarettes are smoked from beginning to end; both then and now, they're moreso the noir version of a fidget toy, something to occupy his hands or fret away at between his teeth as it slowly smoulders away to nothing. Without access to his cigarettes, Nick doesn't necessarily get grouchy, but he does get noticeably more antsy, clearly a little uneasy and unsure what to do with his hands. Still digs into his pockets every five minutes unconsciously.

Doesn't sleep, but keeps a shaky-framed old bed in the agency's office and actually uses it. Sometimes he likes to crawl into it and lie down with his eyes closed for a while, using the quiet time to ponder things, go over evidence, study connections in his mind. He feels a bit embarrassed by it when you ask him if he ever uses the old thing, but the act is nostalgic, even a comfort on an especially bad day.

That old duster he wears means a lot to him, and helping him repair it (or even replace it if something really terrible happens to it) will earn you major points with him. Checking up on him, in general, showing concern for him and his wellbeing will do so. He isn't used to someone caring for him so much, treating him like a regular man from the jump.

Art and art history enjoyer, as well as a good opera recording from time to time. Any time he comes across any kind of art museum or a place that would have once sold or stocked holotapes, he has a look around. Usually he turns up nothing, sometimes he ends up with new holes in him, but every once in a while he sees something, scrounges something up or sees a fairly intact piece of art that reignites feelings in him that he can't quite describe.

NSFW

Nick is a patient, almost overly generous lover. In fact, you'll be hard-pressed to even get him to allow you to touch him in turn early on in your intimate relationship. He's slick about it, using the weaknesses he's discovered against you to keep pushing you to the edge over and over again until you're too exhausted to even coherently think about reciprocating. It's nothing to do with you and everything to do with the daily struggle he fights against his own self image, his own existential thoughts. He also still regularly struggles with mourning Jenny, even though she was never really his to begin with, and he knows that. Unfortunately, that knowledge doesn't stop him from hurting, and it makes it difficult for him to be vulnerable in situations like that.

You can't hide anything from the man; if you have any kinks or interests that you're sitting on for whatever reason, he will sniff them out. Doesn't matter if you find it embarrassing; whatever it is, he'll get it out of you eventually if he notices signs that you like something. It's not like you can stop your face from flushing, your heart from racing, or your panties from dampening.

The seams between the panels that make up his body are very sensitive, and once he feels comfortable enough with you that he'll open up his shirt, it will drive him absolutely crazy if you run your fingers (or tongue) very gently along them.

Practice caution, though; you can easily hurt yourself sticking your hands and fingers and other appendages into certain crevices or panels in his body, and your experimentation can quickly turn painful, ruining the mood. He hates to see you in hurting and it makes him acutely, agonizingly aware of just how inhuman his body really is. Puts quite the damper on his spirits, unfortunately.

He doesn't cum, at least not traditionally, but if you get him (literally) hot and bothered enough he can have a sort of overheating-induced power cycling that's pretty much the closest thing he has. He enjoys it, but he'll only let you get him that far if he's in one of a handful of positions, because he often goes completely lax when it happens, and his body is heavy enough to hurt you if he just falls on you.

Surprisingly dominant in bed. Well, it surprises you at first, once he lets that side of himself show, but it fits in your mind eventually. He likes rules, and he likes enforcing what happens when those rules are broken. Big fan of orgasm denial, but also a big fan of edging you until your mind nearly breaks. I mean, parts of him vibrate, and quite strongly. He will use that against you.

[boowritess]

rubbish days

141 member of your choice x reader

maybe you're the regular barista, bartender or waitress at the cafe/bar he often frequents. or you're the uni student, worker, or just an average civilian he often crosses because you guys happen to live close or frequent the same grocery store? perhaps are on the same bus or train?

but whoever you are, he sees you often enough that the both of you look at eachother with familarity and offer a small nod or smile. and if by chance circumstances lead you both to be close, maybe you both chat about the weather or how busy the day is.

on this particular day, he is so quick to spot you amongst the crowd or maybe turning the corner in a store- honestly it's embarrassing to him how quick he is to catch you in a crowd. he can't help it, you brighten his day.

but this day, your eyes don't meet his. there's no small nod or small smile. rather your face is blank and something is off. he can see it in your eyes and the way you stare blankly in front of you. there's a dullness to them, a slight sadness.

and before he can stop himself, "weathers shit this morning, eh?" he speaks, in that familar deep tone of his that draws your eyes to finally recognize him. though it seems to take a bit. "just bout saw three people slip on the pavement." when there's a lightness that starts to rise he adds, "though i might've been one of them."

his heart nearly fucking gave way when a smile falls on your face and then you laugh and he swears he died. but when you say nothing more and look away for a brief second.

he nudges you softly, barely a nick against your arm but it's enough for you to look up at him. "you alright, sweetheart?" he asks in a gentle tone. though he feels like he shouldn't of asked- because at the end of the day he is a stranger to you other than a familiar face you see in public. before he can apologize, you let out a deep sigh and shake your head. though you don't say anything else.

