#i did all the dishes today i helped with laundry and groceries and moving stuff

[kansasjustgotgayer]

I would really love if next weekend i actually get to have both days to myself to rest rather than helping my sibling for half of the dang day dealing with their various neuroses and coddling their emotions.

[14buddy22]

Hey! Could you do A Aaron fic where him and the reader get into an argument where Aaron gets mad and says some stuff He doesnt mean but in the end they Make up and it ends with fluff?

I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO GET OUT… IVE BEEN SO BUSY BETWEEN WORK AND COACHING TWO SPORTS 😭😭 I hope you like it!! ❤️

Breakfast with your Hotchner boys were always some of your favorite times that you spent with them. Aaron cooked, Jack helped, your youngest son, Joey, would be strapped to Aaron's chest and laugh with Aaron and Jack, all while you had time to get up and shower and actually be relaxed.

During the week, it was hectic. Especially when Aaron was away on a case, sometimes the only time you got with him was for an hour in passing. He came home to switch out his laundry and you would be just getting ready to leave to start your day.

While he was gone, you had to make sure Jack got off to the bus stop on time, you had to also make sure the diaper bag for Joey was ready to go to your parents' house. On top of the two big things, you had to do the little things, make lunches, dinners, clean, do laundry, put laundry away, bath time with Joey. When Aaron was here, it was nice to have an extra pair of hands.

As you all sat at the table, eating breakfast, you were happy to have him home. It felt nice for your kids to have time with their father, for you to have time with your husband, for everyone to be a family.

When you met Aaron, you knew that his life was being a father to Jack and being an FBI agent. When you started dating, he still told you that. It was why he hadn't committed to a relationship, because all the woman like to leave him. But if he was just a bachelor and did hook ups, there was no emotional attachment.

Until you were that hook up that turned into way more. He asked you out, you dated, he proposed, you married him, you asked him to have a baby, and he performed.

Throughout your relationship, he told you multiple times how stressful his job was, it was one of his biggest insecurities.

As the kids finished breakfast, you started doing dishes, Aaron moving to the couch to go keep an eye on Joey while Jack went to his room to get dressed for the day.

"Hey Aar, I have to run some errands for today, while I'm out, can you put the laundry away and keep an eye on the kids? I'm meeting one of my coworkers for lunch and then going grocery shopping for the week. I'll be gone for a few hours."

"I am on the go, all. the. time. Y/n. What do you not understand? When I'm not at working hunting serial killers or psychopaths, dealing with asshole detectives, or confronting families, I'm being nagged by you to do something. Put the laundry away, keep an eye on Jack and Joey while I go out. When do I get to go out? When can I relax? Huh? Tell me that? I just want a day where I can sit at home and relax. No kids to worry about, no wife."

Usually he never had a problem with this, he always tells you to go out and have fun.

"You want that, to be a bachelor basically?"

"Yeah. I do. Just one day, y/n."

You were more furious at the moment than you were upset. You didn't doubt for a second his job was hard, you knew that. But to say he didn't want his wife and kids around for a day, that's what made you mad.

You walked into the living room, towering over him as he was sitting on the couch. You picked up Joey and said, "You can stay here. I'll take the kids, but, don't expect us to come back tonight."

Aaron just looked at you and you walked away to go back a bag and tell Jack to get his bag ready to spend the night at his grandparent's house.

You were hoping Aaron would come and stop you, tell you that he just had a stressful week, but maybe this is what he wanted. Maybe he wanted the bachelor life again, not the responsibility of two kids, maybe he just wanted to be responsible for one kid.

As you packed your bag along with Joey's things, you walked into Jack's room, asking if he was ready to spend the day with you and visit his grandparents.

Every night, the kids were in a routine of Aaron reading them a bedtime story. Aaron, even if away on a case, always found time to call your sons and read them a story.

It had been an hour of you trying to get Joey to bed and he just wouldn’t budge. Picking up Joey, you went into the bedroom that Jack was going to be sleeping in and saw your dad reading to Jack. Your dad loved to read to you as a kid, so to see him read as a grandfather to your kids made your heart so full and happy.

You went to make your way downstairs to sit on the couch until you heard someone knock on the door.

Swinging the door opened, you were a little shocked to see Aaron standing there but then again, you weren’t. You weren’t one to leave after a comment he may have made before, but when he said that he just wants to be left alone, going through life how we went through before he met you.

But maybe he realized how quick you could be gone, if you really wanted, and if he really wanted that lifestyle. You’d rather have him be happy on his own than him be forced to stay in a loveless marriage.

Joey said, “Dada!”

He reached his arm out towards Aaron and let Aaron take him. You weren’t going to deny him if anytime with his kids. Unless he didn’t want that.

“Let’s get Joey to bed, say goodnight to Jack and we’ll talk? I’m not bringing the kids home now. We can just spend the night here or, I can.”

Aaron cut you off with a kiss and you whispered, “You know what. We’ll talk when we get Joey to sleep.”

Aaron nodded and you and him brought Joey up to the room

Shortly after Aaron checked in with Jack and kissed him goodnight, he began to read Joey a bedtime story. Within 15 minutes, Joey was lights out.

You and Aaron went to sit in the backyard on the swing your dad had just hung up out there.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you today. You didn’t deserve that. You do so much for our family. I know you wanted a break. I should have never wished for the bachelor life again. I don’t want that life anymore. I don’t know what I was thinking. I hated trying to find girls to take home before I met you. They find out you’re a single father to a younger kid and they don’t want that. But you were different.”

“I didn’t want to sleep around. I wanted to settle down. That’s why I thought we worked so well. When you snapped all because I asked you to do something, I was really upset with you. We worked hard to get to where we are in our life. I know your job is hard, I don’t doubt that. But, Aaron, my job is hard too. I had to play mom AND dad when you’re gone, sometimes I just need a break too. I know you do as well, but I just thought you would have wanted to spend time with the kids today.”

“I did. I wanted too, but I just. I had a bad day at work yesterday. I woke up from an email from someone I don’t like working with and I’m just. You know what, it doesn’t matter. I’m sorry. I love you. When you walked out with the kids today, I immediately regretted what I said and for not stepping up to be a better father, a better husband.”

When you leaned into him, you felt all the tension leave his body. You couldn’t be mad at him. He was your best friend, your husband, the father to your children. You loved him through the good and the bad.

It would always be you and him and your little family. No words could ruin that.

[endcant]

an incomplete list of things that are mundane but that i miss because i don't have access to them right now:

the foods i am allergic to now

dandelion tea

being part of a large team of people

making red bean paste

having a garden that isn't in pots on a balcony. it doesn't have to be big. i just miss the actual ground.

dancing without downstairs neighbors

sidewalks between me and almost anything i could ever want

getting somewhere early

having my own other place where i can lock things away and not just during work hours

being able to feel like i have a positive impact on people as regularly as i did at the tutoring center. but where else could i ever work that i can get profuse thank-yous every 15 minutes on the dot? with my skillset?

fishing with dad in california

bringing maple cookies to school friends in batches of 30

parking really far whenever i go anywhere and having a nice walk to and from my car

serving moms whiskey samples at noon on a sunday in a california grocery store

coffee and pumpkin jojos with my sister

walking a dog

feeding fish

the sierras

hot, dry, yellow landscapes

meeting someone else's older relatives every time i visit a friend's house.

feeling safe in a really big crowd of people

saving coffee for the security guard who would lock up at the art gallery i worked at for awhile. never got his name but i knew how he liked his coffee.

frequently meeting much older people who are currently attending community college and therefore are interested in learning new things

just having free agency to move around in much larger groups of people by myself in general (as a kid in california this experience was mandatory, as an adult in tennessee this experience costs a lot of money and also usually involves friends who expect me to stick with them the whole time)

piano with weighted keys

the scent of peach tea and wet dog at the same time

living in a room that was big enough for all of my earthly possessions and i never had to share that space with anybody and none of my stuff ever moved from where i expected it to be (thanks stephanie)

going to concerts in town

buying lots of books and having enough room to keep them all on shelves

when the creek's biodiversity wasn't obliterated by the city extending its gas pipelines to new developments

living somewhere WITH fences and WITHOUT "i will shoot you if you come onto my property" culture, both of which resulted in an overall better experience for Walkers

an incomplete list of things i have right now that i will miss if/when i do not have them later:

my roommates are incredibly generous and supportive and have helped a lot when ive had money problems

baldur is curled up on my keyboard and occasionally stands up, turns around and lays back down

both of my roommates laugh really loudly from their respective rooms at regular intervals

friend group chats are fairly active right now

the sound of cicadas is really relaxing

there were no dangerous storms for the past few days, so i have been able to go outside for basically any excuse

i have all the medications i need right now

i have my allergen-free spice mix that i can use anytime

i did a lot of laundry today and my back doesn't hurt. my back will hurt soon because i am about to do dishes, so i really have to enjoy this right now.

i am reading a library book about regional witchcraft right now. it is amazing. i will have to give it back, which is a little sad. i want to buy a copy one day when i have the money

i am not yet tired of the songs i am learning right now

all of my devices are currently functional

in general, my pain levels have been pretty bearable for the past month or so

our folding table is really helpful and not THAT bent yet

big lamp with daylight bulb keeps me sane

tall, thin, blessed candle that i got as a gift from a priestess will one day be used up or lost or broken

i have lots of art supplies right now

i have something specific to look forward to that is guaranteed to happen and that i can prepare for all i like in any way i want, but ultimately i'll still "succeed" in some basic way as long as i show up

there is a poem i want to memorize

[nsk96]

Personal rant:

I know I've been doing quite a bit of these rants often, but I can't keep a physical diary and doing these rants here will allow me to easily send these to my future therapist (about that, my mom doesn't want me seeing one until I get a job, as if they will have access to my personal medical records just like that. Even if they manage to access them, all they are gonna see is how effed up my dad and mom are...maybe that's why she doesn't want me to see one. She was opposed to the idea since the first time I brought it up. She agreed to let me see one a few months ago but I didn't get a chance to arrange an appointment because of my hospital IPPE rotation. Now she is opposed to it again and I have to wonder why I have to keep explaining to her how it's not going to affect my future jobs)

Anyways, back to the actual rant. Every time I decide to stay home to study on the weekend, I regret it. I focus so much better at the school library in the study rooms. The problem is that the school is at least 30 minutes away, which means with a good amount of traffic, it can take me 40 minutes or even nearly an hour to get there. But honestly, I feel like it's worth it. My mom keeps trying to convince me to stay home, saying that the drive is a waste of time. If I can't focus at home, aren't I wasting even more time then?

Today, my dad is pretending to be pissed and that my mom has to buy a new toaster oven because ours has become a fire hazard after using it for about 5 years (maybe more I don't recall when we bought it). Anyways, he's always blaming her for spending too much money. My mom often says, "I have to buy stuff for the house" which translates to "food, snacks, juice/water, paper plates (because my dad complains about having to do dishes even though it's the only household chore he's responsible for), napkins, toilet paper, paper towel, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, etc." Literally things we need. This is what happens when one person in the marriage is responsible for all of the grocery shopping for 30+ years. The other person in the marriage forgets how expensive it is to live and only sees what's coming in. They don't see how much things actually cost.

Either that, or he's just using this as a thing to complain to his family about to turn them against my mom, like he always does. It is very apparent that he talks shit about her to them, because my aunt (his sister) when she came to visit had to audacity to tell my mom that she should be doing everything in the house because she was the one who wanted this house. My mom corrected her and said, "I wanted to move into a retirement home." My aunt was shocked and said, "then who wanted this house?" My mom gestured at my dad and said, "him."

Because he's pissed off today, he's slamming doors as he goes in and out of the house. He's turning on the water really hard while he washes his turkey-frying pot, and he's clanking dishes. He's definitely doing all this on purpose, he knows I'm trying to study and that I need quite to do so. How I know he's doing this on purpose? I've seen him do these things much quieter when I wasn't studying.

Just about 30 minutes ago, I put a couple of Jamaican chicken patties to bake, one for him and one for me. I got mine when it was done and told him the second one was for him. He ignored me (he was less than 3 feet away. There's no way he didn't hear me). I repeated myself and even said, "Did you hear me?". He ignored me again. He does this to my mom all the time. I scoffed and said as a joke, "I guess it's mine now." I still left it in there because I know he'll complain or talk shit to his family or our neighbor, Otto (and I know he talks shit to him because Otto had the audacity the other day to tell me "help your dad" and said "don't tell [my mom] that I said that, she might make me do the dishes".

Realistically, I shouldn't be eating both if I intend on keep up my weight loss progress anyways. I don't know if he will eat it, because he likes to put on these tantrums so he can get away with watching tv all day or literally doing nothing all day. But I do know, that once I leave it out there with him, I won't be able to eat it later without running the risk of getting horribly sick from it (because you know what he likes to do to our food). Just watch, later he will be like, "I don't feel like eating it. You can have it." It's happened many times before.

Honestly, I'm tired. I can't study, I'm nearly failing my classes because of it. He's still out there making noise on purpose. I hate this shit. I want to move out but now I know I don't have my mom's support and she expressed that she doesn't want me to move out. And now she's holding on even tighter. The other day after my health fair I wanted to stay at school to study but my mom begged me that morning to come home after the health fair all because she "dreamt that trouble was coming". Turns out the trouble was actually at the health fair, and I missed out on time to study because once again, I can't focus at home. I'm pretty sure now, that I have ADHD and being home makes things worse. It's been like this my whole life and I feel like it's gotten worse as I get older. I'm tired

Update: My mom came home after spending hours outside trying to find a toaster oven. They didn't have any suitable ones at our usual store so she went to another store. By suitable, I mean they were either too small or too big, or the type that overheats on the outside making it a potential fire hazard. She settled on one that is both a toaster oven and air fryer that costed a little over $100. My dad now wants to be upset that she spent that much on a toaster oven. I asked, "then why didn't you go with her?" His response "it doesn't matter what I say, she won't listen to me." Maybe if you spoke to her like she is a human being, she would listen to you. Maybe if you didn't ignore her all the time or talk down to her with disrespect, maybe she'd value your opinion. He's now looking online for a toaster oven and going, "look this one is just $88." Dude! Why didn't you look this shit up before she left? You knew since last night, approximately 17 hours ago that we needed a new toaster oven. But no, you want to b*tch about the purchase to make her feel like shit while you get to enjoy using the product right? Because you can't give her credit for anything...like usual. This is what happens when she lets you take credit for things she does just to boost you up in front of other people. Now you weaponize everything against her and use it as fuel to turn your family against her, our neighbors against her, and your coworkers against her (you don't want to know how he talks to her in front of his coworkers).

