#i couldn't tell if this meant 1 and 20 or 1 through 20 so i just

[pedroscowgirl]

summer secrets

hugh jackman x female!reader

part 1 /part 2 here (you can read it seperatly) MASTERLIST

Warnings: smut!! minors dni!

oral! f receiving, p in v , creampie (wrap it up), edging, age gap (reader is 20s hugh is 55), lmk if i forgot something

Summary: you and hugh are at a bbq organised by ryan and blake

words: 8.1k (yeah ... i went insane idk what to tell you)

A/N: can u believe it took me so long to find a good pic for this cuz he looks so young in all his pics. i tried to proofread as good as i can but it's 5am here so bear w me pls

You were thrilled to receive an invitation to Ryan and Blake's barbecue, an intimate gathering they were hosting at their home. The guest list was small, limited to a close-knit group of friends, including Hugh and a few other familiar faces. As you read the invitation, a mix of emotions washed over you. On the one hand, you were excited to spend time with Ryan and Blake, who had always treated you with warmth and kindness. They saw you as a close friend and respected colleague of Hugh, and they had no idea about the secret that you and Hugh were carefully guarding.

Your relationship with Hugh had grown deeper over time, evolving from a casual friendship into something much more meaningful and intense. Despite the undeniable connection between the two of you, you had decided to keep your relationship private. The significant age gap between you and Hugh was something you knew others might not easily accept or understand. This was especially true in the circles you moved in, where appearances and reputations were scrutinized closely.

As the day of the barbecue approached, you couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. Being invited to this get-together felt strange because, on the surface, it was just a casual social event, but beneath it all, it carried the weight of your hidden relationship. You knew that keeping up the facade of being just friends in front of Ryan, Blake, and the others would be challenging, especially as you and Hugh had grown so close.

Still, you were determined to enjoy the day, focusing on the company of good friends and the relaxing atmosphere that Ryan and Blake were known for creating. You trusted that Hugh, ever composed and discreet, would help maintain the illusion of you just being friends. While it felt odd to be so near him yet unable to openly show your feelings, you reassured yourself that the secret was necessary, for now. After all, the bond you shared with Hugh was something precious, something worth protecting, even if it meant enduring a little discomfort at events like these.

The sun blazed overhead on what felt like one of the hottest days of summer, casting a golden glow over everything it touched. As you stood in front of your closet, you debated what to wear for Ryan and Blake’s barbecue. The air was thick with heat, making anything too heavy or restrictive out of the question. After a moment of consideration, you reached for a short, bodycon dress adorned with delicate floral patterns. The fabric was light and breathable, perfect for the weather, and the dress hugged your figure in all the right places, offering both comfort and a touch of elegance.

As you slipped into the dress, you couldn't help but smirk at the thought of Hugh’s reaction when he saw you. The dress, while chosen primarily for comfort, was also undeniably flattering, accentuating your curves and bringing out the vibrant colours of the floral design. You knew it would drive Hugh absolutely insane—his eyes would darken with that unmistakable mix of admiration and longing that always sent a thrill through you. But you were careful to keep this thought tucked away in the back of your mind. Today, you had to play it cool, keeping up the pretence of being just another guest at the barbecue.

You and Hugh had agreed to arrive at Ryan and Blake’s home separately, a necessary precaution to avoid drawing any unwanted attention to your relationship. Hugh had a closer bond with Ryan and Blake, having known them for years, and had offered to come early to help with the preparations. True to his nature, Hugh had slipped into the role of a perfect gentleman, lending a hand with the barbecue setup, arranging the seating, and making sure everything was in order before the other guests arrived.

By the time you arrived, the gathering was already in full swing. Laughter and the smell of grilling food filled the air, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere. You spotted Hugh across the yard, effortlessly charming everyone with his easy going nature and genuine smile. It was a scene you had witnessed countless times, yet it never failed to stir something deep within you.

Ryan and Blake’s kids were particularly fond of Hugh, and today was no exception. No sooner had you arrived than you noticed the children begging him to perform his famous routine from The Greatest Showman, a request he had apparently fulfilled countless times before. Without missing a beat, Hugh obliged, launching into his well-practiced performance with enthusiasm and flair. The kids gathered around the television, wide-eyed and mesmerized as Hugh sang and danced, bringing the movie to life once again.

It was a sight to behold, and you couldn’t help but feel a sting of affection as you watched him entertain the little ones for what must have been the hundredth time. The way he could effortlessly switch from being the life of the party to a beloved performer for the kids was one of the many things you admired about him. Yet, as you stood there in your floral dress, sipping on a cold drink and watching Hugh interact with everyone, you were acutely aware of the secret you were both hiding.

Throughout the afternoon, Hugh managed to steal subtle glances in your direction whenever he thought no one was looking. There were moments when his gaze would linger a little longer than necessary, a brief exchange of looks across the yard that spoke volumes without a single word being uttered. Occasionally, he would find a reason to drift closer to you, making casual conversation as if nothing were out of the ordinary. But despite these fleeting interactions, there was no opportunity for the two of you to be alone—not until everyone eventually settled at the long, wooden table set up in the shade for the meal.

As luck would have it, you ended up sitting next to Hugh. The air was thick with the mingled scents of grilled food, fresh flowers, and the tang of sunscreen, creating a heady atmosphere that only intensified the tension between the two of you. Your heart raced as you tried to focus on the casual conversations happening around the table, but all you could think about was how close he was, the warmth of his body just inches from yours.

At one point, Hugh leaned back in his chair, glancing around the table before he got up. "I need to grab something from the kitchen," he announced casually, but then he turned his gaze to you, a small, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips. "Do you want to join me?" he asked, his voice smooth and inviting.

You hesitated for only a fraction of a second before nodding. There was something in his eyes, a look that made it clear this was about more than just fetching something from the kitchen. As you followed him inside, your heart pounded in your chest, anticipation bubbling up as you wondered what was about to happen.

Once inside the cool, quiet kitchen, Hugh paused for a moment, glancing out the window to ensure no one was watching. Satisfied that you were alone, he turned to you with a sneaky look that made your breath catch. Before you could say a word, he reached out and grabbed your waist, pulling you close until your bodies were pressed together. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver down your spine.

"Gosh, you look so gorgeous in that dress," he murmured, his voice low and thick with desire. His eyes roamed over your figure, taking in the way the floral fabric clung to your curves. "It's almost too cute to rip it off your beautiful body."

His words sent a wave of heat through you, and you felt a familiar dampness growing between your legs. Your cheeks flushed with both embarrassment and excitement as your body was responding to the raw intensity of his gaze and the sultry promise in his voice. Before you could even process the full extent of your arousal, Hugh closed the distance between you, capturing your lips in a kiss that was long and full of passion.

The kiss was everything you had been craving and more. His lips were firm and insistent against yours, moving with a hunger that matched your own. You melted into him, the world outside the kitchen fading away as your senses were overwhelmed by the taste of him, the scent of his cologne mingling with the heady aroma of summer. Hugh's big hand cradled the back of your head, his fingers tangling in your hair as he deepened the kiss, tilting your head to the side to allow him better access.

Your hands found their way to his chest, clutching at his shirt as if to anchor yourself in the moment. The kiss seemed to go on forever, a perfect blend of urgency and tenderness, leaving you breathless and longing for more. The sensation of his lips moving against yours, the way he held you so possessively, made it clear just how much he had been holding back all day.

Finally, after what felt like both an eternity and no time at all, Hugh pulled back slightly, his forehead resting against yours as you both caught your breath. His eyes were dark with desire, the usual calmness replaced by something much more primal.

"You're driving me crazy, you know that?" he whispered, his voice rough and barely above a murmur. You could see the effort it took for him to restrain himself, to not let things go any further in the middle of Ryan and Blake’s house. But the intensity of the moment, the unspoken promise in his gaze, told you that this was far from over.

With a final, lingering kiss on your lips, he reluctantly stepped back, his hand sliding away from your waist. He glanced out the window once more, ensuring that your absence hadn’t been noticed before giving you a mischievous grin. "We should probably head back out before anyone gets suspicious," he said, though the lingering heat in his voice hinted at how difficult it was for him to let go of you.

You nodded, still trying to steady your racing heart and the fluttering feeling in your stomach. As you both made your way back to the table, it was impossible to ignore the tingling sensation left by his touch or the way your body still hummed with the aftermath of that kiss. The rest of the world had returned, but the memory of what had just transpired in the kitchen was seared into your mind.

As you and Hugh made your way back to the table, the atmosphere between you was thick with the electricity of what had just happened. Your lips still tingled from his kiss, and your mind raced with thoughts of what it all meant. The brief interlude in the kitchen had only heightened the tension between you two, making it even more challenging to act normal in front of everyone else.

Hugh, ever the master of composure, seemed to slip effortlessly back into the role of charming guest as you both rejoined the gathering. He held the door open for you with a polite smile, his fingers lightly brushing your lower back as you walked past him, a subtle but deliberate touch that sent another shiver down your spine. You returned to your seat, trying to focus on the conversations around you, but the awareness of Hugh’s presence next to you made it almost impossible to concentrate.

As everyone began to dig into their plates, you caught Hugh stealing another glance at you, this one quick and loaded with meaning. His eyes held a promise of more to come, a silent acknowledgment that what had happened in the kitchen was only a prelude. You knew that he was just as affected as you were, despite the cool, collected exterior he presented to the others.

Ryan, ever the attentive host, began recounting a funny story from a recent project, his animated gestures drawing the group’s attention. The table erupted in laughter, and for a moment, you found yourself caught up in the light-heartedness of the scene, the warmth of the summer day, and the companionship shared among friends. But the laughter also provided a perfect cover for the way Hugh subtly leaned closer to you under the disguise of reaching for something on the table.

A few minutes passed as you tried to engage in small talk, but Hugh was far from done with you. Under the table, where no one could see, his knee brushed against yours again, this time with more purpose. You felt the familiar jolt of electricity shoot through your body, and you had to bite your lip to keep your reaction in check. It was a simple touch, yet it carried all the weight of the unspoken desire simmering between you.

As the conversation around the table continued, you felt Hugh’s hand slowly make its way to your thigh, his fingers ghosting over your skin with deliberate slowness. The heat of his palm seeped through the thin fabric of your dress, making it difficult to concentrate on anything else. Your breath hitched involuntarily as his hand inched higher, his fingertips tracing a path that left a trail of fire in their wake.

He leaned in closer, pretending to reach for something across the table, but his hand didn’t stop its upward journey. His fingers brushed against the sensitive skin of your inner thigh, causing a shiver to run down your spine. You glanced around nervously, but everyone was still engrossed in their own conversations, oblivious to the secret touches happening beneath the table.

Hugh’s hand slid further up, and you could feel your heart pounding in your chest as he reached the edge of your panties. You tried to maintain a steady expression, but when his fingers finally grazed your core, you couldn’t stop the soft gasp that escaped your lips. The fabric of your panties was already damp with arousal, and Hugh’s touch sent a fresh wave of heat coursing through your body.

He paused for a moment, just long enough for you to catch your breath, before he gently pressed his fingers against the soaked fabric. The pressure was light, almost teasing, but it was enough to make your hips involuntarily shift toward his hand, craving more.

Hugh’s breath was warm against your ear as he leaned in, his voice barely more than a whisper. “You’re so wet,” he murmured, his tone a mix of amusement and desire. “I knew that dress would drive you crazy, but I didn’t realize just how much.”

His words, spoken so close to your ear that only you could hear them, sent a rush of blood to your cheeks. You felt the heat pooling between your legs intensify as he continued to tease you with the slightest pressure of his fingers, still hidden from view beneath the table. Your breathing grew shallow, and it took every ounce of willpower not to react too obviously, not to let on that anything out of the ordinary was happening.

Hugh’s fingers began to move in slow, deliberate circles, rubbing against your core with just enough force to keep you on the edge of losing control. Your grip on the edge of the table tightened as you fought to maintain composure, your senses overwhelmed by the sensation of his touch and the thrill of being so close to getting caught. Every nerve in your body was focused on the secret, sinful pleasure he was giving you, even as you struggled to keep up the pretence of casual conversation.

“Do you like this?” Hugh whispered, his voice low and filled with a dark, teasing edge. “I can feel how much you want it, how much you’re enjoying this.” His words were a wicked reminder of how exposed you were, how easily anyone could discover what he was doing to you, and that thought only heightened your arousal.

You swallowed hard, unable to form a coherent response, your mind fogged by the haze of desire. All you could manage was a slight nod, your breath coming in quick, shallow bursts as his fingers pressed harder against your aching core. The friction was maddeningly perfect, and you knew you were close to losing control entirely.

Just when you thought you couldn’t take any more, Hugh’s fingers slipped beneath the fabric of your panties, finally touching your slick folds directly. The sensation was almost too much, and your entire body tensed in response. You bit down hard on your lip to stifle the moan that threatened to escape when suddenly , Hugh abruptly withdrew his fingers, leaving you breathless and aching with need.

Your eyes flew open in surprise, and you turned to look at him, your breath coming in shallow gasps as you tried to understand why he had stopped. The ghost of a smirk played on his lips, a silent acknowledgment of his control over your body and the pleasure he had just denied you. You bit back a frustrated whimper, trying to regain your composure even as your body throbbed with unfulfilled desire.

At that exact moment, Blake appeared from the kitchen, carrying a tray piled high with slices of her famous pies, topped with generous dollops of whipped cream. The children cheered in excitement as she set the tray down in the center of the table, oblivious to the charged atmosphere between you and Hugh.

As everyone eagerly reached for the desserts, you struggled to focus on anything other than the way your body still hummed with the need for release. You watched, heart pounding, as Hugh casually leaned forward, his demeanour cool and composed as he joined the others in serving himself a slice of pie. But then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he dipped his finger into a small dollop of whipped cream that had spilled onto the table.

Your breath hitched as you watched in stunned silence, realizing exactly what he was about to do. With a deliberate slowness that seemed designed to drive you wild, Hugh brought his finger to his lips, the very finger that had just been inside you, coated with both your arousal and the sweet cream from the dessert.

His eyes met yours as he slipped the finger into his mouth, his tongue swirling around it to savour the taste. The look in his eyes was dark, almost predatory, as he held your gaze, a silent reminder of the power he held over you. The sight of him licking your juices mixed with the whipped cream off his finger sent a fresh wave of heat coursing through you, and you had to press your thighs together under the table to keep from squirming.

The whole scene was over in a matter of seconds, but it felt like an eternity. No one else at the table seemed to notice the intimate, charged exchange happening between you two, too engrossed in their desserts and conversations. But you couldn’t tear your eyes away from Hugh, the knowledge that he had just tasted both the sweetness of the dessert and the evidence of your arousal making your pulse race.

Hugh finally withdrew his finger from his mouth with a satisfied hum, a wicked glint in his eyes as he reached for his fork to dig into his slice of pie. He was the picture of nonchalance, as if he hadn’t just left you trembling with desire under the table, your body aching for the release he had so cruelly withheld.

You attempted to collect your thoughts while reaching for your own dessert with hands that were slightly unsteady. But the taste of the pie was bland compared to the lingering heat in your body, the aching emptiness that only Hugh could fill. Every bite was a reminder of what had just happened, and what hadn’t, leaving you both frustrated and desperate for more.

As the evening wore on, the atmosphere became even more relaxed, with guests gradually drifting away from the dinner table and settling into comfortable spots around the house. Some gathered in the living room, chatting softly over glasses of wine, while others lingered on the patio, enjoying the cool evening air. The kids were tucked away in a separate room, lost in their own world as they watched a movie, their laughter and shouts of excitement occasionally filtering through the house.

The shift in the evening’s tone provided the perfect cover for you and Hugh. The subtle touches and heated glances exchanged throughout the night had built up an almost unbearable tension between you two. With everyone now scattered and deeply engaged in their own conversations, the opportunity to slip away unnoticed was too tempting to resist.

You caught Hugh’s eye across the room, and the silent understanding passed between you. He gave you a slight nod, and your heart skipped a beat in anticipation. With a casual stretch and a smile, you excused yourself from the group you were chatting with, mentioning something about needing a moment to yourself. No one paid you much mind as you walked through the house, your footsteps quiet on the hardwood floors.

Your pulse quickened as you headed towards a guest room at the far end of the hallway, a room that you knew would be empty and offer the privacy you both craved. The house was quiet here, the distant hum of conversation from the other rooms fading into the background as you reached for the door. You slipped inside, your heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves as you waited, the door clicking softly shut behind you.

The look in his eyes was intense, filled with the same desire that had been simmering between you all evening. Without a word, he crossed the room, his hands reaching for you the moment he was close enough.

In an instant, his lips were on yours, the kiss filled with all the passion and longing that had been building up between you. His hands slid around your waist, pulling you tightly against him as the kiss deepened, his body pressing into yours with a need that matched your own. The world outside that room ceased to exist. All that mattered was the feel of his lips, the heat of his body, and the way his hands roamed over your curves as if he couldn’t get enough.

“You’ve been driving me crazy all night,” Hugh murmured against your lips, his voice husky with desire. “That dress... the way you looked at me... I’ve been counting the minutes until I could get you alone.”

You gasped as his hands slid down to your thighs, lifting the hem of your dress as he pressed his body even closer to yours. The heat between you was undeniable, the electricity in the air almost tangible as his touch sent shivers down your spine. His hands moved with purpose, sliding up your thighs, brushing against your hips, and finally slipping beneath your panties.

His fingers found you easily, the wetness there a clear sign of how much you had wanted this. You couldn’t stifle the small moan that escaped your lips as he teased you, his touch light and maddeningly slow. The sensation was almost too much, and you gripped his shoulders for support, your body trembling with the intensity of your need.

“Still so wet,” Hugh’s voice dropped to a husky whisper as he leaned in, his breath hot against the sensitive skin of your ear. His words sent a shiver down your spine, the promise they held making your pulse race. “I knew you’d be thinking about what we started.”

His fingers moved with a practiced skill, tracing delicate patterns that left your skin tingling with anticipation. The intensity of his touch heightened every sensation, your breath catching as he expertly drew you closer and closer to that sweet edge. Your heart pounded, and your body responded eagerly, arching into his touch, desperate for more.

