#i don't reply much over there but all comments are very much appreciated 🥰

[lanawinterscigarettes]

Special Day (Blair Waldorf x gn reader)

Summary: Blair plans out the perfect birthday for you, from start to finish

Warnings: they/them pronouns used to refer to the reader in a gender neutral manner, mentions of drinking

A/N: this is dedicated to the wonderful @sparklingbutterflies for their birthday. I hope it's as amazing as you are 🥰

Blair's birthdays were always meticulously planned right down to the very last detail, everything needing to be perfect. It only made sense that her partner got the very same treatment when it was their turn to celebrate their special day.

She stood with her clipboard amidst the caterers and people who had been hired to set everything up, verifying each and every little thing on her list to make sure it was done properly. Refreshments, entertainment, decorations, and of course the guest list were double and even triple checked. Nothing was too grand for her beloved.

You had somewhat of an idea about the things she had planned for you as the two of you had gone over it together previously, but you weren't allowed to peek at the list or even be at the area where the party was being held until everything was done getting set up. Blair knew she needed a good distraction to keep you occupied, and Serena was the perfect contender for the job.

"Come on, it's your birthday! Let's go do some shots," she suggested while excitedly hopping around you on the sidewalk, acting as if she'd already had a few shots herself.

"We can't, we have to be back in time for the party." You reached out and grabbed her by the arm before she could wander off onto the street and the oncoming traffic. Babysitting your girlfriend's bestie wasn't an ideal way to spend your birthday, but you had to admit it was a good way of keeping you busy so you couldn't snoop at what she had planned for you.

Before you could scold Serena on not watching where she was going, her phone chimed, indicating that a text message had come in. Taking it out, she read the message and let out an excited squeal. "Blair said that everything's finally ready, so we can go see what she's got set up for you now."

"Thank God," you muttered under your breath while letting her take you by the arm and drag you down the street, hailing a cab so you could make it there on time.

Once you stepped foot inside the place where your party was being held, you could truly see just how much effort had been put into it. Blair was naturally the first to greet you once you walked in, giving you a kiss before wrapping an arm around your waist in a casually possessive manner.

"I'm guessing Serena did her job at keeping you well distracted," she commented while watching the blonde in question try to flirt with one of the servers carrying a tray that had glasses of champagne on it.

"You guess correctly." Your eyes flickered across the room as you spoke, unable to fully comprehend what you were seeing. Part of you couldn't believe that she'd really gone to all this trouble just for you and your special day.

"God, you're so tense," she stated while giving your waist a gentle squeeze. "Try to loosen up a little. This is your birthday party, not a public execution."

Her words made you let out a snort of laughter before you replied. "Some could argue they're close to being the same thing."

At that, she scoffed and rolled her eyes, still leading you around as she spoke. "Just try to enjoy yourself. I went to a lot of trouble to get all of this set up for you."

"I know you did, and I'm very grateful," you said in an earnest manner before leaning over and giving her an appreciative kiss on the cheek. "When's the cake getting served?"

"Not until a little later, but I made sure to get it in your favorite flavor, so don't worry because you're going to love it." She sounded a bit smug, leading you to assume she was probably able to get a gourmet pastry chef to cater it just for you.

The corners of your lips tugged upwards into a soft smile. It was cute seeing just how proud she was for being able to make everything special for you. "I don't doubt that in the slightest. Now come on, I need a drink."

You stuck by your girlfriend's side the entire night as you enjoyed your party. Maybe you were being a tad bit clingy, but she'd left early in the morning to make sure everything was set up in time, which meant you hadn't been able to see her for most of the day. Plus it didn't help that the alcohol in your system made you a bit more sappier than usual.

Even while being a little tipsy, you were still able to enjoy yourself, marveling at the wide variety of gifts you'd received (most of which were from Blair herself) and happily digging in to the massive slice of cake you'd gotten (it was every bit as good as Blair said it would be). The night was definitely memorable, to say the least.

After what seemed like ages of celebrating nonstop, the party ended and you were finally taken back home. Boxes and bags that were full of your gifts littered the floor of your room, but you were much too tired to care, flopping down onto your bed and letting out a sigh of content.

You heard footsteps approach the bed and felt as Blair leaned over you, placing an affectionate kiss to your cheek. "Happy birthday, mon amour. I hope you enjoyed it."

Despite your exhaustion from everything that happened earlier, you still had just enough strength to reach out and take her by the wrist, gently tugging her forward onto the bed with you. "Of course I did, because you were there with me."

She let you pull her in without protest, cuddling up close to your chest as she got comfortable. One of your hands moved to stroke her hair as you laid there together, a calm silence falling over the room.

The two of you drifted off to sleep shortly after that, spending the last bit of your birthday curled up in one another's arms. Your very last thought before letting the tiredness you felt overtake you was just how special the day had indeed been, owing it all to the beautiful brunette who was sleeping next to you.

End notes: I hope you enjoyed this sparkle 🥺 I even added a little french endearment from blair just for you 💞

Likes < reblogs | comments are greatly appreciated | requests are currently open

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🏷 taglist: @missmewts @ghot-girl @gilmore-angel @pvnk-whvre @alexxavicry @noisy-dumb-piece-of-shit @theonetruepotato87 @caplanreblogsfics @samcvrpenters @bleachxbunny

[shininglikeyoursmile]

My favourite melody

Pairing: Lloyd Hansen x female reader

Word count: around 500

Summary : Lloyd realises how far he'd fallen for you and he doesn't wish to stop it anytime soon maybe never.(This is from his pov)

Warning: Soft Lloyd, 😌, feels ,🥺. Fluff!!!!!🥰😊😇 . As always no minors. 18+ only.

A/n: WHY HE'S FICTIONAL! 😭😭😭. I want my own llyod to take care of me . Liiiike please🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺. I just love him 🥹🥹🥹

There is no actual description of reader. No use of y/n.

All mistakes are my own. No beta read. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

As always my beloved, comments, feedback and reblog are SO MUCH APPRECIATED!!!!! please leave some feedback!!!!!🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

Lots of love! ❤️

Lloyd POV:

I used to think the world revolved around me until she came storming in my life ,and for once I wasn't complaining.

The realisation hit me after a while, that my world revolved around her. She sets my soul on fire and the warmth soothes the very reason of my being. I don't want the fire to ever be put out because it makes me feel alive. I trace my fingertips along her cheek and it's more than enough that she's in my arms . More than anything it's enough for me, for a lifetime but maybe I am greedy and I want her for eternity. Her sleeping form moves closer to seek more of my warmth and my heart feels like it can burst out of my chest at the next second but instead it beats so hard that it makes a melody which my ears only hear. I love her and God, I love her. "I've never asked for anything, Cupcake. But for you," he leans down and his lips dance along your forehead "for you I will beg to God." . He lets the words hang in the air. It's like a warm blanket settled over his cold heart. A heart he used to think which can't love. But then there are you making him feel every single thing. His hand seetles on your waist and he pulls you closer and you let out a sigh of contentment. His words from earlier echo in his head and he feels the reality of how far he has fallen for you. His Cupcake. He tilts your chin to get a better look at your sleeping face. My sunshine " he whispers and his lips brush along your jaw . His gaze moves to your close eyes and he thinks, the colour of your eyes is his favourite and he makes a promise to himself to keep it like that till his last breath and for eternity if that's what is waiting for you both. "I want you in a way I can't explain Sunshine. But let me try to explain it"he sighs and his lips turn in a grin"If someone asked me to choose between the world and you, and I had two chances , i will choose you twice so the world better know you are mine and I am yours' ' . The evening is turning colder ,he notices as he gazes at the window . "I will choose your warmth if everything I've achieved is winter "he continues ,"I need you more than air ."

"Lloyd " your sleepy voice makes his eyes meet yours "yeah, sunshine?" He replies with a smile. "I am sleepy" you say in a baby-like tone and he smiles, genuinely smiles. A type of smile which makes his eyes twinkle in the dark night. "And nothing is stopping you from sleeping more " he says in a soft tone and then you are back to sleep. It's like his presence has that calming effect on your soul which makes you fall asleep easily and moreover fall in love with him. He pulls up the warm blanket more til it's touching your chin and that's the last thing you both remember when the deep slumber of sleep pulls you in a sea of dreams. And for the nth time he isn't complaining.