[saltyhyunjae]

CHAPTER THREE: YOU KNOCK ME OUT COLD AND DISAPPEAR

genre/warnings: angst, fluff, slow burn, enemies to lovers (?), kidnapping, criminal!tbz, mentions of guns & knives, small mention of suicide

word count: 2.2k

summary: It’s time for y/n to carry out her escape plan.

part two

“Here’s the diary you asked for.” Kevin gives you a small notebook with a pen. “Thank you.” Tomorrow is gonna be the day. The day you finally escape. When you enter your room, you sit on your bed and write down the info you have gathered all week.

Everyone goes to their room around 2 in the morning. Eric gets his midnight snack at 2:30, and Sunwoo goes to the toilet around 3. By the time they’re all asleep it’s 3:30. Instead of leaving at 3:30 you decide that it’s better to stay put till 4. You also checked the door last night. It doesn’t have any censors and an easy lock. This should be an easy mission.

“Knock knock.” Younghoon walks into your room. You quickly close your diary and put it on your nightstand.

“That’s not how you knock.”

He laughs and lies on your bed. “I’m so bored, what should we do?” “We?” You turn around to face him and he nods. You look outside. It’s been raining all week but the sun has been shining all morning. “Why don’t we sit in the garden?” You suggest. Ever since you came back from the grocery store you’ve only been inside. You needed some fresh air.

After a couple minutes you were outside with Younghoon, sitting on a picnic blanket, eating some fruit and enjoying the nice weather.

“Ah, the weather is great today.” Younghoon smiles, laying down on the blanket and you do the same. You smile at the warm feeling from the sun, finally relaxing.

Even though your eyes are closed, you can suddenly feel a shadow above you, blocking the sun. “What the-, move!” You hear Younghoon complain and you open your eyes to see Hyunjae, standing between you too. If you’re completely honest you’ve been avoiding him ever since what happened that one night. The more you hangout with him, the weirder you start to feel.

“What are you guys doing?” “What does it look like? We’re enjoying the sun.” Younghoon puts his sunglasses back on and lays down again. You’re about to close your eyes again but Hyunjae finds a way to lie between you two. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Younghoon groans. “I wanna enjoy the sun too.” “Go do that somewhere else.” “No.” You scootch over a bit and decide to just ignore him.

»»————-　➴　————-««

After you’re done with cleaning the living room and folding the laundry, Jacob asks you to have another guitar session, to which you excitedly agree. You loved his voice and you were hoping he could tell you a bit more about the boys.

He starts off by singing Paris In The Rain by Lauv. you absolutely love his voice and you automatically start smiling the second you hear him sing. You once again take your time to look at him. He has a soft smile as he sings, his hair falling just right above his eyes that are following the chords of the guitar and his head slowly nodding with the melodies.

When he finishes the song, you applaud him. “Wow Jacob, you’re so good at singing. Do you have some self-written songs?” He nods “I do, do you want to hear one?” You nod excitedly. “This one is called happy-” Jacob gets interrupted by Hyunjae storming into your room. Are you actually kidding me?

“Jacob, Sangyeon needs you to help him.” Jacob nods, stands up and thanks you for your time before leaving to help Sangyeon. You were hoping Hyunjae would leave with Jacob but instead he sits next to you on the bed, very close, leaving no personal space.

You're about to scootch away from him. But he places his hand on your thigh to stop you. Usually if a guy did this you would slap his hand away, but you can’t bring yourself to do that right now. “What’s with the distance? You’ve been avoiding me all week. Did you think I wouldn't notice?” He asks in a low voice. Your brain starts to fog up. “I-” You try to find words to say but nothing comes out. His face gets closer, never breaking eye contact with you.

“What? Do I make you nervous?” He smirks. You feel a bubble of annoyance come up. As you're about to reply with ‘no’, Eric storms in. “Y/n! ah Hyunjae, there you are!” “What do you want?” Hyunjae asks, clearly annoyed at Eric interrupting the two of you.

“Y/n, come play games with me. Hyunjae, you can come too if you want.” Hyunjae huffs and rolls his eyes. “Y/n, please.” Eric whines, now pulling your arm, trying to get you off the bed. “Okay okay.” You give in, scared to be alone with Hyunjae in one room. You would be lying if you say that your heart doesn't flutter every time you see him.

After an hour and a half of playing mario kart with Eric and Hyunjae, and you despite your sneaky protests, sitting in between them, and you beating both of them more than seven times, it’s finally time for dinner. And guess who you're sitting next to. Hyunjae.

“So guys, our break is ending. Our next group mission starts next week, so make sure you prepare for it well. I’ll tell you guys the details later.” Sangyeon announces and the boys cheer. “Finally I was so bored.” Changmin drops on his chair. “You're always bored, maybe you're just boring.” Eric laughs, making fun of him, but quickly stopping as Changmin points a knife at him.

After dinner Sangyeon and Chanhee offer to help clean up and Kevin helps you with the dishes. By the time you're done it’s late, so you decide to go to bed first. Since your escape is tomorrow, you need as much rest as you can.

»»————-　➴　————-««

Today you woke up a little later than normally so you won't be tired tonight. You really need your energy to run as fast as possible. After you guys are done with eating breakfast you watch a drama with Juyeon, Haknyeon and Eric, do laundry and clean the house and by the time you're done it's time to prepare for dinner which Younghoon and Sunwoo helps you with.

After dinner you clean up with Eric and then go to your room to prepare your outfits. You grab a sweater from your closet and a pair of leggings that would be comfortable and warm, since it would be cold at night.

While you put them under your bed with your sneakers, someone knocks on your door. Finally someone who can knock, you think. “Come in.” Jacob comes in smiling at you. “Hi, am I disturbing you?” You shake your head sitting on your bed and he does the same.

“Well I just wanna tell you I'm very happy to have you here, you’ve been helping us a lot even though I know you don’t wanna be here and I really appreciate you. I would’ve given you a present, but I don't think you would appreciate stolen stuff.” He looks down at his knees, blushing a bit, cute.

You started to feel a pang of guilt in your heart, Jacob has been an angel to you ever since you first spoke to him but you couldn’t take it any longer, you wanted to leave. You needed to leave. Trying to enjoy the time you had left with him you guys spent hours talking about Canada, his childhood, why he doesn’t swear and about how much he loves basketball. You could watch him talk for hours. You nod to everything he says, trying to ignore the butterflies you feel when you two make eye contact.

»»————-　➴　————-««

You look up at the clock in your room. 04:00. You get up from your bed and make your way to your bedroom door. You slowly open your door and walk to the stairs, quietly going down the steps and taking breaks every few steps. You mentally sigh when u make it downstairs u slowly make your way to the front door in the dark careful not to make a noise.

When you walk past the kitchen you decide to take a knife with you, just in case. When you get to the door you slowly open the door, cringing at the little squeak sound it makes in the process.

Once the door is wide enough for you to fit in, you step outside, leaving the door open, since the sound of the door closing might wake them up. You take a few quick steps till you reach further from the house.

Once you’re reaching the forest you hear the door slam open. Shit! You turn around before you start running. Sangyeon’s standing at the door. Clearly very angry. “Y/N!” You hear him scream as you start running fasters. You hear the others making a fuss as you take a turn right into the forest.

“God, she’s fast.” Kevin breathes out, taking a break from running. “Yeah, just let her go, I'm too tired.” Chanhee squats down, Younghoon doing the same. “No! she’ll report us to the police and then it’s over for us, we need to find her.” Sangyeon says before making his way to the forest, the others following behind him.

You notice the forest is on top of a hill, which makes you run down faster. You run way faster than expected, almost twisting your ankle when taking a turn left. The footsteps of the boys started to fade away but you didn’t slow down, adrenaline still rushing through your body.

“Y/N!” Sangyeon screams looking around, he stops running and waits for the others to catch up, when they do, he shares his plan. “Okay, we're splitting up in the units we use for our missions, call me when you find her.” And they all split up in their units, Sangyeon’s unit going left.

“How could she do this?” Eric sighs. “I mean we kidnapped her, this was bound to happen.” Hyunjae says. He hates to admit but he’s worried sick and hopes you're not hurt. He shrugs it off thinking it's just a normal reaction and that he’s not actually catching feelings for you.

After a while your running slows down and you start to get tired. You stumble across a huge fallen down tree and you decide to hide behind it. Cliche but you're so tired, you can barely feel your legs. Once you sit down, you bend a bit making sure your head isn’t visible. You sigh. Why did you have to be the one to get kidnapped, why did they have to rob the store you work at. You stop the tears you feel from flowing so it won’t block your sight.

“How fast is she, God.” You hear Changmin’s voice from a little distance. Shit. You're freaking out but remain in your position. You pray that they won’t see you, cause they’ll definitely kill you when they do. The voices are starting to fade and you take the opportunity to start running again, regaining the adrenaline you had earlier.

But you should’ve waited. Juyeon spots you. “There!” You hear him yell and they start running after you. You panic, taking a run right, into the darker part of the forest. You jump over another fallen tree and make your way further down. Once you lose them you slow down a bit. You can barely see anything, so you start walking.

Suddenly you feel two hands grab you. You startle and stab the person with the knife you're holding. “Ow!” Jacob. You panic as you start running again, feeling slightly bad that he was the one you stabbed. You hope he’s okay as you start running faster.

After a while you stumble over something that makes you fall down, hurting your knee and elbows. “Fuck.” You whisper, quickly getting up. Soon after you run into a tree hurting your chest and cheek. You were getting so tired, you couldn’t even focus on where you were running to. You prayed this all was just a bad dream and you would wake up in your own room again, remaining your normal life.

“Jacob what happened!” Sangyeon gives him a worried look. The boys gather around Jacob, who’s holding his arm. “She stabbed me.” He understands why you did it but it still hurts him. “God, she has a knife.” Sunwoo panics. “Younghoon and Chanhee, bring Jacob to the house and take care of his wound. The rest of us will keep on searching.” The boys nod at his order and split up again.

An hour passes and the boys still haven’t found you. Hyunjae starts to worry even more. They were all wearing a jacket, but you didn't. It was so cold around this time of the day and it would be so easy to freeze up. “Shouldn’t we just give up. The sun will start rising soon, she’ll probably show up again.” He suggests, but Sangyeon ignores him. He sighs. As much as he wants you to be free, he doesn’t want to let you go.

You’re just roaming around at this point. You have no idea how much time has passed, or if the boys have given up already. You think it might be easier to just stab yourself with a knife and just die. But you didn’t want to give up. You wanted your old life back. You finally see the end of the forest a couple meters away from you and run towards it. But something grabs you and spins you around. You look up and your eyes widen. Hyunjae.

»»————-　➴　————-««

taglist

@beauchamp-fraser @n-xrmy @givememunjang

[btsslowburnfic]

The Arrangement Chapter 9

Series Summary: Desperately in need of money, you answered the questionable ad. AKA-Arranged marriage AU featuring Y/N and Yoongi.

Chapter Summary: Getting your bearings at BigHit

Previous chapter here ---------------------------

It’s fine it’s fine, Yoongi kept repeating to himself this morning after you had left to go to the security office. I’m not even home that often, it’s not her fault. He slipped on a t-shirt and jeans and went downstairs. He put his dishes away and looked in the foyer. Two suitcases and a backpack were sitting there. He couldn’t believe this was all you had. That’s it. He sighed and picked up the bags, wheeling them over to the guest bedroom. He looked around the room and frowned. He would need to order a few more blankets. He took out his phone and ordered some quickly. He walked into the guest bathroom. No towels. He placed an order for those as well. Even if you ended up living somewhere else, it was good to have extra towels and blankets, he reasoned with himself. 

He checked his calendar and yours. You should still be in the security office with Namjoon. He had already texted Hobi earlier.

Y:WTF dude, I thought you were my friend

JHOOOOOOPE: I brought a nice looking girl to your house, how is that not nice **angel**

Y: You can’t just drop someone off into someone else’s house without asking!

JHOOOOOOPE: It’s not my fault no one told you. I was told to deliver your new assistant to your apartment because you needed her to be available to whims at all times. I do what I’m told like every other person who works here. **shrug** it could be worse. I could use an assistant. Send her my way if it doesn’t work **Grin**

Y: >=(

Yoongi walked off the Elevator and saw Namjoon’s smug face there "What the hell is wrong with you?" Yoongi growled, walking up to him. He was surprised he didn’t see you anywhere.

"Not now Yoongi, I have a meeting in 15 minutes." Namjoon sighed. That fucking prick.

"You just dropped a girl into my house without telling me and think I'm not going to have something to say about it?" 

"You knew she was starting today. You agreed that the two of you were going through with all of this. What did you think that meant? Huh?" Namjoon said, almost bored.

"Why don't I get a say in any of this?" Yoongi raised his voice, exasperated. 

"You did. You picked her." Namjoon said calmly as he pushed the up button on the elevator. 

"This is such bullshit!" he yelled. You walked around the corner, surprising him. 

The elevator for Namjoon arrived and he got on it, not bothering to look back. 

You walked closer to Yoongi. "Hey. I'm sorry this was a surprise for you. It was to me too. I thought I would be in a dorm with a bunch of other girls." You gave him a sympathetic look. 

He took off his hat and ran his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry it's not you. It's just...ughhh…" He put the hat back on.

"Really. It's fine. It seems like Namjoon isn't interested in our opinions though, huh? I'm a good roommate. I'm quiet and I clean up after myself. And I can cook." 

Yoongi wasn’t angry at you, so his feelings had morphed into pouting at this point. "It's fine I put your bags in the guest bedroom." He pushed a button on the elevator. He sighed 

"Thanks Yoongi." you said, standing next to him. 

“And I can cook too. So don’t think that’s part of your job or anything.”

“Now what kind of wife would I be if I didn’t cook for you,” You teased as the doors opened up. You were surprised to see him blushing. He hit the button for the 12th floor, feeling like a total idiot.