But just as you felt the brink of release approaching, Hugh’s hand stilled again. He pulled away with infuriating calm, leaving you breathless and aching once more . A tear fell from your eye and a low moan of protest escaped your lips as the tension in your body remained agonizingly unfulfilled.

“Not yet,” he murmured, a dark chuckle rumbling in his chest. The sound was thick with amusement and control, a clear indication that he was enjoying the power he held over your pleasure. His voice, smooth and taunting, sent another wave of heat coursing through you, only adding to the frustration and longing he had expertly built up within you.

Before you could even begin to voice your protest, Hugh stepped back slightly, his eyes locked onto yours, watching every flicker of emotion that played across your face. The intensity in his gaze was almost overwhelming—a dark hunger that matched the desire burning inside you. His eyes glittered with a primal need, yet there was a patience there, a determination to savour every moment, to make you wait until he decided it was time.

He leaned in once more, capturing your lips in a deep, searing kiss that stole your breath away. His lips were insistent, claiming you with a passion that made your knees weak. The kiss deepened, his tongue tangling with yours in a dance that left you dizzy with want. His hands were everywhere, tracing the curves of your body, pulling you closer as if he couldn’t stand the distance between you.

As he guided you towards the bed in the center of the room, everything else faded into the background. The distant murmur of the party, the music, and laughter were nothing but a muffled hum, a world away from the intoxicating bubble that had enveloped the two of you. It was as if time itself had slowed, every touch and every whispered word heightening your senses, making you crave him more with each passing second.

With a growl that reverberated deep in his chest, Hugh grabbed you, his hands firm as he effortlessly lifted you off the ground. His strength took your breath away, his movements rough yet controlled as he set you down on the edge of the dresser in the guest room. The force of it made something on the dresser topple over, the sharp sound of breaking glass cutting through the air as the vase shattered on the floor. But neither of you cared, too lost in the heat of the moment to spare even a glance at the mess you’d made.

“I’ll find an excuse for that,” Hugh murmured against your mouth, his voice rough with desire as he cupped your face, his thumb brushing against your lips. The proximity of his body, the scent of him, sent your mind spiraling into a haze of lust. As his hands moved down to grip your thighs, his fingers digging into your flesh, you could feel the tension in his body, the barely restrained hunger that radiated off him in waves.

“Fuck, that dress is really too cute to rip off of you,” he muttered, his voice thick with both frustration and admiration. His eyes roved over your body, taking in every inch of you as you sat perched on the edge of the dresser, legs spread just enough to hint at what lay beneath the fabric of your dress. “And I can’t let you go out naked after this,” he added with a dark chuckle, his gaze flicking back up to meet yours, filled with a mix of amusement and raw desire.

You bit your lip, a shiver running through you at the way his words and his touch made your heart race. The anticipation was almost unbearable, the air around you crackling with the electricity of what was about to happen. Your fingers gripped the edge of the dresser, bracing yourself for whatever he had planned next.

Without warning, Hugh’s hands left your thighs, and he dropped to his knees before you. The sudden movement made your breath hitch, and before you could process what was happening, his hands were on you again, this time sliding up your legs, pushing your dress up higher and higher until it bunched around your waist. He took off your panties and the cool air of the room hit your exposed skin, but it was nothing compared to the heat of Hugh’s breath against your core.

He didn’t waste a second. As if he were a man starved, Hugh leaned in and latched onto you with a fervour that left you gasping. His tongue worked against you in long, deliberate strokes, his lips sealing around your most sensitive spot as he devoured you with a hunger that was both primal and relentless. Every movement of his mouth sent waves of pleasure crashing over you, your head falling back as your fingers instinctively tangled in his hair, gripping tight as you moaned his name.

Everything felt so right in that moment. It was just you and Hugh, the dresser beneath you, and the growing tension in your belly as he pushed you closer and closer to the edge. Your legs trembled around him, your body shaking on the brink of release as the intensity of his actions overwhelmed your senses. Just when you thought you couldn’t take any more, when you were right on the cusp of falling apart, Hugh’s mouth left your core, and in its place, you felt the sudden intrusion of his fingers.

Three of them, thick and skilled, plunged into you without warning, stretching you in a way that made you cry out, your back arching as your grip on the dresser tightened. The combination of his mouth and his fingers, the way he filled you and sucked on your clit, sent you spiralling into a release so intense it felt like your body was shattering into a million pieces. “Fuck!” you screamed, your voice echoing in the small room as you came hard, the pleasure ripping through you like a tidal wave.

Hugh didn’t let up, his mouth flew to you again, working you through your orgasm, drawing every last bit of pleasure from you until you were left trembling and breathless, slumped against the dresser as your body came down from the high. When he finally pulled back, your thighs were shaking, your skin flushed with the aftermath of your release.

He stood up, his chest heaving as he looked down at you, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. “You’re not so quiet now, are you, baby girl?” he whispered, his voice low and teasing, the words sending another shiver down your spine. His face was still flushed, his hair tousled from where your fingers had gripped it, and his lips glistened with evidence of what he’d just done to you.

Your eyes, still wide with the aftershocks of pleasure, slowly travelled down his body, taking in the sight of him standing before you. When your gaze reached his pants, you noticed the way they strained against his obvious arousal, the fabric pulled tight over the hardness that pressed against it. The sight of it made your pulse quicken again, desire flaring back to life even as you struggled to catch your breath.

Hugh followed your gaze, a dark chuckle escaping him as he watched you take in the evidence of his need. “Seems like we’re just getting started,” he murmured, his voice thick with promise as he reached down to unbuckle his belt, the sound of the leather sliding through the loops making your heart skip a beat.

Hugh's belt came undone with a swift motion, the clink of the buckle loud in the quiet room, a stark contrast to the sounds of the party that were now a distant hum beyond the closed door. His eyes were locked on yours, dark with a need that mirrored the heat still simmering inside you. With each second that passed, the tension in the room grew, thick and palpable, as he slowly slid the belt from his pants, letting it drop to the floor with a soft thud.

The way he looked at you made your breath hitch, anticipation coiling tightly in your stomach. He took his time, every movement deliberate, as if he was savouring the moment, drawing out the anticipation until it was almost unbearable. His fingers worked at the button of his pants, the sound of the zipper being pulled down sending a fresh wave of heat coursing through you.

Your heart raced as you watched him, your body still tingling from the aftershocks of your recent orgasm, but already, the fire within you was reigniting, fuelled by the sight of him standing before you, his desire for you barely contained. When he finally pushed his pants down, freeing himself from the confines of the fabric, your breath caught in your throat.

He was so hard, his length thick and pulsing with need, the sight of it making your mouth water and your core clench with anticipation. You bit your lip, the desire to feel him inside you, to be filled by him, overwhelming. But Hugh wasn’t in a hurry. He stood there for a moment, letting you take him in, the smirk on his lips growing as he saw the effect he had on you.

“Like what you see?” he asked, his voice dripping with confidence, yet there was a teasing edge to it, as if he already knew the answer.

You nodded, unable to tear your eyes away from him. “Yes,” you breathed, the word coming out more like a whimper, your body aching with the need to feel him against you, inside you.

You smirked to yourself as you slid off the dresser, your legs still shaky from the intensity of your climax. But there was still an edge of desire lingering, a hunger that hadn’t been fully sated. As you landed on your feet, you felt Hugh’s eyes on you, heavy with anticipation, wondering what you were planning next.

As you turned around, you reached down, gripping the hem of your dress and pulling it back up over your waist, exposing your bare ass to him. You could hear his breath hitch as you bent slightly, pushing your hips back, your wet cunt brushing against his still-hard cock. The sensation of his length pressing against you sent a shiver down your spine, and you couldn’t help but moan softly, rocking your hips to increase the friction.

Hugh’s hands quickly found your hips again, his fingers gripping you firmly as he groaned, the sound deep and filled with renewed desire. You could feel the tension in his body, the way he held himself back, his self-control slipping with every second you teased him.

“Fuck,” he muttered, his voice thick with lust as he let one hand slide down to cup your ass, squeezing it before trailing his fingers teasingly over your slick folds. The gentle touch was almost maddening, your body aching for more, for him to fill you again.

But just as you began to push back harder, desperate for him to take you, Hugh’s fingers stilled on your pussy. His other hand moved to your lower back, pressing you gently forward, making you arch your back even more, exposing yourself fully to him.

He leaned in close, his breath hot against the nape of your neck as he whispered, “Hmm, no, baby. Turn around. I wanna see your pretty face when I fuck you.”

The command in his voice sent a fresh wave of heat through you, your heart racing as you straightened up and turned to face him. His eyes were dark, pupils blown wide with desire as he watched you with a gaze that made you feel like you were the only thing in the world that mattered.

You bit your lip, your body already responding to his words as you reached for him, your hands sliding up his chest before wrapping around his neck. Hugh’s hands found your waist again, pulling you flush against him, his cock brushing against your inner thigh, sending a jolt of anticipation through you.

He leaned in, capturing your lips in a kiss that was hungry and possessive, his tongue claiming your mouth as his hands roamed over your body. The kiss deepened, becoming more intense, and when he finally pulled back, his lips were swollen, his breathing heavy as he looked down at you.

“Fuck, you’re perfect,” he whispered, his voice rough but filled with a softness that made your heart flutter.

Hugh picked you up again and as he set you down on the soft sheets, you felt the cool fabric against your back, a stark contrast to the heat radiating from your skin. Hugh stood at the edge of the bed, his naked body on full display, the sight of him making your breath catch in your throat. His cock was still hard, throbbing with need, and the desire in his gaze was almost palpable as he looked down at you.

Your dress, still bunched around your waist, clung to you in a way that accentuated every curve. One of the thin straps had slipped off your shoulder, exposing one breast, the soft fabric clinging to the other as your chest heaved with each breath. Hugh’s eyes darkened with lust as he took in the sight, his gaze lingering on the way your nipple hardened under his scrutiny.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he murmured, his voice rough with desire as he climbed onto the bed, positioning himself between your legs. The mattress dipped slightly under his weight, and you couldn’t help but shiver in anticipation as he ran his hands up your thighs, spreading them wide.

Hugh leaned in, his mouth trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses along the curve of your neck, down to your exposed breast. He took your nipple into his mouth, sucking gently, his tongue flicking over the sensitive peak, sending a jolt of pleasure straight to your core. You arched your back, a soft moan escaping your lips as you threaded your fingers through his hair, pulling him closer.

His hands continued to roam over your body, one sliding up to cup your other breast, still covered by your dress, while the other slipped between your thighs, his fingers teasing your entrance, already slick and ready for him. He groaned against your skin, the sound vibrating through your chest as he felt how wet you were, his cock twitching in response.

“Hugh,” you breathed, your voice barely more than a whisper as you rocked your hips up, desperate to feel him inside you again.

“Patience, baby,” he murmured against your skin, his voice laced with a teasing edge as he pulled back slightly, his gaze meeting yours. “I want to take my time with you. Remember?”

But the need between you was too intense, too overwhelming, for either of you to wait any longer. With a growl of barely restrained desire, Hugh positioned himself at your entrance, the tip of his cock brushing against your slick folds. He looked into your eyes, his expression filled with raw hunger, and then he thrust into you in one smooth, powerful motion.

You gasped, your back arching off the bed as he filled you completely, the sensation of him stretching you almost too much, yet exactly what you craved. Hugh groaned, his hands gripping your hips as he began to move, each thrust deep and deliberate, the rhythm slow at first, as if he was savouring the feeling of being inside you.

One of your hands slid down his back, your nails digging into his skin as you urged him on, needing more, needing him to go faster, harder. “Please, Hugh,” you moaned, your voice trembling with the intensity of the pleasure building inside you.

He didn’t need to be told twice. With a low growl, he picked up the pace, his hips slamming into yours with a force that made the bed shake beneath you. Each thrust drove him deeper inside you, the headboard knocking rhythmically against the wall, but the sound was drowned out by the moans , gasps and sweet words that filled the room. “Gosh you are literally made for me” Hugh groaned as he threw his head back in pleasure.

One of the straps of your dress slipped further down your arm, fully exposing your other breast. Hugh’s eyes flickered with something dark and primal as he watched you writhe beneath him, your body completely at his mercy, the sight of your exposed chest only fuelling his desire.

“You look so fucking perfect like this,” he groaned, his voice rough and breathless as he leaned down to capture your lips in a searing kiss, his tongue plunging into your mouth with the same intensity as his thrusts.

You kissed him back with equal fervour, your hands roaming over his body, feeling the muscles in his back tense with each powerful movement. The friction between your bodies, the way he filled you so completely, pushed you closer and closer to the edge.

“Hugh,” you gasped against his mouth, your body trembling with the intensity of the pleasure building inside you. “I’m so close.”

He pulled back just enough to look into your eyes, his gaze filled with a hunger that mirrored your own. “I want to see you come for me, baby,” he murmured, his voice thick with desire as he angled his hips slightly, hitting that perfect spot inside you with each thrust.

That was all it took. With a cry of his name, you tumbled over the edge, your orgasm crashing over you with a force that left you breathless. Your body tightened around him, your nails digging into his shoulders as you clung to him, the pleasure so intense it bordered on pain.

Hugh groaned, his pace becoming erratic as he chased his own release, the feeling of you tightening around him pushing him closer and closer. With one final, powerful thrust, he came, his body tensing as he spilled inside you, a low growl escaping his lips as he rode out the waves of his orgasm.

For a moment, the two of you stayed like that, his body pressed against yours, both of you breathing hard as you came down from the high. Hugh’s forehead rested against yours, his breath warm against your skin as he slowly regained his composure.

When he finally pulled back, he looked down at you with a satisfied smirk, his eyes still dark with the remnants of desire. The strap of your dress was still hanging off your shoulder, your chest rising and falling with each heavy breath, and the sight made his smirk widen.

“You’re absolutely stunning,” he whispered, his voice rough but filled with a tenderness that made your heart flutter. He leaned down to press a soft kiss to your lips, his hands brushing over your skin as if committing every inch of you to memory.

You smiled up at him, your body still trembling slightly from the intensity of what had just happened. “So are you,” you whispered back, your voice laced with exhaustion but also with deep satisfaction.

Hugh chuckled softly, his hands sliding up to cup your face, his thumbs brushing gently over your cheeks. “We should do this more often,” he teased, his lips quirking up into a playful grin.

You laughed softly, the sound light and filled with contentment. “I wouldn’t mind that, it’s very thrilling” you admitted, leaning in to press another soft kiss to his lips.

As you and Hugh made your way back down the hallway, the sounds of the party grew louder, a stark contrast to the intimate moments you had just shared. Your pulse was still racing, your skin tingling from where his hands had been. Despite the flush in your cheeks, you couldn't help but tease him, a playful glint in your eyes.

“Do you think they would’ve noticed that we were gone?” you asked, your voice soft but filled with amusement as you looked up at him. Hugh smirked, his hand resting firmly on the small of your back, guiding you with a confidence that made your heart skip a beat.

“We did spend a long time in there,” he replied, his tone rich with a knowing edge that sent a fresh wave of heat through you. The memory of his hands on your body, the way he had claimed you with such fervour, was still vivid in your mind, and you bit your lip to keep a satisfied smile from spreading across your face.

As you reached the door leading back to the main living area, you paused for just a moment, your hand resting on the doorknob. The noise from the party, laughter, music, the clinking of glasses,reminded you that you'd have to face everyone again. You took a deep breath, hoping your slightly dishevelled appearance wouldn’t give away the passionate encounter you’d just shared.

When you finally opened the door and stepped back into the room, your eyes immediately met Blake’s across the crowded space. Her eyes were sharp, and a slight, knowing smirk played on her lips as she took in the sight of you and Hugh rejoining the group. Blake, ever perceptive, clearly had an idea of what had kept the two of you away for so long. The way her gaze lingered on you sent a flush of warmth to your cheeks, and you quickly looked away, busying yourself by smoothing down your dress.

Hugh’s hand gave your back a reassuring squeeze before he reluctantly stepped away, moving across the room to join Ryan, who was standing near the bar. You could feel Blake’s gaze still on you, her expression amused but understanding, almost as if she was silently saying, I won’t tell a soul, but I know.

You tried to shake off the feeling of being watched and focused on Hugh, who had reached Ryan and was immediately greeted with a hearty slap on the back.

“There he is!” Ryan exclaimed with a grin, his eyes twinkling with curiosity. “Where’d you disappear to, mate? We were starting to think you both got lost.” he said in his best Australian accent.

Hugh laughed, his expression easy and confident despite the tension you could see in his eyes. “Just needed a bit of fresh air,” he said smoothly, but the slight curve of his lips hinted at more. You could tell he was trying to play it cool, though there was a flicker of something else behind his smile.

Ryan wasn’t buying it, though. He narrowed his eyes, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth as he took a sip of his drink. But then his gaze shifted slightly, landing on you, and his eyes narrowed in on something at your neck.

“Hold on,” Ryan said, his voice laced with amusement as he set his glass down with a soft clink. His eyes locked onto the side of your neck, and a mischievous grin spread across his face. “Be honest, Hugh, did you do that, you beast?”

Confused, you instinctively reached up to touch your neck. The moment your fingers brushed over the tender spot, your heart sank. You remembered how Hugh’s mouth had lingered there, how he’d sucked on your skin until you moaned. The realization that he’d left a mark—a very visible hickey—made your cheeks burn with embarrassment.

Hugh’s eyes widened slightly as he realized what Ryan was talking about, and for a split second, you saw the nervousness in his eyes. But then he let out a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced at you with a guilty smile. “Uh… yeah, I might have gotten a little carried away,” he admitted, his tone both apologetic and playful.

Ryan burst out laughing, shaking his head in mock disbelief. “You’ve got some nerve, man,” he teased, clapping Hugh on the shoulder. “Next time, try not to leave evidence.”