**

Aggghh my heart 🥺🥺🥺🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

[abitohoney]

I know I've been very silent lately in regards to my writing. Haven't posted anything in... months. I also have not replied to comments, tags, etc. Please know that it doesn't mean I don't appreciate them. I'm just not in the best place right now, and I've been avoiding my writing because it gives me awful anxiety. I just feel like every word I write is crap (I know that's likely not true, but I just can't get past it right now ☹️). So for those of you still supporting my existing work, thank you so very much. I hope to reply some day soon to really show my appreciation. It's just likely going to take me a while. Likely will be a while before I can get back into writing too. Plenty of ideas that won't go away, but not enough confidence/talent. Special thanks to @fyeahnix! I've read all your comments over on AO3 several times and saw your posts over here tagging me and mentioning me in your tags! I'm incredibly flattered that a writer I admire enjoys my fics so much! 🥰

[lostcauses-noregrets]

Hiii you don't have to answer this ask at all. I just wanted to send you a thank you note to tell you that I really appreciate you and admire the love you have for eruri. I left the fandom back when it was revealed that Erwin had died (oh the heartbreak 🤧). Very recently, I picked up aot again because I heard the Very Last Episode was coming out soon. I've been dipping my toes back into the fandom, and I was so incredibly happy to see that you were still around and that your love for eruri was still strong. I got to catch up with a lot of stuff regarding eruri (official media, fanart, fanfic, fandom/anon takes on Certain Events through the years, etc) thanks to your blog! Thank you for all your hard work! And I'm sorry that you receive hate/weird anon takes. It must be tiring to go through all the unnecessary 💩 asks that are taking up space in your inbox. Ummm so what I wanted to say is: your blog and your fics are truly a god send to eruris everywhere!🤣 Thank you for putting your heart and time into this blog! I hope the hate comments don't wear you down too much.🥺 You are a wonderful person and haters just hate to see you thriving and living your best life.🙄 THANKS AGAIN 🥰💋❤️

Hi Anon, thank you sooo much for your lovely message. I really appreciate you taking the time to write this. You're very kind. I wanted to reply to your ask, firstly to thank you, and secondly to say that this right here is my experience of the Eruri fandom and this is why I'm still here after all these years.

I know that the vast majority of the Anon hate in my inbox, and in the fandom more generally, comes from a vanishingly small number of individuals, who are very much the exception rather than the rule. The vast majority of Eruri fans that I've encountered in the last 8 years have been the most amazing, creative and generous people you could ever wish to meet. The Eruri fandom isn't huge by any measure but the quality and creativity of the art and fic is rightly well known. Eruri fans have produced amazingly professional zines that would be the envy of much larger fandoms, and have come together time and time again to raise thousands of dollars for important causes such as medical relief for Palestine and Ukraine.

On a more personal level, I've been humbled by the generosity of Eruri fans, by the fic, art, friendship and support they've shared with me. I've met so many amazing people from all walks of life and corners of the globe. Some have been my best friends for almost a decade now. We've travelled the world, crossed oceans to spend time together, and shared so many incredible experiences and memories. Whenever I get hate or death threats in my inbox, it doesn't phase me, it just makes me feel a bit sad for the people sending it because their lives must be very empty indeed.

So thank you Anon, YOU are the reason I'm still here, you and the many Eruri fans like you who it's been a joy to share this amazing fandom with over the last 8 years 💕

[yellowloid]

💫, 🎀, 💥, 💋, 💌 for the writing asks 🥰

thank you so much for the questions 🥰

💫what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback?

i love love love long comments where the reader just goes over a whole list of things that stuck with them while reading, little details, images, ways a character acted, something the characters said; i just absolutely adore hearing about what the reader felt while reading my fics, how a particularly angsty passage put them in their feelings, a very fluffy bit sent them giggling and smiling at the screen, or a smutty scene had them losing their mind skfjshsfh. i also love when people tell me they've got passages from my fics screenshotted on their phone or quoted in their journals, or when they tell me that something i wrote helped them smile when they were sad, or helped them through a difficult time, or simply managed to distract them from real life problems, even if just for a bit. i love knowing that my writing can have a positive impact on other people's lives, no matter how small it might be <3

🎀give yourself a compliment about your own writing

i think i'm pretty good at coming up with new images to express the kind of visceral love i write about whenever i write milex, both with the romantic and sexual aspect of it; i also think i do a good job at making the most of the more "aesthetic" part of writing - making sure my words and sentences not only make sense, but also "look good" together. i want my writing to sound as poetic and melodious as it can, that's really important to me and i tend to spend a lot of time trying to achieve that :)

💥find your least kudos'd fic - say something wonderful about it.

my least kudos'd fic is the third and final part of my 'satin and lace' series, 'of loving at will, of loving till death'. my venice honeymoon fic <3 one that, in many ways, closed a chapter of my life that started back when i posted the first part of this series; if you know me, you also know how much this trilogy means to me. writing and posting the last part not only felt like a challenge, but also a quite emotional one sjfhshsjgh because i knew i'd miss those chaotic smitten husbands so much </3

despite it having less kudos than other fics of mine, i'm still really fond of this one. i made so much research for it - which now results in me knowing a whole lot of random trivia about venice - and i'm very satisfied with how realistic and accurate the descriptions of the city turned out, as well as the way they mixed with the expression of their love, the romance and drama of it all... plus i went on vacation this summer and spent a day in venice (i'd visited once when i was a kid but didn't remember much) and it just meant so much to me, visiting that city now that it holds a whole new and special meaning to me <3 it felt so !!!! walking around those sunny alleys and crossing all those bridges over the canals, imagining miles and alex doing the same, hand in hand, disgustingly in love with each other. it was just so magical and special - and i think that fic really captures the spirit of venice as a whole 💙💜

💋when you leave comments on a fic, do you want to hear back from the writer?

absolutely!! i think it's not only ao3 etiquette, but also like... the whole point of it? if i leave a comment it's because i want the author to know i loved their work, and if they never reply i feel like a. they secretly hate me or smth or b. they haven't seen my comment and now they won't know i loved their fic!!!!! when i know damn well that they don't hate me and they also most likely saw the comment and appreciated it, but just didn't reply for whatever reason. some people don't reply to comments and that's okay skfjshfhs but i certainly do in most cases and i definitely want to hear back from other writers when i leave one myself!!

💌share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited!

okay okay so. this is all assuming i don't have a mental breakdown over it and drop it lmao but basically. it's a long-fic. two and a half chapters are already written. it's very angsty and alex is a stupid self-loathing idiot in it (<3). their performance of 'last night i dreamt' by the smiths @ alexandra palace is an out of context spoiler for it. that's all i can say without getting into spoilery details and/or giving away the whole premise of it gkskfjsdhgk

[deepperplexity]

Deep breath, and stave off the smile, your eyes water when you smile too wide, Plex...

GIIIIIRL! What in the bloody unicorn reindeer was that?! Are you okay? My eardrum damn near burst from that! Gosh, blimey, are you trying to make me deaf you silly-nilly? 😂😉

Also, I'm dying over here, you are so spot on and this essay has me kicking my legs and giggling and my cheeks are now hurting from all the smiling - girl, you got me good with this comment and I literally had to collect myself before answering 'cus this is TOO MUCH JOY IN ONE GO, 'kay? Gosh, you'll give me a heart attack with all this goodness and serotonin overflow! (Not complaining though, nu-uh!)

And THANK YOU for appreciating how much effort I put into my writing, making sure to get the language as right as I possibly can, to play on the time of it all, the character's origin, all of it - gosh, I really feel like it's all worth it when I get comments like this... (I'm not bawling, you are!) this fic really was my best and most intense attempt at the rom-com feel and I did all I could to make you have a really good and fun time but keeping it good at the same time, you know? So this means the world to me... I'm truly so grateful.

And yeah, you know me, I like to do my research, so ofc I'll share the link - if you go on the page and click gallery you can watch a video of most of the places I described too (also, thank you for saying my description was enough for you to see it so clearly!) so you can really feel it (minus the Christmas theme ofc) - I really do try, ya' know? It's worth it, and it makes me so happy to hear it's appreciated 🙈🥰👏

this -> (squints with Anna Lousie as we both are like i get what u mean sir but that's not entirely correct , still love u 😌) HAS ME LAUGHING TOO HARD and I'm so happy you're loving the nicknames, I'm starting to run out of nicknames, gosh, I've used so many nicknames and come up with the oddest of nicknames that work within a certain setting and sounds sweet and natural but it's getting HARD 😅 I'll keep on bringing you nicknames though! I shall endeavour to always please you, darling!

We love cats, and it's not Ferdinand's fault, pour kitty is feral 'cus of her sister's bad treatment - I mean, sure, Anna-Lousie could probably straighten him out but he'll probably always be a bit feral now - let's hope sis keeps him and ahs to deal with the problem she created, eh? 🤭🙈

She is a bit up in the clouds, but, I mean, come on, would you be nosey or just roll with it when assuming you met a very upstanding man who's all shades of kind, gentle and caring, patient and sweet and all things good? I wouldn't rock the boat 👀 No sir, I'll just assume the best until I'm proven otherwise - let me live in my delulu world!

I love a five point essay, you know I'm weak for your commentary darling - for any and all commentary really ❤❤❤ (yeah, I'm such a little slut for comments, not even gonna feel guilty about it, just be appreciative of every word I am gifted) and I'm more than thrilled to see you're so excited! I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THESE TWO TOO! Like, I want to know what happens - I can't write fast enough apparently. I've just spent close to two hours getting back on track with all the comments and reblogs (had the time of my life - it seems the party is 90% on tumblr and not AO3 this year) and I'm gonna try to start writing tomorrow fic as soon s I've replied to this beautiful essay for yours 😘👏 And do feel free to show up at any point to scream at me, just don't make me deaf pretty please, 'kay? 😉

And no! You can't choose both, only one! ONE! Make your choice! And surrender your Christmas to the choice you make, only one shall be accepted or there shall be no Christmas for you - mowahahahahah 😈

Also, your tags... like, you really out there apologising for your essay comment and "plex stays going hard" 😂😂😂😂 Maybe I should apologies for this essay in return too? (Sorry dash, we just be vibing, you see...)

