#i am diabetic and it makes me thirsty all the time

[naomiknight-17]

I told the doctor about some negative Ozempic side effects I've been experiencing and she recommended an OTC medication to help, and also said I needed to drink more water

I drink SO much water

I don't know how to tell you how much water I drink

I go through at LEAST 10 cups of water a day, not counting my daily coffee or ginger ale, not counting milk or the occasional Premium Special Treat Beverage™

I drink so so so much water

If I drink more water I will die of desalination. Please stop telling me to drink more water

[cinnamonest]

Hello all. Sorry for my radio silence until now, here's a half-vent-post, half-update-post for the mess I have going on.

So, my second doctor's appointment... I am very grateful to have a wonderful employer who let me take some time off, so since I've been not great, I've gone to stay with my parents for the week.

I am experiencing what I was told is something called "polydipsia," which I can only describe as something I would come up with if I were asked to devise a new method of psychological torture. It's the sensation of intense, constant thirst, but drinking water doesn't do anything. Like, you know how normally when you're super thirsty and drink water, you feel a sensation of relief when you drink water? That doesn't happen. When you swallow and put the glass down, the thirst is just as intense as it was before you drank, it just... does nothing. You just stay insanely, incredibly thirsty, nonstop, and there is nothing you can do, no amount of drinking makes the sensation go away, but you keep getting the urge to drink because that's what your brain compels you to do.

It was mild at first, now it's reached a point that I'm chugging bottles of water, just nonstop, can barely sleep due to thirst. I know it could be so much worse and a lot of people have much worse things and this is minor by comparison, and I'm very grateful this isn't painful, but it's driving me insane. Just the constant sensation that you're trying to fix but nothing alleviates it at all despite trying is frustrating in a way I cannot describe and it's slowly worn me down to the point of psychological exhaustion.

Apparently, this may be due to some kidney issue. If so that means basically all that water I'm drinking, is actually not being absorbed by my body, my kidneys do nothing, so basically it's as if I'm not drinking at all. So, effects of dehydration as well.

At first with the urgent care doctor I went to initially, I was told that I am not diabetic due to blood sugar normal levels and that I had a kidney problem I needed to see a specialist for. Then I finally got an appointment with the primary care doctor, who said that may be incorrect because diabetes would easily explain the polydipsia. However, the last blood sample they took for lab work they did a few days ago came back and it turns out, once again, I am in fact NOT diabetic.

They drew even more blood and did a series of extensive fluids tests, basically measuring the contents by electrolyte, so I would get updates of lab results sent to me reading like "potassium - normal" and "chloride - normal" etc etc as they test each component. Everything kept coming back as being at normal levels until it hit sodium, and then for some reason, sodium and only sodium got flagged as being imbalanced.

I may have "diabetes insipidus", I'll just have to wait for testing results.

Unfortunately, with comically impeccable timing, I needed wisdom teeth taken out as it's apparently already begun to undo my previous expensive orthodontic work, so I just got out of wisdom tooth surgery yesterday. However, since I have ADHD meds (which are amphetamines) flowing through my body, they put me under general anesthesia rather than laughing gas.

So it's done, my mouth is stuffed with gauze, I'm numb with opioids for the gaping holes in my gums, I feel like a pincushion with the number of needles that have been stuffed in me in the last 72 hours, but it's done and hopefully I won't need anything more.

[relastelvanni]

📖 2022

The week leading up to Christmas 2021, I was unwell. I was feeling very fatigued and burnt out as we all were. There wasn’t a lot of sun so I was likely Vitamin D deficient, right? Also I somehow lost 10 lbs between October and December without trying which didn’t match what I was eating - probably stress? Oh, but I feel really thirsty, and I can’t seem to quench it… that’s an odd symptom I can’t explain with burnout. It was that symptom that made me test my fasting blood sugars and sure enough, they were way over into diabetic levels.

🚨

On Hogmanay as I rushed to get my booster before the bells, I also went to the GP as an emergency for my blood test. The results came back and my GP wanted to talk urgently. On Jan 5th I was officially diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and put onto metformin straight away. This began a whirlwind of a year.

On the outside I seemed calm, on the inside I was a ball of emotion, but mostly shame. Shame that after years of warnings this could happen, I had to tell people what had happened. I felt guilt for making people around me worry for my health. I wanted to prove to everyone that I was okay and they didn’t have to worry about me. Maybe not a healthy attitude to take but from the moment I left that Doctor’s surgery and took a 2.5 mile walk home, I decided I was going for remission, end of.

I immediately went on a low carb diet of 130g of carbs a day and stuck to it religiously, I did not break 130g or tried not to. No cheat days, no snacking. Again, perhaps not the healthiest thing to do but I couldn’t bring myself to eat high carbs again. I started walking a lot more, walking three miles home from work in the winter. I went swimming, I got a bike through the cycle to work scheme. But most of all was the diet. It was tough and there were times I felt like crying. But my head told me “I put myself in this situation, you don’t deserve sympathy”. Urgh, silly head.

But despite that negative mindset, the physical side improved quickly. My sugars fell rapidly most importantly and as a by-product, I lost 15 lbs in the first month, followed by another 15 lbs in the second, starting at 255 lbs and ending March around 210.

Now those who know me will know I had no problem with my weight before - I was very happy as a chubby person because I went on a journey over the past few years of learning to love my body, throw off the shame I held against my body and show it off at the beach and the pool etc. So the weight loss for me was such a sudden shift in mindset too. I was back very quickly to a body I had before I learned to love my body… and societal pressure came back. That’s been a struggle this year is loving my new body without need for validation externally.

But in terms of the diabetes, by the end of March, I had my hbA1c checked again… and I was no longer diabetic! I had managed, with the tablets, to get the diabetes into remission. I can’t tell you how proud I am to have got to this point. All the hard work and hardship I put my mental state through was worth the result.

Over the next three months I relaxed the diet a wee bit and let myself eat a little more, but no where near the levels I was at before. My weight finally stabilised at around 180 lbs which is where I’m at now, meaning in total from max weight, I’ve lost 85 lbs in the last year. But more importantly, at the end of June, my HbA1c was still at a non diabetic level, this time without medication.

Since June, my weight has been stable, my sugars are still down, I’ve taken up badminton 2-3 times a week to keep me active physically (and mentally too). I feel fantastic physically and I’m so happy I’ve managed to turn around the diabetes. I still need to work on my mental state and work on some of those troublesome feelings I had at the start of the year as well as others. But aye, long post, but I’m still here, still going. Hopefully 2023 I’ll stay in remission. All the best to everyone 💛

[racing-twinks]

So I went to the doctor last week and got told I have diabetes, then spent a week in hospital to try get my blood sugar levels back to normal, only to get out of hospital and have my bloodsugar immediately go crazy again... like what do you mean I'm doing the maths just like they told me, taking the insulin in the doses I talked about with my doctor, only to end up super low or super high after eating??? It was all working fine before they let me out but as soon as I do more than laying in bed all day it isn't fine anymore??? Also having to prick my finger all the time to measure and also being super anxious when not measuring cause what if the levels go wheee again in those 3 hours im not measuring??? I know it will all be fine and that I will learn to live with it but I just can't wait until I get my sensor and being able to check my levels all the time to see when and why they go crazy so I can fix my insulin doses accordingly... thankfully my sensor is already approved and I got the message it will arrive on Friday before Easter because this situation of being fine before eating and then being too low or too high a few hours later without warning is making me so nervous and scared. Going to the doctor because I lost a bunch of kilos and was always thirsty just to get told I have developed an autoimmune disease and was close to fainting into a coma is wild. I wasn't expecting that at all and it feels like my life got turned upside down and while I am glad that it is "just" diabetes (cause I am aware it could have been something much worse) and I am accepting it and working on that, the fact it doesn't go like I'm calculating the second I left the hospital makes me so nervous about it all, feeling like I'm doing everything wrong the second im on my own

[faofinn]

Day 12 - "Just One More Sip"

@mediwhumpmay

Kieran had, all things considered, settled in well at secondary school. Sure, he had Alfie, who helped no means to an end, but they both had their own struggles the other couldn’t understand. 

Tai helped, able to break everything down and explain their diabetes in a way he understood. He hated that his son had diabetes, but he was glad that he could help.

It had been a long day at school, maths first thing followed by history and english and then double PE. Ever the worrier, Kieran was already convinced he was coming down with something, but it was football so he didn't want to sit out. He adjusted his insulin, grabbed some dextrose tablets and headed out of the changing room with Alfie by his side. 

They had fun, still off the age where they enjoyed PE and causing chaos. The class were in high spirits as they headed back in to get changed. The twins had verb getting slightly more independence too, much to the fraying of Harrison's nerves. They were allowed to walk to the carpark at the end of the street by themselves, but the pair would be picked up by someone from there. 

Kieran was lagging as they left school, a headache starting to brew. He kept chatting away to Alfie though, figuring he probably just needed a drink when they got home. There was no point worrying his brother when their dads were just around the corner. 

"Kieran?" Alfie tried for the third time. "Kieran!"

He turned to him, snapping. "What?!"

Alfie pulled a face. "Don't yell at me. You've just stopped walking and you're ignoring me. Are you alright?"

"Just don't want to talk to your stupid face." He spat, arms folded with no intention to move. 

"Kieran? What have I done? You don't look too great. Where's your phone?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because you're my brother, idiot." He muttered, grabbing Kieran's phone from him and swiping his arm. 

"Hey! Give it back."

"No. Where's your glucose tablets? You had them in PE."

Kieran frowned. He'd left them in his pe kit, and the kit was in his locker. "School."

"Idiot. Do you have any more?"

"How am I supposed to know?" He spat.

"Because it's your bag!" Alfie replied, exasperated. He knew it wasn't his brother, that the hypo was messing with his head, but it always hurt when he spoke to him like that.

"Here, drink this." Alfie shoved a can of pop in his face, rummaging through his own bag - he always kept spares somewhere.

"I'm not thirsty."

"I don't care. Drink it." Alfie snapped, authority in his tone. 

Kieran was slightly taken aback, and did as he was told. He screwed his face up at the taste, moving to put it down. "I'm not drinking it. I don't like it." 

"Kieran, please. You're having a hypo. Just keep drinking it, just one more sip, yeah?"

He grumbled, tears suddenly overwhelming him. He felt rubbish anyway and now Alfie was yelling at him and making him drink things he didn't want to and it just wasn't fair. Kieran shoved his bag away, not caring as the contents spilled across the pavement. 

"Kieran!" Alfie hissed. "Just drink your drink, it'll make you feel better. I need to call dad too, he'll be able to help."

With one hand calling their dad, the other continued to rummage through his bag. He gave a triumphant noise as he grabbed his tablets, shoving several into Kieran's hand. "Chew these."

They seemed better than the drink, so he did as he was told, the wall propping him up more than he was sitting. "Fine."

"Thank you. Keep chewing them and then swallow, yeah? They'll make you feel better." Alfie continued muttering, though he wasn't sure who he was trying to comfort. "Let me check your levels again, hopefully they'll be better."