Your face was on fire, and you quickly looked away, trying to hide your embarrassment. But Hugh, ever the charmer, quickly changed the subject, leaning in to say something to Ryan that made him chuckle and shift his attention away from you. But even as the two of them continued their banter, you couldn’t shake the awareness of the hickey on your neck, a physical reminder of the heated passion you and Hugh had shared just moments before.

The party continued on as if nothing had happened, with everyone else seemingly oblivious to the charged undercurrent between you and Hugh. But with every glance, every casual brush of his hand against yours, it was impossible to ignore the unspoken connection that lingered between you. The memory of what had just transpired was still fresh, the desire far from sated

taglist (dm if u wanna be added): @ermlady @elloredef @haytchee @melaninjoys @megangovier @blue2jay @hearts4suri @narniabusinessbitch @jadenlyday25 @getmeoutofhell @rockytheluver @stark-ironman

[mininiamh]

cs55 drabble #1

pairing: carlos sainz x norris!reader

scenario: lando has told you something and your worst fears are confirmed

warning(s): angst, age gap (reader is 20, carlos is 30), the f bomb

a/n: first time writing angst 😬 LFG!

MASTERLIST

His words echoed inside your brain, your breath caught in your throat as you stared blankly back at him. Had he really meant it? That he never never loved you?

Carlos paled as the weight of his words hung heavy in the air between the two of you. He tried to reach out to you but you stepped back, the movement acting like a slap to the face to him. “Cariño, I-”

“Did you mean it?” Your voice wobbled as you spoke while trying to keep your emotions in check. A sob threatened to tear through your throat. “That you never loved me? Not even once?”

“Mi amour-”

You jabbed a finger into his chest. The anger and hurt burning inside threatened to overwhelm you as your eyes glazed over with unshed tears. “No, you don't get to sweet talk your way out of this one.” You pushed back from him and stepped further away, running your hands through your hair as disbelief began to settle over you. “What Lando said the other week; was it true?”

Carlos stiffened behind you. Did you have to bring that up now? He didn't want to be discussing your brother, he needed to try to fix your rapidly crumbling relationship which once stood like a fortress but was now slipping through his hands like grains of sand faster than he could comprehend.

When he didn't answer you turned to face him, only he's looking everywhere but in your eyes. His gaze was fixated on his feet while yours was burning a hole in the side of his face. You wanted him to look at you, to see the hurt he had caused you to feel.

“Was it true!” You screamed as your voice cracked.

Carlos didn't move for a moment longer. He closed his eyes and took a breath. He should've been honest from the start and told her as soon as he called the whole thing off. “y/n, listen, I was going to tell you.”

“Oh my god.” You let out a laugh, borderlining exasperated as his admission sunk into every fibre in your body. “I was a bet! Are you fucking kidding me?”

You moved around him and grabbed your bag, throwing in everything that belonged to you. For once you believed you could have something pure, something beautiful and untainted by outside influences but no, fate couldn't even grant you that.

“y/n, please, let's just talk about this,” Carlos pleaded as he tried to stop you from slinging your belongings in the bag. “I'm sorry, okay? It never should've happened.”

You shrugged him off as you zipped up your bag and reached for your jacket and shrugged it on. “You're right, it shouldn't have. I was so stupid for believing I could actually be loved, let alone by you of all people.” You slung your bag over your shoulder, brushing past Carlos as you stormed towards the door. “I'm staying with Lando, I've got a lot of apologising to do.”

As quickly as you had walked into his life you had walked out again, leaving Carlos to pick up the shattered remains of your life together.

[ilovechuuy4]

S/O gifting Chuuya a puppy for his birthday? ≧◡≦

I Was Meant For You, Baby. Being With You Makes the Flame Burn Good. ✧٭*꙳

Warnings; none other than thicker paragraphs

Description; Giving your boyfriend a pet for his birthday!

A/N; Sorry if this took so long! I wanted 2 wait till chuuyas birthday since it isn't too far from nikolai's! Hope you enjoy!! Also I was flooded out my house (literally) so please bare with me! (HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BEAUTIFUL BEST WIFE!1!1!1!!1!2?2?2?2?1!1!1!1!) (F/N is friends name)

You glance at the clock on the wall, 5:23PM a nice Sunday evening on the 28th of April. You had a day until Chuuyas birthday but you already knew what you were getting for his present, that's why you were sitting in a pet adoption center right now. There were dogs barking, cats meowing and other animals noises. Needlessly to say, it was loud.

You were waiting for a specific dog to come out. It was the perfect one for Chuuya. You waited a bit longer until you saw the door open that led to the animals and there runs a puppy, it was a golden retriever. The puppy's coat was this bright shiny golden blonde with these soft brown eyes. Maybe the energy of the dog was different from chuuya's but surely it'll mix well no matter what.

The golden dog's tail was wagging frantically as the employee let go of the small leash, letting the dog go as it jumped in your lap, licking at your face. You laugh softly, running your nails in the coat of the new fluffy companion.

You reach into your pocket and grab your wallet and take out the money; paying the employee. They take the money with a soft nod and fill somethings out before letting you go. You had to keep the dog at a friends house for only a day since chuuya's birthday wasn't until the next day.

You drop the entergetic animal off at F/N apartment for the day while you not only go shopping for a cake but for the puppy too. You make your way to the closest store, making your way to the small bakery built inside. You talk to the baker who was at the front, telling her exactly what you want and what time I'd be picked up, around 3pm tomorrow; Monday, April 29th. You watched as she jotted the details down and she nodded. "Alright ma'am/sir, that'll be around $20 (around 335 in pesos and 3,086 in Japanese yen.) tomorrow when you pick it up." The kind woman said with a thankful smile.

Once you pre-ordered, you scurry off through the market, grabbing chuuya a new fedora to add to his collection along with a nice red wine. You then make your way to the pet isle. There was a lot but you got the essentials; dog food, specifically wet food since it was only a puppy, chew toys, treats, bowls etc. Then you walk your way to check out spending around a good $150(23,197 yen or 2,557 Pecos) you sigh, the hat was pretty expensive, it was around 80-90 USD. You rub the back of your neck as you leave the store, bags in hand.

You drive home, entering the house but keeping the bags in trunk of your car. Once you are inside the house, slipping off your shoes and coat, you are met with a slightly upset blue eyed man, your boyfriend. His arms crossed over his narrow chest, his bright blue irises dangerously showing his mood of anger. "Where were you? You're usually home hours before I am, but I'm here hours before you are home?" Chuuya questions, he was very serious.

"Well I was uhm.." You stamppered, you couldn't make up a good enough excuse. "I was at my friends house, F/N? them?" You said, rubbing the back of your neck. You were obviously lying, nothing could get past the ginger even if you tried. "I won't push, doll. But you gotta tell me when you won't be home. I was worried." He stated, he never pushed you to tell him where you were, he wanted to it come out naturally with no force, he didn't like trying to push answers out, it felt odd to him.

Chuuya walked forward and embraced you, holding you close, hands holding your hips. "Let's go order some food and watch a movie, yeah?" Chuuya recommended, gently grazing your lips with his. You smile and nod as you follow him to the couch. The night grew and the both of y'all became tired. "Let's go to bed, darlin'." He said, gently lifting your to red body off the couch and into yalls shared bedroo, laying you don't and slipping under the covers with you.

As the night wore and the day grew you shirt confortably in the bed, waking up with a yawn. It was 2pm, Chuuya had let you sleep in since you were out so late last night doing god knows what (or at least he didn't know what you were doing.) You yawn, stretching your bones as they pop and crack, the sounds sending shivers down your spine. You yawn onces more before getting out of bed.

You scurry around the bedroom, taking a shower, drying your hair and putting on your clothes you were going to wear to pick up and cake and the puppy. Nothing big, something simple. You grab your bag with your wallet and walk out the house, getting into your car and driving to the same store. You were only a couple minutes early but that was always a good thing as you walked to the bakery section. The same lady greets you with a welcoming smile as he walks to the back, bringing back the cake.

The cake with a simple French vanilla. Thick, swirly dollops of icing, boarding around the top and bottom. The bottom layered with dark chocolate shavings, those also layered at the top on top of the swirls of icing. In black icing, a neat, swirly cursive wrote; "Happy birthday Chuuya." You take out your wallet to pay the kind lady with a smile before taking your card back and walking out the store.

Once leaving the store, you stop by F/N house and pick up the fluffy compainion. It was jumping around, barking and other nonsense in the back seat of the car as you pull up to your house. You reach back, putting the leash on the collar and helping the puppy out the car. It runs inside the house as you squat down to feed it, pouring the food into the bowl in the back room where you sadly had to keep the cute golden for a few minutes more before your boyfriend came home.

You put the fedora and red wine in a small bag and stuff it with tissue paper. You gently place it on the marbled counter top as you take out the cake from the fridge and placing it beside the gift bag. Before you knew it, you heard the rustingly of keys and the front door unlocking, the hinges on the door squeeking as it opened, and there behold your beautiful boyfriend.

"Doll, I'm home. How ar-" his sentence cut off, his eyes going to the gift and cake, a smile spreading on his face as he looked at you. "You know, you shouldn't have?" He said with a chuckle, walking towards you and wrapping you in a hug, hands going around your waist. "I uhm.. I have another gift for you." You said with a nervous giggle before you could say anything else there was barking in the back ground, making chuuyas eyes widen.

"You got a dog?! Where?" Chuuya exclaimed, his eyes wide but he seemed excited. You gently pull away from Chuuya, scurrying to the room the dog was confined in, opening the door. You watched as the puppy hopped and jumped, running around before going to the taken aback chuuya. His eyes widden in gleam as he squats down to pet it was a smile.

"You really got a fuckin' dog?" He said unbelieved, running his hand down the dogs thick coat of fur. "I mean yeah. I know you wanted one so, what do you wanna name her?" You ask with a smile. "Princess." He said, he was straightforward with it and he meant it, this dog's name was gonna be princess and you were well aware it was going to be spoiled like one.

"Mhm alright, princess it is." You say with a slight laugh. You watch as Chuuya stands up and walks over to you hugging you tight. "You don't know how much you; and this. means to me, darlin'. I love you so much." He murmurs softly, kissing your lips slowly, Princess directly between yalls legs.

[bradshawshawaiianshirt]

Stuck on the Past | Part 1

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x Ex-girlfriend!Reader

Summary: You never thought you'd see Bradley Bradshaw again, especially the way things ended between the two of you. So what happens when he's suddenly back for a special mission and is determined to win you back too?

Warnings: Angst (ish), adult language, drinking

Length: 1.8k

Stuck on the Past masterlist

You couldn't remember the last time you'd gone out on a Saturday night. Your friends had been begging you to join them for a while, that much you knew, but with how stressful work had been, time seemed to slip out of your hands.

That was until this Saturday. Finally you'd been given the weekend off, and as much as you wanted to spend it in bed binge-watching all the Netflix you'd missed, you ended up deciding that a few drinks wouldn't hurt.

How wrong you were.

Thinking back, it started going south as soon as April mentioned going to the Hard Deck. Sure, you'd been a few times since it opened, and you thought it was a nice place, but you couldn't deny the strange feeling in your gut, almost like a warning. Maybe that should have been a sign that this wasn't going to be your night, but you ignored it, and decided to have fun instead of worrying so much.

"Hey!" April grinned as you walked in, standing from the booth your friends had claimed slightly away from the bar, "I was starting to wonder if you really existed all this time."

She laughed, giving you a quick hug before you sat down with the rest of your friends, "It hasn't been that long." You said, rolling your eyes as April pushed a drink towards you.

"Yes. It has." She smirked, "So drink up. We're making this a night to remember."

You were a couple drinks in, laughing with one of your friends, when the jukebox music cut out. You didn't take much notice until you heard it. The piano. April frowned, "Is someone playing the piano? How cool is that! Let's go look."

You stood and slowly followed her towards the edge of the bar. You knew who was playing. Of course, you knew. It was the same song he used to play years ago, when you were both barely in your 20s. Young, in love, and stupid.

April gripped your hand and dragged you forward to get a better view of the singer. There he was. He had grown, definitely, but he was still the same old Bradley Bradshaw. All smiles and laughs as he played the piano and sang along with his friends. As much as you wanted to, you couldn't look away. You dragged your eyes to your side to look at April, who's face began to fall in realisation.

"No. Way." She turned to you, searching your face for any sign that you might cry, "Please tell me that's not who I think it is."

You nodded, mouth dry from shock as you grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the restroom, locking both of you in a stall. You sighed, ran your hand through your hair and sat on the lid of the toilet seat.

April had both of her hands on her hips, her mouth in a tight frown, "What the hell is he doing here? Isn't it enough that he broke your heart, huh? And now what? Now he's suddenly back in San Diego! Seriously?! What the actual-"

"April." You interrupted, standing up and putting your hands on her shoulders, "It's fine. I'm.. I'm fine." She nodded, taking a deep breath as you sat back onto the lid of the toilet, "And anyway," you shrugged, "He didn't really.. break my heart."

April scoffed, "You have to be joking. You cried over him for like a year! I thought you were about to swear off men forever after him!"

"Probably would have been a good idea." You chuckled, "I meant that.. you know, it was mutual."

April rolled her eyes, "Whatever. What's our game plan?"

"What?"

"Well, for starters, I'm not letting you leave now we've seen him. You need to show him that this didn't affect you. Stand up."

You stood to face your longest friend. She'd been there when you'd met Bradly the very first time, and she'd been the one to pick up the pieces after he'd left. As much as April could be demanding, most of the time she had a point. The only thing you wanted to do right now was run, but you also knew that if he saw you leave it would look like it was because of him, and you didn't want him to have any sort of power over you like that. Not anymore.

You took a deep breath, "Okay, I'm not leaving. Let's go get shots." You were trying to sound confident, but your voice was wobbly and your breathing was uneven. Yeah, tequila was definitely going to help.

-

April ordered some drinks, and you both did a shot of tequila each at the bar. It did calm some of your nerves, but just knowing he was around was setting you off again. You sat back down with the rest of your friends and gazed around the room. Maybe you were in the clear? He'd sang one song and decided to leave?

Just as you felt better, you glanced to the other side of the room, at the pool table, where eyes were already on you. He looked just as shocked as you did, his mouth half open and eyebrows raised, grip tight on his pool stick. You felt yourself freeze. Should you smile? Wave? Shit, the longer you two just stared at each other the more awkward this was getting.

You blinked a couple times before quickly standing, "I'm getting another drink." Your friends were in deep conversation, but you assumed they heard you and hurried towards the bar.

You ordered another round of drinks before you felt someone stand beside you. You looked up and there he was, tall and muscular, very different from the boy you'd known all those years ago.

He grinned, "I thought it was you. I saw you in the crowd while I was playing but then I couldn't find you after." You opened your mouth and closed it again, trying to find words that wouldn't make you sound stupid. Before you could, your drinks were placed in front of you. "You need help carrying those?" He pointed at the four drinks on the bar.

You quickly shook your head, muttered a 'no thanks' and grabbed two in each hand, hurrying off to the booth your friends were sat in. Bradley watched you walk away and mentally kicked himself. He'd practiced what he was going to say to you since he saw you in the crowd earlier in the night. It could have gone better, but then again, what's left to say to someone you both hurt and never quite forgave?

-

You figured you'd stayed long enough that April would let you leave if you wanted to, so you grabbed your handbag, hugged your friends goodbye and made your way to the front of the bar. You felt your phone buzz in your pocket. It was April.

Let me know when you get home safe. You did great tonight. He's not worth it!! See you soon x

You smiled and searched through your phone to find an Uber.

"On your way home?" You turned to see Bradley. Just when you thought you'd made your escape.

"Uh, yeah." You took a moment to really look at him. He had this hopeful look to him, you realised, like he actually wanted to talk to you. You sighed, "Just trying to get an Uber."

"You don't have to." He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes trained on the ground, "Look, I know things are awkward. It's been a long time. But, I can take you home. I've barely drank, I'm good to drive. If you want, that is."

He finally met your eyes as you shrugged. "It's been a really long time. I never thought I'd see you back here." You bit your lip, thinking over the situation, "But, sure. If you're offering, I'd like a ride."

He smiled and nodded, relieved that you hadn't ran away from him. He probably wouldn't have blamed you if you did. But this was something.

The drive to your apartment was quiet. You could feel Bradley glancing at you now and then, but you couldn't risk looking at him. You were already in his car, the same old Bronco he'd had since you'd known him. April was gonna freak when you told her tomorrow.

"How've you been?" He broke the silence as he stopped at a red light, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel.

"Good. Busy." You answered, "You?"

"Yeah, good. A lot of deployments but it's been fine." He took a glance in your direction as the light changed, "I wasn't planning on coming back. There's this mission. I'm not supposed to talk about it-"

"It's fine." You cut him off. That made more sense. There was no way he'd come back here for you. That just confirmed it.

He sighed. You wondered if he was regretting offering you a ride home. Probably. "You look good." He said instead.

Your head whipped round to look at him, "Don't start."

He was smirking, "What?" He glanced at you again, feigning innocence, "I know things are awkward but am I not allowed to compliment my favourite ex-girlfriend?"

You cleared your throat and turned towards the window, "Your compliments were never just compliments, Bradley. They always led to something else and you know it."

You felt your cheeks heat up as he glanced at you again, a small smile on his face. "Would that be a bad thing?"

He pulled up in front of your building, turning to face you fully as he turned off the engine. You turned to him, arms crossed and voice sharp, "Yes. It would be a bad thing. History is a there for a reason and I don't wanna repeat it." You opened his door and stepped outside, "Oh! And by the way, you are definitely not my favourite ex-boyfriend!"

Bradley chuckled, "I always used to love it when you'd get angry, your cheeks get all flushed. It's cute."

You mouth hung open, what was he playing at? "Thanks for the ride." You said, shutting his car door and walking towards your apartment building with a huff. Even when you unlocked your apartment door, you couldn't quite believe what had happened. How dare he flirt with you like that? You two hadn't talked in years!

You climbed into bed and decided to sleep it off. At least you wouldn't be forced to see him again. You'd be at work and he'd be on his stupid mission. That was something.