Prompt: 11. Imperfect Holiday [D1]

Pairing: Gruber x Fem!OC

POV: First, OC

Setting: Train heading north through the English countryside

Continuation of: RICKMAS2022 Prompts 14. Icy Roads & 15. Frosty Glass

A/N: It’s been a year! Well, three days short of a year but still a year! And I’ve had so many messages, lots of asking about Hans and Anna-Louise — how it turns out, if she finds out who he really is, how she reacts to it if so, and everything else. I’m honestly so thrilled this story caught so many darlings’ attention and I’m more than happy to continue this story. As I write this it’s 16.09 the 10th of December and I’ve yet to actually start writing - the past few days have been hectic and my little one has been sick so there’s been need of extra cuddles which hasn’t allowed me to write until now. But I’m excited! (Continuing this note after I’ve written the fic…)

Okay, so, this turned out to be bloody long - again, why do I do this to myself? Especially on days I have so little time 😅👍 I’m very happy with the continuation of this story though, and in true Hans x Anna-Louise spirit, there will be one more part this RICKMAS - two parts, just like last year, and I’ll probably make it tomorrows prompt actually - why not? It matches up well and I’m sure to have a bloody war with the keyboard yesterday as well given I tend to make these fics longer. WORTH IT THOUGH! 🙈👏

Tags/TW’s: Different Lifestyles, Running Away (technically), Self Doubt, Forehead Kisses, Kissing, Caring, Hand Holding, Being Spoiled A Little, Falling In Love, Unmarked One Bed Trope, Motion Sickness, H/C, Patient MMC/Anxious FMC, Following One’s Heart, Secret Identity

Recap of last year’s fics: Anna-Louise (Lulu/Schnuki) Humphrey met Hans Gruber a snowy evening when he pushed her out of the way of an oncoming car while she were slipping around on an icy road in the middle of her run-down hometown. He captivated her with his handsome features and eyes that seemed to truly see her, and he was in turn captivated by her, seeing much potential and sweetness.

When they met again at the little café where Martha (the old lady with a fat dog and a cane she liked to swat at peoples legs) exclaimed him to be a handsome gentleman while Anna-Louise did all she could not to die of embarrassment at the old lady’s choices of conversation they ended up talking about her coming with him. Anna-Louise told Hans that was how to get kidnapped one-o-one but Hans pointed out he felt they were far more than mere strangers.

All her life she had been treated like a nuisance, a person not even worth mentioning by her full name — sometimes just as blabber missy even — and she had longed for years to leave. But she’d been frightened, fearing she’d end up a lonely puddle of anxiety more than anything. Yet, Anna-Louise ended up running to the train station at nine in the evening, hoping he would be there, and of course, he was. They left the poor little town together on the train heading north after sharing a toe-curling embrace where Hans kissed her forehead while calling her Schnuki and his sweet treat…

Word Count: 4.9k+

LINKTREE // AO3 // MASTERLIST

The train lurched into action and my stomach dropped. I was a silly-nilly, a delulu Lulu truly. It’s all gone pear-shaped now, hasn’t it? Dad won’t make it without me, sis will be a furious mess for him to deal with when Ferdinand’s litter box needs cleaning and when he needs his weekly bath with the oils and nobody will do the laundry, and the bins, it’ll pile over and— But my eyes went to Hans at that moment — sitting opposite me in a private cabin with red chequered seating and walnut furnish — and my rampant thoughts calmed down.

He watched me, his undivided attention fully on me. I wanted to squirm under his clear eyes yet I remained still, feeling wholly seen and wanted by that mere look of his. “Is my mind in a hoax with my eyes?” he asked, making me scrunch my brows. “I can’t believe you are actually sitting there, here, with me.” My cheeks burned at his words, spoken in that German accent of his. “I can’t believe it myself to be honest. I feel… Stupid.” “Stupid?” he asked, his eyes widening while his brows shot up. “This is a thing of romance movies and hostage situations, perhaps a police chase movie with bombs and exploding train tracks that’ll force the passengers to jump into the snow at break-neck speeds and run for their lives or—” I clamped my mouth shut. “Sorry, rambling again…”

Hans tilted his head, one leg crossed over the other with his coat only resting atop his shoulders, watching me with a small smirk. He was too bloody handsome. My very bones felt warmed by that daftly charming smirk. It wasn’t as devastatingly chaos-wrecking as his smile though. I liked both equally either way.

“You are worried, no?” he asked. “Worried?” “Well, you said it yourself, we are strangers and it is kidnapping one-o-one for a woman not to go anywhere with a stranger, especially a man. Yet,” he held out his hands, “here you are. Having boarded a train taking you anywhere.” The fact he remembered exactly what I’d said had my heart performing a stutter before my mind kicked into gear. “Not anywhere, last station is Durham, I’ve wanted to take this train many times. Not that I ever thought I would, I kept track, pun not intended mind you, but I never thought I’d actually get on, you know? Where would I go? I have nowhere to go, never had anywhere to go, and why would I leave when my family needs me,” I rambled on, my nerves getting the better of me again. Stop, stop, just, stop, or he’ll kick you off the train before you can say you’re a blabber missy. God, I’m so annoying.

“Well, you are correct, schnuki. The last station is Durham. The rest of your words, I can’t deem as right.” “What? Why?” “You have everywhere to go, many things to see and experience. Your family treats you poorly and I, for one, do not accept someone as bright and sweet as you to be kept bound to such a terrible fate. Cat claws and mints, doing other people’s bidding at all times.” He watched me most intently as he spoke, goosebumps travelled down my spine when he spoke of doing other people’s bidding, the words felt two-fold for some reason I couldn’t wrap my thought-riddled head around.

“You’re rather blunt, you know.” I thought that from the very start so maybe it’s a trait of his? Or a German thing? Martha would have a field day if he were to join for crisply burnt biscuits and cold tea next Thurs— Ah, right… “Schnuki?” I shook my head to focus on the man and not my bloody overwhelming thoughts. “Are you well?” he continued. “S-sorry, just, lots of thoughts.” “Speak them,” he said, leaning back and getting comfortable (at least it looked like it).

I blinked at him for a moment, my hand squeezing the edge of my duffel bag beside me while I did all I could not to weep at those words. He probably thought little of them, but they had me gobsmacked. “Speak them?” “Yes, you know, say them out loud. Is that not the term in England? Works fine in America.” I chuckled while my entire face heated. “Yeah, sure, it’s right but… I talk enough as it is.” “I doubt you could ever talk enough, schnuki,” he said with a deep chuckle.

My face sank, my shoulders slouched and I felt a million utterances of blabber missy and shut it, Lulu attack me from within. From the past. The very, very recent past. But Hans wasn’t like that, he wasn’t some prick spilling poppycock into my ear or forcing me to do something I didn’t want to do. No, he made me do something I’d dreamt myself blue about.

The plush bench beneath me sank on my left side, Hans sat right next to me and I hadn’t even noticed he’d moved. His hand enveloped mine, my eyes turned wide while he squeezed my still-scratched-up skin — Ferdinand was probably at the top of the tree now, swatting at tinsel and knocking off the star at the top while I was nowhere in sight and I wasn’t sure how it made me feel knowing the feral kitty wouldn’t be fully cared for. Would he end up on the street or could I at least count on sis keeping him, and feeding him?

“You are brave, my sweet treat,” Hans said. “I will not allow you to squander your life away any longer, understand me?” he continued and I gulped down a breath before nodding, my constant stream of words quiet for the moment. My insides were in shambles over the sudden close contact though, he was so warm, and he smelt like mint— No, not mint, menthol. Menthol and ginger, and something… something else I’ve never smelt before. “Speak those thoughts,” Hans said beside me. “You smell good,” I blurted out without thinking first.

My ears were given a cacophony of his laugh, deep and rumblingly loud — it was perfect. “You smell like a treat,” Hans said and smiled at me after he’d stopped laughing. “A sweet treat.” “Oh, it’s my shower gel, it’s scented like gingerbread cookies.” “Ah, yes, that’s the smell, partly at least. There’s more to it though.” “More?” “Yes, something incredibly sweet,” Hans continued and we fell silent as our eyes locked. His were so clear, so open, and endlessly bright with sprinkles of grey within the blue I hadn’t noticed before. Blimey, you’re perfection… “I’d say that’s you,” he said softly and I blinked. “Did-, did I say that aloud?” He chuckled and leaned in, kissing my temple, while he rumbled a deep “yes”.

My cheeks burned, feeling bloody mortified and flustered. “Oh,” I managed and he squeezed my hand. “You have the brightest of voices, schnuki. Speak as much as you need,” he assured and what on earth was I supposed to think of that? Nobody had ever said such a thing before, my voice was annoying and far too shrill, and used too often too — ask anyone, I’m a blabbering nuisance.