As he swiped, the phone connected, and relief rushed through him. "Dad." He breathed. "Kieran's having a hypo. I need your help."

Tai had been waiting for the boys, on an early finish at work. When he saw Alfie calling, he assumed it was just to say they’d been caught up or forgotten something and they’d be there soon. He didn’t even get a chance to speak before his son did, and frowned. 

“Okay, where are you?”

"By the shops." 

“I’ll be a minute, yeah? Have you got some sugar into him?” Tai asked, already getting out of the car. 

"I'm trying!"

“It’s okay, you’re doing great.” He said, tucking his phone under his ear as he grabbed his stuff from the glovebox and headed in their direction. “I’m coming, just hold on a minute, yeah?”

"Okay." Alfie turned abxk to Kieran. "Come on, have another tablet, another drink."

Kieran groaned and swiped at Alfie's hands. "I don't feel well."

"Yeah, cause you're having a hypo. This will make you feel better, honest. Please, just one more sip?"

Kieran let himself rest against Alfie, absolutely exhausted. He did as he was asked, though, chewing on another dextrose tablet as he drank. "What am I at?"

"You were 2.8 the second time."

"That's low."

"It was lower. Drink." He encouraged, praying for his dad to hurry up. "You need to finish it all."

Kieran grumbled at his brother. “Can’t you drink it if you’re so obsessed with it?”

"No, I'm not having the hypo. Have another tablet."

He huffed, rolling his eyes, but sipped his drink and obediently reached for another tablet. 

Tai arrived after a few moments, crouching next to his sons. “I’m here.”

"He was 2.2 and he's 3 now but he's all grumpy still."

“That’s good, it’s going in the right direction.” Tai told him. 

"We were playing football and he didn't eat his biscuits at lunch."

“Well, that was daft, wasn’t it?” Tai said gently. “We all make mistakes.”

"Alfie won't stop pestering me." He grumbled. "And he stabbed me? I have my arm thingy for a reason."

“Oh my god, did he?” Tai couldn’t help but tease. “That was mean.”

"I had to!" Alfie protested, suddenly doubting himself. "Because the arm sensor is delayed and he might have been even lower. Right?"

Tai turned to him. “It’s okay, you’re right. You did the right thing.”

"Is he gonna be okay?"

“Of course he is, his sugars are coming up. You did good.”

"I was worried." He whispered to his dad, trying to keep Kieran from hearing it.

“You did great, kid. Don’t worry.” Tai told him quietly, but turned his attention back to Kieran. “I’m gonna need to stab you again in a bit, I’m sorry.”

"You're kidding me."

“I wish I was. I don’t like it much either, but we need to make sure.”

"I feel rubbish."

"Yeah, because you're an idiot." Alfie nudged him. 

"You're the idiot." He replied with a grin.

“You sound better.” Tai joked. “Can you have some more drink for me?”

"Can we buy better pop? I really don't like this one."

“What’s wrong with it?” Tai asked him. “I’ve got some orange juice?”

"Tastes bad."

“Here, try the orange juice.” He offered it to him. 

"Mm, okay."

“Are you starting to feel better?”

"My head is pounding." He admitted. 

“Not surprised. We’ll get you home soon.”

"Am I gonna have to stop PE?"

“No, you’re just going to have to be careful.”

"I didn't mean to."

"Accidents happen."Tai said softly. "I still have them."

"But you're old." Kieran frowned, before blushing. "Not like that!"

"I see how it is." He laughed.  

“I know.”

After a few minutes, letting Kieran sip at the orange juice, Tai squeezed his leg. “Need to check again, and then we’ll get home, alright?”

"Okay. I feel better now, though." He said, offering his hand as the other reached to squeeze Alfie's. 

“Good, that’s good. It’s gonna be a bit of a stab.”

"I know." He sighed heavily, overly dramatic as his dad took the sample. 

“Sorry, I know it sucks.” Tai said, watching the machine. It had come up more now, to a nicer level, and he grinned. “Much better.”

Alfie breathed a sigh of relief from beside them, passing Kieran his phone too. Kieran grinned back. "What is it?"

“Nearly 4, now.”

"So I can stop drinking?"He asked hopefully. 

Alfie shook his head. "You gotta finish it, right dad?"

“He’s right. Finish it please.”

"Okay." He dragged it out, quickly downing the rest of it. "Finished."

“Thank you.” Tai said. “Where’s your stuff?”

"He kicked it over the road." Alfie admitted. "I got most of it back, here."

Tai shook his head. “Of course. Give it here, I’ll carry it.”

"Thanks, dad." Alfie murmured. 

“It’s okay. You’ve got plenty to carry, I’ve got my hands free.”

"Alfie?" Kieran asked quietly. 

“Yeah?” Alfie asked, his attention on his brother. 

"Thank you." He said softly. "Means a lot you were there."

“I’m always gonna be there, idiot. I’m your brother.”

[battling-my-demons]

Woke up in a panic some how, I knew something was wrong in a deep sleep. Woke up hearing my dad's blood sugar meter was screaming. Ran straight in his room to see his sugars were 64 and shooting down. Yelled at him to wake him up and gave him two glucose tablets. He said "that's good." I said," no, it's not!" I've done this battle with his blood sugars more than once for many years. I know they will drop right back down to the 60s within an hour. I ran to make him a breakfast sandwich and gave him a cup of apple juice. He said he didn't need or want the Apple juice. I told him it was too bad because it helps bring his sugars up faster than even the tablets do. I kept telling him to drink some. He told me he wasn't thirsty yet?! Come on man child! I said I didn't care and he still wouldn't drink. I checked his sugars again and they were only 71! I know they will just shoot right down and he told me to stop bothering with it because he was better now. I told him that they will just drop within the hour cuz I've dealt with this shit for a long time. I told him to drink some more and he refused and told me to get out. I am just so freaking frustrated. I asked him if he wants to fall back into another diabetic comma?! He said he didn't care and to leave. He then said "do you want me to pull the sensor out of his arm so I wouldn't know the numbers?!" I said whatever and to just do it. Not like he cares or checks for himself anyway. Not like he listens to me about how predictable or unpredictable his sugars really are anyway. Then I got angry and said, "why do you not care?! Why do everyone else and my mom and I run around doing everything we can to keep him alive and well when he doesn't care about it himself?!" He just turned the TV all the way up. I walked out. This isn't the first time he gets like this , but I'm just so goddamn annoyed! Why do I care?! Why do I still try to do everything for a man who doesn't care about himself or others?! Ugh.

[hoeforinarizaki]

Hello There! Navigate Here:

"Welcome to hoeforinarizaki's page!"

I'll make it clear i write only for haikyuu on this tumblr account, but if there are other fandoms you want me to write for just go to my main @sparklingbluerose !

At the time, my requests are open so ask away. I don't really have any restrictions so go as wild as you want. Except maybe Character x Characters, since i'm not too good at writing those types of things (though i'm an IwaOi shipper–)...

POSTING SCHEDULE!

I already thought of this beforehand...so i guess i'll write down the schedule here as it's easier to understand.

MONDAY.

TUESDAY.

THURSDAY.

FRIDAY.

SATURDAY.

I removed Wednesday and Sunday because i sometimes end up not posting something at all, and i actually want to follow this schedule so Wednesday is basically a small break to be able to get enough idea and motivation to write. My family and i usually go out to church and eat out together on Sundays, so that'll also be counted as a break somewhat.

REQUESTING PAGE!

I will write anything and everything you want, but i guess there's always going to be rules. Not to worry! I won't put too many restrictions since i want everyone to enjoy and say what they really want to read. And so, here are the do's and dont's.

DO NOT...

Request extremely kinky stuff (piss, knife play, etc.)

I am fine with kinks actually, but extreme stuff are a bit too much for me to actually write. Sorry about that.

Be rude to others in any way (racism, insulting, etc.)

I want this to be a good place for people to express themselves without any judgement! Please be mindful.

Make multiple requests at the same time.

Having people tell me too much stuff is a little overwhelming, and so maybe make another request once i finish the first.

YOU MAY...

Send me anything in my inbox, ranging from requests to questions to venting. I'm all ears and listening is what i mostly do, so please just type away.

Tell me what you want me to write whether it be triggering or just pure smut. I'll make sure to put the warnings i need to at the start. Feel free to ask to get tagged.

Chat with me and call me whatever you wish. Let's be good friends, it would be nice. Send me lots of memes since i laugh at everything and anything, though.

CHARACTERS || LIMIT:

The request limit for individual characters is 10.

However!

If you request teams, i will do all of them.

I write for everyone! From main characters to side characters, heck i'll admit i'm a simp for everyone, especially Futakuchi.

Complete Character List...

KARASUNO

Hinata, Kageyama, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Sawamura, Sugawara, Nishinoya, Ryunnosuke, Azumane, Ukai, Takeda, Hitoka, Shimizu, Kinoshita, Ennoshita, Kazuhito, Saeko

NEKOMA

Kuroo, Kozume, Morisuke, Lev, Alice, Taketora, Akane, Nobuyuki, Shibayama, Fukunaga

AOBA JOHSAI

Oikawa, Hanamaki, Iwaizumi, Matsukawa, Yahaba, Kyōtani, Watari, Kunimi, Kindaichi

FUKURODANI

Bokuto, Akaashi, Konoha, Washio, Sarukui, Komi

INARIZAKI

Shinsuke, Atsumu, Osamu, Ojiro, Rintaro, Omimi, Ginjima

SHIRATORIZAWA

Wakatoshi, Tendō, Semi, Goshiki, Shirabu, Yamagata, Ōhira

JOZENJI

Terushima, Bobata, Misaki, Futamata, Numajiri, Īzaka

DATE TECH

Futakuchi, Takanobu, Moniwa, Sakunami, Onagawa, Nametsu, Kamasaki, Fukiage

NOHEBI

Suguru, Naoyasu, Kazuma, Yoshiya, Yamaka, Isumi

Writing Forms...

SCENARIOS. Whether short or long, i'm happy to know you enjoyed thinking about this and picturing it internally XD

HEADCANONS. Got anything you want to be briefly written in these terms? Then go ask away! I'll take it on.

ANGST. My whole blog might be filled with angst tropes, because why not? I'm a little obsessed. Up to you though.

SMUT. I'm supporting all horny thoughts and my fellow lovely thirsty people out there ;) whatever it is, just ask.

FLUFF. If you need some serotonin, i'm definitely going to make my writing just diabetic as that depression /hj

PLATONIC. You wanna feel like the lovechild of a ship or be your favorite character's bestie? Then type away.

DISCORD:

I'm thirsting on haikyuu so much, and this is the only fandom i've been attracted to longer than the rest i've been. So if you have any active discord servers related to haikyuu in any way, please chat me and give me a link i'm just a simp 🤣

And also, i just want to make friends. So if you're thinking the same, don't hesitate to send me a hello 👌 (i don't bite at all lol...no but seriously i don't fr–)

Masterlists...