"then how about i get you something warm to drink? if you're busy we can stop by the coffee cart. it's a rubbish day and something warm might do ya good, though only if you want to, sweetheart." he speaks to you with a softness, in a way that lets you know that you can simply decline and maintain the status between you.

but then you find yourself nodding, and the walls you have built today are cracking when your shoulders slump. "that would be good. thank you." your words are soft and a little cracked but it makes him smile gently and lead the way to get a hot beverage.

maybe you don't say anything about what you're going through. maybe you simply get to know him.

but maybe you do tell him. tell him the weight that has been on your shoulders. tell him all about the current mental struggle going on in your brain since the day wore on or maybe when you first woke up. maybe you tell him about upcoming anxieties from work or uni. or maybe you just tell him you're tired. or how alone you feel at the moment. or how everything is just going down hill.

you don't know why you tell him but when you look at him - well actually when he looks at you, he has an aura that makes it seem he is willing to go to battle with every single thing you say. so you can't help it. especially when all he does is not look at you like a freak - because maybe that's what you feel like - but he looks at you like he truly understands what you're going through.

so when you're finished. there's a hint of regret at having dumped all this onto him. though it's washed away when he takes your hand in his and he offers a soft smile, "thank you for telling me, sweetheart. you've done something not many can and talked about what's going. that's a sort of strength that not many could do and i'm proud of you for doing so."

then he's giving you his number, "whenever you want. whenever you need. day or night. for a talk or even to go do something. i'm yours."

the implication of his words having an unknown deeper meaning.

maybe from there you both stay and chat a little longer. maybe you have to go or he has to get back to what he was doing.

whatever happens next, all he can do is beam with pride when he see's that spark of life in your eyes return. at how you visibly brightened.

from that day forward. the dynamic between you two changed. from strangers to friends. and with the time that you need, friends to lovers.

a/n: ya'll i tried so hard to make it a you choose thang. but i just needed a comfort fic (cause homie is going through it mentally) and didn't know which 141 to choose lol. anyways i hope ya'll are doing okie mentally, physically and maybe spiritually. don't be afraid to reach out whether to me or someone else. ya'll ain't alone- especially my mentally struggling betches i love u and see u. drink some water xx

[smoothies-are-cool]

bad idea

jealous!chris sturniolo x reader

summary: chris and reader have serious tension until they give in at a party.

warnings: pet names (baby, mama, ma), kissing, swearing, mention of y/n.

a/n: first fic so i hope its gooddd. i wrote this while listening to bad idea by dove cameron so that’s what this is inspired by :))

i met chris sturniolo when i was 16. he and his brothers came into my job and continued to come in everyday until one of them, nick, asked for my number and said he wanted to be friends. ever since then i’ve been super close with all of them.

chris had always been flirty with me and was known as a jealous guy, so when another guy got anywhere near me chris would be pissed. he would always joke about us dating or something and everytime i would tell him that we’re just friends.

8:43 pm - sturniolo residence

i was in nick’s bathroom, sitting on his counter so i could be closer to the mirror. i was touching up the last bits of my makeup for the party the triplets were invited to. they were each allowed one plus one but nick was the only triplet that actually wanted to bring someone. nick told me to hurry up and then left the room to put his shoes on.

getting off the counter i stepped into my dress, struggling to zip it all the way up. luckily for me, chris walked into the bathroom.

“hey you ready?” he asked, leaning against the doorway. he had a slight smirk on his face as he watched me struggle with my dress.

“almost but i can’t get this stupid fucking zipper. can you help me?” i huff, turning around and motioning to the zipper. he walks over to me, moving my hair out of the way, his fingers grazing the back of my neck as he did so.

he grabs the fabric just below the zipper, tugging it down slightly so it’s easier to zip the dress.

“there.” he smiles, moving my hair back to it’s place. the dress was a short, pink dress that hugged my curves perfectly. the heels i wore were short silver stilettos.

“thank you!” i walk past him, grabbing my heels and rushing downstairs. “okay okay i’m ready sorry!” i quickly apologize, all of us walking out the door.

9:15 pm - the middle of nowhere in the car

chris 🤍:

you look good ma

y/n <3:

thank you chris

chris 🤍:

i’m serious.

you look so fucking good

y/n <3:

i know

thank youuu

9:30 pm - the party

when we walk into the house the first thing i smell is weed and alcohol. my stomach churns at the smell. i sigh, already wanted to go home.

“what do we do now?” i ask as all of us stand awkwardly. almost on cue, one of chris’ friends walks up to us.

“YO STURNIOLOOO!” the kid yells, dapping up chris. i groan, immediately smelling the huge cloud of weed that followed him.

“oh my god i love this song!” nick beamed, pulling me towards the crowd of kids dancing. i smile hearing the song, dueces by chris brown playing.

“nick i’m in heels!” i laugh, practically tripping over my own feet. we made it to the dance floor in one piece and nick immediately started dancing. i stood there for a minute before i slowly started moving to the beat of the song. my hips swayed to the beat as one of my hands went in the hair.

“always hoping for the worst, waiting for me to fuck up.” i sing lightly, moving my hips as i slowly dropped closer to the floor. i felt eyes on me but ignored them as me and nick started dancing together.

10:58 pm - the party

me and nick had been dancing for at least an hour and i was so focused on dancing with my best friend that i didn’t even notice the guy come up behind me. when i felt someone grab my arm i quickly turned around.

“hey, i’m cameron.” he greeted, a smile on his face.

“y/n.” i say and he sticks his hand out for me to shake. i hesitate for a second. glancing around my surroundings i spot chris, who’s already looking at me. fuck he looks good. i shake off those thoughts and shake cameron’s hand.

“wanna dance?” i ask. he smiles and nods. we walk further into the dance floor, out of chris’ view. it’s for the sake of cameron because chris would be pissed.

11:03 pm - party still

me and cameron danced to one song before he was pulled away from me.

“hey baby.”

i look up to see chris. he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

“who’s this?” chris asked, looking at cameron. chris’s jaw was clenched, he was very obviously pissed off.

“cameron.” cameron tells him.

“cool, so why were you dancing with my girlfriend?” my eyes go wide.

“uh sorry man she didn’t tell me she had a boyfriend.” cameron apologizes, walking away. i throw chris’s arm off me.

“what the fuck chris?!” i yell, making sure he can hear me over the music. he grabs my wrist and pulls me away from everyone. he walks us upstairs, finding an empty bathroom.