We fell into a stiff silence, but he never let go of my hand and the train chugged onward toward the north with the winter wonderland hidden in darkness outside the window only reflecting the inside of the space we sat in. Hans urged me to get some sleep, we were apparently a few hours away from our stop, but how could I possibly sleep with adrenaline and nerves turning me into a mess? I felt a sandwich short of a picnic, as if I’d gone completely bonkers — the entire situation was madness, and what if it all went to pot? Dad and sis would take the Mickey out of me if I returned home after a few days, they’d know I tried to get away and have a laugh at my uselessness…

Hans had already drifted off to sleep beside me, his hand softly clasped around my smaller one while my entire body gravitated toward his. He was warm, sturdy, and I couldn’t help but lean against him while my eyelids drooped. It was close to midnight I think when I finally dozed off, my head still spinning with questions and worries of all kinds.

***

Hans called my name just as I chased Ferdinand through the house to snag him up in a towel after his weekly bath. He hissed and roared in a manner no kitty was ever supposed to, I clamped down on him, rubbing with the towel when Hans called my name again. My home evaporated and I found myself back on the train, clamping down on Hans’ hand too harshly. I let go and scooted to the side a bit.

“Dreams?” “Just, yeah, Ferdinand needed a bath and I had to dry him and rub him with a— Oh, you don’t need to know that, sorry,” I said while my voice went from hoarse to its usual state. “The cat?” “Yeah, right, sis’ cat. He’s a feral thing, he’s sweet, but he’s… Sorry…” He nodded and reached out to grab my hand anew, little indents from my nails littered his skin, just beneath his knuckles. “I’m sorry, I-, I didn’t mean to scratch you.” “This?” he asked, holding our joined hands up. “It’s nothing, don’t fret over it, sweet treat,” he continued and kissed my fingers one at a time — I was sent into a burning heaven of warmth by the action.

The train came to a halt and my sluggish brain went into overdrive again as Hans let go of me and stood. “This is us,” he said and the speakers sparked to life with a woman saying “Darlington Station” and then repeated it once more. “We’re off here?” I asked and he nodded while grabbing my bag for me. He had no luggage at all it seemed.

My nose wrinkled at the sight, he walked ahead of me as the doors were too narrow for us both to go through and the lane just as tight. My bag looked beyond cheap when slung over his shoulder dressed with a seemingly incredibly expensive coat, and the Oxfords on his feet paired with the grey linen trousers matched so perfectly that my bag stood out like a ragged reindeer among Arabian horses.

He took my hand the moment we stepped off the train, the station lay nearly deserted so there was no need to stick close yet he kept me right by his side. “I can carry that myself, you know,” I said and he nearly glared at me. “No.” “I’m perfectly capable—” “I’m aware, but just because a lady is capable doesn’t mean she should. You should know how to change a tire, but you shouldn’t have to do it. You are perfectly capable of carrying your bag, but I will not allow it when I can do such a thing for you, schnuki.” “O-oh…” I whispered, my cheeks once more burning hot while he smirked at me and squeezed my hand.

We moved across the street to a car park with snow crunching beneath our feet. Hans released my hand and bent down by a gorgeous car — it was sleek and maroon blue with an air of richness to it. It looked like it hadn’t been parked there for very long though. He dragged his hand by the wheel and produced a set of keys.

“This is yours?” “Rental,” he said. “Allow me.” He opened the passenger door like a gentleman and I slunk inside, keeping my feet outside the door to dunk them against each other not to drag in more snow than needed. The creamy leather smelled divine even if it were terribly cold, my old jeans did little to keep the chill of the seat from crawling into my skin and up my spine while Hans dropped my bag in the trunk and slid into the driver’s side.

The engine purred to life and I buckled up. “Good girl,” he said and gave the strap over my upper body a tug, cinching it across my middle at the same time. “There, perfectly strapped,” he continued with a cheeky grin and began backing out of the lot while I gaped at him.

Hans drove with skill and ease, weaving through the streets, taking several turns along smaller ones with tightly packed buildings dressed in Christmas lights standing on each side before the open road lay before us and my eyes remained fixed on the road ahead. Should have grabbed my motion sickness patches, I thought while my stomach protested and the back of my mouth filled with saliva I struggled to swallow.

“Are we driving far?” I asked, my voice quieter than usual as I gripped the car door to make my body feel a bit more stable, it usually helped the motion sickness a wee bit at least. “Twenty minutes, given the roads are clear. Why?” Hans glanced toward me and his eyes widened. I was probably a bit pale. “Motion sickness,” I said, slightly shamed by being a nuisance once more. “I’ll drive as steadily as I can. Is it speed, turns or the motion in general?” he asked and I gaped at him, feeling like my jaw got too much exercise since I met him. The care and interest he showed in everything regarding me was insane. “Acceleration and unsteadiness,” I confirmed to be the worst parts for me. “But you drive really well.” “I’ll do my best to keep steady, schnuki.”

Hans eventually slowed down when we entered a narrower street lined by giant trees void of greenery. It was still pretty though. “Here we are,” he said and steadily slowed down before making a smooth turn into a giant estate with several brick buildings. It was absolutely beautiful but truth be told I just wanted out of the car to breathe some fresh are and stave off the motion sickness. The red sign at the end of the driveway dressed with garlands and twinkling lights said Headlam Hall, Rural Resort & Spa in golden letters.

I was out the door as soon as the car stood still. Hans came around and stroked my back a few seconds later while I breathed deeply to take away the worst illness. The fresh air was wonderfully clean and crisp. A faint scent of cinnamon and hay lingered within it and I honestly couldn’t say I disliked that particular smell. Smelled like Christmas on the countryside.

“Are you alright?” he asked gently, his care beyond sweet. “Yeah, just need some air, it’ll pass in a few minutes. Sorry for being such a nuisance, Hans.” “Don’t say such a thing.” He looked almost offended at the words. “What thing?” “You are in no way a nuisance. Had I known I would have procured some pills for you.” “That’s my responsibility, I have patches at home, crazy how well they work for me without side effects. Should have grabbed them, but I packed so fast. Martha got them for me, some Chinese shop had them when she was in London visiting her sister. They’re bloody brilliant really, the pills always make me drowsy for over a day, and I— Oh, sorry, rambling,” I said and stopped myself from spewing more unnecessary words by taking a deep breath. “Stop gifting me words in your sweet voice only to apologize for it,” Hans said gently and kissed my temple. I shivered in my thin, tattered jacket and he fetched my bag while I tried to steady my legs — if it were his sweetness or the motion sickness making me wobbly I couldn’t really tell.

I was in some form of an awed daze while Hans led me inside the three-story brick building covered in vines that still held their leaves even in winter. The building was beautifully decorated with fairy lights around windows and the roof, with a blanket of snow all around it looked like it was taken out of one of those Christmas rom-coms where they needed to save the inn only to end up falling in love and living happily ever after (after some sappy words or cringe-worthy kissing scene).

The reception area was spotless, a beautiful mix of modern and classic English style that made me feel completely misplaced. It was rich, luxurious, and far beyond anything I’d ever dreamt of experiencing up close. Unlike the little café in my hometown with its tacky santas, plastic garlands, and altogether jumbled decorations this place was stunningly decorated in red and gold with real trees and boughs. I felt truly out of my depth. But Hans, well, he moved with an air of belonging to him, his strides confident and his whole look made it feel as if it were an obvious thing he belonged in such surroundings.

I kept looking around, nearly twisting my neck off to see without moving my legs, and Hans got our room sorted and declined any attempts of the receptionist to ring for someone to show him to it. He ended up leading us through the building, past a modern bar with a burning fireplace and sitting area next to it, through a big room with several seating areas, up some stairs, and through some hallways. It was as if he knew where he was going, as if he’d been there before. I merely followed like a lost puppy.

The room was stunning. Absolutely gorgeous with hints of tweed fabric, deeply rich wooden furnishing, and pale beige and white fabrics that soften it all. Tasteful Christmas decorations were placed in perfect spots and there was even a little hearth in the room, with two winged-backed chairs and a little table in front of it as well as two stockings hanging from the mantel. The giant four-poster bed screamed for me to lay down but the bathroom off to the side called for me even more.

Hans came up behind me, setting my bag on the floor before wrapping me in his arms, holding my back toward his front while my heart hammered as if I were some silly little schoolgirl with an irrevocable crush and filled with unruly hormones. “How about a bath before bed?” he rumbled by my ear and I nodded, lost for words by how closely he held me. “I’ll sort the room and you go relax, schnuki. Take a bath, and then we’ll turn in for the night.” “Sounds good,” I managed to say while he kissed my temple quickly before letting me go.

I ended up taking a long shower rather than a bath. I was too tired to wait for the tub to fill and it felt like a waste when I hadn’t the energy to really enjoy a long soaking. Hans didn’t bother me, even if I had left the door unlocked. As I dried my hair, while wrapped in the lushest of white robes, my tired body began to tremble. My hands worst of all while my legs felt like overcooked spaghetti strings beneath me.