MAIN MASTERLIST

Thank you for visiting @hoeforinarizaki!

[diabetes-365]

Making Changes

So this is hard to post - but - I have to admit something, and although I’m not sure who will even see posts on this old blog, I feel the need to post it here.

I have significantly been lacking in my diabetes care.

1. My Omnipod is out dated. I’m going through the process to get the Dash PDM and can’t wait to be done with the old PDM.

2. I simply don’t test my blood that often anymore. It’s something I used to constantly say on here - “test your blood, test your blood, test your blood”. It’s literally the best thing you can do to see the WHY. Why am I feeling so hot? Why do I feel like shit? Why am I thirsty? ect.

Testing my blood 5+ times a day starts NOW.

3. I’m thinking about cutting some things out of my diet - for now.  Pizza, you delicious treat you...I love pizza (if you don’t are you human?) but we eat it far too often and I eat too much of it when I do. So, for NOW, I’m gonna try and not eat pizza for a bit. We’ll see how long that lasts.

4. I need to find a doctor LOCAL to me. I have been in PA for 5 years, and have somehow managed to just keep my diabetes care at a doctor in NJ, and I’ve had to switch doctors because of retirement, another one left, and me not following up. That changes now.

I’m sure there’s more, but I just need to take resonsibility.

Over all health - good.  I’m running a lot in the summer, I feel good, but I have been having high blood sugars at night. I don’t know my A1C currently, and I need to get off the old PDM for my sanity. 

Take responsibility - and make the changes you need to make.

Let’s do this!

[alittlebitofinsanitea]

Bokuto and Asahi headcanons on them with a type one diabetic s/o?

Hi Hon! I did a little online research and such but if it isn’t a realistic depiction just tell me the problem and I’ll fix it, I also accidentally wrote for Akaashi instead of Asahi, anyways I hope you enjoy it! Requests are open! If you wanna drop an ask in my inbox or just chat!

✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

Head Cannons for Akaashi and Bokuto With a S/O Who Has Type 1 Diabetes

✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

Akaashi 

✰ This man, oh this man is responsible af, no question, so whether you are responsible or not, he’s got you!

✰ When you started dating and you told him about your diabetes (not that it was a secret but it's not like you get up on a stage and scream it), he researched the hell out of it

✰ Every. Single. Morning. You receive a message asking if you checked your blood sugar levels,

✰ He even started a journal recording your blood sugar levels in case you ever needed it!

✰ At school, he always keeps either money on him for the vending machines or a juice box in case he sees you shaking slightly or if he sees you having trouble concentrating in class

✰ He makes sure to watch you the first few times when you used your insulin pen because he wants to know how to do it for you, 

✰ “When you are old and wrinkly I want to be able to do it for you” is the excuse he uses to watch you, “I’m gonna be a hot old person you watch” you always retort

✰ little do you know, he 100% intends on watching you grow old because he wants to grow old with you

✰ Carries bandaids with him for after you use your pen, either these because he thinks they look nice or ones with your favorite characters on them

✰ After school if you go over to his house he makes sure your favorite snacks are all there and plenty of drinks if you get thirsty

✰ If you get tired during studying he’ll, specifically if it is late, won’t wake you up, but he will bring you to his bed and tuck you in, if he is good with the subject you were studying he will probably make notes for you to study from 

✰ He won't treat you like you are fragile or delicate, he is smart enough to learn the difference between caring for you and treating you like a doll!

✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰✰

Bokuto

✰ He, unlike Akaashi, does start out treating you more fragilely when he learns about your diabetes

✰ Not to make you feel bad of course, but he won't pick you up and spin you around for a while

✰ After you inform him about basic information concerning diabetes, he goes back to giving his comfy bear hugs and tight cuddles!

✰ Instead of looking on the internet, if he has a question he would as you, he tried a few times to figure out some things on google, but there was a lot, and what if it didn’t affect you? He’d rather just ask you about your specific symptoms

✰ He’ll take notes on any information you give him in this little notebook, 

✰ and by any information, I mean any, you have a favorite flower and it’s in there, don’t like flowers? It's in there. 

✰ He even had Akaashi help him make a table of contents on the first page so he can find things quicker!

✰ Another one who carries around bandaids for you after your shots

✰ If you sat down to use your pen, he refuses to let you get up unless he puts the bandaid on and gets to kiss you twice, once lightly over the bandaid, and once on the forehead

✰ “MY BABY IS SO BRAVE” and “I AM SO PROUD OF YOU” and common phrases he says to you no matter how often your shots are required, and no matter how often you tell him its a small needle and its not bad, he doesn’t care, he thinks you are the coolest person ever to just do that

[oimoi-op]

when were you diagnosed with t1d?

Ok, so storytime! Short answer is, as of today, barely over two months ago. 

(Very long post warning y’all, contains hospital mention and extensive, possibly upsetting descriptions of health conditions, specifically DKA)

My family doesn’t really have a history of T1D or even T2D, though my second-cousin-once-removed has had T1D for over a decade now. So, there was never any reason for me to try and get tests done for it. The only sign I really had up until last semester was two copies of a variant of an HLA gene that I knew about from a 23andMe report (which, according to the report, put me at a higher risk for celiac’s and nothing else), but of course at that time I had no idea that that could mean anything serious; after all, that sort of thing only happens to other people, right?

My college started in-person classes in the latter half of August. By October, I started feeling tired, having a lack of appetite, and needing water very, very badly. I actually went to my school’s clinic, and my erratic heartbeat prompted the doctor to recommend me for a Covid-19 test. My school’s protocols meant that I had to quarantine at my home (since I live within two hours of campus) until I got a negative test result. At home, I was drinking water all the time and sleeping constantly, and my parents had commented on how I’d been losing weight. I thought these were all good things. I had been slightly overweight at my high school graduation, and I’d always heard that drinking a lot of water is good for you, so I thought I was actually in excellent health even if I kind of felt like shit most of the time.

Well. Uh. I was wrong.

When finals came around in mid-November, I was just fucking tired. I’d get a decent eight hours of sleep and still have to take naps during the day. Hell, I was even late for work because I slept through one of my nap alarms. Studying was a pain in the ass. Attending classes was a pain in the ass. Staying awake for Zoom classes was a pain in the ass. I was waking up at 5 am to go to the bathroom, and then I would drink the rest of my water, refill it, drink half of it again, and then go back to sleep. Finally, November 20th rolled around, and I got to leave campus. It was my birthday (yeah I am a Scorpio and that weirds all of my friends out lol), and my parents took me to Fusion. And I just...couldn’t eat at all? I love hibachi, but I couldn’t even eat half of my food. The chef even got me a delicious banana split that I had to basically bully my younger sister into eating with me.

For the next week, I was sleeping about 18 hours a day. I didn’t think this was weird because I’d just had finals so yeah, it makes sense that I would be tired after exams and whatnot. I went shopping with my mom, sister, and sister’s bff. We were only out for a few hours, but I was fucking wiped out y’all, like in pain. Thanksgiving arrived, and again, I love food, I love eating, but I was not hungry in the slightest. I basically had to force myself to eat some of my favorite holiday foods just so I wouldn’t offend my mom, and then I didn’t eat for the day.

The very next morning, I was puking my guts out.

This started a pattern for the next few days: I would eat chicken noodle soup or some other food, sleep like the dead, and throw up every morning and every night. I started chugging large bottles of Gatorade constantly (which, if you know about diabetes and its health complications, did not help my situation in the slightest). I started breathing erratically after very little exertion. Like, I’m talking standing up and stretching brought about heavy, labored breathing. I weighed myself on my parents’ scale, and I was under 130 lbs. Now, for some people this might seem like a lot, but due to my height and build I could fucking see some of my ribs. That was when I started to realize that something was very, very wrong, but “losing weight is good” and I didn’t want my parents to laugh at me for voicing concerns (though, for all their faults, in hindsight, I doubt they would’ve). Yeah. Don’t do that, folks, that’s not a good mindset to have. 

On Sunday, my mom took me to town to get tested for Covid. This was despite me saying that I didn’t have symptoms (which I knew very well due to some of my friends catching it at school). Rapid test came back negative, so I did a culture test. Hell, while I was sitting in the damn chair, I was about to pass out. I asked for a nausea pill but my mouth was too dry for it to dissolve. I got a cup of water, downed it all, and felt like my throat was on fire. For the rest of the day I felt so, so awful. At some point I was walking toward my bed in my room and I fucking fell. I’m fucking lucky there was carpet. 

Regarding the rest of that night, things start to get blurry, for the lack of a better term. I legitimately cannot recall everything that happened that night or the following two days, so I will just try to explain it in the way I remember it best.

Around...midnight or one??? I was on fucking fire, so I went to my bathroom and decided to lie on the floor. The floor was hardwood and not at all cold, and it wasn’t fucking comfortable even in that state, but I was just in so much pain I didn’t even care. My mom must’ve heard because she found me there and asked me what I was doing. I said something about the floor. She asked me to go back to bed, but I must’ve scared her because she asked me if I wanted her to lie in the bed with me. I don’t remember what I said to her, but we were in the bed and she was trying to hug me, but she was too warm and so I told her to stop. I kept feeling this burning just below my chest, like there was acid in me (which I guess wasn’t too far off), so I would randomly sit up to try and alleviate the pain and not cry. I remember asking my mom to take me to the hospital in the morning.

My mom put me in the truck (I think around 5 am is what she told me). I remembered hearing my dad. I was lying down. Then I was awake, but I was on the floor. I thought this was wrong so I tried to tell my mom that but I guess I couldn’t talk. Then I was in a hospital bed, the ER I assume. My mom gave me some water with a sponge, and I was just so fucking thirsty. Then I was in the ICU hooked up to a bunch of machines. I didn’t know what was going on, but my mom kept giving me water with that sponge. That is all I remember from Monday.

I remember a little bit more from Tuesday. My mom said something about diabetes, but that didn’t make any sense to me because I wasn’t “fat” and I’d been losing weight, even! What had I done to get diabetes? I was thirsty and tired, so I slept a lot. At some point I really needed to use the restroom so I unhooked my IV???? (I mean I must’ve disconnected myself somehow but I can’t remember the details) which set off a shit ton of alarms and people were Very Concerned and kept asking me Why Did You Do That? But I just needed to go to the restroom, and they told me to use the Red Button to Call the Nurse (it was already there, and I now realize that we’d probably had a similar conversation about the Red Button to Call the Nurse possibly multiple times before this) in the future. A Chopped Teen Tournament from 2017 was playing on the TV nonstop. There were commercials for CGMs. I thought that God wasn’t being very funny about the whole thing.