“chris what?” i question, watching as chris locks the bathroom door.

“why were you dancing with him?” he asks, dead serious. i almost laugh.

“because i wanted to have fun? why do you always do this?” i sigh, throwing my hands in the air in anger.

“you know why!” he shouts, my brows furrow together.

“no i don’t chris! you pull this shit every time, i genuinely don’t get it. do you just not want me to happy or something?” i snap, raising my voice even louder than his. one thing i’ve learned in life is that if someone is yelling at you just yell louder than them.

“i just don’t want you with anyone else!” he blurts out, immediately regretting it after saying it.

“shit.” he mutters, going to unlock the bathroom door. i quickly stop him, pushing the door closed.

“no no what do you mean?” i ask, looking up at him. he sighs.

“come on i’d like to think you’re not that stupid.” he moves closer to me, his hand resting on my forearm.

“no.” i shake my head, not wanting to believe it. he’s my best friend’s brother. how would they react? millions of thoughts run through my head. he nods his head and that was all i needed to confirm my suspicions.

“you really didn’t see it? me constantly flirting, calling you names and bringing up us dating. it was right there.” he explains, waiting for my response.

i look up at chris, my eyes meeting his. my breath hitches and my breath quickens.

“chris?” i whisper, inching closer to his face.

“yeah?” he softly says, his hands slowly moving up my arms. i shake my head, placing my hands on his cheeks and pushing my lips against his.

i pull away with a sigh.

“we shouldn’t be doing this chris.” i tell him, moving my hands down to his shoulders. we should be doing this, but yet i still wanted too.

“i know.” he whispers, slowly backing away from me. my eyes soften, realizing he thought i didn’t wanna do this.

i quickly grab his face, connecting our lips once again.

goosebumps ran down my body as chris’ hands went to my hips, lightly pushing my against the wall.

his hands dig into my hips causing me to let out a soft whimper. he took the opportunity to slide his tongue in my mouth. our tongues fought for dominance. his hands started roaming my body

“you’re so beautiful mama.” chris tells me, pulling away from the kiss and resting his forehead on my own.

i smile, pressing my lips to his again only to be cut off by a pounding on the door. i let out a gasp, jumping.

“y/n are you in there?”

“yeah!” i shout.

“have you seen chris? i can’t find him!” nick screams over the loud music. my eyes go wide.

“no i haven’t seen him.” i lie, looking up at chris who was struggling to get his laughter in.

“can you help me look? matt’s ready to leave.” nick tells me.

“yeah i’ll be out in a minute.” i yell to which i receive an ‘okay’ before he walked away.

me and chris looked up at each other and we bursted out laughing.

“i love you chris.” i tell him, hugging him too.

“i love you more baby.” he hugs me back, his arms going around my torso.

a/n: okay so first fic was written. i hate this icl and it took me like an hour even though it sucked but i kept listening to mesmerize by ja rule and ashanti so i powered through. i hope you like it atleast a little bit <33

@worldlxvlys 🤍

[strniohoeee]

matt despises reader but after noticing that she is having a hard period between anxiety and depression he gifts her a basket full of goodies, like books (she loves to read), fluffy socks, candles and she thinks it's a joke but he ends up confessing

Fall

Pairing:Matt Sturniolo X Female Reader

Synopsis: Matt is blind to the readers true feelings as he’s so focused on his own. It takes some separation and an Instagram post for him to realize he messed up🎈

Warnings⚠️: None, hope you enjoy though because I’m hating my writing as of lately 🥹❤️

Song for the imagine: I Wonder- The Willowz

I’m laughing, but you’re laughing at me

And I think “oh how could this be?”

And I wonder if it could be the same

He kept looking at me the whole night, and it was starting to annoy me. His face made my blood boil. Like what do you want? It was like he was grilling me

Matt hated me, and to be honest I wasn’t sure why. I didn’t even care really, but he made hanging out with Chris and Nick boring. He was such a Debby downer, and he ruined my already shitty mood constantly.

Nick always told me to ignore him which I did for the most part, but honestly his weird attitude has been making my anxiety worse.

“What do you want?” He asked him finally getting fed up

“Nothing” he said getting defensive

“Well then quit staring” I said rolling my eyes

“You wish” he said scoffing

I started to hangout with them more because my at home life had become difficult. I was slipping into a depression I’ve never been through before. With that came my anxiety, and I just wanted to be away from my room

Of course Nick and Chris didn’t mind it. I was actually shocked Matt found it to be annoying since he struggles with anxiety, but I ignored it.

I often sat with them reading. I didn't mind that they didn’t have plans. I just wanted to be in their presence. It made me feel better.

“You come here almost everyday, and then you just sit around reading” Matt says laughing

“I like to read” I said flipping the page

“Yeah I know” he said shaking his head

“What’s it to you anyways? Not like I’m bothering you” I said laughing at him

“It’s just why not stay home if all you’re doing is reading” he said

“Well Matthew maybe it’s because some people have a difficult time at home, and want to get away from it” I said looking up at him

“Doesn’t mean you have to come here” he said rolling his eyes

“You’re such a dick all the time” I said to him

“The doors right there” he said shrugging his shoulders

“You just don’t get it, do you?” I responded slamming my book shut and scooting away from the table harshly

“Oh come on” he said rolling his eyes

I ignored him and grabbed my stuff, and decided to head home. Matt was such a fucking dick, and I was so over his prissy attitude.

He made me feel like shit, and it was getting harder to be myself and try and have fun. I never wanted to see him again.

I really tried to ignore him, but I really couldn’t. His over analyzing me made me super self conscious, and I was beginning to hate myself.

After that day I had decided to stay home and not really bother them. I truly didn’t want them to think I just used them or anything. Slowly this made me slip into a depression.

