#i am actually struggling for words because he looks fancy

[hellomagicalsouls]

✨he looks heavenly✨

i am so excited to see this man in action for season 4. it's going to be full one tarot card, séance readings, all round witch shit. which is what i've wanted since day one.

the fashion, the vibe, the pose. beautiful. its giving klaus season one or the closest we'll get to season one.

and klaus season one will always be famous. the jewellery. the background, yes it dingy and grimy but im obsessed. i have way too many feelings on how good he looks.

i would prefer he had his curls but im willing to overlook it for this absolutely impeccable picture.

i am so excited to see him hopefully use his powers and maybe even enjoy using them. still worried about the damn tower tarot card but this. this is everything ive wanted in klaus.

when i think about klaus, this is damn near perfect to what i think. add curls and it is perfect.

[starglitterz]

♡ SPICY. // PART TWO

❝ tell me what you see when you look at me, 'cause i am a ten out of ten, honestly. ❞ // attractive things the genshin men do <3

✧ feat ; albedo, dainsleif, gorou, itto, kazuha, lyney, neuvillette, scaramouche, tighnari, zhongli x gn!reader

✧ warning(s) ; fluff, suggestive, (kinda???) modern au for itto, extremely suggestive for itto + neuvi

✧ a/n ; woahhh it's been like ten thousand years since the release of part one but here's part 2 finally ! i doubt anyone was actively waiting for this LOL but regardless i hope you enjoy it!

part one︱part two

✦ as an alchemist, you’d expect ALBEDO to always be in a white lab coat stained with all manner of chemicals, but he’s the opposite – he’s always dressed to the nines in formalwear, with his trademark coat layered on top of it to keep him from freezing in dragonspine. he only ever removes it when he’s visiting you in mondstadt. in the quiet of your peaceful apartment, albedo will be busy preparing dinner, and you feel like a starving victorian man when you see him roll his sleeves up, exposing the rare sight of his pale wrists. his fingers are long and slender too, but there’s something about the way the white fabric of his dress shirts clings to his forearms, emphasising his lean muscle and making you wonder if you’re drooling. you’re pretty sure he’s caught you staring way too many times, but he always just gives you a soft smile – he can’t understand why you’d admire him like this when you’re the one he’s always believed to be a masterpiece.

✦ dating DAINSLEIF is a quiet affair. he’s not one for over-the-top gestures or grand proclamations of his love, but he never fails to make it known that he absolutely adores you with his whole heart. between the two of you, you’re the one who always talks more, always chattering away endlessly about your latest fancy. but no matter what you’re prattling on about, dainsleif will always tilt his head and gaze at you as if you’re giving a speech on the most interesting topic in the world. he’ll even have a small smile gracing his lips, his usually stern expression now softening into one far more gentle. he’ll even nod and ask all the right questions, proving that he was paying attention the entire time. and if you ever feel guilty for talking so much, he’ll instantly reassure you that your voice is music to his ears, and if he could he’d listen to it forever. 

✦ some days, it’s like GOROU can’t even believe he’s dating you. he’s just so adorable, getting incredibly flustered whenever you even breathe in his direction. his face turns bright red and he starts stumbling over his words, barely able to string together words into coherent sentences. or if by some miracle he manages to keep his composure, his tail is a dead giveaway – it’ll be wagging at the speed of light whenever you praise him. you could be doing the most mundane tasks like laundry or washing dishes, and he’d still look at you with heart eyes as if you hung the very stars in the sky. 

✦ without a doubt, ITTO has no clue how attractive he is. once you move in together, he’ll just always walk around shirtless, even though you squeal in surprise whenever you see him. i mean c’mon, who could blame you? the oni is ripped thanks to all the hours he spends at the gym, and when you see his muscles flexing, showing off the gleaming red tattoos illustrated across his back and torso, you have to excuse yourself because you swear you’re seriously about to start barking. to make things worse, he always pairs it with those stupid baggy grey sweatpants that make you actually want to pounce on him – it’s always a struggle to keep your eyes on his face. you’re beginning to think he knows the effect though, because you always end up in the bedroom together when he wears them. 

✦ KAZUHA is the type of boyfriend who adores casual skinship. wherever you are, he’ll always find some way to touch you – whether it’s an arm wrapped around your waist, his head leaning on your shoulder, his fingers intertwined with yours… the list is endless. but his absolute favourite has to be when you wear shorts. one of his hands somehow always ends up on your thigh, his thumb rubbing circles into your skin. it isn’t necessarily heated, it’s just comforting for him to know you’re there beside him. but you’re aware of his intentions whenever he starts doing it under the table in public, merely tilting his head to give you a playful smirk and a wink that’s imperceptible to anyone else. 

✦ the entirety of fontaine knows that LYNEY is a flirtatious rascal. yet with you, he thinks he’s met his match. the two of you are constantly bantering, attempting to outdo one another in gifts and pick-up lines and dates – lynette says you both are more like competitors than partners. however, it’s just the way the both of you show affection. but there’s one move that LYNEY knows will always guarantee him the win. you’ll be chattering away, planning out your next date, and suddenly his magician hands are at your waist, fingers slipping into your belt loops to tug you closer before pressing a mischievous kiss on your lips. your shocked and flustered expression always makes his day. 

✦ as the iudex of fontaine, it makes sense that NEUVILLETTE is not one for tomfoolery. but when it comes from you, he always seems to accept whatever pranks or teasing you throw his way. but sometimes, if you’re acting up too much in public, all it takes is one look from him to set you back in line. his dark blue eyes narrow as he glances at you, lifting one brow as if to ask if you’re really willing to keep going like this. that decision is up to you – will you continue misbehaving, crossing the line to see just what he’ll do? or will you be good and quiet down in the hopes that he’ll reward you? 

✦ everybody knows that SCARAMOUCHE is a brat. that doesn’t change when he somehow becomes your boyfriend. he likes pushing your buttons, always wondering when you’re going to tip over the edge. even just simple requests will prompt him to reply ‘“oh yeah?” “make me.” “mhmm.”’ and it drives you up the wall. not just because it’s annoying, but also because it’s strangely attractive to see the way he raises his eyebrow and leans back in his seat, a smug smirk playing about his lips. but fear not, the easiest way to get him to behave is just by grabbing his collar and pulling him into a kiss. he’ll be so surprised that he’ll instantly go do whatever you told him to just so that you don’t see his blushing face.

✦ it’s 100% a green flag when men are willing to explain things to you instead of assuming you wouldn’t be able to grasp the concept, and TIGHNARI is a shining example of this. as the chief of the forest rangers, he’s extremely well-versed on everything related to sumeru’s jungles, and this extends to skills outside of foraging, as he’s also talented at cooking and preparing medicines. if you’re curious or eager to learn, he’ll always explain it to you in a way that makes it easy for you to understand, and even if you don’t, he’s very patient, and will answer every single one of your questions no matter how dumb you may think they are until you get it. seeing the proud smile on his face once you successfully achieve whatever he taught you is more than enough incentive for you to rush to learn even more from your beloved boyfriend.

✦ ZHONGLI is the type of lover that comes once in a millenia (which is probably how long he’s been alive too). he’s the whole package; sweet, caring, smart, not to mention handsome! (the only problem is that he’s constantly broke…) you’re lucky to have him as your boyfriend, and the first time you realised this was when the two of you were walking through a busy crowd in liyue’s bustling harbour while trying to run some errands. upon sensing your discomfort at how the strangers were unintentionally jostling you and bumping into the two of you, ZHONGLI wraps his arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him to put more space between you and everyone else walking past. once the crowd thins out, he’ll guide you with his hand on the small of your back, the warmth a gentle reminder that he’ll always be there for you. 

yeah sorry i deserve to be sent to horny jail for some of these 😭 HAHAHA js be glad cyno was in part one bc the things i want to do to that man... Unspeakable

© starglitterz 2024. do not repost or modify in any way – reblog / follow if you enjoyed !

[xxbimbobunnyxx]

ok so hear me out. rafe and weird!girl get into an argument and rafe calls her weird or says something about her being normal for once and my girl gets all upset as she should.

Nonnie, are you in my walls? I’m very much having a day like this. This is heavily based on the day I had today and writing it made me feel sm better. Slight angst. Fluff. 1.8K words. NO MINORS!! (Note: weird!girl is autistic coded bc I am autistic)

You were extremely overwhelmed. It feels like every single thing is out to get you today. Before you and Rafe left to go on your first grocery shopping trip since you moved in together you got into a bit of a disagreement over the list. You are extremely picky. You have set safe foods that you like to stick to and you don’t like to stray from them. But Rafe on the other hand would eat almost anything. He couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that you wanted to live off of freezer waffles and chicken nuggets when he hired a professional chef for the two of you.

“Baby, why would I buy you the cheap freezer shit when I can have it made from scratch all fancy n shit?” It wasn’t about the price, you know that. It was just that Rafe wanted you to have the best of everything he could possibly give you and sometimes you just wanted the simpler things. Something that he’s still trying to understand.

“It’s just… I don’t want that. I want the ones from the store. That I always get. The ones I like.” Your lips were formed into a pout as you looked down at your lap and played with the rings on your fingers.

“Aight, Bats, if that’s what you want.” He shrugged and kissed your forehead before leaving you to finish getting ready. It was what you wanted. But you could tell it wasn’t what he wanted so you felt bad. You didn't want to be an inconvenience.

So after that you got in your head that you were too much for him. You spent the entire card ride to the grocery store thinking about how a normal girl wouldn’t want specific foods. A normal girl would be more than happy to have a personal chef make them anything and everything they wanted. A normal girl would be able to go to those fancy restaurants Rafe likes because she’d actually like anything on the menu. He tried to take you once and you spent the entire meal picking at your plate of chicken and veggies, so he never tried again settling to go places that had things you actually liked.

Then at the store you were so in your head that if you hadn’t made a list you probably wouldn’t have gotten a single thing you wanted. You couldn’t stop feeling like you were a burden to him because you needed him to buy you an entirely different grocery list from his own. You kept trying to put things back. Or tell him you didn’t need things that you did, in fact, need. You could tell Rafe was getting frustrated with you and it only made you want to shut down even more.

It didn’t help that the grocery store was easily one of your least favorite places. The lighting was awful. There were always so many people everywhere not looking where they’re going. The freezer section was always so cold that you spent that entire section of the shopping trip practically shaking. It was so goddamn loud. People talking. Kids crying. The squeaking of the old grocery cart wheels. So going there when you were already feeling overwhelmed was a recipe for disaster.

You fully lost it when you were checking out. The cart was extremely disorganized because you were too checked out to keep it in order the entire trip. The store you were at had it so you bagged your own groceries so the fact that the cart was a complete disaster made bagging them incredibly difficult. You were struggling to keep up with the cashier and also bag the groceries efficiently. He kept pushing the conveyor belt button, rolling the groceries that you haven’t bagged yet to pile up on top of each other at the end of it. The cart was full of bags and you weren’t even half done so you had to run and grab another one, only letting the pile grow further.

Rafe bought a case of beer and it the midst of you trying to frantically bag everything in a timely manner the cashier also asked you for your I.D. Which only frustrates you more. You don’t even drink beer. And it made you have to pause bagging again to dig in your purse. The cashier kept looking from the card to you and back again, like he thought it was fake.

“I know I look nothing like that, that was 7 years ago.” You didn’t mean to sound snippy, but you were pretty much at your limit.

“Baby, it’s fine, he’s just lookin’ for the date.” Rafe shot you a look and it only pissed you off more.

“Well he’s looking at it like it’s fake or some shit!” You scoffed as you slammed a full bag into the cart. Which only earned you another look from Rafe.

On the way home he hardly talked to you, instead he decided to blast trap music when you were clearly already overstimulated so you decided to put your headphones on and drown him out.

“Bats, the fuck is going on with you today, huh?” Rafe is towering over you the minute you enter the kitchen, backing you up against the counter.

“I just don’t like the grocery store. And you made me feel bad about the food. And everything was just so loud in there. And I felt like you hardly talked to me the entire time. I’ve felt like an inconvenience to you all day!” You snap at him as you stomp your foot in frustration, glaring up at him.

“All we did was go to the fuckin’ store. You’re seriously that worked up over it?” Rafe scoffs, running a hand through his hair.

“Yes! I am! The grocery store is extremely stressful for me and you’re not being considerate of that!!”

“That’s ridiculous, people go to the grocery store every day. It’s not a big deal. I don’t know why you can’t just be fuckin’ normal sometimes.” Rafe throws his hands up, letting them fall against his thighs with a smack. The minute the words leave his mouth your bottom lip starts to quiver as tears brim your eyes. And he knows he fucked up. Immediately he knows he fucked up.

“You know what? Why don’t you go find a normal girlfriend then!?” You push against his chest, running past him to your shared bedroom. You slam the door behind you, sliding down it as the tears in your eyes begin to spill down your cheeks. You knew it.

“Baby…” Rafe’s voice travels through the thick wood as he lightly taps on it. “ I’m sorry… that was- I shouldn’t have- Bats, can you open the door, please?”

“No. Go away.” You whimper as you curl further into yourself against the door.

“Baby girl, please? Just wanna talk. Lemme see you.” He turns the knob, pushing on the door lightly causing you to shift forward slightly. “C’mon, get away from the door, let me in.”

“Why don’t you go find a normal girl to talk to.” You snap at him before trying to push back against the wood but he’s so much stronger than you that it doesn’t even budge. Rafe shoves his foot into the crack of the door, pushing it until he can slip through. It slams shut behind him from your weight, causing you to yelp. He drops to his knees in front of you, taking your face in his hands. “Baby, look at me.”

“No.” You shake your head, subconsciously nuzzling into his touch. Your lips are quivering so bad your teeth are chattering as tears flow down your cheeks and Rafe kind of wants to kick his own ass.

“Listen I- I shouldn’t have said that, okay? I didn’t - fuck baby, I didn’t mean that shit. I was just frustrated. Doesn’t make it okay though, never wanna make my girl cry.” Rafe runs his thumbs down the apples of your cheeks, wiping away the salty tears that continue to fall. “I think I’ve gotten pretty damn good about knowing how you work. But with us living together now there's gonna be new shit that I’m gonna have to pick up on. I’m so sorry princess.”

“I just - I - just wanna be enough for you. Don’t wanna be a burden.” Your body tries to curl in on itself even more but Rafe doesn’t let it, he grips onto your hips and pulls you into his lap. He wraps his strong arms around you as he starts to rock you back and forth.

“Want you to listen to me baby, aight?” He takes your jaw in his hand, tilting your head towards his to get you to look at him. When you do it nearly cracks his heart. He hates that he made you feel like everyone else always has. “I never should’ve fucking said that shit. I didn’t mean it. Not even a little bit. I wouldn’t change a single thing about you, okay? I fuckin’ love you and all your weird little shit. Your weird little shit just makes me love you more. I’ve never known anyone like you. You’ve taught me so much. I guess I’ve just still got some shit to learn. But I’m trying, Bats. I’ll never stop trying.”

“You really mean it?” You sniffle as you look up at him through your teary eyes and Rafe has never felt more bad than he does at this moment. If he saw anybody else making you cry like this they would be so fucked and here he is, doing it.

“Of course I fuckin’ mean that shit, baby girl. I’m sorry for losing my patience with you today. I never, ever, wanna hurt you. Never wanna make you feel like all these other douchebags on the island do. Kind of want to run them all over, including myself right now.” Rafe lets out a dry chuckle when he sees the corner of your lips tilt up slightly. His large hand runs down the back of your head, smoothing down your hair as he continues to rock the both of you. “You know I love you more than anything, right?”

“It’s okay, Rafey. I know I can be too much sometimes. But I do know that you love me.” And you do. Especially right now. Rafe never opens up to you like this. And you kind of want to blow him right now.

“Hey, you aren’t too much, aight? Don’t ever let anyone make you feel that way. Including me, put my ass in check baby. God knows I need it.” He smiles down at you before leaning to place a gentle kiss on your lips. “Want me to put some nuggets in the air fryer for you and we can watch that movie you’ve been trying to get me to watch?”

“Mhm, that sounds perfect daddy.”

All things Rafe & his weird!girl here

[watermelonlovershigh]

Makeup💄/blurb/

AN: here's a little surprise blurb i've wrote. i hope you like this concept and enjoy reading. keep in mind the harry in this isn't our famous harry so any talks of his sexuality is fake for the story. it's also kinda short but still worth the read. xoxo

This stories contains: talks of breaking gender norms, talks of fluid sexuality, fluff

{ boyfriendrry - soft!harry - any harry era of your choice - au harry }

word count- 791

As Harry watches you do your makeup for a night out, he finally shares his desire to wear makeup too when you gently coax it out of him.

You were sitting at your vanity doing your makeup while your boyfriend Harry sat on the edge of the bed watching you. You were going out to a local club tonight and wanted to dress sexy for the occasion.

When you began to apply some silver glitter over the tops of your pink eyelids, you notice Harry shifting closer to you, as if he's really studying how you apply your products. You've noticed a few times now that when you're doing your makeup around Harry, he always watches you closely and you find it quite adorable.

But this time, as you glance to the side and look at your boyfriend, he seems nervous. Fiddling with his ringed fingers and moving his mouth like he's wanting to say something but can't find the words.

"Is something wrong, H?" you question carefully.

Harry hesitates before stuttering, "Um, it's just, um. Nevermind actually."

You stop doing your makeup completely so he has your undivided attention and take a wild guess as to what he's wanting to say, or more so, ask. "Harry, by any chance did you want me to put some makeup on you? Because if you did want to wear some, that's fine."

Relief washes over him when you guess correctly. For a while now Harry's had this want to try out and wear some makeup. Not everyday or just anywhere. But to the club or a party, he would fancy a little color and sparkle to his face. He's just been afraid to ask because he was scared you'd judge him.

Nodding his head, Harry replies, "Yes please."

His answer has a soft smile take over your face. You stand up from your vanity chair and walk over until you're stood in front of Harry's legs. "Baby, why didn't you tell me you wanted to wear some makeup? I wouldn't have cared. I think you'd look fantastic with a bit of shimmer on your eyes and rouge on your cheeks."

Looking up, Harry answers sadly, "It's just, I thought you'd judge me. I know anyone can wear makeup and it's not just for girls but, I didn't know if you thought that way. I only fancy wearin' some when we go out on the towns. Not everyday or anythin'."

"That's fine, Harry," you began, "I'd never judge you for wanting to wear makeup sometimes. And you're right, makeup is not just for the girls and the gays. Anyone can wear makeup if they want, okay."

Giggling, Harry says back, "Okay, but I am a little gay aren't I...."

You can't help but giggle back at his words. What he means is that his sexuality is fluid and he told you early on in your relationship that he wasn't straight. Harry was equally as nervous to disclose his sexaulity to you as he was minutes ago, admitting he would like to wear some makeup. But you knew him wanting to wear makeup had nothing to do with his sexuality. Unlike what stereotypes have you believe.

"Alright, go sit on my vanity chair and pick out what color of eyeshadow you want to wear. And pick out a glitter if you want a touch of that as well." Harry listens to your instructions and picks out the colors and shimmers he'd enjoy wearing tonight.

He chose a bright blue for his lids because he said it would pair well with his outfit. Then requested just a small dusting of your silver glitter to complement the blue shadow. You stood in front of Harry and he relaxed as you took your brushes and did your magic.

To pull this look together, you add a little mascara and some coal liner in his waterline. Then apply a clear lip gloss over his perfectly shaped lips. Harry struggled a bit when you applied the mascara, saying it felt like you were poking his eye out. And when you were finished, he kept blinking, not quit use to having eye makeup on.

"Okay, all done." you announce with a clap. "Did you want anything on your face like foundation or concealer or just this for now?"

Harry studies his face in the mirror ahead and decides, "This is all f'now. Wow, do I look stunnin'. Thank you, m'love. And thank you for not judgin' me."

Looking down at his face slightly, you reply, "Of course, H. I'd never judge you. You can wear all the makeup you want. Or if you ever fancy wearing a dress or heels, I'd never judge you for that either."

Smiling, Harry responds, "Only time I've ever had the desire to wear a dress and heels is maybe for a Halloween costume. But if that changes, I'll let you know."

(PLEASE REBLOG BECAUSE WRITING IS NOT EASY AND IT'S FREE SO JUST DO IT)

(no more tags are allowed because i've hit my number limit. sorry : ( )

tag list: @one-sweet-gubler // @harryscherrysugar // @hsfanficsrecss // @lollypopsx // @harrycanyonmoonn // @itfeelslikemytherapisthatesme // @damnasstyles  // @mrsstylesharry // @softmullet  // @meetmyblondemuffins  // @thegirlnextdoorssister // @stanleystyles  // @haarrrys // @michellekstyles  // @skyangel57   // @the-gardener-31 // @lhharrylilpumpkin // @yousunshine-youtemptress // @clairestylessss  // @kissmyaxe140  // @goldenmelonsugar-hi // @kaitieskidmore97 // @florencepughily  // @alienorknight //@dancearoundthelivingroom  // @swiftmendeshoran

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______________

My Masterlist Masterpost

[bluehoodiewoozi]

Seventeen as fake dating scenarios

⟪‘97 + ‘98 + '99 line version⟫

other versions: ⟪‘95 + ‘96⟫

SEOKMIN: dumb and dumber.