As of now I remember even less of Wednesday, but I know that felt better. There was this diabetes specialist who kept talking about insulin and life at college moving forward, but I wasn’t really there, either because of being so out of it for health reasons, disassociating, or a combination of the two. My mom told me she had emailed a professor so he would give me an extension on an assignment that was due by then, and I remember crying because I thought that was just so nice of him. That night, this guy got me in a wheelchair and put me in another room, which I would later learn was the ACU. My night nurse was this nice woman named Tanya, who had a very thick Eastern European accent. She got me orange juice to take some potassium pills, but it felt like swallowing rocks. I didn’t really get a lot of sleep, so I was awake when the nurses changed shifts. I remember one of them expressing surprise that I was out of the ICU so early.

My mom took longer to come that day because nobody had told her I’d been moved. I’d had plain Cheerios and orange juice for breakfast, but I couldn’t really eat because my throat hurt so badly. I talked to a lot of doctors. I guess at this point or somewhere near it I accepted that I had diabetes, but it wasn’t really real until the same diabetes specialist was going over carbs. I thought I was never going to eat shit I liked ever again. I really wanted a fucking McChicken sandwich. I signed some papers for Medicaid because I had aged out of the CHIP while in the hospital. I finally texted my friends and explained to them what had happened. I was so fucking tired.

I got out the next day, so that was Thursday. Normally, I would’ve been in the hospital much longer (especially because my Medicaid hadn’t been approved, meaning no insurance had approved of my insulin yet), but Covid cases were on the rise and the hospital wanted me out of there. The diabetes specialist and one of my nurses snuck me two fast-acting and two basal insulin pens, and I was out. I ate half a McChicken, a small fry, and drank my first Diet Coke. It tasted like diesel mixed with piss. 

That’s the gist of it. The hospital staff was very nice and thoughtful the entire time, I think. I felt as though everyone involved cared about my health a lot. 

For those of you who aren’t T1D or just don’t know, what I experienced is called DKA, short for diabetic ketoacidosis. To simplify, I was very close to entering a diabetic coma. My sister later told me that our dad had said (I assume a doctor had told my mother, who, in turn, had told him) that I was “approximately 45 minutes” away from death. DKA happens when a diabetic (usually a T1D like me) has too much blood sugar in their body due to them lacking the insulin necessary to break the sugar down, so their body breaks down their fat reserves and muscle to get the energy it needs. This is why I lost around 50 pounds over the course of a few months (I was 118 lbs. when I entered the hospital, the lowest I’ve been since grade school). I was officially diagnosed with T1D on November 30th, just ten days after my 19th birthday, which is a little older than normal I believe. It’s...well, it’s not fun, but I feel very grateful for my large support system, and tomorrow I’m trying out a CGM for the first time and applying for both it and a pump, so things are really looking up 

[ink-and-flame]

Outright Blanket Thievery

Pairing: HumanF/OrcgreM/OrcM [Reader/Gorrim/Gorvok] Rating: GEN  DC (Diabetic Coma Alert)  Tags: Silliness, Comfort, Cuddling? Word Count: 3313 

[Authors Note: I am not going to lie, your prompt gave me the giggles something awful, but I appreciate you giving me time to finish nano and deal with my pneumonia. Sorry this took so long but getting back in the groove has taken some time.I was also inundated with enough work projects for 3 full-time employees and have been consistently pulling 12 hour days. Your patience is a blessing.]

@monster-bait

As beautiful as winter could be, sometimes a person just wanted it to be over. Despite the heat being on you were still freezing. Sitting on the couch under a couple of blankets and shivering slightly while trying to focus on the TV. Binge watching Netflix alone wasn’t nearly as much fun as it was when your roommates were around, but you were bored and didn’t want to do anything that would require you to move out from under the blankets. Your cocoon of warm was slowly beginning to work and you were just not willing to ruin all your effort even to get up for a drink.

When you had initially found this place on Ulric’s List there was the feeling of it being too good to be true. The location was incredible, as was the building. The area was one of the more expensive ones to live in but the rent was reasonable. You would have roommates but they were professionals that were not home as much. That was why the rent was low, it turned out. They were looking to rent to someone that would be willing to take care of the place while they were gone, and they would be gone often. You would have your own bedroom and bathroom, but all other areas were shared. Despite the lack of private entrance, and your own kitchen, it was simply too good to pass up. 

Agreeing to an interview and wanting a chance to view the apartment and check out the area, you decided to meet them there on one of their days off which was in the middle of the week. It wasn’t the greatest of accommodations but with their schedules it was the best that could be done. When you first met them you weren’t sure who was more surprised, you or them. They had not expected a human to respond to the ad, and you had not expected your roommates to be the largest, meanest, most aggressive looking people you had ever seen. One, Gorvok, was an impressively large orc, who was the biggest orc you had ever met, and somehow the other, Gorrim,  was taller. You had never met a half orc half ogre before, in fact you had never seen an ogre up close but now you were pretty sure they were massive and terrifying. 

It had been a mistake on your part, not realizing that when you brought up the results for the apartment hunt, that you did not filter the results meant for humans. What you had done is filtered out the human results instead. It had been your intention to apologize and be on your way, but Gorvok had stopped you. He believed that this arrangement could work out. As a human, the bedroom would be more space than you would get in a human sized apartment. It would allow you to have separate spaces in your room and afford you more privacy. Also, being human would not impede your ability to look after the place, it really wouldn’t take much. 

There was still the issue of your comfort. Both males were worried that you would be afraid of them, but you realized that to do so would just perpetuate existing stereotypes, which you weren’t too keen on despite your initial surprise and hesitation. Also you were never going to find another offer like this. It was more than affordable, and nicer than anything you would be able to find on your own. Pushing your anxiety aside, you took the offer and moved in two weeks later, and honestly it was still one of the best decisions you had ever made in your life. 

You had the whole place to yourself more often than not, and all those worries about having male roommates and them being creeps was unfounded. You were pretty sure they were actually a couple to start, and if they weren’t well that didn’t matter. Neither had done anything to make you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, the opposite in fact. Both were eager to make sure your comfort level was maintained and had even stepped in when one of the neighbors got too friendly with you. More so than you had ever felt in the past, you felt safe. 

In all honesty you had thought the best part of the arrangement would be how often you had the place to yourself, but you had become surprisingly lonely. Especially after the first few times you actually hung out socially with your roommates. Despite a few awkward moments and cultural misunderstandings, you discovered that they were surprisingly fun to spend time with. They were warm, friendly, a little mischievous but not in a mean way. Gorrim in particular was fond of gentle pranks, never anything mean or potentially hurtful. Mostly just silly stuff that made everyone laugh. While Gorvok was a fan of puns, to the point that both you and Gorrim would sometimes boo him out of the room or ground him just to make him stop. 

Overall, you were happier when they were around and that made the nights apart both harder and yet easier. The only reason it was easier was because you realized, after almost a year with them, that you had begun to genuinely care for them both. You worried for them, and wanted to take care of them as best you could. The shock came when you realized that you had developed a rather embarrassing crush on both men in turn, and alternated between which one you fantasized about, though lately the fantasies had taken a bit of a turn and you no longer had to choose, both were there and somehow that made it worse.

Thus far you had managed not to embarass or out yourself and kept your desires secret. It was more than physical, you knew that, but there was still a physical element. Part of the problem was over time you had all become comfortable with each other, so much so that you realized that there were some cultural modesty differences, mostly in that modesty seemed to not exist in orcish culture. Nudity was not seen as obscene or even sexual. The first time you walked into the kitchen to find Gorvok nude had been an experience that had you hiding in your room for days and Gorvok being somewhat upset for much longer. Eventually you got over it, but you couldn’t tell him the real reason you were upset. You just blamed it on your humanity and apologized. 

Though if you thought Gorvok cut an impressive figure, then catching Gorrim working out had almost broken you. Both males had strong, muscular bodies, but not like bodybuilders. They had solid forms with some softness. They were also both impossibly hairy, Gorrim more than Gorvok, but that was the Ogre in him. Ogres were known to be quite hairy, some had fur, and most had horns. Like orcs they had tusks, but Ogres had two sets and sometimes their tusks grew large enough that dental intervention was required to prevent permanent damage. Never in your life had you felt such a strong attraction to anyone, but these two did something to you that you simply couldn’t explain. 

Now you had to fight back your own wants and desires for everyone's sake. They were your roommates and if they weren’t dating each other you assumed they were gay. Not because of any thing specific they had said, but because you were positive you heard them fucking on more than one occasion yet it was never addressed or even mentioned. You weren’t sure how to bring it up and didn’t want to upset anyone by asking the wrong kind of question, so you just pretended you heard nothing. 

So there you were, curled up on the couch freezing despite the blankets and the fire going. You were alone and a little miserable. Not just because of the cold, but because you were lonely, lonely and bored. Sure it was easier on your labido when they weren’t around and it helped avoid any potentially awkward moments, but that didn’t change the fact that despite your attraction to them they were also your friends. It just wasn’t as much fun without Gorrim’s pranks or Gorvok’s terrible puns. Ok, so maybe you could live without some of his terrible puns, but still. 

You knew Gorvok was going to be gone longer this time. He was visiting his family, some emergency involving his brother. You hadn’t even known he had a brother until he was getting ready to leave. The look in his eyes still haunted you a bit. Orcs were close with their family and clans and it was clear his brother was someone important to him, you were afraid to ask what was going on and why he never mentioned his family before but you left it be. 

Gorrim was supposed to be back sometime this week, but you weren’t sure when. So for now you were just stuck alone, cold, bored, and lonely. You had other friends you could hang out with, but you wanted your roommates home. It was a different feeling and it made you melancholy to think about it too much. Sinking further into the couch you sighed, you were still thirsty. 

Lost in your malaise of misery and mummification in the blankets on the couch that you missed the sound of a key in the door and Gorrim coming in. He was usually a loud individual and you normally wouldn’t have missed it, but he was being surprisingly quiet. You didn’t even know you were no longer alone in the apartment until you heard his deep gravelly voice from behind you. 

“I did not realize humans had a cocoon stage.”

You screamed and fell off the couch in a tangled heap of blankets, struggling on the floor as the sound of booming laughter filled the space. Of course after the initial panic you recognized Gorrim’s voice and just layed in a small heap on the floor and waited for him to stop laughing and help you. Thankfully it didn't take long and soon you were lifted into the air and and set gently on the couch. It took a bit longer for you to unwind yourself from the blankets but you managed and just glared up at the still chuckling Gorrim.

“Was that really necessary?” You asked as you wiggled out from under the blankets. 

“Probably not, but it was funny. I had no idea I would scare you so much.” He smiled and sat down on the couch. 

Despite the laughter he looked tired and like something was on his mind. You glanced over at him and wavered between asking and just sitting there pretending to be angry about it. You weren’t really upset, it hadn’t even hurt and it was kind of funny. Looking away you stared at the fire not really realizing what it looked like with you just sitting there, no TV or anything on, just wrapped in a blanket on the couch. 

“You hear from Gorvok yet?” Gorrim asked after a few moments.

“No, you?” You glanced over looking hopeful only to see him shake his head looking solom.

You were both quiet for a bit, just sitting in silence until Gorrim got up and headed toward the kitchen. You turned around on the couch and called out to him to get his attention. 