Chris and Nick had been texting me daily, but I would rarely ever answer them. Too embarrassed to tell them that Matt had made me hate going to their house. I knew this would make them upset with their brother

I had been sitting in my living room reading Where The Wind Blows when suddenly I heard a loud knock at my front door.

I was a bit concerned as to who would be knocking at my door at 9PM on a Thursday night. However I shut my book and decided to answer the door.

Shock plastered on my face at who was standing in front of me.

“Matt?” I questioned raising my eyebrow

“Uhh can we speak?” He said holding something behind his back awkwardly

“I guess” I said moving out the way to let him in

He walked in, and I shut the door really confused as to why he was here.

“I’m sorry, can I help you with something?” I said shaking my head

“I got you this” he blurts out and turned around to hand me a gift basket

There were flowers, candles, candies, and books. I grabbed it and looked at him still confused

“Matt what is this?” I said blinking at him

“Well I got you roses because they’re your favorite, and then I got you candles and here’s the thing I couldn’t pick just one because I know you love the vanilla candle, but you also love Mahogany Teakwood, but then you also love the peppermint one; so I got you all of them. And then I know you said you loved Twilight but never read the books. So I went to get you the first one, but then I realized you’d have to read all of them, so I got the complete series. And when I was buying candy I remembered all the candies you listed to me like a year ago that you liked, so I had to get them all and-“ he was rambling until I cut him off

“No Matt I mean why are you giving me this?” I said placing the basket down on the table next to us

“Oh….I wanted to say I’m sorry” he said looking down

“Sorry?” I said cocking my head to the side

“I’ve been such an asshole to you lately, and it was wrong. Most of the time I’m joking, but I realized you’re sensitive, WAIT NO not like that I just mean I joke the wrong way with you. And that’s my fault, so I’m sorry. But also I’m a really dry person and I like to people watch. And I also realized that that comes off mean and weird. It’s not what I meant” he said talking fastly

“Matt, calm down. It’s okay” I said getting flustered

“And I should’ve realized what you were going through sooner. I hadn’t realized how bad you had gotten” he said shaking his head

“What do you mean?” I asked

“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” he stated

“I’m sorry?” I said furrowing my eyebrows

“Well you see I remember you told me you only watch that movie when you’re super depressed, and you posted it on your story a few days ago. It made me open my eyes” he stated

“Matt how do you remember all this” I said letting out a nervous giggle

“Can’t you see? I’m madly in love with you” he said blinking

“You’re what?” I said my jaw dropping and heat rising to my cheeks

“I just wasn’t sure how to go about it because I don’t know how to open up about my feelings and I realize I was actually pushing you further away from me because I just don’t know how to act around you and once again I’m sorry” he said stepping a bit closer

“Matt, it's okay. You were an asshole to me, but I also wasn’t the nicest in trying to understand you” I said

“I mean no it’s not okay. I’m not sure why I couldn’t just open up to you and tell you how I really feel without completely destroying it.” He replied

“I’m just shocked you remembered so much about me” I said looking over at the gift basket

“How could I not? You’re the most interesting person in my life” he replied blinking softly at me

“You’re really throwing me for a loop here” I said laughing

“I know, and it’s because I’m an idiot who can’t get my shit together” he said signing

“It’s okay Matt. I appreciate all of this. I’m truly grateful” I said pulling him in for a hug

“I just really like you and I’m sorry that I just couldn’t figure out how to reciprocate that properly” he said letting go of me

“ I mean yes you did go about it horribly but I’m glad you let me know I mean hey it’s better late than never” I said offering him a smile

“Do you….do you like me too?” He asked

“You could say something like that” I said blushing and looking down

Matt gave me a smile and pulled me in. Our lips crashing together in a sweet yet passionate kiss. My heart flutters at the action.

That night Matt and I bonded over everything you could think of. Laying in his arms as we laughed about anything and everything.

It’s so weird what communication can do. It can really make or break you.

And it made us.

The End

Yalllll I’m hating everything I write. I tried to make this one decent. I'm sorry yall LMAOAOA. But anyways I hope you enjoyed it and I love yall dearly🥹🖤🖤

-J💅🏽

[swmmi-kti]

Mates Pt 2

DNI/BYF

cw: none so far.

part: 1 part: 3

synopsis: hey you meet your love, yeah he kinda tried to kill yoU BUT HE DIDN'T

You wonder, day dream over and over, over the past meeting.

How wonderful those arms felt around you. How he runs cold compared to you So lovely so wonderful you believe and it leaves you wanting so much more.

You do your usual routine, hoping to find him but alas somethings dont happen how we want.

Regardless you take the same path as always. Look around and if you don't see him then it is for another day.

Lucky enough nature has made a good foreging today, smiling at your basket as you set a steady pace back home.

Bur only enough, you heard loud flapping above you. However you take no notice as you walk until the shadow comes to view.

Smiling brightly you turn around "your back!" You say excited. Feeling his body weight push you down knocking the basket down.

"Hi~" he says a bit to eager. You can't read the Kanji engraved into his irises. How they shine like the brightest sets of stars, "upper four", how peculiar.

"So nice of you to come by again. I've been meaning to thank you" you laugh as you grab your basket.

"So a birdie tells me, though I'll say whats a good looking human such as yourself waiting for a demon like myself"

You laugh as you wave him to follow you. "Oh trust Me I don't care about that. You saved my life from a very horrible death. I have to thank you somehow"

He lets out a sharp almost bird like chirp of a laugh as he flaps behind you. You thought about making a nice supper and thought what may be a nice way to say a simple thanks.

"And how?"

"I thought a nice dinner would be enough. I don't know what else would be good but isn't that nice?"