Bradley stayed parked outside after he dropped you off. Partly to make sure you got in okay, but also to really think about what he had actually been suggesting. He hadn't seen you in years. Sure, you crossed his mind every now and then, sometimes he'd stalk your social media to see what you were up to, but he didn't know you anymore. You guys had history, that was true. The worst part about it? He didn't think repeating history would be a bad thing at all, especially if it was with you.

[c0la-queen]

Set the World on Fire | Chapter 1

Summary: Reader unknowingly sets off a series of events that will change her - and the world - forever.

Words: 2.4k

Warnings: Violence, minor Reader injury

Note: Finally got Chapter 1 done, I'm so sorry this took so long! I'm sorry if this feels rambling-ish to some of you, but I really like how it turned out. Establishes a lot of physical and technical world-building for the base. Also I promise the next chapter will have more Red Leader!! I hope you enjoy, mwah mwah!!

--

Two years later…

You sighed softly as you walked through the halls, accompanied only by your footsteps. Your boots gave an unyielding click, click, click against the concrete floors. The frigid air seeped in through the walls, making you yearn for your warm bed.

A week at the main Red Army base was not enough to get used to how different it was. Especially compared to the smaller base you had been in - the same base that had found you after the attack. There, everyone was close. It took maybe 5 minutes to walk from one side of the base to the other. You were a little family that all stuck together. The mess hall maybe had three to five full tables every meal shift. Soldiers could call out to someone on the other side of the room to banter, and everyone present would laugh. Promotions were few between and celebrated by everyone with drinks and a special dinner. You all supported each other. The size and bond reminded you of a graduating class of seniors.

But if that base was a graduating class, the main base was an entire high school. There were soldiers who had been living in the base that couldn't tell you the names of more than 10-20 of their peers. You were sure that even if you ran for 5 minutes, you would only make it halfway across the base. There was an air of competition between everyone - not the good kind, but a sort of hostile tension between everyone to climb the ranks as fast as possible. During meal shifts, you would be lucky to find a seat in the mess hall unless someone specifically saved you one. You'd have to nearly yell just to hear the person across from you over the chatter in the room. You felt isolated and outnumbered.

It felt like ironically interesting commentary on human behavior and how its affected by population size.

You felt a yawn fight its way from your lips, the corners of your eyes stinging from drowsiness. You were on a late night patrol shift, which almost all soldiers dreaded. All privates had to log a specific amount of night patrol hours every month, given in a specific schedule. Night patrols consisted of 4 groups every shift, each one located at one of the main entrances to the base. The first shift started at 8 pm sharp, right when the last dinner ends. Shifts change twice every night - once at 1 pm and once at 6 am. It could get boring after a short while, simply walking up and down the well-worn length of the base perimeter, waiting for something interesting to happen. The winter months were the worst - the base was only mildly warm even during the height of the summer, but winter was by far harsher than most of the soldiers were used to. Several layers of clothes were needed just to get through the 5 hour shifts. Various ways of coping were used around the base by all privates; hand warmers, thermoses full of hot drinks, balaclavas, extra layering, etc. If it exists, the Red Army privates have tried it.

Not having to do night patrols was a huge motivator for privates to get a promotion.

You were lucky enough to have been given the first shift that night - it was 1:30 am, and the second shift had just swapped out with you. After your supervisor gave you the approval, you were released. Exhaustion dragging deep in your bones, you were ready to simply peel your outer clothes off and pass out in your bed in your tank top and panties. Despite the shared dislike of having to do patrols, you couldn't help but admire how organized the main base was. Red Leader's constant presence meant that every single thing was designed to be as smooth as possible. He was constantly criticized by his enemies for being a cruel, cold-hearted monster, but that never quite fit in your mind. The main base was the biggest target for attacks, raids, and other things, but it was by far the safest Red Army base across Europe.

How could a man be a monster when he personally ensured that his soldiers were safe and cared for in the place that they called home?

A noise drew you out of your thoughts. It was faint, but it was hard to miss in the silence of the halls. Voices. Whispers bleeding out into the empty halls from a small distance ahead of you. The halls were in "Night Mode" - an automatic setting that kicked in at 9 pm, shutting off the main overhead lights and switching to soft strip lights along the edges of the floors and ceiling. It was meant to be enough light to easily navigate through the hallways while not being so bright that it disturbs soldiers' sleep. One of Red Leader's many personal mechanics installed around the base to improve everyone's daily life. That peaceful light was interrupted by the harsh light of a nearby room that poured into the halls from an open door.

You stopped a short distance from the door when you noticed the shadows of two people cast along the floors. Part of you wanted to dismiss it as two soldiers simply out of their quarters past curfew, doing a piss-poor job of not getting caught. But something told you not to jump to conclusions. A swirling feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach at the sight of the shadows. Prey instincts pressed against the forefront of your brain, telling you stay quiet. stay out of sight. do not be seen. Deciding to heed these instincts, you slowed your breathing, listening to the whispered words coming from the room.

It was hard to hear exactly what was being said, but you managed to catch a few phrases. 'Red Leader's quarters,' 'find it,' and 'take the shot.' Piecing together what was going on wasn't difficult to do. Any other words were lost to you, the rush of blood ringing in your ears completely drowning them out. Thoughts and scenarios raced through your mind, but one phrase echoed the loudest.

Find the alarm.

The entire base was fixed with an alarm system. Activators were littered through the halls, making them easy to find. Slowly, carefully, you began to take steps backwards, intending to make your way to an alarm you spotted a few paces back without risking being seen by the two plotters. Fate had other ideas. Two men stepped out of the room. They were dressed in black clothing, likely chosen for stealth. The strip lights made it difficult to see their faces clearly, but one thing was certain.

They were looking directly at you.

Your heartbeat felt like a ticking second hand of a clock as you stood still, feet glued to the floor. You stared. They stared. Then, everything came rushing back. One of the intruders took a step toward you, and you bolted. You heard your boots thump against the concrete as you sprinted in the direction you came from, adrenaline pumping through your veins. The alarm activator quickly came into view. To avoid unauthorized use, it could only be turned on with the use of the standard Red Army ID cards that were required to be kept on your person at all times. You yanked yours off the clip, not caring if the thin bit of plastic bit broke in the process, and slammed it against the scanner. You didn't even bother to waste time checking how close your pursuers were to you. As soon as the screen lit up, you slammed your thumb against the button that red 'INTRUDERS' in big, bold letters. Seconds after you pressed it, a weight slammed into your side, slamming you to the cold concrete ground. One of the intruders sat on top of you, wrapping his hands around your throat.

But it was too late. Red lights bathed the halls, the low blare of the alarm echoing through the entire building. The other intruder appeared in your line of vision, grabbing the first by the shoulder and dragging him off of you. You gasp as air filled your lungs again.

"Leave her, we have to get out of here."

"But-"

"We are not sticking around to get caught. Do you have any idea what Red Leader does to prisoners?"

You rolled onto your side, coughs wracking your body. Your throat stung from the phantom feeling of the man's hands. Your ears rang, and you couldn't hear anything except muffled footsteps for a while. Suddenly, hands were on your shoulders. Panic coursed through you, thinking they had come back to finish the job. Your hand lashed out. Something solid collided with your fist, and there was a grunt. The hands disappeared for a second, but quickly came back. You were rolled onto your back. In that moment, your hearing cleared.

"Private!"

Standing over you was a fellow Red Army soldier. You recognized him as one of the lieutenants that had worked with your platoon before. He helped you sit up, looking over you for any obvious injuries. Another soldier was standing off to the side, clutching his face. The lieutenant snapped in front of your face, drawing you back to the present.

"Can you hear me, Private? Do you need medical attention?"

You completely disregarded his questions, panicked energy filling your entire body.

"Two intruders, male, wearing all black. They're targeting Red Leader."

The lieutenant paused, taking in that information. He looked over his shoulder, nodding to the other soldier. He returned the nod, then disappeared down the hallway. The lieutenant focused back on you. You could hear soldiers flooding the hallway all around you, pulled from their sleep by the alarm and guns drawn.

"Private, do you need medical? How copy?"

You swallowed thickly. The sting of your throat made you wince. Still, you shook your head 'no.' The lieutenants eyes flickered across you, taking in your state. They rested just below your head.

"I'm taking you to medical."

You barely had time to argue when you were scooped into his arms. He stood, holding you with little to no effort. He looked around at the soldiers gathered in the halls, barking out orders over the blaring of the alarm.

"We got two intruders wearing all black, location unknown. Bring them in alive. Red Leader is the confirmed target, protect at all costs. Lovelace, get it over the radio."

Sergeant Major Lovelace nodded and repeated the message over her radio, making sure all soldiers knew the situation. The lieutenant holding you made his way through the halls, weaving through the other soldiers as he made his way to the medical wing.

"What's your name, Private?"

You gave him your last name, trying to blink away the spinning of the world. The lieutenant clicked his tongue softly.

"Full name, c'mon."

Oh. He wanted to keep you talking, to prevent any potential passing out. You indulged, giving him your full name. He gave you a crooked grin, the small gap between his front teeth giving it an almost boyish charm. He had shaggy brown hair that tufted out at his neck in a small mullet, cornflower blue eyes, and sun kissed skin. A small scar stretched across his chin - it didn't look like the ugly scar of some traumatic injury; more like the faint scar of past teenage mischief.

"The name's Lieutenant Kai Veern. You did great tonight, (Name)."

Lieutenant Veern proceeded to ramble to you as he navigated the chaotic halls. A Southern accent was laced into his words, relaxing your panicked brain. Soon, he pushed a door open with his hip, addressing the nurses that were standing in a group.

"Got a soldier with fresh bruising around her neck. Disoriented. Unsure of any other injuries."

You zoned out as you were set on a check-up table. The nurses bustled around you, checking you for injuries.

You wondered where Red Leader was.

--

"Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on in my base?"

The intruder alarms had long been turned off. Tord paced his office, glancing at the clock on the wall. 5 am. God, he needed a smoke.

"Two intruders were apprehended in the east wing. They're being held in interrogation as we speak."

"Separately?"

Patryk nodded.

"Who pulled the alarm?"

"Private (Last Name). The patrol supervisor said she had just been released from first shift. We're headed down to medical to get her report right after this."

Tord's eyes snapped up to his Major General and Lieutenant General.

"Medical? What do you mean, medical?"

Paul and Patryk shared a nervous glance. Paul shifted in his spot.

"Lieutenants Veern and Winston found her on the ground in the hall. Veern escorted her to medical for bruising around her neck. It's likely that one of the intruders tried to strangle her."

Hot anger flashed through Tord. He slammed his hand against his desk, the heavy metal making a loud impact against the wooden surface. Paul and Patryk didn't even flinch.

"You're telling me that not only did someone have the audacity to sneak into my base like vermin, but one of them put his hands on my soldier? Does she have any other injuries? Did any other soldier report to medical?"

Paul shook his head to both questions. A growl rumbled from Tord's chest.

"They still harmed one of mine. That is a transgression I will not take lightly. Find out which one did it. Save him for me. If neither of them cough it up, give them both a lesson. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

The two stood and saluted.

"Wait. I want you to report straight to interrogation."

Patryk frowned.

"But what about Private-"

"I am going to see her myself."

The two soldiers blinked in surprise, staring at him as if he had grown a second head. Tord huffed, waving his hand dismissively as he pulled a cigar from the box on his desk.

"She could have been risking her life to pull that alarm. I want to talk to her directly."

Failing to bite back their smiles, Tord's trusted soldiers nodded and headed out the door. The guards posted outside his office shut the doors behind them.

Tord sighed, lighting his cigar and taking a deep inhale. The smoke puffed around him as he exhaled, shoulders slowly relaxing. He tapped his other fingers against his desk as he stewed in his thoughts.

Private (Name)…

He was very curious.

[onthecrescentofthehill]

g1deon and pyrrha + gideon and harrow throughlines scattered in all of tlt continue to drive me insane.

the initial investigation scenes post the 5th deaths where the 2nd house tries to pull cohort rank control of the situation, gideon & harrow immediately sneak away to learn that the winnowing trial was developed by the second house and cohort founders, g1deon & pyrrha. winnowing as incorporating the other, refusing distractions for the sake of true control, loyalty and duty.

gideon is wearing his sunglasses, rifling through their things. she doesn’t see it as a real place someone would live in, only a stop along the way to somewhere else, more whole.

she sees a gun on the wall that her mother's ghost will use the river memory of to try and kill harrow in the dream of cannan house:

It took Gideon a long time to realise that she was looking at something goddamn ancient: it was a blowback carbine gun. She’d only ever seen pictures. ….. The hairs on the back of Gideon’s neck had risen when the lights came on, and they hadn’t gone back down, as if her intrusion might well tempt time back to claim its grave goods. GTN chapter 19

Carbine rifle, read the key. For a moment she pitied Judith Deuteros’s last seconds. To be killed with this ancient piece of grave goods! It would have been like being set upon by a ghost out of time. HTN chapter 18

gideon reads "one flesh, one end" for the first time. she tells harrow these people were living in each others pockets, the same phrase she'll later use to describe the two of them. pyrrha spent nearly 10,000 years locked in a drawer in gideon the first’s mind bc he couldn't bear to let her go. gideon tells harrow how they feel like strangers despite growing up together.

harrow cant stand the thought and in less than a month harrow will lock gideon in a drawer and gideon the first will relentlessly try to kill harrow in her waking hours to spare her the agony he'll never learn is closely parallel to his, and when she fails to hear his real name her brain starts bleeding:

And he had said: “Ortus, have pity.”

“This is my pity, Lord,” said the Saint of Duty. HTN chapter 20

g1deon was john’s oldest friend, he carried that suitcase in his loyalty to him. then he becomes an amnesiac, immortal thanergy void, absorbing and nullifying the echoes of that catastrophe. founding the cohort that flips planets in the exact mirror to the ecological tragedy they all sacrificed everything to spare earth from. over and over again.

He didn’t even ask me to explain. That was the kind of guy he was. He and I had grown up on the same street. I’d spotted him for mince pies all the time as kids, so stands to reason he let me cut off his arm and carried a nuke for me. John 1:20

in g+p’s room harrow says that theyre all the ninth house has ( = you’re all that i have). gideon firmly says shes "NO ONE'S son or daughter"

but in less than a year gideon’s mother, sitting opposite her father, will recognize pyrrha with a sense of profound relief before her revenant is unceremoniously killed. gideon will watch through harrows eyes, in hiding:

Harrow, I will never forget the look on her face as long as I live, or as long as I die. (…) It was the smile for your old cellmate who’d just landed back in prison, the one that told them at least you were in it together—or more correctly, the smile of someone stepping out of jail after serving a very long sentence, having seen someone there waiting for her. Someone whose presence meant total reprieve, someone she hadn’t expected. It was a little bit mocking. It was deeply relieved. HTN chapter 50

i don’t have a conclusion to this rn i’m just……much to think abt. the displacement of grief, the loyalty through control, how it just happens over and over and over again and they just bear witness as tools or trapped souls or revenants, clinging to anything they can even if they don’t remember it.

[schro4444]

About the Kaito keeping his secret ID through Refuge In Audacity do you think Conan stuck with his first guess that KID was younger than 20 or later dismissed it as KID wearing a mask? (Ik this isn't relevant to the kuroba sitcom but I had Ditto in the brain haha)

I personally hc that he logicked it away as "he can't be THAT young, learning all those skills he has would take time" and then Kaito TOLD HIM his mom was Phantom Lady who did crazy gymnastics so she couldn't have been very old and dissappeared a scant 20 years ago and Conan went "welp"

Ik that Hakuba figured KID's age through DNA and then compared to highschool databases across the country, but first that's not how DNA tests work, the length that tells how old someone is changes from person to person, and second, I'm not familiar w Japanese laws regarding privacy and DNA databases but I'm fairly sure that what Hakuba did was like. Super illegal. Probably why Hakuba hauled ass back to London after that case actually, I bet he only got away with it bc nepotism (IT'S SURE ILLEGAL IN THE UK)

I still rlly want to know if Hakuba sat KID down w an optometrist board and an IQ test though, HOW did he get that data. Like I bet Toichi and Chikage never even got Kaito tested bc they thought it funnier to keep people guessing just HOW smart he was, plus Kaito wanted to share class with Aoko and Nakamori wanted her to be in a class where she could make friends her age, and that was the end of the topic

(oh man this ended up long, MY BAD)

first of all, omg im honored, tysm for reading ditto :D <3

GREAT QUESTION I think conan kept it in mind, but became less sure of himself over time. conan/shinichi has a pretty skewed idea of what kids are capable of doing, and I think he knows this about himself, so it’s reasonable for him to think “...nah, it would be insane if a high schooler was doing all this… right?” and if he was basing his original age guess off of what he could see of kid’s face and body shape, well, he learned very quickly that kid can change any of those traits at any time. who’s to say that kid wasn’t wearing makeup/a mask/anything else that might change his silhouette? …left to his own devices for long enough, conan can become a victim of his own overthinking, lol.

aaaand then kaito dropped the Phantom Lady tidbit. that, if anything, seemed to me like a peace offering of some kind? possibly meant to even the playing field between them? as always, it’s hard to tell what shinichi and kaito actually Know in canon, though I’m of course personally a fan of them knowing the least amount of information possible while still being as intelligent as we know they are. because shenanigans >:D

if we want to have fun with it ;) , I think the phantom lady reveal only narrows down kid’s age to,,,,, younger than 30? ish? it mostly gives conan an upper limit, since he doesn’t know whether kid was born before or after her retirement, and she easily could’ve retired in her early 30s. what it Does confirm is that this kid isn’t the original one, but that only narrows his identity down to “probably a protege of kid #1.” from there, the biggest bit of provable evidence against kaito is that his father died right when the original kid disappeared, but that’s still a pretty big logic leap to make when you aren’t around kaito all the time (like hakuba is). and toichi had students, too! who knows who else he taught besides yukiko and sharon? who is more likely to be kaitou kid: an undercover protege of toichi’s, or his teenage son who has an alibi for multiple heists?

best I can tell from some brief research, in Japan, DNA collection isn’t regulated for law enforcement, but hakuba isn’t law enforcement, he’s a consultant at best. I think other DNA tests for ppl age 16+ require consent of the person, and 16 or younger require the consent of a parent. hakuba has NEITHER. hakuba was saved from being a juvenile criminal by nepotism and the fact that nakamori laughed in his face instead of charging him with obstruction of justice or something. and yeah, that’s Absolutely Not How DNA Tests Work adjfksjdj

FR THO!! now I’m imagining hakuba chasing kid through a museum yelling “WHAT NUMBER LOGICALLY FOLLOWS THE SERIES ACCORDING TO THE GIVEN PATTERN” while kid answers with, like, extremely confused perfect accuracy. “400 iq” honestly sounds more like something hakuba made up to explain the fact that kid could answer the iq test questions while rappelling down a skyscraper lol. and I totally agree, kaito’s probably never been officially tested—it’s important for kids to be with their peers, especially when you’re already likely to have child prodigy syndrome. also because kaito and aoko get along so well, they would run the risk of never making other friends (cough shinichi cough). plus, the kurobas probably like to avoid official records as much as possible, and scoring even in the 160+ range would gather attention that their family of internationally-wanted criminals does Not need

[84reedsy]

The Mentorship, Part 22 - The End

The Mentorship

Characters: Curt Hennig/FemOC , Scott Hall/FemOC

Part 22 of 22

Warnings/Considerations: Smut, Age Gap, Power Dynamics, Dirty Talk, swearing

Word Count: 3470

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21

Taglist: @writeandsurvive @theweaselandthekilt To anyone and everyone who's read this; a sincere thank you from the bottom of my heart. This was the first thing I started writing when getting back into the wrestling fandom and it was meant to be just a one chapter blurb - but it grew into much more! Everyone's kind words and encouragement made finishing this possible <3

Pay-Per-Views were always more stressful. There was a lot more pressure to perform perfectly - much less was left to chance. Honestly, it felt like managerial over-reach, especially when they second-guessed Curt's suggestion for opening the match. Brinkley frowned at the man she'd never seen before yet acted as if he knew better than the three professional journeymen who stood next to her.  