He sighed as the two of you walked through the mall, hand-in-hand. You had asked him to go dress-shopping for your friend’s wedding. He was starting to think it was overkill – still, he could never say no to you.

“Okay, what’s bothering you?” you asked him. You were no fool: he’d been sighing every five minutes since you left the car.

He hesitated. “Isn’t this…”

“Isn’t this what?” you urged him, squeezing his hand.

“Isn’t this overkill?” he eventually burst, looking close to tears as he lifted your joined hands. “This. The dress shopping. Who are we trying to impress? Who’s going to care if we’re here together or not?”

You were dumbfounded. “What do you mean? If you didn’t want to come, I wouldn’t have forced you. You can so ‘no’ sometimes, you know.”

“How can I say ‘no’ when you’re just so cute?” he whined. “That’s it. Just actually date me. Stop playing with my heart!”

You could only stare at him, confused, dumb, baffled. “I’m—You—” You tried to find the words to say. Finally, you spoke, “Seokmin, I asked you out like two weeks ago.”

“What are you talking about?” He rolled his eyes. “We started this thing three whole months go. We’ve been fake dating way longer than two weeks.”

“I mean I literally asked you to be my actual, real, very serious boyfriend two weeks ago.”

He froze, eyes wide. “You did?” You nodded. A vague memory flashed through his mind – of you asking him if he wanted to make this real, him agreeing, nearly crying at the question. He screamed. “You did!”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, I guess I should’ve asked a second time when you were sober, just to clarify.”

MINGYU: fake dating because he’s tired of his popularity

It was hard to have a single logical thought when he was this close to you. It isn’t like you had a crush on the guy, but you’d be lying if you said he wasn’t fatally attractive up close. Especially when he’s pressing you against the lockers in a hallway.

“Are they gone yet?” he whispered in a manner that must have surely looked like he was mumbling sweet nothings into your ear. You were barely paying attention though, struggling to even find your breath. He sighed and repeated himself. “(Y/n), can you even hear me?”

You blinked rapidly, trying to erase any inappropriate thoughts and images flashing through your mind. “Right, right.” You glanced to the side before sighing in defeat and turning back to him, nose to nose with the most attractive and wanted man on campus. “Nope and they’re staring.”

“Let them stare.” He leaned even closer, as if to mimic a kiss for the people watching. “Don’t be so tense. They’re going to get suspicious and then we’ll be back in square one and they’ll be back to stalking me around campus. So relax.”

You almost growled at his words. “You try to relax with a metal locker digging into your back, idiot.”

“I’m just trying to make it convincing,” he pointed out with a tired sigh. “You think I like this any more than you do? This is just as uncomfortable for me as it is for— Oh!”

You were sick and tired of him. So you turned the tables, just about slamming him against the lockers instead, fingers wrapping around the collar of his stupid white form-fitting t-shirt as you did so.

“Now we’re even, pretty boy,” you whispered into his ear and glanced back at the girls who were staring wide-eyed.

MINGHAO: a family gathering

“Can’t you just be honest and tell them you’re single?” you wondered as Minghao ushered you towards the building his family had rented for their holiday. “I mean, seriously, why am I even needed here?”

Minghao sighed. “I already said I’d buy you lunch for a whole month. How much more do you need to stop complaining?”

“A donation from your fancy tea collection would suffice,” you suggested playfully.

He rolled his eyes, trying to hide his amusement. “Know your place, (Y/n).”

“Oh! What can I call you while we’re here?”

“… My name?”

“No, I mean—” You sighed. “For someone who organised this whole fake dating scheme, you sure do not seem to know much about fake dating. Mińghao, we need pet names.”

He seemed a little disturbed by the idea. “Just… call me whatever feels comfortable.”

“Pumpkin?”

“Is that really the first pet name that comes to your mind when you think of me?”

“If so?”

“Stop it. You can just call me— Auntie!” His grimaced turned into a bright smile as if by magic.

You blinked. “Auntie? Oh!” You followed his lead and smiled at the woman who came to greet you with open arms.

“Auntie, meet my darling girlfriend (Y/n),” he introduced you with a gentle hand on your back. “She’s a little nervous about meeting you guys.”

“Oh, no need to be nervous, dear! You’re practically a part of the family now. Look at you two! Such a handsome couple! Your children will be the most gorgeous little things one day.”

Paling, you nudged Minghao’s side and whispered, “I definitely want access to your fancy teas now.”

SEUNGKWAN: trying to impress an ex at a friend’s wedding

“Oh for crying out loud!” Seungkwan fussed about, hands already reaching up to fix your hair as if it was the worst fashion emergency of the 21st century. “Didn’t you brush your hair at all?”

“I brushed it plenty. If anything, a little too much,” you deadpanned and gently slapped his hand away only to take it into yours and pulling him closer. From the corner of your eye, you could see some of the other wedding guests smiling at the two of you, assuming it was a lovers’ quarrel. You took a deep breath before whispering to him, “Listen, I get that you want to make your ex realise what she lost, but you need to calm down a little.”

“I’m perfectly calm.”

He was anything but and even you, having known him a total of five days, could see that.

“Seungkwan,” you tried again and squeezed his hand a little tighter, offering a smile when he looked at you again. He forced himself to mimic your smile. “There we go. Listen, everyone here already thinks we’re as cute as, if not cuter than, the couple of the day. We don’t need to make it any more obvious to them.”

“Do you think she’s seen us yet?” he asked, gnawing on his bottom lip, nervous eyes glancing around the venue. You pulled him closer until he was forced to rest his hands on your waist.

“I’m sure she’s crying into her champagne glass in the bathroom.”

 “Right. I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I just want to prove her wrong so badly.”

You lifted a hand to pat his cheek, prompting a weak smile. “How about we dance instead? To show ‘em how it’s done?”

VERNON: showing you how you should be treated

“Okay, so I’ve been doing some research-,” you started and Vernon groaned immediately.

“Please, for the love of god, tell me it wasn’t on TikTok this time.”

You had promised him you’d never lie. So you stayed quiet instead. He sighed loudly and lifted a pillow to his face to groan into it. Once he felt he was ready to face the world again, he dropped the pillow and gestured for you to continue.

You were glad to take the chance. “So I’ve done some research and there’s this thing I want to try.”

“I knew I should’ve listened to my gut when I agreed to help you,” he mumbled before nodding. “Alright, what is it this time?”

“Why are you so grumpy about this?” you laughed. “Vernon, you’re the one that suggested fake dating me to show me–“ you cleared your throat before lowering your voice to imitate him, “–how a real man should treat his girl. You have no leg to stand on here. Now, stand up, I want you to give this your all.”

“Fair enough,” he breathed out and followed your instructions.

As the two of you stood face to face, you told him, “Now, can you please push me against the wall, hold my hand, and kiss me like you mean it?”

He laughed nervously, fighting a grimace. “… I– Yeah, sure.”

Just as you began to think he was chickening out, he followed the instructions. 

Before you could even fully comprehend what had happened, you were pushed against the wall, your left hand tightly in his. You could feel his breath against your lips and, before long, just as you were on the verge of begging, he leaned into you, his lips pressing against you. Your eyes fluttered closed, your free hand reaching up to rest against his neck.

He had ruined other men for you just like that.

CHAN: fake dating for publicity

“The paparazzi are waiting on the corner of the street,” your manager informed you, “and Lee Chan’s car should be waiting outside. You just have to walk outside, to his car, and look pretty but mysterious.”

“Pretty but mysterious?” You wanted to question the way her mind worked, but it was clear there was some genius behind her questionable instructions. So you nodded. “Got it. I’ll do my best.”

“When these news break out, you’ll be the top story of every magazine for at least a week,” she continued with a bright smile, confident in her plan. “I’ve already “leaked” some material about you two. All you guys have to do is act the part. And you’re good at acting, right?”

“Right,” you breathed out.

“Good luck! Don’t screw this up,” she told you and opened the door to the outside.

You could already see a camera reflecting light in the distance. You tried not to care and headed straight to Chan’s Maserati. He pushed the door open a little before you got there, no doubt to give the paparazzi to get a clearer shot of him.

“Hello there,” he spoke when you sat down. “Where to?”

“Anywhere but here,” you grumbled. “This whole thing is driving me insane.”

“Tell me about it,” he sighed. “My manager told me to be careful to not make a mess. I don’t even know how I’d do that in these conditions.”

“Probably by going off the rails and out of the script. By creating a scandal.”

He paused before smiling mischievously. “Do you want to create a scandal?”

You squinted. “What do you have in mind?”

“You and I, an outrageous date. I know place.”

“With a concept that would make our managers cry?”

“Is there any other kind?”

[footiehoefics]

Change of heart

Sikeee, I'm posting it right now hehe. @trentskinator98 my love has been waiting for this one ever since I made the polls HAHAHA so I'm so excited for you to read it and for everyone else as well! I had this idea on my notes for so long so writing it was so fun! I hope you guys enjoy it and if you have any ideas you are welcome to message me or send me an ask :)! TW: none, Angst/Fluff, 3.5k words

gif: @pernillecfcw

Looking at your reflection in the mirror, you were satisfied with how your look had turned out. Light yellow dress, white high heels, hair down, bronzed natural makeup and a little bit of jewelry. You turned around to see your boyfriend struggling with his tie, again. 

“Why are this things so fucking hard to put on?” he mumbled to himself

“Mase, baby, there will come a day where I won’t be able to do your tie so you really have to learn.” you said smiling, walking towards him to help him. 

“Stop, don't say that, I am not thinking about your death right when we are about to go to a wedding.” he said, giving up with the black tie. 

“Oh my God,” you laughed. “I didn’t mean it like that weirdo, I just mean maybe one day I won’t be with you getting ready.” you said, grabbing the tie getting closer to him. 

Your face was almost touching his, your arms wrapped around his shoulder trying to fix his tie situation with the stubborn collar he had. “You look beautiful by the way.” Mason said, making you blush. “You still blush at my compliments?” he asked you, smiling. “Of course I do.” you said now looking at him and giving him a peck. “And you…” you said, giving him another kiss, “look  very handsome. You need to wear a suit more.” He smiled at you, kissing you again. He brushed his tongue over your bottom lip asking for access but you knew if it got heated you wouldn't leave in 5 minutes. “Mmm Mase no” you mumbled in between his kisses. “Why not?” “Because we have to leave now, the wedding is in 30 minutes.” You detach yourself from him, smirking at yourself at how horny your boyfriend was. 

You grabbed your purse and walked down stairs to head out. You were excited about the wedding. One of yours and Mason’s friend was getting married to his highschool sweetheart who you both knew very well. Marc, your friend, actually introduced you both 6 months ago. It had been 4 months of heaven with Mason. It had its bumps since his football career was not great towards the end of the season, but you tried to be there for him while giving him his space and he appreciated it more than anything. 

Pulling up to the venue, you saw Ben, Kai and Sophia waiting for you two at the entrance. 

“Wooww you look insane.” you said to Sophia while getting out of the car. “Thank you.” Ben replied, smiling. “Not you Ben.” You told him, rolling your eyes playfully at him. 

Both of you greeted everyone with hugs and made your way into the wedding ceremony. Hand in hand, you both were in awe of the venue and the decoration. It looked beautiful. It was an outdoor ceremony during the afternoon with a perfect view of the sunset. The party however, would be inside one of the ballrooms of the very fancy hotel  which you were now dying to see. 

“This is so beautiful, wow.” you said in awe of everything. One of the servers came towards all of you and offered drinks which you gladly accepted. 

“Kai, we really need to start looking for wedding venues.” Sophia said, admiring the whole place. You laughed at her comment and Kai just rolled his eyes. 

“When are you planning on doing the wedding?” Mason asked, taking a sip of his drink. 

“Next summer, after the season is done-” Kai tried saying when Sophia interrupted him “Which means I will do all the wedding preparations while he is playing football every 3 days.” Both you and Mason laughed at her comment. 

“Soph, are you going to be like a bridezilla?” Mason asked giggling. “Oh stop, I hope for my sake not.” Kai replied 

You were engrossed in their conversation and the jokes when you noticed someone entering the venue. 

You couldn’t miss him, and it was not a surprise to you he was here. After all, he and Marc were friends. Joe, your ex boyfriend started greeting people once he entered. You gulped nervously. Having your boyfriend and your ex boyfriend at the same wedding was not ideal.

Joe and you had broken up almost a year and half ago. It wasn’t a quick relationship, you were with him for 4 years. He had proposed to you even. He had invited his whole family, leaving your family completely out of it, and proposed on a lake. When he proposed you were shocked. You were not expecting it at all, due to the fact that he had cheated on you a month prior. He did not know you knew he had cheated, so the audacity of him to propose after cheating made your blood boil. You found out about his infidelity 3 days before he proposed. You of course rejected his proposal, leaving him in a state of shock. 

You loved him, of course you did. However, there was never a point in your relationship where you thought you would marry him. He was not the dream man you always thought you’d end up with. To be completely honest, you had stayed with him for so long because it felt easy. It scared you leaving him after building a life with him and finding someone new, even though you knew you needed someone else. 

When you found out about him cheating, it hurt, but not nearly as much as you had thought. Maybe because you could finally use that as an excuse to leave him? 

When he started getting on one knee, you immediately knew what he was doing. You wanted to grab his arms and pull him up and avoid the embarrassment. It pissed you off. He took that away from you. Your marriage proposal was supposed to be one of the best moments of your life, and he took away that moment from you. 

Long story short, you said no and explained why. He turned white as a ghost and didn't even try to deny it. You spent almost 30 minutes figuring out what to do with his family who were in the cabin waiting to surprise you both. You decided to go to a hotel and stay away from him. To this day you don't know what he said to his family. The next day you went to the cabin, grabbed your things and left him. 

Mason knew all of this. He knew he had proposed, how he cheated on you and everything shitty he did to you during your relationship. One of the first dates with Mason was a golf date and dinner at a pub. You stayed in that pub until 3 am talking about everything. You opened up so much to him. Ever since that day you both knew you were it, although you had never said it to each other. 

As soon as you saw him, you got visibly nervous. You didn't even want to say hi to him. You also didn't want Mason to talk to him. Joe loved to rile people up, you knew if Joe said anything to Mason, he would get pissed and a scene would happen. You didn't want the wedding to become a fighting pit. Today was not about you, Joe or Mason. It was about the love of your friends.

Mason snapped you out of your thoughts by handing you another drink. “You okay?” he asked, grabbing your hand and rubbing it with his thumb. “Yea I’m fine…should we go sit down?” you asked him, smiling. He nodded his head, but he knew you like the back of his hand, and he could tell something was bothering you. 

—-

The ceremony was beautiful. Vows always made you tear up, resulting in Mason making fun of you and Sophia lending you powder to fix your make up. 

The bride and the groom made their exit and you were all guided to the party. Outside looked like a painting with the sunset in the background, but inside it looked like you were in a Palace. It was beautiful, there was a big bar, a dance floor, the buffet filled with delicious food and all the tables beautifully decorated with flowers. 

You were seated between Mason and Sophia. Your table was great, it was a mix of Mason’s friends and yours. You were having a really lovely night you had forgotten Joe was there. 

That was until everyone got up to dance.  All of you had a bit to drink so everyone at that point was tipsy including you both. You left the dance floor to go to the bar and grab more drinks for everyone. 

You were about to thank the waiter when you felt a cold hand on your shoulder making you turn around. 

“Hello stranger.” Joe said, smirking. You saw his piercing blue eyes stare at you, you didn’t know what to say. 

“Long time no see right?” He asked kind of hugging you sideways. You didn’t want to be rude so just smiled and lightly hugged him back.

“Yea long time no see.” you took a sip of your drink, not sure what else to say. I mean, there was nothing to say really. 

“Who are you here with?” Joe asked you sitting down on the stool in front of him 

“Oh I’m with my boyfriend.” you replied

“That’s right you’re dating Mason right? The football guy? Yea, Marc told me about that.” he said, taking a sip of his drink. 

“Um yea, we’ve been dating for a little while…” you wanted to get out of that conversation. You had no idea how to hold the conversation, and you knew it looked weird. You also didn’t want Mason getting a bad impression of what was happening. 

You started looking everywhere for him, your eyes darting from left to right, trying to avoid Joe’s gaze. 

“You looking for him already? I bored you that quickly?” he asked, laughing. 

“No…I just um…need to give him his drink-” you stuttered but got cut off by someone hugging you from behind.

“Ayoooo guys I’m so happy you’re here!” It was Marc. He looked wasted. You could smell the tequila, and you could see a red stain of wine already on his shirt. 

“I’m so glad you guys are talking! Do we get some shots?” Marc asked, almost yelling in your ear. 

“Oh no thank-” you were about to say. 

“Yes please!” Joe replied laughing at Marc’s state. “What do we want? Tequila? Jagger? Vodka? The lady chooses” 

“Um, just tequila, with lime please.” You replied. You were feeling uncomfortable being there. Marc was now in between you two with one arm over your shoulder and one over his shoulder. 

You took your shot, instantly regretting it. It was really strong. You were about to say goodbye, but you felt a pair of warm hands grab your waist. You turned around, and were relieved to see your boyfriend. 

“Oh hey. I was about to go and give you your drink.” you said smiling trying to get as far away as you could form Joe so they didn’t start talking. You handed Mason his drink and saw he was looking directly at Joe. 

“Well, well Mason!” Joe said enthusiastically. “We finally meet, I’m Joe, your girl’s ex boyfriend.” Joe said, smirking at him. Mason shook his hand with a blank expression on his face. You wanted to go hide in the corner from the awkward tension you felt. 

“Heyyy what about another shot now with Mase!” Marc exclaimed. “Marc, I think you had too many shots already.” Mason said with a tone of concern as he watched his friend stumble towards the bar table. 

“Oh c’mon it’s his wedding, let him enjoy himself.” Joe said, patting Marc in the back. “I would’ve gotten this drunk if we had gotten married.” Joe laughed along with Marc. You were now red in the face. This was exactly what you wanted to avoid. You just laughed awkwardly, trying to not make it awkward but Mason was stone cold serious. 

“Too bad you cheated on her and were a piece of shit…” Mason said, almost mumbling to himself taking a sip of his drink but all of you could hear him clearly. 

Joe stood up from the bar stool, “What did you say?” he said, visibly angry at Mason. 

“I said you are a piece of sh-” “Okay, okay, how about we go back to the table and leave Marc and Joe?” you said getting in between him and Mason. 

“Yea guys c’mon we are having a good ti-” Marc fell off the stool trying to break the situation. “Oh shit.” you tried getting him up, but Joe got a hold of him and took him outside to his now wife. 

Once you saw he was with his wife, you turned around and Mason was not there anymore. You started walking back to the table, and saw he was walking in the same direction as you. 

“Mason!” you tried calling him over the loud music. He didn’t stop at the table, instead he went straight towards the bathrooms. You followed him there and called him out again. “Hey don’t ignore me please” you said grabbing his arm making him stop. 

“What do you want?” he had never used that cold tone with you and you didn’t like it. 

“Babe, I’m sorry about that.” you didn't know how to start, but sorry seems good enough. 

He didn’t answer you. “I mean, what was I supposed to say? I didn’t want to cause a scene-” you tried saying. 

“Oh yea so me shutting up was the solution.” He put his hand in his pocket, and replied with an annoyed expression. 

“What? No. I just…” his response kind of shocked you. You both had never argued before and never had this big of problems. “Mase I just didn’t want this to turn into something more okay? We are at a wedding, Jesus.” 

“Yea whatever, you can go and hang out with him more if you want.” With that he turned around and entered the men’s bathroom leaving you speechless. 

Did you fuck up? Maybe. But the situation made you uncomfortable and you were terrible at handling those types of situations. His comment and reaction upset you, but he had the right to be mad. 

—-

You got back to the table, and it was empty. Everyone was on the dance floor  having a great time. The whole night had been magical and amazing. That was until 20 minutes ago when Joe had approached you. 

“Your boyfriend went missing again?” you heard someone say behind you. You turned your head around to see Joe smirking. 

“Don’t Joe, please.” you said, rolling your eyes and turning your head away from him. He grabbed the chair next to you and sat down. If Mason saw you again with him after what happened he would get more pissed. 

As soon as he sat down, you stood up and started walking away. “Oh c’mon, is your boyfriend gonna have a melt down if he sees you with me?” Joe said, making you stop in your tracks. 

“Listen to me, I don’t want to talk to you okay? I don’t want you to fuck this up for me! I respect him enough to walk away from a bad situation, unlike you with me who had no respect for me whatsoever!” you said angrily. 

Joe was taken back by your response. “You really need to get over it my God…” 

“Joe, I did, I probably wouldn't be dating anyone otherwise you idiot.” you said calming down a bit more. “I got over the fact you cheated on me and had the fucking audacity to propose to me after the fact, you took that away from me, a moment that was supposed to be the best moment ever, you took it away. So please, fuck off, leave me alone, and let me enjoy the night with my boyfriend okay?” Joe looked at you not knowing what to say, so he just left. 