“Hey, while you are up, can you get me drink?”

Gorrim stopped and turned around slowly with a curious look on his face. “Did falling off the couch make you thirsty?”

“Nope!” You smiled. “I have been thirsty for a while. Just didn’t want to get off the couch.”

Gorrim started laughing again, and hard. He was shaking his head  and just giving you this look.

“What? I was comfortable and it is cold!” You pouted, sulking a bit but it was clear he was going to do as you asked. 

He came back a few minutes later carrying two mugs of hot chocolate. His was significantly larger, and when he handed you yours you could see the tiny marshmallows floating in the drink. It was kind of sweet and adorable. It was also one of the many reasons you liked him so much. Gorrim was thoughtful and kind, even if he was a bit of a punk sometimes. 

“Thank you.” You took the drink and sipped it. Having to let go of the blanket and let it slip down. 

The hot chocolate went a long way to warming you and you were distracted by not only the sweet drink but the warmth filling you that you didn’t notice the blanket inching off of you slowly. Humming quietly you pulled the cup to your chest, eyes closed as you let the warmth fill you. It wasn’t just the drink, having Gorrim back made the room seem warmer somehow. When you finally opened your eyes and set your drink down you noticed the blanket was now only half on your lap and over by Gorrim, who for his part, looked innocent as usual.

You looked him up and down, then at the blanket, then at him again. You weren’t sure if the blanket had actually just slipped off you or if he had something to do with it. Leaving it for now, as you were a bit warmer, you went back to your drink and the silence. This was a much better silence than before. It was a comfortable silence and not a lonely one. Lost in thought again, worried about Gorvok, you didn’t notice the blanket inching away from you again.

By the time you did notice, the blanket was no longer on you at all and somehow was now on Gorrim who looked perfectly pleased with himself as you just stared at him.

“Ahem…. That was mine.”

“Technically. It is a communal blanket.” He countered.

“Yes, but, I was using it.” 

“And now I am.” 

There was something about his smug, matter of fact delivery that fueled your bravery. You set your cup aside, noticing his was on the table, so spills would not be a problem. Reaching over you tugged at the blanket, but it would not budge from his iron grip.

“Why are you trying to take my blanket?” Gorrim asked ever so innocently

“Your blanket?” Your voice pitched up. “I thought it was a communal blanket?” It was hard to keep a straight face but you did your best.

“Mine now.” He quipped and had the audacity to snuggle further into the blanket with an over exaggerated sigh.

“Oh that is it!” 

Launching yourself at him bodily you tugged at the blankets with all your might. Of course Gorrim didn’t have to do much to fend you off being about 4 times your size and stronger than anyone you ever knew. It was like trying to wrestle a statue. He wasn’t moving, even a little. How ever you did notice the smallest hint of a smile on his face.

“FINE! If you are going to be a selfish blanket hog, then I will have to improvise.” 

You weren’t sure what fueled your bravery at this point, as there were lines that had never been crossed by you. This was your roommate who was potentially in a relationship with your other roommate. None of that mattered in this moment as you tugged the blanket up instead of to the side and crawled under it and up into his lap. Wiggling and struggling until you popped up from under the blanket with your back to his chest and the blanket pressed tight to you as you made yourself at home on his lap. 

“Maybe next time you will stop hogging all the blanket and this wouldn’t happen, but since you are being an absolute child about it, now you have to share!” You hrmfed, glad that he couldn’t see your face as you could just feel the heat in your cheeks. 

This was the most sustained physical contact that you had ever had with him. There had been physical contact in the past, you guys had lived together for over a year. Hugs happened rarely but they happened. There were plenty of other small instances, but never anything like this. You were in his lap, you could feel the warmth of his body, the softness of his stomach, the hard muscles of his chest, hell you could feel his breath on your head, stirring your hair a bit. Wiggling slightly you leaned back harder into him and made an exaggerated sigh just like he had. 

Your whole body shook with his laughter as you felt his massive strong arms wind around you as he leaned down and rested his chin on top of your head.

“Well, alright then.” He continued to laugh but it died down after a minute. “I was wondering if you were ever going to warm up to me.” he added softly.

You were silent for a bit, not sure what he meant. Slowly you turned a bit so you could look at him, the confusion clear in your eyes. You felt him shrug as he looked at you.

“You’ve been a perfect roommate, you are wonderful. You just seemed like you’ve tried to keep your distance. I get that half breeds have a reputation and I know how frightening I look.” He paused for a moment as you seemed to struggle to find words. “I mean you are friendly enough with us and I always enjoy socializing, but you seem to keep us at arms length, so I wasn’t sure, that's all.”

You were quiet for long moment. “I just.. I wasn’t sure where the line was. I thought you and Gorvok were. Um… well.. I mean.. Not to make assumptions but.. See…” You were struggling and the face journey you were going on must have been something because Gorrims smile just got bigger and bigger and you just knew something dumb was going to fly out of your mouth. “I heard you guys.” and there it was.

Gorrims booming laughter almost shook you right off his lap, but he had a pretty good grip on you so you weren’t going anywhere. 

“I see.” He rumbled close to your ear.

To your credit you managed to stop the full body shiver that would have given a little too much away. “I… didn’t want to say something insensitive or anything like that. So I just. I wasn’t sure because you guys don’t always act like a couple.” Throwing up your hands you started over explaining. “Not that there's anything wrong with that. Every relationship is different and I am fine with any sexuality. OHNO! I am in your lap and this must be so awkward for you!” As deep embarrassment filled you, you tried to wiggle out of his grasp but he was holding quite tightly to you.

His voice was back against your ear, and you could swear you felt the brush of his lips against your neck, but that must have been your mind playing tricks on you. “If only life were that simple. My relationship with Gorvok is complicated, we don’t really do labels all that well if I am being honest. While we are airing things out, I think it is only fair for you to know that both Gorvok and myself don’t have any gender restrictions in the lovers we take and the relationships we build.” 

You froze, your mind trying to piece together exactly what he was saying when you felt that warmth against your neck. This time the pressure wasn’t something you can ignore when his deep voice washed over you. This time it vibrated you straight to your core. 

“When it comes to someone special, we like to share.” 

[youarejesting]

BTS365 Prompts.Week 23

[Full Masterlist] [Prompt Masterlist]

Beta: @lunarlxve

Please tag me in your work if you use my prompts. I want to see your work. Ever your Jester.

Tell me your birthday and I will tag you on your special day!

═══════ ೋღ ღೋ ═══════

          June 4th - 10th

═══════ ೋღ ღೋ ═══════

Kim Seokjin - hug

Kim Seokjin had never been hugged. He didn’t know what it felt like, but it always looked nice in movies and dramas. Why has he never been hugged? Well, he was an only child, and his parents went on a lot of overseas work trips. The nanny was an older woman and very stern. He wondered why she was a nanny when she hated children. She hated when they were too loud, hated when they got grubby or ran around, and hated when they talked or asked questions. 

Soon he was a teen, a handsome one but home schooled. Seokjin’s Tutor was an older man who only knew how to read a textbook and scold him. He never got hurt to warrant a hug, was never praised with a hug. Until he bumped into you. No literally bumped into you. The two of you toppled over, chest to chest. The warmth and physical connection sent a spark down his spine. He felt for the first time that he wasn’t alone. Even if it was a mistake that you fell against him.

Min Yoongi - cat

“Hey, Lil meow meow,” You grinned stepping into the studio. You were rival producers, and it amused you how easily you could get under his skin. You really meant no harm by it, and you hoped it came across that way. Sometimes he would do the same to you by making fun of the bags under your eyes or something as trivial. It had gotten simultaneously worse and better  due to renovations, you were sharing a studio. Both agreeing to leave each other’s music and equipment alone.

“So how long did it take for your date to run away this time?” He sighed, taking the coffee from your hand, freeing it so you could count his change and place the small pile of coins onto his desk. 

“He said his boss called him thirty seconds into the movie. The opening credits hadn’t even finished Min” You hissed sipping your coffee “I was so excited to see the movie.”

“What a prick, did he really?” Yoongi hissed, turning in his seat, pulling his headphones down so they would hang around his neck.

“Yes, he really did” you turned to face your computer, turning it on and setting everything up. “I don’t understand Min. Am I really that bad?”

“No you're not, as much as we joke you are cute” He grinned turning your seat around, so you were left with no choice but to look at him “Sometimes you act like a big cat all feisty and claws and teeth, but you forget you are actually a cute little kitten.”

Jung Hoseok - doughnut

“Welcome to the Doughnut Drive- thru. How may I help you?” You asked, trying to sound cheerful after a long shift.

“Hey, can I get twelve assorted iced doughnuts with sprinkles?” The voice was muffled through the drive-thru, but you knew exactly who it was.

You tapped the button on the sales machine. Waiting for his car to arrive. It was a red 1973 Mercedes 450SL. A beautiful piece of machinery. He smiled up at you and handed you the money as he did every time, brushing his fingers against your palm, making you feel warm in your pretty pastel blue uniform dress and apron. 

In the middle of the Money was a piece of paper that said ‘Hoseok xxxx-xxx-xxx call me.’ This wasn’t the first time he had handed you a note with his number. You felt your face flush, wondering if you looked like a tomato at this point.

“Here is your change sir, I will just get them now” You walked off and grabbed the assorted donuts and handed them over. Watching his car drive off.

It was when you heard his voice again through your headset from the drive-thru speaker that you grew confused. Have you made a mistake? “Miss y/n, I come around every Friday after work, hoping I might get the chance to talk to you. I have given you my number almost thirty times now, and you never text, never call. Just let me know before I die of a heart attack or diabetes from eating 12 donuts a week. Would you be interested in going on a date with me?”

Kim Namjoon - drive-in

Namjoon had asked you out a few days ago after school, he seemed confident and kind of cocky in front of his friends. You almost thought it was a joke; that is until he arrived at your house, his usually disheveled hair combed down. He was no longer in his leather jacket but a nice button up. He shook hands with your father, talking to him with a smile while you went to fetch your purse.

“Sir, I have plans to watch a movie with your daughter and then to eat at the diner. I thought I should let you know in case you wish to know her whereabouts.” Namjoon said, trying to be courteous to your parents. “The movie finishes at eight, and we should finish dinner by nine, so we shouldn’t be out too late.”

“You aren’t planning to do anything at the drive-in, are you?” Your father said sternly, “I know where you live mister Kim.”

“No, sir, we aren’t going to do anything except watch a movie,” Namjoon said, rubbing his palms on his trousers looking towards the stairs hoping you were ready to leave. “And perhaps I could hold her hand.”

“Alright, Mum, Dad, don’t scare the poor boy” You sighed, gesturing Namjoon over; he got up grateful that you had saved him from your father's intense stare.

“I will wait up,” Your father said, walking you both to the door catching Namjoon’s arm. “You may hold her hand, and I will allow one kiss goodnight if she wishes, but otherwise, keep your hands to yourself, buddy.”

“Yes, Sir. I will have her home by nine.” 