Curt shook his head to discourage her argument and Scott subtly touched her arm.  She didn't know how they were so calm and so willingly taking bad direction from this wannabe booker. It was insulting to her, let alone them. 

“This time,” Curt looked around them once the four of them were alone again, “we are here to protect you. We usually end up doing whatever we want.  For us,  it's like ‘so what if Russo bitches about it’. But…when you're on your own,  you're gonna have to pick your own battles with them,” he knew as a newcomer she wouldn't carry enough clout outside of this match. 

“There's only so much we'll be able to say,” Scott followed up. 

“I get it…” she nodded, understanding their warning, “Don't rock the boat unless I absolutely have to,”

“Jesus, that boat is gonna end up capsizing” Kevin rolled his eyes,  but smirked at her,  ruffling her hair like a child. 

“Thanks A LOT, now I have to go fix it!” She scurried back to hair and makeup,  knowing time was running short. She could already hear the crowd reacting to the opening matches.  Her stomach turned as her hair was resmoothed and fixed into a high pony with a braid wrapped around its base. She wasn't sure she'd ever been this nervous.

She worried she might throw up in the hallway from the nerves as she made her way to the locker room,  trying to ignore the distant roar of 50,000 people that echoed through the concrete halls. Their match was still an hour away,  how was she ever going to maintain until then?

“Aren't you glad we taped our promos already?” Curt smirked as she paced in the locker room looking a little pale. Scott and Kevin were filming their response live to the crowd now. He knew she'd get there eventually,  once she got all of these tough firsts out of the way. 

“God, yeah,  I'd be a mess if we did it now, live. Why are pay-per-views so stressful?!” She continued pacing around the room to dispel her nervous energy,  shaking out her arms to keep them loose.

Curt watched her, thoughts and memories swirling around in his head. If he’d never suggested what he had to Scott, he had to wonder if she’d still just be pining from afar and spending her nights in Curt’s room, working out her energies there. He knew he’d done this to himself and that it was the right thing to do, but he couldn’t help but feel some level of selfish regret.

He knew what he’d like to do to redirect her mind and what to channel that energy into. He couldn't deny that he'd pleasured himself before many big matches just to level out. Sex (even with one's self)  was the ultimate way to prepare for a high energy performance. It was the same with actors,  singers… wrestlers were no different. He could feel his impulsivity tapping at the back of his mind,  making unsettlingly concrete arguments in favor of the proposition.

But he knew she'd tell Scott. She was adamant about being honest with him.  He was grateful and irritated that she'd listened so well to his lessons.  He didn't think he wanted to deal with however Scott may feel about it. It was better to keep the peace.

“CURT!” Brinkley snapped him with his towel,  jarring his focus back to the present, “where are you?” She asked,  having been rambling on for a few minutes only to see him staring off into the middle distance. The way he broke out into the tiniest of cold sweats and looked a little befuddled gave her a hint. 

“Sorry,  what?  What were you saying?” He still shook his head, hoping it was dissolve the vivid memories in his head. 

Brinkley straddled the bench he was sitting on a he pulled his kneepads just below his knees. She picked at a knot in the wood with her fingernail. 

“Is it always gonna be like this?” She asked barely above a mumble,  only looking up at him after she asked.  He paused from answering right away,  fiddling with his boots still.  He sighed and rested his forearms on his knees. 

“We're friends first, right?” He asked.

“That's what I hope for,” she oddly thought of all the times he turned her down,  wondering if he was regretting them, “But is that too selfish of me? Is that me being naive?”

“No,  it's not selfish of you.  I should be able to give that to you.” He ran his hand over his slicked hair, “but I'd like to say something if I could,” he looked at her for silent permission.

She nodded.

“I wish I'd stayed professional with all this,” he knew that part would sound harsh,  but he paused before the rest,  “Because you are the best I've ever felt with somebody in that way…in a lot of ways actually. And going forward now knowing what I'm missing,  knowing what we had…I just hate that I have to gatekeep what I didn't before” he stumbled around his words a little, looking frustrated.

“I know what you mean,” she tried to reassure him, “The idea of doing anything to hurt Scott makes me sick to my stomach…but it doesn't stop me from thinking about you. You were my first,  I'm always going to remember what we were,” she reached out,  resting her hand on the inside of his elbow. 

“I know you moving on is the right thing,  baby girl.  I just hate the idea of being left behind,” he laid his hand over hers, “But I want you to do well…I want you to turn this place on its head.  Be the first woman to get top billing. Of anyone…you can do it.”

“Thanks for believing in me all this time,” she squeezed his hand a little,  “Curt if you want-” she started but he cut her off.

“I want you to do well in this match.  And I know in my gut you will, so just…focus on that,” he said, squeezing back harder.  He knew what she was about to offer; either inspired to out of pity for him or out of mutual desire, maybe even nostalgia…he knew nothing down that path was going to help her.  And his job had been to help her. 

Letting her go was the best thing he could do for her now. 

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

Brinkley didn't think she'd ever been this nervous on this side of the curtain. Even her first day was less nerve wracking than this.  Her pulse thundered in her ears as she focused on her breath and tried to blank out the last few months. 

“Don't forget,” Curt reminded her,  hoping that any conversation would be calming, “you're not my valet this time.  You're my partner. First time and last time with me, “ he looked over her outfit,  the long leggings a better choice than her ass half hanging out of her shorts…at least for this match. The leggings were still stunning, criss-crossed orange and black lines went up the outside of each leg,  large swaths were thin mesh,  leaving a lot of skin somewhat exposed. The purple was perfect against her skin. 

The top was another piece he bought,  the strappy corset laced top. It added the perfect subtle sexuality to her outfit, not that she needed the help.

“Partners,” Brinkley reached out her hand, Curt took it, nodding his head as he smiled. 

“One last time,” He took a deep breath as the entrance music began playing. 

This time, he went out first, playing to the crowd and then building up Brinkley’s entrance to a surprisingly loud pop from the crowd. The sound made Brinkley grin widely. She wondered if the face turn would carry through her turning on Curt. They had been heels, but if the match was done like they’d planned…Curt would remain a heel and she would be the face among the Outsiders. That is until she adapted to their sneaky ways. 

She felt comfortable with their plans. The future wasn’t scary - she wasn’t nervous or mournful like she thought she might feel. Curt hyped her up on the way to the ring as the camera followed closely. 

The intimidating factor came from the two large men waiting in the ring for them. She almost wished she was still mad at Scott, it would make keeping a straight face easier. Especially with the way that Scott and Kevin looked at her like they were going to devour her. She did realize that she was the prize of the match - she let that boost her confidence and distract from the imposing opponents ahead. 

She and Curt played to the crowd, mimicking each other's movements while they stood on the ropes in opposite corners. They synchronized their gum slapping and the crowd ate every bit of it up.

As they all four stood in the ring, separated only by the referee who was telling them to get to their corners, Brinkley pleaded to start the match. She enjoyed the acting part of kayfabe and she was among three of the best at it. 

“C’mon Hennig, let me start, I can take these old guys!” She insulted them, as if Curt wasn’t the same age as them.

“Yeah, Hennig, let her take us on, let us have a go at the rookie,” Kevin nodded, sarcastically smiling as his words were meant to be insulting. 

“Yeah, we got lots of moves for what’s about to be ours,” Scott pulled on a strand of her hair lightly, stepping back quickly as she shot him a warning look. The crowd responded as well.

“Yaaaaawn, same old tired moves you've been using for the last 15 years?  Spare me,” she rolled her eyes, taking a step back as Scott started for her.

Curt shoved him back, barking at Brinkley to get to their corner.  She frowned as if offended.

“Yeah, sweetheart, wait in the corner like a good little girl,” Kevin doubled down on his disrespectful tone. She flipped him off, but retreated through the ropes as did Kevin, Scott and Curt beginning their dance around the middle of the ring.  After smacking gum through the air and a toothpick being thrown, the two locked up.  

Brinkley tried to encourage Curt, holding her hand out for a tag but was denied when she was ignored. She played up throwing a tantrum, even playing the first couple of rows of fans that his refusal was “bullshit”. A contingent of fans started a change of the word, turning into a chorus against Curt. He was on the losing end now, Scott and Kevin having exchanged places a few times by now. Curt was far from the ‘fresh man’ in. 

“CURT, COME ON!” Brinkley yelled, reaching her arm dramatically out over the rope as far as she could manage. The crowd was behind her, the chant now changing to “Tag her! Tag her!”

Curt took a clothesline and stumbled backwards, his hand falling into hers as she took the tag and he rolled out to the floor. She jumped into the ring, a disheveled Scott staring her down from the middle of the ring. He held up both hands, beckoning her to try him. He looked back at Kevin, both pointing at her and laughing. She took the chance to leg sweep him to the canvas, standing again quickly while looking down at his stunned face. 

“Oh you got tricks?” He looked threatening at her, “Let’s do this then,” 

He locked up with her, reminding her quietly to keep breathing through every move and that he was swinging her into the ropes. She followed the direction, sliding between his legs and grabbing his ankles, again leaving him on his back on the canvas. He cursed, slapping the ring in frustration as she ‘outsmarted’ him again. 

She walked too close to the opponents corner and Kevin grabbed her, holding her against the turnbuckle. Scott lined up a punch, but right before he corrected, she slipped out of the grip downward, Scott connecting with Kevin instead and knocking him off the ring apron.

Scott looked over the rope at Kevin laying on the mats below, Brinkley threw herself into the opposite rope and toward Scott, hitting him with an arm bar that sent him over the top rope as well, landing on top of Kevin. 

The thunderous pop from the crowd was deafening. She tried to not wince as the noise overwhelmed her ears. But she held up a hand above her head,  calling for more. 

The referee started counting out Scott who took nearly 8 of the count to roll back in.  She had to use every ounce of her acting to not react to the dark ‘anger’ in Scott's eyes. He locked up with her again,  once more slinging her into the ropes and hooking her into an arm bar takedown. She landed flat with a loud thud on the mat. She sold the fall, rolling to her side and moaning into the mat.

She looked toward her home corner and Curt was leaning over the rope, barking a demand that she tag him, she ‘drug’ herself towards him,  but Scott grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her backwards to his corners, now tagging Kevin. 

Kevin held her in the corner and she braced herself for the chops she knew was coming. He left them high to avoid a tit-shot, but there was careless padding higher and the slap stung, redding her skin. She sold it well, slipping downward again, only for Kevin to grab her by the hair.

She went for the easy low blow, Kevin selling like a champ as he went down into a fetal position. She knew Curt wanted back in and she should tag him,  but she was having fun. And being with Scott and Kevin moving forward, who knew when she'd have a chance to fight them again?

But she was getting winded for real at this point and made a dramatic crawl that the crowd reacted to with supportive cheers; yelling louder and louder as she drew closer. She'd gotten at least 6-7 minutes in. 

Just as Kev tagged Scott and he quickly stepped in, she slapped Curt's outstretched fingers and he came flying in with fresh energy, pummeling Scott. She rolled out under the ropes, “recovering”.

She caught her breath, hearing the bumps in the ring as she reached under it. The folding chair was exactly where it was supposed to be as she slid it out and slowly made her way to her feet. She held up her finger to her lips to the fans at the barricade as she played out her secret “cheat”.

She wondered how much heat she might actually pull as “ooooo's” filtered through the nearby crowd. She waited several minutes until her opportune moment presented itself, watching as Scott got the upperhand, and Curt was trying to mount a comeback.

She slid in the ring with the chair as Kevin had the attention of the ref, trying to enter the ring. The crowd popped when she picked up the chair, her knuckles white as she gripped the legs tightly. A thousand thoughts spun through her mind, but she ignored any objections of her own - knowing this was the best thing for the story line. 

She landed a loud, safe slap of the metal chair against Curt’s back and stood for a moment while the crowd hushed for a second before reacting in surprise. Scott fell forward over Curt as Kevin pointed the ref to the cover. 1, 2, 3. 

The heat from the crowd was instant and it bled over to Kevin who came over and celebrated with her. Scott was up moments later, each man holding a wrist of her’s in victory. 

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

She waited in the wings of the gorilla as they exited for Curt as he came back through the curtain. She couldn’t tell if he was mad or just exhausted. Maybe both. But as he looked up at her, trying to smooth back his hair, he grinned a little and smirked as he shook his head. 

“Wasn’t expecting that…” He admitted, “But…it was by far the best way to do it.” He didn’t like feeling like he was left out of the conversation, but he also knew she owed him a couple of receipts for a couple of different reasons, “Are we even now? Or do I still gotta watch my back around you?” He joked. 

“I feel like I should be able to still get in one rib before we call it even,” She postured, “but I GUESS we can call a truce,” She held out her hand to him. He looked at it and after a brief pause, shook her hand. They both smiled, but he could see tears creeping into the corner of her eyes. 

“Thank you for everything, Curt,” She said through the ache in her throat. She felt silly for getting emotional. She would see him every night for the foreseeable future. They would likely be feeding in the ring, too. He would be trying to convince her to come back only for her to set him up for a Scott and Kevin melee. 

But regardless, it felt like the end of an era for her.  She finished shaking his hand, pulling away as they walked down the hall to wear Scott waited for her, slinging his arms across her shoulders.

“You guys headed out tonight?” Curt asked, “Got room in the back unless you wanna fight Steiner for the front,” he joked. 

“Nope, in the morning, heading back to Scott's tonight,” Brinkley said, looking forward to that big house with just the two of them, “Kev's gonna swing by and get us,”

“We've still got a follow up interview to do for the next tv,” Scott reminded her as she started to untie her boots. She groaned, starting to lace them back up. 

“I forgot about that, I'll be there in just a sec,” she told Scott, waving him on. He kissed her temple, making her giggle as he tickled her cheek with his stubble.

Sweaty coworkers filtered in and out, interrupting her lacing to compliment her on the match, almost always giving Curt his due credit, though he shrugged it off, humbly. He gave her all the accolades. Some even talked about possibly working together with Scott and Kevin.

When Russo came in with a compliment through his gritted teeth, Brinkley had to bite back her I told you so's, she took a page from Curt's book of humility and simply thanked him. 

She looked at Curt who was finishing buttoning his shirt, “Guess we'll see you in Atlanta, then,” she said as he zipped his bag closed.

“See you in Atlanta, Brink. Keep those boys in line,  now,” he teased, slapping her lightly on the shoulder as he walked out of the locker room. He walked alone to the car, knowing Ricky would be out soon. He tossed his bag into the trunk,  laughing to himself as he imagined what mouthy, genius promo Brinkley was probably cutting against him. He looked forward to being as surprised as everyone else tomorrow when he saw it on a backstage monitor.

He had a few ideas of what she might say, each one making him laugh more than the last.

As he drove down the dark highway once again, he thought of how she would do great things. Her name would be in the marquee long after he'd retire. Who knows? Maybe in a strange twist he'd end up her valet.

“Everybody's jealous of your match,” Rick said, slouched down in the passenger seat with a baseball cap pulled over his eyes,  “No one's gonna want to follow that kid,” he said.

Curt felt a genuine pride and some relief. But the credit for winning over everyone else was squarely with Brinkley. That was her gift, her natural talent. If only everyone had that,  the locker room would be a far better place.

But as the night wore on and the yellow dotted lines passed by in the headlights, he felt content. He felt peace.

He'd done his job, he'd taught her well.

And though he hadn't expected it, he was thankful for all the things she'd taught him along the way, too.

[sodapopsolstice]

Homestuck^2 sucked because none of the trolls actually aged like they were supposed to. Like the humans aged (even though they're MEANT to be immortal and dont give me they're mentally 40+ JOHN NO LONGER FITS IN HIS GOD TIER SUIT HE HAS AGED) but we don't ever see the natural development of the trolls.

Vriska, Aradia and Sollux I can kinda give leeway since they've went through timelines and dreambubbles and double death and half death and yada yada those 3 are kinda fucked up timeline wise so I kinda see why they never aged.

But Terezi, Karkat and Gamzee? No fucking excuse.