I sank down on the chair by the claw-footed tub, squeezing the towel in my hands to try and stop the shaking. I left. I really left. And I’m in a spa resort, with a German bloke I don’t know. I’m a bloody moron for all of this. Am I completely daft? I’m usually not some muppet, but this is beyond stupid. I can’t even get home if I want to, not that I want to. I don’t want to, why don’t I want to go home? Shouldn’t I want to be with my family and all that good old hometown fluffing people always talk about? Especially during Christmas no matter that I know it would be a more than imperfect holiday, a disaster as usual, with things for all others and none for me but those from Santa that really are just from me to me. I'd probably end up wailing in bed with my face pressed into the damn pillow, just like every year...

A knock at the door interrupted my, rambling, pittyfull thoughts. “Yeah?” “Are you dressed?” he asked. “I’m in a robe.” The door opened the next second and I did all I bloody could to stop my hands from shaking and my face from betraying my anxious state. “Schnuki, my sweet treat, are you alright?” Hans asked while he stepped up to me, sinking to one knee while wrapping up my hands, still holding the wet towel, in his. “I’m— Well— I am, I am but, I’m not. I should be, and I am, but not really no.” I made no sense.

“Let’s get you to bed, you need sleep. Did you eat before meeting me?” “No, no Dad had his pals for poker and sis had me running to the shop for a new lipstick and then I packed, and I tried to make sure Ferdinand would have enough food and I did his litter box, cleaned it fully and put new sand and everything and I took out the trash and started a load of laundry and then I packed, and I cleaned my room and stripped the bed so—” “Schnuki, my sweet treat, calm down for me,” he said and cupped my face with his hands, his eyes holding mine steadily while I stopped rambling; in a rush to explain myself to the best of my capabilities so he would understand why I hadn’t eaten.

“There’s a silk pyjama on the bed for you,” he said, talking softly as if I were some delicate thing needing gentle care. “I’ll order some room service and you’ll eat before we sleep. Eggs and bacon, sound good?” “Y-yeah,” I exhaled, feeling all degrees of spoiled and pampered, cared for, and baffled by the warmth it filled my stupidly thundering heart with. I’m such a silly-nilly… I couldn’t help but wonder if I had been right two days ago, about Christmas being the time for kindness and care, perhaps this Christmas would be one like that for me?

“Alright then. I need to make a call, I’ll be on the balcony.” “There’s a balcony?” I asked, my eyes widening, and he smirked with a cheeky look. “We’ll have breakfast with blankets out there tomorrow, sound good? The view is fantastic you see.” “Oh, oh yeah, sounds brilliant,” I replied and he kissed my forehead most softly before leaving me to dry off my hair completely. That I wished to know what those lips felt like against my own was a thought I couldn’t quite get to pipe down. I bet he’s brilliant at kissing, nothing like Bobby Parker… I shuddered at the memory of my first kiss, and soon enough my mind ping-ponged like a rabbit between holes in the ground with memories of the kisses I’d had in life.

Bloody hell, I’ve had terrible luck in the love department… Well, the kissing department, I’ve never fallen in love with anyone. Maybe it’s all the blokes unable to kiss making me unable to fall in love. But I knew it was a place thing, rather than anything else. Living in a tiny town had few options lining themselves up, and with my sis being the pretty and popular one I stood even less of a chance. Every bloke I’d ever kissed she’d already been pawing in one way or another only to lose interest.

I hung the towel to dry and left the bathroom only to see the lilac-coloured pyjama set of silk on the giant bed. It looked like pure luxury. I’m supposed to wear that? I couldn’t do it, so I rummaged around in my bag for my old flannel pyjama bottoms and my old Bowie tee washed out completely and worn at the seams with a little hole right where I always fiddled with the hem. I glanced at the lilac silk once more before scurrying back into the bathroom and changing.

I walked over to the balcony door, finding Hans pacing on the other side of the glass in just his linen trousers and white shirt, his red tie still firmly secured too. He looked good enough to eat whole. Don’t be daft, Lulu…

As he paced back and forth I could hear a muffled snippet of his conversation every time he was close to the door. Words of stocks and vaults, then words of exits and insurances. Perhaps he worked on the stock market? Or a bank? He looked the part, like one of those Wall Street blokes you’d see on TV from time to time. Just, less dishevelled and without the crazed look of rapid exchanges needing one’s full attention.

“We will be in and out in four minutes,” he said while stopping with his back toward the door. I saw him fully through the sheer curtains but he hadn’t taken any notice of me. “Alex can crack it, Henry will be in the car and it’ll be smooth sailing. I’m close to Newcastle, picked up a little something special on the way so I’m a day late and will be two days late getting there. Can I trust you to handle getting the team set up and ready to go in four days? Friday’s are checking days, it’ll be stocked.” I wasn’t sure what the bloody hell I was hearing but it sounded important. His voice was so much harder than when he spoke to me, and clipped in a different way entirely. The sweetness and care had vanished, leaving only a decisive deep voice behind. A commanding one at that.

He ended the call and I scurried back to my bag, rummaging through it, pretending to search for something when the door opened and closed behind me. For some daft reason, I wasn’t scared despite the red flag of him being so different on the phone. Nothing about Hans scared me, not even being in the dark about who he was. He was Hans, he cared and he listened. He tended to me and took me away from the place I’d been dreaming of escaping for years but never dared to leave. He saved my life the very first time we met. I don’t know anyone who’d put themselves in harm’s way for others… Especially not any stranger in the middle of the road.

“Schnuki, what’s this?” he asked and I half turned my head, still kneeling on the floor by the foot of the bed with my hands in my bags. “Do you not like my present for you?” he asked with a glance toward the pyjama set. “You bought them?” I asked while straightening, abandoning my pretend hunt. “Yes.” When? “I love them,” I confessed. “But I can’t wear that.” “ That ? Something wrong with them?” “No, no! They’re perfect and pretty and super soft and a beautiful colour and everything,” I rushed out. “They’re just… expensive looking. I don’t wanna ruin them, you know?” “Ruin them? By wearing them as intended?” Sure, when you say it like that it sounds as silly as a goose having shoes and a bonnet.

Hans stepped closer, his eyes roaming over my form hidden beneath the loose, tattered fabric I wore. He tugged me into his arms and I gasped at the sudden closeness. He was still so warm, despite having been out in the cold English winter for several minutes. “Anna-Louise,” he said gently, “you ought to get accustomed to wearing fancy things, and eating good food, being in luxurious surroundings. I won’t have you in anything less than that.” “Hans… What-, what do you mean? I’m perfectly fine with way less, I don’t need all that fancy stuff. I’m used to—” “You’ll get used to better things quickly enough, schnuki,” he interrupted. “Hans, we barely know each other, you can’t lavish me with things like that.” “Don’t say such a thing.” “That I don’t want to be lavished upon like some fancy old lady sitting in parlours sipping tea in expensive silk while waiting for her dear husband to return home from some overseas journey?” I joked while giggling, but he didn’t laugh. “Hans?” “I do a lot of business overseas, would it be terrible of me to wish to come home to you, waiting in pretty silk, after each trip?”

He took a step back while I tried to take in what he’d said. Our eyes locked together and I damn near couldn’t breathe as he looked at me with such longing. “In pretty silk?” I whispered, wholly overwhelmed and wondering what kind of rich man I’d stumbled upon. “All finery imaginable,” he said with a nod. “Why would you want me?” I asked, for the first time posing the question which had been bugging me for a long time without me realising it. “Why would I not want you?” he asked, but before I could ramble a number of reasons, he kissed me.

I melted. He kissed me softly but with urgency, his thin lips perfect against mine. He kissed me so well my foot came off the bloody floor like in a sappy romance movie, I couldn’t help it. Fireworks exploded in my veins, my mind turned utterly quiet and nothing in the world mattered but him holding me close, kissing me with passion and longing leaking out of him with a dark hum while his arms tightened around me.

…To Be Continued…

LINKTREE // AO3 // MASTERLIST

A/N: Oh boy... this really did turn out to be quite long but gosh I love these two so much I can't help but wanting to write for them - and it's just too much fun too 😂👏 I hope you enjoyed the continuation of this story from last year and as I said above there will be one more part to this story tomorrow! Hope you're excited for even more of these two and the secrets they carry along with the love that's flourishing between them 🥰❤

Q: Would you rather spend Christmas at a big resort, with all amenities, or a small town in a picturesque cottage? 🎄 A: I'll take the cottage - I do love those cosy vibes and I don't mind having to stoke a fire and wear an extra jumper and socks 🥰

TAGLIST: @lizlil @snapefiction @darkthought15 @monstreviolet @flowerdementia @marvelschriss @once-upon-an-imagine @ravennight41 @caseydoodles98 @slytherinprincess03 @theconsultingdetectiveswife @grimmyhild @monster-energies @myobscureimaginarium @snowblossomreads @eternal-silvertongued-prince @cherryglossie @setsuna-meiou31 @helena211 @a-queen-and-her-throne @justsaturn0 @turvi @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky @sunnylikesfrogs @mamawolfsmith16 @dianilaws @sassanoe @snapesrn @bernadette-peters12 @sammy-13 @smartowl999 @castleofthorns @serenanight87 @mamawolfsmith87 @snowblossomreads @ladykardasi @a-queen-and-her-throne @eternal-silvertongued-prince @lyrixsnape @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky @daddythanatos

Want to be tagged? 💚 You can tag yourself HERE! Or tell me and I’ll gladly tag you! 😍

[Dec:2023]

[mvrtaiswriting]

Omg I absolutely love what you wrote for my first request. I'm not sure if it's okay to request another if not please disregard this. But may I request prompt 6 or 14 (whichever inspires you more because I couldn't decide which I liked more) with Luffy or Ace. 🥰please 🙏 and thank you🥰

Ace x prompt 6: staring at the other’s lips, trying not to kiss them, before giving in.

hiii ♡ sorry this took so long, I tried to prioritise other people's request to ensure fairness - I hope you don't mind! I didnt write anything in the past week apart from academic papers and my creative writing feels rusty again - I hate it. I chose Ace for this one cause I already wrote loads for luffy and my boy deserves some love. I hope you enjoy this one! please do let me know what you think, I hope it meets your expectations!!

gender neutral! minor injury mention

feel free to reblog, like, and leave a comment. i would very much appreciate it. if you enjoy my works, click here to read more or buy me a coffee.- from this event.