You looked so cute and professional. He tried to not think about the fact you had seen him in his underwear that morning. He looked down, mumbling something, hoping you wouldn’t notice how embarrassed he was. He was eager to just get to his studio. He understood abstractly that the two of you would be spending time together but now that it was actually happening, he felt awkward and shy. And vaguely annoyed by everyone else. He got off the elevator with you following. “What are you doing exactly?” He turned and asked.

“I’m your assistant. I’m supposed to help you. Do I have a desk or anything? There wasn’t really an orientation. There isn’t anything on the calendar for the rest of the day.”

“Oh. Ok. Umm take the rest of the day off…? Go unpack?” He shrugged.

You scowled. “That doesn’t seem particularly helpful especially since you want me to move out.”

Yoongi sighed and continued to move down the hallway, “You don’t need to do that. There,” he pointed. “That’s Jiwoo. She’s the office manager for this floor. Ask her if she knows anything. I need to get to my studio.”

You had so many more questions but you didn’t want to bother Yoongi.“Ok. See you later.” You turned and walked over to the woman he had indicated to.

Yoongi continued on to his studio. He had no idea if you had a desk or not. He hadn’t really put thought into it. He cursed himself for not thinking to ask Namjoon about any of this. He detested appearing as though he didn’t know something, which unfortunately meant he hadn’t asked questions when he should have. Oh well. He hoped Jiwoo could straighten it out. Otherwise he would later today. He typed in his pass code and walked into his studio. Fortunately he felt inspired this morning and went straight for his notebook.  

“Hello. Excuse me?” You said as you walked up to the desk of the woman who had been identified to you as the office manager. She appeared to be older than you; her hair cut into a bob, she also had super cute glasses. She looked up. 

“Yes, can I help you with something?” 

“I’m Mr. Min’s new assistant, [Y/N]. Today is my first day and nobody really seems sure what to do with me.”

She laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me at all. They all do a great job with the big picture around here. But the details? That’s my specialty.” She stood up. “Follow me. Your desk is over here, near the lounge area. It’s a little noisy, but it’s across from the coffee maker. Which is important because Min Yoongi loves coffee.”

“Yes, thank you. That is like one of the only things I do know.” You smiled, grateful for any help.

“You don’t have a company laptop yet. I would expect it by Monday. You can do most things via the App though. If something does come up, let me know and we can work something out. Now, if you walk around the corner here,” she led the way. “We have some empty studios. If you ever need to rent space for any reason, they are available under the App. Mr. Min has his own studio so you shouldn’t need to book any spots unless you are helping with a collaborator. Speaking of, here is his studio. Good luck with that.” She pointed down to the doormat which had a cat flipping you both off. You laughed. You looked at the plate by the door. “Min Suga. Genius Lab.”

“Humble. Nice.” You pointed at the placard.

“He is really good though.” She said thoughtfully. She began to move down the rest of the hallway, pointing out the restrooms and arriving back at her desk.  “Also, don’t wait up on him. He’s in there most of the time. Follow your calendar. If you try to follow his, you’ll never sleep or you’ll end up with a sleeping disorder. Seriously. He sleeps in there sometimes.” She sat back down at her desk.

Your eyes bugged out a little bit at this. Damn that was some dedication. You hoped he at least had a futon in there then. Jeeze. “Alright. Thanks so much. I appreciate it.”

You almost wished you would have kept your desk plant now, looking at the empty space. You had a few office items in the bags in Yoongi’s house but nothing really worth going back for. A message popped up on your phone. **ORDER READY MIN YOONGI #2983627** You clicked on it. Apparently there was an order at the store ready for Yoongi. Because there was a store in the company building. Huh. Ok. I guess this is part of my job now. You looked up where the store was and headed down to the 2nd floor. It appeared to be a multipurpose grocery and home-goods store with also a few clothing items.  Looking around you found the *Pick up online order* section and walked over. You queued up and recognized the perfectly coiffed blonde hair of Namjoon’s assistant. 

You gave him a light tap on the shoulder. “Hey!”

Jimin turned around, surprised to see the girl from the interview last week standing behind him. “Hey you.” He smiled, “so you got the job?”

You nodded. “Yep. Sorry again about last week. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

He laughed, his eyes turning into adorable crescent-moons  “I’m sorry I literally yelled “shit” at you. So I think we’re even.” He stuck out a hand, “Park Jimin. Nice to officially meet you.” You shook it. “I see you have figured out some stuff. You’ll be on the 14th floor with Yoongi right?”

“Yep. I just got my desk. That’s it. The rest of the day doesn’t have anything and he hasn't given me anything to do yet.”

Jimin turned to move forward in line, with you following suit. He turned back, “Well Yoongi hasn’t had an assistant before but if he’s anything like Namjoon he’ll figure out a million things for you to do soon. Once they get used to it they forget how to even use food delivery apps or how to do their own laundry.” He shook his head. “To clarify: I don’t do his laundry. I coordinate the dry cleaning.”

“And here I was imagining you washing Namjoon’s undies.” You teased, causing him to laugh some more.

“Noooo stop. I don’t want that mental image.” Jimin licked his lips. “If you’re not doing anything later you should join me and Tae for drinks. Not at Club Tokki.” You raised your eyebrows. “Sorry, I peeked at your resume. Think about it and let me know.” He cut the conversation short as it was his turn in line. He concluded his business at the counter quickly. He turned around, carrying a few paper bags. “I’ll see you around.”

You waved, “Alright, I’ll text you about later.” It felt so nice to be included on your first day. He seemed fun. You stepped up and held the QR code up for them to scan. You were handed two paper bags and a larger plastic one. You took them and stepped aside, reading the stapled receipt paper. **PINK TOWELS X 4** on one of the bags. **QUEEN SIZE BLANKET WHITE X 2** on the larger one. He bought me blankets and towels!?!?! You took the bags back to the apartment. Yoongi had taken your bags and put them nicely in the corner of your room. You were pretty sure this stuff was for the guest bedroom and bathroom but you didn’t want to seem presumptuous.

YN: Hey! I picked up your order from the store. Where should I put the towels and blankets?

You waited a few minutes, unpacking one of your bags.

Y: Those are for you. The washing machine is upstairs in the hallway. 

YN: Thank you so much. Pink is my favorite color!

Y: :]

You went and started a load of towels and continued to unpack. Holy shit. This was weird.  You went back upstairs with the blankets. The upstairs loft area had a more lived in feel to it, with blankets strewn over a black couch, a large tv, and a video game system. There was also a keyboard in the corner. There was a short hallway containing a closet and the washer and dryer. You assumed the door at the end of the hallway led to his room. You were a very private person yourself, so you weren’t about to intrude on that. You honestly felt weird being in the loft area, it felt as though the lower level was for show and this was where Yoongi actually lived. 

You moved some more laundry around and decided to head back to the office. You still weren’t sure about joining Jimin for drinks tonight. You decided you would wait and see what the laundry status was. You set a timer on your phone and went back to the office. You stopped by the lounge area and made a coffee for yourself while preparing a coffee for Yoongi. Another ping on your phone.

***EVENT ADDED SATURDAY 6 PM***

Retirement Party for Lee Soobin Akioko Flame Restaurant

The espresso stopped dripping. You added the water and then poured it over ice. You walked over to the studio and gave the door a knock. No answer. 

 You huffed in slight irritation while trying to get your phone out one-handed. 

YN: It’s me. I have coffee.

Y: Leave it by the door.

YN: :( But someone could kick it over

Yoongi took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

Y: Give me a minute.

He got to what he deemed was a good stopping point and walked over to the door, opening it the slightest bit.

“Here you go.” You handed him the iced coffee. 

He took it, eyeing you suspiciously.  “What?” You said, exasperated. You had lovingly hand-crafted this brew.

“You like shitty coffee so I’m worried.” He took a sip. His eyebrows went up. “This is not shitty. This is good. Where did you get it from?” He noticeably relaxed, the doorway opening slightly more. 

“I made it using the espresso maker in the break room.” You said. “I worked in a coffee shop before I was old enough to work in bars. Shitty coffee has to do more with sleep deprivation than actual preferences.”

“True true.” He said, his lips pouting as he took another sip. The sound of a phone ringing in the studio cut through the air. He scowled, making no attempt to answer it.

“Is that your work phone?” You asked.

“Yes. I imagine it’s Jimin or one of BPD’s assistants.”

“So...shouldn’t you answer it?” You asked.

Yoongi shrugged and walked into his office, not bothering to shut the door. You took this as a slight invitation and followed him in. You took a brief look around before the phone rang again and you identified it’s location. You walked over and picked it up. “Genius Lab. This is [Y/N] speaking.” 

Yoongi turned around to ask what the fuck you were doing but then you had sounded so professional, he just plopped down in his work chair instead, a dumbfounded look on his face.

“I’m not sure. I’ll find out and get back with you. What’s the number?” You took out your phone and typed the information in. “Ok yes. Thank you.” You hung up the phone. 

“What are you doing exactly?” He asked. You weren’t sure if he was angry, amused, or confused. He was difficult to read sometimes.

You smirked. “Being your assistant. Would you like me to have this phone forward to mine so it doesn’t ring in here?” 

Yoongi’s eyes grew slightly wider, “You can do that?”

“Yep. There’s an app for it.” You responded, happy some of your previous office experience actually translated to this position.

“Yes. Please God yes.” He said quickly. 

You laughed, setting up the forwarding application. You picked up the phone to see what the number of the studio was. “Alright. I can at least triage some of the calls for you.” You said, satisfied with yourself. “Also. Ew.” You eyed a few take-out containers and coffee cups. “I’m coming back for...this.” You gestured to the room and excused yourself to get a trash bag. 

Yoongi sat there slightly dazed. He rarely let anyone into his studio and yet you had just come in, fixed his phone anxiety issue, and also scolded him. He scrolled through his phone, seeing the event on Saturday. It was annoying but maybe it wouldn’t be so bad with you and J-Hope there. Maybe. Even if it all was a stupid pretend performance.

You retrieved a trash bag from the break room and came back. You started cleaning without saying anything. It was becoming obvious that Jiwoo had spoken the truth, Yoongi really did spend most of his time in here. You made your way around the surfaces, throwing trash away. To your shock, Yoongi just sat there, drinking his coffee and scrolling through his phone.

“Thanks again for the towels and blankets. It was very thoughtful of you.”

“No problem.”

“Are we going to the party on Saturday?”

Yoongi looked up at you, “Sure.”

And just like that, you had committed to your first event at BigHit. “Alright, I’ll let Jin know.”

Yoongi shifted in his seat slightly, “is that who called?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool. Has he hit on you yet?”He asked casually, belying the fact that he was actually very interested in how you would react to the infamous flirt. 

You giggled. You were almost all the way done tidying up. “Of course. Have you seen his face? He had to let me know how in demand it is at all times.” You rolled your eyes. “Yeah, him and Namjoon stopped by the bar last week. Idiots.”

“Agreed.” Yoongi felt his body become more at ease with your answer. He didn’t know why he cared.

You looked around the spartan room. “Alright. I’m all done. Do you need anything else?”

Yoongi put his phone down. “Just to get back to my writing.”

You were so very curious but you didn’t want to intrude. “Sure thing. See you later.” You picked up your trash bag and left the room, shutting the door behind you. You were honestly surprised at how easy your day had been so far.  You sat the trash bag down by your cubicle, unsure of where to deposit it.  A text to Jiwoo about the dumpster and an RSVP to Jin about the party on Saturday and your day was almost done. You dropped the garbage off on your way to the apartment to switch out laundry. You were getting tired.

YN: Hey! I’m going to take a rain check for tonight. I am so tired and I still need to unpack ;-; I do want to though, so don’t think I’m blowing you off. Lunch tomorrow? 

JM: Shit I totally forgot you would need to unpack and everything. Sorry. No worries. Also, check your schedule, we have a huge design meeting around lunch time so they will most likely have it catered. I’ll buy you a drink on Saturday if you actually get Yoongi to attend.

You raised your eyebrows. It was on the schedule clear as day, on you and Yoongi’s calendar. Why wouldn’t he attend?

YN: Of course he’ll be there. Why wouldn’t he be?

JM: HAHAHAHA good luck. See you tomorrow!

It was already after five so you didn’t bother going back down to the office. You finished the laundry and finished your unpacking. And then you stood in the apartment just staring. The sun had gone down and the windows had a lovely view of the city. You could see part of the river and one of the many lit up bridges. You turned on the kitchen light. Shit. You had no idea what the food situation looked like here. Your stomach growled. You took some rice out of the cooker, leaving enough for Yoongi and sat at the countertop. 

You opened up your personal email. You had paid the dorm deposit for your brother, using your “disappear in the middle of the night and change your name again” emergency fund to pay for it. It had scared the shit out of you to pull all your money from savings and you still were secretly afraid that the job was lying about how much money it would pay you. Before you knew it, it was 9. 

YN: Hey, I ate some of the rice but I don’t want to just go through your kitchen. Do you want me to order or make anything?

No response. Ok. He was probably busy. You rifled through the cabinets. If his office was any indicator there should be at least a few ramyeon packs you could eat and replace. Bingo. You made a spicy prawn one and texted one more time.

YN: I owe you a spicy prawn ramyeon pack. Thanks again for everything. See you tomorrow.

You set the coffee maker for the next day and brush your teeth. You nestled into your new bed complete with one of your new fluffy blankets. You couldn't remember the last time you had your own bedroom. It was before your sister was born. The two of you had always shared a room. And then 7 years ago you started sharing a room with her and your niece. You took a deep breath, feeling as though you were letting 7 years of bullshit go all at once. If only it were all so simple. NEXT CHAPTER @lidda  @anpanman-sonyeondan  @firefairy1  @cuteipat  @sugaslittlekookies  @janeelizabeth1216 @deeepvibes @gxldenhunny

[itburnedlikesummer]

Just personal musings that I feel like writing down and don’t feel like making a private blog to do so. 

Most days feel akin to a roller coaster. This last week was... rough, to say the least. I worked 47 hours (plus walked 1 hr + each day, 20 minutes downhill, 40 minutes uphill from work), came home to an apartment that sorely needed cleaning that I had no energy to clean, and had to deal with feelings inside of me that I’d been bottling up that decided to unleash themselves.