—-

After an hour or so sitting at the empty table, everyone was instructed to sit down and listen to the speeches. Mason came to sit down by your side, this time not holding your hand or placing his hand on your thigh. It was weird being that close to him and not touching him. You knew he was still mad so you gave him space. 

“You okay babe?” you heard Sophia whisper in your ear. 

“Yea I’m good don’t worry.” you sheepishly smiled at her. She knew there was something going on, but didn’t want to ask you right at that moment. Instead she just leaned her head on your shoulder to offer comfort and you leaned your head on hers. 

—-

The speeches were done, and you cried again. Sophia gave you her powder to touch up your make up for the second time that night. 

The DJ started playing slower songs for the bride and groom to have their dance and moment. After two songs, the DJ encouraged everyone to join them and dance.

Mason got up from his chair, you assumed he would go to the bar with Chilly, but instead he held out his hand for you. You were confused as to what he wanted to do. 

“Dance?” he asked, slightly smiling. You smiled back at him, grabbed his hand and let him lead you to the dance floor. 

Once you reached the dance floor, he grabbed you by the waist with both hands and you placed both your arms around his shoulder, hiding your face on the crook of his neck. 

Your heart was beating really fast. Should you apologize again or should you let the romantic moment carry on?

“You know I never gave much thought to marriage until I met you?” Mason said, making you look at his brown eyes. 

“Really?” you asked.

“Mhm, I never ever met a girl that made me think “I would want to marry her one day.” 

“So…you want to marry me?” you asked, gently rubbing his neck with your hands. 

“I do, do you?” he asked.

“Of course I do.” you said, whispering it. 

“I always wanted to get married Mase, but I was never with like my dream man.” you said again. 

“Oh so I’m your dream man?” Mason asked, smiling to himself and making you giggle. 

“Yes Mason Mount, you are the man of my dreams.” you said giggling. 

You both stared into each other with a lot of love. 

“You know I love YOU right? No one else, no one else comes close.” you spoke up, resting your forehead on his. 

“And I love you…” he kissed you lovingly. You could hear the soft music playing and the outside noise but in that moment it was you and him. 

“I’m sorry about earlier, I really am. I didn’t know how to-” 

“Shh, stop. I know you are sorry and I know it was that dickhead that wanted to provoke me.” he said, making you laugh. 

“He can be very annoying.” “Pff, he’s the most annoying person I’ve ever met and I met him for like 5 seconds.” Both you and Mason laughed at his comment. 

You both kept dancing to the song the DJ kept playing, in the same position.

—- 

 Your feet started to hurt, so you decided to go outside and get a bit of rest and fresh air. You sat down near a balcony with the amazing view of the city. 

Mason had given you his jacket since your dress was not made for cold nights. You were sitting on his lap, one arm around your waist and the other intertwined with your on top of your thigh.

“You know… I got addicted to you so easily.” he said, making you look at him. He was still staring at the amazing view in front of him. “I care about you more than you think, I think about you all the time and I appreciate you being by my side this summer when things got hard. I know I can be a pain in the ass when I’m moody but you didn’t care.” he said giggling. Everything he had said, no man or boy had ever said to you in your life. You felt tears building up in your eyes. 

“Mase…” you tilted your head to one side looking at him lovingly, and he hugged you. He knew you were overwhelmed by his love, but you would have it any other way. 

“Weddings make you so soppy.” you said after hugging him tightly. 

“Get used to it because at our wedding, God…” he laughed. 

“I love you so much, more than anything.” you said, cupping his face with your hands. 

“I love you baby.” He kissed you and you kissed him back. 

You still couldn't believe you were dating the man of your dreams and you were going to marry him one day. After Joe, you didn't even know if it was possible. But Mason changed your perspective completely.

No word could describe what you two felt for one another.  

[vickyvicarious]

Then seizing the shaving glass, he went on: "And this is the wretched thing that has done the mischief. It is a foul bauble of man's vanity. Away with it!" and opening the heavy window with one wrench of his terrible hand, he flung out the glass, which was shattered into a thousand pieces on the stones of the courtyard far below. Then he withdrew without a word. It is very annoying, for I do not see how I am to shave, unless in my watch-case or the bottom of the shaving-pot, which is fortunately of metal.

.

He has a curious habit of looking one straight in the face, as if trying to read one's thoughts. He tries this on very much with me, but I flatter myself he has got a tough nut to crack. I know that from my glass. Do you ever try to read your own face? I do, and I can tell you it is not a bad study, and gives you more trouble than you can well fancy if you have never tried it. He says that I afford him a curious psychological study, and I humbly think I do.

Several of us pointed out last year how the timing of Dracula Daily juxtaposes these two lines/scenes, with Jonathan's mirror being taken from him just before Lucy talks about looking into hers. I'm going to try not to retread the same point too much, but instead I'd like to note the contrast between the way Lucy and Dracula speak of mirrors.

Dracula calls mirrors an agent of man's vanity. Essentially, he's dismissing them as promoting excessive ego. Looking in the mirror too often leads one to think too highly of themselves. And the image of a beautiful young woman spending time staring at herself in her mirror plays right into stereotypes about exactly that. It suggests self-absorption, obsession with beauty over substance, etc.

But that's clearly not what Lucy is doing. She links her mirror to self-knowledge, not self-praise, and in fact specifically points out the difficulties involved. She is flattering herself a little here as she says, but only in the context of realizing it can be hard to figure her out from appearances alone. Her doctor friend says she's a curious study, and despite looking her straight in the face cannot figure her out. Even she has trouble telling from her mirror. This could hint at her deliberately putting on a false front, or perhaps at feelings of uncertainty about her own identity, or difficulty expressing herself in the ways she wants. Regardless, her time spent looking into mirrors isn't vain, it's inquisitive.

And while that doesn't match up to what Dracula says about mirrors, it fits very well with the reality of what mirrors mean to him. He has no mirrors in his castle. Not because he's humble; he's obviously got a very inflated sense of his own importance and superiority. But he doesn't keep mirrors because they reflect what he is by failing to reflect him at all. It's a curious mix of being unable to see or know himself by looking at his own reflection... but also being known/revealed in a way that cuts past any examination of his actual face. Jonathan looks very closely at Dracula when he meets him, but despite spotting various unusual features* he doesn't realize his monstrous nature. But when he sees him in the mirror - or rather, nothing where he should be - he finds his first real proof that Dracula is inhuman. And that's why Dracula gets rid of Jonathan's mirror; he hates being known, unlike Lucy who enjoys the struggle of trying to figure herself out.

Mirrors as a window to knowledge also connects back to Jonathan. With his mirror stolen and destroyed, his ability to assess himself is hampered accordingly. Perhaps it would be a difficult study regardless (as Lucy says) but no mirror makes that even harder. He will have to rely on sub-par reflections in tools not made for that purpose. Not just to shave, but to be able to see himself. This coming when he realizes there are no other people around cuts him off even from seeing himself from the outside, so he can't see a human face... only Dracula's face. But also, Dracula is outright trying to deny him knowledge, and Jonathan is in a position where he's having to try and maintain his faith in his own sanity. The inability to look at his own face and examine his appearance might make that harder... although it also cuts him off from comparing his current appearance to how he used to look, and I suspect the lack of that comparison might be better than the alternative at times.

* This also ties in physiognomy. An inherently racist "science", of course, but one that was popular at the time this book was written, and engaged in by a couple characters. I don't think Jonathan outright says he's examining Dracula's features for that purpose, but I believe readers could be expected to take that description and use it to 'figure out' aspects of his personality. It's possible that Lucy is hinting at using a similar process on herself here, but if so then she seems not wholly satisfied with the results. She isn't saying that studying her face reveals her true character - closer to the opposite, if anything.

[howlyourmelancholy]

Like A Virgin

summary: she was a virgin. and he wasn't. sirius have a reputation. oh, merlin, did he had a reputation.

pairing: young!sirius x ofc (Emalia)

warnings: loss of virginity. fingering. oral (fem receiving). heavy making-out. unprotected sex. multiple orgasms.

words: 7.8k

a/n: emalia is my own original character. please keep in mind that these characters are portrayed at sixteen years old, the age of consent in my country. this got away from me and ended up a bit longer than intended. i hope you enjoy!

It was just past midday when the rumble of a motorcycle disturbed the peace of the day. It was an out-of-the-ordinary sound for the neighbourhood, one that enticed people to open their doors or peek through windows to investigate with judgmental stares. Emalia smiled to herself, knowing precisely who it was that had come visiting, and made her way downstairs.

Sirius Black.

He knocked, and she opened the door without hesitation. With a single brow lofted and arms crossed against her chest, she leaned against the door frame, preventing him from entering. Emalia peered up at him with a patient and playful gleam in her soft blue eyes.

"Hey, Ema." He had a voice like melted chocolate, all smooth, deep, and delectable, even when he wasn't intending it to be. His charisma was effortless and magnetic. But if she wasn't mistaken, he sounded a little bit sheepish, almost as though he was apologetic for not having called ahead. It hadn't bothered her. His presence was unexpected, but not unwelcome.

"Get this: James and Lily are on a date." She nodded, indicating she had already known. There wasn't much she and Lily didn't share given that they were best friends, and it was to be expected that the redhead had told her about their upcoming date. "And Peter and Remus are busy with 'family affairs', whatever that means."

She cracked a smile but didn't say anything. She just continued smiling sweetly and patiently up at him, still not making a move to allow him inside. He either didn't notice or didn't care because he went on.

"I am bored out of my skull at home, and I figured you were free and that I'd come around. So, can I come in?"

There it was, the reason for his out-of-the-blue visit—he was bored.

This wasn't surprising to hear. Sirius was a social creature; he liked being around others and was only alone when it suited him. It hadn't even bothered her that he would assume she was free and come over unannounced. After what happened last year, when her mother passed away and she struggled to come to terms with it, she and Sirius had grown closer.

He had become a constant presence in her life, where once he had just been Remus' friend. But he had been there, impulsive and reckless, when she pushed everyone away. He helped drive away her sorrows with his silly jokes and ridiculous behaviour, and he was there to comfort her when it became too much to handle. She'd lost count of how many times he had held her as she cried.

"Of course you can, Sirius. I just wanted to see how long you'd wait to ask," she said with a laugh. The sound was light and carefree, unlike anything she had done a year ago. She stepped aside to make room for him to pass, and she closed the door when he had done so. Her father, Alberic, wasn't home, but he knew Sirius well enough that she didn't think he would be bothered by the visit.

"I was just getting ready, actually. Lily and I are going to a high tea after their date." Emalia made certain the door was locked before turning back to him and motioning for him to follow her.

"So, a tea party." Sirius joked as he followed her upstairs. She could hear the smile in his voice and imagined the way his eyes crinkled at the corners as he teased her.

"No. It's a high tea. You know what that is, Sirius."

"A fancy tea party then." He went on as he took a seat at the end of her bed. Emalia was seated in front of a vanity; it was matte black with a large mirror and looked out of place in her bedroom. He wondered, just for a moment, if it had belonged to her mother. "Besides, you look pretty much ready to me."

"I need to finish my hair, then put on my heels, and I haven't decided what perfume to wear, so I'm not really. You'll just have to sit and watch, won't you?"

He laughed at her playful banter and watched her reflection in the mirror. Her expression was serious as she pulled a brush through her raven-black hair without too much difficulty. Every now and then, he saw the corner of her mouth twist in discomfort as she worked a knot loose.

After a few minutes, maybe five or so, he started counting the strokes, and when he reached thirty, he chuckled. It was a deep sound, reverberating from the middle of his chest. Emalia stopped and was staring towards the mirror, brush still held in hand, brows drawn together in confusion.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just that I've watched you brush your hair about thirty times now. I think you're done, Ema."

He saw the worried expression soften in the mirror and cracked a small smile.

"I'll only be a few more minutes, then I'll give you some attention, Pads."

"You know, I'm pretty sure I could run my fingers through your hair and it wouldn't get tangled; you've brushed it that much."

It was this comment that made her thoughts pause as she looked over her shoulder at him. If it had been any other woman, he would have thought the look she gave him was purposely seductive, but not Ema; no, she wasn't that kind of person. But maybe he was mistaken because the way she was smiling at him made him swallow hard.

"If I didn't know any better, I would think you're flirting with me, Mister Black. Maybe even trying to seduce me." Her tone was soft, like a whisper, as she gave him a playful wink. It wasn't unusual for them to poke fun at each other; the occasional flirty comment or sarcastic remark that might have led to hurt feelings if they hadn't been so close. Emalia wasn't a flirt like him, though he knew she had had boyfriends in the past.

But knowing that didn't stop his thoughts from racing to a hundred different scenarios.

"And if I was?" He replied with a sudden seriousness in his deep voice.

Emalia didn't need to see him to hear the challenge in his words. Her face flushed a soft pink, and she quickly looked away, but he saw it in the mirror's reflection.

"Is it working?"

She didn't answer; she couldn't find her voice to do so.

Sure, she had thought about him that way; she had fantasised about how his hands would feel on her body, touching her and pleasuring her, his fingers wrapped in the heat of her core. She had even touched herself on more than one occasion, imagining it was him. His name was often a heaven's prayer on her lips as pleasure swept through her body, leaving her breathless and wanting more. But those thoughts had been buried deep down, hidden alongside the ones about Remus.

He was her friend; they all were—as thick as thieves, James would always say. Emalia had never been willing to risk their incredible friendship for anything. Not love, not sex, not anything. But she would have been lying if she said she wasn't tempted.

With a gentle sigh, she placed the brush down and tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. She laughed softly and shook her head. He was teasing her again. He always did this.

"You are a dork, Sirius." The words came out halfheartedly as she stood and took a step towards the wardrobe. But he caught her by the wrist before she had taken even two steps and pulled her back towards him.

Surprised by this, she stumbled around, only to have him catch her.

It all happened so fast.

One moment she was standing, and the next she was practically straddling his lap. Her hands were on his shoulders now, clutching at him for balance, a knee resting on the mattress beside his thigh. His hands had settled on the swell of her hips, firm, warm, and strong. And then, without warning, he shifted, pulled her down onto the mattress, and held her there.

Emalia made a startled squeak but otherwise didn't resist him. She was too surprised by his bold behaviour to protest. And, if she were to be honest with herself, she had fantasised about situations exactly like this a few too many times before. She had imagined how his body would feel nestled between her thighs, what he would do when she was naked beneath him, and how he would kiss her, touch her, and love her.

One of his arms was around the small of her back, the other propping him up on an elbow. She was staring up at him with wide eyes, her lips slightly parted, and her fingertips digging into his shoulders as he hovered over her like some falling shadow.

Sirius was between her legs, making her skirt ride up her thighs, and he was breathing deeply, evenly, and calmly. His breath was washing over her mouth and nose like sickly sweet rum—it made her head swim.

"Is it working?" He repeated the question, his voice dropping an octave so that a shiver ran down her spine. Emalia still couldn't find her voice to answer him; she couldn't stop her heart from going into overdrive or the moisture pooling at her core.

His denim trousers rubbed against the sensitive skin of her inner thighs as she shifted beneath him. The ends of his long, inky black hair tickled her cheeks as he stared down at her. She could feel him staring at her, watching her, waiting for an answer.

Her tongue slipped out from behind her teeth to slowly lick her lips. He watched this with a smirk and enjoyed when she chewed nervously on her lower lip. Her chest was rising and falling, brushing against his each time, and her ebony hair was sprawled around her on the bed like the night sky.

"That depends." Emalia finally answered, her voice barely a whisper.

She couldn't deny her feelings. She wanted this—she wanted him.

Sirius leaned closer, pressing more firmly against her, stroking his nose softly against hers.

"Hrm?"

"Are you going to kiss me or not?"

He didn't answer, not verbally.

Instead, he kissed her, as was requested of him. His lips touched hers gently at first, soft and warm, moving slowly and testing the waters, but when she released the breath she had been holding and kissed him back, it was game on.

Sirius deepened the kiss, chasing her taste. Vanilla. He could taste it on her lips. Her lip gloss tasted like vanilla and sweet almonds. It was a delicious combination, and he found that he couldn't get enough of it.

He had plenty of experience in these situations and was deep in his element, so he took the lead without question. He parted his lips and swept his tongue against her plump lower lip, requesting permission. This made her head swim and made her moan softly into the kiss. Emalia parted her lips, then his tongue delved into her mouth without hesitation. He tasted like cigarette smoke and danger, pure rebellion, drowning her senses in him.

She moaned again, louder this time. Emalia shifted beneath him to wrap an arm around the back of his neck and pull him closer. His fingers trailed fire across her back as he pulled his arm from beneath her and spread it along her ribs. Sirius pushed against her, rolling his hips against hers, his arousal evident, straining against his jeans.

His mouth was making her delirious, and her head was swimming with pleasure because of it. Sirius was like fire, scorching her skin with his touch and searing her mind with his gentleness. And she was like putty in his hands—inexperienced, innocent, and all too willing to learn.

His hand trailed up her body, from her hip to her ribs, before settling over a breast that was just a little bit too big to fit in his palm. He could feel her nipple through her clothes, hardening as he ran his thumb against it. It was begging to be freed, begging to be sucked.

Emalia said his name in a quiet plea when the kiss was broken for a much-needed breath. He kissed her from her chin to her neck, stopping to suck here and there, leaving little red marks in his wake. She was writhing beneath him, pushing her hips against his, pushing her breast into his hand.

She still had an arm around his neck, and now the other had a fistful of his hair. Her fingers were buried deep in his thick locks, and she tugged on them roughly, making him growl as she dragged his mouth back to hers. Emalia was breathing heavier now, faster and harder, and her knickers were wet with excitement as their tongues touched and twirled together.

Sirius drew her lip between his teeth, biting it gently, and gave her breast a firm squeeze before moving his hand down her body. He enjoyed the way she writhed beneath him, how she kissed him with urgency, and how she moaned his name each time he did something new.

His hand reached her thigh, which was now curled against his hip. And then it drifted back up, beneath her skirt this time. Her skin was soft and warm to the touch and prickled with goosebumps. His fingers found the band of her knickers, curled around the cotton fabric, and tugged them down.

It was then that Emalia made a noise. The sound was somewhere between protest and panic. Her hand left his hair and found his beneath her skirt. Small fingers encircled his wrist and held tightly to halt his explorations. He could have kept going—he knew that, she knew that, but he was as still as stone.

She was panting and staring up with lust-filled eyes that were wide with uncertainty once again. The last virgin of their group—even Peter had finally gotten some now that he was dating that pretty Ravenclaw girl he was so keen on. This thought made him smile. She was so eager but so unsure.

"We should go out first. To dinner or something."

Her words were like a sledgehammer shattering a panel of glass—sudden and unexpected. Sirius was struck silent for a moment before the corner of his mouth pulled into a smirk. So she wanted to be wooed first. He could do that.

He kissed her without warning. Hard, slowly, thoroughly, just because he could. It made her moan and made her toes curl.

"Yeah, let's do that."

"Sirius."

"Emalia."

The warning in her tone had him grinning from ear to ear—not that she could see it, but she could certainly hear it in the sound of his laugh. Emalia shuffled along with an arm outstretched, feeling the way while he crowded behind her, his chest brushing against her back as he kept her eyes hidden behind his hands.

"I’m serious," she warned him again, this time trying to escape him. He'd blindfolded her the moment they arrived, his large hands covering her eyes, intent on not letting her ruin the surprise. Sirius hadn't told her when he would take her on a date, where he'd take her, or any other details.

And then one night he sent her a message, instructing her to dress nice and be ready by seven. Normally, she would have resisted his dominance and rebelled against his authority. But this time it made butterflies fill her stomach, making her nervous and excited, so that she had to squeeze her thighs shut to fight the ache between them.

He’d dressed nice—casual but nice. Dark denim jeans and big black combat boots. He had a leather jacket over a simple white tee and rings on at least half a dozen of his fingers. Emalia hadn't been able to hide the way her eyes moved up and down his body, taking in every detail of him, or the flush that had crept into her face when he caught her staring.

He had been equally transfixed when she opened the door. Her long ebony hair hung in loose curls down her shoulders, falling over a black blouse that was tucked into a red floral skirt, but his gaze remained on her feet. Six-inch heels, studded and strappy, towering, impossible to walk in, or so he thought.

Escaping him proved to be impossible. Sirius wrapped an arm around her waist—a tight band of muscles—as he lifted her, making her shriek in surprise. "No, you’re Ema. I’m Sirius." He chortled in response, and she could hear the tease in his words and feel the laughter vibrating through his chest and against her back. "Now behave; we’re almost there."

She was laughing in spite of how he carried her as though she weighed nothing, unhindered by the way she wriggled in his grasp. "Put me down, you buffoon!"

He didn't, not until they reached the entrance. He held onto her as her heels sank into the snow, keeping a hand on her hip and her back pressed against his chest.

He watched her face as she stared in awe at the winter wonderland before them. The ice rink had been decorated with wreaths of twinkling lights and fresh snow, and the ice was beautifully illuminated by those very same lights along with the moonlight glow. There were a couple of booths selling snow cones, hot chocolate, and other treats. There was a distinct chill in the air.

Emalia looked at him over her shoulder with a sweet smile on her lips. The lights reflected in her soft blue eyes in a way that stole the breath from his lungs. "Sirius, this is so lovely."