Park Jimin - VCR

“Hey Jimin, did you record the show last night? I was so busy with my Aunty’s 45th birthday that I was unable to watch it” You grabbed your friend's arm in the school hall. “Please, PLEASE tell me you recorded it.”

“Yeah I got it recorded, you can come over later and watch it with me after dance practice” He smiled giving you a perfect spin. “You will watch me, right?”

“Of course, Chim.” You stopped at your adjacent lockers, taking out your books, remembering the math pop quiz. It was going to be a long day.

You weren’t wrong, the day was slow and tedious. Your only saving grace was when you hopped into Jimin’s bright yellow buggy and took off to his dance class. You sat in the corner watching him dance. He was one of two boys who danced in his age group. The girls moved so delicately, their bodies were as light as air. It made you self conscious even Jimin in his sweats and singlet was more agile and graceful then you could ever dream of being.

He drove you both home, asking if he did well and telling you how he thinks he is ready for the upcoming performance. The Park family home was a single story. Jimin called it small and old, but you thought it was homely and cozy. The two of you sat in his room; you snuggled into his blankets while putting the old tape in the VCR machine. It was nice being with your best friend, but you wanted to be something more for some reason. 

You just wish you had the courage to tell him.

Kim Taehyung - BFF

It was a Friday night; you were in the basement lying on your stomach on the plush rug; your legs swinging back and forth as you slowly threaded beads onto a clear fishing line. Threading Taehyung’s favorite color beads in a simple, alternate pattern. You were able to fasten the bracelet when the door to the basement swung open. 

“You got it, Mrs. L/N, I will let her know for you” Taehyung’s voice called up to your mother as he hopped down the stairs enthusiastically. “Sup?”

“Just chilling Tae” The evidence of your craft pushed under the couch. 

“I just wanted to let you know, your mum says I can stay for dinner, if you want me to that is?”

“No duh, Tae, you’re my BFF.”

Taehyung laughed sitting on the two-seater sofa, his long legs hanging over the side. “We should do something fun” You hummed the BFF bracelet in your pocket felt heavy. 

“Like what?” Taehyung asks, earning a shrug from you. He ponders for a moment before continuing, “We could play truth or dare.”

“Will it work with just the two of us?” 

“Sure, let me go first,” he smiled, sitting up and crossing his legs on the couch, patting the second cushion, and you sat across from him. “Truth or dare?”

“Truth”

“Do you have anyone you like?” He peeked  at you from under his shaggy bangs, and you felt your cheeks grow pink. 

“Yes,” your giggle was nervous, and you tried to quickly move on, “truth or dare?”

“Truth?” He smiled, moving the hair out of his eyes with his fingers. 

“Do you have anyone you like?” He nodded, his face turned away, and your mother took this moment to bring you a plate of orange soda and biscuits. 

The two of you chorused your thanks, and when the door was shut, you were left alone once more. One more round and Tae asked if you had ever kissed anyone, and you dared him to dunk his biscuit in his soda before eating it. 

“Truth or dare?” He asked, seemingly determined to get you back for the horrific snack you had created. And you thought it only fair that he had the chance. 

“Dare,” you smiled, downing your soda so he couldn’t ruin it for you. 

“I dare you to kiss me,” you sprayed him completely, choking on the carbonated beverage. 

Jeon Jungkook - Iced tea

Jungkook was contracted to paint the outside of your family home. You were back home from University and house sitting for your parents while they were on a cruise. Laying out on a sun chair in your bikini, trying to enjoy the warmth of the sun, you started to get thirsty. Walking inside to your parent’s indoor bar, you began preparing some ice tea. It was when you saw him on a ladder painting above the window all shirtless and sweaty, that you decided to prepare a second beverage. 

You turned to the mirror fixing your hair, applying a tinted lip gloss, and readjusting your bikini top to accentuate your cleavage. You carried both drinks out and smiled, “Jungkook, was it? Would you like some ice tea, you look a bit thirsty.”

[mymindisglitched]

So medication update. Zoloft was causing a really weird side effect, basically I was like, super thirsty all the time. Like I mean REALLY thirsty. Basically was never not working on a water bottle. It was to the point where I literally couldn't be satisfied with how much water I drank.

This, apparently, isn't a common side effect for zoloft and after making sure it wasn't diabetes (which runs in my family and makes u thirsty as shit. Also definitely not diabetes, i'm apparently actually really well off despite having the familial ties to it).

my doc decided that between a side effect that shouldn't be possible and the fact that zoloft wasn't really...working that well, she decided to switch my meds, which I expected anyways.

So now I'm starting on Effexor. Kinda scared myself abt it but I am also a hypochondriac so it's very possible I've just gotten my nerves up.

My first dose will be when we pick it up from the pharmacy tonight.

I'm hoping it will work better that zoloft. It definitely works better for my lifestyle (with zoloft I had to set an alarm to take it. Effexor you just take upon waking up)

I don't really have any ill will towards zoloft. It didn't work for me personally but I absolutely think it'd work for a lot of other people.

Anyways, wish me luck. Crossing my fingers that maybe this time I'll actually get better

[somepretty-things]

24 weeks, or 6 months, pregnant today!!! 11/28/2020

Today I am 6 months pregnant! 

I have been super busy lately. With COVID-19 surging in Philadelphia, I have been super busy at work and working more hours than usual. Plus, on the weekends I have been spending more time cleaning and getting the apartment and nursery ready. Once the nursery is complete I will share pictures for everyone to see :) 

Currently my symptoms are that I AM HUGE!!! Lol, I feel like I am so so big, especially compared to other women I see who are 6 months pregnant. It’s all in my belly though for the most part, and my hips somewhat. My hips are definitely getting bigger. Besides that, heart burn has been so awful. I have to take tums throughout the day because the pain is sometimes too much and the heart burn actually makes me vomit a little bit sometimes. Also, I am super hot all the time. I feel like I’m boiling on the inside sometimes. I also have had a hard time sleeping, partly because I am so hot but also because it’s getting harder and harder for me to get comfortable in bed. And finally, I feel like I am dehydrated all the time. I am constantly drinking water and when I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes I am covered in sweat. No one ever told me that pregnancy would bring 24/7 hot flashes but here I am, sweating my ass off in fall. Thank God I was only in my first trimester during the summer. I can’t imagine feeling like this when the temperatures are 90 + degrees F. Also, baby is kicking up a storm now which I love. I love feeling her moving around inside me, it makes me feel like she must be doing well. 

At my last pre-natal appointment, my blood pressure was high; 140/83. They retook it and it went down to 133/80, but for me that is still high. So I had to do daily BP checks and follow up with my doctor on a tele call and even though my BP was normal the rest of the week (between 110/70 and 120/80) he still wants me to do occasional BP checks, just a couple of times a week. Idk why my BP was high that day, but it does worry me. I hope that I don’t develop pre-eclampsia and that the high BP was more due to stress and that I had to pee really bad than anything else. Also at this appointment he started measuring my belly to see how big it is and my doctors will do that now at every appointment. I’m expecting at my next appointment to be told I need to take the glucose test soon which I am nervous about. The glucose test is for gestational diabetes and I am terrified I will end up having it. No one in my family has had it during pregnancy but diabetes type 2 does seem to run in my family later in life and I’m just worried I will end up having it, especially because I am thirsty all the time now.

[lady-divine-writes]

Five Times Blaine Gets Sick and One Time Kurt Figures Out Why: Chapter 1/6 (Rated T)

This is a commission gone bad, so I’ve decided to start posting it and return the commissioner’s money (which I’ve been trying to do for a bit now but since they’re apparently not in the same country as me, Paypal won’t let me do a straight refund. I have to pay $10 out of my own pocket to return the money, which I’m trying to arrange). This whole thing has been a poop show, let me tell you. A lot of things went wrong. But two things that rubbed me the wrong way about this is a) yes, I was taking a while to get this done. Aside from life, I had seven other commissions, all which this person was told. I even offered to return their money twice before. I was told that as long as it didn’t take till the New Year they were willing to wait. That was apparently a lie. And b) they were stalking my actions on social media. You’ve heard me talk about this before - how someone will say “Hey, I noticed you updated this story. Why don’t you update this one?” That’s what I was getting. They had subscribed to me and was put out that I was doing other work that I enjoy when I had their commission to do. That automatically makes me not want to work on your project. Well, here it is. I’m putting it up in six short chapters, but the work is mine. I don’t want their name attached to it. Read it. Don’t read it. I really don’t care. I just want it off my shoulders and off my plate so I can focus on more important stuff.

***

“I’m dying!” Blaine moans, arms wrapped around his stomach and rolling left and right on the sofa while Kurt tries to snatch the thermometer out of his husband’s mouth.

“You’re not dying. You’re just sick. Now hold still, you big baby, while I check your temperature. Otherwise I’m going to have to do this rectally, and I’m sorry, but I’m not sure our relationship can survive that.”

That comment stops Blaine’s tantrum in its tracks – not because he’s finally being an obedient patient, but because of the absurdity of that remark. Kurt has shoved a great many toys up Blaine’s rear, but a thermometer is where he draws the line? He would love to explore the rationale behind that in greater depth but he’s too busy dealing with his life being violently torn from his corporeal form.

“I am dying. I feel it.”

“What do you feel exactly?” Kurt pounces, grabs the thermometer from between Blaine’s lips and holds it up to the light.

“I’m burning up. It feels like my blood is boiling. My whole body’s on fire!”

“Yeah, well, you have fever,” Kurt informs him, squinting at the red line to make sure. “But it’s not all that high. What else?”

Blaine frowns at the assertion that the fever currently surging through him like lava isn’t all that high. “Well … I’m achy. Like, all over. And my head hurts. I’m thirsty …” He continues pulling out anything he can think of when it looks like Kurt is no longer taking his peril seriously. “I could probably drink the whole ocean!”

“That wouldn’t be a good idea. The saline content would definitely kill you. But congratulations! You have the flu!”

“The flu!? I can’t have the flu! I got a flu shot!”

“Yesterday. You were probably exposed to the flu a week ago and you’re just showing symptoms now. I’ll call Gunther on my way to work and tell him you won’t be at the diner today. And you should email your professors. See if you’ll be missing anything important today at school.”

“You’re … you’re leaving me?” Blaine sits up quickly only to regret it a second later.

“Yes, Blaine. It’s just the flu. It doesn’t even seem like a bad flu. You can take care of yourself.”

“I can’t take care of myself, Kurt! I’m suffering from a fatal disease here!”

Kurt’s eyes roll hard enough to make him dizzy. “You’re not going to die from the flu.”

“People have died from the flu!” Blaine insists. “Google it! It’s possible!”

“Yes, it’s possible, but it’s rare. You’re healthy as a horse. I don’t think it’s going to happen to you.”

“You don’t know that! I could turn a corner in seconds! Th-there was a woman in Minnesota had the flu - seemed fine. Laid down on her sofa for a nap and never woke up!”