Ace was not able to pinpoint the exact moment he started thinking so much about you.

Memories of you crowded his mind; both hemispheres of his brain now felt like museums' corridors, both of their walls full of artworks of your best smile, of the tiny scrunch that formed on the bridge of your nose every time you drunk his favourite liquor and its alcohol burned your throat. The moments that the two of you shared were the most precious and he kept relieving them, replaying them right before his eyes - causing him to zone out constantly. The thought of you drove him insane, Ace simply couldn't escape - he dreamt about you all the time, regardless of him being asleep or awake.

The sting of the disinfectant you applied on the tiny cut on his eyebrow brought him back to reality. You were so close to him and he could not help but get lost in his thoughts, whilst your scent completely invaded his senses.

"Ouch." he whined as a little smile formed on his lips. "You could have warned me!"

"I did?" you replied, shrugging your shoulders. "you just. never. listen." you added, emphasising every word by tapping on his wound with the little cotton pad you were using.

Sighing in response, Ace bit his lip and let you continue. There wasn't much he could say, it was true - he was never really there, living the moment: his mind constantly wondered around, every sort of scenario taking place in his mind. His brain was completely controlled by this insatiable hunger he felt towards you. He wanted to play with your hair and cuddle you to sleep and he wanted your filthiest side. Having you sitting right on his knee didn't help him, at all. Your face was so close to his he could feel your breath warming his soft skin, strand of your hair falling on his face and tickling him only slightly. Ace couldn't help but stare at your lips, how plumped they look and how delicate they would feel on his.

Applying a band-aid onto his wound, you finally moved away from his face. You could feel him staring, he had been doing it for a while now - his eyes felt like daggers, piercing through you and causing you to blush every damn time. Biting your lips, you quickly scanned his face, just to stare at his lips - instinctively mirroring him. Butterflies completely took over your stomach. Your body acted faster than your thoughts and before you could realise it, you were already leaning towards him, lips almost brushing. Adrenaline built in your veins as you get closer to him, your heart beating so fast you thought it could explode. Was this right?

"Yep. All done, you'll be fine!" you screamed happily, your hands still shaking as you move away from his face once again. Every fibre of your body wanted to make Ace yours, aching every time his fingers touched your skin, needy for more. But the tiny, sadistic voice inside your head made you realise just how much you enjoyed the chase. You wanted him to crave you - if this wasn't all in your head, he should have done more than that.

Ace shook his head, trying to recover from what just happened. One second you were almost kissing him, the other you're slipping out of his grip. Wrapping his arms around your torso, he stopped you from getting away and adjusted you on his knee once again. A wide smirk formed on his face as he finally locked his eyes on you.

"Nah, where do you think you're going?" he laughs, leaning closer to you and brushing his nose against yours, sending a shiver down your spine. "Stop playing around. You know what it does to me." he whispered, lips now brushing against your neck. He was at his limit, letting his passion take over his body.

"Oh, finally tired of staring?" you teased, lifting his face up by putting your index finger under his chin - he looked heavenly as he completely hanged from your lips, metaphorically and not. A small laugh escaped his lips as he finally gave in, pressing his lips against your and kissing you fiercely. Feeling as if he had been wandering in the desert for all this time, Ace finally able to satisfy his thirst.

[mimisempai]

Just a bad day

Summary

Even though separated by thousands of miles, Bucky is ready to offer comfort to his lover, no matter the time of day or night.

On AO3

Rating G - 630 words

It was about three in the morning when Bucky's phone vibrated near his head.

It was a facetime call and he knew exactly who was calling at that hour. He accepted without hesitation, without even checking.

He did a quick calculation in his head, it was about six in the evening in Delacroix.

The first thing he saw was a mass of white fur as Sam's growling voice reached his ears, "Alpine, I'm the one who wants to talk to Bucky so move over."

The cat meowed in protest but obeyed nonetheless and in its place Bucky saw Sam's face appear.

He was not surprised at his lover's drawn features and the sadness in his eyes. He knew what a special day it was and he had expected Sam's call.

He whispered softly, "Hey Doll."

Sam walked over to the camera and whispered, "Hey Bucky, I..."

As he searched for his words, Bucky noticed that he was wearing one of his old hoodies, showing him how much emotional distress he was in that he needed Bucky's clothes to comfort himself. He felt even more bad that he couldn't reschedule this session to update his arm to another time of year. But he couldn't ask Queen Shuri to adjust her schedule to Bucky's either.

Sam continued, "I'm sorry to wake you up, but..."

Bucky stopped him, frustrated that he couldn't touch him, "Hey don't be sorry, I couldn't sleep, I knew you would call. No matter what time it is, I'm here for you, even if not physically."

Sam whispered softly, "You know what day it is."

Bucky nodded.

Of course he knew after all these years. It was the anniversary of Riley's death and he knew how terrible, even after all this time had passed, his loss had been for Sam.

Bucky asked gently, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sam shook his head and replied, "Can we just talk? About everything, about your day, about Wakanda, about anything. Anything that will make me forget what I've been thinking about all day. I... just need to forget."

Bucky said softly, "I'm so sorry I'm not there."

Sam shook his head again, "Don't be. Talk to me."

Bucky nodded, and seeing that Sam looked exhausted, he said softly, "Okay, first, I want you to go make yourself comfortable in our bed as if you were going to sleep."

Sam obeyed and Bucky waited until he appeared in front of the camera again and said in a slightly amused tone, "There you go, my very own mother hen, I'm ready for the night."

Bucky hummed in appreciation, happy to see a small smile, however slight, on his lover's lips.

Then he slowly began to talk, recounting his days in Wakanda, his joy at having his goats back, the intriguing Namor visiting Queen Shuri, and how they were pining for each other. The meal shared with Ayo and Aneka. All sorts of things. Without stopping.

At first Sam made little comments, even had a chuckle or two, but then his interventions became less frequent until Bucky saw that Sam had fallen asleep.

Bucky called softly, "Alpine, my girl, come here."

He saw the little cat's muzzle appear and whispered, "You take good care of him girl, right? I'll be back soon."

The feline meowed, almost inaudibly as if not to wake Sam.

Then she went to lie against his head and Sam, probably awakened by her movement, muttered in his sleep, "Bucky... thank you."

Bucky gazed at his sleeping lover and said softly, "You're welcome, sleep now doll, tomorrow everything will be fine."

Sam replied almost unintelligibly, "Yeah...love you."

Bucky smiled and said in turn, "I love you." then watched his lover sleep, until it was his turn to fall asleep.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Sambucky masterlist here

[bluejayblueskies]

If you're still doing the end of year fanfic ask thing; 13, 18 and 21?

fanfic end-of-year asks

13 - favorite writing song/artist/album of this year

the technical answer to this is probably the heavy rain/no thunder spotify track i write to 99% of the time asdlgkjagl BUT i did also spend a weird chunk of time listening to this song in particular while writing whisky lol

18 - current number of wips

oh gosh. including both posted and unposted wips, i've got

malevolent:

whisky

tattoo john

timeloop fic

tma:

SUU

10000 flowers

fata morgana

tim no eyes oops

Bad Gender Feelings

magic poetry

therapy somewhere else

bad martin feelings

more bad martin feelings (poetry specific)

moulin rouge au (does it count as a WIP if i've abandoned it?)

time travel fic

so 14 WIPs! i intend to finish at least 7 of those (all the malevolent ones plus 10000 flowers, fata morgana, tim no eyes oops, and magic poetry). the rest very well may float in the ether for all eternity 😅

21 - most memorable comment/review

ohhhhh gosh this is hard because i keep all the comments i get close to my heart 💜 i think it's a tie between the comments from anonymous commenter 'oh my' on whisky (if you're seeing this your comments are so lovely and i cherish them greatly 💕), the occasional new comment i'll get on it will be this, always talking about how the fic helped them resolve their feelings about s5 (which was why i wrote it so i love seeing it help other people!) (AO3 user Random_Reviewer left a comment like this that is so <3 <3 <3 to me), and comments on my aspec stuff talking about how it's helped people realize that they're aspec, come to terms with their aspecness, or just see parts of themselves in my writing (i got one from an anonymous reviewer on my aro!martin fic in the reciprocal a month or so ago that made me 🥰)

i know that's not a specific comment but! idk! i have a hard time picking the most memorable because i just love them all <3

(also! while i'm here talking about comments: i know that i'm absolutely terrible at replying to them, but if you're reading this and you've ever left a comment on one of my works, please know that i love and appreciate you SO MUCH and i've probably read your comment multiple times and gushed over it repeatedly. i have a hard time finding the words to reply to them in a genuine and meaningful way [SO sorry if you've ever left a question in a comment, i try to reply to those but sometimes i forget, feel free to send me a message asking the question again if i don't reply, my brain is a sieve lol] but i do love everyone's feedback 💕 yall are the reason i share my work and the reason i get so excited to write new things, and i appreciate you all 🥰)

[murieltheawful]

Hi! For the fic ask game, hit me with 1, 2, 7, 9 and 11! 😀 (or however many you want if it's too much)

Oh hi!