He frowned. "But?"

"I can’t skate very well," she admitted quietly, not wanting to ruin his surprise. "Or at all, actually."

He grinned in response, his shoulders dropping as the tension bled out of them, and suddenly he could breathe again. Sirius narrowed his eyes playfully. "It’s alright, angel. I’ll show you." His arm snaked around her waist again, his palm pressing firmly against her stomach, fingers splayed possessively, the warmth of his palm penetrating straight to her core as he pulled her tight against him. "Besides, it gives me a reason to hold you like this."

"Oh, you need an excuse for that, hrm?"

"A reason. You give me plenty of those," he mused with a hum, his mouth ghosting over hers, swallowing the little gasp of surprise. She tasted like vanilla again, her soft pink lips parting under the dominance of his. Her eyes, his eyes, drifted shut. Her tongue slipped past her own lips to lick his lower one, softly and shyly, asking for or giving permission; he couldn't figure out which because his head was swimming.

It was only the shriek of someone falling on the ice that pulled them from the moment and reminded her that they were standing somewhere very public. Sirius noticed that her eyes were glossy when they opened, but she smiled at him sweetly and innocently, as though she had no idea what effect she had on him. Emalia tangled her fingers with his, enjoying the warmth of them wrapped around hers, which were cold as ice.

Sirius had always run hot like a furnace, the heat of him seemingly clinging to the air, chasing away the cold. She noticed that his fingers were calloused, just a little bit, probably from years of holding a bat and beating bludgers away from his teammates.

He didn’t object as she tugged him to the booth where they could rent their skates. He enjoyed the way she acted so bossy, calm, and confident while making small talk with the man attending the booth. Sirius laughed when she got her skates, a size seven, and Emalia retaliated by smacking the back of her hand against his chest.

Her shoe size shouldn’t have been surprising, and really, it wasn’t. It amused him that she wore such a small size in comparison to his ten and a half. Sirius was taller than her, which was an understatement, to say the least. If Emalia hadn’t been wearing those heels, he’d have been a foot taller than her, maybe more.

She was small, delicate, and fucking smart-mouthed.

Emalia watched how Sirius laced his skates, his fingers plucking at the laces with practised movements, no doubt from how often he’d had to lace up those combat boots. She followed his movements, pulling them tight around her ankles, making sure they were supported and that she wasn’t about to end up with a broken bone. And then she was following him to the rink, leaving behind her heels beside his boots, the sight of them drawing a chuckle from him that had her shooting him a warning glare.

Sirius marvelled at how she could walk in the skates with utter confidence, perched on them like a ballerina, until she stepped onto the ice. Then she was the polar opposite. Emaila stumbled and shivered from both the cold and nervousness, her expression one of tight-lipped concentration. She clutched at the railing, her arms shaking as she managed to catch herself when she slipped.

She didn’t talk to him. Didn’t even look at him. Instead, she was staring at her feet as she edged her way around the rink once, twice, and a third time.

Sirius was the complete opposite.

He moved with confidence and a natural swagger. The wind whipped at his hair as he whizzed past her, weaving in and out of the crowd, somehow avoiding colliding with them even though his attention was entirely on her. At times, he wasn’t even watching where he was going. After a while, he grew tired of watching.

Sirius skated towards her quickly, turning his skates at the last minute and finishing with a hockey stop, covering her legs in a spray of ice flakes. "You dog!" Emalia shouted with a glare, which only made the young man grin.

"What?" he barked out with a laugh, watching as she brushed the ice from her skirt, almost falling while doing so. "I needed to get your attention somehow. You seem pretty intent on that railing; should I be jealous?"

Emalia sneered at him. "That’s because someone took me to an ice skating rink. And as I recall, I've already told you I don't know how to skate."

"Here, let me show you," Sirius said, holding out a hand.

"I’m quite happy right here," she replied indignantly.

"Don’t you trust me?"

"Not on your life!"

That wasn’t entirely true. Emalia did trust him. She trusted that he would hold her close, that his hands would wander her body, and that his lips would steal the breath from her lungs. She trusted that he would tease her and keep her safe, but she didn’t trust him not to let her fall and be covered in snow and ice shavings as a joke.

Sirius drifted closer, not taking no for an answer. He caged her between his arms, his chest pressing firmly into her back, forcing her against the railing to prevent an escape. The warmth of him was immediate; it made her head spin and made her dizzy. She found herself leaning into him to chase away the cold.

He pried her small fingers from the railing one at a time, laughing against her shoulder, his warm breath wafting against her neck, making her shiver and squeeze her thighs together. She swatted at his hands, huffed out warnings and threats between laughs, and pushed against the rail and into his chest to create space for an escape. It was only as she moved to turn, stumbling as a skate slipped out from beneath her, that she gave up the fight.

Sirius caught her around the waist, an arm around the small of her back, the opposite hand grabbing her hip. He was laughing, and so was she, as he hauled her back to her feet. "Trust me, angel. I won’t let you fall."

She made a sound that was unladylike, indignant, and very unbelieving. Emalia held his forearms tightly, her manicured nails digging in, so he felt the pressure through the sleeves of his jacket. Sirius just grinned through it.

"Don’t look down," he instructed, his tone gentle as he moved slowly backward with just a little bit of momentum. "Watch me, Ema, and keep your back straight. If you tilt forward, your balance will be off." Sirius held her forearms firmly, staying about a foot away to avoid their skates coming together.

He towed her along slowly, encouraging her to match his stride and move with the opposite foot each time he moved. He praised her when she got it right, earning himself a coy little smile and her cheeks flushing a pretty pale pink. And when she stumbled, he caught her, soothing her and telling her it was alright.

They were both silent for a while. Emalia concentrated on her footwork, her hold on him tightening a few times when she stumbled before finding a rhythm that worked for her.

"You know," she said softly, still staring down at her feet while struggling to keep her balance. Sirius captured her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted her face up. For a moment, she stared at him with pretty doe eyes, curious, nervous, and wanting. She licked her lips. "I don’t think I ever thanked you."

His brow furrowed. "For what?"

And he generally couldn’t think of what she might be thanking him for. He thought it was plain as day that he was enjoying himself on this date. Emalia was pleasant company—polite and sweet, undeniably sassy and smart-mouthed, which he found amusing.

It wasn't that he'd never considered dating her. She was an attractive young woman and had had her fair share of boyfriends and would-be suitors. But Sirius had made it a general rule to steer clear of his friends', the important ones anyway.

"I don't know," she laughed, her gaze wavering from his for a second before returning. The smile on her mouth was sweet but sad, and it plucked at the strings of his heart. He hadn’t seen that smile in a while, not since her mother had passed away and she’d tried to put on a brave face for the world. He hated it as much now as he did then.

"For everything you do. I don’t think I ever thanked you, Sirius. You stuck around even after I said those terrible things. Even when I pushed all of you away. Everything was so heavy, and you shouldered so much for me, and I don’t remember saying thank you. Or apologising."

"You were grieving, angel. You've got a free pass to be a little bitchy," he said, his hand moving to her hair and stroked it. He let the silken strands run through his fingers, marvelling over how, as he predicted, he could run them through her hair without it getting tangled. He smiled at her, gentle and reassuring. "Besides, that’s what friends are for, right? Staying around when things go to hell."

His words warmed her heart and plunged a knife into it at the same time.

Emalia was grateful to have him as a dear friend. She was so completely appreciative of everything he had done for her, how he had helped her and her family. He’d been so kind to her mother while she was confined to the hospital, lifting her spirits and making her laugh every time the doctors had bad news. But in that moment, she didn’t want a friend; she wanted more.

She was the one who moved first.

Her hands moved to his shoulders, and her lips melded against his, plump and warm, clumsy and desperate. The sound of their skates clacking together erupted between them as he hauled her closer to deepen the kiss.

His fingers burrowed deep in her hair, his cold nose gliding against hers as he tilted her head back, giving himself better access to her parting lips. The other hand held her hip, fingers pressing in firmly, feeling her curves. They were warm, spreading fire through her blood as it rushed through her veins, igniting an ache that spread from her belly and down into her hips.

The world had fallen away until it was just the two of them, clinging together like star-crossed lovers. They drifted gently on the ice, carried by his confident skill. Sirius felt her tremble against him, leaning desperately into his kiss. Her hands glided up his body, burrowing into the thicket of tresses at the back of his neck, drawing him in deeper, and he was lost in her—the smell of her shampoo, the taste of her chapstick—utterly and hopelessly lost.

He pressed his palm into the small of her back, bringing her flush against him, the other clutching at the back of her head to control their kiss. His teeth nipped at her lower lip and sucked it between his lips, and she couldn’t help but whimper.

It was that sound that brought the night careening back to reality.

Sirius pulled away, his chest heaving with heavy breaths. He kept her close, kept his hand in her hair, and kept his lips brushing against her. Their eyes half-opened and met. His hand stroked down her back, feeling her shivering, hearing her whimper, and feeling her lips open against his mouth for another needy kiss that he happily obliged in giving her.

"Sirius." Her voice was shaking, barely a whisper above the conversations around them. He felt her words rather than heard them. He bit back a groan when she bit his lip. "Take me home."

The two of them arrived on the porch of her family’s estate in record time. Her back slammed against the mahogany door as he pinned her to it, the force enough to make the hinges rattle. Emalia gasped into his mouth, caught off guard as a whisper of pain shot up her spine, only to be forgotten a second later when his hands splayed possessively at her hips.

She buried her fingers in his hair, taking a fistful to hold his mouth to hers, making him growl as his scalp was tinged with a pleasurable sort of pain. Sirius felt her nails scraping at his shirt, clawing their way down his chest before curling around his belt. With his hand hooked under the bend of her knee, he hitched her leg over the curve of his hip, allowing himself to paint his body firmly against hers.

His hips trudged against hers, strong, dominant, and rough; his cock was already hard and straining in his jeans, and she couldn’t help but use the hold of his belt to pull him closer. Emalia kissed him desperately and deliriously, her lips parting to welcome his tongue into the warmth of her mouth as he started to work his hands beneath her skirt.

Her legs turned to jelly when he took her arse in his hands, squeezing it as he ground his hips against hers so that she could feel his erection through the layers of their clothes. And then she was pushing his hands away so that she could turn towards the door.

Sirius did not stop as she fumbled with the doorknob.

"You taste so sweet," he said, his voice gravelly with lust. Sirius’ lips were warm as he kissed her neck, leaving little wisps of fire licking at her skin as he sank his pearly whites into the junction of her shoulder just hard enough to elicit a little gasp.

"Inside," she managed to gasp out, her voice trembling, "we need to get inside." Sirius silenced her with a kiss, their teeth knocking awkwardly together because of the angle, but neither minded. Emalia arched her back instinctively to allow their lips better contact, desperate to taste more of him, her arse pressing hard against his aching cock.

His hands found their way beneath her blouse, palms rough and like molten lava against her skin. He was pleasantly surprised to discover her bra unclasped at the front. He made quick work of it, her breasts freed to his wandering hands. Sirius cupped the weight of them in his palms, enjoying their soft warmth and the way her nipples hardened into peaks when he rolled them between his fingers.

It was a miracle Emalia got the door opened before they started stripping. Together, they tumbled inside—a tangle of limbs, heavy breaths, and hot kisses. It was followed by fumbling up the stairs when the kissing didn’t stop, and then they were naked on her bed and the nervousness was bleeding back into her veins.

Emalia watched him undress and, for a moment, was utterly terrified of how badly this was going to hurt. Especially with how... big he was.

And it all came racing back to her.

She was a virgin.

And he wasn’t.

Sirius had a reputation. Oh, Merlin, did he have a reputation.

Emalia had heard their schoolmates whispering about him in the back of the library. The girls talked about the delicious stretch of his fingers when he was fingering them. Or the wickedness of his mouth and how they could taste themselves on his tongue after he had gone down on them.

And it was those same girls who talked about his size—how he was above average with an impressive girth that sometimes made it uncomfortable for a few days after being with him.

She had heard the rumours; some nights he was soft and sweet, gently rocking his hips until his lover climaxed with a soft moan. Other nights, he was wild and untamed, rutting into them from behind until they couldn’t think straight.

And knowing all of this made her incredibly nervous. It made her heart stammer in her chest so hard that it might break through her breastbone, but it did not make her stop him when he started to move down her body.

"Is this okay?" Sirius whispered against her neck, his breath balmy against her sweat-slicked skin. His stormy eyes had closed, and his lips skimmed over her racing pulse and to the hollow of her throat. He took her hips into his hands, his fingertips biting into her skin just a little too much as he waited for her answer. She could feel his cock pressing against her thigh, feel how hard and big he was, and shuddered with anticipation. 

Emalia whimpered in response and nodded in approval. Sirius was magnetic, and she found she could not deny him. He was fire—chaotic and beautiful—and she was a moth to his flame.

Sirius nipped at her racing pulse, making her gasp out loud. He immediately laved his tongue over the hickey to take the sting from it. The delicious combination of pleasure and pain had her mind blurry with lust and her core clenching.

She felt so vulnerable, like he was going to eat her alive.

And she wanted desperately to satisfy his hunger.

Sirius took his time, as though he had all night for the young woman beneath him. He took one of her hardened nipples into his warm, wet mouth and sucked on it, swirling his tongue around it.

"Sirius," she whined his name when he switched breasts, this time taking her nipple between his teeth and tugging on it just enough to entice her to arch her back from the mattress.

He chuckled when she whined again. "Patience, baby." He hummed while kissing a trail of fire down her belly. He took the time to admire the rise and fall of her chest as her breath came faster, how she moved restlessly beneath his mouth, and how her pussy glistened with obvious arousal.

Sirius placed a kiss against her hips and then on the inside of her thigh, so close and yet still so far from her core, making her breath hitch. He kissed and nibbled until she was writhing beneath his mouth, trying desperately to get him where she wanted.

And then he smeared his tongue against her pussy, tasting the sweet nectar of her essence and letting it slide down the back of his throat like a fine wine. Her body quivered beneath him, and his name escaped her in a breathless moan.

Sirius couldn’t explain what it was—either inexperience or curiosity—but virgins were so quick to get wet. They tasted different on his tongue—innocent and sweet. And she was no exception. 

Her nerves cracked and popped like lightning as his tongue circled her clit, making her hips buck up. He could feel her heart racing beneath his palms; her nipples hard beneath the touch of his fingers as he caressed them down her body, memorising the feel of her skin until he found her wet heat.

She made this sound—a little gasp of pleasure—that sent arousal rocketing through his veins and straight to his cock when he pushed a finger into her tight pussy. His fingers were thicker than hers, larger and longer, reaching deep and rubbing against all of her nerves.

Emalia grabbed a fistful of his hair to hold his mouth against her when her hips bucked, pushing her pussy against his mouth when he began moving his finger. The stubble on his jaw scratched beautifully at the inside of her thighs as they tightened around his head, trapping him there when he added a second finger, stretching her more.

She came without warning, her walls clamping tight around him and her hips rising from the mattress as the world shattered into sweet oblivion. Sirius kept his lips encircled around her clit, sucking and fingering her through the climax as crystal shards of pleasure shot through her entire being. It felt like a bolt of white-hot lightning had scored her soul and set her world ablaze.

Emalia had touched herself before. She was no stranger to pleasure; she had kissed young men other than Sirius and gotten handsy with them. She’d had cum countless times with her fingers or the toys in her nightstand. But this was like nothing else.

Sirius was the son of the devil, with the face of an angel.

Her walls continued to flutter as she came back to earth with her head swimming and her thighs trembling. He withdrew his fingers to lick them clean. Sirius climbed the length of her body slowly, his lips leaving a trail of hot, wet kisses from her clit, up her belly, and between the valley of her breasts until she was tasting herself on his tongue.

She stroked his dark locks as he positioned himself between her thighs, their tongues twisting and twirling together in a delicious dance of dominance. He won, of course, and she lost gleefully. Sirius groaned against her lips as he rubbed his cock along her slick folds, her arousal lubricating him as the tip nudged her sensitive clit.

"Sirius," she moaned softly, her eyes pleading for more.

"Are you sure?"

"Please."

He did not need to be told twice. He bent his head to kiss her, his lips gliding over hers and swallowing the little gasp she made when he entered her. He moved slowly, trying to give her time to adjust to the stretch, but even so, her fingers tightened around the muscles of his shoulders when he buried himself completely, leaving little crescent moons in their wake.

The sound she made was strangled, her body tensing beneath his as she tried to will herself to relax. Pain blossomed through her core and radiated through her hips. Her eyes were scrunched shut, tears dancing on her lashline, but she didn’t tell him to stop.

Sirius knew that it was uncomfortable for her. He was not a small man, and he knew that he was above average. Emalia was so slick with arousal that if she hadn’t been a virgin, it might not have been so demanding to accommodate him.

His mouth skimmed over her chin, her cheeks, and her forehead, leaving a trail of sweet kisses behind. "Doing okay?" He asked, his voice straining as he held himself perfectly still. Emalia peeled her eyes open to stare into his stormy gaze, her breath shaking as it escaped.

"Yeah," she said in a whisper, her voice trembling.

"Try to relax," he encouraged, "it will feel good."

Sirius groaned when she loosened her grip on his shoulders, her nails leaving a sting in his heated skin. She made a sound in response, an apologetic whimper, "S - sorry!" The pitch of her voice rose as he slowly withdrew, her lips trembling against his, her expression somewhere between wanting him to devour her and wanting him to stop.

"S’okay, angel," he said, his eyes dark with desire as he looked down at her. Sirius teased his lips against hers, plunged his tongue into her mouth, and devoured her moans. He pulled out until the crown of his cock was nestled in her snug walls, and then sank back in.

He kept a slow rhythm, stretching her and giving her plenty of time. And then it happened. Emalia wound her legs around his waist to pull him in deeper while she clawed at the sheets, grasping fistfuls of the Egyptian cotton while tossing her head back and arching her back. Fresh waves of arousal washed over his cock.

She moved with him, her hips rising to welcome the piston of his, her movements delicate and desperate—in contrast to his. Sirius moved with control, dominating her with each thrust and fucking her into the mattress until she was clawing at his back and moaning in his ear. He was a little bit rough, holding her so tight that her skin was sure to bruise in the shape of his fingers, his teeth nipping at her lips until they were slightly swollen, devouring every sound that was torn from her throat.

"Sirius!" She screeched his name, her voice high-pitched and strained, when he adjusted his position to thrust deeper, hauling her legs higher on his hips. The tip of his cock crashed into a spot that sent her suddenly skyrocketing.

"Oh."

There was nothing that could have prevented the smug smirk that found its way onto his lips or the surge of pride that welled in his chest. If she had seen it, she might have smacked him. He thrust again, deeper and harder, to hear her scream again. He moved his mouth to her ear, his breath hot, his teeth tugging on her earlobe.

"That’s it, isn’t it? The spot."

Her thighs were quivering as she arched off the mattress, her head thrown back, and her lips parted in a silent scream. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. Sirius fucked her at a merciless pace, his cock catching on every mind-maddening spot along the way, crashing into her repeatedly, but it was the rough pad of his thumb swiping over the fantastic bundle of nerves that made her pussy spasm around him. Emalia screamed as her world was struck by lightning again, set on fire, shattered, and changed.

The sound of the headboard against the wall was a constant thump, thump, thump. Some part of him thought he should feel bad for being rough, especially given that this was her first time. He should have held her and loved her softly, as a gentleman would have. But he could tell from the way her pussy was squeezing him, how she was grabbing at his back to pull him closer, and how she trembled and shuddered beneath him that she was enjoying this.

"That’s it." He growled against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. He rubbed harder at her sensitive clit, fingers slick in her arousal, gliding, circling, rubbing. "Cum for me, baby."

"I-I-" She stuttered and stopped. Her mind was screaming that the pleasure would kill her, break her, and ruin her. She would have said it if her throat wasn’t constricted with breathless gasps and moans, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes, because it felt so fucking amazing.

"You can," he replied, knowing what she was going to say, once again not accepting no for an answer. "Cum for me, angel, I wanna feel you cum on my cock."

The third orgasm came from nowhere, ripped through her without warning, and crashed into the second. Emalia couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see straight, and couldn’t think through the haze he invoked. She clung to him as the storm swept her away; her nails dug so deeply into his skin that Sirius was certain to be bleeding.

She came undone beneath him, shuddering, panting, and moaning, her hips bucking into his as he fucked her with deep strokes. Her walls clamped so tightly around him that he groaned against her ear. His name spilled from her lips like a prayer to heaven, over and over again, like it was the only thing she could remember.

Sirius buried his face against her neck, biting and sucking, leaving behind hickeys that were sure to embarrass her later. His thrusts became wilder and less controlled as he chased his own release. He fisted the pillow beneath her head, grunting against her neck as his abdomen tightened, white dots decorating his vision. He kept going, moving on primal desire, until something snapped. His mind went blank and fogged as his body shuddered, his nerves cracking like they’d turned into life wires.

He reached his high and tumbled over the edge while kissing her, his fingers curling into fists around duck feather pillows, his knuckles white under the pressure. With a final thrust and a deep groan, he buried himself in her, his hips nestling tightly against hers. Ivory ribbons decorated her walls and filled her, and his tongue wrestled with hers.