“Wasn’t she in her eighties?” Kurt shoves his keys into his pocket and his wallet into his messenger bag. “And didn’t she have, like, diabetes and a heart condition?”

“Don’t know,” Blaine mutters grumpily. “But why take the chance? Wouldn’t it be a good idea for you to stay with me? To be on the safe side?”

“Blaine! I’m only going to be gone for three hours. Four tops! I don’t think you’re going to die in the next four hours!”

“But it feels like I am!”

“You have your cell phone. If you start seeing a bright light and distant relatives coming to greet you, call me, and I’ll have Mrs. Pancetti from next door come check on you. Shoo them away.”

“Kurt!” Blaine stares at Kurt with pleading, blood-shot eyes, and Kurt stares back - stoic, determined not to be swayed. A stand-off ensues, one Kurt doesn’t have time for. In his head, he tells himself to end this ridiculousness, grab his stuff, and go. His husband is a big boy. He’ll be fine. But the more Blaine stares, the more Kurt begins to feel sorry for him. Blaine doesn’t usually get sick. Aside from catching a mega-cold his senior year of high school (which resulted in the infamous Tina Cohen-Chang Vapo-rape incident) Kurt can’t remember the last time Blaine was truly sick.

And he doesn’t seem all that sick now! But Kurt has had the flu before (of course). It can be deceptively mild in the beginning. If Blaine’s is anything like the flus Kurt gets, he’s going to be miserable. And even though he doesn’t consider himself the nurturing type, there’s something deep inside trying its hardest to convince Kurt to stay home and take care of his husband.

And it’s winning.

Kurt checks the clock on his phone and sighs. He’s cutting things close as is. If he’s going to leave, he’d better do it now or else he might as well not even try. At this rate, he’ll miss his connection, hit hellacious traffic, and spend close to an hour stuck on a crowded subway platform. He scrolls through his itinerary in his head – his one class and the few projects he’s contributing to at Vogue.

Can he really afford to miss a day?

Actually, he can. For the first time in a long time, he can.

“Alright,” he groans, but with the twitch of a smile on his lips. “Give me a minute, let me iron out a few things, and I’ll be back to hang out with you.”

“Yay!” Blaine giggles, fluffing his pillow and snuggling beneath his thick comforter.

“I’m going to go to the bedroom and get changed. Try not to die too loudly.”

“This is going to be great, Kurt!” Blaine calls after him. “You’ll see. I … I know I’m sick, but we can watch trash TV and play video games and …”

“Hold that thought.” Kurt ducks behind the privacy curtain. “I’ll be with you in a minute.”

Kurt drops his bag and unzips his boots. He shoots Isabelle a text, wincing while he gives her what he feels is a thin excuse, but that’s because he has his father’s work ethic. No missing work unless he’s caught in a fire or bleeding profusely out his head. He doesn’t like bowing out on his responsibilities without giving people twenty-four hours’ notice. But Blaine getting sick? Incapacitated? (That’s what he tells Isabelle has happened to assuage his own guilt.) That cropped up this morning. And it’s an emergency, right? Emergencies don’t tend to give 24 hours’ notice. So if he didn’t have it, how could he give it?

Besides, it’s been a long time since he’s had a dedicated day off with his husband. Their schedules for the past six months have turned them into proverbial ships passing one another in the night. They share the occasional meal, get one date night every two weeks, but they’ve been overwhelmed by mid-year exams and double-shifts at the diner. Maybe Blaine’s flu is a blessing in disguise. Sure Kurt will be playing nursemaid, but Blaine is awfully cute when he’s needy. He’ll cling to Kurt like a baby sloth. They’ll watch TV and cuddle, Blaine’s hot skin pressed against his as he feeds his husband apple sauce and they catch up on life.

He’ll be missing an exciting day at Vogue, but this will be worth it.

“Okay, Blaine!” Kurt strips off the stylish outfit he’d chosen for the day and puts on his pajamas, rushing as he becomes more and more excited. He yanks on his socks, slides his feet into his carpet slippers, and sashays back to the living room. “Let’s play hooky!”

But by the time he returns, Blaine is fast asleep.

[freddiesaysalright]

Dancing With Ben Week 4

A Ben Hardy x Reader Fic Country Night - Rumba

Summary: Reader is one of the pro dancers on Dancing With the Stars. It’s her second season on the show, and this time, her partner is none other than Ben Hardy. Will they win the Mirror Ball? Maybe they’ll win something even more meaningful!

Word Count: 3.5K

Tag List:  @psychosupernatural, @someone-get-a-medic, @twigleektribute23, @ionlyhavepicturesofflowers, @asquiresofftime, @caborhapch, @iwasnothingbutacityboy, @a-kind-of-magik, @anxious-diabetic, @royalblueviper, @toms-irish-girl, @doingalrightt, @borhapqueen92, @angiefangirlworld-2 If you’d like to be added, let me know!

A/N: Things are starting to heat up! And, they have two dances this week :)

Week 1  Week 2  Week 3

Week 4 here we go!!!

You straightened your stetson pulled your boots on tighter. Then you kicked open the door to the rehearsal studio. Ben took one look at you and burst out laughing. You donned the hat, a flannel shirt over your sports bra and leggings, and cowboy boots. You pointed finger guns at Ben.

“Saddle up, cowboy,” you said with a thick southern accent. “It’s country night.”

He leaned against the wall to hold himself up. He was wheezing with laughter now. 

“Oh my God,” he panted, wiping a tear from his eye. “You’re adorable.”

That took you aback. 

“Oh, no, am I going to have to dress like that?” he asked, bypassing the compliment and your blushing.

You shook your head as you removed your little costume. “Not for our dance. We’re actually slowing it down this week. We have a rumba.” 

You kicked off the cowboy boots to change into your sneakers.

“A rumba?” he questioned. “To a country song?”

“Country music can actually be great for ballroom,” you explained. “We’re dancing to the song Every Little Thing by Carly Pearce. Have you heard it?”

He shook his head. “I have absolutely no knowledge of country music.”

You smiled. “That’s alright. It’s really emotional and great for rumba.”

“Sounds good,” he replied. “I just didn’t want to dress up like a cowboy.”

“Ah, ah, ah,” you corrected. “I said not for our dance. We’re doing a team dance too. For that one, I believe you will be dressed up, but I don’t know if the wardrobe is finalized.”

“A team dance?”

You nodded. “Yep! We’re working with a few other couples to put together a bigger number. Think you can handle it?” You nudged his arm. “Cowboy?”

He smirked. “As long as you’re my coach.”

You smiled at him as heat came over your cheeks.

“Before we get started though, let’s chat,” you said, shaking your head to clear it. 

You sat across from each other and quite naturally fell into helping each other stretch by clasping hands and gently pulling over your outstretched legs.

“So, bottom three,” you said. “That was...awful.”

“It really was,” he agreed. “I felt like we’d done so well, and we were on top of the leaderboard with our scores from the judges. I was shocked as well as scared.”

“Me too,” you said. “I’m not ready for this to be over.”

“Me neither,” he said. “So I’m going to work ever harder for you.”

You smiled. “For yourself, most importantly, okay?”

“Sure,” he said with a nod. 

You finished stretching together and then you started on breaking down the routine. The thing about the rumba is that it’s close quarters. And to tell the story you wanted to tell with the choreography, you would be in Ben’s arms through ninety percent of it. You were frequently pressed up against him when you weren’t doing a turn or a dip. At one point, he had to run a hand up your side, and you had to bite your lip to keep from moaning at the feeling. 

After the first day of rehearsal, you had the basics pretty much down, but you were feeling a little differently about Ben. You weren’t sure if he was feeling it too, but you certainly felt a sexual tension. But maybe that was just because it had been a while since you had gone to bed with someone. A ding from your phone drew you out of your thoughts. It was a text from Sharna.

A bunch of us are going out for drinks, you and Ben in?

“Hey,” you said to Ben. “Wanna get some drinks?”

He raised his eyebrows at you. 

“Oh! Uh, Sharna texted and said a few couples from the show are going. You wanna come?”

“Sure,” he said with a shrug. 

“We don’t have to get changed or anything, we all usually just go straight from rehearsal,” you said when you noticed him glance down at his sweaty t-shirt and joggers. 

“Even better,” he said. 

You packed up from rehearsal and got into your car to head to the usual bar you and the other pros took the stars. It was a lowkey place that was open late and had cheap food. The drink specials weren’t half bad either. When you arrived, you saw Sharna, Witney, Lindsay, and Alan were already at a table with their partners. 

“Hey!” you greeted as you slid into a chair next to Witney. 

Ben took a seat on the other side of you, shaking hands with Alan and the other guys. 

“I’m gonna get something to drink,” you said to Ben. “You want anything?”

“Oh, I’ll get it,” he offered, but you put a hand on his arm to stop him. You were already on your feet.

“Ben, you do not have to dote on me, I’m not that kind of girl,” you said. “What do you want to drink?”

He wanted a beer. You squeezed his shoulder in confirmation, heading to the bar. You ordered a gin and tonic for yourself. You had to pee so you slid the bartender some cash and told him you’d pick up the drinks on your way back. He nodded and you went to the bathroom.

“So, what do you think of Y/N?” Alan asked Ben. 

Ben shifted in his seat. “She’s wonderful, really. I’m learning a lot from her.”

“Ben, this isn’t The View,” Lindsay said. “Come on, tell us what you really think.”

He chuckled. “Alright, I think she’s fucking amazing and I really, really love being around her. She’s just...literally the most fun person I’ve ever met. And so talented.”

“Alright, you don’t have to gush,” Sharna teased.

The bar was just dark enough that they didn’t see his ears turn pink with embarrassment. A few minutes later, you appeared, handing Ben his beer and resuming your seat, cocktail in hand. 

“What have you got?” he asked.

“Gin and tonic,” you replied. 

“I respect that,” he said. “Cheers, coach.”

You smiled at him and clinked glasses before taking a sip. You caught up with the other couples, some of whom would be on your team with you and Ben, so you talked a little about that dance. But mostly, you all forgot about the show for a while and just enjoyed hanging out. Lindsay was taking a boomerang when you suddenly felt exhausted. It was like you’d hit a wall and you could hardly keep your eyes open. 

You looked at your drink. It was about halfway gone, so you knew you weren’t drunk. But your mind was fuzzy and you were just so damn tired. You recognized the feeling from when it had happened to you in college. Your drink had been tampered with. It must have happened between the time the bartender finished the drinks and when you got them returning from the bathroom. You tried to scan the bar to see who might be looking intently at you, but you couldn’t focus. You automatically reached for Ben and held his forearm.

“Something’s wrong,” you said wearily. 

“What?” he returned. “What happened?”

“My drink,” you said. “I need to go home.”

“What’s going on?” Witney asked as she noticed the situation. All eyes were suddenly on you and Ben.

“I think she’s been roofied,” Ben said, concern dripping in his tone. 

“Ben...I’m so tired,” you mumbled, resting your head on his shoulder.

“Do any of you know where she lives?” he asked, looking around at them. 

“I do,” said Sharna. “We can go in my car.”