You hum delighted not noticing his expression die. He can't seem to break the news that he can't eat food, though you'd make a pretty good meal

Following you seems to be a good view. He smirks inwardly to himself. as he sees your older run down place. Struggling to get in your home given his larger wings.

Regardless it's a nice comfort. Usually he didn't like to play with his food...However could he even call you that? Perhaps still prey.

But watching you work feels and looks very nice. Regardless He sits back and takes in the environment around him. Its Cozy for the most part. It feels almost...so hauntingly familiar.

Life was filled with moments like this, he often wonders how he got this way, Why was he this.

"uhm..."

He snaps out of it at an instant as he changes to a growing smirk.

"yes?...im sorry i spaced out" Dear lord, did he just apologize?

"i was just about to ask would you like a big plate?" you say with a smile waving off the somber yet serious expression he dawned.

He chuckled that same screech almost like a hawk, as he looked your way "no..actually I'm alright i don- can't eat" he admits watching your face fall a little.

"oh. im sorry . i had no idea"

"It's alright You wouldn't have known demons can't eat food" He says awaiting a reaction but there is none to come.

"i still feel bad....er" You mutter realizing you dont even know his name.

As gently as he can his hand grazes over your jawline. the claws of his nick you but not terribly so that you bleed. "Urogi"

You smile a little bit because it feels so awkward as you shy away just the tiniest bit "Urogi"

You cant help but the tiniest smile at his name. Its short and sweet and sounds just about right as well. "Urogi is a nice name"

He Lets out a laugh not his usual cocky or mocking laugh. Its genuine and filled with nerves. He feels like he's not who he should be but be someone you should want.

It's a conflicting feeling for sure. And he sits with you tonight wondering how such a human could hold the entire night sky in their eyes.

.

.

.

What was wrong with him? now he's far away with the single thought of you. ignoring the new meal himself and his clones hunted....how pathetic indeed.

And he can see and feel Sekido's gaze on the back of his neck. His feathers slightly ruffled....humans seem so unappetizing to him now...

[wassertoffatom]

Hiii I’m loving your little story’s amazing!

16 with our boy Maccready?

Maybe (RJ MacCready x F!Sole)

Main Master List || Prompt Master List

Author's Note: I'm really sorry about this one. My brain connected to my fingers and took it away from me. BUT THANK YOU FOR THE REQUEST I HOPE YOU ENJOY!!!!

Warnings: 18+, MDNI, HEAVY HEAVY MENTIONS OF SUICIDE ATTEMPT, can't stress that enough, it got a tiny bit dark, language, alcohol usage

Word Count: 1.5k

==========

The Commonwealth is awake tonight, brimming with relief and happiness. Everyone heard the loud explosion that rattled what was left of Boston. The dust had settled hours ago, coating the Boston Commons in a thin layer of radioactive fallout. You’re not sure where your team went, but if you had to guess, they’re out celebrating. You should be celebrating with them, but how can you when you have just killed your only son?

So you sit alone, nursing a bottle of aged whiskey as you stare out into the city, contemplating your life these past eight months. Maybe Shaun had a point, you think to yourself, taking a swig of liquid. Maybe the Commonwealth is beyond helping. The thought causes you to freeze. How can you think like that? Despite 70% of the inhabitants trying to kill you, there are still some decent people. Thoughts like that are what formed the Institute. Maybe Shaun did get his messed up ideologies from you.

Shrugging your shoulders, you take another chug from your bottle, eyes peering out from the edge of MassFusion. Struggling to get up, you stagger to the edge, leaning your top half over, gauging the height. If you jumped, death would be guaranteed.

Tears prickle your eyes as you unlatch your pip boy, setting it to the side before stepping onto the edge, body swaying in drunken stupor. Would anyone miss you? What use to them are you now that the Institute is destroyed? Maybe MacCready will miss you, but even then, he got what he wanted. He got his son back. He won’t miss you. He has his son, everyone has someone, and you don’t. Maybe it would be best to join Shaun and Nate in the grave. “I’m sorry, Robert.”

Your leg slips off the edge, closing your eyes, expecting to meet air, but instead your body is thrown to the ground. Either that was a really fast fall or you’re dead. “What the actual hell are you doing?” That’s not Nate’s voice. That’s MacCready’s. Why am I hearing his voice? Is this what the afterlife is like? A pair of arms shake your body vigorously, causing your eyes to open, meeting a pair of very blue, but very angry eyes. “What the heck is your problem?” He drags your body away from the edge toward the center of the roof. 

“Mac? Am I dead?” You try to sit up but he places his body on top of yours, his hands holding your arms to your side.

“Is that what you’re doing? Were you trying to kill yourself?” His voice is strained, trying to hold back his emotion. “Why the fu-frick would you do that?”

You try again to sit up, but he doesn’t budge. In normal circumstances, you would blush with him on top of you, maybe tease him. Now is not that time. Knowing that he caught you, you let out a sigh of defeat. “Yeah, RJ. I was.”

Tears well in his eyes. Why would you do that to him? It’s bad enough Lucy is dead, he does not want another person he cares about dead. And no one would’ve known. “Why?”

Looking away from his heartbroken face, tears spill down your cheeks. “I don’t belong here, Mac. I don’t belong in this world.”

“So what? You’re just going to jump? Not tell anyone? Let some raider find your dead body? What if Piper had found your body? Hancock? Nick? Deacon?”

“Mac.”

“What if I had found your body? Do you have any idea what that would have done to me? How could you even think about doing something so… so stupid?!”

“There’s nothing for me here!” You yell out into the night, giving up trying to get out of his grasp. “My husband is dead! My son is DEAD! And I’m all alone,” you sob from underneath him as he looks away, wiping his tears. “I mean, Piper has her sister. Nick has Ellie. Hancock has Fahrenheit. You have Duncan. I have no one.”