Sirius waited until his vision cleared and her nails had lessened their hold before pulling out, leaving her feeling empty, sore, and satisfied. He fell onto his side, thankful for the cool sheets against his heated skin. With an arm wrangled around her waist, he dragged her against him, making her squeak and stare wide-eyed at him.

His fingers were buried in her hair again, dragging her mouth to his so he could kiss her with the fire of a thousand suns. Emalia couldn’t explain what it invoked; she couldn’t have imagined this moment.

They lay in a tangle of limbs, one of his arms around her, strong, pinning her to the wall of his chest, the other buried in her hair and refusing to release her lips. She cradled his face with one hand, nails of the opposite hand pressing into his chest. Their lips were inseparable.

It was comfortable.

And she wanted more.

[comphetkoncass]

one-plus-one, easy math cass&kon, fake dating (no, really, she's a lesbian, this is a fake date) word count: 2557 also on ao3

“You… want me to be your plus-one?” 

Cass nods. She’s started talking lately, according to Tim, but she’s still pretty quiet. Kon thinks even when she gets more comfortable with speaking, she might still be a woman of few words – she seems the type to choose them carefully, the same way she’s precise with her movements. 

“Well…” Kon rubs the back of his neck, thinking it over. “I thought we weren’t dating anymore. I thought you were happy about not dating anymore.” 

Cass tilts her head to the side, and Kon knows she’s probably reading his entire soul. He squirms a little under her intense gaze. Then, “I am.” 

“Then…” He frowns. “Why are you asking me to be your plus one, if we’re not dating?” 

It’s a longer phrase, and Kon thinks she might struggle. But to his pleasant surprise, though she takes some time to consider her words, they don’t seem overly difficult. “...I need someone outside the family.” 

“And I’m the best choice?” he asks. “...Really?” 

“I was surprised too.” 

Kon barks out a surprised laugh. She’s learned enough for jokes, then, that’s great. She smiles, and he’s glad she’s comfortable enough to joke around with him still – he missed making her happy. As whirlwind and short-lived as their romance was, making her smile was a definite perk. He always got the feeling that joy was a rare experience for her. He just hopes she’s happy in Gotham. To him, it’s always been stifling – not least because Batman is an asshole. 

“So?” Cass asks, looking at him with intense brown eyes. 

“Ah, what the hell,” he finally says. “Sure. But I need to go shopping, I don’t have anything fancy enough for this kind of thing.” 

Cass smiles then – and holds up three separate cards in Bruce Wayne’s name. Stolen, he thinks, given the mischief on her face. Kon quickly discovers that, actually, there is a superpower better than his TTK, and it’s called money. He whoops in delight, and it doesn’t take long for them to explore Gotham’s downtown, going from shop to shop until they find the perfect outfits to blend in with high society. 

(Or, rather, how they think they could blend in with high society. Cass’s dress is probably too loose and flapper-style for the current era, and Kon’s probably has too much satin, but they match, and they make for a fun duo.) 

////////

In the end, Kon probably wasn’t the best choice for the Gala. But Dick and Tim are both gone on a mission outside Gotham, leaving Cass the only Wayne child to represent the family alongside Bruce. Kon probably wasn’t the first choice, either – and privately, Kon wonders if Cass is testing boundaries with Bruce, given he’d been all but banned from Gotham. If she is testing boundaries, he hopes she gets whatever she’s angling for, even if it’s just a little more freedom to hang out with friends. 

It’s not until halfway through the Gala that Kon starts to wonder if maybe Cass had ulterior motives after all. 

They’ve been talking and tasting the overpriced snack table for most of the night, almost-goofing-off but not blatantly enough to catch Bruce’s ire (or so Kon hopes). Kon’s been monopolizing Cass’s attention, something he’s pretty good at, if he does say so himself – he’s always been a charmer. 

But eventually, it wears off; that, or everyone waiting for a chance with Cass finally get bold enough to interrupt them. And while Cass is trying to throw a wad of caviar into Kon’s open mouth, at that. 

“Ahem,” a young man about Cass’s age says. “So terribly sorry to interrupt. May I?” 

“May you what?” Kon asks, straightening up. He wipes the tiniest trace of caviar from the corner of his lip – Cass is an excellent shot, and Kon’s pretty good at catching, so it’s not like she ever missed. 

Cass, meanwhile, stands up a little straighter. 

“Interrupt,” the young man says. “Miss Wayne, I don’t mean to take you away from… present company. But I was hoping for a dance. Perhaps a bit of light conversation.” 

Kon stares at the guy, raising a brow. 

Kon’s no body language reader. Not like Cass. But he knows her heart’s a little faster, in the bad way. The blood pressure raising way. He glances between her and the new guy, and ultimately decides, nah, he’s not going to let this happen. 

“Sorry,” he says. “Her dance card is pretty full. I could try to rearrange, but she and I, we’re pretty busy.” 

Cass looks up in surprise – an expression he’s not used to seeing on her face. 

The new guy, too, looks surprised. Kon thinks he can see his eye twitching. Kon bets his name is something silly, like Macadamian Rosegarden Cavendish the Third, and that he’s not used to being told no. 

All the more reason to say no, then. 

Kon sends him a friendly smile, then looks back over at Cass and extends her a hand. Time to go somewhere a little less approachable. “Speaking of dancing though – Cass and I should probably practice a little. I’ve got two left feet, see, and she's the best dancer I know. Cass?” 

Cass looks at Kon’s hand, then his face. Wordlessly, she takes his hand. 

Kon sends the guy a two-fingered salute, then is quick to walk with her to a less occupied part of the Gala. There’s a balcony nearby, one just big enough for the two of them. Kon makes a little more room by hopping up on the ledge, swinging his legs around so he can face Cass and the party inside the windows. 

Cass is quiet for a while, but she looks less tense out in the night air. He almost didn’t notice it beyond her heartbeat, but she’d gotten a little more tense when Macadamian Rosegarden Cavendish the Third had approached – a tension that hadn’t been there when it was just the two of them enjoying themselves. 

It takes a moment, but finally she finds her words again. “...Thank you.” 

“No problem,” Kon says. “Is it like that a lot, at these things?” 

Cass shrugs one shoulder. “Second gala,” she says. When Kon doesn’t quite understand, she pauses and elaborates, just a little. “...I don’t come to many. Not sure.”

Kon nods. That makes sense. “I hope you don’t have to go much more often then, because it must suck having to reject people so much.” 

Cass looks at the ground. 

Kon frowns a little. The wind disturbs her carefully ironed bob, and when she doesn’t try to remove it from her face, Kon reaches out with just a hint of TTK and does it for her. She looks up, equal parts confused and startled. 

“Sorry,” he says, putting both hands up and stopping his powers. “Just- Sorry. Got distracted. Wanted to help.” 

Cass crosses her arms in front of her chest. 

Kon finds his train of thought, then, and asks, “Do you usually get to reject them? Or do you end up dancing with them anyways?” 

Cass’s silence speaks volumes. 

Kon lets out a slow breath. It fogs in front of him in the chilly night air. “I’m sorry,” he says, sincerely. “That sucks.”

“Not your fault.” 

“Well… I’m glad I could come with this time,” he says. “So you don’t have to dance with anyone you don’t want to.” 

Cass nods. There is the tiniest hint of a smile again, and she tucks a lock of hair behind her ears. Then, quietly, “Even you?” 

It takes him aback for a second. Then, he understands what she means, and nods. “Well yeah, I only said your dance card was full to lose that jerk. You don’t have to actually dance with me – even though I will say, my dance moves are great, I’m an absolute party animal. I can do the Mashed Potato like nobody’s business.” 

Cass blinks, serious instead of laughing. “Mashed potato?”

Kon grins, standing on top of the balcony ledge. “I’m so glad you asked, I’d be happy to demonstrate-”

He’s pretty sure he’s not doing it exactly right, but Cass looks almost hypnotized by the way his heels click and his knees move in sync with an imaginary rhythm. He’s definitely doing the hands wrong, but he’s having more fun with it this way. 

“Dancing with yourself?” Cass asks, grinning up at him. "Not a waltz?"

“Way more fun,” Kon says with a grin. “I could show you how to do it yourself?” 

Cass just laughs at him. She’s already imitating his movement – in a way that flows better than he’s doing. Right – almost forgot, movement was her first language. Of course she’s better than him already. 

Instead of feeling put out, Kon just grins at her. 

She looks like she’s having fun again – and really, that’s all he wants. 

When she looks back up at him, her smile is everything. Kon knows she isn’t interested in a relationship – or at least, not one with him. Kon checks in with himself, gives himself a stern reminder not to read into anything. He’s here to make sure she has fun, and that’s all. 

Eventually, after teaching Cass the Twist, the Shopping Cart, and an attempt at the Moonwalk – all of which she masters immediately – Kon hops down from the ledge and moves to sit again. 

He looks up at the sky, and mourns the fact that Gotham doesn’t really have stars. “Thanks for inviting me,” he says sincerely. “It’s been really fun tonight. I haven’t gotten to go to something like this in a while, and the ones I went to before – they weren’t that fun, either, even if they were a lot less fancy than this.” 

Cass looks a little surprised. “But you’re so… exciting?” 

Kon chuckles a little. “Yeah,” he says. “But it’s still more fun here with you.” 

It takes her a moment to chew on that. Eventually, she moves to sit on top of the ledge next to him. They both look inwards at the party, watching ladies in fancy dresses dance with well-dressed men in suits. The fake laughter, the champagne glasses. Kon’s never been that familiar with the super-rich, but he’s had his fair share of parties. Especially back when he was Just Superboy. 

Ever since getting his name, and especially after moving in with Ma and Pa Kent, life’s been a lot slower. More balanced. He has room to breathe. 

Kon doesn’t know much about Cass’s life before being adopted by Bruce Wayne. But he hopes it’s been a relief for her, too. That whatever her life was like before, that she can breathe in this fresh start, too. He hopes it’s not constant vigilante work all the time. She deserves a chance to have fun and be a real person, too. 

When Kon looks back, he finds Cass staring at a young woman with a particularly daring backless dress in crushed velvet Prussian blue. 

Her cheeks are pink, he notices.

And he thinks, maybe he’s reading into this too much. But if he’s not, he thinks he understands her a little bit better. And maybe why she seemed to have a lot of fun on their date, and liked the idea of a romance, and a TTK castle in the sky, and a spark of real love with someone – but why something was missing. 

“She’s pretty,” Kon says, looking at the young woman, too. “Do you like her dress?” 

Cass turns to him, brows furrowed. She glances between his body language and his lips, seemingly puzzled. “I wouldn’t want to wear it.” 

“Sorry,” Kon says, realizing he might be confusing her by being subtle. “I wouldn’t expect you to, yeah, it’s not very practical.” 

Cass looks at him again, still confused. 

“...But,” he says, “It’s okay to like how it looks on her. It’s okay if you think she’s pretty.” 

Cass doesn’t say anything for a little while. Her face is still a little pink. 

“Pretty doesn’t matter,” Cass says, but her eyes don’t leave the blue dress. “It’s not supposed to.” 

“Sure,” Kon says. “But dancing doesn’t matter either. And it can still be fun. Pretty – sometimes pretty can be fun. Sometimes people like to look pretty just to enjoy it. Like art, or whatever.”

It takes a moment, but finally, Cass nods. “And she?” she asks. “She wants to look pretty so that someone sees her as pretty?”

“Something like that.” 

“Her date,” Cass says. Her eyes are laser-focused on the man locking arms with her. “She wants her date to see her as pretty.” She pauses for a moment. A long one. Then, in a smaller voice, “Not me.” 

Kon is quiet for a moment, not sure what to say to that. 

Cass’s shoulders slump. “I shouldn’t look. I wouldn’t want her to feel-” She frowns, looks over at the boy who had asked her to dance earlier, who Kon had helped her reject. And Kon recognizes her dilemma. The fear of looking, of asking to dance, when it’s unwanted. When there is a fundamental incompatibility. 

Cass shivers, and Kon sheds his jacket to drape over her shoulders. It’s satin, so it doesn’t do all that much to protect her from the cold, but Kon likes to think it at least helps. She pulls it closer, and looks more at ease immediately. 

“You don’t have to look if it makes you worried to think about this kind of thing,” he says, carefully. “But it’s not wrong to think she’s pretty, regardless of who she’s trying to be pretty for.” 

She looks up at him, still unsure. 

“Trust me on this,” Kon says, adding a wink for flair. “It’s okay if you don’t like boys. It’s okay if you like girls – hell, it’s okay if you only like girls. You’re not doing anything wrong.”

Cass looks in through the window, of the sea of wealthy Gothamites. Kon follows her eyes to the small, formal dance floor – where the only ones dancing are men-and-woman pairs. How they lean in close to each other; how the man leads the woman, how they’re pushed close together, how it’s impossible to miss the intimacy in the way they hold each other, even in formal dances. The way men’s suits cut neatly to their waists and flatter masculine figures; the way the women’s dresses accentuate whatever she believes her best features to be. The way they all follow the same type of dance, with no room for new steps. No room for fun. 

He thinks it cuts quite a picture against two vigilantes, teaching each other how to dance with themselves in the cold night air. 

“Someday you might get to dance with a girl,” he says. “Sorry if it might not be tonight. But someday.” 

Cass laughs a little, pink to her ears. “And you?” 

“What, who am I going to dance with?” 

She nods. 

Kon lets out a long breath, leaning backwards, elbows brushing the railing. He’s not sure himself. “I like dancing, just not the boring, stuffy kind,” he finally says. “As long as my partner’s having fun, I don’t really care how I do it, or who I’m dancing with.” 

Cass follows his eyes – the way he watches everyone inside the window, his eyes not particularly caught by any one person. 

“Okay,” she says, and accepts that as an answer. Kon thinks she reads something different in his body language – but if she does, she doesn’t tell him any different. 

"Let's stay outside a little longer, yeah?" Kon finally says. "I think I remember the Electric Slide. I've got the song on my phone and everything."

Cass grins, and Kon pulls up his phone. The Electric Slide clashes horribly against the orchestra inside, but he doesn't care. They've got their own dancing to do, and they'll be doing it to their own rhythm.

[canirove]

Broken Hearts Football Club | Bonus chapter 3

Author’s note: I managed to do it, and here you have the last bonus chapter! Though writing has been a bit stressful, because I thought I wasn't going to finish it on time 😅 Anyway, hope you like it, and thank you very much for reading and being part of June and Ben's story 💜

First chapter | Last chapter | Bonus chapter 1 | Bonus chapter 2

Masterlist

🚨 On this chapter there are mentions of mental health struggles and infertility. 🚨

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

A couple of years after the previos chapter...

“Meow.”

“What…”

“Meeeeow!”

“Pepper?” June murmured.

“Meow!” 

“What are you doing… here?” she yawned, slowly opening her eyes.

“Meow, meow” he replied, curling next to her. 

“You shouldn't be here. Who let you in?”

“I did.”

“What?” 

“Good morning, Maxwell” Ben smiled from the door, a tray with food in his hands. “Fancy some breakfast in bed?”

“Always” she smiled, sitting up. “Thank you, husband.”

“You're welcome, wife” he smiled back, kissing her cheek and sitting next to her and Pepper.

“Peach juice and coffee, toasts, chocolate cookies, some fruit, a rose that I suspect has come from the garden… To what do I owe this honour?”

“Today is a special day, June.”

“Is it?” she said, picking one of the cookies.

“Here” he said, giving her an envelope.

“What is this?”

“Open it and you'll see.”

“Happy retirement?” she laughed.

“Happy football retirement” Ben corrected her, pointing at the word he had written on the card. 

It was happening. June was retiring from football, her career coming to an end that very same day since Chelsea were playing their last game of the season. 

She had thought about it for months before making her final decision, many times regretting it and then telling herself it was the best thing to do. But it actually was the best decision. Her muscles had already started to say no more, and in her heart she felt it was time to start a new chapter. 

“I can't believe you got me a card” she laughed again.

“I saw it in the supermarket and couldn't resist myself” he shrugged. “Anyway, eat. We don't want your toasts to get cold and soggy.”

“Yes, of course. But what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Aren't you eating breakfast with me?”

“Pepper and I already did, don't worry. Today is all about you, June” Ben said, caressing her cheek. 

“Thank you” she replied with a small smile. “Are you ok, tho?”

“Ok?”

“Yeah. About today, about me retiring. Is it… Are you…”

“Am I?” he said, his hand still on her face.

“Is today bringing you bad memories? From when you… from when you had to retire.”

“Don't think about that now, June.”

“But are you ok?” she insisted. She knew how hard it had been for him, how much he had struggled. And now that he looked happier than ever with his new job training a kids team, she didn't want him to go back to all that. 

“I am, that's in the past.”

“Promise?”

“I promise” he smiled. “Now eat, Maxwell. I want you to score tonight as a goodbye, and for that you need your energy.”

“I need to recharge” she smirked.

“Exactly” Ben smirked back. 

“But one last thing…”

“What” he sighed.

“I love you, husband.”

“And I love you, wife. Now eat” he repeated.

“Yes, mum” she replied, rolling her eyes and making them both laugh.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Finally, Lauren. What took you so long?” Vittoria complained.

“Traffic. How is my niece today?” she asked her, touching her bump before letting herself fall on one of June's sofas. 

“Good” Vittoria smiled. Like June, she had retired the previous season, announcing her pregnancy just a few months later. 

“Your beer, Lauren” June said, giving it to her and also sitting down.

“Urgh, beer. I miss it so much” Vittoria said. “I can't wait for the little one to be here so I can finally drink a very cold one. And eat jamón.”

“What?” Lauren laughed.

“You can't eat it while pregnant. Or sushi, though I don't like it.”

“I don't envy you, then. What about you, June?”

“Uh?”

“June, are you ok?” Vittoria asked her. “You look a bit… off.”

“I'm fine, don't worry” she said, forcing herself to smile.

“Are you sure?” Lauren said. “Because you look like you were about to cry.”

“What? No, no. It's just that I looked out the window because I thought I had seen something, and the sun blinded me, nothing else” she said, still smiling. “So, tell us. How was training today? You are the only one who is still playing, make us jealous.”

“I… ok” Lauren said, her face giving away that she hadn't believed June's excuse. “Today they had us doing some strength exercises, so it wasn't the most fun thing to do…” 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Hello, wife” Ben smiled, kissing June's cheek and sitting next to her. 

“Hi.”

“How was your day? Did the girls come around?”

“They did.”

“Did you have a good time?”

“We did” June nodded. 

“And Vitto? How are she and the baby?”

“Good” she said, getting up from the sofa and moving to the kitchen. 

“June, is everything ok?” Ben said, following her. 

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Chilwell. I'm sure” she smiled. Or forced herself to. “What about you? How was training with the kids today?”

“Oh, it was the best” he said. “We’ve got a new kid who also is called Ben and who would not want to leave my side, he was super shy. But then I convinced him to join the others after playing some games, and he is so good, June. You have to watch him, he reminded me a lot of myself and… June. June, are you ok?”

“Yeah, yeah” she said, looking away.

“June, you are crying. What happened?”

“Nothing” she replied, quickly wiping away her tears.

“June” Ben said, taking her hands on his and making her look at him. “Talk to me. What happened?”

“Nothing, I already told you.”

“I know you and something is bothering you, June. Talk to me, please.”

“I… I…” she mumbled, hating the way he was looking at her, how worried he was. “It’s just that I got my period today, and you know what that means.” She wasn’t pregnant. They had started trying even before she had played her last game, and nothing. 

“June…” Ben said, letting go of her hands and hugging her by the waist, pulling her closer to him.

“I noticed not long before Vittoria arrived, so when I saw her looking all happy with her bump, it wasn’t the easiest thing. Then when we were talking she was telling us about certain things she can’t eat or drink, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how jealous I was. About how I would give anything to be in her position, about how I would be ok with not drinking alcohol ever again if it meant that I was pregnant. And now you tell me about a mini you, and I… I…”

“I’m so sorry, June. I’m so sorry” he said while hugging her, June crying on his shoulder.

“What is wrong with me, Ben? Why can’t I get pregnant? What am I doing wrong?”

“You aren’t doing anything wrong, June” he said, hugging her tighter. “You know you aren’t. And there is nothing wrong with you either, the doctors already said it.” 

They had told them that this was normal, that it would take her some time since her body had to adjust to her new life, to the stress of playing football at the level she had for so many years being over. And at first that had stopped all the thoughts that had been crossing her mind, but when Vittoria had gotten pregnant so early and so easily…

“Then why am I not getting pregnant?” she cried. “Why, if we both are healthy and everything is fine, nothing is happening?”

“I… I don’t know, June” he sighed while she kept crying, trying really hard to not do it himself. He hated seeing her like this. “But there are other options. Do you remember Barbara, my mum’s neighbour?”

“Yes” she said against his shoulder. 

“Both her kids are adopted, and they’ve had the happiest life together. And the eldest actually works helping other kids find a family, so I’m sure that if we asked him, he would help us with anything we may need. I know your dream has always been to get pregnant, but not being able to isn’t the end, and it won’t make you less of a mother.”