There have been good things too, though. The kids and I are finally hitting a stride. The newfound consistency I’ve been able to bring to the classroom has really helped them, and regardless of how often I feel as though I should be doing more it’s clear by the change from December (last month with old head teacher) to now (after 6 weeks with me as head teacher) that they’re definitely adjusting better than anyone thought and they’re starting to make strides.

I have gotten to spend most of the week with one of the best assistant teachers we have, and her and I were able to talk about stuff (both work and personal) and I feel a kinship with her. Unfortunately she’s an infant room assistant, primarily, so once my normal assistant comes back from sick leave on Monday I likely won’t see her much or at all. But she let me get something off my chest that I’ve been holding on to for.. months .. and it felt nice.

I cleaned the kitchen today!!!! Wiped down the counters, did up ALL of the dishes and everything. It may not seem like a big feat, but honestly the relief I feel from seeing it look so clean is a welcomed feeling. Also took out trash, bottles, and got groceries today. And made dinner! Poutine, which hit the spot perfectly. I have some more cleaning to do tomorrow (and SO much laundry), but I’m proud of what I got accomplished today.

I took a step back from the writing group I’m in this week and I already fucking miss it, even though I wasn’t actively writing. But I’m still not sure that mentally I’m ready to go back. I’ve confronted a lot of what was bothering me in general, to myself at least, but I’m not sure... idk. I feel weird even saying that. Writing is my stress relief. but some days I feel like an outsider looking in on a friend group. It’s... hard to explain, and hard to deal with sometimes. Hopefully a few more days away will bring me to the realization that I’m being silly and all will be well again.

Also I know I sound like a broken record but holy fuck do I miss writing with Trav. But as much as he says he’s willing to... when I try to plot with him he says he’ll look into it and then doesn’t? And I’ve tried to tell him how frustrating that is, but he’s battling his own shit right now too so I dunno if he’s even really hearing what I’m saying.

J’s plans to move back to Maine and starting to get rolling, and the more days pass without T having a job the more nervous I am about our ability to keep this place. Things will work out the way they’re supposed to, but fuck... idk.

Upside: Philly does genuinely feel like home. I miss my friends and family in Maine, but I’m eternally grateful I took the leap of faith and moved here with Trav. It was the right choice, and continues to be the right choice.

He and I celebrated 5 years earlier this month. Or... ‘celebrated’ is a bit of an exaggeration but we’ve been together for 5 years and for someone that ‘doesn’t do commitment’ that’s a pretty big deal imho. I love him, so so much.

I’ll probably add more to this or write more later, with other things I’m not ready to get off my chest yet. But this felt good. Sometimes you need to just write it all out somewhere.

[biwenqing]

So this is for the day three prompt: Social Media AU for Spring Sleuthing over at @tsomdevents! I wrote this fic a while ago, and it fits perfectly for this. But I realized it was going to be more than one chapter. I will continue it once the prompt week is over!

teen | pre-relationship | WIP | ao3 link | formatted as tweets | wc:1767

WZ @theroommatedilema

i made this secret account to live tweet my two oblivious roommates having a quarantine romance. or not. they are idiots. follow to find out will they/won’t they.

he/him | Joined March 2020

WZ @theroommatedilema . March 27 we are starting week 2 of quarantine and i realized i needed to document this. my two roommates who have been dancing around each other since before shit hit the fan are driving me crazy and if i have to watch this the world has to as well.

WZ @theroommatedilema . March 27 we need to give them code names because, while i don't think either of them will find this account, best not to tempt fate. so we have 'hot chef' and 'smart aleck'.

WZ @theroommatedilema . March 27 all that out of the way, we can now get to the live tweet. hot chef was doing his laundry so he was walking around the apartment shirtless. smart aleck walked into a wall, not once, not twice, but three times. hot chef didn't help this when he put on an apron

WZ @theroommatedilema . March 28 smart aleck started the day by almost burning down our kitchen trying to make breakfast to impress hot chef. luckily i was awake and stopped things before there was a grease fire, before making breakfast myself. they both seemed to like it.

WZ @theroommatedilema . March 29 hot chef thinks we should try and exercise, but i think it is cold and slippery out, so if he expects me to join him on his morning runs, he is wrong. smart aleck did make an attempt and i got to watch him wipe out from the window. lucky for him hot chef caught him. yea i know

WZ @theroommatedilema . March 29 follow up to wipe out: hot chef helped smart aleck back into the house and then took care of him, before then still going on his run. smart aleck pouted next to me on the couch, watching out the window for when he came back like a puppy.

WZ @theroommatedilema . March 30 smart aleck has decided he needs to clean and organize the whole apartment. i think he just doesn't want to do his real job. this has led to an argument with hot chef because smart aleck has taken everything out of the kitchen cabinets and messed with his books.

WZ @theroommatedilema . March 30 as a household, we have a pretty solid 'don't touch my stuff' understanding, but that apparently goes all out the window during a pandemic. hot chef keeps all his cooking tools and supplies in a special order that makes sense only to him and i leave it be

WZ @theroommatedilema . March 30 but smart aleck wants to "help" and didnt ask if anyone wanted help so here we are. don't worry, this account isn't in vain, i can confirm that their argument is more bickering and that bickering is the stereotype of an "old married couple"

WZ @theroommatedilema . March 30 SA: but you do so much, i wanted to help! HC: if i need help, i'd ask for it SA: *arms crossed* would you? give an example of when you have asked for help. HC: ....i haven't needed help SA: bullshit! remember when you got the flu last year and didn't tell us?

WZ @theroommatedilema . March 30 SA: you practically passed out before you let WZ and i take you to see a doctor! and then you still argued about us making sure you got the food and fluids and everything you needed so you didn't die! HC: ...i didn't want either of you to get sick

WZ @theroommatedilema . March 30 SA: oh yes so ignoring the issue really helped? it’s better that you almost died? in case you didn’t already notice, smart aleck is always dramatic.

WZ @theroommatedilema . March 30 for those wondering, smart aleck is not wrong here. this is exactly how events occurred. it was only a few months after I moved in with them. for the fight i think smart aleck somehow won this round. tune in tomorrow for what happens next!

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 4 no updates because they have been pretending to ignore each other and focused on work. hot chef in particular. smart aleck claims it is because hot chef isn’t used to being cared about. he told me this in a deliberate stage whisper.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 4 i think it is important to note that hot chef did still make dinner each night to share... he just went back to his room after.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 5 i got a question asking what we all do for work. that’s classified. and mostly unrelated. though it is how we met in a very odd course of events.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 5 that was not an invitation to send me more questions. i know you are all nosy, or else why would you be following this account. but we have established this account must go unnoticed.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 5 fine. general ages = smart aleck is in his 20s. hot chef is in his 30s. and because you for some reason all want to know: i am also in my 20s.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 5 pets = yes one. smart aleck has a pet cat named goat he inherited from a past roommate. goat the cat tries to eat anything and everything, thus the name. she particularly likes to eat house plants. she likes smart aleck the least, hot chef the most. i hold a pretty solid 2nd place.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 6 update: they made up. a package arrived today and it was apparently a pan to replace one smart aleck had destroyed. hot chef made smart aleck’s favorite dinner. SA talked the whole way through to meal, and HC looked smitten. so we’re back to normal.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 10 where do we rank the level of domestic where one person brushes their teeth/gets ready for the day while the other is in the shower? bonus points for some mild discussion and/or bickering.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 11 smart aleck has a new scheme. he is trying to persuade hot chef to teach him to cook. so far HC has held firm. we mark day one of this new standoff.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 12 i’ve been asked a few times why i don’t just use initials of smart aleck and hot chef’s names. it’s all part of keeping this hidden. i have also chosen nicknames that i don’t think they would think i’d use for them.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 12 smart aleck is the type to figure this out if i’m not careful. he’s both too clever and too dumb for his own good. which is part of the reason i must document all of this, so i can shove it in his face later.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 12 we are also on day two of cooking teaching standoff. i think some of you rightly assume SA is imagining hot chef standing behind him and idk helping him cut vegetables

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 13 standoff continues. i made dinner to see if that would throw the balance off. no change yet

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 14 resolution! hot chef did give in, on the condition that he teaches both of us. i didn’t manage to escape because smart aleck seemed to decide this was the only way. don’t know how this fits into whatever romantic daydreams he had.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 14 i see those comments that this might give me a chance to put them together. but i think it is more fun to not help them at all. they need to do this on their own

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 15 to do such teaching, a grocery shopping mission is needed. because the world is... well. i suggested just they go together so fine. maybe i will try and assist.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 15 level of domestic of sneaking things you know your “just friends roommate” loves but won’t buy for themselves in the cart without them knowing?

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 15 you ask how i know that and it is of course because smart aleck, so proud of himself, announced it as soon as he reentered the apartment. goat the cat tried to get into the bags to eat raw fish while this occurred.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 16 first cooking lesson, some simple stir fry. i already can cook this so i get to just perch at the counter and watch. vote on the poll below how you think this will turn out

[hands brushing softly] [sparks, and not the sexy kind] [food hopefully?]

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 16 everyone who voted for fire won. the neighbors are quite upset. and not even goat the cat will eat the final product. i ordered take out and a fresh fire extinguisher while they dealt with the mild fire and smoke detector.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 17 smart aleck is pouting so there will be no cooking lessons today. the good news (for his employer) is he seems to actually be focusing on doing his job.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 20 hot chef actually asked smart aleck if he wanted to try cooking again. very interesting. this has mostly been coming from SA’s side, so i would call this positive movement.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 20 SA has completely perked up and agreed.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 20 oh apparently the plan is SA will watch and i get the place as the student in the kitchen. this is probably safer for everyone

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 21 for those asking what happen: dinner was made with no issue. I was in charge of the main dish and that left HC to work on side dishes. SA even helped wash and chop some vegetables. goat took some chicken right off SA’s plate and ran away with it growling.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 21 i take that to mean the cat approves of my cooking. but she also tried to steal things from the trash, so that isn’t much of an endorsement.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 22 SA is avoiding work and trying to clean again. he actually asked if he could move stuff around. growth.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 25 hot chef spotted leaving smart aleck’s room this morning?

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 25 false alarm, he was just looking for the cat.

WZ @theroommatedilema . April 30 final report for this month: progress made in communication. new together activity established. the apartment has not burned down. a baby step closer, yet still so far away from them figuring this out...

[bpdhotmess]

21+ Spring Cleaning Hacks You Need to Know

Spring time: trees are budding,  birds are singing, flowers bloom. It’s time to start freshening our homes… and that’s when the fun ends. Or does it? I sheepishly admit that I haven’t done much spring cleaning in my time, but, this year may be different. There is not much to do. So why not roll up my sleeves and give the house a good going over?

But before we get into the deep cleaning tips, it’s important we first learn the importance of clearing some space. Clutter keeps our homes feeling messy, even after we straighten up. That’s why cleaning a home can feel so overwhelming and endless. 

Good news! There is a simple solution to managing the cleanliness of your home.

Get rid of clutter! When you get rid of clutter, your home naturally becomes clean and satisfyingly functional. Give it a try. Systematically go through your home; Pick up things and ask yourself this question: “Does this item add function to my life?” If the answer is, “No,” then throw it away or donate it. A clean home is a functional home.

Once you clear some space, your home will feel open and inviting. And you will discover that your decluttered home is much easier to clean.  “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” 

Need more decluttering advice? Check out our 5 Marie Kondo hacks. 

Alright, now on to the hacks for professional-grade deep cleaning: 

Yes, the whole spring cleaning process can be a bit daunting, so I thought the best thing to do was to contact a professional for advice. I called my mom, Dolores Breese. She owned a successful cleaning service in the 1990s, but even before then she was a maniac (in a good way) when it came to cleaning. So, I asked her for some spring cleaning hacks.

Where my mom would clean three or sometimes four houses in one day, she had help. You don’t have to do that. Give yourself some time. You don’t have to clean the whole house in one day. You’re allowed to take a few days or weeks to do this type of cleaning. (Or see our hacks to clean your home in under an hour here)

Cleaning the House Dolores Breese-Style

My mom says people no longer spring clean like they used to. Decades ago, people would go through the entire house, take everything down from the walls and clean top to bottom.

If anyone was going to paint or wallpaper, this was the time to do it. 

Begin in the Least-Used Room First

By starting with this room first, your whole house will get the thorough cleaning you have set out to do. If you start somewhere else, you may run out of steam. You are more likely to give yourself a pass from cleaning some rooms because “no one ever goes in there anyways.”

Work From the Top Down

That means get the cobwebs off the ceiling before you sweep the floor. My mom used to have an actual cobweb cleaner. Nowadays you can get a Swiffer that has an extended handle to do the same thing.

Pro Tip: With the Swiffer Duster Starter Kit you can remove the head and replace after every it cleaning to maintain and promote a more germ-free environment in your home. Get your Swiffer today.

Start with the Thing you Hate Most to Clean

This is to give you a psychological advantage. If you start with what you hate to clean first, you’ll get it done and won’t wimp out.

Start in the Corner

After getting the cobwebs down from the entire room, you start in one corner and work around the room. This would be the corner where the thing you hate to clean is.

Clean Every Surface

That means walls, picture frames, knick-knacks, desks, computers and on and on. If it has a surface, it can accumulate dirt and dust. Therefore, it is part of your mission to make it sparkle. 

Pro Tip: If you want to save money on household cleaners, order from Dollar Tree online and have it shipped for free to your local store. Find safe, effective cleaning supplies for just a buck each. 

When you clean surfaces, it is helpful to have cleaning wipes. Use these to clean and disinfect those surfaces.

Move the Furniture

By moving the furniture you can vacuum little touched areas that have accumulated much debris. You’ll be amazed at what you find when you move your furniture away from the wall!

Pro Tip: Moving furniture can be a pain. Why not make it easier on yourself with these furniture sliders? We like this X-Protector variety pack because of the big selection. These will help you slide your furniture easier on all surfaces.

Pro Tip: Pledge furniture polish will do, but if you want the good stuff, you will want to try Milsek Furniture Polish.

Vacuum Your Way out of a Room

If you have worked hard to clean the room, you want to enjoy the finished product. Start at the farthest end of the room and vacuum backwards until you have gotten over the threshold. Carpet that is freshly vacuumed and untouched by footsteps gives you a real sense of satisfaction.