MacCready slips off of you, instead pulling you onto his lap and holding you close to his body, terrified that you would try to jump again. One of his hands reaches up to stroke your hair in a vain attempt to sooth you. Looking up into the night sky, MacCready wishes to whoever is out there that they provide him with the words that he wants to say, but has always been scared to. A bright twinkle in the sky catches his eyes and he takes that as a sign. “You have me,” he pauses as your sobs begin to subside, now replaced with sniffles. “I love you, dammit. You’re the most incredible, strong, courageous, beautiful woman I know. You literally walked out of a vault, in a new world, and bared it to find your son. Not a lot of people would have done that. They would’ve given up, seen it as a lost cause, but not you. And even when we weren’t trying to find your son, you still helped people in ways that no one would have done.” You fall silent as he looks straight at you. “Even when given the choice between your son and the rest of the city, you chose the city. You’ve done so much for everyone. You’ve done so much for me. You saved me, from myself. I don’t know what I would do if I hadn’t seen you the second that I did.”

“How did you even see me? I thought everyone would be out celebrating?” MacCready chuckles, tucking a stray piece of hair behind your ear, using his thumb to wipe your cheek.

“I never left. I decided to just stay in the shadows. I knew you needed space and I didn’t want to be a bother, so I just hung around in the shadows. It’s a damn good thing that I did. I didn’t know what you were going to do, but my gut was telling me you were about to do something stupid, so I stepped in.” Both of you fall silent, embarrassment blooming under your cheeks at the thought of actually going through with it right in front of him while he comes down from the adrenaline rush of running over to you and grabbing onto you at the last second before throwing you onto the ground. He didn’t mean to throw you, but if it was throwing you two feet onto the roof or watching you fall 14 stories, he would throw you over and over until he couldn’t no more. 

Reaching back to scratch at the nape of his neck, he averts his eyes to the edge where he had almost lost you before turning his attention back to you. “Look, (Y/N). I know you think that you don’t have anyone here, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m sure that the entire decent half of the Commonwealth would rally behind you if you gave the word. And I know I’m not a lot, but you have me at the very least. You will always have me.”

His words peel at your heart. You’ve always had a soft spot for the mercenary, and fell completely in love with him when he told you his story. And now, hearing him pour out his heart again, this time for you, has you reconsidering your plight. “RJ. You are more than enough.” You surge forward, your lips pressing into his like he’s your lifeline. 

It takes him only a second to realize what is happening, but as he realizes, he’s immediately kissing back, holding you impossibly close, mentally cursing the clothes between the two of you. Not that he’s thinking of sex right now, because he’s definitely not, but he craves the physical intimacy that this moment requires. Pulling away with slight regret, he presses his forehead against, sharp lines of his nose nudging yours in a loving manner. “Please, reconsider. Stay here, alive, with your friends. With me. Stay with me.”

“But what about Duncan?”

“What about him? (Y/N), you and him are the most important people in my life. I would do anything for either of you. Please, stay with me and Duncan. I need you.”

Nodding your head, you wipe the snot from your nose with the back of your hand, trying to make yourself presentable knowing it’s a moot point. “Ok.”

“Okay!” He giggles softly, pulling you back into him, cradling your head as he presses a kiss to your temple. “You’re going to be okay. We’re going to be okay.”

“RJ?”

“Hmm?”

“If I did do it. Would you come to my funeral?” 

“I’d bury you next to Nate and Lucy. I mean it. I would do anything for you.”

[bairdthereader]

Some Heartstopper body language appreciation for your day.

The arcade conversation is easily one of my all-time favorite Narlie moments. Putting aside the fact that they're both beautiful in it, Kit and Joe's particular acting strengths are perfectly matched to the script throughout the entire interaction. Here's just one little example out of many in this scene (if I wrote about the body language in the whole scene it would be a novella, because Joe and Kit give a masterclass here).

---

We'd all like to assume that, even without the push (we could call it a shove) of overhearing Tao's angry accusations and justifiable distress at knowing Nick said yes to a date with Imogen, Nick would have chosen to tell Charlie about the potential date of his own accord. It's hard to imagine Nick keeping something like this from Charlie, but the fact is that he does, up until he knows Charlie is aware of the date. At that point, Nick's sense of honor overrides his fear, confusion, and hesitancy at trying to explain something that is causing him so much internal struggle. He couldn't let Charlie continue to feel that hurt, so he attempts to fix it. You can see him working up the nerve to start.

A misunderstanding, lie, or even omission here could have had disastrous consequences for Charlie's trust in Nick, especially when you consider everything Charlie has been through with Ben. He saw Ben with a girl and confronted him, only to be met with scorn, cruelty, and Ben's attempt to deny that Charlie had a right to be upset. He has to be seeing some parallels with Nick and Imogen, which would immediately put him on guard. But Nick, in contrast to Ben, valiantly attempts to do all he can to put Charlie's fears to rest, even though this conversation heads into incredibly tricky, uncharted waters, especially for Nick.

This is the first time Nick and Charlie have (at least on screen) tiptoed up to the edge of figuring out exactly what they are to each other. And Charlie is the one to bravely step over that edge.

This single line of dialogue ⬇️ represents an incredible depth of courage for Charlie. His only prior experience asking someone to be in a real relationship was with Ben, who instantly, emphatically, and mercilessly smacked Charlie back down. Ben took Charlie's moment of determination and hope and turned it into one of shame, shattering his confidence. Yet, here this boy is, trying again with someone he cares about even more, where the risk is exponentially higher.