Kanaya is a grey area however cause you know she's "Kanaya The Vampire Fashion Queen" but like no credible sources I can find SAY anything about age when it comes to rainbow drinkers and I can't find out if The Dolorosa was actually a rainbow drinker so we don't have a naturally lived rainbow drinker example so I'm just gonna have to assume Kanaya ages like a regular troll.

However, the other 3 have no right to not be ageing. For example, I'm gonna pull up a image of Commander Vantas here:

It's hard to tell with Cmdr. Vantas because THE ONLY TIME WE SEE HIS FACE IS IN HERO MODE OR IN A LIGHTING AND SITTING DOWN anyways. But with what we are given with Cmdr. Vantas he DOES in fact give signs he has aged, not as much as he should of, by this point he should have gotten a good bit taller than the humans and have completely red eyes, but it's better than THIS

what the fuck. Meat Karkat SHOWS NO SIGNS OF AGING AT ALL HE LOOKS THE EXACT SAME AS HE DID WHEN HE WAS 13 WHEN HE IS 20 AT BARE MINIMUM and you may think im overreacting, cause obviously its just his symbolic sprite he doesn't ACTUALLY look like that

You buffoon, you oaf take at look at this. HE ISN'T AGING IN THE SLIGHTEST IN MEAT.

Other than artstyle and change of clothes he looks the fucking same, at this point in HS^2 he should be looking like The Signless but he doesn't even look older than Kankri. But maybe Karkat is a bad example maybe the poor guy has a case of eternal babyface and he's just cursed to look 13 forever.

Let's take a look at Gamzee instead.

There's so little images I could find off sight of Gamzee in hs^2 and I did NOT want to be on that buggy ass website for long so this is the best you're getting. As expected, Gamzee ALSO has a case of chronic babyface and it's especially egregious as he's the descendant of THE GRAND HIGHBLOOD.

Tbh this is actually kinda a good image since we can semi eye measure Vrissy and Gamzee. Of which Gamzee seems imo taller than Vrissy, not in massive hulking beast like GHB but like and adult man to a 15 year old, which would be normal and expected IF HE WASN'T AGAIN THE DESCENDANT OF THE GRAND HIGHBLOOD.

That guy is literally known in fandom for 2 things, being pissed off and being huge, again Gamzee follows the trend of not having the adult troll characteristics of dark grey skin and whilst his horns are red due to being hero mode and we can't see his eyes i think we can assume he probably doesn't have some nice lavender lookers on him.

And there is a reason why I've spent the last 1 or 2 hour complaining about obtuse homestuck lore and it's simple it shows a lack of care.

It shows that Homestuck^2 on the surface is a mediocre at best adaptation of Homestuck but as soon as the thin surface layer is scrapped away, it shows a hollow project, it shows a project that generally proves itself to be a homestuck thing but it doesn't show passion, I could probably right now find you any HS fan and ask them what makes adult trolls different to young trolls and they could probably easily tell me how and why. So why couldn't a whole team of people attempt at the very least, a version like that?

Its little things like the trolls not aging/aging like humans to the damn table to the lack of acknowledgement for already accepted and semi canonised reps of queer culture in favour for rep that punches down to the outright ridiculous swivels in personality that's prove to me at least that HSE and HS^2 were dead on arrival.

[carsonian]

Cap-IM Rec Week: Absolute Faves Monday

@cap-ironman, in no particular order:

"One-Man Army" by Captain_Panda

Takes place immediately after the Chitauri attack in Avengers 1. Steve is running himself into the ground. Tony notices. Then Steve gets knocked down hard. And Tony intervenes.

Mt. Everest. The fic that I've made 20+ fanarts for, the one that's been ricocheting around my noggin since I first read it. Ahh, OMA. You big, bombastic beauty.

"Role of a Lifetime" by Annie D (scaramouche) (@no-gorms)

It’s been almost a year since Tony was rescued from the Ten Rings by SHIELD. In this time, Tony has forged a new path for Stark Industries and taken on a new under-the-radar role as a consultant for SHIELD. Tony’s SHIELD job eventually brings him into contact with the newest Captain America, who’s a pretty cool guy, though for security reasons Tony can’t know his real name or see his face without the Captain America mask. This is also about the time that Tony notices a certain Mr. Stevens, a new hire in SI’s corporate office...

This AU….this AU… I tell ya, THIS AU….this is some high-quality, top-grade, cutting-edge, organically grown, grass-fed, imdb ten of ten, five-star michelin, test-tube perfection, new york bestseller, billboard luster, knockout buster shiz.

"Meso Park" by Captain_Panda

As the head theropod keeper for A.I.M.'s extraordinary new project, Steve Rogers wants a smooth summer opening. Then the unthinkable happens, on the same day the investor of a lifetime arrives, ready to throw his support behind the world's most ambitious theme park. Can Meso Park survive the upheaval? Can Steve? Tune in to this dinosaur-themed adventure inspired by Michael Crichton's classic, Jurassic Park.

I've said it many times before, I'll say it again: if Meso Park has 100 fans, I'm one of em. If Meso Park has 10 fans, I'm one of em. If Meso Park has 1 fan, that fan is me. If Meso Park has 0 fans, I am no longer alive. It's not yet finished and I'm already sure it's the fic of the decade. That's just Meso Park for you.

"Gather Ye Rosebuds" by lazywriter7

It isn’t like that, for many people. For them, love is the point: the axis around which everything else revolves, the destination at the end of a long, tumultuous journey. Realisation, confession, resolution. Happy ending. That’s how it goes. And love was a point in Tony Stark’s journey, except it came towards the beginning, rather than the end. The issue, instead of the solution. He hasn’t been alone on the trip, of course. Steve’s been there: sometimes three steps behind, sometimes waiting up ahead by the turn of the road. They’ve sprinted and stumbled, sometimes stood still and refused to move on ahead, sometimes thought of turning away altogether. Steve and Tony’s story began after they fell in love, and this is about how they fell in everything else.

I read this Way Back When, and I remember thinking I'd never seen such a convincing portrayal of MCU SteveTony and how a genuine relationship between the two of them could emerge while still accounting for (hold your puke) canon. Still rock-solid all the way through; knock against the fic at any point, and it will answer back with a fun two-part joke. Lush stuff.

"The First Time I Went Dancing Sober" by schemingreader

Steve Rogers is a great physical therapist who works with sick kids. Tony Stark is a damaged biotech engineering genius who really wants to be one of the good guys.

I've recc'd this before so I won't blabber on but rest assured it is heartwrenchingly good.

"But Your Spirit is Untainted; I Can Dedicate You Still" by BlossomsintheMist (@blossomsinthemist)

The incursions crisis is over, and Steve and Tony have gotten back together, but nothing is the same as it was. Fearing that things are broken between them forever, Steve asks Tony something unexpected to try to make things right. Or, Steve asks if Tony really meant what he said when he asked Steve to hurt him. Sequel to Might Have Cherished You More Wisely.

I couldn't give less of a FUCK that this isn't technically finished. It is finished, to ME. The character-building in this story is just rich and fleshy and the stuff of true finesse. I read this every once in a while just to have the taste of masterful storytelling on my tongue. You should, too ;)

"Sins of Omission" by Kiyaar (@kiyaar)

A Post-Civil War, Pre-Secret Invasion AU where Steve is dead, Tony's a mess, and everything sucks. In which Tony deals poorly with Steve's death, falls off the wagon, sees ghosts, and misses a lot. Oh, and the Skrulls are about to invade.

When I first came across this fic, I devoured it in about 2 days and proceeded to be devoured by it for the next 2 months. :) Lovely stuff!

"Catechism" by manic_intent (@manic-intent)

Inspired by fanart seen on tumblr, this is an End of Days story, with all the Avengers as Archangels. Tony had always known that he was a special snowflake. He just hadn't realized exactly how special.

Listen. I'm a simple gal. This ticks off all the boxes, uh-hello!

"not gruesome, just human" by isozyme (@isozyme)

“I need to crash on someone’s couch for a while. Your couch. I need to crash on your couch,” Tony says. Steve’s mouth opens. If he asks why Tony’s going to bolt, he can feel the certainty of it under his sternum. He doesn’t have a sternum anymore, just a tangle of metal under his skin. Too many things have punched through it to get to his heart. There hasn’t been enough bone left to reconstruct anything made of flesh in a long time. “There’s borscht on the stove,” Steve says.

Raw. Punchy. Kind of makes me want to weep. Kind of makes me smile. Lotsa stuff that you can only write about when you've been down and which after reading will lift you right back up.

And I'll stop myself there because I could definitely just go on and on and on.

Go forth: SteveTony lovers, fuckers, ambassadors, champions, perverts, freaks, losers, dreamers, legends! Read, re-read, kudo, comment, spread legs and spread love.

[ddoxhan]

forever, winter

with my whole heart, I love you forever

word count : 2.3k

genre : fluff, date with minjeong after a long time; gn! reader x idol! winter

tw : none :)

status : one-shot; pt. 2/2; part 1

a/n : my girl deserves all the love in the world so here's to me hoping she had a great day as usual :3 enjoy !!

"look they're selling bunggeo-ppang there!"

"woah woah, calm down baby."

*bunggeo-ppang : fish-shaped pastry stuffed with filling*

she had already dashed over to the stall selling fresh bunggeo-ppang, hopping a little as she saw the sight.

and so were you as you were glad she loved the date so far. too early to say but still, that smile never faltered the moment you told her about today's plans. it was about 11 in the morning, a little late for a morning and a little late for lunch so there weren't many people.

before you knew it, minjeong had already come back to you with two freshly made bunggeo-ppang in her tiny hands.

"custard cream?"

"as usual."

it was rather cold, so you replaced the warmth with your hand, intertwined with hers as you walked along the paved pathway. her eyes wandered off to the beautiful ornaments and decorations that brightened up the park.

you stared into her orbs, observing every sparkle that appeared when she talks about the beauty of the park. but of course, they sparkle all the time but you knew they were different with the sparkle of astonishment. while you were distracted by her beauty. you didn't admit that you were about to burn a hole in her head when she caught you staring as she whipped her head to your side.

but you knew, she loved seeing you whipped for her and you definitely wouldn't stop being. to be honest, who wouldn't be when you have the sweetest, kindest, and wonderful person as your girlfriend?

"where are we going next?"

"the arcade. it's a little far so take a nap if you want to."

"hmm? aren't we going to mr. hwang's?"

"nah, I thought it'd be boring if we always go there, it's another one in the city."

"don't tell me..."

'yes, it's the one with VR-'

before you could even finish, she already sent a hundred of cat punches on your arm. you winced in pain, although they didn't really hurt. her worried expression was too adorable to not coo over, so you can say it's a tactic to bring it out.

minjeong loved gaming and she was good at it. she had her eye on the VR arcade for some time now, but she never had the chance to go with her workload.

the ride wasn't too long, for about 20 minutes, which was definitely worth the drive after seeing your baby feeling all giddy as she waited for her experience of VR gaming.

"come on, let's go!"

she just couldn't wait till you locked your car, barely managing to hear the beep of it locking. sometimes you wished she hadn't been so addicted to gaming. you definitely didn't want her to ignore you again, reminiscing that time she spent hours with gardenscapes. it took you almost a week to break the addiction of hers, which you were glad that it ended rather quick.

for the final one, she ever so insisted that you guys try the zombie apocalypse one. despite knowing that you had a fear for those brain-diet creatures. nonetheless, you gave in when she gave you the puppy eyes and biggest pout. knowing that you won't ever be able to ignore.

"alright! but only one game! I'm not going through that another time."

"yes sir."

of course, it didn't end majestically with your high-pitched screams for your life. you didn't know that minjeong had took off her headset and took a video of you fighting with 'zombies'. before you knew it, the simulation had finished, indicating that they beat the round. you started sweating, if that was the end of the round, meant there would be the next.

thank God the next round was still under development, making you let go of the breath you didn't know you even held. minjeong just got herself concrete evidence to tease you for the next whole year. grunts and laughter were all that was heard as you made your way to the next and last destination for your date.

"a bookstore? the last time I checked, you didn't like reading?"

"it's not just an ordinary bookstore, you can choose what to read based on your mood."

she still couldn't get herself to see you bring her to a bookstore when the last time she did, you fell asleep 15 minutes after entering.

"hey, I know last time was my hibernation but trust me, you won't even bother to look for me."

"I'm listening and I'm intrigued. you may proceed."

giving you the sheepish smile when you were given instructions by the front counter. again, little minjeong was fascinated with how the world has evolved in this era. as if she wasn't born in the 21st century?

this place was the most important out of all the ones you went to. you knew she needed to come here, although she never pestered you to bring her here.

rewinding back, you peeked into her studio to check on her her when you saw papers scattered on the table and crumpled papers piling in the bin. that was when you knew she was having trouble writing lyrics. once dreamt of becoming a producer yourself, writing lyrics was a pain in the ass so you could relate to her a lot.

you spent days looking for the perfect remedy to the concern until you stumbled across this small corner bookstore that tailored to peoples' moods. declaring that this may help, here you are with her wandering off to the poetry section as she searched for the book she picked.

you decided to look for a random book to prevent the girl from teasing you again for falling asleep like last time. the place had comfortable seats for people to smitten themselves with their favorite book and comfy atmosphere. when you finally found your baby curled up in a corner, so did your lips.

she wasn't tiny, but she was. you weren't making any sense but whatever. what mattered was that she seemed to be having some thoughts that weren't disturbing, running in her head. you let her be, aware that bothering her would do no good for you both.

minjeong was so immersed in the reading, almost missing your presence as you took the empty spot next to her. you got yourself a comic book to cater to your preferences of a larger ratio of graphics than words. the actions next to you caught your attention when you saw her take a notepad out from her bag, scribbling some words down.

the sun had set and the street lights flickered on when the lovebirds made their way home for dinner. you two had been craving for some warm food when the cold struck the night, which aunt choi's noodle stall was perfect.

"as usual aunt choi, but make it spicy."

"alright, two bowls of spicy noodle soup with fried tempura!"

"are you sure you can handle?"

"what, of course! how bad can it be?"

"the last time we had spicy chicken, you bottomed up a whole cup of coke before you had even finished half the chicken."

"hey, I'm pretty sure the chicken was spicier than it originally was supposed to be!"

"plus!"

whenever you were try to emphasize something or 'clear your name', you'd always express them with your hand gestures. and minjeong always found it funny and cute of you as you never seem to lose your cool when you two first met.

now was a different story. the more time spent together meant more memories and moments of weirdness that were to be recorded down in history. like that spicy chicken event.

she stayed silent, just staring at you with the warmest and loving gaze. that's when you realized you were rambling on. your ears might have turned a slight shade of red, earning teases from our girlfriend who probably lived to tease.

"here's your order!"

you were more than grateful that the food had arrived, would have been better if it were earlier. like every other time, you two found food more interesting than anything else at the moment. not to mention, the two of you were starving, having skipped lunch and shared a small bowl of curry rice at the bookstore a few hours ago.

a nice hot shower eased your nerves as you finished washing up after minjeong. she was nowhere to be seen in the room, you figured she had gone to the studio to finish up the lyrics. you were proud and glad that she was able to arrange her thoughts and finalize the demo. the due date wasn't too early but she definitely wanted to get it done and have time to make amendments if needed.

"sounding like an angel, honey."

"is it good?"

"the best."

"no like seriously."

"yeah, I'm serious. you know how I'm particular when it comes to music."

"I guess so."

"kim minjeong. it. is. a. masterpiece."

she giggled at your expressions as you made your way next to her. a few clicks, some commands on the keyboard and she saved the file, exporting it into a mp3. turning to you, she wrapped her arms around you as she rested her chin on your shoulder. she loved the scent of your shampoo, a mix of coconut and argan oil. not too strong, yet memorable.

"thank you for today, I loved every part of the date."

"it's the least I can do, you never seemed to rest even on days off and plus, my dear girlfriend deserves the love and care."

you kissed her nose, her scrunching it as she found it ticklish every time you do so. don't get her wrong, she loves it, the feeling of your lips lingers, making her heart stir a little every time. you two gazed into each other's eyes, exchanging your own language of love instead of verbal words. only God knows how exactly communication was going on.

"wanna give it a listen?"

"sure, I just know it's song of the year."

she chuckled at how supportive you were, both amused and glad that you were there for her. sharing each side of the earphones, she played the very final final version of her self-composed song. you had always knew that her voice was angelic but this time, it was beyond. words couldn't describe how you felt, you had your mouth agape the entire time.

placing your chin on your hand, you didn't know what to think as you organized everything, searching for the correct description of what you've experienced. she looked at your with hope that you loved it and one part of her believing that you had constructive criticism for it too.

"kim minjeong, you're crazy. absolutely nuts."

"is it bland? is it repetitive? is it-"

"IT'S AMAZING WHAT DO YOU MEAN BLAND??? IT IS SO COLORFUL I THOUGHT I MET THE LEPRECHAUN AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW!!! COME HERE YOU LIL GENIUS"

you were worried that you might have overreacted but who cares, this was probably the first song to make you feel the butterflies in a while. by a while, you meant her group's last release, which wasn't too long ago. but hey, she wrote this masterpiece. winter of aespa wrote this, kim minjeong wrote this, your wonderful, talented and beautiful girlfriend wrote this.

you were so lost in your own thoughts, you shut out whatever that interrupted, including minjeong's taps on your shoulder and her calls for you to loosen the grip. she wasn't breathing properly, which prompted you to reach for the hand fan in the corner. you gave her an apologetic face while controlling your laughter as you noticed how red her face was. both from the tight grip as well as the blush from how hyped you were after listening to the song.

"do you think the A&R team will put this into the next album?"

"I don't see why not, it's got the aespa feels, it's not the norm of a song plus, it's your composition."

"but there are so many other phenomenal composers who make our songs."

"and there's only one kim minjeong, winter of aespa, who can write amazing songs including this one. trust me honey, they'll put it in the album. before you know it, they'll probably get the rest to record, and you taking the seat outside the recording booth, directing on how you want the song to be."

she held your hands as she caressed them with soft strokes and you felt the warmth creeping up to your heart like magic. flashing you her signature smile, you returned the favor as you two cleaned up the place before slipping off to dreamland.

when you were both snuggled together in bed, the lyrics of her song struck curiosity in you.