Pro Tip: In our house, we use the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Plus Lightweight Upright Vacuum Cleaner. We love that it is bagless and economical. Whether you have a pet or not, the pet hair attachments will achieve a deeper clean.

Dusting Hacks

When my mother had her cleaning business, microfiber cleaning products were not a thing. However, you might want to consider microfiber dusting slippers. Check out those dusting slippers here!

Kitchen Cleaning Hack

To clean out your drain, use 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup vinegar and boiling water. Pour baking soda into the drain, followed by vinegar. Let it bubble for several minutes. Follow up with boiling water. (Dollar Tree is a great place to get inexpensive cleaning supplies. You can create an account, order online and have your items shipped free to your local Dollar Tree store.)

Use Bar Keepers Friend brand cleanser for cleaning stainless steel or porcelain sinks. It is also good for counters.

Be sure to clean the window sill by sink and wash the window using Windex.

Stove Top Cleaning Hack

Have an electric stove top? Did you know you can lift up the top to clean the drip pan and burners? Try it now. Just lift it up.

Microwave Cleaning Hack

Wet a cloth and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. The rag will be hot so be careful, but use the cloth to clean the microwave out. The moisture will make it easier to clean.

Natural Glass Cleaner Hack

Windex is a popular glass cleaner, however, you can make your own cleaner if you prefer to avoid chemicals. When cleaning windows, you can use your cleaning cloths, paper towels or a squeegee (this works great if you have glass shower doors).

Pro Tip: If you purchase the ingredients to make your own cleaner at your local grocery store, download the Ibotta app to save on name brands and groceries. Ibotta is the No. 1 downloaded app to save at the grocery store. Find bargains and earn cash back when you download the Ibotta app.

Bathroom Cleaning Hack

Clean the mirror first, then move everything off the counter and clean the surface with clorox wipes or comet cleaner. Shine the faucet of the sink. Make sure to get the back of the faucet, an area that is often neglected.

Bathtub Cleaning Hack

Use a crevice cleaner to get into the edges where the tile and tub meet. Use it to help clean out the grout. 

Shower Cleaning Hack

Keep ahead of cleaning by wiping down your shower/bathtub after each time you use it. Use the crevice cleaner to get the edges. Make sure to clean the faucet and knobs, too.

Showerhead Cleaning Hack

Have you noticed your showerhead getting a little crusty? What you are seeing are likely mineral or lime deposits from the water. Watch this video for an easy solution to clean your showerhead and get the water flow back to normal.

Pro Tip: If you love shopping Amazon and have your cleaning products delivered to you at your convenience, then you will want to take advantage of Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program and save 15%.

Toilet Cleaning Hack

Nobody wants to do this, but it is important. 

Work from the back to front and top to bottom of the toilet. Make sure to wipe down the back of the toilet, then the lid, sides, handle and front of the tank. Use Clorox to spray all the areas, including inside and outside of the bowl and seat. Wipe down the porcelain behind the seat. Make sure to get all the little crevices clean, too. 

Inside the bowl you’ll want to clean under the rim first, so the debris can fall into the water. You can use a toilet brush for the bowl, but to get it really clean, using your hands works best for the rim. Flush the toilet and then spray again with the cleaner. Use the toilet brush to clean the bowl as far into the bowl as possible. Then flush the toilet again, rinsing the brush as the water flows. 

Use the toilet cleaner and spray the receptacle for the toilet brush and use the brush to clean out the inside of it. Pour the dirty water into the toilet and flush one last time, again rinsing the brush in the water flow. 

Laundry Hacks

One thing I do is to rub a little Dawn dish detergent whenever my husband gets grease on his shirt. Dawn is great for cutting grease.

Dolores Breese’s Cleaning Starter Kit

Whether you choose to go old school and do a deep clean or just address those areas needing attention, I hope these hacks helped. Here are my mom’s recommendations to build a thorough cleaning kit for spring and every other season:

p.s. If you put together your cleaning kit and discover you really like this kind of stuff, then be like my mom and start your own business.

Save Money On Cleaning Supplies

Earning cash back on cleaning supplies is easy. Check out these money-making machines to earn free money while you shop online and in store. Oh yeah, all of this stuff is free.

[queerbutstillhere-writes]

Day 5: Quarantine

- You can't come over tomorrow.

~ what do you mean? "Can't"?

- Gotham is on quarantine. Mandatory. Only medical personel allowed out. Hell, even the JL grounded us.

• I'm seeing can't, but hearing "help me please"

- guys. This is serious.

• for you, maybe. Timmie, we can't get sick from Covid. Kon is alien, and my metabolism is just too fast for it.

- Bart..

~ he's right, Tim.

- Do not encourage him, Kon.

- you two are not allowed to come.

Tim sighed, staring at his laptop monitor. He’d been stuck in quarantine for several days now. Alone in his apartment. He could probably suit up and hightail it across town to get to the manor if he wanted, but being quarantined alone sounded far more appealing then bring quarantined in the manor with his siblings. Dick would probably drag him into nightly board (read: bored) games, Bruce would be constantly trying to bond, Damian would probably never stop insulting him. Duke and Cass would probably be fine, but Duke was easily roped into Dick's shenanigans, and Cass had that habit of creeping up on you.

No. Tim would survive being stuck alone, working on case files and reading news headlines. Today's news was singing the praises of Wayne Enterprises for their massive donations to research centers, the city, and for them paying for housing and healthcare for homeless. They were also praising Bruce for personally paying for the Covid testing and for paying for food and housing costs for those who couldn't afford it. Bruce had enough money to do so, so he might as well, right?

Amusingly, Tim had seen a headline from Star City about Red Hood and Arsenal highjacking a supply truck full of toilet paper and medical supplies and redistributing it among the poor and homeless, as well as stealing from some stores and making care packages for the homeless.

But now, his idiot boyfriends, severely upsetted by the fact that their Thursday date night had been cancelled, were texting and calling him non-stop, trying to convince him to let them come, finding out if he needed anything ("do you have food?" "Yes, Kon." "I'm talking real food, Tim. Not some Rice Krispies and a few boxes of cereal." "Conner."), and constantly fretting over him. Did he mention they kept whining about missing date night? Well they did. Even the suggestion that they could still hang out with each other didn't appease them. ("But we need our Robin! Our birdie!")

Tim Drake was a smart man. He was a good detective. If he had been at the manor, he'd probably be working with Bruce to develop faster testing, or figure out cures. But what Tim forgot, is how truly, truly, dumb his boyfriends are.

So he really shouldn't have been surprised to hear his door open on Thursday evening.

But yet, he was.

He shot up off his sofa, spinning towards the door. He hadn't changed in a day, and probably hadn't showered in three. His apartment was a mess and honestly he didn't remember what he had for breakfast that day. But yet he grabbed the nearest thing to him, an empty metal waterbottle, and brandished it as a weapon.

"Oh, I'm so scared," a chipper voice said, with a laugh.

"Bart?!" Tim exclaimed, half in shock and anger.

Standing in the entry way of his apartment was Bart Allen and Conner Kent. Conner was carrying several bags of groceries, and Bart had a couple jugs of milk and juice.

"What are you two doing?!" Tim hissed, glaring.

"Uh, visiting, duh?"

Bart zipped to the fridge, putting up his jugs, and then dumping a backpack that Tim hadn't noticed earlier onto the floor.

"Bart," Tim said, his tone dropping to his more commanding, Robin voice.

He noted Kon was also carrying a duffel bag. The man just smiled and then turned to walk into the kitchen.

"Nonono, I know what's going on here, you two aren't staying."

"Why not? We can't get it, and you're just gonna . . ." Bart motioned at the messy living room. "Besides, what if we quarantine ourselves with you."

"Well, because! Because. . . " Tim scowled at him.

He was starting to lose his energy to argue. And he was getting pretty lonely. And this . . . He wasn't wrong either. They could just quarantine together. . . 

"And also, now if you need something, one of us can just zip over to metropolis and pick it up, or go do laundry at Clark and Lo's," Kon called from the kitchen.

"And if you do get sick! You'll have us to look after you!" Bart exclaimed, zipping over and kissing Tim before he could protest.

Tim glared at him from just a few inches away, then at Conner, who had moved to the doorway. They both just grinned at him.

"Fine. Fine! You can stay!" He exclaimed, defeated.

Bart whooped and kissed Tim again.

"Okay, first things first. You need to take a shower, man," Bart told him, wrinkling his nose. "Or else no cuddles."

Tim, touch starved as always, found himself immediately hating that idea.

"Also, we need to clean this place up. So, you go shower and brush your teeth and shave and stuff - or don't shave - and Kon and I will clean up and start supper!"

Tim huffed at him, but obeyed, heading towards the bathroom, stopping by Conner first to give him a quick kiss. Kon just grinned and pulled him in close, tweaking Tim's nose before kissing him. Then he shoved Tim towards the bathroom.

He went through the bedroom first, snagging some clean clothes, and then went into the bathroom. He quickly stripped and showered, making sure to clean his hair thoroughly, he shaved when he got out, and quickly brushed his teeth as instructed, because frankly, he didn't remember the last time he had done that and didn't want to make his boyfriends deal with that. 

When he got back out, admittedly feeling a little better, he noted Bart and Kon's bags on his bed. He just sighed and shook his head, walking back to the main room. He could already smell the tomatoey scents of Italian food, and wondered what all those two had actually brought with them. There was some form of pop music playing, and he could hear Bart happily singing along to it, Kon chiming in occasionally with the choruses. Tim chuckled and looked around the living room. 

They had cleaned up trash and dishes and fixed the pillows on the sofa. The curtains had been opened, and a candle was burning on the coffee table and all the glasses and mugs and plates had been removed. Tim walked over and leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching Bart dart around and cook, while Kon washed dishes.

"This that hot girl bummer anthem. Turn it up and throw a tantrum~" Bart sang, doing a little dance as he darted from the fridge back to the stove, throwing a few things into a sauce.

"What are you making?" Tim asked softly, but they both heard him.

"Hey! He's clean!" Bart announced cheerfully. "And I am making lasagna! Max's special recipe."

Tim hummed in response, grinning back at the speedster.

"So are you two going to eat me out of house and home by the end of tomorrow, or?"

Kon shot Tim a smirk. "Depends."

"Ugh, Kent! I meant food!"

Conner laughed, rinsing one last dish before drying his hands, walking over and pulling Tim up against his front.

"I never said that wasn't what I meant, did I?"

"No. . . But with you there's always some kind of innuendo."

Kon huffed in mock annoyance, before ducking his head and gently kissing Tim a few times. Tim tilted his face up and obliged, wrapping his arms around Kon's neck.

"I missed you," Kon mumbled lightly, his hands sneaking up Tim's soft cotton shirt that may or may not have belonged to Kon at some point.

"I missed you too," Tim responded instinctually, not really realizing exactly how true that was.

"Then why didn't you let us come sooner?" Bart's voice asked and then he was slipping between their arms, sandwiching himself between them.

Tim laughed, giving the pouting Bart a few kisses, turning him from pouty Bart to smiley Bart.

"Because I didn't want you guys getting sick."

"Tim we literally can't."

"Did you confirm that?"

"Yeah. I called Lex and asked. And you know as well as I do that Bart can't get sick from these things."

Tim sighed, looking down at Bart, then up at Kon. "Well either way, it's too late now."

Once the lasagna was in the oven, Bart made Tim help him finish cleaning, sweeping floors and dusting things, meanwhile Kon just sat by and gave unhelpful commentary and got occasionally whacked with cleaning supplies. Once the apartment was properly cleaned, and feeling much better, they decided to properly move Bart and Kon into Tim's room, even though they had stated they'd probably be leaving to get more clothes and such. And probably their dogs. 

Tim sat on his bed and watched them unpack bathroom supplies and clothes and other various personal items. Phone chargers got plugged in his few remaining wall outlets and things got shoved into previously neat areas.

"Were you really gonna stay here all by your lonesome?" Bart asked, flopping down onto the bed next to Tim and idly bumping his thigh with his knee.

"It wouldn't have been forever, Bart. I was probably gonna go to the manor eventually."

"Ew, and be around your brothers?"

"They are my family, Bart."

"I know but still. . . "

Tim chuckled and shook his head fondly, moving to lay partially over Bart and softly kiss him.

"Wait, is Keystone even in quarantine yet?"

"Uhhh." Bart grinned sheepishly.

"Bartholomew!"

Bart just giggled a little. "I'm sorry, but I wanted to come too!"

Tim just shook his head and then dropped it to Bart's chest, laying on him and listening to his breathing.

"Hey, this looks like a cuddle pile in the making."

Both of them groaned when Kon flopped - gently - on top of Tim. 

"Kon you big lug! Get off!" Tim whined, pushing up on his hands and knees, trying to dislodge Kon, who didn't move.

"Why, I thought you liked cuddle piles?" Kon giggled out, nuzzling at Tim's neck and causing him to squeak.

"Not when I'm being squished!"

Kon gave an over dramatic groan, but moved, rolling and pulling them both on top of him. It took a bit of squirming before they were comfortable, one on either side of Kon, heads on his shoulder, hands clasped on top of his stomach. They laid there and chatted idly, with no concern for anything that might interrupt their lives.

"Bart the oven is going off."

And just like that, Bart was gone. A couple seconds passed, then he was back, snuggling right up against Kon again.

"Where were we?"

Both Kon and Tim just started laughing.

Once dinner was ready, they sat on the sofa and binged a couple episodes of Broadchurch before settling into another cuddle pile. Their default form was cuddle pile. Then eventually Bart got bored with sitting still, so they turned on Mario Kart, played a few normal rounds to watch Kon and Bart suffer, then Tim turned on the mod he had made to make the game go super fast. 

He had learned not to watch the screen while this was happening. That's how you got eye damage.

"I'm gonna go do a little patrolling," Kon said, standing after Bart had beat him, again.

"Oh. Okay. Be careful, give a call if you need any help," Tim said, looking up from his laptop.

"Yeah, if I need anything, I'll call Bart."

"Kon."

"Hey, you're grounded, remember?"

Tim sighed, stretching up so Kon could kiss him. Kon chuckled and did so, then bent over the back of the sofa to kiss Bart, before disappearing into the bedroom to change. Then he called a goodbye on the way out the window. Tim and Bart looked at each other.

"So what are we doing then?"

Tim shrugged vaguely and looked back at his laptop.