At this point you were slumped completely against Ben, unable to even lift your head. Whatever was dropped in your drink must have been powerful, or whoever had done it didn’t know what they were doing and put in too much. He scooped you into his arms, already knowing that you couldn’t walk. 

 Carefully, he carried you and placed you in the back seat of Sharna’s car. You were just barely aware of him climbing in with you, placing your head in his lap. You groaned, just wanting everything to be clear again. Also, you could feel Ben’s leg you weren’t resting on bouncing. 

“I can’t believe this happened,” he said, glowering out the window. 

“Luckily, she felt it coming on,” Sharna remarked, focusing on the road. “And we were all there. God, that sucks, that’s usually a pretty safe place to go.”

“Ben,” you muttered. “Still, please.”

His leg slowed and stopped. “Sorry.”

“S’okay.”

Sharna pulled up to your apartment. She went in with you because she knew your code to get in the gate. As you entered your unit, Ben placed you on the counter, sitting up, but just barely.

“Can you get a glass of water?” he asked Sharna. “I’m afraid to let go of her.”

“Sure,” she said, and grabbed you a cup before retrieving your pitcher from the fridge and filling the cup about half way. 

She handed it to Ben, who brought it to your lips. You were pretty thirsty, so you took a small sip, but you couldn’t hold the cup. Sharna thought quickly and grabbed a straw. You thanked her, slurring your words, before wrapping your lips around the straw and drinking deeply. She watched Ben closely, noticing his clenched jaw and tense muscles.

“Alan just texted,” Sharna said. “They figured out who was doing it because he apparently tried to do the same thing to Lindsay. The bartender called police, and all the girls got fresh drinks.”

“You can head back to the bar if you want,” Ben told her. “I’m gonna make sure she gets to bed. Then I’ll call an Uber to get back to my hotel.”

“Are you sure?” she asked. “I don’t mind driving you. And you could always come back to the bar with us.”

“It’s fine,” he assured her. “I wouldn’t be much fun now anyway.”

“Alright,” she said. “Goodnight, Ben. Goodnight, Y/N.”

“G’night, Sharna,” you returned sloppily. 

She left, the door closing softly behind her. Ben sighed as he lifted you off the counter, heading for your bedroom. It wasn’t like what he expected. The bed was unmade and clothes were strewn about the floor. He had to swallow hard when he saw a pretty pink thong off to one side. Ignoring that, he placed you on your bed, pulling the covers around you.

“Ben,” you said. “Don’t go.”

“I - I can’t stay, Y/N,” he said, though he hated that he said it. 

“I don’t want you to fuck me,” you said, reaching out for him. “Just have a sleepover. Just sleep. Please.”

He sighed. Then he walked around the bed to the other side and got in beside you. You smiled and scooted closer, folding your body into his. 

“Hold me,” you requested.

He draped his arm around you. You snuggled even closer. He chuckled and you felt his breath on your neck. 

“I’m sorry this happened to you,” he whispered.

“S’fine,” you said. “I’m with you, after all.”

You didn’t even hear him gasp before you were out for the night. 

You woke in the morning to a dull ache behind your eyes. You squeezed them shut for some relief before opening them again. That was when you registered the feeling of an arm around your waist. But you knew that arm. Without looking, you knew it was Ben. You vaguely remembered the previous night. You remembered asking Ben to take you home, but you had no idea how he’d gotten you here or what he was doing sleeping beside you. 

Rolling over to face him, all the breath escaped from your lungs. He looked so beautiful in the low morning light. He looked like a statue of some Greek god. Your fingers went to his face of their own accord, tracing lines across his cheek to be sure he was still flesh and blood - and your dear friend. 

The urge to kiss him was almost overwhelming. Your thumb grazed his bottom lip. That was when his eyes fluttered open, revealing their green depths to you. He smiled. 

“Hey, how are you feeling?” he asked.

“I’m okay,” you told him. “Bit of a headache, but that’s all.”

“Good.”

A beat passed.

“This doesn’t feel weird,” you noticed. You were still close together. “Why doesn’t this feel weird?”

“Because we’re friends?” he guessed. “I’m glad it’s not weird. I would have felt terrible leaving you by yourself.”

“Did I ask you to stay?”

He nodded. 

“Well, thank you for doing all that,” you said. “It’s very sweet of you.”

“It would be sweeter if I didn’t have to do those things,” he replied. “At least, not in that context.”

“In a perfect world…” you said with a sigh. 

He drew you in closer and pressed his lips to your forehead. Your eyes fell closed at the contact.

“As it is, I’m glad I was there,” he said. 

“Me too,” you said.

He held you for another moment before pulling away.

“So, we need to get your car and head to rehearsal, don’t we?” he said.

You smiled and nodded.

You took an Uber to the bar to retrieve your car. Then you drove Ben to his hotel so he could change into fresh clothes. His hotel room was surprisingly neat, and it made you feel just a little insecure at what your room must have looked like to him. But, he didn’t seem to be judging you for it. 

You were a little late to rehearsal that morning, but you did not care in the least. Ben was already doing well with the dance, so you didn’t feel like he was missing out, either. When you walked in, you saw Sharna out in the hall.

“Hey!” she cried. “How are you?”

“Fine, really,” you assured her. 

“Good,” she replied. She looked over at Ben. “Thanks for taking care of her.”

“It was nothing,” he said with a shrug.

“It really wasn’t,” she insisted. “But we wanted to start rehearsal for the team dance today, if that works for you guys? So, we’ll spend the morning on individual routines and then the afternoon on the team dance?”

You looked at Ben. “Works for us, right?”

“Whatever you say, coach.”

You grinned. “Alright, we’ll see you after lunch.”

“Great!” she said, and then jogged down the hall to her studio.

“Let’s get started,” you said, entering your studio with Ben.

You worked all morning on the rumba. After the previous night, being so close to Ben was not as jarring, although some moves still made your heart stutter. In the afternoon, you met up with the rest of your team to start choreographing the team dance. You had the Dolly Parton song “9 to 5” so you knew this was going to be a lot of fun.

Ben watched you work with the other pros, solidifying moves. The way your face screwed up in concentration or your brow furrowed when one of the others was explaining an idea to you. The way you smiled when you understood and then copied the move perfectly. His heart swelled with pride watching you.

You were working out a certain step with Keo when Sharna approached Ben.

“Hey,” she said quietly so the others wouldn’t hear. “Did you stay at Y/N’s last night?”

His eyes went wide. “Yeah, but nothing happened, I promise.”

“Relax, I’m not accusing you of anything,” she assured him. “I was just wondering. It seems like something has shifted between you. But in a good way.”

It was a good thing she was called away to the other dancers at that moment because Ben had no idea how to answer her. He was grateful when the real rehearsal started so he could take his mind off Sharna’s words.

Before you knew it, it was show time again. You were more on edge because of being in danger the previous week, so you hoped the votes from Disney night helped you through to the next week. Ben noticed your nerves, so he placed his hands on either side of your face.

“Take it easy, darling,” he said, kissing your forehead again. “We’re gonna crush it.”

You nodded and took a deep breath.

When it was your turn and  the music began, it was like everything else disappeared. It was just you and Ben in the ballroom.

You moved through the routine on muscle memory. You were focused on Ben. Each step, each count, came as naturally as breathing as you moved together. The dance flowed like a river. Smooth and beautiful.

When it was over, you and Ben took a moment before returning to the ballroom and reality. The audience had hesitated a little in clapping for you, but they were enthusiastic as you made your way to the judges’ desk. You couldn’t stop smiling.

Tom asked Carrie Ann what she thought and she blinked a few times before answering.

“I felt like...I was intruding on something private,” she said, laughing at the end. “Ben, that was beautiful. I think what I was most impressed with, and what I’ve seen consistently from you is that we as viewers can’t tell that Y/N is backleading. You are either truly leading her or really making it look like you are. Either way, the dancing is incredible, and this partnership is something special.”

“Thank you so much,” Ben replied.

Tom turned it over to Len.

“That was a real rumba,” Len said with a smile. “It had everything, and you looked very good, Ben. I agree with Carrie Ann, you looked like a leading man, which allows Y/N to do her job properly within the dance. It was flowing, it was romantic, and I really enjoyed it.”

You both thanked him.

Bruno jumped out of his seat. “That was a stunning dance, my boy!” he cried with his usual theatrics. “The rumba is difficult for a man, too. But you made her look beautiful, which is your job in that dance. You were solid and stong, but soft and sensual as well. I loved it, and I must say, you two have some of the best chemistry we’ve ever seen on this show!”

You and Ben looked at each other and blushed a little, but thankfully, Tom insisted on getting the scores. Carrie Ann scored you a ten. You and Ben hugged each other. Len also scored you a ten, and you squeaked with excitement. Then, Bruno also scored you a ten. You screamed with delight and jumped into Ben’s arms. He laughed and spun you around.

“We did it!” you cried. 

All the could do was hug you.

“Wow!” cried Tom. “Ben and Y/N with the first perfect score of the season! And on week four!” He walked over and held his microphone out to Ben. “How are you feeling?”

“Oh,” he sighed. “Amazing. We’ve been working so hard and it’s paying off, and I couldn’t be happier sharing this with Y/N.”

You beamed.

During the commercial break, you got changed for the team dance. When you turned around to leave the dressing room, you saw Ben, dressed in his flannel, jeans, and cowboy boots. Only now he had a hat to go with it. You laughed.

“Oh my God!” you giggled. “You look amazing.”

He chuckled. “The hat’s Alan’s but I wanted to make you laugh.”

“Mission accomplished,” you replied. 

His eyes flickered to your legs in the Daisy Duke shorts you had on for this one. He was trying to hide it, but they drove him a little wild. Paired with the cropped flannel with the little white bra peeking out, he was having a difficult time not looking at you. 

“How do I look?” you asked, twirling. “You like it better than the dress?”

You wore a flowy gown for the rumba, which he also had a hard time not staring at you in. Although lately, he had a hard time not staring at you in any context.

“You look incredible,” he said. “As always.”

“Thank you,” you said with a soft smile.

You performed the team dance and you had to admit it was a lot of fun. Ben really didn’t know anything about country music or that culture, but he had learned so quickly and you liked his openness. How ready he was to try something. How badly he wanted to win this.

Afterward, the judges scored the team dance and you all earned nines. You high fived each other in celebration. After that, it was sadly time for another elimination. It was a bit of a whirlwind to come off a high like that and then be forced into nerves again as you waited for the results.

Ben wrapped you in his arms and you buried your face in his chest as you waited. Luckily, tonight, your names were called first.

“Ben and Y/N,” said Tom. “You two are...safe to dance next week!”

You laughed together and held each other tightly. Relief washed over you. You barely heard as the other couples’ names were called. Finally, it was Lindsay and her partner who were leaving that night. You and Ben walked over to say goodbye. 

“Don’t forget to join us next week!” Tom said to camera as he closed out the show. “Our stars dance for our Halloween spook-tacular!”