This is Joe's magic at work, because all of this background and nuance is right there on Charlie's face and in his careful pauses and tone of his voice. After Nick apologizes again, saying "I've actually done something bad," Charlie's initial instinct is to comfort and reassure Nick, even though Charlie has to be at least somewhat upset in this moment. He puts down an arm, opening himself up just a bit, leans in just slightly, and starts with "Well..." He's about to give Nick a bit of an out, to soothe his agitation, because that's always Charlie's first self-sacrificing response in situations like this. At the beginning of this line, Charlie is essentially intending to tell Nick that he's free to do what he wants because Charlie has no official claim on him. But, contrary to Charlie's previous experiences in this kind of conversation, Nick has not asked for or indicated by any means that he wants an out or an excuse. Charlie stands just a tad bit taller here as he continues "it's not like we're . . ." Mid-sentence, he's deciding he does indeed want a claim on Nick, he wants to name their relationship. His eyes meet and hold Nick's for a moment, a moment when he decides that this statement is now a question, a question he has the right to ask. But as always with Charlie, he's still fighting his own demons of insecurity and learned sublimation of self and considering how this ask will affect a still very confused Nick. He breaks eye contact, losing just a bit of nerve, looking away when the words "officially dating," two words that they have not yet said to each other, are spoken aloud. There's a little bit of a head shake, like Charlie can't believe he just shone a light on this, that he just opened himself up to rejection again. There's a long pause... then, "or anything." It's almost a self admonishment, a diminishment of what he's asking. But Charlie is nothing if not brave, and this is Nick he's talking to, so he looks back up, resuming eye contact, afraid but hopeful, searching Nick's face for an answer.

And here's Kit's brilliance, because we see Nick have a whole conversation with himself without uttering a word out loud, and it's a complex one. First, Nick recognizes the request, maybe even slight challenge, that Charlie is issuing, and it scares him just a little bit at first. He's realizing what Charlie ultimately wants and recognizing that he wants it, too, even if he's frightened--those wide eyes, filled with hope and trepidation. He's acknowledging, again, the pain that Charlie is feeling (despite his assurances otherwise) at keeping things between them secret and casual--the look down, turning inward, feeling his own culpability in Charlie's pain. Nick wants to do something about it, to create a path forward for them, but is still too unsure in his new identity to commit just yet, and he's unwilling to make promises to Charlie that he's not sure he can keep--the frown, the depth of confusion mixed with determination. So Nick searches for the thing he can do in this moment while remaining true to his own current feelings and emotional capacity. When he finds that thing, you can see on his face that he is resolved and sure, intent--the barest hint of a nod to himself, the working jaw, the tightened mouth. Breaking it off with Imogen is the next concrete step in his journey away from his old self and toward Charlie, which is what he now knows he wants. So that is what he'll do.

This mini moment within this larger scene is such a challenging one for both boys, but they courageously persist. The reward? This:

Maybe they haven't "made it official," but the equal and reciprocal nature of their feelings is now clear to both of them. Bliss.

[softagenda]

caustic (vere)

vere x reader(f)

aphrodisiac au / short fic (cw: mature, slightly gory, small mention of blood drinking)

series: sweet poison (scenario-based collection of character imagines)

originally posted on ao3

masterlist

Prologue

You’re an idiot for drinking that. An absolute idiot.

You’re spilled across the floor, head swimming, burning from the inside as though you’d swallowed a star. The velvet rug brushed soft and cloying against your prickling skin as you squirmed, your heart pounding in your ears and beating an insistent rhythm in your groin.

Cooing at you from the table, her cat’s eyes curled in satisfaction, Morgana asked, “Something the matter? You look positively feverish.” She twirled a curly black lock around her finger.

Bitch. 

Paintings of naked people - bathing in springs, dancing around a fire, having an orgy in front of a temple - swirled into one colorful blob as you turned on your side, fisting the rug. You attempted to pull yourself to where you remembered the door but stalled a couple inches in, weak as a newborn kitten and stifling a moan as your body rubbed on the carpet.

“Now, now, where’s the fire? Stay a while.” She rose from her chair and stood over you, her arms crossing under her full chest. “You’re clearly hot under the collar. The thought of you wandering the streets like this concerns me deeply.”

You glared up at her, using every ounce of willpower not to writhe on the floor like a worm on a hook. Your hand felt clumsily around your hip for the dagger. 

“I’ll take that,” she chirped, snatching the weapon from your belt and tossing it behind her. “Can’t have you nicking that lovely skin.” Her heel braced on the other side of you, straddling your back. Her hands tugged the shirt from your waist before dragging warm palms up your back, her nails scratching on the return journey.

You bit your lip to stifle a moan rocketing through your chest, as every nerve in your body vibrated with electric pleasure. Your hips pressed hard into the floor, growing ever desperate for friction even as you struggled to focus.

Morgana sunk her hand into your nape, drawing your hair back from your face. When she leaned down to brush her painted lips against your ear, goosebumps erupted down your neck. “We’ll start with the bandages, shall we?”

______ prologue end _________

“Idiot.”

A familiar, disdain-filled voice echoed your thoughts from the left. 

Morgana jerked, her grip yanking on your hair. Tears pricking at the back of your eyes, you forced your head to the side and sought out that voice through the curtain of your hair.

Lounging across the bed, cushioned by dozens of pillows and silks, was Vere. His robes gaped open, revealing a set of lipstain smears across his skin. His riot of copper hair and fur flowed across the sheets like a river of fire, catching the flickering light of the feylamps. One hand propped up his chin as he reclined, while the other picked lazily at a bowl of grapes. 

He sneered down at you. “I would say I expected better, but why lie? What are you, some weak-kneed noble runt on his first trip to the brothel? Daddy didn’t tell you what was in the tea before his ‘become a man’ pep talk?” Vere popped a grape in his mouth. “Pathetic.”

You glared back, fury temporarily combating the spine-tingling lust raging through your body.