"minjeong-ah."

"hmm?"

"the lyrics, were they about me?"

'oh, is my baby bear getting confident?"

"I mean! I sounded like you were, you know, that second verse- you know what forget it."

she doubled in laughter after seeing you flustered as you definitely didn't mean for the question to come off in that way but it did, now that you replayed the scene in your head.

"it is."

you swore even your hands started sweating from how hot you were feeling.

"pretty sure you heard that part where I wrote about how I was grateful to have this person in my life and how they changed me."

"that person is, indeed you. after I read some poems and works at the bookstore today, it struck to me that I didn't need squeeze my brain juice to write generic lyrics. all I had to think of was you."

minjeong felt the vibrations after you let out a few chuckles, making her turn her head to look at you.

"you know, I'm glad to have you too in my life. as my friend, as my girlfriend and as my soulmate. have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"always. and I love you too, my baby bear."

"love you more, my winter."

[percentageweirdo]

Hi!! This is so freaking cool!!! I love love love seeing charts and graphs and tables like these. Is your data gathering process just watching through and making notes of each roll type you’re tracking? Again, this is super awesome and I’m so excited to see more stuff from you!

Hi, thank you so much! Me too, and I'm so glad other people are interested. I'm working on Escape from the Bloodkeep right now and it's coming right up, but stuff got busy with me! (All good stuff though.)

Great question! Your guess is basically right. I am using the transcripts available on the Dimension 20 Wiki, scrolling through them for any mention of rolls or numbers (and re-living the season as a result, which is fun) but whenever I am unsure of a roll, I open the episode and watch it for myself to confirm.

For example, in one of the early episodes of Fantasy High Zac rolled a 20, and I couldn't tell from the transcript alone wether it was nat or mod. Usually it is stated out loud by the player, or Brennan, or one of the other players, but in this case it was not. When I watched it myself though, he stated that it was a 20 right away, without looking at his sheet, only the die, absolutely immediately and with a happy tone. I took a (pretty safe imho) educated guess and counted it as a nat 20. Later, someone else (I think Ally) got a nat 20 on something (I feel like it was initiative?) and Zac said "I got a 20 as well!" or something to that effect, confirming to me within reasonable doubt that he had probably meant a nat 20 that first time as well. I do try to take note of these logical assumptions in the spreadsheet though, just to keep myself honest. That way I could also remove the doubt factors later and see if they change anything.

It's also pretty common for Brennan to ask everyone to roll perception or something like that. Sometimes one of the players will not announce their roll, but I will still count it as a regular, non-crit roll. In these situations I presume that they did roll but it was a 7 or something and someone else had a 25 so they didn't feel like it added anything to vocalize that roll. In these cases, I also make a note of the fact that it was an unvocalized but presumed "everyone roll [skill]" type of roll. I do genuinely trust these comedians to report when they got a nat 1, because usually the outcome is funny or interesting.

I'm only really worried about missing the initative crits, because they may get edited out since they happen right at the end of the ep usually. I do feel like the editors are choosing to show when a player gets a 1 or a 20 or initative though, so it's probably fine. Kind of the caveat for this whole account is that I can't count rolls they don't announce. :Þ

-

EDIT: Just realised I neglected a part of this question!

So yes, I do account for type of roll. The spreadsheet columns are: Season, Episode, Player, Die roll (1, 20, or / for other), Type of roll (Skill Check, Attack Roll, et.c.), Subtype of roll (Dexterity, Wisdom, et.c.), Advantage/Disadvantage (usually blank, sometimes either A or D) and then Other Roll for if they had advantage or disadvantage. The final column is Notes.

Sometimes I have to guess what kind of roll something is, for example if it's unclear wether something was perception or investigation and the player failed to specify. For these I tend to lean perception except with Murph, who has better investigation as Riz and always chooses it when he has a choice between the two. I also make note of these assumptions!

[drvirgus]

The life you dreamed of

(Series)

Description: Y/n a K-pop Idol of the 5-Member Group Moonlight. But what happens when she falls in Love? How exactly is her life as an Idol and why did she become one?

Idol! Yeji X Idol! Reader

Warnings: Mention of Bullying and Suicide, curse words

Chapter 18:

Masterlist

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

Flashback

Weary, I sat in front of the building. My eyes were on the verge of closing, and my entire body trembled. It was cold, raining, and my clothes were already soaked. However, my eyes remained fixated on the ground in front of me. I wrapped my arms around my body, attempting to generate some warmth.

"Kid, I told you to leave," I heard someone say. I no longer felt the raindrops hitting me. With tired eyes, I looked up at the person holding an umbrella over me. It was none other than the CEO with the initials JYP. My lip quivered slightly.

"I... said I wouldn't leave until I get to audition," I replied solemnly. The older man chuckled. He took a deep breath, gazing up into the dark sky. His eyes returned to me, and a small smile appeared on his face. "You're quite persistent," he said with a smirk. But I couldn't muster a smile.

My hands rubbed against each other repeatedly. The older man licked his lips before sighing lightly. He crouched down right in front of me, still holding the umbrella in his hand. "Why do you want to become an idol? A year ago, during your acting audition, you said it had always been your dream to become an actress. What changed?" the older man asked, his eyes fixed on mine.

I stared directly into his eyes, causing him to pause for a moment. I must have looked pretty serious. "I want to fulfill someone else's dream. It's even more important to me than my own," I replied. JYP hummed in thought. His eyes scrutinized my entire face. After a short hesitation, he straightened up and extended his hand to me.

"Then come. I'll let you audition now," he said with a small smile on his face. "Right now. Show me if you're meant to be an idol. Show me how you sing and behave when you've hit rock bottom," the older man added. My eyes widened as I looked at him.

Without another thought, I grabbed his hand and rose from my seated position. He led me straight into the JYPE building.

End of Flashback

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

Yeji (15:17): Hey, Y/n, we need to talk.

Me (15:17): Sure, what's up?

Yeji (15:17): I saw the news about the accusations. Is it true? Did you really bully someone?

Me (15:19): Yeji, you know me better than that. I would never do something like that.

Yeji (15:19): I thought I knew you, Y/n. But these allegations are serious. People are talking, and I need to know the truth.

Me (15:20): I can't believe you'd doubt me like this, Yeji. It hurts.

Yeji (15:20): I just need to understand, Y/n. Please, tell me what happened.

Me (15:20): I don't even know where to start. It's not true, Yeji. I would never harm someone like that. You should know me better.

Yeji (15:22): It's just... it's all over the news, and people are saying things. I didn't want to believe it, but I need to hear your side.

Me (15:22): I thought you trusted me. We've been through so much together.

Yeji (15:22): I do trust you, Y/n. I just need to be sure.

Me (15:22): Sure of what? That I'm not the person they're making me out to be? That I didn't cause someone's death?

Yeji (15:23): Y/n, calm down. I didn't mean to upset you.

Me (15:23): You've already upset me, Yeji. I never thought you'd question my character like this.

Yeji (15:24): I just want the truth.

Me (15:26): The truth is, I lost someone I cared about deeply. Wooyeon was my friend, and I failed her. But I never bullied her.

Yeji (15:26): Wooyeon? That was her name?

Me (15:27): Yes, and it's all so painful. I tried to help her, but it wasn't enough.

Yeji (15:29): I'm sorry, Y/n. I didn't know.

Me (15:30): Maybe you should've asked before jumping to conclusions.

Yeji (15:30): I should have. I messed up, and I'm sorry.

My eyes were glued to the text Yeji had just sent me. Disappointed by the older girl, I locked my phone and tossed it carelessly onto my bed. With a loud sigh, I let myself fall onto the bed, and almost immediately, my arm found its place over my eyes. It made it easier for me to suppress the tears.

At least... sometimes.

A sniffle escaped me as I felt the first tear roll down my temple. I could sense the tear making its way to my ear, settling there. My arm still over my eyes. It hurt... Not even Yeji believed me.

The woman to whom I gave my heart... Or rather, the one who just took it from me, simply didn't believe me. She really thought... I was capable of that?

The tears seemed endless. My throat ached as I cried as quietly as possible. None of my members should know that I was shedding tears right now. No one... really no one. I am the idol who never stops smiling.

But... it hurt. Fortunately, my members and Satzu knew me. They were the only ones who believed me right away...

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

A few days passed, and I decided to do a live session after a long time. Once again, it was impromptu and without a manager, as this idea came to me quite spontaneously. I smiled at the growing number of viewers, my AirPods in my ears as I took a sip from my glass of water.

My eyes immediately caught the flood of comments. My smile diminished as I read through them. Nevertheless, I fought to maintain my composure. "Hello and welcome to my live," I greeted as cheerfully as possible. "I know it's been quite a while, and as most of you probably know, there are currently some rumors about me circulating on the internet," I said, smiling somewhat.

I took a deep breath as I looked directly into the camera. "I won't apologize. I won't explain myself either... To be honest, I just want to forget the whole thing. Wooyeon... that name should never be uttered by a specific person, which is why... I won't be addressing it either," I said with a soft sigh.

A small smile returned to my face as I rubbed my hands together. "The only thing... I can and want to say is that Wooyeon-ah was my friend. Whether you believe me now or not, this is my truth, and I won't bend myself to serve you an excuse or a lie. That's just not who I am," I stated. A slight smirk appeared on my face as I let this sink in.

My eyes remained on the comments.

blacktang: Y/n, your credibility is shot. Save us the drama and just disappear from the spotlight. #TimeToRetire

bchts: Y/n, stop lying. We all know the truth about your dark past. No amount of denial will change that. #Exposed

 Satzu1: You're not alone, Y/n. Your true fans stand by you. Keep your head up. #SupportingYnAlways

noways: This live is just a pathetic attempt to salvage your image. The scandal is real, and no amount of denial will change that

woooonyoung52: Y/n, you're just avoiding the questions. What really happened with Wooyeon? The fans deserve to know the truth

sherloks: Just saying Wooyeon-ah was your friend doesn't erase the accusations. We need more than that. #FacingConsequences

StarryVoyager: This is so confusing. What really happened between Y/n and Wooyeon? I need details!

Y/nnr1Fan: Ignore the hate, Y/n. Your real fans know your heart. Keep being true to yourself. #LoyalSupport

diantRever: These rumors can't be baseless. There must be some truth to them. #Shocked

thBlitz: Why isn't Y/n providing a proper explanation if shes innocent? #Suspicious

LunaLoom: I used to be a fan, but this scandal changes everything. #Unfollowed

moonlightning: It's important to remember that we don't have all the facts. Let's not make assumptions and wait for a proper explanation

Sighing, I picked up my phone. I smiled, "Well, it seems like the live won't happen today after all. I appreciate everyone who joined in and listened for a bit," I said, lowering my head. I tried my best to hide my sadness, and fortunately, I succeeded.

"I'm going to end the live now. I won't make any more statements on this matter," I said, waving to the camera. Shortly after, I ended the live, and a sigh escaped me. My smile disappeared from my face. "I'm sorry, Wooyeon... I don't think I can handle this hate," I whispered, biting my lip.

I heard the door opening, prompting me to turn to the person standing there. Haewon looked at me, her lips pressed together. "You went live?" she asked as she entered my room and closed the door.

I put on a smile again, not wanting to worry the younger one. But Haewon knew me. She knew exactly how I was feeling right now. "I think... I'm going to leave Moonlight," I said, and almost instantly, Haewon slapped me in the face. Shocked, I held my cheek, looking at her with wide eyes and an open mouth. I was genuinely shocked; Haewon had really slapped me.

"Are you crazy? Absolutely not. We need you here. I need you here," Haewon said, now visibly serious. Her hand was on her chest, and she looked at me with panic in her eyes. But honestly, I was still shocked by that slap.

Haewon sighed softly as she grabbed my wrist and pulled me up onto my feet. I blinked in perplexity, "Without you, I don't want to be an idol anymore," she said, completely serious. My eyes widened as I looked at her. My mouth opened slightly, "What?" I asked. Haewon smirked and nodded her head.

"Without you, I would have left JYP a long time ago. But when I saw you. How hard you worked to improve yourself and still stayed true to yourself... it was clear to me that I wanted to keep watching you. You hold us together, Y/n. So don't even think about quitting," Haewon said, visibly determined. She held my wrist even tighter, "Otherwise, I'll quit with you."

My mouth opened, "N-No. Everything's... fine," I said, still somewhat overwhelmed. However, Haewon still looked at me so seriously and determinedly, "I... won't quit," I said now, which made Haewon snort with satisfaction. She let go of my wrist and briefly examined my cheek.

I chuckled, "You... got me good," I said jokingly, making Haewon look at me with concern. She guiltily touched my cheek gently. Thankfully, her hand was cool. I smiled a bit as I took a deep breath, "Thank you," I said, but I let out another sigh as I slumped back onto my gaming chair.

"But we have to do something. If it continues like this... I'll only bring Moonlight down with me," I said, but Haewon couldn't even open her mouth. Hanni, Yuna, and Yunjin suddenly sprinted into my room. Their eyes widened as they came towards me. Yunjin was the first one to hand me her phone. Hanni gave her phone to Haewon.

JYP had made a statement.

Nervously, I bit my lip. I really hoped they would listen to what I said. I took a deep breath and immediately started reading the statement.

Hello, this is JYP Entertainment.

We would like to inform you about Moonlights Y/ns activities. We have already contacted all of the parties involved with Y/n schedules, and have been coordinating ways to cancel the activities while making sure to prevent as much damage as possible to the other party.

This process took time, so our announcement about Y/n's future activities was delayed. Y/n will be halting all entertainment activities to self-reflect on her actions and to think about if she wants to share her truth with her fans.

We would like to sincerely apologize for causing worry to the fans

-JYP Entertainment

"So... I guess... that might bring some peace?" I asked jokingly, trying to lighten the mood at least a bit. Almost immediately, I got a smack on the back of my head from Yuna. I looked at the much taller person in outrage. Yunjin just rolled her eyes, "God... why... don't you just tell the truth, Y/n?" the older one asked, looking at me.

My jaw tensed, "I don't want to... give Noh Jeong-yang that satisfaction. I won't apologize. I hope... a miracle happens," I said, smiling slightly. Hanni sighed as she immediately ran her hand over her face, "So... stubborn," the younger one murmured. I smiled.

"Guys... calm down. I'm fine, and apparently, I have a little break from work now," I said, laughing. But no one else seemed to find it funny. Sighing, I looked at my members, "Everything will be okay. I'm sure of it. You know... when was I ever wrong?" I asked, starting to grin confidently.

No one... should worry about me...

I'll be fine...

probably...

[vukovich]

20 questions for fic writers!

Thank you @orange-peony @schmem14 and @teledild0nix for tagging me in this game! Sorry it took me eons.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

47. 46 under "Vukovich" and one that's anonymous.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

921,870

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Just Harry Potter.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Crane Lord of Gringotts Beauxtiful Boy "I'll Figure It Out" It'll Come Back Fearful Trill

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

No, as a general rule, I don't. I just feel like it's awkward to treat an AO3 comment as a conversation starter, I guess. Like, if someone wants to talk to me, my email address and Tumblr are in my AO3 bio. I do reply to AO3 comments if there's a question about the fic. Especially if the reader says their first language isn't English. I also will reply for the purpose of harassing friends.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Return to Sender and "I love you, (too/also)" are way up there in the angst department. For "I love you, (too/also)" I actually recorded a podfic of it, and I couldn't read the ending out loud without crying so I scrapped it. NO WAIT!!! I forgot about The Seven Weasley Horcruxes. Oh, Jeebus. Apologies in advance for that one.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably Eagles in Truro, just for the sake of everyone getting to have their polyamorous cake and eat it too.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Yes. Just... yes. Big yes.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yeah, most of my fics are explicit. I'm not really sure what kind of smut I write. I feel like my smut is probably more graphic than some. More jizz dripping on the floor and errant pubes in teeth than what's fandom typical.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No, I can barely hold the HP universe in my head.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah, several of them. I think it's cool as hell. If it's a language I'm familiar with, I help with phrasings and subtext and stuff.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yeah. I have a WIP collection that people can leave unfinished fics in, and then I finish them. And I'd say when I collaborate with an artist, there's enough back and forth that it counts as co-writing. Oh! And there's a WIP with @oknowkiss and @mintawasalreadytaken I'll eventually get back to writing, I swear, you guys, for real, I will finish that shower piss scene.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Joker/Harley Quinn, actually.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

OMG just one?! I have (briefly leaves to check Google Docs) about 100k in unfinished fics, plus outlines for about ten more. I think those are all going to get dumped as-is on AO3 in an anonymous collection, and I'm only going to finish the ones I'm actively posting (Seahorse, Glitch, 24k9).

16. What are your writing strengths?

Weird turns of phrase, I guess. Or at least that's what people tell me. I feel like I'm pretty good at not bogging down the pace with descriptions, but some people like to know the threadcount when they read smut. Honestly, I have way more strengths as an editor than as a writer.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Complete disregard for the em dash. If I were meant to use it, it would have a key on the standard QWERTY keyboard. I even bought an expensive-ass keyboard, programmed an em dash key for it, and still didn't use it. It wasn't meant to be. Who would like to buy a very fancy keyboard? I will also die on my double-spacing at the end of sentences hill. Going down with this typewriter skills ship. Maybe YOUR language evolves over time, but mine's stuck in 1987.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

That's one of my favorite puzzles. How comprehensible can I make the foreign language excerpt solely through the use of cognates and cues? Love it. 10/10.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

HP

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

My most masterful works of fiction are letters of recommendation. But this sonnet is fun.

Tagging everybody already tagged, as well as @peachpety @@epitomereally @tontonguetonks @diligent-thunder @wheezykat @lou-ifyouwant @corvuscrowned

[magicalqueennightmare]

Sins & Amends Chapter 20

Billy Russo x Female Reader (60 part story)

This follows pre- the punisher into the storyline of daredevil, punisher season 1 and beyond

This is NOT Canon Billy. This is decent human being Billy left with bad options over worse decisions

This was also posted to A03 under: WaywardGaPeach. That account and this one is the only place you'll see me post this. If you see it on any other platform/account know it's not me.