"Well I'm gonna keep playing my game then."

"Okay."

Bart left him alone for a solid twenty minutes, which was a bit of a record for him, then he was tugging on Tim's laptop, trying to steal it.

"Yes, Bart?"

"I wanna cuddle."

"Cuddle?"

Bart's silence cause Tim to look over, and found he was pouting. Tim chuckled and saved his files, setting the laptop on the floor, then moving so his back was on an armrest, and opened his arms for Bart. Bart practically dove forwards, laying between Tim's legs, head on his chest, arms around his stomach. Tim chuckled and adjusted a bit for his own comfort, then let himself relax with Bart.

Eventually they turned on a movie and just laid together, idly chatting. There would be plenty of time for work later, Tim decided. But for now, he'd spend time with Bart. He may be stuck with these two for months before restrictions laxed, but he would take every moment he could, just to spend time with them while he could.

Kon got back after a few hours, stumbling back through the window, and giving them a grin, but he didn't come over, just walked away into the bathroom, leaving the scent of soot and acid in his wake.

"He's stinky," Bart remarked, still laying on Tim's chest.

"Hmmn, stinky boy."

Bart sniggered. Tim had, at some point, set his laptop on Bart's ass and was still working. Was it the most effective or romantic? No. But Bart didn't mind and it was keeping Tim from getting bored. 

Then his phone started ringing.

"Bart, grab that for me please?"

Bart quickly grabbed the phone from the coffee table before immediately settling back into place.

"Yello?"

"Hey, Timmy."

"Hi Dick, what's up?"

"Nothing, just wanted to check in and see how things were going with you."

Tim glanced down at Bart.

"I'm okay."

"Yeah? Just hanging out and working on cases, I assume?"

"Yeah, I'm working on that March case."

Dick hummed from across the line.

"Well, are you sure you don't want to come to the manor?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Honestly I'm surprised you're there. I thought you'd be with Wally?"

There was a pause. 

"I was going to, but he got directly exposed the day before he was supposed to come down, and he didn't want to risk it until he discovered if speedsters could actually catch it."

"Hmmn, I have it on good authority they can't."

"Is that so?"

"Yup."

"They're there with you, aren't they?"

Tim just grinned, even though Dick couldn't see it. His brother laughed.

"Tim, you scoundrel."

"Listen, I told them no, they wouldn't listen to me, and then when they showed up, it was too late because Bart like, immediately kissed me."

"Hell yeah I did."

Dick just laughed again. Tim could envision him fondly shaking his head.

"So, I'll let you go then, I'm sure you guys have some catching up to do, if you know what I mean."

"Oh my god, shut up," Tim laughed out, even as he started playing with Bart's hair.

"Just speaking the truth!"

"Goodbye, Dick."

"Bye, Timmy! Love you, stay safe!"

"You too!"

Tim hung up the phone and let it fall to the ground beside the sofa.

"Oh good, you're off. I didn't want to come do this with your brother still on the phone."

Tim tilted his head back to see a shirtless Kon standing over him, grinning, hair still dripping slightly from his shower. He bent down and deeply kissed Tim. Tim gave a surprised noise and reached a hand up, resting it on Kon's jaw. When he pulled away, leaving Tim breathless, he just grinned mischievously, then moved so he was closer to Bart.

"Bartie."

"Hmmn?" When the ginger picked his head up, Kon kissed him the same.

Bart just grinned at him after, and put his head back on Tim's chest.

"Do you guys want a snack, because I'm starving."

Tim watched Kon walk away, and just had to laugh.

It was lucky the three of them were huge cuddlers, because otherwise they would not have fit in Tim's queen sized bed. Not with Kon's huge shoulders. After their snacks, Bart had to literally steal Tim's laptop, and then Kon decided to carry him to the bathroom to get ready for bed, instead of just letting him walk.

As the three of them laid in bed, a few minutes later, more focused on lazily kissing then actually sleeping, Tim decided that if he was going to be quarantined anywhere, being in his apartment with his amazing, dumb, loving boyfriends couldn't be the worst solution. And it was, by far, preferable over going to the manor. So he would happily keep his mouth shut and let them fret over him. Because he loved them. And they loved him.

@core-disaster-week-2020 originally written for @unknownunseenunheard !!

[queerbutstillhere]

For @unknownunseenunheard

- You can't come over tomorrow.

~ what do you mean? "Can't"?

- Gotham is on quarantine. Mandatory. Only medical personel allowed out. Hell, even the JL grounded us.

• I'm seeing can't, but hearing "help me please"

- guys. This is serious.

• for you, maybe. Timmie, we can't get sick from Covid. Kon is alien, and my metabolism is just too fast for it.

- Bart..

~ he's right, Tim.

- Do not encourage him, Kon.

- you two are not allowed to come.

Tim sighed, staring at his laptop monitor. He had been stuck in quarantine for three days now. Alone in his apartment. He could probably suit up and hightail it across town to get to the manor if he wanted, but bring quarantined alone sounded far more appealing then bring quarantined in the manor with his siblings. Dick would probably drag him into nightly board (read: bored) games, Bruce would be constantly trying to bond, Damian would probably never stop insulting him. Duke and Cass would probably be fine, but Duke was easily roped into Dick's shenanigans, and Cass had that habit of creeping up on you.

No. Tim would survive being stuck alone, working on case files and reading news headlines. Today's news was singing the praises of Wayne Enterprises for their massive donations to research centers, the city, and for them paying for housing and healthcare for homeless. They were also praising Bruce for personally paying for the Covid testing and for paying for food and housing costs for those who couldn't afford it. Bruce had enough money to do so, so he might as well, right?

Amusingly, Tim had seen a headline from Star City about Red Hood and Arsenal highjacking a supply truck full of toliet paper and medical supplies and redistributing it among the poor and homeless, as well as stealing from some stores and making care packages for the homeless.

But now, his idiot boyfriends, severly upsetted by the fact that their Thursday date night had been cancelled, were texting and calling him non-stop, trying to convince him to let them come, finding out if he needed anything ("do you have food?" "Yes, Kon." "I'm talking real food, Tim. Not some Rice Krispies and a few boxes of cereal." "Conner."), and constantly fretting over him. Did he mention they kept whining about missing date night? Well they did. Even the suggestion that they could still hang out with each other didn't appease them. ("But we need our Robin! Our birdie!")

Tim Drake was a smart man. He was a good detective. If he had been at the manor, he'd probably be working with Bruce to develop faster testing, or figure out cures. But what Tim forgot, is how truly, truly, dumb his boyfriends are.

So he really shouldn't of been surprised to hear his door open on Thursday evening.

But yet, he was.

He shot up off his sofa, spinning towards the door. He hadn't changed in a day, and probably hadn't showered in three. His apartment was a mess and honestly he didn't remember what he had for breakfast that day. But yet he grabbed the nearest thing to him, an empty metal waterbottle, and brandished it as a weapon.

"Oh, I'm so scared," a chipper voice said, with a laugh.

"Bart?!" Tim exclaimed, half in shock and anger.

Standing in the entry way of his apartment was Bart Allen and Conner Kent. Conner was carrying several bags of groceries, and Bart had a couple jugs of milk and juice.

"What are you two doing?!" Tim hissed, glaring.

"Uh, visiting, duh?"

Bart zipped to the fridge, putting up his jugs, and then dumping a backpack that Tim hadn't noticed earlier onto the floor.

"Bart," Tim said, his tone dropping.

He noted Kon was also carrying a duffel bag. The man just smiled and then turned to walk into the kitchen.

"Nonono, I know what's going on here, you two aren't staying."

"Why not? We can't get it, and you're just gonna . . ." Bart motioned at the messy living room. "Besides, what if we quarantine ourselves with you."

"Well, because! Because. . . " Tim scowled at him.

He was starting to lose his energy to argue. And he was getting pretty lonely.

"And also, now if you need something, one of us can just zip over to metropolis and pick it up, or go do laundry at Clark and Lo's," Kon called from the kitchen.

"And if you do get sick! You'll have us to look after you!" Bart exclaimed, zipping over and kissing Tim before he could protest.

Tim glared at him, then at Conner, who had moved to the doorway. They both just grinned at him.

"Fine. Fine! You can stay!"

Bart whooped and kissed Tim again.

"Okay, first things first. You need to take a shower, man," Bart told him, wrinkling his nose. "Or else no cuddles."

Tim, touch starved as always, found himself immediately hating that idea.

"Also, we need to clean this place up. So, you go shower and brush your teeth and stuff, Kon and I will clean up and start supper!"

Tim huffed at him, but obeyed, heading towards the bathroom, stopping by Conner first to give him a quick kiss.

He went through the bedroom first, snagging some clean clothes, and then went into the bathroom, he quickly stripped and showered, making sure to clean his hair throughly, he shaved when he got out, and quickly brushed his teeth as instructed, because frankly, he didn't remember the last time he had done that. When he got back out, admittedly feeling a little better, he noted Bart and Kon's bags on his bed. He just sighed and shook his head, walking back to the main room. He could already smell the tomatoey scents of Italian food, and wondered what all those two had actually brought with them. There was some form of pop music playing, and he could hear Bart happily singing along to it, Kon chiming in occasionally with the choruses. Tim chuckled and looked around the living room. They had cleaned up trash and dishes and fixed the pillows on the sofa. The curtains had been opened, and a candle was burning on the coffee table. Tim walked over and leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching Bart dart around and cook, while Kon washed dishes.

"This that hot girl bummer anthem. Turn it up and throw a tantrum~" Bart sang, doing a little dance as he darted from the fridge back to the stove, throwing a few things into a sauce.

"What are you making?" Tim asked softly, but they both heard him.

"Hey! He's clean!" Bart announced cheerfully. "And I am making lasagna! Max's special recipe."

Tim hummed in response.

"So are you two going to eat me out of house and home by the end of tomorrow, or?"

Kon shot Tim a smirk. "Depends."

"Ugh, Kent! I meant food!"

Conner laughed, rinsing one last dish before drying his hands, walking over and pulling Tim up against him.

"I never said that wasn't what I meant, did I?"

"No. . . But with you there's always some kind of innuendo."

Kon huffed in mock annoyance, before ducking his head and gently kissing Tim a few times.

"I missed you," Kon mumbled lightly, his hands sneaking up Tim's soft cotton shirt that may or may not have belonged to Kon at some point.

"I missed you too," Tim responded instinctually, not really realizing exactly how true that was.

"Then why didn't you let us come sooner?" Bart's voice asked and then he was slipping between their arms, sandwiching himself between them.

Tim laughed, giving the pouting Bart a few kisses.

"Because I didn't want you guys getting sick."

"Tim we literally can't."

"Did you confirm that?"

"Yeah. I called Lex and asked. And you know as well as I do that Bart can't get sick from these things."

Tim sighed, looking down at Bart, then up at Kon. "Well either way, it's too late now."

While their dinner was cooking, they finished cleaning up the apartment, got the two of them moved into the bedroom properly, and then fell in a tangled mess on the sofa to wait for dinner. They ate while watching a movie, and Tim did have to admit, the lasagna was really good. After their movie, they played some video games, and then Kon left to do a little patrolling for Tim while he worked on some cases and Bart just did whatever it was Bart did.

It was lucky the three of them were huge cuddlers, because otherwise they would not have fit in Tim's queen sized bed. Not with Kon's huge shoulders. After Kon got back and showered, Bart had to literally steal Tim's laptop, and then Kon had to carry him to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

As the three of them laid in bed, a few minutes later, more focused on lazily kissing then actually sleeping, Tim decided that if he was going to be quarantined anywhere, being in his apartment with his amazing, dumb, loving boyfriends couldn't be the worst solution. And it was, by far, preferable over going to the manor. So he would happily keep his mouth shut and let them fret over him. Because he loved them. And they loved him.

[writer-k-pop]

Mornings (OT8)

굿 모닝. Good morning.

Description: Sharing a house with your 8 best friends means there’s never a dull moment. Though the toughest part is the mornings. Here’s why. Warnings: None Genre: FLUFF Word Count: 1.6k

Ateez Masterlist | Masterlists

Rolling out of bed, I rub the sleep from my eyes and blindly reach for the door. I find the door and wildly, without making too much noise, open it and head for the bathroom. The lights blind my sensitive eyes and I grumble in annoyance.

After finishing up in the bathroom, I head towards the kitchen to make breakfast for the others.

Flicking on the lights, I nearly jump out of my skin. San is laying face down on the floor, limbs spread out. His face is turned towards me, eyes closed.

“Good morning.” He states and smiles at me.

“What the heck, San?” I ask, a hand clutching my heart. “Why are you... there?” I finish, unsure of what to call what he’s doing.

“I woke up early and couldn’t go back to sleep,” San explains, sitting up. “So I came out here, then I got bored looking out the window so I laid down. Then you showed up.” He finishes happily now that he has a morning companion.

I nod and continue on my way to the kitchen. First thing’s first, I need coffee.

“What do you have planned for the day?” San follows me into the kitchen.

I load up the Keurig cup and place a mug underneath, “I have some work stuff to do and then I have to go grocery shopping. We’re running out of food.”

“Ooh,” San leans on the counter, “Can I come along?”

I nod, the extra hands would be helpful. “Do you have any plans?”

San shakes his head, “Nope. Oh, I mean I have to do laundry but that’s about it.”

“Sounds fun.” I murmur as the smell of coffee hits my nostrils.

Shuffling slippers against the hardwood brings my attention to the hallway. Hongjoong appears rubbing his eyes and his hair is a frazzled mess.

“Morning.” I greet him and he responds with a nod and grunt. I laugh and sip at my coffee, letting the caffeine jump start my systems. “Alright,” I breathe out, “What do I make for breakfast?” I mumble to myself and open the fridge.

Upstairs, more feet shuffle and doors open and close signalling the awakening of the others.

I pull out the leftover rice from the night before and throw it in the microwave for reheating. Pulling out several different side dishes, I mentally decide that rice, side dishes, and omelettes will do.

San has moved to the couch and is talking Hongjoong’s ears off about the dream he had last night. Seonghwa is the next to appear, he’s dressed for the day and any evidence of sleep is gone from his features.

I crack eggs into a large bowl as he enters the kitchen.

“Can I help with anything?” He asks, eyeing the side dishes sitting on the counter.