“I know.”

“Then don’t lose hope, ok?” he said, cupping her face and making her look at him. “Promise me that you won’t.”

“I won’t. I promise” she sobbed.

“I love you, June. I love you and will always do, no matter what.”

“I love you too, Ben” she said before resting her head on his shoulder and starting to cry again.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Happy Valentine’s day, wife.”

“Happy Valentine’s day, husband” she smiled.

“Your breakfast, my lady” he said, putting the tray with all the food on her lap.

“Thank you, sir” she giggled. 

Getting breakfast in bed had become their new thing for the past few months. June had struggled a lot, some days not wanting to leave their bed, crying so much that Ben feared she was going to dehydrate herself or get sick. So he had kept making special breakfasts for her, always adding a different flower from the garden or that he had bought, and a little note where he would write one of the many reasons why he loved her. That usually made her start crying even more, but it also managed to make her smile and leave their room, so it was worth it. 

“You're welcome” he replied as Pepper jumped on the bed and took his place next June. He had not left her side for the past few months either, following her wherever she went. They had even allowed him to sleep with them in their bed since he would spend the night meowing and calling for them. “But there is more.”

“More?” 

“It is Valentine's day, Maxwell” he winked before leaving the room.

“Ben” she gasped when he walked back in, the biggest bouquet of red roses she had ever seen in his hands. 

“What do you think? Too much?”

“Maybe” she laughed. “Where are we going to put them?”

“I don't know” he shrugged. “But my beloved wife deserves this and much more.”

“Thank you, husband” she smiled again. “Aren't you going to join me?” June asked, patting the spot on the bed next to her.

“Not yet, there is something else I need. But you better start eating, we don't want…”

“My toasts to get cold and soggy. I know.”

“Exactly” Ben said. “Now eat, I'll be back in a minute” he said, kissing her forehead before disappearing again.

“Do you know what he went looking for?” she asked Pepper.

“Meow” he replied, sniffing her food. 

“I can't give you anything, Pepper. The doctor said you are getting a bit fat.”

“Meow!” he replied again, sounding as if he had understood what she had said about him. 

“I'm sorry, darling” she smiled, scratching his head. 

“You better not be giving him part of your toasts” Ben said, joining them again.

“I was actually telling him that he can't eat them.”

“Good” he said, sitting down on the bed.

“Why did you bring your laptop?” June asked him as he opened it.

“Because there is something here I want you to see.”

“Something like what?”

“Eat and I will let you know.”

“Urgh” she groaned.

“Love you too, Maxwell” he said, kissing her cheek. 

“Can you show it to me now?” she asked after finishing her toasts.

“Ok, fine” Ben said, moving the laptop towards her.

“What… what am I looking at?”

“A house.”

“I know it is a house, Chilwell. But why am I looking at one?”

“Because this house, isn't just any house. It is a bed and breakfast.”

“And?” June said, giving one of the heart shaped cookies a big bite.

“And? Seriously, Maxwell?” he said, rolling his eyes. “You are the one who came out with the idea of getting our own bed and breakfast and moving to the countryside.”

“But it was just an idea, Ben. A dream. Something to think about to help you feel better and forget about the real world for a while.”

“And isn't that what you need right now, June? Somewhere where you can feel better and forget? Somewhere where you can disconnect?”

“I…”

“Look at this” he said, taking the tray from her lap and putting the laptop instead. “The house is like 100 years old and needs some fixing, but we could do that together if we are brave enough. And there are some rooms that seem to have gotten stuck in the 70’s and that you could redesign” he said, showing her the different photos. “And look at the garden. It is so big we could have an area to throw parties, one just for flowers, one to grow our veggies, and one just with grass where we could set some goals and play football. I know it needs a lot of work, but I also know I would love working on getting everything ready. And, look at this” Ben said, showing her the last photo. “Cats. We've been thinking for a while about getting another one so Pepper won't be alone, and here he wouldn't. And according to what the owner told me, it is a safe place for them.”

“Wait, you've already spoken with the owner?” June said.

“I… Yes” he replied with an innocent smile. “Her name is Mary. She is about to retire and move to the city to live with one of her sons, and since they don't want to keep the family business, she has to sell it. Cats included.”

“What?”

“The son she's moving with apparently is allergic” he shrugged. “But look at it, June. This place is perfect. It is in a little town that if you check a map, is like half way between London and Milton Keynes, which means that we will be close to both our families and friends. And it has all the basic services we may need, we won't be living disconnected from the world despite feeling like we are living in the middle of nowhere.”

“It does look great…” June said, biting her lip. “But what about your football team? What about… your kids?” she said,the last two words making her feel a pang in her chest.

“Mary isn't moving until the summer and the paperwork will take its time. I can end the season with them.”

“And then? You were loving this new job, Ben. I can't ask you to give up on it just because of me.”

“June, I won't be giving up on anything” he said, taking her hand on his. “There is a school in the town nearby and they have a football team, I could ask them if they need help. Though if the house needs all the fixing I think it needs, I don't know if I'll have enough free time for both things.”

“See? You would be giving up on something important for you just because of me! And I can't do that to you, Ben. I can't” she cried.

“June… June, look at me” he said, caressing her cheek. “You, June Elizabeth Maxwell, are the most important thing in my life. You and only you. And I would do anything to make you happy, to make sure you are ok.”

“But Ben…”

“And it's not as if the idea of the bed and breakfast is something that doesn't interest me. I actually am really excited about it. About the garden and all the possibilities it offers, about coming up with new recipes and cooking for new people. You know how much I've been enjoying that and having our friends and family coming over to try them.”

“You've turned yourself into a little chef, yes” she chuckled, wiping away a tear. “But Ben… are you sure? Like, really really sure this is what you want? To leave London and start again?”

“Only if you want it too, June. You have the last word.”

It could work. Moving somewhere new, with new people and new surroundings, while also keeping her mind busy, could work and help her with everything she was feeling and going through. And she loved the idea of the bed and breakfast, it had been a dream of hers since she had been young, always telling her parents that's where she was going to invest her money once she retired from football. And now, she could actually do it, and with the man she loved by her side.

“Let me think about it.”

“Ok” Ben smiled. “But today actually is a beautiful sunny day, just a bit chilly keeping in mind that it is February. Why don't we go on a little road trip and pay Mary a visit?”

“Today?”

“Unless it is too much and you feel like I'm pressuring you into saying yes to all this. Which is not what I'm trying to do, and if I am making you feel like that, I am very sorry, June.”

“No, no, it's ok. It's just… I'm still trying to process it all.”

“Yes, of course” he nodded.

“Why don't we stay home today and celebrate Valentine's day by cuddling in bed and watching some tv, and leave the visit to the bed and breakfast for another day?”

“Is that what you want?” Ben asked her, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and caressing her cheek.

“Today, yes. I want to cuddle and be cuddled by my husband” she smiled.

“Then that's what we will do” he smiled back.

“And thank you for all this, Ben. The breakfast, the flowers, finding that house, and just basically being there for me. Thank you for loving me.”

“Thank you for letting me love you, June.”

“Urgh, you are the best, Chilwell” she said, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him. “The very very best. I love you.”

“I love you too, Maxwell” he replied.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“And? What do you think?” Ben said, hugging June around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

“I think we could also have a swimming pool.”

“What?” he laughed.

“Yes, over there.”

“Maxwell, we live in England. We can't build a swimming pool, we will barely use it.”

“But we can always buy one of the prefabricated ones and put it over there.”

“Is that a yes, then?”

“What?” she said, moving on his arms until she was looking at him and resting her hands on his chest, one of them over his heart. That broken heart that, as he loved reminding her, she had fixed with her love, making it be healthier than it had ever been.

“If you are thinking about putting a swimming pool, it's because you are already thinking about our future here. About all the things we could do. Though if I'm being honest, your face when Mary showed us the attic and you got to meet the cats, had already told me everything I needed to know” he smirked.

“And what is that, if I may ask?” 

“That you already love this place as much as I do, June.”

“I… Who am I kidding. I love it, Ben” she smiled. “With some changes here and there, this totally is what I had in mind.”

“I know” he smiled back. “Should we go tell Mary that she can take down the on sale sign?”

Besides the house being what June had imagined so many times, and having everything to bring her Pinterest mood boards come to life, there was something about the town and the people living there that so far they had had the chance to meet, that had made her feel safe, calm, at peace. Almost at home. And with everything that had been going on in her life the past year, with all the thoughts that had crossed and were still crossing her mind, it was exactly what she needed. And Ben, that man that loved her unconditionally, had seen it. He had seen that this was what she needed to get out the dark space where she was headed, and had found the perfect place for her. For them. 

“Yes” June said, her smile growing wider as she looked around one last time. “Let's go find Mary.” 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

A couple of years later...

“I've missed this so much, girls” Vittoria said. “We seriously need to meet more often.”

“We do” June agreed.

“Maybe next time we can do it at your b&b and ask that husband of yours to make us dinner. Who knew Chilly cooked so well!” Lauren chuckled. 

“One of his many talents” June smirked.

“I don't want to know about the others, tho.”

“Neither do I” Vittoria laughed. “But I do love seeing you like this, June. Smiling, making jokes and just… happy” she said, reaching for her hand and giving it a squeeze. 

“Thank you, Vitto” she smiled.

It had not been easy, but leaving London for the countryside had been the best decision she and Ben could have ever made. Renovating their bed and breakfast had kept her mind busy, the slow pace living and just being surrounded by nature doing wonders for her mental health. She still had had bad days, days where she didn't want to leave her bed. But now it had been months since she had felt like that, and she had even managed to meet Valentina, Vittoria's daughter, without feeling like someone was opening her chest in half and ripping out her heart. 

“Should we ask for the bill and go clubbing?” 

“What?” June laughed.

“Like old times!”

“My bed and my husband are calling me, I'm sorry. Not in that way, tho” she said, pointing at Vittoria and the smirk on her face. “And yours and your daughter probably are too.”

“They can survive a night without me. What do you say, Lauren?”

“June, have your boobs always looked like that?” she blurted out.

“Lauren!” Vittoria gasped. “Though now that you mention it…”

“Stop checking out my boobs!” June laughed, covering her chest with her hands. “Though I've actually noticed that lately I've put on a bit of weight, and most of it seems to have gone there. I guess that not having the lifestyle I used to have when I was playing football, and eating Ben's amazing food, has finally caught up with me” she shrugged.

“I mean, you look great, don't get me wrong” Lauren said. “It's just that I've known you since your ladies started growing, and they've never been that big.”

“Oh my God!” Vittoria suddenly said, startling June and Lauren and the couple having dinner on the table next to theirs. “Sorry” she smiled at them. “But oh, my God, June.”

“Oh my God what?” she chuckled.

“This may sound crazy and I'm sorry for bringing it up, but…” she said, biting her lower lip.

“But?”

“Could you… Could you be… Have you and Ben… you know…”

“Vittoria, you are making no sense.”

“June, could you be pregnant?” she said, whispering the last word.

“What?” she laughed, the couple sitting next to them giving them another disapproving look.

“I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, I don't want to hurt you, June. I truly don't. But… It is one of the signs.”

“I can't be pregnant, Vitto.”

“Can’t you? Have you stopped trying? Are you using protection again?”

“Yes. I mean, no. Like… We've obviously kept sleeping together, and we aren't using any kind of protection. But we don't do it thinking about what could happen.”

“What about your period? Are you late?”

“My… wait” she said, checking her phone. 

She had always been quite regular, even while playing football. But when she was stressed or too worried about something, it wouldn't be weird if she missed a month. And lately, she had been stressed. They had had a leak on the roof that had taken them ages to find and fix, someone had tried to break into their London house, and Pepper had been sick, which in her head, made missing a month kind of normal and she hadn’t paid it too much attention. The problem was tho, that she currently was almost two months late. And that, had never happened before.

So could she… Could she actually be pregnant? Like she had told Vittoria and Lauren, they had stopped doing it with that goal in mind. They just wanted to enjoy and love each other, let things flow. If one day she got pregnant, good. If she didn't, good too. There were other options and possibilities for them to start their own family. 

“Girls, I… I… Can we please go home?” she said, her chair making a horrible noise as she got up, the couple next to them once again giving them a disapproving look. “I… I think dinner hasn’t sat too well with me.”

“Do you want to go to the bathroom? Are you feeling sick?” Lauren asked her.

“No, no. It isn’t that. I just… I just need some fresh air, I'm too hot.”

“Oh, of course” Vittoria said as she and Lauren also got up. “I'll pay for the bill. You two can wait outside and start googling where the closest pharmacy is.”

“A pharmacy? Why do we need a pharmacy?” June asked.

“Because we need to find out where those boobs have come from.”

“You mean…”

“You need to take a pregnancy test, June.”

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Chilwell… Chilwell, wake up.”

“Uh?”

“It’s time to wake up, c’mon,” June said, kissing his cheek.

“I’m tired.”

“Of what?” she chuckled.

“You couldn’t stop moving last night, Maxwell. Are you nervous about something?”

“No.”

“That has sounded so suspicious…” Ben said, slowly sitting up on the bed. “And you made me breakfast? Is that why you couldn’t sleep last night?”

“Busted!” she said with a nervous laugh. “I wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me since we moved out of London. I… I don’t think I could have left that dark place without you.”

“June, I love you. I would do anything for you.”

“And I for you” she smiled. “That’s why, today, I am the one bringing you breakfast in bed.”

“You didn’t have to, June.”

“But I wanted to” she said, getting up from the bed and picking up the tray she had left on the bedside table.

“Thank you, wife” Ben smiled.

“You’re welcome, husband. But wait!” she said when he was about to lift the lid that was covering one of the plates. “You must leave that one for last.”

“Why?”

“Because I say so. First you drink your juice and eat your toasts and your fruit, and then you can open that.”

“Did you plan a surprise for me?” he smirked.

“Maybe” June shrugged. “Now eat. We don’t want your toasts to get cold and soggy.”

“We don’t, no” he laughed. “Am I allowed to open this now?” Ben asked once he had finished all the food June had brought him.

“You are, yes.”

“June, you look so nervous… Is it bad news?” he said, taking her hand on his. “You are shaking.”

“Chilwell, I’m fine! Open the damn thing!”

“I’m fine.”

“June…”

“Ok…” he replied, giving her one last concerned look before doing as she had asked him. “What… What is this?”

“Don’t you know what it is?” 

“It looks like a… June” Ben gasped, his eyes wider than she had ever seen them. “Is this yours?”

“Yep” she nodded.

“Are you… Because this is… June, are you…”

“I’m pregnant, Ben” she said, tears already rolling down her cheeks.

“No!” he gasped again, the trail with all the plates and glasses rolling down the bed as he moved to hug her. “June, you… Oh my God, June.”

“I’m pregnant, Ben” she repeated while hugging him back. “That’s our baby.”

“You… Oh my God, June.”

“You already said that” she chuckled.

“I’m sorry, but… Holy shit, June” Ben said, moving his head to look at her face. “You are pregnant.”

“Yes.”

“But… how? I mean, I do know how, I’m very familiar with it. I mean… Now?”

“The doctor said that sometimes when you stop trying and just relax, it’s when it happens” she shrugged.

“The doctor? You already… Of course you already visited one. You wouldn’t have the scan if you hadn’t visited one” he chuckled, reaching for it. “Is this why you wanted us to stay a bit longer in London?”

“They actually are the ones who realized there was something going on. Had you noticed that my boobs were bigger?”

“It is. After doing a test the girls wanted me to visit a doctor and be 100% sure.”

“Wait, the girls know?”

“Your boobs?”

“It apparently is what gives it away with many women.”

“I… I don’t know. You know I prefer peaches over melons” he smirked.

“Chilwell!” June laughed.

“Sorry, I’m sorry” Ben chuckled. “But… holy shit, June. You are pregnant. This here…” he said, looking at the scan. “Is our baby.”

“Our baby” she said, taking his other hand and placing it on her stomach. 

“I love you, June. I love you so much” he said, the tears that he had been trying to control finally being free. 

“I love you too, Ben.”

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

A few years later...

“Guys, lunch is ready!” June called from the kitchen.

“Mummy!” the little boy said while running towards her and hugging her legs, the cats behind him. “Mummy, I didn't mean to.”

“What?”

“Benjamin Maxwell!” Ben shouted from the garden.

“I swear I didn't mean to, mummy” he said again, tears coming to his eyes.

“What happened?” she asked him, running her hand through his curls to try and comfort him.

“What do you think happened, June?” Ben said, joining them in the kitchen.

“I don't know” she shrugged.

“He hit the flowers with his ball. Again.”

“Did you?” she asked her son.

“It was an accident, mummy. I didn't want to hit daddy and his flowers.”

“You hit daddy too?” she said, trying not to laugh. 

“First he hit my head, and then the ball went into the flowers.”

“Are you ok?”

“I am, yes. My flowers, not so much.”

“At least they haven't bloomed yet and he didn't ruin them.”

“Yeah, I guess” Ben sighed.

“I'm sorry, daddy. It won't happen again, I promise.”

“It's ok, little man” he smiled. “But you have to be more careful, ok?”

“I will” he promised. 

“Ok, now that you've made up, it's time to go wash your hands” June said.

“Yes, mummy!” he said before running away, the cats following him again.

“Did he seriously hit your head?” June asked Ben.

“He did. And it hurt like hell.”

“Aww, poor Chilwell” she teased. “Do you want a cuddle?”

“That would be very helpful, yes” he said, hugging June and resting his head on her shoulder. “I don't understand how he can hit the ball so hard. He's just three!”

“Maybe his football manager should work on that with him. I've heard he is this hot ex Chelsea player who then became a pundit and used to say a lot of shitty facts on tv.”

“He sounds like a twat.”

“You have no idea” June laughed. “Oh, shit.”

“Are you ok?” Ben said, lifting her head and looking at her.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. She just kicked my ribs. She must be a fan of that guy.”

“That, or that we have another football player in our hands, Maxwell” he said, caressing her bump.

“Poor flowers, then” she chuckled.

“And poor me” he sighed. “Though maybe April will be a bit more chill than her older brother.”

“April?” June laughed. “When did we decide we were going to name her like that?”

“We agreed on it when they told us that she was going to be born in April.”

“What is she chooses to come early, uh?”

“June, April is in two days and your due date is the 10th.”

“Then what if she takes her time and is born in May?”

“The doctor said they will induce you if she takes longer than a week, so still April.”

“But what if…”

“Nothing, June” Ben interrupted her. “You will say yes to calling her April just like you said yes to Benjamin. That's how good at persuading you I am” he smirked.

“Yeah” she scoffed.

“I am, Maxwell. Do you want me to show you?”

“I… Ben!” she giggled when he started kissing her neck.

“I’m here, mummy.”

“Oh, hi, darling” she said, moving on Ben's arms to look at her son while he kept kissing her neck. “Did you wash your hands?”

“I did, mummy. Look” he said, moving them so she could see them.

“Good job. Now go sit down, daddy and I will join you in a minute.”

“What about them?” he said, looking down at the cats. They had become his shadow and not left his side since the moment he started moving and crawling, kind of making sure he was ok. “We haven't given them their lunch yet, mummy.”

“You are right, darling. Go get their bowls.”

“Ok” he smiled before running away, the cats following him once again.

“And you, Chilwell” June said, moving again to face Ben. “You are the worst.”

“What did I do know?” he laughed.

“What did I do know?” June repeated, making fun of him. “You've made my life confusing as hell by convincing me to name him after you. Now I can't say your name without having him reply too! 

“Lucky you, you can still call me Chilwell. Or husband. Or love of your life.”

“I can do that now, when my brain is properly working. But did I tell you that the other day he asked me if I have nightmares where something bad happens to him, because one night he heard me calling his name?”

“No!” Ben gasped. 

“Yes. We were so lucky he didn't come to our room to check what was going on…”

“Yeah, try to explain to a three-year old why his daddy was between his mummy's legs” he chuckled.

“Not funny, Chilwell” she said, hitting his arm.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry.”

“Mummy, the bowls” Ben said, running back to them.

“Great. Let's go feed the cats while daddy finishes setting the table. Though first wash your hands, Chilwell. You also were in the garden.”

“Your wishes are my commands, Maxwell” he smiled, letting go of her and doing an over the top curtsey that made her roll her eyes.

“C'mon, darling” she said, taking her son's hand, Ben not being able to stop smiling while looking at them, at how the little version of him was helping June with the cats’ food, offering to do it for her because her tummy was too big and she had to be careful so his little sister was ok, something he had definitely heard him say before. “Chilwell!”

“Maxwell?”

“Stop smiling like an idiot and go wash your hands.”

“Mummy, don't call daddy an idiot! That isn't nice.”

“I'm sorry, darling” she said, running her hand though his curls once again, just like she had imagined so many times. “But when I call daddy an idiot, I do it with love. Because I love him very much” she said, looking at Ben.

“I love you too, June. Very much” he replied.

“And because you do, you are gonna go wash your hands, aren't you?”

“I'm going, I'm going!” he said as he left the kitchen, looking at June and Ben one last time. At the way she was smiling at their son while he told the cats to eat slower, feeling like his heart could burst of love for them and the little addition that was on her way. 