“Vere. What a pleasant surprise,” Morgana finally spoke, her voice a cultivated calm. “I wasn’t expecting you tonight.”

“Aren’t you lucky then?” He smirked, his tail curling at his back. “Carry on.”

There’s a pause as the words sunk in.

Your jaw dropped, heat burning across your cheeks and throat. Was he… actually going to sit there and watch as this witch drugged and molested you? Your hands curled into fists, nails biting into your palms. It had to be a testament to the strength of the aphrodisiac that you actually felt a cut of betrayal in your chest at the thought. After all, that was classic Vere - selfish and self-serving, only interested in his own meal and his amusement.

Why would you ever expect anything different?

Morgana hesitated. She was clearly smart enough to know there was another game at play here, another agenda captained by a being she could not hope to predict or control. Even without his notoriety across the city, her familiarity with him betrayed a long lasting relation. Of course he was a customer here. Of course he would invite himself along on your investigation. He only ever intervened when the situation was convenient, interesting, and amusing enough for him to expend the energy.

You hadn’t even realized he was paying attention that evening in the bar, as you’d brainstormed tactics with Leander.

“Was there something I could assist you with? Many of your favorites are available tonight. Autumn. Sherry,” Morgana nudged, her voice treading a line between polite and suspicious.

“I don’t repeat myself.” Vere settled back into the bed, his sunset eyes watching with languorous boredom.

A minute passed. Morgana seemed to digest the situation, accurately assumed he would not be leaving without violent intervention, and released a quiet sigh. Your heart pounded harder in your chest as her hand resumed its journey to your forearm, though without the playful caress she’d used earlier.

“Let’s get you unwrapped, sweetheart,” she crooned, her nail catching the edge of your bandages. “You don’t mind an audience, do you?”

War erupted across your body, fear and manufactured arousal poisoning your thoughts, instincts, reactions. You writhed, every rub, every touch pooling liquid pleasure in your blood. What little energy you scraped up in that moment poured into bucking and shaking, trying to force her off, force her away. 

If she touched your bare skin, you would die. The curse would compel her to gleefully strangle you, and you couldn’t fight her off like this.

“Easy, kitten,” she purred, lifting so that she could pin your wrist to the ground with her knee. “I won’t bite… yet.”

A scoff echoed from the bed.

Her nails tugged the bandage free. She unwound the first couple loops.

“Don’t touch me,” you gasped, “don’t - “

Her thumb smoothed over a patch of skin the color of a summer storm. 

Morgana’s whole body stiffened. A breath exhumed from her mouth.

Then insanity broke in a rush of violence.

Her hands grabbed your neck from behind, squeezing as a hysterical giggle welled up from her throat, louder and louder in your ear as she leaned her whole body forward, crushing you into the floor. Nails cut into your throat, blood dribbling to the carpet. You gasped for breath, adrenaline surging through your body. You tried to pry her claws back with weak hands as spots blotted your gaze.

Through your hair, you caught sight of Vere. Watching from the bed with bright fuschia eyes, his tongue curling across his lips and teeth.

Desperate beyond words, you abandoned your neck to fumble at her hip, searching for something - anything that could cut, could maim - as your vision faded to black. 

A thin, cool metal collided with your palm.

You didn’t hesitate.

You grabbed the metal and stabbed high.

An unearthly howl erupted from her throat. She released your throat as she fell back screaming, her hands clawing at her own face.

Heaving yourself forward, you kicked back as hard as you could, driven to attack before you had even caught your breath. Your boot collided with her chest and sent her crashing back into the table as she clutched her face, blood seeping from between her fingers.

Wheezing, you coughed and gasped for breath, head pounding, heart racing. The door. You had to get to the door before she recovered. Trembling from head to toe, your gaze swirled as you tried to find it, oil paintings and silk curtains spinning. You grabbed the carpet and pulled, inching across the floor.

“Hehehe…hehe!”

You shot a look over your shoulder.

Morgana lifted her face. Her eye rolled and drooped from its socket, blood spilled down her cheek. She grinned,her whole body shaking with her laughter, reaching out with hands slicked in her own ichor. 

You gripped the metal stick - a beaded hairpin - so tightly it bent beneath your fingers.

She lunged.

You lifted the pin, ready to fight to the death when - 

A river of fire erupted in between you.Vere held the deranged witch with a single hand on her face, watching as she strained against his grip like a rabid animal, drool dribbling from her mouth, her hands grasping at air, scratching his sheer sleeves and leather, reaching for you mindlessly.

“So that’s what it does,” he mused, his head tilting as he observed for another moment, before lazily rolling his arm forward and throwing Morgana across the room. Her body crashed against the wall, paintings snapping in their frames and falling on top of her. 

A hole formed in the wall at the impact, stone cracking and shattering under the force. She sunk to the floor.

You stared, pulse pounding in your ears, narrowed down to the heap of silk and hair. Then jerked back as a shadow fell over you.

For the second time that night, you’re pinned to the floor. Vere loomed over you, forcing your wrists together and yanking the hairpin out of your grasp. He inspected the blood dripping from the end, before placing it delicately behind your ear.

You shuddered as the blood smeared across your skin and into your hair.

His face dipped lower, his hair draping over his shoulders like silk curtains, that spiced scent perfuming across your face. His eyes glowed, pupils vanished beneath a smooth, blinding red. Full lips parted around a toothy smirk, his tongue curling around the tip of his fang.

“That taste,” he sighed, that malevolent glow burning in his hungry eyes. “Hot. Desperately sweet. Sharp as iron.” Vere dragged the edge of his nail down your cheek and jaw, swiping through smeared trails of blood. He lifted the finger to his mouth and sucked slowly. 

Vere smiled. “Nothing tastes quite like the soul of a survivor.”

_________________________

a/n: comments and kudos appreciated!