I will try to reply to them all)

1. What part of the writing process is the most enjoyable?

I think it's writing when I hit the flow. It's just so great when the things just happen in your mind, and you need to type them down as quick as possible. I also like to make a final re-read and feel that yes, this is great, I did well. And I can't wait to post it on Ao3.

2. Talk about a favorite comment you received.

There were a lot of great comments in my life as a ficwriter. I have been blessed 💕

But what I cherish are the series of comments from two people who went through my works and commented on every chapter using quotes. It made me feel acknowledged and appreciated. I am friends with both now, btw.

I also love thoughtful comments, the ones that make me go, "Oh, yes, you get it! YOU GET IT YES, it's exactly what I meant".

I have a recent example of what a lovely comment might look. It goes, "You incredible maniac of a writer I am caught hook line and sinker for this masterpiece of dark themes wrapped in comedy and crack" 🥰🐭

Seriously, this shit is addictive.

7. What do you love most about being a fic writer for your fandom?

A question that made me stop and stare in the distance. It's not simple!

I am currently active in the Hockey RPF fandom. I am a part of Hockeyblr. But I don't write Hockey RPF fics myself. One exclusion: I wrote a short lil thing about my favourite hockey player, with fantasy elements that was gen and had no shipping in it. I got encouraging comments, people found it cute and funny, just as I hoped.

I want to say that I like being a part of Hockeyblr on the whole. People have been exceedingly nice and helpful, always ready to answer my rookie questions and talk about my boys.

The last fandom I wrote for was Hades game, I guess. The comments were nice, but there were not many of them. Which is a pity, I want more comments, hehe. So, nothing much to say about it.

9. What inspired you to write your first fic?

Honestly? Horniness.

If I go into detail, I was reading a lot of doujinshis (fan-made manga about any media, often of the horny type) and fics about the Haikyuu anime. I also searched for fanarts, obviously. I had two favourite characters, and I shipped them. One night, my head offered me a plot where one of these characters cheats on the other with a person from another pairing. And it was angsty. The next day, I decided I should write it down. Which I did. It didn't go according to my fantasy and ended up being a poly-ship with four participants set in an angel-demon world. 🐭

Oh, no, wait! It was my second fic. The first one was about that same favourite couple, and I had them kidnapped 🤗 and abused ❣️ I was horny, and the fanarts were my fuel 🥰

Actually, thanks to fanfiction I got back into writing after years of doing nothing. I had this one original work that I was working on for years, and I could neither finish it nor shove it aside. And I didn't allow myself to write anything else while that work was still not over with. Until fanfiction happened.

Writing fics took the pressure off, and I was able to practice and get better (and return to writing original works, too).

11. Who is your favorite character(s) to write about and why?

Uhm. They change? From fandom to fandom?

I loved writing Kuroo Tetsurou from Haikyuu (I loved hurting him in all the ways 🥰). I loved writing Keith from Voltron Legendary Defender (with him, it was hurt/comfort all the way). While I write, I like writing my main character the most.

Right now, I also have a Spideypool fic in progress. To make it clear, I am a fan of neither, but my friend wrote an amazing fic about them that I loved (there were dragons!! And smut! And forced marriage! And smut! And did I mention dragons???") and inspired me to write a very specific AU about Wade Wilson.

Turned out, I LOVE writing Deadpool. I didn't enjoy the films about him but I usually enjoyed reading fics about him. Actually, his craziness and generally chaotic logic are so right for me! The more chaotic, the better. There's so much to Wade in the original series, that you can spin him a myriad of ways. So much artistic freedom! 🐭

That would be it! It was fun to talk about my fandom history and present.

Thanks for asking 🤗

[inkofyoonkoo]

hii vale i hope you’re doing well. ❤️❤️❤️ i really want to thank you for updating your stories for us, interacting with us, and letting us know what’s been going on. i really do wish you will find ease and light soon during this time. i understand how you are feeling and i hope you know we will support you no matter what. as an introvert myself, i find it hard with interaction and self expression but i really want to commend you on telling us how you’ve been feeling lately. ❤️❤️❤️i hope you know that you’re self care comes first no matter what, and i’m glad you’re taking time to reflect upon that. i’m really not the best at giving words of comfort but i just want to let you know that you have given me so much comfort and joy since i found you. sometimes i read a chapter and i’m just in wow by what happens and then i forget to show my appreciation, but please know i do i love you so much and also love your stories so much. and i hope you know you are funny and friendly, and have created a nice environment. you’re also extremely intelligent and unique it leaves me speechless 😍😍😍😍you’re feelings will always be valid 100% and i hope you know how much of an amazing person you are. thank you from the bottom of my heart!!! love you and hope your days are brighter!!!☀️☀️☀️☀️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Hi my lovely! Yes, I'm doing fine -just stressed because real life is pretty demanding lately, but it's all good! I hope you're doing well and that life is treating you nicely 💕

Thank you for sending me this lovely message and for being supportive over my decision! Believe me, it was bugging me for months, to the point that I also expressed out loud multiple times my desire to cut ties, but I always felt in the wrong because I was lucky enough to a have a very few people who truly loved my stories; and going away sounded like: "You know? I don't care about you. I want more." when it's not like this. I was and I'm forever grateful to the people who were and are always kind toward me (treating me not only as a "writer", but like a person too) and that's why I preferred moving to another blog. On a side, I know that I can't expect from people to be my beck-and-call (I don't even want it) and I was really happy with the only interaction of the very few people who stuck with me; but I really felt like a "machine" lately. I don't know... as a content creator, I should be happy with the number of following increasing day by day, "likes" raining on every single story on my masterlist; but the general silence made me feel like I was "necessary" only to post my works -but, at the same time, they weren't worth a comment. As already stated, I'm the one to be blamed for the general lack of interaction -but I noticed that even if I tried to build it through "ask-games" or posting new teasers or such, feedback was almost non-existent (especially since I stopped posting YATO, or since I vocalized how lack of feedback was hurting me). In all of this, I realized that there were writers who were able to create a nice environment in the span of a very few months; while I couldn't do almost anything in three years...

I'm convinced I took the right decision. Honestly, I'm still jumping into my old blog because I'm still doing some things there and, I mean, people still put "likes" on my stories and follow me -even if there's a post clearly stating that it's not my intention to keep going. I can't control people, but I can control my actions and take care of my mood. And this is the best thing I could do 😊

All this long reply just to express better my POV, and to say that I truly appreciate your kind words! They gave me lot of comfort, don't worry, and it actually warms my heart to know that my stories could give you joy 🥰 Also, thanks for your compliments toward me as a person! I don't really consider myself funny or friendly, and probably these three years helped to radicate in me this belief, but I'm truly happy if you think the contrary ❤ (as for being intelligent and unique... YOU’RE WAY TOO KIND NOW. BELIEVE ME, I’M NOT. I TEND TO BE THE MOST IGNORANT AND THE DUMBEST AND INVISIBLE AMIDST PEOPLE). Thank you so much for being so sweet! You’re amazing and I’m truly happy to have you here ❤ Sending you my love and wish you all the best 🌻 ❤ 🌻 ❤

[in-silks-and-flesh-and-leather]

Silky! First, your stories and writings are amazing and INTELLIGENT! They have so much depth and the characters aren’t interchangeably generic!! Second, of course the same with your commentary and thoughts—always intelligent and worthwhile. When you disagree it’s not to be petulant and disagreeing for the sake of disagreement, which I appreciate. For example, I too, was very underwhelmed about the Gucci sex scene. But I hadn’t read the book. I was judging it as a scene itself—and especially bc so many people hyped it up. But I really enjoyed reading your critique and commentary through the contextual lens of the book on which the movie was based. Finally, I have to say again that your comments and replies are always very kind. You don’t dismiss people even if you disagree. Btw, I happen to enjoy Maurizio Gucci’s look bc I prefer AD clean shaven, though I wish his hair wasn’t quite so floppy and I could do without the glasses but whatever I will take what I can get. But I feel on your blog and as your follower I can voice this even though I know you don’t enjoy Maurizio Powers haha, bc you and your blog space is very welcoming and kind. On the flip side, I admit that while I enjoy any AD content, Jacques aesthetically usually is not my first preference (though depends on my mood) but what I adore is falling in love with a character that an author has created. It isn’t so much about the aesthetics of Jacques or Maurizio in the end, for me, so much as how an author has written them and reimagined them. And you do it so well for Jacques that I enjoy being taken on the adventure you created and falling for this character. That is all credit to YOU, not the movie. So I don’t know why some people would be offended or annoyed if another person in the fandom does or does not enjoy an AD movie or an AD character as portrayed in the movie. Who cares? It would be boring if we all liked the same things. And they’re all meant to be for fun anyway. In the end it’s with a specific author’s rendering of a character that we fall in love with anyway. And I think we as a fandom are all the richer for it, for the diversity and intelligence and creativity that authors such as yourself bring. - 📖

My dear 📖❤️

Thank you so much, I adore an ask that I can sink my teeth into 🥰

And if you didn't just hit on two of my primary considerations in creating a character/story, mh 👌 You're brilliant ❤️

I'm so glad to know you feel that way about the (apparently) incendiary thoughts I share on occasion. I wish we could be more open about what we actually like/dislike and why - I promise everyone it's so therapeutic and the jokes that come out of it are gold 😂😂

Also, there are few things I enjoy more than spirited debate with an intelligent person (which remains respectful throughout, obvi) - I'd love to hear more from people who have considered opinions different than mine.