His heart, the one that wasn't that broken anymore. The one June had mended with her love, same way his love for her had mended hers. 

Because like that quote she had once found on Pinterest said:

[the-writings-of-a-kiwi-bird]

Sorry, Reenie~

tags: angst/comfort, crack treated seriously maybe (not really taken seriously actually), medical inaccuracies probably (dont have the spoons to do research, im pretty vague though), kidnapping, referenced past drugging but in a lighthearted way and only once near the end

a little bit of Aventurine/Topaz at the end if you squint, but it can be interpretted as platonic, too

(i think thats it? idk)

this is 100% based on one of the numerous plotting/fic situations @silvercaptain24 and I think up/ping pong off each other in our DMs lol. im also only posting mainly this because its the easiest way to share with her XD

fic below cut (about 1400 words i thkn?)

Aventurine pushed his chair away from his desk and stood. 

I’ve been staring at these documents too long, I need a break. 

He exited his office, making sure to lock the door behind him, and began to make his way towards the end of the building where Topaz’s office is. 

Maybe I can talk her into lunch. It's been a while since I ate. 

He rounded a corner and was immediately grabbed and pulled into a janitorial closet. 

Before he could respond, a hand holding a cloth covered his nose and mouth. 

Aventurine held his breath and struggled, fighting to break free. 

“Oh come on, that’s taking too long!” An unfamiliar voice complained. 

Something hit his head hard, and the world turned black. 

~~ 

He awoke lying on his side. 

Everything hurt, and his mind was clouded with fog and pain. 

Aventurine tried to move his arms, only to painfully discover that they had been bound behind his back with rope, rather tightly. He did his best to remain silent and fought his eyes open. 

The floor he was laying on was dirt, which would explain the musty smell. It was dark, too dark to see much beyond the rusty iron bars in front of him. He could hear faint voices, but couldn't tell what they were saying or even what direction they came from. 

Panic fought to overtake his already limited mind, and he struggled to fight against it. 

I’m trapped. I can’t get free. Even if I could, those bars look strong. Everything hurts. What had I been doing? Where am I? I can move my feet. What good will that do? They’ve probably confiscated all my things. I can’t even call for help. I don't know if I’m even strong enough right now. I'm trapped. It’s so dark— 

His eyes threatened to close, and the room kept spinning. His wrists burned, the pain overpowering even the rest of the pain and making thoughts difficult. Painful memories threatened to surface, and he forced himself to focus on the pain instead. 

Aventurine’s whole body trembled, heart beating fast and loud. His neck burned, a phantom pain from memories long past resurfaced. 

Pistols fired somewhere in the distance, and the nearby voices turned to far away shouts. 

He was shaking, and not just from the cold. 

A familiar voice said something nearby. Or maybe far away? He wasn't sure. 

Panic swirled in his mind, drowning out all other thoughts besides the pain. 

He heard metal clangs, and the creaking of rusty hinges. That familiar yet unplaceable voice said something else he did not register, more insistent this time. 

Aventurine shut his eyes and struggled to try and get his breathing even. If they think he's asleep, they’ll leave him alone. Right?

The voice spoke again, definitely closer this time, and still not understandable. 

The pain in his wrists flared and he heard someone whimper pathetically. 

On second thought, that may have been him. 

The voice kept speaking to him, and he barely registered that a tension around his wrists had been broken. The searing pain lessened slightly. 

More speaking. He thinks. 

Icy cold water splashed Aventurine in the face, and he shot his eyes wide open with a gasp.  

“Geez, it’s ‘bout time!” A familiar metal hand waved in his face. “Are ya with me now, Fancy Pants?” 

Aventurine moved to sit up, but the pain in his wrists inhibited that. Someone lifted him into an upright position. 

Finally, he looked up. “… Boothill?” 

The space cowboy flashed a toothy grin. “Oh good, that little brain of yours is working again. C’mon kid, let's get you out of here.” 

Boothill lifted Aventurine with ease, one metal arm beneath his legs and the other supporting his back. Aventurine vaguely heard the space ranger mumble something about ‘muddle fudging son of nice ladies shirt bags ash voles’. 

Aventurine found himself relaxing somewhat, fighting to keep his eyes open as he bounced slightly with each step Boothill took. 

Boothill sighed. “Relax, kid, just get some sleep. You’re safe now. I’ll hold you for ransom when you wake up.” 

Aventurine relaxed fully, drifting off to sleep before the words had even fully registered. 

~~~

Aventurine awoke in a room he shouldn’t even recognize, much less be all too familiar with. 

“Ugh, so much for getting some work done today.” He groaned and stood, clutching his head with one hand as he waited for the room to stop spinning. He walked to the door and hesitated as he grabbed the handle, cherishing his last moments of peace before his headache inevitably gets much worse. 

~

“Well hello there, sleepyhead,” Boothill greeted. 

Two metal hands clasped each shoulder and not-no-gently steered him into a chair at the table, the biggest plate Aventurine had ever seen situated in front of him. It was overfilled with his favorite foods. 

He glanced back at Boothill, eyebrow raised skeptically. “There is absolutely no way I can eat all that. And I don't remember the ipc having any confidential files that list what my favorite foods are,” he added. 

Boothill smirked and simply shrugged. “Wow, favorite foods huh? What a coincidence! Anyways, Fancy Pants, you’d best get to eating, won’t know how much you can eat til you try!” 

Aventurine glared suspiciously at the food and drink in front of him. “Please tell me you didn’t drug it this time, i think i've had enough sleep for today.”

“Nah, you got plenty of sleep already, not necessary this time.” Boothill waved a hand dismissively, gaze never leaving Aventurine. “You should start eating though, I already sent the message to that Topaz lady and she’s usually pretty quick at sending the random money.” 

Aventurine began to eat, doing his best to refrain from wolfing it all down immediately. “You do know she transfers that from her personal account so she doesn’t have to go through Jade every time, right?” 

“It's okay, every time this happens that exact amount of money mysteriously disappears from the IPC’s bank account and appears in hers.” 

Aventurine froze, then turned his head slowly to look at Boothill. “You can do that. This whole time. What’s even the point of ransom then???” 

“More fun this way,” Boothill said with a toothy grin. “And it gives me the opportunity to make sure my Greatest Competition And Nemesis is Taking Care Of Himself well enough that we can be evenly matched still.” 

Aventurine rolled his eyes and continued eating. “I thought you were done with that ridiculous title.” 

Boothill chuckled. “Why would I be done with it, O Greatest Competition And Nemesis? It's the most fitting, after all.” 

Aventurine groaned, and Boothill watched closely to make sure he actually ate everything. 

~~ 

There was a knock at the ship’s door, and Boothill opened it to reveal a very exasperated Topaz. 

“Alright, Boothill, you’ve got the money. Can we have our dumbass back now?” 

“Hey!” Aventurine protested. Both ignored him. 

“Yeah, yeah, sure thing little lady.” Boothill patted Aventurine on the back forcefully, sending the man tumbling forward. 

Topaz calmly stepped aside and let him fall. 

“Thanks. I assume he’s been fed again?” 

“Obviously. Make sure the muddlefudger uses the healing ointment I gave him for his wrists, which were absolutely not my doing for the record.” 

Aventurine stood and dusted himself off, grumbling about loser friends who clearly hate him and not being a child who needs supervision. 

“Will do. See you next time, I unfortunately assume?” Topaz asked. 

“Yep!” Boothill replied cheerfully. “Nice doin’ business with ya.” 

Topaz nodded and turned, grabbing Aventurine’s arm. “Come on idiot, let's go.” 

She turned back to Boothill one last time, expression much softer for a split second. “…thanks for taking care of him.” 

She turned again, all but dragging Aventurine with her. 

“Hey, this time really wasn’t my fault,” he insisted defensively. 

Topaz glanced at him, a brief moment of concern on her face before she returned to that annoyed expression she always wore around him. “Yeah. I know.” She hesitated. “And… I’m glad you’re okay. I guess.” 

“You know,” she added quickly, “because I don’t want to be doing my and your workload. That's all. Definitely.” 

Aventurine smiled fondly. “Sure.” 

They took a few more steps before he paused. 

“Wait what do you mean you know? How?” 

Topaz groaned. “Mister Boothill demanded more credits than usual for, and I quote, ‘saving you shirt bags from having to rescue him from some forking muddle fudgers, and saving y’all the trouble of taking care of the ash voles.’” 

Aventurine smacked his forehead with his palm and sighed. “Of course he did. Why am I not surprised.”

Topaz shrugged. “That Galaxy Ranger really confuses me sometimes, you know.” 

“Only sometimes?” 

She smacked his arm. 

“Anyways, you owe me big time. Again.” 

“Yeah, yeah. The usual Lunch for a week I assume?” 

“Make it two this time.” 

“… fine, two.” 

~~~~~

[japhan2024]

Anthony's Day prompt: Anthony/Amanda/Ian where in Ian realizes he likes both Amanda and Anthony because they look like each other.

Your kiss is on my list

Read on AO3

Words: 1.485

Inspired by this song

Amanda is over at Ian's place because she promised during lunch she'd watch The Pianist with him. This is why people don't sit next to Ian. He will convince them to suffer through extremely depressing war movies while he probably enjoys it.

It's quite inappropriate too, being over, alone, at her - very handsome - boss's home, at night. She texted her husband she was working overtime. Which is so much worse. She is contemplating submitting this situation to r/aita.

But Ian snaps her out of it.

"Hey, Amanda, you looked really serious right there, are you okay? Do you want something to drink? To smoke, maybe?"

The problem is Amanda really wants to relax. Should she, though? She usually struggles to contain her feelings and impulses as it is...

"Ooh! Do you have a vodka martini?" She says it with her signature wide eyed, Kramer-esque demeanor.

Ian smiles closed-mouthed and scuttles to his kitchen. "A classic drink for a classy lady," he jokes.

Amanda's mind is racing. "Is this okay? It's okay, right? It's a bit weird but then again, everything at Smosh is always weird. Nobody not working here could understand..."

"Mister Hecox," she involuntarily goes along with the bit. She can't help that she is such a great improv actress. "I didn't expect anything less from a Renaissance man like yourself."

"Renaissance man?" Ian scoffs, returning to the living room, handing Amanda her drink.

"I don't know, I'm just trying not to freak out! Aa! I'm watching a movie with Ian! I've wanted to see your house for a while now, you really got a nice place here!"

She puts down her empty glass in the window sill.

"Am I such a terrible person to watch a movie with?" Ian asks, still smiling. But then he suddenly pouts a bit. "I probably am, aren't I? Do I make you uncomfortable, Amanda?"

Seeing Ian vulnerable like this destroys all of Amanda's self-restraint and critical thinking abilities. She grabs Ian's arm and rubs it.

"NOOO are you kidding, Ian? You could never! You're way too sweet. I'm really glad I'm here with you. We don't get enough us-time at the office anyway." Something about the way she says this makes Ian's eyes widen ever so slightly behind his glasses, and his pout disappears.

They are just standing there like dumb idiots, Ian looking away as Amanda desperately seeks eye contact.

The door of Ian's apartment opens.

"Hey, Ian, I just came back from se- Amanda?"

They both are startled, and the visitor maybe even more so. "What's going on here?" He asks, unsure.

"Anthony!!! Fancy seeing you here, hahaha... yeah! Uhh, I kinda promised I'd watch a movie with Ian. Yeah! So that's why I'm here, I GUESS!"

Terrifying. Anthony gives her a look that tells a whole story. Anthony doesn't want her to be there, Anthony doesn't want her and Ian to do anything together. Anthony is jealous. Jealous? Why? Of course, she knows why. She looked it up.

Anthony recovers from his initial reaction and smiles warmly, hugging Amanda and Ian. "You promised you'd watch a movie with Ian? Rookie mistake, Amanda! You should know better. Now he won't let you go until you watched all of Band of Brothers. Or the entire Twilight saga, I don't know which genre he's hooked you on."

"You like Twilight?" Amanda is happily distracted from the whole moment they are having and tries to wrap her mind around Ian liking teen vampire movies.

"To each their own, Amanda," Ian plays defense. "They're good movies, actually." Anthony laughs. Amanda joins in.

"Oh I know, I've seen them! Just didn't think you'd like them too!"

"Uhh, yeah, so I'm just gonna chill here for now..." Anthony sits down in the middle of the couch, massively manspreading like he feels right at home here. He probably does as he even has the keys to the place.

To Amanda's surprise, Ian sits down next to Anthony and starts showing him memes on his phone. No "Hi Anthony" or anything. Just straight down to the bullshit they pull at the office as well.

Amanda sees two grown men SO obsessed with each other they forget the world around them altogether.

She makes herself another martini and downs that one in one go as well. Should she just go? It's probably the best idea.

"Amanda! You need to see this," Ian giggles. Anthony is wheezing.

"I don't know if I do," Amanda teases. Third-wheeling an Ian and Anthony date when she could be at home with her loving husband was not on her bingo card for today.

"Oh by the way, Ian, tell me again about that crush you had on that girl?" Anthony says all innocently, but Amanda senses some hostility from Anthony. At her?

"Uhh, what? Which one?" Ian lowers his phone and looks at Anthony.

"You know the one with the tats?"

"Oh yeah! Oof, she is so hot, oh my god, I'm so into tattoos..."

Anthony smiles at Amanda. He's so evil. But two can play this game, Amanda thinks. And she's not one to shy away from anything, certainly not this shit.

"I'm thinking of getting a tattoo," she says while sitting next to Ian on the very end of the couch. "Where do you think I should set it, Ian?"

Ian is immediately engaged. He scans Amanda's body with a pondering look. Behind him, Anthony's annoyed noggin sticks out. Amanda stifles a laugh.

Before Ian can decide about the place of Amanda's first tattoo, Anthony jumps up from the couch and back into the game.

"I don't know Amanda, maybe you want some inspiration?" And he takes his shirt off. Well damn. He's extremely fit and those tats look unfairly good. But now Amanda is alone with her TWO bosses in various states of undress! She can't wait to tell Angela about this...

Ian stands up and looks at Anthony's tatted back. "Amanda," he beckons her. "These new ones are so badass, " and he traces a particularly crisp line over Anthony's skin. Anthony naturally leans into Ian's touch but stops again, glancing over at Amanda.

FUCK! Now she's witnessing her bosses do some kind of FOREPLAY.

"Oh sure, they really are!"

The alcohol finally kicks in. Amanda gets up and lets her flannel shirt fall low off her shoulders, revealing her mostly bare back to Ian as well.

"Where on my back should I get the tattoo?" She asks playfully. "The same place as Anthony?" She turns her head towards Anthony and wiggles her eyebrows at him like she's Macaulay Culkin.

"Hmm," Ian thinks out loud. He gently touches Amanda's bra strap, then strokes down to her lower back... what the fuck is happening? A bolt of electricity runs through Amanda's body, it feels so good but wrong at the same time.

"You look so similar, did you know?" Ian says suddenly.

"What?" Anthony asks. "Similar?" Amanda looks over her shoulder at Ian.

"Your skintone, hair color, your big ass egos," Ian glaughs. "Your eyes, your smile, should I go on? I only now just figured it out. You're both my type." And then he laughs as if he just made the best joke.

"But," Anthony walks around the side table so is was facing Ian, "I know you way longer than you know Amanda. So that's different." He doubles down on staying topless.

Amanda simply twirls around and pulls her shirt back up, but not before flashing Ian a little cleavage.

"True," Ian answered. "But it does feel like I have known you for ages as well, Amanda. One day you showed up at Smosh, you kissed me and here we are!"

Of course. Amanda started all of this. The awkward gray area between coworkers and 'friends' and sexual tensions and halfway cheating on her husband, or is it even halfway? "Why do I always kiss people..." she thought to herself.

Anthony is not happy. "Oh, this is all about your dick again. Haven't we been here before? Haven't we talked through that we're not letting relationships come between us anymore?"

Ian looks a bit nervous now. That does it. Amanda beats him to answer Anthony. "THERE IS NOTHING GOING ON BETWEEN IAN AND ME!" She bolts for the door. "I AM GOING HOME TO MY HUSBAND NOW! I AM NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH IAN!!!" She desperately struggles to open the door. "Bye now, I love Smosh. See you at work." Shit, she used the iconic phrase Shayne said to Court and they are married now.

When she's outside, she collapses on the ground. "What did I get myself into?!" But then she can't help but overhear through the way too thin door of Ian's apartment.

"Anthony, of course I love you the most, what are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid, just staking my claim."

"I think you scared Amanda away."

"Good. I think you were on to something though. She did kiss you... first."

"Anth... mmm?" Soft noises ensue, of two people staggering toward the bedroom, soft laughter and- Amanda almost has a heart attack when she thinks she left her phone in the apartment, but then she finds it in her purse. She calls an Uber while fleeing downstairs.

Well, Ian has a type, apparently. And maybe in another life, her and Ian... but in this life, no way. Anthony has staked his claim, as he said. Are her bosses a 'thing' now? It sounded like it... And Amanda isn't even available. This was just a mistake on her part. One thing is for sure: she's never sitting next to Ian at lunch again.

[shukakumoodboard]

*Pulls out my massive bag of money and jewels and blow* I’m your biggest fan so I must pick your brain now that you have a tumblr ask box. your finest gaalee romance hcs my good sir. Please

help.

I’m your biggest fan

did you know im crying ab this. kissing u on the face rn

ok gaalee romance headcanons. i've been thinking about this for days. grab ur mojito mix lets frockign gaur

ill be upfront in that i have very few i'll-die-on-this-hill opinions about the boys, but here's some i'm pretty stuck to <3

sfw headcanons

1. lee's better with words, gaara's better with actions, and they're both secretly envious of the other for it: my thoughts here are that gaara spent so much of his life not understanding love that he'd still struggle to articulate it in flowery ways that i think, as a born theatre kid, lee would be good at. but gaara would absolutely be that person who shows it in subtle ways -- like taking care of someone when sick, remembering food preferences, always ensuring lee takes care of himself when lee forgets or is busy having a self-flagellation moment. not that i think lee would be incompetent, but he strikes me as more of a scatterbrain, but would always be on top of verbal reassurances and affection (which i also think is what gaara would benefit from: clear straightforward declarations of feelings and intent)

2. they're both super cuddly in private look, you put together a touch-starved former monster vessel and a social outcast who mostly knows touch from violence (until gai) and you are going to get some clinginess imo. you can't convince me they're not the kind of people who would sit side by side at the dinner table so they can eat holding hands. bro (emotional)

3. they're probably actually really shit at "conventional" dating hear me out ok. they're like initially so far away and gaara is the whole president and lee kicked a meteor in half one time you think they can just wander around and go to restaurants? it's absolutely nonsense that shinobi don't suffer village celebrity paparazzi syndrome in nart tbh. not exactly the same but i have a whole wip in the bort-verse about them sneaking around. tldr i'd bet they sometimes get casual breakfast or dinner but i think more likely takeout and quiet time together as opposed to like fancy dates

4. language learning and hobbying as a form of devotion as a purveyor of my wares u may notice i have language headcanons. it is also my gaalee romance hc that they learn each others -- i've incorporated this into in the space between and a wip called multilingual, which is all about nejiten teasing lee about his crush on gaara in front of the man. i also think that lee would lean into gaara's gardening stuff with gusto because if it's something gaara loves, lee would want to love it too.

nsfw headcanons huehuehuhe

1. they're switches and i WILL die on this hill i think this is self explanatory but listen. listen i am SIQUE of the assigned top/bottom nonsense they both deserve to rail and also be railed. i may be the resident owner of the Rock Lee Fucks tag on AO3 but i also own the Gaara Fucks tag. ill kill a man over this

2. lee is absolutely a service anything this ties into the previous one. a big component of his canonical personality is that he's a disciple of gai -- he's a follower who bases a lot of himself around those he cares for. not the kind of person who is suddenly going to crop up with an intensely specific preference, imo? i think he would base his role on whatever his partner needs the most at the time.

3. rock lee's canonically huge dick ok lol listen. listen this one's canon jokes aside i think lee is hung as detailed in We Don't Talk About Fight Club and i will continue that joke. that being said i think normal hung. not arizona tea can hung which is a hilariously illustrated discord joke

4. tbh i think they're kinda vanilla in the bedroom i say this in a positive way i think they'd be far more into like, just being able to be with each other instead of getting into wild sexual mischief all over the villages although they definitely bone in weird places secretly. they Fuck, but like i don't see them as super kinksters or anything. however, i have seen many a kinkfic that im like nodding my head this is valid cakesitting bdsm what who said that

5. gaara's vaguely nebulous oral fixation i really have no justification for this one i just think some of those animal bijuu instincts might linger and turn into what that mouth do idk i keep going to write smut and whoops my whole body slipped and gaara's licking something. happened in fight club and fight club II, happened in hole time, happened in tgod, happens in at least two wips i have cookin' in the background... what is goin on actually

dkghkdf i hope you enjoyed this episode of kel's questionable headcanons. i really enjoyed answering, thank you so much for the ask <3

[crushsblogstories]

Camping Trip - Part 2

WARNING(S)!

None of these are my characters!

I came up with the plot.

Suggestive themes?!