I nod, “Can you plate those and put them on the table? And can you get San to set the table? Hongjoong looks like he’s not hearing a word he’s saying.”

Seonghwa looks over and chuckles, “San.”

San pops his head from Hongjoong’s line of vision, “Yeah?”

“Can you set the table?” Seonghwa asks him, already plating the black beans.

Immediately, San is on his feet, “Yeah.”

“You couldn’t have waited two more minutes?” Wooyoung questions, his annoyance evident from downstairs. “You do know we have multiple bathrooms around the house.”

“This one’s my favorite.” Yeosang’s flat voice floats down the stairs.

I laugh visualizing Wooyoung rolling his eyes at Yeosang but ultimately letting him pass into the bathroom. After the eggs have been cracked and whisked, I pull out a pan and set it on top of the stove top. Looking at the eggs, something is missing.

“Here.” Seonghwa hands me the container of cut up green onions.

“Thanks.” I take the container and sprinkle the green onions into the eggs.

As the first omelette hits the pan, Yunho walks through.

“Something smells good.” He comments before moving to sit next to Hongjoong. His hair is wet from his shower and his cheeks still show his morning blush.

“It’ll be ready in like ten minutes.” I inform them. “Will someone go wake Jongho and Mingi?”

“I’m not going back up.” Wooyoung comments coming to sit at the table in the living room where San is setting up plates and silverware.

“Yeosang!” Yunho yells and poor Hongjoong flinches.

“What?!” Yeosang yells back as the microwave beeps. Seonghwa opens the door and fluffs up the rice before taking it over to the table.

“Wake the others!” Yunho demands.

“Why do I have to do it?!” Yeosang tries to deflect the duty.

“Cause you’re already upstairs!” Wooyoung stonewalls him.

Yeosang scoffs but I hear his feet travel to their rooms.

Smiling at the mess we are in the morning, I roll up the omelette and set it on the cutting board before pouring more eggs into the pan.

“Why are you so tired, Hongjoong hyung?” San asks, taking a seat next to Wooyoung.

I slice the omelette into pieces and set it on a plate that Seonghwa got out for me.

“He was out late again.” Seonghwa answers for him, crossing his arms across his chest, “Woke me up.”

“I did?” Hongjoong worries with wide eyes. “Sorry, I thought I was being quiet.”

“Were you with her again?” Yeosang questions, appearing with Mingi and Jongho stumbling in after him.

I roll up the omelette while listening to the entire conversation from the kitchen.

Hongjoong nods, “Yeah, we went out for a movie and then lost track of time.”

Wooyoung giggles happily, “Are you guys going to date?”

San slaps Wooyoung’s shoulder, “Don’t pressure him like that.”

“Nah, they’re obviously already dating he just doesn’t want to admit it to us.” Jongho states, sitting on the other side of Wooyoung.

“Woah, Hongjoong’s got a girlfriend?” Yunho says with a wide smile, “Finally.”

“What do you mean ‘finally’?” Hongjoong defends himself.

“Get your own drinks.” I remind them pulling the third omelette out of the pan and pouring the final bit of eggs into the pan.

“What do you want to drink, Mingi, Jongho?” Hongjoong asks the two that are still in somewhat of a sleep daze.

“Water.” Yunho answers.

“Milk.” San adds.

“Oh, me too.” Wooyoung comments.

“I’ll get the milk.” Seonghwa announces noticing Hongjoong’s defeated face.

“Do we have juice?” Mingi asks, the smells of breakfast slowly bringing him to life.

“We have apple or orange.” I inform him, pulling the fourth and final omelette off the pan. I turn the stove off then move to slice the omelette and plate it with the rest.

“Apple.” Jongho gives his answer.

“Orange.” Mingi decides his beverage, his voice still not awake.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa work to pour the beverages while I grab the plate of omelettes and my coffee mug and bring it over to the table where everyone is sitting around. Jongho rises and moves to help Seonghwa and Hongjoong bring the drinks over to the table.

Spread out on the table are dishes of black beans, kimchi, fried anchovies, seasoned bean sprouts, namul, stir fried potatoes, omelettes, and bulgogi. Not to mention the large container of rice.

“Thanks for the food.” Seonghwa announces and serves himself some rice which allows the rest of us to start serving ourselves after reciprocating his thanks.

“These are really good.” Yunho compliments with a bite of omelette in his mouth.

“Thanks.” I take the compliment and scoops some beans onto my plate.

For the next few minutes, the only sounds are utensils hitting plates and napkins being crunched up.

Taking a sip of my coffee to clear my mouth, I inform the guys of my plan to go grocery shopping. “San and I are going to the store today, do you guys have any requests?”

“We need laundry detergent.” Seonghwa looks up briefly, “We’ve got like two pods left.”

My eyes widen not knowing we had gone that low on detergent. I quickly pull out my phone and add to the shopping list.

“Can we have chicken sometime this week?” Mingi asks, looking around for objections. “I’m craving it for some reason.”

“Oh, yeah, can you make that one dish that I like?” Wooyoung suggests, happily.

“That was specific.” Yeosang laughs.

“You know which one, right?” Wooyoung looks to me and I mentally go through my recipe book, “The one with the potatoes and the carrots? It has like a brownish sauce and I think you use the whole drumsticks?”

My mind immediately finds the Chicken Curry recipe my mom taught me years ago.

“The curry!” Hongjoong lights up at the memory.

“Oh, the curry!” I remember and Wooyoung nods happily. “Yeah, I can make that. When do you want it, Mingi?” I inquire from him, adding the ingredients to the grocery list.

“Uh, Wednesday night?” Mingi wonders, “I mean honestly, I do not care.”

I nod and continue eating.

“I want Goldfish.” Jongho whines, putting down his spoon.

“And popcorn.” Wooyoung pipes up, “And Chocopie.”

I type as fast as I can to get down all the snacks they want.

“Jalepeno potato chips, please.” Seonghwa smiles.

“String cheese sticks!” Yeosang adds in.

“And...” San looks at Yunho and Mingi.

“Peppero!” They scream in unison.

I laugh and add it to the list.

“Alright.” I lean back and look at the table of mostly empty dishes, “Should we clean up and start our day?”

“No.” Jongho mumbles while Hongjoong nods in agreement.

“Yes.” Seonghwa corrects them while standing and collecting a few dishes.

“You guys get to clean. I cooked.” I state, nodding my head towards the kitchen.

Yunho obediently obeys and picks up dishes as well. San, Wooyoung, and Jongho are in a heated discussion about the purpose of lamps. Mingi is on the couch with his eyes closed and I’m pretty sure he’s passed out again. Hongjoong and Yeosang also begin cleaning up the table while I get to sit back and watch the whole thing unfold.

[etraytin]

Quarantine, Day 214

October 11

Cleaning Day Part 2: In Which It Is All Boring and I Hate It. More house cleaning began this morning when I sat down with the Great British Baking Show and folded a whole bunch more clean laundry to get it out of the hallway. Getting the laundry out of the hallway meant that I could vacuum the hallway and straighten it up, getting the hallway straightened up meant that I could get the kiddo to clean the bathroom. (This is my own personal logic, so don't bother trying to figure it out.) After that, though, I kind of ran out of steam for a lot of the day. Most of the house is looking pretty good, I had plans to clean the kitchen at night, and the last-minute panic mode adrenaline had not set in yet. It'll probably start tomorrow. 

I've been thinking a lot about my parents coming to visit, whether it's safe or smart, and weighing it against how much I really want to see them. Kiddo and I have clean COVID tests and my husband hardly ever goes anywhere, so I'm thinking there's very little way for us to give it to them, but they are coming from visiting my sister and her family, and she manages a grocery store (although she is very serious about sanitary precautions). You read stories in the news about how little family gatherings can wind up spreading illness through a whole family tree and it's awful, but at the same time you have to wonder how prevalent it is, what the odds are in a community without much COVID and when the people involved have been generally playing it safe. I guess at a certain point you're just playing the odds, washing your hands and hoping. It's not like we're going to be going out to a bunch of crowded places or anything. At the same time I feel a little guilty/embarrassed to say anything about my parents visiting to people, because I know that from the most logical perspective, not taking into account how much I miss them, it's not a great idea. 

Kiddo just interrupted this entry by getting out of bed and coming out to ask Questions About Puberty, which was distracting for awhile. He's still only ten, which feels like a tiny child to me, but I started puberty when I was eleven (it wasn't fun!) and who knows when he's going to shoot up six inches and start looking me right in the eye, getting a deeper voice, and thinking deep thoughts about romance? I'm trying to give informative age-appropriate answers without revealing atavistic discomfort, because I don't want him to be embarrassed to talk to me about stuff. I never really got a sex talk from my parents; I was precocious enough to get most of it from books and our sex talk was more of a "you know all this stuff, right?" check-in. God forbid the kiddo get any large percentage of his sex ed from the internet, unless it's a place like Scarleteen. I'll show him that when he's a little older. But he's back in bed now, so back to my many cleaning woes. 

Tonight I'm working on cleaning the kitchen, one of my least favorite jobs... Okay, a palmetto bug just ran across the room, and removing them is even a less favorite job than kitchens. Palmetto bugs are like massive roaches that can fly, and the only good thing about them is that they do not typically live in houses so seeing one means one got into your house on accident rather than that you have a million insects in your baseboards. In this case, I inverted a candle over the bug and made my husband put it outside. This is one of the very few gendered household duties I insist on. I will grill and do car repairs and pay the bills, and he can wash dishes, do laundry, and cook like a champ, but it is the man's job to deal with enormous insects, and that's just the way it is. Anyway, the kitchen is slowly getting cleaned while I listen to old episodes of Oh No, Ross and Carrie, who are funny skeptics who investigate claims of the paranormal, metaphysical, and generally weird. That helps some, but it's still a tough slog. At least I have learned a lot more about UFOlogy! We also have some fruit flies, so I'm going to do the old trick where you fill a little dish with water, balsamic vinegar and dish soap to attract and drown them. That one was a real lifesaver back in Florida. 

Gave away another box of Takis today, which with the two I have promised to people brings us down to a mere three and a half cases. We can live with that. I opened a package of the roasted seaweed and did not like it, but I honestly have no idea if that's because it is too old or because I just don't like it. I have not had a kind of roasted seaweed like that before. I figure I will take it to the food bank and if they don't want it, no harm no foul, and I will get rid of it so they don't have to put it in their dumpsters because there is a lot of it. I tried the kimchi-flavored ramen and it was quite good. The kiddo thought so too, though the Hot and Spicy ramen yesterday was too spicy for him. I have not yet been brave enough to try the clam flavor. I've noticed that a lot of stuff on this pallet was the spicy variety of various foods. Fuego Takis, hot sesame oil, spicy and kimchi flavored ramen, some wasabi roasted seaweed. I wonder if it was in the back because they simply misjudged the tastes of their clientele and the spicy stuff wasn't moving. Who knows? 

In any case, I've more than gotten my ten dollars worth from this investment, even if you only count the seven milk crates and the shopping basket I've decided to keep. (There are more milk crates, but I think this is enough.) All the food is practically a bonus! A bonus I'd really like to get out of my car so I can let actual people sit in it again, so that's tomorrow's job! 

[saundraswriting]

Need Some TLC Chapter 1: Home

SUMMARY: Reader is a Registered  Nurse in a city hospital. She works usually 3-11pm but sometimes works 11pm-7am. Lately though without the necessary staff, she is asked if she could pick up any overtime hours as a nurse or a nursing assistant/patient care tech. Never one to abandon her patients she complies working more and more and more. Without much family or friends to keep her and her workaholic tendencies in check, her neighbors step in. Sargent James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes-AKA the Winter Solider and his best friend Captain Steve Grant Rogers-AKA Captain America begin passively helping, leaving food on her doorstep, making sure she can walk from the elevator to her place in one piece, keeping tabs on her whereabouts and even using their heighten senses to ensure her personal safety behind the walls. When a fire drill doesn't wake you Bucky Barnes takes matters into his own hands, with Steve and The Avengers' help of course.

WARNINGS: NONE for this chapter

PAIRINGS: Bucky Barnes x Reader      Steve Rogers x Tony Stark

SERIES MASTERLIST // NEXT

CHAPTER 1 (Also on AO3 Here)

The elevator was quiet, blissfully quiet. Completely devoid of the talking, typing, clicking, clacking, cart-rolling, pill-passing noise of the general medicine floor of the hospital you worked at. The bright fluorescent lights were the only thing keeping you awake. If your state of being was to be considered awake, you leaned heavily on the back wall of the elevator using it to keep upright. Swaying, your blinks were long and frequent, pushing off the fatigue until the last possible minute. You were almost home, after your fourth 16-hour shift in a row, you had your fist day off in ten or twelve days. The money from working so much overtime was nice but it left you tired down to your mitochondria.

Finally, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened. You stumbled out and onto your floor paying no attention to anything other than the floor in front of your feet, keeping ahold of all your belonging and finding your key. Your shuffling gait was in a direct collision course with one of the occupants from the other room on the floor. You shuffled on, not aware of him at all.

“Jeez, Y/N, are you okay?” Sargent James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes asked as he side-stepped your swaying shuffle.

“I’m fine. Jus’ tire’ is all.” You slurred. You came to a rough halt, not wanting to lose a moment with you floormate. You didn’t dare turn around knowing that you would see stars.

“Did you work all night again? Do you need some help getting to your room?” Bucky looked at you back, noticed your light trembling and swaying. “Never mind, I am helping you to your room. Give me your keys please, Y/N.”

“No. I can’t let my patients suffer.” You fisted the keys to your apartment, which was across from the one Bucky shared with the one and only Steve Grant Rogers-or as most knew him, Captain America-and lurched away from him. You tried to put more effort into speaking so the slurring wouldn’t be too heavy, a day nurse had told you that you were practically unintelligible. Your suddenly clear speech did not distract him from the fact it took you three tries to fit you key in the lock.

“What am I going to do with you?” Bucky sighed. You figured it was rhetorical and even if not, it was getting harder to stay awake. Bucky nudged you out of the way, unlocking your door for you and guided you in. You inelegantly threw your stuff on the counter, heaving a deep sigh.

“SArgent Barnes, thank you for helping me get home. I should be fine from now. I am going to sleep a bit and get a shower. I am off today. I hope.” You faced James totally, wanting to convey your thanks properly. “I don’t mean to be such a burden to you. Let me know how I can repay you.” You flashed him a bright grin.