Chapter Summary/Warnings: With Frank dropping bodies at an alarming rate you try your best to keep up and to not get caught in more vigilante bullshit than necessary

You knew Frank's appearances at your door would be few and far between. He was doing his best to keep those he cared about that was still breathing in that shape. You just wished there was more you could do to help him besides keeping your phone turned on at night should he need a patch job unexpectedly.

 He was dropping bodies faster than the news or police could keep up. You had enough contacts in the NYPD after so many years of being a paramedic that rumors floated your way. A war between gangs was the best theory. Those who knew what was going on were worried about who would be next or if a civilian would end up in the cross hairs. You knew that wouldn't happen. Frank wasn't a bad guy, he wasn't some psychopath. He was a man who had watched his family get slaughtered and not be able to stop it. Lack of skills was the only thing keeping you from insisting on being at his side.

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

You were trying to find some semblance of a new routine. You'd help Curtis with the meetings he held, the soup kitchen and had dinner with him at least once a week. You started going over to Alice and Kenzie's at least one night a week. You had to keep your head on straight should the occasion arise Frank need you.

A part of you felt wrong not telling Curtis. He deserved to know Frank was alive. It's not like he'd say anything but you had made a promise to not tell anyone and nothing could make you break that promise.

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

Of course around the station house discourse was coming up as to what was actually going on. Some believed what the news was reporting, others thought it was some sort of secret government clean up. You kept your mouth shut and stayed clear of any and all discussions revolving around the gang murders.

You were almost off shift one night when the news of Metro-General being shot up by a lone gunman came through. Apparently he was after a witness involving the Irish gang murders. Your eyes flew up to Jason's when he said those words "How do you know that?" You asked a lot harsher than you meant to. He shrugged "sergeant Mahoney. You remember him don't ya?" You nodded so he continued "He told me. From what they're thinking this guy is the person behind all the killings a one man wrecking crew"

"Well if he shot up the hospital they'll have footage and be able to identify him" Kayla tossed out only to be over talked by Jessie who said "Who cares? Not a single civvie has been injured. Cops need to stay out of it and let the man work"  any further conversation was lost to you from the sound of your own heartbeat pounding in your ears. They'd know who he was. Fuck all of New York would know Frank was alive and his face would be plastered every where. You couldn't keep him safe.

"Y/N you ok? You're a bit flushed" Alice asked in all but a whisper. You slowly shook your head and checked your watch "No I'm not. I um do you think you can cover me leaving early? Riley and Ash will be here soon" "Of course. Is there something I can help with?" You shook your head and headed to the locker room "No but I promise I'll call you in the morning"

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

You hadn't made it but a couple blocks when your phone started ringing from a blocked number "Hello?" You answered cautiously and let out a breath you hadn't realized you'd been holding when Frank's voice was the one on the other end "Hey kid" you glanced around and saw the only other people on the sidewalk were out of ear shot but you lowered your voice regardless "You went after one of the pieces of scum at a hospital?" "No one got hurt. You know me better than that" 

You ran a hand across your face so as to not get louder "No shit. I meant the fucking cameras. NYPD knows you're behind the killings. Cameras are a bitch. They're gonna find out who you are" "This the part where you tell me you can't help me any more"

"Of fucking course not. I'm a paramedic and have no legal requirement to report who i render aid to off the clock. I'm just worried about you" "Don't be. I'll come by your place once I'm sure no one knows I'm coming. I just need you to make sure my nose ain't broke" "I'll be around" you said to the dead line and cursed before sliding the phone back into your pocket. Shit was about to get real deep.

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

"So you shot daredevil? Did you fucking kill him?" You asked Frank once you'd popped his nose back into place and made sure there would be no lasting damage. "Naw I hit mainly helmet. He'll have one hell of a headache but I'm sure I'll see that red asshole again soon enough" you wanted to laugh to keep from crying. For the first time in a while you were terrified and not for yourself. What if the remaining members of any of the gangs caught up with Frank? 

"I'll be fine Y/N. If you can't handle this anymore I get it sweetheart. It's getting neck deep" you forgot at times just how long you'd known Frank when he read your expressions like that it was a reminder. "I ain't going anywhere just..just stay alive Frankie. Please?" He pressed a quick kiss to your temple "I'll be fine" before you could say anything he was disappearing out your door and down the hall. You glanced out and didn't catch so much as a glimpse of his back.

"From your mouth to God's ear" you said to the empty hall then shut your door and locked it. You glanced at the time and said a silent thank you to the powers that be that you were off the following day,you needed a shower and a nap.

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

Your phone ringing broke you out of your sleep and you groaned when you looked at the time to see you had barely hit four hours.

You felt around on your nightstand then bought the phone to your ear without even looking at the caller i.d. "Hello?" "Y/N I need a favor" you sat up blinking at Kenzie's voice "What's wrong? Did something happen? Are you ok? Is Alice ok?"

Your heart was pounding in your chest and you knew it was just a gut reaction to what had happened with Maria and the kids but you couldn't help it. "Y/N deep breath. I'm ok. Alice is ok. She's just busy and I need some paramedic version of help for a friend of mine" you pushed the blanket off your legs and was already walking into your closet as you asked "There a reason they can't call an on duty squad?" 

"Well um his friend is blind and a bit self conscious about getting hurt and he knows I'm with Alice so he called to see if she could come over and since she can't I figured I'd see if you were busy" you reached for a pair of jeans but stopped halfway "This friend have a name by chance?" "Franklin Nelson? You know Nelson and Murdock?" "The law firm that handled the Fisk case? Yeah everyone knows them" you answered sliding the jeans onto your legs. "Well I've known Foggy for a while and apparently last night Matt his law partner took a fall and got a pretty good lick to the head but doesn't want to go in. Can you go to Matt's apartment and check him over?" 

"Text me the address and make sure Foggy knows I'm coming" you replied and you heard a ding and saw where she'd already sent the address through "Thank you so much Y/N" "Anything for you dear" you told her before she said bye. You laid the phone down so you could finish getting dressed. Wonder if Foggy had some coffee made because you didn't want to take the time to make any.

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

You walked up the stairs checking numbers until you were at the one Kenzie had said. You hesitated for a second and shifted your med bag before knocking. "One second!" A voice called out before the door opened to show a friendly looking guy with longish hair who was a little on the bigger side but his smile made you feel at ease. 

"You must be Y/N" he said and offered his hand. You shook it then patted your bag "Did this give me away" "a bit" he replied then added "I'm Foggy by the way" "Nice to meet you but where's the injured person I'm here for?" You didn't want to seem rude but if you were lucky maybe you could grab some coffee after you left and get a nap before meeting Curtis later that evening.

"Oh yeah he's on the couch" he said waving his hand into the apartment so you walked past him stopping so he could close the door and show you further inside. 

On the couch was a brown haired guy who appeared to just be wearing boxers laid back covered with a blanket and his eyes closed. "Matt the paramedic is here" Foggy announced so Matt sat up pulling the blanket further up. You appreciated the thought but you'd seen a lot worse than his bare chest and legs. He was a good looking guy and just a small part of you felt weird for acknowledging that even to yourself. Maybe it was the fact that he was a patient or maybe some remnant of the past lingering in your mind. You pushed it away quickly going into work mode.

"Um Mr Murdock? My name's Y/N is it ok if I give you a once over?" You asked and he smiled slightly "of course. Forewarning don't try to see if my eyes are dilated and it's Matt by the way" "Well I see your sense of humor wasn't hurt huh Matt?" You asked sitting your bag down on the table next to him before digging out gloves.

You checked him over and once you cleaned the blood away saw that dermabond would do the trick to close what wound was there. "How'd this happen again?" You asked as you worked. "I fell" Matt answered almost before you finished asking.

"Well if you don't mind me saying don't you have a cane or something? I'd suggest using it" "Yes ma'am" he replied but the way he tracked your movements not with his eyes but with his actions made you feel there was a lot more to him and how he'd gotten hurt than what you were being told but you brushed it off and finished cleaning him up then stripped your gloves off.

"Well Matt you're good to go. Give it a little while but by tonight showering is fine. I wouldn't suggest taking any more blows to the area so be extra careful please. You can take aspirin as needed. You may have some dizziness or ringing in your ears. That's common but if you feel you're losing any hearing or if the pain gets worse than over the counter meds can help I would suggest going to the hospital" "Thank you Y/N" he smiled when he spoke and once again you got the feeling of something else going on but you brushed it off.

You gathered your things then smiled at Foggy "Do you want my cell number so you can contact me directly should he get hurt again? I don't mind helping who I can"

"Actually that would be great" he held his phone out so you added your number and your name plus paramedic by it in parenthesis. You handed his phone back then said "Take care you two and nice work on the Fisk case" "Thanks and thanks for taking care of Matt" Foggy said and Matt added "If you ever need a lawyer feel free to look us up" "I'll keep that in mind" you laughed then showed yourself out. 

So maybe some of Maria's tendencies of claiming strays had rubbed off on you. Those two seemed like decent guys and if Kenzie liked them they must be. Besides when was having two lawyers on your side a bad thing? You shook your head as you walked down the stairs. Quick stop at the coffee shop then you could maybe catch another hour or so before meeting Curtis later.

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

You were just walking downstairs to Curtis' car when your phone started ringing from a blocked number again. You took a breath and held it considering it was night them. That was when Frank hunted so that was when he ended up hurt.

"Y/N. Any way you can bring me a couple suture kits?" You turned around and walked right back into your apartment "Where to? Curtis is waiting downstairs for me so what do I tell him?" There was silence for a moment then Frank spoke "That's even better. I'll give you the address get him to wait on you in the car, just say it's personal. Come up to the roof, give me the kits then get as far from here as possible got me?" You shoved three suture kits out your med bag into your purse and added your gun as well. Frank sounded like trouble was brewing and you didn't want to walk in naked. "Be there in ten" you said then he hung up without another word.

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

You had to hand it to Curtis. Yes he was extremely protective of you but when you told him it was personal he agreed to wait in the car given you be back down in the agreed on twenty minutes. "If I'm not down feel free to call the calvary and come busting doors down ok?" He had rolled his eyes at your comment but laughed nonetheless.

The walk up the stairs you were waiting for someone to point out that you didn't belong here. You could talk your way out the situation of course but you also didn't know what was going on with Frank so better not to even be caught. You made it to the roof access door and the moment your hand touched the handle it opened to show Frank on the other side. 

He pulled you out onto the roof checking the stairwell behind you in the meantime. "I bought you three kits. I didn't know how badly you were hurt this time" you held the kits out and he nodded "Thanks it's just a bullet graze. Shit went a little sideways" you heard what sounded like chains rattling and your eyes went wide "Frank do you have someone tied up?"

He looked over his shoulder and gave a sharp nod "Told ya I'd be seeing red again" you pushed past him despite him telling you to go back down and followed the sound of the chain. When you walked around the corner there was daredevil himself chained to a portion of the roof.  "At least tell me you didn't shoot him again" you whispered to Frank.

Daredevil's face turned up at your voice. "Who's that?" "None of your fucking concern. Forget she was here or we'll have problems" Frank's voice was a growl but you were frozen to the spot. That voice, added into where Daredevil's helmet was damaged and the familiar way he tracked movement. It wasn't possible was it? Matt was blind, you'd checked his eyes yourself but you had that same feeling you did in his apartment and he'd gotten hurt the same night Frank had shot Daredevil. 

"Kid you alright?" Frank asked and you nodded. "He won't bother me. Will you red?" You wanted to call him by his name to see if he'd react but you also didn't want to let on anything considering he also knew your voice and if you were right his best friend had your cell number.

He shook his head "She just bought you suture kits. I can't hold helping someone in need against her" "Good" Frank replied then touched your elbow "Get going now. Once you get back down to Curt decide you want to eat on the other end of the city, got it?" 

You nodded and started to walk off but stopped to look back at Frank. There was so much you wanted to say but with another set of ears there you didn't want to get too much into it so you simply said "Stay alive" he shrugged one shoulder and replied "I always do" 

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

"So you gonna tell me what that was about or why the sudden change in appetite?" Curtis asked as he drove down the street. You cut your eyes towards him and gave a small smile "I told you it was personal and I remembered Ash talking about the new korean barbeque place and I wanna try it" he studied you for a moment then shook his head "I know you better than that but I'm gonna let it go cause I'm hungry and you're like a sister to me so I'll trust that if you need me you'll tell me"

"You know I will Curt" you were just happy he'd chosen to let it go for tonight and said a silent prayer to whoever or whatever was listening that Frank and Matt would both still be alive and well come morning light.

Tags @intothesoul

@weallhaveadestiny

[slocumjoe]

Actually, I'll take a moment to describe what my image of Gage is, as someone who has never played Nuka World and can't (poor), and hasn't dug through all of his in-game lines (time consuming)

My 'fix' of Gage was exclusive nuka-world (I think that was their user) and another tumblr user who posted Gage specific reacts. Nuka-world was the Preston stan who had Tracy, pretty popular artist. You've definitely seens remnants of their work, but they deleted i believe. They portrayed Gage as, like, a weird, lemme teach you crime kind of uncle/older brother who liked lizards and simple mischievous pleasures.

The other tumblr who I do not remember the name of portrayed him as this...very nuanced individual, full of contradictions that he justified to himself? So, that Gage was closer to Canon Gage, from what I can tell, but he was written to very clearly not belong with raiders.

That Gage had good people in his life, growing up, that taught him strict morals; some of which he kept. He held doors open for women, he hated raiders as much as he thought that way of life was the only viable one, he was loyal to those who earned his respect and trust. He wasn't a good guy, but he could have been. If you scraped off the raider shit, underneath that jaded exterior was just a normal guy.

So, my interpretation of Gage is a somewhat weird, off-kilter, but no-bullshit man who didn't want to be doing what he was doing deep down, but was never shown a different way to survive, and even if it meant being the problem, he refused to sit and let himself be a victim. If he had a choice between problem, victim, and solution, he'd have picked solution. But he never saw that choice. And maybe if there was a choice like that, presented to him now, and that choice had some real spine to it, he very well would still choose different.

Now, that's almost certainly OOC. But that was still a character I liked; it reminds me of many people I know IRL. Not people I'd call good, because they've made questionable decisions and have odd views of the world. But they aren't bad either, because they have heart and try to do their best with what they have, which is little. This version of Gage isn't a good person, or a bad one. He's just a person.

More specifically, the way I always described him, mentally, is that he's "a wolf trying to become a sheep so the sheep stop headbutting him."

So, my Gage doesn't care for any raider shit. He's concerned about hygiene, he has tastes for the finer things in life that you can't brute force, he wants to do his own thing and be left alone, and doesn't necessarily want to bother anyone else. My Gage thinks economics are important, understands politics, supply and demand, the benefits of raider life VS the life of peaceful communities working together. He just sees that the raider way comes on top.

The way it would play out in my Sole's story, if she ever went to Nuka World, is she'd fuck with him, and force him to make that choice again.

Isadora would go in, kill Colter, talk to Gage, and realize: Oh. This guy doesn't belong here. This guy doesn't want to be here at all, really. He wants something this life cannot provide and couldn't sustain, because it opposes it on a fundamental level. But my Minutemen and my cities, they could. But he won't come willingly.

So she kills Colter, and tells Gage: I am going to come back with my army, and do whatever I have to do to save the people you are oppressing. I have the ability to do this as a weekend vacation; my men outnumber yours 20 to 1, and they don't share my compassion and understanding for your kind. But I can see that you are not like 'your kind.' I will give you the chance to unite and prepare for a siege, or to leave Nuka World and come back with me, as one of my personal unit.

And Isadora walks while Gage laughs her out of the room. He hates that he's left as Overboss, now, but that's his only worry. Farmers with guns? Pfft.

Then he starts hearing talk of the Minutemen, the first bit being "one of our guys spied on one of their bases and they have a lot of sentry bots."

"...how many?"

"He cant count past ten, since that's all the fingers he has."

Because Isadora is a robots expert. She makes robots. She did this for a living before the bombs. 1 sentry bot? Bad. 2? Fucking bad. Three? Nope, you're dead. 4? 5? 10? More? Overboss Gage is worried about the bots, but they can outsmart them, use mines, maybe get an EMP thing going...the farmers will drop like flies then.

"Farmers? No, we're hearing its a military."

"Pfft, a military."

"They have trucks and shit. Tanks. Vertibirds."

"...w-well, those sure do explode nicely...which they will..."

"They're all wearing combat armor and are armed with guns that make our pipe shit look like kids toys"

"...fine. We'll partner with local raiders and take them out as one unified force"

"They killed all local raiders. There are no raiders over there."

"Fucking what."

"There isn't even merc groups anymore because the Minutemen deal with everything"

"Fuck sake. Okay. Well their economy and whatever has to be shit"

"They have no poor people, no rich, no one goes hungry, everyone is clothed, and has access to Healthcare and education. They're having a lot of kids and people get old there. Some people are writing books and music and stuff. Making art again."

It takes maybe a few people reporting back with info before Gage realizes who has plot armor and who doesn't. And Gage, as much as he hates everything that is happening, wants to be an essential NPC. He gets the gangs together, tells them they're fucked if they don't do this right, and they kinda just blow raspberries at him.

Gage is at the Castle doorstep cussing out Isadora's name within a week, and he's the newest adopted adult within a few days.

He fucking hates Isadora and she just kinda treats him like an aggressive purse dog. "Oh, don't mind Gage, he doesn't bite!" (GAGE SNARLING AND FOAMING AT THE MOUTH IN THE BACKGROUND)

"Isa. Is that a fucking raider"

"yeah I found him on the front door I think someone left him :( and it's so cold lately and he looked hungry" (GAGE PISSING ON A MINUTEMAN FLAG AND MAKING BARF NOISES)

"isadora that is a grown man who is a fucking raider"