Potential small inaccuracy! Though the exact date s'mores were invented is unknown, the first formal recipe is recorded in the 1927 book. Anne with an E takes place in the early 19th century so they might’ve had or might not have had s’mores, but there is still a chance they did. Actuall Inaccuracy! I mentioned a flashlight very breafly during a 'scary story'.

Pronouns! Not specified

||Wordbank:|| Knickers - Shorts || Trousers - Pants||

PART 1 [] Current: PART 2 [] PART 3

-After Arriving-

My POV

We arrived at the forest and walked a short way to a nearby river. Anne, Diana, Josie, and I had shared a carriage, whilst Tillie, Ms. Stacy, Charlie, Ruby, and Moody shared another. The rest of the boys had stuffed in the third carriage (Poor Gilbert). When we departed I remembered the misfortune of Jane, not having been able to come because of a slight cough her parents were worried about.

Finally taking in the river, I almost gasp a–“Wow” breathes Anne, seemingly having read my thoughts. “It’s so- so-” “Romantical?” Diana butts in seeing Anne at a loss for words, “Breathtaking?” Ruby chimes, “Pretty” Tillie finishes in a dazed manner causing us to laugh. “Not exactly.. I believe I am finally at a loss for words” Anne says, looking back at the stream. “Peaceful.” I say, smiling at the sight, “Huh?” says Anne, turning to look at me along with the rest of the girls. “Peaceful,” I repeat, turning to face them as well, “You don’t always need fancy or large words to describe something. I find this scene peaceful” I repeat once more, looking back towards the river, “It’s soft like the dazed state of having just woken up, and calming like reading by a warm fireplace in the dark of night. Peaceful.” I finish. “Y/N…” I turn my head to the sound of Ruby saying my name, “That was.. Beautiful” finishes Diana, Tillie and Anne nodding in agreement. “Oh!- I-” I am cut off by the sound of someone clearing their throat. “Alright everyone. Time set up camp. Pitch your tents and afterwards I’ll need two volunteers to help me with gathering wood and stones for the fire. Understood?” Ms. Stacy explains, receiving nods and yes’s as a reply.

I set up my tent rather quickly, finishing even before Ms. Stacy. As a result, I decided to help the other girls with their tents as they seem to be struggling. I help Tillie first as she is a quick learner and could help someone else soon after. As I thought, she understood quickly and went to help Ruby. Finished with Tillie, I go over to Anne who was struggling the most. “Hey Anne. Need any help?” I offer, “Hm? Oh! Yes please.. I don’t quite understand how these ropes tie into things. No pun intended.” There is a pause before we both burst out laughing. It may not have been that funny but we enjoyed the joke nonetheless. I crouch down to assist Anne and explain where everything goes.

Just having finished, Gilbert approaches. “Um… Y/N?” Gilbert utters, “Yes?” I turn to be met by his gorgeous eyes. “Do.. Do you um.. Need any help with your tent?” He asks, rubbing his neck. I can tell he just wants to spend time together as we didn’t get much time to talk this morning, none at all actually, but there’s one problem… This isn’t my tent. “Oh! Um. I’d love that but…” I trail off not wanting to upset him. “But…?” He repeats, staring intently, “This is not my tent. It’s Anne’s. I finished pitching mine a while ago, it was the first one up.” I say pointing towards my tent. “Oh..” He says disappointedly, “Yeah.. Sorry for bothering.” He turns to walk away but my voice stops him, “But! Anne and I just finished and we’ll need food right? I heard Billy bragging about how he’ll catch a big enough fish for everyone to eat. I doubt that will happen, or that there’s a fish big enough for that here, but if we give it a go we might have a chance at survival.” I laugh, so does Gilbert. 

 -A Short Minute Later-

We reach the not-so-far river in less than a minute as it’s only a few meters from where we set up camp. Just as I go to say something, we hear an all too familiar voice. “AHEM. Your attention please.” ‘Wow.. The first time I’ve heard Billy say please..’ I think, rolling my eyes in the process “I will help all, and any people who might need help catching fish,” He continues, gathering everyone's attention while some stand closer to hear better. Whilst Billy rambles about how he’s ‘super good at fishing’ I realize he keeps glancing over to me. I think Gilbert seemed to notice as well because he randomly grabbed my hand and kissed it softly. I look over at him and he flashes me a quick, seemingly genuine smile, though I can tell he’s annoyed.

Not seeming to be aware of, though simultaneously breaking the tension, Josie walks between Billy, Gilbert, and I, standing herself in front of the river. “I think I get it… Do we just.. grab them?” Josie says, playing dumb as she reaches in to ‘grab a fish’. SPLASH! Josie falls into the shallow river with a screech. Instead of helping Josie, Billy attempts to stifle a laugh.

Knowing full well of Josie's plan, of which is not working, I go to help her. Walking up, and reaching out a hand. “What. Are. You. Doing?!?” Josie, whisper-shouts, “Helping you.” I whisper back “He’s obviously not going too…” I add. “Ugh” Josie silently groans, she grabs my hand and.. SPLASH! She pulled me in too! ‘UGH! Why do girls like Josie feel the need to act like a damsel in distress all the time and push aside the people who actually try to help!?’ I internally complain.

All of a sudden, Billy doesn’t find the fact Josie fell in so funny. He straightens himself up, clears his throat, standing tall and begins to walk over, Gilbert having started walking a couple seconds beforehand, “You were saying?” Josie whispers, as impertinent as possible. I roll my eyes, ready to help myself up when two hands reach out, preventing me from getting up, but offering assistance instead. I look up, sun shining bright in my eyes, to barely see Gilbert and… Billy?? I look over to Josie and she looks furious. At both me, and Billy.

Turning my attention back to getting up, I grab Gilbert's hand, him pulling me up with little to no effort. “Thank you.” I say with a slight nod, directly to Gilbert, making direct eye contact as I don’t feel like dealing with an angry Josie Pye. Gilbert smiles in response as I turn to Billy. I may not like him as a person, but I will still be polite and have matters with him. “Thank you.” I say, “You’re wel-” He starts with a visible smile, of which I’ve never seen unless with mal-intent, but I cut him off. “Thank you for offering your hand, though Josie fell in first and is still sitting in the water. You were the closest to her though only came to help me after I fell in.” Billy’s almost-smile faltered.

There was a pause. A very short but awkward one. To cut the tension you’d need a very thick saw. Finally, the pause was over when Billy nodded with a slight hum, and went over to help Josie out. “Oh! Why thank you Billy!” Josie said, now out of the water as if the whole ordeal hadn’t happened right before her eyes and her plan hadn’t gone to pieces. Everyone went back to their respective tasks and fun though I could tell Josie was fuming, along with Gilbert. Though he hid it much better.

Me and Gilbert reached where Ms. Stacy had set up the fishing materials, it consisted of nets, wooden spears, and a large tub, assumingly for the fish. I understand why there were no fishing rods as the water is shallow.

“What tactic do you think we should use?” I ask, turning to Gilbert who I now find behind me, looking off across the river in thought. “Gil?” I called, “Hm?” He hums, turning to face me, “Oh! Sorry, could you repeat that?” He asks, playing it off. “Do you want to use the nets or the spears?” I repeat. “Net seems more efficient but spears would be more fun.” He pauses and smiles, “Spears” He finishes still smiling, though I can tell something is wrong. “Gil..” I step closer, only a few inches away. Before continuing, I reach my hand up to cup his cheek, “You ok? You know you can tell me if somethings up. Especially if you’re upset in any way.” I say, starting soft but firming my tone at the end a bit so he knows I’m being genuine. “I know.” He says lightly, tilting his head into my hand and reaching his own up to grasp it. I stare into his eyes worriedly for a moment. Hoping he’ll tell me what is bothering him, what I can do to help. I sigh, choosing to pretend as if I’m not worrying, and to wait until he’s ready to tell me. 

 -Campfire time-

The sun has set and the stars start creeping out. Everyone is gathered around the fire on logs or on the ground, Moody is sat beside Ruby, both of whom are blushing, avoiding eye-contact, Ms. Stacy is sat on the left end of said log opening a bag of marshmallows to pass around.

On the log to the right of them, Tilly, Diana, and Anne share a log. Continuing to the right, Gilbert and I sit on a log, my head resting on his shoulder as I sit in the very middle of the chopped tree. And the final log has a still angry Josie on the left end and a seemingly nervous Charlie on the right staring directly at Tillie.

Everyone is engaging in conversation, Charlie asked Tillie to go on a stroll with him to which she agreed, and Josie began mumbling to herself of what I believe to be angered statements a while ago. The only silence of the night being mine and Gilbert’s. It was comfortable yet I was still waiting for him to tell me why he was so bothered. I obviously knew it was jealousy, which I must admit was kinda hot, but he usually isn’t as bothered about it and just teases me with ‘I’m glad I got to you first’ or ‘See? You’re so beautiful even ______ wants you!’. This time it was different though, it made me nervous.

“Gilbert?” My voice was soft and quiet though I still saw him jump slightly. “Yes darling?” He replied, “Come with me.” I whisper, grabbing his hand and leading him into the forest. We walk about 7 minutes away from camp in silence. “Is everything alright?” Gilbert asks once we stop by one of the many tall trees. “No, because you aren’t telling me what’s bothering you. I understand if you’re not ready to tell me right this momment, or you never will, but I worry.” I reply, he pulls me closer and kisses my forehead before resting his hands on my waist, “Sorry, it’s just. Billy.” He said. I guide Gilbert to sit under a tree with me, “You never let him get to you. What’s different now?” I ask, confused.

“The whole ride here all he could do was ramble about how lucky I am to be with you and how pretty you are. At some point he even started talking about your figure. I had to change the subject to be about him because he wasn’t interested in any other topic.” Gilbert goes quiet and I turn his head to face me, “Gil..” He cuts me off, “And I won’t say you’re mine because that is objectifying and I would never do that to any woman but I just love you so much and I couldn’t stand him rambling on and on about you and he’s such a—!” I cut him off with a kiss. “I’m yours and you are mine” I reassure with a smile, earning a smile back.

“Want me to prove it?” I ask, my smile forming into a smirk. Gilbert nods eagerly as I begin kissing him, I climb onto his lap to close the gap between us as he pulls me closer by my waist. “I love you Gilbert.” I reassure, he simply smiles back though I know he isn’t upset anymore. We stay like that for a couple of minutes before Gilbert pipes up, “Love, as much as I adore this, we have to head back.” I pause for a moment. “But I don’t want toooo.” I cuddle closer to him as I complain, “Alright, I guess we’ll miss out on s’mores then.” Gilbert says with a smirk, I immediately jump up. “Well?! What are you doing sitting there?! Let’s go!” I begin walking off back to the camp as Gilbert jogs up to walk by my side laughing. “I love you, you know that?” He asks, “Mhm. I love you too. But I adore s’mores.” I say cheerfully, earning a laugh.

 -Back at Camp-

Me and Gilbert walk back to camp hand in hand, giggling and laughing. “Oh! Just in time! We were about to make s’mores!” Anne says, being the first to notice me and Gilbert and causing everyone else to look over. Aside from Tilly and Charlie, who are smiling at each other holding hands (very adorably I might add). Me and Gilbert move to sit down in our previous spots on one of the logs. As we do, I feel eyes lingering on me, it’s Billy. I pretend not to notice and pay no mind to it.

Marshmallows and twigs are passed around, and people begin to make s’mores. “Oooh! Oooh! Why don’t we tell scary stories?!” Diana pipes up, “Oh! Yes that’s a great idea Diana!” Anne adds. “I’ve got one, but you girls might be too scared to hear it.” Billy says, causing Ruby to shriek and hug Moody tight to which I smiled at. Billy then goes on to tell the worst, least scary, dumbest, story I’ve ever heard,

“Once upon a dark night, there was a boy named Billy. He went out hunting for some dumb fox but ended up getting lost in the forest. Then, suddenly he heard a sound! He screamed, and yelled, and ran! And he found his way back home. But he never found out what that sound was…” As Billy spoke, he tried his best to sound ominous and creepy, throwing in hand movements here and there, but the story was just so bland and stupid that no one was scared, not even Ruby. “AHHHH!” Josie screams, clinging onto Billy helplessly. This act caused me to roll my eyes and rest my head on Gilbert’s shoulder, just observing everyone’s reaction to the situation.

Billy looks to me and sees my unbothered face, he looks a bit disappointed but switches to facing Josie and smiling. The smile is so obviously fake but as they say ‘love makes you blind’ so Josie’s face lights up when Billy says, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” 'What a fake' I think to myself. “I’ve got a better story.” Gilbert states, attracting the attention of everyone, and a glare from Billy. I lift my head off Gilbert’s shoulder and shift to face him, knees touching. “Well? Go on.” I smile. 

......

“...As she opens the old rusty door, hearing it creak, a shiver runs up her back and her flashlight shuts off. The room is pitch black, even the dim light of the hallway she once stood in not being enough to illuminate her surroundings. She steps in the room, hearing water dripping. 'It's an old house.' She thinks, paying no mind. That’s when her flashlight flickers for a moment. She swears she had just seen a pair of eyes. The flashlight flickers once more, were the eyes getting closer? No. It had to have just been her imagination. The flashlight turns on completely and she’s met with the sight of her best friend, he’s hanging by a rope, tied to his neck. Suddenly, the realization hit her, it wasn’t water dripping she heard, it was…‘AHHHHHHH’ She tried to scream but her mouth was covered by old, dirty hands. The last thing she saw was a figure running past her now fallen, and flickering, flashlight, and hundreds of pairs of eyes staring at her…”

Gilbert finishes his story, an ominous and spooky atmosphere lingers. Diana and Anne are clutching onto one another, Josie is practically on the verge of sobbing into Billy’s arm, Ruby's holding onto Moody, of whom is trying to act heroic and brave though seems almost just as scared, Tillie was surprisingly into the plot whilst Charlie looks completely traumatized, Ms.Stacy looks concerned Gilbert knew such a story or came up with it himself due to all the gore, and I was doing my best not to laugh at everyones reactions.

"Well. Um. Let's head to bed, shall we?" Ms.Stacy says, beginning to pack everything up. "Goodnight my love." Gilbert says, softly pecking my lips. "Goodnight Gil." I smile.

To be continued? (Let me know!)

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[mytheoristavenue]

OP Trafalgar Law x Reader x Usopp - Envy Pt. 2

Summary: Usopp attempts to get you to change your mind about your date with Law while you get ready.

Warnings: Jealousy, fluff, angst

"What the hell?! Chopper told me Law asked you out?!" Usopp shouted, barging into the women's dorm and grabbing you by the shoulders, startling you as you sat at the shared vanity, applying blush to the apples of your cheeks. "Hold on, what are you doing?"

"Getting ready." you giggled, setting the brush down and looking at him in the mirror.

His face paled and he pushed away form you a bit. "Don't tell me your actually considering this," he warned. "(Y/N), you're smarter than this."

Your heart dropped a bit, realizing that your best friend wouldn't be in support of you doing this. "Usopp, you know I've liked him for a while, I thought you'd be happy for me?"

"I am happy for you!" he argued, raising his voice a bit as you stood up and turned to confront him. "I just don't think he's earned our trust! Have you forgotten that he's Luffy's rival?!"

"Everyone is Luffy's rival." You retorted with furrowing brows. "Usopp, we're not well liked in this world and our allies should be held in high regard. That includes Law and his crew." His mind raced to come up with more excuses as to why this was a bad idea, other than because it hurt his feelings; ultimately he came up short, simply letting his mouth hang open, waiting for words to form themselves. "I don't know what kind of chip you have on your shoulder about him, but I'm going and you can't stop me."

You huffed, pushing past him to your closet in order to pick out an outfit. "He's dangerous," he finally muttered. "I don't want you to get hurt." Contrary to his intentions, you were already hurt by his words and lack of confidence in you.

"Usopp...if anyone is going out hurt me it'll be you. You're my best friend and I want your support but I'm not going to let you stand in the way of something that could make me happy." Silence fell between you as you retrieved a knee length evening dress in the shade of Castleton green, before laying it out on your bunk.

"Well, where is he taking you that you need to wear something like that/ he nitpicked. "Obviously he doesn't know anything about you, because you hate fancy restaurants."

"We're not going to a fancy restaurant," you clarified, kicking out of your shoes to begin to change. A blush crept across his cheeks as he huffed, crossing is arms and turning his back on you for privacy. "He's taking me aboard the Polar Tang."

"Dinner at home, huh? Cheap ass."

"Usopp!" you finally yelled, fists clenched and sparkling dress hanging off you, as you hadn't zipped it yet. "That's enough, I've had it with your negativity!"

He stood there befuddled, letting you berate him, all the while struggling to hoist your arm low enough behind your back to catch the zipper. "I'm sorry, here," he sighed, prompting you to show your back to him so he could help you. "I'm just worried about you. Law has a reputation for being cruel to those who cross him and I don't know what I'd do if he hurt you."

Your angry features soften with his confession and the sensation of his fingers lightly grazing your spine as he lifted the zipper pull. "He's also a doctor," you reminded. "He's not supposed to hurt people under the Hippocratic oath."

"You're right..." he admitted as you turned back to him, beaming. He smiled down at you sadly, taking in your appearance. It wasn't often he cot to see you get dolled up and he wanted to remember as many details as possible. "You should wear those pearl earrings, they'd compliment your eyeshadow." You nodded, accepting that he was at least trying to be supportive, and scooped the pair the Nami had given you for your last birthday, before putting them on.

"You look beautiful," he muttered, bringing his hand up to truck a loose strand of hair behind your ear. "Law's a lucky guy."

"I'm a lucky girl to have a friend like you." you grinned, suddenly throwing your arms around his torso, nuzzling his chest. Hesitantly, his hands rose to your back to hug you back as he swallowed a hard lump of nerves while guilt crawled up his back.

"Heh, yeah...lucky."

Taglist: @killmewithafanfic, @imamonsterfxcker-sorry, @starblazer124, @usopps-devotee, @lilpumpkinpastie

[finallysafeawakepowerful]

This world is truly as Neville writes "at your command" and you must realize and look at how all conditioning placed proves this by working against how we truly command this reality and that conditioning has in fact controlled you perfectly in tune with the laws of this reality. The conditioning placed has worked you against the laws and it shows the truth.

ALL the notable people of this reality have all talked about the power of the mind, meditation etc. All the notable people have the same correlations in the way they think and believe. All notable people have visualized the end, seen themselves at the end, believed themselves at the end. Many athletes talk about visualization of the win and the end. Chess players talk about visualization and seeing where they want their pawn to be and WILLING it there within their mind and heart. THE ONLY THING THAT SHAPES THIS WORLD IS YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS BELIEFS OF WHAT IS. Nothing begins to move and shape and take form until your observations begin. It's all at rest UNTIL YOU begin your work. "I AM THE WAY. I AM GOD" it couldn’t get there, or it couldn’t happen with you

Look at yourself and your world - your standing in your very own handiwork. Be truthful at the conditioning you believed in and how it all came in perfect fruition, with perfect obedience to you. Be truthful and look at back at all the delusions you held in the past and how it all formed in perfect fancy, pruned perfectly BY YOU.

CONTROL YOUR MIND. CONTROL YOUR LIFE. Visualize taking a scraper and literally scraping out all old beliefs today. Get rid of lack, get rid of the words of your abusers, get rid of idea of hardships and struggle, get rid of the idea of poverty and trying to just make it through, get rid of being stuck in place and SHIFT and stand on and BE IN the opposite polarity. Use your POWER OF WILL and imagine fighting against your conditioning with all of you. Erase past self. Truly KILL it. KILL the old story and version and BURY it and BURN it down. Bury it and make it SO LONG GONE you don’t even know where the old you is buried. You couldn’t even dig up the body. The body is on another fucking planet. You couldn’t even dig up that body and jump back into that conscious being of lack, etc. Neville was right when he said you can’t serve 2 masters, you can’t put old wine into new. You can’t go back to old truths. You can’t hold 2 truths within your subconscious. RUB OUT ALL ELSE. Your subconscious will answer your actual truth. You can’t lie.

Begin today with control of who you are, and what you believe. “I AM THE WAY.” There is no other source for creation in your world other than the subconscious impressions of truth. Your inner knowing of truth. Your inner being.

I am, whatever I am conscious of. I have, whatever I am conscious of having. I am, what I truly rest in, what I am within. I already am and I choose to see it in my 3d world, for it is MY truth. I see it in my 4d, my heart, my being. I decree it to be me, my truth. I am, whatever I believe my deep truth is. I am, whatever beliefs I hold. I am born new this day. And I’m thankful to understand the laws that govern my own world. There is nothing but me, and I LOVE myself and I TRUST myself and the universe to always work in my favour. I will always give myself more. I will always move forward and amass more, grow, build, love, enjoy and finally feel safe, abundant, anything is possible. Nothing restricts me. I have endless sources.

It all comes FROM me. Literally vibrates FROM ME. I AM everything. Nothing that is here is not FROM me. Be brave. It all comes FROM me. Abundance comes from me the same way lack does. I step into a different way of being. Abundance comes FROM me. Joy comes FROM me because I vibrate at this frequency only. I AM abundance. I AM joy. I AM endless possibilities. I AM, and it all comes from me. It glows and flows through me. I WILL it all to be.