Bucky felt his breath catch. Even run down as you were, even dressed in wrinkly and smelly and sweaty and stained scrubs, your hair a greasy pile on your head and speech almost undecipherable. You were beautiful.

“Repay me? Y/N, there is no need. You are my friend. You are Steve’s friend. I am doing what anyone should do, being a nurse is hard and demanding on a full-time schedule, let alone the insane one you have.” Bucky said. You just shook your head and smiled.

“Fine, you win, mister. Now, if you don’t mind, I need a shower and to clean up my apartment and a nap. So, go do your ‘Avengers’ thing.” You made a shooing motion with your hands. Bucky held his up and walked backwards out the door laughing lightly.

“You shouldn’t lie to your elders. That isn’t polite. If you need me just knock. We just got back from a mission. Steve is still at the compound, but I came straight here” Bucky said. “Do you want anything to eat? I can whip up some eggs for you. You are looking a little thin.”

“I’m not ‘ungry. Have a few chores. Then sleep. Later?” You were slurring again. Bucky took your answer as a question. From sharing your floor, the last few months, he knew you were prone to skipping meals too often.

He and Steve used their heightened senses to keep track of you. Left to your own devices you slacked in the self-care department. He had learned that you worked 3pm-11pm most days but some days it was 7pm-7 am or even 3pm-7am, and the latter seemed to be happening more and more frequently. He knew you didn’t have much family or friends to alleviate the workaholic tendencies you displayed.

“Okay, Y/N. Why don’t you come over for dinner? We can watch Blue Planet. If you need us, we are across the hall.” Bucky offered.

“Thank you again, Sargant Barnes. Without your help I would still be sitting in the hall asleep.” You focused on his face once more. He peered closely at you and seeming to believe that you weren’t in danger of passing out, He ruffled your messy hair and left. He closed and locked the door behind himself.

The second the door shut it felt as if he took all the liveliness with him. You sagged where you stood, exhaustion catching up with you. You looked around and sighed, your place looked like a goblin had been living here for a month. The last two and half weeks especially had been rough on your floor at the hospital, being a general medicine floor, you took anyone eighteen years or older for anything at all. You could have a 20-year-old with the flu or an 89-year-old with a fresh hip replacement. You had the beds for any patient the hospital had to admit that didn’t need a specialty room (unless overflow happened). The floor had 60 beds for usually 6 nurses and 8 nurse aides, however, there was a low supply and high demand for healthcare workers. Recently, you have been the nurse for 30 patients and having to help the aides since there are only four or five of them a night. And even shorter staff on the overnight shift, leading to you picking up or needing to stay over because no one was there to relieve you. You also picked up shifts as a nursing assistant or patient care tech, believe that no nurse is above their aides and you understand you patients better.

“Okay, let’s get changed and then shower. We can clean up after that.” You nodded firmly, pulling from the almost empty energy stores to get moving.

You pulled off your filthy scrubs, not even beginning to identify the mysterious stains and added them to the dirty laundry. After a quick shower you pulled on sweatpants and a shirt, feeling like a functioning member of society and not a dirty trash goblin. You gathered all your dirty clothes and began on of the many loads of laundry, while that went you did dishes and cleaned out the fridge, took out the trash, changed sheets, swapped the throw blankets on the chair and couch. You even wrote a grocery list for the next week or two. After doing a second load of laundry you called it quits. It was 9:30 in the morning and you needed some sleep before tackling the rest of your chores.

“Two melatonin and two-night ibuprofen should do the trick. I can sleep. I can sleep and not have to get up for work until tomorrow.” You said to yourself. You took the medication and curled up on the couch with David Attenborough lulling you to sleep.

“Some arteries of the blue whale of big enough for adult humans to swim through.” Was the last thing you heard.

Masterlist // Next

*******************************************************************************************

Welcome to my first published Bucky Barnes X Reader fic. I am very attached to this. I wrote a lot of myself into this story. I am a Certified Nursing Assistant near Pittsburgh, PA. So I have some experience but I work with the elderly in a nursing home. Please leave a comment or kudos, I am not sure how well received this will be, and I don't really know what I am doing.

[cryysis]

..

it has to say something about me when i can't bear the thought of her coming back

her grandmother is a perfectly wonderful woman. a little scatter brained, but absolutely sweet. willing to help however she can.

and i just had a mental breakdown because my roommate told me she was coming back for another week

another FUCKING week

she was here for 2 months, her and that damn chihuahua, helping my roomie because she got into a serious car accident and needed help with everything and just like i told my roommate then: you were in a major accident, i will deal with my social anxiety you need help, and i work to much to be able to really help you. just be prepared to not see me for a while she understood and we moved on did it suck? ab-so-fucking-lutely i rarely left my room. my sleeping schedule is a mess, and that damn rat wouldn't let me sleep. but i dealt with it because she was hurting and in a fucking car accident what kind of twisted asshole would i have to be to tell her no

roomie's doing better, says she's gonna try to get back to work. grams will be around a little longer just in case while roomie starts out, but she should be leaving soon.

awesome. so i call my bestie across the country and we make plans for them to come visit for a few days. grams will be gone by the time they're here, but just in case, we push it back another two weeks. just to play it safe.

i get sent home from work for two weeks because i coughed. irritating yes, but covid and pandemic. i get it.

friend comes to visit and guess who STILL HASN'T LEFT? this is in the middle of june.

another week passes after friend leaves. grams is finally gone, and roomie goes to stay with her then boyfriend for a while. something about him wanting to help.

for four days, the apartment is blessedly empty. i sleep. i clean. i eat regularly. i do laundry.

roomie comes back because she and the shit-fuck are officially over. that sucks, and then its two. we know each other well enough, our schedules are opposite enough, that its fine. everything's good.

roommate tells me grams is coming back for a few days to help finish the baby shower projects that took over the living room while she was here. my skin starts to itch. i tell her sure.

she shows up, brings the dog. its not a few days. its two and a half weeks.

two and a half weeks of dog hair. of little to no sleep. of barely eating. of never leaving my room because i don't want to fucking deal with it. i cough again, part of my annual summer colds. another two weeks stuck at home. its sunday.

roomie tells me she and grams are leaving. headed to her sisters for the other shower. cool.

for three days, it's absolute bliss. i clean the apartment, and it stays that way. i sleep for more than two. three hours at a time. i buy groceries and eat just as much, if not more, in the three days they're gone than i have in over a week.

i know roomie is coming back today, so i want to make sure everythings nice when she gets here. take a shower, clean up my one or two dishes, eat something, let her have some space so she can reset like i did.

i text her, she tells me she'll be headed home in an hour or so. cool, no worries.

by the way. i've got two back things this week and next, so i need a driver.  grams is coming.

it takes me a minute to process. she can't be serious.

she'll at least give me a days notice. i hope. i pray.

i know she won't. so i ask her.

she'll be coming back with roomie.

i feel numb. this. she. she can't be serious.

i get out of bed, because i only just woke up. sleep schedule from work and all that.

i spend the first ten minutes crying. breaking down. i can't fucking deal with this. i can't.

its going to be another week, at least, of a dirty apartment. no room in the fridge. disgusting dishes. constantly broken sleep. barely eating.

so i move things. i have one drawer in the fridge that's near bursting. but it's only mine. one shelf on the door for my milk. the slim shelf above the drawer has the rest of my things. that leaves a second drawer, two shelves in the fridge, and three on the door. all hers.

when grams is here, i lose the little space i have. they move my stuff around, shove things to the back. i can't blame them, they don't see me do anything. that doesn't mean i like it.

so i condense. anything i have lying anywhere is recrammed into the drawer. i still have the milk shelf. and i move everything to the smallest shelf in the fridge. throw out everything of mine that's going bad in the next few days, the next week. i won't be able to eat it.

there's a huge empty shelf in there now. hopefully they use it and stop moving my things.

i close the curtain i hung in september that separates the rest of the apartment from my bath and bedroom. pull out the broom and the swiffer because her grams never puts things away. make sure she doesn't have any TP in the hall closet, and stick two more rolls of paper towels in the kitchen so they have no reason to go in the hallway.

i stick my work shoes in two plastic bags and hide them in the hall. that's how my roomate always knows i'm home. hopefully she'll see they aren't there and assume i'm gone.

make sure anything that's mine is in my room or in my bathroom. clean up my two dirty dishes, dry them and put them away. grab my cases of tea that i try to rotate in the fridge so i can have something cold to drink, bring them in my room. get some snacks. i don't want to go entire days without eating or drinking if i can help it.

i collapse in my room. the blanket i'm using should hide me well enough if roomie comes knocking when she gets home. speaking of which. its been half an hour, i should check my phone.

she sent me a message. asked if she should tell grams to come later in the week. like that's going to do anything.

what the hell am i supposed to tell her? she got into a car accident, she needs help. what right do i have to tell her no?

i don't respond, i just turn off my phone. i never do that. somehow or other, i'm always connected. but if its on i'll keep looking at it. i'll want to answer. i can't handle that.

the apartments clean. if it wasn't for my dishes in the cabinets and my other food on the shelf, it would look like i didn't even live here. like i never existed.

every time there's people who stay over, it makes me wish i didn't. i can't keep doing this.

what kind of person does that make me? what kind of asshole wishes her roommates 'help' would stay gone?

i hate feeling like this.

[fangzeronos]

New Year Observations

As the new year and new decade get started, I spent the day reflecting on the last ten years. I’ve seen friends get married, have their families, friends break up and get with someone else. I’ve had most of my family pass away and my friends pass away too. I’ve fallen out of contact with a lot of people, recently reconnecting with several of them. I’ve watched the country go from great to bad. I watched fandoms destroy themselves, toxicity running through them like a virus. I’ve seen franchises rise and fall, and companies go from giving a shit to only wanting our money to line their pockets.

 But looking back through the last ten years, I realize just how little I have accomplished or succeeded in.

 I used to work for my county’s 911 center as a dispatcher in 2011. I loved that job. I was forced out of it by the coordinator who seemed to think I was “spilling trade secrets” to my father who helped set the place up the year before. I sent fire and ambulance crews to scenes. I was responsible for one my friend’s deaths because I couldn’t get the helicopter launched quick enough to get to him. I still can’t look his wife in the eye even all these years later. That guilt still eats me up.

 I’ve got a semi-successful writing talent. AO3 and Fanfiction.net being where I post most of my stuff. I’ve completed a few multi-chapter epics, a lot of one-shots, some I even scrapped entirely or have been dragging my feet for months, all ranging from Teens to Explicit. My twitter (@FangZeronos) is just me rambling about television and movies and occasionally talking with a famous person.

 I started realizing through all my introspection, though, that my biggest problem feels like my life is unfulfilled. I know I couldn’t have gotten through the last ten years without my wonderful girlfriend beside me. She’s kept me grounded through everything. Part of my problem is I see how successful my friends are, see where they’re at, like teaching or a pharmacist or a drag racer or engineers or in the military, and I realize I never moved on or out of this little town. And I know why I didn’t, and I hate using this as my excuse, but it’s true.

 It was because of my mother. My mom had Multiple Sclerosis, and it got bad. It was to the point where they stopped counting the lesions on her brain and spine because there were so many. It was bad enough that by the time my sister was graduating high school, my mother was wheelchair bound. When I graduated in 2009, I had a chance to go to school full ride, no student loans, no nothing. MY uncle was going to pay for it, but I declined because I knew someone had to be here for my mother because Dad worked all the time and my sister was still in school and active in her church. I took care of my mom for 5 years. I did everything. Medication, going with her to appointments, getting her in and out of bed, helping her eat when she couldn’t steady her own hands.

 Then…September 2013, she developed an inoperable brain tumor. Glioblastoma primary multiform is what it was called. It was pushing down on her motor cortex, and if they tried to operate, it could have killed her quicker. She went through the radiation and chemotherapy, but it didn’t work. It got to the point that between the MS and the tumor, we couldn’t take care of her at home anymore, so we were forced to put her into a nursing home. I sat with her when Dad was doing the paperwork in the main office and trying to get her settled when she started screaming at me that I hated her, that I was a disappointment, I should have been aborted, etc. Same thing I’d heard for years at that point. The week before Saint Patrick’s Day 2014, she’d had a minor stroke that severed the brainstem from the spinal column. She was essentially a vegetable, feeding tube and breathing tube to keep her alive. Dad and I visited her in the hospital on March 13th, and I couldn’t bear to go back.

 He and my sister were there on the 14th, and they decided to leave since there wasn’t anything to do other then listen to the steady “beep beep beep” of the monitors. My sister looked back and said “Dad, is she supposed to be that color?” My dad worked ambulances for 30 years, so he felt her pulse, feeling the last beat of her heart. He said she smiled, like she was finally at peace. They got home, told me what happened.

 I’ll admit, I was a little callous. I honest to God said, “Good. Now we can get on with our lives and stop wasting our time with someone that didn’t want to do anything but bitch about how her care was being done.” There were more then a few fists thrown in the following days. We had a memorial for her in the middle of April, hardly anyone showed up.

 After that, I could have gotten a job, done something with my life, but…I didn’t. I stayed home, took care of the house, did the laundry, the dishes, took care of the cats, kept the house up. I still do all of that. But the fact is that I’m 28 years old and I have fuck all to show for it. A house full of video games, Lego, Funko Pop Vinyls, and plastic toys from Japan. That’s all I have to show for ten years out of high school. Everything in this town is either fast food or grocery stores or Walmart, and I’ve applied at several of them over the last few years. When I check on the applications, they say “We already hired someone. Thanks for your application.” But then still keep the “NOW HIRING” signs out all of the place.

 I do think there’s something wrong with me. I go to bed way too late, I’m up way too early. I eat way too many sweet things, don’t exercise, don’t diet. Some mornings I wake up and honestly say, “Oh, I’m still here. Damn.” It always happens between the start of September and the end of February. Today was one of those days. I went to bed at 2, was up at 7:30, had that thought. I struggle with that on a regular basis, but I don’t tell anyone. Dad’ll say I’m doing it for attention. I don’t know what my sister would say. I keep it bottled up because I don’t like asking for help or look for the attention.

 I think I’ve gone on long enough. This is about five hundred words more then I wanted…Happy new year, everyone.

 Daniel