That's a really interesting point about preferring one look over another and how that plays a role. I don't have a preference really (just no mustache/chinstrap 😂) so I never thought about it much. If you would like to share, I'd love to hear more about it 🙂

I'm also a fan of gentle roasting so even the characters I am totally into, I still gotta go for a joke. That's why Rick is princess creamy legs/daddy long legs always and forever to me. And I'll bring up The Logan Family Pout™ any chance I get 🥰

The last few sentences you wrote brought a tear to my eyee ❤️ You're absolutely right, it's fabulous to have people who like different characters for different reasons, and when there is a talented author out there who gets them and has the talent to write a story that will sweep us off our feet and build upon the character we love 😭😭❤️❤️ Perfection!

Sending you all my love and zero bad science metaphors because you're worth it 🤗🤗

And a little sprinkle of our Gooby Goobs because it's for sure not all bad 😄🥰

[dragodina]

🎨👻💥✨

Thank you for replying this morning and also for the questions, I really appreciate it 🥰❤️.

Like you my answers are all about Tatort Hamburg and for my favourite lady cop, her lovely yet moody partner sidekick and my beloved lady cop couple 😊

Here we go! Oh and sorry for the length 😅🙈✌🏼:

👻 What is your wildest headcanon?

I don't know if it counts as "wild" but the one canon thing I most wish for, is running around in my head very wildly and that's very likely not going to happen is: (Oh surprise) TINIA 😊❤️. And maybe that is also an kind of unpopular opinion. Julia Grosz and Tine Geissler back together happily ever after. Because Julia deserves to find some love and why the heck not with Tine Geissler. #LiebefürJulia

💥 What is one canon thing that you wish you could change?

See answer for 👻. I'm very desperate about them 😅😂🤣🙈.

✨️ Out of the comments you’ve received on your fics, what are two or three of your favorites?

Phew, that one really is a tough question. Because of the nature of the small fandom and the pairing all of the comments that are shared are very special on their own.

The comments on the very first chapter of "Last Chance" though will probably have a very special place in my tiny heart.

Just because of the fact that I have never posted anything before storywise in my life, only ever wrote things down to get them put of my head but never shared them. But then the Tatort Hamburg episode "Schattenleben" touched me so deeply that I just wrote a piece of something. And did not expect to receive anything. But what I got back through the comments was so much more treasured. I re-discovered the joy of wroting that I had lost for a very long time as well aß the courage to post it online and see how others like the ideas that are constantly Rundung theough my head. And for that I am very grateful.

I'm just very thankful for all the lovely words.

@caromitpunkt @disappointingsalad @MJ & you always leave so generous words that keeps the re-found passion alive and going.

I got a comment from a person who mentioned that they usually just read and don't comment but couldn't resist because they enjoyed "Last Chance" so much, that was very lovely and really made my day 😊.

I'm happy if people from other fandoms come over and take their time to leave words of appreciation as well.

It's really cool when people point out their favorite lines or scenes or some of the details I put in (longer) stories once in a while.

If someone comnents they like the writing style that is allways nice because I really just write what I think and comes to my mind but never really had any education about it.

I love your comments @except4bunnies and input, because you are always very encouraging and share point of views that I probably haven't considered and I like to see stuff from another angle (your angle) and the open exchange that developes through that. For example if storylines or scenes that I decided on are realistic for certain characters. Not only about stories but also all FW things considered. I know you are quite alright with the canon version of Julia as it is and so I really apprecite that you still bear with my Tinia madness 😊.

The comments of @kuestenkindimherzen are always so heartwarming and escalating and I really love and am happy to have someone to share the Tinia madness with 🥰🙈.

In general I'm just very grateful for every single comment and everyone who shares their thoughts on stories, just because I like my ideas doesn't neccssarily mean they are awesome. So its nice to see if I can catch one emotion or another in a reader that I definitely had when writing scenes.

🎨 If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

I would so love to see a fanvid of Julia Grosz to the music of Sigur Rós 😊. It would be even more perfect with Tine Geissler 🥰. That would really make my day, okay probably my whole year 😅✌🏼.

There is one scene from "Happiness" right at the beginning when Julia wakes up in the morning with Tine in her arms, their hands resting intertwined over Tines stomach. Kuestenkindimherzen commented that she would love to get a painting of that exact scene. And I can only agree wholeheartedly to that, I would very much love that too 🥰❤️.

Then there is that dance scene between Julia and Tine in "Last Christmas" at a police christmas party to Scalas version of "Last Christmas" that felt very special to me while writing it. I don't even know if that sparked as much joy for readers as it did for me while I imagined it in my head 🙈.

In the end, I would just be happy to get any Julia & Tine content at all 😅🥰❤️.

[themomsandthecity]

Julia Fox Is a Mom of a 2-Year-Old, and Her Apartment Proves It

Julia Fox believes in "maximum transparency." So despite her fear of being roasted in the comments, she decided to do a tour of her messy, kid-centric apartment on her TikTok. As a mom to 2-year-old Valentino, Fox wanted to normalize her space in all its chaotic glory - something she hopes most parents can relate to. "Maybe someone can watch this and think, 'OK, so maybe I'm not doing so bad,'" she says in the video. Fox starts the tour in her "bedroom," which is actually the apartment's living room. "I put my bed in the living room so I could turn my bedroom into a little playroom for Valentino," she says while sweeping the camera over the toys on the floor and a random clothing rack she says she "really [needs] to get rid of." (#Relatable.) She then shows off her "nostalgia mirror" that's decorated with photos of Valentino as a newborn next to mementos of loved ones who have passed. The mirror hangs over her "grow station" (two small pots filled with soil). Despite being labeled with small signs for "mint" and "basil," she confirms that "nothing is growing because we don't know what we're doing." From there, Fox takes us down a long hallway, passing a variety of items needed to transport her toddler around NYC, including a tricycle, strollers, and an array of little shoes. She makes sure to point out Valentino's daycare schedule, written in marker on a whiteboard near the front door. Then there's a quick stop to peek at her "little" bathroom with leftover toys in the tub. "It's very tiny, but it does what it's supposed to do," she says. Entering the kitchen, we see Valentino's adorable mini kitchen facing the real deal. The countertops are covered with gadgets like a brand-new cotton-candy maker and various shoe boxes. She adds a disclaimer for viewers, "Don't judge me! I know it's really messy," though all we can think about is the luxury of access to fresh cotton candy. But the crown jewel of the 31-year-old's apartment is her son's bedroom. "I put the most effort into this room," she says, showing off the lofted bed and built-in bookshelves. "I really wanted him to have a cute room." However, Fox admits he doesn't spend any of his time there. "He only wants to be in Mama's room," she says. "He sleeps in bed with me. Yeah, we're cosleepers, sue me. I don't care." This isn't the first time Fox has shared her honest experience of motherhood. In September 2022, she opened up about the rude awakening that came with postpartum depression. "I think it's just such a reality check when you finally have a kid and you're like, 'Holy f*ck, this has just drastically made my entire life worse," she shared on TikTok. "This is not at all the fairy tale that I was f*cking promised. But how do we say that out loud?" While Fox clearly loves her son, she acknowledges the importance of maintaining transparency among parents. @juliafox Come with me on a very underwhelming apartment tour! also to clarify I have only ONE mouse and he’s cute 🥰 ♬ original sound - Julia fox Many TikTokers appreciated the authentic nature of the tour. "[You're] a mother that obviously prioritizes your child & it is a beautiful apartment," one user commented. "Love you are showing that success looks different for every person." Another replied, "Love how much of your space is dedicated to your son." And comedian Hannah Berner dubbed Fox "a relatable icon." The "Uncut Gems" star admits they have a "small mouse problem" but adds, "I appreciate that they come out at night while we're sleeping to clean up the crumbs that my son drops on the floor." She has no plans to evict the mice anytime soon. https://www.popsugar.com/family/julia-fox-shows-her-apartment-with-2-year-old-son-49071842?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=tumblr